It's not a desirable position the Miami Dolphins find themselves in heading into their Sunday trip to face the Cleveland Browns. For the game to have playoff implications, Miami will need the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos to lose their Saturday games at New England and at Cincinnati, respectively. The Dolphins could also use an Indianapolis road defeat in the early-afternoon slot Sunday against the New York Giants so they could leapfrog the Colts in the playoff order. However, if the Dolphins (7-8) are eliminated before they take the field for their late-afternoon kickoff, coach Mike McDaniel is driving home a different message this week. "Our locker room and our coaching staff really wants to play the type of football that we felt we fell short of at portions of the season," he said. The most notable portion came after a Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Miami lost six of its next seven games, hampered on offense by a concussion that knocked out star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and left its offense without much hope. Tagovailoa's return before a Week 8 loss to the Arizona Cardinals activated the attack, even though Miami lost that game and the next one. The Dolphins are 5-2 in their past seven contests, including a 29-17 home win over the San Francisco 49ers last week, when Tagovailoa threw for 215 yards and a touchdown while De'Von Achane accounted for 190 scrimmage yards. Like his coach, Tagovailoa wants to close the season strong, regardless of whether a playoff berth is at stake. "It's an opportunity and I don't think any of us on our team should take this for granted," said Tagovailoa, who was limited in practice on Thursday due to a hip injury. "How do you even know that there is going to be a next year for your career or there's going to be a next game for you? You just never know." While Miami hopes to have a chance at the playoffs, the only thing Cleveland (3-12) can do is find a rare winning feeling in a disappointing season. Expected to contend for a second straight playoff berth, the Browns instead have an outside chance to earn the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft. Cleveland is also on its third starting quarterback of the year. Second-year pro Dorian Thompson-Robinson gets the call with Jameis Winston (shoulder) ailing and Deshaun Watson (Achilles) out for the season. In a 24-6 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last week, Thompson-Robinson finished 20 of 34 for 166 yards while tossing two interceptions and absorbing five sacks. Thompson-Robinson, who was limited in practice on Thursday because of a quad issue, wants to do a better job avoiding those outcomes. The Dolphins' defense could help in that matter as they entered the weekend 26th in sacks (31) and tied for 22nd in interceptions (eight). "The quarterback rule that lives for a hundred years of don't throw late over the middle," Thompson-Robinson said when asked how he can avoid critical errors. "And really just trusting my legs, like I had been bragging about and talking about all last week. To be able to use it in that situation instead of trying to throw up a play." The game could be the last in Cleveland for Browns six-time Pro Bowl selection Joel Bitonio. The 33-year-old left guard, a two-time first-team All-Pro, said this week he is considering retirement, citing the toll the game takes on his body and that losing inflicts on his psyche. Miami holds a 10-9 lead in the teams' regular-season series. Four Dolphins -- tackle Terron Armstead (knee), cornerback Kendall Fuller (), safety Jordan Poyer (knee/finger) and linebacker Anthony Walker (knee) -- did not practice Thursday. Star wide receivers Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (knee) were limited, as were receiver Dee Eskridge (knee), linebacker Jordyn Brooks (quad/knee) and fullback Alex Ingold (ankle). Tight end David Njoku (knee) and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (knee) were absent from the Thursday practice for the Browns, while Winston (right shoulder), wideouts Cedric Tillman (concussion) and Jerry Jeudy (knee/shin), cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (back) and offensive tackle Germain Ifedi (Achilles) were among those limited. --Field Level Media
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US monitors Syria after Assad's fall
Maher reveals reasons for changing systems during Blues' draw with Forest GreenAlmost every household and business in NSW will have a weekly compost collection from July 2030, under proposed legislation to mandate food waste recycling and reduce landfill. Overriding a plea by the NSW Local Government Association not to mandate the frequency of collection, the bill says councils must collect food scraps weekly, either separately or in a combined “food organics garden organics” (FOGO) bin. Michelle Gray and her son Harry with their FOGO bin in Rose Bay. Credit: Wolter Peeters NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said in her second reading of the Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment (FOGO Recycling) Bill 2024 last month that stipulating the frequency of service would “ensure that households are not discouraged from using FOGO because of the decomposition of material before collection”. “We are aware of the smell issues – this mandated collection frequency aims to address that,” Sharpe said. The aim is to reduce the waste going to landfill, with space running out in Greater Sydney and some regional areas, and to reduce greenhouse emissions. Rotting organic material in landfill releases methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide for global warming. Loading It comes as a leaked draft of the biannual review of the National Waste Policy Action Plan suggests Australia is unlikely to meet a number of its waste targets, including the goal to halve the amount of organic waste going to landfill by 2030. The report, obtained by the Herald, found 28 per cent of local governments across the country provide FOGO services, and 15 per cent provide garden-only bin collection. Yet, the amount of organic waste going to landfill rose by 3 per cent to 5.89 megatonnes between 2016-17 and 2021-22. The bill also includes mandates for businesses, which is believed to be a first in Australia. A NSW Environment Protection Authority spokesperson said the introduction of the bill meant the state was “leading Australia in food waste reduction”, promising a statewide education campaign to support the new laws. Sharpe said the bill was necessary to reduce the amount of organic waste going into landfill. “There is no beating about the bush – Greater Sydney is running out of landfill. Our recycling rates have stagnated at 2016 levels,” Sharpe told parliament. “There are problems in regional areas too – areas like Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour are also predicted to reach capacity within the decade.” Michelle Gray says FOGO has been “a good learning experience” for her children. Credit: Wolter Peeters On average, food waste makes up more than a third of the material in NSW household red (general rubbish) bins, Sharpe said, and applying the mandates to all households could divert almost 950,000 tonnes of FOGO waste from landfill each year. The EPA spokesperson said, after a decade of government support, there were at least 32 industrial-scale compost facilities in NSW, and the mandates would encourage further investment. For Sydney councils already offering FOGO, the rollout has been bumpy at times. Residents have reported missed bin collections, leading to stench and fly infestations. Moves to reduce general waste collection to fortnightly , as the Inner West Council did last year, are also controversial. Separating food scraps will not be a problem for the Gray household in Rose Bay. Michelle Gray, her husband and her three children are part of a Waverley Council FOGO trial. Previously, the family composted fruit and vegetable scraps at home but sent the remains of eggs, dairy, meat, bread and grains to landfill. Now it all goes in the green (FOGO) bin. “I really liked doing it ourselves, but I also like knowing other people are doing it, so there’s a collective reduction in landfill,” Gray said. Loading “It’s been a good learning experience for [the kids] as well. Kids adapt a lot quicker than adults, and they know that when they finish eating their dinner, their waste goes into FOGO now.” As a former local councillor, Gray is aware of the pushback from some residents but believes it is necessary for environmental reasons. From July 2030, councils must offer a weekly organic waste bin collection and ensure the waste is not contaminated during transport, or face penalties of up to $500,000, or $50,000 a day. The Local Government Association’s submission to the EPA in July opposed fines. Rules for businesses and other institutions will be phased in from 2026 to 2030 and there will be similar fines. There are no fines for households. The bill also requires large supermarkets to record their food donations monthly from July 2026, and permits the EPA to publish the figures. Sharpe told parliament that fines reflected the importance of the mandates, but the approach would not be “draconian”, and there would be exemptions where needed. The Coalition supported development of FOGO while in government but does not yet have a position on the bill. The Greens are yet to examine the bill in detail but welcomed the issue being on the agenda. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Recycling Recycling crisis Climate crisis State Parliament Penny Sharpe Sydney councils More... Caitlin Fitzsimmons is the environment and climate reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. She was previously the social affairs reporter and the Money editor. Connect via Twitter , Facebook or email . Most Viewed in Environment Loading
Percentages: FG .596, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 10-23, .435 (Kopp 4-7, Nyeri 3-5, Petty 2-3, Ammons 1-3, Grady 0-2, Hall 0-3). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 2 (Nyeri, Petty). Turnovers: 8 (Ammons 2, Hall 2, Ebonkoli, Ijeh, Kopp, Petty). Steals: 6 (Kopp 2, Diallo, Ebonkoli, Grady, Petty). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .475, FT .462. 3-Point Goals: 5-18, .278 (Ríos 2-7, L.Gonzalez 1-1, Fret 1-2, Hollingsworth 1-2, Fraguada 0-1, Texidor 0-1, Rivera 0-2, Torres 0-2). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Rivera). Turnovers: 12 (L.Gonzalez 4, Fret 3, Benitez 2, A.Gonzalez, Ríos, Torres). Steals: 3 (Benitez, L.Gonzalez, Ramirez). Technical Fouls: None. .
Drink spiking to be made criminal offence as Starmer pledges crackdown on violence against womenDonald Trump to 'kick all transgender soldiers out of US military'DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's prime minister said Monday that most cabinet ministers were back at work after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad, but some state workers failed to return to their jobs, and a United Nations official said the country's public sector had come "to a complete and abrupt halt." Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighboring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Assad's brutal rule. The rebel alliance now in control of much of the country is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and promises representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said Monday they would not tell women how to dress. Syrian citizens stand on a government forces tank that was left on a street Monday as they celebrate in Damascus, Syria. "It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women's dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty," the command said on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the U.N. official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was long known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met for the first time with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali, who stayed in Syria when Assad fled. Israel said it carried out airstrikes on suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rockets to keep them from falling into the hands of extremists. Israel also seized a buffer zone inside Syria after Syrian troops withdrew. Syrians wait to cross into Syria from Turkey on Monday at the Oncupinar border gate near the town of Kilis, southern Turkey. In northern Syria, Turkey said allied opposition forces seized the town of Manbij from Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States, a reminder that even after Assad's departure, the country remains split among armed groups that have fought in the past. The Kremlin said Russia granted political asylum to Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Assad's specific whereabouts and said Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people still celebrated. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence, though in some areas small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets. Across swathes of Syria, families are now waiting outside prisons, security offices and courts, hoping for news of loved ones who were imprisoned or who disappeared. Just north of Damascus in the feared Saydnaya military prison, women detainees, some with their children, screamed as rebels broke locks off their cell doors. Amnesty International and other groups say dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, and they estimate that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. "Don't be afraid," one rebel said as he ushered women from packed cells. "Bashar Assad has fallen!" In southern Turkey, Mustafa Sultan was among hundreds of Syrian refugees waiting at border crossings to head home. He was searching for his older brother, who was imprisoned under Assad. "I haven't seen him for 13 years," he said. "I am going to go see whether he's alive." Jalali, the prime minister, sought to project normalcy since Assad fled. "We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth," he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation already improved from the day before. Israeli soldiers sit on top of a tank Monday along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly. "We want to give everyone their rights," Haddad said outside the courthouse. "We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods." But a U.N. official said some government services were paralyzed as worried state employees stayed home. The public sector "has just come to a complete and abrupt halt," said U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies was put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. "This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonized by the public media are now in charge in the nation's capital," Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. "I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again." People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Members of the Syrian community in Finland wave a Syrian flag and celebrate in Helsinki, Finland, Dec. 8, 2024. (Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva via AP) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Syrians wave opposition flags and give out sweets during a spontaneous rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) Syrians celebrate the fall of the Assad regime in Syria at a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Jonas Ekstroemer/TT News Agency via AP) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians wave Syrian opposition flags at a rally in Wuppertal, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa/dpa via AP) People wave Syrian opposition flags at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (Emil Nicolai Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Syrians living in France gather on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government's fall, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Syrians living in France hug during a rally on Republique square after the Syrian government fell early today in a stunning end to the 50-year rule of the Assad family, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard) People gather to react following the fall of Syrian president Bashar Assad’s government, in Trafalgar Square, in London, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) People gather to celebrate the Syrian government fall at Faith mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend a rally celebrating the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, at central Syntagma square, in Athens, Greece, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A Syrian man waves a flag during a spontaneous demonstration celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Snap Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsThe Indiana vs. Notre Dame matchup in the first round of the College Football Playoff is the most expensive ticket on StubHub, but it's Tennessee vs. Ohio State that's selling the fastest. StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said Monday that the game being hosted in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 21 has sold 34% more tickets than the game in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 20. “The expanded college football playoffs are seeing early high demand, especially as we see new teams enter the competition for the first time,” Budelli said. StubHub lists tickets for sale from official event organizers, but most of its offerings are from the resale market. Here's the ticket marketplace's average CFP first-round prices as of Monday evening: 1. Indiana at Notre Dame — $733 2. Clemson at Texas — $518 3. Tennessee at Ohio State — $413 4. SMU at Penn State — $271 Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
'The Cosby Show' actor Geoffrey Owens 'struggling' to make living as 'middle-class actor'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump's pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country's hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump's unusual nominees . But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump's America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect's choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump's foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees' qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump's team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, Nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump's allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president's Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump's first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will "prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies" — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump's 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump's first inauguration during the country's bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it's important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family's five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It's one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It's a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It's all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person's response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn't happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It's not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn't respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I'm hoping it's slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.” The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024: Stage set for outcome of high stakes 'battle of ballots'Israeli troops stormed one of the last hospitals operating in northern Gaza on Friday, igniting fires and forcing many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather, the territory’s health ministry said. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit multiple times over the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods, according to staff. The ministry said a strike on the hospital a day earlier killed five medical staff. Israel’s military said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants in the area of the hospital, without details. It repeated claims that Hamas fighters operate inside Kamal Adwan but provided no evidence. Hospital officials have denied that. The Health Ministry said troops forced medical personnel and patients to assemble in the yard and remove their clothes. Some were led to an unknown location, while some patients were sent to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was knocked out of operation after an Israel raid this week. Israeli troops during raids frequently carry out mass detentions, stripping men to their underwear for questioning in what the military says is a security measure as they search for Hamas fighters. The Associated Press doesn’t have access to Kamal Adwan, but armed plainclothes members of the Hamas-led police forces — tasked with keeping security and officially separate from the group’s armed wing — have been seen in other hospitals. The Health Ministry said Israeli troops also set fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including the lab and surgery department. It said 25 patients and 60 health workers remained in the hospital out of 75 patients and 180 staff who had been there. The account could not be independently confirmed, and attempts to reach hospital staff were unsuccessful. “Fire is ablaze everywhere in the hospital,” an unidentified member of the staff said in an audio message posted on the social media accounts of hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. The staffer said some evacuated patients had been unhooked from oxygen. “There are currently patients who could die at any moment,” she said. A largely isolated north Since October, Israel’s offensive has virtually sealed off the northern Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled large parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced out but thousands are believed to remain in the area, where Kamal Adwan and two other hospitals are located. Troops raided Kamal Adwan in October, and on Tuesday troops stormed and evacuated the Indonesian Hospital. The area has been cut off from food and other aid for months , raising fears of famine. The U.N. says Israeli troops allowed just four humanitarian deliveries to the area from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23. The Israeli rights group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel this week petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice seeking a halt to military attacks on Kamal Adwan. It warned that forcibly evacuating the hospital would “abandon thousands of residents in northern Gaza.” Before the latest deaths Thursday, the group documented five other staffers killed by Israeli fire since October. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza vowing to destroy Hamas after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead. Israel’s nearly 15-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives has devastated the territory’s health sector. A year ago, it carried out raids on hospitals in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan, Indonesian and al-Awda Hospital, saying they served as bases for Hamas, though it presented little evidence. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 45,400 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, and wounded more than 108,000 others, according to the Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Deaths from the cold in Gaza More than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have been driven from their homes, most of them now sheltering in sprawling, squalid tent camps in south and central Gaza. Children and adults, many barefoot, huddled Friday on the cold sand in tents whose plastic and cloth sheets whipped in the wind. Overnight temperatures can dip into the 40s Fahrenheit (below 10 Celsius), and sea spray from the Mediterranean can dampen tents just steps away. “I swear to God, their mother and I cover ourselves with one blanket and we cover (their five children) with three blankets that we got from neighbors. Sea waters drowned everything that was ours,” said Muhammad al-Sous, displaced from Beit Lahiya in the north. The children collect plastic bottles to make fires, and pile under the blankets when their only set of clothes is washed and dried in the wind. At least three babies in Gaza have died from exposure to cold in recent days, doctors there have said.
Maher opted to switch from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3 just before the hour mark after bringing Macauley Bonne on in place of Jack Bridge. And Maher felt the shift in shape was needed to get Blues back into the game from 1-0 down. "It was just what suited the game," said Maher. "We put the front three up and had another threat up top. "But tactics are only any good when you implement them and players win their battles. "We got into great areas first half but we probably weren't good enough on the ball for the final moments. "It's about what happens with the ball but we do know tactics. "We've been in the game a long time and we'll keep on working on what we think is best for the game." Blues have started matches mainly using wing-backs this season. But Maher stressed changing formations during matches was nothing new. "If anyone wants to watch games back we do change shape quite a lot in games," said Maher. "The squad is getting better and fitter now. "We are still short and we are still looking. "We'll go through a process of doing it right for what we bring in." Maher must now decide which formation to start with against Woking on Tuesday night. But he will do so making sure he remains level headed. "Sometimes reactions can be a bit over the top," said Maher. "If you win you're going to win the league and if we lose it's the end of the world but it's our job to stay as level headed as we can. "There are ups and downs but we obviously want to win more games than we have. "We're on a slight change with the team and where we're at but we will keep on trying to improve."Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight
