ubaylikga ST. PAUL, Minn. — Leon Draisaitl scored his NHL -leading 21st goal and had three assists, sending the Edmonton Oilers past the Minnesota Wild 7-1 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory. Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Brown, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Troy Stecher and Derek Ryan also scored for the Oilers, who stopped a six-game losing streak at Minnesota that spanned nearly five years. Calvin Pickard stopped 27 shots for the Oilers, who handed Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson his first loss in six starts. Gustavsson, who took the NHL’s best goals-against average into the game, gave up five goals in two periods before being pulled for Marc-Andre Fleury. Freddy Gaudreau had a power-play goal for the Wild (19-6-4), who dropped behind Washington (20-6-2) for the league’s best record. Minnesota trails Winnipeg (29-9-1) in the Central Division but has played two fewer games. Takeaways Oilers: Following a rough start, Edmonton has caught stride behind one of the NHL's most productive skaters, Draisaitl. He has four goals and six assists in his last four games. Wild: Defenseman Jake Middleton, who entered with a league-best plus-22 rating, departed in the first period with an upper-body injury. Minnesota is missing top-six forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello and another top-four defenseman, Jonas Brodin, to injuries. Key moment Minnesota's Matt Boldy was whistled for tripping with less than seven minutes elapsed, queueing up the league's 29th-ranked penalty kill. Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak, left, skates with the puck as Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov, right, defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Credit: AP/Matt Krohn Five seconds later, Draisaitl one-timed in a feed from co-star Connor McDavid. The goal was later awarded to Hyman, who was pressed against the post to give Draisaitl space but had the puck deflect off his stick shaft. The Wild have yielded 11 power-play goals in 10 games. Key stat Draisaitl is on pace for 118 points, which would be 10 shy of his career high from the 2022-23 season. Up next Edmonton hosts Vegas on Saturday, when Minnesota hosts Philadelphia.

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CBRE Group CBRE has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 4.53% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 18.07%. Currently, CBRE Group has a market capitalization of $41.58 billion. Buying $100 In CBRE: If an investor had bought $100 of CBRE stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $233.23 today based on a price of $135.88 for CBRE at the time of writing. CBRE Group's Performance Over Last 5 Years Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. “Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,” Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. Story continues below video After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be.” Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and six other Democratic lawmakers are pressing for answers from Mehmet Oz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Their concerns have to do with his proposal to privatize Medicare and conflicts of interest if confirmed to lead the health organization overseeing the health care of more than 12 million Americans. A letter , signed by Democrats and sent on Tuesday, highlights “stark concerns” about Oz's financial ties of stocks of “at least $550,000 invested in UnitedHealth Group, the largest private insurer in Medicare Advantage.” This would mean “under Dr. Oz’s plan, UnitedHealth Group’s revenue from Medicare Advantage would roughly double to $274 billion annually.” In addition to Warren, it was cosigned by Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and Sen. Ben Cardin. The Democratic lawmakers referred to a 2020 Forbes op-ed cowritten by Oz that called for switching Americans into the privatized Medicare Advantage, replacing the traditional Medicare program that insures elderly, low-income, and disabled Americans. “Dr. Oz outlined his vision for the Medicare program, in which he advocated to eliminate Traditional Medicare and instead lean on private insurers that run Medicare Advantage, a private health care program that drastically overcharges for care.” Oz, a celebrity doctor and TV host, was nominated by Trump on Nov. 19. He had previously been criticized for conflicts of interest when he pushed the debunked COVID-19 treatment hydroxychloroquine early on in the pandemic — a medication in which he owns stock. Oz ran a failed Pennsylvania Senate campaign in 2022, during which more than 100 doctors slammed the Republican candidate for “lying to the American people about medicine.” He was also infamously mocked for not knowing his way around a local grocery store. In 2014, British Medical Journal research found pseudoscience was being promoted on his talk show, “The Dr. Oz Show.” All the while, Oz was making steep profits from the “health” products, advertisements, and weight-loss supplements he promoted on the national show. Oz fits in nicely with Trump’s crappy Cabinet cohort. Trump has a knack for nominating unqualified billionaires, D-list reality TV contestants, snake-oil quacks , and anti-science conmen set on making irresponsible health care decisions. However, Democrats look like they are at least putting up a fight by pointing out they don’t support this Cabinet of clowns. Their tactics, according to CNN , are a different approach from Trump’s first term. Now, Democrats are looking to implement a deliberate and disciplined strategy in Trump’s second term: pointing out the places where they could work with a nominee when they see fit and forcing Republicans to defend Trump’s picks when a nominee faces ethics questions, has a history of controversial statements or doesn’t have what Democrats view as the necessary qualifications for the job. Losing their majority in the Senate, it’s unlikely Democrats will be able to keep Oz away from the position. However, Democratic lawmakers have concluded they need more specific answers from Oz, requesting him to submit answers by Dec. 24 to a series of questions about his views on Medicare and U.S. health care and how he would run the department. “Given your financial ties to private insurers, combined with your view that the traditional Medicare program is ‘highly dysfunctional’ and your advocacy for eliminating it entirely, it is not clear that you are qualified for this critical job,” lawmakers wrote.A fugitive gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and nets

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LOST IN NEW YORK ON THE SUBWAY — And what that means is, you’re on an E train because you stood on the wrong platform for C train you wanted, and there it goes, goodbye, and here you are, boarding the E train — vaguely aware of it — for the sake of doing something other than just waiting 12 minutes for the train you want. We can get into tangles that way. We can also end up in a better spot than we’d planned. During Nebraska’s 2024 season, it seemed like, more than once, NU sought more trouble than it had already caused by waiting for Matt Rhule’s initial staff to win big. Offensive gaffes cost the Huskers in 2023, while special teams blew up in Nebraska’s face in 2024. The offensive issues lingered, too; backs and receivers didn’t execute with purpose or precision. Rhule moved briskly to address the first issue by hiring, midseason, a new offensive coordinator. Dana Holgorsen was a good risk — given his Air Raid background, an odd pairing for the Big Ten — who paid off. NU went 2-2 in his four games calling plays, quarterback Dylan Raiola played more crisply, and when the Huskers absolutely needed the offense to come through, it did, triggering on-field confetti and postgame cigars. “I was fired up for our offense,” Rhule said. “It was the first time the offense took the ball and said enough is enough and went down the field.” The coach was full of rhetorical gems Saturday, and it’s credit to him that he could treat the Pinstripe Bowl win as something more than barely escaping defeat. Rhule has a gift for making three hours on a football field larger than the final score, and his tribute to Rahmir Johnson — who won MVP honors and rushed for 60 yards — gave a glimpse into why Rhule recruits transfers and high school players well. “I hope he wears his pads home on the subway and goes to his apartment, takes that MVP trophy and takes it out tonight somewhere,” Rhule said. Couldn’t have written it better. Rhule’s a football romantic in an age of social media-fueled, hard-bitten realists. He lives the journey of each season, which, at roller coaster Nebraska, can take a toll of his own. NU notched its first winning season since 2016 — what everyone wanted — and now, almost naturally, fans want to know how Rhule will rectify copious special teams debacles. He promises an “overhaul.” Sounds good. That unit needs one as Rhule and the Huskers aim to make a big jump in 2025. The plotting for that, as Rhule knows, begins now. Don’t count on the rest of the Big Ten standing still. Someone is going to be 2025’s version of 2024 Indiana. The expectation among many fans, fair or not, is that Rhule, in Year 3 of his tenure and Year 2 of Dylan Raiola’s career, will develop a team capable of 10 or 11 wins. The Leap Year is now upon us. Nebraska’s outgoing seniors, with some help from Raiola, Jacory Barney and a few others, produced a competitive 12-13 record over Rhule’s first two seasons, even if NU, with its 3-10 record in one-score games, still seems to be “Chasing 3” headed into the offseason. But Ty Robinson, Isaac Gifford, Bryce Benhart, Rahmir Johnson, John Bullock, Javin Wright, Ben Scott and Co. are gone now. So are four of the coaches off Rhule’s first staff — it could be more by the end of January. NU will need new player leadership and a renewed assistant-coach-player dynamic, all in a revenue-sharing era where it’s going to be fairly obvious — because it’s coming from the school itself — who’s getting paid more. Raiola will rightly get financial priority. So will the line of scrimmage, if you listen to what Rhule likes to emphasize. “We believe that the game is won primarily at the line of scrimmage,” Rhule said. “You have to be able to run the ball, stop the run. You have to be able to protect and affect the passer.” Rhule, now coach and de facto general manager, will be tasked with molding a tough team that’s also, despite all the changes, together. He already has Raiola in the fold and will need him as a locker room culture guy; Raiola has to take captain-level ownership of the whole team, pronto. No. 15 seems up for the task, too. Defensively, Rhule will have to meld an innovative mind — new coordinator John Butler — with old hand Phil Snow, coordinator-level defensive backs coach Addison Williams and two defensive line coaches coming from vastly different ends of the sport, as Phil Simpson spent years in the prep ranks while Terry Bradden has been coaching for the Kansas City Chiefs. These are compelling parts, particularly Butler, who folks around the program see as brilliant. Can they make a great staff? And will Rhule take more of the special teams load? Rhule wants that unit to be a playmaking group, and sometimes a big play is made, like the fake punt pass from Brian Buschini to Gifford. Sometimes the other team makes the play. I’ve long been lukewarm on criticism of special teams coaches — the HC sets the tone there. When Bo Pelini wanted to fix his punt return unit after a rough 2013 season, he took the job himself, taught the schemes, and got results. Likewise, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz watched Nebraska punk the Hawkeyes’ punt unit in the 2014 game and over time developed the nation’s best special teams unit. He coaches to it, as well. In 2022, Scott Frost had a special teams coordinator, Bill Busch. Who took the hit for the onside kick in Ireland? Frost did. As he should’ve. Rhule can hire and fire whoever he pleases there. The successes and failures are his. Rhule will get a bit of time to reflect on 2024, but not much. So many variables crop up during a season that nine months are spent planning for every contingency — including waiting for the wrong train, or even getting on it. Nebraska ended this season the way it began: With its promise and its flaws in a 12-round fight. By that mucky afternoon in Yankee Stadium, potential won out by a bit. In 2025, Rhule, his coaches, players and NU fans expect that potential to win by a lot. NU’s moved into its new football palace. Its quarterback has a base of knowledge and year’s worth of tape from which to learn. The defense seems to have more four-star generals — including Rhule — than any time in Husker history. If Nebraska can fix special teams — if — well... Rhule and those seniors built the bridge to 2025. Now, the Leap Year is upon us. On with the Rewind. Defensive tackle Ty Robinson: A beast in his final game, with a sack, two tackles for loss, four hurries and a couple devastating blocks on key Husker running plays. He’ll be hard to replace, even if there’s a guy who has the physical tools to do it, Missouri transfer Williams Nwaneri. Running back Rahmir Johnson: A smaller back who always ran with the heart and the style of a big one, Johnson played the game fearlessly at Nebraska. He’s a poet, too, and, one day, he should have one heck of a poem about this season, and Saturday afternoon. Linebacker Vincent Shavers: Five tackles — two for loss — and the feeling that he was literally everywhere on the field, all at once. Pencil him in as a starting middle linebacker. Who plays next to him? John Bullock and Javin Wright, both of whom had strong games, just finished their Nebraska careers. Tight ends Thomas Fidone and Luke Lindenmeyer: Key pieces of the game, with Fidone grabbing five catches in 31 snaps and Lindenmeyer playing 49 snaps. Holgorsen’s made clear that, if you’re playing tight end in this offense, you’re blocking, a lot. Even if Fidone were to go to the NFL — he could, and potentially be a third day NFL Draft pick — Nebraska is in decent shape at the position. Edge rusher MJ Sherman: Starting with the Ohio State game — and perhaps excluding the UCLA game — the Georgia transfer really cranked up his level of play on the edge. He made the fourth down stop late in the second quarter against BC and six total pressures against the Eagles, according to Pro Football Focus. Receiver Jahmal Banks: Four catches, 89 yards, good blocking, and tough grabs in miserable playing conditions. He finished the season with 44 catches for 587 yards and three touchdowns. If you’re ranking NU transfer receivers, he’s behind Trey Palmer and Samori Toure, but ahead of the others. Quarterback Dylan Raiola: College football social media has become too much of a joyless dirge. Online criticism for Raiola’s celebration around Yankee Stadium seemed off-base. Do we not want to see people happy? He’s poised for a big Year 2 if he keeps working on his footwork — cut down on the fadeaway throws — and runs a little more. Cornerback Donovan Jones: Hello, Omaha North! The former Viking played exceedingly well in NU’s defensive backfield, given he was tasked with doing it for the first time. It was stunning to see Jones, who redshirted and played three snaps against UTEP, suddenly leaping the depth chart over Blye Hill, Jeremiah Charles and more. His work in practice clearly caught Butler’s eye. Left tackle Gunnar Gottula: The future’s bright for him after a strong game against Boston College’s pass rush. Nebraska needs one or two tackles out of the portal and some good injury news on either Turner Corcoran or Teddy Prochazka. Boston College quarterback Grayson James: Earned praised from Rhule for his play against a tough Nebraska pass rush. James threw several third down darts and scrambled for a few first downs, too. Without the benefit of a run game, he kept BC competitive. Yankee Stadium — with one exception: This stadium, wedged into the hard-edged Bronx cityscape, is a stunner. First class, fortress-like design, authoritative-but-helpful stadium workers, good food (for the media and the masses). It’s an exceedingly impressive venue — that did not have turf suited for a December football game in the rain. The grass didn’t kick up in tufts, like I once saw at Notre Dame, but sat below the thinnest film of water that turned the playing surface into a Slip ‘N Slide. People watching on TV could compare what they saw in the Pinstripe Bowl with a much more lush-seeming grass at Fenway Park, and note the difference. 226.3: Passing yards per game for Dylan Raiola in four games under Holgorsen’s leadership. That’s nine more yards per game than he averaged for the entire season, and 12 more yards per game than he averaged under former offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield. Raiola completed 71.4% of his passes with Holgorsen, 67.2% for the whole season and 64.9% with Satterfield. The numbers, to some degree, speak for themselves. 18: Catches by the tight ends over the last four games of the season. That’s six by Thomas Fidone, five by the now-transferred Nate Boerkircher, four from Luke Lindenmeyer, two from Carter Nelson and one from Heinrich Haarberg, who has now moved to the position. The backs had 28 catches over those final four games under Holgorsen. NU’s staff feels like it’ll have more and better receiver options in 2025 — coaches are particularly excited for Kentucky transfer Dane Key — but the tight end and back numbers show Holgorsen’s interest in a high completion rate getting yards after the catch. 30: Sacks for the season, which is down two from 2024, when the Huskers appeared better at rushing from depth (Luke Reimer was still on the team) and former defensive coordinator Tony White was a tad more aggressive. We saw that aggression from new defensive coordinator John Butler Saturday, and it paid off with three sacks and John Bullock’s forced fumble, which set up NU’s last touchdown. Because of transfer portal departures, Nebraska lacked its usual edge rushing prowess, but coaches hope portal additions Dasan McCullough and Jaylen George help clear that up. 40.7: Opponents’ fourth down conversion rate. That currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 15th nationally, and NU’s fourth down defense played the largest role in wins over Rutgers (2 of 6 on fourth down) and Boston College (0 of 4). Colorado, which turned out to be Nebraska’s best win of the year, only converted 1 of 3 in the Huskers 28-10 victory back in September. 4-10: Nebraska’s record, under Rhule, when it loses the in-game battle in turnover margin. NU finished 3-7 in 2023 — with wins over Illinois, Northwestern and Purdue — and 1-3 this season, with losses to Indiana, UCLA and Iowa and the win, at season’s end, over Boston College. For the season, Nebraska finished -2 in turnover margin, its best figure since 2019, when the Huskers finished at 0. Raiola threw 12 interceptions — down four from 2023 — and, more importantly, Nebraska lost just seven fumbles, down from 15 in 2023. Under Rhule, the Huskers are 6-1 when they win the turnover battle, 2-2 when they break even and 4-10 when they lose it. After each game, I ask fans for their feedback on NU’s play. Selected and edited responses follow. Fred Wedemeyer: “Defense was outstanding, offense was pretty good other than a few mistakes, but wow, is there any other program in the country with worse special teams?” Jay Hoffman: “A cathartic Husker bowl win for a team that has been through a lot. I was in the stands and saw several fans noticeably emotional and immensely appreciative watching Johnson win the MVP. We can worry about special teams next week. Time to pop the bubbly and celebrate.” Michael Messerly: “Moving forward bowl games need to stop being played at baseball stadiums. The playing surface at Yankee stadium is atrocious.” Travis Hawkinson: “Loved what I saw from younger players. Wish we had one more year of (Jahmal) Banks. That would truly give us some great WRs. He really looked way better under Holgorsen than he did under(Marcus) Satterfield.” Cincinnati football — Nebraska’s first opponent in 2025 — is a program still making the leap from Group of Five conference power to a Big 12 team. Since joining its new league, UC Is 8-16 overall and 4-14 in league games. This includes a five-game losing streak to end the 2024 season and put coach Scott Satterfield, finishing his second year with the Bearcats, on a seat just as hot as the one Luke Fickell, Cincinnati’s former coach, sits on at Wisconsin. Defense is the issue; UC allowed 6.67 yards per play last season and 6.07 yards per play in 2024. On offense, Cincinnati returns quarterback Brendan Sorsby — previously at Indiana — after he threw 18 touchdown passes in 2024. He’s a keeper, as is tight end Joe Royer, who spent three years as a Ohio State backup before coming to Cincy and breaking Travis Kelce’s single-season tight ends reception record with 50 grabs for 521 yards and three scores. The Bearcats will open a new football practice facility this summer, and obviously didn’t want to turn down the financial opportunity afforded to them by playing in Arrowhead Stadium, where Nebraska will have 50,000 fans — at least. A satisfied Husker fan base settles in for a winter of Fred Hoiberg’s basketball team — Brice Williams is a sneaky possible Big Ten player of the year candidate — and portal watchin’ for that needed offensive lineman. NU football returns to offseason workouts in late January with genuine momentum. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Keitenn Bristow had 23 points in Tarleton State's 70-60 victory over Florida A&M on Sunday. Bristow also had six rebounds and three blocks for the Texans (5-10). Bubu Benjamin added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Marty Silvera pitched in with nine points, five rebounds and six steals. The Rattlers (3-8) were led by Sterling Young with 16 points. Jordan Chatman added 11 points and Kaleb Washington totaled seven points, eight rebounds and two steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated PressXavier Bell scores 29 to lead Wichita State over Friends University 87-72

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Researchers from a local university are conducting a community-led research project to map the drug crisis in Surrey. Michael Ma, PhD and Tara Lyons, PhD from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) are working with the Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU) to highlight "the lack of specific research on Surrey’s toxic drug supply crisis, harm reduction and the regulation of people who use drugs," notes a KPU news release Tuesday (Dec. 10). Surrey had the second-highest number of drug overdose deaths in the province for the first nine months of 2024, according to the . Gina Egilson, a board member at SUDU, said, "Surrey's losing more and more people to toxic drug overdoses, with at least four to five people dying every week." “There's a deep urgency to improve the system through more support and resources in Surrey. This research will be an empowering skill-building opportunity that will help guide SUDU's advocacy." In an , Ma noted that the majority of research on overdoses in B.C. is focused on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, even though most overdoses have occurred in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. “For too many years there hasn't been enough focus on the escalating drug crisis in Surrey,” Ma said. “So we want to try to build more capacity and support in Surrey through resources, funding and infrastructure.” The project will draw from people with lived experience of substance use, who will take an "active role as participants and collaborators in the research," notes the KPU release. “This research is just not for pure scholarly academic reasons. It’s a community development project that has a research component. It can be leveraged for social action to generate new social, economic and political policy that could benefit people who are suffering, being misunderstood or being under-researched,” Ma said. Pete Woodrow, a board member at SUDU, said, “I've never seen this kind of collaboration between people of lived experience and established researchers." “It not only creates a bridge of understanding between two groups that would not normally have contact, it also gives us an opportunity to gain a greater handle on where services are most needed. So often the intent of help falls short or misses the mark due to the lack of a proper map of marginalized population.” Lyons added, “We don’t see people as objects of study in the work we're doing. They're experts who are guiding the kind of questions we're going to ask and how we will communicate the information.” A $339,159 grant from the will help fund this project.