panalo999 login TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The winter transfer portal window closes on Saturday, and Alabama ’s roster is in a healthier place at its close than it was at that point one year ago. Technically, three SEC teams still have to go through the full transfer process (the College Football Playoff teams), but here’s where Alabama’s departures rank in the conference: Alabama: 14 departures (tied for ninth-most in the SEC) Departures for the rest of the conference from most to fewest: *Playoff teams Alabama’s 39 departures in last year’s winter window, largely due to Nick Saban’s abrupt January retirement, led the SEC by a wide margin. This year’s 14 departures are closer to what’s expected in the current landscape. Last winter was about keeping as many players on the roster as possible amid the coaching turnover. Now, we’ll start to see what a Kalen DeBoer Alabama roster looks like as he has the full autonomy that he didn’t have when he arrived. Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. document.querySelectorAll(".in-content-module[data-module-id='the-pulse-newsletter'] .in-content-module-img img ").forEach((el) => { el.setAttribute("style", "pointer-events: none;");}) Free, daily sports updates direct to your inbox. “Last year, we were really just in full retention mode,” DeBoer said this month. “There was no portal to take any guys from. I guess other than programs that lost head coaches, that’s the situation we were in (too). We’re going to build our program with the freshman class, which I’m really excited about. We’re going to retain, and we’re going to develop the guys we have here and fill in the areas that need some numbers or maybe just need to be a little bit better on the football field on Saturdays.” Advertisement Roster numbers Alabama has one more game to play: On Tuesday in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan . All available players have committed to playing , but after subtracting transfer departures and players out to injury, the number of healthy players sits around 60 players. Three of the injured players are expected departures: Malachi Moore , Deontae Lawson and Que Robinson while the rest are expected returners: Cole Adams , Jalen Hale , Bubba Hampton , Amari Jefferson , Kadyn Proctor and Keon Sabb . Currently, Alabama has 26 newcomers between high school recruiting and the transfer portal. All things factored in, the scholarship count sits at 88 players before NFL draft decisions are made. Once those decisions are official, Alabama will be in a strong position to continue adding players as the CFP winds down and those teams lose players when their windows open. GO DEEPER Alabama leaders plan to play in ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Michigan Here is where Alabama’s departures landed: Alabama is toward the middle of the SEC in departures but is in the bottom five in additions (five). But those players can all be high-level contributors next season. Here’s a breakdown of what Alabama’s getting and what it means for that position group: Utah CB Cameron Calhoun : Calhoun comes to Alabama with three years of eligibility left and proven Power 4 conference production with 21 tackles, nine pass break-ups — fourth-best in the Big 12 — and an interception this season. Given the uncertainty of Domani Jackson ’s draft decision, this was a big addition. If Jackson returns, he, Calhoun and Zabien Brown combine for a strong cornerback trio entering 2025. If Jackson departs, Calhoun is an instant plug-and-play option opposite of Brown with a strong group of young, talented cornerbacks behind them. Florida DL Kelby Collins : With two years of eligibility, Collins has an opportunity to be a key part of the 2025 defensive line. An SEC All-Freshman selection in 2023, Collins recorded 29 tackles, three sacks and 15 quarterback hurries in 18 career appearances. The pass-rushing numbers stand out, which is what Collins will be expected to contribute at defensive end, where Jah-Marien Latham has completed his eligibility and LT Overton has a draft decision. Collins’ path to Alabama is similar to Overton’s: a highly ranked prospect who committed to another school out of high school but landed with Alabama the second time around. There’s reason to believe he can have a similar type of impact. GO DEEPER What Kelby Collins addition brings to Alabama Texas A&M OL Kam Dewberry : With one year of eligibility remaining, Dewberry is a veteran who will add immediate help to Alabama’s interior offensive line. Tyler Booker is likely headed to the NFL, vacating one spot. The only other guard with true in-game experience is Geno VanDeMark , who is also the No. 2 center. With 34 career games and seven starts, Dewberry can provide instant competition at guard to start, and at worst is a swing player, he can be inserted at any time if there’s an injury as VanDeMerk was this season with Jaeden Roberts’ injuries. This type of player wasn’t available for Alabama last season because the SEC only allows in-conference transfers during the winter window. Advertisement Colorado LB Nikhai Hill-Green : With one year of eligibility remaining, Hill-Green is the most accomplished addition with 206 career tackles, eight pass deflections, four sacks and two interceptions. He was an All-Big 12 selection with Colorado this season and reunites with Sabb and Kameron Howard , his former high school teammates. Lawson and Jihaad Campbell likely will depart for the NFL, so Hill-Green can be a plug-and-play starter in the middle of the defense. And with Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia ’s recent junior college ruling against the NCAA , the door is open for Justin Jefferson to return next season. If that happens, the inside linebacker position will be in a much better position than originally thought several weeks ago. Miami WR Isaiah Horton : With two years of eligibility, Horton can have a Hill-Green type of impact on the offense in 2025. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound prospect caught 56 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 and gives Alabama the big-bodied, outside receiver that can make contested catches over the middle of the field and in the red zone that the program has been missing the past few seasons. Horton, Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard form a strong starting trio, and there are depth pieces behind them to be excited about: Adams, Hale, Rico Scott and potentially Jaylen Mbakwe among other young players. GO DEEPER Who's Alabama's signing class MVP? What position did the Tide lock down? Other needs? It’s important to note that the portal closes for players entering on Saturday for non-remaining Playoff teams only. With those eight teams, there will be players entering the portal into January, and then it opens for every team on April 16. Here are a few positions where Alabama could use more help: Edge rusher: Alabama will take pass rush help whenever it comes whether it’s a defensive lineman or outside linebacker. The defense must improve on its 23 sacks from this season. But if Alabama’s choosing, the help will come in the form of an outside linebacker. Qua Russaw has proven to be a strong, early down option against the run but still needs to come a considerable way as a pass-rusher. Behind him, there’s limited game experience with players like Yhonzae Pierre , Noah Carter and Jayshawn Ross . Perhaps someone will emerge in the spring, but for now, this is arguably the highest priority. Advertisement Safety: Smith’s departure was the most consequential of any for Alabama as he was a starter in 2024 in the slot and would’ve been in 2025. There are still some good pieces behind him in DaShawn Jones and Red Morgan , but the safety position could use some more experience. The front-line starters seem strong: Sabb, Bray Hubbard and Jones/Morgan, but there’s a considerable gap in depth. A versatile defensive back with some game experience would be a nice addition. Offensive/defensive line: The defensive line is going to be hit hard. James Smith is an exciting young player, and adding Collins helps, but this group could use an impactful player if one emerges from a Playoff roster or in the spring portal window. The interior of the offensive line was addressed with the addition of Dewberry. It would be nice to add another tackle who can provide some competition. (Top photo of Kalen DeBoer: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer glimpse into unusual American moment

Jeffrey Fleishman | (TNS) Los Angeles Times The national furor in recent years around banning books on race and gender in public schools is intensifying as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to shut down the Department of Education, emboldening conservatives to end “wokeness” in classrooms. Battles over books in school libraries have become emblematic of the country’s larger culture wars over race, historical revisionism and gender identity. A new report by PEN America found book bans increased by nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year, including titles on sexuality, substance abuse, depression and other issues students face in an age of accelerating technologies, climate change, toxic politics and fears about the future. Book censorship has shaken and divided school boards, pitted parents against parents, and led to threats against teachers and librarians . It is part of an agenda driven by conservative parental rights groups and politicians who promote charter schools and voucher systems that could weaken public education. The issue goes to the heart not only of what students are taught but how federal and state education policies will affect the nation’s politics after one of the most consequential elections in its history. “It’s not just about taking a book off a shelf,” said Tasslyn Magnusson, an author and teacher from Wisconsin who tracks book censorship across the U.S. “It’s about power and who controls public education. It’s about what kind of America we were and are. We’re trying to define what family is and what America means. That comes down to the stories we tell.” She said she feared Trump’s return to the White House would further incite those calling for book bans: “I don’t have lots of hope. It could get a lot worse.” Over the last year, PEN counted more than 10,000 book bans nationwide that targeted 4,231 unique titles. Most were books dealing with gender, sexuality, race and LGBTQ+ storylines. The most banned title was Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” about a school shooting that included a short description of date rape. Florida and Iowa — both of which have strict regulations on what students can read — accounted for more than 8,200 bans in the 2023-24 school year. “This crisis is tragic for young people hungry to understand the world they live in and see their identities and experiences reflected in books,” Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read Program, said in a statement. “What students can read in schools provides the foundation for their lives.” Trump’s calls to close the Department of Education would need congressional approval, which appears unlikely. Although public schools are largely funded and governed by state and local institutions, the department helps pay to educate students with disabilities, provides about $18 billion in grants for K-12 schools in poor communities and oversees a civil rights branch to protect students from discrimination. But Trump’s election has inspired conservative parental groups, including Moms For Liberty and Parents Defending Education, to strengthen efforts to limit what they see as a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate children with books and teachings that are perverse, amoral and pornographic. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has criticized schools that she says spend too much time on diversity and inclusion when only about one-third of U.S. children are reading at grade level: “We’re talking about public school libraries and content for kids,” Justice told NewsNation after Trump’s victory. “I think it’s very clear that there are certain things that are appropriate for kids, certain things that are appropriate for adults. We’re just getting back to commonsense America.” Trump’s threat to deny federal funding to schools that acknowledge transgender identities could affect curricula and the kinds of books school libraries stock. During his rally at Madison Square Garden in October, Trump — who has has accused schools of promoting sex change operations — said his administration would get “transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.” Vice President-elect JD Vance has accused Democrats of wanting to “put sexually explicit books in toddlers’ libraries.” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, told Newsmax that she was excited about Trump’s calls to remake education and “clean up a lot of the mess” he has inherited from the Biden administration. Trump “has centered parental rights back in his platform, which is incredible. He has prioritized knowledge and skill, not identity politics,” she said. “American children deserve better, and it is time for change.” In nominating Linda McMahon to be his secretary of Education, Trump appears to be pushing for more conservative parental control over what is taught and read in classrooms. A former professional wrestling executive, McMahon chairs the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-connected organization that has criticized schools for teaching “racially divisive” theories, notably about slavery and a perspective about the nation’s founding it views as anti-American. “Today’s contentious debates over using classrooms for political activism rather than teaching a complete and accurate account of American history have reinvigorated calls for greater parental and citizen involvement in the curriculum approval process,” the institute’s website says. Culturally divisive issues, including race and LGBTQ+ themes, cost school districts an estimated $3.2 billion during the 2023-24 school year, according to a recent study called “The Costs of Conflict.” The survey — published by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA — found that battles over books and teaching about sexuality and other topics led to increased expenses for legal fees, replacing administrators and teachers who quit, and security, including off-duty plainclothes police officers. “Are we really going to spend our tax dollars on these kinds of things?” asked Magnusson. “After Trump was elected, I saw a bunch of middle-class white ladies like me who were saying, ‘This isn’t America.’ But maybe it is America.” One school superintendent in a Western state told the study’s researchers that his staff was often consumed with correcting misinformation and fulfilling public record requests mainly from hard-line parental rights activists attempting to exploit cultural war issues to discredit the district. “Our staff are spending enormous amounts of time just doing stupid stuff,” the superintendent said. “The fiscal costs to the district are enormous, but [so are] the cultural costs of not standing up to the extremists. If someone doesn’t, then the students and employees lose. ... It’s the worst it’s ever been.” The survey found that 29% of 467 school superintendents interviewed reported that teachers and other staff quit their profession or left their districts “due to culturally divisive conflict.” Censoring books in school libraries grew out of opposition to COVID-19 restrictions. A number of conservative parental groups, including Moms for Liberty, which invited Trump to speak at its national convention in August, turned their attention to lobbying against “liberal indoctrination.” Their protests against what they criticized as progressive teaching on sexuality and race were focused on increasing conservative parental control over a public education system that was struggling at teaching children reading and math. That strategy has led to a national, right-wing effort that is “redefining government power to restrict access to information in our schools,” said Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project. “This movement to protect the innocence of our children believes if children never read it in a book they won’t have to know about it and can go on to lead harmonious lives. But books teach us cautionary tales. They instruct us. You can’t protect innocence through ignorance.” School districts across the country have removed “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, which are about gender identity and include graphic depictions of sex, along with titles by renowned writers such as Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Maya Angelou and Flannery O’Connor. Related Articles National Politics | Somerville reaffirms sanctuary-city status; Massachusetts AG to fight Trump’s deportation plan National Politics | Trump promised mass deportations. Educators worry fear will keep immigrants’ kids from school National Politics | Trump team says Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal brokered by Biden is actually Trump’s win National Politics | Trump signs White House transition deal National Politics | How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woes Surveys show that most Americans do not favor censorship. The Florida Freedom to Read Project and similar organizations around the country have called for thorough public reviews of challenged books to prevent one scene or passage from being taken out of context. Moderate and liberal parents groups over the last two years have also become more active in school board politics. They have supported school board candidates who have defeated those backed by Moms for Liberty in Texas, Florida and other states. “People say the pendulum will swing back,” said Ferrell. But, she said, conservatives want to “stop the pendulum from swinging back.” Picoult is accustomed to conservatives attempting to censor her. Her books have been banned in schools in more than 30 states. Published in 2007, “Nineteen Minutes” explores the lives of characters, including a girl who was raped, in a town leading up to a school shooting and its aftermath. “Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor. It’s a call for alarm,” said Picoult, whose books have sold more than 40 million copies. “My book, and the 10,000 others that have been pulled off school library shelves this year, give kids a tool to deal with an increasingly divided and difficult world. These book banners aren’t helping children. They are harming them.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Business case for wind propulsion improves as decarbonisation rules kick inThe Friends of Canyon Hills Library will kick off the new year with a Flash Book Sale on Jan. 7 and 8 at the branch. There will be a large variety of fiction, non-fiction, children’s and specialty books from which to choose — all at bargain prices. Also, don’t forget to check out the boutique items in the glass cases in the library lobby. All sales benefit the various programs and services the nonprofit Friends provides for the library and the community. Sale hours will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. For additional information, call the library at 714-765-6444. The Anaheim Hills, Orange and Villa Park Women’s Connection will host a new year’s celebration luncheon on Jan. 13 at the Black Gold Golf Club, and all women are invited. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. for shopping with onsite vendors, followed by the luncheon at 11:30 a.m. A special program is planned that will include a fun makeover with some of Paul’s Wig Products presented by Oakley Semrau. Diane Jackson will provide the afternoon entertainment and guest speaker Anesa Cronin will talk about finding hope. The day concludes at 1:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $32 per person and the reservation deadline is Dec. 30t, contact Barbi Zipperian at 714-280-9062. Members of the Anaheim Hills Women’s Club are planning a “Welcome the New Year” celebration luncheon on Jan. 22 at The Clubhouse at the Anaheim Hills Golf Course. All women in the community are invited to attend. The afternoon will include special entertainment with an unforgettable performance from the talented Douglas Rogiers. This versatile entertainer takes guests on a journey through the Great American Songbook that includes timeless classics capturing the charisma of Frank Sinatra and the energy of David Bowie. The Anaheim Hills Women’s Club is a social organization open to all women in the community interested in fun and friendship. In addition to monthly luncheon meetings, members have the opportunity to participate in various activities. Some of these include a breakfast group, bunco, a wine group and golf group. Gayle Huff is current club president. The cost to attend the January luncheon, which will run from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., is $38 per person and the reservation deadline is Jan. 13. For additional information or to make a reservation, contact Karon Kelleher at gmakelleher@gmail.com or call her landline 714-912-4907. The recent Holiday Basket of Miracles program, sponsored by the Miracle for Kids organization, was a huge success that helped brighten the holidays for more than 400 families with critically ill children, providing gifts, food and household essentials. Combined efforts of businesses, organizations and individuals resulted in a record-breaking number participating in the nonprofit’s “Adopt-a-Family” initiative this year. Volunteers wrapped more than 8,000 gifts, which were then hand-delivered to local families or shipped in time for Christmas. “This program is only possible thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsors, volunteers and community partners coming together that make miracles happen for 438 families this holiday season,” stated Autumn Strier, co-founder and CEO of Miracles for Kids. This year also marks the 20th year of serving families in crisis helping to provide financial aid, housing, essential resources and basic needs to families struggling to care for their critically ill children. The Miracle Manor, located in Orange near the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, provides long-term housing that enables families to reside close during their child’s treatment. A “Recycle Saturday,” sponsored by the Knights of Columbus at San Antonio Catholic Church, is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. on Jan. 4 for collecting CRV containers, including glass, bottles and cans. Those wishing to participate in the recycling event can drop off CRV-marked beverage containers in the church’s south parking lot off Solomon Avenue. The Recycle Saturday fundraiser is held on the first Saturday of the month and helps the Knights of Columbus provide needed assistance to various charitable organizations. Some of these include: Thomas House, Mary’s Path, Patriots and Paws, Isaiah’s House and Camp Pendleton. For additional information, contact the church office at 714-974-1416. Sharon Hlapcich writes about events and happenings in the Anaheim Hills area. Reach her by phone (714-998-4604 or e-mail (smhlapcich@sbcglobal.net).Domestic Violence: The Scourge Without End

A new way of treating serious asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks could be a “game-changer” and is the first leap in treatment for 50 years, researchers say. Offering patients an injection is more effective than the current care of steroid tablets and cuts the need for further treatment by 30%, according to a study. Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets specific white blood cells, called eosinophils, to reduce lung inflammation. It is currently used as a repeat treatment for severe asthma at a low dose, but a new clinical trial has found that a higher single dose can be very effective if injected at the time of a flare-up. The findings, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, included 158 people who needed medical attention in A&E for their asthma or COPD attack (COPD is a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties). Patients were given a quick blood test to see what type of attack they were having, with those suffering an “eosinophilic exacerbation” involving eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) being suitable for treatment. Around 50% of asthma attacks are eosinophilic exacerbations, as are 30% of COPD ones, according to the scientists. The clinical trial, led by King’s College London and carried out at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, saw patients randomly split into three groups. One group received the benralizumab injection and dummy tablets, another received standard care (prednisolone steroids 30mg daily for five days) and a dummy injection, and the third group received both the benralizumab injection and steroids. After 28 days, respiratory symptoms of cough, wheeze, breathlessness and sputum were found to be better in people on benralizumab. And after 90 days, there were four times fewer people in the benralizumab group who failed treatment compared with those receiving steroids. Treatment with the benralizumab injection also took longer to fail, meaning fewer visits to a GP or hospital for patients, researchers said. Furthermore, people also reported a better quality of life on the new regime. Scientists at King’s said steroids can have severe side-effects such as increasing the risk of diabetes and osteoporosis, meaning switching to benralizumab could provide huge benefits. Lead investigator Professor Mona Bafadhel, from King’s, said: “This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD. “Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations have not changed in 50 years, despite causing 3.8 million deaths worldwide a year combined. “Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma. “We’ve used the drug in a different way – at the point of an exacerbation – to show that it’s more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available.” Researchers said benralizumab could also potentially be administered safely at home or in a GP practice, as well as in A&E. First author Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia, said: “Our study shows massive promise for asthma and COPD treatment. “COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide but treatment for the condition is stuck in the 20th century. “We need to provide these patients with life-saving options before their time runs out.” Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, welcomed the findings but said: “It’s appalling that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years, indicating how desperately underfunded lung health research is.” AstraZeneca provided the drug for the study and funded the research, but had no input into trial design, delivery, analysis or interpretation.

Conners, Tate lead Appalachian State over Sam Houston 66-63

Aston Villa’s disallowed goal would have counted in England – Unai EmeryRobbins LLP Informs Paycor HCM, Inc. Stockholders that it is Investigating the Officers and Directors of PYCR to Determine if They Breached Fiduciary Duties Owed to Shareholders

It's been a long road back to the highest levels of motorsport for Canadian driver Robert Wickens. Six years after he was paralyzed in a violent wreck, Wickens will again be behind the wheel against some of the best drivers in North America. Wickens, from Guelph, Ont., was named the newest driver for DXDT Racing earlier this week, moving the 35-year-old up to IMSA GTD competition for 2025, the highest class on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. His promotion was made possible by a new hand control braking system created by Bosch Electronics, with help from GM Motorsports and Corvette Racing/Pratt Miller. "It's not going to be easy but I wanted to get to the highest levels of motorsport again because, frankly, that's where I was when I was injured," said Wickens, who crashed at Pocono Raceway in 2018 during IndyCar's ABC Supply 500. "But not only that, I want to prove to myself and other generations of people with disabilities that you can really do anything. "Maybe you're having a hard time getting back to your place of work after a life-altering accident and — whatever your discipline, it doesn't even have to be athletics — but I know it's possible as long as you align yourself with a strong support system." For Wickens, that's been his wife Karli Wickens, his family and, in his professional life, organizations like Bosch and GM. Wickens's crash left him with a thoracic spinal fracture, a neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs, a pulmonary contusion, and an indeterminate spinal injury that combined to make him a paraplegic. As he has slowly recovered some movement in his legs, Wickens has eased back into motor racing. He drove the parade lap of the 2019 Honda Indy Toronto, competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then in January 2022 it was announced he would drive in the Michelin Pilot Challenge for Bryan Herta Autosport. He and co-driver Mark Wilkins won twice in the Michelin Pilot Challenge's TCR category with three podiums in 2022. In 2023 the pairing didn't win, but they reached the podium seven times to earn the TCR championship. All of Wickens's post-accident cars have been fitted with hand controls. Those conventional systems rely on paddles around the steering wheel that activate pneumatics that then press the foot pedals. Hand controls like that are acceptable for regular road vehicles and even lower levels of motorsports but in the highest classes, like IMSA GTD where cars top out at more than 280 kilometres, the lag between the driver toggling the paddle and the car responding is unacceptably slow. That's where the Bosch electronic system comes in, with the controls linked directly to the car's braking system, removing the pneumatics as an intermediary. "When you hit the brakes to slow the car down for each corner that was always a big challenge for me where (with) the Bosch electronic system, the latency is milliseconds not tenths of a second," said Wickens. "It's basically as accurate as I would be if I was an able-bodied driver wanting to apply the brake. "Honestly, it's just better in every facet imaginable. It's just been a true blessing." Advances in physical rehabilitation from spinal cord injuries as well as the ongoing development of vehicle technology has made Wickens's return to competitive motorsport possible. "I'm very fortunate in the timing of my paralysis and my career," Wickens said Wednesday from Tampa, Fla. "If this was even a decade ago we'd be having a very different conversation today." The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has four classes of vehicles: two sports prototype categories and two grand tourer classes. GTD is considered the highest of the four classes because each team must have at least a silver or bronze driver and more than one platinum-rated driver on a team is prohibited. "I want to win," said Wickens. "I think the big thing for me on this journey back was I wanted to race again because I truly felt like I could still win. "I want to raise awareness for spinal cord injury and disability, not by just being a participant, but by being the guy. I want to win races, fight for podiums, win championships, every time I'm sitting in the car." Wickens said he won't just be a role model for people living with paralysis or other mobility disabilities, but the technology his car will employ in 2025 will likely become commercially available for use in road vehicles. "Motorsports and the automotive racing industry were founded to be a proving ground for everyday automotive vehicles," he said. "From there you make road cars and road safety better. "Hopefully we can provide the technology and have regularly available components that can make any race car accessible for anyone that needs hand controls or any other form of disability." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. Follow jchidleyhill.bsky.social on Bluesky. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press