7-bet

Durosinmi 0-1 1-2 1, Dent 5-9 3-5 15, Jones 6-14 7-8 20, McPherson 5-10 2-3 13, Munden 1-3 0-2 2, Muhammad 5-11 6-6 21, Sotirov 2-5 2-2 7, Nicholls 1-2 0-0 2, Mott 0-0 1-2 1, Gooden 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-55 22-30 82. Ellis 3-6 6-9 12, Co.Schwieger 4-9 7-8 17, De La Cruz Monegro 3-9 6-9 12, DeAveiro 1-6 6-6 8, Wright 5-10 0-0 13, Schmidt 5-9 7-8 17, Sepp 0-4 2-2 2, Shaw 2-3 0-0 5, McNair 0-3 1-2 1. Totals 23-59 35-44 87. Halftime_Valparaiso 41-39. 3-Point Goals_N. Illinois 10-22 (Muhammad 5-7, Dent 2-3, McPherson 1-3, Sotirov 1-3, Jones 1-6), Valparaiso 6-21 (Wright 3-4, Co.Schwieger 2-4, Shaw 1-2, Ellis 0-1, De La Cruz Monegro 0-2, Sepp 0-2, DeAveiro 0-3, McNair 0-3). Fouled Out_Sotirov, Mott. Rebounds_N. Illinois 39 (McPherson 11), Valparaiso 31 (Sepp 8). Assists_N. Illinois 11 (Dent 4), Valparaiso 8 (De La Cruz Monegro, DeAveiro 3). Total Fouls_N. Illinois 32, Valparaiso 20.

Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets specific white blood cells, called eosinophils, to reduce lung inflammation. A new way of treating serious asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks could be a “game-changer” and is the first leap in treatment for 50 years, researchers say. Offering patients an injection is more effective than the current care of steroid tablets and cuts the need for further treatment by 30%, according to a study. Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets specific white blood cells, called eosinophils, to reduce lung inflammation. It is currently used as a repeat treatment for severe asthma at a low dose, but a new clinical trial has found that a higher single dose can be very effective if injected at the time of a flare-up. The findings, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine, included 158 people who needed medical attention in A&E for their asthma or COPD attack (COPD is a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties). Patients were given a quick blood test to see what type of attack they were having, with those suffering an “eosinophilic exacerbation” involving eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) being suitable for treatment. Around 50% of asthma attacks are eosinophilic exacerbations, as are 30% of COPD ones, according to the scientists. The clinical trial, led by King’s College London and carried out at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, saw patients randomly split into three groups. One group received the benralizumab injection and dummy tablets, another received standard care (prednisolone steroids 30mg daily for five days) and a dummy injection, and the third group received both the benralizumab injection and steroids. After 28 days, respiratory symptoms of cough, wheeze, breathlessness and sputum were found to be better in people on benralizumab. And after 90 days, there were four times fewer people in the benralizumab group who failed treatment compared with those receiving steroids. Treatment with the benralizumab injection also took longer to fail, meaning fewer visits to a GP or hospital for patients, researchers said. Furthermore, people also reported a better quality of life on the new regime. Scientists at King’s said steroids can have severe side-effects such as increasing the risk of diabetes and osteoporosis, meaning switching to benralizumab could provide huge benefits. Lead investigator Professor Mona Bafadhel, from King’s, said: “This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD. “Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations have not changed in 50 years, despite causing 3.8 million deaths worldwide a year combined. “Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma. “We’ve used the drug in a different way – at the point of an exacerbation – to show that it’s more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available.” Researchers said benralizumab could also potentially be administered safely at home or in a GP practice, as well as in A&E. First author Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia, said: “Our study shows massive promise for asthma and COPD treatment. “COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide but treatment for the condition is stuck in the 20th century. “We need to provide these patients with life-saving options before their time runs out.” Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, welcomed the findings but said: “It’s appalling that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years, indicating how desperately underfunded lung health research is.” AstraZeneca provided the drug for the study and funded the research, but had no input into trial design, delivery, analysis or interpretation.Advertisement A Delaware judge again struck down Elon Musk's $55 billion pay package. Legal experts walked BI through what the appeal process could look like for Tesla. Tesla may also reintroduce the package in Texas, a strategy that could end up costing shareholders more. Elon Musk's battle over his Tesla pay is entering a new phase. A Delaware judge ruled on Monday that Tesla's shareholder vote wasn't enough to pass Elon Musk's $55 billion compensation package. Related Video Tesla called the decision "wrong" and said it would appeal. "This ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs' lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners — the shareholders," Tesla wrote in a post on X. So what happens next? Advertisement If Tesla files an appeal, Delaware's Supreme Court will review the decision of Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick , who maintained her earlier ruling that struck down the pay package on the grounds that Musk could have influenced Tesla's board members, to whom he had close ties. Mathieu Shapiro, Obermayer's managing partner and a member of its litigation department, told Business Insider that appeals processes often take a year or longer. Shapiro, who focuses on business and commercial litigation, said the case will ultimately have to balance Delaware's freedom for companies to self-govern with concerns about excessive payouts and Musk's status as one of the most successful businessmen. Advertisement While appeals are generally difficult to win, Shapiro said Musk's case is "novel" and contains unpredictable elements. One issue that may come up is whether Musk influenced the negotiations over his Tesla pay package, as the trial judge suggested in her initial ruling, he said. "Little law addresses executive compensation, let alone what seems to be the largest-ever compensation deal at a US public company," Shapiro said. Given that Musk's pay package was set to be the largest ever for a CEO, there aren't many cases to turn to for direct precedent. Advertisement Anat Alon-Beck, a business law professor at Case Western Reserve University, told BI that one case that stands out is the 2015 Delaware Chancery Court decision ruling against Mark Zuckerberg's attempt to ratify board actions related to Facebook's 2010 acquisition of Instagram. Alon-Beck, who used to work as a merger and acquisition attorney for tech companies and also specializes in Delaware deal law, said Zuckerberg didn't follow the proper procedural requirements mandated by state law. The case demonstrates that even controlling shareholders need to comply with the legal procedures for ratifying board decisions, he added. "When you know Delaware law, you know that stuff like that is just not going to fly," Alon-Beck said. Advertisement Columbia law professor Dorothy Lund used to clerk for a Delaware Supreme Court justice and US Court of Appeals judge. She told BI that Delaware is also "in a weird spot" because Tesla reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in June, and Musk has repeatedly spoken out about Delaware courts (he called the ruling "absolute corruption" on Monday). While these decisions aren't supposed to be influenced by concerns around public perception, Lund said Musk's behavior hasn't been the most strategic. "Delaware now has to worry about looking like, well, if we reverse, do we just look like we got cowed by Elon Musk?" Lund said. Advertisement Reintroducing the pay package in Texas Prior to the shareholder vote, Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm said in June that the board had considered introducing a new pay plan if the shareholder vote didn't pass — an option she said would cost shareholders. Related stories If Tesla created a new plan with the same stock grants, it would cost tens of billions in stock-based compensation today. That's because the compensation tied to the original package was worth an estimated $2.3 billion in stock, and it's already been paid out. Alon-Beck told BI that a new compensation package in Texas would make the most sense. Advertisement "I would do a new vote in Texas, under Texas law, and I would authorize a new compensation package," Alon-Beck said, adding that the old package wouldn't be able to be authorized because of a conflict of laws. Shapiro said he thinks it would be "very difficult" to draft the same package in Texas, noting that the original plan goes back to 2018 and was based on specific targets as well as Tesla's stock price in 2018. Shapiro said Musk's decision to appeal or reintroduce the package in Texas depends on multiple factors — and underlying motivations. Advertisement While it may be all about the money, the case may also signify more about public companies in the US and the way in which shareholders and courts can interfere with management's plans. "Or is it about his public persona and his reputation and how those things are understood in future business dealings," Shapiro said. "If he were my client, I would have a discussion about all of those things before deciding what path forward was best for him."

NoneOKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Alabama faces a tougher roadblock than it might appear in its quest to maintain positioning for the College Football Playoff. Sure, Oklahoma has struggled in its first Southeastern Conference season. The Sooners (5-5, 1-5 SEC) have lost four straight conference games. The Sooners have fired their offensive coordinator and they have the worst offense in the league. But they have a tough defense, too. Linebacker Danny Stutsman, a midseason AP All-American, anchors a nasty unit that has kept the Sooners competitive in losses at Ole Miss and Missouri. He ranks second in the SEC with 96 tackles. Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. has scored four defensive touchdowns since the start of the 2023 season, tied for the most nationally. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has seven sacks, with six coming in the fourth quarter of close games. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is paying attention. “It’s going to take a great week of preparation,” DeBoer said. “A physical football team all around. Their defense is, I think, an extremely tough defense in all ways — just what they do with their scheme and then with their personnel, the way they fly around.” Plus, Oklahoma is motivated. It’s Senior Day for a program that would become bowl eligible with a win. Beating the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide could cure a lot of ills for the Sooners. “I think they know they could be a great example for what fight and what belief and what finishing and what improving and what proving people wrong looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “And I think this is a group of guys that are committed to doing that.” Alabama (8-2, 4-2) has more answers than most. Jalen Milroe has passed for 15 touchdowns and rushed for 17. Freshman receiver Ryan Williams has 40 catches for 767 yards and eight touchdowns. “Yeah, incredibly explosive, and they have great playmakers everywhere," Venables said. “Certainly, it starts — everything goes through the quarterback.” There has been much talk about what a third loss would do to Alabama's playoff hopes. DeBoer said his team isn't focused on that. “I think we're really honed in and the guys really believe on and have understood the significance of really focusing on where we’re at right now,” he said. “We talk about the next play is the most important play, the next game is the most important game. We haven’t thought about anything beyond Oklahoma.” Milroe is only the fourth SEC quarterback since 2007 to have at least 15 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns in a single season. The others won the Heisman Trophy during their seasons — Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007, Auburn's Cam Newton in 2010 and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel in 2012. “I think it just starts with doing what’s best for the team, and that’s what Jalen is all about," DeBoer said. Since returning to the lineup early against South Carolina four games ago, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold has completed 70 of 112 passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns with no interceptions. Still, his fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the final minute against Missouri was the difference in a 30-23 loss. Arnold has dealt with significant criticism all season. “That goes along with that position at a place like the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “That’s a position that’s a little bit ... it’s a bit like the head coach position. There’s a different type of microscope and there’s a different type of focus and that’s okay he’s got broad shoulders to handle that.” Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns against Maine two weeks ago, then he sat out last week's loss to Missouri. He's listed as questionable on this week's injury report. He leads the Sooners with 577 yards rushing this season. Venables is impressed with what DeBoer has done in his first year at Alabama since taking over for Nick Saban. “One of Kalen’s strengths as a football coach — a very successful coach — is he takes a group of players that he has, and their staff figures out what they can do,” Venables said. “They major in that, put them in position to be successful based on the players’ strengths. They’ve done a nice job of doing that throughout the course of the season.” Oklahoma beat heavily favored Alabama 45-31 in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2013 season, a game that helped pump energy into the Sooner program under Bob Stoops. Alabama got revenge in 2018, beating the Sooners 45-34 in the College Football Playoff. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballT his is at once a wise and wonderfully enjoyable book. Mark Lilla treats weighty matters with a light touch, in an elegant prose style that crackles with dry wit. Almost every one of the short sections into which the narrative is divided – and there is a narrative, cunningly sustained within what seems a relaxed discursiveness – takes careful aim and at the end hits the bullseye with a sure and satisfying aphoristic thwock . The central premise of the book is simply stated: “How is it that we are creatures who want to know and not to know?” Lilla, professor of humanities at Columbia University, New York, and the author of a handful of masterly studies of the terrain where political and intellectual sensibilities collide, is an acute observer of the vagaries of human behaviour and thought in general, and of our tendency to self-delusion in particular. He has a genius for the telling epigraph, of which there are many here, set like jewels throughout the text. The first of these, and the most emblematic, is taken from George Eliot’s novel Daniel Deronda : “It is a common sentence that knowledge is power; but who hath duly considered or set forth the power of ignorance?” This latter form of power, he tells us, is the subject he means to address. His book is certainly timely. As he notes, there are certain epochs, and surely we are slap bang in the middle of one, when “evident truth” is cast aside in favour of all manner of imbecile imaginings. “Mesmerised crowds still follow preposterous prophets, irrational rumours trigger fanatical acts, and magical thinking crowds out common sense and expertise.” There, encapsulated in a sentence, is the predicament we face in our present-day social and political lives. At the outset he presents a subtle retelling of Plato’s allegory of the cave . In his telling, a man and a boy are set free from the shadowed chamber and led up into the light. Soon, however, the boy is begging to return to the realm of happy delusion. “I miss my playmates,” he says tearfully. “Even if they were just pixels on a screen.” From the cave, Lilla makes a smooth ascent to the case of Oedipus, the most famous exemplar of the will to ignorance. As he notes, today Oedipus the King “seems less about fate and prophecy than about the vexed problem of self-knowledge”. And Oedipus is not alone in his state of willed blindness. What about Jocasta ? “While sharing her son’s bed all those years, wouldn’t she have noticed his disfigured feet, an unmistakable sign of his identity?” And why stop with the royal couple? Maybe they were all in on it, all of Thebes, and beyond, all “caught between the will to know and the will not to know”. It is remarkable how many instances Lilla finds of the wriggly measures humankind adopts in order not to look the facts in the face, from the Bible – that vast compendium of elaborate avoidances – through Augustine , and the giants of the Enlightenment, to the enraptured messianism of the twin mid-20th-century ideologies of fascism and communism. At the heart of the book is an invigorating excursus on St Paul, the founding father of the most consequential and, some would contend, most pernicious religious cult the world has known. Lilla knows his man: “It is no exaggeration to say that the history of western populism – spiritual and political – began with Paul.” He is “the cultured despiser of culture”, “a learned fanatic of the highest order”, who “held up as spiritual models innocent children, uneducated workmen, and lambs with vacant eyes, forever enshrining reverse snobbery as a Christian virtue”. If the next resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is in need of a patron saint, surely Paul is the one: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent ... If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.” Sign up to Observed Analysis and opinion on the week's news and culture brought to you by the best Observer writers after newsletter promotion And one more quote, not to be resisted for the tenor of its measured contempt: “Paul made possible the transformation of the Gospels’ beautiful moral ideal into an anti-intellectual ideology that was enshrined permanently in the Christian scriptures and has since passed into our secular societies. That ideology has attracted a certain sort of mind ever since – one with a death wish.” As Nietzsche put it: “There was only one Christian, and he died on the cross.” Ignorance and Bliss is a splendidly invigorating antidote to the vapid nostrums and mindless pieties – from right and left – that swirl about us in a poisoned fog. These are parlous times, and we need the likes of Lilla to help us face, and face down, the massed cohorts of “holy fools and eternal children whose distaste for the present sends them rushing, vainly, to restore an imagined past”. Ignorance and Bliss: On Wanting Not to Know by Mark Lilla is published on 12 December by C Hurst & Co (£18.99). To support the Guardian and the Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com . Delivery charges may apply

Arne Slot delighted as Liverpool finally beat ‘pain in the ass’ Real Madrid

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazil's federal police say the former right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, attempted to launch a coup in 2022 to stay in office following his relection defeat. The police indicted 36 other people, as part of what they say was a criminal conspiracy working to keep Bolsonaro in power, after he lost the 2022 election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Among the dozens allegedly part of the conspiracy are Bolsonaro's former defense minister, who was also his vice-presidential running mate, and a number of former close aides. The Federal Police report called the coup an attempt to "violently dismantle the constitutional state". The nearly 900-page report now goes to Brazil's Supreme Court to be referred to the attorney general who will decide whether to go ahead and try the former president. Shortly after Bolsonaro's left wing rival took office in 2023, on January 8th, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the presidential palace, the Supreme Court and congress in the capital Brasilia. Former Bolsonaro administration officials also accused of involvement in the alleged plot, include Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, ex-National Security Adviser Augusto Heleno, the head of Bolsonaro's party, Valdemar Costa Neto and the former Justice Minister Anderson Torres. On Tuesday, officials arrested four members of the military, including a top aide to Bolsonaro who they said colluded to assassinate then President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his vice-presidential pick and a Supreme Court Justice. The plan was to spark a federal emergency that would allow Bolsonaro to declare a "state of siege" and stay in power as a caretaker government. If convicted of attempting a coup and criminal association, the former president could face years in prison. Bolsonaro has denied all charges and says he is being politically persecuted. This is a developing story and will be updated Copyright 2024 NPRMinister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu , has announced that Nigeria is set to add 150 megawatts (MW) of electricity to its national grid before the end of the year, marking a significant boost in the country’s power supply. Adelabu disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The minister attributed the upcoming increase to the successful completion of the pilot phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), a collaborative effort between Nigeria and Siemens aimed at modernizing and expanding the country’s electricity infrastructure. “We believe that before the end of the year, an additional 150 megawatts will be added upon completion of the entire pilot phase.” he said. Adelabu outlined significant advancements in the country’s energy sector, emphasising the crucial role of international collaboration, particularly with Germany. The minister said, “We have a bilateral relationship with the Republic of Germany that focuses on energy and electricity support. “The name of the game now is about cooperation, collaboration, and partnership.” Adelabu noted that the Siemens project is a flagship component of the partnership, aimed at implementing both brownfield and greenfield transmission substations under the PPI. The minister said since the agreement was signed in December 2023 during the 28th session of the United Nations climate change conference (COP 28) in Dubai, Nigeria has made significant progress. “We have completed the pilot phase of this project up to 80%,” he said. According to the minister, the pilot phase includes the importation and installation of 10 power transformers as well as 10 mobile substations — with eight already commissioned. “The positive impact of this is that it has added nothing less than 750 megawatts to our transmission grid capacity,” he said. Adelabu said the next phase would involve revamping 14 existing substations and establishing 23 new ones across the country. “The entire grid is quite fragile and dilapidated. We need to revamp it to ensure stability going forward,” the minister said. In addition to addressing immediate power needs, Adelabu emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to renewable energy as part of the country’s long-term strategy. “We have an energy transition plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060,” he said. The minister said Germany’s expertise in renewable technologies aligns perfectly with Nigeria’s natural resources, adding that “Germany has technology; we have the sun and wind”. He said over 30 states in Nigeria enjoy a minimum of 10 hours of sunshine daily. The minister also discussed plans for off-grid solutions, calling for a distributed power model where each state would have its own generating plants. He said, “This model will shield states from problems on the national grid and ensure rural electrification. “Germany’s involvement extends beyond traditional energy sources; it includes significant investments in green energy projects.” Together with partners, Adelabu said the country can build a robust energy infrastructure that supports economic growth.

PARIS — Hell hath no fury like a driver scorned. Take the traffic-choked French capital as an example, where an attempt to reduce vehicle collisions, gridlock, emissions and noise on a highway encircling Paris has provoked a head-on political crash. The long-simmering dispute over what many see as Paris’s crusade against cars has come to a boil over a controversial decision to slash speed limits on a 35-kilometre highway known as . In some ways, it is the European equivalent of the fight between Toronto, , and the car-friendly Ontario government, which wants to and to ease gridlock. In one lane is Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. In a measure intended to cut noise, pollution, traffic jams and accidents on the Paris ring road she recently ordered speed limits reduced to 50 km/h from 70 km/h. It’s one step along the path to a more extreme transformation that reimagines the cars-and-concrete highway as a boulevard shared by buses, bikes and bipeds. In the opposite lane is a convoy of irate suburban commuters, motorcyclists, professional drivers like cabbies and truckers, and opposition politicians. They are now charting lawsuits, legislation and political campaigns, arguing that Hidalgo’s anti-car policies have now swerved recklessly across the median line. “What is very different with the 50 km/h (speed limit) compared to the other anti-car measures in Paris is that this affects many more people who did not vote for her, who did not choose her as their representative and who are deeply opposed,” said Alexandra Legendre, a spokesperson with the Drivers’ Defence League, a group that lobbies for the interests of motorists in France. The Paris ring road was built on the site of fortifications erected around the French capital in 1844 and torn down in 1919 at the end of the First World War. More than three decades later, work began on the circular highway intended to liberate drivers from the evils of traffic jams, letting them reach their destinations without having to negotiate the hustle and bustle of central Paris. “In a few days, getting around Paris without meeting a single red light will no longer be a dream,” ahead of the completion of the final section of the loop in 1973. Yet the work had barely been completed when began. Other, more serious problems soon appeared. Noise from the fast-moving cars has long been a nuisance for the 500,000 residents who live next to the highway and is believed to be linked to health problems, such as sleep loss, cardiovascular problems and stress, . And the 1.3 million cars that use it each day are , according to , an agency that tracks air quality in the greater Paris region. Naturally, there are also accidents, albeit very few fatalities, perhaps owing to the highway’s congestion, which keeps daytime speeds to a little over 30 km/h. To tackle these issues, officials have, over the years, installed sound barriers to cut the noise levels. In 2014, reduced the maximum speed on the highway to 70 km/h from 80 — a measure that had positive effects on emissions entering the atmosphere as well as the fluidity of traffic. This was the same year that Hidalgo, a member of France’s Socialist Party, was chosen as mayor and launched what her opponents say has been a frontal attack against cars and drivers. Over a decade in power, she has shut down express lanes on the banks of the Seine River, reduced the number of downtown parking spaces, converted car lanes to bike lanes and pedestrianized city streets. Just recently, her administration designated the central core of downtown a limited traffic zone — barring through traffic by drivers seeking to quickly cut from one end of the city to the other. without an express purpose such as a medical appointment, tickets to a show, or getting to work. Residents have long grumbled about the inconveniences caused by Hidalgo’s car wars. However, when dissipated and she announced that the city would be moving forward with a long-planned cut to the speed limit on the city’s ring road, many saw it as a step too far. This photograph taken on November 11, 2024 shows a sign near the Louvre museum, indicating the limited traffic zone (ZTL), an aera in the central core of the French capital banning vehicles from transiting through it, in Paris. “They’ve put in place a policy where cars are excluded, but there has been nothing to compensate for the absence of cars,” said Séverine Manna, a Paris lawyer . She said city officials haven’t done the necessary studies to back up the new limits. She added that the restrictions have not been accompanied by a more robust public transport system to give people alternative ways to get to and from Paris in a timely manner. “They’re telling people: ‘There are no more cars — get used to it,’ ” Manna said. “We are all ecologists in our souls but there are times when there are realities that are not being heard.” Others have complained that Paris failed to consult with neighbouring municipalities before taking a decision that has a great impact on commuters from the suburbs. A regional elected official, Valérie Pécresse, has deemed the new speed limits “anti-social and ineffective” and urged Hidalgo to instead install sound barriers along the ring road or turn over responsibility for the road to the region. In addition to the war of words, a statistical battle has broken out. The city has started releasing a weekly bulletin showing drops in nighttime noise, traffic jams and accidents — though no significant reduction in emissions. In response, Pécresse ordered her own officials to begin tracking noise, pollution and traffic indicators along the route. The show reductions in every category, including pollution. Paris is hardly alone in wanting to transform its infrastructure to make it safer, greener or more amenable to the people who live and work in its vicinity. New York, Barcelona, Helsinki, Vancouver and many other cities around the world have all questioned the sustainability and uses of highways built for an era when the car was king and the environment was an afterthought. Before opting to the Gardiner Expressway Toronto, too, flirted with the idea of dismantling or burying its main east-to-west highway as a way to reconnect the city with its waterfront. The evangelists of highway transformation see no alternatives. “The question is: can we imagine that our highways remain as they are? We’re in a very deep climate crisis,” said Paul Lecroart, a senior urban planner for the Paris Metropolitan Region. “The question is how can we do things faster.” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swims in the Seine, in Paris on July 17, 2024, to demonstrate the river’s cleanliness in advance of hosting Olympic swimming events later that month. Lecroart acknowledges that fear and the inconvenience of adopting new habits plays a big role in the public resistance to such large-scale change. The key to success is to provide ready-made alternatives and demonstrate their benefits. The main one, in Lecroart’s estimation, is “traffic evaporation.” “People give up on movements that are less useful,” he said. The shining example is South Korea, where 80 per cent of automobile traffic disappeared after the mayor of Seoul decided to demolish the six-kilometre , reclaiming and rehabilitating the stream that ran beneath the highway as a public space. In other cities, Lecroart said, traffic dropped between 20 and 25 per cent due to people opting instead for public transport. “They are never forced. We’re in a liberal system where everyone can do what they want. People can take their car downtown, but either we encourage it, (or) we discourage it,” he said. Paris hasn’t completely laid out its long-term vision for , perhaps for fear of raising the ire of its four-wheeled adversaries. But the French capital also has like-minded allies too. In the eastern suburbs, officials have drawn up a rather extreme that ushers motorists into and out of central Paris. It’s a slow-motion transformation that starts with the installation of dedicated public-transit lanes in 2026, continues with lowered speed limits in 2032 and cutting the space for cars by half in 2040. The project concludes in 2050 with a road — one lane moving at 30 km/h in either direction — in something resembling a nature park, surrounded by reclaimed and reforested land, bike paths, and picnic tables. Gaylord Le Chequer, a city councillor in Montreuil, said the initial reaction of residents was surprise and, for some, hostility — the sense that they were being deprived of something or punished. “For us, it’s important not to be seen as punishing people but to demonstrate, going step by step, that the transformations are useful — notably from an environmental perspective — and that they are possible,” he said. “Whether you are right or left ... there is a movement that is growing to say on behalf of the residents who live in proximity to this infrastructure, that we have real problems and so it’s time to act.”My American Dream is in Mexico: Agustín