Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a pause on federal executions Thursday while the Justice Department reviews policies and procedures on capital punishment.; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Attorney General Merrick Garland has imposed a moratorium on scheduling federal executions, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday. The department will review its policies and procedures on capital punishment, following a wave of federal executions carried out under the Trump administration.

In a memo to the Justice Department, Garland justified his decision to halt the deeply controversial practice, citing factors including its capricious application and outsized impact on people of color.

"The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, but is also treated fairly and humanely. That obligation has special force in capital cases," Garland said in the memo.

"Serious concerns have been raised about the continued use of the death penalty across the country, including arbitrariness in its application, disparate impact on people of color, and the troubling number of exonerations in capital and other serious cases," he added. "Those weighty concerns deserve careful study and evaluation by lawmakers."

Under former President Donald Trump, the federal government carried out its first executions in a generation last year, with 13 inmates put to death in Trump's final year in office. That included an unprecedented number of federal killings carried out in the last days of his single-term presidency, bucking a nearly century-and-a-half practice of pausing capital punishments during the presidential exchange of power.

Then-Attorney General William Barr said the executions were being carried out in cases of "staggeringly brutal murders." Civil rights activists had rallied to spare the lives of those on death row. Concerns of how humanely the sentences could be carried out, as well as the recent exonerations of a number of death row inmates, were major factors in the demonstrations to cease state-sanctioned killings.

"The Department must take care to scrupulously maintain our commitment to fairness and humane treatment in the administration of existing federal laws governing capital sentences," Garland said in his memo on Thursday.

President Biden, who nominated Garland to the top law enforcement post, opposes capital punishment. During his campaign, Biden pledged to pass legislation to end the federal death penalty.

Some congressional Democrats have been working on such legislation, but no action has been taken. Some progressives and activists opposed to capital punishment had been expressing frustration that they have not seen more movement on the issue from Biden.

"A moratorium on federal executions is one step in the right direction, but it is not enough," said Ruth Friedman, director of the Federal Capital Habeas Project. "We know the federal death penalty system is marred by racial bias, arbitrariness, over-reaching, and grievous mistakes by defense lawyers and prosecutors that make it broken beyond repair."

Friedman said Biden should commute all federal death sentences, warning that a pause alone "will just leave these intractable issues unremedied and pave the way for another unconscionable bloodbath like we saw last year."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A voter marks his ballot at a polling place on Nov. 3, 2020, in Richland, Iowa. A new poll finds ensuring access to voting is more important than tamping down voter fraud for most Americans.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

A majority of Americans believes ensuring access to voting is more important than rooting out fraud, the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey finds.

At the same time, there was broad agreement that people should have to show identification when they go to the polls.

Two-thirds of Americans also believe democracy is "under threat," but likely for very different reasons.

"For Democrats, Jan. 6 undoubtedly looms large," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, referring to the violence and insurrection at the Capitol, "while, for Republicans, it's more likely about Trump and his claims of a rigged election."

Voting access vs. fraud

By a 56%-41% margin, survey respondents said making sure that everyone who wants to vote can do so is a bigger concern than making sure that no one who is ineligible votes.

But there were wide differences by political party and by race.

Among Democrats, almost 9 in 10 said access was more important, but almost three-quarters of Republicans said it was making sure no one votes who isn't eligible.

By race, a slim majority of whites said ensuring everyone who wants to vote can was most important, but almost two-thirds of nonwhites said so.

Photo ID is popular

Nearly 8 in 10 Americans said they believe voters should be required to show government-issued photo identification whenever they vote.

Majorities of Democrats, Republicans, independents, whites and nonwhites all said so. Democrats were far lower, though, with 57% believing photo ID should be required.

Biden holding steady

President Biden gets a 50% job approval rating, largely unchanged from last month. There is a sharp partisan divide with 9 in 10 Democrats approving, and more than 8 in 10 Republicans disapproving.

Biden continues to get his highest ratings when it comes to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and his economic approval is holding steady. But Americans have less confidence in his handling of foreign policy, especially immigration. His approval on immigration ticked up slightly from March when it was last measured in the poll.

By a 50%-43% margin, respondents said Biden had strengthened America's role on the world stage.

Americans are split about whether the country is headed in the right direction or not — 49% said it wasn't, 47% said it was. It's an improvement, however, from right after the Jan. 6 insurrection when three-quarters said the country was on the wrong track.

The tone has gotten worse in Washington since Biden was elected, 41% said, but that's better than the two-thirds who said so consistently during the Trump years.

Methodology: The poll of 1,115 U.S. adults was conducted using live telephone interviewers from June 22-29. Survey questions were available in English or Spanish. The full sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points with larger margins of error for smaller group subsets.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Rita Moreno, as seen in the documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.”

Guest host John Horn and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig, Peter Rainer, Lael Loewenstein and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

• "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It," at Laemmle’s theaters (Newhall, Town Center 5, NoHo 7, Claremont 5, Playhouse 7) and other select theaters 

• "Les Nôtres," at Laemmle’s Royal and Laemmle’s Virtual Cinema 

• "Rise Again: Tulsa And The Red Summer," premieres on National Geographic June 18 at 6pm PT & on Hulu June 19

• "Luca," at the El Capitan Theater (Hollywood) & Disney+

• "The Sparks Brothers," in wide release 

• "Sisters on Track," on Netflix June 24

• "Fatherhood," on Netflix

• "Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation," at Landmark’s Nuart Theater & Virtual cinemas 

• "Sweet Thing," Laemmle’s Royal and Laemmle’s Virtual Cinema

• "Summer of 85," at Laemmle’s theaters (Playhouse 7, Royal and Town Center 5) 

• "12 Mighty Orphans" in wide release

Our FilmWeek critics have been curating personal lists of their favorite TV shows and movies to binge-watch during self-quarantine. You can see recommendations from each of the critics and where you can watch them here.

With guest host John Horn 

Guests:

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA); she tweets @ClaudiaPuig

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC and film columnist for the Santa Monica Daily Press; she tweets @LAELLO

Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor

Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Edgar Wright attends the 55th Annual International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 2, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.; Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

The joke about Sparks — if you’ve even heard of them — is that it’s the best British band to come out of America. That confusion is why Edgar Wright, the director of “Baby Driver” and “Shaun of the Dead,” wanted to make his first documentary about the group, headed by brothers Ron and Russell Mael. Quite simply, Wright was tired of explaining who the band was and why he loves them. His documentary, called “The Sparks Brothers,” premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. John Horn talked with Wright after its January premiere about his personal connection to the band, how he connected with the brother, the editing process of the documentary and more. The film is in theaters now.

With guest host John Horn

Guest: 

Edgar Wright, director of the new documentary “The Sparks Brothers;” he tweets @edgarwright

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Shot from the film “The Boss Baby: Family Business”; Credit: Dreamworks

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Wade Major and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases on streaming and on demand platforms.

• "The Forever Purge," in wide release

• "The Boss Baby: Family Business," in wide release & on Peacock

• "Long Story Short," at Laemmle’s Glendale; & on VOD/Digital (including Vudu, FandangoNow & Google Play)

• "The Tomorrow War," on Amazon Prime Video

• "The One And Only Dick Gregory," premieres on Showtime July 4 at 9 pm PT, available on demand on Showtime following that

• "No Sudden Move," on HBO Max

• "The Ladykillers (Originally released in 1955)," at Laemmle Theaters (Royal, Town Center 5, Playhouse 7)

• "America: The Motion Picture," on Netflix

Our FilmWeek critics have been curating personal lists of their favorite TV shows and movies to binge-watch during self-quarantine. You can see recommendations from each of the critics and where you can watch them here.

Guests:

Lael Loewenstein, film critic for KPCC; she tweets @LAELLO

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com

Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Giant Mining Corp. (CSE: BFG; OTC:BFGFF; FWB:YW5) announced the expansion of its surface exploration program at the Majuba Hill copper-silver deposit in Pershing County, Nevada. Read more to learn about the promising high-grade copper findings and the project's potential impact on the EV and renewable energy sectors.

This Buy-rated Canadian explorer-developer is working to achieve first mover status in this emerging clean energy space. Find out what all it has done and is doing.

Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (SYH:TSX.V; SYHBF:OTCQX; SC1P:FSE) announced it has entered into an agreement with Hatchet Uranium Corp. to acquire interest in several of its projects. One analyst says the "spotlight" is on uranium juniors as the energy transition drives a heightened demand for power sources.

Michael Ballanger of GGM Advisory Inc. shares his thoughts on the silver market and shares one copper stock he believes is a Strong Speculative Buy even though the stock is currently halted.

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Needle pricks not your thing? A team of National Science Foundation-funded scientists is developing wearable skin sensors that can detect what's in your sweat. They hope that one day, monitoring perspiration could bypass the need for more invasive procedures like blood draws, and provide real-time updates on health problems such as dehydration or fatigue. In a new paper, the team describes a new sensor design that can be rapidly manufactured using a "roll-to-roll" processing technique that essentially prints the sensors onto a sheet of plastic like words on a newspaper. They used the sensors to monitor the sweat rate, and the electrolytes and metabolites in sweat, from volunteers who were exercising, and others who were experiencing chemically induced perspiration. The new sensors contain a spiraling microscopic tube, or microfluidic, that wicks sweat from the skin. By tracking how fast the sweat moves through the microfluidic, the sensors can report how much a person is sweating, or their sweat rate. The microfluidics are also outfitted with chemical sensors that can detect concentrations of electrolytes like potassium and sodium, and metabolites like glucose.

Image credit: Bizen Maskey/Sunchon National University

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A National Science Foundation-funded research has discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail -- bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as "dead" or inactive lithium that the battery can no longer access. The discovery challenges the conventional belief that lithium metal batteries fail because of the growth of a layer, called the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), between the lithium anode and the electrolyte. The researchers made their discovery by developing a technique to measure the amounts of inactive lithium species on the anode -- a first in the field of battery research -- and studying their micro- and nanostructures. The findings could pave the way for bringing rechargeable lithium metal batteries from the lab to the market.

Image credit: University of California - San Diego

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A National Science Foundation-funded study found that Charles Darwin's famous finches defy what has long been considered a key to evolutionary success: genetic diversity. The research on finches of the Galapagos Islands could change the way conservation biologists think about a species' potential for extinction in naturally fragmented populations. Researchers examined 212 tissue samples from museum specimens and living birds. Some of the museum specimens in the study were collected by Darwin himself in 1835. Only one of the extinct populations, a species called the vegetarian finch, had lower genetic diversity compared to modern survivors. Specifically, researchers believe a biological phenomenon called sink-source dynamics is at play in which larger populations of birds from other islands act as a "source" of immigrants to the island population that is naturally shrinking, the "sink." Without these immigrant individuals, the natural population on the island likely would continue to dwindle to local extinction. The immigrants have diverse genetics because they are coming from a variety of healthier islands, giving this struggling "sink" population inflated genetic diversity.

Image credit: Jose Barreiro

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Machine learning algorithms can sometimes do a great job with a little help from human expertise, at least in the field of materials science. In many specialized areas of science, engineering and medicine, researchers are turning to machine learning algorithms to analyze data sets that have grown too large for humans to understand. In materials science, success with this effort could accelerate the design of next-generation advanced functional materials, where development now usually depends on old-fashioned trial and error. By themselves, however, data analytics techniques borrowed from other research areas often fail to provide the insights needed to help materials scientists and engineers choose which of many variables to adjust -- and the techniques can't account for dramatic changes such as the introduction of a new chemical compound into the process. In a new study, researchers explain a technique known as dimensional stacking, which shows that human experience still has a role to play in the age of machine intelligence. The machines gain an edge at solving a challenge when the data to be analyzed are intelligently organized based on human knowledge of what factors are likely to be important and related. "When your machine accepts strings of data, it really does matter how you are putting those strings together," said Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb, the paper's corresponding author and a scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "We must be mindful that the organization of data before it goes to the algorithm makes a difference. If you don't plug the information in correctly, you will get a result that isn't necessarily correlated with the reality of the physics and chemistry that govern the materials."

Image credit: Rob Felt/Georgia Tech

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A new study shows that the West Antarctic Peninsula is experiencing some of the most rapid climate change on Earth, featuring dramatic increases in temperatures, retreats in glaciers and declines in sea ice. The Southern Ocean absorbs nearly half of the carbon dioxide -- the key greenhouse gas linked to climate change -- that is absorbed by all the world's oceans. The study tapped an unprecedented 25 years of oceanographic measurements in the Southern Ocean and highlights the need for more monitoring in the region. The research revealed that carbon dioxide absorption by surface waters off the West Antarctic Peninsula is linked to the stability of the upper ocean, along with the amount and type of algae present. A stable upper ocean provides algae with ideal growing conditions. During photosynthesis, algae remove carbon dioxide from the surface ocean, which in turn draws carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. From 1993 to 2017, changes in sea ice dynamics off the West Antarctic Peninsula stabilized the upper ocean, resulting in greater algal concentrations and a shift in the mix of algal species. That's led to a nearly five-fold increase in carbon dioxide absorption during the summertime. The research also found a strong north-south difference in the trend of carbon dioxide absorption. The southern portion of the peninsula, which to date has been less impacted by climate change, experienced the most dramatic increase in carbon dioxide absorption, demonstrating the poleward progression of climate change in the region.

Image credit: Drew Spacht/The Ohio State University

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On August 17, 2017, scientists made history with the first direct observation of a merger between two neutron stars. It was the first cosmic event detected in both gravitational waves and the entire spectrum of light, from gamma rays to radio emissions. The impact also created a kilonova -- a turbocharged explosion that instantly forged several hundred planets’ worth of gold and platinum. The observations provided the first compelling evidence that kilonovae produce large quantities of heavy metals, a finding long predicted by theory. Astronomers suspect that all of the gold and platinum on Earth formed as a result of ancient kilonovae created during neutron star collisions. Based on data from the 2017 event, first spotted by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), astronomers began to adjust their assumptions of how a kilonova should appear to Earth-bound observers. A team of scientists reexamined data from a gamma-ray burst spotted in August 2016 and found new evidence for a kilonova that went unnoticed during the initial observations.

Image credit: NASA/ESA/E. Troja

Source: Streetwise Reports 10/28/2024

Sernova Corp. (SVA:TSX.V; SEOVF:OTCQB; PSH:XERTA) and its Cell Pouch technology could be the solution to existing challenges involving the delivery of medical treatments to patients, such as the ones described here.

Diabetic patients in resource-limited settings are having to revert back to one of the less favored, alternative ways to take insulin, via syringes or glass vials, because Danish pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO:NYSE), will stop making its insulin pens, The Guardian reported. Patients generally prefer this method for dosing themselves with insulin, as shown in a 2024 survey, because it is more convenient and more accurate.

Type 1 diabetic patients already are being impacted as Novo stopped supplying its insulin pens to certain regions, South Africa for instance. Patients there have switched back to using glass vials.

In a second situation, Novo Nordisk is working to bring stem cell-based therapies to patients more efficiently and, in seeking a solution, formed a partnership with Evotec SE (EVO:NASDAQ) to develop technologies that will achieve this, noted Evotec is a Germany-based global biotech firm with its own cell therapy and partnered cell types all in preclinical development for various indications, including diabetes, oncology, cardiology, and ophthalmology.

Per the agreement, Novo Nordisk is to provide research and development funding and potentially monetary incentives to Evotec, and Evotec is to develop the desired new technologies. Novo has the option to obtain exclusive rights to use, in a predefined medical indication, the product(s) born out of this collaboration agreement. Novo's areas of focus, along with diabetes, are cardiovascular diseases, rare diseases, growth hormone-related diseases, hemophilia, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and weight management.

Safe, Effective Therapeutic Cell Delivery

Sernova Corp.'s Cell Pouch is a vehicle for delivering various types of therapeutic cells to patients, such as donor islet cells to insulin-dependent diabetics.

When used, the Cell Pouch's containment channels are filled with the appropriate therapeutic cells, and then the device is implanted in the patient. In situ, the cells release therapeutic proteins or hormones the patient's body completely or partially lacks. The device creates a vascularized, organ-like environment that protects the therapeutic cells from immune system attacks, keeping them alive and functioning.

"The Cell Pouch is the most advanced encapsulation device in development," Ventum Capital Markets Analyst Stefan Quenneville wrote in a Sept. 12 research report.

Sernova is testing its Cell Pouch in the clinic, specifically in Type 1 diabetes. In its ongoing Phase 1/2 study, the Canadian company is evaluating the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes with donor islets implanted via the Cell Pouch, with added immunosuppression therapy. Study data so far have shown the Cell Pouch to be safe and well tolerated and the treatment, effective, reported Dr. Joseph Pantginis, analyst at H.C. Wainwright & Co., in a Sept. 12 research report.

Seven patients, all six of Cohort A and one in Cohort B, achieved sustained insulin independence, between 5.5 and 50 months in duration, free of hypoglycemic episodes. Their blood sugar levels were controlled in the nondiabetic range (i.e.,) HbA1c less than 6.5%.

"The Cell Pouch is the most advanced encapsulation device in development," Ventum Capital Markets Analyst Stefan Quenneville wrote.

A Cell Pouch removed from one of the study patients showed it still contained functioning insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin-producing cells. No evidence was seen of detrimental fibrotic tissue, too many T-cells, material degradation, or changes in the device architecture.

"We believe the impressive response rates and observed durability support Sernova's strategy and justify further investigation while positioning the technology for potential commercial success," noted Pantginis.

The results add to an expanding collection of evidence that the Cell Pouch is functioning as it should. The data also support the "impressive" results already reported from this study and help derisk future related trials.

"If Sernova is successful in bringing its functional cure for insulin-dependent diabetes to the stage where it can go into commercial production, the global market for it will be massive," wrote Technical Analyst Clive Maund in a Sept. 16 note.

In another of its programs, Sernova, in collaboration with Evotec, is developing an implantable off-the-shelf, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based islet replacement therapy, Maund reported.

"This partnership provides Sernova a potentially unlimited supply of insulin-producing cells to treat millions of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)," he added.

This partnership was announced on May 17, 2022. You can read more about it in the press release here.

Market Growth Predicted to 2030

The global live cell encapsulation market, encompassing drug delivery, regenerative medicine and cell transplantation, is expected to continue growing through at least 2030, according to Grand View Research. The market's value, US$210.7 million in 2022, is forecasted to increase at a 3.97% compound annual growth rate between that year and 2030.

"If Sernova is successful in bringing its functional cure for insulin-dependent diabetes to the stage where it can go into commercial production, the global market for it will be massive," wrote Technical Analyst Clive Maund.

Along with diabetes, live cell encapsulation is being used to treat neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease, The market research firm noted. Further, it has been proven to be a suitable way to deliver treatment for other types of diseases, including cancer, anemia, heart failure and more.

Several factors are expected to keep driving market growth during the forecast period, Grand View noted. A significant one is the increasing use of live cell encapsulation in regenerative medicine to replace disease or damaged tissues. A related contributor is rising public and private funding and investments in cell and gene therapies.

The advantages of live cell encapsulation in controlled drug delivery are boosting the market, too. They include enhanced therapeutic effects, lowered drug dose, reduced cytotoxicity, improved patient convenience and better patient compliance.

Novel new products and technological advancements are expected to add value to the market as well.

The Catalysts: Progress With Programs

Various potential stock-moving events are slated for Sernova, according to its September 2024 Corporate Presentation.

Two catalysts are expected by Sernova in 2025, related to the company's ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial in Type 1 diabetes. One is results for the remaining Cohort B patients. The other is commencement of Cohort C, who will receive, along with the islet cells, an optimized immune suppression regimen.

Several analysts are bullish on Sernova. One of them is Loe, who rates it as a Speculative Buy. His price target on the life sciences firm implies a 455% return from its current share price.

Next year, Sernova plans to start a Phase 1/2 trial of the regeneratively produced islet cells to result from its partnership with Evotec, delivered via the Cell Pouch to Type 1 diabetes patients.

Other catalysts are expected to come as a result of Sernova advancing its preclinical programs. One is a personalized treatment with patient corrected cells via Cell Pouch for hypothyroidism. Another is a Cell Pouch-delivered, ex vivo lentiviral factor VIII gene therapy for hemophilia, being developed in partnership with the European Haemacure Consortium.

Also, through partnerships, Sernova is developing technologies that would eliminate the need for concurrent immunosuppression during Cell Pouch-delivered cell treatment, a "blue sky objective," Douglas Loe, a Leede Financial Inc. analyst, noted in a Sept. 12 research report.

"Any advances in this regard could be incorporated into future Cell Pouch studies," he wrote. "We do not consider the need for such therapy to be relevant to Cell Pouch function itself."

Analyst: Company is "Very Undervalued"

Several analysts are bullish on Sernova. One of them is Loe, who rates it as a Speculative Buy. His price target on the life sciences firm implies a 455% return from its current share price.

According to H.C. Wainwright's Pantginis, the deepening responses of Type 1 diabetes patients in its Phase 1/2 trial continue to "crystallize Sernova stock's possible upside." The upside reflected in Pantginis' price target is 2,122%. The analyst recommends the company as a Buy.

Ventum's Quenneville also has a Buy on Sernova, and his target price reflects an 826% return on investment. In his report, the analyst highlighted the impressive efficacy and tolerability of the Cell Pouch up to five years post-implantation, as shown in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial data.

"This represents the longest-lasting implanted encapsulation device containing functioning islets without fibrosis," Quenneville wrote.

According to Technical Analyst Maund, Sernova is "very undervalued here given its huge potential" in the Type 1 diabetes market, as indicated on the stock charts. The fundamental outlook for the company is improving, and evidence is strong that a reversal to the upside may be happening. SVA may appreciate significantly soon. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-4790]

"Sernova is therefore viewed as a good stock to accumulate in this area, between the current price and recent lows," Maund wrote on Sept. 16. At that time, Sernova's share price was about the same as it is now.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Refinitiv, about 12.96% of the company is held by insiders and management, and 0.05% by institutions. The rest is retail.

Top shareholders include Tomas Angel with 4.91%, Director Steven Sangha with 4.27%, Betty Anne Millar with 1.32%, Brett Alexander Whalen with 0.87%, and Garry Deol with 0.77%.

Its market cap is CA$83 M. Its 52-week range is CA$0.20−0.82 per share.

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Important Disclosures:

1. Sernova Corp. has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
2. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Sernova Corp.
3. Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor.
4. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
5. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

( Companies Mentioned: SVA:TSX.V;SEOVF:OTCQB;PSH:XERTA, )

Source: Streetwise Reports 10/31/2024

Healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) company Treatment.com AI Inc. (TRUE:CSE; TREIF:OTCMKTS; 939:FRA) announced that it has closed a non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of CA$1.95 million.

A total of 2,138,766 special warrants of the company were offered at CA$0.75 per special warrant with proceeds of CA$1.6 million. The company also said 466,666 units of the company were offered at CA$0.75 per unit for proceeds of CA$349,999.50.

The company said it intends to use the proceeds for working capital purposes.

"We are very encouraged by the support from our investors with their overwhelming response to the financing and the subsequent over-subscription," Chief Executive Officer Dr. Essam Hamza said. "This money will help expedite our aggressive growth plans over the next year."

Technical Analyst Clive Maund noted on October 9* that the outlook for the company is "outstandingly bright" because it has "positioned itself to revolutionize the healthcare industry using AI and advanced machine learning technologies."

The company "is set to transform the current archaic system so that no longer do patients have to sit for hours in waiting rooms to see a doctor or doctors, and doctors and other healthcare professionals have to suffer a crushing burden of often unnecessary patient visits and tedious repetitive bureaucracy," he wrote. "Treatment AI's platform will take care of most of it."

Healthcare Professionals Worldwide Contribute to AI Engine

Treatment.com AI said it is a company utilizing AI and best clinical practices with a goal to positively improve the healthcare sector and impact current inefficiencies and challenges.

With the input of hundreds of healthcare professionals globally, Treatment.com AI said it has built a comprehensive, personalized healthcare AI engine called the Global Library of Medicine (GLM). With more than 10,000 expert medical reviews, the GLM is designed to provide tested clinical information and support to all healthcare professionals, as well as providing recommended tests (physical and lab), X-rays, and billing codes.

According to the company, the GLM will help healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists) reduce administrative burdens, creating more time for face-to-face patient appointments.

"AI is set to expedite and streamline the healthcare industry, making it vastly more efficient for the benefit of both healthcare professionals and patients," Maund noted.

The Catalyst: A 'Profound Transformation' in the Industry

AI has an important role to play in the healthcare offerings of the future, a 2019 report from the National Center of Biomechanical Medicine listed in the National Library of Medicine said. "In the form of machine learning, it is the primary capability behind the development of precision medicine, widely agreed to be a sorely needed advance in care."

Healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to the technology to address both clinical and administrative challenges. The combination of generative AI, as noted by Appinventiv in September, and operational tools like those developed by Treatment.com AI are driving this transformation.

Generative AI is "catalyzing a profound transformation within the healthcare industry" by generating synthetic data, predicting patient outcomes, and optimizing treatment plans, all of which revolutionize clinical decision-making processes, Appinventiv reported. This aligns with Treatment.com AI's announced collaboration with SPRYT on September 17 whereby integrating SPRYT’s AI receptionist "Asa" with its GLM has the goal of enhancing patient access to healthcare while reducing administrative burdens.

A CBC report from September 16 said real-world applications of AI in healthcare are already showing promising results. Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, co-author of a study on the topic, expressed optimism about AI's ability to "complement clinicians' own judgment and lead to better outcomes for fragile patients."

According to a report by Markets and Markets, the global AI in healthcare market in total was valued at US$20.9 billion this year and will reach an estimated US$148.4 billion by 2029, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 48.1%.

"The growth of AI in the healthcare market is driven by the generation of large and complex healthcare datasets, the pressing need to reduce healthcare costs, improving computing power and declining hardware costs, and the rising number of partnerships and collaborations among different domains in the healthcare sector, and growing need for improvised healthcare services due to imbalance between healthcare workforce and patients," the report said.

Analyst: A 'Genuine Breakout Soon' for Stock

Maund said its stock charts are also looking "very positive indeed" for the company.

Of particular note is the big upleg late in June and early in July on persistent heavy volume, which broke the price clear above the May high and drove volume indicators steeply higher," the analyst noted. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-10594]

"This is very bullish price/volume action, especially as the volume indicators have not just held up but have actually advanced as the price has reacted back in a normal manner from the early July high to arrive at a support level where it has stabilized above the 200-day moving average in readiness for renewed advance, so the correction looks like a large bull Pennant that, as it is now closing up, promises renewed advance soon," continued Maund, who said holders should stay long and rated the stock a Strong Buy that "is thought worth going overweight on."

"The June-July rally must be classed as a 'preliminary' breakout," he noted. "But that said, the exceptionally bullish price/volume action of recent months does promise a genuine breakout soon that looks set to lead to a sustained and substantial uptrend."

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Sedi.ca, insiders own approximately 8% of Treatment.com AI. Retail investors own the remaining 92%.

The company has 48.84 million outstanding common shares and has 41.3 million free float traded shares.

As of October 31, the market cap is approximately CA$31.75 million. Over the past 52 weeks, the company traded between CA$0.355 and CA$1.11 per share.

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Important Disclosures:

1. Treatment.com AI has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
2. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Treatment.com AI.
3. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
4. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
5. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

* Disclosure for quotes from the Clive Maund source October 9, 2024

1. For the quote (sourced on October 9, 2024), the Company has paid Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, US$1,500.
2. Author Certification and Compensation: [Clive Maund of clivemaund.com] is being compensated as an independent contractor by Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, for writing the article quoted. Maund received his UK Technical Analysts’ Diploma in 1989. The recommendations and opinions expressed in the article accurately reflect the personal, independent, and objective views of the author regarding any and all of the designated securities discussed. No part of the compensation received by the author was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views expressed.

Clivemaund.com Disclosures

The quoted article represents the opinion and analysis of Mr. Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks cannot be only be construed as a recommendation or solicitation to buy and sell securities.

( Companies Mentioned: TRUE:CSE; TREIF:OTCMKTS;939:FRA, )

Source: Dr. Douglas Loe 10/31/2024

Leede Financial analysts Dr. Douglas Loe and Siew Ching Yeo, in a research report published on October 30, 2024, maintained their Speculative Buy rating on ProMIS Neurosciences Inc. (PMN:TSX; PMN:NCM) with a price target of US$9.50. The report follows ProMIS's presentation of interim Phase I data for PMN310, its Alzheimer's disease (AD) candidate, at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) conference.

The analysts highlighted the positive safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) data, stating, "We were encouraged (though not overly surprised) to see that the mAb was well-tolerated at all five test doses ranging from 2.5mg/kg-to-40mg/kg." They added, "PK analysis of all of these patient cohorts in this single-ascending dose (SAD) trial suggests that once-monthly dosing may be sufficient to sustain mAb levels both in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid over time."

Regarding dosing efficacy, the analysts noted, "Importantly, ProMIS indicated in the Jul/24 update that even at 2.5mg/kg dosing, PMN310 levels in CSF were over 100x higher than predicted to be necessary to bind to all beta-amyloid oligomers that could accumulate in CSF in diseased patients."

The analysts emphasized the significance of recent industry developments, particularly AbbVie's acquisition of Aliada Therapeutics, stating, "AbbVie's tangible interest in Phase I-stage AD assets shows us that ProMIS could itself be attractive to future suitors if/when it can document direct impact on cognitive impairment in diseased patients."

The report highlighted ProMIS's financial position following its recent equity offering, noting that the company raised US$30.3M with multiple layers of warrant coverage tied to development milestones.

Leede Financial's valuation methodology combines multiple approaches. The analysts explained, "We are maintaining our Speculative Buy rating and one-year PT of US$9.50 on PMN, with our valuation still based on NPV (30% discount rate) and multiples of our F2029 EBITDA/fd EPS forecasts."

They added, "By direct comparison to Aliada's US$1.4B value, PMN shares would notionally be valued on a fully-diluted basis at US$17.65/shr."

In conclusion, Leede Financial's maintenance of their Speculative Buy rating and US$9.50 price target reflects confidence in ProMIS's development of PMN310 and its potential in the Alzheimer's disease market. The share price at the time of the report of US$1.03 represents a potential return of approximately 822% to the analysts' target price, highlighting the significant upside potential if the company's clinical development plans prove successful.

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Important Disclosures:

1. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of ProMIS Neurosciences Inc.
2. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
3. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

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Disclosures for Leede Financial Inc., ProMIS Neurosciences Inc., October 30, 2024

Important Information and Legal Disclaimers Leede Financial Inc. (Leede) is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). This document is not an offer to buy or sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security or instrument or to participate in any particular investing strategy. Data from various sources were used in the preparation of these documents; the information is believed but in no way warranted to be reliable, accurate and appropriate. All information is as of the date of publication and is subject to change without notice. Any opinions or recommendations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Leede. Leede cannot accept any trading instructions via e-mail as the timely receipt of e-mail messages, or their integrity over the Internet, cannot be guaranteed. Dividend yields change as stock prices change, and companies may change or cancel dividend payments in the future. All securities involve varying amounts of risk, and their values will fluctuate, and the fluctuation of foreign currency exchange rates will also impact your investment returns if measured in Canadian Dollars. Past performance does not guarantee future returns, investments may increase or decrease in value, and you may lose money. Leede employees may buy and sell shares of the companies that are recommended for their own accounts and for the accounts of other clients. Disclosure codes are used in accordance with Policy 3600 of CIRO.

Description of Disclosure Codes 1. Leede and its affiliates collectively beneficially own 1% or more of any class of equity securities of the company as of the end of the preceding month or the month prior to the preceding month if the report was issued prior to the 10th. 2. The analyst or any associate of the analyst responsible for the report or public comment hold shares or is short any of the company's securities directly or through derivatives. 3. Leede or a director or officer of Leede or any analyst provided services to the company for remuneration other than normal investment advisory or trade execution services within the preceding 12 months. 4. Leede provided investment banking services for the company during the 12 months preceding the publication of the research report. 5. Leede expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking services in the next three months. 6. The analyst preparing the report received compensation based upon Leede investment banking revenues for this issuer within the preceding 12 months. 7. The director, officer, employee, or research analyst is an officer, director or employee of the company, or serves in an advisory capacity to the company. 8. Leede acts as a market maker of the company. 9. The analyst has conducted a site visit and has viewed a major facility or operation of the issuer. 10. The company has paid for all, or a material portion, of the travel costs associated with the site visit by the analyst.

Dissemination All final research reports are disseminated to existing and potential institutional clients of Leede Financial Inc. (Leede) in electronic form to intended recipients thorough e-mail and third-party aggregators. Research reports are posted to the Leede website and are accessible to customers who are entitled to the firm’s research. Reproduction of this report in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Research Analyst Certification The Research Analyst(s) who prepare this report certify that their respective report accurately reflects his/her personal opinion and that no part of his/her compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views as to the securities or companies. Leede Financial Inc. (Leede) compensates its research analysts from a variety of sources and research analysts may or may not receive compensation based upon Leede investment banking revenue.

Canadian Disclosures This research has been approved by Leede Financial Inc. (Leede), which accepts sole responsibility for this research and its dissemination in Canada. Leede is registered and regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Canadian clients wishing to effect transactions in any designated investment discussed should do so through a Leede Registered Representative.

U.S. Disclosures This research report was prepared by Leede Financial Inc. (Leede). Leede is registered and regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). This report does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities discussed herein. Leede is not registered as a broker-dealer in the United States and is not subject to U.S. rules regarding the preparation of research reports and the independence of research analysts. Any resulting transactions should be effected through a U.S. broker-dealer.

( Companies Mentioned: PMN:TSX; PMN:NCM, )

Source: Streetwise Reports 11/05/2024

Treatment.com AI Inc. (TRUE:CSE; TREIF:OTCMKTS; 939:FRA) has announced the release of its newly updated Medical Education Suite (MES). This release aligns with the company's active participation in a major symposium focused on AI assessment in medical education. The Symposium, hosted by the University of Minnesota Medical School,  drew thought leaders and representatives from over 50 medical schools and national education organizations across the United States and internationally.

The updated MES has been designed to leverage Treatment's proprietary Global Library of Medicine (GLM) to help reduce the administration overhead and associated time and costs for medical schools in running key exams, such as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Additionally, this updated version of the MES includes "easy to use" features to further support students in their clinical assessment training and exam preparation. This OSCE exam is seen as a critical evaluation used globally to assess the practical skills of medical students. It is now employed in more than 80 countries, with between 200,000 to 300,000 students participating annually.¹

The MES incorporates various AI-driven features, such as automated case generation for OSCE exams, scripts for simulated patients, and instant scoring with personalized feedback. The Suite also introduces new tools, including AI Patient, which supports students preparing for medical exams, and expanded OSCE case packages, which are expected to grow to a library of 100 cases by the end of Q4 2024. Additionally, the AI Prep Tool offers both non-guided and guided exam-simulated modes, assisting students in honing their clinical reasoning.

Kevin Peterson, MD, MPH, Treatment's Chief Medical Officer, delivered a keynote at the Symposium, joining an impressive lineup that includes presenters from Mayo Clinic and the University of Alberta. The company highlights that this Symposium is a crucial opportunity to demonstrate its MES and showcase its growing influence in the field of medical education.

CEO Dr. Essam Hamza emphasized the significance of this event, stating in the press release, "We are excited to showcase our updated medical education software suite at this landmark Symposium. The opportunity to have a positive impact on the medical training of students and, in turn, introduce them to our range of proprietary AI tools is an important inflection point in the company's commercialization timeline."

AI in Healthcare

On October 10, Microsoft emphasized the importance of multimodal AI models for a comprehensive assessment of patient health. The report highlighted the growing importance of using AI to analyze complex, multimodal health data, such as medical imaging, genomics, and clinical records. The integration of these data sources has enabled more precise diagnostics and treatment planning, illustrating the sector's move toward comprehensive AI applications. The healthcare industry has faced challenges like the need for large-scale, integrated datasets and significant computational resources, but advancements have begun to bridge these gaps. Microsoft noted that these developments would help unlock new insights and improve patient care by accelerating innovation and enhancing clinical decision-making across the sector.

On November 4, Forbes reported that AI-powered healthcare tools were no longer merely experimental but were instead delivering real value across the industry. Examples included enhanced diagnostic accuracy through AI algorithms, like those developed by Google Cloud Healthcare, and improved administrative processes through platforms like Cedar's AI-powered billing system. Forbes noted that these developments were reshaping patient care and reducing administrative burdens, offering measurable benefits.

Also, on November 4, Tech Target highlighted the optimism among healthcare professionals regarding generative AI's potential to alleviate administrative burdens. Over 90% of healthcare workers surveyed expressed confidence in generative AI's ability to simplify tasks like prior authorizations and nurse handoff reports. Aashima Gupta from Google Cloud shared insights on these tools' transformative capabilities, while Tony Farah from Highmark Health cited an 85% reduction in provider administrative costs after automating prior authorizations. Helen Waters from Meditech added, "We believe that gen AI and AI overall is transforming how healthcare professionals access and use information to make powerful decisions confidently," reflecting the positive impact of AI tools on healthcare workflows and decision-making.

Company Catalysts

Treatment.com AI Inc. continues to evolve its medical education platform, incorporating advanced AI technologies that could help revolutionize medical education and training. The company is leveraging its Global Library of Medicine, which offers over 10,000 medical reviews and covers more than 1,000 diseases and associated symptoms. These AI-driven tools aim to enhance clinical decision-making while reducing administrative burdens for healthcare institutions.

The updated MES is projected to impact medical training through its comprehensive and AI-enhanced features, as outlined in Treatment's investor presentation. The presentation details the significant market potential, with the AI healthcare market expected to grow from US$11 billion in 2021 to US$187 billion by 2030, according to Statista. In addition to Treatment's announced new functionality, the company has already begun work on further solutions such as AI Doctor in a Pocket and audio/video analysis tools for clinical scoring and diagnostics. The goal of this expanded portfolio is to position the company to help expedite its aggressive growth plans over the next year.

Analysis of Treatment.com AI

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Sedi.ca, insiders own approximately 8% of Treatment.com AI. Retail investors own the remaining 92%. 

The company has 48.99 million outstanding common shares and has 41.3 million free float traded shares.

As of November 4, the market cap is approximately CA$31.35 million. Over the past 52 weeks, the company traded between CA$0.355 and CA$1.11 per share.

¹Source bodies including: https://www.aamc.org/; https://www.uems.eu/; https://www.nmc.org.in/; Education – GMC (gmc-uk.org)

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Important Disclosures:

1. Treatment.com AI has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
2. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Treatment.com AI.
3. James Guttman wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
4. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
5. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

* Disclosure for the quote from the Clive Maund article published on [Date]

1. For the quoted article (published on [Date]), the Company has paid Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, between US$1,500 and US$2,500.
2. Author Certification and Compensation: [Clive Maund of clivemaund.com] is being compensated as an independent contractor by Street Smart, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports, for writing the article quoted. Maund received his UK Technical Analysts’ Diploma in 1989. The recommendations and opinions expressed in the article accurately reflect the personal, independent, and objective views of the author regarding any and all of the designated securities discussed. No part of the compensation received by the author was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views expressed

Clivemaund.com Disclosures

The quoted article represents the opinion and analysis of Mr. Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stock market analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks cannot be only be construed as a recommendation or solicitation to buy and sell securities.

¹Source bodies including: https://www.aamc.org/; https://www.uems.eu/; https://www.nmc.org.in/; Education – GMC (gmc-uk.org)

( Companies Mentioned: TRUE:CSE; TREIF:OTCMKTS;939:FRA, )

Source: Dr. Joseph Pantginis 11/04/2024

H.C. Wainwright & Co. analysts Dr. Joseph Pantginis, Dr. Lander Egaña Gorroño, Dr. Joshua Korsen, Dr. Matthew Keller, and Dr. Sara Nik, in a research report published on November 4, 2024, maintained their Buy rating on Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (LXRX:NASDAQ) with a price target of US$6.00. The report follows Lexicon's presentation of preclinical data for LX9851, its ACSL5 inhibitor for obesity, at ObesityWeek 2024.

The analysts highlighted key findings from the presentations, stating, "LX9851 promotes reduction of fat mass without affecting lean body mass" and "LX9851 improves and sustains GLP-1 RA-mediated weight loss, even after semaglutide discontinuation." They added that "Mechanistic studies suggest that LX9851-mediated ACSL5 inhibition activates the ileal brake."

Regarding the drug's potential, they noted, "LX9851 is a first-in-class, oral small molecule ACSL5 inhibitor designed to enhance and maintain weight loss promoted by incretin mimetics (GLP-1 receptor agonists), and offer improved treatment alternatives for obesity and related metabolic disorders."

The report also addressed recent developments with sotagliflozin, detailing the AdCom voting results and potential scenarios for FDA action. The analysts stated, "Although we anticipate favorable feedback from the agency regarding eGFR ≥60 to <90 range, our bet is that a confirmatory trial may be required to validate sota's efficacy in this subpopulation and obtain approval."

H.C. Wainwright & Co.'s valuation methodology is based on a clinical net present value (NPV) model. The analysts explained, "Our valuation is based on our clinical net present value (NPV) model, which allows us to flex multiple assumptions affecting a drug's profile. We currently value Lexicon solely on sotagliflozin sales in the U.S. for HF (INPEFA), HCM, and LX9211 for DPNP."

They added, "We believe significant upside potential exists, based on: (1) attaining higher market penetration for HF, and HCM; and (2) adding the earlier stage assets."

In conclusion, H.C. Wainwright & Co.'s maintenance of their Buy rating and US$6 price target reflects confidence in Lexicon's pipeline potential, particularly with LX9851 and sotagliflozin. The share price at the time of the report of US$1.22 represents a potential return of approximately 392% to the analysts' target price, highlighting the significant upside potential if the company's development programs prove successful.

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Important Disclosures:

1. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
2. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

Disclosures for H.C. Wainwright & Co., Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc., November 4, 2024

This material is confidential and intended for use by Institutional Accounts as defined in FINRA Rule 4512(c). It may also be privileged or otherwise protected by work product immunity or other legal rules. If you have received it by mistake, please let us know by e-mail reply to unsubscribe@hcwresearch.com and delete it from your system; you may not copy this message or disclose its contents to anyone. The integrity and security of this message cannot be guaranteed on the Internet. H.C. WAINWRIGHT & CO, LLC RATING SYSTEM: H.C. Wainwright employs a three tier rating system for evaluating both the potential return and risk associated with owning common equity shares of rated firms. The expected return of any given equity is measured on a RELATIVE basis of other companies in the same sector. The price objective is calculated to estimate the potential movements in price that a given equity could reach provided certain targets are met over a defined time horizon. Price objectives are subject to external factors including industry events and market volatility.

H.C. Wainwright & Co, LLC (the “Firm”) is a member of FINRA and SIPC and a registered U.S. Broker-Dealer. I, Joseph Pantginis, Ph.D., Lander Egaña Gorroño, Ph.D., Joshua Korsen, Ph.D., Matthew Keller, Ph.D. and Sara Nik, Ph.D. , certify that 1) all of the views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about any and all subject securities or issuers discussed; and 2) no part of my compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendation or views expressed in this research report; and 3) neither myself nor any members of my household is an officer, director or advisory board member of these companies. None of the research analysts or the research analyst’s household has a financial interest in the securities of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (including, without limitation, any option, right, warrant, future, long or short position). As of September 30, 2024 neither the Firm nor its affiliates beneficially own 1% or more of any class of common equity securities of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc..

Neither the research analyst nor the Firm knows or has reason to know of any other material conflict of interest at the time of publication of this research report. The research analyst principally responsible for preparation of the report does not receive compensation that is based upon any specific investment banking services or transaction but is compensated based on factors including total revenue and profitability of the Firm, a substantial portion of which is derived from investment banking services. The firm or its affiliates received compensation from Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for non-investment banking services in the previous 12 months. The Firm or its affiliates did not receive compensation from Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for investment banking services within twelve months before, but will seek compensation from the companies mentioned in this report for investment banking services within three months following publication of the research report. The Firm does not make a market in Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as of the date of this research report.

The securities of the company discussed in this report may be unsuitable for investors depending on their specific investment objectives and financial position. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This report is offered for informational purposes only, and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities discussed herein in any jurisdiction where such would be prohibited. This research report is not intended to provide tax advice or to be used to provide tax advice to any person. Electronic versions of H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC research reports are made available to all clients simultaneously. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form without the expressed permission of H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC. Additional information available upon request. H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC does not provide individually tailored investment advice in research reports. This research report is not intended to provide personal investment advice and it does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person. Investors should seek financial advice regarding the appropriateness of investing in financial instruments and implementing investment strategies discussed or recommended in this research report. H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC’s and its affiliates’ salespeople, traders, and other professionals may provide oral or written market commentary or trading strategies that reflect opinions that are contrary to the opinions expressed in this research report. H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees, excluding its analysts, will from time to time have long or short positions in, act as principal in, and buy or sell, the securities or derivatives (including options and warrants) thereof of covered companies referred to in this research report. The information contained herein is based on sources which we believe to be reliable but is not guaranteed by us as being accurate and does not purport to be a complete statement or summary of the available data on the company, industry or security discussed in the report. All opinions and estimates included in this report constitute the analyst’s judgment as of the date of this report and are subject to change without notice. Securities and other financial instruments discussed in this research report: may lose value; are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

( Companies Mentioned: LXRX:NASDAQ, )

Source: Dr. David Nierengarten 11/07/2024

TScan Therapeutics Inc. (TCRX:NASDAQ) Phase 1 ALLOHA study, evaluating its lead therapeutic candidates TSC-100 and TSC-101 in hematologic malignancies, showed patients continuing to have a positive response after one year, reported Wedbush analyst Dr. David Nierengarten in a Nov. 5 research note. TSC-100 and TSC-101 are T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell therapies (TCR-Ts).

"We see a catalyst-rich next few months ahead with data building in prominence on stock impact," Nierengarten wrote.

87% Return Potential

Wedbush has a US$10 per share target price on the Massachusetts-based biotech, trading at the time of the report at about US$5.36 per share, noted the analyst. The difference between these figures implies an 87% return potential for investors.

TScan Therapeutics remains rated Outperform.

Durability of Response Data

Nierengarten presented the clinical trial's latest results. As of the July 8, 2024 data cutoff date, in Phase 1 of ALLOHA, 16 patients with hematologic tumors had been administered TSC-100 or TSC-101, and 11 patients had been given a placebo. Median follow-ups had occurred at 5.8 months and 5.3 months, respectively.

At the time, none of the patients in the treatment arm had had a relapse. In the control arm, however, three, or 27% of, the 11 patients had, and the median time to relapse was 159 days. The analyst explained that this is typical for patients receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant after reduced-intensity conditioning.

One year out from treatment, five patients were evaluable, and all remained relapse free and minimal residual disease negative at the time. These data underscore the durability of response to this TCR-T treatment, Nierengarten commented. Its safety profile was shown to be favorable still, with no patients experiencing dose-limiting toxicities or adverse events associated with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

"Enrollment continues in dose expansion cohorts, and results could support a registrational trial as early as 2025, pending regulatory feedback," Nierengarten wrote.

On the Horizon

TScan Therapeutics has several catalysts related to its clinical programs on the horizon, which Nierengarten listed.

On Nov. 8 and 9, the company will present preclinical data in the poster sessions at the annual Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer meeting. One poster will show in vitro combinatorial data for T-Plex, TScan's cellular therapy for treating solid tumors. It is comprised of two to three different TCR-Ts that target different tumor antigens on different human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.

A second poster will detail the expansion of ImmunoBank, the biotech's diverse bank of therapeutic T-cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize diverse targets and are associated with multiple HLA types. The third will depict development of a target agnostic platform to evaluate how TCR-Ts affect primary human tissues.

On Dec. 9, TScan Therapeutics will present updated one-year data from ALLOHA, at the American Society for Hematology Annual Meeting in December.

By year-end, the biotech will announce initial data from administering singleplex therapy, cell therapy engineered using a single TCR, to patients with solid tumors. This treatment is being given to establish safety before administering multiplex therapy, cell therapy engineered from multiple TCRs.

In 2025, TScan Therapeutics will provide long-term duration of response data for multiplex therapy in solid tumors and will potentially commence a registrational trial for TSC-100 and TSC-101.

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Important Disclosures:

1. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
2. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

For additional disclosures, please click here.

Disclosures for Wedbush, TScan Therapeutics Inc., November 5, 2024

Analyst Certification We, David Nierengarten, Martin Fan and Dennis Pak, certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect our personal opinions and that we have not and will not, directly or indirectly, receive compensation or other payments in connection with our specific recommendations or views contained in this report.

Company Specific Disclosures This information is subject to change at any time. 1. WS makes a market in the securities of TScan Therapeutics, Inc.. 6. WS is acting as a financial advisor for TScan Therapeutics, Inc..

Wedbush disclosure price charts are updated within the first fifteen days of each new calendar quarter per FINRA regulations. Price charts for companies initiated upon in the current quarter, and rating and target price changes occurring in the current quarter, will not be displayed until the following quarter. Additional information on recommended securities is available on request. Disclosure information regarding historical ratings and price targets is available: Research Disclosures *WS changed its rating system from (Strong Buy/ Buy/ Hold/ Sell) to (Outperform/ Neutral/ Underperform) on July 14, 2009. Applicable disclosure information is also available upon request by contacting the Research Department at (212) 833-1375, by email to leslie.lippai@wedbush.com. You may also submit a written request to the following: Wedbush Securities, Attn: Research Department, 142 W 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.

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( Companies Mentioned: TCRX:NASDAQ, )

Source: Dr. Jonathan Aschoff 11/07/2024

BioRestorative Therapies Inc. (BRTX:OTCBB) received a provisional license from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to process allogeneic donor tissue for various cells, like stem, to be isolated, expanded, and cryopreserved for medical research, reported MKM analyst Dr. Jonathan Aschoff in a Nov. 5 research note.

The biotech develops therapeutic products using cell and tissue protocols, primarily involving adult stem cells.

1,100% Upside Implied

Aschoff reiterated Roth's US$18 per share target price on the biotech, trading at the time of the report at about US$1.50 per share, the analyst noted. These figures reflect a potential return for investors of 1,100%.

BioRestorative Therapeutics remains a Buy.

Sources of Revenue

Aschoff discussed how BioRestorative can generate revenue. This new license is the second from NYSDOH that the biotech holds. The previous one allows it to process autologous mesenchymal stem cells, in other words, act as a tissue bank.

The U.S.-based biotech now may capitalize on its Current Good Manufacturing Practices capabilities and process, bank and distribute clinical-grade allogeneic biologics. This revenue generation would better position the biotech financially, "allowing it to reduce cash burn and dependence on equity markets," wrote Aschoff.

Another source of revenue for BioTherapeutics is from its supply agreement with Cartessa Aesthetics LLC signed earlier in 2024. Per the five-year agreement, BioTherapeutics will supply Cartessa with a preset minimum quantity of finished vials of the aesthetic company's initial cell-based biologic commercial product each year. This product, intended to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, will be sold under the Chronos ExoCR mark. Cartessa, on the other hand, will give BioTherapeutics access to its marketing and distribution capabilities to get its technologies to aesthetic providers.

The biotech may expand the Cartessa agreement into a broader offering of biocosmeceuticals and therapeutics if future clinical trials support their approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This expansion would transform the partnership into "a vertically integrated biocosmeceutical platform," Aschoff wrote.

Clinical Trial Catalyst

Meanwhile, Aschoff reported, BioRestorative will continue its Phase 2 clinical evaluation of its novel back pain treatment, BRTX-100, in patients with chronic lumbar disc degeneration.

Preliminary results from this clinical trial are expected in late Q4/24 or early Q1/25.

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Important Disclosures:

1. Doresa Banning wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor.
2. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
3. This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.

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Disclosures for Roth MKM, BioRestorative Therapies Inc., November 5, 2024

Regulation Analyst Certification ("Reg AC"): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and its or their securities. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.

Disclosures: Within the last twelve months, ROTH Capital Partners, or an affiliate to ROTH Capital Partners, has received compensation for investment banking services from BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.. ROTH makes a market in shares of BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. and as such, buys and sells from customers on a principal basis. Shares of BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. may be subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission's Penny Stock Rules, which may set forth sales practice requirements for certain low-priced securities.

ROTH Capital Partners, LLC expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking or other business relationships with the covered companies mentioned in this report in the next three months. The material, information and facts discussed in this report other than the information regarding ROTH Capital Partners, LLC and its affiliates, are from sources believed to be reliable, but are in no way guaranteed to be complete or accurate. This report should not be used as a complete analysis of the company, industry or security discussed in the report. Additional information is available upon request. This is not, however, an offer or solicitation of the securities discussed. Any opinions or estimates in this report are subject to change without notice. An investment in the stock may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Additionally, an investment in the stock may involve a high degree of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of ROTH. Copyright 2024. Member: FINRA/SIPC.

( Companies Mentioned: BRTX:OTCBB, )

Source: Streetwise Reports 11/08/2024

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX:NASDAQ) has reported a robust financial performance for the third quarter of 2024. The report has demonstrated the company's continued revenue growth and the strengthening of its innovative pipeline. For Q3 2024, Vertex's product revenue reached US$2.77 billion, a 12% increase from the previous year. This was primarily driven by strong demand for its TRIKAFTA®/KAFTRIO® therapies. Based on this momentum, Vertex raised its full-year product revenue guidance to a range of US$10.8 billion to US$10.9 billion, citing a solid trajectory in its cystic fibrosis (CF) portfolio and expected future launches.

In Q3, the company made notable advancements in its pipeline. Three programs have begun moving into Phase 3 clinical development: suzetrigine in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), povetacicept in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), and VX-880 in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Vertex is also preparing for the launch of two potential treatments in early 2025, with PDUFA dates set for January 2 for the vanzacaftor triple therapy for CF and January 30 for suzetrigine, the latter being a pain medication in a new therapeutic class aimed at reducing reliance on opioids.

GAAP and Non-GAAP net income both reached US$1.0 billion, largely driven by increased product revenue, which offset rising R&D and SG&A expense. This was s due to investments in global commercialization and late-stage clinical development. For Q3, Vertex's combined R&D and SG&A expenses were US$1.2 billion and US$1.1 billion, respectively, an increase from last year attributed to new global program advancements and upcoming launch support.

Vertex's cash position remained strong, with US$11.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of September 30. The decline from US$13.7 billion at the end of 2023 primarily reflects the acquisition of Alpine Immune Sciences and share repurchases under the company's buyback program.

A Look At Biotechnology and Pharma

The U.S. Pharmaceuticals Report for 2024 by Nova One Advisor detailed the size and growth trajectory of the U.S. pharmaceutical market. Valued at US$602.19 billion in 2023, the sector is projected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2033. The report pointed to a "high healthcare expenditure provided by government bodies" as a primary growth driver, further bolstered by the aging population's demand for advanced treatments.

In an October 24 article, The Investing News Network reported on a dynamic landscape within the biotechnology sector. The report highlighted advancements in AI-powered drug discovery. Despite a cautious investment climate, interest remained strong in AI's potential to reshape healthcare, with venture capital investment reaching US$6.59 billion. At the HealthTech Ignite conference, Susie Roberts from Relay Therapeutics expressed confidence, noting, "We will definitely see AI design drugs in the next 10 years."

On November 4, Yahoo! Finance shared insights from MIT professors Andrew Lo and Dennis Whyte. They emphasized that biotechnology's rapid advancement over the past five decades offers valuable lessons for future innovation. In their research paper, Lo and Whyte proposed initiatives to accelerate biotechnology's growth, underscoring the importance of "reducing risk and uncertainty" to foster a robust investment ecosystem that supports groundbreaking discoveries.

Catalysts Driving Vertex Pharma

According to Vertex's November 2024 investor presentation, the company sees multiple growth catalysts over the next few years. Vertex aims to meet its goal of achieving "five launches in five years," focusing on expanding the treatable patient base in CF with vanzacaftor triple, addressing critical needs in sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta thalassemia (TDT) with CASGEVY, and launching suzetrigine for acute pain management.

Additionally, Vertex expects its expansive R&D pipeline to support long-term growth. This includes pivotal clinical trials for VX-880 in T1D, povetacicept in IgAN, and NaV1.8 pain inhibitors like suzetrigine, indicating a commitment to treating a range of chronic and life-threatening conditions with limited therapeutic options.

By driving advancements in CF therapies, diversifying its portfolio with novel pain treatments, and pursuing accelerated approvals for renal and blood-related disorders, Vertex is strategically positioning itself to sustain growth and achieve several near-term milestones.

What Are Experts Saying About Vertex?

In a November 5, 2024, H.C. Wainwright & Co. update, the analysts highlighted promising data from Vertex's recent Phase 2 trial for suzetrigine, which showed encouraging reductions in pain intensity. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-4085]

The analysts noted that suzetrigine's peripheral nervous system-specific mechanism could potentially address "a significant, unmet medical need worldwide" in non-opioid pain management. They set a price target of US$600.00, projecting Vertex's continued growth from its strong cystic fibrosis franchise and pipeline expansion.

From the November 7 Kingswood Capital Partners report, analysts noted Vertex Pharmaceuticals' "sustained execution" in advancing product development programs and achieving robust operating margins, enabling "continued, significant investments" in both its pipeline and commercial capabilities. The firm maintained a "Buy" rating with a 12-month target price of US$550.00, attributing this outlook to Vertex's deep cash resources and historical successes in clinical trials.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to Refinitiv, 95.44% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals is held by Institutions. The top among them are Capital World Investors at 10.37%, The Vanguard Group at 8.88%, BlackRock Institutional Trust with 5.49%, State Street Global Advisors (US) with 4.55%, and Fidelity Management and Research with 4.11%. Strategic Investors hold .12%. The rest is retail.

The company's market cap is US$129,395.59 million with 257.07 million free float shares. The 52 week range is US$341.90–$510.64.

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1) James Guttman wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.

2) This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.

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( Companies Mentioned: VRTX:NASDAQ, )

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Aero Energy Ltd. (AERO:TSXV; AAUGF:OTC; UU3:FRA) has announced significant advancements at its Murmac and Sun Dog uranium projects in Northern Saskatchewan. Read how this and a CA$2.5-million non-brokered private placement aim the company towards further exploration.

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Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (SYH:TSX.V; SYHBF:OTCQX; SC1P:FSE) announced it has entered into an agreement with Hatchet Uranium Corp. to acquire interest in several of its projects. One analyst says the "spotlight" is on uranium juniors as the energy transition drives a heightened demand for power sources.

Jericho Energy Ventures Inc. (JEV:TSX.V; JROOF:OTC; JLM:FRA) has announced a strategic move to spin off its hydrogen solutions platform into a separate entity. Read more on how this transition aims to unlock growth in both hydrogen and traditional energy sectors.

Famed investor and commentator Jim Rogers talks his preference for tangible assets, why he's leaning toward silver over gold, and uranium's role in the energy transition.

Poet Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

When Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet from Los Angeles, took to the stage on Wednesday, it was immediately clear why the new president had chosen her as his inaugural poet.

Gorman echoed, in dynamic and propulsive verse, the same themes that Biden has returned to again and again and that he wove throughout his inaugural address: unity, healing, grief and hope, the painful history of American experience and the redemptive power of American ideals.

Where Biden said, "We must end this uncivil war," Gorman declared, "We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another."

And where Biden called for an American story of "love and healing" and "greatness and goodness," Gorman saw strength in pain: "Even as we grieved, we grew," she said.

Gorman opened by acknowledging the reasons why hope can be challenging. "Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?" she asked.

But she continued: "And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished."

She acknowledged the power of her own presence on the stage in "a country and a time where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one."

Like Obama inaugural poet Richard Blanco, who invoked the grand sweep of American geography in a call for unity in "One Today," Gorman dedicated a portion to "every corner called our country" from the South to the Midwest. She ended with an invitation to "step out of the shade."

"The new dawn blooms as we free it," she said. "For there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it – if only we are brave enough to be it."

Gorman was following in the footsteps of poets like Blanco, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou as she composed the poem "The Hill We Climb" for the inauguration.

She also took her cues from orators like Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. — people who knew a thing or two about calling for hope and unity in times of despair and division.

Gorman told NPR she dug into the works of those speakers (and Winston Churchill, too) to study up on ways "rhetoric has been used for good." Over the past few weeks, she composed a poem that acknowledges the previous president's incitement of violence, but turns toward hope.

"The Hill We Climb" reads, in part:

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it,

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

It can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith, we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

Gorman, like Biden, had a speech impediment as a child. (Biden had a stutter; Gorman had difficulty pronouncing certain sounds.) She told NPR's Steve Inskeep that her speech impediment was one reason she was drawn to poetry at a young age.

"Having an arena in which I could express my thoughts freely was just so liberating that I fell head over heels, you know, when I was barely a toddler," she said.

For Gorman, a former National Youth Poet Laureate, her struggle to speak provided a connection not only to the incoming president, but also to previous inaugural poets, too.

"Maya Angelou was mute growing up as a child and she grew up to deliver the inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton," she says. "So I think there is a real history of orators who have had to struggle with a type of imposed voicelessness, you know, having that stage in the inauguration."

Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy were the only presidents in the past who chose to have poems read at their inaugurations. You can read all the previous poems here.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Halima Aden attends the premiere of Netflix's Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly at Barker Hangar on Aug. 27, 2019, in Santa Monica, Calif.; Credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images

For Halima Aden, the decision to walk away from a career as the world's first hijab-wearing supermodel was fairly clear cut. She's felt used for so long, she says — by the modeling industry and by UNICEF, the organization she was photographed by as a child in a refugee camp in Kenya and later served as an ambassador for.

Aden has been featured on the covers of Vogue, Elle and Allure magazines. And she walked the runway for Rihanna's Fenty Beauty and Kanye West's Yeezy.

She tells Morning Edition host Rachel Martin she wanted to be a role model for young girls while being true to herself, but she wasn't accomplishing either. Modeling, she realized, was in "direct conflict" with who she is.

"I'm not a cover girl, I'm Halima from Kakuma," she says. "I want to be the reason why girls have confidence within themselves, not the reason for their insecurity."

Aden was raised in the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya. She and her family moved to Minnesota in 2004 when she was 7.

It was there her journey as a model began, competing for Miss Minnesota USA in 2016, seeking a scholarship. She finished in the semifinals, and says from there, modeling "fell from the sky" into her lap.

Interview Highlights

You saw [modeling] not just as a chance to wear gorgeous clothes and to have your photo in magazines but also as a way to help people.

Growing up in America, not seeing representation, not seeing anybody who dressed like me look like me, it did make me feel like, wow, what's wrong with me, you know? And I'm sure if I had if I would have had representation growing up, I would have been so much more confident to wear my hijab, to be myself, to be authentic. But to be that person, to grow up and be on the cover of magazines, I've covered everything from Vogue to Allure, some of the biggest publications in fashion. And yet I still couldn't relate personally to my own image because that's not who I really am. That's not how I really dress. That's not how my hijab really looks. And, you know, fashion, it can be a very creative field, and I completely appreciate that. But my hijab was just getting spread so thin that I knew I had to give it all away, give it up. I'm not a cover girl. I am Halima from Kakuma. I want to be the reason why girls have confidence within themselves, not the reason for their insecurity.

When you say your hijab was being kind of styled out of existence, what passed for a hijab as you were walking down those runways?

Everything. Oh, my goodness. I had jeans at one point on my head as a hijab. I had Gucci pants styled as a turban. It just didn't even make sense, and I felt so far removed from the image itself.

During the pandemic you decided to walk away from fashion and UNICEF. Was it a complicated decision?

I'll be honest with you, the feelings that I've had towards the fashion industry and UNICEF, it was just multiplying as the years went on, so it was just festering. You know, because the fashion industry is very known to use these young girls and boys while their young, age 14 to like 24, I think is the average career of a model. And then they just replace them and move on to a newer model. And same with UNICEF. They've been photographing me and using me since the time I was a baby in a refugee camp. I remember getting those headshots taken and it made me feel, it's very dehumanizing. And so I wanted to show UNICEF, too. How does it feel to be used? It's not a good feeling. And so let's stop using people.

What are you going to do [next]?

For me right now, I don't know what's next. And that's OK. That's OK, because I'm young and I have time to figure it out. And I'm grateful. I'm grateful to the people that I've met. I'm grateful to the agents that I worked with. I'm grateful for the experiences I was able to have these last four years. But at the same time, I just am also grateful that I don't have to do that anymore because it was in direct conflict with who I am as an individual, as a human being.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

President Barack Obama presents novelist, essayist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry with a National Humanities Medal in September 2015.; Credit: Leigh Vogel/WireImage/Getty Images

Larry McMurtry, a prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Oscar-winning screenwriter, has died at age 84. He was beloved for riveting and yet unsentimental depictions of the American West in books like Lonesome Dove, as well as for tales of family drama including Terms of Endearment.

In a statement, his representative Amanda Lundberg said McMurtry "passed away last night, on March 25 of heart failure at 84 years old surrounded by his loved ones who he lived with including long time writing partner Diana Ossana, his wife Norma Faye and their 3 dogs."

In all, McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels as well as over a dozen non-fiction works that spanned memoir, history and essays. He also wrote over 20 screenplays and television scripts.

McMurtry was also famous for his bookstore, Booked Up in Archer City, Texas. Even after selling off more than half of his holdings in 2012, he still had about 200,000 books between his private collection and the store.

When he won an Oscar in 2006 for the screenplay adaption of E. Annie Proulx' short story Brokeback Mountain, which he co-wrote with longtime writing partner Diana Ossana, he thanked booksellers.

"From the humblest paperback exchange to the masters of the great bookshops of the world," he said, "all are contributors to the survival of the culture of the book, a wonderful culture, which we mustn't lose."

Filmmakers were drawn to McMurtry's work; his books Hud, The Last Picture Show and Terms of Endearment were all made into films. Lonesome Dove, which earned him the Pulitzer in 1985, became a successful TV miniseries in 1989, starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.

Born in 1936 on a Texas ranch, McMurtry came to his love of the West through his family. His grandfather broke horses, and his father raised cattle.

"The West is mostly a very beautiful place," he told All Things Considered in 2014. "There are all those lovely spaces. There are all those running horses. It's a poetic imagery and it's been there for a long time."

But he wanted to scour that landscape of sentimental nostalgia for cowboys, he added. "To me it was hollow and I think it was hollow for my father, although he might not have ever brought that to his conscious mind. He totally loved cowboys and so did most of the cowboys we worked with and that got him through his life. But he knew perfectly well, so did we, that it wouldn't last another generation, it just was not going to last."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

; Credit: /Katherine Du

Over the years, NPR's poetry community has turned both painful and joyful experiences into magnificent work.

As the world still endures the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. also grieves over increased violence against Asian Americans and a mass shooting in Georgia that left six women of Asian descent dead.

"Let's be clear: Anti-Asian violence and discrimination are not new. But, this racism seems to be heightened," says Kwame Alexander, NPR's resident poet. "And the onus is not on Asian Americans to figure this out. Frankly, it's on white people, it's on the rest of us — individually, systemically, to talk about it, to pay attention to, advocate against it."

"Between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, Today," by Emily Jungmin Yoon, is a list poem that reflects the coldness of the world and how it wears on us. Yoon is a South Korean-born poet pursuing her Ph.D. in Korean literature at the University of Chicago.

Alexander and Morning Edition's Rachel Martin ask listeners: How do you cope with recent anti-Asian violence and discrimination? Tell us in a list poem.

Your poem doesn't have to rhyme. It just needs to have an ordered list with details that show your state of mind — and must begin with the word "today."

Share your poem through the form below. Then Alexander will take lines from some of your pieces and create a community crowdsourced poem. Alexander and Martin will read it on air, and NPR will publish it online, where contributors will be credited.

Submissions are due by noon ET on Monday, April 5.

Here are the terms of the callout:

By providing your Submission to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the following terms in relation to the content and information (your "Submission") you are providing to National Public Radio ("NPR," "us" or "our"):

You are submitting content pursuant to a callout by Morning Edition related to a segment with Kwame Alexander wherein he creates unique poetry based on listener submissions. You understand that you are submitting content for the purpose of having Kwame use that content to create a new poem or poems ("Poem") with the material you submit. You must be over the age of 18 to submit material.

You will retain copyright in your Submission, but agree that NPR and/or Kwame Alexander may edit, modify, use, excerpt, publish, adapt or otherwise make derivative works from your Submission and use your Submission or derivative works in whole or in part in any media or format and/or use the Submission or Poem for journalistic and/or promotional purposes generally, and may allow others to do so. You understand that the Poem created by Kwame Alexander will be a new creative work and may be distributed through NPR's programs (or other media), and the Poem and programs can be separately subject to copyright protection. Your Submission does not plagiarize or otherwise infringe any third-party copyright, moral rights or any other intellectual property rights or similar rights. You have not copied any part of your Submission from another source. If your Submission is selected for inclusion in the Poem, you will be acknowledged in a list of contributors on NPR's website or otherwise receive appropriate credit, but failure to do so shall not be deemed a breach of your rights.

Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The pandemic has once again felled Burning Man. Some burners still plan to gather for informal events on the dusty Black Rock Desert Playa this summer.; Credit: Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

And so it goes: Burning Man 2021 is canceled. It's the second year in a row, the popular arts festival won't be held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert due to the pandemic.

"We have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022," event officials announced in a blog post on Tuesday. In a frequently-asked-questions section, organizers added: "We've heard from many who don't feel ready to come to Black Rock City. While we're confident in our ability to get a permit and to safeguard public health, we know that co-creating Black Rock City in 2021 would put tremendous strain on our community while we are still ironing out uncertainty."

Many would-be attendees praised the decision in comments on the Burning Man website and on social media as a safe one; others are anxiously anticipating a bigger and better 2022 Burn.

But the cancellation has put many people in the event's host community at ease.

Wary of a trend of rising coronavirus cases in some parts of the region, Washoe County's district health officer Kevin Dick said "the right call was made," in order to lower the risk of spreading infection.

"The event draws thousands of people from all over the world," Dick said in an email. "We are seeing large outbreaks of COVID-19 occurring in a number of countries, areas where very contagious COVID-19 variants of concern are prevalent and where low rates of vaccination are occurring."

The head of a local Paiute tribe is also feeling less burdened knowing there won't be the annual pilgrimage. The main highway to get to the Black Rock Desert playa, which normally draws tens of thousands of people to the summer event, cuts through tribal lands.

"For us it is a sigh of relief," said Janet Davis, chairwoman of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

Although the event — which brings in about $63 million to the state annually — gives the tribal community a welcome financial boost, Davis said.

"We don't know who's vaccinated and who's not," she said. "We've been trying to keep our reservation safe and that happening was too soon for us to open."

As with last year, the organization will offer virtual programming during Burn Week, from Aug. 29 through Sept. 7, an experience they say drew 165,000 participants in 2020.

In response to a request for more details on the reasons for the cancellation, Burning Man organizers declined to comment further. Earlier this month, though, CEO Marian Goodell said the organization was "weighing the gravity" of implementing a vaccination requirement that she said challenged "radical inclusion," one of the group's 10 principles.

Still, for many burners, the news won't extinguish their plans to trek to the desert in droves. Just like last year, revelers are preparing to hold unofficial gatherings on public land in place of the annual event.

Last summer, those events — the so-called "rogue" and "free" burns or, unmistakably, "Not Burning Man" — drew an estimated 3,000 people to Black Rock Desert during the time Burning Man is normally held, according to the Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency that approves the organization's permits each year.

Kevin Jervis, one such attendee who now lives in Gerlach — a tiny desert town near the event site — welcomed this year's cancellation.

He called it "more of a relief than anything. ... A lot of us liked it better the way it happened last year."

During the informal festivities, Jervis spent a few days between the playa and its outskirts. He said he and his fellow burners felt like it represented the festival's freewheeling roots.

"I've had friends that have been going since '94 and they said it was a lot more like it used to be. We didn't have to go by regulations," he said. "We could have guns, dogs ... it was a lot freer."

Even before the pandemic, burners increasingly saw an annual gathering under siege.

Event-goers who adhere to Burning Man's counterculture beginnings say the festival's explosion in popularity in the past decade has welcomed a host of bad actors who trash the desert and surrounding communities and disregard the event's founding principles, including "decommodification" and the eco-friendly philosophy of "leave no trace."

Some of those perceived threats come from festival officials themselves, he said. A ticket to the main event alone cost over $400 in 2019 — a financial hurdle critics say goes against another tenet long espoused, that "everyone is invited."

"People that have never been before came out last year because they either couldn't get a ticket other years or they were just kind of curious. Or they didn't have the money to go to the actual Burn," said Jervis.

As for the Pyramid Lake Paiute community, with the reservation largely closed during that period last year, Davis said, "we really didn't see the impact" from a public health standpoint.

"You're not talking about 65 — 75,000 people." While there was more traffic, she said, "they moseyed on through and moseyed on out."

In the years leading up to the pandemic, BLM had been cracking down on the event's growth. Were the festival to return this year, Burning Man organizers said they would have had to meet a population cap of 69,000, down from its 80,000 limit for previous events.

Jervis says he won't miss what he describes as organizers' leniency toward "elites" who set up VIP areas at their camps and hire out to construct their art creations instead of making their own.

"A lot of people have gotten sick of what Burning Man's kind of become," he said.

Even if this year was a go, he said, burners would still be setting up their own Burning Man-adjacent happenings.

Following the announcement of the event's cancellation, people are taking to Facebook groups to reminisce about last year's unsanctioned burns and discuss preparations for their own this summer.

"So it seems that as of today there isn't going to be an official [Burning Man Ceremony] this year," James Zapata wrote. "So who's joining me in the dust?"

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Live-event spaces, like the Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, have been waiting months for emergency relief.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Owners of live-music venues, theaters, museums and other businesses covered under the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, or SVOG, can expect to see money by the end of May. This is according to an update from the Small Business Administration, which has been handling the SVOG program's bumpy rollout.

An SBA spokesperson said in an email that since the portal to apply for these grants opened a week ago, 10,300 applications have been submitted (another 12,000 have been started but not completed). The vast majority of those applications were from "Live venue operators or promoters," followed by performing arts organizations and then movie theaters.

The SBA has been reviewing applications and said in a statement that "applicants will receive notice of awards this month," with disbursement by the end of May if the applicant responds in a "timely manner to the notice of award."

The SVOG program is a $16 billion emergency relief program that then-President Donald Trump signed into law in late December 2020. It was a bipartisan effort to get aid money to struggling music venues and other arts and live-event spaces that have been hit hard by the coronavirus struggles. But for an emergency relief program, it has taken months to get money in the hands of business owners holding off landlords, insurance companies and other creditors. Those owners spent early 2021 waiting on an official announcement of when they could apply for the grant money while compiling any documents and paperwork they thought they might need. Then once the application site was up and running, it crashed and was closed.

Even as large festivals roll out throughout the U.S. and bands announce tours for later in the year, many small live-event spaces are still at risk of closing. The National Independent Venue Association, one of the most vocal groups lobbying for support for live-music venues, has long stated that 90% of its members would be forced to close without any aid — which would hurt nearby bars, restaurants and shops, not to mention the large apparatus that is the live touring-arts industry.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A judge has denied Britney Spears' request to remove her father, Jamie Spears (left), as a co-conservator.; Credit: /AP

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge signed an order Wednesday denying Britney Spears' request to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from the financial aspects of her conservatorship.

Judge Brenda Penny denied the request, which was first filed by Spears' attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, last November. The judge's decision comes after the singer appeared in court last Wednesday to make a direct appeal to the court. In that emotional statement, Spears said that she was being exploited and "bullied" by the conservatorship — and specifically, by her father.

Until recently, both the financial and personal arms of the conservatorship were controlled by Spears' father, Jamie Spears.

Last year, Ingham stated in a filing that Spears "strongly opposed" her father as conservator, and that she refused to perform if he remained in charge of her career.

In February, Judge Penny allowed a wealth-management company, Bessemer Trust, to come in as a co-conservator for the financial arm of Spears' arrangement. Jamie Spears remains the main conservator for all other aspects of Spears' conservatorship.

The next hearing in the case is currently scheduled for July 14. It is possible that Spears will submit a petition for the conservatorship to be terminated. In her comments to Judge Penny last week, Spears said that she had been unaware that she could take such an action. "I didn't know I could petition the conservatorship to end it," she said. "I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I honestly didn't know that."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.