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Ford sales rose 1% during the second quarter over the year-earlier period.
Truck sales of 308,920 vehicles marked the company’s best second-quarter performance for the category since 2019.
Sales of Ford electric vehicles totaled 23,957 during the second quarter, up 61%. Hybrid sales were up 56%.

Ford Mustang Mach E electric vehicles are offered for sale at a dealership in Chicago, Illinois, on June 5, 2024.
Scott Olson | Getty Images

Ford sales rose 1% during the second quarter over the year-earlier period, led by a 5% gain in truck sales, the automaker said Wednesday.
Ford truck sales, which include pickups and vans, totaled 308,920 vehicles during the period, the company’s best second-quarter performance for the category since 2019, Ford said. Sales in its F-Series totaled 199,463 vehicles.

Sales of Ford electric vehicles totaled 23,957 during the second quarter, up 61%. The automaker said its EVs, in particular the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, are drawing new customers to the company.
Meanwhile, sales of hybrid vehicles totaled 53,822, an increase of 56% and a new quarterly sales record for Ford since it began offering hybrid models more than 20 years ago, it said. Automakers including Ford have been leaning on hybrids to ease the EV transition and help achieve tightening federal fuel efficiency standards.
The update comes a day after Ford’s crosstown rival General Motors reported second-quarter sales that rose 0.6% from a year earlier. GM said total sales of 696,086 made for its highest quarterly sales mark since the fourth quarter of 2020.
Even modest sales increases for both Ford and GM outpace expectations for the overall market. Auto industry forecasters including Cox Automotive and Edmunds expect second-quarter sales industrywide to be roughly flat year over year.
— CNBC’s Michael Wayland contributed to this report. More

Diagnoses of pathological gambling disorders among servicemembers and veterans is soaring, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Servicemembers are more vulnerable than civilians to gambling disorders and may be hesitant to self-report, the VA research found.
Around patriotic holidays like the Fourth of July, many casinos and sportsbooks send targeted promotions to servicemembers and veterans.

In the wake of 9/11 on an American military base in South Korea, then-Army Staff Sergeant Dave Yeager sat down at a slot machine operated by the Defense Department and made what he now calls the biggest mistake a budding problem gambler can make: He won.
“All that stress, all that tension, all the things that I was carrying with me in that moment went away,” Yeager told CNBC.

What was supposed to be entertainment, a way for servicemembers to relax, instead for Yeager grew into a disorder that would cost him his career, his financial security and his family.
“It went from, I was have fun doing this, to, I have to do this. It became an obsession for me,” he said.
In his book, “Fall In: A Veteran with a Gambling Addiction,” Yeager wrote about how he borrowed from subordinates, stole from petty cash and left his family in a lurch financially. Such vulnerability in a servicemember affects individual readiness and potentially even national security, if enemies were to exploit it, he pointed out.

Dave Yeager got hooked on slot machines when he was deployed to South Korea. Today, he counsels others about gambling disorder.

Yet, when Yeager said he confessed of that vulnerability to his commanders and his counselors, no one pointed the finger at his gambling, or helped him to help himself.
“The chaplain told me to go to bingo night on Sunday. That would give me something to do,” Yeager said. “And I’m like, ‘I think you’re missing the point here.'”

As of 2017, the Department of Defense operated more than 3,100 slot machines on U.S. military installations in a dozen foreign countries, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. The machines produce more than $100 million annually in revenue and is seen as a morale booster for the welfare and recreation for servicemembers akin to activities like golf, libraries and other entertainment.
Overseas, servicemembers as young as 18 may be permitted to gamble.
Domestically, slot machines are prohibited on military bases, though casinos are frequently located nearby. There are seven local casinos located within 20 minutes from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, one of the country’s largest military installations.
In 2018, when a Supreme Court decision paved the way for states to legalize sports betting, the opportunities for wagering exploded. Now, more broadly, all but four states permit gambling in some form.
“All of a sudden, we started to see a lot of people with gambling problems calling and asking for some help, usually within a year or two from the time that it expanded,” said Heather Chapman, a clinical psychologist and director of the national gambling treatment program for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Diagnoses of pathological gambling disorders among servicemembers and veterans is soaring, with more patients receiving a diagnosis in the first half of 2024 as in all of 2022, according to VA research. Twenty percent of those referrals are women.
“It’s not terribly surprising, because with accessibility and availability increases, we tend to see a rise in unhealthy engagement,” said Dominick DePhilippis, deputy national mental health director for substance abuse disorders for the VA.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, there are resources that can help:

Servicemembers are more vulnerable than civilians to gambling disorders and may be hesitant to self-report, fearing they could lose their security clearance or to avoid the stigma attached to gambling problems, the VA research found.
Studies have found the prevalence of problem gambling and gambling disorder among veterans to be as high as 10.7% in some parts of the U.S., the department said, though those studies have been smaller and typically regional, which leads to a wide variance among results.
To address the growing concern, the VA operates two residential treatment facilities for gambling addiction and has a myriad partnerships with civilian facilities throughout the country, Chapman said.
“We are sort of the mecca of gambling treatment,” she said.
The VA began treating gambling disorders in the late 1960s, about nine years after Congress banned slot machines from domestic bases.
The Department of Defense declined CNBC’s request for an interview, but said in a statement there hasn’t been any systemwide increases in resources to address problem gambling. It said a Health Related Behavior survey from 2018 — before the boom in sports betting — indicated that rates of problem gambling among servicemembers of 1.6% to 1.7% was in line with the incidence in the civilian population.
“DoD researchers are aware of changes in gambling availability due to new mobile and sports gambling options and will consider these variables in future military gambling research,” a department spokesperson said in an email.
The military is conducting a new survey, with results expected in the fall, the spokesperson added

The Department of Defense operates slot machines on military bases abroad.
Courtesy: Brianne Doura-Schawohl

Servicemembers are now screened for gambling disorders every year during their health physical after a provision signed into the National Defense Authorization Act by then-President Trump. And the Department of Defense said that servicemembers with a gambling problem will not be penalized for obtaining treatment after being screened.
Policies around education are largely decided by individual commanders and vary widely from base to base.
Brianne Doura-Schawohl, the wife of a Coast Guard officer and a lobbyist for responsible gaming, wants the Defense Department to implement gambling education and treatment policies that apply across the entire military.
“These policy manuals need to be updated to address this addiction, the way they address things like alcohol. We need to be doing more to prevent and treat this disorder,” Doura-Schawohl said.
“I believe that the men and women who put on that uniform every day are willing to sacrifice it all. I think the least we can do is have the government tell them we’ve got your back,” she said.
Unlike U.S.-based casinos, the DOD is not required to provide educational materials or resources on how to get help for a gambling problem, according to a spokeswoman for the the National Council on Problem Gambling.
“NCPG believes that those who profit from gambling – including DOD – have an ethical and economic obligation to utilize some of those profits to mitigate gambling-related harm,” the organization said in a statement.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., introduced legislation in 2018 called the Gambling Addiction Prevention Act (GAP) that sought to require the Department of Defense to track gambling disorders as well as implement policies and programs to treat gambling problems among servicemembers. It failed to gain traction.
More recently, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., proposed an amendment to the most recent National Defense Authorization Act to curb all gambling on military bases, though it was not included in the final legislation.
“Our brave service men and women sacrifice everything to protect our nation and its freedoms. We must do all we can to support them by confronting problem gambling head on and ensuring this known addictive product is treated with the seriousness and precaution that we do with other addictions,” Tonko said in a statement to CNBC.
Around patriotic holidays like the Fourth of July, many casinos and sportsbooks send targeted promotions to servicemembers and veterans.
At Pahrump Nugget and Lakeside Casino in Nevada, Golden Casino Group offers “Military Mondays,” where veterans and active duty military can win free slot play just by swiping their card.
Some casinos offer veterans their own military-themed membership card based on their service. For example, Penn’s Heroes program offers rewards and promotions “for those that have given more.”
Caesars’ Rewards Salute Card “shows their appreciation” to active-duty military members and veterans by rewarding them with credits and free play offers, though the company said every rewards member is able to convert rewards into free play.
“We are not giving veterans easier access to or any additional free play offers,” a company spokeswoman said.
MGM Resorts has decided only to offer non-gambling promotions targeted to the military and veterans. It is also helping to fund clinical research about gambling disorders among the military community.
BetMGM, a joint venture with Entain that has a veteran heading up its responsible gambling initiatives, has opted not to target military members or veterans with any promotions.

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United Airlines says it now texts travelers live weather maps to better explain flight delays.
Inclement weather hundreds of miles away from an airport can still delay flights.
In the first half of the year, nearly 942,000 U.S. airline flights, or 21.4%, arrived late, slightly better than the year-earlier period.

A United Airlines plane seen at the gate at Chicago OHare International airport (ORD)on October 5, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.
Daniel Slim | AFP | Getty Images

Don’t believe bad weather is the reason your United Airlines flight is delayed? The airline will now text you live radar maps to prove it.
Even when it’s bright and sunny, a thunderstorm hundreds of miles away can still disrupt your flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration can issue ground stops, which prevent traffic from departing for a certain airport so that those facilities don’t get overloaded.
Bad weather can also force flights not only to depart late but to take longer routes to avoid it, delaying arriving aircraft. Thunderstorms can crop up suddenly and are harder to predict than larger systems, such as winter storms and hurricanes. Delays can occasionally cascade, leaving planes and crews out of position.
United said on Wednesday that it is using generative artificial intelligence to send travelers links to live radar maps, provided by flight-tracking platform FlightAware, as well as other flight disruption causes, such as mechanical issues or airport congestion.
Its technology will be put to the test around the July Fourth holiday period, during which United expects to set a record with 5 million people flying between June 28 through July 8, up 7% from last year.
In the first half of the year, nearly 942,000 U.S. airline flights, or 21.4%, arrived late, slightly better than the 22.3% of flights that arrived late in the year-earlier period, according to FlightAware.

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Restaurant operators are investing in voice-ordering technology to take down drive-thru orders and lower their labor costs.
But the technology is still years away from hitting most drive-thru lanes, as companies like McDonald’s figure out the best approach.
The burger giant is ending its partnership with IBM, but such rivals as White Castle, Taco Bell and Wendy’s have partnered with other vendors to try out the tech.

The drive-thru menu at a McDonald’s restaurant showing various meal options and promotions, in Buttonwillow in Kern County, California, on 23, 2024.
Smith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images

Searching for ways to lower labor costs, restaurants are hoping that artificial intelligence can take down drive-thru orders — but it will likely be years before the technology becomes widely available.
This year, 16% of restaurant operators plan to invest in artificial intelligence, including voice recognition, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association. Most of the big spending comes from large chains, which have the capital and scale to make the technology work for their businesses.

Even before the pandemic, labor costs had been rising for restaurants, leading operators to look to technology to boost their profit margins. Then Covid came, which not only accelerated labor costs but also led to a shift away from dining rooms and toward drive-thru lanes. California’s decision earlier this year to hike wages for fast-food workers to $20 an hour has only made operators more inclined to embrace technology to cut their labor costs, which has so far helped mostly in the automation of back-of-the-house tasks.
At the same time, ChatGPT and other AI tools have fueled new excitement for generative AI in restaurants, though the industry is typically slow to embrace technological advances.
One stumbling block for the burgeoning tech came in June, when McDonald’s told its franchisees that it would end its trial of Automated Order Taker, AI technology meant for its drive-thru lanes through a partnership with IBM. Once an early mover in the voice-ordering race, the fast-food giant now plans to turn to other vendors.
Then there’s Presto Automation, the AI drive-thru technology company which disclosed last year in Securities and Exchange Commission filings that it uses “human agents” in places like the Philippines and India to complete orders. Presto interim CEO Gee Lefevre maintains that using humans is common in the AI industry and helps train the technology without straining the restaurant’s workforce. The company unveiled a fully autonomous version in May. Still, the initial lack of transparency may scare off some operators.
While some restaurants may be skeptical of using AI for drive-thrus now, adoption may increase in the coming months and years.

The tipping point for voice ordering is likely in 12 to 18 months, according to T.D. Cowen analyst Andrew Charles. That’s when he thinks at least two of the nation’s top 25 restaurant chains will go all in, expanding their small trial runs of the technology across their footprints.
“It’s like third-party delivery a few years ago: Everyone was testing it, then when McDonald’s went with Uber, everyone else followed with their own partnerships,” Charles said.
This time, McDonald’s likely won’t be the first mover.

The pros and cons of AI ordering

Companies with voice-ordering technology say their AI doesn’t replace jobs — it just frees up workers for other tasks. They also tout secondary benefits.
SoundHound, an early leader in the space, said that its AI can take more than 90% of orders without requiring human intervention; the typical accuracy rate for humans is between 80% to 85%. SoundHound also said that its AI can speed up drive-thru lanes by roughly 10% because it can process orders faster. Plus, AI tries to upsell customers every order, raising average check size.
Moreover, in the future, AI could be able to take orders from non-English speakers, representing a large opportunity both internationally and domestically, according to Charles.
But for all the possible pros, there are also some drawbacks to generative AI.

Sanford, Florida, McDonald’s Restaurant drive thru order area, with line of cars. 
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images

For one, restaurants risk damaging their reputations by using artificial intelligence, Bank of America Securities analyst Sara Senatore wrote in a research note on Friday. For example, inaccurate orders can cause delays and frustration, even if the AI transfers customers to a human restaurant worker.
Moreover, while younger customers might enjoy the increased efficiency and lack of human interaction, older age cohorts tend to think differently. The majority of baby boomers would prefer fewer technology options while dining, according to a consumer survey from earlier this year conducted by the National Restaurant Association.
Then there’s the fact that the technology isn’t perfect. Restaurants with weak Wi-Fi will need to speed up their internet connections. Locations by noisy highways will likely find that voice-ordering tech will need a few years to catch up and better understand customers. And restaurants with long, complicated menus will likely find that the AI struggles are more pronounced.

Why McDonald’s dropped IBM partnership

For McDonald’s, the risks aren’t worth it — for now.
The fast-food giant’s foray into AI for the drive-thru began in 2019, when the company bought Apprente, renaming it McD Tech Labs. Two years later, McDonald’s sold McD Tech Labs to IBM and announced a global partnership with the tech company for undisclosed terms. McDonald’s had already tested the technology at a handful of Chicago area locations. Offloading the tech to IBM led to a larger scale test of roughly 100 restaurants.
But the results from the trial run fell short of McDonald’s standards. The technology had issues interpreting different accents and dialects, hurting order accuracy, among other challenges, two sources familiar with the matter told CNBC. At the time, McDonald’s declined to comment on the technology’s accuracy or challenges, while IBM did not respond to a request to comment on the tool’s accuracy.
Despite the setback, McDonald’s isn’t abandoning the goal of using artificial intelligence to take drive-thru orders.
“While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly,” Mason Smoot, senior vice president and chief restaurant officer for McDonald’s U.S., wrote in a memo to franchisees. 

Yum, Wendy’s test AI ordering

The Golden Arches isn’t the only chain with a voice-ordering test.

Gastonia, North Carolina, Taco Bell Mexican fast food restaurant and drive thru at dusk. 
Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images

Yum Brands’ Taco Bell is expanding its test of voice AI from five locations to 30 restaurants in California “based on positive consumer feedback,” executives said in early May. White Castle plans to use SoundHound’s technology in more than 100 of its restaurants by year-end. And last year, Wendy’s announced a test at a company-owned restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, through a partnership with Google.
So far, early movers have largely been companies with lower average unit volumes, T.D. Cowen’s Charles said. The industry metric refers to a chain’s average annual sales by restaurant. Because those chains’ locations have lower sales, there’s more financial incentive to use AI to mitigate higher labor costs, according to Charles.
Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich told CNBC that the real winners will be a “fast follower” rather than the first mover with voice ordering. Shaich, who currently serves as chair of Cava and chief executive of his own investment firm Act 3 Holdings, claims credit for being the first mover on plenty of restaurant tech advancements: free Wi-Fi in Panera’s restaurants, combining the chain’s mobile app and loyalty program and introducing self-order kiosks.
But in the case of voice ordering, Shaich said he thinks it’s better to sit tight while the technology gets ironed out and focus on making sure the overall customer experience can beat the competition.
“Nobody’s running to a restaurant because it has this technology,” he said.
— CNBC’s Kate Rogers contributed reporting for this story.

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Paramount controlling shareholder National Amusements has reached a preliminary deal with David Ellison’s Skydance to pass on control of the media conglomerate, according to people familiar with the matter.
The renewed push comes just weeks after an earlier deal died, in part over what a person familiar said were concerns by Redstone that the deal had been altered too far.
Paramount’s special committee is currently reviewing and voting on the new deal, which would see Redstone get a reduced direct financial consideration.

Shari Redstone, president of National Amusements, speaks at the WSJ Tech Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, on Oct. 21, 2019.
Mike Blake | Reuters

David Ellison’s Skydance has reached a preliminary deal with Shari Redstone’s National Amusements to merge with Paramount, according to two people familiar with the matter, resurrecting a deal which failed just weeks earlier.
Controlling shareholder National Amusements has referred the deal to the Paramount special committee, according to people familiar with the matter. Paramount’s special committee is currently reviewing and voting on the deal, according to a person familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for Paramount declined to comment.

Paramount shares surged as much as 9% on the news.
The resurrected deal will see Redstone receive a reduced consideration of $1.75 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. The other financial terms of the deal, which CNBC previously reported, will remain unchanged: Skydance will acquire roughly half of Paramount’s controlling shares at $15 per share, for $4.5 billion, and contribute $1.5 billion towards Paramount’s balance sheet.
Redstone killed the initial bid in June as it was near the finish line. One of Redstone’s reasons was feeling as though Skydance had retraded the deal by asking her to take hundreds of millions of dollars less than the previously agreed to payment, according to one of the people.
The winding deal process had already led to the departure of CEO Bob Bakish earlier this year, leaving in place a three-headed office of the CEO to run the company. Other interested bids included a joint effort from private equity firm Apollo and Sony, as well as a recent entreaty from Barry Diller, chairman of media conglomerate IAC as well as a former Paramount executive.
The preliminary agreement was first reported by The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
— CNBC’s Julia Boorstin contributed to this report. More

Barry Diller’s IAC is exploring a bid to take control of Paramount Global, CNBC’s David Faber reported on Tuesday.
The offer would be for Shari Redstone’s National Amusements Inc., the controlling shareholder of Paramount.
National Amusements recently stopped discussions with Skydance on a proposed merger with Paramount.

Heidi Gutman | CNBC

A new suitor for Paramount Global has emerged.
Media mogul Barry Diller is taking a look at acquiring National Amusements Inc., the company owned by Shari Redstone and the controlling shareholder of Paramount, CNBC’s David Faber reported on Tuesday.

Diller’s IAC, an internet media and publishing company, has signed a nondisclosure agreement and is looking in the data room of National Amusements, Faber said Tuesday. IAC could make a decision in the near term to place a bid on National Amusements, which would give it a controlling stake in Paramount, he said, citing sources.
These discussions come weeks after National Amusements stopped talks with Skydance on a proposed merger with Paramount.
Following months of deal talks with a consortium that included David Ellison’s Skydance and private equity firms RedBird Capital and KKR, the deal was called off as it awaited signoff from Redstone. National Amusements, which Redstone controls, holds 77% of class A Paramount shares.
Prior to calling off the proposed merger, National Amusements had agreed to financial terms of the deal, CNBC reported. The proposed deal would have seen Redstone receive $2 billion for National Amusements, with Skydance buying out nearly 50% of class B Paramount shares at $15 apiece, or $4.5 billion. Skydance and RedBird had also agreed to contribute $1.5 billion in cash to Paramount’s balance sheet to help reduce debt.

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Terms of IAC’s potential bid are unknown, but it would likely have to be more than $2 billion, Faber reported Tuesday. The New York Times first reported Diller’s interest in Paramount.

While Diller, 82, is currently the chairman of IAC and Expedia, he has a long track record in the media industry, including serving as chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures in the 1970s and 1980s. He followed Paramount with his post at the head of 20th Century Fox, where he greenlit Fox network programs including “The Simpsons.”
Diller has been vocal about the need for legacy media companies such as Paramount to give up on chasing Netflix in the streaming wars and focus on their broadcast and pay-TV networks.
During the Hollywood strikes last summer, he said that despite cord cutting, traditional pay-TV is still profitable — unlike most streaming businesses. He called on legacy media to build up traditional networks again.
Diller tried to acquire Paramount Pictures in the 1990s, but went toe-to-toe with Sumner Redstone, the father of Shari Redstone, who now controls the company.
Since then, Paramount has changed and grown in various ways. The company now comprises the movie studio, as well as the CBS broadcast network, a portfolio of cable TV networks such as MTV and BET plus streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto.
While other suitors have reportedly been interested in owning Paramount, the company has been focused on restructuring its business.
Now led by the so-called Office of the CEO — CBS CEO George Cheeks, Paramount Media Networks CEO Chris McCarthy and Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins — Paramount has concentrated on exploring streaming joint venture opportunities with other media companies, slashing $500 million in costs and divesting noncore assets.

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The Florida Panthers — the NHL Stanley Cup champions — are the latest team to leave behind their cable TV regional sports network for a broadcast network home, striking a deal with E.W. Scripps.
The Panthers originally aired their regular season games on Bally Sports Florida, a network owned by Diamond Sports Group, which has been under bankruptcy protection for the last year.
The Panthers join numerous professional sports teams that are finding a new home for regular season games on broadcast TV.

Sergei Bobrovsky, #72, and the Florida Panthers celebrate the Stanley Cup win following a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, on June 24, 2024.
Bruce Bennett | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

The Florida Panthers are skating to a new TV home.
The National Hockey League Stanley Cup champions have inked a deal to air regular season games on local broadcast networks in Florida and leave behind the cable TV regional sports network that has long been their home.

The Panthers, which have appeared in the Stanley Cup finals two years in a row, signed a multiyear deal with E.W. Scripps that allows the broadcast station owner to televise all locally produced Panthers preseason and regular season games as well as round one of the playoffs.
The Panthers are also working with Scripps Sports to launch a streaming service, with further details expected prior to the start of the 2024 season.
Terms of the deal, which begins this coming season, were not disclosed.
Professional sports teams have been increasingly opting for deals with local broadcast station owners as the regional sports network business is dragged down by consumers leaving the pay TV bundle in favor of streaming.
In particular, Diamond Sports Group — the owner of the Panthers’ prior TV home, Bally Sports Florida — has been under bankruptcy protection since March 2023.

“After careful review and dialogue, Diamond reached a mutual agreement with the Florida Panthers to end our existing telecast rights contract,” a Diamond spokesperson said in a statement. “We greatly value the relationships we have built with the Panthers and their fans, and we wish them the best. We remain in productive discussions with the NHL around go-forward arrangements with our remaining team partners under contract and are focused on reorganizing as a sustainable and profitable entity.”

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Since its bankruptcy filing, Diamond Sports has terminated numerous contracts with professional sports teams, which have in turn found new homes on broadcast TV networks.
It has evolved into a significant moment of change for the industry. The regional sports network business model has long been lucrative for the leagues and teams since networks pay big fees for the rights to games that are not nationally aired.
These deals with broadcast station owners promise a large increase in reach and audience. Games are now on broadcast networks available to all pay TV subscribers, as well as for free to people using an antenna.
However, while terms of these deals are undisclosed, they are unlikely to garner the same size contracts as those with regional sports networks. The Panthers had reportedly renewed their deal with Bally Sports Florida in 2022, doubling the value of the team’s previous 10-year deal, which was about $6 million a year.
Last year, Scripps signed a similar deal with the 2023 Stanley Cup champions, the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Meanwhile, the National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz are also aired on local broadcast stations. Various broadcast station owners have shown interest in becoming the homes of professional sports as the traditional RSN business is under considerable stress.
There may be more opportunities, too, as Diamond Sports is still working to exit bankruptcy protection.
Last month, the leagues expressed concern over Diamond Sports’ future, and whether it would be able to put together a viable business plan ahead of the upcoming seasons. Diamond Sports returns to bankruptcy court later this month to seek approval for its reorganization plan.

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The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, expanding the limited treatment options for the mind-wasting disease. 
It’s a long-awaited win for Eli Lilly after donanemab faced several delays in its path to market.
Donanemab and a similar treatment called Leqembi from Biogen and Eisai are milestones in the treatment of Alzheimer’s after three decades of failed efforts to develop medicines that can fight the fatal disease. 

A sign with the company logo sits outside of the headquarters campus of Eli Lilly and Company on March 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Scott Olson | Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, expanding the limited treatment options for the mind-wasting disease in the U.S.
The agency approved the treatment, which will be sold under the brand name Kisunla, for adults with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, according to the company.

Nearly 7 million Americans have the condition, the fifth-leading cause of death for adults over 65, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. By 2050, that group is projected to rise to almost 13 million in the U.S.
“This is real progress. Today’s approval allows people more options and greater opportunity to have more time,” said Joanne Pike, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Having multiple treatment options is the kind of advancement we’ve all been waiting for — all of us who have been touched, even blindsided, by this difficult and devastating disease.”
It’s a long-awaited win for Eli Lilly after donanemab faced obstacles in its path to market. The FDA rejected the drug’s approval last year due to insufficient data, then surprisingly delayed it again in March. Last month, an advisory panel to the agency recommended the treatment for full approval, saying the benefits outweigh its risks. 

A vial of Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug sold under the brand name Kisunla.
Source: Eli Lilly

Donanemab will compete head-to-head with another treatment from Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai called Leqembi, which has gradually rolled out in the U.S. since it won approval last summer.
Donanemab and Leqembi are milestones in the treatment of Alzheimer’s after three decades of failed efforts to develop medicines that can fight the fatal disease. Both drugs are monoclonal antibodies that target toxic plaques in the brain called amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, to slow the progression of the disease in patients at the early stages of it. 

Eli Lilly’s drug slowed Alzheimer’s progression by 35% over 18 months compared with a placebo, according to a late-stage trial. Patients were able to end their treatment and switch to a placebo after six, 12 or 18 months after they hit certain goals for amyloid plaque clearance.

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The drug, which is administered through monthly infusions, will cost an estimated $12,522 for a six-month course, $32,000 for 12 months and $48,696 for 18 months. Medicare coverage and reimbursement is available for eligible patients, Eli Lilly said.
Neither treatment is a cure. Drugs that target and clear amyloid plaque can also have significant safety risks, including swelling and bleeding in the brain that can be severe and even fatal in some cases. 
Three patients who took Eli Lilly’s drug in a late-stage trial died from severe forms of those side effects, called amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, or ARIA.
Eli Lilly’s drug is now the third of its kind to reach the market after Leqembi and an ill-fated therapy from Biogen and Eisai called Aduhelm. The two companies recently dropped that medicine. The FDA received criticism for its expedited approval of Aduhelm in 2021 despite a negative recommendation from an advisory panel.

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