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It is a quiet scene, not germane to the plot or destiny of any of the characters, but it is one of the most powerful in the new film "King Richard," Will Smith's biopic of Richard Williams. Richard and his wife, Oracene Price, (played by Aunjanue Ellis) watch on a small television the news footage of March 3, 1991. Motorist Rodney King is being beaten by members of the Los Angeles Police Department while surrounding police officers watch. Oracene offhandedly comments something to the effect of, "At least they have it on video this time." In the next room, Richard and Oracene's girls, tennis prodigies Venus, then 10, and Serena, then 9, with their sisters, Yetunde, Isha and Lyndrea, are shrieking and playing and carrying on as kids do. For the film, it is just another news item of daily injustice -- but one containing the hope that the existence of video will finally justify a reality much of the country does not believe exists.

For the remainder of the film, there is no further mention of the King beating, nor does the movie acknowledge its bloody denouement the following year -- a five-day uprising that left more than 50 people dead, more than 2,300 injured and an estimated $1 billion in property damage to South Central L.A. after a predominately white Simi Valley jury acquitted the four officers. "King Richard" is about a man with an outlandish, quintessentially American idea of entrepreneurship -- that his two youngest daughters are tennis geniuses ("I have a plan," is the film's foreshadowing mantra), and for two hours, 24 minutes, the film follows his relentless and unshakable faith in that plan, no matter how many upper-crust blue bloods or nosy neighbors treat him as a crazy man.

Yet, in that brief moment on the television, when LAPD officers are mercilessly beating King, the state metaphorically is beating Black America -- and a movie ostensibly about a legendary tennis story set nearly 30 years ago is soberingly contemporary. The King video did not translate into justice this time. What followed was not a repudiation of police violence, but an escalation of it, which stood as a haunting counter to the film's universal themes of hope and determination. The specter of injustice against Black people is a living, breathing component of "King Richard" -- and in no small way, the movie owes its very existence to it.

This upcoming Feb. 26, a decade will have passed since George Zimmerman, the self-styled neighborhood watchman turned vigilante, killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman believed Martin -- young, Black and wearing a hooded sweatshirt -- to be a threat. Zimmerman called 911, was told by a dispatcher not to engage with Martin, ignored the command and proceeded to shoot and kill the teenager anyway. Three weeks later, Miami Heat players, led by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, posed for a team photo wearing hoodies as a tribute to Martin and a message of support to his family. That moment represented the end of a chapter in American sports.

Zimmerman's killing of Martin in 2012 changed America -- its dialogue, its actors and most starkly, its pretenses. And it was only the start, just one bookend in a saga. The murder of George Floyd nearly eight and a half years later would become the other. In the tumultuous years in between, sports and the country have been ripped asunder, transformed, dehypnotized. Black athletes were released from the 40-year stupor of sociopolitical disconnection, the nation from the sumptuous fantasy that an Obama presidency would at last carry the country into its elusive post-racial Eden. The reality has been anything but.

Throughout Obama's two terms lurked fear that his presence would produce some form of physical recompense for centuries of Black suffering. His reassurances that he was a president who just happened to be Black were framed through a plea for unity. He reminded Americans of, in his words, "our common creed," rarely distinguishing a peril specific to Black people -- until Martin's killing, when he did. Trayvon Martin could have been his own son, he said. It was an innocuous, human response that was met with such a revealing hostility, for Zimmerman did not belong to law enforcement. He represented no formal institution with which other white people could identify -- except the institution of whiteness. He was just a guy -- who killed someone. Took a life. But the harsh reaction to Obama was demarcating, ostensible proof to his enemies that he did favor Black people after all -- and a reminder that politicians, like creatives and academics, often are dissuaded and prevented from advocating specifically for Black people. Eight years after Obama, Kamala Harris during the 2020 campaign reassured voters in an interview that she wouldn't make laws benefiting only Black people. It is a playbook.

The backlash was defining, and the combination with the Heat photo -- the world's most powerful Black man and its most recognizable Black athletes publicly denouncing the killing of a Black boy -- created a flashpoint. For the first time in nearly a half-century, the dormant, super-rich Black athlete would speak -- and be called un-American for it. Sports would become the staging ground for the dueling collision of patriotism and protest. America, shorn of the myth of post-racialism, was free to act out -- and the country has been tearing itself apart ever since.

The Ferguson uprising in 2014. Freddie Gray's death while in police custody in 2015. Zimmerman's acquittal and the equally revealing celebration of it. The arrival of the term Black Lives Matter and the hatred toward it. Colin Kaepernick's protest in 2016. Racial violence in Charlottesville in 2017. Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in a pandemic-ravaged, unraveling 2020 highlighted most horrifically when Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly 10 minutes until he died. Even the corporate class could not continue selling beer, cars, cool and capitalism as hope without acknowledging Minneapolis and its subsequent nationwide protests. Some type of response was inevitable. The country had collectively witnessed a public murder.

At least they have it on video this time.

What I saw

Film cannot be separated from its times. When Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, part of his mandate was to restore pride in a country sagging from inflation, a 444-day hostage siege in Iran, the ever-growing fear of a "missile gap," the unacceptable belief that the Soviet Union could destroy the world more times than could the United States -- but most importantly, the lasting, unresolved wound of the Vietnam War. On screen, the 1980s attempted to avenge America's defeat, give it dignity, from the cartoonish Rambo "First Blood" (1982) and its many sequels, to "Platoon" (1986), "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987), "Hamburger Hill" (1987), and "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989).

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"King Richard" did not feel like an escape from the real-life, decadelong conflict occurring outside of the theater, but an extension of it. Before people took to the streets and blocked airports, before ballplayers took to their knees, and before the trauma of police violence against Black people became as common a sight on social media as cat videos, it is unlikely the Rodney King scene would appear in this type of film. Even a cursory nod to an infamous national event might have required a certain amount of courage on the part of the filmmakers to insert into a tennis movie. Nor, without the upheaval of the past decade would there have been an urgency for Smith to counter the historically negative images of Black men on screen with this film, as there now is for Hollywood to greenlight a film rooted in the generally unremarkable act of a man devoted to his children, even children as gifted as Venus and Serena Williams.

Within this time and moment, however, this subtle insertion into the film's simple premise felt appropriate, even vital, for it identifies the long-standing presence and reputation of police in Black communities from a Black perspective, serving as a harbinger while Smith attempts to provide Richard Williams the dignity of his quest. He is not safe from predators in the community -- or from the state.

Venus and Serena Williams served as executive producers on the film. The script, written by Zach Baylin, is direct and uncomplicated, rooted in the solid, constant presence of a Black father figure, anchored by Smith's monologues of self-reliance, hard work and the memories of a life (never shown on-screen save for the kids witnessing Richard being bloodied in real-time by a local gang member outside the tennis courts) of determination against humiliation. The truth, of course, is another story altogether, and while Richard Williams was stern in his commitment and unshaking in his love, his flaws were not always the virtues Hollywood massaged them into, easily forgiven as tough love without consequence to himself or family. Like the scene where Richard attempts to teach the girls to be humble in victory by leaving them at the corner store, nearly making them walk 3 miles home. Only Oracene's intervention prevented a cruel abuse.

Richard buys his children ice cream. He dotes on them. He is hard on them. They kiss him on the cheek. He provides them the no-excuses, no-handouts American pathway. ("If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," a sign he famously hangs on the back fence of the public tennis court before every practice session.) He takes physical beatings from the world for them, determined his experience will not be theirs. Oracene, the nurse, expertly patches him when he bleeds. The Black man is an important part of the family.

Smith's Richard is a two-hour corrective to the infamous Sports Illustrated cover of May 4, 1998, the lead story centered on the Black male promiscuity and abandonment of paternal responsibility of NBA players that was accompanied by the headline, "Where's Daddy?" He is a devoted father, a complex father, a present father, and "King Richard" is primarily a simplified family story, which, in comparison to the toxicity that historically surrounds Black men on screen, is meant to feel revelatory.

The after-school special

As rubber bullets cut through the air in Minneapolis during the protests following Floyd's killing, aimed at middle-class white people, the bill on the effects of post-Trayvon Martin America had come due. The country was coming apart. Much of the corporate class, forced at last to see its true self, looked in the mirror and saw scores of industries that had never sufficiently promoted Black employees. While covering the shortcomings of other industries, none is more guilty of whitewashing than traditional media -- print, radio, television, film -- and it must be remembered that during the tumult, the dissenting voices (#OscarsSoWhite, for example) have grown louder. After Floyd's murder came an unprecedented opportunity for Black people to have a greater say in what stories get told, how they are told and who is allowed to tell them. Phones rang that had been silent for decades. Dozens of companies -- especially in publishing and Hollywood -- hired more African Americans into leadership roles in one year than over their previous 50. The number of firsts for Black people heading departments or joining the executive ranks for the first time during the second decade of the 21st century was an embarrassment spun as triumph, as Black excellence. But it should never be forgotten that the corporate world did not reach a collective realization in 2020 that Black people were talented enough to lead -- or their work was suddenly good enough to be considered for the top awards in the nation -- until George Floyd was murdered. Career opportunities, at long last, came after the protests and the funerals. It wasn't the merit that finally moved the corporate class. It was the murders.

Emboldened with the power to shape, to be in halls of greenlighting power few Black people had entered, came a mandate. Both white executives, who did not want to offend the spending customer, and several newly minted Black executives, who were tired of Black life being depicted only through trauma and struggle, brought a new call for how African Americans should be seen on screen: uplift. This coincided seamlessly with white executives' desire to avoid offending white audiences who came to film to be entertained, not admonished for their racism.

The result is a string of projects that, searching for the right balance, find themselves aimed at younger audiences where the storytelling can find inspiration, the majority white audiences can feel hope and diminished guilt, and the American Dream can remain intact. Over the past decade, it has proved itself to be financially successful and reliable formula, but at the cost of mature, defter storytelling. By attempting uplift without the trauma of life, the films take on a by-the-numbers, inoffensive tone of an after-school special. These movies are being asked to do too much.

Within this post-Trayvon Martin decade, several projects have fallen into a similar, entertaining but unsatisfying space, from "42" (2013) to "Selma" (2014), "Hidden Figures" (2016) and Colin Kaepernick's Netflix series "Colin in Black & White" (2021). Each mimics a pattern of easily discredited racism while insisting the pathway to American success remains as viable as ever for those willing to apply themselves. Aspiration is always respected, even from adversaries, the difficult edges of white hostility lathed smooth -- a prerequisite unfound when considering the sensibilities of Black audiences, which have had to endure gratuitous violence against their people -- Quentin Tarantino's infamous "dead n----- storage" dialogue and rape of Ving Rhames' Marsellus Wallace character in "Pulp Fiction" (1994), for example, or the predictable racial slurs in a Scorsese film -- as the price of the ticket.

Unknown, of course, is how much the original script and Black creative vision of these projects survived the hostile space of an industry essentially forced by societal upheaval to change who is in the room -- while keeping the storytelling formulas intact.

"King Richard," unfortunately falls into this fatal category, though the hostile country club scenes are painfully and (darkly comically) authentic along race and class lines where even the vindicated Richard cannot cleanly take a victory lap on some of his earlier nonbelievers because ultimately, they are white and rich and he is not. Maybe he did tell them so about his girls, but for them, life went on as rich and white. There will always be another business deal.

Black cinema attempting to land too often in the aspirational space may be lucrative, but with neutered storytelling can also be seen as counterprotest cleverly spun as Black excellence. Uncomplicated and uplifting approaches to complicated and complex narratives send the message that ultimately, there is no need for being in the street, no need to protest, no reason to reform, defund, reimagine. Rather, they suggest the existence of a pathway that barely exists, available only to the geniuses whose talents are so enormous that no businessman could say no to -- such as Venus and Serena, two one-in-a-millions.

It is asking fidelity to a pathway that today, in 2021, is under vicious assault. The Washington Post has written extensively about this country's attack on voting rights targeted at Black and brown communities. The national discourse in education is currently centered on states prohibiting the teaching of Black history. The University of Texas recently paused, then resumed, a study that teaches white students about anti-Black racism.

Yet, in the midst of this real-life diminishment amid increased hostility, telling important stories geared toward ninth-graders sells the fiction that the American dream is more available for Black people than ever, even that post-racialism is alive. It is not.

Make it plain

The success of any film begins with the audience agreeing to follow its director on the journey. At any point, disbelief in that journey portends certain doom. Approaching the Williams sisters as an inspirational coming-of-age story was the safe and navigable choice, falling into the family-friendly age demographic, consistent with this current strain of the Black cinematic biopic in post-Trayvon/Floyd America. But there is nothing safe about the Williams sisters or their legendary father. The choice to end the film at Venus' 1994 professional debut in Oakland was a curious one. Serena had not yet turned pro. (She would a year later.)

The film chose to lean into Venus' rise before Serena's onrush. This is the safe ground. The film could safely ridicule the racists and the nonbelievers -- the early tennis coaches, the snickering, faceless country clubbers, no one of real-life consequence -- without upsetting the members of the game's professional establishment (and there were plenty) who were equally racist and nonbelieving of Venus and Serena -- or simply didn't want them there no matter how good they were. The film chose to lean into Richard's self-belief in his aspirational plan for his daughters without the payoff of giving audiences what they ostensibly paid for: the sunburst of the greatest pair of siblings to ever play professional sports.

Focusing on the sisters before Serena even turns pro diminished the possibility of criticizing the current tennis establishment -- like Williams sisters nemesis Martina Hingis, the great Swiss Miss who often complained about them, most loudly when their hair beads might fall loose on the court -- or its current broadcasters, being embarrassed by how Richard and his family were often treated in their world-class venues. The movie ends before the most infamous incident, Indian Wells 2001, when Venus and Serena were verbally pelted with racial epithets after Venus withdrew moments before a Venus-Serena semifinal. Neither Venus nor Serena would play Indian Wells for another decade and a half.

"Remember," Richard told me when we spoke at Wimbledon a decade ago, "they never wanted any of us here."

For those lucky enough to have lived through peak Venus and Serena, "King Richard" missed a tremendous opportunity to recreate a time of true Black excellence, when Richard Williams and his two daughters were the most feared trio in tennis. Venus was No. 1 in the world and Serena then became No. 1. They traded majors, with an inevitable, uncomfortable tenseness when the sisters had to play each other and the parents remained impossibly neutral -- and Richard's real-time victory lap (the plan worked!) was seen as boorish, beneath country club tennis manners. He may have been right, but to them his behavior was the equivalent of not knowing his bread plate is on the left. In response to his vindication was their rage, and it was common for the tennis establishment to accuse Richard of "fixing" Venus-Serena matches, WWE-style -- as the Russian Elena Dementieva suggested in 2001. Their excellence was marred by the pernicious accusation Richard was determining ahead of time who would win their confrontations.

Sports films generally suffer from a fatal flaw: Actors are rarely good athletes. Corbin Bernsen, Wesley Snipes and Charlie Sheen in "Major League" (1989) defy even the most liberal application of suspension of disbelief. Tennis is particularly difficult to recreate, as Shia LaBeouf in "Borg vs McEnroe" (2017) or Kirsten Dunst showed in "Wimbledon" (2004). In "King Richard," the on-screen tennis is excellent by both Saniyya Sidney (Venus) and Demi Singleton (Serena).

Balancing the tension of sister versus sister was when, in the same tournaments, they would combine forces in doubles and destroy the competition there, too. The rest of the field knew. First there was one, then the other, and now both on the same court.

Certainly, the marketers and the moviemakers saw Venus and Serena through the inspirational prism of racial triumph, and theirs is a Lotto-winning success story. Unlike Tiger Woods, Venus and Serena have a legacy in the form of a generation of Black and brown girls who became pros. A contemporary on-screen Serena would have unleashed her significance to the current moment, and explained why women -- Black women, especially -- see themselves, every day their humiliations and struggles through her, and in turn are so protective of her. Certainly, the film leans into their first steps on the journey -- and it is a fine film within that limited scope. Maybe Serena is planning some form of sequel, since her professional tale remains to be told.

Perhaps it was the editorial choice to leave the real story, the 30,000-foot story of Venus, Serena and Richard, on the laptop that was the most disappointing. The Williams sisters' story is far greater than the cookie-cutter after-school special that might just win Will Smith an Oscar. The film avoids explaining how Richard's plan was based on racism itself: He saw the generally waifish, less athletic and less rigorous physical standards of women's tennis as the sport's fatal consequence of whiteness, class and privilege -- of not having to compete. Through that lens, Richard saw opportunity of applying the Black athletic standard of track and basketball to tennis. In the white world of tennis, Richard saw a vulnerability, an opportunity. His girls, if they learned the fundamentals, would have a superior advantage they would not have if they were competing against other Black athletes in the 100-meter dash.

Recognizing that vulnerability remade tennis. Their sheer power determined who would have a future in the game -- and who would not. The first prerequisite, for the Black girls who wanted to be like them -- for the white American, European and Australians who did, too -- was to be able to hit like them. Women's tennis now required better athletes. Once, women could serve and volley, drop shot and lob and win championships. Once the sisters arrived, tennis coaches wanted to know one thing about virtually every new prospect: if they had enough raw power to counter the force of Venus and Serena. If not, coaches would find one who could.

One day, Richard and I sat at Wimbledon and he talked about his love of Hingis. "She was a wizard, a true tennis player," he told me. He went on at length, marveling at Hingis' hands and touch, feel and guile -- all of the magical finesse. He did it with admiration and a wistful smile, out of respect for her game, and perhaps for his true victory: the recognition that his plan, through his daughters' talent, had turned Hingis -- and the century-old history of the women's game itself -- into an anachronism.

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Viewing 'King Richard' through the prism of our times - ESPN

In-principle approval has been accorded to a site in Maharashtra's Jaitapur for setting up six nuclear power reactors of 1,650 MW each in technical cooperation with France, the government said on Thursday. This would make it the largest nuclear power generating site in the country with a total capacity of 9,900 MW, Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

Currently, techno-commercial discussions to arrive at the project proposal with France are in progress, he said.

"The government has accorded in-principle approval of the site at Jaitapur in Maharashtra for setting up six nuclear power reactors of 1,650 MW each in technical cooperation with France which would make it the largest nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9,900 MW," Singh said.

"The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is involved in the development, pre-clinical evaluation and obtaining the radiopharmaceuticals committee's approval for human use for a number of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals adaptable to the existing and foreseeable demands," Singh said.

Technologies for large-scale production of these radiopharmaceuticals are transferred to the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT), he said.

"BRIT is producing and supplying radiopharmaceutical products across the country and serving a large number of hospitals by supplying these products at their door steps. BRIT is also supporting a large number of irradiators by supplying Cobalt-60 pencils," Singh said.

"These irradiators are used for food grain preservation and sterilisation of medical products. BARC has been carrying out development of seed varieties using gamma radiation. So far, 49 seed varieties developed have been notified for cultivation," he added.

Technologies have also developed for self-life extension of agricultural products, Singh said.

"BARC has been formulating and carrying out Research & Development (R&D) projects to develop technologies/processes/radiopharmaceuticals for health services and agriculture programmes," he said.

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In-principle approval accorded to Jaitapur site for setting up 6 nuclear power reactors: Govt - Economic Times

Doug and Sue Brown at their beach themed home

A Ramsgate couple who created beach-themed blue and white cladding on their property extension have won their appeal against a Thanet council decision to reject planning permission.

Doug and Sue Brown have blue, white and grey striped cladding on the property in London Road, Ramsgate, which they say is based upon a common seaside theme, stripey deckchairs, windbreaks and beach huts and invites visitors towards those attractions.

The colours are complementary pastel shades and are only seen from relatively close quarters, a surprise in the street scene. The design cheers people up and forms a bit of local art for peoples enjoyment.

But when the case went to Thanet councils planning committee in April retrospective planning permission was refused with the council saying the cladding colour scheme must be removed.

The approved extension was proposed to be white render with grey UPVC windows and doors but is now white, grey and blue stripes alongside a with a beach hut style silhouette. One complaint was made to Thanet council against the altered design.

Planning officers said the cladding was: visually intrusive, incongruous and discordant.

A vote on the issue had to be taken twice. The first vote resulted in a tie of four backing the refusal and four against the officers advice while five members abstained.

A second vote resulted in six votes to refuse, four not supporting the recommendation and three abstentions.

Former town planner Mr Brown and wife Sue lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate and have now been notified that this was successful.

The appeal inspector Nicola Davies said in her decision: The property can be seen on the approach when travelling west to east along London Road. However, being on the inside of a bend in the London Road highway and given its set back from London Road, No51 with its extension is only visible in localised views from London Road. Given the single storey nature of the extension, I do not find that it is particularly intrusive or visually prominent in public views at its corner siting.

I saw that other properties in the area have variety to their finishes with some incorporating coloured hanging tiles, render, composite or upvc cladding, stonework, black tile, amongst other materials. I accept that the striped cladding would be different to that of the finish of any other property in the area. However, given the mix of finishes in the locality the striped composite cladding does not appear as an overtly visually discordant feature in this location.

The beach hut silhouette at the property, which Thanet council says requires planning permission, is a separate matter and was not considered as part of the appeal decision.

Doug and Sue have lived at their home for 33 years and say they intend to spend the rest of their lives there.

Doug said: I hope the council will take note of the decision and allow people to bring a bit of life and colour to our lovely seaside town as it seems lacking in many of the larger new developments they are allowing.

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Couple win planning appeal to keep 'beach-themed' extension cladding on Ramsgate home - The Isle of Thanet News

The holiday season sparks a time for families to gather and share a meal. Gathering for family meals goes beyond special foods prepared and should be focused on the conversation and time shared.

There are many benefits to these meals together and should not be limited to a few times a year.The frequency of household family meals and those we can gather with weekly in-person or virtually can have an impact on our health and well-being. In-person gatherings offer a team approach to creating a meal.

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Involving everyone in the cooking, trying new foods, and encouraging a variety of food groups is a winning combination to creating excitement around mealtime. This variety encourages health with the opportunity for a range of vitamins and minerals at each meal that fuels our bodies to support our daily lives.

The choices we make have an impact on the eating behaviors and lifestyle we lead. Opting for healthier choices and focusing on portion size while not sacrificing flavor can help prevent high blood pressure, heart diseaseand diabetes. Planning meals together makes it a team effort to balance your plate with focusing on fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteinand dairy.

Flavoring meals with herbs and spices in place of salt can provide endless combinations to create delicious family favorite recipes. Cooking involves math, science, and reading skills and is a platform to develop essential life skills. Another benefit of eating together is the opportunity to be a role model or cheerleader for those you are dining with in person or virtually and is important at any age.

Mealtime offers a time to catch up on happenings in our lives and talk through any challenges or struggles a family member might be going through. Put away the technology unless you are connecting virtually and focus on listening to each other.

To mix up each mealtime, try using a conversation starter. You can use examples already created or each family member can create their own. Collect all the ideas into a container and pull one out at each meal. A few examples include: Name two things that you are thankful for today;if you could create one new tradition for our family what would it be;or what is one fun thing you hope to do in the next month?

Using a conversation starter may spark a conversation that you might never have and can help boost how we are feeling. This can be done for in-person and virtual meals together. Keeping the focus on time together and building a healthier plate will keep you connected, focused on what matters, and strive for better health together.

An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Andra Johnson, Dean and Director. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.

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From the Extension: Savoring both food and family these holidays - Daily Commercial

Encouraging clinical activity in higher dose cohorts with 63% ORR and 88% DCR reported in 2150 g/week cohort with 8 disease evaluable patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

Tolerable safety profile with cytokine release syndrome (all Grade 1 or 2) observed in 9 of 37 patients (24%)

Patient enrollment and dose escalation is ongoing to define the RP2D and MTD

Management to host webcast and conference call to review the HPN217 data presented at ASH and provide a pipeline update on Monday, December 13, 2021 at time 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HARP), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing novel T cell engagers, today presented a poster with interim data from the ongoing dose-escalation portion of the Phase 1/2 trial for HPN217 in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) at the 63rd American Society for Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition. HPN217 targets B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and is based on Harpoons proprietary Tri-specific T cell Activating Construct (TriTAC) platform designed to recruit a patients own immune cells to kill tumor cells.

As of November 10, 2021, the data cutoff date for the interim clinical data presentation, 37 patients have been dosed across 10 cohorts at fixed doses of 5 to 2860 g/week and in step dosing cohorts up to 3240 g/week administered as an intravenous infusion. These interim data demonstrated:

HPN217 is generally well tolerated with one dose limiting toxicity (DLT) reported of Grade 4 AST elevation that resolved, MTD has not been reachedHPN217 is clinically active at higher dose levels with clinical benefit, disease control rate (DCR) of 88%, demonstrated in 7 of 8 disease evaluable patients in the 2150 g/week cohort2 stringent complete responses (SCRs) have been observed, one in each of the higher dose 2150 and 2860 g/week cohortsTransient and manageable cytokine release syndrome (CRS) reported in 9 of 37 patients (24%) were all Grade 1 or 2Introduction of step dose regimens has allowed for the administration of higher target doses, currently at 3240 g/week

These encouraging data for HPN217 demonstrate robust clinical activity at higher doses, strong target engagement, and a manageable safety profile in this heavily refractory patient population, said Natalie Sacks, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Harpoon Therapeutics. Dose escalation is ongoing to determine the RP2D for advancement into the expansion phase of the trial.

Interim Results from the Ongoing HPN217 Phase 1/2 Trial Presented at ASH

This Phase 1/2 trial is a multicenter, open-label study designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and clinical activity in patients with R/R MM who have had at least three prior systemic treatments including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory drug and an anti-CD38 antibody. The initial ongoing phase of the trial is dose escalation, with the goal of determining a recommended dose for the expansion phase. The escalation phase began with single patient cohorts and transitioned to a 3+3 design when Grade 2 toxicity was observed. HPN217 is being administered to patients once weekly by intravenous infusion and the primary outcome measures are an assessment of safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Secondary endpoints include duration of response, progression free and overall survival. Tumor assessment is based on International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Response Criteria.

As of the November 10, 2021 data cut-off date, 37 patients have been treated in 10 cohorts with fixed doses ranging from 5 to 2860 g/week or a step dosing regimen of 1620 g priming dose followed by a 3240 g/week target dose. Premedication to minimize CRS includes dexamethasone and other standard therapies. Enrolled patients had a median of 7 prior therapies. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurring in greater than 20% were anemia, 17 patients (46%), fatigue, 12 patients (32%), and transient CRS, 9 patients (24%), No grade 3 or higher CRS was reported and one dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was reported, grade 4 AST, which resolved. Maximum tolerated dose has not been reached.

Clinical benefit was observed in the patients receiving higher doses. In 8 disease evaluable patients enrolled at 2150 g/week an ORR of 63% was reported (5/8 patients) consisting of 1 stringent CR, 1 VGPR, and 3 PRs. including 1 patient with prior BCMA-targeting therapy exposure. The disease control rate, (DCR), was 88% based on 7/8 patients. For the 2860 g/week cohort consisting of 5 evaluable patients, the ORR was 2/5 (40%) including a second stringent CR, with a DCR of 60%. As of the data cutoff, all responders remained on study treatment.

HPN217 demonstrated a dose proportional increase in Cmax and AUC with a median serum half-life of 74 hours (range of 38 197 hours), confirming half-life extension. Half-life, clearance rate, and volume of distribution were dose-independent, suggesting linear PK kinetics. Pharmacodynamic analysis shows a dose-dependent, transient increase in serum cytokines and chemokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF).

Patients continue to be enrolled in the escalation phase of the trial, with a goal to identify a recommended Phase 2 dose for an expansion phase. The expansion phase of the trial will further evaluate the safety and activity of HPN217 in patients with R/R MM. This trial is titled, A Phase 1/2 Open-label, Multicenter, Dose Escalation and Dose Expansion Study of the Safety, Tolerability, and PK ofHPN217in Patients With R/R MM. For additional information about the trial, please visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov using the identifier NCT04184050.

Preclinical Data for HPN217 Presented at ASH

The poster titled The Effects of BCMA Expression, Soluble BCMA, and Combination Therapeutics on the Anti-Tumor Activity of HPN217, a BCMA-Targeting Tri-Specific T Cell Engager Against Multiple Myeloma showcased translational studies to examine factors that may impact the therapeutic efficacy of HPN217. These factors include the target BCMA, in membrane-bound or soluble form, and concomitant or combination therapeutics such as gamma secretase inhibitor (GSI) and dexamethasone.

Preclinical data from this presentation for HPN217 demonstrated:

In a patient derived cell culture system, HPN217 was able to mediate multiple myeloma cell killing by autologous T cells in 80% of the culturesPresence of dexamethasone appeared to have limited effect on the anti-tumor activity of HPN217-redirected T cellsGSI increased the expression of BCMA on multiple myeloma cells and enhanced the effect of HPN217

Preclinical evaluation of HPN217 in combination with approved and experimental multiple myeloma therapeutics is ongoing

Conference Call and Webcast Details

Harpoons management will host a webcast and conference call on Monday, December 13, 2021 at time 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT to review the data presented at ASH and provide an update on other pipeline programs. The live call may be accessed by dialing 866-951-6894 for domestic callers or 409-216-0624 for international callers using conference ID # 2760075.

A live webcast of the call will be available from the Events and Presentations section of the companys website here and will be archived there shortly after the live event.

About Harpoon Therapeutics

Harpoon Therapeuticsis a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a novel class of T cell engagers that harness the power of the bodys immune system to treat patients suffering from cancer and other diseases. T cell engagers are engineered proteins that direct a patients own T cells to kill target cells that express specific proteins, or antigens, carried by the target cells. Using its proprietary Tri-specific T cell Activating Construct (TriTAC) platform, Harpoon is developing a pipeline of novel TriTACsinitially focused on the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. HPN424 targets PSMA and is in a Phase 1/2a trial for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. HPN536 targets mesothelin and is in a Phase 1/2a trial for cancers expressing mesothelin, initially focused on ovarian and pancreatic cancers. HPN217 targets BCMA and is in a Phase 1/2 trial for relapsed, refractory multiple myeloma. HPN328 targets DLL3 and is in a Phase 1/2 trial for small cell lung cancer and other DLL3-associated tumors. Harpoon has also developed a proprietary ProTriTACplatform, which applies a prodrug concept to its TriTACplatform to create a therapeutic T cell engager that remains inactive until it reaches the tumor. The companys third proprietary technology platform, extended release TriTAC-XR, is designed to mitigate cytokine release syndrome.For additional information about Harpoon Therapeutics, please visit http://www.harpoontx.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, suggest, target, will, and similar expressions (as well as other words or expressions referencing future events, conditions or circumstances) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Harpoon Therapeutics expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties that could cause Harpoon Therapeutics clinical development programs, future results or performance to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements about the development and advancement of Harpoon Therapeutics platforms and product candidates, including progress, timing, scope, design and interim results of clinical trials, the association of interim clinical data and preclinical results with potential treatment outcomes, and other statements that are not historical fact. Many factors may cause differences between current expectations and actual results, including unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during clinical studies, preliminary data and trends may not be predictive of future data or results,may not demonstrate safety or efficacy or lead to regulatory approval by the FDA or other regulatory agencies, clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected, unanticipated or greater than anticipated impacts or delays due to COVID-19, changes in expected or existing competition, changes in the regulatory environment, the uncertainties and timing of the regulatory approval process, the timing and results of unexpected litigation or other disputes, and the sufficiency of Harpoon Therapeutics cash resources. These and other factors that may cause Harpoon Therapeutics actual results to differ from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are discussed in Harpoon Therapeutics filings with theU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including under Risk Factors in Harpoon Therapeutics quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter endedSeptember 30, 2021and future filings byHarpoon Therapeutics. Except as required by law,Harpoon Therapeuticsassumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in expectations, even as new information becomes available.

Contacts:

Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc. Georgia Erbez Chief Financial Officer 650-443-7400 media@harpoontx.com

Westwicke ICR Robert H. Uhl Managing Director 858-356-5932 robert.uhl@westwicke.com

Continued here:

Harpoon Therapeutics Presents Interim Clinical Data from its Ongoing Phase 1/2 Study and New ... - KULR-TV

Some Tiwi Islanders fear the project has not had sufficient scrutiny, and have written to JERA urging them to re-think their involvement.

A proposed pipeline will run as close as six kilometres from the Tiwi Islands. Source: Environment Centre NT

I would say, dont invest in this, dont put your money there, because you might regret it one day, what youve done, Jikilaruwu Traditional Owner Marie Munkara wrote in the letter, seen by SBS News.

Tiwi Islands resident Antonia Burke said she was hugely disappointed by what she considered to be a lack of consultation.

There are going to be huge risks if this does go ahead without any consultation with the Tiwi people, she wrote in the letter.

The Tiwi Islands lie about 80 kilometres north of Darwin, and are home to some 2,400 people.

The letter, sent on 3 December, has been signed by Environment Centre Northern Territory, and corporate accountability advocates Jubilee Australia.

The Japanese Centre for a Sustainable Environment and Society also signed the letter.

We are also concerned regarding the significant carbon shadow of the Barossa project, the letter continued.

The Barossa proposal is fundamentally incompatible with keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees and avoiding the worst impacts of the ongoing climate crisis.

Antonia Burke, pictured fishing off the Tiwi Islands, is concerned about the environmental impact of the Barossa project. Source: Environment Centre NT

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis in March published a report that sounded the alarm about carbon emissions from the Barossa project.

"The unprecedented scale of the Barossa emissions relative to the LNG production creates major risks for shareholders," the report found.

Santos has said the $4.7 billion Barossa project will be the biggest investment in Australias oil and gas sector since 2012.

As the economy re-emerges from the COVID-19 lockdowns, these job-creating and sustaining projects are critical for Australia, also unlocking new business opportunities and export income for the nation, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher said in March.

The Barossa and Darwin life extension projects are good for the economy and good for local jobs and business opportunities in the Northern Territory.

Santos and JERA have said they will explore zero emissions projects and carbon capture technologies as part of the Barossa project.

However, Environment Centre Northern Territory co-director Shar Molloy said developing the Barossa gas field was not consistent with commitments to reduce emissions.

There is no viable plan or approvals to capture the emissions this project would produce, she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been criticised for promoting a gas-led recovery from the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australia recently adopted a plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050, but has come under fire for refusing to adopt more ambitious short-term goals.

A JERA spokesman said they would progress the project with the input of relevant stakeholders, and with a particular focus on the environment.

More here:

Why these Tiwi Islanders are worried about one of Australia's newest gas projects - SBS News

Maverick manager Mick McDermott is staying at the Bet McLean Oval for at least another two and a half years.

he Glens boss, who oversaw a 3-0 victory over Carrick Rangers yesterday to move his side up to joint second in the Danske Bank Premiership alongside rivals Linfield, has agreed an extension to his contract which will see him remain at the helm in east Belfast until June 2024.

While the club at times have been dogged by controversey since he joined in 2019, McDermott, who is also a leading director of the club, has managed to secure European qualification on two occasions, won the Irish Cup in 2020 while they are serious challengers for the Gibson Cup this season.

Ali Pour, Glentorans majority shareholder, told Sunday Life Sport: To take control of a big club, revitalise and rebuild it into a highly competitive team is no easy task. The fact that Glentoran FC is a force again and capable of challenging for trophies, in such a short time span, is a credit to Mick and the people around him.

The East Belfast club has enjoyed a long-awaited renaissance since being taken over by a UK-based consortium, headed by British-Iranian businessman Pour in July 2019.

When McDermott arrived in March 2019, Glentoran was a club is disarray . . . no trophies, no money and no prospects.

Now just over two years into the Pour project, the Glens are a different animal. Gone are the financial implications that threatened to close the doors of the famous Belfast club, reflected in the Irish League transfer record 120,000 they forked out in the summer for the signature of Ballymena Uniteds Shay McCartan.

Pour, Glentorans majority shareholder, stated: Mick has been embedded in every aspect of this project; he has played a role in every step from the takeover to the day-to-day operations and management of the team.

With two successive European qualifications and an Irish Cup success in our first two seasons, we can be pleased but not satisfied we are by no means near the finishing line.

I am committed to the long-term future of Glentoran Football Club. We will face many challenges and battles along the way . . . that is normal in any environment when the status-quo is questioned.

These experiences will only make us stronger in our desire to succeed! I know Mick is dedicated and committed in everything that he does for this project and club, and I am confident the future is bright for the entire Glentoran community

It has been quite a weekend for McDermott. Not only did he get his contract negotiations over the line, but he was also named the Aktivora Northern Ireland Football Writers Manager of the Month for November his teamed were defeated on only one occasion.

On his new three-year deal, McDermott admitted the hard works start now.I am honoured to be offered this contract extension and accepted it without hesitation. I appreciate the faith that Ali and the Board are showing in me and I fully understand the high expectations that come with it.

Since the takeover in July 2019, it has been like a whirlwind re-building a Club, re-building a squad and building a team into what we are today.

It has been and remains a massive challenge for me and I could not do it without the commitment of my players, the loyalty of my staff, the work-ethic of the many unsung volunteers, the backing of Ali and the Board and of course, the support of the masses of Glentoran fans!

Rest assured that every decision I have made and every battle I have fought has been with the best interests of Glentoran FC and I will continue that as long as I am here.

I am excited for the future and Ali Pours vision and plans for the Club we will not stand still.Although Glentoran have taken massive strides under his leadership, McDermott realises he will be judged on success on the pitch.

McDermott adds: It doesnt mean there is any less pressure on me, I still have to win matches. I have had interest from other projects elsewhere, but how can you go?

I am at the club every day, its hard work. I suppose half of my work is stuff that other managers dont have to think about, Covid for example. Yes, we have Covid officers, but I am heavily involved as well.

There is no timescale, but we want to bring success to the club, he added. I would hope we can have a crack at it this year (winning the title).

But there are other teams thinking the same. Will it be this year? We would certainly love it to happen. Only one team can win it. We have pressure on ourselves to try and do it as soon as possible.

Im aware well not be classed as success until Glentoran wins the Gibson Cup.

But we are only starting this, we are only two years in. It feels to me that something is ready to take off in our league, and especially at Glentoran, I really get that feeling.

I actually think its brilliant what has happened to Glentoran Football Club and I dont think anyone has ever said that. I think the League is going to get better and better.

Read more here:

Glentoran manager Mick McDermott is a keeper as he signs an extension to his contract at The Oval - Belfast Telegraph

Tiffany McDonald| Guest Columnist

When COVID-19 first hit, I thought I would be able to get by without any major problems. I could continue running the small marketing business I own from my home. My household with just me and my son was small enough that I didnt have to worry as much as others about coming into contact with someone who had the virus. And like most other people, I figured the economic downturn would only last a few months.

But when my clients started cutting their budgets, I knew I would have to find another job. When I did find other work, it was a fraction of the income I was making before. As a disabled veteran, Im lucky to get benefits that help with the cost of health care, but the past year has been a struggle. Ive had to hustle and pick up jobs where I could find them to make ends meet.

Sadly, my story isnt unique. Parents across Florida have struggled to keep their families afloat while dealing with the high costs of child care and other essentials. But over the past few months, weve had a lifeline in the expanded Child Tax Credit. Millions of families are benefiting from these monthly tax cuts that help pay the bills and havelifted3.5 million children across the country out of poverty.

The tax cut I get each month is a massive relief that has made everything from paying for gas to affording groceries easier. With our governor playing politics with food aid funds, the CTC has been even more essential. Its timing in the middle of each month helps cover unexpected expenses that have almost always shown up, and its proven to be invaluable during this tough economic climate.

With so many families across our state in need, it was disappointing to see elected officials from Florida vote against the bill that expanded the Child Tax Credit earlier this year. Senator Marco Rubio in particular has gone further and repeatedly attacked this new policy, even as millions of Florida families like mine have benefited.

Its clear why Rubio is doing this. He couldnt muster the political courage to work across the aisle earlier this year and support the bill that created these tax cuts, so instead hes trying to score points by attacking it. If Rubio spent time talking with parents like me who are relying on these tax cuts instead of playing partisan political games, hed see that this program is helping us meet the rising costs of daily life that hes done little to fight.

Congress is preparing to vote for another bill that will help lower costs for families like me by tackling child care, health care, and education expenses. Included in that bill could be an extension of the Child Tax Credit expansion, but Rubio has pledged to vote against it and do everything in his power to stop it. If Marco Rubio continues to push his own political agenda at the expense of working parents like me, then he doesnt deserve to be reelected next November.

Tiffany McDonald is a mother, aveteran, and owner of TMIAgency, a marketing firm inJacksonville

See the article here:

Guest column: The child tax credit expansion is a lifeline - Mark Rubio wants to take It away - The Florida Times-Union

Now that the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill, with $550 billion earmarked for transit has passed in Washington, and Illinois is projected to get $17 billion, the longtime dream of extending the CTA Red Line south to nearly the city limits is looking likely to become a reality. This week the transit agency hosted two online meetings to get feedback on proposed strategies and concepts for transit-supportive development near each of the four proposed Red Line extension station areas.Similar to transit-oriented development, the Federal Transit Administration defines TSD as dense, mixed-use development near stations that encourages ridership, as well as reducing urban sprawl and traffic congestion, encouraging walking, and fostering economic activity and sustainability. A meeting on Tuesday looked at TSD opportunities around the future 103rd Street and Michigan Avenue stations. I attended the meeting on Wednesday, which focused on the upcoming 111th Street and 130th Street stations.

Connectivity was the buzzword at Wednesdays event. CTA staff explained that the project would extend the train line 5.6 miles from its current southern terminus at the 95th/Dan Ryan station to 130th Street, near the Altgeld Gardens housing project in Chicagos Riverdale community. The new tracks elevated from 95th to 116th, south of which trains would run at ground level. According to Ammar Elmajdoub, a strategic planner at CTA, this will bring new development and economic opportunity, a theme that was reiterated several times during the meeting.

The meeting was moderated by Barbara Keaton Stubblefield, senior manager of community outreach at Ardmore Roderick, an engineering firm thats consulting on the project. Also presenting was senior planner Teresa Fourcher from Solomon Cordwell Buenz, an architecture and planning company thats also consulting. A question-and-answer segment was led by SCB planner and urban designer Elbert Whitfield. In between, several people from both the CTA and relevant neighborhoods offered their takes on the project. According to Elmajdoub, the draft transit supportive development plan for RLE should be ready by 2022, with construction starting in 2025. Train service is projected to start by mid-2029.Erin Lavin Carbonagi, managing director of the development consulting firm Urban Resolve, is part of the transit supportive development plan team, and she discussed the positive impact the 111th Street and 130th Street stations could have on the surrounding areas. Weve collected a lot of great input at community meetings and organized it into an over-arching vision statement supported by time goals for a strong and prosperous community in the project area, she said. The vision statement is that the Red Line extension itself will serve as a catalyst towards achieving the communitys vision for regional prosperity, for improved quality of life and for community wealth generation.

Carbonagi added that these strong and prosperous communities will benefit from diverse housing options, successful commercial districts with thriving businesses and workforce advancement, neighborhood activity and connectivity. She also promised that there will be access to quality housing for residents. She stressed that this vision was inspired feedback from community members. Weve heard from your voices and your requests great interest in attracting grocers, restaurants, retailers and other great amenities to the area. But in order to attract these amenities, the economics need to attract the developers, and the economics need to attract these types of tenants.

Carbonagi noted that the populations of the areas around the stations have been falling in recent years, and incomes levels have been decreasing, with the median age increasing. However, the Chicago Metra Agency for Planning predicts a future increase in population in these neighborhoods, in part due to the Red Line extension.

Andrea Reed, executive director of the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce, said the Red Line extension could improve the image of the community, which currently has public safety challenges. She argued that better transit service could help small businesses thrive and encourage more people to become homeowners in the area. Then theyd have a stake in the community, she said. When you have both of these things operating, thats very powerful. She also mentioned holding a training program to help smaller neighborhood businesses succeed and become legacy businesses that could pass on the wealth to [family members]. The money stays in the community. And thats very important.

Watch Wednesdays meeting here.

Originally posted here:

How can we create transit-supportive housing near new Red Line extension stations? - Streetsblog Chicago

Recently, two firefighters with the city of Akron went to a West Akron home and installed new smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector and went through fire safety measures including a fire safety plan all for free.

For Tanya Robinson, whose mother continues to live in the family home since her father dieda few years ago, the visit gave her peace of mind.

I left there feeling an additional layer of security, she said.

For the fire department, ensuring residents are protected from a fire is key, said Capt. Michael Haas, who oversees the Akron Fire Departments fire prevention bureau and community service division.

The city of Akron partners with the American Red Cross to provide and install free smoke detectors. The American Red Cross also works with other fire departments throughout the Akron region and nationally to ensure peoples homes are protected with smoke detectors.

Robinson of Copley has been working on a checklist of things to try to ensure her mom can safely stay in the home shes lived in for 56 years.

Robinson heard about the program for free smoke detectors when she saw a television news report after a recent fire where a little boy died.

Robinsons family home had smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector, but that was something her late father always handled.

He was always up on the ladders, etc., said Robinson. You get a false sense of Oh, Dad always took care of this.

On a recent day, Robinson was at the house following the firefighters around as they pointed out fire and safety hazards, such as a rug that didnt have anti-slip backing on it and could cause her mom to fall. Robinson also already had a fire-escape plan set up for her mom, but altered it after getting more advice from the professionals.

I dont think people should take it for granted that nothing will ever happen, Robinson said.

The smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the family home were working, but both were upgraded with the free ones installed by the fire department.

Robinson didnt even know about the city's brand new program to offer carbon monoxide detectors, in addition to the Red Cross partnership for free smoke detectors.

Haas said the city believes it is the first in Ohio to installfree carbon monoxide detectors. Akron won a grant in 2019 from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) for 1,500 carbon monoxide detectors. Delays, including COVID and shipping delays, meant the carbon monoxide detectors only recently arrived in the city, said Haas.

Haas had reached out to me after an August columnI wrote about an Akron couple who said that reading a column of mine had saved their lives. In April, I had written about former Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge and an unusual smoldering situation she had at her home, which brought firefighters out twicein two days. In that column, I also had somefire-prevention safety tips, including checking on your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

More: Column prompts couple to replace carbon monoxide detectors. It likely saved their lives

More: Betty Lin-Fisher: Former home writer's smoldering issue is a chance for education and a catch-up

Haas and I wanted to be sure the carbon monoxide detectors were in town and ready to be installed before we shared this important information.

Working smoke detectors could save someones life, said Haas.

We've had several deaths in the city of Akron this year, and in a lot of those homes were homes with no working smoke detector, he said. The importance of a smoke detector is to give you an early warning in your house so you can get out and get out safely.

But just as importantin the installations, which are done by Red Cross volunteers or local communityfirefighters, said Haas, is fire prevention education like the one at Robinsons mothers house. That includes pointing out extension cords that may be overloaded or too many items plugged into an outlet, he said. The reports are left with the homeowner and are suggestions, he said. Firefighters also go through a fire-exit plan, making sure there are always two ways out of the house and a meeting place once residents are outside, he said.

The installations are quick and easy, said Haas.

With our program, we can be in and out of your house in 15 minutes. We provide you with free smoke detectors on every floor, professionally installed by our own firefighters, and we install them correctly, he said.

The Red Crossprogram offers a free smoke detector on each floor of the home, professionally installed. The city of Akron has some extra smoke detectors from previous grants and caninstall them in each bedroom as well, Haas said. Akron also has smoke detectors for the hearing impaired available, he said.

The free carbon monoxide detectors with 10-year-lithium batteries available right now only to Akron homes through the Akron grant are another level of protection and can also save lives, said Akron Fire Lt. Joseph Falkenstein, who wrote the grant.

Carbon monoxide is the silent killer, he said. It is odorless and tasteless, yet many people have appliances or things in their home that produce it.

Unfortunately, Capt. Haas and I and many firefighters have been on calls where it has been too late where people have succumbed to their injuries or the effects of carbon monoxide. We want to make sure that doesnt happen, said Falkenstein. If we can protect our citizens and do what we can for our hometown, that's what were here for.

Added Haas: Joe and I both feel that the very next smoke detector we install or carbon monoxide detector we install could be the one that saves someones life.

The Akron Fire Department regularly canvasses neighborhoods within days of a fire fatality, knocking on doors to offer free smoke detector installations or leaving a flyer to call for free detectors, Haas said.

We're looking for any way when people are on high notice to say, Why dont we put smoke detectors in your home? Haas said.

The canvasses often generate calls from neighbors.

To make this easy, the American Red Cross will coordinate all requests for free smoke detectors and fire safety inspections in our region, said Rachel DAttoma, executive director of the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.

The American Red Cross Smoke Alarm Hotline is 330-535-2030.

If a resident lives in Akron, the Red Cross will pass along the persons contact number to Haas department, which will arrange for the free smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and inspections. If you have a loved one in another part of the state or country, have them reach out to their local Red Cross chapter to get connected for free smoke detectors, D'Attoma said.

If you don't need a smoke detector, you can still call the hotline to get connected to your local fire department for a free fire home safety inspection, she said.

The Red Cross will also direct callers to the appropriate local fire department for free smoke detector installation and if there is not a program, Red Cross volunteers will install the detectors. Some communities may have free carbon monoxide detectors or other programsbut not on a wide scale, so connection through the Red Cross would be best, said Haas.

The free detectors are available to any homeowner regardless of income.Haas suggests anyone without a working smoke detector or with one that's more than 10 years old to call for a free replacement.

Falkenstein also hopes the grant Akron received will encourage other fire departments to apply for similar programs. Similarly, many area fire departments also get private and corporate donations of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, which can help residents, said Haas. He encourages anyone wanting to donate to contact their local fire department.

The free smoke detector program and fire-safety inspection program first started in the Cleveland market 30 years ago and now is offered nationwide, said DAttoma. The smoke detectors all have 10-year lithium batteries. Residents are asked to test the detectors once a month, she said.

While the Red Cross is often known for its disaster-relief assistance or assistance after a tragedy, like a fire, DAttoma said fire prevention is probably even more important.

No one needs the Red Cross until you need them, but we firmly believe, alongside with our fire partners, that we are the community safety net when it comes to home preparedness, she said. The free smoke detector program is funded through corporations and individual donations through the Red Cross and will take placeregardless of funding, DAttoma said.

We always want to ensure our families and our community is safe. If we can do everything we can to prepare them for really what could be the worst day of their life, thats what our organization is about.

Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or http://www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ. To see her most recent stories and columns, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher.

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Betty Lin-Fisher: This info on free detectors, safety inspection could save your life or the life of a loved one - Akron Beacon Journal