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Harvard’s Institute of Politics Ends Off-Campus Retreats, Plans Staff-Led Trainings
Harvard’s Institute of Politics Ends Off-Campus Retreats, Plans Staff-Led Trainings
Endeavor nurses file petition to unionize four hospitals
Over 2,400 Endeavor Health nurses filed for unionization on Thursday. The move follows rumors of a merger with Rush University.
New Business: Caribbean Market reopens in Manchester; Cuban ...
Caribbean Market has reopened in Manchester after a two-year rebuild, while Plymouth’s Cuba Libre has become Viva Cuba Restaurant following a trademark issue.
NASA’s Swift Mission Ends Ahead of Re-Entry
NASA’s Swift has concluded operations, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and a treasure trove of science observations.
CalViva Health invests $250,000 in Fresno Pacific University nursing lab
Discover how CalViva Health supports Central Valley communities through a $250,000 nursing lab investment, scholarships and partnerships. Read more today.
Lee Health Foundation Announces Board of Trustees - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Oct. 23, 2026 – Lee Health Foundation has announced its 2027 Board of Trustees, a distinguished group of community leaders, healthcare advocates, and business professionals dedicated to advancing philanthropy and expanding […]
Littler through as Van Gerwen suffers early Euros exit
World champion Luke Littler makes it through to the second round of the European Championship with a win over William O'Connor but Michael van Gerwen is knocked out of the tournament at the first-round stage.
NASA’s Swift Mission Ends, Leaves Behind Scientific Bonanza
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has ended its science mission now that the spacecraft is orbiting less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth’s
TJPDC announces rural health program funding
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission has been selected to receive an $11.8M award to bring healthcare closer to rural residents.
The Violent Cost of Being a Woman in Politics Spans Continents
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world ... with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment. This week: —There is not (yet) the political will in the U.S. to talk about gender quotas ... but 35 nations in Europe have either been mandated or volunteered to implement them. —Weeks after the brutal rape of Arizona congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia, Australian independent member of Parliament Helen Haines is in hospital in a critical condition after she was struck by a car outside her office in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said appears to have been "a deliberate act." —"Politicians are no longer treated like we’re human,” says Arizona state legislator Alma Hernandez, who is facing rising harassment and threats. —Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump. —If elected governor of Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms would become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. ... and more.
Vans And Pro BMXer Coco Zurita Debut The Acura ADX “CZ-77 Concept”
Vans, pro BMXer Coco Zurita, and Acura have come together for a project consisting of footwear and custom car. Tap for our full breakdown.
Entergy celebrates Nuclear Science Week 2026
Nuclear Science Week is an internationally recognized annual celebration held during the third week of October, dedicated to advancing awareness of nuclear science across local, regional and global communities.
Exhibit renovations kick off at the Science Museum of Virginia
Big changes are in store for one of the museum's permanent exhibits.
CIDRAP Director Michael Osterholm recognized for defending vaccine science
But the University of Minnesota epidemiologist says the recognition belongs to a much larger group.
What is Florida Men's Basketball's NIL Budget in 2026-27?
With a staggering valuation, Todd Golden’s roster secures elite talent through record-breaking investments.
Health Data Privacy Lawsuit Against Humana Brought on Behalf of Plaintiffs Represented by Schlichter Bogard Will Proceed
VitalLaw reports that a health data privacy lawsuit against Humana brought by Schlichter Bogard will proceed over alleged tracking and disclosure of health information.
Scientists demonstrate AI-designed enzyme for drug synthesis
The new RFD4-Proteina unified generative model for protein design—created by the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) in collaboration with NVIDIA—uses advanced AI to generate entirely new protein sequences ...
The Private Equity Playbook Most Small Business Owners Never Get Access To
What does the $650 billion wave of private equity capital moving into Main Street mean for owners who are unprepared for acquisition?
Improving breast cancer treatment; improving prostate cancer diagnosis; listen to your knee pain; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
WTVF News Channel 5’s “Morningline” program interviewed Denise Garcia, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, about new technology that helps surgeons identify cancer during surgery and improve breast cancer treatment. A Men’s Health story about PSA screening for prostate cancer quoted Kelvin Moses, MD, PhD, Professor of Urology. Men’s Health posted a story, “What Your Knee Pain is Trying to Tell You,” that quotes Charles Cox, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: WSMV Channel 4 News (importance of flu shots); MedPage Today (mRNA flu shots); WTVF News Channel 5 (19 people sent to hospital after a sickness outbreak at Walmart facility in Lebanon); Prevention (West Nile virus); HuffPost (prevention pill for COVID); and Newsweek (measles cases continue to increase in the U.S.). Becker’s Hospital Review and Nashville Post covered the Vanderbilt Health News story from Rebecca Warren that Chief Communications Officer John Howser is retiring in March 2027, closing out a nearly 40-year career at Vanderbilt. A Healio story on research about OCT-A biomarkers and diabetic retinopathy quotes Vanderbilt University School of Medicine student Rachel Liu. WPLN Nashville Public Radio quoted Amanda Mixon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, in a story about adverse drug interactions.
S&T launches glass science lecture series honoring Delbert Day
Dr. Claudio Mazzali, vice president of global research at Corning Inc., speaking at the inaugural Delbert E. Day Lecture on Glass Science and Technology on Oct. 15 at the Innovation Lab atrium. Photo by Peter Ehrhard. Missouri S&T launched a new lecture series honoring a longtime university researcher whose research in specialty glass has helped...Continue Reading S&T launches glass science lecture series honoring Delbert Day
The impact of 'AI' on political ads
Host and the Panel discuss a myriad of topics leading up to the midterms. Topics included Pennsylvania as the quintessential 'purple state'; how the races in the collar counties are leaning, fostering voter engagement and how 'AI' is changing the game in the political advertising.
New directorships provide crucial support for Vanderbilt Health’s missions
The most recent Vanderbilt Health directorships are spread throughout many departments — highlighting individuals who make an impact in myriad ways.
Updated Google privacy policy says your Gmail might be used for advertising
Turning on Personal Intelligence gives the company more data for ad targeting.
Apple Store Pickup for iPhone Duo Starting to Resume But Very Limited
The option to reserve an iPhone Duo for Apple Store pickup is starting to return on Apple's online store, with the system live again in countries such as Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea. Unfortunately, our spot check revealed extremely limited availability right now, with few to no time slots available for all configurations.
Business Park Companies Are Showing up to Support New Albany
Building a community requires more than just housing and roads. It requires a sustainable economic engine that fuels public services, supports public education and elevates the quality of life for every resident. In New Albany, that engine is the New Albany International Business Park.
Science Of Decomposition: Where Fall Fun Meets Real‑World Forensic Science
The Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation invites the public to a one‑of‑a‑kind Halloween learning experience: Science of Decomposition, Saturday, Oct. 31.
Intermountain Health Receives One of the Nation’s Largest Gifts in Pediatric Care
LAS VEGAS — Intermountain Foundation announced today that Nevada’s first stand-alone children’s hospital will be named Intermountain Health Felicia and Ben Horowitz Children’s Hospital in honor of a historic $150 million commitment. Felicia Horowitz, president of the Horowitz Family Foundation and co-founder and president of The Paid ...
Jeremy Renner makes rare red carpet appearance with 13-year-old daughter Ava
The daddy-daughter duo attended the 24th annual Alice nella Città film festival in Rome.
Keenan Allen should be available for Week 7
Colts WR Keenan Allen set for normal workload after back-to-back full practices
Why are tech entrepreneurs leaving California for Las Vegas?
Historically, about a third of people moving to Nevada from other states have come from California, primarily Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose.
10/23/26 – HAWAIʻI CLIMATE COMMISSION LAUNCHING WORKSHOPS TO BOOST SOIL HEALTH AND AGRICULTURAL RESILIENCE
HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (CCMAC), housed within the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), announces CASH4ʻĀina! (Conservation Agriculture and Soil Health for ʻĀina) workshops coming soon to an island near you.
Nature center hosts art show, rangeland science talk
Feather River Land Trust announces two events during October at its Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center. "The Full Chase of Beauty," an art show with
Rockies Need Tovar to be Better Moving Forward
Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has declined as a player, and that needs to change soon.
Effingham Health Department hosting ‘Boo to the Flu’ vaccination event
Get a walk-in flu shot at the Effingham County Health Department on Oct. 29. No appointment is needed, and Halloween costumes are encouraged.
4 Key Matchups to Watch in Bengals-Ravens
As division rivals clash for AFC North dominance, elite playmakers like Ja’Marr Chase and Derrick Henry face daunting individual tests that will decide this high-stakes showdown in Baltimore.
City finds targeted Kercheval businesses are in compliance
A review of licensing and zoning requirements was requested by a Detroit City Council member.
Rappahannock General Hospital to get $73.3M in upgrades
Bon Secours Mercy Health plans a $73.3 million investment in Rappahannock General Hospital, with renovations and new construction.
West River Mental Health to take over Rapid City youth crisis center
West River Mental Health will take over operations of Rapid City’s 24/7 youth Crisis Care Center on Nov. 1, keeping critical mental health support available.
Omaha students learn health hazards of smoking, vaping
Some Omaha students got a hands-on lesson on the health hazards of smoking and vaping.
Boston Encourages Residents to Apply for Health Insurance during Open Enrollment Season
Friday, October 23, 2026 – Open Enrollment season begins today, October 23, 2026 and runs through January 23, 2027, and Mayor Michelle Wu, the City of Boston, and Boston Public Health Commission strongly encourage residents to take advantage of the numerous coverage options available in Massachusetts and apply for health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector Marketplace. For those who need help navigating
To fix Michigan schools, experts urge better reading skills, less politics
A group of education experts urged audience members at the Bridge Michigan Issues Summit to volunteer in schools, vote for candidates who value education and set aside individual differences to work toward a common plan to improve schools.
Shaker Heights lists two century-old train stations for sale after a decade of vacancy
The historic Coventry Station and the Lynnfield Station hit the market on Oct. 9 without an asking price.
As devastating Xbox "reset" continues, Dishonored studio Arkane Lyon reportedly only has until November to find a new buyer before it's closed
Microsoft previously said it was reviewing "potential strategic options" regarding the much-loved developer.
Scientists find key to predicting some El Niño events 12 months ahead
Scientists have identified the conditions that make it possible to predict some El Niño and La Niña events up to a year in advance, potentially giving communities and decision-makers significantly more ...
Fusion Entertainment Signs Ryan DeForeest
Fusion Entertainment has signed writer-director Ryan DeForeest and started development on a feature adaptation of his short film 'My Brother & Me.'
Scientists Just Found a Way to Destroy Over 90% of “Forever Chemicals” in Water
PFAS-destroying membrane from ASU uses palladium to chemically break down contaminants, not just filter them, achieving over 90% removal in 58-day tests.
‘Jennings Alive’ festival brings free family fun and live entertainment downtown
This free event features 64 vendors, live entertainment, and activities for attendees of all ages!
Businesses board up ahead of next wave of France protests
CEO of Argil AI Brivael Le Pogam discusses the widespread unrest, business damages and arrests ahead of upcoming demonstrations in Paris.
What Did Denisovans Look Like? Scientists Have Their Best Answer Yet
Ancient proteins are helping scientists put a face to a long-lost branch of humanity.
Science Note: Air Pollution and Human Reproduction
Fine particulate air pollution, or PM2.5, has been linked to many health consequences such as cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular damage. Now researchers are finding connections between exposure to this air pollution and longer menstrual cycles. Ashanti McLean reports in this note on emerging science how period tracker app data helped make the link.
Carmel India Fall Festival set for Saturday in Gwinnett
The Carmel India Fall Festival will bring a day of food, culture and family-friendly entertainment to the community Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
VA adds new and updated features to its electronic health records system
Among the changes, clinicians can now see vital signs, documentation, orders and key events on one streamlined timeline.
PhD Candidate Eva Leth Sørensen Publishes on Greenland’s Predicament in Global Politics at E-IR
PhD Candidate Eva Leth Sørensen has published a new article, titled “Greenland (Still) Between Empires: Continuing Imperial Sovereignty Games” at E-International Relations. Sørensen analyzes the recently renewed trilateral Arctic security agreement among the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland against the backdrop of Greenland's long history of colonization. She shows how continued Danish sovereignty over the island...
These UVA students have some questions for voters
The six third-year UVA students in the Department of Politics honors program are preparing to take the pulse of Charlottesville on Election Day with an exit poll.
Jaguars Get Devastating Injury Update On Left Tackle Anton Harrison
Jacksonville Jaguars starting left tackle Anton Harrison will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee.
Politics Friday: Will the election loosen a historically knotted Minnesota Legislature?
Friday at noon, four Minnesota legislative leaders discuss the 2026 playing field and the issues they say are motivating voters with all 201 seats on the ballot.
This week in health care policy: October 16–23, 2026
Medical innovation FDA approves several innovative treatments. Last week, the FDA granted accelerated approval to GSK’s Jemperli for certain untreated cancers with a specific DNA defect. The treatment will eliminate the need for costly alternative treatments such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, which are known to cause lasting health problems. The FDA also approved GSK’s […]
RFK Jr.’s vaccine injury clinic could damage NIH hospital, board warns
Trust is slow to build and quick to lose," board chair Jack Leslie said.
Trump administration sues to block Alaska Senate certification if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses in November
The Justice Department said the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot makes it “vital” that the state “not certify any election result that may be impacted by voter confusion.”
'Most people can't handle driving in 2 dimensions let alone 3': Readers respond to our poll about flying cars
Tesla recently demonstrated its Rocket Roadster "flying car." We asked our readers whether they think flying cars will be widely available in the near future.
Hillsong Worship's Jad Gillies reflects on church's fall, God's grace as band releases new music
After years of scandal, leadership upheaval and public scrutiny that rocked one of the world s most influential megachurches, Hillsong Worship s Jad Gillies says the ministry is embracing a
NY state grant helps Waverly business Soprano's Market get facelift
A $4.5 million NY Forward award helped fund a more than $700,000 renovation project at Soprano's Market in Waverly.
How Can I Hang On To My Digital Life?
I’ve been watching the “available storage” bars on my various digital storage systems creep up over the last couple years with a growing sense of dread. Each percentage point is a tick closer to an upgrade to my package—money I’ll have to pay Apple, Google, and Dropbox to continue to store my digital life. Maybe…
Everybody panic: A Valve developer said "HLX" in public
Sound designer lets Half Life-related codename slip at a conference.
Vivek Ramaswamy defends ad featuring Amy Acton\'s estranged mother
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is defending his campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival, Dr. Amy Acton, in the Ohio governor's race. Speaking in northeast Ohio on Friday, he
Buy your health insurance through the Mass. Connector? Open enrollment starts Friday
The Massachusetts Health Connector has begun its open enrollment period Friday and will run through Jan. 23, 2027. State and Boston officials are urging residents to take advantage of the Connector's assistance program — especially after recent federal changes to healthcare spending.
“The View” cancels fan-favorite cohost Halloween costumes for 3rd consecutive year
The show’s panelists previously wore elaborate costumes on the air, ranging from full-body “Avatar” makeup to Carl from “Up!”
David Micklos receives 2026 Genetics Education Award
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center (DNALC) Executive Director David Micklos has received the National Association of Biology Teachers’ 2026 Genetics Education Award. For Micklos, a lifelong science teacher and driving force behind the DNALC’s innovative, hands-on science education programs, the award is especially significant. “I thank the NABT for recognizing our accomplishments at...
Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief
End Citizens United has endorsed Democratic challenger Callie Barr for Michigan’s 1st Congressional District. William Lawrence, Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, has been endorsed by the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union and the Black Economic Alliance. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has formally endorsed state Senator Chedrick Greene (D-Saginaw) in the […]
NH News Recap: Health insurance changes and a new season of Bear Brook
Looming changes to Medicaid and Medicare in New Hampshire are leaving recipients with questions, and the first episodes of the latest season of NHPR podcast "Bear Brook" are now available.
AI is impacting all corners of healthcare, not least the clinical workforce
New research from HIMSS Market Insights offers perspectives from clinical leaders worldwide. It finds enthusiasm for AI innovation, ongoing challenges around trusted adoption and cautious optimism on boosting productivity and reducing burnout.
Nvidia, TCV Invest in Generative AI Startup Higgsfield
Higgsfield, the AI video and image generation startup, extended its Series B funding round with new investments from Nvidia and TCV.
Nvidia, TCV Invest in Generative AI Startup Higgsfield
Higgsfield, the AI video and image generation startup, extended its Series B funding round with new investments from Nvidia and TCV.
Nevada football versus San Jose State: Three keys to victory and a prediction
During Choate's Wolf Pack tenure, 20 has been the magic number. When Nevada has allowed 20 points in a game under Choate, it is just 2-22. That’s a result of a
Free screening of 'Arrival' with expert panel to be held Nov. 4 at State Theatre
The Penn State Eberly College of Science and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics will host a free screening of the 2016 film "Arrival" at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the State Theatre in downtown State College as part of the college’s Science Matters Spotlight Sessions and Friedman Lectures in Astronomy and Astrophysics.
University of Dubuque announces Plaster School of Business
The University of Dubuque announced that its School of Business program will be officially renamed to the Robert W. Plaster School of Business, honoring a seven-figure donation from the Robert W. Plaster Foundation. In addition to this change, the school will also be more centrally located on campus in the Chlapaty Center for Innovation when […]
Vanderbilt mourns loss of laboratory legend Howard Price
Howard Price, a technical supervisor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and with 67 years of employment, the longest serving member of the Vanderbilt Health family, died Oct. 12. He was 85.
World's only venomous primate lost to science for 90 years resurfaces in unbelievable place
Experian Health buys eInsights to boost insurance discovery
Experian Health, the healthcare arm of global data and technology business Experian, has acquired eInsights, a healthcare technology firm that helps providers locate patient insurance coverage that was overlooked or unavailable at the point of care. The deal broadens Experian Health’s insurance discovery capabilities beyond the early stages of the revenue cycle and gives providers […]
El Paso honors traditions with Día de los Muertos festival, parade
El Paso celebrates Día de los Muertos with parades, festivals, and community altars throughout late October and November.
Melania Trump says she secured a one-city ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for humanitarian aid
First lady Melania Trump announced that she helped secure a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the city of Oleshky to facilitate the evacuations of elderly residents.
Poll: Low-information voters have turned hardest against Trump and the GOP
In 2024, the voters who knew the least about politics were some of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. A Data for Progress poll released just before the election found Americans who didn’t consume any news at all said they’d vote for Trump over Kamala Harris by a 20-point margin, 60%1 to 40%. In February, we reported that many of these voters had soured on Trump. Voters who couldn’t name the party in control of Congress moved away from Trump at about twice the rate as high-information voters. But approval isn’t vote choice. With the midterms less than two weeks away, it is worth asking if these voters are turning against the president’s party in federal elections, too. In our October Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll, conducted Oct. 13–19 among 2,028 U.S. adults, we asked respondents two factual questions about politics: which party has the most members in the House, and which has the most members in the Senate. I classified anyone who got at least one of these questions wrong as “low-knowledge.” About 30% of adults miss at least one question, including 25% of 2024 Trump voters, 22% of Harris voters, and more than half of people who didn’t vote in 2024. In this article, I do two things with this data. First, I repeat my February analysis and compare how these two groups feel about Trump’s job as president; then I look at each group’s voting behavior in the upcoming House midterms. Register for free to read the rest of this piece.
Bravo casts controversial ‘Big Brother’ star Aaryn Williams on Texas-based reality show
The new reality show ‘Small Town Trouble: Texas’ is set to follow a group of women living in Boerne, Texas, including controversial ’Big Brother’ alum Aaryn Williams, who was known as Aaryn Gries during season 15 of the CBS show.
Off-Balance: How US Courts Privilege Conservative Policy Outcomes -
Off-Balance: How US Courts Privilege Conservative Policy Outcomes By Brian Highsmith, Maya Sen and Kathleen Thelen A growing literature has challenged some of the more influential accounts regarding the role of courts in the development [...]
Minnesota seniors navigating ‘incredibly complex’ system for Medicare Advantage
More than 300,000 in Minnesota are being forced to shop as insurers change the lineup of health plan options. Here are some tips.
Banijay's Frederic Balmary on Expanding English-Language Drama Output
Banijay's chief business officer Frederic Balmary on scaling up english-language drama output: 'It's clear that Netflix is looking for more U.S. hits'
Computer scientists build innovative tech tools to find experiments, detect citation 'hallucinations'
New York University computer scientists and students have developed a pair of web-hosted AI systems designed to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the research process—by spotting "hallucinations" ...
Trump administration sends mixed signals on curbing Ukraine’s Starshield access
Recent efforts to throttle Ukraine's access to satellite systems have created a blame game of sorts among Trump administration officials and their allies
More Lakeshore employers report rising sales and expansion plans
A Lakeshore Advantage survey finds rising sales and expansion plans among Ottawa and Allegan county employers, despite various challenges.
Pep Chavarria Injury Status for Chelsea vs Tottenham Confirmed
Xabi Alonso has been nursing some injuries since his arrival at Chelsea. The international break provided a good break in play to get a number of his key men back fit including Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, and Joao Pedro. The good times only lasted so long as Reece James ended up getting surgery over a …
iPhone Duo Says 'Hello' to You Personally
As expected, the iPhone Duo greets you personally if you purchase it from an Apple Store in the United States. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris had an in-store pickup reservation for an iPhone Duo at Apple Fifth Avenue in New York today, and the device showed "Hello Aaron" when he turned it on.
Pope hope, that’s entertainment, and getting ahead in the CIA
Happy Friday friends, I want to start by just breathing for all of us a big long collective sigh of relief at the news this week that the pope’s doctors have basically blown the all clear for Leo’s health. Going from knowing nothing to him declaring to the world he needed surgery, to a cancer diagnosis, to bouncing out of the hospital in barely even days, to ringing the bell in less than two weeks is whiplash inducing. But in the best possible way. We are living in a world in which the Roman pontiff, by dint of history, biography and circumstance, is once more at the epicenter of global affairs. Not just conversations about religion, or Christian and post-Christian values, but the bleeding edge of the most pressing issues of human affairs. Think I am exaggerating a touch? Consider the images of the crowds who greeted Leo in Paris just weeks ago, and juxtapose them with the absolute photo negative scenes unfolding there recently. Ask yourself how many world leaders are talking about AI right now and directly citing the pope as they do so. Try to name a country who has had as many top-ranked diplomats in and out of both Russia and Ukraine in the last three years as the Vatican has in the last three months. It has been fascinating to watch Leo XIV emerge as not just a kind of pop culture reference point or totem to be cited (Francis was often name-checked this way) but as a kinetic force in global conversation. Given the state of things, we need global figures of gravitas and values, even better if they have real wisdom behind what they are saying. So news of Leo’s illness was, it seemed to me, a tremor with potentially Richter Scale implications. That not only has the worst not come to pass but instead we’ve had the best of outcomes announced is something to really be grateful for. Humanity, it seems to me, is entering one of its irregular but cyclical phases where the pace of change — technological, social, and geopolitical — outstrips the ability of previously settled norms and received wisdom to cope. Such periods – and I think the first decades of the last century were a similar such time – throw into question the viability of all kinds of institutions. And many of ours have been straining to breaking point for a few years now. The papacy has the power and the potential to be a steadying pole in all of this. That’s my hope, anyway. It’s a lot to freight the office with, though it is arguably its ultimate purpose from its founding, to be a steadying rock on which all that matters can be anchored. It’s also, of course, an intolerable weight of responsibility to place on a single man. But I am encouraged to have hope in – and for – Leo. The apostle whom he succeeds, after all, was famously unequal to some moments, failed some tests of faith, and resiled from taking the road which led ultimately to the circus on Vatican hill. Human frailty and limitations, of health, of character, of temper, can open us to Christ, whose strength is greatest in our weakness, so St. Paul learned. That gives me hope, and I am sure it consoles Leo, too. And so I will continue to pray for him. Because we need apostles of rock right now. Here’s the news. Subscribe The News The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued yesterday a new document “Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change.” It’s not a short document, and it is at pains to stress this isn’t a doctrinal note from the dicastery, either. Rather, it brings together reflections on an important issue from the Church around the world. Some of it I actually found really rather powerful. It is, however, 25,000, which is a lot for a busy reader to get through on a weekday. So, you can read our busy reader’s summary right here. — News broke yesterday of an Oct. 22 meeting of U.S. bishops with President Donald Trump. The meeting was organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation, according to several sources close to the meeting. Video of several U.S. bishops praying in the Oval Office over President Trump was posted on social media Thursday afternoon, first by White House Communications Advisor Margo Martin, and then by the official twitter.com account of the Archdiocese of Denver. The meeting has drawn sharp criticism because of its proximity to the upcoming midterm Congressional elections, in which Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate remains closely contested. Sources close to the bishops’ conference told The Pillar that some USCCB senior officials were surprised by the existence of the meeting when video of it first emerged online. And a source close to conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City told The Pillar that the archbishop was “deeply frustrated” by the occasion of the meeting. An official conference spokesperson told The Pillar that the meeting was “not organized with or by the USCCB” and was “not affiliated with the conference.” You can read the whole story here. — The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis in 2029, a return to the city that hosted the last gathering in 2024. You read it here first. By here, I don’t mean this newsletter, I mean at The Pillar. We broke the story this week. It’s a big deal, in as much as the last congress was a roaring success and the next installment has the potential to be a real focal point for evangelizing efforts in the coming years. Read all about it here. — As Pope Leo prepares for the longest trip of his pontificate, Church leaders in Uruguay say the pontiff will encounter a highly secularized culture, in a country with a very different Catholic history than many of its South American neighbors. The nation has not had a papal visit since 1988, and leaders who spoke with The Pillar say it has a dire need for evangelization, even amid the prospect of a small revival in faith. This is real reporting on the Church in the country, and frankly a story you simply are not going to be able to read anywhere else. Read the whole thing. — The Archdiocese of Detroit announced this week a plan that would see the vast majority of its parish priests reassigned next summer, amid a restructuring process expected to dramatically shrink the number of parishes in the archdiocese. Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said this week that the plan “asks much of our priests,” but is a “sacrifice they are making as brothers of one, unified presbyterate.” The thing is, as JD pointed out in an analysis yesterday, pastors of parishes have a legal right to stability in office, so the only way this kind of wholesale reassignment goes ahead is if all of the archdiocesan clergy agree to resign. That creates its own kind of legal issues, though, and re-raises longstanding questions about the effectiveness of canonical due process protections for priests when dealing with coercive exercises in authority. Read the whole thing here. — More than three months after the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its decree declaring the excommunication of the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X, questions remain about the full effects of the society’s schism. Specifically, the DDF’s July claim that marriages witnessed and confessions heard by SSPX priests are now invalid remains contested — and it emerged this week it appears that the Vatican’s own legal experts don’t agree. You can read my whole analysis of the situation and what it means here. All I would add is that the DDF’s undeveloped, some would say unsubstantiated, claim about the invalidity of some SSPX sacraments came in their July Explanatory Note on the schismatic consecrations by the society that month. It touches directly on both papal acts of governance — indeed it purports to nullify them — and the most intimate pastoral encounters possible in a parish setting. If there is one aspect of the Francis-era style of governance I would like the curia to finally cut out, root and branch, it would be these attempts to try to effect extraordinarily sensitive legislative acts via a note. — At least a dozen French bishops have spoken out following an eruption of violence on the country’s streets Oct. 17. Not surprisingly, they unanimously condemned the violence, but the length and content of their interventions varied significantly. Several sought to distinguish between the actions of rioters and what they suggested were the legitimate concerns of peaceful young protesters. Many also evoked Pope Leo XIV’s Sept. 25-28 visit to France, suggesting it offered a powerful counter-image to the scenes of looting and destruction. A number of bishops also stressed their solidarity with law enforcement officials who struggled to contain the disorder, as well as the owners of the roughly 3,000 damaged or looted businesses. What’s the background to the nationwide unrest that the French media calls “les violences du 17 octobre”? And what exactly are the bishops saying? Read all about it here. — A Polish bishop called for the firm defense of unborn children as well as compassion for their mothers this week, as the lower house of Poland’s parliament passed two bills seeking to liberalize the country’s abortion laws. The bill on decriminalizing assistance in an abortion passed by 217 votes to 213, while the abortion in cases of fetal abnormality bill passed by 233 to 203, thanks to the government’s majority in the lower house. Both bills will now move to the Polish Senate, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling coalition has a larger majority. The fetal abnormality bill is symbolically significant because if it became law, it would effectively overturn a 2020 ruling by Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal that a 1993 law permitting abortion for a severe and irreversible disability or a life-threatening incurable disease was unconstitutional. Read the whole story here. Subscribe **[The St. Paul Center App | Bible Study On-The-Go Read and understand the Bible with St. Paul Center’s new app! With today’s leading Catholic Scripture scholars as your guides, the St. Paul Center app empowers you to read the Bible](https://stpaulcenter.com/app?utm_source=pillar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=applaunch)** from the heart of the Church. Download the app for free at either the Apple or the Google app stores. https://stpaulcenter.com/app That’s entertainment I have written before about my deep and sincere reservations about the celebrity exorcist subculture which has taken root in American Catholicism. And, because I am very ill at ease with the entire thing, I try to keep a weather eye on the phenomenon without being drawn into the kind of online back-and-forth which these figures sometimes generate. Earlier this week, JD noted that one such celebrity exorcist type, Fr. Chad Ripperger, has undertaken, on the request of his bishop, a year’s fast from interviews and public speaking. I’m sure that will be salutary for him, if for no other reason than that receiving with docility requests from one’s rightful ecclesiastical superiors always comes with graces. Then a second thing happened this week which caught my eye. Apparently, another fixture in the celebrity exorcist world, Fr. Carlos Martins, has initiated a lawsuit against two lay men — apparently associates of Rippenger, though I am unclear in what way, exactly — for allegedly defaming him and his ministry on a podcast. It seems the suit was initiated nearly a year ago and is now pending. At issue, I read, is that the two men described Martins on a podcast as “not who he says he is” with regard to his exorcism ministry and that he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” These statements Martins considers to be false and defamatory and, his suit claims, “directly affected the sale and reception of [his] The Exorcist Files book that was newly released at the time these episodes aired.” I don’t want to get too into the weeds of the details here, but a couple of things struck me about all this.
Britain Politics
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, right, his wife Marie-France van Heel, left, pose with veterans Naomi Hall, second right, Anthony Coughlan, centre, and Laurence Moore at No 10 North at
BioUK Awards 2026 celebrate outstanding achievement and breakthrough innovations from across the life sciences
BioUK, the not-for-profit membership organization focused on catalyzing success in UK life sciences, today announced the winners of the 18 th annual BioUK Awards following a ceremony hosted at the...
There’s a Reason That Netflix’s Ad Business Has Underwhelmed
Somewhat lost in the company’s slew of firings and engagement warnings over the past few weeks was the fact that Netflix is scaling back its ad forecast for 2026 from $3 billion to $2.7 billion. That’s despite the fact that: CTV is growing by 14-15% this year This year saw a monster upfront Netflix is the biggest streamer out there this side of YouTube, and was the platform that for years brands were supposedly dying to be a part of In other words, that’s an alarming pull-back from Netflix. A Wall Street analyst I spoke with last week was blunt, calling Netflix’s ad business “disappointing.” To me, a red flag on the ad front is that Netflix has never revealed how many ad-supported subscribers it has. Because if I know anything about how big companies work, if they have a positive number that makes them look really good - they tend to share it. (How many subs does go90 have right now? We’re not saying just yet. How are ads going on ChatGPT? Oh, a billion run rate - I see). Yes, to date Netflix has shared some fuzzy ad numbers, such as the idea that the company’s ad tier ‘reaches’ 250 million users globally.’ Here’s why that figure gives me pause: a)they lead with global, and b) they don’t explain how they are calculated. (Are they based on average people in each room? Surveys of some kind?). Regardless, some insiders say that Netflix’s ad tier is scaling nicely - others not so much. Either way, one of Netflix’s biggest challenge on the ad front appears to have been its starting point. Remember, when Netflix launched ads in 2022, it had 73 million subs in the US and Canada. That’s 73 million people who were used to Netflix with zero ads. And when the ad product rolled out, the company clearly was going after new users - a limited pool of potential subscribers by default. That focus seems to have changed over time, as Netflix has tried to convert longtime subscribers to the ad tier. Historically Netflix subscribers are very sticky. But is the company’s low churn a problem? Not necessarily, according to Antenna data. Rather, Netflix’s consumer loyalty is a bit of a double-edged sword. “Netflix is the one streamer which actually has seen substantial “trade downs” but has much lower ‘win backs,’ said Antenna founder Jonathan Carson (win-backs being people who were on the ad-free plan, cancelled, then rejoined on the ad plan). “Netflix has lower churn and so has less opportunity to win back old subs with a lower cost plan option.” This all might explain why Netflix has been so slow to roll out all of these table stakes targeting options until just this week. It likely didn’t have enough users to carve up into various targets. etc. However, what really hit Netflix’s ad business was Amazon’s move a few years ago to turn on advertising for Prime Video by default. Suddenly the market was awash in premium inventory, and Netflix was playing catch-up on multiple fronts. Thus, the streaming giant appears to still be figuring out if if wants lead in ‘programmatic TV,’ or premium ‘upfront’ TV sales. “The CTV market now sorts into three businesses, and Netflix is not the leader of any of them,” wrote analyst Jack Myers. Ouch. So how does Netflix ratchet up its ads business? Get the next NFL package You’re gonna have to wait until 2030 unless one of the bigger media companies like Skydance opts out, but the easiest (not cheapest) way for Netflix to become a huge TV ads contender is to get one of the regular NFL packages, ideally Sunday afternoons. That way it can sell ads to its whole U.S. subs base overnight. Go FAST This one is risky, because to program a compelling FAST channel, you’d likely have to take some older Netflix exclusive shows and make them available for free to non-subscribers. But FASTs, for better or worse, are ad-inventory machines. Go full UGC I’m not sure I see this happening. There is something already off about Netflix carrying podcasts and shows for creators. The experience sticks out in what is such a produced, and generally non-communal environment. But Netflix could open up its platform by allowing creators to upload videos without having to be approved by the service. But that opens a whole other can of worms (policing brand safety, copyright infringement, overall quality). Make a huge RMN Deal I was going to suggest something crazy, such as ‘instead of buying Warner Brothers, Netflix should buy Target. But the company doesn’t want to be in the brick and mortar business. Yet for Netflix’s ad business to compete in an Amazon world, it needs to be able to connect ad exposures to shopping. What if, instead of letting Amazon target Netflix viewers with its DSP, Netflix inked a deal with Target, or even took control of Roundel, and created its version of the Amazon full-funnel for brands? Price us out. I hope they don’t do this, but Netflix’s price increases - while significant - haven’t been enough to push long-term customers out of the ad-free tier. But if they made those prices so prohibitive, it could push large swaths of consumers to trade down. Then again, that could also dent engagement - as binging becomes much less appealing once you bring ads into the equation. Or, they could just launch a bunch of hit shows and maybe everyone will quickly forget all this angst. More from Amazon unBoxed A few weeks ago, I recorded two podcasts live at Amazon’s unBoxed event in San Francisco. I was able to go really deep with several brand partners about how Amazon’s various data and ad products work - particularly the under appreciated Amazon Marketing Cloud. First, I talked with Laura Abadias Velilla, of the Amazon specialty agency Amerge, along with Amazon’s own Charlotte Maines, Vice President, Devices Content & Advertising, about how the two partners helped a very specific printer company Epson launch into a brand new category - high end projectors. It’s a great example of how brands connect audience data across platforms to make budget deployment decisions. Next, I chatted with Monks VP Head of Digital Investment for North America Tom Burchill about how the agency actually brought in data from Linkedin to help target B2B customers across various Amazon properties for the brand Quicken. Check it out: Check these out, or just listen:
Half-Life 3 is back in the news again as Valve developer accidentally sort-of references it in public, reigniting hope once more
After a flurry of Half-Life 3 rumours last year, the codename HLX has resurfaced once more; this time straight from the mouth of a Valve developer.
With Climate-Resilient Crops in Mind, Scientists Tackle a Flaw in Photosynthesis
Rising temperatures and increasing drought are shortening crop growing seasons in many parts of the world. Now scientists in Sweden report new advances toward engineering more efficient photosynthesis, work that could eventually contribute to efforts to adapt crops for climate change
Week in politics: Vance defends Ohio political ad and Kansas Senate race remains tight
A political advertisement in the Ohio gubernatorial race is being called one of the ugliest of the midterm election cycle.