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Bill introduced to support newborn health screenings
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Congressman Nick Langworthy was joined by Hall of Fame Bills quarterback Jim Kelly on Thursday to announce the introduction of a bipartisan bill that would dedicate fed…
Wisconsin senator introduces bill to ban ICE, CPB agents from polling locations
Sen. Tammy Baldwin said the legislation sends a message to the president that lawmakers are watching, even if there’s no chance the bill passes before Election Day.
Apple's HomePod Mini 2 Will Reportedly Come In New Colors, But Feature A Similar Design
It's been six years since the original model.
AirPods 5 Review: The Best Noise Cancellation In Affordable Earbuds
Much like Apple's iPhone 17 adopted some of the best Pro features, the AirPods 5 come closer to matching the AirPods Pro than any previous model.
Keychron Thunderbolt 5 Dock review: Unusually sensible
A company that’s best known for keyboards makes a strong entry into the high-end dock world.
Stop the wiretap shakedown on Main Street
House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams called for federal modernization of surveillance laws following the introduction of bipartisan legislative efforts to protect businesses fr…
Pioneer of China NewCo model sued in US over trade secret misuse, double-dealing
A legal feud unfolding in New York is putting a spotlight on the work of a business development veteran who is credited for pioneering one of biopharma’s hottest dealmaking mechanism: the China “NewCo” model. In a lawsuit originally filed in New York state court and recently moved to federal court, China’s Lepu Medical Technology has alleged that biopharma business development consultant Su Zhang, who was hired to help shop its GLP-1 weight-loss candidates to Western partners, engaged in corporate double-dealing and trade secret leaks. According to the complaint, while acting as Lepu’s primary dealmaking liaison for a group of obesity and metabolic disease drug candidates, Zhang was secretly double-dipping as the acting chief business officer for a direct competitor, BrightGene Pharmaceutical. “She never adequately disclosed the role, never sought Lepu’s consent, and never proposed any safeguard,” Lepu alleged in its complaint, which was filed in July after Zhang’s consulting firm, CoDevCo, sought certain transaction-based success fees from its angry customer through an arbitration process in Singapore. Lepu, the parent company of Lepu Biopharma, has asked Zhang to pay back its $500,000 retainer and disgorge all benefits she received during the alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, plus other damages and relief. The company has also requested the court grant injunctions to protect Lepu’s trade secrets. The ill-fated partnership officially kicked off in December 2024, when Lepu tapped CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism” to identify collaborators for the company’s drug candidates. According to Lepu’s complaint, Zhang personally negotiated and signed the agreement as managing director for CoDevCo, which used her home address. Before the Lepu deal, Zhang made a name following a short stint as the global head of business development for Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. It was during her tenure that Hengrui signed a landmark deal granting exclusive rights for a portfolio of GLP-1 assets to Hercules, which was at that time newly established by a group of private equity and venture capital firms. In addition to the regular upfront and milestone payments, Hengrui also gained an equity stake in Hercules, which later became Kailera Therapeutics. The Hengrui-Hercules deal opened a new paradigm, where a Chinese biopharma company spins off certain early-stage assets to investors for further development through the creation of a new company abroad. The “NewCo” model quickly came into vogue as it allows Western investors to access high-potential assets originating from China at an early stage while giving the Chinese licensors an opportunity to reap long-term benefits through equity stakes in the new firms. The NewCo model proved its value when Kailera staged a record-breaking $625 million IPO on Nasdaq this April, merely two years into the Hengrui deal. Related Kailera CEO 'knew we were in a good spot' before obesity biotech's record-breaking $625M IPO On her LinkedIn page, Zhang described her work at Hengrui as “[b]uilding team and capability from the ground up,” forming NewCo and major pharma partnerships worth billions of dollars. Lepu clearly wanted that kind of track record to help boost its own cardiometabolic portfolio, which includes a range of assets for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and muscle preservation during weight loss treatment. “Lepu’s pipeline is very valuable, but only if Lepu could secure the right international partner to expand into the overseas market during the available commercial window,” the company argued in its complaint. The Chinese biotech said it had little knowledge of U.S. laws, customs or business practices in the business development field, and therefore “needed to rely entirely” on the expertise of Zhang and her team as the firm’s first engagement of a U.S.-based BD consultant. “Zhang’s dominating influence on the business development strategy is further evidenced by the fact that she personally controlled the business-development communications on behalf of Lepu with potential partners,” Lepu said in its complaint. After entering the deal, Zhang introduced Lepu to her four associates. According to Lepu’s version of events, all of them were allegedly employed at different time points to perform similar jobs at other Chinese companies that Lepu described as its competitors, while having access to Lepu’s confidential information. As such, Lepu described Zhang’s team as “a roster of individuals whose primary professional loyalty, by virtue of their concurrent full-time employment, ran to Lepu’s competitors.” As well as the specific examples set out in the case, a look at Lepu’s deals over the period suggests Zhang may have been involved in at least one transaction. During their partnership, Lepu, through its subsidiary Shanghai Minwei Biotechnology, also out-licensed its GLP-1/GIP/FGF21 agonist MWN105 to a NewCo called Sidera Bio in the fall of 2025. The deal included an upfront and near-term payment of $35 million, up to $1.01 billion in milestones, and a 9.99% stake in the Danish startup. It seems likely that Zhang facilitated the Minwei deal given that Lepu is on record as having used CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism.” The big shock for Lepu came in the form of a news article on June 25, 2025. The article, reporting on phase 2 data for BrightGene’s GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist BGM0504, identified Zhang as acting chief business officer of the Lepu rival. Blindsided by her association with BrightGene, Lepu confronted Zhang in July 2025. “Lepu was given assurances that there was nothing to be concerned about and told that Zhang would explain the matter to Lepu,” Lepu alleged in its complaint. “Zhang never did.” Lepu claimed that Zhang had the motive and opportunity to steer potential prospective partners toward BrightGene or other competitors. Later, in February 2026, one of Zhang’s associates joined BrightGene as the vice president for global business development, according to the complaint. Around the same time, Lepu sent written demand letters asking Zhang to account for her BrightGene role, identify what confidential data were shared with the rival firm, and provide any conflict-of-interest or firewall policies during the engagement. According to Lepu, neither CoDevCo nor Zhang answered the questions in their responses. Related Novo vs. KBP: How a $1.3B deal turned into a fraud accusation and an international legal fight In a motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York on Sept. 4, Zhang’s legal team argued that Lepu’s agreement was signed with CoDevCo, and that an employee of the contractor does not owe fiduciary duties to the client. In its complaint, Lepu said: “That CoDevCo was the contracting entity does not insulate Zhang from personal liability for duties she personally undertook and personally breached.” Taking the argument one step further, the defending party argued that the consulting agreement “does not create a fiduciary relationship even between CoDevCo and Lepu; instead, it identifies CoDevCo as an independent contractor retained to market Lepu’s business to potential western partners.” Although CoDevCo was Lepu’s exclusive business-development contractor, there were no terms stipulating that the consulting firm should serve only Lepu, Zhang’s lawyer noted. As to Lepu’s claims that Zhang misappropriated trade secrets, the defendant argued that Lepu authorized the use of the information so Zhang’s team could perform their service per the agreement. In a rebuttal filed on Sept. 11, Lepu’s lawyer set out why they believe the Chinese biotech satisfied New York law’s misappropriation definition by alleging that the defendant used a trade secret “in breach of a duty or through improper means.” As an alternative to dismissing the suit, the defendant suggested the action should be stayed pending outcomes from the arbitration of a separate case in Singapore. While NewCo pioneer Zhang is defending her business arrangements, momentum behind the NewCo trend has continued unabated into 2026. Through August, Chinese biotech assets have spurred 15 NewCo deals this year, according to local trade publication PharmaDJ.
Google Adds Creepy Avatars To Gemini 3.8 Live's Agents
Google has introduced Gemini 3.8 live avatars designed for customer service and other tasks.
Delta Announces Multiple Innovations for Corporate Travel Customers
Focus is on NDC strategy, dealing with disruptions and introducing new Delta Business site
Virginia health committee considers mandating licensed nurses in every school
Virginia schools could be required to have a licensed nurse in every building starting in 2028, under a legislative proposal introduced Wednesday. The measure is designed to close healthcare gaps by placing experts in schools to manage complex medical conditions. Virginia permits school divisions to employ nurses, but state law doesn’t require it. About 8% […]
Political science professors weigh in on U.S. House recess
On Sept. 16, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recessed the House of Representatives a day earlier than scheduled. He sent members of Congress home to their districts before the midterm elections. This decision came following Rep. Thomas Massie’s introduction of articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, primarily related to military action...
ONE Championship Reintroduces Refreshed, AI-Powered Athlete Rankings
Learn all about our brand new rankings and what to expect!
Default Enablement of Copilot Features for Copilot Business and Enterprise
We’re introducing a new global default policy for generally available GitHub Copilot features and supported client capabilities in enterprise and organization Copilot settings. For the next 28 days, you can…
Lawmakers introduce bill to create federal film tax credit
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a 20% federal film tax credit
Lawmakers introduce bill to create federal film tax credit
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a 20% federal film tax credit
Lawmakers introduce bill to create federal film tax credit
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a 20% federal film tax credit
Call Of Duty: Warzone Is Adding A Button To Hide All The Goofy Skins
No more Beavis and Butt-Head in your matches.
Federal legislation introduced to boost Hollywood production with tax credit
The Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act would establish a 20% tax credit on labor expenses for American workers on qualifying film and TV productions.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 vs. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2: How these AI glasses compare
Meta's newest smart glasses are an iterative, expensive update.
Discovery Channel’s ‘Moonshiners’ stars, local business excited for Freedom to Home Distill Act
NEWPORT AND ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL)- Earlier this month, Tennessee’s First District Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) introduced a bill to end a more than 150-year ban on home distill…
House Science Leaders Introduce a $10 Billion Fusion Bill
The bipartisan proposal from the House Science Committee comes with the backing of the Fusion Industry Association.
IATSE Lauds Introduction of Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, Urges Swift Passage
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) today applauded the introduction of the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act (MPTERA), which would create a […]
Lawmakers Introduce 20-30% Federal Film Incentive
Lawmakers have introduce da 20%-30% stackable film incentive in a bid to restore domestic production.
Turtle Beach Rematch review: The cutest Switch 2 controller of the bunch
Official Nintendo designs and RGB lighting give the Rematch an adorable edge.
The Pixel Watch 5's Blood Pressure And Insulin Resistance Trends Are Rolling Out This Week
The first trend reports for the health data will be available in early October.
Pixel 11 starts testing ‘Call for Me’ to have Gemini phone on your behalf
Following Direct My Call and Hold for Me, Google is introducing "Call for Me" on the Pixel 11 series. Reminiscent of Google Duplex...
Xiaomi's 18 Pro Series Phones Have The Latest Snapdragon Chip And A Samsung-Like Privacy Screen
You'll have to wait a bit if you're outside China though.
These Upper Trim Levels Just Aren't Worth It
Let's dive in to all your answers, and see what you all came up with to loathe.
California senator proposes tax to discourage price gouging at the pump
With gas prices spiking and diesel prices at an all-time high, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., says he is introducing legislation to discourage oil companies from price gouging at the pump
California senator proposes tax to discourage price gouging at the pump
With gas prices spiking and diesel prices at an all-time high, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., says he is introducing legislation to discourage oil companies from price gouging at the pump
California senator proposes tax to discourage price gouging at the pump
With gas prices spiking and diesel prices at an all-time high, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., says he is introducing legislation to discourage oil companies from price gouging at the pump
Cyber Risks Rank as Top Business Concern in 2026 Travelers Risk Index - ProgramBusiness
Cyber risks rank as the No. 1 overall business concern in the 2026 Travelers Risk Index, with artificial intelligence introducing new risks alongside traditional cyber threats.
Verana Health Introduces New AI Agents to Expedite and Streamline R&D
/PRNewswire/ -- Verana Health®, a digital health company dedicated to revolutionizing patient care and clinical research through real-world data (RWD), has...
Vita Coco's Cofounder Cracked Open The Coconut Water Business
No doubt about it, Michael Kirban knew introducing coconut water to America would be a tough nut to crack.
Workday Launches Total Benefits, Bringing Health, Wealth, and Wellbeing Support Together in One Place
New AI Solution Makes it Simpler for Employers to Manage Benefits and Easier for Employees to Actually Use Them Workday Also Introduces Benefits Guidance Through Self-Service Agent to Help...
Introducing: Breguet Updates its Marine 5517 and Marine Chronograph 5527 with More Refined Dials
Same technical platform for the Marine 5517 and Marine Chronograph 5527, enhanced with guilloche dials, fresh colours and Breguet numerals.
Meta's New Holographic Avatars Are Here And They're Surprisingly Real
They're a notable improvement over the company's earlier attempts at digital likeness.
Meta's Next Smart Glasses Collab Is With Blackpink's Lisa
Blackpink in your upper-facial area.
Meta Brings FDA-Cleared Hearing Enhancement To Its Smart Glasses
After a free trial it'll cost $150 to add on, or require a Meta One subscription.
'The Best-Sounding Headphones We've Ever Built': Beats President Talks Beats 360, Customization, And Apple
Beats Electronics president Oliver Schusser took some time to talk with us about the new Beats 360 headphones, the relationship with Apple, and more.
Trump SBA to Extend Comment Period After Ranking Member Markey Leads Effort to Rescind SBA Policy that Reclassifies Billion-Dollar Businesses as “Small Businesses”
Trump admin policy would reclassify 114,000 larger businesses as “small” to access small business resources and win federal contracts meant for small businesses Letter (PDF) (Washington, September 23) – This week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its plans to extend the deadline to submit comments on its controversial proposed rule regarding small business size standards until November 20. The Trump SBA’s announcement came shortly after Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), alongside 12 of his Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Administrator Kelly Loeffler demanding that the Trump SBA rescind a harmful policy that would dramatically redefine what a small business is. The Administration’s proposed policy would change the small business size standard to designate 114,000 larger companies some with annual revenue above $1 billion—as small businesses, giving these businesses access to small business resources and federal contracts typically set aside for actual small businesses. In the letter, Ranking Member Markey and the lawmakers emphasized that small businesses will be shut out of the federal contracting space as government agencies award contracts to larger businesses, causing small businesses to lose revenue, lay off workers, or close their businesses entirely. “For more than 70 years, SBA’s mission has been clear: promote and protect the interests and viability of small businesses. By proceeding with this proposed methodology and rule, SBA moves further away from its mission of facilitating healthy small business participation in the U.S. economy. We urge SBA to rescind these proposals, meet in earnest with small businesses across the country, and discuss the proposal and methodology with congressional committees of jurisdiction. SBA must be committed to developing measured increases to the size standards that do not reward large, billion-dollar companies but instead helps our small businesses survive, grow, and thrive.” The lawmakers highlighted the following points in their letter: Under the Trump SBA’s new size standards, the highest receipts-based standard would exceed $1 billion in annual revenue—more than 20 times the current $47 million maximum—and the highest employee-based standard would reach 3,600 employees—more than twice the current 1,500 employee maximum. Specific increases include an increase in size of nearly 492% for banks, 1,500% for law firms, and more than 2,051% for private equity firms. Of the 114,000 businesses that would be newly classified as small, more than 37,000 of these businesses have collectively won more than 100,000 federal contracts worth approximately $71 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 alone without a small business designation. If SBA included the awards won by these 37,000 businesses in its Fiscal Year 2025 analysis, small business contracts would have accounted for 38% of all federal contracts, instead of the 27% that SBA announced this summer. The letter was co-signed by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Christopher Coons (D-Dela.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). Ranking Member Markey is fighting to protect small businesses in Massachusetts and across the country from the Trump SBA’s harmful policies that put big businesses and billionaires over American small businesses, workers, and families. In August, Ranking Member Markey slammed the Trump SBA’s proposal to overhaul its small business size standards to benefit big businesses over small businesses. In July, Ranking Member Markey and House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to start and grow their businesses. Also in July, Ranking Member Markey and Senator Hirono submitted a comment letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) opposing a proposed rule change by Trump’s SBA to the 8(a) Business Development Program that would harm underserved small business owners and entrepreneurs. In June, Ranking Member Markey released a new report highlighting Trump’s drastic reduction in federal contracting dollars awarded to American small businesses. ###
Where problems are solved: Get to know the new Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building at Case Western Reserve University | CWRU Newsroom
This story is the first in a series introducing the research, people and building that will define Case Western Reserve’s next chapter of discovery....
iPhone 18 Pro Review: The Best Camera Smartphone Of 2026
As expected, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are iterative upgrades, but the camera quality and battery life are best in class for 2026.
13 Cool Tractor Supply Gadgets You Might Not Realize Exist
As one of the biggest suppliers around for equipment useful for those living in more rural settings, Tractor Supply sells a lot of obscure stuff.
Microsoft's New Surface Pro 12 And Surface Laptop 13 Feature Snapdragon X2 Plus Chips
Microsoft's smaller Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 13 are getting a much-needed chip upgrade.
From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here's Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Science
Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What's more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others' perspectives
From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here's Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Science
Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What's more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others' perspectives
Logitech Just Unveiled Several New Gaming Accessories In Its Pro Line
For $60 it had better be a pretty incredible mouse pad.
Xbox's Latest Merger Means 'Forza Motorsport' Is Almost Certainly Done
Forza Horizon developer Playground and Forza Motorsport creators Turn 10 are merging into one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises.
Klopp lays down new rules for Germany stars
Having taken over as Germany coach over the summer, Jürgen Klopp has introduced a number of new rules that differ from those under his predecessor, Julian Nagelsmann, according to Sport Bild.Under Na...
Merck Life Science Expands Bengaluru Manufacturing with €13 Million Investment
Merck Life Science is expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Bengaluru with an investment of approximately €13 million, strengthening the company’s ability to supply critical materials to customers across India and the wider Asia-Pacific region. The expansion at Merck Life Science’s Jigani site in Bengaluru will introduce biological buffer manufacturing alongside the facility’s established chemistry capabilities. The investment is designed to enable faster and more reliable access to critical materials used by customers across research, diagnostics, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The development further advances Merck Life Science’s “in-region, for-region” approach, under which the company is expanding manufacturing capabilities closer to the markets and customers it serves. By adding biological buffer production in India, the Jigani expansion will broaden the site’s manufacturing capabilities while strengthening Merck Life Science’s regional supply infrastructure for the rapidly developing life sciences sector across India and Asia-Pacific. The company said the expansion reflects both the contribution of its teams and its collaboration with government and industry stakeholders. Merck Life Science acknowledged the support of India’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the German Embassy New Delhi, and Invest India in helping strengthen life science manufacturing capabilities in the region. The investment comes as India continues to expand its role across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics and biomanufacturing value chains, increasing demand for dependable regional access to materials supporting research and manufacturing operations. The Bengaluru expansion reinforces Merck Life Science’s focus on building manufacturing capacity within Asia-Pacific and supporting customers through a more regionalised supply network.
Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 27.2 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2
Apple today seeded the first betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. The software comes a day after Apple provided the second betas to developers. To get the new betas, you can sign up on Apple's beta testing website. After you're signed up, the betas can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device. iOS 27.2 includes the redesigned Health app that Apple introduced at its September iPhone event.
Improve your Apple CarPlay experience by doing these simple things
Tweak some of CarPlay's options, both on your car display and on your phone, to make the driving companion feature even more useful.
Mobile leaders push go-cup enforcement as arena district expansion is introduced
Mobile leaders say they want downtown’s entertainment districts to support local businesses—not turn into a bring-your-own-drink party.That message came Tuesday
Motorola's New Signature 27 Is Among The First Smartphone To Use The Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 Processor
Not bad for a quick refresh.
iPhone 18 Pro Review: Apple's Flagship Is No Longer Its Most Expensive Phone
Now that the iPhone Duo is here, the best iPhone for your specific needs might not just be the most costly handset available.
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
The Apple Watch Series 12 is now available, two years after the Series 10 introduced the current thinner design. But is it worth upgrading? While last year's Series 11 brought just four changes, the Series 12 is a much more substantial update, with a new chip, twice as much RAM, redesigned health sensors, exclusive health and audio features, tougher cover glass, 5G connectivity, and new case materials. The Series 12 starts at the same $399 price as the Series 10 did in 2024.
Five reasons to stick with your iPhone 17 Pro instead of upgrading to the 18 Pro
If you already have an iPhone 17 Pro, the improvements in the iPhone 18 Pro aren't meaningful enough to make the leap worth it.
FISU Promotes YouRef at the Beach Sports Championship
FISU organised two practical promotional sessions with all the officials present at the 2026 FISU World University Championship Beach Sports in Figueira da Foz, dedicated to the YouRef Erasmus+ Sport project Held during the six-day championship, the sessions provided an opportunity to introduce participants to the YouRef programme – “Inspiring and Retaining Young Sports Officials […]
Calvin Klein Introduces the New Perfectly Fit Bra Starring Teyana Taylor
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 22, 2026--
Faculty Spotlight: Ronyhel Peguero teaches ‘the language of business’ to Zicklin students
At Baruch College, many students learn that accounting is the language of business. From preparing financial statements to analyzing bonds, Ronyhel Peguero’s accounting lectures often serve as students’ first introduction into the business world. As a Baruch alum, Peguero began his journey to the college’s prestigious Stan Ross Department of Accountancy in the same classrooms...
Sonos Ace Ultra review: Giving the people what they want
The Ace Ultra is an obvious upgrade over the original Ace headphones, with headphone linking performing reliably already, even in its early phase.
Sonos Beam Ultra review: A huge Atmos upgrade for $699
The Sonos Beam Ultra isn't quite mid-range at $699, but it sounds almost as good as the huge Sonos Arc.
Health Advocate Marks 25 Years of Improving Employee Health
/PRNewswire/ -- Health Advocate, a leading provider of whole-person health and well-being solutions, celebrates 25 years since introducing a member-first model...
Health Infrastructure Security Act reintroduced to strengthen healthcare cybersecurity standards, resilience and oversight
Health Infrastructure Security Act reintroduced to strengthen healthcare cybersecurity standards, resilience and oversight
The Cardinals Season is Over, But the Future is Bright
The 2026 schedule hasn’t yet concluded, but the Cardinals’ playoff hopes are officially extinguished. From JJ’s debut and Burley’s monstrous blast that set the tone for the season on opening day, to a group of SFA baseball players taking their shirts off and swinging them over their heads. Jordan Walker reintroducing himself to the baseball […]
5 Disadvantages Of Cooking On An Induction Stovetop
Disadvantages of cooking on an induction stovetop include lack of a physical flame, high upfront costs, and accidental damage to the glass surface.
The Blood of Dawnwalker Update to Add Easier Difficulty Setting for Players Who Don't Want Combat
The first major The Blood of Dawnwalker update will introduce an easier difficulty option for "people who don't want to experience combat" when it launches in October.
Introducing the 2026 Northeast Arkansas C-Suite Award winners
It is with great pride that we present to you the third annual Northeast Arkansas C-Suite Awards. The honor acknowledges regional leaders’ contributions, commitment to the community and exceptional professional...
Apple Seeds Second macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Beta to Developers
Apple is testing the next macOS Golden Gate update, and developers can download the second macOS Golden Gate 27.2 beta. The second beta comes a week after Apple released the first beta. Registered developers can download macOS Golden Gate 27.2 by opening up the System Settings app, clicking on General, selecting Software Update, and opting into macOS Golden Gate betas. macOS Golden Gate 27.2 introduces Siri AI in new languages. macOS Golden Gate 27.2 introduces Siri AI in new languages.
Anthropic Eases AI Safeguards for Verified Life Science Teams
Sept. 21, 2026 — Anthropic has introduced the Life Sciences Verification Program (LSVP), which gives life science professionals access to Mythos, Opus, and Sonnet models with a refined set of safeguards more permissive for biology-related work. Dozens of organizations have already been onboarded through an early-access program, and applications are now open to the broader life […]
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 introduce a new Theater Mode setting
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 include a new Health Sensing System that dramatically improves heart rate data. The...
NBC’s ‘Line of Fire’ is what happens when you combine a procedural TV show with a soap opera
TV creator Joshua Safran is introducing "Line of Fire," a new NBC show blending elements of a crime procedural with a soap opera.
NBC's 'Line of Fire' is what happens when you combine a procedural TV show with a soap opera
TV creator Joshua Safran is introducing "Line of Fire," a new NBC show blending elements of a crime procedural with a soap opera | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
NBC's 'Line of Fire' is what happens when you combine a procedural TV show with a soap opera
TV creator Joshua Safran is introducing "Line of Fire," a new NBC show blending elements of a crime procedural with a soap opera | 1010 WINS
NBC's 'Line of Fire' is what happens when you combine a procedural TV show with a soap opera
TV creator Joshua Safran is introducing "Line of Fire," a new NBC show blending elements of a crime procedural with a soap opera | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
5 Cool New Features To Try In The iOS 27 Photos App
iOS 27 has added some new features to your Photos app, allowing you to get that perfect image with a suite of new editing tools and options.
Forget A Nuvolari Rebadge, Porsche Is Now Planning A Halo Supercar With A Flat-8
The era of flatness is clearly upon us. Lovers of weird engine configurations everywhere rejoice.
Halle Berry Reveals Her Private Connection With Zendaya
Zendaya needs no introduction thanks to Spider-Man, as she has become a global star. Talking about Halle Berry, she has also been part of the superhero universe in two films. However, very few people ...
Couple Uses Home Depot Bins To Create Simple Blackstone Storage
If you want to give your Blackstone griddle more storage, follow this couple's DIY and attach sliding Home Depot storage bins to the bottom of yours.
Apple Mac Studio (M5 Ultra) review: Huge AI and graphics power at a huge premium
At $11,299, the M5 Ultra's extra performance over the M5 Max model is only worth it for select buyers.
Apple Mac mini (M6) review: The best compact desktop is no longer a great deal
At $899, the new Mac mini loses the fun factor of the previous models.
DeFi Technologies' Subsidiary Valour Launches Valour Funds SPC, a New Business Line, and Introduces Its First Hedge Fund, Smart Crypto Fund SP, Powered by Neuronomics' Proprietary AI Strategy
Valour launches Valour Funds SPC, a new business line expanding its offering beyond exchange traded products into actively managed digital asset investment...
One mobile number, two phones: What is iPhone handoff and which carriers support it?
Apple's new iPhone Handoff feature for iOS 27 allows users to share phone numbers, messages, wallets and more between two iPhones seamlessly. Let's set it up.
Not Apple, Not Bose: Owners Say These Are The Best Earbuds For Phone Calls
Anker's Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Huawei's FreeBuds Pro 5 have garnered praise for clear sound, powered in part by bone conduction sensors.
14 Quirky Mini Gadgets That Make Great Gifts
If you're trying to figure out what gifts to buy for the tech-enthusiast in your life, why not browse among the miniature options?
Which Nvidia GPU Is Equivalent To The PlayStation 5 Pro?
While the PlayStation 5 Pro is the most graphically capable console, its PC equivalent GPU has some other tricks up its sleeve that make it just as capable.
How To Get The Highest-Quality Audio Out Of Apple CarPlay
The best way to get better audio from Apple CarPlay is to use it with a cable, which allows you to listen to lossless audio.
7 Sports Cars That Are More Practical Than The Mazda MX-5 Miata
The Mazda MX-5 Miata, for all its capability isn't always the most practical choice for interior space. However, these seven options retain the sports car feel.
Firefly's Adam Baldwin Starred In A Forgotten Sci-Fi Show About NASA Space Shuttle Astronauts
There is a forgotten '90s sci-fi adventure drama starring Adam Baldwin of "Firefly" fame called "The Cape," which tried to replicate the work of those at NASA.
Tissot Introduces the First Quartz PRX Chronograph
Tissot adds a quartz chronograph to the PRX collection, pairing its integrated steel design with a cool vertically brushed dial and slim built.
Easily Remove Ants From Your Lawn With An Eco-Friendly Find From Home Depot
This EcoSmart plant-based formula uses essential oils, like clove and thyme, and can be used to treat lawns of pests like ants. The product is in granular form.
Association Between Electronic Health Record Health Maintenance Topic and Lung Cancer Screening Completion in a Resident-Run Clinic
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The Big Holes in Wearable Heart Rate Variability And Readiness Scores
On September 9th, Apple announced it was revamping its Apple Watch Health Sensing System, rolling out a Readiness score (0 to 10), and increasing the frequency of heart rate variability (HRV) outputs 24-fold. This can be viewed as upping its competition with various other consumer wearable sensors. These “readiness scores” as a composite of multiple metrics, with heart rate variability (HRV) being front and center for most. The majority of Americans are now using wearable sensors, which equates to well over 100 million adults. HRV and Readiness scores are increasingly being marketed as a measurement of autonomic nervous system health, a digital marker for future disease, a clock for biological age, and a holistic metric to promote healthspan and even longevity. (Apple also introduced a new longevity tab and “Health Age”.) None of this has been proven. In this edition of Ground Truths I am going to review what we know about heart rate variability and readiness scores. Heart Rate Variability HRV is the variation in normal heart cycle timing. The variability of the heart rate, the barely perceptible millisecond changes in time between consecutive heart beats (see R-R intervals in the Figure below, left panel), is due to interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal nerve) inputs. Distinct from heart rate, individuals with the same heart rate can have very different HRVs. It is a rough reflection of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, inadequate to say whether a person’s ANS function is abnormal. For more than three decades, heart rate variability (HRV) has been measured and several studies have found an association of low HRV and clinical outcomes, particularly a link with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. There have also been less well established links of low HRV to risk of early cognitive impairment, dementia, mental illness, Type 2 diabetes and substance abuse. An important reminder is that HRV is a surrogate marker without any established cause-and-effect relationship. If you increase your HRV, that doesn’t mean it will improve health outcomes. In fact, there is no hard evidence for that. All that work linking to health outcomes was done with electrocardiogram (ECG) derived HRV. Now, in the era of consumer wearables, this is getting assessed differently, by optical pulse (yes, the lights you see) plethysmography (PPG) or what is called pulse rate variability (PRV). They are not the same, as shown below (right panel) and only concordant when the delay between the ECG and pulse is kept constant, which basically means at rest. I should mention there’s also what I will call MPV, a mattress mechanical movement sensor, a derived heart rate variability, that companies like Eight Sleep use, even further away from directly measuring HRV. HRV has not one uniform measurement but many different types of quantification, such as RMSSD, the magnitude of difference between successive R-R intervals of normal sinus beats (N-N) or SDNN, the standard deviation of NN intervals, both in milliseconds. SDNN is one of the so-called frequency domain HRVs (others are LF, HF, LF/HF). Different wearable sensors use different metics; Apple has relied on SDNN and nearly all of the others use RMSSD, which is generally considered the more accurate metric. There’s also the different length of time measured, such as for a matter of minutes, all day, or an overnight’s sleep. Short measurements are especially problematic since they don’t capture enough of respiratory modulation and other factors that influence HRV. Share Ground Truths How well does HRV correlate with PRV? There are very limited studies, especially independently done. One that is commonly cited was conducted by Air Force researchers in only 13 healthy adults assessing Oura ring 3 and 4, Whoop 4.0, and Garmin Fenix 6 and showed a correlation coefficient of 0.88 to 0.97 and a mean absolute percentage error from 6 to 10%. The correlation is not a perfect 1.0, but there’s at least a fairly high level of correlation. HRV is supposed to increase during the night due to takeover of the parasympathetic nervous system, and higher during deep sleep. A recent example of my 1 week, all day “HRV,” and one during sleep is shown below. As you can see, the N of 1 data are inconsistent for the same days from different sensors (Oura, AppleWatch, Fitbit Air, and Eight Sleep) by patterns, absolute numbers, and comparison with prior days and weeks. The largest study in over 8 million Fitbit users (the old version, not Google Fitbit Air, introduced in May 2026) gives you a sense of the effect of age, sex, and the 2 different main HRV (here PRV) metrics, with RMSSD on the left and SDRR (=SDNN) on the right below. That study, from data collected in 2018, is a major outlier, since all the more recent ones are tiny with respect to sample size. Many of the companies have not had independent evaluation of their HRV, such as Eight Sleep, but have published a low standard error on their website. There are some other published studies on the correlation between HRV and PRV, but they are all small and only in healthy adults. A scoping review emphasized the lack of study in underrepresented individuals, including the aged, people of color (which affects the PPG signal), and individuals who are underweight or obese. Add the typical adult age 60 plus with one or more chronic diseases. For example, one study in over 900 adults found poor correlation of HRV and PRV, non-uniformly underestimated across many chronic diseases (cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, respiratory, and others), concluding PRV is “an invalid surrogate for HRV.” A recent systematic review of 43 studies comparing HRV and PRV found reasonable pooled absolute standardized error (HRV as gold standard) but only 10 of the studies provided quantitative synthesis in ideal conditions. Their main conclusion was similarly cautious: “PPG-derived HRV [PRV] should not be regarded as universally interchangeable with ECG-derived HRV across all devices, populations, and recording contexts.” Factors Affecting HRV and PRV That gets me to the long list of factors that affect HRV (and PRV) besides the device, the type of measurement (RMSSD, SDNN or others), the person’s signal, the sensor site, the duration of data capture, if weighting by sleep stage is used, how artifact is processed and corrected. And this list is not complete!: Oura puts out data from their community of users (who input data) on what affects their overnight HRV. The factors currently provided are: no alcohol (increase 8%), melatonin (increase 2%, float tank (increase 2%), wine (decrease 4%), and party (decrease 14%) in overnight HRV. Must be some big parties! Subscribe What is a PRV measurement good for? It has been falsely characterized as an index of “autonomic balance” and a specific indicator of stress. A 2018 review of the studies available for HRV and its relationship to stress, not using any of the current wearables, found that stress can lower HRV. But so can many other factors. The non-specificity of the signal, indexed to the table above, is striking. Evidence from a UK Biobank study of over 46,000 participants with actual HRV looked at genetically predicted HRV, a genetic risk score, that failed to show the expected HRV-mortality link, indicating that _HRV is likely not causa_l, but rather a reflection of person’s physiologic state. A review of consumer wearable HRV data from 5 longitudinal studies showed that nighttime PRV was not associated with perceived stress, and surprisingly higher HRV, in the largest cohort (N=717 participants), was correlated with higher stress. An Oura ring cohort of 525 first-year college students found a link between overnight PRV and perceived stress, but that was also seen with resting heart rate, sleep, and respiratory rate. Several very small studies have examined the relationship of HRV and athletic injuries or guiding training with mixed, and predominantly negative results. HRV biofeedback training with paced breathing had no significant effect on reducing stress or raising HRV, as demonstrated with sham controlled trials. When HRV for multiple days showed a decline in conjunction with body temperature, the Oura ring published data for prediction of Covid. The WHOOP company sponsored an observational study, published in 2026, of 30,000 users for 72 weeks, without a control group, that reported reduced alcohol intake (5.8 % points) by self-report. That doesn’t tell us much, and particularly about the merits of HRV for behavioral change. If you use the same device and conditions as longitudinal trends for multiple (at least 2-3) weeks that may be the one way to get something useful from the measurements. Data for overnight sleep with minimal motion and using RMSSD is the best proxy for real HRV. The reason to look at trends rather than any given night is that it more likely represents something, even though you won’t know with certainty what the “it” is. Keep in mind there are no data, no peer-reviewed evidence, to show that HRV fluctuation in-person has any correlation with health outcomes. Share Readiness Scores These are proprietary scores that integrate different metrics for each of the wearables: no algorithms have been disclosed. They are unvalidated against health outcomes. In a review of 14 composite health scores of readiness and recovery, HRV contributed 86% to the scores, followed by reading heart rate (79%), physical activity and sleep duration (both at 71%). That review noted the substantial variability in measurement protools and lack of standardization. Sleep staging is notoriously inconsistent and inaccurate by these sensors, which adds further to the HRV uncertainties for what the scores, which use sleep stage data, mean. Only resting heart rate has been shown consistently across devices to be extremely accurate. I’ve made a Table to summarize what we know about which metrics are included, the scores, any peer-reviewed studies that compared the readiness score with health outcomes, and the corresponding (if any, NA-not available) citation. You will note that some companies do not use the term “readiness," such as WHOOP for recovery, and Garmin, which has 2 different scores, one of which is Body Battery. Eight Sleep uses the term “Fitness Score.” They all include HRV; Apple includes a new metric they call “Recovery HRV” which among other components uses 7-days of sleep, but it is unclear what this means or how it is differentiated from other scores (there are clearly no data for outcomes). We have no knowledge of how the different components are weighted or whether any of these scores are better than resting heart rate, HRV alone, physical activity, or any other single metric. Since none of these are standardized, they are not interchangeable, so if you get a 90 for Oura that has no relationship to a 90 on a Google Fitbit Air. Notably, the company can update its algorithm for readiness score at any point without notification to device users. Without any useful evidence of actionability for these scores or established relationship with health outcomes, it is hard to make a case for their value. At the Apple recent announcement they showed their Readiness score (0-10) on the watch (Figure below) but there are no published data on this score, not even on their website. It’s available only on their new Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 [of course, ;-)]. That exemplifies the problems with these scores, lack of data and evidence for being meaningful to promote health. Perhaps the best study (which isn’t saying much) is the WHOOP Recovery for golfer performance, because it did correlate with an objective outcome, even though there was no control group and the authors were all from the company. Among the 389 pro golfers, an absolute 10-per cent point increase in Recovery score was associated with about 0.5 fewer strokes per round. But that’s hardly a health outcome! WHOOP is also conducting a study in over 2,700 runners to see if their recovery score will be linked to less injuries and improved performance, but that is not yet published and has no control group or randomization. Putting This in Context For two decades I’ve been enthusiastic about the potential for digital health and particularly wearable biosensors. Over the years, we’ve seen some great progress for their ability to promote physical activity and accurately detect atrial fibrillation (the first FDA cleared deep learning AI for consumers). That work was the subject of rigorous research. But there are holes in the data and evidence for other metrics. One notable one is the “VO2 max” story that I wrote about earlier this year. At that time many subscribers asked me to cover heart rate variability, which I finally got to here. When I dived into the research and publication for HRV and readiness scores, I expected to find at least some that were of high quality and demonstrated their utility by linkage to health outcomes. To my surprise, I found none. The wearable sensor measurements for HRV (PRV) are, for the most part, accurate, but that validation work has only been done in small studies of healthy adults and does not take into account the long list of factors, from the device, software side, and the user side, that affect HRV measurements. Moreover, this metric chiefly relies on optical sensing and, as we have learned for heart rate PPG sensing, may be less accurate in people of color. Keep in mind that all of the health outcome association evidence comes from ECG-derived HRV; none are from wearable sensor data. I will repeat the key point: there's no peer-reviewed evidence to show that in-person HRV fluctuation—or efforts to raise your HRV— has any correlation with health outcomes. For those of you who look at your HRV on awakening, or even 2+ week trends of it being low, I hope this context helps to relieve any anxiety. Yes, low HRV (not PRV) has been shown to increase risk of some diseases as summarized above. But efforts to raise your HRV—a surrogate metric— has not been established for improving any health outcomes. HRV does not have any evidence of causality (the genetic evidence actually goes against this possibility). In this summary, I have not included data for other wearable sensors such as Polar, Samsung, Withings, Suunto, Amazfit, Coros, Ultrahuman, or additional mattress sensors. These are beyond my first-hand experience, and as far as I know from my in-depth review none have any peer-reviewed published data that differ from the 6 sensors I’ve reviewed here. From the points I’ve gone over above, we’re not ready for readiness scores. Besides being proprietary, they are predominantly based on metrics that have their own issues. It’s compounding the problem, like building a house without a solid foundation that has never undergone a rigorous inspection, and then selling it. Like I mentioned for PRV, you can look at trends over weeks rather than any single day, to get a handle, but even that may not be helpful. There’s simply no evidence that these scores meaningfully relate to health outcomes. I’d emphasize they might, but that requires doing prospective or randomized studies to prove it. None exist. There’s great promise for HRV/PRV utility_. For example**,**_ Prof Maiken Nedergaard, who discovered the brain glymphatics that are essential in eliminating metabolic waste products from the brain during sleep, has posited that HRV could be a non-invasive marker for neuromodulator oscillations, brain-body regulatory circuits, and brain clearance. That would be extremely useful, but like everything else on HRV and readiness scores it requires solid research and validation. The lay media isn’t helping much to get the story straight. Earlier this year The Economist published a piece entitled “The most useful indicator of your overall health” which ordained HRV as an “accumulated stress score.” That’s akin to the false assertion about VO2max: “V02 max is the singular most powerful marker for longevity.” As I’ve summarized here, that is not established. The fact is that so many things can lower HRV, including physical exercise (especially an intense workout), reduced sleep quality, stress, the list above, no less the device, signal, and software. Whatever fluctuations observed have not been correlated with any health outcome. Sadly, “datamaxxers” are widely using HRV and readiness scores that have never been validated to mean anything. We already know that for some people using the sensors for sleep metrics, it can induce “orthosomnia,” an obsession to get high sleep quality, with associated high levels of anxiety. In an experiment done by a company to promote sleep quality for its employees, “For those employees who did use the trackers, many reported feeling perfectly rested until their tracker told them they had had a terrible night. Others were told that they had slept like a baby when they had actually been lying awake worrying about the quality of their sleep. “ The same problem can result from preoccupation with HRV or readiness scores, with anxiety that would lead to further reduction in both. It you are using a wearable like >100 million American adults, it’s OK to look at these data, but contextualized with the major caveats reviewed here. If you are one to require evidence that HRV or readiness scores are linked to health outcomes, you may not even want to look. The companies make it hard to turn them off! Let me end with the companies that make and sell wearables. Apple’s doubling down on HRV (24-fold more reporting and heart rate very 5 seconds) and introduction of a Readiness score tells us that consumers have bought into these metrics and they are joining the club. However, all of this is occurring with a backdrop of tens millions of users, claims about the data that are not backed up by adequate evidence, marketing way out in front of whatever limited data exists, and not being transparent about their readiness score algorithms. The companies can well afford to do the research that is needed to connect these metrics with health outcomes show, once and for all, that increasing HRV or using readiness scores promotes our health. If they believed and invested in the products they are selling, we’d not be in this position of not knowing. That’s essentially where we are with HRV and readiness scores. Perhaps someday this will change and we’ll have good reason to embrace them. NB: I wrote this post. No AI. I have no conflicts of interest with any of its content. Loading... Ground Truths has 215,000 subscribers from every US state and 214 countries. 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