Media Today

[Rick Plant]

Treatment found to reduce progression of rare blood cancer by 74%



A treatment that involves genetically modifying the body's own immune cells has been found to cut the risk of disease progression by 74 percent in people with a rare type of blood cancer, results showed Monday.

Ciltacabtagene autoleucel -- also known by its trade name Carvykti -- was tested in a clinical trial involving 419 patients with multiple myeloma, whose disease was not responsive to the current frontline drug lenalidomide, a chemotherapy medicine.

"Lenalidomide has become a foundation of care for people with myeloma, but as its use has expanded, so has the number of patients whose disease will no longer respond to the treatment," said oncologist Oreofe Odejide at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting where results were presented.

Ciltacabtagene autoleucel "delivers remarkably effective outcomes compared to patients' current options" and "can be used safely earlier in the treatment phase," added Odejide, an expert who was not part of the research.

Multiple myeloma affects a type of white blood cells called plasma cells, and can cause cascading harms to the bones, kidneys, and immune health.

It affects seven people out of 100,000 every year, according to the Cleveland Clinic, with 100,000 people impacted in the United States. There is currently no cure, though progression can be stopped for a long time.

Risk increases with age, with men more likely to be affected than women, and Black people at higher risk than other races. Not everyone requires immediate treatment and the disease may be monitored if it is slow growing.

In the new clinical trial, half the patients were randomly assigned ciltacabtagene autoleucel, while the other half received a cocktail of drugs that represents the current standard of care, including chemotherapy and steroids.

"After a median follow-up of 16 months, the researchers found that ciltacabtagene autoleucel reduced the risk of disease progression by 74 percent, compared with the standard-of-care treatments," a press statement said.

Ciltacabtagene autoleucel is a type of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, a newer form of treatment.

CAR T-cell therapy involves removing the patient's disease fighting T cells, and genetically engineering them in a lab so they have specific proteins known as receptors that, once returned to the body, will seek out and destroy cancer cells.

Nearly all the patients in both groups experienced severe to life-threatening adverse events, including infections and low blood cell counts.

Three-quarters of patients on ciltacabtagene autoleucel developed Cytokine release syndrome, in which the immune system is sent into overdrive. It can affect multiple organs and cause death.

Around five percent of patients on ciltacabtagene autoleucel developed immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), which affects a person's nervous system.

Next, the researchers will continue to follow the study participants to determine long-term effects and impacts on quality of life.

The clinical trial was funded by Janssen Research & Development and Legend Biotech USA.

© Agence France-Presse

[Richard Smith]

Magnificent poll numbers for Trump.  He defies all logic.  The more that the leftist press and corrupt establishment attack him, the more popular he becomes.  Amazing.   Meanwhile no one has seen Ukraine Joe since his humiliating fall. 

[Rick Plant]

Central witness’: Mark Meadows goes under oath for special counsel Jack Smith: Melber Report

The New York Times reports Mark Meadows testified before a grand jury in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Trump investigations. Although, it is not clear which investigation Meadows testified about. MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber delivers instant analysis to this breaking news story and is joined by former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti, who says Meadows is a “central witness” to the investigation, adding Meadows is “at the center of everything.”

Watch:

[Richard Smith]

Leftist, state arm propaganda network CNN is in complete free fall.  Their ratings are plummeting.  The endless and relentless coverage of Trump has played out.  This week they breathlessly reported that the pool at Mar-a-Lago had flooded an adjacent building.  It must be a Russian conspiracy! 

[Rick Plant]

Right winger Chris Licht has been fired from CNN. He's responsible for turning a respected news network into a Fox News lite propaganda outlet by pushing anti Biden propaganda and hiring former Trump administration lackeys as contributors. Ratings at CNN have been brutal, and after the Trump "town hall" disaster, ratings plummeted even further. That just goes to show you that average Americans do not want right wing propaganda shoved down their throats.

Right wing lying disinformation artist Tucker Carlson is now being threatened with legal action by his former employer Fox News for "breach of contract" by going on Twitter to broadcast his Russian propaganda. Right wing kook Elon Musk has been promoting him on the platform daily. Angry radical MAGAs have started a #BoycottFoxNews hashtag on Twitter as a result of the news. The far right is really imploding in real time!


Scoop: Fox News says Tucker Carlson breached his contract
https://www.axios.com/2023/06/07/fox-news-tucker-carlson-contract-breach


CNN boss Chris Licht out of a job amid backlash over Trump town hall



CNN boss Chris Licht is reportedly out of a job after suffering weeks' worth of backlash internally for the network's highly criticized town hall featuring former President Donald Trump.

According to Puck News' Dylan Byers, "Warner Bros. Discovery will announce that Licht will be stepping down as chairman and CEO of CNN" within the next 48 hours.

Byers notes that the CNN Trump town hall combined with a less-than-flattering profile of Licht in The Atlantic led to "the near-total decimation of staff morale" and left Licht with few defenders at the network.

Byers also reports that "Licht will be replaced for an interim period by Amy Entelis, the revered longtime CNN executive, talent whisperer and CNN Films chief who served as a loyal deputy for years to Licht’s predecessor, Jeff Zucker."

Licht reportedly envisioned the Trump town hall as the network's olive branch to his right-wing supporters, although this plan backfired because Trump supporters were upset by host Kaitlan Collins trying to fact check his false claims about the 2020 election being "stolen."

The town hall was so widely criticized that it even drew a public rebuke from CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Oliver Darcy, both of whom argued that Trump simply used the forum to advance lies about the 2020 election.

Read More Here: https://puck.news/lichts-out/

[Rick Plant]

Our climate crisis is going to get even worse. 

Yankees-White Sox game postponed due to Canadian wildfire smoke causing air quality issues in New York
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-yankee-stadium-canadian-wildfire-smoke-20230607-y4fvv6lzefadpaliapyqwz7x4q-story.html

Wednesday's Phillies home game postponed due to poor air quality
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/phillies-tigers-postponed-philadelphia-code-red-air-quality-alert-wildfire-smoke/


NWS New York NY @NWSNewYorkNY

Check out this almost unbelievable time-lapse of wildfire smoke consuming the World Trade Center and the New York City skyline.

Those vulnerable to poor air quality, including seniors and young children, should limit time outdoors if possible.

More: http://AirNow.gov

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1666517725865459713

https://twitter.com/NWSNewYorkNY/status/1666517725865459713


Breaking 4 News @Breaking_4_News

#Breaking: New footage from the George Washington Bridge (connecting New Jersey and New York City) of the toxic smoke now enveloping the northeast, as dozens of wildfires burn uncontrolled across Canada. #BreakingNews

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1666508242959081490

https://twitter.com/Breaking_4_News/status/1666508242959081490


Wildfire smoke delays flights across the Northeast as FAA reports dangerous visibility



Wildfire smoke in the Northeast became so bad flights into area airports were affected Wednesday, with planes being grounded for periods of the day at New York LaGuardia and New Jersey's Newarks airports.

"The FAA has slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke," the Federal Aviation Authority tweeted.

"The agency will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions."

A "code red" air quality alert was issued early in the day Wednesday as the jet stream carried smoke down from Canada into the northeastern United States. The thick smoke begins at the western New Hampshire border, and runs south into Massachusetts, all over New York, New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, most of Maryland, Washington, D.C., northern Virginia, and parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan.

The problem began Tuesday as smoke enveloped the New York Yankee's game and continued to get worse overnight and throughout the day.



The EarthCam looking to lower Manhattan's World Trade Center at 1 p.m. EST showed the buildings barely visible through the dense brown haze.

Thus far, flights in Philadelphia, Newark and LaGuardia are all significantly delayed due to the haze.

AFP



Wildfires rage in Nova Scotia as burning spreads across Canada

A state of emergency is in place in Canada as wildfires ravage thousands of acres across Nova Scotia. Officials say the area has already seen more blazes in 2023 than all of last year. NBC's Valerie Castro reports.

[Rick Plant]

Trump informed he is target of special counsel criminal probe



Donald Trump's lawyers have been informed that he is a target of the federal criminal investigation into possible mishandling of classified information after he left office, according to three sources knowledgeable about the communication between the two sides.

Justice Department regulations allow prosecutors to inform individuals that they are targets of a grand jury investigation before prosecutors seek an indictment. According to the department's manual, such a notification is sent to afford individuals the opportunity to testify before the grand jury before any prosecution is brought. The practice also gives defense attorneys an opportunity to present their case against an indictment.

On Wednesday, special counsel Jack Smith presented evidence to a grand jury in Miami, Fla., and heard testimony from Taylor Budowich, a former Trump aide and spokesperson. Previous grand jury testimony was heard in Washington, D.C.

This development, two sources said, indicates that if criminal charges are brought, some could be filed in Florida for jurisdictional reasons. The records marked classified were recovered at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Palm Beach home, where at least some of the alleged misconduct occurred.

Witnesses who appeared before the Washington grand jury have included Mar-a-Lago employees, as well as close Trump aides and attorneys.

The investigation stems from efforts by the National Archives to recover White House records missing from the federal government's possession. An FBI search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 led to the discovery of more than 100 documents with classified markings.

Smith was appointed special counsel in November by Attorney General Merrick Garland. He is also leading a separate investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as the documents probe.

Trump's attorneys met Monday with Justice Department officials, including Smith himself, to discuss their concerns about conduct during the investigation.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-target-special-counsel-criminal-probe/



Trump targeted for DOJ indictment for first time, Report

The Guardian reports Trump's lawyers have been informed he is the target of a criminal investigation in the Mar-a-Lago docs case. The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell, the reporter who broke the story and spoke to several senior Trump campaign officials, joins MSNBC’s Ari Melber on “The Beat,” saying that several Trump lawyers and senior advisers are trying to “manage the fallout” over Trump’s escalating legal pressure.

Watch: