Category Archives: Progress

Despite the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on animal biotechnology at the end of the Trump administration between the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, animal biotechnology approvals remain stalled. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says hes committed to working with the Food and Drug Administration on creating proper jurisdiction of animal biotech oversight, but concerns exist on the originally signed MOU.

Animal biotechnology refers to genetic altering of animals through a range of potential processes, including recombinant DNA techniquesand genome editing, to improve certain traits or characteristics of these animals. These practices have the potential to develop resistance and mitigate diseases including zoonotic infections like SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza, to reduce methane emissions, improve heat tolerance, and much more.

Currently, these technologies are regulated by FDA under its animal drug authority, through a process that has proven prohibitively onerous. To date, only two animals intended for agricultural purposes have ever been approved by the FDA for domestic use, both taking decades for full approval.

The National Pork Producers Council says it supports giving USDA regulatory authority over gene editing in food animals, pointing out that the agencys Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service already has a review process in place for gene editing in plants, which can serve as a model for livestock. Under a USDA-proposed rule, the agency would have primary regulatory jurisdiction of gene-edited animals.

Ahead of a hearing in the House Agriculture Committee on livestock issues, nearly two-thirds of the committee (37 members) signed and sent a letter to Vilsack and FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock urging timely progress in the reform of regulatory frameworks and animal biotechnology products. Lawmakers cited genetic improvements as a hallmark of agriculture and called on USDA Vilsack and Woodcock to make improvements that would modernize the regulatory system for animal genetics and assure timely adoption of biotechnology innovations.

Related:HHS, USDA sign MOU on animal biotechnology

Rep. Vicki Hartzler, R-Mo., asked Vilsack during the hearing when a pig that has been found to be resistant to PRRScould be used by producers. Vilsack responded that he shares her goal of instituting an appropriate regulatory structure to use the tools and innovations available. There are ways in which we have to work collaboratively with our friends at FDA to make sure our regulatory system is able to respond quickly enough and be able to keep pace with the pace of change, the secretary told House Ag members.

In questioning from Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., who serves as the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committees subcommittee on biotechnology, Baird notes that concerns on the cumbersome regulatory process sends the wrong message and tends to stifle innovation.

Innovation has been the very backbone of agriculture throughout time. In the last several decades, that innovation has begun to look different as the technology has changed, but the goal remains the same to create the safestand most sustainable, abundant, and stable food supply in the world, says Baird.

The unfortunate reality though, is that our regulatory system has not kept up with this technology and has created a near-impossible challenge to get these products to market, Baird says. USDA needs to take the lead in developing new, risk and science-basedregulatory pathways that encourage agricultural innovation, provide access to valuable new technologies to American livestock producers, and ensurefood safety and security for consumers.

During the hearing, Vilsack said as a department, USDA attempted to reach an agreement with HHS and FDA during the Trump administration with an original MOU signed, however, the then FDA administrator was not supportive of transferring oversight of animal products to USDA.

Related: Animal gene editing turf war battle continues

Vilsack says hes not sure HHS published the memorandum as there were some concerns on whether HHS had adequate authority to sign the memorandum. Vilsack says theyre now in the process to take a look at the MOU and determining whether or not there are steps that need to be taken to make sure we have bright lines between what we do and what FDA does.

Kevin Scott, a soy grower from Valley Springs, South Dakotaand American Soybean Association president, welcomed the bipartisan letter.

With devastating animal diseases at our nations doorstep, the need for genetic innovations to protect our flocks and herds has never been greater. Representatives Plaskett and Baird should be commended for leading the House Agriculture Committee in this impressive bipartisan appeal for much-needed biotechnology regulatory modernization to protect our nations livestock. We urge our countrys regulators to heed their call, says Scott.

ASA agrees that the existing regulatory process for review of animals using biotechnology innovations needs to be streamlined for more timely adoption and applauds the legislators letter.

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Vilsack working with FDA on animal biotechnology - Farm Progress

In a little-noticed article in the Chronicle of Higher Education this summer, Jason England, an assistant professor of creative writing at Carnegie Mellon, attempted to sum up the lessons of the Nikole Hannah-Jones/UNCChapel Hill tenure controversy: The story, for me, he wrote, isnt about Nikole Hannah-Jones. . . . Its about how the media framed her tenure struggle, and how so many of us are so eager to substitute the latest cause clbre for real, collective progress.

England is right. Battles among elite universities over what perks to offer celebrity academics are irrelevant to the everyday life of most professors (to say nothing of adjuncts earning minimum wage) and to most students (who will rarely find themselves in the same classroom as these luminaries). Is it better for Cornel West to be at Harvard or Princeton or Union Theological Seminary? Who cares?

But these fights are worse than just irrelevant; they also distract from real issues. How many of them are . . . trading on grievance and resentment as they collect speaking fees and book deals, all the while employing their social-media followings as bully pulpits to blunt criticism and seize more influence? England asks of these high-profile academics. They seduce you with the rhetoric of collective empowerment, but youll never see a dime of their rewards or a sliver of their platforms.

This isnt a problem limited to academia. The same could be said of the diversity push across American institutions. Take the new Nasdaq rule that any company listed on the exchange will be required to either have at least two directors who are diverse, or explain why it does not meet such requirements. Does anyone believe that putting in place a certain number of black directors of Fortune 500 companies will somehow yield important progress? Once those numbers have been increased, will the black children failing to read at grade level today in the South Bronx suddenly find themselves able to reach their educational potential?

Affirmative action has always been about helping those already in a decent position. The members of racial minority groups who benefit most from preferences in college admissions, graduate school admissions, and professional hiring are those who grew up in stable families and got a decent elementary and secondary education. The idea was that these benefits would, to borrow a phrase, trickle downward. Young black kids would see people who resemble themselves in various professional roles and would aspire to follow in their footsteps. The result would be better-educated students and more promising job prospects. Exactly how we would get from point A to point B has always been unclear.

Apparently, weve now dispensed with even that fiction. According to our elites, we make progress not by economically improving the lives of those at the bottom of the ladder but by redistributing political power. An article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy complaining about the lack of funding for the cause of racial equity noted that many of the big gifts by foundations and individuals in the past year and a half went to . . . programs focused on education and jobs, not racial justiceas if the former has nothing to do with the latter.

What the professional diversity activists want, the article observes, are racial-justice grants focused on building community power to fight for systemic change. The activists want billions more dollars sent to lobbying groups and consultants like Ibram X. Kendi, who will come lecture white people about anti-racism. Progress? Not in the sense that most of us mean by the word.

James Piereson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior fellow at the Independent Womens Forum.

Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images

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Affirmative Action Is About Spectacle, Not Progress - City Journal

European stocks rose in early action on Thursday, getting a boost after a leading Republican offered a way to temporarily get past a looming deadline for the U.S. debt ceiling to be raised.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said his party would not filibuster a short-term debt-limit extension, an offer several Democrats said they would take. The process is still likely to result in another showdown in December, but for now, it doesnt look like the worlds largest economy will default on its obligations.

The Stoxx Europe 600 SXXP, +1.60% rose1.2% to 456.55.

Gainers included Spanish utility Iberdrola IBE, +7.00%. , technology investor Prosus PRX, +6.97% and luxury-goods producer Kering KER, +3.24%. Prosus was buoyed by the rally in Tencent 700, +5.60%, the Chinese tech giant in which holds a stake. The Hang Seng HSI, +3.07% surged nearly 3%.

Of the major regional indexes, the German DAX DAX, +1.85% surged 1.2%, the French CAC 40 PX1, +1.65% surged 1.4% and the U.K. FTSE 100 UKX, +1.17% increased 1%.

Remote connectivity software maker TeamViewer TMV, -7.03% shares slumped 9% after cutting its earnings guidance, due to a smaller-than-forecast contribution from large enterprise companies.

Ubisoft Entertainment UBI, -6.22% shares dropped 8% after initial disappointing reviews of its Far Cry 6 game. The Washington Post called it a glitchfest too big to wrangle.

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European stocks gain on U.S. debt limit progress and Asian tech recovery - MarketWatch

Original artwork courtesy of Heather Giza, University of Michigan.

The 2021 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Pancreatic Cancer Special Conference took place virtually Sept. 29-30. The meeting, which began on an every-other-year basis in 2012, is now an annual event that brings together junior and senior pancreatic cancer scientists who conduct research in labs and clinics around the world. PanCAN proudly served as the major supporter for this years meeting, and our Scientific & Medical Affairs staff were in attendance.

PanCAN research grant recipients and Scientific & Medical Advisory Board members were featured prominently throughout the meeting as organizers, speakers and discussants. Additionally, the meeting provided an opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees many from our grantees labs to speak about their work and engage in discussion about their findings and next steps.

The opening rising star keynote was delivered by two-time PanCAN grantee Dr. Andrew Aguirre, who spoke about large-scale efforts to categorize pancreatic cancer tumors into different subtypes, like The Cancer Genome Atlas study that Aguirre co-led. While the broad subtypes can play an important part in determining treatment approaches for each patient, Aguirre and his team also undertook single-cell analyses to understand the diversity of cell types within each patients tumor.

Tailoring a patients treatment to their individual biology is known as precision medicine, and evidence from PanCAN Know Your Tumor service has shown that patients whose treatment aligns with their tumor biology live longer.

PanCAN grantee Dr. Bob Vonderheide (top) moderates pancreatic cancer immunotherapy discussion with speakers Drs. David DeNardo (left) and Reginald Hill.

Another session at the conference focused on immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer patients, and the major talk was given by PanCAN grantee Dr. David DeNardo. In a recent evaluation of our Research Grants Program, DeNardo told us his PanCAN funding came at a critical time in the development of his young career. I received an early-career investigator award at a time when I was debating doing research in breast or pancreatic cancer, he said. Since then my research team has committed to pancreatic cancer research.

Because of PanCAN donors, DeNardo has been able to make contributions to understanding the interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and the patients immune system. For example, his work has shown that certain cell types within the immune system, called dendritic cells, are impaired even at very early stages of pancreatic cancer disease progression. Overcoming this will take a combination immunotherapeutic treatment approach, he said.

The keynote address on the second morning of the meeting was given by Dr. Jennifer Permuth. She spoke about molecular epidemiology using genetic information in combination with data at the population level. This can be applied to monitoring pancreatic cysts, which occur frequently in adults but seldom progress to invasive cancer. Permuth suggested a strategy combining imaging with clues from an individuals cyst fluid and blood. She also spoke about a collaborative effort within Florida to identify and reduce health disparities based on patients race and ethnicity.

Another topic discussed at the special conference was the tumor microenvironment, a complex mixture of cells and tissue types that surround pancreatic tumors. The microenvironment is a defining feature of pancreatic tumors, more pronounced than in other solid tumor types. The roles of the microenvironment have been described as impeding drug delivery, providing a supply of nutrients and oxygen to the tumor and hiding the tumor from the patients immune system.

Dr. Charlene Ogier, one of PanCANs most recent grantees, was invited to speak about her work on cancer-associated fibroblasts, one of the key components of the tumor microenvironment. She shared about these cells involvement with the breakdown of cholesterol, with potential to block their activity as a therapeutic approach to starve the cancer cells.

The meeting also included poster sessions, which featured pre-recorded presentations. A poster highlighting PanCAN Precision PromiseSM adaptive clinical trial platform was presented by Dr. Vincent Picozzi, member of the Precision Promise Steering Committee and chair of its Clinical Trial Consortium. Picozzi described the unique features of Precision Promise, which is currently enrolling patients, including its adaptive nature and innovative statistical approach. These features allow the trial to learn over time and make the drug development process faster, less expensive and involve fewer patients. He also spoke about the Precision Promise teams focus on supportive care, making sure patients overall quality of life and management of symptoms and side effects are prioritized.

The final session of the conference was set up as a debate to discuss different strategies to model pancreatic cancer in a lab setting. Pre-clinical work is critical to determine which therapeutic targets and investigational drugs should be pursued in human clinical trials. However, there is not a single lab model that faithfully recapitulates all aspects of the disease.

Drs. Anirban Maitra (left) and Ken Olive engage in conversation about ways to model pancreatic cancer initiation, progression and treatment response in the lab.

PanCAN grantee Dr. Kenneth Olive took the side in favor of a genetic mouse model, developed by Drs. David Tuveson and Sunil Hingorani from funding from two of PanCANs earliest research grants. Olive provided information about the strengths and limitations of the mouse model, whereas the other speaker, Dr. Phoebe Phillips, joining the conversation all the way from Australia, focused on organoids, which are 3D recapitulations of the tumor and its microenvironment.

At the end of the day, Olive asserted, the only experiments that fail are the ones we dont learn from. The right lab model for each researcher and project depends on the questions theyre seeking to answer. And, as debate moderator and PanCAN grantee and adviser Dr. Anirban Maitra reminded the attendees, Pancreatic cancer researchers are lovers, not fighters. The only thing were fighting is pancreatic cancer.

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Virtual Conference Highlights Real, Exciting Progress Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - Pancreatic Cancer News & Stories

Its October 2020, and Anthony Davis has a pair of goggles strewn around his neck. His t-shirt is soaked in champagne. All around him, his teammates are hooting and hollering, fully in the throws of celebrating their just-clinched championship over the Miami Heat.

As cameras circulate the locker room to document this moment, AD looks into a nearby lens and says to no one and everyone at the same time, This is why we grind. This is why we work!

Its a fitting exclamation that captures not only the exaltation of winning it all, but the trying nature of that specific season, and all that was necessary in order to get to the point they did.

This moment, as much as any other in the immediate aftermath of the Lakers winning that championship in in the Orlando bubble, is what sticks with me most. Its a moment that, at the most basic level, rings most true to me about what winning it all and achieving that ultimate goal must feel like.

Yes, theres joy. Supreme and utter joy. But theres also a feeling of how all the effort and work youve put in has culminated in this exact moment; a feeling of... validation. Its the feeling all of these players chase, and its one of the reasons why they commit to putting in the work that serves as the foundation for every team fortunate enough to be the last one standing.

Fast-forward a calendar year to October 2021. The Lakers are in the midst of training camp, only days after a star-studded media day for a team that suddenly has six potential future hall of famers and capable role players. This group, talented as they all are, still are all preaching sacrifice as a means to accomplish what that 2020 team did in Orlando.

Sacrifice, however, isnt the only buzzword coming out the mouths of this new team. No, in a callback to Anthony Davis celebratory statement, there is a common theme of embracing the work necessary to win.

More specific, however, is the type of work being discussed here. This is not about getting to the gym early or leaving late. Its not additional reps in the weight room or extra skill work with Phil Handy. Yes, those things matter, and as professionals (particularly high achieving ones), these are the expected acts that facilitate getting to and sticking at the level theyve reached. This, again, is different than that.

From LeBron James, to Russell Westbrook, to Carmelo Anthony, there has been an explicit acknowledgement that they do not expect things to go smoothly this season. That, for these Lakers, in bringing together this many new players and particularly current and former stars who have historically been primary scoring options or high usage players there are inherent challenges in reaching an understanding of how to work together and complement each other in order to best optimize everyones respective games.

I always believe throughout the season, theres going to be ups and downs. Theres going to be times where it may not work, theres going to be times where its clicking on all cylinders. And as a team youve got to understand that, Westbrook said at media day. Its going to be a process. My job is just to continue to make sure that I make those guys better. Thats all I really want to do.

Its a long season, Anthony added at a recent practice. Its going to be good, its going to be bad, its going to be great, hopefully theres no ugly. Theres going to be things that we cant control thats out of our control, and its just going to be a matter of how we approach that and how we deal with that when that time comes.

Basically, there is an expectation of clunky offensive possessions where guys make the extra pass one too many times on one play, and then dribble the air out of the ball in looking for the right opportunity on another. Possessions where a player should cut, but is caught standing and watching. Possessions where a discontinued cut or a wrong angle taken on a dive leads to a turnover.

Just as there will be sloppy defensive possessions where two Lakers rotate to the same shooter on the wing. Possessions where a defender shades the ballhandler in a specific direction only to find his partner in help located on the opposite side he was trying to force the dribbler. Possessions where the weakside wing stunts and recovers to his own man instead of fully committing to the tag and taking on the roll man chest to chest.

The Lakers as a whole, but especially their leaders, seem to not only understand all these things are on the horizon, but they seem to embrace it. Each one of them has said some variation of, We know theres going to be ups and downs and that its not always going to go smoothly, but we look forward to putting in the work to figure out how we can be effective. Some may look at those statements as just training camp coachspeak, and the usual say-the-right-thing-soundbites that rule this time of season.

For me, though, they signify something different.

Players who have achieved a certain status level inherently understand the effort it takes to get to (and stick at) the top of their profession. Everyone who makes it to the NBA is gifted with a baseline amount of talent, but its those who expand on that talent through a relentless work ethic that end up surpassing their peers. Kobe Bryant once said that in the summers hed workout several times a day, knowing that other players werent putting in those same hours he was. The implication, he said, was that over the course of time, hed build up a lead on hours committed so big, none of his contemporaries would ever catch up.

Its no coincidence to me that the players speaking most about embracing the work to figure things out as a group are the types of players who, through their embracing of work on their individual games became (some of) the marquee players of their respective generation(s). Theyre the ones who understand most that it takes a certain commitment to getting it right that theyll need to apply to their current situation if they really want to achieve what theyre expected to.

Winning at a high level is never easy. Even the most talented groups need to overcome challenges and sort through issues in order to be the last team standing. For these Lakers, those hurdles are front and center for everyone to see. By adding Russell Westbrook and stacking the roster with multiple aging veterans several of which are defensively challenged they have fundamentally altered the structure and formula that won them that championship just a calendar year ago. They have purposefully lowered their floor in the pursuit of a higher ceiling.

Its a bold move that may not work out in the end. No one can know for sure what will happen. But, what I do know is that this group will put in the necessary work to get there.

For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Darius on Twitter at @forumbluegold.

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The Lakers know theyre a work in progress - Silver Screen and Roll

Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!

Short-term vacation rentals are a valuable alternative for visitors, allowing them spacious, homey accommodations, often outside crowded tourist meccas.

But they take badly needed homes off the rental market.

But they provide income for local residents who have space to spare, and otherwise bolster the economy.

But they can disrupt neighborhoods if not handled well, and often theyre owned not by moms and pops, but by absent corporations.

If we hold these competing truths to be (mostly) self-evident, its easy to appreciate why the issue is so divisive. Many of us use Airbnb or Vrbo when we travel, preferring the experience to a hotel. Maybe we like having a kitchen, maybe we travel in a pack and need space to be together the reasons are myriad. Here in our backyard, though, our fondness diminishes.

For years, the players in Hawaii, from the hotel industry to the government to the would-be providers, have been wrestling with how many vacation rentals to allow in what areas, and how to deal with the illegal ones doing business on the fringes. The issue is front and center again now that the Honolulu Planning Commission has recommended rules requiring a minimum stay of 180 days versus the 30 days specified in a 2019 Caldwell administration ordinance.

The 180-day threshold essentially six months would apply in residential areas, and these short-term rental properties would be capped at existing numbers. Exceptions by special permit would allow shorter rentals for temporary employees at health care facilities, full-time students or remote workers, military personnel and homeowners in transition.

Those on the vacation-rental side thought they had a deal they could live with not only a 30-day policy, but also an allowance for a limited number of new rentals. They have a right to their ire. Ordinance 19-18 was never fully implemented, however, and the Blangiardi administration says it is unenforceable.

Thus the change, designed by the city Department of Planning and Permitting with the intent of weeding out illegal operators. The rules also up the tax burden on these properties to help fund enforcement. Now that the Planning Commission has accepted them, the rules go to the City Council, which would need a supermajority of six votes instead of five to override the commission.

Overall, the change is a reasonable approach to a knotty problem being faced by cities from New York to Los Angeles, even in Airbnbs birthplace of San Francisco. The overriding need in our backyard has to be rental housing for local residents, not vacation housing for visitors, and if private concerns cant balance this out, the city has to set painful restrictions. Thats another truth, if a difficult one.

A major unresolved component of this conflict: The Planning Commission declined to weigh in on guidelines for resort areas such as Kuilima, Ko Olina, Waikiki and Makaha. This creates a limbo that the City Council and the Department of Planning and Permitting will have to straighten out.

It is prudent to treat these areas differently. A lessening of the 180-day threshold would be appropriate for such resort areas with the infrastructure to handle a transient community, and where vacation rentals would be viable alternatives to hotels.

The caution, of course, is that resort areas do encompass residential homes, some owned by families, some occupied by renters whove been there for years. While a number might like to take advantage of hosting a vacation rental, others might fear for their peace and quiet.

Another truth, another need for tough, painful decision-making, now left for another day.

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Editorial: Making progress on vacation rentals - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Embark Trucks Inc. (Embark or the Company), a leading developer of autonomous software technology for the trucking industry, hosted investors, analysts, media, and partners at its San Francisco headquarters for Embark Day, the companys inaugural behind-the-scenes conference with deep access and insight into its technology and business.

Attendees were given the opportunity to experience Embarks technology first-hand and ride in an Embark-equipped self-driving truck on a 57-mile loop around the East Bay area in Northern California. The demonstration featured a variety of real-life road scenarios and complex maneuvers, including driving on surface streets, navigating heavy traffic, passing through a tunnel, and seamlessly driving through stretches of road without lane markers.

The investor-focused event featured the following sessions, all of which can be viewed here:

Links to the webcast and investor presentation are available here: [webcast] and [investor presentation].

Embark previously announced its entry into a definitive business combination with Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: NGAB) (Northern Genesis 2). The closing of the Business Combination is expected in the second half of 2021 and remains subject to the approval of the shareholders of Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp. II shareholders and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions. Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp. II last week announced that the close of business on October 6, 2021, has been set as the record date for the determination of stockholders eligible to receive the proxy and vote at the special meeting to be held to consider and approve the merger with Embark. Upon the closing of the Business Combination, Embark will be listed on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol, EMBK.

About Embark

Embark is an autonomous vehicle company building the software powering autonomous trucks, focused on improving the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the nearly $700 billion a year trucking market. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA since its founding in 2016, Embark is Americas longest-running self-driving truck program. The company partners with some of the largest shippers and carriers in the nation, collectively representing over 35,000 trucks.

Embarks mission is to realize a world where consumers pay less for the things they need, drivers stay close to the homes they cherish, and roads are safer for the people we love. To learn more about Embark, visit embarktrucks.com.

About Northern Genesis 2

Northern Genesis 2 is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock exchange, acquisition, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The management team overseeing the Northern Genesis 2 investment platform brings a unique entrepreneurial owner-operator mindset and a proven history of creating shareholder value across the sustainable power and energy value chain. The team is committed to helping the next great public company find its path to success; a path which will most certainly recognize the growing sensitivity of customers, employees and investors to alignment with the principles underlying sustainability.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Embarks and Northern Genesis 2s actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as expect, estimate, project, budget, forecast, anticipate, intend, plan, may, will, could, should, believes, predicts, potential, continue, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Embarks and Northern Genesis 2s expectations with respect to future performance. These forward-looking statements also involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted in connection with any proposed business combination; (2) the inability to complete any proposed business combination in a timely manner or at all; (3) delays in obtaining, adverse conditions contained in, or the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or complete regulatory reviews required to complete any proposed business combination; (4) the risk that the business combination may not be completed by Northern Genesis 2 business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought; (5) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the transaction, including the adoption of the agreement and plan of merger by the stockholders of Northern Genesis 2 and Embark and the satisfaction of the minimum trust account amount following redemptions by Northern Genesis 2s public stockholders; (6) the lack of a third party valuation in determining whether or not to pursue the proposed business combination; (7) the risk that any proposed business combination disrupts current plans and operations and/or the impact that the announcement of the proposed business combination may have on Embarks business relationships; (8) the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of any proposed business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain key employees; (9) costs related to the any proposed business combination; (10) changes in the applicable laws or regulations; (11) volatility in the price of Northern Genesis 2s securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Embark plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Embarks business and changes in the combined capital structure; (12) the possibility that Embark or Northern Genesis 2 may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (13) the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic; and (14) other risks and uncertainties separately provided to you and indicated from time to time described in filings and potential filings by Embark and Northern Genesis 2 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including those discussed in Northern Genesis 2s Annual Report Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 (Form 10-K) and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021 and those that are expected to be included in the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus discussed below and other documents filed by Northern Genesis 2 from time to time. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Embark and Northern Genesis 2 caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, including projections, which speak only as of the date made. Embark and Northern Genesis 2 undertake no obligation to and accepts no obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Additional Information About the Proposed Transactions and Where to Find It

The proposed transactions will be submitted to stockholders of Northern Genesis 2 for their consideration. Northern Genesis 2 has filed a registration statement on Form S-4 (the Registration Statement) with the SEC which includes a preliminary proxy statement to be distributed to Northern Genesis 2s stockholders in connection with Northern Genesis 2s solicitation for proxies for the vote by Northern Genesis 2s stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions and other matters as described in the Registration Statement, as well as the preliminary prospectus relating to the offer of the securities to be issued to Embarks shareholders in connection with the completion of the proposed merger. After the Registration Statement has been declared effective, Northern Genesis 2 will mail a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to its stockholders as of the record date established for voting on the proposed transactions. Northern Genesis 2s stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and any amendments thereto and, once available, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, in connection with Northern Genesis 2s solicitation of proxies for its special meeting of stockholders to be held to approve, among other things, the proposed business combination, because these documents will contain important information about Northern Genesis 2, Embark and the proposed business combination. Stockholders may also obtain a copy of the preliminary or definitive proxy statement, once available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transactions and other documents filed with the SEC by Northern Genesis 2, without charge, at the SECs website located at http://www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Northern Genesis 2.

INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Participants in the Solicitation

Northern Genesis 2, Embark and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitations of proxies from Northern Genesis 2s stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of Northern Genesis 2s stockholders in connection with the proposed transactions will be set forth in Northern Genesis 2s proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. You can find more information about Northern Genesis 2s directors and executive officers in Northern Genesis 2s Form 10-K and Forms 10-Q filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available. Stockholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

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Embark Releases Webcast From Embark Day Showcasing Business and Technology Progress to Accelerate Rollout of Autonomous Trucking - Business Wire

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge has had to deal with a slew of hardships in this young NFL season, mainly with injuries to some key figures in his locker room.

In the Giants Week 4 win down in New Orleans, Judge was without two of his top wide receivers in Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, both of whom were ruled out of the game with hamstring strains.

That meant the next men up were called onto produce. Free agents Kenny Golladay (six receptions, 116 yards) and John Ross (three catches, 77 yards, one touchdown) and rookie Kadarius Toney (six receptions, 78 yards) all were up tot the task in the Giants 27-21 overtime win.

Judge was pleased with the way the receiving unit responded on Sunday and spoke about the status of his injured players.

Id say that Slayton and Shep are both working hard. We were encouraged last week with the progress they made. I think well know a little bit in a couple of days in terms of what they look like going into this weekend, Judge told reporters on Monday. I know theyre pushing hard to go ahead and get back out there, and well see the rest of the week what that looks like.

In terms of having all those guys available at the game when theyre all up and healthy, to me its you want to have as many good players at the game as possible. I think all those guys are very capable of making plays. Whoever the open player is, we want to get the ball to and have them make a play. Very pleased with the way those guys are coming along as a unit and the improvements theyre making and the production theyre having.

When Shepard and Slayton do return, the Giants may just have an embarrassment of riches in the passing game. Lets not forget that Saquon Barkley is a great receiver, too (five receptions, 74 yards, one touchdown) and two experienced tight ends in Kyle Rudolph and Evan Engram.

The new deep threats on offense has led to more shots downfield, which is perfect for the Giants as quarterback Daniel Jones is one of the NFLs top deep passers.

Judge said they arent necessarily looking to go three deep unless the game plan calls for it.

That all ties more into the opponent, who youre playing them, how you match up against them with different matchups, some of the things theyre doing defensively and how youre playing up front with some other elements, Judge said. This isnt anything that we go and calculate saying, We have to hit this many of this kind of pass. There were things we saw within the game plan that were going to give us opportunities. We werent going to go down there and not try to be aggressive and make any play that we thought was there.

There have been other games where weve had very controlled passing games, which have been productive moving the ball up and down the field. There have been times weve taken calculated shots, pushing down the field, but its really based on the opponent and what theyre giving you at the time.

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Patience is a requirement.

As the boys soccer team struggled to make significant progress in recent years, the frustration was unavoidable among those involved. Worse so, Jason Adams said, when the group believed itself to have enough talent to produce.

My time here started with three years of us being mediocre, the Our Lady of Lourdes High School senior said. We had a couple years we thought we could be good, but fell short, and that was the hardest part to deal with.

It took a level of fortitude to continue believing a turnaround was possible, and that it could happen with this core still in place.

Patience, coincidentally, also has been a key factor in their production this season as Lourdes turned heads by winning its first seven games.

With a system predicated on ball control and meticulous passing, the Warriors have developed an efficient offense and that, in turn, has quickly transformed the team. With this breakthrough, Lourdes quietly has nudged itself into discussions of the best local teams.

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Its something weve tried to do for a few years, but its clicking for them now, coach Roy Kievit said of the slowed pace and perimeter play. They were receptive to it and theyre seeing results.

Kievit is in his first season as varsity head coach, but he led the junior varsity squad for years before succeeding longtime coach Matt Schlottmann, who retired. The two had sought to implement that offensive philosophy throughout the program, but it had little impact on the results.

Lourdes had losing records in most years, hovering below the .500 mark. When they did make the Section 1 playoffs, it usually would be as a low-seeded team competing in an out-bracket game. They made small strides last season, going 5-5 and reaching the Dutchess County semifinals in the COVID-shortened fall season. That win total, of course, already has been surpassed.

Whats different now, Kievit said, is an influx of talent younger players whose skills were developed in this system at the lower levels and whose talents fit the scheme.

That group includes sophomore midfielder AJ Geis, whoAdams described as a whiz with precision passes and excellent through balls. Sophomore Alex Crysler, a center midfielder, already has emerged as a vocal leader and a physical presence.

This group, were skilled and knowledgeable about soccer," Adams said. "It was a great idea to change up our form. We can work the ball around and be patient because were confident in ourselves. Its working pretty well.

Adams is an attacking midfielder who is their leading scorer. He earned Journal All-Star honors last year and has excelled even more this season, maneuvering through the defense to find openings in the box or get himself in advantageous positions to receive passes inside.

Good footwork and dribbling skills are necessary in maintaining control of the ball on those prolonged possessions, and several of the players have those abilities.

Were not just kicking the ball up field and chasing after it, Kievit said. We work it around and, if its not there, we reset. We look to find lanes, then attack. If were able to force teams to start running around on defense, thats when the opportunities come.

Lourdes has averaged four goals per game and, in controlling time of possession, the team can limit its opponents opportunities. Most notably, the Warriors upset Peekskill and Walter Panas, announcing themselves as a team to be taken seriously. Their most memorable game, Adams said, was a 4-3 overtime win over Hendrick Hudson in which Lourdes rallied from a three-goal deficit.

Theyre extremely happy and I couldnt be prouder of them, Kievit said of his players. Having that early success is huge because its a motivator. The more wins, the more of a belief there is in what were doing and what were capable of.

Robert Ranieri, Liam Claire and Josh Guerriero have anchored a stout defense, and goalkeeper Ned Van Loan, thrust unexpectedly into a starting role, has held his own.

That was supposed to be one of our questionable areas this year, but we've only let up a few goals, Adams said of the defense. Having Josh and Liam, two 6-footers on defense, definitely helps. We also defend as a team and bring a lot of intensity and physicality.

Noah Balicki and freshmen Jack Yough and Evan Cancro have adapted seamlessly and provided the team such balance and depth, Kievit said, there is an almost constant rotation of players. With a roster of 24, many of whom have comparable talent, even the standouts share minutes.

Thats why theres such intensity every game, knowing theres a guy behind you who can be just as good, said Adams, a four-year varsity player. It can be a gift and a curse, having great depth, but also needing to get playing time for everyone. But were unselfish and it pushes all of us to bring it every time.

Lourdes lost its first game on Tuesday to begin a difficult stretch in which the team has matches on four consecutive days. Still, the Warriors' seven-game win streak to start provides a buffer, and the team rebound with a 3-0 win over Hen Hud on Wednesday.

There isnt a set benchmark for achievement this season, such as reaching a particular round of the playoffs. The goal, they said, is simply to win as many games as possible.

Im jumping up and down on the sidelines after games, Adams said. Im ecstatic. All these years, not having a great season and being disappointed, having the success were having now is a dream come true.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

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