Search This Blog

Monday, June 3, 2024

Stephanopoulos cuts off Trump lawyer after he suggests Biden was behind Trump conviction

 ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos clashed with former President Trump’s attorney, Will Scharf, in a Sunday interview, over the former president’s unsubstantiated claims that President Biden played a role in bringing the hush money criminal case against Trump in New York.

In an interview on “This Week,” Scharf repeatedly echoed claims of the former president, arguing the hush money criminal trial — which ended in a guilty conviction against Trump on 34 felony counts — was “exhibit A” in terms of the “politicization of the legal system.”

“It’s absolutely unprecedented in American history. It’s not the way that our campaigns are supposed to be run. We contest elections at the ballot box, not in the courts in this country,” Scharf continued.

Stephanopoulos conceded Scharf’s point about winning elections at the ballot box but made clear there was no evidence to suggest any involvement of the federal Department of Justice with the New York state criminal trial that just concluded.

“That is true. But, of course, we’ve never had a former president or presidential candidate facing the kind of charges that the president faced because of his own activities. And, of course, the attorney general in Manhattan has nothing to do with the Department of Justice,” Stephanopoulos said.

As Stephanopoulos tried to pivot back to his question about the sentencing process, Scharf pressed on, refusing to concede his point about the prosecution being politically motivated. Stephanopoulos eventually interrupted.

“I vehemently disagree that the district attorney in New York was not politically motivated here,” Scharf said, “and I vehemently disagree that President Biden and his political allies aren’t up to their necks in this prosecution.”

Stephanopoulos jumped in, saying, “There’s no evidence here of that. Sir … I’m not going to let you continue to say that. There’s just zero evidence of that.”

“Do you want to answer the question about the sentencing process or not?” Stephanopoulos added, after some back-and-forth.

Scharf pointed to the prosecutor in the case, Matthew Colangelo, “standing over [District Attorney] Alvin Bragg’s shoulder when he announced this verdict” as evidence of political interference, noting he used to work at the Department of Justice, before the interview was ended.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4699261-stephanopoulos-cuts-off-trump-lawyer-after-he-suggests-biden-was-behind-trump-conviction/

'Biden urges Qatar to pressure Hamas in accepting cease-fire proposal'

 President Biden on Monday urged Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, to pressure Hamas to accept the cease-fire proposal Israel offered.

The two leaders spoke on the phone, during which they confirmed that the cease-fire and hostage release deal is on the table and that the next step is Hamas taking it.

The president on Friday announced the terms of an Israel-led proposal that includes a three-part road map to an end to fighting and the release of all remaining hostages, signaling the strongest indication yet of an end to the war since the Oct. 7 attacks.

“The President confirmed Israel’s readiness to move forward with the terms that have now been offered to Hamas,” according to a readout of the call. “He urged Amir Tamim to use all appropriate measures to secure Hamas’ acceptance of the deal and affirmed that Hamas is now the only obstacle to a complete cease-fire and relief for the people of Gaza.”

Israel offered the deal after conversations with the United States and the leaders of Qatar and Egypt, as well as other Middle Eastern countries, Biden said Friday. The proposal was transmitted to Hamas via Qatar on Thursday.

Biden, on the call on Monday, “emphasized that this is the best possible opportunity for an agreement, and that Hamas’ ongoing refusal to release hostages would only prolong the conflict and deny relief to the people of Gaza,” according to the White House.

He also confirmed that the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar would “would work to ensure the full implementation of the entire agreement.”

The three phases of the road map include an initial phase involving a six-week cease-fire, then a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, and the release of all remaining hostages taken from Israel on Oct. 7. It also includes parameters for internally displaced Palestinians to return to their homes and reconstruction efforts.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4700983-joe-biden-qatar-hamas-cease-fire-proposal/mlite/

"The Ninnies Of Biden-World Seem Not To Understand..."

 by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com,

Which Movie Will It Be?

“It’s almost as if the principals (prosecutors and judge) were performing for their political audience - with a wink, a nod and a stage whisper (“watch this!”) as they ignore yet another fundamental element of American due process.”

- Jack DeVine on “X”

The ninnies of Bidenworld seem to not understand that by subjecting Mr. Trump to a kangaroo court they’ve made him the kind of outlaw that Americans revere above every other archetypal hero.

He’s the new American Robin Hood, the people’s outlaw - with “Joe Biden” relegated as the wicked Sir Guy of Gisbourne, master of foul play and servant of the evil regent Prince John (Barack Obama).

The galvanizing moment in this melodrama was not the verdict in Judge Juan Merchan’s kangaroo corral of a court, but the next day in the White House when “Joe Biden” was asked to comment on it as he shuffled away from the podium, halted, turned, and smirked silently at the cameras, a gesture that is sure to live in infamy.

The fun should really kick off when the judge gets to sentence Trump-the-Outlaw July 11, a few days before the Republican convention. Life in some New York state pen? A year on Rikers Island? House arrest? Who knows. But you can bet that just like Robin-of-Locksley, Donald-of-Mar-a-Lago will manage to slip out of his captors’ clutches and cleverly vanquish them.

In a sane world, of course, the US Supreme Court would be entreated to adjudicate this gross insult to due process as spelled out in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

But you might have noticed that this is not a sane world, at least not these days, and not a few supposedly sober analysts, such as Jonathan Turley of George Washington University, claim that that a SCOTUS review is a long-shot — which only confirms the reigning insanity since it’s hard to imagine a more compelling moment for the SCOTUS to carry out its fundamental duty: to elucidate the meaning of our Constitution and resolve disputes arising therefrom.

Now, it looks like what we’re seeing after a few days for the shock to wear off, is a mighty righteous rage arising among the faction designated as “Red” — that is, the anti-Woke, anti-Globalist, anti-neoMarxist, anti-Deep State blob, anti-Lawfare, anti-Democratic Party chunk of the adult US population. It amounts to a recognition that we are already in some kind of civil war, and that the tactics of “Joe Biden’s” party must and will be opposed by all means. The SCOTUS is the last resort of legal means for redress in this matter, and they would punt this duty at great peril to the country.

To clarify just what this matter is: “Joe Biden’s” White House and Department of Justice conspired with New York County (Manhattan) authorities to maliciously construct and execute a court case made of patently false charges against their principal political adversary, and with a cavalier disrespect to both state and federal law.

As such, the “Stormy Daniels Payoff Case,” as it’s known, is just the latest ploy in a long train of lawless gambits starting with RussiaGate in 2016 (the “Steele Dossier” and all) that have left hundreds of high appointed officials in the federal bureaucracy (plus many retired from it) liable to severe criminal charges ranging as far as sedition and treason. RussiaGate may have started its life as a typical campaign prank by doofuses in the Hillary Clinton organization, but it turned seriously sinister when it was adopted by the FBI and the CIA to execute a plan to harass and defenestrate the elected president, Mr. Trump.

With each subsequent prank, to distract from and cover-up their crimes, the same group of officials has committed more crimes, to the point that the federal government now behaves like a gigantic mafia, dedicated to nothing but crime of one kind or another. The Democratic Party has become this mob’s protective order; the old mainstream media its mouthpiece; and the people of this country increasingly its victims. Naturally, these criminals are now desperate to avoid having to account for their crimes, which is exactly and explicitly what Mr. Trump promises to do.

So, there it is: a criminal regime versus the people defended by their outlaw hero. Does the SCOTUS want to aid and abet this gang of criminals — led by the way, and just so you know, by Barack Obama and his Kalorama coterie, John Brennan, Mary McCord and her Lawfare coterie, Hillary and Bill Clinton and their henchmen, and scores of additional DC lawyers, fixers, and judges — or, will the SCOTUS avert an epic crisis of legitimacy by stepping in to quash the ridiculously fake New York case just concluded?

If they demur in some cowardly blur of excuses, then it’s onto the next truly nation-ending stage of this game. The “Joe Biden” regime would like nothing more than an outbreak of civil violence they can blame on “right-wing extremists.” In fact, they could and probably will gin that up themselves, just as they transformed the Jan-6-21 mass protest against widespread ballot fraud into a “MAGA insurrection.” You are also certainly aware of the sinister millions, mainly young men from faraway lands, who “Joe Biden” imported across the border the past three years. And you might imagine how they could be put to use against American citizens, along with the Democratic Party shock troops known as BLM and Antifa. Summer’s here and the time is right for fighting in the streets.

And, of course, even if the SCOTUS puts an end to this latest bit of Lawfare fuckery, the “Joe Biden” crew can always opt to just up and kill its opponent. Nothing is beneath them now. But when that happens, we’ll be in a very different kind of movie.

*  *  *

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ninnies-biden-world-seem-not-understand

Humana reaffirms annual earnings target

 Humana (NYSE:HUM) has reaffirmed its earnings outlook for the year ending December 31, 2024. The health insurer reaffirmed its target of approximately $13.93 in diluted earnings per common share or approximately $16.00 in adjusted earnings per common share for the year.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4112253-humana-reaffirms-annual-earnings-target

Structure pill leads to competitive weight loss in obesity study

 

  • An experimental GLP-1 pill helped people with obesity lose significantly more weight than a placebo over three months, according to summary results revealed by developer Structure Therapeutics Monday.

  • In the Phase 2a study, which enrolled 64 healthy individuals who were obese or overweight, Structure’s drug led to an average reduction in body weight of 6.2% over placebo. One-third of those on the drug, dubbed GSBR-1290, lost 10% or more of their body weight, compared to zero of those given placebo.

  • Shares in Structure soared by more than half on news of the data, reaching near the stock’s price in mid-December before data from another of the company’s trials disappointed. Structure is moving forward with a Phase 2b of GSBR-1290 that will test other doses.

Many companies hope to compete with Novo Nordisk’s and Eli Lilly’s fast-selling GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss. Structure is among them and, like several others, is working on developing a treatment that can be taken orally, rather than injected like Novo’s Wegovy or Lilly’s Zepbound.

In December, the biotechnology company disclosed results from a study of GSBR-1290 in people with Type 2 diabetes. While treatment helped lower blood sugar, the weight loss data were below analysts’ expectations. Shares tumbled in response.

Monday’s readout has given Structure something of a rebound. In addition to the Phase 2a study data, the company also disclosed results from a “pharmacokinetic” trial testing a tablet form of GSBR-1290 rather than capsule. Among 54 people in that trial, the average weight loss ranged between 6.2% and 6.9% versus placebo, depending on the dose.

Analysts at Leerink Partners and Cantor Fitzgerald described Structure’s data as competitive to results seen with a GLP-1 pill Lilly is testing called orforglipron.

Common side effects to treatment with GSBR-1290 were nausea and vomiting, although Structure said they mostly occurred early on and lessened as dosing was adjusted. Five percent of participants in Phase 2a study discontinued due to adverse events, as did 11% in the pharmacokinetics study. There were no cases of liver injury or persistent increases in liver enzymes, Structure said.

David Risinger, an analyst at Leerink Partners, wrote in a note to clients that a monthly titration schedule should “significantly benefit tolerability.”

Small molecule pills like GSBR-1290 and orforglipron could also be easier to take and cheaper to produce at scale than Wegovy and Zepbound.

Arrowhead Successful Topline for Pivotal Phase 3 in Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome

  Plozasiran achieved statistically significant median reductions in triglycerides up to 80% and mean reductions in APOC3 up to 94% at month 10

- Plozasiran achieved a statistically significant reduction in incidence of acute pancreatitis versus placebo

- Plozasiran is the company’s first investigational RNAi-based therapy to show clinical efficacy in a Phase 3 study

- Arrowhead plans to highlight recent data for its cardiometabolic pipeline at its June 25, 2024, Cardiometabolic event as part of the 2024 Summer Series of R&D Webinars

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240603389820/en

Takeda and Pfizer report positive Phase III HD21 trial of ADCETRIS

 Takeda and Pfizer have announced a positive Phase III HD21 trial, evaluating ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) in combination with chemotherapy.

The trial has shown superior progression-free survival (PFS) and improved tolerability in patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma.

Sponsored by the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) and supported by Takeda, the four-year HD21 study is a Phase III, randomised, multi-country, open-label trial.

It compared ADCETRIS combined with BrECADD chemotherapy against the standard eBEACOPP regimen in patients with Stage IIb/III/IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

The study met its co-primary endpoints at a preplanned three-year analysis, showing significantly improved safety and non-inferior PFS with the ADCETRIS regimen.

The HD21 trial's co-primary endpoints include treatment-related morbidity and progression-free survival, with secondary endpoints covering overall survival and quality of life, among others.

After 48 months, the BrECADD regimen demonstrated a 94.3% PFS compared to 90.9% with eBEACOPP, with a hazard ratio of 0.66, indicating superior efficacy.

The ADCETRIS combination also resulted in a significant reduction in treatment-related morbidity and adverse events, maintaining a consistent safety profile with no new signals.

Takeda will handle potential regulatory filings based on the HD21 study outside the US and Canada, while Pfizer has commercialisation rights within these regions.

ADCETRIS, an antibody-drug conjugate, is designed to target CD30-positive tumour cells and release the cytotoxic agent MMAE upon internalisation.

Takeda global oncology chief medical officer Awny Farajallah said: “In our ongoing effort to improve outcomes for patients with lymphoma, we’ve partnered with the GHSG on the HD21 study to deepen our understanding of how ADCETRIS could further benefit patients in need of new options.

“We are excited about the impact these results could have on patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma, potentially bringing them an additional ADCETRIS-based combination regimen that may significantly reduce side effects without compromising on efficacy.”

In a separate announcement, Pfizer shared results from the Phase III CROWN trial of LORBRENA in ALK-positive advanced NSCLC, showing an 81% reduction in disease progression or death compared to XALKORI after a median five-year follow-up.

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/134f1ed9-e335-3f3c-8d60-d198dade5801/takeda%2C-pfizer-report.html