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Trump asks Supreme Court to let White House resume ballroom construction during appeal
President Donald Trump's administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the White House to resume construction on its $400 million ballroom project while it appeals a lower court's order to halt the work.
Canada Invests $24 Million To Study Impact Of Cannabis On Brain Health
Canada's health ministry this week announced a $24 million investment in research examining how cannabis use affects users' brain health.
Health policy must be driven by data, not political grandstanding
'The administration’s anti-vaccine rhetoric will only sow widespread confusion, ultimately driving up rates of entirely preventable childhood diseases,' writes an L.A. Times reader.
Trump administration asks US supreme court to allow construction of White House ballroom
Administration asks justices to keep appeals court decision to halt work on hold while it prepares a full appeal
Family Fun Day returns Sept. 19 with free food, entertainment and activities
A longtime community tradition will return next month as the Sciotoville Church of the Nazarene and Potter’s House Ministries host their 17th annual Family Fun Day on Sept. 19.
MetroHealth Community Health Centers Secures Federal Funding to Strengthen Community-Based Care
MetroHealth Community Health Centers (MHCHC) was among 158 organizations nationwide selected to receive funding through a $102 million investment announced Thursday, August 13, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Small Businesses Despise Trump’s Tariffs
Mere hours after the Trump administration's latest tariff scheme launched on July 24, the government was sued again by the same small businesses that had already defeated prior White House tariff shenanigans, most notably at the Supreme Court. As Bloomberg Law reported, these companies are part of an “increasingly vocal cohort of business owners who emerged as the face of mom-and-pop tariff resistance.” What about Walmart Inc., Ford Motor Co. and the other titans of corporate America paying many
Trump Team’s Use of Arcane Budget Rule Threatens Medicaid Coverage
Coverage for hundreds of thousands of Arkansas Medicaid enrollees next year is in question after the Trump administration refused to renew a key state waiver. The state might not be the last to have to adjust to an arcane rule change under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
How will legal challenges fare against CMS rule on gender-affirming care?
A CMS rule finalized this week may prove more difficult to challenge than previous Trump administration actions to end transgender care for young people.
False claims about miscarriage risk from Covid-19 vaccines are spreading online. They use a faulty interpretation of data
Numerous studies have shown that Covid-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, but Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials have recently stirred up false and misleading claims that are now spreading on social media.
Gemini now turns your messy spreadsheets into interactive mini-apps
Sheets canvas is rolling out now
Nigel Farage beats Count Binface to win back seat in Parliament in widely mocked election
Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party who some see as a possible next prime minister, abruptly quit his seat in July amid an investigation into whether he failed to report a 5 million pound ($6.7 million) gift from a crypto billionaire overseas.
Jared Kushner to visit Israel and Egypt next week with Board of Peace officials to talk Gaza
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner will travel to the Middle East next week to try to advance plans for an end to the conflict in Gaza after a deal recently announced by the Trump administration ran into Israeli opposition
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits Atwater to announce $102M investment in rural health care centers
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Castle Family Health Centers in Atwater to announce a $102 million investment alongside other members of the Trump administration.
Google Meet rolling out ‘Take Notes’ for in-person meetings on Android, web, & iOS
As previewed in April, Google Meet’s “Take Notes for me” feature can now work for in-person meetings. This Gemini-powered feature...
Luján, hospital leaders talk Medicaid 'headwinds' and rural health gaps at Rio Rancho roundtable
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, told hospital administrators at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center that Republican-backed federal Medicaid cuts won’t just hurt New Mexicans enrolled in the program — they’ll raise care and insurance costs for everyone else, too. Presbyterian Delivery System President Chad Aduddell told Luján the nonprofit system — […]
Pixel 11’s Gboard Rambler is prompt-based, rather than real-time
Gboard Rambler is likely the flagship Gemini Intelligence feature on the Pixel 11 series, but it’s not the real-time transcription...
Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit alleging antisemitism at Harvard
The decision from U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns said President Donald Trump's administration failed to prove an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws.
Google’s Gemini 3.7 Flash targets coding and agents with a 50% introductory price cut
Google's own results do not show 3.7 Flash universally displacing higher-priced competitors. They instead suggest a model that has become substantially more competitive in coding and agent workloads while occupying a lower price tier.
Google unveils Gemini 3.7 Flash AI model for coding, agent workflows
Alphabet's Google launched Gemini 3.7 Flash on Thursday, its latest AI model designed for software coding and automated business tasks, but offered no details on when its flagship Pro model will be released.
Google announces Gemini 3.7 Flash just three weeks after previous release
Gemini 3.6 Flash debuted just 3 weeks ago, but Google says 3.7 has "substantial improvements."
Gemini 3.7 Flash launches three weeks after last model, live in Spark
Just three weeks after the last release, Google today announced Gemini 3.7 Flash, which continues the company's accelerated cadence.
Trump admin marks 15 straight months with zero border releases as apprehensions plunge 94%
President Donald Trump's administration says it has gone 15 straight months without a single release at the border as apprehensions drop 94%.
Sen. Todd Young tours Indianapolis business Thomas and Skinner
Sen. Young was joined by SBA administrator Kelly Loeffler during a tour of the Indianapolis manufacturing facility.
He once defended Trump in Congress. Now he runs a California wine bar.
Devin Nunes made headlines constantly in the first Trump administration.
Devin Nunes, former Trump confidant, opens Pismo Beach wine bar
Devin Nunes made headlines constantly in the first Trump administration.
Senate Democrat demands answers to reports of Navy warship's mental health breakdown
Senator Richard Blumenthal asked the Trump administration in a Wednesday letter to provide information about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
AHA responds to FDA RFI on health and safety benefits regarding non-device software
The AHA Aug. 13 responded to a Food and Drug Administration request for input on the risks and benefits to health and safety associated with non-device software.
Alarming study finds top chatbots more likely to repeat falsehoods from the left: ‘Truly astonishing’
ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude were more likely to fall for political falsehoods from the left, while Grok skewed right, a new misinformation study found.
New Executive Order Undermines Child Health
On August 10, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at making major changes to federal vaccine policy. Among several other actions, this order would make major revisions to the childhood vaccination schedule, direct care providers to administer monovalent vaccines as soon as they are available (starting with splitting up the MMR (measles, mumps, […]
Essentia Health welcomes new executive vice president
Essentia Health is excited to announce the addition of Jason Craig as executive vice president of administration and operations.
DJI Mic Mini 2S review: The best tiny mic now offers a pro experience
DJI’s Mic Mini 2S offers high-quality audio and ease of use, and it’s now better for pros due to the new internal 32-bit float recording.
Ask a Scientist: How Do We Track the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Science?
Introducing a multi-purpose tool for documenting AND fighting attacks on science that affect our health and safety.
Trump administration finalizes rule to end federal support for gender-affirming care
Move blocking funds through Medicaid and Chip to make it harder for vulnerable children to get healthcare, experts say
When they didn’t find fraud while testing a voting machine for the Trump admin, this cyber firm faced a wave of backlash
The Trump administration abruptly declined to renew a contract for a cybersecurity firm it hired to examine voting equipment in Puerto Rico after the company didn’t echo administration officials’ false claims of voter fraud, the firm’s executives said in their first extensive public remarks on the episode.
After years of landslide victories, Klobuchar faces a tougher political fight against Demuth
The governor’s race will be Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s toughest test in a statewide election, following a series of easy reelections to the U.S. Senate. Republicans see Lisa Demuth as their best shot at capturing anger over fraud scandals and fatigue with the Walz administration.
Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia will form political, military mechanisms to coordinate under defence pact, Ankara says
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will form political and military mechanisms under a defence pact signed between the regional powers last week, Turkey's defence ministry said on Thursday, adding the alliance would also deepen defence industry cooperation.
Common Health Coalition secures $100M from OpenAI Foundation to boost hepatitis C cure rates
The OpenAI Foundation invested $100 million towards a new public health initiative with the Common Health Coalition aimed at helping states and local jurisdictions close discovery-to-delivery gaps, | Funding will support the deployment of AI-enabled tools to help identify patients who have fallen out of care, reduce administrative burden, strengthen care coordination and improve patient outcomes.
What patients actually think about ‘minimally invasive’ brain implants
A new study polled people with treatment-resistant depression about what matters to them when it comes to brain implants for mental health.
From black boots to pastel suits, Italian premier's wardrobe evolves with her politics
ROME (AP) — As Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's politics have evolved — from combative outsider to pragmatic establishment leader — so, too, has her fashion sensibility.
Asia-Pacific parliamentarians urge bolder action for universal health coverage, climate resilience and responsible AI
Parliamentarians representing 16 countries from across the Asia-Pacific region concluded the Ninth Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (APPFGH) today, reaffirming their key role in advancing universal health coverage (UHC) amid the risks and opportunities posed by AI and climate change. In adopting the Phnom Penh Communiqué, parliamentarians urged fellow legislators regionwide to strengthen sustainable financing for UHC to widen access to health for all, including the most vulnerable populations; promote responsible governance of AI amid ethical concerns over this fast-evolving technology; and build climate-resilient health systems to anticipate and respond to mounting pressures ranging from rising sea levels in coastal areas to air pollution and other environmental degradation.The National Assembly of Cambodia, with support from Cambodia’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), hosted the Forum in Phnom Penh from 11 to 13 August 2026 – the first time the Forum has convened in a Mekong country.Parliamentarians urge action to close gaps in accessIn the Communiqué, parliamentarians recognized that at-risk and marginalized groups are the ones most severely affected by gaps in access to health services. These groups include people living in poverty, women and children, persons with disabilities, older people, migrants, refugees, and those in rural, remote or island communities. The Communiqué urges fellow parliamentarians and policy-makers to advocate for laws and policies that support sustainable financing to protect people from financial hardship, with a focus on primary health care, prevention and equity. "The Communiqué is a call to action. It sets out ambitious, concrete measures that deliver meaningful impact on the ground. We are all accountable for advancing universal health coverage and translating our commitments into tangible results. Cambodia is fully committed to advancing UHC, including the promotion of ‘healthy people, prosperous country’ campaign,” said Samdech Maha Rathsapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia.His Excellency Professor Chheang Ra, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia, highlighted the need for collaboration beyond the health sector. “Universal health coverage cannot be achieved by the Ministry of Health alone. It requires support, particularly from parliamentarians, across political, legislative, financial, social protection, education, infrastructure, and environmental domains. While each country follows its own path, one factor is universally critical for success: strong governance and leadership. We all believe in this principle, and in our respective political roles, we remain committed to strengthening these key success factors to ensure that no one is left behind.”Promoting responsible AI adoption Parliamentarians acknowledged that, while AI has already demonstrated its ability to improve access to health services and support delivery, careful and ethical governance is necessary to safeguard quality, safety, privacy and public trust. This underscores the importance of parliamentarians in promoting legal and regulatory frameworks addressing liability, records ownership and data governance, while embracing innovation that protects ethical practice.“Without strong governance, safeguards for privacy and data security, sustainable financing, and attention to those most at risk of exclusion, new technologies may widen existing gaps instead of closing them. This is why parliamentarians matter. We pass laws. We approve budgets. We scrutinize government action. We represent communities. We can ask whether health services are reaching rural, remote, ageing, poor, and marginalized populations. We can ask whether innovation is being guided by equity, evidence, and ethics,” said Hon. Man Hee Lee, President of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health.Building climate-resilient health systemsParliamentarians also reiterated that the climate crisis is a direct threat to people’s health and to achieving UHC more broadly, deepening the same gaps in access already faced by at-risk and marginalized communities. They recognized the need for WHO Member States to ensure sufficient national appropriations and oversight, and for parliamentarians to raise awareness in their constituencies and mobilize local action in building climate-resilient and sustainable health systems.“Universal health coverage, climate change and AI cannot be addressed in isolation. The same communities struggling to access health services today are often the ones most exposed to climate shocks, and most in need of the opportunities AI can offer if this technology is governed responsibly,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “Having served previously in this Forum myself as a parliamentarian from Tonga, I recognize how the Phnom Penh Communiqué reflects the shared resolve of legislators across the Asia-Pacific region: the laws parliamentarians pass and the budgets they approve help ensure this progress reaches the people who need it most.”As the Forum drew to a close, delegates reflected on what they would carry back to their own parliaments and constituencies.“I wish to share three points here worth carrying home from Phnom Penh: we need to invest in primary health care as the foundation of coverage; we need to remove the barriers that keep people from care, whether financial, geographic or social; and we need to build systems that are inclusive by design, protecting those most at risk of being left behind,” added Hon. Ouch Borith, First Vice-President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia.###Notes for editors:The Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (APPFGH) is a platform for parliamentarians to exchange ideas, build political will, strengthen capacity and foster collaboration towards sustainable health action. This was the ninth meeting of the APPFGH, with the theme “Universal Health Coverage in the era of Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence”. Target 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls on countries to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health services, and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. In the Western Pacific, UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1) rose from 63 in 2000 to 81 in 2023 (figures include Indonesia), and roughly one in four people in the Western Pacific have experienced financial hardship (SDG 3.8.2). Progress towards UHC in the Asia-Pacific region remains uneven, with hundreds of millions of people still lacking access to essential health services or facing financial hardship due to health-related expenses. Strengthening the role of parliaments – through legislation, financing and oversight – is central to closing this gap and accelerating progress towards UHC across the region.Parliamentarians participating in APPFGH in Cambodia this week include: Hon. Pehin Dato Adanan YUSOF, Brunei Darussalam; Hon. Rosmawatty ABDUL MUMIN, Brunei Darussalam; Hon. LORK Kheng, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. YOS Phanita, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. KHOUN Khundy, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. HENG Halim, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. KHOENG Noupheap, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. SENG Nhak, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. LY Sukry, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. NHOEURN Raden, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. Dr Ratu Atonio LALABALAVU, Republic of Fiji; Hon. Vijay NATH, Republic of Fiji; Hon. Man Hee LEE, Republic of Korea; Hon. Dr Jiho CHA, Republic of Korea; Hon. Jonghun BAEK, Republic of Korea; Hon. Youngsuk SEO, Republic of Korea; Hon. Dr Phayvanh KEOPASEUTH, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Hon. Suhaizan Bin KAIAT, Malaysia; Hon. Dr Perpetua KONMAN, Federated States of Micronesia; Hon. Ganmaa DAVAASAMBUU, Mongolia; Hon. Charmaine SCOTTY, Republic of Naoero; Hon. Vincent Ambance KUMURA, Papua New Guinea; Hon. Dr Edwin CRUZADO, Republic of the Philippines; Hon. AUUAPAAU Mulipola Aloitafua Mulipola, Samoa; Hon. ASIATA TAVUI Tafu Salevao, Samoa; Hon. Dr Alani Petelo TANGITAU, Tonga; Hon. Paul PAOLO, Republic of Vanuatu; Hon. Franklyn Ezra WILLIAM, Republic of Vanuatu.For more information, contact: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific: wprocom@who.int National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia (International Relations Department): ir.nacambodia@gmail.com
Padilla leads Democrats in push for answers about cancelled wind projects
Over the last several months, the Trump administration has made a series of announcements that the federal government would be buying back off-shore wind leases issued during the Biden administration for billions of dollars.
INOVIO Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results and Recent Business Highlights
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of Biologics License Application (BLA) for INO-3107 as a treatment for Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis...
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to leave administration
She will leave the administration at the end of August, President Donald Trump announced in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Law firm declines offer to represent migrant children
The administration last week announced plans to award the contract to the Burke Law Group, a Houston-based firm with little experience in immigration.
Warnock Leads Inquiry into State Department Efforts to Seek Personal Health Data in Exchange for Aid to Developing Nations » Reverend Raphael Warnock
In a new letter, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock presses the Trump Administration on their efforts to obtain personal health data from African countries in exchange for global health funding The Trump Administration has requested direct, real-time access to the health data of citizens in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Liberia, and several […]
Pixel Buds Pro 2 And 2a Are Getting Some Upgrades, Including Deeper Gemini Integration
Google didn't have any new headphones this year, but some new features are coming to the Pixel Buds.
Twitch is Mining Peoples' Streams to Train Amazon's AI
Here's how to opt out of Twitch's new generative AI training setting.
New details on Trump’s secret plane swap expose the administration’s lies
President Donald Trump late Tuesday confirmed reporting from the Washington Post, CNN and others that he secretly switched planes in Turkey last month because of a security threat.
USPTO Expands Category A Patent Bar Admission Criteria to Include Biomedical Science Degree
The USPTO published a Federal Register Notice Tuesday announcing administrative updates to the General Requirements Bulletin (GRB).
Google unveils Pixel 11 lineup, new AirTag rival, and Gemini features at Made by Google 2026
From the Pixel 11 series and a brand new competitor to Apple’s AirTag, here are all the announcements from the Made by Google 2026 event.
Pixel Watch 5 gets Gemini Intelligence, At a Glance, and more
Gemini Intelligence comes to Wear OS with the Pixel Watch 5, and there are a number of interesting AI and on-device features.
Google unveils the Pixel Watch 5 with a smarter Gemini and advanced health monitoring
The new smartwatch, which starts at $399, can track blood pressure patterns and insulin resistance, as well as deliver personalized help and better sleep tracking.
Montenegro’s Minister of Education, Science and Innovation signs third agreement to partner with Oracle Academy to advance technology education
Montenegro’s Minister of Education, Science and Innovation signs third agreement to partner with Oracle Academy to advance technology education
15M patients impacted by largest healthcare data breach of 2026
DentaQuest, the second-largest dental benefits administrator in the U.S., suffered the record-setting cyberattack in May. A notorious ransomware gang has taken credit for the attack.
Trump administration live updates: Voters deal out upsets in Wisconsin and Minnesota governor primaries
Get live updates and the latest news on the Trump administration as voters deal upsets in Wisconsin and Minnesota governor primaries and the S.C. GOP Senate primary heads to a runoff.
Hospitals Say They Found a Tool To Help Reduce Childbirth Risks: Wristbands
North Carolina and other states have embraced “I Gave Birth” wristbands as a way to encourage women to seek help when they have postpartum complications. They’re gaining steam as the Trump administration’s cuts to Medicaid threaten postpartum care.
Close Trump aides — but no Cabinet officials — made secret catering truck move
The president was accompanied by some of his most loyal aides but no top administration officials as he made the clandestine move to a different plane to leave Turkey last month.
Nuclear power push ramps up uranium mill
Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.
Inside a $7 billion Silicon Valley startup’s mad dash to automate the business of health care
Commure wants to automate health care's administrative tasks with AI. An inside look at the messy realities of the startup's ambitious quest.
UK PM Burnham promises business help within 'difficult' financial outlook
Britain's government will do what it can to help lower costs for business but against the backdrop of a "difficult financial outlook", Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in an interview on Wednesday.
What to know about the businesses at center of Buc-ee's trademark suit
Supporters have likened Buc-ee's lawsuit against Beaver's Mini Mart to David and Goliath. But just how small is Beaver's Mini Mart?
‘A mouse can’t tell us what works’: UK scientists to grow miniature human organs for drug testing
Organoids and tissues grown from human cells promise more accurate results, with £20m Cambridge project to create standardised models
US bars federal funding of gender-affirming care for low-income minors
WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The Trump administration finalized a rule on Tuesday barring two major federal health programs from funding puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries to treat gend...
Action News business administrator, husband welcome baby girl
We want to introduce you to the newest member of our extended Action News family.
Trump administration bans the use of federal Medicaid funds to cover gender identity healthcare
The Trump administration finalized a rule that will bar Medicaid from covering gender identity healthcare for children.
Social Security expands disability fast-track list, adds 14 conditions
Here are the 14 conditions the Social Security Administration just added to a list for fast-tracking disability claims.
Trump administration finalizes rule restricting trans healthcare for minors on Medicaid
The Trump administration on Tuesday released a final rule blocking the use of federal Medicaid dollars for transgender healthcare for minors, as well as barring Children’s Health Insurance Program …
Judge again bars Trump administration from implementing order that sought to limit mail voting
A federal judge has agreed to halt President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to have the U.S. Postal Service play a central role in deciding who can receive a mail ballot
Judge bars Trump administration from implementing order to limit mail voting
The president sought to create a federal voter list and involve the U.S. Postal Service in election operations in a way that would limit mail voting
Judge bars Trump administration from implementing order to limit mail voting
The president sought to create a federal voter list and involve the U.S. Postal Service in election operations in a way that would limit mail voting
Social Security expands disability fast-track list, adds 14 conditions
Here are the 14 conditions the Social Security Administration just added to a list for fast-tracking disability claims.
What does Trump’s executive order on vaccines mean for my kids?
Implementing the president’s directives would require a lengthy administrative process and probably a legal battle.
Marketplace Spotlight: Sulfur Cube-Inspired
Minecraft Marketplace moves fast. With every week that goes by, incredible new add-ons, worlds, mini games, and mash-up packs join the plethora of DLC already roosting on the Marketplace like loveable little birds. You can download birds, right? And now, with the arrival of sulfur cubes, it seems that Marketplace creators are working even faster, harder, and creative-er. How else would you explain the smorgasbord of new sulfurous delights now available for your delectation? How else would you explain the fact that these add-ons and worlds transform Minecraft with sulfury sports, sulfury contests, and even sulfury weapons? You simply can't. So, it's time for this humble (yet heroic) Minecraft.net writer to jack in to the Marketplace matrix once again and report back on what he finds. Will he come away with first impressions of seven new pieces of DLC or just a severe case of sulfur-induced nausea? Spoiler: it's both.
How The Global Business Community Is Responding To Tariffs & The Strait Of Hormuz Impasse: Expert
When the Supreme Court blocked a large swath of his tariffs, Trump said his administration had "very powerful alternatives." Now we know what those alternatives are.
Human rights groups sue Trump administration over International Criminal Court sanctions
The president signed an executive order in 2025 placing sanctions on the ICC, whose jurisdiction the U.S. does not recognize.
Will Andy Burnham’s everyday fixes be enough to get the public on his side?
The prime minister’s money-saving policies are popular but they are yet to convince voters he can take on the big things
Trump DOJ formally stakes out bold claim that presidential advisers outside government are protected by privilege
Communications that President Donald Trump has with advisers who don’t even work for his administration can be protected by executive privilege, the Justice Department said in a memo Monday evening that comes amid lawsuits and a possible Democratic takeover of Congress.
AO Astrophysics Explorers Program 2026 SMEX Amended
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) announces the release of Amendment #1 to the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) to solicit Principal Investigator (PI)-led space science investigations for the Small Explorer (SMEX) opportunity.
Ascensus Launches Enhanced Small Business 401(k) Solution
Ascensus enhances, rebrands small business retirement offering to Ascensus Essentials, adds 3(16) administrative fiduciary services
iPhone 18 Pro Will Reportedly Start With 256GB of Storage
While the iPhone 17 Pro has double the base storage compared to the iPhone 16 Pro, there will apparently be no further increase this year. In a report this week estimating that the iPhone 18 Pro's bill of materials will be nearly 40% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro, Taiwanese research firm TrendForce said the iPhone 18 Pro will start with 256GB of storage, matching the iPhone 17 Pro's minimum capacity.
Trump Administration Bypasses Science Again, Doubles Down on Restrictions to Childhood Vaccines
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administration today issued a new executive order directing changes to the federal childhood vaccine schedule that, if fully implemented, would reduce access to life-saving vaccines for children, add new barriers to care, and further degrade the scientific process the federal government has relied on for decades to ensure vaccine access […]
Pickup truck accident in Egypt's Ismailia leaves 15 dead, health ministry says
Fifteen people were killed and 32 others were injured when a pickup truck carrying workers rolled over in Egypt's Ismailia Governorate, the health ministry said on Tuesday.
Guenther and Ware for Real Clear Science: The Trump Administration’s Most Dangerous Attack on Science Yet
Donald Trump’s assault on the American scientific enterprise has been death by a thousand cuts. But the latest push from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may just be the kill shot. OMB proposed a rule to “improve government-wide policies and requirements related to the management of grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of […]
The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized
Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, the outcome of this crucial race will depend mainly on two things: Whether Republicans succeed in demonizing El-Sayed because he’s brown and a Muslim, and whether they succeed in demonizing him as a left-wing radical. I will defer for the now the question of whether bigotry will be effective this year, although I will address it another day. What I want to address instead is El-Sayed’s signature issue — healthcare. Yes, El-Sayed advocates Medicare for All, a position the usual suspects denounce as “socialism.” I will get to the politics of his stance soon. Today, however, I want to talk about the substance. We should be clear that El-Sayed doesn’t even call himself a socialist. On the contrary, he explicitly disavows the label, saying “I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism”. In fact, as I explained in a previous post, the policies that El-Sayed advocates qualify him as a social democrat, not a socialist. Still, El-Sayed advocates a system under which the government would pay almost all medical expenses. Isn’t that socialism? Well, if that is the criterion then much of U.S. healthcare is already socialist. In fact, the government’s role is so large that U.S. healthcare is better described as partially privatized socialism than as anything resembling a free market. Let’s start with the raw numbers on health insurance, which pays the bulk of Americans’ medical expenses. Americans receive health insurance either from private companies or from public programs, overwhelmingly Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s what the breakdown of coverage and spending between private and public looked like in 2024: While a majority of Americans with health insurance get it from private companies, well over 100 million of us are covered by government programs instead. And these government programs pay more total dollars for medical bills than the private insurers do. Why do government programs that cover a minority of the population account for a majority of health insurers’ outlays? Mainly because Medicare covers seniors, and we’re expensive. Also, while Medicaid covers many younger Americans, disabled and elderly beneficiaries account for most of its spending. Even by the raw numbers, then, U.S. health insurance looks as much public as private. But that understates the government’s role: Private health insurance in the U.S. is both highly regulated and heavily subsidized. This is obviously true for the insurance coverage purchased by tens of millions of Americans through the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. But employment-based health insurance, which covers 161 million Americans, is far more of a government creation than most people realize. For employment-based insurance exists largely because of huge implicit government subsidies that come with major strings attached. Here’s how that works. If your employer pays you $10,000, that’s taxable income. But if your employer pays $10,000 toward a company health insurance plan that meets certain criteria, it isn’t taxable. That’s a huge effective subsidy, running at more than $300 billion a year. Take that subsidy into account, along with the more than $100 billion per year spent subsidizing policies purchased under the ACA, as well as the outlays on Medicare and Medicaid, and net effect is that the government pays for more than two-thirds of Americans’ health insurance. Granted, there are strings attached. Roughly speaking, employment-based health plans can’t discriminate based on medical history — that is, they can’t deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions — and they also can’t offer the plans only to highly compensated employees — a health plan that is only for the C-suite is considered taxable income. So given the restrictions of the federal tax code, employer-based health insurance is a lot like Obamacare, which also prohibits discrimination based on medical history and provides subsidies to make insurance affordable to lower-paid workers. The fact is that virtually all of private healthcare insurance is already well under some form of government control through regulation and tax subsidies. How should we think about this system? First of all, is Medicare socialist? Don’t tell anyone, but the way Medicare operates — it covers every senior’s medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be, while being funded by taxes that depend on one’s income — could be summarized by the old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And back in 1961, when Ronald Reagan was the face of a last-ditch effort by the American Medical Association to block the creation of Medicare, he denounced Medicare as “socialized medicine” and warned that it would destroy our freedom. In reality, American freedom survived until Jan. 20, 2025, while Medicare is immensely popular, with an 82 percent favorable rating in the most recent KFF survey. Medicaid, government health insurance for lower-income Americans, comes in at 73 percent. This is in sharp contrast to public views about private insurers, who are widely disliked if not hated and accused of denying essential care. Furthermore, if Medicare is socialism, then the whole U.S. health insurance system, with the government paying most of the bills and placing conditions on private insurers, is almost equally socialist. If you insist on calling any program the government pays for and regulates socialist, then U.S. healthcare would best be described as a partially privatized form of socialism. And one must ask, what is the point of the part that is privatized? Do private insurers add anything positive? Or are they simply parasites, skimming off money that could have been paying for care? The case for viewing insurers as parasites is strong. Many Medicare benefits are now delivered via Medicare Advantage, that is, plans paid for by the government but run through insurance companies. MedPAC, an independent advisory commission, estimates that last year Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $84 billion, thanks to practices such as “upcoding,” in which patients’ health problems are overstated to get larger sums from Medicare. Assessing the waste from employer-based insurance is harder, but most evidence suggests that private insurers have substantially higher administrative costs than Medicare does. Furthermore, the complexity of private insurance, with multiple payers all trying to deny care when they can, is a huge burden both on providers — doctors, nurses, and hospitals — and on patients. What do private insurers offer to compensate for these costs? One must go through intellectual contortions to avoid the conclusion that they are, in fact, parasites. Which brings me back to El-Sayed. In supporting Medicare for All, he’s basically calling for an end to the partial, parasitic privatization of a healthcare system that is already hugely dependent on public funding. When one looks at it that way, it’s not at all a radical proposal. Admittedly, the political lift requires overcoming the opposition to higher taxes to pay for Medicare for All. Political realism rather than economics was the reason I and many other progressives supported Obamacare, with all its complexities, rather than demanding an immediate move to Medicare for All. But the political calculus may very well have shifted since the 2000s, as Americans are fed up with a system of unaffordable premiums, rampant claim denials, and byzantine claim administration. Moreover, funding healthcare insurance through taxation would allow for a much more progressive distribution of the cost. That is, compared to the present system, middle-income households would pay less as high-income households would pay more. And the U.S. would stop wasting large sums on pointless administrative costs. So let’s be clear: El-Sayed’s healthcare platform is perfectly reasonable on the merits of cost, fairness and health efficacy. And with private insurers never more hated, while millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, 2026 may be its time. MUSICAL CODA
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