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Calls for vaping to be banned inside venues
An organisation says those with health conditions should avoid second-hand vapour "like the plague".
‘You need money, materials and staff’: New Haven Board of Alders on health concerns at public schools
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The New Haven community gathered once again, trying to figure out how to fix health concerns and poor conditions in the school facilities. On Tuesday nigh…
Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center is 1st in NJ to use SetPoint System to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center is the first hospital in New Jersey to use the SetPoint® System, a groundbreaking new device that uses neuromodulation to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), offering patients a non-medication option to treat the condition.
Next Woman Up: Jill Costanza, Lions Assistant Strength & Conditioning/Director of Sports Science
In this installment of the Next Woman Up series, Jill Costanza details her role as the Detroit Lions' assistant strength & conditioning coach/director of sports science, her non-linear path to the NFL and the most rewarding part of her job.
Next Woman Up: Jill Costanza, Lions Assistant Strength & Conditioning/Director of Sports Science
In this installment of the Next Woman Up series, Jill Costanza details her role as the Detroit Lions' assistant strength & conditioning coach/director of sports science, her non-linear path to the NFL and the most rewarding part of her job.
Why Paolo Banchero is Ready to 'Dominate Every Single Night'
Armed with elite conditioning and a refined interior presence, Orlando’s cornerstone enters his third season hunting consistency and a superstar leap to lead the Magic through the East.
Nearly 40% of disease burden in the Americas could be averted, PAHO report finds
Health in the Americas 2026 shows that millions of years of healthy life are being lost to preventable conditions and calls for stronger primary health care and smarter health investments
Scientists discover how excess dietary salt drives 'lean MASH'
Fatty liver disease is commonly associated with obesity, yet a growing number of people with normal body weight develop a severe form of the condition.
Ukraine’s Academy of Sciences warns against Russian cooperation after attack
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has urged the international scientific community not to “restore or legitimise institutional cooperation with Russian state scientific and educational structures,” after a Russian drone hit its Presidium building in central Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring several others. The drone strike took place in the early afternoon on September 28 while staff were working.The academy called the strike, one of several Russian attacks on Ukraine’s capital using jet-powered drones in recent days, an act of terrorism. “It is a strike [. . .] on the very idea that knowledge, research, and the search for truth should serve life, not its destruction,” it said in a statement.The academy thanked the global scientific community for its solidarity following the attack and warned against any temptation to normalise scientific relations with Russia.“Science cannot exist outside of moral responsibility. There can be no ‘ordinary scientific cooperation’ with a state that kills people and destroys scientific institutions of another country,” it said.“We urge not to create opportunities for Russian state institutions to return to the international scientific community as if nothing happened. There can be no ‘science beyond politics’ when science is attacked with weapons.”After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe almost entirely cut institutional ties and joint programmes with Russian science, although personal academic contacts are still ongoing.Related articlesRussia widens targeting of European research centresHow geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaborationThe European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), for instance, continues to exclude the Russian Academy of Sciences from its network.ALLEA condemned the latest attack as a “barbaric act” and part of a broader “systematic targeting of Ukraine’s scientific and cultural infrastructure.” This is a “deliberate attempt to erase the conditions under which free inquiry, knowledge, and democratic life are possible,” it said in a statement.Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 4,650 educational institutions across Ukraine have been damaged, and a further 423 have been destroyed, according to ALLEA.National academies across Europe joined ALLEA in condemning the attack. “Science is about the pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of humanity, so this is an attack on civilisation itself,” said Paul Nurse, president of the UK’s Royal Society.Attacks on scientific, university and cultural institutions “are attacks on the foundations of society and constitute a clear violation of international law,” wrote the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.The presidents of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine also released a joint statement condemning the attack and pledging to continue to support the Ukrainian research community.The targeting of the Ukrainian academy prompted outcry from European leaders. “Today, science became a target for Russia,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.“These strikes are the latest illustration of the Russian regime’s hostile contempt for science and truth,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.
Lesbian Bar Project Co-Founder: Purity Politics Could Destroy Our Remaining Spaces
Subscribe As a professional lesbian and Massachusetts native, I’ve recently been asked by a lot of folks what I think about the saga unfolding at Last Ditch. The now-viral story, first reported by The Boston Globe, centers on a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar that lifted its mask requirement for one night a week to help drum up business. The decision ignited an intra-queer controversy that has been feasted on by media outlets across the political spectrum—from the New York Post to LGBTQ Nation—and is even reportedly being eyed for a Hollywood adaptation. Apparently nothing is more entertaining than a bunch of lesbians and queers fighting with each other over KN-95s. What has been lost in all of the chatter and media coverage is the very real possibility that Last Ditch, which just opened in April 2025, will have to close its doors. The venue’s one remaining founder, Jackie Matellian, revealed in a community Zoom meeting that she’s working four jobs, is now solely responsible for the bar’s $50,000 business loan and is struggling to keep up with the bills. So as we laugh about the controversy’s similarity to a “Portlandia” skit and how one of the bar’s founders left to enroll in clown school, we forget that yet another lesbian bar is facing an existential crisis—and this time the call is coming from inside the house. In 2020, my friend Elina Street and I created The Lesbian Bar Project, an Emmy-, Webby- and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries and initiative that tells the stories of lesbian queer bars around the world. We were moved to act because at the time there were only an estimated 16 lesbian bars in the United States, and the pandemic threatened to bring that number down even further. There are now more sapphic bars than there were just before the pandemic—about 36 of them in total—but this is down from approximately 200 in 1980. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but for the millions of sapphics living in the U.S., this number is calamitous. As the world laughs at lesbians and sapphics, I want to take a second and tell you what I feel when I walk into one of these bars, which are all unique and irreplaceable in their own way: I feel seen. Sometimes I think Cubbyhole in New York City’s West Village neighborhood knew I was gay before I did. When I walked in there for the first time, before I was even out, I was transfixed by the colorful array of tchotchkes hanging from the ceiling and how the women standing next to me were completely unafraid to express their desire for one another. I knew the minute I was ready to come out, I had a home. I also felt the joy of a new couple falling in love at Seattle’s Wildrose, the quiet confidence of a short king lining up her shot at the pool table at Ginger’s in Brooklyn and the kick of cayenne pepper in Julie Mabry’s crawfish at Houston’s Pearl Bar. Subscribe Lesbian bars don’t just serve lesbians; they serve queer folks across the spectrum, including bisexual, pansexual and trans people. As Elina and I traveled across the U.S. and Europe and to parts of Latin America to document the bar owners, staff and patrons that make up the ecosystems of these spaces, we also became uniquely acquainted with the factors that threaten their existence: gentrification, wage gaps, sexism, environmental disasters, gun violence, rising insurance premiums and political administrations working to annihilate queer people and their families. Lesbian bar owners, like all leaders and entrepreneurs, are imperfect. There have been significant issues over the years at lesbian bars: employee harassment, racism, lack of accessibility, sexual assault and transphobia. All bar owners should be held accountable and should listen to their communities to evolve into safer and more equitable spaces. I also acknowledge my privilege: I am able-bodied, white, cis and from a family system that loves me for who I am. Not everyone has that. Queer people, especially trans and bisexual people, are suffering from disproportionately high levels of depression, and our mental health system isn’t equipped to support them. Immunocompromised people and long COVID are real, and many of my friends are suffering to this day. The people with the least safety net are often the ones for whom a bar closing costs the most. And yet, as we’re seeing with Last Ditch, the queer community often lashes out at each other. It’s also the mainstream media taking the internal conflict and making a mockery out of it, distracting from the real possibility that this bar could close due to financial pressures. A bar that many people loved and needed is facing extinction. Perhaps it’s safer to dissent with one another than with the larger forces trying to eradicate us, but in doing so, we risk destroying the few spaces we have left. Due to the constraints of purity politics—some in good faith, some not so much—lesbian bar owners, almost all of whom are queer women themselves, are forced to be everything for everyone, similarly to how women are forced to be everything for everyone. By asking these bars to uphold impossible standards—standards very few other third spaces are asked to consider—we all end up losing. I want to move as a community toward dialogue, compassionate dissent and collaboration to make our spaces better with the goal of keeping them OPEN and thriving, rather than destroying them from the inside with expectations that are arguably unattainable. Subscribe While I have your attention—for this fleeting second of the news cycle—may I urge us to spearhead a way to keep these small businesses afloat without attacking our own community along the way? Bar owners are left with an impasse: They want to be community-centered, but they also have to make money to keep their doors open. Sometimes they might make business decisions that don’t work for everyone—and that’s partly because different patrons have different priorities and want different things—but these owners deserve the opportunity for productive dialogue**.** We have to work with them and with each other to keep our spaces open, to keep them growing. Lesbian bars raised me into the queer woman I am today. One thing I think about as I reflect on the six years of work we’ve done to document these spaces is that shared, unspoken language I have with a stranger the moment we both walk into one of these bars: the nod, the ease, the not having to explain ourselves. I don’t want to lose that, and neither should you. If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button: Donate
What If A.D.H.D. Isn’t About Attention at All?
Evidence suggests that it really affects what psychiatrists like me call sustained engagement — an important difference in understanding how to think about the condition.
“I Was Struggling”: Myles Garrett’s GF Chloe Kim Reveals Health Diagnosis After Years of Suffering
Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett dominates on the field, but off it, his girlfriend Chloe Kim has been fighting a very quiet battle. The two-time Olympic snowboarding champion opened up about a condition she lived with for years without fully understanding it.
France: Student protests over conditions at French high schools fuel political clashes
Over 160 people were arrested and dozens injured after student protests in France descended into violence. With a presidential election approaching, senior politicians are pointing fingers at each other.
Health experts stress importance of newborn screening
Screenings look for rare but serious health conditions that may not present right away and detect concerns like metabolic, endocrine and blood disorders.
Florida’s health emergency is drawing attention to a growing mosquito threat
Florida has declared a health emergency after reporting 190 locally acquired dengue fever cases and one death, with experts warning the mosquito-borne illness may grow more common as climate conditions change.
Little Havana business owners call for e-scooter safety rules after crash leaving 1 dead, 1 in critical condition
FEMA can’t condition security grants on election changes, judge says
The Trump administration had sought to limit anti-terrorism funding for local governments that didn’t check the citizenship status of voters.
Fayette hospital lease with DCH Health System won't continue as is
DCH Health System will end its lease at Fayette Medical Center in 2027, citing unsustainable financial conditions.
402,577 shares are tied to an executive award at AMC Entertainment (NYSE: AMC), with vesting spread over three years.
Daniel E. Ellis received the award on September 24, 2026. One-third is scheduled to vest each January from 2027 through 2029, subject to service conditions.
AMC Entertainment (AMC) executive Mark Way's rights to 362,319 shares vest over three years.
One-third of Way's award is scheduled to vest in each January from 2027 through 2029, subject to service conditions. Shares are due within 30 days of vesting.
AMC Entertainment (AMC) grants its general counsel 201,289 share units that vest in stages through 2029.
Edwin F. Gladbach received the grant Sept. 24. One-third vests each January from 2027 to 2029, subject to service conditions; shares follow within 30 days.
Man Utd Learn Conditions To Appoint Breakout Premier League Manager
As Michael Carrick’s tenure falters, the Red Devils eye Brighton’s tactical prodigy Fabian Hürzeler, though a massive compensation fee stands between the German and Old Trafford.
Insomnia linked to higher risk of dementia, suicide, stroke and other major health issues: Study
Insomnia may be linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia and several mental health conditions, a new study finds.
Health issues or legal strategy? Defense and prosecutors clash over Cilia Flores’s condition
While lawyers for the wife of Nicolás Maduro claim she suffers from heart and gastric problems, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says the defendant has refused medical treatment, according to court filings
Federal funding supports FSU quantum communication testbed for real-world conditions
Florida State University will establish a campus-scale quantum communication testing platform with $2.1 million in federal Community Project Funding
WELL Health Subsidiary WELLSTAR Announces Conditional Approval for TSXV Listing and Files Filing Statement
WELLSTAR has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange as a Tier 1 issuer, subject to satisfaction of the TSXV's customary listing conditions, and is expected to commence trading on or around October 1, 2026, under the ticker symbol "WSTR".Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2026) - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) ("WELL"), a digital health company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to...
140,000 Missourians are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage under a new rule. One enrollee is suing
A new lawsuit challenges Medicaid regulations set to go into effect Jan. 1 that could hinder access to healthcare for people with chronic conditions. A Kansas City-based nonprofit says its client qualifies but struggles to clear administrative hurdles.
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Plans $3.97 Billion Refinancing. Can It Buy More Time?
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) launched a $2 billion offering of first-lien notes due 2031 and an $850 million first-lien term-loan syndication on September 21. It also secured a conditional commitment for a $1.12 billion second-lien term loan, dependent on completion of the first-lien financing and other conditions. The proposed $3.97 billion package would replace […]
Psycho-cardiovascular interaction network links mental health and heart disease
A new review proposes the psycho-cardiovascular interaction network (PCIN), a framework that links psychological and psychiatric factors with cardiovascular health and disease. The review integrates epidemiological evidence, system-level mechanisms, and molecular signaling pathways to explain how depression, anxiety, chronic stress, and other mental health conditions may contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD), and vice versa. It focuses on five representative pathways—brain-derived neurotr
UFC Insider Shares Welcome Health Update on Raoni Barcelos
UFC insider Ariel Helwani shared a welcome update on the health condition of UFC fighter Raoni Barcelos after suffering knockout on Saturday. The post UFC Insider Shares Welcome Health Update on Raoni Barcelos appeared first on HEAVY.
UFC Insider Shares Welcome Health Update on Raoni Barcelos
UFC insider Ariel Helwani shared a welcome update on the health condition of UFC fighter Raoni Barcelos after suffering knockout on Saturday. The post UFC Insider Shares Welcome Health Update on Raoni Barcelos appeared first on HEAVY.
Siloam Springs business owner raises concern over water leaking into basement of historic structure
SILOAM SPRINGS -- When a leak was noticed in the basement of Park House Kitchen + Bar, staff checked for plumbing leaks, drainage issues, air-conditioning runoff and anything else they could think of that might be causing the issue, according to business owner Alma Sanchez.
8,000-Mile 2001 Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport For Sale And You're Too Chicken To Actually Drive It
With low miles on the clock and in excellent condition, this rare Porsche 911 GT2 Clubsport is going to be an expensive buy for the final bidder.
Lifelong Management of Chronic Equine Health Conditions
How veterinarians define long-term success when curing the disease is not an option.
HEALTH MINUTE: Many are Unaware of Vascular Disease Risk
September is National Vascular Disease Awareness Month. Up to 40 million Americans are impacted by blood vessel conditions that could be life-threatening. But in this story of survival, it is
Why a spacecraft exploring moons where life may thrive is zipping by Earth
Sent to determine what conditions hypothetical life would face deep in the solar system, “Juice” must first make two more passes of everyone’s favorite inhabited world.
UFC Issues Statement on Health Condition of Raoni Barcelos
The UFC has issued a statement on the health condition of veteran bantamweight fighter Raoni Barcelos following UFC Vegas 121.Here is the UFC’s statement in full, which was issued several hours after the conclusion of UFC Vegas 121:“Following his fight tonight, Raoni Barcelos was immediately transported to a Level 1 trauma center for evaluation. The […] The post UFC Issues Statement on Health Condition of Raoni Barcelos appeared first on HEAVY.
UFC Issues Statement on Health Condition of Raoni Barcelos
The UFC has issued a statement on the health condition of veteran bantamweight fighter Raoni Barcelos following UFC Vegas 121.Here is the UFC’s statement in full, which was issued several hours after the conclusion of UFC Vegas 121:“Following his fight tonight, Raoni Barcelos was immediately transported to a Level 1 trauma center for evaluation. The […] The post UFC Issues Statement on Health Condition of Raoni Barcelos appeared first on HEAVY.
Iran Won’t Back Off from Conditions for Reopening Hormuz: FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran has clearly presented its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and advancing negotiations, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, stressing that Tehran will not back down from those conditions.
Confidence in the Chicago Bears drop
The Chicago Bears suffered a tough loss last week in sloppy, wet conditions at Soldier Field, and the weather certainly slowed their high-powered offense. But Brian Flores’ blitz-happy Minnesota Vikings’ defense gave Chicago’s offense fits too. The Bears had their chances, and knowing the makeup of this team and head coach Ben Johnson, they’ll learn […]
Boston College Comes Up Short, 21-14, to Virginia Tech
On Saturday afternoon, Boston College lost 21-14 to Virginia Tech. The storyline on everyone’s mind heading into this contest was the weather. With a nor’easter rolling into town on Saturday morning, the game was played in constant rain and gusty wind. The conditions drilled both teams, especially in the first half. We did not see […]
Greece’s Neo-Nazis Are Back
In 2020, Greek courts condemned neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn as a criminal organization. After six years in jail, its former deputy leader Ilias Kasidiaris is making a political comeback, in conditions ...
Why does lithium work against bipolar disorder?
Lithium remains the gold standard for one of the most complex psychiatric conditions. Scientists are still getting to grips with why.
3 common health conditions that can cause hair loss in women
Treating the underlying issue may help stop or even reverse your hair loss.
Maria Menounos 'Almost Died' In Her Sleep Due to This Chronic Health Condition: 'Very Very Stressful and Scary’
Maria Menounos is opening up about a terrifying medical emergency related to her type 1 diabetes. The former E! News host shared a health update on Monday after dealing with a major equipment failure ...
What Does Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Shareholder Approval Mean For Its Privatization?
Caesars Entertainment (NasdaqGS:CZR) shareholders have approved the acquisition of the company by Fertitta Gaming. The vote clears a key hurdle for Caesars to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Fertitta Gaming and to complete its move to private ownership. Regulatory and closing conditions now become the next focus as the transaction advances toward completion. The shareholder approval for Fertitta Gaming's takeover of Caesars Entertainment sits against broader shifts our research has...
Senate approves legislation targeted at pilot, air traffic control mental health guidance
The Senate passed two bills Thursday aimed at removing barriers for pilots and air traffic controllers seeking mental health treatment, as well as reduce stigma surrounding the conditions. Sponsore…
Earth microbes survive simulated conditions of Saturn moon’s ocean
Experiment suggests organisms could live in harsh environment under Enceladus’s icy crust, strengthening possibility moon could support life
Neymar steps up, trains on the pitch with Santos
Santos provided an update on the physical condition of its squad during training this Friday at CT Rei Pelé, with a focus on preparations for the derby against São Paulo in the next round of the Bra...
‘Are we back in the Middle Ages?’ State cites mental health ALFs over deaths, care
“The conditions in these homes are intolerable and despicable. But if the state shuts them down, the residents have nowhere to go.”
Certified Nurse-Midwife Practice Authority as a Structural Determinant of Maternal Health
Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) provide evidence-based maternity care associated with improved birth outcomes, yet half of US states do not grant them independent practice authority. State scope-of-practice regulations may function as structural determinants of maternal health by constraining both the midwifery workforce and the conditions under which care is delivered.
US Senate Approves Legislation to Address Pilot, Air Traffic Control Mental Health Issues
WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The US Senate approved bipartisan legislation to modernize regulations on mental health guidance for pilots and air traffic controllers to encourage early disclosure and treatment. Commercial airline pilots often conceal mental health conditions for fear ...
Detroit and Flint teens are struggling with their mental health – and worried adults around them feel ‘helpless’
School personnel in Detroit and community members in Flint reported concerns about teens experiencing mental health conditions.
Goss report: Tariffs, inflation put pressure on Iowa manufacturers
The Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, which measures economic activity across nine states, moved above growth neutral for the seventh consecutive month in August, pointing to solid economic growth in regional manufacturing. The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group conducts the survey of supply managers to produce leading economic indicators of the Mid-America economy. The Business…
Virginia health committee considers mandating licensed nurses in every school
Virginia schools could be required to have a licensed nurse in every building starting in 2028, under a legislative proposal introduced Wednesday. The measure is designed to close healthcare gaps by placing experts in schools to manage complex medical conditions. Virginia permits school divisions to employ nurses, but state law doesn’t require it. About 8% […]
BACK TO BUSINESS: Friday's forecast includes more sunshine and heat, less rain
The heat is on... again. Expect more sunshine and muggy conditions on Friday. Here's what to expect in your neighborhood.
Medicare Beneficiaries with Multiple and Complex Health Needs Face Challenges
New KFF polling focuses on the health care access and affordability challenges among adults with multiple or complex health conditions, including older Medicare beneficiaries. The results suggest important opportunities for policymakers to strengthen Medicare access and affordability. Medicare Beneficiaries Often Have High Health Needs Many Medicare enrollees have multiple or serious health conditions. More than […]
Steph Curry visits East Oakland school, talks vision issue
Steph Curry is battling the progressive eye condition keratoconus, which effects vision.
Blowhole nebulizer helps cure beluga whale's pneumonia
The vets needed to get creative when antibiotics weren’t moving the needle for her chronic condition.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Three In A Row?
The win vs the Bears in those conditions was what the team needed. They were fortunate to get the punch out on the goal line for sure. But that was a well timed punch so it was just not blind luck. A little luck though. If the Bears score, I am not sure the offense […]
VNC Panel Preview: International Business – Market Conditions, Opportunities & Strategies
VenuesNow Conference Panel Preview: International BusinessWednesday, Sept. 30 11:20 AM – 12:00 PM | Grand Ballroom A & B at the Sheraton Grand Seattle
Mold, unsafe building conditions force Ballston Spa to move court functions
The village board approved multiple measures Wednesday to hold court functions elsewhere.
Tunisia fuel strike highlights growing economic and political anger
A 48-hour strike in Tunis adds to mounting public frustration over worsening living conditions and basic services.
Is metascience being co-opted?
In July, the White House released a report that argued academia is deeply dysfunctional and in need of radical reform.Science: A New Golden Age sets out a litany of problems many academics will recognise: interminable waits for grants; short-term funding rather than support for longer, more ambitious projects; ballooning administrative requirements; pressure to publish, and many more. “The scientific machine is getting bogged down,” it says. At least on the face of it, Science: A New Golden Age is a triumph for the metascience movement, a loose-knit, global group of academics, philanthropists and think tankers that want far more testing and experimentation in how we fund public research and innovation. The report tells US research funders to set up internal metascience units to do just this. But it has also set alarm bells ringing that metascience is being conveniently deployed to help justify the defunding of US universities, which US vice president JD Vance has openly labelled “the enemy.” “Just because you have an issue with your plumbing in your house doesn't mean you light the entire house on fire and burn it to the ground,” said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, a group campaigning against what it says are attacks on scientists by the Trump administration. No one is arguing that academia doesn’t need reform, but there’s debate over how far and how fast the system should be shaken up. Does public R&D need slow and steady evidence-based adjustment, or radical new experiments?One of the key arguments in Science: A New Golden Age is that there’s not enough funding for what it calls “mid-level” science: engineering-heavy projects that require tens of millions of dollars, involve ten to a hundred people, and last around five years. Such a project might develop a brain-computer interface for people with Alzheimer's disease, for example. As such, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already announced $1.5 billion to set up so-called X-Labs, effectively new research organisations to pursue breakthroughs in areas such as quantum sensing and new scientific instruments. Funding divertedBut there’s a catch: this money has squeezed NSF budgets for more traditional, fundamental research grants, Science reported in June, likely meaning less cash for university-based scientists. Science: A New Golden Age also makes various swipes at universities, accusing them of extracting overheads from scientists to fund administrative bloat. “We have become dependent on a narrow set of legacy institutions,” it says. The report doesn’t mention it, but the US government is simultaneously seeking greater powers over federal funding, which would allow political appointees at funding agencies to screen or cancel research grants mid-project. The White House is also seeking to slash the NSF’s budget by more than half in 2027, although similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by Congress. Convenient hookThis has worried some that the metascience agenda could be misused as a kind of smokescreen to further weaken universities. James Wilsdon, executive director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, said that the report contains lots of “interesting ideas” and agrees that in places, academia is a “pretty broken system.” But the risk is that metascience is being deployed as a “convenient hook” to support cuts and a “political land grab” to transfer grant power from scientists to political appointees in US funding agencies.So far, the metascience agenda hasn’t been seized on by radical right parties in Europe. But Wilsdon worries it will cross the Atlantic, politicising research reform efforts and making them more difficult to carry out. The report is already making some in Europe sceptical of the entire idea. “The system is not without flaws, but the metascience discussion is not likely to improve the system but rather to generate munition to undermine it,” said Claes de Vreese, a professor of AI and society at the University of Amsterdam. Peter Thiel protégéOfficially, Science: A New Golden Age has just one named author: Michael Kratsios, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former chief of staff to Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel. He also served as chief financial officer of Thiel’s Clarium Capital Management. Since the 1990s, Thiel has criticised US universities for moving away from teaching what he views as the classic works of western civilisation, and drifting towards “anti-Western zealotry.” And since 2011, he has offered two-year fellowships of $250,000 to young people to skip or drop out of university, and instead start companies or pursue scientific research. “College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new,” according to the Thiel Fellowships website. In other areas, the Trump administration has promoted academics with a longstanding interest in metascience. For example, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, in 2020 co-authored a study arguing the funder backs overly conservative proposals, although he achieved wider prominence as a critic of pandemic lockdowns. Careless talk costs fundingEven before the Trump administration embraced the metascience agenda, some metascientists privately wondered whether they should be careful not to overstate dysfunctions in academia, in case this gets used as ammunition against universities. But others think being cautious with criticism is pointless. After all, last year, the Trump administration sought to cut funding from US universities on an entirely different premise: supposed antisemitism on campus. “I don't think these governments need a technical metascientific excuse to attack the universities, they will want to do so anyway,” said Will Stone, a researcher at Science Works, a new think tank advocating for a “metascience revolution” in the UK. “I think researchers should report what they find, even when the findings may be used to advance policies they disagree with,” echoed Russell Funk, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who in 2023 co-authored a highly influential paper that argued scientific papers were becoming less disruptive over time. No justificationThat said, Funk thinks that metascientific research certainly doesn’t justify a weakening of universities. Instead, scientists need “time, resources and stability to pursue unfamiliar ideas,” he said. “Taking away those conditions works against the very goal the reforms are supposed to achieve.”The Institute for Progress, a Washington DC-based innovation policy think tank that has championed X-Labs and metascience units, also says that reforms should complement, not supplant, universities. “Unpredictable, unreliable, and reduced federal funding to researchers is destabilising to the very foundations of research and development and is bad,” said Jenn Gustetic, the institute’s director of metascience and R&D policy.Evolution or revolution?This points to a much bigger divide in the metascience community: how far and how fast should public R&D be shaken up? Does it need evolution or revolution? For example, Science: A New Golden Age says the science system relies too heavily on traditional “workhorse” project grants, the type that pay out around $250,000 a year to fund “hypothesis-driven science by small teams on tractable questions.” However, in criticising project grants, the report “decisively picks one side of a debate that is far from settled,” David Hilmer Rex, a metascientist based in Denmark, has written. In June, Pierre Azoulay, a metascientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defended project grants, saying that the alternative of X-Labs “merits scepticism.”A-B testingOne challenge in metascience is that it’s easier to generate evidence for some types of change than others. Most straightforwardly, research funders can run A-B tests on different ways of awarding money. For example, Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation recently trialled distributed peer review, where applicants rate each other’s proposals, and measured its results against traditional review panels. Distributed peer review made quicker decisions, although awarded money to largely different ideas. However, much of the focus of the metascience movement has been on founding fast-moving and free-acting new research organisations and funders, in contrast to the alleged stodginess of mainstream academia or public innovation grants. A culture of speed and freedom are the animating principles behind Germany’s Sprind or the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).Related articlesViewpoint: it's time to experiment with how Europe funds science European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationHowever, while it’s possible to closely study previously successful bodies, such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), for historical clues to their secret sauce, it’s impossible to guarantee in advance that the likes of Sprind or Aria will actually work as hoped. But advocates of new organisations say this inherent uncertainly shouldn’t stop us trying. “If we wait for definitive proof that something will work before we try it, I don't know where your proof is coming from,” said Stone. Trade-offsUp until now, experiments in metascience haven’t generally come with hard trade-offs over money. In the US, new ideas such as focused research organisations have often been funded by billionaire philanthropists. In Europe, new innovation agencies such as Sprind and Aria, or the Netherland’s new National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, haven’t needed explicit cuts elsewhere in the research system. But with the $1.5 billion establishment of X-Labs by the NSF, the trade-offs are becoming clearer. Some metascientists privately wonder whether a smaller pilot would have been more appropriate, given that the idea is untested. The Institute for Progress counters that the $1.5 billion X-Labs budget is spread out over a decade, so will account for less than 2% of the NSF’s annual budget. “It’s important to remember that [Darpa] was once an institutional experiment as well. Now it’s one of the most cited innovative funding models in the world,” said Gustetic.As for Europe?The US isn’t the only country placing metascience at the heart of its research strategy. Science: A New Golden Age looks admiringly at the UK, which in 2024 set up a Metascience Unit to scrutinise how it funds research. In Brussels, it’s more of a mixed picture. In 2018, the EU set up the European Innovation Council to funnel grants and equity to start-ups, although it’s sometimes criticised for awarding money too slowly. Recently, the council has started experimenting with challenges, where teams of inventors compete to overcome a technological challenge. The European Commission also wants to experiment with partially randomising grant winners, to cut down on bureaucracy. However, the Commission’s own advisers have said the EU’s own research schemes are too conventional. They want the Commission to establish a new dedicated unit to scrutinise and experiment with funding. But there’s no sign of a such unit emerging in Brussels’ plans for the next Horizon Europe programme, which from 2028 is set to distribute more than €160 billion over seven years. Sam Bogerd, director of breakthrough innovation at the Brussels-based Arq Foundation, an AI-focused think tank that also looks at metascience, says that Europe might have the opposite problem to the US: universities and basic research funding are still reasonably well supported, but there’s not enough experimentation. “We're not taking a close enough look at where this money can achieve the most, and I am worried that the good ideas around metascience will be tainted politically by their association with the Trump administration,” he said. He’s still lobbying for the Commission to set up an experimental unit. But in the meantime, the Arq Foundation plans to do its own research, and is currently hiring two metascience researchers to run the rule over how Brussels spends research funding.
EU science policy wonks debate prospect of stronger ties with Canada
Europe’s research and innovation sector has started asking questions on how European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s offer to make Canada “the first associate member of the EU” would actually work in practice, and who will get to shape priorities in a transatlantic relationship that is getting stronger. The Commission says it wants “a new model of association” under which the EU and Canada will aim to develop “a shared space” to face ongoing challenges. “Working in close coordination with our member states and the European Parliament, we will aim to create a new form of partnership that has not existed until now, building the closest imaginable form of association with a partner outside Europe,” a spokesperson told Science|Business.Locked in an escalating trade war with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly talked of annexing Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been looking east, but full EU membership was never in play. Taking the floor a day after von der Leyen’s proposal, he agreed to strengthen ties under “an alliance of the future” but reined in enthusiasm on the new label. He also suggested expanding Canada’s involvement in the Erasmus+ student mobility scheme, to which it currently has limited access, and the next iteration of Horizon Europe. Canada joined the present Horizon Europe in 2024, but only contributes to collaborative projects.Neither side has detailed the next practical steps in developing this new relationship. “I think nobody at the moment truly knows how this will work,” said Michael Browne, chief executive and founder of Crowdhelix, a global collaborative network that connects players in research and innovation. “It’s more of a statement of intent for closer collaboration, which requires legislative frameworks and approval processes, which have not started.”Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of the League of European Research Universities, said von der Leyen’s pitch to Canada is “politically significant, but the legal content still has to be negotiated and constructed.”Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer university group, agreed that she had only opened “a political door” to Canada, as “associate membership does not come with a predefined set of rights in the EU institutions.”Not only does this status not currently exist as a legal category in the two treaties that set up how the EU functions, but the Commission president cannot unilaterally create a new category of EU membership.According to Deketelaere, Article 217 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which allows the bloc to make association deals with non-EU countries involving reciprocal rights and duties, is “the most obvious existing legal basis for building a much deeper EU-Canada relationship.”Getting universities involvedNo matter how this new cooperation takes shape, Liviu Matei, who heads the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London, hopes to see universities involved in discussions from an early stage.“Its primary motivations, entirely justifiably, are political and geopolitical,” he said. “In the area of higher education, however, restricting the initiative to political and geopolitical considerations would limit the scope of cooperation and lead to distorted frameworks and counterproductive implementation.”It is all the more important since academic interests on the two sides of the Atlantic are “neither identical nor fully aligned,” Matei added. “This is not insurmountable; it simply requires work to articulate the details of this privileged cooperation, including its governance and funding frameworks, as well as its substantive content in education and research.”Related articlesCanada looks to deepen research and education links with the EUZaharieva hopes for a Horizon Europe deal in 2026Canada might participate in European Research Council schemes, for example, which was not on offer in the present Horizon Europe association agreement. But “there would have to be something in it for the EU,” Browne said. “They don’t want to be funding projects outside of the EU where intellectual property is going to sit outside of the EU. There has to be some kind of transfer of knowledge.”But access to funding will not by itself resolve all the practical difficulties of working together, said Björnmalm. “For researchers and students, these include visas and residence arrangements, recognition of qualifications and study periods, and the conditions for pursuing a research career across borders,” he said. “For universities, there is scope for more predictable access to shared laboratories, computing and research data, and stronger support for joint doctoral training and long-term institutional partnerships.”Linda Doyle, provost and president of Trinity College Dublin, said Europe should strive for the “closest possible expression” of this new political alliance. “If Europe is serious about recovering its voice and its place in the world, it needs to be strongly allied with countries who share its values and its vision for a stable, rules-based, peaceful world.”
ADHD and autism diagnoses have surged. A massive study may help explain why
A large Danish study found that children diagnosed with ADHD or autism today more closely resemble their peers in the general population than those diagnosed 10 years ago. The shift suggests that rising diagnosis rates may partly reflect broader identification and changing diagnostic patterns, rather than only an increase in the underlying conditions.
Mental and Behavioral Health Profiles – Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – Lazara Novas, PsyD, PMH-C, IMH-E
Inspired by the unconditional love and support of her father, Lazara Novas, PsyD, PMH-C, IMH-E, built her career around helping families navigate life’s earliest and most vulnerable moments. As Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital’s first dedicated NICU psychologist, she established psychological services for families while embedding emotional well-being into neonatal intensive care. Known for her compassionate, […]
Congo is running short of health workers as Ebola remains out of control, WHO says
The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements.
New emergency department screening helps UK HealthCare identify sepsis sooner
A new emergency department screening protocol at UK HealthCare is helping care teams identify sepsis earlier and begin treatment more quickly, improving care for a life-threatening condition where every minute matters.
Attackers Exploit WordPress CVE-2026-87902 Within Hours of Disclosure
Attackers are exploiting WordPress CVE-2026-87902 to include pearcmd.php and write PHP files when specific theme and server conditions are met.
A planned 2029 debt redemption hinges on $3.97B in funding as AMC Entertainment (AMC) prices new borrowing.
AMC also priced $850M in new term loans. Proceeds and cash are intended to repay existing loans and redeem $903.4M of Muvico notes, subject to conditions.
Aiming at number 9: CASPAR targets fluorine in new science run
The Compact Accelerator System for Performing Astrophysical Research (CASPAR) recreates conditions inside stars to study how elements are made. The experiment recently restarted with a new target—the ...
More REM sleep linked to lower risk of 83 diseases
A large study tracking more than 95,000 people suggests that how you sleep may be linked to your risk of developing dozens of diseases. People who spent more time in REM sleep had lower risks of 83 conditions, including dementia, heart failure, and Parkinson’s disease, while more deep sleep was associated with lower risks of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and major depression.
News & Notes: Lamar Jackson, Ravens Preparing for a ‘Business Trip’ to Brazil
How the Ravens will handle the 10-hour flight from Baltimore to Rio de Janeiro. Players speak about field conditions in Brazil.
Columbia, Maryland ranks as No. 1 city for women due to good job, health outcomes
Columbia, Maryland has been ranked the No. 1 city in the nation for women due to its favorable conditions for good job prospects and positive health outcomes, according to a new survey released by the financial website WalletHub.
Brandi Glanville’s Never-Ending Health Battle Gets Yolanda Hadid Assist
Brandi Glanville has received support from her former RHOBH costar Yolanda Hadid as she continues treatment for a mysterious facial condition. The 53-year-old said the issue began after she filmed Rea...
A Massive Jackpot of Green Fuel Is Locked Underground—and Scientists May Have Just Found the Key
A new study replicated the heat and pressure conditions of Western Australia’s vast iron-ore deposits to produce natural hydrogen gas.
Health wearables can help track trends, but doctors warn against relying on them alone
Doctors say health wearables are useful for tracking trends over time, but warn against using them to diagnose conditions or panic over individual readings.
AI-enabled Pelago expands from SUD care to mental health, behavioral addictions
Pelago, a virtual substance use disorder (SUD) provider, has expanded to mental health and behavioral addiction care. | The new Pelago Behavioral Health Platform means co-occurring conditions can be assessed and treated in a single plan. Behavioral addiction programming includes gambling, gaming and binge eating
Command (Hockey) Performance
The Kraken’s newly created sports performance group has added a third strength and conditioning coach plus a full-time dietitian for wider, deeper scope aimed at more wins on the ice
Minecraft Beat Itself After Nearly Two Billion Simulated Years
Minecraft is no stranger to simulations, but it turns out that under the right conditions, the game can beat itself if given billions of years.
Jessica Lange gave strict condition to Ryan Murphy for returning to “American Horror Story” — and it’s not a ‘musical number’
The star revealed the one stipulation she had before agreeing to come back, and revealed she plays a secret fifth character on “AHS” season 13.
What CDC's new teen health survey shows, and what it skips
Teen suicide risk hit a 10-year low in 2025. Guns, sexual violence, and self-harm. Where are the 2025 data on transgender teens? Missing data changes public health policy. Teen suicide risk hit a 10-year low in 2025. CDC asked more than 10,000 high school students over 100 questions in spring 2025. Yesterday, it published a report covering a fraction of them. The report focsed on five areas: diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behaviors, and mental health, reflecting the priorities of the Make America Healthy Again movement. There was good news. Fewer teens seriously considered suicide in 2025 than in any survey year since 2015: 14%, down from 20% in 2023. Sadness fell. Underlying Conditions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Sports participation, which dipped to 49% in 2021, is back to its 2015 level of 58%. Daily PE fell from 27% to 20% in two years, while fewer students eat breakfast daily than a decade ago. Guns, sexual violence, and self-harm. The questionnaire is public, and it goes well beyond those five areas. Students answered questions about sexual violence, self-harm, and whether they got help when they felt sad or anxious. They said how quickly they could get a loaded gun. They reported whether food ran out at home and whether they felt close to people at school. There were questions about sexual identity, including whether they were transgender. The report did not publish any of the answers students gave to those questions. CDC posts the raw survey data online, so anyone can see what the report left out. The report doesn’t cover the health of sexual minority students. Among students who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, questioning, or another non-straight identity, persistent sadness fell from 66% to 57% between 2023 and 2025. Serious thoughts of suicide fell from 41% to 30%. Those drops were bigger than the ones among straight students, although the gap remains wide: 28% of straight students reported persistent sadness, about half the rate of LGBQ+ students. About 1 in 7 girls reported sexual violence in the past year. One in 6 students hurt themselves on purpose. Among students who needed help for sadness or anxiety, half rarely or never got it. And among students who had seriously considered suicide, 43% said they could get a loaded gun without an adult’s permission. One protective factor rose sharply. In 2023, 55% of students said they felt close to people at their school; in 2025, 63% did. CDC’s earlier research ties that kind of connection to better mental health. Where are the 2025 data on transgender teens? In 2023, CDC's national survey asked high school students, for the first time, whether they were transgender. Their answers are the only nationally representative data on transgender teens, and their mental health is by far the worst of any demographic. That year, 71% of transgender students reported persistent sadness, 54% seriously considered suicide, and 26% attempted it, compared with 38%, 18%, and 8% of cisgender students. But we don’t have 2025 data. The timing matters because students took the survey in spring 2025, as federal policy toward transgender youth shifted. On January 28th, an executive order directed agencies to end federal support for gender-affirming care for people under 19, and several hospitals paused that care within days. In February, the CDC said it would no longer process transgender identity data. Later in 2025, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and HHS ended the 988 Lifeline’s dedicated line for LGBTQ+ youth. Researchers disagree about how much state policy shapes trans teens’ mental health. A 2024 Trevor Project study estimated that anti-trans laws increased suicide attempts among trans and nonbinary youth. Critics dispute its methods and its estimates. The 2025 survey could have added national evidence to that fight. CDC collected the data but hasn’t publicly released it. Missing data changes public health policy. Surveillance works as a feedback loop. It can show officials whether their policies help or hurt. The CDC didn’t provide data on the students most exposed to transgender policy shifts. The report kept measures that frame health as personal choice, like fruit, breakfast, and sports. It left out measures that track policy, like gun access, mental healthcare, food at home, and school climate, all of which respond to what legislators and agencies decide. HHS did not respond to questions that I sent on September 21st.
Scientists Discover Humans May Actually Have 2 Brains Rather Than 1
The discovery could help scientists advance research into conditions including Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, and spinal muscular atrophy
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Health experts warn of seasonal illness increase as fall begins
Local health experts are warning residents to prepare for an increase in seasonal illnesses as the first day of fall brings a drastic shift from humid heat to cool, wet conditions.
Is 50 the new 60?
Subscribe TL;DR: Younger generations are showing signs of worse health compared to earlier-born cohorts at the same age This backward “drift” is showing up both in mortality risk and chronic disease Worsening trends in obesity and diabetes are the most consistent signals Taking the long view, we’ve made astonishing gains in health and life expectancy in the last century. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled from 32 years in 1900 to 73 years in 2024. (But don’t forget, there were still old people when life expectancy was 32). As people lived longer, they also generally lived healthier along the way. It turns out that avoiding things that can kill you early, like malnutrition and lots of childhood infections, also keeps you healthier later in life. In a classic 2004 paper, Finch and Crimmins proposed that cohorts of children who benefited from fewer early life infections had less lifetime exposure to inflammation and cardiovascular disease later in life, accelerating mortality improvements at older ages. Poor nutrition in the womb has also been linked to a higher risk of later chronic disease. The upshot is that improvements in childhood health can pay dividends many decades later. The combination of better living conditions (nutrition, sanitation) and medical advances (antibiotics, vaccines, blood pressure meds, etc) meant that people’s healthy lifespan generally expanded, even as they lived longer. Aging researchers call this best-case scenario “compression of morbidity”—meaning we delay the onset of disease and disability even faster than the years of life we are adding. During my 20+ year research career, we could generally bank on the idea that younger generations would not only live longer but also keep getting healthier along the way. “60 is the new 50” as they say… Enter “Generational Health Drift” Sadly, this expectation of steady progress may be changing. You’ve probably heard that US life expectancy gains have slowed to a crawl in the past couple of decades. Mortality improvements are also slowing (though less dramatically) in many other high-income countries (you can read more about that in a review paper I wrote here). Mortality is a very blunt health measure, but it is often a good barometer for the broader population health trends happening underneath. And we are now seeing that younger generations may be in worse health at similar ages compared to earlier born cohorts. My collaborator Prof. George Ploubidis at University College London coined this worsening health in more recently born cohorts “generational health drift.” “Generational health drift” is bad news on multiple fronts. Most obviously, we don’t want our health progress to go backward. But the timing is also bad, since our populations are aging. In demographic terms, “population aging” means that the proportion of the population at older ages (i.e >65 years) is increasing. Fun demography fact: Current population aging is not due to the recent declines in the birth rates making the news, but declines in fertility decades ago, after the “baby boom.” As baby boomers reach older ages, the smaller cohorts behind them mean the percentage of older adults will increase. For example, the share of the population age 65 and older in the US increased from 12.4% in 2004 to 18.0% in 2024. This story of population aging was written long ago. Many worry that population aging will put pressure on health care and pension systems. But if people reach older ages in better health than in years past, those fiscal pressures would be less dire than projected. Healthy older people can also continue to contribute to society in many valuable ways, including paid work, caregiving, community service….even high political office 🤷. On the flip side, if younger generations reach retirement age in worse health and with more disabling conditions, this could magnify the societal challenge of population aging. Evidence for worsening generational health A recent paper that I LOVED in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Leah Abrams and colleagues examined which birth cohorts (aka generations) were behind worsening US mortality. Behold the Lexis diagram (cue swooning demographers). Calendar time is on the x-axis, age on the y-axis. Birth cohorts can be followed over time as they age on the diagonal lines moving up and to the right. This figure plots the year-on-year % change in all-cause mortality at a given age. Green shading indicates mortality improvements over time, white is stagnation, and gray shading indicates worsening mortality. Following the diagonal line for those born in 1950, you can see a noticeable shift from green to gray that follows this cohort for most of their lives. This gray shading shows generally worsening mortality for the 1950 to 1959 birth cohorts compared to their predecessors across all ages. Concerningly for my GenX and elder millennial peeps, there was also a deterioration in mortality for birth cohorts born in the 1970s and 1980s, visible as dark gray areas at ages 30 to 45 during the 2010s. While some of these mortality changes reflect specific shocks such as the opioid epidemic, most deaths still occur from major causes of death such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For cancer, the gray in the top left corner of the figure below reflects the legacies of smoking for older cohorts, followed by a period of green with improvements in cancer mortality as smoking rates declined. But the white/gray shading in the bottom right corner highlights a stagnation and reversal of the cancer trends, with cohorts born around 1970 to 1985 experiencing worsening cancer mortality. This deterioration was most noticeable for colon cancer mortality, possibly linked to obesity or dietary factors. Not just dying more, but less healthy along the way. A recent paper by Dr. Laura Gimeno of University College London (of which I am a co-author), found evidence that more recently born cohorts in Great Britain have stagnating or worsening health. A stylized picture of what“generational health drift” might look like: The review paper found: Rates of childhood overweight and obesity were highest among Gen Z. Rates of diabetes in the 40s almost doubled from 3.1% among the Baby Boomers to 5.9% in Generation X. Gen Z reported higher rates of poor mental health in adolescence compared to earlier-born groups. These UK results are consistent with studies showing worsening health across generations in the US as well. A 2021 US study found that more recently born cohorts had worse biological markers (like blood pressure and blood sugar) than earlier generations at the same age. A separate 2022 study of Americans aged 50 and over found that more recently born generations had a higher number of chronic diseases, with younger age of disease onset. A 2024 Lancet paper found that in the US, women born in 1945 had 33% obesity prevalence at age 50, rising to 48.2% for women born in 1970 turning 50. So what’s going on, and can we turn it around? We don’t have a definitive answer for what’s causing the deteriorating health of younger cohorts, but circumstantial evidence points to worsening trends in obesity and diabetes in both the US and UK. Remember that cohort trends reflect lagged effects of early environments, and younger generations have faced both earlier onset and more severe obesity across their lifetimes. Despite these very concerning trends, the future is not set in stone. We’ve reversed poor generational health trends before: drops in smoking are a major reason cancer and heart disease deaths fell so dramatically in recent decades. GLP-1 drugs may finally turn the tide against rising rates of obesity and diabetes, though it is still early days. But things could also get worse…for example from a return to higher levels of childhood infectious diseases that can have a lasting impact on health. See for example: [ ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) [ Don’t You Forget About Me(asles): The Virus That Erases Immune Memory ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Jenn Dowd, PhD · March 24, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Even as an optimist, emerging data on the “generational health drift” has my full attention. For most of my research career, we took it for granted that each generation would be healthier than the last. But if present trends continue, **50 could be the new 60….**and Gen Z celebrities will soon look older than Paul Rudd :). Stay well, Jenn Share the Health! If you found this post useful, please share it with a friend. Share
Jiang Feng: The Unravelling of German & European Politics
A state election in eastern Germany has become a revealing test of the changing political landscapes of Germany and Europe, writes Jiang Feng, Professor and Chairman of the Council of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies (SAGGAS) at Shanghai International Studies University. His analysis follows the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) (which has been classified as right-wing extremist by German authorities)in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, in which it finished far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Jiang previously served as Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The following article was published on 8 September 2026 on huanqiu.com, the online platform of the Global Times. On 6 September, the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, were announced. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right by German authorities, made history by becoming the largest party in the state parliament, winning 43.8 per cent of the vote — twice its share in the previous election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had governed the state continuously for 24 years, won just 17.2 per cent, its worst result ever in Saxony-Anhalt. On the night the results were announced, the atmosphere at the CDU gathering was unusually calm. There was neither shock nor argument, as if the defeat had long been expected. Several veteran party members who had spent years working in the state government said: “Defeat is not a bad thing. It is time to make changes.” This state election has not only upended Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape, but also laid bare the deep tensions between Germany’s traditional party structure and model of governance, on the one hand, and an increasingly polarised society on the other. Its repercussions are already being felt at the federal level, making Saxony-Anhalt a useful case study of the broader trend towards political polarisation and realignment in Europe. Governing Difficulties after Electoral Victory The most immediate consequence of the election is a historic setback for the mainstream party order that took shape in post-war Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has leapt from a peripheral party to the largest political force in the state. Its electoral base has expanded beyond the traditional category of “marginal protest voters” to take on the characteristics of a cross-class coalition. The party has not only consolidated its support in rural areas, but also attracted many middle-class voters and even members of the social elite with stable jobs, their own homes, and substantial incomes. It has thus evolved from a “protest party” into one with the potential to govern. Despite its commanding lead in the vote, however, the AfD faces an institutional obstacle to governing the state: the mainstream parties’ long-standing “firewall” against it. Neither of the two potential routes to forming a government appears likely to break the current political deadlock. The first would be a coalition of establishment parties, led by the CDU and bringing together the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in a cross-camp government. In terms of parliamentary arithmetic, such a coalition could prevent the AfD from forming a government and preserve the outward stability of the traditional political order. Yet these parties are fundamentally divided over key issues including immigration, the energy transition, economic management, and cultural and education policy. Coalition negotiations would therefore be extremely difficult, and even if a government could be formed, it would most likely prove short-lived. More importantly, an alliance of establishment parties aimed at keeping the largest party out of government would play directly into the AfD’s narrative that “political elites are suppressing public opinion”. It could deepen perceptions of political unfairness, further strengthening the AfD’s political capital, and creating a dynamic in which “the more it is suppressed, the more people vote for it”. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for state premier, has said that if efforts to form a government fail because other parties refuse to cooperate, the AfD will push for a fresh election, which he believes could deliver the party an absolute majority of seats. This points to more intense political battles ahead. The second option would be a coalition between the AfD and the BSW. Together, the two parties would command a simple majority in parliament, making this, on paper, the quickest route to forming a government. The BSW is the only elected party that has not ruled out cooperation with the AfD, and the two parties share some common ground, including on policy towards Russia. There is therefore a degree of political basis for cooperation. Were such a coalition to materialise, Germany would see its first state government jointly formed by a party defined as far-right and one with a far-left background, creating what might be called a “bipolar anti-establishment alliance”. Such an outcome would fundamentally break with the ideological boundaries of post-war German party politics. It is worth noting that even if the AfD ultimately fails to enter the state government, its roughly 47 per cent share of parliamentary seats would give it a powerful blocking minority. Without its consent, major decisions requiring a two-thirds majority — including constitutional amendments, significant budgetary adjustments, and state-level institutional reforms — would be extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, whoever ultimately forms the government, the AfD will be an unavoidable force in Saxony-Anhalt politics, with a direct influence on the state’s legislative process. Systemic Failures in Germany’s Governance Model The Saxony-Anhalt election result reflects a systemic failure of Germany’s post-war mainstream-party model of governance to adapt to rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. It stems from multiple, mutually reinforcing structural tensions and highlights the existing political system’s difficulty in adapting to “an increasingly polarised society First, collective anxiety has replaced individual material hardship as a central driver of political mobilisation. The rise of the AfD can no longer be explained simply by poverty or social marginalisation. Its increasingly cross-class electoral base suggests that what is driving voters towards the party is, above all, concern about the broader direction of society. This anxiety about the future of the political community goes beyond individual gains and losses. In political discourse, economic anxiety has become closely intertwined with immigration, while immigration and refugee issues are, in essence, questions of social fairness. This perception turns conflicts over the distribution of social resources into negative assessments of governing parties, providing a broad social basis for far-right political narratives. Second, regional disparities and East German identity have undermined the strategy of addressing eastern Germany’s structural challenges at the regional level. More than three decades after German reunification, eastern states such as Saxony-Anhalt have experienced periods of economic growth, but their underlying economic structures remain weak, and household incomes and wealth remain significantly below those in western Germany. At the same time, they continue to face population outflow, an ageing population, labour shortages, and other structural challenges. At a deeper level, historical experiences — including the collapse of the former East German economic system, mass unemployment during the transition, and the westward shift of decision-making power over major issues — have left some residents with a sense of being “second-class citizens” and of being excluded. For years, the German government treated the “syndrome” of reunification as a regional problem to be gradually addressed at the local level. That approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable, as regional development disparities emerge as a core structural factor shaping national politics. Third, the erosion of institutional trust is perhaps the most decisive factor. AfD supporters tend to distrust establishment institutions, including parliament, government, and the mainstream media. Their concerns about economic security, pensions, and social fairness are significantly greater than the social average. Increasingly, their support for the AfD reflects not an expectation that the existing system can be improved, but a search for an alternative to the current political order. Such a systemic deficit of trust will be extremely difficult for the traditional parties to repair in the short term. Fourth, a generational shift in political mobilisation has amplified political polarisation. Unlike traditional parties, which rely heavily on offline rallies and mainstream media coverage, the AfD has developed a social-media mobilisation strategy built around “raising an issue — identifying who is responsible — offering a simplified solution — building a shared identity”. It turns complex social tensions into concise political narratives, rapidly channelling public sentiment into political support. The contrast on the eve of the election was particularly telling. The establishment parties, together with trade unions and churches, organised an offline march attended by more than 10,000 people, but its reach was largely confined to those present and to traditional media coverage. The AfD held a much smaller indoor event, yet livestreaming on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, combined with the involvement of online influencers, gave it a reach and mobilising capacity far beyond that of the march. The contrast illustrates how the traditional parties’ methods of political mobilisation are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a political environment transformed by changes in media technology. A Microcosm of Structural Political Change in Europe The shockwaves from the Saxony-Anhalt election quickly travelled beyond the state to the federal level. Calls for political accountability followed immediately after the results were announced. The governing CDU and SPD are now under enormous pressure, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil face an unprecedented test. Political polarisation in Germany is no longer simply a regional phenomenon. The post-war model of multiparty government by establishment parties is breaking down and being reshaped. Viewed in a broader European context, the Saxony-Anhalt election is part of a continent-wide wave of party polarisation, mainstream-party decline, and rising right-wing forces. Far from an isolated phenomenon, it is a microcosm of the structural political changes unfolding across Europe. Weak economic growth, cultural tensions over immigration, and declining trust in institutions are fuelling the rise of right-wing forces in several countries, challenging the liberal internationalist order established in post-war Europe. As a core member state of the European Union, Germany’s ability to adapt its political system and the direction of its politics will have profound implications for both European integration and the evolution of the international order. Subscribe [ Pekingnology China’s Germany watchers take stock of Berlin’s uneasy turn On 7 December 2025, nearly 50 Chinese scholars and policy researchers gathered in Beijing for the 2025年德国形势年终研讨会 “2025 Year-End Seminar on the Situation in Germany… Read more 9 months ago · 31 likes · 1 comment · YIRUI LI and Yuxuan JIA ](https://www.pekingnology.com/p/chinas-germany-watchers-take-stock?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1151841) [ Jiang Feng on Germany's 2025 and beyond: no easy exit ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond) Yirui LI and Yuxuan JIA · Jan 24 The following is an op-ed by Jiang Feng, published on 29 December 2025 at Shanghai Observer 上观新闻, the digital platform of Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [ Read full story ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond)
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