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First Ever Nite Life Car Show Expected to Boost Business in Downtown Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Downtown Santa Barbara will have some new horsepower Sunday. The NITE LIFE car club of Santa Barbara presents its first car
Sponsors Announced for the 17th Annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit
Today ESPN announced the sponsors for the 17th Annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit returning to the Ojai Valley Inn through October 14 - 16. Presenting
Bigger Platforms, Same Bottlenecks: Why Consolidation Isn’t Expanding In-Network Care
This is an exclusive BHB+ article. I’ve sat through enough investor presentations to know the pitch: the mental health market is ripe for
Trump gives Elon Musk the National Medal of Science at tech summit
Trump presented the prestigious award to Musk and three other tech moguls at the Institute of Peace on Thursday.
Elon Musk to receive National Medal of Science after Trump rift
President Trump is scheduled to present Elon Musk with the National Medal of Science on Thursday, an honor that several people familiar with their relationship say reflects a reconciliation after last
Five Things presented by Compass Minerals: Sporting back at home to take on Portland
Sporting Kansas City returns home following a two-game road swing this weekend when the team hosts the Portland Timbers at Sporting Park on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be available to stream on Apple TV, while the game will also be broadcast locally on
Izzo, Fears and Carr to Represent Spartans at Media Day
Veteran coach Tom Izzo joins high-stakes stars Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr to address national expectations and the program's evolution ahead of a pivotal Big Ten campaign.
Breaking into the Peer-Reviewed Engineering Literature
Editor’s note: We are delighted to present a new series by William Dembski, adapted from his Substack. This is the 14th post. Find the full series so far here, “My Personal History with Information.”…
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered Patch Adds Bloom Toggles on Console and Larger Lighting Changes
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered just got a significant update to tweak the presentation of CD Projekt’s RPG epic. Check out the patch notes.
Concern after Europeans endorse US science agenda
Germany’s biggest research funder has said it is “concerned” after Berlin, plus several other European countries, endorsed a controversial US-led science policy statement. On October 4, the White House announced that 16 countries, including Germany, the UK, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Japan and South Korea had backed the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science.The document, agreed on the margins of the annual Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, which gathers science ministers from across the world, appears uncontroversial at first sight. It’s a one-page statement, without any concrete measures, that touches on reducing administrative burden on scientists, experimenting with new funding models and the use of “super intelligence” in science, the Trump administration’s preferred term for artificial intelligence. However, what’s controversial is that much of the language in the Kyoto Vision reflects Science: A New Golden Age, a major policy document released by the White House in July.That document attracted criticism for deriding universities as “legacy institutions” and suggesting money be diverted to new research labs. In a speech in Kyoto on October 4, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office for Science and Technology Policy and the report’s author, said that the US was seeking to “diversify the ways that we support research to meet our best scientists where and when they do their best work.” The worry is that the Trump administration may be using genuine dysfunctions in academia as a pretext to defund and disempower universities, which US vice president JD Vance has labelled “the enemy.” Many in Europe also want more experimentation and reform of how science is organised and funded, and agree with criticisms of academia made by Science: A New Golden Age. But some also fear that if the US pushes for reform partially in bad faith, it could politicise and undermine the whole agenda. Washington is currently trying to change federal funding rules so that political appointees can block and cancel scientific grants. It has cut grants mid-project on topics related to diversity and other politically forbidden areas. And last year, it threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless it admitted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create campus “viewpoint diversity.” “Particularly concerned”Because of this wider US political context, the Kyoto Vision’s otherwise innocuous sounding statement that “we encourage experimentation with new institutional models for science that provide varying levels of autonomy, resources and direction” has caused consternation in Europe, particularly from some of Germany’s biggest science organisations. A spokesperson for the German Research Foundation (DFG), the country’s biggest funder, said that it would “closely monitor whether the current US administration uses the Kyoto Vision to restructure research funding to the detriment of research institutions such as universities and their autonomy.” The DFG was “particularly concerned” with the statement’s references to Science: A New Golden Age, they continued. A spokesperson for the German Rectors’ Conference, which represents the country’s universities, said that the reference to “new institutional models” raises “questions on the underlying understanding of academic freedom and autonomy.” Research funding must “guided first and foremost by scientific not political principles,” they went on. Dampen criticismEuropean endorsement of the Kyoto Vision might dampen domestic criticism of the Trump administration’s science policy, some in the US fear, by suggesting international support. “What we saw from Germany, Japan, the UK and other countries, is an impulse that the administration has exploited with our own science reform movement, a belief they can use dialogue to make things better,” said Cole Donovan, director of science policy at the campaigning group Stand Up for Science. “In practice, the administration has done the opposite.” Not a binding statementThere’s been so much concern in Germany that the country’s federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space put out a statement defending its endorsement of the Kyoto Vision, which it has posted on its website. Related articlesIs metascience being co-opted?European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationThe US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The ministry said that it “should be regarded as a basis for discussion and does not constitute a binding statement.” Backing the statement gives Germany the chance to raise “issues and concerns” with the US during upcoming talks on science and technology scheduled for November. “Although these intentions appear, in principle, to be worthy of support, they will be scrutinised and examined more closely as the process continues,” the statement continues. Super intelligence?A ministry spokesperson confirmed to Science|Business that Germany had broadly endorsed the Kyoto Vision.However, they said Berlin had not agreed to final changes in the statement to refer to AI as super intelligence. In September, facing protests against data centres and polling that suggests US citizens are far more concerned than excited by the technology, Trump issued an executive order that attempts to rebrand AI as super intelligence, following polling on social media.The name change is to “reflect the transformative capabilities of these technologies and the limitless opportunities they create for the American people,” the order says. EU askedThe UK and Italian science ministries did not respond to a request for comment on their endorsement of the Kyoto Vision. Although most EU countries did not endorse the statement, it’s not clear which states the US asked. The White House Office for Science and Technology Policy did not return a request for comment. A European Commission official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that the US had approached the EU, but too late for the EU to quiz all its member states on whether Brussels should endorse the statement.
Juventus’ tactical switch could give needed tactical flexibility up front
Luciano Spalletti’s tweak to his front line presents a lot more possibilities.
Produced water forum brings science, questions to Iraan
More than 50 residents, ranchers, elected officials, industry representatives and water stakeholders gathered at the Iraan Civic Center Friday, Oct. 2, for a first-of-its-kind local discussion centered on whether highly saline produced water from Permian Basin oil and gas operations could one day be treated and beneficially reused. Hosted by Friends of the Pecos River and the Texas Produced Water Consortium, the forum ran from 9:30 a.m. to noon and included presentations, refreshments and an extended public question-and-answer session.
People over politics
“Our representatives should be exactly that: representative of the needs and wants of the people in their district.”
The New York Times
Chris Gallant, a Democrat running to represent Long Island, was revealed last month to have appeared in revealing promotional photos for a fetish brand. He has leaned in with the slogan “Make...
Max Dowman given three Guinness World Records
Arsenal’s teenage midfielder Max Dowman has been presented with three official Guinness World Records certificates.
The ‘WarGames’ Problem: Computer Science Has Long Understood What it Takes to Keep AI Under Control
AI agents don’t go rogue. That’s something only humans do. Nevertheless, a New York Times article – representative
‘Transformation is our central priority,’ science minister says
Blade Nzimande emphasises focus on promoting women, underrepresented racial groups and disabled scientists
Dodgers NLCS preview: Who has edge in rematch with Brewers?
The Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS last year. Milwaukee represents their next challenge in pursuit of a World Series three-peat.
5 Takeaways From the First Iowa Senate Debate
In a top Senate battleground, Representative Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee, sparred with Josh Turek, her Democratic rival, on policy issues ranging from Medicaid to term limits.
Charlamagne tha God on Mental Health and Prioritizing Real Life
Charlamagne tha God discussed media and real-life community at the Variety Experience and Culture Summit: The IRL Advantage presented by OUTFRONT.
Trump to give Musk top U.S. science medal
U.S. President Donald Trump will present close ally Elon Musk and other tech bosses with the top U.S. scientific award at a ceremony on Thursday, the White House said.
Flight attendants' union raises safety concerns over Trump's Washington arch
The union representing thousands of flight attendants said Wednesday it has safety concerns about President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch that will be on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Trump to Give Musk Top US Science Medal
President Donald Trump will present close ally Elon Musk and other tech bosses with the top US scientific award at a ceremony on Thursday, the White House said. Google co-founder Sergei Brin, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD chief Lisa Su will also receive the National Medal of Science at the "Science: A New Golden Age" summit. Computer mogul Michael Dell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will get the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the top award in its field.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
TENNESSEE VOLS TENNIS: Four head to regional tournament
Tennessee men's tennis will send four representatives to participate in the 2026 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Ohio Valley Regional Championships at the Farm & Forge Club in College Grove, Tennessee, from Oct. 8-13.
Glen Powell reveals he's not 'a political person'
Glen Powell says political discourse "is not presently possible," but the Texas-born leading man applauded those who are vocal about their beliefs.
Glen Powell Says He Doesn't Talk Politics: 'My Calling Is Elsewhere'
The actor told Esquire that engaging in political conversations was "not presently possible" and that Paramount "let go of an entire marketing department a month before ['The Running Man'] came out in the middle of a merger."
Brookdale, Sierra Club Present Free Science Monday Lectures on Stormwater and Endangered Species
Brookdale Community College, in collaboration with the Sierra Club of the Jersey Shore, will present two free Science Monday programs this fall examining environmental issues affecting New Jersey, including stormwater management and the conservation of
KFF Midterms Data Presentation: What Do Voters Think About Health Care Now?
Join KFF for a virtual event at Noon ET on Wednesday, October 14, featuring KFF public opinion and survey experts who will provide analysis and insights on the latest findings from recent public opinion surveys about health care issues in advance of the midterms, including current public sentiment about Medicare-for-All and how it compares historically. After the presentation, experts will take questions from attendees.
Trump to award National Medal of Science to Musk, Brin, Huang, and Su at White House
A high-profile group of tech leaders is expected to be honored at the White House on Thursday, with President Donald Trump planned to present.
The Lateral Is Coming. Is the Business? How Law Firms Can Turn Lateral Hiring into Revenue
A lateral hire represents one of the largest growth investments many law firms make. Yet firms sometimes spend more energy negotiating the lateral’s compensation package than planning how the lawyer will succeed once inside the building.
Trump floats firing top political advisers after report they helped a pro-Russian government
President Donald Trump distanced himself on Wednesday from two of his top political advisers — less than 30 days before the midterm elections — writing that if their outside work presents a conflict, “I will terminate them, immediately!”
Glen Powell Believes Politics "Divide People," Engaging Is "Not Presently Possible"
Glen Powell explained why he avoids talking about politics, saying he doesn't want to divide people and that he genuinely doesn't like the discourse.
Nomination committee appointed ahead of 2027 Annual General Meeting of G5 Entertainment AB (publ)
In accordance with the resolution of the Annual General Meeting 2026, a Nomination Committee has been appointed consisting of representatives of the five largest shareholders at the end of August 2026.The Nomination Committee consists of the following members:The members of the Nomination Committee…
Greensboro Science Center Winter Wonderlights
The magic of the holiday season is back! Winter Wonderlights, presented by Cone Health, returns to the Greensboro Science Center for Year 7, November 18 through January 3.Experience the wonder of the holidays surrounded by more than one million twinkling lights, handcrafted lanterns and the iconic g...
Greensboro Science Center Winter Wonderlights
The magic of the holiday season is back! Winter Wonderlights, presented by Cone Health, returns to the Greensboro Science Center for Year 7, November 18 through January 3.Experience the wonder of the holidays surrounded by more than one million twinkling lights, handcrafted lanterns and the iconic g...
Ed Dame of North American Midway Entertainment is host of the day at The Big E
WEST SPRINGfiELD, Mass.— Ed Dame of McHenry, Ill., was presented with a Host of the Day hospitality award at The Big E on Tuesday, September 29. Among those present for the presentation were North A…
Housing, retail and entertainment space proposed near Highmark Stadium
Architectural design group Progressive Companies presented concepts Tuesday for a new area just beyond the old Highmark Stadium area.
Manny's exit boosts McCoy in supervisor race
Three candidates remain in the battle to represent D8.
Push aims to keep North Dakota businesses local through employee ownership
In the state, there are 64 employee-owned businesses representing about 30,000 employee owners.
Micron's Taoyuan union in Taiwan secures authorisation to strike
A Taiwanese union representing workers at Micron Technology said on Wednesday it had secured authorisation from its members to strike work over a dispute concerning the company's bonus scheme, escalating a labour conflict at the chipmaker's largest manufacturing hub.
Reader laments the state of partisan politics
Bryan McShane — Just a reminder that your elected representatives are supposed to represent you, not the party that puts...
Valerio Therapeutics Provides an Update on Its Business and Presents Its Financial Results for the First Half of 2026
VILLEJUIF, France, October 07, 2026--Regulatory News: Valerio Therapeutics (FR0010095596 - ALVIO), a pioneering biotechnology company in the field of next-generation precision therapies ("Valerio", or the "Company"), provides an update on its operations and presents its financial results for the half-year ended 30 June 2026.
DEG Presents Annual EnTech Awards Honoring Entertainment Technology Innovators
DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group presented its sixth annual EnTech Awards Oct. 6 at the Culver Theater in Culver City, Calif. The 2026 Hall of Fame Award was presented to Gray Ainsworth, EVP and head of global content operations for Lionsgate. Ainsworth recalled his start in the entertainment business as an actor with the legendary … Continue reading "DEG Presents Annual EnTech Awards Honoring Entertainment Technology Innovators"
On Par Entertainment to present competition murder mystery
On Par Entertainment is combining the anxiety of an escape room with the fear of Halloween to present its first-ever OPE! Murder Mystery: A Killer Halloween from 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15.
Jason Kelce Breaks Silence on Lane Johnson’s Retirement From Eagles
The reactions have been pouring in since Lane Johnson officially announced his retirement from the NFL after four weeks of the 2026 NFL season.Johnson’s teammates and coaches, both past and present, have flooded social media with well wishes and positive messages for Johnson, who cited mental health as a central factor in his decision to […] The post Jason Kelce Breaks Silence on Lane Johnson’s Retirement From Eagles appeared first on HEAVY.
Poll: Voters oppose redistricting ballot question when presented 'meat of the political outcome'
A proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution that would change the way Maryland draws congressional districts faces stiff voter opposition, a new poll shows. It's the latest sign of trouble for the ballot question backed by Democratic leaders
Hudson River Park to Present Fall Science and Family Events
Hudson River Park will offer science, sustainability and family-friendly programming through the fall, including aquarium tours, hands-on experiments and…
Latham & Watkins Advises Spectrum Equity on Growth Investment in Symmetric Health Solutions
Multidisciplinary team represents the growth equity firm in investment in the healthcare supply chain intelligence provider.
Jim Phillips: ACC does not have ‘unanimity’ on Protect College Sports Act
With the Protect College Sports Act heading to the House of Representatives, the ACC has become a key part of the conversation. Four school presidents from the conference penned a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) requesting changes to the conference realignment provision last week. Speaking at ACC Tipoff on Tuesday, commissioner Jim Phillips […]
Science Literacy Week Open House at the Fisher Library - Events
For Science Literacy Week, the Fisher Rare Book Library is presenting a rare opportunity to view some of the most important scientific books ever...
CAPE 35th Anniversary Gala: Randall Park, Manny Jacinto Celebrated
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment celebrated 35 years of advancing Asian and Pacific Islander representation in entertainment.
REP LIEU JOINS REP. FRIEDMAN, LOS ANGELES DELEGATION, AND ENTERTAINMENT UNION IN PUSH FOR NATIONAL FILM TAX CREDIT
GLENDALE, CA – Today, October 6, 2026, Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) joined U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (D-Los Angeles County), Members of the Los Angeles congressional delegation, and the major unions representing film and television workers at the Alex Theatre in a new push for the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act.
'Powering the oyster farm' topic of October science talk
The presentation on how marine energy and environmental monitoring technologies are being used to better understand conditions at coastal oyster farms is Oct. 22 at the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese.
ODNR Invites Ohioans to Celebrate Earth Science Week 2026
Article presented by Litter Quality Propane and Hometown Motors, Inc … COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Geological Survey is celebrating Earth Science Week from Sunday, October 11, through Saturday, October 17. Four special events will be offered throughout Ohio and will coincide with the annual national celebration. “We […]
How Russia and the world are responding to a possible case of pneumonic plague after lab worker death
The World Health Organization says a possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia presents a “very low” risk outside the country as investigators look into what caused the death of a lab employee there last week.
🗣️ Sights and Sounds: 'All that matters is right now'
Go behind the scenes of the Week 4 victory over the Cardinals. Presented by Crestron.
Ousting a Republican from a Kamala Harris district may not be as easy as it sounds
Mike Lawler is one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress this election cycle, one of only three representing a district that Kamala Harris won in 2024.
Susan Collins, a political survivor, tries to outrun Trump
In her bid for a sixth term representing Maine, Susan Collins has been beset by President Donald Trump weighing her down with constant controversy.
Separatists win Quebec local elections
Quebec's separatist Parti Quebecois has returned to power in a minority government. The result revives the issue of Quebec independence and presents a fresh political challenge for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Option Care Health Agrees to $5.8 Billion Acquisition by CD&R and McKesson at $32.05 Per Share
Option Care Health has agreed to be acquired by CD&R and McKesson for $32. 05 per share in cash, representing approximately $5.
Brazil: Lessons from a Disaster
By Antonio Martins (Outras Palavras) Defeats become deeper and more prolonged when we misunderstand what caused them, avoid correcting course, and embrace “solutions” that only compound our mistakes. Lula’s government and the Brazilian left suffered a disaster in Sunday’s election. Contrary to every poll, the president finished the first round 2.2 million votes behind Flávio Bolsonaro—and, more significantly, 3.4 million votes below his total four years ago, when the machinery of the state was working against him and in favor of his opponent. His vote share declined in 98 percent of Brazil’s municipalities. The PL, the main party of the far right, elected 121 deputies and 28 senators, becoming the largest caucus in both houses of Congress. The parties aligned with the Centrão—Brazil’s bloc of transactional center-right parties—were somewhat diminished, but will still hold roughly 250 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate. That will make it easier to assemble the majorities needed to amend the Constitution or impeach Supreme Federal Court justices. If elected, Flávio Bolsonaro could appoint four members of the Court, substantially altering its internal balance of power. What produced these results? How can the far right be prevented from consolidating them into a prolonged political hegemony? And what is the essential change of direction the left now needs? Explaining the Disaster Across the commercial media and the exuberant chaos of digital platforms, interpretations are multiplying. Some focus on specific episodes: Lula’s absence from the Globo debate, his very close relationship with Alexandre de Moraes, or his emphasis on issues supposedly remote from most people’s everyday concerns, such as rare earth minerals. Among the more systemic interpretations, three seem especially questionable. One argues that the principal defeat was not the left’s, since its congressional representation declined only slightly. The decisive movement captured at the ballot box, according to this view, was a shift within the right itself—from the more moderate and transactional forces of the Centrão toward the more ideological and radicalized forces of the PL and Novo. A second interpretation holds that the nature of electoral and political processes has changed. The material interests and aspirations of society, it argues, no longer play the central role they once did; they have given way to forms of subjective self-identification that the left has yet to understand. And a third concludes that, because of these two developments, we should expect a political winter: a prolonged period in which the far right and the broader right dominate Brazilian political life. There are important elements in all three interpretations. The problem lies in what they deny or leave out: Lula’s third government was a small-bore government. It offered the majorities that elected it neither a clearly better life nor reasons to believe again in politics and its power to transform society. These failures flowed from two fatal accommodations, which I will examine below. As a result, the government suffered a slow but steady erosion of support. And, as has happened in so many Western countries, it gave the far right the opportunity to present itself as anti-system and to benefit from popular frustration and distress. The interpretation that emphasizes the migration of votes from the center-right and traditional right toward the far right has been advanced, among others, by the courageous journalist Leonardo Sakamoto. In his UOL column on Monday, October 5, he highlights the miserable behavior of the traditional conservative parties. Over the past four years, they repeatedly joined forces with the “neo”-fascists, helping to “normalize” them—a criticism that could equally be directed at almost the entire corporate media. Believing they could use the far right as a stepping stone, they instead ended up partly devoured by it. This was especially true in the Senate, where the PL’s gain of 13 senators and Novo’s gain of two came at the expense of the PSD, which lost nine; the MDB, which lost two; the PSDB, which lost two; and the PP, which lost one. Sakamoto’s observation is accurate and necessary, but it leaves uncomfortable questions unanswered. Why did the erosion of the Centrão benefit the far right rather than, for example, producing growth for the left—as has happened so many times before, both in Brazil and elsewhere? The answer is not difficult. Throughout its four years in office, Lula’s third government was almost invariably associated with the Centrão. Here lies its first accommodation: accepting the limits imposed by conservative institutions; avoiding, as much as possible, any attempt to strain those limits through popular pressure; and believing only in the modest changes that could be squeezed through openings in Congress. The failure of the campaign to end the six-day workweek is emblematic. Lula could have electrified the presidential race by pairing it with a popular campaign for passage of the measure. Instead, he chose to place his hopes in the hands of Senate president Rodrigo Alcolumbre. He generated no mass mobilization, did not force his opponents onto an uncomfortable defensive, and won no victory. In September 2025, the government squandered the greatest of its many opportunities to shake up conservative power in Congress. Popular opposition to the so-called Shielding Amendment—which, if approved, would have restricted criminal proceedings against members of Congress—brought crowds into the streets, mobilized primarily by artists and social movements. This opened the possibility for a broader political education: a campaign that could begin exposing the limits and dysfunctions of Brazil’s political system while putting Bolsonaro’s movement on the defensive for its predictable support of political privilege. The amendment was defeated. But the executive branch then backed away from the fight. It remained associated with an institutional world widely seen as corrupt, elitist, and indifferent to ordinary people’s struggles. In doing so, it forfeited its credibility as a vehicle for the protest vote. On Sunday, it reaped the bitter fruits. Are We Doomed? Taking a different approach from Sakamoto, the philosopher Moysés Pinto Neto and other writers have drawn attention, in their first analyses of October 4, to the fragmentation of the public sphere produced by Big Tech platforms. Through their algorithms, these platforms present each person with a different view of social reality. As a consequence, it becomes much harder to identify common material problems and demands—for example, the fight for labor rights or for a properly funded public health system. Voters no longer embrace such demands, these authors argue, because they no longer see themselves as part of a collective. Instead, they tend to value the identities assigned to them by neoliberal subjectivity—the role of the entrepreneur, for example. On this interpretation, the left’s possible error lies in clinging to outdated illusions. Moysés’s warning is highly relevant and resonates with arguments such as Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s “Apocalyptic Fascism and the Billionaires’ Bet.” Unlike a century ago, the far right no longer promises a radiant future. It concentrates instead on resentment—especially that of young men. “They belong to a generation that fears it may never own a home, but compensates with the pleasure it gets from constantly provoking progressives online. Convinced their future has been stolen, they share memes romanticizing historical authoritarian regimes,” the authors write. But Moysés seems to confuse this danger with inevitability. He fails to see that the left’s answer cannot be adaptation. On the contrary, it must strengthen the possibility of politics as collective action. Nor does he recognize that precisely such a reversal is already becoming possible in some of the most promising mobilizations of the twenty-first century: the election, at the end of 2025, of the young Muslim Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, on a platform centered on the intensely material fight for an affordable city; the Left Party’s victory in Berlin two weeks ago, built around the demand to expropriate private real-estate corporations; and the very recent wave of demonstrations in Spain—including an occupation of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol—in which tens of thousands of young people mobilized by the Tenants’ Union have demanded limits on rents. By putting itself in the straitjacket of the “fiscal framework” in the first months of 2022, Lula’s third government adopted the second fatal accommodation of its term. Faced with conservative institutions and a country devastated by four years of Bolsonaro, increased public investment was the government’s remaining weapon for offering a more dignified life to the majority and forging an anti-conservative pact with them. The same state that disburses 1 trillion reais a year to enrich a small class of rentiers could instead spend money to extend the Family Health Strategy to every Brazilian, at a cost of 30 billion reais; provide full-day public schooling and childcare to all adolescents and children—and, especially, relief to their mothers; achieve universal sanitation while cleaning up polluted urban rivers; multiply metro systems; begin transforming the urban peripheries; and undertake many other urgently needed projects. In April 2023, an article in Outras Palavras warned that the fiscal framework could “shrink the Lula government and preserve the forces that condemn the country to inequality and regression.” A year later, another article showed that restraints on public spending were strangling policies vital to ordinary people and undermining the president’s popularity. In November 2024 came a reality check, in the form of the government’s humiliating defeat in the municipal elections. Even then, the fiscal lock was neither removed nor loosened. On the contrary: throughout the government’s four years, fiscal restraint remained central to its political narrative. The administration proudly proclaimed that it had “put the state’s accounts in order,” without grasping either how misleading that phrase was—given the payment of 1 trillion reais in interest—or how badly the message was hurting it politically. Lula finally woke up in September 2026. The increase in Bolsa Família benefits, after four years of being frozen; the announcement that anti-obesity drugs would be offered through Brazil’s public health system; and the ban on online betting showed that the state has the power to act decisively on behalf of the majority when those in government are willing to confront obstacles. The huge marches that closed the campaign in Fortaleza, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo on the eve of October 4 showed how such initiatives can mobilize activists and the broader public. But it was too late—and too little to change the outcome of the first round. History has not ended The possibility of a turnaround in the three weeks leading up to November 25 cannot be ruled out. It will not be simple or easy. Lula must not only make up a deficit of 2.2 million votes; he must also offset the movement of voters who backed other right-wing candidates in the first round, most of whom are likely to move toward Flávio Bolsonaro. Pulling that off will require a broad, grassroots effort to win over voters, potentially reinforced by new initiatives from Lula. The coming hours and days will be decisive. If Bolsonaro’s movement also wins the presidency, the result will create a high-risk situation for Brazilian sovereignty and democracy. The enormous challenges posed by such an outcome would require the left to reexamine, in depth and with a genuine willingness to engage in self-criticism, its political projects—or its lack of them—and its practices. But would that mean we are condemned to the long winter of far-right hegemony that some analyses are beginning to forecast? It is far too early to say, suggests a recent text by Álvaro García Linera, the thinker who served as vice president of Bolivia under Evo Morales. His central hypothesis is that this political current will prove short-lived. At a moment when the entire world is once again talking about sovereignty and protecting national economies, the far right offers a stale, recolonizing neoliberalism. Its submission to the United States is as blatant and pathetic as Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro’s overtures to Donald Trump. Its project amounts to something like every man for himself: greater inequality, capitalism without limits, devastation, and supremacism. Will it work? In the United States, just two years into his second term, Trump himself is reaching record levels of unpopularity and may be on the verge of losing Republican control of both the House and Senate in November. Every new beginning is difficult. Whatever the outcome of the second round, the defeats of October 4 show how profoundly the Brazilian left will have to rethink and rebuild. But just as it would be foolish to underestimate the seriousness of its mistakes, it would be equally foolish to conclude that rebuilding a political project is no longer possible. History has not ended. The times are moving faster than ever. Originally published in Portuguese by Outras Palavras. English translation by Eric Blanc; I’ve added the subtitles. More We can’t stop the far right at home or abroad without a revitalized labor movement, which is yet another reason why you should become a sustaining supporter of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) — one of US labor’s pivotal bright spots. Relatedly, Jacobin published a short piece of mine reflecting on a decade of Bernie Sanders inspiring a whole new generation of young worker organizers.
Houston Texans Opening Odds Vs Tennessee Titans
Texans odds against the Titans presented by FanDuel
Going International: How Global South Journalists Can Elevate Local Science Stories
For journalists in the Global South, access to local science presents an opportunity to bring this knowledge to a wider audience via international outlets. Regional studies and perspectives can inform broader conversations about science, highlight multinational patterns, and elevate research conducted outside of traditional scientific centers. This story offers strategies to find stories, connect with international editors, and meet the needs of audiences that may know little about the place where a story is unfolding.
The Ankler-MIPCOM CANNES Future of Entertainment Award to Honor Dhar Mann
MIPCOM CANNES and The Ankler will present the inaugural Future of Entertainment Award to Dhar Mann
Groundbreaking Ceremony Celebrates Aberdeen's Public Works Building, New Business Park
Past and present city officials gathered with numerous public works employees and state and local economic development officials to celebrate the start of
Beauty Brands Are Coming for Sports—and They Want More Than Exposure
Beauty presents a distinct opportunity because brands within the category are decidedly investing to reach female fans. The industry also has an $11.4 billion global advertising budget and has historically spent little with rights owners and holders. Rights owners and holders must offer beauty brands more than visibility. However, properties that can successfully pair access to the demo with engaging on-site activations and measurable gains in awareness, purchase intent, and/or sales should be p
Northwest Biotherapeutics Announces Keynote Presentation on Harnessing Immunity: A Personalized, Multi-Target Approach to Cancer At the UK National Health Service Annual Oncology Conference
/PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTCQB:NWBO) (the "Company" or "NWBio"), a biotechnology company developing DCVax® personalized immune therapies for...
How consumer healthcare brands are adapting FMCG media strategies
Can Opella adapt FMCG marketing without also importing the issues facing that category?
Political orientation and institutional trust emerge as key factors in local wind energy support
Why does the expansion of wind energy sometimes meet with local resistance, even though renewable energy generally enjoys broad support? RIFS researcher Jörg Radtke used a representative survey of 6,284 ...
Countries race to provide oral health care for all in 100-Day Sprint across Asia
Twenty Asian countries and areas across the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions vowed to strengthen essential oral health benefits as part of a “100-Day Sprint” initiative, during the 16th Asian Chief Dental Officers Meeting held from 27 to 29 September in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The meeting marked the midpoint of the 100-day sprint bolstering support for countries to develop essential oral health benefit packages that can be integrated into national universal health coverage plans. Convened by the two WHO regional offices and the Malaysian Ministry of Health as the Secretariat, the meeting brought together national oral health leaders from 20 Asian countries, staff from all levels of WHO, WHO collaborating centres and other development partners. Participating countries and areas included: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong (SAR) China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam. Participants reviewed progress and refined proposals using the WHO Service Package Delivery and Implementation (SPDI) Platform. Countries conducted bottleneck analyses across four key areas: service delivery, workforce, access to essential medicines and health products, and health financing. They identified practical actions to address implementation challenges and refined proposed revisions to their national oral health benefit packages. “There is no health without oral health. Through the 100-Day Sprint, countries are advancing the implementation of the Western Pacific regional implementation plan on oral health and strengthening progress towards universal health coverage,” noted WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala. Participants identified bottlenecks and proposed workable solutions to strengthen access to essential oral health care through primary health care, sharing experiences and discussing how best to translate policy commitments into feasible and sustainable action at the country level. Malaysian Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted the importance of prevention and primary health-care approaches to improve oral health: “Oral diseases can have lifelong consequences, yet many are preventable. By integrating essential oral health care into primary health care and promoting prevention in schools and communities, we can improve oral health across the life course.”The WHO team led by Dr Huong Tran, Director of the Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control of the WHO Western Pacific Region and national oral health leads from over 20 Asian countries visited the SK Pekan Putatan School, Sabah for school oral health programme including flouride mouth rinsing. © WHO / V. ChaudharyDr Huong Tran, Director of the Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control for the WHO Western Pacific Region, emphasized key collaborative roles WHO can play. “Oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases, yet many can be prevented and treated through essential oral health services delivered at the primary health-care level,” she said. “By sharing experiences and using WHO tools such as the SPDI Platform, countries are accelerating progress towards universal health coverage for oral health.” “Integrating oral health into broader health services is essential for reducing inequities, expanding access and recognizing oral health as an integral component of overall health and well-being. The 100-Day Sprint provides an important opportunity to translate this commitment into practical action and ensure that quality oral health services reach all people, especially those most in need,” said Dr Suman Rijal, Director of the WHO South-East Asia regional Department of Healthier Populations and Noncommunicable Diseases. As host of the meeting, Malaysia showcased ongoing efforts to strengthen oral health care through primary health care and prevention-focused approaches, while providing a platform for countries across the two WHO regions to exchange experiences and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage for oral health. “WHO is encouraged by Malaysia's leadership in addressing the burden of oral diseases and advancing universal health coverage for oral health through practical, country-led action,” said Dr Rabi Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. Countries will continue to refine and figure costs for national oral health benefits during the remaining sessions of the 100 days. These efforts support implementation of the WHO Global strategy and action plan on oral health 2023–2030, while also helping to expand access to essential oral health services through stronger and more equitable health systems across the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions.______________For more information, or to arrange media interviews, contact: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific: wprocom@who.int WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia: SEMediaRelations@who.int
Shemar Moore reveals he needed 3 surgeries to fix his ‘ugly-ass feet’: ‘Now they’re presentable’
“God took a nap when he was making my feet,” jokes the “S.W.A.T: Exiles” star and former model.
The ‘War Games’ problem: Computer science has long understood what it takes to keep AI under control
AI agents don’t go rogue. That’s something only humans do. Nevertheless, a New York Times article – representative of much news coverage of AI – described an OpenAI hacking as “A.I. bots going rogue and independently spearheading a cyberattack.” Name-brand artificial intelligence agents have been on a hacking spree in…
2 Years After Historic Union Vote, Bicycle Health Clinicians Still Lack a Contract
Nearly two years after voting to unionize, Bicycle Health clinicians have yet to reach a contract agreement, representatives of the Union of American
Bladen Community College to host “So You Want to Start a Small Business” class and preview Pitch It Bladen 2027
The Small Business Center at Bladen Community College invites aspiring entrepreneurs to attend “So You Want to Start a Small Business” on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Building 14, Room 104. This class will help participants explore what it takes to become an entrepreneur and take the first steps toward turning a business idea into reality.Participants will explore the entrepreneurial mindset and consider whether they have the interests, characteristics, motivation and willingness to take on the challenges of business ownership. The class will encourage attendees to examine their personal goals, expectations, strengths and readiness to pursue entrepreneurship.Attendees will also gain insight into the realities of starting and operating a small business, including the commitment, planning, decision-making and perseverance required to build a successful venture. Whether participants are just beginning to consider business ownership or already have an idea they want to pursue, this class will provide a foundation for determining their next steps.In addition to the class instruction, attendees will receive advance information about the upcoming Pitch It Bladen 2027 Business Competition, including the application form and details about the program. Individuals who are ready to move forward may submit their applications early and have the opportunity to receive advance acceptance into the program.Pitch It Bladen helps aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs develop their business ideas through structured instruction in business planning, financial management, cash-flow projections, marketing and operations. Participants work toward completing a business plan and preparing a business pitch, with the opportunity to compete for cash prizes.Last year's Pitch It Bladen program demonstrated the value of investing in local entrepreneurs by helping participants strengthen their business knowledge, develop their business plans and prepare to present their ideas. The competition showcased the creativity and potential of Bladen County's small-business community and provided participants with practical tools to move their business goals forward.Building on that success, Pitch It Bladen 2027 will provide another opportunity for local entrepreneurs to gain knowledge, build confidence and take meaningful steps toward launching or growing a business.“The Small Business Center wants to help individuals make informed decisions about entrepreneurship before they take the leap into business ownership,” said Theresa Dennison, Small Business Center director, in a press release. “This class gives participants an opportunity to evaluate whether entrepreneurship is right for them while also introducing them to Pitch It Bladen 2027 and the resources available to help them succeed.”Registration: Visit www.ncsbc.net and search for the class by name, or contact the Small Business Center at 910-879-5572 for additional information.
Myles Lewis-Skelly Nominated for 2026 Golden Boy Award
Myles Lewis-Skelly is Arsenal's only representative among the 25 finalists for the 2026 Golden Boy award.
Ohio Democrats’ path to governor’s office runs through rural areas that have turned against party
Democrats say their nominee for governor in Ohio, Dr. Amy Acton, represents the party’s best chance in years to win that office.
After redistricting, a Black community in Louisiana faces a future without a champion in Congress
Scotlandville is a predominantly Black community in Louisiana, that's facing challenges in its political representation. Residents fear losing a representative who understands their struggles.
Audiovisual Archeology: Found Footage and the Politics of Historical Representation
A 2026 Thessaloniki program titled “All the World’s Memory” probed the aesthetic and political implications of found footage docs
Inaugural Delbert E. Day Lecture to be held Oct. 15
The first Delbert E. Day Lecture on Glass Science and Technology will be presented by Dr. Claudio Mazzali, vice president of global research at Corning, Inc. The title of his lecture will be “Precision at Scale: Navigating the Science-to-Factory Continuum that Reshapes Industries for Glass Manufacturing and Beyond.” The lecture will be held at 3:30...Continue Reading Inaugural Delbert E. Day Lecture to be held Oct. 15
No stadium has a story like the Superdome
The Superdome has weathered the highest of highs and the lowest of lows to represent the complicated and celebrated history of its city.
Misericordia University to Host Healthcare Symposium with Presenting Sponsor Geisinger
Misericordia University’s College of Health Sciences and Education, with Geisinger as Presenting Sponsor, will host the 2026 Healthcare Symposium, “Connected Care: Aligning Education, Innovation & Community Health,” on Friday, Oct. 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Lemmond Theater on the University’s Dallas campus.
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Health Professions Exploration Fair, Oct. 6
Meet with admission representatives from over 30 graduate health programs to learn more about career opportunities, education requirements, the admission process and more.
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Health Professions Exploration Fair, Oct. 6
Meet with admission representatives from over 30 graduate health programs to learn more about career opportunities, education requirements, the admission process and more.
Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Sphere Entertainment (NYSE:SPHR)
Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Traders bought 9,775 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,615% compared to the typical volume of 570 call options.
Davids Fights Washington Healthcare Cuts with Plan to Lower Costs, Protect Kansas Hospitals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) introduced a comprehensive package of healthcare legislation that directly counters Washington’s recent healthcare rollbacks, which are increasing monthly costs and closing rural hospitals. Davids’ efforts would protect Kansas families from rising medical costs, block new federal red tape, and keep local hospitals and health clinics open.
‘Interstellar,’ ‘Nope’ headline Great Lakes Science Center’s DOME Movies After Dark fall lineup
The series also includes "V for Vendetta." Films are presented in the science center's DOME theater, with a six-story-high screen and an 11,600-watt digital sound system.
Tracking health misinformation helps pediatricians provide targeted patient education
Pediatric clinicians can learn useful information by tracking the health misinformation that their patients encounter, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 National Conference & Exhibition Oct. 2-6, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center.
Asia-Pacific survey to employers and business membership organizations on labour, trade and responsible business conduct
This ILO Brief presents the results of a survey of employer and business membership organizations (EBMOs) in Asia and the Pacific highlights growing business demand for support in navigating labour, trade and responsible business requirements. The findings point to the need for stronger technical expertise, practical tools and sustained support to help businesses maintain competitiveness and meet evolving market expectations.
Ohio Democrats’ path to the governor’s office runs through rural areas that had turned against them
Democrats say their nominee for governor in Ohio, Dr. Amy Acton, represents the party’s best chance in years to win that office.
Ohio Democrats’ path to the governor’s office runs through rural areas that had turned against them
Democrats say their nominee for governor in Ohio, Dr. Amy Acton, represents the party’s best chance in years to win that office.
Lexology Index Recognizes Five Hecker Fink Partners in 2026 Business Crime Defence Guide
Hecker Fink Partners Shawn Crowley, Jenna Dabbs, Mike Ferrara, Sean Hecker, and Amy Jeffress have been recognized in the Lexology Index guide for Business Crime Defence. The 2026 guide honors leading lawyers worldwide who “stand out among peers for their exceptional work representing companies, corporate officers, and individuals in criminal litigation arising from their business activities.”
As Twin Cities suburbs grow more diverse, some old political patterns persist
City councils tend to be whiter than the places they represent. Some politicians and advocacy groups want that to change.
Yale School of Medicine On the Science of Childhood Anxiety, Say, Anxiety Disorders Are the Most Common Mental Health Challenges In Youth
Credit: Matt Bradbury October 5, 2026 - By Isabella Backman - Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenges in youth. Left untreated, they can disrupt the lives of both children and their families. The good news is that with intervention, most children will overcome these conditions. Across Yale School of Medicine, scientists are working to understand anxiety at every level, from common anxious behaviors to molecular biomarkers in the brain. They are using their findings to develop and disseminate new evidence-based treatments for childhood anxiety. Today, the go-to treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a form of psychotherapy that teaches children skills for confronting anxious thoughts and helps them practice managing situations that cause anxiety. While it is the gold-standard treatment backed by considerable scientific evidence, up to 50% of children will not see sufficient benefit from CBT alone. Wendy Silverman, PhD, Alfred A. Messer Professor in the Child Study Center, co-directs the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program alongside Eli Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center. One of their main interests is learning how to improve outcomes beyond CBT. “We’re developing cutting-edge, research-based knowledge that can reduce the suffering that anxiety causes children and their families,” says Silverman. Changing parent behavior YSM experts are investigating how to improve CBT outcomes for children by involving the parents. Silverman’s research has uncovered two main components of parent intervention that improve childhood anxiety: not enabling children to completely avoid the things that make them anxious and taking steps to enhance their autonomy. Parents may unintentionally reinforce their child’s anxiety by allowing them to avoid what makes them anxious. They also may unintentionally limit the children’s sense of autonomy by being overly intrusive. “One of the things that we take pride in is that we’ve focused on trying to understand what parents need to do, and to test our ideas and see if changing the parents’ behaviors is enhancing the effects of CBT,” Silverman says. “Our findings thus far suggest that they do." As much as CBT can be helpful, it can also be challenging to get one’s child to do the necessary steps for CBT to work. This is one important reason why Lebowitz created a novel intervention program for parents named Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Existing intervention programs often teach parents to act as therapists for their child, such as training them on how to practice breathing exercises. “It makes sense, but this doesn’t work very well in practice,” says Lebowitz. “And part of the reason, I think, is that it’s not easy to get your kid to do things, especially if they’re not excited about doing it.” SPACE is unique because it focuses entirely on parent involvement and changing parental behavior—children are not involved in the sessions. For example, parents learn how to use supportive messages that convey confidence that their child can tolerate and manage distress. “It might sound like a parent saying to a child, ‘I get that this is really hard for you, but I know that you can handle it,’” Lebowitz says. The program also works with parents to identify the ways in which they are accommodating anxious behaviors. “We’ll pick one thing that parents are doing that is an accommodation and help them make a detailed plan for how they’re going to change that,” Lebowitz explains. Treating Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Much of the existing research on SPACE has focused on parents of children under age 14. Ongoing studies are now exploring its use with parents of older teens. “Both anxiety and accommodation can interfere with normative developmental shifts during the teen years, including increased autonomy and individuation from parents,” says Rebecca Etkin, PhD, associate research scientist in the Child Study Center. “In this sense, SPACE may be particularly well-suited for anxious teens and their parents. We want to see whether it is effective during this distinct developmental window.” Unfortunately, many families in need of CBT face barriers, including limited availability of services and geographic constraints. One way to improve access is digital interventions. Silverman and her team are developing an evidence-based digitized intervention program for parents that they can access directly from their computer or smart phone. “The work we’re doing will be one of the very few parent interventions that is digitized and importantly tested for effectiveness,” she says. Creating interventions for anxiety-related challenges Silverman and Lebowitz recently received a generous gift to develop and test other interventions that help parents reduce other child anxiety-related behavioral and emotional difficulties, such as restrictive eating and unexplained somatic symptoms. One of these projects in particular focuses on understanding the risks of social media and its potential benefits, including offering a sense of connection. “A lot of research has focused on the idea that social media is harmful and the less of it the better,” says Lebowitz. “But we actually see is that this is not quite right—there are negatives, but there are also positives. So, we’re trying to get a little bit more nuanced of a picture.” The team is working with teens with social anxiety and their parents over an extended period to better understand their social media habits and how their anxiety levels affect engagement with different platforms. The teens will answer questions sent to an app on their phones about mood and social media usage in an effort to capture emotional responses as they unfold. “We hope to develop interventions that can help make the best of social media while protecting against the more problematic effects,” Lebowitz says. The brain’s role in anxiety Researchers are also testing therapies to address anxiety at the neurological and molecular levels. In collaboration with Dylan Gee, PhD, professor of psychology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Hilary Blumberg, MD, John and Hope Furth Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, Lebowitz and Silverman are using brain imaging to identify changes in a child’s brain before and after parents enroll in SPACE. In one study, children viewed anxiety-inducing images while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the researchers conducted scans with and without the children’s parents nearby. Before SPACE, children’s brains were better able to activate the regulatory circuitry needed to turn off an anxious response when their parents were nearby. But after SPACE, children could activate this circuitry even without the parent around. “As parents work on gradually reducing some of their accommodations, you can see a child get better at regulating their own fear system in the brain,” Lebowitz says. “It’s remarkable.” Research into the molecular underpinnings of anxiety can also inform new childhood anxiety treatments. In a recent study, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Flora Vaccarino, MD, Harris Professor in the Child Study Center, discovered that a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) could be protective from the toxic effects of stress. FGF2 levels in children and their parents were linked to the children’s risk of developing anxiety and depression, the study showed. The findings could help explain why some children who are exposed to early life trauma such as poverty or abuse are more prone to developing mental health disorders. And FGF2 could be a target for treatment. “This is very novel because it starts to give a clue to what is the molecular chain that connects those lived experiences to the actual psychological outcomes,” Lebowitz says. New ways to study and treat childhood anxiety Michael Crowley, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, collaborates with Silverman and Lebowitz to study the role that attention plays in development and maintenance of childhood anxiety. There is a large body of research that shows that anxious children, like anxious adults, are prone to focus on threatening stimuli such as angry faces compared with neutral faces. This has led to innovative interventions that involve attention retraining. The idea is that if experts train children to look away from threatening stimuli, it may reduce their anxiety—especially children with social anxiety who are most prone to attend to threats. The researchers have just completed a clinical trial for attention retraining with 10- to 14-year-olds with social anxiety disorders and are currently analyzing the findings. Besides this innovative attention retraining research, as Crowly notes, “I like to design tasks that are engaging to kids,” Crowley says. “My goal is to assess something without the kids knowing what we are assessing.” With this goal in mind, Crowley has created a virtual game, named Boom, to study threat processing in children with anxiety disorders. The game is similar to that of hot potato—the child and three digital players take turns virtually passing a ball to each other’s gloves. At some point, the ball turns into a bomb, and as the bomb lands in each player’s glove, the outline of the glove turns yellow. The goal is to avoid having the bomb go off in your glove. What isn’t obvious is that the game is designed to measure different types of threatening stimuli, both ambiguous and direct. In the game, the direct threat occurs as the bomb is traveling towards your glove. The ambiguous threat is the yellow outlined glove as it is unknown where the bomb will travel next. While children play the game, Crowley’s team measures their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). The researchers have discovered that in kids with anxiety, the brain reacts more strongly to ambiguous threats than it does in their peers, but less strongly to direct threats. They believe that the initial abnormally large brain response to not knowing where the bomb is going impairs the brain's ability to properly respond when the threat is actually traveling the child’s way. “The brains of children with anxiety are unable to differentiate between threats you need to do something about and those that are not your problem.” Michael Crowley, PhD, develops innovative games for studying anxiety in children and adolescents.Credit: Matt Bradbury Based on these insights, Crowley hopes to study whether interventions like attention training could restore appropriate threat processing. Crowley’s team is also working on a test called the Balloon Risk Avoidance Task, which evaluates risk-taking and avoidance behaviors. It features a digital balloon that is full of air and about to burst. Kids have six seconds to let air out of the balloon. The more air they let out, the less risk they face that the balloon will pop. But at the same time, the balloon becomes less valuable as it deflates. “The more air you keep in the balloon, the more points you get,” Crowley explains. So far, the researchers have found that when the balloons pop unexpectedly, teens with social anxiety show distinct brain responses. Studying these responses can help psychologists understand the underlying pathways driving the various manifestations of anxiety. The genetics of anxiety When Thomas Fernandez, MD, associate professor in the Child Study Center and of psychiatry, was still in training, there was a lot of excitement about understanding the genetics associated with autism spectrum disorder. Since then, scientists have identified around 250 genes associated with autism. The genetic contribution to anxiety disorders, on the other hand, has historically received less attention. Anxiety is less heritable than autism, but the genetic contribution for anxiety disorders that emerge in childhood may be higher than for anxiety disorders overall. While scientists estimate the heritability of anxiety disorders in general to be around 30% to 50%, some studies suggest higher heritability for certain childhood-onset anxiety presentations. “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism,” Fernandez says. “So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism. So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” Thomas Fernandez, MD Associate Professor In the Child Study Center and in Psychiatry Now, Fernandez and Emily Olfson, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Child Study Center, are studying children and their parents to identify genetic changes that are present in the child but not the parents, known as “de novo mutations.” “All of us have some de novo mutations—maybe about 50 to 100 sprinkled throughout the genome,” Olfson says. “But when they occur within the coding regions of genes, they can be really disruptive.” Previous research shows that people with autism have higher rates of damaging de novo mutations than the general population. In 2022, Olfson, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Fernandez published a study on 68 children and their families that found that children with anxiety had similarly high levels of these mutations. Studying de novo mutations can help point the researchers to where they should be looking for genes associated with anxiety. “The end game is using the genes to steer us toward the right part of biology that we can then target to come up with better treatments,” Fernandez says. Building on those findings, the team is now studying more families to better understand how these de novo mutations, along with other genetic and environmental factors, shape pediatric anxiety disorders. They recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to enroll 750 new families over the next five years. Olfson is the principal investigator, with co-investigators Lebowitz, Fernandez, Silverman, and Shuangge Steven Ma, PhD, department chair and professor of biostatistics at Yale School of Public Health. Neurodevelopment, Risk Genes, and Mental Health Conditions - The Olfson Lab Joel Gelernter, MD, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, is interested in how different anxiety disorders differ genomically. “We are studying social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, working to understand why people differ in their risk to these specific anxiety disorders and evaluating various risk factors,” he says. Gelernter was recently involved in one of the largest studies to date of the genomics underlying anxiety disorder. The study included around 122,000 people with anxiety disorders and around 730,000 without. It found that some genetic differences associated with anxiety were linked to signaling that helps reduce overactivity in the nervous system. Many anxiety medications available today work by targeting this process. “It’s nice when the biology that you get out of a large genome-wide study ratifies things that we already know because that can help increase confidence in further findings from the study,” Gelernter says. Uncovering the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders John Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, is interested in the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of which anxiety is a major symptom. In the late 1980s, Krystal’s team discovered that the drug yohimbine activated symptoms in patients with PTSD. “This was the first time we could link a specific biological mechanism to the symptoms of PTSD,” Krystal says. At the time, he adds, this finding was highly controversial. “A lot of people felt that PTSD was a purely psychological syndrome that didn’t have an underlying biology.” Since then, Krystal has dived deep into understanding the neurobiology of PTSD to learn how to better treat it. His team is evaluating the use of ketamine and psychedelics. These would be among the first treatments to be developed specifically for PTSD. They may also be applicable for other disorders including anxiety disorders, Krystal adds. An important gap in PTSD treatment is the absence of biological tests that inform how to best help patients manage their PTSD symptoms. A doctor doesn’t diagnose cancer based on how they feel. Rather, they use tests of the biology of the cancer to determine the best course of treatment. “And we can’t do that in any psychiatric disorder other than Alzheimer’s disease,” Krystal says. “But now we are building a foundation for this approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders for the first time.” Source: Yale School of Medicine