Rivalry Week has arrived and with it some of the biggest college football games of the season will be going down Saturday. Bragging rights will not be the only thing on the line as division titles, conference championship game appearances and College Football Playoff invitations will all be up for grabs with 18 top 25 teams in action over the course of the day.
Ohio State and Michigan go head-to-head in The Game with the Big Ten East on the line. The Buckeyes and Wolverines each have a shot at a top spot in the College Football Playoff, but the victory in Saturday’s game must win out through the Big Ten title game. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State meet in Bedlam, each as one-loss Big 12 teams that would need a bit of help to get into the playoff. There’s also a chance the Sooners and Cowboys meet in a league title game rematch should the Sooners win.
Elsewhere, Georgia (at Georgia Tech) and Alabama (at Auburn) each have rivalry games to get through ahead of their matchup in the SEC title game.
While winning is all that matters for the standings, we care about whether these teams will cover their spreads. Be sure to stick with CBS Sports throughout the day for college football coverage from the opening kickoff onward. Let’s take a look at our expert picks for a loaded Saturday in Week 13.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan
Noon| Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — It’s so hard to go against the Buckeyes in this game. Even though I think this is the most complete Michigan team that Jim Harbaugh has fielded, after seeing the way the Buckeyes have flipped the switch the last two weeks, I don’t think the Wolverines are good enough to keep it within the number. They have an excellent defense and pass rush, but they’ve yet to face an offense even close to what Ohio State offers. If the Wolverines fall behind, they’ll have to abandon their strengths in an effort to keep up. So I’m laying the points with the Buckeyes while hoping the game is much closer. Prediction: Ohio State (-8) — Tom Fornelli
No. 3 Alabama at Auburn
3:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App — I’ll take the points since a nearly three-touchdown spread screams “backdoor cover”. It’s impossible to trust the Crimson Tide offensive line, so I expect Auburn to force multiple empty possessions, which will allow T.J. Finley to keep his team in the game for at least three quarters. Finley will ultimately make a mistake or two that swings the game in the favor of the crimson and white … but not by three scores. Prediction: Auburn (+19.5) — Barrett Sallee
Penn State at No. 12 Michigan State
3:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) — There has to be some shell shock coming out of that stunning result at Ohio State last week, and while returning home should bring a more friendly environment for Michigan State, I think Penn State comes in with a little bit more juice. Taking the under is my favorite play because this should be a low-scoring game, but ultimately I’ll side with the Nittany Lions. Prediction: Penn State (-1.5) — Chip Patterson
No. 15 Texas A&M at LSU
7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Both of these teams have been disappointing relative to expectations, but LSU has played poor football against quality competition. The only ranked win of the season came against Florida, which proceeded to collapse. Texas A&M can limit LSU’s running game and make them one-dimensional enough to come away victorious. Prediction: Texas A&M (-6.5) — Shehan Jeyarajah
No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 7 Oklahoma State
7:30 p.m. | ABC, fuboTV (Try for free) — Oklahoma was a trendy pick to win the national championship entering the season — including by this author. Unfortunately, there’s only so much waiting we can muster before we acknowledge that the proverbial Mr. Godot is not coming. Oklahoma State has been consistently better and more dominant all season long, and its playing its best football with a chance to reach its first Big 12 Championship Game. The Cowboys won’t waste this moment. Prediction: Oklahoma State (-4) — Shehan Jeyarajah
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 13, and which top College Football Playoff contender gets a huge scare? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread — all from a proven computer model that has returned almost $3,700 in profit over the past five-plus seasons — and find out.
A COVID-19 variant first discovered in South Africa was dubbed “omicron” and classified a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on Friday, as the U.S. and other nations reacted to the newly discovered variant with travel restrictions.
Experts with the World Health Organization met Friday to assess the variant, which appears to have a high number of mutations in the virus’ spike protein, prompting worries about how easily it will spread. While good data on the risks of omicron is likely weeks away, the organization cited early evidence suggesting an increased risk of reinfection.
The U.S. said it will restrict travel from South Africa, as well as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi, according to a statement from senior officials from the Biden administration.
The policy will take effect Monday, and President Joe Biden said the new rules mean “no travel” to or from the designated countries, except for returning U.S. citizens and permanent residents who test negative.
Infection rates in South Africa have “increased steeply,” coinciding with the detection of the variant, according to a Friday statement from the WHO. The first omicron case was reported to the agency from South Africa on Nov. 24, and the number of cases of the variant are increasing in almost all South African provinces, the WHO said.
While omicron is now in the same category as the delta variant, the extent of the public health threat the new variant will pose is unclear. The beta variant was classified a variant of concern but did not spread as far as initially expected.
The WHO urged countries to increase surveillance of omicron cases and genome sequencing efforts to better understand its potential impact.
Biden said the emergence of omicron emphasizes the importance of vaccinations and urged Americans to get their booster shots as soon as possible.
The new variant has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong in travelers from South Africa, according to Joe Phaahla, the nation’s health minister. Phaahla said the variant has seen rapid spread in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province.
A baby cries as her mother receives her Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19, in Diepsloot Township near Johannesburg Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. A new COVID-19 variant has been detected in South Africa that scientists say is a concern because of its high number of mutations and rapid spread among young people in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province, Minister of Health Joe Phaahla announced Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021.
Several nations, including Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Japan, have responded to news of the variant by moving Friday to restrict air travel from several southern African countries. The European Union, which is made up of 27 nations, is also recommending a ban on flights from southern African countries, despite WHO officials warning against rash decisions.
►Israel announced Friday it detected the country’s first case of the newly discovered omicron variant in a traveler returning from Malawi. The traveler and two other people who are suspected to be infected with the variant have been placed in isolation.
►Stocks sank Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly falling more than 1,000 points, as a new coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa appeared to be spreading across the globe. Investors were uncertain whether the variant could potentially reverse months of progress at getting the COVID-19 pandemic under control.
►Czech President Milos Zeman was admitted to a hospital late Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19.
►The number of air travelers this week is expected to approach or even exceed pre-pandemic levels, and auto club AAA predicts 48.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday period.
📈Today’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 48 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 776,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 260 million cases and more than 5.1 million deaths. More than 196 million Americans — roughly 59.1{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the population — are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Omicron’s impact on vaccines unclear, but contingency plans already rolling out
Health experts have said it will likely be weeks before the world has good data about how omicron may reduce the effectiveness of current vaccines, but Moderna has already announced a three-point strategy to combat the new variant.
Omicron’s mutations could possibly reduce current vaccines’ effectiveness, but are unlikely to eliminate their benefit, according to Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health.
“There are a series of mutations in key regions that may impact effectiveness of our vaccines,” tweeted Jha on Friday. “Render vaccines useless? No. Super unlikely.”
Moderna’s strategy involves three options for boosting COVID-19 vaccination, should omicron prove problematic for current vaccines.
The three options, according to a Friday release from the company: A higher dose booster, shots currently being studied that are designed to “anticipate mutations such as those that have emerged in the Omicron variant” and an omicron-specific booster — which is already in the works.
Andy Slavitt, who previously served as President Joe Biden’s White House senior adviser for COVID response, said in a tweet that both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have estimated a vaccine to combat a new variant could be developed in about 3 months, with regulatory and logistical hurtles to follow.
“If we start in early December, new vaccines could be available by summer in much of the world,” Slavitt tweeted.
Multiple media organizations on Friday reported Pfizer-BioNTech is studying the new variant and expects data within weeks. If warranted, a targeted vaccine could be developed within 6 weeks and ship within 100 days, the reports say.
Johnson & Johnson is also testing its current vaccine against omicron, according to CNBC.
‘It’s coming’: New York braces for omicron; hospitals already strained
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday announced an executive order intended to boost hospital capacity and address staffing shortages, a move that comes amid growing concerns about hospital beds and staffing.
Hospitalizations have already risen sharply recently in much of the state and could soar higher if omicron proves to be as highly transmissible as some fear. The variant has not yet been detected in New York.
“It’s coming,” Hochul said in a statement Friday.
Her order allows the state health department to limit non-essential surgeries, if needed, to ensure capacity. The governor said the order also will allow the state to acquire critical supplies more quickly.
Hospitals in other areas of the country are already stretched thin amid a spike in cases.
On Wednesday, the federal government said it would send 44 military medical staffers to Michigan to help beleaguered hospitals treat COVID-19 patients amid a fourth surge that is the worst in the country.
Facing hospitals filling up with COVID patients needing lengthy stays, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday any hospital or hospital system facing limited capacity to care for patients will be required to reduce non-essential, non-urgent scheduled procedures beginning Monday.
— The Associated Press
FDA: Merck COVID pill effective, experts will review safety
Federal health regulators say an experimental COVID-19 pill from Merck is effective against the virus, but they will seek input from outside experts on risks of birth defects and other potential problems during pregnancy.
The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of the pill ahead of a public meeting next week where academic and other experts will weigh in on its safety and effectiveness. The agency isn’t required to follow the group’s advice.
The FDA scientists said their review identified several potential risks, including possible toxicity and birth defects. Given those risks the FDA will ask its advisers whether the drug should never be given during pregnancy or whether it could be made available in certain cases. Under that scenario, the FDA said the drug would carry warnings about risks during pregnancy, but doctors would still have the option to prescribe it in certain cases where its benefits could outweigh its risks for patients.
Given the safety concerns, FDA said Merck agreed the drug would not be used in children.
Additionally, the FDA flagged a concern that Merck’s drug led to small changes in the coronavirus’ signature spike protein, which it uses to penetrate human cells. Theoretically, FDA cautioned, those changes could lead to dangerous new variants. Regulators also noted that Merck collected far less safety data overall on its drug than was gathered for other COVID-19 therapies.
FDA will ask its independent advisers to discuss all those issues and then vote on whether the drug’s overall benefits outweigh its risks.
— The Associated Press
The Tough Guy balloon is driven down Sixth Avenue on a bicycle during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021, in New York. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is returning in full, after being crimped by the coronavirus pandemic last year.
COVID-19 cases are rising again this holiday season
Despite early signs that suggested the U.S. may have avoided another winter surge, COVID-19 cases are on the way up.
The country reported 665,420 cases in the week ending Monday, more than a 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} increase from the pace of cases reported about a month ago, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data.
As cases rise in 39 states, U.S. Health and Human Services data show hospitals in 32 states admitted more patients in the latest week than the week before.
“Quite frankly, I’m really concerned,” said Danielle Ompad, associate professor of epidemiology at New York University’s School of Global Public Health. “I would say we are better off than we were last year, but cases are starting to tick up and that is something that we really need to keep an eye on.” Read more here.
— Adrianna Rodriguez
Will pandemic-weary shoppers turn out in full force for the holidays?
Buoyed by solid hiring, healthy pay gains and substantial savings, shoppers are returning to stores and splurging on all types of items.
But the big question is: How much will supply shortages, higher prices and staffing issues dampen their mood this holiday season?
Americans, already fatigued with pandemic-induced social distancing policies, may get grumpy if they can’t check off items on their holiday wish lists, or they may feel disappointed by the skimpy holiday discounts. Exacerbating their foul moods is the fact that many frustrated workers called it quits ahead of the holidays, leaving businesses short-handed during their busiest time of the year.
Shoppers are expected to pay on average of between 5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to 17{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} more for toys, clothing, appliances, TVs and others purchases on Black Friday this year compared with last year, according to Aurelien Duthoit, senior sector advisor at Allianz Research. TVs will see the highest price spikes on average, up 17{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from a year ago, according to the research firm. That’s because whatever discounts available will be applied to goods that are already expensive.
Such frustrations could mute sales for the holiday season that are supposed to break records.
BEIJING (AP) — A renowned Chinese fashion photographer has apologized for her past work after online critics called it insulting to the Chinese people and fashion house Dior removed one of her photos from a show in Shanghai.
Chen Man acknowledged the criticism of her earlier work, including “Young Pioneers,” a series of images of a young model with backdrops of major landmarks such as China’s massive Three Gorges Dam or with an image of the country’s first lunar orbiter flying out from under her dress.
The criticism was reported by the state-owned Global Times newspaper, which said that comments on social media had called her work “implicit child pornography and insulting the young pioneers,” the name of a Communist Party-affiliated youth organization.
“I have reflected deeply and blamed myself for my naivety and ignorance at the time. I think that I must still formally apologize to everyone,” Chen wrote this week on her social media account.
“I’m a Chinese person, born and raised, I deeply love my motherland,” she wrote. “And I know, deeply, that as an artist, I have a responsibility to the mission to record and spread the Chinese people’s culture.”
She joins numerous Chinese and foreign celebrities, brands and artists who have made public apologies following criticism of their work in state media. Some have been boycotted for refusing to apologize or if the apology is deemed insufficient.
Chen’s apology came more than a week after Dior was attacked over the photo at its exhibition in Shanghai, which pictured a model of Asian descent with tan, freckled skin and darkened eyelids holding a Dior purse.
Critics deemed the photograph contrary to East Asian beauty standards of fair skin and said it perpetuated Western stereotypes of Asian faces, such as slanted eyes.
At least one photo editor has praised her work in the past for creating an aesthetic that was neither aping Western magazines or Japanese and South Korean ones. And in 2019, the Global Times described Chen as China’s answer to U.S. photographer Annie Leibovitz, calling her a “shining star” with a unique perspective.
Dior removed the photograph, adding that it was part of an art project and not an advertisement. In a statement on its Chinese social media account, Dior said it “respects the feelings of Chinese people” and “strictly abides by Chinese laws and regulations.”
Other luxury brands have previously been embroiled in controversies in China. In 2018, a Dolce & Gabbana advertisement sparked public outrage after the Asian model in the ad was instructed to eat spaghetti, cannolis and pizza with a pair of chopsticks. The videos were later removed.
Chen’s social media post said she accepted criticism of her work including that for a certain brand, but didn’t specify Dior.
The photograph taken down from the Shanghai exhibit was shot in a similar style to a series of covers Chen did for British fashion magazine i-D that featured 12 young Chinese women from different ethnic minorities. Many of the women did not fit what has become a common definition of beauty in China — some had small eyes and others had freckles.
Ding Yining, a photo editor at Sixth Tone, praised Chen’s work in a 2018 article for the state-backed English-language features website.
“From her works, it would seem that Chen prefers female models with narrow, single-lidded eyes and a sense of traditional East Asian elegance,” Ding wrote.
Chen told Sixth Tone that “as a professional visual artist, I believe that I should help more people recognize the face of modern Chinese beauty with greater confidence.”
U.S. stocks dropped sharply on Friday as a new Covid variant found in South Africa triggered a global shift away from risk assets.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 905.04 points, or 2.53{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, for its worst day of the year, closing at 34,899.34. The S&P 500 lost 2.27{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to close at 4,594.62, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 2.23{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} to finish at 15,491.66. The Dow was down more than 1,000 points at session lows.
The downward moves came after World Health Organization officials on Thursday warned of a new Covid-19 variant that’s been detected in South Africa. The new variant contains more mutations to the spike protein, the component of the virus that binds to cells, than the highly contagious delta variant. Because of these mutations, scientists fear it could have increased resistance to vaccines, though WHO said further investigation is needed. On Friday, the WHO deemed the new strain a variant of concern and named it omicron.
The United Kingdom temporarily suspended flights from six African countries due to the variant. Israel barred travel to several nations after reporting one case in a traveler. Two cases were identified in Hong Kong. Belgium also confirmed a case.
“When I read that there’s one [case] in Belgium and one in Botswana, we’re going to wake up next week and find one in this country. And I’m not going to recommend anyone buy anything today until we’re sure that isn’t going to happen, and I can’t be sure that it won’t,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer said.
Bond prices rose and yields tumbled amid a flight to safety. The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note fell 15 basis points to 1.49{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} (1 basis point equals 0.01{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}). This was a sharp reversal, as yields jumped earlier in the week to above 1.68{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} at one point. Bond yields move inversely to prices.
Asia markets were hit hard in Friday trade, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index both falling more than 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. Germany’s Dax index slid more than 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. Bitcoin fell 8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.
The Cboe Volatility Index, often referred to as Wall Street’s “fear gauge,” rose to 28, its highest level in two months. Oil prices also tumbled, with U.S. crude futures down 12{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and breaking below $70 per barrel.
Travel-related stocks were hit hardest, with Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean down 11{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and 13.2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, respectively. United Airlines dropped more than 9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, while American Airlines dropped 8.8{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. Boeing lost more than 5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, and Marriott International fell nearly 6.5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.
Stock picks and investing trends from CNBC Pro:
Bank shares retreated on fears of the slowdown in economic activity and the retreat in rates. Bank of America dropped 3.9{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, and Citigroup slid 2.7{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.
Industrials linked to the global economy declined, led by Caterpillar, off by 4{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. Chevron dropped 2.3{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} as energy stocks reacted to the rollover in crude prices.
On the flip side, investors huddled into the vaccine makers. Moderna shares surged more than 20{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}. Pfizer shares added 6.1{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.
Some of the stay-at-home plays that gained in the earlier months of the pandemic were higher again. Zoom Video and Peloton each added more than 5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}.
Friday was a shortened trading day because of the Thanksgiving holiday with U.S. markets closing at 1 p.m. ET. Holiday weeks often have relatively light trading volume, which can amplify moves in the market.
“It’s important to stress that very little is known at this point about this latest strain, including whether it can evade vaccines or how severe it is relative to other mutations. Therefore, it’s hard to make any informed investment decisions at this point,” Bespoke Investment Group’s Paul Hickey said in a note to clients. “Historically speaking, chasing a rally or selling into a sharp decline (especially on a very illiquid trading day) rarely ends up being profitable, but that isn’t stopping a lot of people this morning.”
Several investment professionals told CNBC on Friday that the sell-off could be a buying opportunity.
“Friday is the day after Thanksgiving — probably not as many traders on the desks, with an early close today. So potentially lower liquidity is causing some of the pullback,” Ajene Oden of BNY Mellon Investor Solutions said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “But the reaction we’re seeing is a buying opportunity for investors. We have to think long term.”
Markets were closed Thursday for Thanksgiving and had been split earlier in the week, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq underperforming amid an upward trend in Treasury yields.
The Nasdaq finished the week down 3.5{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, while the S&P 500 and Dow slumped by 2.2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} and 2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}, respectively.
Toyota’s advertisement comes as opposition to the proposed EV tax credit multiplies, with other international automakers, Republican governors from auto states, and the countries of Canada and Mexico criticizing the proposal.
A group of 25 ambassadors to Washington also questioned the proposal in a letter sent Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The ambassadors, who represent Germany, Japan, France, South Korea, Italy, the European Union and other countries, said the legislation “if implemented, would violate international trade rules, disadvantage hard-working Americans employed by these automakers and undermine the efforts of these automakers to expand the U.S. EV consumer market to achieve the administration’s climate goals.”
Autos Drive America, a group that represents the U.S. operations of international automakers, including Toyota, said the ambassadors’ letter “should make the administration and Congress realize that this is just bad policy.”
“It discriminates against American workers, undermines global climate change goals and threatens our relationships with our trading partners,” Jennifer Safavian, CEO of Autos Drive America, said in a statement. “Tax incentives should be fair and equal for all EVs.”
The White House last week unveiled a slimmed-down $1.75 trillion tax and spending framework that keeps in place the House proposal, including the union-built provision.
The framework’s EV tax credit “will lower the cost of an electric vehicle that is made in America with American materials and union labor by $12,500 for a middle-class family,” according to a fact sheet released by the White House.
The American International Automobile Dealers Association, which represents more than 9,000 international-nameplate dealers in the U.S., criticized the framework and called the tax credit “discriminatory” in a statement last week.
“The inclusion of this $4,500 UAW-only tax credit is an insult to the 673,000 Americans who work in international nameplate manufacturing plants and dealerships,” AIADA CEO Cody Lusk said. “Far from ‘Building Back Better,’ this provision makes it more difficult for Americans to buy green vehicles, as it can only be applied to a handful of the more than 60 electric vehicles available for sale today.”
AIADA said its dealer members are asking Congress and Biden “to stop playing politics with car sales and start working for all Americans — not just those who pay union dues.”
Share on PinterestNew research shows how exercise helps protect cognition in older people by reducing inflammation. Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Physical activity may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia and slow age-related cognitive decline.
Aging and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have associations with increased inflammation in the brain.
Animal studies have shown that physical activity may lead to cognitive benefits by reducing the activation of microglial cells, the primary immune cells in the brain.
A new study involving older adults reports that reducing microglial activation may help support the protective effects of physical activity on cognitive functioning.
A decline in certain cognitive abilities, such as memory and attention, is typical with aging. However, some individuals may experience dementia, which involves a severe decrease in cognitive abilities that impair daily functioning.
Studies show that individuals who exercise regularly have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia. Moreover, physical activity can slow down the progression of cognitive decline.
Scientists do not fully understand the mechanisms through which physical activity produces these cognitive benefits in humans.
A recent study led by researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) shows that reducing inflammation in the brain may mediate the cognitive benefits of physical activity.
Specifically, the researchers found that physical exercise had associations with reduced activation of microglia, the primary immune cells in the brain.
The study’s co-author, Dr. Kaitlin Casaletto, a professor at UCSF, told Medical News Today, “Many studies show that physical activity relates to better brain and cognitive health (e.g., estimates indicate that inactivity alone accounts for 13{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide). Yet, we still do not fundamentally understand the mechanisms linking physical activity to cognition in humans. Our study is the first human data showing that microglial activation (“brain inflammation”) may be a meaningful mechanism.”
The nervous system consists of two major cell types: neurons and glial cells. Neurons are primarily involved in transmitting electrical and chemical signals, whereas glial cells protect and support neurons. More recently, scientists have discovered that glial cells can modulate signal transmission between neurons.
Animal studies suggest that the glial cells in the brain may mediate the beneficial effects of physical activity on cognitive function. Specifically, physical activity is known to alter the activity of microglia, a sub-type of glial cells.
Microglia are the brain’s immune cells and become activated in response to an infection or neuron damage.
Activation of microglia can benefit the immune system as it mounts an inflammatory response against an infection. But an abnormal increase in the activation of microglia can damage neurons.
Chronic low-grade inflammation in the brain is a characteristic of aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, studies show that these conditions involve an abnormal increase in the number of activated microglia in the brain.
Scientists know that physical exercise in animals reduces the activation of microglia and other brain markers of inflammation.
Microglia can also modulate the structure and function of synapses, which are specialized contact sites through which neurons communicate with each other. Microglia play an important role in the formation and elimination of synapses.
Moreover, they can modulate the strength of these synapses, thus influencing signal transmission between neurons.
Studies in animals show that the cognitive benefits of physical activity have associations with improvements in synaptic health or integrity. Furthermore, these studies suggest that microglia may mediate the effects of physical activity on synaptic integrity and cognitive function.
The present study investigated the relationship between physical activity and microglial activation in older adults. Given the association between physical activity and improvements in cognitive function and synaptic health, the study estimated the extent to which changes in microglial activity may support these effects of physical activity.
The study found that, as in animals, physical activity had associations with reduced microglial activation in older adults.Moreover, the study’s results suggest that reduced microglial activation could be one of the brain pathways through which physical activity protects individuals from cognitive decline, especially in Alzheimer’s disease.
The present study consisted of 167 deceased individuals enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP). The Rush MAP is a longitudinal study that aims to identify risk factors associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Rush MAP includes older adults without dementia at enrollment and involves annual assessments for dementia risk factors. The participants in the project had agreed to donate their brains and other organs for post-mortem analysis.
The present study consisted of individuals with an average age of 87 years at the time of the first physical activity test and 90 years at their death.
The researchers assessed daily physical activity using a wearable sensor called actigraph. Actigraphy provides an objective measure of physical activity by continuously tracking periods of motor activity and rest over multiple days.
In the current study, the researchers conducted actigraphy assessments continuously for up to 10 days. They also conducted yearly tests to assess cognitive function and the ability of the participants to perform various motor tasks.
After the participants’ death, the researchers analyzed the brain tissue to determine the number of activated microglia in four brain regions. They also assessed the levels of proteins associated with synaptic health and brain markers for Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, stroke (infarcts), and other conditions.
The researchers found that higher physical activity levels measured using actigraphy had associations with a lower proportion of activated microglia when they considered all four brain regions together.
Factors such as limited motor function and cognitive impairment could potentially restrict the ability of the participants to engage in physical activity.
Consequently, the researchers adjusted their analysis for age, sex, motor, and cognitive function. They found that the association between the proportion of activated microglia and physical activity was independent of these variables.
The researchers then examined this association in individual brain regions. They found that the association between higher physical activity levels and reduced microglial activation reached statistical significance only in two brain regions — the ventromedial caudate and the inferior temporal gyrus.
Furthermore, the relationship between physical activity and reduced microglial activation was stronger in individuals with higher levels of brain pathologies in these two brain regions.
The brain pathologies found in the ventromedial caudate and inferior temporal gyrus consisted of microinfarcts (or mini-stroke) and Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies, respectively.
In other words, individuals with higher levels of brain pathologies who regularly engaged in physical activity showed lower microglial activation than their counterparts with similar brain pathology levels but lower physical activity levels.
These data suggest that the effects of physical activity on microglial activation were specific to certain brain regions. These results are consistent with data showing that microinfarcts and brain pathologies associated with Alzheimer’s disease tend to be more common in the two brain regions.
The researchers then examined the association between microglial activation and clinically meaningful markers for dementia, namely cognition and the integrity of the synapses.
Microglial activation in the inferior temporal gyrus, but not the ventromedial caudate, had associations with a decline in cognitive functioning and lower levels of synaptic health markers.
Next, the researchers examined the extent to which reduced microglial activation associated with physical activity could improve cognition and the integrity of synapses.
Using a statistical method called mediation analysis, the researchers estimated that the decrease in the proportion of activated microglial in the inferior temporal gyrus contributed to over 30{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity on cognition and synaptic markers.
Significantly, changes in microglial activation in the inferior temporal gyrus in individuals with higher levels of Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathologies mediated more than 40{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity on cognition and synaptic health.
In contrast, in individuals with lower Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies, changes in microglial activity contributed to only 10{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} of the effects of physical activity.
”This current work by Casaletto et al. is uniquely significant in that it provides the first evidence in humans to show that changes in microglial activation may be the mechanism bridging the beneficial effects of physical activity and healthier brain function. Furthermore, it points to a specific brain region, namely inferior temporal gyrus, that might be the most relevant for future microglia-based interventions.”
Dr. Li is a professor at the Washington University School of Medicine and was not involved in the study.
One of the study’s strengths included the use of actigraphy, which provides an objective assessment of physical activity levels. This is in contrast to other studies that often estimate physical activity levels using self-reports, which are prone to biases and inaccuracies.
This is the first human study to show that physical activity may improve cognitive functioning by reducing microglial activation.
Dr. Casaletto noted that the study had a few limitations. She said, “A major limitation of this work is the observational design. We cannot determine the directionality of effects, and it is likely that at least some of the relationship between physical activity and brain inflammation is bidirectional (i.e., brain inflammation leading to reductions in physical activity).”
Dr. Casaletto said that her research group intends to address this shortcoming in subsequent studies. She said, “We have a physical activity intervention study ongoing in which we hope to capture complementary markers of in-vivo inflammatory markers to help support causality of effects.”
Among other limitations, Dr. Casaletto noted, “We captured physical activity and cognition in life but brain inflammation and pathology at death. These are likely dynamic processes, and understanding the temporal link between lifestyle behaviors and biological changes is needed.”
Lastly, Dr. Casaletto noted that the study participants were primarily white and from Northeastern Illinois. Thus, the researchers do not know whether they can generalize the findings to a diverse population.
