blackjack or baccarat NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of AMMO, Inc. ( NASDAQ : POWW ) between August 19, 2020 and September 24, 2024 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important November 29, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased AMMO securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the AMMO class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29426 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 29, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case : According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) AMMO lacked adequate internal controls over financial reporting; (2) there was a substantial likelihood AMMO failed to accurately disclose all executive officers, members of management, and potential related party transactions in fiscal years 2020 through 2023; (3) there was a substantial likelihood AMMO failed to properly characterize certain fees paid for investor relations and legal services as reductions of proceeds from capital raises rather than period expenses in fiscal years 2021 and 2022; (4) there was a substantial likelihood AMMO failed to appropriately value unrestricted stock awards to officers, directors, employees and others in fiscal years 2020 through 2022; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about AMMO's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the AMMO class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29426 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ammo-deadline-poww-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-ammo-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302314412.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.AP Trending SummaryBrief at 4:13 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — An imprisoned far-right extremist group leader who was the top target of the federal investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol balked at answering a prosecutor's questions about the attack when he testified on Thursday at the trial of a police officer accused of leaking him confidential information. A federal judge warned former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio that he could face consequences, including an order holding him in contempt of court, if he continued to refuse to answer the prosecutor's questions. Tarrio completed his testimony without incurring any sanctions from the judge. Tarrio, who is serving a 22-year prison sentence for a plot to keep Donald Trump in the White House after the 2020 election, waived his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when he agreed to testify as a defense witness at the bench trial of retired Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Shane Lamond. “What that means is you have to answer all the questions. You don't get to pick and choose,” U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson told Tarrio after he initially refused to answer whether Proud Boys were at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Dozens of Proud Boys, including Tarrio, are among the 1,500 people who have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol siege. A jury convicted Tarrio and three lieutenants of seditious conspiracy and other crimes last year after a months-long trial in the same courthouse where Lamond is on trial this week. Tarrio complained that the prosecutor, Rebecca Ross, shouldn't have “free reign” to ask him questions about Jan. 6. Lamond is on trial for charges that he lied about providing Tarrio with confidential information about a police investigation of Proud Boys who burned a Black Lives Matter banner in December 2020. “This case is not a Jan. 6 case,” he told the judge, arguing that he didn't “completely” waive his Fifth Amendment rights. “There is not a half of a Fifth Amendment privilege,” the judge responded. When Tarrio told her, “We'll agree to disagree,” the judge chuckled and replied, “Well, I'll just say, ‘You’re not in charge.'” Tarrio was the first witness to testify for Lamond's defense against charges that he obstructed justice and made false statements about his communications with Tarrio. The judge will decide the case against Lamond after hearing testimony without a jury. On Monday, the judge said Tarrio was waiting for the outcome of last month’s presidential election before deciding whether to testify at Lamond’s trial. President-elect Trump, who repeatedly has vowed to pardon people convicted of Capitol riot charges, suggested he would consider pardoning Tarrio. Tarrio was sentenced to more than five months in jail for burning the banner that was stolen in December 2020 from a historic Black church in downtown Washington, and for bringing two high-capacity firearm magazines into the district. Tarrio was arrested in Washington two days before the Jan. 6 siege. The Miami resident wasn’t at the Capitol when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building and interrupted the congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. During the trial's opening statements on Monday, a prosecutor said Lamond was a “Proud Boys sympathizer” who warned Tarrio about his impending arrest for the banner’s destruction and later lied to investigators about their communications. Police officers who investigated the banner’s destruction testified that it would have helped them to know that Tarrio had privately confessed to Lamond that he burned the banner. The Proud Boys leader also publicly admitted on social media and on a podcast that he had burned the banner. Tarrio testified on Thursday that he didn’t confess to Lamond or receive any confidential information from him. Tarrio said he came to Washington two days before Jan. 6 because he wanted to be arrested for the banner burning but released in time to attend then-President Trump’s Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally. “I wanted to get this over with,” Tarrio said. He also said he thought that his arrest before the rally would help “put up a circus tent" and generate publicity for his group's message. “I wanted to show what the Department of Justice was, and I was dedicated to that cause with everything in me,” he said. Lamond, who met Tarrio in 2019, had supervised the intelligence branch of the police department’s Homeland Security Bureau. He was responsible for monitoring groups like the Proud Boys when they came to Washington. Lamond’s indictment accuses him of lying to and misleading federal investigators when they questioned him in June 2021 about his contacts with Tarrio. Lamond, of Stafford, Virginia, was arrested in May 2023. He retired from the police department that same month.

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NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of AMMO, Inc. ( NASDAQ : POWW ) between August 19, 2020 and September 24, 2024 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important November 29, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased AMMO securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the AMMO class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29426 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 29, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case : According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) AMMO lacked adequate internal controls over financial reporting; (2) there was a substantial likelihood AMMO failed to accurately disclose all executive officers, members of management, and potential related party transactions in fiscal years 2020 through 2023; (3) there was a substantial likelihood AMMO failed to properly characterize certain fees paid for investor relations and legal services as reductions of proceeds from capital raises rather than period expenses in fiscal years 2021 and 2022; (4) there was a substantial likelihood AMMO failed to appropriately value unrestricted stock awards to officers, directors, employees and others in fiscal years 2020 through 2022; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about AMMO's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the AMMO class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29426 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ammo-deadline-poww-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-ammo-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302314412.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.The world's most climate-imperilled nations stormed out of consultations in protest at the deadlocked UN COP29 conference Saturday, as simmering tensions over a hard-fought finance deal erupted into the open. Diplomats from small island nations threatened by rising seas and impoverished African states angrily filed out of a meeting with summit hosts Azerbaijan over a final deal being thrashed out in a Baku sports stadium. "We've just walked out. We came here to this COP for a fair deal. We feel that we haven't been heard," said Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). An unpublished version of the final text circulating in Baku, and seen by AFP, proposes that rich nations raise to $300 billion a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. COP29 hosts Azerbaijan intended to put a final draft before 198 nations for adoption or rejection on Saturday evening, a full day after the marathon summit officially ended. But, in a statement, AOSIS said it had "removed" itself from the climate finance discussions, demanding an "inclusive" process. "If this cannot be the case, it becomes very difficult for us to continue our involvement here at COP29," it said. Sierra Leone's climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world's poorest, said the draft was "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world". An earlier offer from rich nations of $250 billion was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, who have demanded much higher sums to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the revised offer of $300 billion was "a significant scaling up" of the existing pledge by developed nations, which also count the United States, European Union and Japan among their ranks. At sunset, a final text still proved elusive, as harried diplomats ran to-and-fro in the stadium near the Caspian Sea searching for common ground. "Hopefully this is the storm before the calm," said US climate envoy John Podesta in the corridors as somebody shouted "shame" in his direction. Earlier, the EU's climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said negotiators were not out of the woods yet. "We're doing everything we can on each of the axes to build bridges and to make this into a success. But it is iffy whether we will succeed," he said. Ali Mohamed, the Kenyan chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told AFP: "No deal is better than a bad deal." More from this section South African environment minister Dion George, however, said: "I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful." "What we are not up for is going backwards or standing still," he said. "We might as well just have stayed at home then." The revised offer from rich countries came with conditions in other parts of the broader climate deal under discussion in Azerbaijan. The EU in particular wants an annual review on global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, which are the main drivers of global warming. This has run into opposition from Saudi Arabia, which has sought to water down a landmark pledge to transition away from oil, gas and coal made at COP28 last year. "We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Wealthy nations counter that it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. The US earlier this month elected former president Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. A coalition of more than 300 activist groups accused historic polluters most responsible for climate change of skirting their obligation, and urged developing nations to stand firm. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Even $300 billion would be a step up from the $100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire. A group of developing countries had demanded at least $500 billion, with some saying that increases were less than met the eye due to inflation. Experts commissioned by the United Nations to assess the needs of developing countries said $250 billion was "too low" and by 2035 rich nations should be providing at least $390 billion. The US and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. China, which remains classified as a developing nation under the UN framework, provides climate assistance but wants to keep doing so on its own voluntary terms. bur-np-sct/lth/giv

“Cassoulet, that best of bean feasts, is everyday fare for a peasant but ambrosia for a gastronome.” ~ Julia Child When winter heads our way, bringing chilly temperatures and close, dark nights, my thoughts turn to Cassoulet, the iconic comfort food from southwestern France. It has it all – juicy beans, duck leg confit, sausages and sometimes pork or lamb, slowly simmered in well-seasoned broth, then baked in a wide-mouthed, glazed terra-cotta dish called a cassole . Like any truly traditional dish, there are multiple versions, all claiming to be the “authentic one.” Cassoulet originated in southwestern France. Toulouse claims it — and so does Castelnaudary and Carcassonne — and the recipes vary. Toulouse adherents eschew adding cubed pork. Castelnaudary purists add a bit of lamb, while Carcassonne’s adds partridge. In most restaurants, cassoulets are served in an individual cassole , bubbling with hot juices,and with a bit of duck leg peeking through the top. But at Hostellerie Etienne , a vast indoor- outdoor restaurant on the edge of a forest near Castelnaudary, the cassoulets come to the table in family-size cassoles , big enough to serve two, four, six or even 10 people, so you can share the dish with your dining companions. I don’t know if Etienne’s even has a single-serving bowl size. I didn’t see one, when I was there as the guest of a bean trader from Castelnaudary. According to him, Etiennne’s has the best cassoulet anywhere, and they use the Lauragais lingot beans known as the Castelnaudary bean. Copious doesn’t begin to describe the cassoulet scene there, with stacks of cassoles lined up in Etienne’s kitchen, next to caldrons of simmering beans, ready to be filled and popped into the vast ovens. Here in the Bay Area, we have our own go-to restaurants for cassoulets. Some, like the Left Bank Brasseries in San Jose, Menlo Park, Oakland and Larkspur, and Reve Bistro in Lafayette, only serve it during the winter months as a special. (Reve will be serving cassoulet Dec. 10-14, for example, and Jan. 7-11; reserve it when you reserve your table.) Others, such as Bistro Jeanty in Yountville and Le Central in San Francisco, always have it on the menu. Both Reve Bistro and Bistro Jeanty use cassoles made by potter Kathy Kernes at her Crockett Pottery in Crockett, and they are every bit as beautiful and as practical as those you’ll find in southwestern France. Kernes’ makes cassoles in six sizes ($38-$210), ranging from individual to “extra large plus,” which is very large indeed. (Browse the possibilities at www.crockettpottery.com.) Reve Bistro offers take-out cassoulets if you pre-order the week the dish is on the menu. Pick it up — in a takeout container, not a cassole! — then heat it at home. Just note that chef-owner Paul Magu-Lecugy only makes a limited number of portions. “It’s time consuming,” he says, noting for him, it is a two-day process. Le Central’s cassoulet is one of the more elaborate around, with lamb, pork shoulder and boudin blanc, as well as the all-important duck leg confit and slightly garlicky Toulouse sausage. Left Bank uses chef-owner Roland Passot’s recipe (see below) and keeps it simple, limiting the meats to duck leg confit and Toulouse sausages. (Don’t panic. If you’re making this at home, some specialty markets sell duck confit.) The beans are key to cassoulet. Once cooked, they should not be mushy, but hold their shape after the long cooking. In France, tradition calls for either Tarbais beans, a plump, white bean, or lingot beans — a strain of cannellini beans — in making cassoulet. As Passot suggests in his recipe below, you can substitute cannellini beans or Great Northern beans. Rancho Gordo produces a variety called cassoulet , a West Coast-grown bean from the Tarbais strain. Cassoulet isn’t difficult to make. It just requires time and patience. You can make it a couple of days ahead, refrigerate it and then slowly reheat it. That way, there’s nothing to do on the day of but sip a glass of wine while the beans and meats slowly heat to bubbling. Add a green salad and some crusty bread, and you’ll have the perfect winter meal. Or put your coat on and head to one of our local restaurants, where the cooking is done for you. All you need is a reservation. Serves 6 to 8 Beans: 4 cups dried lingot beans (white kidney, cannellini or Great Northern, will all work) 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped 1 small onion, diced (about 3⁄4 cup) 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 pound slab bacon or extra thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 sprigs of thyme 1 bay leaf Cassoulet: 1⁄4 cup duck fat (lard will do in a pinch) 2 pounds pork butt cut in 2-inch cubes 1 cup onions, diced small 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1⁄4 cup tomato paste 1 small can diced tomatoes 11⁄2-2 cups reserved bean water 6 Toulouse sausages 1 small garlic sausage 4 confit duck legs, purchased or homemade (see note below) 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Note: If you are making your own duck confit, start the night before by rubbing the duck legs with a “green salt” mixture — kosher salt, parsley, a couple of bay leaves and thyme ground together. The next day, rinse the duck legs well, pat dry and place in an oven-safe cooking vessel with enough duck fat to cover the legs. Roast in a 225-degree oven for 21⁄2 to 3 hrs. The night before, place the beans in a deep pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Let beans soak overnight. The next day, rinse the beans well. Add the rinsed beans, carrots, onions, garlic, bacon, thyme and bay leaf to cold water and cook, over low heat, until the beans are tender. Strain the beans, saving the water, and set aside the beans. In a large braising pan, melt the duck fat over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, brown the pork butt pieces without stirring. When beginning to brown, start stirring, making sure you scrape the bottom if it starts to caramelize. The pork doesn’t need much color, but it does need to cook in the duck fat for a while. Add lots of salt and pepper. This is not a shy dish. When the pork is nice and brown on all sides, add the 1 cup onions and garlic, and sauté until the onions are soft and cooked through. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and reserved liquid from the beans. Stir, using a rubber spatula to clean the side of the pot. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Bring the heat under the braising pan up to high. Once at a rolling boil, turn down to low heat and add all the sausages. When they are cooked through, remove and set aside. Slice the garlic sausage in half and cut into 1-inch pieces. Return the whole and sliced sausages back to the pot along with the cooked beans. Continue to cook on low heat until the pork is cooked through. Taste for seasoning; add more salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the beans and pork to a heavy, wide mouth, earthenware, clay or cast iron baking dish that can hold 5 to 6 quarts. Bake at 250 degrees for about 11⁄2 hours, checking at least every 30 minutes. It may require a bit more time. If the dish is starting to look too dry, add a small amount of reserved bean broth or chicken stock. Add warmed duck legs to the cassoulet and make a breadcrumb topping by combining the panko, garlic, parsley, thyme and extra virgin olive oil. Return the dish to the oven and continue baking until the crumbs brown on the top. — Courtesy Roland Passot, Propriétaire, Chef Culinary Officer, Vine HospitalityNone

Isaac Julian HallCHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL TO ANNOUNCE FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2024 RESULTS ON FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Published 3:33 pm Saturday, November 23, 2024 By Staff Reports As they gear up to meet the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-7) on Sunday, November 24 at TD Garden, with the opening tip at 3:30 PM ET, the Boston Celtics (13-3) have two players currently listed on the injury report. The Timberwolves’ injury report also has two players on it. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. The Celtics took care of business in their last game 108-96 against the Wizards on Friday. In the win, Jaylen Brown paced the Celtics with 31 points. The Timberwolves enter this matchup after a 110-105 loss to the Raptors on Thursday. Anthony Edwards totaled 26 points, three rebounds and two assists for the Timberwolves. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get live and on-demand access to NBA games. Get tickets for any NBA game this season at StubHub. Catch NBA action all season long on Fubo. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .Fresh protests in Georgia after PM vows to 'eradicate' opposition

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By JONEL ALECCIA, AP Health Writer Unlike scores of people who scrambled for the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight in recent years, Danielle Griffin had no trouble getting them. The 38-year-old information technology worker from New Mexico had a prescription. Her pharmacy had the drugs in stock. And her health insurance covered all but $25 to $50 of the monthly cost. For Griffin, the hardest part of using the new drugs wasn’t access. It was finding out that the much-hyped medications didn’t really work for her. “I have been on Wegovy for a year and a half and have only lost 13 pounds,” said Griffin, who watches her diet, drinks plenty of water and exercises regularly. “I’ve done everything right with no success. It’s discouraging.” In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight. Now that millions of people have used the drugs, several obesity experts told The Associated Press that perhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It’s a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results. “It’s all about explaining that different people have different responses,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital The drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists because they mimic a hormone in the body known as glucagon-like peptide 1. Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person’s response to the drugs, Stanford said. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives. “This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient. Despite such cautions, patients are often upset when they start getting the weekly injections but the numbers on the scale barely budge. “It can be devastating,” said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of the obesity treatment company FlyteHealth. “With such high expectations, there’s so much room for disappointment.” That was the case for Griffin, who has battled obesity since childhood and hoped to shed 70 pounds using Wegovy. The drug helped reduce her appetite and lowered her risk of diabetes, but she saw little change in weight. “It’s an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “You want it to work like it does for everybody else.” The medications are typically prescribed along with eating behavior and lifestyle changes. It’s usually clear within weeks whether someone will respond to the drugs, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrine specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Weight loss typically begins right away and continues as the dosage increases. For some patients, that just doesn’t happen. For others, side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea force them to halt the medications, Dushay said. In such situations, patients who were counting on the new drugs to pare pounds may think they’re out of options. “I tell them: It’s not game over,” Dushay said. Trying a different version of the new class of drugs may help. Griffin, who didn’t respond well to Wegovy, has started using Zepbound, which targets an additional hormone pathway in the body. After three months of using the drug, she has lost 7 pounds. “I’m hoping it’s slow and steady,” she said. Other people respond well to older drugs, the experts said. Changing diet, exercise, sleep and stress habits can also have profound effects. Figuring out what works typically requires a doctor trained to treat obesity, Saunders noted. “Obesity is such a complex disease that really needs to be treated very comprehensively,” she said. “If what we’re prescribing doesn’t work, we always have a backup plan.”

Hundreds of migrants have been detained trying to reach the UK via Ireland in an apparent reversal of the previous trend seen when asylum seekers feared . Criminal gangs have been charging up to £7,000 to transport migrants over the border from Ireland to the north by touting it as a safer route than crossing the Channel on small boats, according to immigration officials. The interceptions in Northern Ireland are part of a UK Home Office campaign called Operation Comby to crack down on abuses of the Common Travel Area, which allows people to travel between the south and north without restrictions. It is a reversal of the migrant flow earlier this year when hundreds of because they . In one three-day operation, revealed on Thursday by the Home Office, 35 in multiple locations across the UK and Ireland. Immigration Enforcement teams, alongside police forces and other international partners, descended on locations including Belfast, Scotland, Liverpool and Manchester as part of the three-day operation. Checks were conducted at major ports, airports, road networks and private addresses across the country, targeting illegal migration and disrupting smuggling routes. Some £5,000 of criminal cash, a car and two fraudulent identity documents were seized. The documents are used by people-smuggling gangs, enabling them to evade immigration controls. , the border security minister, said the UK government was taking the fight against people smugglers to “every border”. She said: “This government will not stand by as criminal gangs exploit vulnerable people, giving them false hope of a better life in the UK. Driven by greed, these gangs have no regard for human life or safety, charging outrageous fees, preying on those desperate to escape hardship, and forcing them into illegal and dangerous situations. “We are taking the fight to them on every front with our new Border Security Command. Dismantling the business models of these gangs does not just apply to the small boats trade – we are also stamping out other routes into the UK to bring them to justice and slash their profits.” On Tuesday, Home Office officials detained four individuals trying to board ferries or planes in Belfast. One was an Iranian who appeared to have travelled from Barcelona to Dublin posing as a Ukrainian. He was stopped by two immigration enforcement officials as he approached the boarding card turnstiles at Belfast airport. Within minutes, the officers suspected that his Ukrainian passport was counterfeit and he admitted to being Iranian. Officers said the detention could be “low hanging fruit” that led to a potential smuggling gang in Dublin or elsewhere in Europe using the Common Travel Area as a back door to Great Britain. Jonathan Evans, the inspector at the criminal and financial investigations unit in immigration enforcement in Belfast, said the numerous stamps in the man’s passport were designed to make it look like he was well-travelled. This suggested that the document had been prepared by a criminal gang “to make it look like he has gone through multiple border controls previously” with immigration stamps from other countries. He added: “We will now run his fingerprints through our databases and talk to Europol. “We will also probably put out a national alert to see if there have been any other Ukrainian counterfeit passports used and this could lead us to a new method used by organised criminals.” The going the other direction from Britain to Belfast and then Dublin was the centre of a political row in Ireland earlier this year. Helen McEntee, the justice minister, said there was anecdotal evidence of a sharp rise in the number of those seeking international protection entering the country via Northern Ireland. Maintaining the invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Republic was a political red line during the . Ireland and the EU faced down Brexiteers who wanted a hard border. Asylum applications in Ireland have jumped from just under 5,000 in 2019 to more than 17,536 so far this year, according to Irish government data.Rodgers says he'll enjoy the rest of the Jets' season and 'let the future take care of itself'