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The Los Angeles Lakers are in decent shape with 65 regular season games remaining, but they must attempt to move the dead-weight players on their roster. By trading away a former first-round pick who hasn’t produced in the big leagues, the Lakers would possess a more robust roster from top to bottom. “At 3-11 overall, the Utah Jazz should look to move their vets (Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, etc.) and stock up on whatever young talent they can find regardless of position,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote Monday. “(Jalen) Hood-Schifino didn't get his third-year option picked up by the Lakers, a surprising move considering he was the 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft. With his time in Los Angeles likely coming to an end, Utah should make a call.” Following a standout freshman campaign at Indiana, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten All-Freshman honors, Hood-Schifino declared for the 2023 draft. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native struggled mightily during his first NBA preseason, netting 14 points in four contests while shooting 15.4% from the field and 25% from downtown. While Hood-Schifino spent most of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers, he participated in 21 NBA contests as a first-year pro. Unfortunately, Hood-Schifino’s numbers were putrid again, averaging 1.6 points on 22.2% field goal shooting and 13.3% three-point shooting. Due to a second consecutive miserable preseason, highlighted by the NBA Cup champion’s inability to make the correct reads while driving downhill and take a step forward as a perimeter shooter, the Lakers declined Hood-Schifino’s third-year option. Hood Schifino has only received one minute of NBA action this season with Los Angeles. While it would be challenging to predict who the Lakers would want to acquire from the Jazz in a potential trade involving Hood-Schifino, the franchise should attempt to cut ties with the underachieving 6-foot-5 guard as soon as possible. More NBA: Warriors predicted to acquire undervalued $78 million center from Raptors via tradesuper granny game 。

Meta rolled out AI translation to its Ray-Ban smart glasses while startup Own.App launched a decentralized social platform promising full content ownership and higher creator payouts, intensifying competition in the rapidly evolving social media industry. PYMNTS takes a look at what’s new. Magic Vision Aims to Slash Content Creation Time Magic Vision launched its AI-powered content creation platform on Friday (Dec. 13), promising to cut digital media production time by 70% through automated editing tools for photo, video, and audio content. The London-based startup combines artificial intelligence with editing features like intelligent object removal, text-to-video generation and voice cloning capabilities. The platform targets creators ranging from amateur photographers to professional media agencies, addressing growing demands in digital content production. “Magic Vision is more than just an editing tool — it’s a creative partner that evolves alongside users,” said CEO Noel Fargents, Citing the platform’s self-learning AI that adapts to workflows over time. Key features include AI-powered photo manipulation, smart video stabilization and audio synchronization tools. The company said it has already secured partnerships with major content agencies and media production companies. Looking ahead, Magic Vision plans to expand into virtual reality content creation and add collaboration features. The platform is available now through magicvision.app, offering tools for creators seeking to streamline their digital media production process. Meta Adds Live AI, Translation to Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Meta announced it would begin rolling out new artificial intelligence and translation capabilities to its Ray-Ban smart glasses through a software update starting Monday (Dec. 16). The v11 software update will give Early Access Program members in the U.S. and Canada access to two new features. “Live AI” will allow the glasses to see and discuss what users are looking at in real-time, providing hands-free assistance with tasks like meal prep and exploring new neighborhoods without requiring the “Hey Meta” wake phrase for follow-up questions. For early access members, the glasses will also be able to translate speech in real time between English and Spanish, French or Italian — a feature CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated at Connect 2024. Users will be able to hear translations through the glasses’ speakers or view them as transcripts on their phones. The company is also adding Shazam integration for U.S. and Canadian users, enabling them to identify songs by asking, “Hey Meta, what is this song?” Meta noted these AI features are still being tested and may not always work perfectly. The company plans to release additional features in 2025. Aggie Says It Can Slash Small Business Social Media Costs A new artificial intelligence platform claims it can reduce social media management time by 99.75% and cut content creation costs by up to 70% for small businesses. Aggie, launched by data analytics firm Audience Genomics, automates the creation and scheduling of social media posts across multiple platforms. According to company executives, the tool generates a month’s worth of content in minutes. The platform builds on Audience Genomics’ experience serving major brands like Universal Studios and Fenty Beauty. CEO Greg Weinstein says Aggie’s algorithm draws from six years of social media data from approximately 5,000 companies across 150 industries. “Social media doesn’t have to be so overwhelming,” said Weinstein, who previously led A&E’s Digital Content Studio. The company secured $3.2 million in funding led by SPO Capital Investments LLC. Early adopters report promising results, including skincare startup Gleem Beauty, which claims sales nearly tripled after it implemented the platform. Aggie currently supports Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Threads, with plans to expand to additional platforms and video content in the coming months.

Kellogg is retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues.

UBC Student Awarded for Remote Ultrasound InnovationNone

We tested piles of clothing and accessories in 2024 — these 35 items are the bestUS stocks are trading near their records as Wall Street takes Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs in stride, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 rose 0.3 per cent in morning trading and was on track to squeak past its all-time high set a couple of weeks ago. The Dow Jones lost 270 points, or 0.6 per cent, from its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.6 per cent higher. Wall Street has climbed despite Donald Trump’s tariffs threat. Credit: AP The Australian sharemarket is set to climb, with futures at 5.02am AEDT pointing to a rise of 41 points, or 0.5 per cent, at the open. The ASX lost 0.7 per cent on Tuesday. The Australian dollar lost ground. It was 0.8 per cent lower at 64.53 US cents at 5.13am AEDT. Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Stock indexes were down 0.1 per cent in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada’s main index was down 0.4 per cent. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs, but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for US companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. General Motors sank 7.3 per cent, and Ford Motor fell 1.8 per cent. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beers in the United States, dropped 4.4 per cent. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause US households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun cutting its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple of months ago to offer support to the job market. While lower interest rates can boost the overall economy and prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. Unlike tariffs in Trump’s first term, his proposal from Monday night would affect products across the board. Trump’s tariff talk came almost immediately after US stocks rose Monday amid excitement about his pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The hope was the hedge-fund manager could steer Trump away from policies that balloon the US government deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another set of mixed profit reports from US retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates instituted by the Fed to get inflation under control. Kohl’s tumbled 20.4 per cent after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear, which helped drag its revenue lower. Kingsbury said a day earlier that he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 8 per cent after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 2.4 per cent. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among US consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. J.M. Smucker jumped 7.6 per cent for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after topping analysts’ expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up US indexes. Gains of 2.7 per cent for Amazon and 1.9 per cent for Microsoft were two of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.31 per cent from 4.28 per cent late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41 per cent level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $US99,000 for the first time late last week. It’s since dipped back toward $US93,400, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that had earlier taken over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled over into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each we e kday afternoon .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private consultations, said Wednesday that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from the current age of 25 to help expand the pool of fighting-age men available to help a badly outnumbered Ukraine in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia. The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine's situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. But with time running out, the Biden White House is also sharpening its viewpoint that Ukraine has the weaponry it needs and now must dramatically increase its troop levels if it's going to stay in the fight with Russia. The official said the Ukrainians believe they need about 160,000 additional troops, but the U.S. administration believes they probably will need more than that. More than 1 million Ukrainians are now in uniform, including National Guard and other units. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also been hearing concerns from allies in other Western capitals that Ukraine has a troop level problem and not an arms problem, according to European officials who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic conversations. The European allies have also stressed that the lack of depth means that it may soon become untenable for Ukraine to continue to operate in Russia’s Kursk border region that Ukraine seized this year. The situation in Kursk has become further complicated by the arrival of thousands of North Korean troops who have come to help Moscow try to claw back the land. The stepped-up push on Ukraine to strengthen its fighting ranks also comes as Ukraine braces for President-elect Donald Trump to take office on Jan. 20. The Republican said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the vital U.S. military support for Ukraine. “There are no easy answers to Ukraine’s serious manpower shortage, but lowering the draft age would help,” said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. "These are obviously difficult decisions for a government and society that has already endured so much due to Russia’s invasion.” Ukraine has taken steps to broaden the pool of draft-eligible men, but the efforts have only scratched the surface against a much larger Russian military. In April, Ukraine’s parliament passed a series of laws, including lowering its draft-eligible age for men from 27 to 25, aimed at broadening the universe of men who could be called on to join the grinding war. Those laws also did away with some draft exemptions and created an online registry for recruits. They were expected to add about 50,000 troops, far short of what Zelenskyy said at the time was needed. Zelenskyy has consistently stated that he has no plans to lower the mobilization age. A senior Ukrainian official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ukraine does not have enough equipment to match the scale of its ongoing mobilization efforts. The official said Ukrainian officials see the push to the lower the draft age as part of an effort by some Western partners to deflect attention from their own delays in providing equipment or belated decisions. The official cited as an example the delay in giving Ukraine permission to use longer-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. The Ukrainians do not see lowering the draft age to recruit more soldiers as a substitute for countering Russia’s advantage in equipment and weaponry, the official said. Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine throughout the war. Russia’s own problems with adequate troop levels and planning early in the war prevented Moscow from taking full advantage of its edge. But the tide has shifted and the U.S. says the Ukrainian shortage can no longer be overlooked. Some Ukrainians have expressed worry that further lowering the minimum conscription age and taking more young adults out of the workforce could backfire by further harming the war-ravaged economy. The senior Biden administration official added that the administration believes that Ukraine can also optimize its current force by more aggressively dealing with soldiers who desert or go absent without leave. AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller and AP writer Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv contributed to this report.Trump's tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared. This time, though, his tariff threats might be different. The president-elect is talking about going much bigger — on a potential scale that creates more uncertainty about whether he’ll do what he says and what the consequences could be. His proposed tariffs against Canada and Mexico could blow up an existing trade deal. US consumer price increases accelerated last month with inflation pressures resilient WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer price increases accelerated last month, the latest sign that inflation’s steady decline over the past two years has stalled. According to the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, consumer prices rose 2.3% in October from a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That is up from just 2.1% in September, though it is still only modestly above the Fed’s 2% target. Trump fills out his economic team with two veterans of his first administration WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. Trump on Tuesday announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. US economy grows at 2.8% pace in third quarter on consumer spending, unchanged from first estimate WASHINGTON (AP) — The American economy expanded at a healthy 2.8% annual pace from July through September on strong consumer spending and a surge in exports, the government said Wednesday, leaving unchanged its initial estimate of third-quarter growth. The Commerce Department reported that growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the economy’s output of goods and services — slowed from the April-July rate of 3%. But the GDP report still showed that the American economy — the world’s largest — is proving surprisingly durable. Growth has topped 2% for eight of the last nine quarters. Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US? WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has identified what he sees as an all-purpose fix for what ails America: Slap huge new tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States. On Monday, Trump sent shockwaves across the nation’s northern and southern borders, vowing sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as China, as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. Trump said he will impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. The UK will consult on sales targets for automakers during the transition to electric vehicles LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new Labour government will launch a consultation on sales targets set for auto manufacturers during the transition to electric vehicles. That's in the wake of the decision by Stellantis, the owner of Vauxhall, to close its van factory in southern England at the potential cost of 1,100 jobs. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told lawmakers Wednesday that the problems encountered by Stellantis in the transition to electric vehicles are not unique, adding that the government will do all it can to prevent the closure of the plant. Stellantis blamed its decision on the U.K.’s “stringent” zero-emission vehicle mandate that sets strict targets for manufacturers. After fast start, electric cars need a recharge as range limits, cost leave some drivers skeptical DETROIT (AP) — While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, the spread of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations. And consumers worried more about price and practicality are holding back where first-adopter climate warriors once piled in. Range, charging infrastructure and higher prices are sore points among both electric car enthusiasts and skeptics in Europe and the U.S. China is the exception. Driven by government subsidies and mandates, vehicles with electric motors, including plug-in hybrids that combine electric and fossil fuel motors, topped 50% of sales in July. Stock market today: Wall Street wavers as Big Tech stocks fall NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered on Wall Street as losses for Big Tech companies offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was down 0.5% in afternoon trading on Wednesday, even though more stocks were rising than falling within the index. Losses for Nvidia and Microsoft helped pull the index lower. Dell sank after reporting revenue that fell shy of forecasts, and HP fell after giving a weaker-than-expected outlook. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2% from its record high a day earlier. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.1%. U.S. markets will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving. Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US slips to 6.81% The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week, though it remains near 7% after mostly rising in recent weeks. The rate slipped to 6.81% from 6.84% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.22%. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has been mostly rising since sliding to a two-year low of 6.08% in late September. Elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices have kept homeownership out of reach of many would-be homebuyers. U.S. home sales are on track for their worst year since 1995. Landmark fish and meat markets in London to close, ending 1,000 years of tradition LONDON (AP) — Two of London’s most famous markets — one selling fish, the other meat — are set to close in the coming years, bringing an end to traditions stretching back to medieval times. On Wednesday, The City of London Corporation, the governing body in the capital city’s historic hub, is set to present a bill to Parliament to bring an end to its responsibilities to operate the Billingsgate fish market and the Smithfield meat market, both of which have existed in some shape or form since the 11th century. That comes a day after the corporation decided not to relocate the markets to a new development just east of London in Dagenham.By Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald (TNS) MIAMI — As her students finished their online exam, Arlet Lara got up to make a cafe con leche . Her 16-year-old son found her on the kitchen floor. First, he called Dad in a panic. Then 911. “I had a stroke and my life made a 180-degree turn,” Lara told the Miami Herald, recalling the medical scare she experienced in May 2020 in the early months of the COVID pandemic. “The stroke affected my left side of the body,” the North Miami woman and former high school math teacher said. Lara, an avid runner and gym goer, couldn’t even walk. “It was hard,” the 50-year-old mom said. After years of rehabilitation therapy and a foot surgery, Lara can walk again. But she still struggles with moving. This summer, she became the first patient in South Florida to get an implant of a new and only FDA-approved nerve stimulation device designed to help ischemic stroke survivors regain movement in their arms and hands. This first procedure was at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Lara’s rehab was at at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, part of a partnership between Jackson Health System and UHealth. Every year, thousands in the United States have a stroke , with one occurring every 40 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of strokes are ischemic, often caused by blood clots that obstruct blood flow to the brain. For survivors, most of whom are left with some level of disability, the Vivistim Paired VNS System, the device implanted in Lara’s chest, could be a game changer in recovery, said Dr. Robert Starke, a UHealth neurosurgeon and interventional neuroradiologist. He also serves as co-director of endovascular neurosurgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, part of Miami-Dade’s public hospital system. Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, right, runs into her rehabilitation neurology physician Dr. Gemayaret Alvarez, before her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms, goes through exercises while her therapist activates the device during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The activation works as positive reinforcement to her muscles when she completes the exercise correctly. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, does an exercise while Neil Batungbakal, rehabilitation therapist, activates the implant with the black trigger during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. The activation works as positive reinforcement to her muscles when she completes the exercise correctly. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA- approved nerve stimulation implant, does an exercise while Neil Batungbakal, rehabilitation therapist, activates the implant with the black trigger during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, right, runs into her rehabilitation neurology physician Dr. Gemayaret Alvarez, before her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) The Vivistim Paired VNS System is a small pacemaker-like device implanted in the upper chest and neck area. Patients can go home the same day. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the stroke rehabilitation system in 2021 to be used alongside post-ischemic stroke rehabilitation therapy to treat moderate to severe mobility issues in hands and arms. Lara’s occupational therapist can activate the device during rehabilitation sessions to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain down to the abdomen and regulates various parts of the body’s nervous system. The electrical stimulation rewires the brain to improve a stroke survivor’s ability to move their arms and hands. Lara also has a magnet she can use to activate the device when she wants to practice at home. Her therapy consists of repetitive tasks, including coloring, pinching cubes and grabbing and releasing cylindrical shapes. After several weeks of rehabilitation therapy with the device, Lara has seen improvement. “Little by little, I’m noticing that my hand is getting stronger. I am already able to brush my teeth with the left hand,” she told the Miami Herald in September. Since then, Lara has finished the initial six-week Vivitism therapy program, and is continuing to use the device in her rehabilitation therapy. She continues to improve and can now eat better with her left hand and can brush her hair with less difficulty, according to her occupational therapist, Neil Batungbakal. Lara learned about the device through an online group for stroke survivors and contacted the company to inquire. She then connected them with her Jackson medical team. Now a year later, the device is available to Jackson patients. So far, four patients have received the implant at Jackson. Starke sees the device as an opportunity to help bring survivors one step closer to regaining full mobility. Strokes are a leading cause of disability worldwide. While most stroke survivors can usually recover some function through treatment and rehabilitation, they tend to hit a “major plateau” after the first six months of recovery, he said. Vivistim, when paired with rehabilitation therapy, could change that. Jackson Health said results of a clinical trial published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet in 2021 showed that the device, “when paired with high-repetition, task-specific occupational or physical therapy, helps generate two to three times more hand and arm function for stroke survivors than rehabilitation therapy alone.” The device has even shown to benefit patients 20 years from their original stroke, according to Starke. “So now a lot of these patients that had strokes 10-15 years ago that thought that they would never be able to use their arm in any sort of real functional way are now able to have a real meaningful function, which is pretty tremendous,” Starke said. Vivistim’s vagus-nerve stimulation technology was developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Texas Biomedical Device Center and is being sold commercially by Austin-based MicroTransponder, a company started by university graduates. Similar devices are used to treat epilepsy and depression . For Lara, the device is a new tool to help her recovery journey. “Everything becomes a challenge so we are working with small things every day because I want to get back as many functions as possible,” Lara said. Patients interested in Vivistim should speak with their doctor to check their eligibility. The FDA said patients should make sure to discuss any prior medical history, including concurrent forms of brain stimulation, current diathermy treatment, previous brain surgery, depression, respiratory diseases and disorders such as asthma, and cardiac abnormalities. “Adverse events included but were not limited to dysphonia (difficulty speaking), bruising, falling, general hoarseness, general pain, hoarseness after surgery, low mood, muscle pain, fracture, headache, rash, dizziness, throat irritation, urinary tract infection and fatigue,” the FDA said. MicroTransponder says the device is “covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance with prior authorization on a case-by-case basis.” To learn more about the device, visit vivistim.com. ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald (TNS) MIAMI — As her students finished their online exam, Arlet Lara got up to make a cafe con leche . Her 16-year-old son found her on the kitchen floor. First, he called Dad in a panic. Then 911. “I had a stroke and my life made a 180-degree turn,” Lara told the Miami Herald, recalling the medical scare she experienced in May 2020 in the early months of the COVID pandemic. “The stroke affected my left side of the body,” the North Miami woman and former high school math teacher said. Lara, an avid runner and gym goer, couldn’t even walk. “It was hard,” the 50-year-old mom said. After years of rehabilitation therapy and a foot surgery, Lara can walk again. But she still struggles with moving. This summer, she became the first patient in South Florida to get an implant of a new and only FDA-approved nerve stimulation device designed to help ischemic stroke survivors regain movement in their arms and hands. This first procedure was at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Lara’s rehab was at at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, part of a partnership between Jackson Health System and UHealth. Every year, thousands in the United States have a stroke , with one occurring every 40 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of strokes are ischemic, often caused by blood clots that obstruct blood flow to the brain. For survivors, most of whom are left with some level of disability, the Vivistim Paired VNS System, the device implanted in Lara’s chest, could be a game changer in recovery, said Dr. Robert Starke, a UHealth neurosurgeon and interventional neuroradiologist. He also serves as co-director of endovascular neurosurgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, part of Miami-Dade’s public hospital system. Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, right, runs into her rehabilitation neurology physician Dr. Gemayaret Alvarez, before her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms, goes through exercises while her therapist activates the device during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The activation works as positive reinforcement to her muscles when she completes the exercise correctly. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, does an exercise while Neil Batungbakal, rehabilitation therapist, activates the implant with the black trigger during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. The activation works as positive reinforcement to her muscles when she completes the exercise correctly. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA- approved nerve stimulation implant, does an exercise while Neil Batungbakal, rehabilitation therapist, activates the implant with the black trigger during her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Arlet Lara, the first patient in South Florida to get an FDA-approved nerve stimulation implant, right, runs into her rehabilitation neurology physician Dr. Gemayaret Alvarez, before her physical therapy appointment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at Lynn Rehabilitation Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The implant is designed to help stroke survivors regain function in their arms. (Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald/TNS) The Vivistim Paired VNS System is a small pacemaker-like device implanted in the upper chest and neck area. Patients can go home the same day. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the stroke rehabilitation system in 2021 to be used alongside post-ischemic stroke rehabilitation therapy to treat moderate to severe mobility issues in hands and arms. Lara’s occupational therapist can activate the device during rehabilitation sessions to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain down to the abdomen and regulates various parts of the body’s nervous system. The electrical stimulation rewires the brain to improve a stroke survivor’s ability to move their arms and hands. Lara also has a magnet she can use to activate the device when she wants to practice at home. Her therapy consists of repetitive tasks, including coloring, pinching cubes and grabbing and releasing cylindrical shapes. After several weeks of rehabilitation therapy with the device, Lara has seen improvement. “Little by little, I’m noticing that my hand is getting stronger. I am already able to brush my teeth with the left hand,” she told the Miami Herald in September. Since then, Lara has finished the initial six-week Vivitism therapy program, and is continuing to use the device in her rehabilitation therapy. She continues to improve and can now eat better with her left hand and can brush her hair with less difficulty, according to her occupational therapist, Neil Batungbakal. Lara learned about the device through an online group for stroke survivors and contacted the company to inquire. She then connected them with her Jackson medical team. Now a year later, the device is available to Jackson patients. So far, four patients have received the implant at Jackson. Related Articles Starke sees the device as an opportunity to help bring survivors one step closer to regaining full mobility. Strokes are a leading cause of disability worldwide. While most stroke survivors can usually recover some function through treatment and rehabilitation, they tend to hit a “major plateau” after the first six months of recovery, he said. Vivistim, when paired with rehabilitation therapy, could change that. Jackson Health said results of a clinical trial published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet in 2021 showed that the device, “when paired with high-repetition, task-specific occupational or physical therapy, helps generate two to three times more hand and arm function for stroke survivors than rehabilitation therapy alone.” The device has even shown to benefit patients 20 years from their original stroke, according to Starke. “So now a lot of these patients that had strokes 10-15 years ago that thought that they would never be able to use their arm in any sort of real functional way are now able to have a real meaningful function, which is pretty tremendous,” Starke said. Vivistim’s vagus-nerve stimulation technology was developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Texas Biomedical Device Center and is being sold commercially by Austin-based MicroTransponder, a company started by university graduates. Similar devices are used to treat epilepsy and depression . For Lara, the device is a new tool to help her recovery journey. “Everything becomes a challenge so we are working with small things every day because I want to get back as many functions as possible,” Lara said. Patients interested in Vivistim should speak with their doctor to check their eligibility. The FDA said patients should make sure to discuss any prior medical history, including concurrent forms of brain stimulation, current diathermy treatment, previous brain surgery, depression, respiratory diseases and disorders such as asthma, and cardiac abnormalities. “Adverse events included but were not limited to dysphonia (difficulty speaking), bruising, falling, general hoarseness, general pain, hoarseness after surgery, low mood, muscle pain, fracture, headache, rash, dizziness, throat irritation, urinary tract infection and fatigue,” the FDA said. MicroTransponder says the device is “covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance with prior authorization on a case-by-case basis.” To learn more about the device, visit vivistim.com. ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.It is fall on the Tibetan Plateau, where vast windswept grasslands are speckled with blue Himalayan poppies—some of the year’s last blooms before the snow arrives. Ensconced among rolling hills at 3,200 meters is the nomadic settlement of Ritoma Village. Its population of 1,500 is outnumbered almost 10:1 by the yaks grazing nearby. These gentle, oxlike creatures, with their kind faces and long fringed coats, are so sacred that locals call them “ nor, ” or “jewel.” It takes a four-hour drive from Lanzhou, the capital of China’s Gansu province, to reach Ritoma, traversing winding roads and tunnels that carve through mountains. But this remote village is where Norlha , a luxury brand specializing in ready-to-wear and interior products crafted from khullu —the fluffy down that the yak grows to keep warm through the harsh winters—has its headquarters. When I arrive at the Norlha guest house, the Tibetan-American Dechen Yeshi—who co-founded the brand, which means “wealth of the gods,” with her mother Kim in 2007—greets me at the door and presents me with a white khatag: a traditional ceremonial scarf. The lounge and dining hall are newly completed, and the scent of freshly cut pine fills the room. Soft furnishings in brown Norlha textiles are arranged around a fireplace, and the brand’s felted blankets are draped across platform beds in the guest rooms. Just a few steps across a cobbled pathway lie the atelier and one-year-old showroom, where Norlha’s fall 2024 collection is displayed on sculptural rails and chests. “Our pieces always find a balance between the minimal and the majestic, reflecting the landscape and the way people live here,” Dechen says. This season’s designs feature subtly weathered details, capturing the natural power of the Plateau. A vest is boiled for a fleece-like texture; fringed capes and scarves are woven from handspun wool, giving each piece a rugged, tactile finish. A skirt adorned with strips of fabric that gradually fray nods to the prayer flags that flutter on the surrounding hilltops from the dargyu —a conical wooden structure where laptse ceremonies are held to honor local deities. Warm, earthy tones are a Norlha signature. While yaks typically have dark brown coats, some are gray, and the rarest of all are golden brown or white. The designs in these shades use natural, undyed fibers. A hand-knitted vest top in pure white khullu is a standout piece, while neck warmers in vibrant orange or dandelion yellow add a pop of color, inspired by Plateau women’s flair for bright accents. The atelier, where the shuttles of weaving looms clatter rhythmically, is Norlha’s beating heart. The building, in traditional Tibetan style, surrounds a courtyard, but with large windows to flood the space with natural light. Just as the architecture has evolved, so too have the production methods. “Many ancient skills struggle to survive modern life because they are intricate and specialized but have not been reinterpreted for today’s market,” Kim explains. “We use 18th-century flying shuttle looms that Britain sent to India after automated looms emerged.” This machinery, she says with a smile, is “modern” compared to its predecessor, which required passing the shuttle by hand across the weft. Norlha distinguishes itself by creating pieces exclusively from khullu , occasionally blending it with other luxurious fibers like cashmere or silk, but never synthetics. Hermès was an early collaborator, sourcing handspun textiles from the brand. Khullu is cashmere-soft but nearly twice as breathable, and 30% warmer than sheep’s wool. The quality of the fiber combined with meticulous craftsmanship means a shawl collar coat retails at $2029, with some blankets costing around $3450. In addition to seasonal collections, Norlha produces recurring pieces that reemerge from time to time—sometimes in new shades or patterns—as well as an evergreen collection. “What is so special about the core items is their cross-cultural appeal; they embody what locals cherish most, and someone in Paris or New York will appreciate them just as much,” Dechen says. In the felting studio, I try my hand at making a pair of wrist warmers under the patient guidance of the artisans. The khullu is carded then weighed and arranged into a template shape on a lightbox for even placement, before being massaged, pounded, and molded with soapy water. For the women in this department (66% of Norlha’s workforce is female) the process is second nature, and akin to sculpting clay. In the time it takes me to make this small accessory, they craft three seamless felt vests—a low-impact product with zero waste. Norlha is deeply rooted in its community, with artisans frequently featured in the brand’s campaign imagery. From the outset, it was intended to be both socially and environmentally sustainable and has already received B Corp certification. A quarter of households in Ritoma have at least one member working at Norlha, and 98% of employees are local. Many have been with the brand for years; in some instances, multiple generations of the same family work here, with younger people particularly drawn to tailoring. Ritoma’s proximity to Labrang—a major Gelugpa (Yellow Hat sect) monastery in Tibetan Buddhism—was a significant attraction. “While some monasteries feel like relics, Labrang is vibrant and still has a deep cultural influence,” Dechen says. A lama guides me through Labrang’s temples and the Institute of Medicine—one of six tratsang (monastic colleges). Shoes are scattered outside the Grand Sutra Hall, and inside, the chanting of hundreds of lamas resonates through the space. There is a museum dedicated to intricate yak butter sculptures of Buddhist deities in dazzling colors, and along the monastery’s periphery, worshippers walk the inner kora —the world’s longest path of prayer wheels at 3.5 kilometers. The lamas’ burgundy and fuchsia robes have inspired the hues of Norlha’s naturally pleated khullu silk scarves. The Plateau is an endless source of inspiration for the Yeshis, though references remain subtle—even more literal designs like the unisex Tibetan shirt, with its kimono sleeves, mandarin collar, and knotted buttons, have a timelessness and neutral quality. “We never want the wearer to feel they are borrowing from another culture or wearing something too traditional,” Dechen says. “It is about celebrating the khullu through simple, classic designs where people feel comfortable.” Kim likens Norlha’s mission to how the Scottish developed tweed. “We work with local artisans, using locally sourced quality materials and natural colors. These pieces have value; they are crafted to grow old with you; they have provenance.” One morning before sunrise, I meet the nomadic Dhundup family in the upper pastures, where their day’s work has already begun. Karmo Tso, a young nomadic woman, milks a yak and prepares a traditional breakfast of yak butter tea, a salty, broth-like drink. I follow as the family releases their yaks from the night enclosure and onto the fog-veiled grasslands. On a hilltop, Norlha employees Dorjee Dhundup and Serwu Kyap perform a laptse ceremony, lighting a small fire and casting paper effigies of the wind horse—a symbol of good fortune—into the air, which flutter down like cherry blossoms. I’m reminded of how rare it is to trace a product back to the very pastures from which it originates, through the skilled hands that crafted it, and through the culture that inspired its design. Here at Norlha, the spirit of the Plateau is woven into every fiber and thread.