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Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
This is what it's like on Martha's Vineyard after ICE raids
Last week, Martha's Vineyard was coming off Memorial Day weekend, gearing up for another busy summer season. Then, on Tuesday, May 27, more than a dozen federal officers came to the Island to arrest accused undocumented immigrants, sparking an undercurrent of alarm in the large Brazilian immigrant population that calls the Vineyard home. After the arrest of about 40 people between the Vineyard and Nantucket by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), several Island immigrants said members of their community are full of fear, and, whether they have the proper documentation or not, some are opting to stay home instead of going to work and school. 'On Tuesday, when this started, people went home,' said Vilmar Rodrigues, a Brazilian immigrant who now works as a tax preparer in Vineyard Haven. 'On Wednesday, nobody went into the streets.' Eateries closed, appointments were cancelled, Brazilian churches decided to forgo services and people hid out on farms. 'Even the people who are documented here, with a green card, are very scared,' Rodrigues, who previously worked as an attorney in Sao Paulo, said. For Pastor Ricardo Duarte, who wants to try and comfort his congregation, the situation has been especially frustrating. Duarte is the head of the Lagoinha Church in Vineyard Haven. With immigrants worried about leaving their homes, he cancelled church services during the week. 'You want to help people spiritually, but we don't want to put people at risk,' he said. 'It's sad in that way. The time that the people need the help the most, you can't provide because they don't want to come out.' Duarte questioned some of the constitutionality of ICE's arrests across the country, pointing to instances where courts have said that the federal government has improperly deported people. In the past, ICE agents have seemed to come to the Island with a target in mind, arresting someone who is wanted for crimes. Duarte said he and several others saw last week's arrests as a shift in tactics, where federal agents pulled over work vans and questioned drivers about their immigration status. 'The way ICE is operating is bringing terror and panic to everyone,' he said. While some have wondered if the Vineyard — a favored vacation destination for many high-ranking Democrats — was targeted for political reasons, President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, denied the theory when talking to reporters at the White House last Thursday. 'Martha's Vineyard isn't off the table, it's part of the country,' he said. 'We are doing immigration enforcement actions all throughout the country. We are not saying we're going to favor one area over another. We're all over the country, in every neighborhood, in every city.' Homan also said that Homeland Security plans to ramp up immigration enforcement, as well, with an eye on job sites across the country. 'You're going to see more teams on the street than you've ever seen before; you're going to see more work site enforcement than you've ever seen in the history of this nation,' he said. ICE has not released a list of the people arrested on the Vineyard, though it said many of the people taken into custody had criminal records, including a man they say had been charged with child rape. Rodrigues and Duarte said they each knew of someone who was taken into custody. Both declined to give the names of the individuals, but Rodrigues said most of the detainees were taken to a detention center in Plymouth. The climate of concern can be especially hard on the children of immigrants, even if they were born in the country and are American citizens, said Paula Reidbord, a Brazilian immigrant who moved to the U.S. more than 30 years ago and now works at MV Mediation. The Island schools have many children of immigrants — about 30% of public school students speak Portuguese at home. Reidbord has heard from parents who say their children are worried about their parents being taken. 'To have this kind of fear for no justifiable reason is upsetting,' she said. Worries about immigrants' safety also prompted MV Mediation to postpone Brazil Fest, a cultural event that was supposed to take place at the Agricultural Hall last weekend. Organizers felt that the Island's Brazilian residents would be unlikely to attend so soon after the ICE raids. 'This was supposed to be a festive celebration at the start of the season and now it's a gloomy feeling,' Reidbord said. If fear continues to keep people at home, it could end up hurting the Island's construction and tourism industries, both of which rely heavily on immigrant labor. 'We're just starting the summer season and there is an influx of immigrants from all over the world coming to Martha's Vineyard,' Reidbord said. 'The community welcomes them and relies on them.' As the Brazilian community tries to settle back into a routine, Duarte said he will continue to advise his congregants to obey the law, and stay out of trouble as best they can. 'We are here to help, but we think at this point, there's not much we can do other than pray,' he said. The Vineyard Gazette on Martha's Vineyard is a news partner of To subscribe to the Vineyard Gazette, click here. Cape Cod beach named one of the top 10 US beaches by Dr. Beach Mass. Gov. Healey slams ICE over migrant arrests on Nantucket, Vineyard About 40 people on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket arrested by ICE Tuesday ICE conducted raids on Vineyard, Nantucket Tuesday, eyewitnesses say Immigration agents seen arresting several people on Nantucket Tuesday Read the original article on MassLive.
Medscape
3 days ago
- Business
- Medscape
Ph+ALL: Post-Induction, Ponatinib Yields Molecular Response
In the treatment of newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), patients who fail to achieve initial molecular response with the third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) ponatinib following induction can nevertheless go on to achieve minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity — and at higher rates than the earlier generation TKI imatinib. 'These results support the clinical benefit and tolerability of continuing ponatinib beyond cycle 3 in patients with newly diagnosed, Ph-positive ALL who do not achieve MRD-negativity by the end of induction,' first author Ibrahim Aldoss, MD, of City of Hope hospital in Duarte, California, told Medscape Medical News . The study was presented this week at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Ph+ ALL, the most common subtype of adult ALL and once associated with a particularly poor prognosis, has seen significantly improved outcomes with TKIs in combination with chemotherapy or steroids. However, even with the third generation of TKIs representing the standard of care, relapses can occur due to variant-acquired resistance, particularly T315I. Ponatinib was designed to address that challenge, effectively inhibiting BCR-ABL1 with or without any single-mutation variants, including T315I. The previous global, phase 3, open-label PhALLCON trial represented the first head-to-head comparison of ponatinib (30 mg/day) with the first-generation imatinib (600 mg/day), along with reduced-intensity chemotherapy followed by monotherapy of either drug until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The trial met its primary endpoint of no sign of molecular disease (MRD-negative complete response), which correlates with long-term outcomes, by the end of cycle 3 of induction, with ponatinib showing a significantly higher rate vs imatinib (34.4% vs 16.7%; P = .002), and comparable safety outcomes. Current Post-Hoc Analysis To investigate the key question of the effects of further treatment among the majority of patients who did not achieve MRD negativity by the end of induction, or 3 cycles of low-density chemotherapy, Aldoss and colleagues conducted the current post-hoc analysis of 113 patients (73 receiving ponatinib, 40 imatinib) who continued treatment following the end of induction, Of those patients, 48% in the ponatinib group (n = 35) and 33% with imatinib (n = 13) did achieve MRD negativity after induction cycle 4, day 1. The median duration of MRD negativity was not reached with ponatinib compared with 3.8 months with imatinib treatment. Overall, 16 patients (10 receiving ponatinib, 6 imatinib) went on to have a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Among 140 patients who did not achieve MRD negativity by the end of induction, the median event-free survival was not reached with ponatinib therapy compared with 24.8 months with imatinib. The 2-year rates of event-free survival in the two groups were 82% and 62%, respectively. The rates of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were similar in the patients who had not achieved MRD negativity by the end of induction, at 100% with ponatinib and 98% imatinib. In addition, 71% and 54% of patients, respectively, had a dose modification (discontinuation, reduction, or interruption) due to TEAEs. Of the 48 patients with MRD negativity after cycle 4, day 1, 100% of patients in each treatment group had TEAEs, and 69% and 62% had dose modification due to TEAEs. Vascular Toxicities Avoided With Lower Dose While ponatinib has previously been associated with increased vascular toxicity and arterial occlusive events, particularly among patients receiving higher doses for longer periods, those events were rare in the current study and not significantly different between the two arms, Aldoss said. He added that the improvement is likely the result of a lowering of the initial dose in the PhALLCON study to 30 mg/day compared with the prior use of 45 mg/day — and a further reduction to 15 mg/day after induction likely helped reduce those effects. 'We feel that using a more optimized, safer lower dose was actually the reason why we're seeing comparable safety and lower arterial occlusive events in this study,' Aldoss said. The benefits were observed across the evaluated subgroups, including patients older than age 60 years, which is important due to previous research showing some increased risk with ponatinib among older adults. Benefits Extend to Older Patients With more stringent criteria in the trial excluding patients with significant cardiovascular disease, Aldoss noted that, 'if anything, the benefit was actually more prominent in patients older than 60.' He therefore recommended consideration of that criteria in making patient selection. Importantly, in the PhALLCON trial, the proportion of patients in the ponatinib arm who went on to receive HSCT was lower compared with imatinib, which could notably benefit older patients who may not respond as well to such treatment. 'The potency of ponatinib in combination with low-dose chemotherapy or no chemotherapy may render HSCT unnecessary for older or frail patients who achieve a 3-month MRD-negative complete remission,' the authors conclude in the study. While the survival estimation can otherwise require long follow-up analysis, MRD negativity is increasingly seen as an important surrogate measure of long-term survival. In one recent meta-analysis, MRD negativity at the end of induction had a significantly greater prognostic value in terms of event-free survival and long-term survival in patients with PH-positive ALL. The current findings suggest such benefits may be achieved even when there is a delay in MRD negativity status after induction, Aldoss noted. 'This analysis supports [the conclusion] that a clinical benefit in event-free survival is observed, even if you don't achieve the MRD negativity at the end of induction,' he said. Following the publication of the PhALLCON trial, the US Food and Drug Administration granted ponatinib accelerated approval for the indication of Ph-positive ALL in March 2024. In an accompanying editorial, Jacqueline S. Garcia, MD, of the Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues speculated about the role of ponatinib in the context of other promising options. 'It is unclear whether PhALLCON's ponatinib regimen will be preferred against second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors, especially regimens that incorporate blinatumomab or allosteric BCR-ABL1 inhibitors,' they write. Importantly, with long-term data showing durable hematologic and molecular responses with combined dasatinib and blinatumomab, thereby offering a chemotherapy-free and toxicity-sparing induction and consolidation regimen, for instance, the option of ponatinib and reduced-intensity chemotherapy 'may not be the optimal first choice for all Ph+ ALL patients,' they say. A notable limitation of the study was that MRD was not assessed with next-generation sequencing (NGS), Pamela Sung, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, who co-moderated the ASCO session, told Medscape Medical News . 'NGS is more sensitive and specific than BCR-ABL1 PCR for B-ALL MRD detection,' she said. 'It is increasingly being recognized that multi-lineage or 'CML-like' ALL exists, where patients are MRD-positive by BCR-ABL PCR but negative by NGS.' Such patients have a similar relapse rate to those who are MRD-negative by both measures, but it is not known how many patients experience such discordance, Sung noted. The findings are nevertheless important, not so much in showing the rate of MRD at a certain point in time, but the potential trajectory in MRD over the course of treatment, Sung noted. 'Typically, we would continue the current therapy regimen so long as the MRD is continuing to decrease,' she explained. 'However, if unable to clear at the end of 1 to 2 cycles of consolidation, we would recommend allogeneic transplant if eligible. 'These new data support this strategy, using a high potency TKI with few deaths and relapses in the ponatinib arm (10%) for this subset of patients that were MRD-positive at the end of induction. 'Nearly half of patients converted to MRD-negative by the end of treatment with ponatinib, many of whom were negative at [a deeper molecular response] of MR4.5.' The study was sponsored by Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Silence and prayers mark Lansing's Memorial Day ceremonies at Evergreen, Mt. Hope cemeteries
LANSING — With prayer, song and a collective gratitude, the Lansing community gathered the afternoon of May 24 at Evergreen Cemetery's Little Arlington Veterans Memorial to honor fallen military members. "We need to continue honoring the memories of those who are here and those who are gone," said Candelario Duarte Jr., a 52-year-old Lansing veteran of the United States Air Force. The Memorial Day ceremony opened with a moment of silence as families, veterans and Lansing officials, including Mayor Andy Schor, reflected in front of the Little Arlington memorial. U.S. flags futtered in the wind across the entire Evergreen Cemetery, and members of the American Legion stood behind each flag so they would not fall. "I've been coming here for the past few years for these ceremonies," Duarte said. "It's pretty important for me to make sure we continue this honor and give them the respect they deserve." Duarte lost friends in duty overseas and cherishes their memory. As he honored his fallen friends Saturday afternoon, he was particularly moved by the reading of the poem "Memorial Day," written by C. W. Johnson and the singing of the national anthem. He has always appreciated the national anthem, Duarte added, because it unifies communities in recognizing those who made sacrifices of the mind, body and spirit. The special musical performance was by Shelby Ann-Marie Miller, who sang the national anthem to open the event and "God Bless America" to close the event. In addition to the songs and readings, the event honored special guest speaker Capt. Joshua LaCroix, who served in the U.S. Army for 13 years. "Our soldiers are not just fighters, they are also responders, leaders, and ambassadors whether aiding in disaster relief, supporting public health or strengthening alliances abroad, the army remains a versatile and essential force," LaCroix said. "This Memorial Day, I ask of each and every one of us to reflect on our shared connection with those who came before us." The ceremony closed with a retiring of the colors, a military tradition. The sound of trumpets, played by American Legions members, rang throughout the cemetery. The city also hosted Memorial Day ceremonies at Mt. Hope Cemetery on May 24. Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@ This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Veterans, officials honor fallen military members for Memorial Day in Lansing
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Previewing the 2025 season for Penn State WR Kyron Hudson with his player profile
Going into the 2025 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player's background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season. Kyron Hudson, a redshirt junior wide receiver for Penn State in the 2025 season, adds immediate impact to the Nittany Lions' offense. Hudson's crisp route-running, reliable hands, and ability to stretch the field make him a key piece in Andy Kotelnicki's system. His 2024 season at USC and highlight-reel catches in Penn State's spring practice signal his progression since entering college. Advertisement Preseason Player Profile Hometown: Duarte, California Height: 6-1 Weight: 212 lb Class in 2025: Redshirt junior Recruiting Rankings Class of 2021: Consensus 4-star recruit, No. 22 wide receiver per 247Sports Hudson committed to Penn State in December 2024 via the transfer portal, choosing the Nittany Lions over remaining at USC or other interested programs. Career Stats (USC) Games Receptions Yards Touchdowns Yards per reception 2022 14 2 4 0 2 2023 13 17 189 2 11.1 2024 11 38 462 3 12.2 Depth Chart Overview In a revamped receiver room, Hudson is projected as a starter or high-rotation player alongside two other transfer additions to the roster this year, Devonte Ross and Trebor Pena. His experience and versatility position him for significant snaps, potentially as a primary target for quarterback Drew Allar. This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: 2025 Penn State football: Kyron Hudson player profile
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Gigantic 'mud waves' buried deep beneath the ocean floor reveal dramatic formation of Atlantic when Africa and South America finally split
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The discovery of buried "mud waves" off the coast of western Africa reveals that the Atlantic Ocean was born at least 4 million years earlier than scientists previously thought. These waves, each hundreds of feet high and over half a mile (1 kilometer) long, were caused by the mixing of extremely salty water from the southern hemisphere with less-salty water from the northern hemisphere as South America and Africa tore apart 117 million years ago, forming the Atlantic, according to new research published in the June issue of the journal Global and Planetary Change. Previously, the Atlantic was thought to have finished opening between 113 million and perhaps 72 million years ago. The giant waves were found in sediment cores drilled from 0.6 mile (1 km) below the seabed about 250 miles (400 km) west of Guinea-Bissau in 1975, as part of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. The ocean-drilling project confirmed that Earth's surface is broken into rafts of ever-moving tectonic plates. Related: Sleeping subduction zone could awaken and form a new 'Ring of Fire' that swallows the Atlantic Ocean In further studying these cores, Heriot-Watt University geologists Débora Duarte and Uisdean Nicholson found evidence of huge mud waves in this region, which would have been the last spot to pull apart when Africa and South America split. "Imagine one-kilometre-long waves, a few hundred metres high: a whole field formed in one particular location to the west of the Guinea Plateau, just at the final 'pinch-point' of the separating continents of South America and Africa," Nicholson said in a statement. "They formed because of dense, salty water cascading out of the newly formed gateway." Before the Atlantic split South America and Africa for good, the final connection between the two continents would have been a series of deep basins, which were probably lakes, Duarte said in the statement. At that time, the South Atlantic was rich in salt deposits that made its water very saline, while the North Atlantic was less salty. This difference in salinity caused huge currents when the northern and southern Atlantic waters mixed. The currents, in turn, created the enormous mud waves along the seabed. Over the eons, more sediment has buried the waves, locking them below the surface. The existence of these waves 117 million years ago also suggests that the opening of the Atlantic caused Earth's climate to warm, Duarte said. RELATED STORIES —Atlantic ocean currents are weakening — and it could make the climate in some regions unrecognizable —Do the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans mix? —Where do ocean currents come from? The basins that flooded in the final rifting of South America and Africa were rich in carbon, and the birth of the ocean would have made the sequestering of carbon less efficient. This reduced efficiency led to a period of warming between 117 million and 110 million years ago, the researchers said. After that, the ocean currents that circulate throughout the Atlantic stabilized, leading to a period of cooling. "This shows that the gateway played a really important role in global climate change," Duarte said in the statement.
