Month: April 2023

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Sport

Keys to Knicks-Warmth – This is what may determine the most recent chapter of this basic NBA playoff rivalry

Keys to Knicks-Heat - Here's what could decide the latest chapter of this classic NBA playoff rivalry

8:00 a.m. ET

  • Tim BontempsESPN

It has been 23 years since the New York Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals and 24 years since their last appearance at the NBA Finals.

And to get there both times, the Knicks had to fight their way through the Miami Heat.

From 1997 to 2000—after then-coach Pat Riley switched from the Knicks to the Heat in 1995—the two teams fought back-to-back battles, each of those streaks going the distance.

Those intense showdowns, which perhaps culminated during the 1998 playoffs when then-Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy was wrapped around the leg of Heat center Alonzo Mourning during an in-game skirmish, created a level of animosity that is among current Players may not exist, but it is still strong among the fanbases of both franchises.

“It’s great,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, an assistant to those Knicks teams. “The players are too young, some of them probably weren’t even born yet. But for the older folks that were there, it’s part of the story, it’s fun. If you love competition, this is about it. “

“I don’t think it’s important for the dressing rooms,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who was also Riley’s assistant at the time. “And that’s okay. Those battles are so long ago. It probably means something for the organizations, but ultimately it’s about trying to achieve something big.”

On Sunday (1 p.m. ET on ABC), the Knicks and Heat will play their latest playoff showdown: the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which begins at Madison Square Garden.

There will be many memories of those clashes between the Knicks and Heat. In addition to the two coaches, Allan Houston and Mourning – stars for the Knicks and Heat respectively in those fights – now have front office roles at their franchises. Riley is still in charge of the Heat as he has been since leaving New York almost 30 years ago. Much of its staff is still in place.

There were plenty of other memories to watch last week as the Knicks hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Latrell Sprewell was on the sidelines. John Starks and Larry Johnson were featured on the Jumbotron. All three were part of the cacophonous roar that overwhelmed Cleveland in both victories and sent fans onto Seventh Avenue to cheer.

Knicks Heat series schedule

DATE MATCH ZEIT/TV
game 1 Sunday, April 30th Heat at Knicks 1 p.m. ET, ABC
game 2 Tuesday, May 2nd Heat at Knicks TBD, TNT
game 3 Sat 6 May Knicks at Heat TBD, ABC
game 4 Mon, May 8th Knicks at Heat 7:30 ET, TNT
Game 5* Wed, May 10th Heat at Knicks TBD, TNT
Game 6* Fri May 12 Knicks at Heat TBD, ESPN
Game 7* Mon, May 15 Heat at Knicks 8 p.m. ET, TNT
* If necessary

However, there will be a different feeling when the Knicks and Heat meet again. But that classic rivalry has been reborn.

“It’s like seeing an old friend after so many years,” a longtime Heat exec told ESPN. “You pick up right where you left off.”

While the two franchises have plenty of historic beef, a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals is at stake. And ahead of Sunday’s first game at MSG, the following could decide Knicks-Heat, the most surprising second-round matchup of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

1. What’s an encore for Jimmy Buckets?

Jimmy Butler continued his 56-game feat to help Miami comeback from 14 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 with a 42-point result in Game 5, again helping Miami come from their 16-dead in the fourth fourth to stun the top seed Milwaukee Bucks in overtime and end their season.

Butler will need a replay for Miami to advance to the East Finals. Especially with Tyler Herro out with a broken hand, the onus is on Butler to lift the heat.

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Stephen A.: The Knicks need to stop Jimmy Butler in the playoffs

Stephen A. Smith explains his concern for the New York Knicks over Jimmy Butler’s game.

Butler meets Thibodeau, his former coach with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. Not only does New York have a few strong athletic wings to potentially throw at Butler – Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes and RJ Barrett – Thibodeau will likely send more doubles teams at Butler. During their entire first-round loss, the Bucks only threw seven doubles teams at Butler, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information.

2. What is Julius Randle’s injury status?

The all-star forward suffered a sprained ankle late in the regular season that threatened his availability for New York’s first-round series against Cleveland. Then, after coming back and struggling in that series, Randle injured his ankle again in Game 5.

When asked about Randle’s status on Friday, Thibodeau Randle said: “Hasn’t done much today but he’s feeling a little bit better.

“So go through rehab, see where he is [Saturday]. He’s better today than he was [Thursday], and that was the big thing. So we’re confident.”

Randle shot just 33.8% for the series against Cleveland, including 8-for-34 from 3-point range. When Randle enters the court, it should help to be up against smaller Heat defenders compared to Cleveland greats Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

3. Can Miami’s Hot 3-Point Shooting Continue?

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During the regular season, the Heat ranked 27th in 3-point shooting, averaging 34.4%. While the playoffs had virtually the same number of 3s per game, that number rose to 45%, which is the highest in the 16-team field. (Miami also rose to second in the playoffs from 25th in the regular season.)

Fourth in the NBA on offense in the regular season, New York should be able to overtake Miami — especially with Heat gunner Herro injured. Miami will need shooters like Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Kevin Love, Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry to keep burying triples.

4. Which side controls the glass?

Led by center Mitchell Robinson and Hart, the Knicks dominated the offensive glass in the first round, repeatedly taking advantage of a Cavaliers team that ranked 20th in defensive rebound rate in the regular season and routinely played with a two-man lineup.

The Knicks are unlikely to enjoy a similar advantage this series, as Miami has the fourth-best defensive rebound rate during the regular season. Much of the color fight could revolve around Love, who at 34 is still an excellent rebounder and shooter.

But if New York is able to control the offensive boards the same way they did against Cleveland, those second chances on offense for the Knicks will become massive.

5. What will Bam Adebayo bring offensively?

Much of Miami’s ability to keep up this series will depend on the Heat, a team that has been challenged offensively all season and continues to find ways to score. While Butler has shown he can carry Miami’s offense virtually alone, Adebayo’s effectiveness at his side will be key.

The Bucks repeatedly challenged Adebayo to shoot from the elbow during their first-round streak, opting for center Brook Lopez to sit back near the rim. New York has a similar edge threat in Robinson. But if Adebayo is feeling good – he’s been struggling with a hamstring strain – and can deliver an offensive punch – he’s made a triple-double in Miami’s Game 5 Series clincher – it could make all the difference if Thibodeau decides two defenders on the throwing red-hot butler.

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Science

A black gap ripped a star aside. The closest we have ever seen.

This artist's illustration depicts what astronomers call a "tidal disruption event," or TDE, when an object such as a star wanders too close to a black hole and is destroyed by tidal forces generated from the black hole's intense gravitational forces. (Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss.

We all know that black holes are destructive monsters. Her tremendous power of attraction sucks in everything that gets in her way. This is especially true for supermassive black holes at the heart of galaxies. You can rip stars. And every now and then—about every 10,000 years—that happens. The star passes too close, and the black hole’s gravity rips it apart.

When a star experiences a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE), it illuminates the core of the galaxy. Astronomers know about 100 of these TDEs in distant galaxies. Most of the light they see from this cataclysmic event arrives in the form of X-rays and optical light. But it turns out they can tune in to infrared signals from a TDE, and MIT scientists recently picked up one found in galaxy NGC 7392. The galaxy lies about 137 million light-years from Earth, and the discovery at its heart is one that astronomers have seen for the first time an infrared view of star fragments through a black hole.

They named the event WTP14adbjsh. With dust clouds obscuring the view, there were no X-ray or UV views. However, the dust absorbed much of the event’s radiation, causing the clouds to emit infrared light.

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The discovery came about almost by accident as MIT postdoc Christos Panagiotou and his colleagues combed through data from the NEOWISE mission. It has been scanning the sky in infrared wavelengths since 2010. The team spotted a bright flash appearing in the data. Panagiotou wasn’t actually looking for tidal disturbances. The team looked for transients – light sources that appear and then disappear. Then they discovered this flash. “We could see at first that there was nothing,” Panagiotou recalled. “Then suddenly, in late 2014, the source brightened and reached high luminosity in 2015 and then returned to its previous dormancy.”

Infrared sign of the closest tidal disturbance event (TDE) so far. In this event, a star moved too close to a central supermassive black hole. In 2015, a bright flare was spotted from galaxy NGC 7392 (top left). Observations of the same galaxy were taken in 2010-2011 (top right) before the TDE. Below left is the difference between the first two images showing the actual TDE detected. For comparison, the lower right image shows the same galaxy in the optical waveband. Courtesy of the researchers

They eventually tracked the flash to NGC 7392 and began asking what kind of astrophysical process might be producing it. “For example, supernovae are sources that explode and suddenly brighten and then come back down, on similar timescales to tidal disturbances,” Panagiotou said. “But supernovae are not as luminous and energetic as what we have observed.”

Eventually, the team found that the flash was due to a TDE — that is, a star being torn apart by a supermassive black hole. It fitted the data and, when it turned out, was the closest astronomers have ever observed.

Evidence of a TDE

It’s one thing to claim that the momentary flash of light was a star ripped apart by a black hole, but how can you prove that? First, the team needed to understand the black hole and its surroundings. So they studied the galaxy. Data from various sources showed that the galaxy had a supermassive black hole about 30 million times the mass of the Sun. That’s actually pretty massive. “This is almost 10 times larger than the black hole we have at our galactic center, so it’s quite massive, even though black holes can reach up to 10 billion solar masses,” Panagiotou said.

That a star comes close enough to encounter the black hole means that the galaxy has a population of stars and some could form near the black hole. The observations at different wavelengths showed that NGC 7392 is busy making new stars. However, it is not as active as some galaxies and busier than others. It is considered a “green” star-forming galaxy. That’s because it produces a few stars, enough to feed the black hole. It turns out that most of the TDEs took place in the rare breed of “green” galaxies.

However, there is one more factor to consider. Star-forming galaxies produce a lot of dust, especially in the core. Infrared light can penetrate most of the dust while blocking X-rays, optical or ultraviolet light. This could be a factor in why astronomers haven’t spotted more TDEs in star-forming galaxies when looking with traditional optical telescopes.

The future of observing TDEs is infrared

This discovery indicates a need for more infrared observations of galaxies to find TDEs. “The fact that optical and X-ray surveys have missed this glowing TDE in our own backyard is very revealing and shows that these surveys only provide us with a partial census of the total population of TDEs,” said Suvi Gezari, associate astronomer and chair of the Scientific Employees at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland who were not involved in the study. “Using infrared surveys to capture the dust echo from eclipsed TDEs…has already shown us that there is a population of TDEs in dusty, star-forming galaxies that we have previously missed.”

Interestingly, the TESS satellite (best known for its search for exoplanets) also acquired a TDE in 2019. A ground-based survey called the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) alerted astronomers. They were able to get other observations, including TESS, to track the progress of the event.

For more informations

Astronomers discover the closest example yet of a black hole devouring a star
A candidate tidal disturbance event obscured by glowing dust in a star-forming galaxy at 42 Mpc

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Entertainment

You will not imagine these stars have by no means been to the Met Gala

You won't believe these stars have never been to the Met Gala

It’s hard to believe that some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have never been a part of fashion’s biggest night.

As any fashionista knows, the first Monday in May has become synonymous with the Met Gala — the annual Costume Institute benefit that boasts one of the year’s star-studded guest lists.

This year’s theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, will honor the legacy of the late Chanel designer during the May Day soiree co-hosted by Michael Coel, Penelope Cruz, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.

And while rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Gigi Hadid, Cardi B and Blake Lively have become staples on the Met Gala red carpet, showcasing stunning haute couture looks by top designers each year, some celebrities have avoided the annual fashion fanfare entirely.

Despite being one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, Meryl Streep has never performed at the Met Gala. Other movie icons like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie And Leonardo DiCaprio also skipped the bash. Meanwhile, Kinda Friends alum Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox And Lisa Kudrow I didn’t go up the Met stairs.

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Technology

Can plant-based meat be wholesome? This foodtech startup says sure

Can plant-based meat be healthy? This foodtech startup says yes

Barcelona’s food-tech startup Heura has unveiled its new patent-pending technology that aims to make meat substitutes without the lengthy and sometimes daunting list of ingredients. The company says it’s the first scalable technology of its kind, bringing “superior” nutritional value to plant-based foods.

The data is clear – if we are to stop global warming, we must revolutionize our food systems. About 14.5% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gases come from livestock.

In addition, research has shown that processed red meat is carcinogenic. This means that what we put on our plates matters to the health of both the collective and the individual.

However, the initial enthusiasm for vegan meat alternatives has waned somewhat, with the stock of one of the most eponymous alternatives, Beyond Meat, losing over 60% of its value in the past year alone.

Companies behind the fake meat revolution are often criticized for over-reliance on artificial additives, with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients. In addition, the ultra-processed products are often devoid of essential nutrients.

“I think the category’s worst enemy is bad products,” called Heura’s co-founder Marc Coloma. “We see that there has been a sort of gold rush in this category, with many products being launched super-fast without meeting consumer expectations.”

Patent-pending thermomechanical technology

Most approaches to making vegan meat substitutes involve some form of trial and error. Manufacturers are experimenting with different blends of binders and additives, as well as plant-based proteins, to see what works.

Enter Heura’s patent-pending technology. Thermomechanical engineering uses heat and mechanical energy to shape or modify the properties of a material. This, according to Heura, allows for the production of plant-based meat substitutes with higher-quality inputs and a shorter list of ingredients.

Historic day at Heura: Today we filed our first patent (of many to come) and we couldn’t be happier. #Successor pic.twitter.com/1mwG7VbOK8

— Heura Foods #FoodActivists (@HeuraFoods) April 25, 2023

We have not been able to get the exact details of the actual breakthrough. During the launch of the project platform, dubbed Good Rebel Tech, last year, the company’s Science and Technology Director, Isabelle Férnandez, said: specified The,

“Rather than focusing on the extraction and isolation of proteins from legume seeds, we are exploring ways to harness the functionality of whole plants in their naturally occurring structures.”

The focus for the time being is on delicatessen products, cheese and whole meat products. And as anyone who’s eaten in Spain can attest, these are far more popular categories than the most commonly substituted burger patties.

But protein?

The company has already developed two products using the technology: a Frankfurt-style sausage and ham slices, both made from soy protein. The Frankfurters have a protein density of 72%, the “ham” 70%. Heura hopes to have both products available by the end of Q4 2023.

List of ingredients for the Frankfurter? Water, Soy Protein Isolate, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Radish, Carrot and Paprika Flavor Concentrates, Lemon Juice from Concentrate and Vitamin B12.

You may have noticed that like so many fake meat products, it doesn’t contain coconut oil. This is due to another milestone that Heura’s R&D department achieved last year when they succeeded in replacing the saturated fat alternative with a 100% olive oil-based analogue.

Successful equity crowdfunding

Heura Foods was founded in 2017 in a co-working office in the center of Barcelona. The first customer was a small local business in the Poble-sec neighborhood. The startup has raised €36 million so far – including an equity crowdfunding campaign that raised her €4 million in just 12 hours. In 2022 the company achieved sales of 31.4 million euros and in 2023 it grew by 44% in the first quarter compared to the same quarter last year.

In addition, Heura has tripled its market share in Spain in the last three years and has agreements with retail groups in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, Portugal and the UK.

Could owning a patent in an otherwise fairly rambunctious Western meat industry with low barriers to entry attract more investors to Heura’s cause? We’ll enjoy a cruel frankfurter (or two) while we wait to find out, thanks a lot.

Categories
Health

Merck (MRK) Earnings Report Q1 2023

Merck (MRK) Earnings Report Q1 2023

note on Thursday reported first-quarter sales and adjusted earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, despite a sharp drop in sales of its Covid antiviral treatment molnupiravir.

Sales of molnupiravir collapsed to $392 million during the period, down 88% from the $3.2 billion reported for the first quarter of 2022. Merck said the decline was primarily due to lower sales in the US, UK, Japan and Australia.

related investment news

The company reported total revenue of $14.5 billion for the quarter, down 9% year over year. But excluding the Covid drug, Merck said its sales were up 11%.

Here’s what Merck reported versus Wall Street expectations, based on a poll of analysts by Refinitiv:

  • Earnings per share: Adjusted $1.40 versus $1.32 expected
  • Revenue: $14.49 billion versus $13.78 billion expected

Merck stock closed more than 1% higher on Thursday. Shares are up more than 3% for the year, putting the company’s market value at more than $292 billion.

The pharma giant posted net income of $2.82 billion, or $1.11 per share. That compares to $4.31 billion, or $1.70 per share, for the same period a year ago.

Excluding certain items, Merck’s adjusted earnings per share for the period were $1.40. This includes charges of 52 cents related to Merck’s acquisition of cancer drug developer Imago BioSciences last year.

The Rahway, NJ-based company raised its 2023 revenue guidance to between $57.7 billion and $58.9 billion, slightly ahead of the $57.2 billion to $58.7 billion it provided earlier in February. The increased projections include sales of molnupiravir of approximately $1 billion.

The company also raised its full-year adjusted earnings outlook to $6.88 to $7.00 per share from a previous guidance of $6.80 to $6.95 per share.

The guidance does not reflect any financial impact from Merck’s proposed acquisition of biotech company Prometheus Biosciences earlier this month, the company noted. Merck said the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023.

Merck’s Covid treatment molnupiravir first came to market after the Food and Drug Administration approved the pill for certain adults in December 2021. Once hailed as a breakthrough treatment for Covid-19, Merck signed multiple contracts to supply millions of courses of the drug to the US government and other nations.

But Merck and drug manufacturers such as Pfizer, Modern And Johnson&Johnson have braced themselves for a drop in Covid-related sales this year as the world emerges from the pandemic with less reliance on blockbuster vaccines and treatments.

Molnupiravir weighed on sales of Merck’s pharmaceuticals business, which fell 10% to $12.7 billion compared to the first quarter of 2022. Excluding molnupiravir, pharmaceutical sales increased by 14%.

Merck said diabetes treatments also drove the sales decline. Sales of sitagliptin and a related diabetes drug fell 29% to $880 million, mainly due to generic competition in several international markets and lower demand and prices in the U.S

But Merck’s pharmaceutical unit saw higher sales of Gardasil, Merck’s vaccine that prevents cancer caused by HPV. The company said revenue for the shot rose 35% to $2 billion, reflecting strong demand outside the US, particularly in China.

Sales of blockbuster antibody treatment Keytruda also rose 20% in the quarter to $5.8 billion. Keytruda is used to treat different types of cancer, including certain types of breast cancer and skin cancer.

Caroline Litchfield, Merck’s CFO, said Thursday when announcing the company’s results that the drugmaker expects continued strong growth from Keytruda. However, she noted that Keytruda’s pricing “is an increasing headwind,” especially as Merck rolls out new indications for the drug in key European markets.

The company has been under pressure to reduce its reliance on Keytruda, which is expected to lose patent protection in 2028. Merck highlighted some of its efforts to cushion this patent loss and expand its drug pipeline during the conference call.

Dean Li, President of Merck Research Laboratories, highlighted the acquisition of Prometheus Biosciences. He said the deal will bring a promising experimental treatment for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease that will expand Merck’s footprint in immunology.

“By combining Prometheus’ deep understanding of inflammatory bowel disease and Merck’s deep expertise in developing and implementing biomarkers, we hope to usher in a new era in immunology where patients receive the right therapy based on a precision medicine approach,” said Li during the call.

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Science

Joe Biden desires each US navy car to be local weather pleasant – Watts with that?

Joe Biden wants every US military vehicle to be climate friendly - Watts with that?

NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS

By Paul Homewood

If you thought we were foolish enough in this country, then we don’t live the senile idiot who supposedly runs the US:

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said she supports the call for the military to have an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2030:

ERNST: “Do you support the adoption of this fleet of electric vehicles by the military by 2030?”

GRANHOLM: “I do, and I think we can do it too. And I think that reducing our dependence on the volatility of globally traded fossil fuels, knowing that global events like the war in Ukraine can push up prices for people back home, does not contribute to energy security.”

Granholm added, “I think energy security will be achieved when we have self-generated, clean energy that is plentiful, like you see in Iowa. We believe we can be world leaders in how we have become energy independent.”

Can you imagine?! It’s bad enough that the Department of Defense has a scorecard to hold itself accountable as it drives “environmental justice for communities across America.”

The DOD has at least 640 employees who “work on environmental justice, either full-time or part-time.”

President Joe Biden has been pushing this agenda since last April. He admitted it would cost billions:

Last April, while delivering an Earth Day speech at Seward Park in Seattle, Washington, Biden said his administration was working to make “every vehicle” in the US military “climate friendly.”

“One of the things I’ve found as President of the United States is that I have a lot of that money to spend,” Biden said at the time. “We’re going to start the process where every vehicle in the US military, every vehicle, is going to be climate friendly — every vehicle — I mean it.”

He added, “We’re spending billions of dollars on this.”

No wonder we couldn’t carry out any real plans in Afghanistan or Sudan. The military is more concerned with environmental justice.

In the US they are fortunate that the GOP is defying this foolish policy and hopefully one day will reverse it.

That’s more than we can say in the UK.

Here’s a simple question for the Simpleton Joe:

Next time you invade a country, how will you know there are enough EV charging stations?

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Sport

Lakers beat Grizzlies by 40 and advance into Spherical 2 of NBA playoffs

Lakers beat Grizzlies by 40 and advance into Round 2 of NBA playoffs

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James vowed to be better for Game 6 of the Los Angeles Lakers first-round series on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

He kept his word, and his teammates kept the pressure on the Grizzlies from the opening top, destroying the #2 Grizzlies 125-85 to win the series 4-2.

It took James 17 shots to make a five in Game 5. On Friday, he made seven of his first eight, underscoring a dominant first-half performance with a two-handed reverse dunk in transition.

LA led by 17 points at halftime and James had 16 points, up one from Game 5 overall. He finished the tournament with 22 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds while making history by winning the 40th playoff series of his career and tying Derek Fisher for the most all-time.

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“He plays with a sense of urgency,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of the 20-year veteran before the game. “He knows there are only so many of them left [postseason runs] he will be able to participate. So he was definitely in the moment.”

The second half of Game 6 was just an extended celebration for the Crypto.com Arena crowd, with the Lakers leading by as much as 40. The celebrations were long in coming as the franchise picked up its first home win to wrap up a playoff series since 2012 when it defeated the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 in the first round.

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell got into the act of redemption with James. After losing 4-11 in Memphis on Wednesday, he was 5-8 in the first quarter alone. Russell finished the game with a game-high 31 points in 12-for-17 shooting, setting a new career playoff high in scoring. He broke out of a playoff slump in a big way, having never shot 50% or better in a postseason game before.

And he did it with Kyrie Irving, James’ old Cleveland Cavaliers running mate, who was sitting on the sidelines directly across from the Lakers bench.

Everything seemed to be going in the direction of the Lakers on Friday. Their offense shot 53.8% from the field. Their defense held Memphis at 30.2%.

Austin Reaves played the ground game he was loved for in LA, posting 11 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Jarred Vanderbilt helped out Grizzlies star Ja Morant in a 3-for-16 shooting night while going 3-for-8 on offense with 3 for nine points. Rui Hachimura was effective off the bench again, scoring six points in 3-on-5 shooting, including two dunks that rocked the arena.

And Anthony Davis – whose injury heartache epitomized the team’s disappointment over the past few seasons – received a cheery ‘AD! AD!” chant from the crowd after climbing off the court to save a loose ball late in the third quarter with the Lakers up by 30.

Davis – who finished with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks – raised both hands in the air and waved to fans for more.

Both teams drew their starters with more than nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, with LA leading 103-71. Blowout wins like Friday’s were rare for the Lakers during the regular season, let alone in the most consequential matchup of the year.

The Lakers became the first No. 7s to pull off an opening-round upset since the San Antonio Spurs in 2010, and only the sixth team to do so. They are waiting for the winner of Game 7 between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday to find out their opponent in the second round.

After starting the season 2-10, the Lakers have won 14 of their last 18 games, spanning from the closing stages of the regular season to their play-in win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Grizzlies series.

The Lakers became only the second tournament play-in team since its inception in 2020 to advance to the second round, joining the Miami Heat, which defeated the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the week.

James and Davis improved to 5-0 in a playoff series in which they are both healthy.

After the Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks called James “old” after the Lakers lost their second game in Memphis, LA won three of the next four games.

James confronted Brooks on the court before Game 3 in LA. A source within earshot of the conversation told ESPN that James’s message to Brooks was essentially, “Are you ready for what’s coming up tonight?”

Brooks wasn’t ready yet. The Grizzlies weren’t ready yet.

And 38-year-old James’ postseason continues.

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Entertainment

Younger Thug submits fourth movement to be printed on Bond

Young Thug submits fourth motion to be published on Bond

Young Thugs The legal team has asked the court for a fourth time to grant him bail. his lawyer Brian Stahl says his client “is languishing in county jail,” according to a recent filing.

In the application, filed on April 24 and received by 11Alive, Steel says Thugger cannot stay healthy, noting that his client has limited options for healthy eating.

Attorney: Young thug cannot eat healthily and gets little fresh air or sunlight

He claims the rapper relies on foods with “zero health benefits” like chocolate and chips.

In addition, the rapper has had little access to fresh air and sunlight since May 2022. The only exception is transportation to and from the courthouse. Movement is also restricted due to his small prison cell.

RELATED: (Video) Young thug allegedly received percocet from co-defendant in courthouse, three smuggling incidents delay YSL trial

Steel went on to claim that the rapper is constantly “sleep deprived” because he only gets five hours of sleep each night, and when he appears in court he has to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m., the outlet reports.

The conditions have left Thugger unable to give his case proper attention

His attorney added that the conditions left Thugger unable to pay attention and stay on top of his case.

“By the end of the week, Mr. Williams is struggling to draw attention to what is happening in his case,” Steel said in the filing.

Steel eventually moved that the court consider granting Williams bond and that, according to 11Alive, “conditions may be imposed permitting bail to be fixed.”

Thugger, legal name Jeffrey WilliamsHe has been in custody since being arrested and charged with being the leader of the Young Slime Life gang. The alleged gang reportedly claim affiliation with the Bloods.

The Case: A brief look back at the first anniversary of the original indictment

Thug faces a 2018 charge of gang activity as well as a 2013 charge of conspiracy to violate the thug-influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO Act).

Thug has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, having been plagued by several issues from the start. These include the arrest of a lawyer, Anastassios Manettas, representing another defendant in the case.

Jury selection in the YSL RICO trial now enters its fifth month of hearings.

Meanwhile, next month will mark a year since prosecutors filed the original indictment alleging that YSL committed nearly 200 criminal acts in its capacity as a street gang.

The YSL-RICO trial is on track to break records as the longest criminal trial in Fulton County history, reports 11Alive.

Categories
Health

Carl Icahn slams Illumina’s Q1 outcomes and cost-cutting plan

Carl Icahn slams Illumina's Q1 results and cost-cutting plan

Carl Icahn speaks at Delivering Alpha in New York on September 13, 2016.

David A Grogan | CNBC

Carl Icahn called on Friday illuminas first-quarter results were “very disappointing” and slammed the DNA sequencing company’s new cost-cutting plans.

The activist investor, which owns a 1.4% stake in Illumina, is in a heated proxy battle with the company over its 2021 acquisition of cancer test developer Grail.

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Icahn and Illumina have been trading jabs for more than a month.

Icahn is seeking seats on Illumina’s board of directors and is urging the company to reverse the Grail acquisition. He also urges the San Diego-based company to oust CEO Francis deSouza “immediately.”

Illumina on Tuesday reported quarterly sales and earnings that beat Wall Street expectations.

But the company also reported net income of $3 million for the quarter, which was more than 96% down from the $86 million it earned in the same period last year.

In an open letter Friday to Illumina shareholders, Icahn accused deSouza of trying “desperately, hilariously, and mostly unsuccessfully” to spin the company’s “decidedly mediocre” earnings results during a press tour this week.

Icahn referenced deSouza’s interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Wednesday, when the CEO announced strong demand for Illumina’s diagnostic testing services.

“Illumina CEO Francis deSouza seems to think he can fool everyone all the time,” Icahn wrote.

“Those unable to decipher ambiguity might actually get the impression that Illumina is doing fine!” he added.

Icahn also said that the more its CEO did so, the more Illumina’s stock price fell this week, “a clear signal of dissatisfaction with the earnings report and dissatisfaction with Mr. deSouza’s transparent attempt to make a hog with… to smear lipstick”.

Illumina’s stock is down more than 10% since the company reported earnings. Shares ended largely unchanged on Friday after Icahn released his letter.

In that letter, Icahn also shot down cost-cutting plans that Illumina had unveiled to improve its shrinking margins. He called these measures “vague” and “extraordinarily undemanding”.

The company said Tuesday it will enable unnamed “activities” in lower-cost regions of the world and use its new NovaSeq X sequencing system to accelerate genomic discoveries, among other things.

Those plans will help Illumina meet its adjusted operating margin targets of 24% in 2024 and 27% in 2025, the company said in its earnings release.

Icahn called those margin targets “less than modest.” And he argued that “it will be years before they are realized, if at all”.

The company has forecast an estimated operating margin of 22% for 2023, up from the 23.8% it reported in 2022.

Illumina reported a negative operating margin of 5.7% for the quarter, up from 15% for the same period a year ago. The company’s gross margins for the period fell to 60.3%, compared to 66.6% in the first quarter of 2022.

Illumina did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Icahn’s letter.

Criticism of the Grail Deal

Elsewhere in his letter, Icahn criticized deSouza’s positive comments this week about Illumina’s $7.1 billion acquisition of Grail.

DeSouza had told CNBC the deal “makes sense” because Illumina could significantly expand the market for Grail’s early detection test for various types of cancer.

The CEO also praised Grail’s revenue growth of 100% during the quarter compared to the same period last year.

But Icahn said deSouza failed to update the public on a statement issued by the Federal Trade Commission earlier this month that said the deal would stifle competition and innovation.

The FTC also ordered Illumina to divest itself of the acquisition over these concerns.

The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, also blocked the deal last year over similar concerns.

Illumina is appealing both orders and expects final decisions in late 2023 or early 2024.

Last week, a U.S. federal appeals court said it would expedite its review of Illumina’s challenge to the FTC’s order.

Icahn’s opposition to the acquisition stems from Illumina’s decision to complete the deal without obtaining approval from these antitrust authorities.

Earlier this month, he slammed Illumina and its management for making the “reckless deal,” calling it “a new low in corporate governance.”

Illumina has urged shareholders to vote down Icahn’s three board nominees at its annual meeting scheduled for May 25th.

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Technology

Large VCs kind an alliance to assist startups and buyers attain internet zero

Big VCs form an alliance to help startups and investors reach net zero

A group of over 23 venture capitalists from across Europe and the US came together this week to lead start-ups and their early-stage investors towards net zero in a bid to decarbonize the global economy and venture capital industry.

The Venture Climate Alliance (VCA) is made up of both generalists and climate-focused companies, and its members manage combined assets of $62.3 billion, according to Crunchbase figures.

First, participating VCs commit to inventorying their Scope 1-3 emissions and in return to achieve either net-zero emissions or negative emissions for their own operations (e.g. office energy use and employee commuting) by 2030 or sooner .

VCA members will also encourage their portfolio startups to align with net-zero targets by 2050 or sooner, and support founders in setting the right goals for their companies. For climate-focused companies, this could include supporting existing efforts. For non-climate-focused companies, this could mean access to additional resources such as specific tools and methodologies.

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Once startups have set their net-zero transition goals, the VCA offers further support as needed, e.g. B. supporting reaction mechanisms to climate-related risks or adapting to regulatory developments.

Alliance members will share annual updates on both their own progress and the progress of their portfolio companies.

“Our goal is to bridge the gap between what’s happening in the public markets, where hundreds of companies have made bold forward-looking net-zero commitments, and early-stage innovations that have the potential to disrupt legacy industries through a combination of better products, more efficient processes and lower costs,” said Alexandra Harbour, Founder and Chair of the VCA and Director at Prelude Ventures – one of the founding members of the Alliance.

“By leveraging the collective expertise of the best venture capitalists from both sides of the Atlantic, the VCA has the potential to significantly influence the funding decisions that are shaping the future of climate startups and technologies,” added Danijel Višević, founding partner of the VCA member World Fund, added .

The Venture Capital Alliance has 10 founding members: Prelude Ventures, Capricorn Investment Group, DCVC, Energy Impact Partners, Galvanize Climate Solutions, S2G Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Tiger Global, World Fund and 2150.

The following companies are also participating: Obvious Ventures, Congruent Ventures, Valo Ventures, Clean Energy Ventures, Fifth Wall, Overture Ventures, Blackhorn Ventures, Spring Lane Capital, Azolla Ventures, Systemiq Capital, The Westly Group, Innovation Endeavors and ReGen Ventures.

The VCA is also an official partner of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions as part of their Race to Zero campaign.

Alliance membership is open to any VC who agrees to commit to their commitments.