Bahamas News
Cleveland Clinic Launches First-of-its Kind Preventive Breast Cancer Vaccine Study
#October 30, 2021 – Cleveland Clinic researchers have opened a novel study for a vaccine aimed at eventually preventing triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease.
This phase I trial is designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose of the vaccine in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer and to characterize and optimize the body’s immune response. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved an investigational new drug application for the vaccine, which permits Cleveland Clinic and partner Anixa Biosciences, Inc. (ANIX:NASDAQ) to start the study.
“We are hopeful that this research will lead to more advanced trials to determine the effectiveness of the vaccine against this highly aggressive type of breast cancer,” said G. Thomas Budd, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute and principal investigator of the study. “Long term, we are hoping that this can be a true preventive vaccine that would be administered to healthy women to prevent them from developing triple-negative breast cancer, the form of breast cancer for which we have the least effective treatments.”
There is a great need for improved treatments for triple-negative breast cancer, which does not have biological characteristics that typically respond to hormonal or targeted therapies. Despite representing only about 12-15% of all breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer accounts for a disproportionately higher percentage of breast cancer deaths and has a higher rate of recurrence. This form of breast cancer is twice as likely to occur in African-American women, and approximately 70% to 80% of the breast tumors that occur in women with mutations in the BRCA1 genes are triple-negative breast cancer.
“This vaccine approach represents a potential new way to control breast cancer,” said Vincent Tuohy, Ph.D., the primary inventor of the vaccine and staff immunologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. “The long-term objective of this research is to determine if this vaccine can prevent breast cancer before it occurs, particularly the more aggressive forms of this disease that predominate in high-risk women.” Dr. Tuohy is named as inventor on the technology, which Cleveland Clinic exclusively licensed to Anixa Biosciences, Inc. He will receive a portion of commercialization revenues received by Cleveland Clinic for this technology and also holds personal equity in the company.
The investigational vaccine targets a breast-specific lactation protein, α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found post-lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in the majority of triple-negative breast cancers. Activating the immune system against this “retired” protein provides pre-emptive immune protection against emerging breast tumors that express α-lactalbumin. The vaccine also contains an adjuvant that activates an innate immune response that allows the immune system to mount a response against emerging tumors to prevent them from growing.
The study is based on pre-clinical research led by Dr. Tuohy that showed that activating the immune system against the α-lactalbumin protein was safe and effective in preventing breast tumors in mice. The research also found that a single vaccination could prevent breast tumors from occurring in mouse models, while also inhibiting the growth of already existing breast tumors. The research, originally published in Nature Medicine, was funded in part by philanthropic gifts from more than 20,000 people over the last 12 years.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the new study at Cleveland Clinic will include 18 to 24 patients who have completed treatment for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer within the past three years and are currently tumor-free but at high risk for recurrence. During the course of the study, participants will receive three vaccinations, each two weeks apart and will be closely monitored for side effects and immune response. The study is estimated to be completed in September 2022.
Researchers anticipate that a subsequent trial will involve healthy, cancer-free women at high risk for developing breast cancer who have decided to undergo voluntary bilateral mastectomy to lower their risk. Typically, those women carry mutations in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene and are therefore at risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer or have high familial risk for any form of breast cancer.
“This vaccine strategy has the potential to be applied to other tumor types,” added Dr. Tuohy. “Our translational research program focuses on developing vaccines that prevent diseases we confront with age, like breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers. If successful, these vaccines have the potential to transform the way we control adult-onset cancers and enhance life expectancy in a manner similar to the impact that the childhood vaccination program has had.”
The Rick Fox Political Timeline
“Are You Thinking About Politics?”
Fox publicly acknowledged growing calls for him to enter Bahamian politics, saying he had been hearing from women, youth, business owners and everyday Bahamians who were “ready for something different.”
October 19, 2025
“Then Jump, Man.”
Fox revealed a conversation with NBA legend Michael Jordan, who encouraged him to enter politics after asking whether he believed he could help young Bahamians.
November 24, 2025
“The Bahamas Must Be First”
Fox officially announced his intention to run in the 2026 General Election, promising transparency, affordability, opportunity and a modern Bahamian economy.
February 4, 2026
“Officially Picked”
The Free National Movement formally ratified Fox as its candidate for Garden Hills, instantly making him one of the most talked-about figures in the election cycle.
March 20, 2026
“From Courtside to Campaign Stage”
Fox mounted the national campaign stage for the first time at the FNM’s major campaign launch at Baha Mar Resort in Nassau.
March 30, 2026
“I’m Giving The Salary Back”
Fox announced he would not take a parliamentary salary if elected, saying the funds should instead go back into helping the people of
Garden Hills.
April 14, 2026
“Nomination Eve Goes Viral”
A heated confrontation involving Fox and PLP supporters outside the Parliamentary Registration Department exploded across social media after video captured the tense exchange.
April 16, 2026
“Pick Rick” Officially Launches
Nomination Day cemented Fox’s candidacy and formally launched the now-famous “Pick Rick” campaign branding.
April 19, 2026
“Vote and Win”
Jamiah Burrows won a vehicle through Fox’s civic participation challenge, part of a campaign effort encouraging voter engagement and turnout.
April 20, 2026
“The Wealthiest Candidate”
Financial disclosures revealed Fox as the wealthiest candidate in the 2026 election cycle, with reported assets exceeding $469 million, ending speculation about his financial standing.
April 25, 2026
“The Garden Hills Blueprint”
Fox unveiled detailed policy graphics outlining plans for:
- youth development,
- healthcare access,
- infrastructure upgrades,
- environmental restoration,
- entrepreneurship,
- and a proposed $10 million investment fund for Garden Hills.
May 4, 2026
“The Numbers Don’t Lie”
Fox’s campaign highlighted more than:
- 20 community clean-ups,
- 16 streets and locations served,
- and 13 solar lights installed across Garden Hills during the campaign.
May 6, 2026
“Shaq Steps In”
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal publicly endorsed Fox, helping elevate international attention surrounding the campaign.
May 8, 2026
“Buju Backs Rick”
Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton threw his support behind Fox ahead of Election Day.
May 10, 2026
“Vanessa Williams Endorses”
Fox’s former wife, actress and singer Vanessa Williams publicly endorsed his campaign.
May 11, 2026
“Magic Joins the Campaign”
NBA icon Magic Johnson became the latest major celebrity to endorse Fox just one day before Bahamians went to the polls.
May 12, 2026
“Election Day”
Fox contested the Garden Hills constituency seat against PLP incumbent Mario Bowleg in one of the country’s most closely watched races.
May 13, 2026
“Grace in Defeat”
Fox publicly conceded the race and congratulated Bowleg on his victory in Garden Hills.
May 18, 2026
“We Pick Rick”
Despite losing at the polls, Fox officially entered Parliament after being appointed to the Senate by the FNM — with the party itself declaring:
“We Pick Rick.”
The appointment made Fox one of the most internationally recognized figures ever to serve in the Bahamian Senate.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
Bahamas News
First Woman to Lead Tourism Ministry: Glenys Hanna-Martin Takes On Bahamas’ Leading Industry
The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – Veteran parliamentarian Glenys Hanna-Martin has made history, becoming the first woman to lead the Ministry of Tourism in The Bahamas — assuming responsibility for the country’s most important economic engine 62 years after tourism first gained Cabinet-level representation.
Tourism received its first Cabinet minister on January 7, 1964, when Sir Stafford Sands was appointed Minister of Finance and Tourism,
helping shape what would become the dominant pillar of the Bahamian economy.
Now, six decades later, Hanna-Martin steps into the role as the nation’s first female Tourism Minister.
The longtime Englerston Member of Parliament moves into the powerful portfolio following years overseeing education and after building one of the most enduring political careers in modern Bahamian history.
Hanna-Martin is widely regarded as the country’s longest-serving female MP, having represented Englerston continuously since 2002.
Her appointment comes at a critical moment for the tourism sector, which continues to drive employment, foreign exchange earnings, hotel development, cruise expansion and airlift growth across the archipelago.
The scale of the industry she now oversees is staggering.
According to tourism and government data, The Bahamas welcomed a record 12.5 million visitors in 2025, including roughly 10.8 million cruise passengers and 1.7 million air arrivals.
Tourism is estimated to generate roughly 70 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and employs more than half of the Bahamian workforce either directly or indirectly.
The industry also continues to fuel massive hotel and resort expansion projects across Nassau, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands, while
helping sustain airlift partnerships, cruise port investments and vacation rental growth.
The Ministry of Tourism is widely viewed as one of the most influential assignments in any Bahamian Cabinet because of its direct connection to the nation’s economic stability and international image.
And while regional competition intensifies across the Caribbean, The Bahamas remains one of the world’s most recognized island tourism brands.
Hanna-Martin now inherits responsibility for protecting and expanding that position.
Her political career has already included several barrier-breaking milestones, including becoming the first female chairman of a major political party in The Bahamas and the first female Minister of Transport and Aviation.
Now, she adds another first to her legacy.
For many observers, the significance of the moment extends well beyond symbolism.
Tourism is not simply another ministry.
It is the heartbeat of the Bahamian economy.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
Bahamas News
“Politician-1” Frenzy Intensifies After Plane Crash Survivor Allegedly Misses US Court Appearance
The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – Questions and speculation intensified across The Bahamas Thursday night after Eyewitness News reported that Jonathan Eric Gardiner — the Election Day plane crash survivor now accused in a major international cocaine trafficking conspiracy — was allegedly a no-show for a scheduled US court appearance.
The latest development adds yet another dramatic twist to a case that has already pushed the country into political and social fever pitch.
Gardiner first appeared in federal court in Orlando on May 15 following his arrest on a New York federal warrant tied to a DEA investigation into alleged cocaine trafficking operations running through The Bahamas into the United States.
But the case exploded nationally after US federal affidavits repeatedly referenced an unnamed Bahamian political figure identified only as: “Politician-1.”
The filings allege meetings connected to a proposed cocaine shipment and references to political protection for trafficking operations.
No politician has been publicly identified by US prosecutors.
Still, the mystery has consumed the Bahamian public.
Talk shows, social media timelines, Parliament corridors and street corners have erupted with demands for answers, including headlines declaring: “TELL US WHO IS POLITICIAN 1.”
Public speculation has centered heavily around West End MP Kingsley Smith, who has denied any involvement in drug trafficking or cartel activity.
The controversy became so intense this week that Smith was reportedly heckled inside Parliament while taking his official oath of office.
Adding to the surreal nature of the case are reports carried by The Tribune that some passengers aboard the doomed flight were ordinary Bahamians trying to return home to vote after missing another flight connection on Election Day.
What began as a dramatic survival story involving 11 rescued passengers floating in waters off Florida has now transformed into a sprawling scandal involving alleged drug trafficking, political intrigue, DEA affidavits and mounting national anxiety.
The Tribune has also reported alleged links between Gardiner and construction-related business dealings, while US court documents reportedly describe cash-filled envelopes labeled for “Politician-1” in language investigators viewed as consistent with narcotics payment structures.
For many Bahamians, the story now feels almost unbelievable: an Election Day plane crash, an accused drug kingpin, references to Parliament, public outrage and now questions surrounding an alleged missed US court appearance.
And with official answers still limited, the fever surrounding “Politician-1” appears only to be growing.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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