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Forbes
27-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Worried About Flying: Here Are 9 Expert Suggestions For This Summer
Aviation safety experts say passengers can minimize the risk when flying this summer by being strategic when selecting airports, seats, planes and departure times. A string of recent alarming incidents—from military helicopters interfering with the flow of commercial jets at Reagan National in Washington, D.C. to equipment outages causing air traffic controllers to lose contact with planes at Newark Liberty International Airport and others nationwide—have made travelers jittery as summer approaches. Forbes spoke to four aviation safety experts who offered advice for minimizing risk exposure and reducing the likelihood of flight disruptions this summer. Decisions within a passenger's control include the strategic selection of airports, seats, planes and departure times. 'When we know there's a problem someplace, I simply avoid that airport,' Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, told Forbes. 'So I'm not flying into DCA (Reagan National) or Newark, no way—and if I hear the problems persist at Houston or Denver, for example, then I'll take them off the list, too.' John Cox, aviation safety expert and retired commercial airline pilot, also recommended avoiding Newark for now. 'Think about maybe utilizing LaGuardia or Kennedy or Philly or White Plains and not be dependent on an airport that's experiencing the kind of delays that Newark has,' he said. These days, many travelers are making similar calculations, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's wife. The average number of travelers flying out of Newark has dropped by as much as 20% compared to this time last year, according to Transportation Security Administration data reviewed by NBC News. Connecting flights might be cheaper, but direct flights are safer. 'You decrease your exposure to anything bad happening by going with a nonstop flight, as opposed to a connecting flight, where now you've got two flights you've got to worry about in terms of not only safety, but delays and cancellations,' Jeff Guzzetti, a retired aircraft accident investigator for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told Forbes. 'If you're looking at statistics, taking a nonstop flight cuts your risk in half, because the riskiest times of any flight are takeoffs and landings,' Schiavo said. Many travelers default to major hubs—but some of the nation's busiest airports have been experiencing the worst air traffic issues, including technology outages and staffing shortages. 'Because of the volume of traffic, the hubs will tend to hang up,' Cox said. Luckily, said Schiavo, travelers have many other options. 'We have over 500 towered airports in this country, and I would definitely recommend that people start to look at those secondary airports, where there's less congestion,' she said, adding, 'I have to go to Ohio a lot and I fly into Akron-Canton. That's not my destination, but it's a beautiful little airport, and I'm out of that airport in five minutes.' Instead of flying into Reagan National, Schiavo is choosing Dulles these days, 'even if it means I take a long cab or Uber ride into DC.' 'Commercial airline crashes are extremely rare but, even then, most people don't realize that airline crashes are almost always survivable,' Guzzetti said, citing NTSB statistics showing 81% of commercial airline passengers survive most accidents. He pointed out the Delta plane that flipped and caught fire after a hard landing in Toronto in February, saying, 'The airplane was trashed, but everyone walked away.' He stresses the key factor is being able to evacuate the plane quickly. 'When you look at the statistics, you want to increase your chances of survivability. I always choose my own seat, either in the emergency exit or very close to it,' he said. For the same reason, Guzzetti avoids wearing sandals and flip-flops as a precaution. 'If I had to get out of the plane very quickly, I could do it.' When flight shopping, consider more than price and departure time. Whether booking directly from the airline or through a third-party platform, pay attention to the type of plane you'll be flying in, which you can typically see with an extra click. 'I usually pick larger airplanes if I have the option,' Guzzetti said. 'In other words, wide-body like a [Boeing] 777 or 787, as opposed to a regional jet, just because it's larger, it's more comfortable, and usually larger airplanes have more sophisticated safety systems.' Two relatively new commercial airlines that launched during the Covid pandemic offer nonstop service between many popular U.S. destinations. Breeze Airways offers direct service on more than 600 U.S. routes and Avelo Airlines connects roughly four dozen U.S. destinations. 'These nonstop flights cut down on congestion, cut down on passenger angst, and use some of these less-crowded airports,' Schiavo said. 'Flights that go out earlier in the day are less likely to hang up, and that's particularly true in the summertime,' Cox said. It's important to understand that storms in one region of the country can quickly turn into a national air travel problem. Afternoon and evening flights tend to be delayed more often than morning departures because airlines reuse planes and crews for multiple trips during the day, so a delay early in the day creates a domino effect later on. 'Afternoon flights have more issues. That's borne out by statistics,' added Schiavo. Having a heads-up that your flight will be delayed has big advantages—especially if you know before everyone else on the flight. 'There's an app called Flighty that tells you a lot,' Cox said. 'Where is the airplane that's going to fly my flight? How late is it?' If your plane is delayed on an earlier flight, it will most likely be delayed for your flight, too. Having that kind of information lets you be proactive about making necessary changes. 'Passengers should download their airline app to get real time updates on delays or gate changes,' said Chadwin Kendall, an associate professor and FAA chief instructor in the Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver. 'Many of those apps allow you to rebook via the app directly if there is a cancellation, instead of having to go and talk to a gate agent.' FAA data show that, for many U.S. airports, summer weather is responsible for far more delays than winter weather. By consulting the FAA's flight delay map, flyers can see which airports are having issues in real time. Hover over the airport to see the reason for the delay. 'The main mission of air traffic controllers is to keep airplanes separated,' explained Kendall. When an airport becomes too congested for air traffic control to handle, or if there is another issue, like bad weather or runway construction, the FAA may issue a ground delay, which slows the flow of arrivals into that airport until the airspace is less congested. 'Often, the safest thing is just to leave the airplane on the ground [at its origin airport].' Trump Has Blamed Biden For FAA's Failures—But A Key 'Terrible Idea' Happened On His Watch (Forbes)
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Popular record fair set for return to York
A POPULAR record fair is returning to York this weekend - with thousands of records available to customers under one roof. The Crescent Record Fair is on Sunday (May 18) at The Crescent Community Venue in The Crescent, near Everyman Cinema, off Blossom Street from 11am-3pm. Admission is free. Fair organiser, John Cox, said: "It's only a small event of eight traders with 20 tables, but there will be a great selection of quality vinyl records - lots of collectable and rare LPs and singles and plenty of bargains." More information can be found at:
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Somerset teenager wants a bionic arm to get into military
A 17-year-old girl is fundraising for a bionic arm so that she can try and get accepted for military servicePaige Cox from Wivielscombe in Somerset was born without a right hand and enjoys playing cricket and is a member of her local army cadet group. Ms Cox has been deferred by the military once before so is now fundraising for a bionic arm. While it will not guarantee her a military career, it will increase her chances according to her family. "It would make daily tasks easier. I often struggle with quite a few things. Having it would take a pressure off," Ms Cox said. As an army cadet, she applied to be in the military, but was rejected for having one said she "didn't feel great" about the rejection, so she decided to try and get a bionic arm."It would make holding weapons easier, would make exercises easier, setting up tents, stuff like that," Ms Cox Cox' dad John Cox, said: "I'm ex-military myself. It was disappointing that they wouldn't entertain the idea of more administrative roles, it was a straight no. I thought they could have been a bit more progressive."He added that he thought it was "amazing" that his daughter had decided to raise funds for a bionic arm.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
How to navigate Newark airport amid delays and outages
Another ground stop at Newark Liberty International left travelers facing a new wave of cancellations and hourslong delays at the New Jersey airport on Sunday. This disruption follows weeks of chaos marked by air traffic communication issues and staffing shortages. While waiting areas, makeshift chairs and benches were emptier this weekend compared to the crowds of stranded passengers last week, outages on both Friday and Sunday left travelers grappling with the lingering effects. Akash Gupta had his travel plans completely upended on Saturday when his flight to Indianapolis was delayed six hours. He passed the time chatting with his wife over a video call and doodling on some paper. 'I'm comfortable with flying, but I'm experiencing this kind of delay for the first time,' Gupta told NBC News. The first action delayed passengers should take is to look for alternative flights, advises Sean Cudahy, a senior aviation reporter for travel website The Points Guy. When checking for alternatives, he recommends not to wait for the perfect solution. 'If you see even a halfway decent option, grab it, book it, and a lot of time the airline will let you keep making changes,' Cudahy said. To contact an airline for rebooking or to explore more options, airline apps or live chat functions are often more efficient than waiting in long customer service lines. NBC News aviation analyst John Cox recommends the flight-tracking app Flighty for real-time updates. Cox recommends taking advantage of frequent flyer perks. Many airlines have agents dedicated to rebooking frequent flyers, making them easier to reach. 'From a passenger standpoint, it's understand what you want,' Cox said. 'Be polite, be nice, but understand that you need to get your business taken care of and let the agent move on to somebody to help somebody else.' The Department of Transportation ruled last year that airlines are required to quickly give cash refunds to passengers with canceled or severely delayed flights. The refunds, however, only apply to passengers who book with a different airline or opt for another mode of travel, not to those who accept a rebooking with the original airline. Travelers should also review the airline's rebooking and refund policies in advance, said a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the Newark airport. 'We originally were supposed to come here on United today, but it was canceled about five or six days ago, and they did refund our money,' said Judy Davenport, who was traveling through Newark this weekend. She and her husband ended up booking a separate Delta flight to make their connection to Paris. While waiting out a delay at Newark, travelers have several options for passing time or grabbing a bite to eat before the security lines. Each terminal at the airport offers seating for passengers before and after their TSA screening. 'Go early and get your seat, get food, but then move on,' Cox tells delayed travelers, encouraging them to let others have access to the amenities as well. He also advises to be cautious of alcohol consumption in a high-stress environment. Travelers scheduled to fly into or out of Newark in the coming weeks can take proactive steps to manage their flight plans. United Airlines, one of the most affected carriers at Newark with hundreds of canceled flights, is offering waivers for change fees or fare differences through May 23, with the option to fly through LaGuardia Airport in New York City or Philadelphia instead. Cudahy warns that other airports will offer fewer flight options than United's Newark hub. Alaska Airlines has flexible travel policies covering original travel dates through Sunday, and JetBlue is offering waivers through the end of May. To prepare for a delay, Cox advises packing necessary medication, one night's worth of clothes and toiletries in a carry-on bag in case luggage is disrupted and checked bags end up in another location. Cudahy also suggests bringing extra batteries and chargers, an empty reusable water bottle to minimize food court costs and games or entertainment if traveling with young children. The experts also remind travelers to follow the 3-1-1 rule for easier passage through security: 3.4-ounce liquid containers in one clear quart-sized bag, with one bag per passenger. Having proper documentation ready to present, especially with new REAL ID requirements, will help streamline the process, Cox said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' Sunday that while Newark is facing telecom issues and experiencing glitches in the software, it will be 'up and running in short order.' Duffy said Newark will experience 'reduced capacity' in the coming weeks, a move that United CEO Scott Kirby has openly called for. For those planning to book travel out of Newark soon, Cudahy advises looking for direct flights. 'If you're nonstop, you are going to get there eventually, as long as your flight doesn't get canceled,' Cudahy said. Cudahy recommends using a credit card that includes travel insurance to purchase plane tickets. If travelers face delays or cancellations, they can get reimbursed for expenses like meals or hotel rooms caused by travel disruptions. While many airlines offer their own insurance, it typically does not cover circumstances outside of the airline's control, such as weather or air traffic control-related issues. Cudahy suggests looking at the airline's insurance policy to see what is covered, and then shopping around with third-party travel insurers to compare costs. Duffy reassured travelers that flying out of Newark — and in American airspace in general — remains safe. There are policies and procedures in place for dealing with such incidents. But he does have concerns about the antiquated technology and systems used. The recent aviation troubles have prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to release a three-year plan to modernize the system. 'We're seeing stress on an old network, and it's time to fix it,' Duffy said. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dyne Therapeutics Announces New Long-Term Clinical Data from Phase 1/2 DELIVER Trial of DYNE-251 in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Demonstrating Unprecedented and Sustained Functional Improvement Through 18 Months
- Continued favorable safety profile for DYNE-251 - - DELIVER Registrational Expansion Cohort is fully enrolled; data from this cohort planned for late 2025 - - Potential for Biologics License Application submission for U.S. accelerated approval in early 2026 - WALTHAM, Mass., March 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dyne Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: DYN), a clinical-stage company focused on advancing life-transforming therapeutics for people living with genetically driven neuromuscular diseases, today announced new long-term clinical data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 DELIVER trial of DYNE-251 demonstrating unprecedented and sustained functional improvement at the selected registrational dose of 20 mg/kg Q4W (approximate PMO dose). The DELIVER trial is evaluating DYNE-251 in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who are amenable to exon 51 skipping, and updated results from the trial are being presented this week at the 2025 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinical & Scientific Conference. 'With Dyne-251, we have the opportunity to deliver a durable and redosable therapy demonstrating clinically meaningful and sustained functional improvement in DMD. The consistency of these new data across multiple endpoints and timepoints underscores the potential of DYNE-251 to meaningfully address the significant unmet need in Duchenne despite available therapies,' said John Cox, president and chief executive officer of Dyne. 'We are rapidly advancing DYNE-251 toward a readout later this year with the potential to submit for U.S. accelerated approval in early 2026 based on a well-established regulatory pathway leveraging dystrophin expression as a surrogate endpoint. If approved, we believe there is an opportunity for rapid adoption by physicians and currently treated patients, as well as those naïve to therapy.' 'I am very encouraged by these new, long-term data for DYNE-251 in the exon 51 skip amenable population and the promise of sustained functional improvement which has continued to elude the DMD community,' said Pat Furlong, founder and president of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. 'The investment and innovation in DMD are delivering, and this is a prime example of how the accelerated approval pathway may swiftly enable a new generation of therapies that address unmet and urgent medical needs.' "The amount of expression of near-full length dystrophin induced by DYNE-251 has not been previously seen with exon 51 skipping agents and is associated with evidence for clinical efficacy,' said Kevin Flanigan M.D., Director, Center for Gene Therapy, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. 'I look forward to the opportunity to present new functional data and updated safety data at the 2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference.' This updated assessment of the DELIVER trial evaluating DYNE-251 includes new functional data out to 12 months from 6 patients enrolled in the 20 mg/kg Q4W cohort, and 18-month functional data from 6 patients in the 10 mg/kg Q4W cohort (these participants began transitioning to the 20 mg/kg Q4W regimen after month 6). In addition, updated safety data as of February 7, 2025, continue to demonstrate a favorable safety profile for DYNE-251. Key findings from the DELIVER Phase 1/2 trial presentation include: Function: Meaningful and sustained improvements from baseline in multiple functional endpoints were observed in both the 20 mg/kg (selected registrational dose) and 10 mg/kg1 DYNE-251 Q4W cohorts, through 12 and 18 months, respectively. Functional assessments included Stride Velocity 95th Centile (SV95C), North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA), 10-Meter Walk/Run Time (10-MWR), and Time to Rise from Floor. Starting at the 6-month timepoint, the SV95C change from baseline observed in both the 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg cohorts of DELIVER exceeded the published proposed minimal clinically important difference (MCID). SV95C is a digital objective outcome measure of ambulatory performance in patients' normal daily environment and is accepted as a primary endpoint for DMD clinical trials in Europe. Dystrophin expression: As previously reported, DYNE-251 demonstrated unprecedented near-full length dystrophin expression as measured by Western blot for patients with DMD who are amenable to exon 51 skipping. At the 6-month time point, patients treated with 20 mg/kg of DYNE-251 Q4W had a mean absolute dystrophin expression of 8.72% of normal (adjusted for muscle content). Dyne has confirmed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration precedent for using dystrophin as a surrogate biomarker for accelerated approval remains available. Safety and tolerability: DYNE-251 has demonstrated a favorable safety profile based on 54 participants enrolled in the DELIVER trial. Since the prior update provided as of November 21, 2024, the safety profile remains unchanged, and no new treatment-related serious adverse events have been observed.2 970 doses of study drug have been administered to date over a period of 77.1 patient-years of follow-up with some patients followed for up to ~2.5 years. 546 doses of study drug at the 20 mg/kg dose level have been administered to date.3 Key Milestones for the DELIVER Trial Dyne continues to pursue expedited approval pathways globally for DYNE-251 in patients with DMD who are amenable to exon 51 skipping. Dyne has fully enrolled the Registrational Expansion Cohort of 32 patients as part of the DELIVER trial. Data from this cohort are planned for late 2025. Dyne anticipates a potential Biologics License Application (BLA) submission for U.S. accelerated approval in early 2026. Dyne Presentations at the 2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific ConferenceThe new assessment of the DELIVER trial is being presented in an oral presentation 'Safety and Efficacy from the Ongoing Phase 1/2 DELIVER Trial of DYNE-251 in Males with DMD Mutations Amenable to Exon 51 Skipping' on Wednesday, March 19, at 8:30-8:45 a.m. CT by Kevin Flanigan, M.D., Director, Center for Gene Therapy, Abigail Wexner Research Institute of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and Principal Investigator for the DELIVER Trial. A poster with the same title will be available starting at 6:00 p.m. CT Sunday, March 16, 2025, through Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in the conference exhibit hall. Both the oral presentation and poster are now available in the Scientific Publications & Presentations section of Dyne's website, along with several other posters and presentations including an encore presentation of the most recent positive results for DYNE-101 from the Phase 1/2 ACHIEVE trial in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). About the DELIVER Trial DELIVER is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of DYNE-251 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who are amenable to exon 51 skipping. The multiple ascending dose (MAD) portion of the study resulted in the selection of a registrational dose and regimen of 20 mg/kg every four weeks. A registrational expansion cohort to support potential regulatory submissions for expediated approvals, including accelerated approval in the U.S., is fully enrolled. The primary endpoint for this cohort is the change from baseline in dystrophin protein levels as measured by Western blot. For more information on the DELIVER trial, visit (NCT05524883) and (2023-510351-31-00). About DYNE-251 DYNE-251 is an investigational therapeutic being evaluated in the Phase 1/2 global DELIVER clinical trial for people living with DMD who are amenable to exon 51 skipping. DYNE-251 consists of a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) conjugated to a fragment antibody (Fab) that binds to the transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) which is highly expressed on muscle. It is designed to enable targeted muscle tissue delivery and promote exon skipping in the nucleus, allowing muscle cells to create internally shortened, near full-length dystrophin protein, with the goal of stopping or reversing disease progression. DYNE-251 has been granted fast track, orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of DMD mutations amenable to exon 51 skipping. In addition to DYNE-251, Dyne is building a global DMD franchise and has preclinical programs targeting other exons, including 53, 45 and 44. About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) DMD is a rare disease caused by mutations in the gene that encodes for dystrophin, a protein critical for the normal function of muscle cells. These mutations, the majority of which are deletions, result in the lack of dystrophin protein and progressive loss of muscle function. DMD occurs primarily in males and affects an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 individuals in the U.S. and 25,000 in Europe. Loss of strength and function typically first appears in pre-school age boys and worsens as they age. As the disease progresses, the severity of damage to skeletal and cardiac muscle often results in patients experiencing total loss of ambulation by their early teenage years and includes worsening cardiac and respiratory symptoms and loss of upper body function by the later teens. There is no cure for DMD, and currently approved therapies provide limited benefit. About Dyne Therapeutics Dyne Therapeutics is discovering and advancing innovative life-transforming therapeutics for people living with genetically driven neuromuscular diseases. Leveraging the modularity of its FORCE™ platform, Dyne is developing targeted therapeutics that deliver to muscle and the central nervous system (CNS). Dyne has a broad pipeline for neuromuscular diseases, including clinical programs for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and preclinical programs for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and Pompe disease. For more information, please visit and follow us on X, LinkedIn and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding Dyne's strategy, future operations, prospects and plans, objectives of management, the potential of DYNE-251, the anticipated timelines for reporting additional data from the DELIVER clinical trial, including the registrational cohort, the availability of accelerated approval pathways for DYNE-251 and expectations regarding the timing of submitting applications for U.S. accelerated approval, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'might,' 'objective,' 'ongoing,' 'plan,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'potential,' 'should,' or 'would,' or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Dyne may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the identification and development of product candidates, including the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainties as to the availability and timing of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials; the timing of and Dyne's ability to enroll patients in clinical trials; whether results from preclinical studies and data from clinical trials will be predictive of the final results of the clinical trials or other trials; whether data from clinical trials will support submission for regulatory approvals; uncertainties as to the FDA's and other regulatory authorities' interpretation of the data from Dyne's clinical trials and acceptance of Dyne's clinical programs and as to the regulatory approval process for Dyne's product candidates; whether Dyne's cash resources will be sufficient to fund its foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; as well as the risks and uncertainties identified in Dyne's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's most recent Form 10-K and in subsequent filings Dyne may make with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent Dyne's views as of the date of this press release. Dyne anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. However, while Dyne may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Dyne's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. During the OLE period, all participants in 10 mg/kg cohort were dose escalated to 20 mg/kg Q4W regimen. DYNE-251 safety data as of February 7, 2025. As of February 21, 2025. Contacts: InvestorsMia Tobiasir@ Nartkersnartker@ in to access your portfolio
