Latest news with #Blum
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Women's group fights for peace after 77 years of war
Esther Blum doesn't know how peace is going to happen between Israel and Palestine. But, she said, 'We gave war a chance for 77 years. Maybe now is the time to give peace the same amount of time.' Blum, a member of the Winnipeg chapter of Women Wage Peace, made that comment to a group of about 25 Jewish seniors at the Remis Luncheon at the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre on Thursday. JOHN LONGHURST / FREE PRESS Esther Blum, a member of Women Wage Peace, speaks to a group of about 25 Jewish seniors at the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre on Thursday. 'Maybe peace (in the region) won't come in our lifetimes,' Blum went on to say, noting Israel has often been in conflict with its neighbours and Palestinians inside the country since its founding in 1948. 'Maybe it will take 77 years. But we have to work towards something,' she said. Blum, a retired professor of social work at the University of Manitoba, is one of about 50 local women who are part of the Winnipeg chapter of Women Wage Peace. The organization was founded in Israel in 2014 by Vivian Silver, the Winnipeg-born and raised peace activist who was murdered in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Today, Women Wage Peace is Israel's largest grassroots peace movement, composed of women from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities. It also has chapters in Canada, Australia, Europe and South America. The Winnipeg chapter started in 2024 and has about 80 members, with 15 to 20 women meeting monthly to talk about the situation in the Middle East and to learn listening skills. A goal of the group is to create opportunities for Jewish and Palestinian women to talk with each other. 'But everyone is still hurting too much over the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the war in Gaza,' Blum said. 'But we are still hoping we can do it.' Right now, members of the group are reaching out to the local Muslim community. 'It takes time for us to learn how to listen from the heart,' Blum said. 'But little by little, we are making progress.' As a symbol of their desire to bring Jewish and Palestinian women together, members of Women Wage Peace in Winnipeg wear turquoise scarves that combine the blue of the Israeli flag with the green of the Palestinian flag. Blum said the media is quick to cover the violence in the region but pays almost no attention to peace initiatives such as the People's Peace Summit in Israel early last month. The summit, titled It's Time, brought together more than 7,000 people from 60 peace-building organizations. The goal was to talk about ways to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a political agreement to promote self-determination and security for all. Blum said she supports Israel's right to exist as a state. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'But that doesn't mean Palestinians can't have their own state,' she said. Blum added that the current Israeli government is not popular with a majority of Israel's citizens, with 73 per cent telling an Israel Democracy Institute poll earlier this year they believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign. The next election in Israel for the Knesset, the nation's parliament, is in October 2026. 'Then, the people (in Israel) will have their say,' Blum said. faith@ The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Dodgers, Yankees haven't 'skipped a beat' despite injuries
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees continue their three-game series this Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium. You can watch all the action on FOX and the FOX Sports app with coverage starting at 7:15 pm ET. It shouldn't be a surprise that both teams haven't skipped a beat since meeting in last year's World Series, though it hasn't been without adversity. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery in March and AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil has been on the shelf all season with a strained lat muscle. Meanwhile, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen are all on the injured list for Los Angeles. Sheesh. Despite all the injuries to their pitching staffs, both teams keep winning. New York (35-20) has the third-best record in baseball behind the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles (34-22) is right on their heels. Great teams always find a way. It also helps to have superheroes like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. "It feels like the Dodgers haven't really had a great year," Westgate SuperBook senior baseball trader Randy Blum told FOX Sports. "Then you look up, and they're a top-three team in baseball that's sitting in first place. It speaks to the depth of their team and their ability to sustain injuries. "The offense is still very legit," Blum continued. "They're winning some shootouts. Ohtani has just been amazing. I'm double the market on him for MVP because he's going to start pitching soon. The guy has the best numbers of any player in the National League, and now he's going to pitch. "They're also going to get some of these pitchers back from what I've been reading from the beat writers. We'll probably never see 'em at 100 percent, but reinforcements are on the way. They're winning without these guys and if they get even half of them back, they're still the team to beat." World Series odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: Los Angeles Dodgers: +280 (bet $10 to win $38 total) New York Yankees: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total) Philadelphia Phillies: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total) Detroit Tigers: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total) New York Mets: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total) Chicago Cubs: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total) Seattle Mariners: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total) Houston Astros: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total) Minnesota Twins: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total) Atlanta Braves: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total) As for the Bronx Bombers, they're doing exactly that — bombing the baseball. They currently lead the Majors with 88 home runs and Judge is on pace to have one of the greatest all-around seasons of all time. He's slashing an insane .391/.739/1.227 with 18 homers, 51 runs and 47 RBIs and the advanced metrics say he's already worth over four wins. Judge is as high as -10000 to win the AL MVP. "As good as Judge has been, I'm more impressed by the pitching staff," Blum admitted. "It's so unexpected. This was a huge concern in Spring Training after [Gerrit] Cole got hurt and Luis Gil got hurt. This is not what was expected. "[Carlos] Rodon has performed in the past, but even he's having his best year as a Yankee. They're piecing the rest of the rotation together." But what about Judge? "I don't want to sell Judge short," Blum said. "He's been incredible. He should win another MVP, which should be his fourth. I thought he got robbed his rookie season the year they gave it to Jose Altuve." Assuming Judge finishes the season strong, he'll win his third MVP award in pinstripes to draw even with Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. He'll quite literally be one of the greatest Yankees of all-time. "He's obviously got to sustain it for a few years," Blum said. "Barring injuries or a very steep decline, there's no reason he can't keep it up. And the power will always be there because he's such a large individual." Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rocket Pharma's Gene Therapy Future Clouded By Regulatory Uncertainty
Rocket Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:RCKT) on Tuesday announced an update related to RP-A501, its investigational gene therapy for Danon disease, a rare X-linked dominant genetic disorder that manifests with the clinical triad of cardiomyopathy (stiff heart muscles), skeletal myopathy (weakness) and intellectual disability. A patient participating in the Phase 2 pivotal trial of RP-A501 experienced an unexpected Serious Adverse Event (SAE). The patient passed away after an acute systemic infection. Needham analyst Gil Blum downgraded Rocket Pharmaceuticals from Buy to Hold, with a Nil price forecast from $42 earlier. The analyst cited increased uncertainty around the company's main value driver as the key reason for the downgrade.'We continue to have a favorable view of RP-A501's efficacy; however, we see increased uncertainty for the product given safety concerns,' Blum said in an analyst note. Blum anticipates limited readthrough to Rocket's other AAV programs, which utilize simpler immunosuppression regimens. Chardan Research analyst Geulah Livshits also lowered its price target from $46 to $17 while maintaining the Buy rating. While the disclosure does not negate the benefit reported for the program, the patient death and commentary regarding instances of TMA impact the benefit/risk profile of RP-A501, Livshits said in an analyst note. Livshits reduced the probability of success from 70% to 40%, given CBER leadership's focus on benefit/risk, pending more details regarding agency feedback and next steps. The analyst projects a slower uptake among the Danon population (3.6% by 2030E), assuming greater caution among prescribers. Chardan notes the company hasn't revealed how many patients have been treated in the trial so far but said the study is currently over-enrolled, with more patients ready to begin treatment. Management mentioned several possible next steps, such as switching to a simpler immunomodulatory treatment, using existing complement inhibitors known to be safe, and continuing to exclude patients who are genetically predisposed to complement activation. Chardan highlights that it's still unclear whether other immunomodulatory treatments could reduce the risk of TMA. There's no timeline for when the company might align with the FDA and restart the trial. Additional changes like enrolling more patients may be required, which could cause further delays. Given this uncertainty, the topline results are expected to come later than the previously guided mid-2026 timeframe. Other analyst reactions: Jefferies downgraded Rocket Pharmaceuticals from Buy to Hold and lowered the price target from $29 to $2.5. Leerink Partners downgraded Rocket Pharmaceuticals from Outperform to Market Perform, lowering the price target from $37 to $8. Scotiabank maintains Rocket Pharmaceuticals with a Sector Outperform, lowering the price target from $51 to $19. Price Action: RCKT stock is trading higher by 6.44% to $2.48 at last check Wednesday. Read Next:Image via Shutterstock Date Firm Action From To Feb 2022 SVB Leerink Maintains Outperform Dec 2021 Chardan Capital Maintains Buy Aug 2021 SVB Leerink Maintains Outperform View More Analyst Ratings for RCKT View the Latest Analyst Ratings Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Rocket Pharma's Gene Therapy Future Clouded By Regulatory Uncertainty originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
He needed his medication for multiple sclerosis. He got more paperwork instead.
In 2022, Blum's neurologist recommended he switch his primary MS medication to Kesimpta, which he takes by monthly self-injection. At the time, Blum was on medication that was administered by infusion twice a year in his doctor's office and fully covered by Medicare. Kesimpta, by contrast, would cost many thousands of dollars a year, way too expensive for Blum. (The switch was recommended mainly as a matter of convenience.) That's when Blum discovered he was income-qualified for a no-cost supply of Kesimpta from the Advertisement NPAF said Blum would get his medication at no cost so long as there was no significant change in his finances, Blum said. Advertisement It was a godsend. For the next two and a half years, everything went smoothly. Blum would call NPAF to order his medication and it would arrive at his house in time for his monthly doses. This is what Blum says happened next: In January, when he tried to call in his order as usual, NPAF told him he had to reapply for enrollment. It annoyed him that he had received no advance warning of this new requirement, and it came only a couple of days before his next scheduled dose. But he did as instructed by getting a note from his doctor, filling out a form, and returning both to NPAF, along with a copy of his 2023 tax return, all within 48 hours. (Patient assistance programs overall are tightening rules in response to scrutiny from regulators and the high cost of the programs.) NPAF also required him to obtain documentation that he was not eligible for drug assistance from an alternative program — the Social Security Administration's Nevertheless, he applied online for Extra Help to satisfy NPAF's requirements. The denial letter, however, would take up to 30 days to arrive in the mail, according to the SSA website. Under these circumstances, NPAF provided Blum with his medication even without the denial letter, as a 'courtesy.' A month later, when he tried to refill his medication, NPAF said it hadn't received the Extra Help denial letter. Blum said he was still waiting for it. NPAF agreed to a second 'courtesy' dose of his medication. Advertisement A short time later, the Extra Help letter finally came and Blum forwarded it to NPAF. But in March, NPAF again denied Blum his medication. It said the Extra Help denial letter it received from Blum wasn't what it needed, though it didn't explain why. Blum told NPAF that the SSA website contained a statement about eligibility that clearly excluded him. At NPAF's suggestion, he provided screenshots of the eligibility section of the online application for Extra Help. That apparently was good enough for NPAF. Blum got his medication for March. A month later, when Blum sought a refill, NPAF insisted on a formal denial letter, not screenshots. And this time, NPAF said it would not give him a courtesy refill, leaving Blum confused and demoralized. In an email requesting my help, Blum said NPAF's rejection of the screenshots 'contradicted their previous directive' and came only days before he was supposed to take his next dose. Blum said NPAF should have reached out to him as soon as it determined the screenshots were unacceptable, but instead it waited until he attempted to make a new order. 'Now they are refusing any further help,' he wrote to me. The only way for Blum to receive his medication was to obtain an Extra Help denial letter. But he knew the process for applying, waiting for the letter, then forwarding it to NPAF would be time-consuming (if the letter was accepted at all), likely forcing him to miss at least one monthly dose and maybe more. Advertisement Blum also worried that recent staff cuts at Social Security could add new delays to getting his requested documentation. Blum said he didn't expect an immediate deterioration in his health due to one or two missed doses, but it certainly wouldn't help. The resolution : I wrote to NPAF: 'It seems to me Mr. Blum has done everything in his power to comply with NPAF's requirements, but the requirements' seem to have constantly changed. 'Mr. Blum needs his medication,' I wrote. NPAF reacted quickly by promptly delivering Blum his medication and assuring him he would continue to get it at least until it's time to reapply for enrollment next year. Blum said he was relieved and grateful, though he's a bit wary of what might unfold next year. The takeaway : NPAF, in a statement to me, declined to comment specifically on Blum. But it did say that NPAF patients were informed of the new enrollment process and requirements in 'multiple letters sent out in October-December 2024.' Blum said he received no such letters. Could he have missed them in the mail? 'Highly unlikely,' he said. 'I'm extremely attentive to anything having to do with my health and medication.' In any case, the requirements kept changing. And life is tough enough without these added headaches. What can a consumer learn from Blum's unfortunate experience? Beware that something can always go wrong when it comes to medications and paperwork. Even when things are going smoothly, ask questions and seek assurances, preferably in writing. Anticipate problems, be proactive, document everything — and be persistent. Got a problem? Send your consumer issue to
Business Insider
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Wells Fargo Keeps Their Hold Rating on Plains All American (PAA)
In a report released on May 9, Michael Blum from Wells Fargo maintained a Hold rating on Plains All American (PAA – Research Report), with a price target of $19.00. The company's shares closed last Friday at $16.44. Protect Your Portfolio Against Market Uncertainty Discover companies with rock-solid fundamentals in TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter. Receive undervalued stocks, resilient to market uncertainty, delivered straight to your inbox. Blum covers the Energy sector, focusing on stocks such as Venture Global, Inc. Class A, Genesis Energy, and Kinder Morgan. According to TipRanks, Blum has an average return of 9.1% and a 62.15% success rate on recommended stocks. In addition to Wells Fargo, Plains All American also received a Hold from Morgan Stanley's Robert Kad in a report issued on May 9. However, on May 3, Seaport Global maintained a Buy rating on Plains All American (NASDAQ: PAA). Based on Plains All American's latest earnings release for the quarter ending December 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of $12.4 billion and a net profit of $36 million. In comparison, last year the company earned a revenue of $12.71 billion and had a net profit of $312 million
