SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " qualified " 196 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
US Sen. Dan Sullivan’s same-name challenger can be on primary ballot, Alaska Supreme Court rules
The Alaska Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a man with the same name and party affiliation as Alaska Republican US Sen. Dan Sullivan is qualified to run for the seat and ordered elections officials to place him on the August primary ballot.
World Cup 2026 Round of 32 tracker: Who’s qualified, who’s eliminated and who’s still alive
Road-funding initiative in Colorado qualifies for November ballot
A measure that would dedicate all transportation-related revenue to Colorado’s roads and bridges has officially qualified for the November ballot after it cleared the state’s signature threshold, according to election officials. Backed by the coalition Restore Our Roads, Initiative No. 175 would require that all transportation-related revenue be used exclusively for building and repairing roads […]
Road-funding initiative clears signature threshold, qualifies for November ballot
A measure that would dedicate all transportation-related revenue to Colorado’s roads and bridges has officially qualified for the November ballot after Initiative No. 175 cleared the state’s signature threshold, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Backed by the coalition Restore Our Roads, Initiative 175 would require that all transportation-related revenue be used exclusively for […]
I Walked Into a Jack Schlossberg Campaign Event a Skeptic. That’s Not Quite How I Left.
He’s not the least qualified, or the most evil.
Austria make World Cup return with win over debutants Jordan
Veteran Marko Arnautović scored in his World Cup debut as Austria made their return to the big stage with a 3-1 victory in their tournament opener on Tuesday. The Austrians are making their first World Cup appearance since 1998, while Jordan have qualified for the competition for the first time in their history.
Same-name candidate disqualified from key Senate race over alleged Dem scheme to confuse voters
Alaska election official disqualified a same-name Republican challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, ruling the candidacy was designed to confuse voters.
Why Qatar qualified for World Cup, but not Italy
The qualification process can be quite misaligned with the FIFA world rankings.
Foley Hoag Advises Vesica Health in Sale to Photocure ASA
Learn more about the latest updates in legal, with expert commentary and insights from trusted attorneys from Foley Hoag LLP. Foley Hoag is a professional community of highly qualified attorneys from all over the US.
Could Bill Pulte be a FISA-shaped problem for the Trump Administration?
By tapping an underqualified ally for one of the most sensitive intelligence jobs on Earth, the president is risking a major legislative miss.
Reward or threat? Omnisend offers quarterly raises for employees who use AI to drive business impact—and says those who don’t will get left behind
For Q1, the first quarter with the initiative in place, just over half of the company’s 246 employees qualified and received raises between 2% and 4% so far.
We moved to Italy for citizenship. Then Italy changed the rules.
An American family had originally qualified to become Italian citizens and moved to Turin to speed up the process. Then, the government changed the law.
Jordan: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule
Jordan make their FIFA World Cup debut this summer, joining Cape Verde, Curaçao and Uzbekistan as the four tournament newcomers.The Al-Nashama qualified by finishing second in AFC third-round Group B...
Eastern Kentucky addiction, behavior health center owner indicted on federal charges in fraud scheme
Timmy G. Robinson Jr. faces one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering in a scheme to allegedly defraud two potential buyers of a multi-million dollar Employee Retention Credit offered to certain employers by the Internal Revenue Service, who paid workers qualified wages during and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eastern Kentucky addiction, behavior health center owner indicted on federal charges in fraud scheme
Timmy G. Robinson Jr. faces one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering in a scheme to allegedly defraud two potential buyers of a multi-million dollar Employee Retention Credit offered to certain employers by the Internal Revenue Service, who paid workers qualified wages during and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
RWJBarnabas Health Announces $854,000 Investment to Upgrade Monmouth Family Health Center
RWJBarnabas Health today announced an $854,000 investment to upgrade Monmouth Family Health Center in Long Branch, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and partner in delivering compassionate care to historically underserved populations. The support will allow Monmouth Family Health Center to make significant improvements to equipment, technology and supplies to better serve patients.
Black Women Political Candidates Are Expected to Be 'Likable,' Qualified and Tireless. Men Aren’t.
What I had experienced during that run wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me. The year before, in 2013, I had run for president of the Young Democrats of America (YDA), a national political party office role, against a popular opponent. The opponent was a Black man, so race wasn’t a factor in the election; however, gender was. Before my campaign, I was vice president of YDA and had heard only good things about my service: my fundraising efforts, the partnerships I had engineered with progressive organizations, and programming coordination for the membership. However, when I decided to run for president, I instantly became ‘difficult to work with’ and ‘mean.’ Research on women candidates confirms that voters are less likely to vote for a woman if they don’t like her; by comparison, voters don’t need to like men to elect them. But when I was running as the Black woman candidate in a seven-candidate primary for public office, with two other women in the race, I noticed almost nothing about my being ‘difficult’ and more about my ability and work ethic. My experience running for public office reflected the systemic bias and double standards not just for women candidates, but Black women candidates who dare to aspire to any sort of political leadership—and that needed to change. We need more progressive Black women in public office for a myriad reasons, but we also specifically need the younger generation of Instigators in office, candidates who understand the times in which we live currently. Electing more Black women will take real investment in changing the biases and attitudes (conscious and unconscious) of mostly white donors, media, campaign staff, consultants and institutional leaders to help shift the culture and systems. But this support needs to be substantively increased so that we can rebuild an inclusive, multiracial democracy with the leaders we want and need. (Excerpted from The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy by Atima Omara.)
Opinion | Enough With the Kennedys
Members of the country’s grandest political dynasty are not inherently qualified to hold office.
View from the Sideline: They’re still standing
The end of the school year is here, and high school spring sports are winding down. Now, only athletes who have qualified for the NorCal or state tournaments and meets
Jonah Jeovany Vasquez is going for Disney-like ending at state track championships
In his first season of track, Jonah Jeovany Vasquez of Cathedral High has qualified to run in the 1,600 at state finals.
IRS to Target Stacking Under Qualified Small Business Stock Rules
RS plans guidance on QSBS stacking strategies. Learn the risks, potential retroactivity, and actions to consider before rules change.
Alain Mathieu Joins Foley Hoag as Chair of Sports and Entertainment Group
Learn more about the latest updates in legal, with expert commentary and insights from trusted attorneys from Foley Hoag LLP. Foley Hoag is a professional community of highly qualified attorneys from all over the US.
Fabregas warns Real Madrid: Como want Nico Paz ‘to stay’
Cesc Fabregas confirms he’s already preparing for next season’s Champions League campaign with Como and hopes Nico Paz will stay at the Stadio Sinigaglia.Como have qualified for the Champions Leag...
Man arrested for posing as fire system inspector, targeted minority-owned businesses
Fire investigators say Wesley Shaw ran an unlicensed business called Tennessee Fire Specialty Systems, where he posed as a licensed fire inspector to business owners. He charged hundreds of dollars per inspection for inspections he wasn’t qualified to perform.
The Knicks may be beating up on a weak East, but they're more than qualified to face the Spurs or Thunder
The Knicks will be underdogs if they make the Finals, but they can certainly give the Thunder or Spurs a fight
🎥Matarazzo keen to finish the season on a high
With the team already qualified for Europe, Real’s coach wants a good result against Espanyol.It has been a season of ups and downs for Real Sociedad, who managed to lift the cup and, under Matarazz...
Hims & Hers Health, Inc. Announces Proposed Convertible Senior Notes Offering to Support International Expansion and Accelerate AI-Driven Platform Investment
Proceeds intended to be used to preserve financial flexibility as Hims Hers executes on its international expansion strategy, including the proposed acquisition of Eucalyptus, invests in technology and operational infrastructure to drive anticipated cost efficiencies, and enhances the consumer experience with AI and its closed-loop data ecosystem. Hims Hers Health, Inc. (“Hims Hers” or the “Company”, NYSE: HIMS) today announced its intention to offer, subject to market and other conditions, $300 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2032 (the “notes”) in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Hims Hers also expects to grant the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, for settlement within a period of 13 days from, and including, the date the notes are first issued, up to an
Why Some States Are Pushing Back on Small Business Tax Break
The expansion of a capital gains exclusion for qualified small business stock is costing states millions in revenue.
Business re-entry students prove no setback is permanent
Brian McGauley dropped out of high school and college and had two health scares. Carlos Torres worked too hard, partied too hard and was academically disqualified. Now, both students are graduating with honors from the Craig School of Business at Fresno State, proving that a late start and early difficulties don’t have to be permanent […]
Empowering Veterans: The 2026 Fayetteville Veterans Business Expo aims to close the opportunity gap
This is the first year of the Veteran Business Expo, and it grew out of Fayetteville PWC’s Economic Impact Program, which focuses on expanding access and opportunity in public-sector contracting while strengthening the local economy. It builds off the success of previous events held by PWC, like the 2024 Industry Day (pictured above). Photo provided by PWC. The Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) will host the inaugural 2026 Veterans Business Expo on May 14 at the PWC Main Operations Complex at 955 Old Wilmington Road, seeking to connect former U.S. Military members with vital business opportunities in their community. The event, which will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., is part of a partnership between PWC and the Veterans Business Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University (VBOC) and Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Entrepreneur and Business HUB (FSU HUB).Aaron Harris, PWC’s manager of economic inclusion programs, said the event is designed to connect Veteran-owned businesses with partners and decision-makers who can help move opportunities forward.“This event brings together Veteran entrepreneurs alongside government agencies, public entities, contractors and resource partners in one place, creating a purposeful space to build relationships, exploring procurement and contracting possibilities and strengthening our region’s Veteran-owned business community,” Harris said. The Veterans Business Expo was devised to feature, highlight and facilitate direct connections and commerce. “We want to get our Veterans a platform for their businesses,” said Camille Little, the supplier diversity analyst at PWC. “Here at PWC, we have 20 departments, and we procure… I can’t tell you all the goods and services. This is our first expo. We’re looking for general contractors, electricians, landscapers, janitorial, construction suppliers, architecture, farms and engineering firms.” Little said, much like businesses in every industry, Veterans are often in need of assistance getting their foot in the door.“When Veterans are starting up, they have to know what resources are [available],” Little noted. “They have this ample amount of resources, but they need to know how to get started.” Identifying those resources and connecting Veteran business owners with opportunities and business development programs are made possible by the partnership between PWC and VBOC, Little said. The partnership has allowed the expo to flourish, she added.“There are opportunities, there are consultant workshops and different things that we partner with them for all the time,” Little said. “It’s about easing that transition because starting a business is hard. Having the dedication to continue after that first year is even harder right now.” That is why, Little said, the partnership with resources from Fayetteville State University brings decision makers to the table. “If you are a Veteran business owner, you may not know how to do business with PWC or the City of Fayetteville or FSU, or partners,” Little said. “‘Where do I get started?’ ‘How do I get contracts?’ Bringing people to an understanding and then having an opportunity like this, where you’re talking to that person who’s making the decision… that is our goal.”Those meetings between Veteran-owned businesses and other decision-makers will present a chance to showcase products and services directly to organizations seeking qualified vendors and capable partners, Harris said. Agencies and contractors, he added, can meet and engage businesses ready to support upcoming needs. Little said PWC and all of its departments, as well as the City of Fayetteville, and FSU will be on hand. Additionally, there will be procurement officers from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. “Resource partners who support small business development will also be on hand, helping make introductions and reinforcing pathways that support growth for Veteran entrepreneurs,” Harris said.For Veteran entrepreneurs, Little said she recommends two things: an answer to “why?” and a business plan.“I would ask them, what problem are they solving with their business?” she noted. “Then I would also tell them to start making a business plan. I run into a lot of firms, and it’s like, ‘What is your plan?’ So just knowing where you want to go with your business is important.”Little said it is important to differentiate between a business that helps transition servicemembers away from the U.S. Military versus a business that Veterans consider the next chapter of their lives.“How much dedication are you going to give to this business to make it successful?” Little noted. “So I would always start with what’s your business plan.”For Harris, the event will be able to cover the needs of all types of Veteran-owned businesses.“Another important lesson is the need to meet businesses where they are,” he said. “Veteran-owned businesses are at different stages of development, so offering multiple entry points, networking, education and referrals has proven essential.”Registration information can be found at: www.eventbrite. com/e/2026-veterans-business-expo-connecting-heroes-to-opportunity-tickets-1984308563329?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Top-seeded Pistons stay alive in playoffs with Magic win
An epic Cade Cunningham performance kept top-seeded Detroit's NBA playoff run alive in a crucial 116-109 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.The Magic -- who only qualified for the playoffs via the play-in tournament -- will have another chance to finish a surprise series win on Friday back in Orlando.
Australia becomes the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Australia for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, marking a significant milestone in the health of indigenous peoples and in global efforts to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, no longer represents a public health problem in the country.Australia is among a growing number of countries that have successfully eliminated trachoma, contributing to global progress towards the targets set out in the WHO road map for NTDs 2021–2030.Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through close contact with infected individuals, contaminated surfaces, and flies that carry eye and nose discharge. Repeated infections can lead to scarring of the eyelids, turning eyelashes inward, and ultimately causing blindness if untreated.“WHO congratulates Australia on this important achievement,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This success reflects sustained commitment, strong partnerships, and a focus on reaching populations most affected by health inequities. It brings us closer to a world free from the suffering caused by trachoma.”Australia’s journey to eliminationAustralia’s achievement reflects decades of targeted public health action, particularly in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where trachoma persisted despite its earlier disappearance from the rest of the country.National efforts intensified with the establishment of the National Trachoma Management Programme in 2006, which implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy: surgery for trichiasis, antibiotics to treat infection, promotion of facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement. Regular screening of all communities classified as at-risk of trachoma by teams of qualified health workers formed an important part of the Programme. Interventions were delivered through coordinated partnerships between federal and state governments, Aboriginal community-controlled health services, and local communities.Over time, sustained screening, treatment, and prevention activities, including improvements in housing, water, sanitation and hygiene, led to a steady decline in trachoma prevalence. Australia’s approach included adaptations to reflect its context, such as targeted treatment based on community-level data rather than mass drug administration, and strong integration with environmental health programmes.“Elimination of trachoma is a win for the eye health of communities across Australia, particularly those whose lives have been impacted by a disease that is entirely preventable,” said Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Ageing, Australia. “This major milestone is thanks to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, community commitment and sustained investment over many decades.“The lessons from this work will inform how we approach other preventable health conditions in remote and regional Australia. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and local health workers have been central to this success, delivering culturally safe care and community-led solutions.”“This recognition from the World Health Organization reflects decades of work led by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, alongside local health workers in remote First Nations communities,” said Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Australians. “Their work has been critical to eliminating trachoma as a public health problem in Australia.”Advancing global efforts against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)Trachoma is one of 21 diseases and disease groups that are regarded by WHO as NTDs. Together, NTDs affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, primarily in underserved populations with limited access to essential services such as clean water, sanitation, and health care.Australia’s elimination of trachoma as a public health problem highlights the importance of sustained political commitment and cross-sectoral collaboration in addressing the underlying determinants of health. It also underscores the feasibility of eliminating trachoma even in geographically challenging settings.In addition to trachoma, Australia has several endemic NTDs, including Buruli ulcer, leprosy and scabies. Validation of elimination of trachoma as a public health problem marks the first time that WHO has confirmed the elimination of an NTD in Australia, which becomes the 63rd country globally and 16th in the Western Pacific Region to have eliminated at least one NTD.“Tackling neglected tropical diseases in the Western Pacific Region has long been a challenge for countries across the socioeconomic spectrum, given the complexities in reaching the most vulnerable communities, including in remote areas,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “As a doctor from Tonga, I’ve experienced these challenges for myself. But I also know that with strategic commitment underpinned by optimal resources and partnerships in health, success is possible as other countries in our region have also demonstrated. I commend Australia on eliminating trachoma as a public health problem and urge all involved to remain vigilant to ensure this status is maintained.”WHO continues to support countries working to eliminate trachoma and other NTDs, ensuring that progress reaches those most in need and that gains are sustained through strong surveillance, appropriately integrated into national health systems, and mainstreamed within the wider health sector and beyond.Editor’s notesNeglected tropical diseases and trachoma elimination effortsNeglected tropical diseases are associated with devastating health, social and economic consequences. Their burden is mainly felt among impoverished communities in tropical areas.Public health targets for the control, elimination and eradication of these conditions were set in the road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021–2030 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240010352).In 1996, WHO launched the WHO Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020 (GET2020), creating a network of governments, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions dedicated to the fight against trachoma. WHO continues to support endemic countries to accelerate progress towards the global target of eliminating trachoma as a public health problem worldwide; 2030 is the new target date.Elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is defined as: (i) a prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) “unknown to the health system” of < 0.2% in ≥15-year-olds; and (ii) a prevalence of trachomatous inflammation—follicular (TF) in children aged 1–9 years of < 5%, in each formerly endemic district, plus (iii) the existence of a system to identify and manage incident cases of TT.Other countries validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem are: Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.
Edinburgh sign Scottish-qualified scrum-half Chapman
Scottish-qualified scrum-half Louie Chapman can "push for the highest level" after the Crusaders man became Edinburgh's latest recruit. The 25-year-old is Edinburgh's third signing in the past week, following Hurricanes centre Riley Higgins and Scotland U20 back Geordie Gwynn from Ealing Trailfinders. Chapman qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother and has played five times for Crusaders in Super Rugby this season.
Here are the candidates who have qualified for CNN’s California governor’s debate
Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, along with Democrats Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Antonio Villaraigosa, are eligible to take part in CNN’s California governor’s debate, which will take place on May 5 at 6 p.m. Pacific time (9 p.m. Eastern time) in the Los Angeles area.
Here's how Utah could benefit from now-permanent 20% small business tax deduction
The Qualified Business Income deduction allows Utah small businesses to deduct up to 20% of their business income from federal and state taxes.
Former Surgeon General Backs CDC Nominee, But Questions Remain on Vaccines
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A former U.S. surgeon general is weighing in on the president’s pick to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling Dr. Erica Schwartz highly qualified while warning of some potential ...
Stanford grad couldn't find job, so created a six-figure business
I thought I was overqualified for most of the jobs I was applying for as a Stanford grad. I started my own PR company, and it's been successful.
6 candidates confirmed for next week’s Inside California Politics California governor’s debate
(KRON/NEXSTAR) — The six candidates who have qualified for the Inside California Politics California gubernatorial debate on KRON4 next week have been confirmed. Following the collapse of for…
Trump to Nominate Doctor Who Has Publicly Supported Vaccines as C.D.C. Director
Dr. Erica Schwartz is seen as a highly qualified traditional choice and tapping her is the strongest signal yet that the administration is veering away from vaccine skepticism this election year.
Pitt to offer online Infant Mental Health certificate
A new University of Pittsburgh academic program aims to address the mental health, growth and development needs of infants and toddlers amid a shortage of qualified, working professionals. Pitt has launched a new, online graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health. The 12-credit program kicks off this fall, said Robert Gallen,
Brian Mast backs 'exceptionally well-qualified' Blaise Ingoglia in CFO race
'Blaise Ingoglia has demonstrated steadfast leadership and a clear commitment to protecting Florida’s taxpayers.'
Pastors Scott Bottoms, Victor Marx win spots in Colorado GOP’s gubernatorial primary at party assembly
Two pastors from Colorado Springs qualified Saturday for the Republican gubernatorial primary ballot at the Colorado GOP’s state assembly in Pueblo in a party meeting that dragged late into the night. State Rep. Scott Bottoms, who is known as one of the legislature’s most conservative members, won top line on the June ballot, while missionary […]
RFK Jr. rewrites rules on CDC panel after judge blocks vaccine changes
After a federal judge said members of the influential vaccine committee were "distinctly unqualified," an updated charter broadens the list of expertise for membership.
Delaware Small Business Employment Index Pulls Back
Main Street owners continue searching for qualified applicants.
NASA Shares Photos Shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max During Artemis II Mission to the Moon
NASA has shared three incredible photos shot on the iPhone 17 Pro Max by astronauts during the Artemis II mission to the Moon. In February, NASA announced that the iPhone had been fully qualified for extended use in orbit, with reports indicating that each of the four crew members aboard the Orion are equipped with an iPhone 17 Pro Max for personal photos and videos.
Weatherly Middle School Science Olympiad team qualifies for states
Weatherly Middle School Science Olympiad team has qualified for the state competition at Penn State Altoona on April 25. The team, made up of sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students, competed at the regional competition at Penn…
Lander students win divisions, receive special accolades at 2026 Sceince Fair in Laramie
(Laramie, WY) – Several Lander students made an impact at the Wyoming State Science Fair in March, held at the University of Wyoming, where there were approximately 130 student competitors from across the state who had qualified during the regional science fairs. County 10 caught up with Lander advisor Sam Hartpence, who oversaw students Carson […]
The Most Baffling Streak in Sports Continues: Italy Will Miss the World Cup Again
The Azzurri, who lost to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a do-or-die playoff on Tuesday, last qualified in 2014. But the wait will go on for at least four more years.
Spokane students headed to global science fair with eight qualifiers
SPOKANE, Wash. — Eight Spokane students who qualified for the International Science and Engineering Fair, a major science and engineering competition.
The Field is Set! Complete List of All 48 World Cup Teams
Get to know all the teams that have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Qualified Health Raises $125M Series B to Meet Growing Demand for Enterprise AI Transformation Across Health Systems
Leading health systems including Mercy, Emory Healthcare, University of Rochester Medicine, Jefferson Health, and the University of Texas System are partnering with Qualified Health to deploy and scale AI safely across the enterprise. Palo Alto, California – March 25, 2026 — Qualified Health, a public benefit corporation providing a secure enterprise AI platform built for health […]
Trump’s first surgeon general tries to stop nominee from becoming his second
Jerome Adams, who served at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, says Casey Means is unqualified to hold the job. Means’s nomination is stalled in the Senate.
Democratic US Sen. John Hickenlooper qualifies for Colorado primary by petition, will skip assembly
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper has qualified for Colorado’s Democratic primary after the first-term incumbent submitted enough valid petition signatures to make the ballot, state officials said. Hickenlooper is facing primary challenges from state Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and university professor Karen Breslin, who are both vying for spots in the June 30 primary at the […]
A 2023 health AI bet that seems to be paying off
In this edition of STAT's AI Prognosis: A chat with Qualified Health co-founder and CEO, Justin Norden, as the company raises $125 million.
Qualified Health's raise comes in at $125M
Axios Pro reported earlier this month the raise would be roughly $100 million.
Qualified Health locks in $125M in fresh funding to scale enterprise AI at health systems
Qualified Health, a startup that works with health systems to evaluate and adopt artificial intelligence technology, raised $125 million in fresh funding to scale up its business. | Qualified Health, a startup that works with health systems to evaluate and adopt artificial intelligence technology, raised $125 million in fresh funding to scale up its business.
Qualified Health raises $125 million, as it helps more health systems build and manage AI tools
Qualified Health, which helps health systems build and manage artificial intelligence tools, has raised $125 million.
RWJBarnabas Health, Partners Celebrate South Ward Wellness Center Groundbreaking in Newark
RWJBarnabas Health joined BRICK Networks, Saint James Health Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), and the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity to break ground on construction of the South Ward Wellness Center in Newark.
Trump’s Nominee to Run NSF is Unqualified, Conflicted, and a Threat to Science
If O’Neill is confirmed as NSF’s director, the Trump administration will further tighten its control over an agency created by Congress to be independent in its work to advance science.
The greatest threat to federally qualified health centers may not be federal funding cuts
After 50 years of operation, FQHCs are discovering that their financial structure has not kept pace with the realities of delivering on their mission.
Colorado voters will decide whether transgender students can join girls’ sports
A ballot initiative that would require student athletes to only join sports teams that correspond to their biological sex has qualified for the November ballot, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. The measure includes a declaration that “males and females possess unique and immutable biological differences that manifest prior to birth and increase […]
GREDF seeks proposals for managing Quincy Regional Sports Complex
The Great River Economic Development Foundation is seeking qualified firms to submit a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for management, operations, and maintenance services for the Quincy Regional Sports Complex.
Scoop: AI evaluation startup Qualified Health raising roughly $100M Series A
The funding would come as a gold rush in health care AI ushers in demand for better ways to implement and evaluate the tools.
Tiffany Henyard is returning to politics as qualified candidate in Georgia
2026 NFL Draft compensatory picks: Ravens, Eagles, Steelers lead with four apiece
Nearly half of the league qualified for at least one compensatory pick
$10.5M donation aims to support Federally Qualified Health Centers in WNC
Dogwood Health Trust Primary Care Development Corporation has announced a $10.5 million donation aiming to strengthen financial resilience
As bombs fly do sports matter? For World Cup Iran, U.S. have to decide
Iran’s national men’s team has qualified for soccer’s World Cup, and in three months should be playing in one of the countries bombing theirs now. Nobody knows what comes next.
Corewell Health East to pay to settle disability discrimination suit
EEOC alleged that Corewell Health East, formerly known as William Beaumont Hospital, refused to accommodate a qualified nurse's disability.
Peru’s Congress Removes President Jerí After Four Months in Office
Peru’s President José Jerí was ousted by congress after just four months in office, as lawmakers forced him out for failing to declare meetings with Chinese businessmen and for allegedly hiring unqualified young women to work with him.
Philadelphia boys' basketball team challenges season-ending forfeit after on‑court clash
Carver Engineering and Science was disqualified in the final minute of last week's matchup against Constitution High School.
Ukrainian skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych has appeal dismissed over Olympics disqualification
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Ukrainian skeleton slider Vladyslav Heraskevych’s appeal to be reinstated into the Olympic Games after he was disqualified from competition for breaking International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules over athlete expression.
Ukrainian athlete Heraskevych's appeal for reinstatement dismissed by sports court
The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday dismissed an appeal by Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to be reinstated in the Milano Cortina Olympics after he was disqualified over his “helmet of remembrance".
Life After Tax Reform: NAR Helps Bring Certainty to Business Planning
How the National Association of REALTORS®’ advocacy on the Qualified Business Income Deduction and other tax provisions benefits real estate professionals.
Winter Olympics Day 6: Ukrainian slider disqualified from Games over helmet, Chloe Kim goes for halfpipe three-peat
Ukrainian star disqualified from Winter Olympics over helmet honoring war dead
Vladylsav Heraskevych was considered a legitimate medal contender in the men's skeleton, which begins Thursday.
Skeleton-Ukraine's Heraskevych disqualified over helmet controversy
Ukraine's skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday over the use of a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed in the conflict with Russia since Moscow's invasion in 2022, he said.
Consider the Qualified Small Business Stock Exclusion
The gain exclusion generally only applies to QSBS originally issued to the taxpayer or acquired by gift from the original taxpayer. Several
Alabama GOP candidate challenges Tuberville’s state residency
Ken McFeeters, who qualified for the Republican primary for governor, is filing a challenge against Tuberville's candidacy.
9 influencers shaping health information online, for better or worse
The qualified medical experts, the pseudoscientific entertainers, and the MAHA mobilizers leading online health content today.
Undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension at a federally qualified health center
Journal of Human Hypertension - Undiagnosed and uncontrolled hypertension at a federally qualified health center
Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Injury Report
The Houston Texans are playoff-bound and set to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. This will mark the first time in franchise history that the Texans enter the postseason as a Wild Card team. In every previous playoff appearance, Houston qualified as a division winner. This matchup could turn into a defensive battle, but […]
Federally Qualified Health Centers in Va. sue state for low Medicaid reimbursements
FQHCs are a go-to health care source for people insured through Medicaid, and FQHCs are reimbursed through the state-federal joint program for certain expenditures.
Nemo releases Street Fighter 6 tier list where C. Viper is not looking too hot at all
The third competitive season for Street Fighter 6 is already almost complete in terms of official tournaments with 46 out of 48 players qualified for Capcom Cup 12, and we've seen the game's meta shift a decent bit ...
Boaz Student Places in Regional Science Bee
Fourth-grader Echo Harris of Boaz Intermediate School recently placed third in the regional Science Bee. Harris is now qualified for the national Science Bee and currently, he is the only
See how players have qualified for the Masters
Players expected to compete in the 90th Masters on April 9-12 and how they qualified for their invitations. Players listed only in the first category for which they are eligible (a-amateur): Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Phil Mickelson, Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, Jose Maria Olazabal, Fred Couples. Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas.
GOTY Winner Clair Obscur Disqualified From Awards Show
One of the most critically adored games of 2025 has just been disqualified from an awards show due to its use of generative AI.
Indie Game Awards disqualify Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after generative AI controversy
According to a statement issued by the Indie Game Awards, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been stripped of both awards it won. This decision came after producer François Meurisse confirmed the use of generative AI in the game’s development.
Day 2 of signups for New Orleans legislative races sees 4 new candidates
Five new candidates on Thursday qualified to represent New Orleans in elections that will round out the city’s legislative delegation in Baton Rouge.
Glasner says he needs more players to improve his squad
Oliver Glasner believes he needs more players to improve his squad after Crystal Palace drew with KuPS at Selhurst Park.Palace qualified for the next round of the UEFA Conference League after their 2...
Chicago business owner sues city and mayor, claims Riverwalk license revoked due to racial bias
Beat Kitchen owner Robert Gomez is suing the city, alleging his Riverwalk license was not renewed due to racial discrimination, despite being the most qualified applicant under city rules.
Small business optimism rises, but owners say qualified workers are still hard to find
Small business optimism rises despite ongoing labor quality concerns as well as inflation challenges, according to new NFIB data showing mixed economic signals.
Sen. Kelly responds to unearthed Hegseth comments on ‘unlawful orders’: He’s ‘unqualified’, ‘sucking up to this president’
Alina Habba, Trump's former lawyer, disqualified as New Jersey prosecutor
The ruling from a panel of judges from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes amid the push by President Donald Trump's Republican administration to keep Habba as the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, a powerful post charged with enforcing federal criminal and civil law.
Science must move from materialism to mystery
Theoretical physicist and neuroscientist Àlex Gómez-Marín argues that modern science has become trapped in a framework that mistakes matter for the whole of reality. In this wide-ranging interview, Gómez-Marín challenges the foundations of materialism, defends the scientific study of near-death experiences, and calls for a new type of science grounded in mystery and a renewed sense of the sacred. He suggests that abandoning materialism could open the door to a deeper understanding of consciousness, death, and the purpose of human existence. Simon Custer: You are both a theoretical physicist and a neuroscientist, and you have also been fiercely critical of materialist theories of mind and consciousness. What do you think the ultimate nature of reality is?Àlex Gómez-Marín: I don't know what the ultimate nature of reality is, but what I try to first assess is whether the stories that they [mainstream science] have told us about it are right, or maybe whether there are other alternatives. That's why I've been a fierce critic of materialism. As a scientist, I realized that they had sold us this idea that to be a good scientist you also had to subscribe to many other -isms, like materialism, reductionism, and even secularism. And so first I think one needs to unmount these -isms, and then, as is happening today in consciousness studies, we have a huge landscape where there isn't only one game in town, the idea that matter is the only thing that really exists. But because we are studying the hard problem of consciousness, it may be the case that other views of reality, like idealism, or even dualism, or other theories like dual aspect monism... these are philosophical ideas that now, I think, have room in science to be taken seriously. How does something like materialism relate to dualism or idealism? What is materialism in the first place?Well, materialism is the philosophical position that matter is the only really ‘real’ thing in the universe. And I think that worked kind of well because science started 400 years ago and Galileo made that split, I call it the foundational wound. It was a great business move.He said, let's start doing science on that portion of reality that lends itself more easily to mathematization and measurement. So, for some reason, the solidity of this table or the movement of planets lend themselves very well to this foundational idea of science. But as time went on, 400 years later, we realized that we had forgotten the other side, which is what really matters.What really matters is pain, is love, is feelings, sensation, consciousness, which is very hard to define, but very intimate. We all know what it is. It's that thing that disappears when we go into deep sleep and comes back in the morning. SUGGESTED VIEWING On the edges of knowledge With Michael Shermer, Rupert Sheldrake, Güneş Taylor It's what it is like to be, as Nagel said. It's the feeling of being alive. So, materialism is good to study certain things, but then when it ossifies into this ideology and then is dressed like science, now it's preventing us from understanding these key questions that are really that everybody wants to know.Why are we here? Why do we feel reality? Where do we go when we die? And so we need other ways. We need pluralism. I'm only asking for having more options on the table and taking them seriously. Why does materialism fail to explain consciousness? For example, if you were to lobotomize me, I would not be a functional human being. What do you say to someone who might think that materialism adequately explains the mind?Well, here we could speak about different things. We could talk about physics or about neuroscience. I happen to have training with both.For instance, for neuroscientists, 99% of them, I'm not included in that portion, believe that the brain can only be a productive organ. It's an organ that somehow, somewhere, consciousness emerges. It's like a lamp. And then something happens, magic happens, and then consciousness emerges.That's the position you need to be if you're a materialist because if the only really ‘real’ thing is matter, then you need to say, just give us some more time and money and we'll figure out how mind emerges or is produced from matter. There are many philosophically sophisticated ways of criticizing this.Now there's another option, which is the brain as a permissive organ. This was said by William James more than 100 years ago.Now then the brain wouldn't be like this machine, like for instance, a heat engine whose smoke is consciousness, which is what we would have in the first big model, the productive model. But in the permissive model, the brain would be a kind of a filter. And so the brain would still have a very important role in consciousness, but it wouldn't be a productive role.It would be permissive, much like a filter or much like a prism which would receive light. And - I'm speaking metaphorically - it would receive the light of the mind and then it could reflect it and refract it.Now, with these two big options on the table, I think we can make progress into what I call the edges of consciousness, which are all these experiences, weird experiences that many people have, but we don't talk about enough, like near-death experiences, precognitive dreams, synchronicities. These experiences are very important for humans and they have a place in the permissive hypothesis and they are literally impossible in the productive hypothesis. So that's yet one more reason to explore alternatives to materialism. There may be anecdotal evidence for near-death experiences, but is there robust evidence that would be accepted by the majority of scientists who subscribe to the scientific method?Sure. And the plural of anecdotes, someone said, is data.And there's a lot of data. Actually, this year is the 50th anniversary, half a century, since Dr. Raymond Moody realized that we have two ears and one mouth and started listening to what his patients had to say about their experiences while they were clinically dead.The heart had stopped, breathing had stopped in these patients. These patients would come back and tell him these amazing stories that some people may say are hallucinations, but for the patients were hyper-real, like seeing light at the end of the tunnels, seeing deceased family members waiting for them, feeling bliss.___I would say the evidence suggests that the mind can survive the death of activity of the brain.___And so he and others started taking them seriously and writing their accounts down. And then you can do a science based on that material of experience that people have. Now, on the more objective side, more recently people have started to measure what's going on in the brain when people are clinically dead and brought back. This has opened a proper field of study, which is near-death studies.Evidence is a difficult word, because sometimes people think that when you say evidence, this is just the final proof. Evidence is like in a jury. You bring testimony, you bring pieces of data that point in one direction or another.I would say the evidence suggests that the mind can survive the death of activity of the brain. When brains are broken or shut off, there can still be mind going on. And that's revolutionary.That would entail that when we die, it's not game over, which, by the way, is the thesis of materialism. If consciousness survives, materialism dies. It's game over for materialism if something of us continues after we die. Do you think that there is mental continuity after death?Well, I think so, and I believe so, and I could also say I may have experienced it myself, because four years ago I had a near-death experience. I was in the hospital, I lost a lot of blood, and I saw those beings at the end of the tunnel, three beings, and there was yellow light. I was in a well, I was looking upwards, and I hadn't read about NDEs by then, but when I came back from this experience, I decided I would try to integrate this also in my professional life. Not just my personal life, of course, but my professional life as a physicist and as a neuroscientist. So I may have had the experience of glimpses of what an afterlife would be, and I'm not ashamed to say it in this way, and then one can do science of it, and then one can do philosophy of it.One can think about what -isms we were discussing, what views on reality would allow those experiences to be really ‘real,’ as opposed to, well, poor guy, the brain was kind of broken, it must have been a hallucination. Do you have a view about whether individuality or “the ego” persists after death, or whether we sort of merge into some sort of cosmic consciousness instead?I don't know, but my view would be along those lines you're suggesting. I think we could speak about a kind of universal mind, and then the problem is not how we emerge from matter, but how we fragment from a more holistic consciousness into these individual eddies and then when we die, this kind of dissipates.But I'm not sure. For instance, idealism would promote that view, but then what would survive of us after these eddies just vanish and become again the big Consciousness, I'm not sure what that would be. I don't know for sure, but I would tell you I believe something of us survives.And there are other lines of research, not just near-death experience, that can address this really hard question of survival. For instance, there are children who remember previous lives. This was studied by Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia for more than 50 years.___Research takes place within a selection mechanism that also sometimes reinforces things that are not very scientific.___It's amazing research. He went all over the world, especially in the East, and collected all these case studies, all these stories. In plural, these were data of kids, very young age, who would describe up to 40 items that then he could go and verify.There was no internet. There was really no way the kid could know. Why would the kid say that when I was living in this other body and I was a woman and that's how my house would look like or that's how I would die, right? Again, there is evidence, not proof, but there's evidence not only that something weird and interesting is happening as we cross the threshold, but also when we come back to this life.Scientists should not be afraid of studying this, but they are because there's stigma. There's usually stigma upon the enigma, and this is so unfortunate. And one of the reasons is because of the ideology of materialism, because those things cannot be possible. What is wrong with the politics of science such that they have generated this stigma?So many things. Science is a human activity to begin with.So it falls prey to all our passions and ego and greed. That's one thing. Science is a job for the good and for the bad.You need to get a salary. You need to get grants. Research takes place within a selection mechanism that also sometimes reinforces things that are not very scientific.And then, we didn't have time to unpack this, but science for many years become entangled, as I was suggesting before, to other -isms, materialism, secularism. So anything that smells like the afterlife, people may think has to do with God, and then they freak out.Anything that suggests that there's something about the mind that may not need a physical material substrate to exist, it smells like non-materialism. So, all these -isms are ideologically blocking that kind of research, and then there are all these sociopolitical constraints as to what should be studied and what shouldn't be studied.I call it the backstage of science. Sometimes we scientists or science communicators seem to speak as if the data is the only thing that matters. We say, well, data and theory.But then there's a third leg of this stool, which is all the politics that goes behind the scenes. And we often don't speak about this, and it's quite vicious and petty, and it's very real. Why is materialism so attractive to most scientists?Well, an easy answer is because we've grown up with it.It's what the educational system promotes, and that's what you hear when you go to university. So it's like growing in a culture. It feels like the air in which you breathe.So it's very hard to begin with to detect, well, maybe there's another alternative. Maybe there are other ways of doing science, other environments in which one could do science. That's one reason.And other reasons maybe are more profound, and I'm not qualified to explain them, but I could say, looking at this 400-year history of science, since it started around 1623 with Galileo's book The Assayer, that science went and coupled with all what's going on in the West.And so the fall of religion, you could say, and science presented us this new alternative that then could be coupled very well with other -isms, and this idea of growth, and then science losing its good twin brother, which was philosophy. There's a whole natural history of science starting as philosophy, kind of emancipating or breaking out from philosophy, and then marrying technology, and then marrying other social systems.From that point of view, materialism is a very convenient idea to propose. There were attempts, like the German idealists tried to do a more romantic science. But no, the idea prevailed, like Francis Bacon said: You should pursue nature through all her corners, he said, and make her spill her secrets.Our attitude towards nature in the science that dominates is very much reflecting how we treat nature in our society, in our culture, like a resource to extract secrets by force and then dominate it. How is materialism related to the notions of growth and progress? What's wrong with having a productive citizenry?This is another very interesting and very difficult question to answer.But there's this recent book coming out by Paul Kingsnorth. In it, he explains this idea of the machine and this idea of progress. And this, again, this conflation of more is better, of we need to go forward always, and convincing us that the way to do that is to continually extract more from nature. But because we don't have the religious context anymore, because God is dead, then what do we have? We have what we can do as humans with our own gadgets.It's kind of the story of the Promethean fire. We will just build anything to make ourselves God.A good example today is transhumanism. Transhumanism is this pseudo-religion dressed in technoscientific language whose goal is very religious. They promise immortality, they promise redemption, they promise transformation of the entire natural world, but it's done by human means through technology. Are you suggesting that we can't have ethics without religion?Well, we should have ethics with or without religion. That's another pruning that has happened in science. We say, forget about aesthetics, although some physicists still think that beautiful means probably true, and forget about politics. We pretend there's no backstage of science, and even let's forget about ethics.___Science needs to be in the service of mankind.___Scientists, when they become more like engineers, they're just thinking how to make things work so that they can go to the moon, go to Mars, make machines that think, but they don't think whether that's a good idea.And also consider metaphysics. Many scientists for a long time pretended, and maybe that comes from the stream of positivisms, that really one doesn't need metaphysics at all, except that materialism is always the metaphysics running the system.You see, it's not just ethics. It's the pruning of all of these, you could say, five main legs of philosophy that just makes a kind of unconscious science, a science that doesn't really know what it's doing. It's doing it very well locally, but it just doesn't know what it's doing globally. Do you think science has to have an ultimate vision and purpose behind it for it to be effective or for it to be meaningful and transformative?Yes, a way I would say that is that science needs to be in the service of mankind. And it hasn't been that. And we can see it through, you know, when we discovered the secrets of the atom, and all of a sudden, the Manhattan Project, and then we create nuclear weapons.And now we're trying to crack how machines may think, and now we're creating this mess, right? So science needs to be in service of mankind, not in service of a few ideas that maybe want to make more money or just dominate upon nature. What about planes, trains, automobiles, and modern medicine? Hasn't science served mankind by helping us develop those technologies?Yes and no. I see where you're going, and it's fair.I came here by plane, and it's a blessing. When I almost died, the surgeons did their job, and they saved my life. But these two forced choices between Luddites and Silicon Valley types, I think, of course, it's a false dichotomy.Progress, in a way, it's good, but we often don't speak about the dark side of the moon. We say the great things that progress has brought, and we don't speak about the disasters, the side effects that it has come with, and the same when we promise new technologies. We tend to think that any technology is great, that email is going to save us so much time because we don't need to write letters and send them anymore.Is that true? I spend so many hours a week writing emails. Let's just say there are great things about it and bad things about it. People like Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, for example, argue that we've made moral progress over time because of the Enlightenment. Do you think that's totally wrong-headed?I think he's emphasizing a side of the moon, and he does that very well, and you can find tons of plots where there's a slope going up and say it's great. But I think he should also tell the not-so-friendly story.But if your ideology is just to resist and continue to explain that the Enlightenment is the best thing ever and reason is the best thing ever… this feels to me like you're worshipping these abstractions.I'm very critical of it and also of these, again, science communicators and scientists that say, Oh, science says, in the name of science, experts say. It's like, come on, let's be careful because we can shoot ourselves in the foot by putting forth to the people an image of science that we know is not really true. Recently there's been a resurgence of spirituality and of people who say that they're spiritual but not religious, especially in the United States. If materialism is going away, what is going to fill that gap? Are we going to return to traditional religion? Do you see that being connected with the rise of the political right?I'm not a fortune teller, so I don't know what's going to happen. But, yeah, we could say we're in this post-materialist age and even post-secular age. One cannot come back to the past, but maybe just to contact with the roots is a good idea.What do I mean by that? I think we need to do a science 2.0, a science that says thank you to Galileo and thank you to materialism, but we need to reinvent even a new kind of scientific method. We need to do so in a culture where we realize humans cannot thrive in a vacuum where there's this idea that the sacred has to be removed.Now, how do we do that without bringing in back all the vices of religion? I don't know. I'm from a Catholic country.Here we are in England, so there are differences and interreligious dialogue has always been a challenge. But I think maybe a way of putting it is: after all these conflicts and branchings I was quickly alluding to, science from philosophy and then also from religion, now there's a time of reconciliation perhaps and maybe debates in the proper sense, like exchange of ideas in service of learning and getting into something higher than both poles. We need science to talk to religious people and it's interesting when people say they're spiritual and not religious.I think this is just a way of saying, no, I don't want to go back, I want to go forward. But at the end of the day, religions have offered us practices and grounding that we now desperately need. Everybody can and should just meditate or pray or do whatever they want, but we're in a crisis and it's time for reconciliation. What do you say to critics that say you are merely projecting our need for meaning onto a fundamentally indifferent universe?Yeah, I know that the typical science communicator says something like this. But we're not projecting. Human beings feed on meaning.It's the other way around. If you're a materialist, because the only thing that there is is matter, all that comes next, free will, consciousness, meaning, this is a kind of illusion that we need to explain.They're just craving for meaning, but there isn't really for them. I would also like to remind my materialist friends that for decades, if not centuries, they've said in the name of science, we know that this and this and this doesn't really exist. I think now they sense they're forced to say, well, actually, we don't know. We've been saying, for instance, that there's nothing after you die, and now probably they need to admit that they don't know the answer.___We need to do a science 2.0, a science that says thank you to Galileo and thank you to materialism, but we need to reinvent even a new kind of scientific method.___So it's a moment to open up possibilities and also to gently but fiercely critique these claims that I think harm society. If you say in the name of science, get on with it, when your father dies, you'll never see him again. Well, what the F do you know about it? You haven't studied the literature, you haven't had any of those experiences, and basically what you're doing is you're just doing marketing on ideology. This needs to stop. Do you think that it's scarier for some people to entertain the thought that there might be life after death, compared to a materialist worldview where you just die, given that there might be consequences for unsavory behaviour?Well, death and dying is scary. It's maybe the ultimate ending. It's a limit on life, and when we're in this conquest mode, we don't like limits.And it also has, there's a shockwave backwards, so I think if you change your notion of what death is or may be, you live differently. It also has consequences, as you're saying, for the future because this is not our only goal here and we come back in whatever form. And again, different religions would say different things. I the East, they are more happy with the idea of reincarnation, and here in the West, there are other preferences. But in any case, it changes how we live, and that's really what matters.It's not about just projecting or imagining what we'll be after, but how we live now and also how we treat those who are dying. So it goes from the individual to the families, to the hospitals.Now in the near-death research I do, this has ramifications at all these levels, all the way to society.But our society is thanatophobic. It has a phobia of death. We don't want to hear about death, and this is another thing we need to put on the table and be willing to talk about it. Do you think that we might get closer to answering ultimate questions like why is there anything at all if we jettison materialism?That’s an excellent question, Simon. Two things: we should stop treating reality, I believe, as a great sudoku, as an enigma, as something that with intelligence, money, and time that we will crack and instead treat reality more like a mystery. And what you do for in front of a mystery is not to be the clever guy in a class and say “I’ll solve you” but more like “I will bow and you will transform me.”I know this sounds a bit like a scientist speaking like a mystic. But I think this reorientation is needed. In the end, we won’t crack the big questions, but they will transform us. If we free ourselves from this prison of materialism, the way we will explore these questions will be freer, more creative, and in service of mankind. Do you think exploring mystery is the reason why we are here?I think we are here because, and this pseudo-theological argument I’m making off the cuff, But the One, the Absolute, if there is such a thing, had everything except limitation. We are that absolute experiencing that contingency. It’s like an act of divine proprioception. It’s a wonderful adventure, it’s just incredible to be alive. Perhaps we have forgotten why we are here and the whole point is to experience the flesh.Let me end by saying this. I criticize materialism harshly. I bang on this dead horse, because I think it’s dead. But matter is a great mystery. So maybe my invitation is as follows: hey materialist friends, come here, let’s work on materialism 2.0! Consciousness is a mystery, but matter is also a mystery. The fact that we can have an intersubjective experience consensus, the fact that we can apply mathematics, that we can measure things... the physical world we take for granted, but it is a great mystery too.Maybe that’s related to your last question: why are we here? Why did spirit decide to incarnate? Being in the flesh may be a great thing if spirit decided to do so.Àlex Gómez-Marín, thank you very much.My pleasure.