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NBA awards update: Cunningham, Wemby the bets to make for MVP; Knueppel in hunt for ROY

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NBA awards update: Cunningham, Wemby the bets to make for MVP; Knueppel in hunt for ROY


  • André SnellingsFeb 27, 2026, 12:08 PM ET

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      Dr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.

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With right around six weeks left in the NBA regular season, it’s a perfect time to go around the league and take a closer look at the awards races.

Which are a done deal? Which ones are still up for grabs?

Let’s take a deep dive into each award, going over the leader, the players in the hunt and the long shots of interest, and explains the bets to make.

Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and are as of publication.

Most Valuable Player

Leader: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-250)
In the hunt: Nikola Jokic (+425), Cade Cunningham (+700)
Longer shots of interest: Victor Wembanyama (25-1), Jaylen Brown (40-1), Luka Doncic (75-1), Anthony Edwards (250-1)

There is a new candidate for MVP this season that is dominating the race, and it wears the number “65”. A few years ago, the NBA set a threshold of 65 games played for any player to be considered for any individual award. The threshold was part of the league’s effort to cut down on the perceived “load management” that was becoming very unpopular among the fanbase, but the decision has yielded unintended consequences. One is what is happening in this MVP race, where several of the top MVP candidates either already have or are on-pace-to miss more than 17 games, too many absences to actually win the award.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, has been sidelined with an abdominal injury and has already missed 11 of the Thunder’s 60 games so far, including the last nine in a row. He is set to return to the lineup Friday at home against Denver, however. Jokic, the three-time MVP and reigning runner-up, has missed 16 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo has already missed 27 games and fellow former MVP Joel Embiid has missed 26. The stars of Los Angeles, Doncic and Kawhi Leonard, have missed 12 and 13 games, respectively. Wembanyama has missed 14 games for the Spurs.

Gilgeous-Alexander remains the odds-on favorite at DraftKings to win his second consecutive MVP while Jokic is second, but if either miss just a handful more games down the stretch then either or both could be ineligible for the award. And for the betting public, that is where things get interesting because it would open up the MVP race to candidates that weren’t expected to have a chance to win. Two candidates in particular catch my attention as value bets in that scenario.

Cunningham is building a case that could win MVP even if SGA and Jokic are eligible. He has led the Pistons to the best record in the NBA right now, overtaking the Thunder for the top spot. Cunningham is 12th in the NBA in scoring (25.4 PPG), second in assists (9.8 APG) and fourth among guards with 5.7 RPG. Cunningham is the only All-Star on a team that has dominated the league all season, and if the Pistons end the season with the best record Cunningham will have a strong narrative argument to win his first MVP.

Wembanyama dropped out of the MVP race when he had an extended injury absence from mid-November into December, with the assumption he would miss the games threshold. But when the Spurs brought him back, they brought him along slowly with limited minutes and even a role off the bench for awhile with the purpose of getting him action every game with less risk of re-injury. And the strategy has been very successful so far, with Wembanyama having played in 32 of the Spurs’ last 34 games, including the last 23 straight.

There is a growing sentiment that Wemby will make the 65-game threshold, as evidenced by his being the extreme favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year (-500). He could only win DPoY if he reaches the 65-game threshold, so if he is eligible for that award he’d be eligible for the MVP as well. And, like Cunningham, Wemby is building an MVP case that would be competitive even if SGA and Jokic reach 65 games. He is acclaimed as clearly the best defensive player in the league while still averaging 23.7 PPG on offense.

Wemby has also led the Spurs into contention at least a season before they were expected to get there. They are currently the hottest team in the NBA on an 11-game winning streak and only trail the Thunder by 1.5 games for the top seed in the West. If the Spurs do overtake the Thunder and Wemby gets to 65 games, he will have a strong narrative to win his first MVP.

Ultimately, both SGA and Jokic are still currently eligible to win MVP, but betting on SGA in particular doesn’t have enough juice (-250) to be worth a futures bet. I do see some value in Jokic at +425, because if every player hits the 65-game threshold Jokic measures out as the best and most valuable player. But Cunningham has more juice than either without the risk of missing the threshold to give him more value. Wemby has a similar threshold risk, but is getting much more juice (+1900). All told, at this point in the season I think Cunningham and Wemby are the bets to make for MVP.

Rookie of the Year

Leader: Cooper Flagg (-125)
In the hunt: Kon Knueppel (-105)
Longshots of interest: VJ Edgecombe (100-1), Derik Queen (500-1)

This has become a two-man race between former college teammates. Flagg was already the odds-on favorite to win, but his four-game span starting Jan. 29 where he averaged 37.8 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 4.5 APG pretty much locked up the award for him … if he reaches the 65-game threshold. Flagg has missed nine games so far and is currently sidelined by a foot injury that has kept him out of the last five games and does not yet have a return timeline.

This opens up the door for Knueppel, Flagg’s teammate at Duke who is on pace to have the best 3-point shooting season by a rookie in NBA history. Knueppel has averaged 19.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 3.5 3PG while flirting with 50/40/90 shooting percentages. He has also helped lead the Hornets’ renaissance into playoff consideration, earning him more credit and likely votes for this award.

Sixth Man of the Year

Leader: Naz Reid (+120)
In the hunt: Keldon Johnson (+240), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (+650)
Longer shots of interest: Reed Sheppard (15-1), Tim Hardaway Jr. (17-1), Dylan Harper (200-1)

This award always fluctuates throughout the season, and of late it’s Reid — the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year winner — who has moved into the pole position. Reid is on pace for career-best marks in scoring (14.1 PPG), rebounds (6.4 RPG), assists (2.5 APG) and steals (1.0 SPG), all ahead of the numbers he produce when winning the award a couple seasons ago.

Johnson has been a strong sixth man all season for a Spurs team that could end up as the top seed. Jaquez’s production has slowed since he was the favorite to win this earlier in the season, but Sheppard is coming on of late and his odds have improved enough for consideration.

Defensive Player of the Year

Leader: Victor Wembanyama (-500)
In the hunt: Chet Holmgren (+400)
Longshots of interest: Rudy Gobert (15-1), Scottie Barnes (35-1), Amen Thompson (100-1), Ausar Thompson (100-1)

When last we looked at this race, Wemby was at plus money (+400) because of concerns about him hitting the game threshold. Now, if he gets to 65 games, he is the overwhelming favorite to win the award.

If not, Holmgren is next most likely to take it home. The only other player in the conversation is Gobert, who has won four times before, and has really improved in the rankings since the last update. If Wembanyama misses the games threshold and Gobert’s Timberwolves finish strong like they did last season, Gobert could be up for his fifth DPOY.



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Iranian agents obstructed care at hospitals packed with wounded protesters

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Iranian agents obstructed care at hospitals packed with wounded protesters


BEIRUT — As wounded anti-government protesters poured into an Iranian hospital during last month’s crackdown, a young doctor hurried to the emergency room to help treat a man in his 40s who had been shot in the head at close range.

When the doctor and others tried to resuscitate the man, a group of armed, plainclothes security agents blocked their way, pushing some back with their rifles, the doctor told The Associated Press.

“They surrounded him and didn’t allow us to move further,” the doctor in the northern city of Rasht said.

Minutes later, the man was dead. The agents put his body in a black body bag. Later, they piled it and other bodies into the back of a van and drove away.

This wasn’t an isolated incident.

Over the course of a few days in early January, plainclothes agents swarmed hospitals in multiple cities treating the thousands wounded by Iranian security forces who fired on crowds to quash massive protests against the 47-year-old Islamic Republic. These agents monitored and sometimes obstructed care to protesters, intimidated staff, seized protesters and took away the dead in body bags. Dozens of doctors were arrested.

This story is based on AP interviews with three doctors in Iran and six Iranian medical professionals living abroad who are in contact with colleagues on the ground; reports from human rights groups; and AP’s verification of more than a dozen videos posted on social media. All of the doctors inside Iran spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

The AP worked with Mnemonic, a Berlin-based organization, to identify online videos, posts and other material relating to violence in hospitals.

The doctors in Iran and abroad said the level of brutality and militarization of health facilities was unprecedented in a country that for decades has experienced crackdowns on dissent and surveillance of public institutions. In at least one instance, snipers on the roof of a hospital in the northern town of Gorgan shot at approaching patients, according to a witness’ account provided by IIPHA, a U.S.-based association of Iranian health care professionals.

The Iran Human Rights Center, based in Oslo, has documented multiple accounts from inside hospitals of security agents preventing medical care, removing patients from ventilators, harassing doctors and detaining protesters.

“It is systematic,” said Amiry-Moghaddam, an Iranian-Norwegian neuroscientist who founded the group. “And we have not experienced this pattern before.”

The government has blamed the protests and ensuing violence on armed foreign-backed “terrorists.”

Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour denied reports of treatment being prevented or protesters being taken from hospitals, calling them “untrue, but also fundamentally impossible.” He was quoted in state media as saying all injured were treated “without any discrimination or interference over political opinions.” The Iranian mission at the United Nations did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the doctors’ accounts.

The crackdown, which reached its height on Jan. 8 and 9, was the deadliest since the Islamic Republic took power in 1979. A complete toll of casualties and other details have been slow to emerge because of internet restrictions imposed by authorities.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency says it confirmed more than 7,000 deaths and that it is investigating thousands more. The government has acknowledged more than 3,000 killed, though it has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.

Once the crackdown began, the doctor in Rasht said he worked through 66 hours of hell, moving each day to a different facility to help with the wounded — first a trauma center, then a hospital and finally a private clinic.

On Jan. 8, “every 15 to 30 minutes, the entire emergency ward would be emptied and then refilled with new patients,” the doctor said.

It got worse on Jan. 9, as wounds from live ammunition became more common and security agents became more menacing.

Agents brought in wounded protesters and stood watch over them as staff worked, the doctor said. They burst into wards, armed with automatic rifles, threatening staff and filming patients and checking documents.

When it came time to discharge a patient, he said, “they would take anyone who was confirmed to be a protester.”

At one point, security agents brought in the body of a dead man with his hands shackled in front of his body. He had pellet shots to his abdomen and chest and a clear bullet wound to the head, he said.

He recognized the man immediately. Only moments earlier, his family had been showing his photo around the hospital, asking if he had been admitted.

Amnesty International has received credible reports that targeted, close-range shootings of protesters took place, and “at a far greater scale” than in past crackdowns on protests, said the group’s Iran researcher Raha Bahereini. Two videos verified by AP show the bodies of protesters with close-range shots and medical equipment connected to their bodies.

The doctor said he and other staff tried to hide wounded protesters by recording false diagnoses in hospital records. Gunshots to the abdomen were identified as abdominal pain; broken bones were recorded as a falling accident. One patient who had been shot in the genitals was identified as a urology patient.

“We knew that no matter what we did for the patients, they wouldn’t be safe once they stepped out of the hospital,” he said.

The AP could not independently confirm the doctor’s account of events at the hospital in Rasht. But it conformed with AP’s other reporting.

The AP verified videos posted from four hospitals as a snapshot of the Iranian security forces’ activity. Mnemonic gathered dozens of videos, posts and other accounts it says showed forces were present in and around nine hospitals, in some cases firing guns and tear gas. Mnemonic has been preserving digital evidence of human rights violations in Iran since 2022, creating with partners an archive of more than 2 million documents.

One video verified by AP shows security agents breaking through glass entrance doors into Imam Khomeini Hospital in the western city of Ilam. They then barged through the halls with their guns, yelling at people.

The Health Ministry told state media it was investigating the incident, saying it was committed to protecting medical centers, staff and patients.

Other videos verified by AP show a heavy presence of security forces surrounding three hospitals in Tehran, firing tear gas and chasing protesters.

Other doctors worked in clandestine centers to treat the wounded away from authorities.

On the night of Jan. 8, a 37-year-old general surgeon was out for dinner in Tehran when he received a call from a professional friend he hadn’t heard from in years. The friend, an ophthalmologist, spoke in vague terms, but the fear in her voice made clear she needed his help urgently. She gave him an address.

Just before midnight, he drove to the address, a clinic for cosmetic procedures. Inside, he found the lobby transformed into a trauma ward, with more than 30 wounded men, women, children and elderly on the couches and blood-covered floor, shouting and crying,

The surgeon spent nearly four days there, treating more than 90 people, he estimates, as volunteers brought in more wounded. At first, it was just him, the ophthalmologist, a dentist and two nurses.

He used cardboard boxes and pieces of soft metal as splints for broken bones. With no anesthesia or strong painkillers, he used weaker suppository analgesics. The clinic had no blood supplies or transfusion capabilities, so he administered IV drips to rehydrate them and raise their blood pressure, a process that took hours.

At some point that night, phone lines were cut off and for 12 hours, he couldn’t call for more help. They couldn’t send patients to hospitals for fear they’d be arrested.

One woman, in her 30s, had been hit by bird shot at close range, destroying the roof of her mouth and the area around her nose and below her eyes, the surgeon recalled.

A young man in his 20s had been shot with live ammunition in his elbow, shattering it. The surgeon sutured the wounds but knew the arm would have to be amputated.

A family of four — a mother, father and their 8- and 10-year-old children — were all riddled with pellets, the surgeon said. The older boy had dozens of pellets in his face, but amazingly none hit his eyes.

On the morning of Jan. 9, the phone lines started working again, and the surgeon reached out to doctors he trusted to refer patients to them. First he had to make sure to remove all bullets and pellets from their bodies so they wouldn’t be detained at the hospital. He wrote referral letters saying the patients had been in car accidents.

The surgeon summoned three other doctors to help in the hidden clinic. When new wounded were brought in, the patients who had been stabilized applauded and flashed victory signs to them, he said.

“They started to make the atmosphere happy through their pain. … I just couldn’t believe that moment,” the surgeon said, his voice breaking. “It was so human.”

None of the wounded died at the clinic, though two dead bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were brought in, he said. The AP could not independently confirm the surgeon’s account of events at the clinic.

Since Jan. 9, at least 79 health care professionals have been detained, including a dozen medical students, according to Homa Fathi, an Iranian dentist pursuing a Ph.D. in Canada and member of IIPHA who has been monitoring Iranian government action against health professionals since 2022. Many of those detained were accused of resisting security agents’ orders or other charges connected to providing medical care to protesters, said Fathi.

Around 30 have been released, most on bail, but many of them still face charges, including one accused of “waging war against God,” a charge that carries a death penalty, Fathi said. Authorities are also keeping some doctors under surveillance at home to ensure they don’t receive or visit wounded protesters — an unprecedented level of control, she said.

The surgeon who treated protesters at the secret clinic said he was surprised security forces never stormed that location to make arrests.

But arrests have come since. Two health care workers who volunteered at the clinic were seized from their homes, the surgeon said.

“I am waiting, too.”



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WHO: Mexican cartels biggest manufacturers of fentanyl, meth

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WHO: Mexican cartels biggest manufacturers of fentanyl, meth




It says both the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are working with organizations such as Tren de Aragua, Gulf Klan and Mara Salvatrucha to deliver narcotics around the world.



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JON SCHAFFER Is Unfortunately Back To Making Music

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JON SCHAFFER Is Unfortunately Back To Making Music


Jon Schaffer – best known for his tenure in Iced Earth and trying to overthrow the government on January 6 like an absolute crybaby – is mounting a musical comeback through his politically-oriented project, Sons of Liberty.

Thought Crimes (Volumes 1 & 2) – which is the real name of these things – is a reimagined collection of material from the project’s past output, features newly remixed tracks with updated live drums from Mark Prator, and is scheduled for release on July 4 via The Circle Music.

Schaffer then issued a massive statement about his political beliefs which you can find below, though I do want to highlight this passage from the press release: “What sets Sons of Liberty – Thought Crimes (Volumes 1 & 2) apart is its transcendence of partisan divides. This is not an echo chamber of political agendas; it’s a universal wake-up call, championing freedom as the bedrock of peace and prosperity for every person on the planet.

“In a world fractured by division, Schaffer‘s lyrics rally for pro-freedom/pro-humanity ideals: anti-authoritarian, non-partisan, and rooted in the unyielding principles of liberty.

“It’s a reminder that true empowerment comes from questioning and resisting systems that promote aggression and erode our shared dignity, fostering unity through principles of liberty, individual sovereignty, and collective resilience.’”

A few things.

  • “Thought Crimes (Volumes 1 & 2) transcends partisan divides.” You tried to overthrow the government, dude. I don’t think you get to now try to position yourself as the voice of reason
  • “This is not an echo chamber of political agendas.” Isn’t it though?
  • “championing freedom as the bedrock of peace and prosperity for every person on the planet…” You tried to violently overthrow the government. Peace?
  • “Schaffer’s lyrics rally for pro-freedom/pro-humanity ideals: anti-authoritarian, non-partisan, and rooted in the unyielding principles of liberty.” Ah yes, good old “anti-authoritarian, non-partisan” messaging from the guy that tried to fucking overthrow the government
  • “It’s a reminder that true empowerment comes from questioning and resisting systems that promote aggression and erode our shared dignity.” Coming from the guy that… hang on, I need to check my notes. Right – tried to overthrow the government

Schaffer‘s statement is as follows: “Sons of Liberty was always meant to be more than music; it was a wake-up call and an attempt to start brushfires of freedom in the minds of those with ears to hear.”

So far off to an embarrassingly cringey start, but anyway: “Those who know me, know that I am not here to please everyone; not with my music, nor with my ideals and principles… My wish with the first SOL album in 2009 was to inspire the people to inform themselves. When these songs were first released, I wanted to expose the financial and political systems that prosper through aggression and subjugate our personal freedom. 17 years later the message has only become more relevant, and the situation more urgent.”

“In the future it is my intention to write a new chapter of Sons music focusing on what I believe to be the solution. Until then, as a great friend and mentor says… Don’t aggress. Be an excellent human. Live and let live. Peace.”

Schaffer‘s history remains inextricably linked to the events of January 6th, 2021, when he was arrested for his involvement in breaching the U.S. Capitol. He faced six charges, including violent entry and disrupting government business, and was linked to the Oath Keepers militia. He ultimately cooperated with authorities, receiving three years probation and a $2,200 fine in October 2024, and was pardoned by Donald J. Trump in 2025.

Pre-orders are available somewhere, I’m sure.

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Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk

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Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk




Find insight on oil futures, CSE Global, Sembcorp Industries and more in the latest Market Talks covering Energy and Utilities.



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Falcons fire assistant coach LaTroy Lewis after sexual assault allegation surfaces

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Falcons fire assistant coach LaTroy Lewis after sexual assault allegation surfaces


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The Atlanta Falcons have fired assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis after allegations of sexual assault surfaced Friday morning. 

The team said in a statement Friday morning that it was “aware of allegations regarding” Lewis and was “in the process of gathering information.” Hours later, the Falcons announced that Lewis had been dismissed from his role. 

Lewis, 32, was hired by the Falcons under new coach Kevin Stefanski earlier this month after he was the defensive line coach at Toledo during the 2025 season. He previously spent multiple seasons as an assistant at Michigan. The sexual assault allegations stem from his time with the Wolverines, and the Ann Arbor Police Department confirmed to ESPN that it is investigating the claims against Lewis. 

After a college career at Tennessee, Lewis went undrafted in 2017 before having brief stints with the then-Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. His playing career ended following one season with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2020. 

Lewis broke into coaching at Akron in 2020 as a graduate assistant. He then spent one season at South Alabama and another at Wake Forest before joining then-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan ahead of the 2023 season.





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Justice Department indicts 30 more in anti-ICE church protest in Minnesota

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Justice Department indicts 30 more in anti-ICE church protest in Minnesota



The Trump Justice Department secured a new indictment charging 30 more people in connection with an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, in January.

Nine others, including the former CNN journalist Don Lemon, have already been charged.

Attorney General Pam Bondi posted Friday on X that federal agents had “already arrested” 25 of the newly added defendants “with more to come throughout the day.”

Demonstrators entered the Cities Church on Jan. 18 because they said its pastor worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstration came as protests grew over the Trump administration’s immigration operations in Minneapolis. Two Americans were shot to death by immigration officers and criticism over their deaths in part prompted the Trump administration to tone down its efforts there.

A federal magistrate judge previously found the Trump administration lacked probable cause to arrest Lemon and several of other defendants under a federal statute that a top Justice Department official conceded had never been used in the context of a protest at a church before.

But Lemon was eventually arrested in late January after a federal grand jury returned an indictment against him and eight others on charges of conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom.

Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”

The latest motion in the case was signed by Orlando Sonza, a former Republican congressional candidate who is now working with the Civil Rights Division under Trump administration official Harmeet Dhillon.

A church member has sued over the protest, saying the service was unlawfully disrupted as part of a coordinated political demonstration.



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Scientists discover a key to staying mentally sharp in old age

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Scientists discover a key to staying mentally sharp in old age



People who have razor-sharp minds in their 80s and 90s — known as “SuperAgers” — produce twice the number of young neurons as cognitively healthy adults and 2.5 times as many as people with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found.”This shows the aging brain has the capacity to regenerate — that’s huge,” said study coauthor Dr. Tamar Gefen, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.While a mature neuron is stable, a young neuron is the most adaptable and plastic type of brain cell, with an enhanced ability to grow, integrate and “wire itself into a brain,” said Gefen, who helps lead the Northwestern SuperAging Program. Researchers there have been studying elderly men and women with superior memories for 25 years.”SuperAgers are showing the preservation of immature neurons with heightened excitability — they are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to fire,” she said. “That is a more youthful brain.”In addition, the study found SuperAger brains contained more robust support systems in the hippocampus — the part of the brain responsible for memory — that nurture youthful neurons much like a young sapling is nourished when planted in nutrient-rich dirt.”This research shows SuperAgers have a unique cellular environment in their hippocampus which supports neurogenesis,” Gefen said. “This is biological proof SuperAgers have more plastic brains.”Neurogenesis, which is the birth and survival of new neurons, enhances brain plasticity — the ability of the brain to repair itself to maintain good cognitive function in the face of injury and the process of aging.In fact, the brains of SuperAgers contained more newly developed neurons than younger adults in their 30s and 40s, said senior author Orly Lazarov, a professor of neuroscience and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training Program at the University of Illinois, Chicago.”The profile of neurogenesis in the SuperAgers shows resilience,” Lazarov said in an email. “So they are able to cope with the ravages of time.”SuperAgers may have a genetic advantage, but research shows that people who practice good brain health may also prevent cognitive decline, said Alzheimer’s prevention researcher Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, who was not involved in the study.”Our studies have found lifestyle changes including diet, exercise, reducing stress and optimizing sleep, along with managing vascular risk factors with certain prescribed medications, can also grow brain areas including the hippocampus, and reduce telltale signs of Alzehimer’s such as tau tangles and amyloid plaques,” Isaacson said.”I was certainly never taught in medical school that it’s possible for brain cells to grow, but we’ve now seen compelling evidence of this on serial MRI scans in people who continually make brain-healthy choices,” he said.What is a ‘SuperAger’?To be a “SuperAger,” a person must be older than 80 and undergo extensive cognitive testing that assesses the limits of their ability to recall information, Emily Rogalski, a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, told CNN in an earlier interview. Rogalski, who was not an author on the study, helped develop the SuperAger program at Northwestern.”SuperAgers are required to have outstanding episodic memory — the ability to recall everyday events and past personal experiences,” she said. “It’s important to point out when we compare the SuperAgers to the average agers, they have similar levels of IQ, so the differences we’re seeing are not just due to intelligence.”SuperAgers also share similar traits. They tend to be positive and challenge their brain every day by reading or learning something new. Many are physically active and continue to work into their 80s. SuperAgers are also social butterflies, surrounded by family and friends, and they can often be found volunteering in their community.When it comes to healthy behaviors, however, SuperAgers are a mixed bag.”We have SuperAgers with heart disease, diabetes, who aren’t physically active, who don’t eat any better than their similar-age peers,” Gefen said. “Still, it’s what we’ve found in the brains donated by SuperAgers that is most telling.”Analyses of brain tissue found the cingulate cortex, an area that’s responsible for attention, motivation and cognitive engagement, is thicker in SuperAgers compared with people in their 50s and 60s. The hippocampus of SuperAgers also has three times fewer tau tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.Another study found “beautiful, humongous, very healthy” neurons in the SuperAgers’ entorhinal cortex, one of the first areas of the brain to get hit by Alzheimer’s disease, Gefen said.”It was an incredible finding, because their entorhinal neurons were even larger than those in individuals who are much younger, some even in their 30s,” she said. “That told us there is a structural integrity component at play — like the architecture, the bones, the skeleton of the neuron itself is sturdier.”The new study sheds light on how that might occur, Gefen added.”Those fat, juicy entorhinal neurons may not just be bigger, they may also be embedded in this enhanced ecosystem in the hippocampus that is also nurturing immature brain cells,” she said. “They are absolutely connected, and this new study may be providing a mechanistic understanding of why they may be bigger.”A new way to measure neurogenesisPast research in humans on how neurogenesis occurs has been murky, partly due to the type of measurement tools used, Lazarov said. The new study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, used a different technique to measure the birth of new neurons in five types of donor brains: SuperAgers; healthy young adults; older adults with no sign of cognitive decline; older adults with early dementia; and older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.The tool, called multiomic single-cell sequencing, allowed researchers to determine which types of brain cells support memory and cognition as the hippocampus ages. Results showed two types of cells, astrocytes and CA1 neurons, were key drivers for memory retention in the brains of SuperAgers.The CA1 neurons are crucial for memory, helping consolidate and retrieve past experiences. “These are among the first brain cells attacked by tau in Alzheimer’s disease,” Gefen said.Astrocytes vastly outnumber neurons and are vital for regulating blood flow to the brain. These brain cells also encourage the formation of synapses, the junction where nerve signals pass from one neuron to another, which are the foundation of brain function, learning and memory.”In SuperAgers, astrocytes and CA1 neurons are supporting the hippocampus in ways that we didn’t understand before, by boosting synapse signaling between neurons,” Gefen said. “Immature neurons, CA1 circuits and astrocytes are all coordinating in a very, very enriched environment.”

CNN —

People who have razor-sharp minds in their 80s and 90s — known as “SuperAgers” — produce twice the number of young neurons as cognitively healthy adults and 2.5 times as many as people with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found.

“This shows the aging brain has the capacity to regenerate — that’s huge,” said study coauthor Dr. Tamar Gefen, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

While a mature neuron is stable, a young neuron is the most adaptable and plastic type of brain cell, with an enhanced ability to grow, integrate and “wire itself into a brain,” said Gefen, who helps lead the Northwestern SuperAging Program. Researchers there have been studying elderly men and women with superior memories for 25 years.

“SuperAgers are showing the preservation of immature neurons with heightened excitability — they are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to fire,” she said. “That is a more youthful brain.”

In addition, the study found SuperAger brains contained more robust support systems in the hippocampus — the part of the brain responsible for memory — that nurture youthful neurons much like a young sapling is nourished when planted in nutrient-rich dirt.

“This research shows SuperAgers have a unique cellular environment in their hippocampus which supports neurogenesis,” Gefen said. “This is biological proof SuperAgers have more plastic brains.”

Neurogenesis, which is the birth and survival of new neurons, enhances brain plasticity — the ability of the brain to repair itself to maintain good cognitive function in the face of injury and the process of aging.

In fact, the brains of SuperAgers contained more newly developed neurons than younger adults in their 30s and 40s, said senior author Orly Lazarov, a professor of neuroscience and director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Training Program at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

“The profile of neurogenesis in the SuperAgers shows resilience,” Lazarov said in an email. “So they are able to cope with the ravages of time.”

SuperAgers may have a genetic advantage, but research shows that people who practice good brain health may also prevent cognitive decline, said Alzheimer’s prevention researcher Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, who was not involved in the study.

“Our studies have found lifestyle changes including diet, exercise, reducing stress and optimizing sleep, along with managing vascular risk factors with certain prescribed medications, can also grow brain areas including the hippocampus, and reduce telltale signs of Alzehimer’s such as tau tangles and amyloid plaques,” Isaacson said.

“I was certainly never taught in medical school that it’s possible for brain cells to grow, but we’ve now seen compelling evidence of this on serial MRI scans in people who continually make brain-healthy choices,” he said.

What is a ‘SuperAger’?

To be a “SuperAger,” a person must be older than 80 and undergo extensive cognitive testing that assesses the limits of their ability to recall information, Emily Rogalski, a professor of neurology at the University of Chicago, told CNN in an earlier interview. Rogalski, who was not an author on the study, helped develop the SuperAger program at Northwestern.

“SuperAgers are required to have outstanding episodic memory — the ability to recall everyday events and past personal experiences,” she said. “It’s important to point out when we compare the SuperAgers to the average agers, they have similar levels of IQ, so the differences we’re seeing are not just due to intelligence.”

SuperAgers also share similar traits. They tend to be positive and challenge their brain every day by reading or learning something new. Many are physically active and continue to work into their 80s. SuperAgers are also social butterflies, surrounded by family and friends, and they can often be found volunteering in their community.

When it comes to healthy behaviors, however, SuperAgers are a mixed bag.

“We have SuperAgers with heart disease, diabetes, who aren’t physically active, who don’t eat any better than their similar-age peers,” Gefen said. “Still, it’s what we’ve found in the brains donated by SuperAgers that is most telling.”

Analyses of brain tissue found the cingulate cortex, an area that’s responsible for attention, motivation and cognitive engagement, is thicker in SuperAgers compared with people in their 50s and 60s. The hippocampus of SuperAgers also has three times fewer tau tangles, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

Another study found “beautiful, humongous, very healthy” neurons in the SuperAgers’ entorhinal cortex, one of the first areas of the brain to get hit by Alzheimer’s disease, Gefen said.

“It was an incredible finding, because their entorhinal neurons were even larger than those in individuals who are much younger, some even in their 30s,” she said. “That told us there is a structural integrity component at play — like the architecture, the bones, the skeleton of the neuron itself is sturdier.”

The new study sheds light on how that might occur, Gefen added.

“Those fat, juicy entorhinal neurons may not just be bigger, they may also be embedded in this enhanced ecosystem in the hippocampus that is also nurturing immature brain cells,” she said. “They are absolutely connected, and this new study may be providing a mechanistic understanding of why they may be bigger.”

A new way to measure neurogenesis

Past research in humans on how neurogenesis occurs has been murky, partly due to the type of measurement tools used, Lazarov said. The new study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, used a different technique to measure the birth of new neurons in five types of donor brains: SuperAgers; healthy young adults; older adults with no sign of cognitive decline; older adults with early dementia; and older adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

The tool, called multiomic single-cell sequencing, allowed researchers to determine which types of brain cells support memory and cognition as the hippocampus ages. Results showed two types of cells, astrocytes and CA1 neurons, were key drivers for memory retention in the brains of SuperAgers.

The CA1 neurons are crucial for memory, helping consolidate and retrieve past experiences. “These are among the first brain cells attacked by tau in Alzheimer’s disease,” Gefen said.

Astrocytes vastly outnumber neurons and are vital for regulating blood flow to the brain. These brain cells also encourage the formation of synapses, the junction where nerve signals pass from one neuron to another, which are the foundation of brain function, learning and memory.

“In SuperAgers, astrocytes and CA1 neurons are supporting the hippocampus in ways that we didn’t understand before, by boosting synapse signaling between neurons,” Gefen said. “Immature neurons, CA1 circuits and astrocytes are all coordinating in a very, very enriched environment.”



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Experts Warn of Illness Risk from Great Value Cottage Cheese

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Experts Warn of Illness Risk from Great Value Cottage Cheese


A recall has been issued for select lots of Walmart’s Great Value cottage cheese due to a potentially serious health concern.

According to Fox Business, some containers sold exclusively at Walmart may not have been fully pasteurized. As a result, they could contain harmful bacteria that may cause severe illness in certain individuals if consumed.

Which Great Value Cottage Cheese Was Recalled?

The recall affects select Great Value–branded cottage cheese products sold in white plastic tubs with white lids. The impacted items were distributed to Walmart stores and distribution centers between Feb. 17 and Feb. 20.

The products were sent to locations in the following states:

  • Alaska
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Georgia
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • Texas
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

Saputo Cheese USA Inc., the manufacturer of the recalled cottage cheese, discovered the issue during a “pasteurizer troubleshooting exercise” conducted in coordination with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the findings on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Read More: Recall Alert: 3 Million Pounds of Frozen Food Could Contain Glass Chunks

Because the pasteurization process may not have met FDA standards, there is concern that the product could contain harmful bacteria — particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems.

That includes children, pregnant women and the elderly.

It’s worth noting that the affected pasteurizing machine has since been repaired, inspected and returned to full operation. As a result, there should be no additional production of the impacted cottage cheese.

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What to Do With Recalled Cottage Cheese?

If you have one of the affected products, return it to the Walmart store where you purchased it for a full refund. If you’d rather not make the trip, you can safely dispose of it in the trash.

Either way, do not consume it.

2026 Country Music Festivals Guide

Enjoy an updated list of country music’s best festivals, across America, Canada, Great Britain and more. This list of 2026 country fests will be updated to reflect postponements, cancelations or lineup adjustments.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

What Life Was Like for a Country Fan in the 1990s

What was life really like for a country fan of the ’90s? These pictures show a simpler time that relied on network television, wholesome endorsements and trusted news reporting from a legend.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes





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Basic Materials Roundup: Market Talk

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Basic Materials Roundup: Market Talk




Find insight on BASF, Press Metal Aluminium and more in the latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials.



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