Tweet Facebook Mail A Victorian man who allegedly fled the state after being involved in a crash that killed a 53-year-old woman in 2022 has been extradited from Queensland. Police arrested the 25-year-old Horsham man at an address in Macgregor, south of Brisbane, after he failed to appear in court last Thursday. The charge relates to a head-on crash that killed Pauline Smith on the Western Freeway in Great Western on May 20, 2022. READ MORE: Arrest made after man killed during assault inside Melbourne home Ambulance Victoria paramedic Pauline Smith died in a two-car crash near Stawell in 2022. (Supplied) Smith was driving a blue car that collided with a white Holden Vectra near the Grampians. The 53-year-old was an off-duty paramedic and mother-of-three and had just finished her shift less than an hour before the crash. She died at the scene. READ MORE: Easey Street murder suspect Perry Kouroumblis touches down in Qatar on way to Australia An off-duty paramedic and mother-of-three has been killed in a head-on highway crash in western Victoria. (Nine) The man was bailed after being charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death. "Fugitive Taskforce investigators wasted no time in tracking the man down, identifying that he had possibly fled to Queensland," Victorian police said. The man has faced Brisbane court and an extradition order was granted. The 25-year-old will arrive in Melbourne today and will face Melbourne County Court tomorrow. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .In 1977, the sitcom Happy Days launched its fifth season with a time-honored TV trope, sending its motley cast of characters on vacation. Scouted by Hollywood producers, Fonzie ( Henry Winkler ) and the cast fly to L.A. where the Fonz auditions to become the next James Dean . But while in Cali he is also (randomly) challenged by a local to jump over a shark on water skis (which he does). The ridiculousness of the plot line later caused two University of Michigan students to coin the phrase "jumping the shark" and create the website jumptheshark.com , which called out the point in a creative project where the storyline charges past the point of relevance and believability into something outlandish. Because in what semi-realistic world is a Milwaukee greaser vaulting a shark on water skis? To raise a similar question: in what semi-realistic world is a gladiator vaulting from one ship to another in a flooded version of the Roman Coliseum while fully grown (and voracious) sharks swim nearby? In the sequel to a Best Picture-winning film, apparently. 🤩 📺 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter & get the scoop on the latest TV news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🤩 🎥 I'm of course referring to Gladiator II , which has been teasing fans with its Jaws -meets- The Hunger Games -style gladiatorial battle since the trailer dropped. The original Gladiator , which won five Oscars following its release in 2000, saw the sacked Roman general Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) seeking vengeance on the new emperor Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix ) for murdering his wife and son. Now, over two decades later (in the film and real life), the story picks back up with Maximus' son Lucius Verus ( Paul Mescal ) following a similar journey. At the end of Gladiator , Lucius is sent away from Rome by his mother Lucilla ( Connie Nielsen ), fearing that he will be murdered by power-hungry politicians. As the sequel begins, Lucius is living in the African kingdom of Numidia (modern-day Algeria) with his wife, when the Romans, led by Marcus Acacius ( Pedro Pascal ) siege the city as part of Rome's eternal (and largely inexplicable) land grab. Lucius' wife is killed and Lucius is dragged to Rome as a slave to begin his training as a gladiator. Meanwhile back in the capital, Lucilla has remarried Marcus Acacius and the empire is ruled by a pair of brothers (both of whom need to head back to Sephora to get their foundations re-matched to their skin tone). Geta ( Joesph Quinn ) is the slightly more hinged of the pair, with Caracalla ( Fred Hechinger ) becoming overly attached to his pet monkey seemingly due to some sort of STI that's eroding his brain. The brothers are hosting a gladiator festival. Lucius is competing. His mom is watching. He wants to murder her new husband. Various action sequences ensue. Related: Everything You Need to Know about the 2024 Oscars, Including the Winners Paramount Pictures On the whole, Gladiator II sticks closely to the plot of Gladiator in the standard "requel" format we've seen used in films like Scream (the fifth one), Jurassic World and Twisters . Requels, however, work best when either a) the original wasn't that great to begin with ( Top Gun: Maverick , Mad Max: Fury Road ), or b) the new film makes some big changes ( Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Creed ). It's much more difficult to create a new classic when you're working from a beloved piece of IP—the Terminator , Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones reboots all being obvious examples. The path set before Gladiator II , therefore, was fraught from the start. The original Gladiator is an astonishing feat of not only directing and acting but also craftsmanship. Not only does it hold up marvelously, but it was filmed in that glorious window in the late '90s where action scenes were still almost completely created using practical effects and CGI was just brought in to touch things up. Outdoing the original would be a Herculean task. That's probably why the project has been in development since 2001, with director Ridley Scott relaying updates every few years. At one point Crowe was set to return and battle his way back from purgatory; at another Chris Hemsworth was set to lead. The final form of the sequel, however, is mostly the original with Crowe's role split between Mescal and Pascal and Phoenix's given to Quinn and Hechinger. Gladiator II is basically the Shein dupe of Gladiator , where everything is just a little shittier than the original. From the opening naval battle, shoddy Marvel-esque CGI drags down the artistic quality of the film, while none of the leads are quite as starkly drawn (via the script or acting) as their original counterparts. The only moments that veer off from the original are the outlandish action sequences, like the aforementioned shark battle, a Coliseum face-off with a rhinoceros, and a scuffle with the most wackadoo set of CGI monkey/humanoid creatures I've ever seen. While I'm not going to be a stickler for historical accuracy (several historians quit working on the original Gladiator , and I can't imagine they returned for this one), I wish the movie had either stuck with the (sort of) serious tone of the original or gone full camp. Gladiator II instead seems conflicted as to whether it's aiming to be The Fast and the Furious or Saving Private Ryan . Related: 33 Academy Award Contenders for 2025 You Need to Watch Paramount Pictures Firmly on the Vin Diesel side of the rubric, however, is Denzel Washington , playing the gladiator-trafficking Macrinus. Macrinus is the bisexual menace that Carrie Bradshaw warned us about, strutting around Rome flaunting cleavage, munching on grapes and swindling senators out of their estates. Washington, channeling Lady Gaga in House of Gucci , seems to be the only cast member informed by Scott of the movie's tone. A scene involving Washington and a severed head is easily the film's best, and he seems poised for another Oscar run. On the Saving Private Ryan side of things, Scott is returning to this "Rome as a metaphor for the American dream" idea that creeps up briefly in the original. However, due to Gladiator II 's end game, this idea that Rome was a beautiful democracy that has been tarnished by greed appears in a more earnest way. Historically this grafting seems dubious, but based on the fact we just saw a man name a monkey as Roman consul, the abrupt turn into modern American politics just seems a little silly. And also given how often straight men think about the Roman Empire , I doubt we need them believing that's the historical golden era we should be aiming to emulate. Overall, Gladiator II is a fun ride and worth watching. Sure the action sequences jump the shark, but perhaps the film should have done even more shark-jumping. I just wouldn't recommend rewatching Gladiator in the leadup. It's sort of like how you shouldn't do a taste test between gluten free cookies and the real deal. Let your foggy memory make up for the gap in quality. Rating: B- Related: The Best Movies of 2024 (So Far)The condemnation came as the House of Lords debated regulations paving the way for a scheme which would require animal lovers on the British mainland to have documentation in order to visit Northern Ireland. Critics view the move as further evidence of Northern Ireland still having to follow EU rules post-Brexit and being treated differently from the rest of the UK – a major source of contention to the unionist community. The paperwork, which will be free to apply for, includes a declaration that the owner will not travel onwards to Ireland or another EU country with their pet or assistance dog. Animals will have to be microchipped and have their own individual pet travel document, which will be valid for its lifetime. Northern Ireland residents returning after a stay in Great Britain with their pet or assistance dog will not need a travel document. The scheme is being introduced under the Windsor Framework, a revised deal for Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements aimed at tackling issues caused by the protocol. Raising her concerns in Parliament, Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “These regulations are in effect about a new aspect of the Irish Sea border that has not had expression until this point because of the grace periods.” She added: “The experience of visiting Northern Ireland with your pet dog or cat, or even a ferret, will be made to feel like a visit to a foreign country. Lady Hoey went on: “This could spell the end of holiday trips for pet owners from GB to NI and then on to the Republic, when they want to explore both Northern Ireland and the Republic. “If they have a pet passport, they will have renounced their right to go to the Republic. That makes the border more of an obstruction than having border control posts on it, because at least in that eventuality, you could still cross over it.” Rejecting claims it was a result of the UK leaving the EU, she said: “The reality is that this is happening precisely because Northern Ireland has not got Brexit. “As we say repeatedly, it is still subject to EU rules and the EU could change the rules overnight.” Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: “Every one of the statutory instruments that come forward under the Windsor Framework must be properly debated, because these laws are being brought forward to implement what a foreign jurisdiction has decided should be the law of the United Kingdom. “In the 21st century, we should not accept colonial rule. We abolished it elsewhere. We believe it should not be tolerated for one second. People should have the democratic right to decide their laws for themselves, in their interests.” He added: “The ridiculous part about this debate is that we are having to debate European laws regulating the movement of pet animals owned by British citizens between one part of the United Kingdom and another. That is an outrage.” Lord Dodds went on: “As I said, there will be hundreds, thousands more of these regulations, in all areas, affecting the daily lives of people in Northern Ireland. They all add up to a grievous assault on Northern Ireland’s constitutional position.” But former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick said: “I support the Windsor Framework because it is a necessary legal device to deal with the complexities that were presented to us in Ireland, north and south, on the issue of Brexit. “We need a pragmatic solution rather than choosing to have political contests and duels simply for the sake of them.” Introducing the regulations, environment minister Baroness Hayman of Ulloch said: “This scheme will simplify the requirements associated with moving pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland significantly. “It replaces single-use animal health certificates with a free-of-charge lifelong travel document and removes the need for costly pet health treatments. “Pet owners who travel frequently with their pets, or those who rely on the services of an assistance dog to travel independently, will benefit substantially from this change in approach.” However, she acknowledged the concerns raised by peers and promised to continue engagement with them.

See what Nigerian man found out after planting secret camera in girlfriend's teddy bearAerial of the Horace Wilkinson Bridge servicing Interstate 10 as it crosses the Mississippi River, seen Friday, September 13, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Funding for three major transportation “mega projects” across the state will be suspended for two years as part of the tax package championed by Gov. Jeff Landry that passed Friday. The three projects include the Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge, upgrades to Interstate 49 and upgrades to U.S. 90 between Lafayette and New Orleans. Beginning this year, about $40 million in state funds was supposed to be set aside for each of those projects along with a fourth project, replacing the Calcasieu River bridge. Funding for the Calcasieu River bridge wasn’t suspended as part of the plan because it has already been obligated for bond payments, Sen. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, said Friday. Lawmakers in 2021 passed a law defining the four priorities as “mega projects” and the following year designated $160 million in state funds to go toward the set of projects. The revenue for the Megaprojects Leverage Fund comes from a portion of the motor vehicle sales tax. But as Landry and state lawmakers over the past two weeks tried to figure out how to pay for the tax cuts and other changes in his tax package, the cash that flows to the mega project fund was factored into the equation. Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said suspending $120 million in annual funding for the three projects is essentially meant to be a cushion for the broader tax package — which was put together based on estimates of future revenue. “We want to make sure that we have enough cushion, should one of the estimates be off too far one way or the other, that we’re able to address all the expenses in the state,” Henry said. “This is a solid reoccurring source of revenue that gives us a little flexibility for the next two years,” he said. Henry also said one-time funding could become available next year and go toward the missing transportation project revenue. For example, there could be extra cash in two state savings accounts known as the Budget Stabilization Fund and the Revenue Stabilization Fund, he said. The evening before lawmakers voted to temporarily suspend funding for the three projects, Landry, along with Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, had a paper copy of the following statement distributed to the desks of lawmakers: “We have committed to the people of Louisiana that we will ensure the necessary funding to finish I-49 North, I-49 South, the Calcasieu River bridges, and the Baton Rouge bridge.” As senators voted to approve the suspension of transportation project funding Friday, Landry posted the same message on social media.

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Reminds Investors of Looming Deadline in the Class Action Lawsuit Against Humacyte, Inc. (HUMA)AP Trending SummaryBrief at 2:51 p.m. EST

ALLO-316 in Advanced CD70-Positive ccRCC | Image Credit: © Cornflakesei - stock.adobe.com ALLO-316, an allogeneic CD70-directed CAR T-cell therapy, demonstrated preliminary activity and a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced or metastatic CD70-positive clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), according to findings from the phase 1a portion of the phase 1a/1b TRAVERSE trial (NCT04696731) presented at the 2024 SITC Annual Meeting . Among the 39 patients enrolled, 26 were CD70 positive and evaluable for efficacy outcomes, with the highest responses observed in patients with a tumor proportion score (TPS) of at least 50 (n = 21). Tumor reduction was notably greater in CD70-positive patients with a TPS of at least 50, with 76% of patients (n = 16) achieving tumor burden reductions and 33% of patients (n = 7) experiencing a reduction of greater than 30%. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in 2 patients, both of whom received FCA (fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and alemtuzumab [Lemtrada]) lymphodepletion followed by ALLO-316 at dose level 2 (DL2). These DLTs were autoimmune hepatitis (n = 1) and cardiogenic shock in the setting of multiorgan failure (n = 1). Treatment-emergent adverse effects (TEAEs) were observed in all 39 patients, with 81% of patients experiencing grade 3 or higher TEAEs. The most common TEAEs included cytokine release syndrome (CRS; any-grade, 62%; grade ≥ 3, 3%), fatigue (59%; 3%), and neutropenia (56%; 51%). No graft-vs-host disease was reported In the poster, lead study author Samer Srour, MS, MD, and coauthors, explained, “observed responses, including ongoing and deepening responses, in patients with a CD70 TPS [of at least] 50%, [indicate] a single infusion of ALLO-316 could benefit patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor– and TKI-relapsed/refractory RCC.” Srour is an assistant professor in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy in the Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Phase 1a of the trial employed a standard dose-escalation design to primarily evaluate DLTs and the incidence of AEs. Phase 1b primarily focused on identifying the recommended phase 2 dose of ALLO-316, establishing the optimal CD70 TPS cutoff, and assessing the incidence of AEs. Secondary end points across both phases included assessments of objective response rate (ORR), complete response rate, duration of response, time to response, progression-free survival, CAR expansion kinetics, and CD70 expression on tumor cells. Patients older than 18 years of age were eligible for enrollment in the TRAVERSE study and were required to have progressive advanced or metastatic ccRCC following prior immune checkpoint inhibitor and VEGF-targeted therapy. Additional enrollment criteria included an ECOG performance status of 0 or 1, adequate organ function, and no untreated central nervous system metastases. CD70 expression was assessed via immunohistochemistry on archival or fresh tumor tissue to confirm eligibility. Patients received lymphodepletion from days –5 to –3, followed by a single infusion of ALLO-316 on day 0. The trial included comprehensive follow-up to assess safety and efficacy through 60 months. The median patient age was 60 years (range, 35-70), and most patients were male (90%). Regarding performance status, 56% of patients had an ECOG PS of 0 or 1. Nearly all patients had stage IV disease (97%), and 82% of patients had undergone prior nephrectomy. The median time since original diagnosis was 43 months (range, 12-216), and the median number of prior therapy lines was 3 (range, 1-8). All patients had received prior anti–PD-1 therapy, and 1 patient had received anti–PD-L1 therapy. Sixty-four percent of patients had received prior anti–CTLA-4 therapy. All patients had received at least 1 prior TKI, 59% of patients had received at least 2 prior TKIs, and 28% of patients had received at least 3 prior TKIs. Additionally, 79% of patients had been previously treated with cabozantinib (Cabometyx), and 8% of patients had progressive disease despite anti–CTLA-4, anti–PD-1, TKI, and belzutifan (Welireg) therapy. CD70 positivity was observed in 79% of patients, with 77% of patients having high TPS (≥ 50%) and 23% of patients having low TPS (< 50%). CD70-negative or -unknown status was reported in 21% of patients. Based on the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium risk categories, 33% of patients were classified as favorable risk, 51% of patients were classified as intermediate risk, and 10% of patients were classified as poor risk. The median time from enrollment to lymphodepletion was 5 days (range, 1-10), and the median duration of follow-up was 6.8 months (range, 0.4-36.8). Among the 39 enrolled patients, 35 received ALLO-316, and 34 were evaluable for disease outcomes. Stratification was based on CD70 expression, with 26 patients identified as CD70 positive. These patients received treatment across 4 dose levels of ALLO-316. At dose level 1 (40 x 106 cells), 3 patients were treated following FCA lymphodepletion. DL2 (80 x 106 cells) included 16 patients, with 5 receiving FCA and 3 receiving FC300 lymphodepletion. Eight patients are planned to receive FC500 lymphodepletion at DL2 in the phase 1b portion of the trial. Dose level 3 (120 x 106 cells) included 6 patients who were evenly split between the FC300 and FC500 lymphodepletion regimens, whereas dose level 4 (240 x 106 cells) included 1 patient treated with FC300 lymphodepletion. Five patients were CD70 negative, and 3 patients had unknown CD70 expression. These patients received treatment across various dose levels but were not included in the primary efficacy analysis. In the CD70-positive cohort, the best ORR was 27% (n = 7), and responses were exclusively observed in patients with a TPS of at least 50. Confirmed responses were achieved in 24% (n = 5) of these patients. In the FCA cohort (n = 8), a single confirmed response was observed in 1 patient with a high TPS (13%). In the FC cohort (n = 18), the ORR was 33% (n = 6), with confirmed responses reported in 22% of patients (n = 4). Patients treated at DL2 with FC500 had an ORR of 38% (n = 3), with confirmed responses in 25% of patients (n = 2). In this cohort, 2 patients (25%) had durable responses lasting beyond 4 months. Other common TEAEs included decreased white blood cell (WBC) counts (any-grade, 54%; grade ≥ 3, 49%), anemia (51%; 33%), nausea (51%; 0%), thrombocytopenia (46%; 26%), pyrexia (41%; 5%). AEs of special interest included infections (any-grade, 62%; grade ≥ 3, 31), including viral infections (33%; 5%); neurotoxicity (44%; 8%), including headache (21%; 0%); and immune effector cell–associated hemophagocytosis-like syndrome (IEC-HS; 13%; 3%). Immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) occurred in 8% of patients, although no grade 3 or higher ICANS was reported. Investigators outlined recommended IEC-HA management guidance, which included ruxolitinib (Jakafi) and the consideration of dexamethasone with or without anakinra (Kineret) in the frontline setting. If responses were insufficient within 24 to 48 hours, recommended second-line therapy consisted of the addition of dexamethasone with or without anakinra (if not already added in the frontline setting); if no improvement was observed after 24 hours, dosing of ruxolitinib/dexamethasone/anakinra could be escalated. If second-line responses were insufficient within 24 to 48 hours, third-line treatment could consist of emapalumab (Gamifant) or etoposide and/or an “off switch” for adoptive cellular therapy. Fatal treatment-related AEs included cardiogenic shock (a DLT), sepsis, and failure to thrive in 1 patient 16 months after their last treatment. TEAEs observed among patients treated at DL2 who received FC500 lymphodepletion (n = 11), were consistent with those seen in the overall population. In this population, the most frequently observed TEAEs were CRS (any-grade, 73%; grade ≥ 3, 0%), fatigue (18%; 0%), neutropenia (64%; 64%), decreased WBC counts (73%; 73%), anemia (64%; 46%), and thrombocytopenia (64%; 27%). Vector copy number (VCN) levels were evaluated over time in peripheral blood and tumor biopsy samples. In responders, VCN levels peaked between approximately days 7 and 21 following CAR T-cell infusion and declined gradually beyond day 56. In contrast, nonresponders exhibited lower VCN levels with minimal expansion over the same period. Tumor biopsy samples showed high VCN levels, highlighting the targeted infiltration of ALLO-316 into the tumor microenvironment. The Dagger effect was characterized by the elimination of CD70-positive host T cells in all evaluable patients by day 10. In contrast, levels of CD70-negative host T cells were generally preserved. This effect was accompanied by robust expansion of ALLO-316 CAR T cells, as evidenced by flow cytometry. By day 56, recovery of CD70-positive host T cells was observed, coinciding with contraction of CAR T cells. “The CD70 CAR-intrinsic Dagger effect promotes robust expansion and persistence of ALLO-316 with standard FC lymphodepletion, highlighting the potential of Dagger technology as the next-generation allogeneic platform,” the authors concluded. “The phase 1 TRAVERSE study supports further evaluation of ALLO-316 in CD70-positive ccRCC and other CD70-positive malignancies. Enrollment is ongoing at the phase 1b dose regimen of FC500 and 80 x 10 6 CAR T cells.” Srour SA, Chahoud J, Drakaki A , et al. ALLO-316 in patients with advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC): updated safety and efficacy from the phase 1 TRAVERSE multicenter study. J Immunother Cancer . 2024;12(suppl 2). doi:10.1136/jitc-2024-SITC2024.0322