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Final beam marks construction milestone for Western State Hospital

As Gov. Bob Ferguson and other state leaders spoke about the new building, workers gathered outside, chanting for a fair contract and better working conditions.

Aug 28 • 10:06 PM EDT • Health • seattletimes.com

James Harrison Blasts Steelers Projected Starter Before Roster Cuts

Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison ripped the team's projected starting right tackle Dylan Cook. The post James Harrison Blasts Steelers Projected Starter Before Roster Cuts appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 28 • 9:16 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Lions Projected to Target Outside Help After Roster Cuts

The Detroit Lions‘ offensive line is far from resolved. So much so that there is a chance one or two names get cut or traded from the roster, making their own 53-man roster moves end up on the Lions. Mike Payton of A to Z Sports predicted just that in his latest 53-man roster projection. […] The post Lions Projected to Target Outside Help After Roster Cuts appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 28 • 4:18 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Steelers Coach Mike McCarthy Hints at Breaking From Tradition With Four-QB Roster

Given the efforts the rest of the cast outside Aaron Rodgers put in, Mike McCarthy may be ready to break from tradition and have four QBs on the roster.

Aug 28 • 10:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Is Intelligent Design the Root of All Science Skepticism?

As author C. W. Howell puts it, various ID proponents have sometimes committed the thought crime of “doubting the science consensus outside evolution.”

Aug 28 • 9:47 AM EDT • Science • scienceandculture.com

The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science

“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 27 • 6:47 PM EDT • Science • wessiler.substack.com

Greenland research institutions halt new US collaborations citing mistrust

Although US President Donald Trump still harbours ambitions to take over Greenland, for US researchers his actions seem to have had the opposite effect. Over the summer, Greenland’s two largest research institutions, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and the University of Greenland, both announced policies of not starting new research projects with US researchers.Both institutions cite a mistrust of the US as a motivation for the decision. At the University of Greenland, the change of policy has already led to the rejection of specific proposals for new collaborations, rector Mari Kleist told Science|Business. “The reason is the changed political situation between the US and Kalaallit Nunaat [Greenland], and the uncertainty that the American interest in Kalaallit Nunaat has created,” she said.For the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a partially state-funded environmental research institution, the decision was also prompted by a lack of trust in US intentions. In a July interview with local broadcaster KNR, director Josephine Nymand cited concerns about data ownership, US “influence operatives” and social media monitoring of researchers entering the US.The Greenland Institute of Natural Resources has long collaborated with the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The policy change will not affect these existing partnerships but will apply to collaborations with new, “unknown” partners, Nymand said. At the University of Greenland, the policy is the same.The changes come amid proposals of severe cuts to the NSF, which would likely also see the US research presence in Greenland reduced. In spite of this, when asked about the Greenlandic policy change, the NSF remained optimistic of its continued presence in Greenland.“We are grateful to our partners in Greenland for their collaboration in advancing scientific knowledge and training the next generation of researchers. NSF remains committed to the long-term collaborations with Greenland that enable scientific research near communities and on Greenland’s ice sheet,” an NSF spokesperson told Science|Business.Fewer US researchers in GreenlandMost research published on Greenland is on natural science topics such as the cryosphere, ice dynamics, permafrost and climate change. In recent years, US researchers have been the most prolific publishers on Greenland.The US research presence in Greenland goes far beyond the capital of Nuuk, where the two research institutions are located. It includes the Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland, various projects in settlements and research stations along the coast, as well as research stations on the Greenland ice sheet itself.The largest of these sites, Summit Station, is located at the highest point of the Greenland ice sheet, about 3,200 metres above sea level, and since the 1980s it has been used for drilling cores out of the ice sheet. These ice cores provide valuable information on the global climate going back at least 100,000 years. About 30 kilometres from Summit Station, the Danish-led Greenland Ice-core Project (Grip), funded by the European Research Council, is also drilling ice cores. Although they initially competed, the relationship between the two research teams has “long been amiable,” Jørgen Peder Steffensen, a Danish researcher who has been part of Grip for more than 40 years, told Science|Business.However, since Trump took office in early 2025, Steffensen has noticed a reduction in US research in the country. “Several of our American partners did not make it into the field this year. Their field seasons were cancelled because they lacked the budget,” he said.He ascribed part of the reduction in US researchers to a renovation of Summit Station. “A very large share of NSF funding has gone into renewing the station. Money has been taken from research and allocated to rebuilding it,” he said.A report published in August by Arctic Hub confirms Steffensen's observations of fewer US researchers. It shows that US research publications on Greenland took a dip towards the end of the period spanning 2015 to 2024. In 2024, before Trump took office, the number of publications had fallen from an average of about 250 articles a year, to just 164, second behind Canada at 169.Data from the NSF logistics provider Battelle also shows a reduction in US research presence in Greenland in recent years. In 2023, Battelle counted 48 projects across 78 locations, but in 2025 that number had fallen to 40 projects across 38 locations. And while relations with US personnel in Greenland have remained strong, some tensions have arisen since Trump took office. “On a personal level, there is nothing. But it’s hanging in the air. It hangs unspoken,” Steffensen said.Cutting ties with US researchers entirely would come at a higher cost for the ice core researchers than the Nuuk-based institutions. To get cargo to and from their bases, both Grip and Summit Station rely on unique, ski-equipped Hercules LC-130 aircraft operated by the New York Air National Guard. Without these, maintaining a research base on the Greenland ice sheet would not be viable on current budgets, Steffensen said. “[If the Hercules planes were not available], we would have to think outside of the box. We would have to use smaller planes, and we would have to build a base closer to the coast. But staying in our current location would be too expensive and it would create a huge carbon footprint,” he said.Suspicious people in NuukIn her explanation of the severed US ties, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources director Josephine Nymand compared the decision to past situations when the institute had to cut ties with China and Russia, the latter due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And although the current situation is less severe, the comparison reflects the seriousness with which Nuuk sees the US threats. “From Greenland’s perspective, the US may not look so different from Russia right now: a much larger neighbouring power threatening to invade,” Lin Alexandra Mortensgaard, a researcher of international politics in the Arctic at the Danish Institute for International Studies, told Science|Business. “From a European perspective, it is not a comparable situation, because we are entangled with the US on all possible fronts and do not want to destroy more than is absolutely necessary. But from Greenland’s side, there may well be a need to send a clear signal to the US,” she went on. Suspicions have been fuelled by instances of Trump-affiliated people in Greenland trying to persuade Greenlandic citizens to support a US takeover. The most prolific among them is Tom Dans, a former venture capitalist and pecan farmer who was appointed by Trump as the chair of the United States Arctic Research Commission. Observers fear that he is now using research to achieve a US takeover.“Greenland is a small society with a small population, so when Americans with unclear affiliations wander around, trying to be good friends with people, and you don't know what they want, that creates mistrust. This probably played into the research institutions taking these drastic steps,” Mortensgaard said.Related articles:The US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to knowEU polar research melts into the backgroundAnchor Greenlanders in Arctic climate research, experts tell EU ahead of policy updateAnd although Greenland’s population is small at just 57,000, for Mortensgaard, it serves as a microcosm for the geopolitical situation as a whole: global powers fighting for their interests to the detriment of the common interest. Arctic research already suffered when collaborations with Russia broke down in 2022, she said, so a split with the US would be a serious hit to climate science.“The Arctic climate system does not respect borders or geopolitical divides. When collaboration across those lines suddenly becomes impossible, it is a huge problem for knowledge production,” she said. European alternatives?The Greenland Institute of Natural Resources is funded partly by research grants from external sources like the NSF. To replace the US funding, the institute will have to look for alternative revenue sources, and Nymand said that she is looking to Europe for those. Aside from Denmark, of which Greenland is formally a part, she also noted increased interest in research collaborations from the UK, France and Switzerland. Kleist of the University of Greenland told Science|Business that it was too early to say if the severed US ties would lead to more collaborations with Europe. Meanwhile, Mortensgaard believed that the tensions in Arctic research could well leave room for closer European partnerships, or stronger links with Canada. “I spoke to Canadian researchers who had long-standing relationships with American colleagues and who collaborated with the US Navy, but who had gotten worried that their data on sea ice could be used if Trump suddenly decided to follow through on his threats of invading,” she said. “Like Canada, I think Greenland is considering creating closer ties to Europe and I think European capitals will be open to this,” she said.

Aug 27 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net

Harvard Business School explored European outpost after Trump’s visa threats

University considered teaching MBA students outside US after White House sought to bar international students

Aug 27 • 12:00 AM EDT • Business • ft.com

Hersheypark slammed for reply to Dollywood ticket prices after Dolly Parton’s death

Hersheypark was slammed over its reply to a social media user praising Dollywood’s affordability after Dolly Parton’s death: ‘Our summer tickets are $49.99,’ Hersheypark wrote in ‘error.’

Aug 26 • 10:44 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

Fight turns deadly outside Hayward business near police headquarters

A 42-year-old man died from head trauma after a fight on Winton Avenue, police said Monday.

Aug 24 • 8:42 PM EDT • Business • sfchronicle.com

Live Results: Georgia special election runoff to replace Rep. David Scott

Residents of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District outside of Atlanta will get a new representative to Congress after a special election runoff Tuesday to replace the late Democratic Rep. David Scott, who died April 22.

Aug 24 • 5:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

A New Study Explores Whether Exercise Can Really Cancel Out the Health Risks of Your Desk Job

Scientists debate whether it’s possible to fully reverse the metabolic effects of a sedentary life.

Aug 24 • 10:26 AM EDT • Health • outsideonline.com

Malandraki joins the Beckman Institute

Georgia Malandraki joins the Beckman Institute as a leader of various grants on advancing rehabilitation and telehealth assessments for swallowing disorders.

Aug 24 • 9:15 AM EDT • Science • beckman.illinois.edu

Backed by Brian Kemp, Rick Jackson sticks to outsider message

At a weekend rally, the GOP nominee for governor leaned hard into his anti-establishment pitch, even with Georgia's top Republican for much of the last decade beside him.

Aug 24 • 9:00 AM EDT • Politics • ajc.com

The Petitti Paradox: Big Ten commissioner has built a career pushing convention

Tony Petitti has overseen unprecedented on-field success at the Big Ten, but the commissioner remains a somewhat mysterious figure to those outside the league.

Aug 24 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • sportsbusinessjournal.com

Jared Kushner meets with Democratic leader Jeffries with House control at stake in November

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and outside Jared Kushner met privately recently.

Aug 23 • 3:00 PM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com

Some people outside of Apple have already used the folding iPhone

The iPhone Ultra may actually live up to the hype, as people who have tried pre-release versions of the model indicate it will be worthy of its hyper-premium price.

Aug 23 • 10:24 AM EDT • Technology • appleinsider.com

San Francisco health officials report 10 cyclosporiasis cases so far in 2026

San Francisco public health officials have confirmed 10 cases of cyclosporiasis so far this year. San Francisco Department of Public Health officials said one case was associated with domestic travel outside California, while the remaining cases involved international travel.

Aug 21 • 9:52 PM EDT • Health • abc7news.com

Michael Polansky is training an AI model on skin that’s still alive

Michael Polansky — better known publicly as Lady Gaga's partner and a former top deputy to Sean Parker — has quietly spent years building an AI-driven startup that keeps living human skin tissue alive for weeks outside the body to discover new skincare compounds, and is only now going public about it.

Aug 21 • 9:31 PM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com

Five group homes. Two scandals. Health Department program under microscope

The Health Department revoked the licenses for group homes owned and managed by Sekou Dukuly, the executive director of the National Port Authority of Liberia, as well as those connected to Andrea Sampson, a former Anoka County Attorney who prosecutors say used some of her properties to traffic women before converting them into group homes and billing Medicaid.

Aug 21 • 4:06 PM EDT • Health • mprnews.org

Meet the 21 new faculty members of the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business

At the beginning of the Fall semester, the University announced the addition of 21 faculty in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. Access

Aug 21 • 10:39 AM EDT • Business • news.clemson.edu

Hemp businesses sue Texas health agency over product testing criteria

A group of Texas hemp businesses has sued the Texas Department of State Health Services for its rules related to the testing of hemp products, which they claim are at odds with state law.

Aug 20 • 4:16 PM EDT • Health • kxan.com

Hemp businesses sue Texas health agency over product testing criteria

A group of Texas hemp businesses has sued the Texas Department of State Health Services for its rules related to the testing of hemp products, which they claim are at odds with state law.

Aug 20 • 4:16 PM EDT • Business • kxan.com

Roundup: ExxonMobil / SBA workforce initiative / New HoganTaylor CEO

Anti-trust charges tossed: A Texas Business Court judge dismissed Clean Hydrogen Works’ antitrust claims against ExxonMobil’s Denbury subsidiary, ruling Texas courts cannot address alleged antitrust injuries occurring outside the state. Clean Hydrogen Works alleges Exxon used its control of Denbury’s 620-mile carbon dioxide pipeline network to block a planned $7.5 billion clean-fuels project in Louisiana, […]

Aug 20 • 3:35 PM EDT • Business • businessreport.com

NanoClaw comes to Slack, letting you create persistent AI agent teams and colleagues from a single message

The NanoClaw agents can work together in channels and shared Slack Canvases, and can be even messaged outside of Slack on other platforms like Telegram or WhatsApp, letting their human colleagues ping them across platforms.

Aug 20 • 1:25 PM EDT • Technology • venturebeat.com

Mortgage rates fall for second consecutive week

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell this week to 6.65%, according to the latest Freddie Mac data released Thursday. That is down from last week's reading of 6.67%.

Aug 20 • 12:08 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com

Hoda Kotb's new business, Joy 101, announces Ochsner partnership and 2027 'Joy Fest' in New Orleans

"All roads lead to New Orleans, and that’s the way it's worked for me my whole career That's why hardly a day on the 'Today' show went by where somebody didn't hold up a Who Dat sign outside the window."

Aug 20 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • nola.com

Lynx, Valkyries coaches rip 'Save Women's Sports' movement as pro-trans mob rocks 1st rally at non-Fever game

Pro-transgender counterprotesters swarmed a Save Women's Sports rally outside Chase Center before the Golden State Valkyries vs. Lynx WNBA game.

Aug 20 • 6:40 AM EDT • Sports • foxnews.com

Americana band High Horse concludes BRT's Take It Outside Concert Series

CUMBERLAND – Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad St., will conclude its summer concert series with Boston-based Americana band High Horse on Sunday, Aug. 23, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Aug 20 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • valleybreeze.com

City deal sets protest limits outside downtown Kroger amid small business complaints

Aug 19 • 10:05 PM EDT • Business • local12.com

College Students Can Get a Free Year of Google AI Pro

Google today said eligible college students in the United States can get a free year of Google AI Pro. Google AI Pro is normally priced at $19.99 per month, and it includes 4x higher usage limits in Gemini, access to Gemini Spark, Gemini in Google apps like Gmail and Google Docs, and 5TB of storage space. Eligible college students outside the United States can get a free year of Google AI Plus, which includes Gemini Omni, 4x higher usage limits in Gemini, and 400GB storage.

Aug 19 • 3:00 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Study finds sustained benefit for people using Oregon psilocybin services

OHSU-led research is the largest study of psychedelics outside clinical trials.

Aug 19 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • news.ohsu.edu

Packers Training Camp Recap: Cornerback competition ramps up

Keisean Nixon, Brandon Cisse, Benjamin St-Juste and Carrington Valentine all played outside corner with the 1s today

Aug 18 • 2:27 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Two men arrested in Sulphur following local business theft

Two men were arrested in Sulphur regarding a theft to a local business. Deputies were advised two men in a U-Haul truck were stealing parts from outside the business and located them in the truck o…

Aug 18 • 9:33 AM EDT • Business • klfy.com

House ethics panel opens sexual misconduct investigation into Rep. Jimmy Gomez

The California Democrat said that he had “made personal mistakes outside my marriage” and that will cooperate with the investigation.

Aug 17 • 4:51 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Protect yourself from wildfire smoke with a mask

We live near Washington, D.C., in the path of wildfire smoke from Canada. Since the smoke traveled so far, is it still a danger to health? My husband spends a lot of time outside for work, and I am worried. Should he be wearing a mask?

Aug 17 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • uclahealth.org

8 Famous Science-Fiction Writers and Actors Who Served

Before creating some of science fiction’s greatest stories, these 8 writers and actors served in the U.S. military.

Aug 17 • 3:00 AM EDT • Science • military.com

Shootout outside Pioneer Square bar hits cars, business; at least 1 person wounded

Gunfire erupted in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood early Sunday after a fight outside a bar spilled into the street near 1st Ave. and King Street, leaving

Aug 16 • 2:33 PM EDT • Business • komonews.com

How 'A Very Laufey Day,' exploded — and where to catch it in L.A.

What began as a way to encourage her fans to get outside has transformed into a global fan event. Here's what to know about 'A Very Laufey Day' and how to celebrate in Los Angeles and beyond.

Aug 16 • 1:11 PM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com

How Republicans Embraced Brandon Herrera, a Texas Republican Candidate and Gun Influencer

Brandon Herrera, long an anti-establishment outsider, is trying to help the party defend a red-leaning House district in West Texas. It’s proving messy.

Aug 16 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Europe's heatwaves expose insurance gap as business losses mount

For more than a century, cafes in the Italian city of Padua have welcomed customers for an early evening drink, or aperitivo, encouraging them to sit outside ​and socialise before dinner.

Aug 16 • 1:06 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com

Colts Training Camp ‘Day 11’: Quick Hits

It was rainy and soggy outside, but the Colts secondary continued to dry up opportunities for Indianapolis receivers.

Aug 15 • 11:21 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Packers Coach Makes Feelings Clear on Former 1st-Round Pick

It is no secret that the Green Bay Packers have high expectations for edge rusher Lukas Van Ness in his fourth NFL season. Not many people are higher on Van Ness than Packers outside linebackers coach DeMarcus Covington. Covington told media members that he believes Van Ness is one of the Packers’ best players when […] The post Packers Coach Makes Feelings Clear on Former 1st-Round Pick appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 15 • 6:48 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Outside Science Experiments

Summer is the perfect season to get kids outside and spark their curiosity with hands-on adventures. Liz Heinecke, known as the Kitchen Pantry Scientist, stopped by with creative activities that turn backyard playtime into exciting science discoveries.

Aug 14 • 5:15 PM EDT • Science • kstp.com

UMW Expands Mental Health Resources for Students With 24/7 Crisis Support Line

byThe University of Mary Washington is expanding access to mental health support for students through TimelyCare’s CrisisNow service, providing immediate, around-the-clock access to trained mental health professionals during moments of crisis. This additional service adds a direct phone line through UMW’s Talley Center for Counseling Services, available anytime, including outside of traditional business hours. “We want […]

Aug 14 • 12:55 PM EDT • Health • umw.edu

How Aka hunters and Fulani chiefs helped health workers locate CAR’s missed-out children

In the southeast of the Central African Republic, a special cadre of experts filled in the blanks on the healthcare map.

Aug 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • gavi.org

The Friday Checkout: Can Kroger’s new e-commerce chief sort out its messy online business?

Nate Faust brings a founder’s energy and an outsider’s perspective to a digital business that has become overly complex.

Aug 14 • 7:50 AM EDT • Business • grocerydive.com

$15M jury verdict after radiologist improperly places catheter, leading to patient death

Radiologist Barry Jeffries, MD, allegedly improperly placed a suprapubic catheter outside of the patient's bladder, worsening his chyle leak.

Aug 14 • 2:12 AM EDT • Business • radiologybusiness.com

Epic launches new one-click feature allowing outside hospitals to share medical images without CDs

The Verona, Wisconsin-based vendor this month is rolling out its Care Everywhere Diagnostic Image Exchange across the Epic community.

Aug 14 • 2:03 AM EDT • Business • radiologybusiness.com

Iowa Republican Zach Lahn confronts curiosity, and concerns, in outsider bid for governor

Zach Lahn, the Republican nominee for Iowa governor, says he's bringing a different message to Iowans.

Aug 14 • 12:05 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com

BREAKING: Netflix to shut down two more game studios

Netflix is sticking with video games but once again reducing the number of studios it owns making games. The streaming giant is closing Los Angeles-based Night School studio, which it acquired in 2021 and plans to close Helsinki-based Moonloot, which was founded in 2022. Just six weeks ago, Night School had released Unhinged, a novel 30-minute first-person horror game, streamable on TVs to Netflix users. The game was hailed by Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters in a call with investors. Six weeks later, Night School is closing. Prior to its Netflix tenure, Night School had developed the award-winning supernatural thriller Oxenfree. A second Oxenfree game followed after the purchase, as well as a mobile game designed to tie in to an episode of the Netflix show Black Mirror. Netflix attributed the studio closures to a prioritization around kids gaming, party games, story-driven fare and games with mainstream hooks, such as a recently released FIFA game. “We see an opportunity to be more focused in our execution, so we are making organizational changes to the business to match those priorities,” a Netflix spokesperson told Game File. Netflix is also cutting jobs from its internal games team. A rep declined to say how many jobs were being lost by these cutbacks. “We are incredibly grateful to the talented colleagues we’re saying goodbye to today. We thank them for all their contributions to Netflix, and wish them the best,” the rep said. Netflix started releasing video games, initially on mobile as a free bonus to subscribers, in 2021. By 2023, Mike Verdu, then the head of Netflix’s game operations, was telling me that the company was committed to growing carefully, as it offered more games and built up internal game studios. At the time, it hadn’t made any gaming job cuts. Since then, Netflix has altered its approach. In 2024, it shut down Team Blue, a start-up studio led by ex-Call of Duty and Halo developers that was exploring making a high-end first-person game for the service. Last October, Netflix shut down another studio, Boss Fight, shortly after Peters praised the team’s Squid Game game to investors. (One of Boss Fight’s main developers now works on the Netflix FIFA game for outside studio Delphi.) And in December, Netflix sold cozy game studio Spry Fox back to its founders. Amid all of this, Netflix has shifted from emphasizing mobile games to offering games through TVs and PCs, via streamed connections, with phones used as controllers. That’s how Night School’s Unhinged worked, along with games such as Boggle and Party Crashers that have collectively helped the Netflix game controller app chart well on mobile app stores. The studio cuts leave Netflix with a central gaming team that works with external developers, and a dedicated first party studio in, Helsinki-based Next Games, which produced many of the company’s couch-centric party games. The move away from having a roster of internal game studios aligns with Netflix’s own approach to shows and movies, which are largely produced externally. The company owns few TV/film production studios of its own. The gaming industry overall is seeing large holders of multiple studios cut back, with Sony, Ubisoft, Embracer, Microsoft and other giants closing or selling off studios. Cuts in California-based studios, where costs often run relatively high, have been particularly acute. Netflix has faced skepticism about its gaming plans for years. The moves today are likely to fuel them, and the company has few upcoming projects to counter the narrative. Among the few hinted, acclaimed independent studio Don’t Nod said last year it was working on a game tied to a major Netflix franchise.

Aug 13 • 2:47 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

In redrawn FL-23, incumbent Rep. Lois Frankel battles political outsider Victoria Doyle

The 78-year-old from West Palm Beach — who has been in elected office since the mid-1980s and in Congress since 2013 — is facing a progressive challenger, Victoria Doyle, 60, a retired intellectual property attorney and local activist.

Aug 13 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • wlrn.org

Mock Crash Kicks off Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign on Health Science Campus

UToledo Health joined local law enforcement and health agencies to stage a realistic drunk driving crash simulation outside the Lloyd A. Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center.

Aug 13 • 3:45 AM EDT • Health • news.utoledo.edu

The NSF’s Ph.D.-to-Industry Pipeline Push

The majority of STEM Ph.D.s take jobs outside academia. While some universities help them prepare, the National Science Foundation is now investing millions to boost those efforts.

Aug 12 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • insidehighered.com

Trevor Lawrence Speaks About Jaguars Ignoring ‘Outside Noise’

Dismissing poor offseason grades and skeptics, the star quarterback says the team is only concerned with meeting its own expectations.

Aug 11 • 8:47 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Xbox Boss Praises Elder Scrolls 6 As Bethesda Devs Protest Outside

The newly appointed Xbox CEO posted on social media that the upcoming RPG looks 'incredible'

Aug 11 • 4:21 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

Anti-ICE protestors call out Susan Collins in Biddeford

Protestors took to the streets outside of the offices of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) statewide, demanding she take responsibility for what they said was support of ICE.

Aug 11 • 3:40 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

In a partisan age, a Democratic governor goes outside her brand for a running mate

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), facing a tough reelection fight, chooses former mayor John Giles, a lifelong Republican who recently became an independent.

Aug 11 • 12:48 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Singer Samantha Mumba Thought She’d Never Have a Normal Job After Finding Fame at 15. Now She’s Embracing a Surprising Line of Work (Exclusive)

After finding the spotlight as a teen, Mumba knew she wanted to explore her talents outside of entertainment

Aug 10 • 11:53 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Fox alum Tarik Ryant hopes to build legacy with growing business portfolio

Chef Reeky stands outside Cheezy Vegan in South Philadelphia, where he now operates one of his two restaurants after rebuilding his life through entrepreneurship.

Aug 10 • 10:52 AM EDT • Business • news.temple.edu

Fox alum Tarik Ryant hopes to build legacy with growing business portfolio

Chef Reeky stands outside Cheezy Vegan in South Philadelphia, where he now operates one of his two restaurants after rebuilding his life through entrepreneurship.

Aug 10 • 10:52 AM EDT • Business • now.temple.edu

Bernie Sanders demands Democrats ban super PACs from primaries, blasts AIPAC, ‘corrupt system’

Sanders is urging Democratic leaders to ban super PACs from party primaries, citing concerns about outside spending and influence.

Aug 9 • 5:49 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

'Outsider' House primary winner sets sights on flipping longtime GOP seat back from Dems: 'Ready for a change'

Terri DeBoer says Rep. Hillary Scholten's voting record contradicts her moderate image, citing votes on girls sports and the SAVE America Act.

Aug 9 • 1:23 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Bills heading back to Orchard Park to open new stadium

The Bills closed out this part of training camp at St. John Fisher University outside Rochester and packed up for home base back in Buffalo.

Aug 7 • 7:22 PM EDT • Sports • spectrumlocalnews.com

South Congress business owner frustrated by repeated water main breaks

A South Congress business owner is frustrated by repeated water main breaks outside his shop. He says he loses business every time it happens.

Aug 7 • 6:29 PM EDT • Business • fox7austin.com

Chicago Sky address Sophie Cunningham rally planned outside home game vs Fever

The Chicago Sky responded to the Sophie Cunningham rally planned outside the United Center ahead of Saturday's game against the Indiana Fever.

Aug 7 • 5:20 PM EDT • Sports • foxnews.com

Wyndham Championship 2026: Jason Day playoff streak snapped with MC

After 18 consecutive trips to the postseason, Jason Day is heading home following a missed cut at the Wyndham Championship that will have him finish outside the top 70 in FedExCup points.

Aug 7 • 3:22 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Outside eagle spotted on Jackie and Shadow's nest

Don’t panic, it’s normal

Aug 7 • 9:18 AM EDT • Science • popsci.com

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on Historic Michigan Win: “People Are Sick and Tired of This Politics of Hatred”

We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed after his victory in Michigan’s primary race for U.S. Senate sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. El-Sayed, a former public health official, ran a progressive campaign focused on affordability, Medicare for All, getting money out of politics, and opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He defeated Congressmember Haley Stevens, who was backed by tens of millions in outside spending including by AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby group. “In an era where many of us can’t afford basic things like groceries or rent or healthcare, the idea that your government is sending your tax dollars to buy bombs and tanks for foreign governments seems anathema,” El-Sayed says. “That money could be spent to fix your potholes, rebuild your kid’s school.” El-Sayed says his focus now is on beating Republican nominee Mike Rogers, whom he calls a “bootlicker for Trumpism,” and to present a positive vision for his party that can lead into the next Democratic presidential administration.

Aug 7 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • democracynow.org

Power rankings: FOX Sports ranks Bills outside top-five teams in NFL

Here is where the Bills land in FOX Sports' latest NFL power rankings.

Aug 6 • 9:45 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

US Stand Up for Science movement expands to Europe

A grassroots movement by scientists in the US pushing back against threats to academic freedom is setting up a Swiss outpost to take the movement global. Stand Up for Science started in February 2025 to protest against politically-motivated grant cancellations by the Trump administration. Since then, it has organised numerous rallies by scientists and turned into a broader campaigning organisation, supporting “pro-science” political candidates and attempting to impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the health and human services secretary the group accuses of advancing “quack” science. Now, Stand Up for Science is establishing a Swiss office to take some of its campaigning beyond the US, and its leader is urging European academics to organise similar pro-science groups in case they face similar threats in Europe. There will likely be “spillover” to Europe from what the Trump administration is attempting in the US, said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, who last month returned from a tour of Europe. “Are we going to see a Trump-style scientific [. . .] take over in the same way?” she asked.Delawalla, who is doing a PhD in clinical psychology, said she was driven to help found the organisation after the Trump administration started cancelling health research grants in politically taboo topics, such as transgender people, diversity and HIV, in early 2025. Since then, the administration has introduced several other measures that infringe academic and institutional autonomy.It threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless the university accepted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create “viewpoint diversity.” And this year, it proposed explosive new rules that would allow political appointees at research funders to screen grants to make sure they “advance the president's policy priorities.”US scientists have been at times stunned by the volume of announcements, and the country’s researchers were relatively unprepared. “We sit in front of the fire hose every day,” said Delawalla. For this reason, European scientists need to prepare now for similar assaults. “If you've got a little bit of extra time to start thinking through, and making those preparations and building community and solidarity,” then European researchers will “start five steps ahead of where we were.” She plans to return to Paris in September to share experiences with concerned French academics. Is Le Pen the same?During her European tour, Delawalla said that French academics were beginning to worry about a National Rally (RN) victory in presidential elections next year. She said there were “chilling similarities” between Trump and Marine Le Pen, the RN’s likely candidate. However, so far, the RN hasn’t proposed anything nearly as radical as the Trump administration has carried out. Its current manifesto is all but silent on university and research policy. Le Pen’s 2022 manifesto bemoaned a lack of French R&D spending, including in fundamental research, and promised to modernise labs and strip away grant bureaucracy. The party’s 2024 European election manifesto explicitly supported the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, scientific exchange and joint European technology projects. However, a Le Pen victory next year could see France drastically cut its contribution to the EU, which would hit the budget for science and innovation. Meanwhile, more restrictive immigration policies could hit university recruitment of faculty and students. Climate science denial?As heatwaves and wildfires have ravaged France, the RN has sought to distance itself from previous comments casting doubt on climate science.In the UK, the radical-right party Reform UK, now second in the polls, denied climate research in a draft of its 2024 election manifesto, but its leader, Nigel Farage, then appeared to quietly U-turn and said he was “not arguing the science.” By contrast, Trump has repeatedly and explicitly denied climate change science, in 2025 calling it “the greatest con job.” Like the RN, Reform UK has been light on research and university policy. However, it did say in its 2024 manifesto that universities should suffer “heavy financial penalties” for allowing “political bias or cancel culture” on campus, building on laws brought in by a previous Conservative government. Ahead of September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, the poll-leading Alternative for Germany has proposed abolishing gender studies and postcolonial studies, and promised money for “critical” climate research and studies of Islam. Starts with rhetoricEven if European radical right parties aren’t currently planning the draconian policy measures of the Trump administration, Delawalla said that academics should not be complacent, and fight even small funding restrictions or anti-science talk from the start. “It starts off with sowing distrust about institutions,” she said. “It starts off with these small things, and then all of a sudden it's there.” There are other, more established science and university advocacy groups in the US aside from Stand Up for Science. But the group stands out because of Delawalla’s refusal to attempt to appear politically bipartisan or conciliatory. “I firmly believe that the US is experiencing fascism,” she said. “We’re not trying to win over the super Maga people,” she said, “and we never have been.” The lesson of the US is that even if universities or other institutions capitulate to government demands, this doesn’t save them from cuts and restrictions. “It doesn’t matter what people do,” she said. Global “pseudoscience”Another aim of Stand Up for Science’s push into Europe is to better coordinate a campaign to protect people in poorer countries from what the group describes as “pseudoscientific exploitation,” trials outside the US used to build a case against things like vaccines. Earlier this year, the group sent an investigator to Guinea-Bissau to investigate a controversial, Danish-run Hepatitis B vaccine project funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The study would have withheld a proven vaccine from newborns, Stand Up for Science argued in a briefing it presented to Congress, risking their health. Significantly, the research group based in Guinea-Bissau, known as Bandim, focuses on the “non-specific effects” of vaccines: impacts on health beyond preventing the target disease. Related articlesEuropean researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationData corner: which fields of health science is the US curbing? The US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The suspicion is that the study was funded as part of an attempt to shop around for results that could help build a case against vaccines in the US, said Delawalla. “This is just code for vaccines cause autism,” she said.Bandim has put out a rebuttal of Stand Up for Science’s criticisms, arguing its work has uncovered a number of vaccine side effects, both positive and negative, which need to be taken into account in public health. However, Congressional Democrats took up the Stand Up for Science cause, and in February, Guinea-Bissau said it had permanently halted the study. WatchdogBut for Delawalla, this is not the end of the fight. Kennedy has made a number of health claims that scientists think lack evidence, such as the idea that seed oils cause inflammation, for example. Delawalla worries that more studies could be launched in poorer countries to fish around for evidence to support this agenda. Stand Up for Science is talking to African science organisations to create a kind of “watchdog” to scrutinise any further trials. “Outsourcing the investigation to some of the most vulnerable children in the world who are desperate [. . .] is fundamentally wrong,” she said.

Aug 6 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net

Schultz: Outside money is reshaping Minnesota politics ― and pushing it more left

Recent mailers that went out in support of Cedrick Frazier featured a New York return address ― the address of the national Working Families Party, an organization that has received large donations from billionaire George Soros’ Democracy PAC, Jim Schultz writes.

Aug 6 • 5:59 AM EDT • Politics • startribune.com

Science Explains Why Working Out with Friends Feels Easier

Your workout buddies change how you experience fatigue—and in the process, your friendships grow stronger.

Aug 6 • 5:54 AM EDT • Science • outsideonline.com

Democratic voters are looking to turn the page on establishment-backed politicians

They’ve veered toward outsiders like Abdul El-Sayed, who tapped into widespread discontent with the Democratic establishment and the status quo in Washington.

Aug 5 • 7:53 PM EDT • Politics • adn.com

Michigan Democratic rivals Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed duel in Senate primary

Left-wing outsider Abdul El-Sayed is narrowly ahead of establishment-backed congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Aug 5 • 8:46 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Ryan announces efforts to improve public safety in Chippewa District

This comes after disturbances in the district from large outdoor gatherings, vehicle congestion, and groups congregating outside of businesses.

Aug 4 • 1:12 PM EDT • Entertainment • spectrumlocalnews.com

Upcoming events at the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum

Despite the high temperatures outside, the fall season is gearing up for some cool programs at the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum.

Aug 4 • 12:30 PM EDT • Entertainment • chronicleonline.com

Politics & Power: Scandals, splits, uncertain road to November mean midterms are still in flux

Scandals, ideological schisms, and foreign‑policy crises have blurred the midterm map. Candidate quality, outside spending, and voter perceptions of the economy — plus President Donald Trump’s outsized role — will determine control of Congress.

Aug 4 • 7:24 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com

Igniting the desire to live:  adaptive sports give war veterans a new purpose

When Artem Peredereiev, 36, woke up after the amputation of both his legs, he could not imagine a future outside the hospital walls. A volunteer who joined the army in 2024, from a small settlement near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, he was severely wounded on the battlefield and brought to Ivano-Frankivsk for rehabilitation. His physical condition was poor, and emotionally he was depressed. “Everything was new and different. I had no place to return to because my hometown was occupied. I did not understand how to live further,” he recalls. Every year, hundreds of wounded servicemen and women pass through the Centre for

Aug 4 • 6:38 AM EDT • Sports • euneighbourseast.eu

Browns Send Strong Message to QB Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel entered training camp on the outside of the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition, but his performance is forcing the team to reconsider his workload. The post Browns Send Strong Message to QB Dillon Gabriel appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 3 • 6:03 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Outernet turns your saved posts into real-world adventures

Founded by the creators of viral offline events like San Francisco’s citywide scavenger hunt Pursuit, Outernet's app helps users save places and events they discover online, then nudges them to actually go.

Aug 3 • 2:00 PM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com

If Not AOC, Then Who?

What do we do if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides not to run for president in 2028? It makes sense that many leftists are currently focused on calling on her to take the plunge. But the absence of a Plan B, or even much discussion about one, is worrisome. The US Left can’t afford to sit out the 2028 Democratic primary. Doing so in 2024 was a disaster: our abstention self-marginalized anti-billionaire politics from the national conversation and thereby gave space for Harris to pivot to the “center” (i.e. the policy preferences of corporate donors, establishment hacks, and AIPAC). Abstaining again in 2028 would be especially counterproductive since democratic socialists now have so much wind in our sails after our big electoral wins in NYC and across the country. It’s time to deepen our momentum, organization, and profile — not to retreat to the margins during America’s single most important political battle. Even more urgently, keeping Trump’s heir out of the White House may depend on whether leftists and the party’s unprecedentedly disenchanted base can force the Democrats in 2028 to take meaningful steps towards a very angry electorate and away from the corporate-consultant blob that has helped get us into this mess. If AOC (or Abdul El-Sayed) decides to run, we should enthusiastically go all in — DSA, fighting unions, progressive organizations, anybody who wants to see a better country and world. But, as far as I can tell from the outside, there’s a real chance that she doesn’t run. And we can’t just wait and see where she lands before discussing alternatives, since AOC’s decision might not come for quite a while, giving us little time to scramble at the last minute for an alternative. So we should start working now on getting a Plan B into motion, and recruiting a good candidate for the role. Here’s one idea. A Worker Candidate — Healthcare Not Warfare 2028 Run a union worker Leftists don’t need to always run experienced, well-known socialist politicians for high-profile contests. Lula, the current president of Brazil, began his political career as a metalworker militant who ran for governor of São Paulo in 1982. Especially in an era of institutional distrust, it’s possible to lean hard into making a virtue out of a working-class comrade’s distance from traditional politics. Experience abroad shows this clearly. Rachel Kéké — an immigrant hotel housekeeper — ran as the candidate of the leftist La France Insoumise for the National Assembly in 2022, defeating a former minister in the Macron government. The Belgian Workers’ Party in 2024 won its first Flemish seat in the European Parliament by running Rudi Kennes, a three-decade veteran of the Opel Antwerp auto factory. And the South Korean left in 2024 elected auto factory militant Yoon Jong-oh to the National Assembly. If a tiny French Trotskyist organization could make such a big splash in 2002 and 2007 by running a well-spoken postal worker cadre for office — the LCR’s Olivier Besancenot received about 1.5 million first-round votes — it’s not far-fetched to expect that a much larger organization like DSA, together with a broader coalition of the willing, could run this playbook to much greater effect. This is especially the case now that almost everything DSA does immediately becomes a national news story. We don’t need someone famous. We just need a charismatic, well-vetted comrade who works in a relatable working-class occupation — e.g. a nurse, or a worker in auto or construction, or at Amazon. Ideally, they have a compelling personal story or have been part of a significant strike or organizing campaign, but even those criteria don’t necessarily have to be deal-breakers. The main lesson of the Graham Platner fiasco isn’t that we should never run outsiders for office (the momentum he generated proves the exact opposite), but that they need proper vetting and roots in democratic membership organizations like DSA or a union. In any case, there are plenty of ways to signal working-class authenticity without resorting to Platner’s or Fetterman’s performative macho white dude affect. Better to have someone of any gender or race who is actually working class, with firm socialist politics, who can speak from experience about the day-to-day realities of trying to make it in America. There are surely at least a dozen such worker leaders in our movement nationwide; we just need to sit down and convince one that their personal sacrifice for the greater good (i.e. running for president) will be worth it. If we don’t have a frontrunner with a clear path to victory like AOC (or El-Sayed, were he to win Michigan), it’s better to embrace someone whose decision to run in itself tells an important story about US politics: workers have been iced out of our political system and are now fighting hard to break back in. The novelty factor, in itself, would generate press. And it would help democratic socialists signal to the American public that our movement’s defining characteristic is that we represent workers vs. bosses, not that we’re “the furthest left” force in American politics — a framework that suggests we’re extremists and that helps our opponents isolate us from non-college-educated voters by highlighting extremely minoritarian (and misguided) stances included in DSA’s platform like prison abolition. We don’t get many opportunities to speak to tens of millions of Americans; we need to use these opportunities to broaden our appeal beyond those already in our orbit. Run to polarize the 2028 primary and general election around “Medicare for All” and “End All Aid to Israel” Why should democratic socialists use our scarce time and volunteer energy to run in a race we’re unlikely to win? Running in the 2028 primary will not only recruit us scores of members (imagine having a DSA member intervening in eleven nationally televised primary debates!), but — more importantly — it has the potential to be a decisive leap forward towards an America that finally starts meeting the needs of working people instead of HMO and AIPAC billionaire donors. Polarizing litmus tests are good, actually — as long as they’re fought for around popular demands in a thoughtful and strategic way. Democratic socialists have an opportunity and responsibility to make the 2028 primary about two of the most widely and deeply felt issues of our moment: domestically, America’s unaffordable, family-breaking private healthcare system; internationally, America’s bankrolling of the genocidal Israeli government. A candidacy relentlessly demanding Medicare for All and No Aid to Israel would pose a sharp question to the American public, the Democratic Party, and other 2028 contenders: Why can’t working-class Americans afford their healthcare bills at the same time that our government is spending at least $3.8 billion yearly to fund an Israeli regime eager to keep dragging us and the world into more forever wars? Our candidate can agitate around a clear message: I’m running to give voice to all those working-class Americans who are struggling to get by. No matter what state you live in, who you voted for in 2024, or your background, it’s just plain common sense that we should make healthcare more affordable instead of spending billions to enable the Israeli government’s crimes against humanity. Every American who agrees with me when I say ‘Medicare for All — Not a Dime for Israel’ should make their voice heard through our campaign. Racking up a high number of votes for this agenda is a crucial way to show the Democratic Party and the country as a whole that we can’t keep supporting a life-destroying status quo in our healthcare system and in the Middle East. If we want to defeat Trump’s handpicked crony this coming November, we need to speak to ordinary people’s frustrations with the status quo — we can’t keep running the same tired establishment playbook and expecting a different result. For those highly engaged voters (or skeptical media pundits) who raise concerns about wasting votes, the candidate can take the time to explain why this isn’t the case: It's true I'm a long shot. But Zohran showed anything can happen — and voting for me is a pragmatic decision, not a wasted vote. In a heavily divided primary with a large number of candidates and a very discredited establishment, my campaign and the democratic socialist movement I’m part of are positioned to be the balance of power if we can get a large enough number of voters to loudly demand Healthcare Not Warfare. Since there’s a high chance no candidate will get to 50% in the 2028 primaries, the Democrats could very well be heading towards a brokered convention, where a disciplined, principled current committed to breaking from corporate donors can play an outsized role in making sure whoever ends up with the nomination raises the banner of single-payer healthcare and cutting aid to Israel. How exactly could running this sort of primary campaign be translated into actual leverage? The candidate replies: I’m aiming to win the nomination, but if I don’t achieve that goal, my delegates and I will pledge our support in the primary only for a candidate who agrees in the general election to call for ending US aid to Israel and establishing Medicare for All at home. These are both winning planks for November against the Republicans, and the only reason I can see that other candidates haven’t yet raised these is that they’re still more scared of the donor class than they are of the people. That needs to change. If Democratic leaders want young people, workers, and those sick of the status quo to show up in big numbers this November, they need to meet us halfway. In this way, whether or not we win the nomination, democratic socialists could still play a decisive role in 2028. The approach outlined here is similar to what radical left parties periodically do in parliamentary democracies like Denmark or Sweden when they find themselves as a junior partner electorally: they dictate to center-left allies what their terms would be for enabling, from the outside, the formation of a new government. Running a Healthcare Not Warfare candidate will make it significantly more likely that the 2028 Democratic candidate stands with ordinary people instead of donors on these two pivotal planks — a shift that will, in turn, make it easier to achieve the existentially important task of defeating MAGA’s heir in November. Look at how much popular traction the Uncommitted movement got with a similar strategy in 2024 with so little on-the-ground organization — surely we can go much further with a working-class candidate, a much bigger DSA, and a Democratic Party base that has turned against Israel, billionaires, and the hacks in the party who prop them up. Objections and Responses There are quite a few objections to this proposal, many of which are very reasonable. Let me briefly address each here. Socialists shouldn’t waste their scarce time and resources on a candidate unlikely to win. This is a good rule in general, but there are important exceptions, and presidential elections are the main one. There’s no other political contest that gets anything like this level of attention and engagement in the US, so if you want to be a serious force in nationwide politics, you basically can’t afford not to have a candidate. Far from being an overall drain on our resources, running a dynamic 2028 campaign would likely result in a major net increase in members and capacity. In that spirit, the very pragmatic Milwaukee sewer socialists — who mostly ran to win at home in Wisconsin — supported Eugene Debs’s propagandistic presidential campaigns, which they correctly saw as a crucial means of recruiting to the Socialist Party. And now that the (post-1972) Democratic Party gives more weight to voters than party operatives in determining its presidential nomination, it’s become feasible to run as a socialist in primaries without risking a split in the vote against the Republicans in November. We should just support Ro Khanna, who also supports M4A and ending aid to Israel. I like Ro Khanna and would enthusiastically vote and canvass for him for president were he to get the nomination. But there’s a real chance that Khanna’s bid for office doesn’t catch on; he lacks the grassroots organizational apparatus of DSA, and, because he’s not really of the Left or labor (despite his current very good positions), he’s unlikely to generate the type of buy-in and enthusiasm that a DSA candidate would. Moreover, Khanna would be running as an individual, not as someone emerging from and building an organized movement — his campaign would not likely focus on building sustained power from below, nor would it likely polarize the 2028 primary around M4A and Israel aid. Also, and not inconsequentially, the poor electoral results for Tom Steyer and Saikat Chakrabarti this spring suggest that there’s perhaps not much of a popular appetite in the Democrats’ base to support multi-millionaire class traitors. Much better, then, to run a democratic socialist worker. If by Super Tuesday it’s clear that our campaign has captured the main left lane in the primary, Khanna should drop out and endorse us; conversely, if he’s managed to capture this lane, DSA could at that point transform its Healthcare Not Warfare campaign into an independent campaign to elect Ro Khanna focused on winning (and holding him accountable to) those two critical planks. An openness to consolidating an anti-corporate candidate by Super Tuesday is a necessary component of the strategy I’m proposing, because otherwise we risk splitting the primary votes (per DNC rules, you need at least 15% to get any delegates to convention). We should convince Shawn Fain or Sara Nelson to run for president instead. I agree it’d be great if either ran for president, but my impression is that there’s basically no chance that will happen in 2028, because both are firmly focused on their union leadership duties (and, in the case of Fain, beating back a federal witch-hunt). This plan could have DSA end up endorsing a non-socialist, non-DSAer for president. That’s against our principles. It’s a myth, and bad politics, that socialists can’t ever support candidates who aren’t members of their organization and/or who don’t call themselves socialists. Bernie, after all, was not a DSAer. And socialists abroad regularly make tactical decisions about if and when supporting a non-socialist candidate makes sense from the standpoint of promoting working-class interests, defending democracy, and building a socialist current in the process. If your “principles” prevent you and DSA from helping achieve the momentous stride forward of having a Democratic candidate in 2028 run on Medicare for All and ending aid to Israel, those “principles” are not very good. In fact, they actively undermine the causes they’re aiming to support. We shouldn’t confuse principles (working-class independence) with tactics (the best way to advance this in a given context). In my recent article in Catalyst on Milwaukee sewer socialism (I’ve uploaded the full text here), I have a section showing how similarly rigid rules about endorsements had to be eventually discarded in the old Socialist Party nationwide after WWI because they tended to lead socialists towards a sectarian abstention from broader anti-corporate electoral insurgencies beyond their party’s control. For what it’s worth, Lenin’s current under Tsarism frequently backed bourgeois candidates in the second round of elections and Lenin himself advocated that British Communists support Labour Party candidates; for his part, Kautsky in 1912 defended the German Social Democracy’s electoral pact with the Progressives in the runoffs. If our predecessors could be that tactically flexible in an era before the limits of their underlying strategic assumptions about intransigent class politics in capitalist democracies were made clear, then there’s no need to insist on being more tactically rigid today, after a century’s worth of accumulated experience. As long as you maintain your own political profile and organization while engaging in broader coalitional efforts, there’s zero inherent contradiction with the principle of political independence. More specifically: DSA and allied organizations should enthusiastically back Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed if AOC declines to run and he throws his hat in the presidential ring. (I have no idea whether he’s even considering this path, but there’ll surely be chatter about it if he wins his Senate race this November.) Though he doesn’t call himself a socialist, El-Sayed is a principled Berniecrat, a consistent fighter for Palestine, and would have a clear path to victory. Using the “s” word is far less important than whether a campaign fights for the interests of working people at home and abroad — and whether actively participating in it can grow the organized working class and the Left. And the same holds true if a less anti-corporate candidate were, under pressure, to adopt our two Healthcare Not Warfare planks. Why focus only on M4A and ending US aid to Israel? There are so many other important issues to fight for! Obviously there are many pivotal issues beyond healthcare and Israel, and our candidate — and especially our organizations involved in the campaign — should be prepared to speak on all of these. But one of the crucial lessons of the Zohran campaign is that you have to relentlessly stay on message if you want to cut through the noise. CNN and Fox News will want to talk about DSA’s views on Venezuela and abolishing the police; we need to polarize the debate on the widely and deeply felt issues that are most favorable for growing the Left, isolating our opponents, and winning urgently needed changes. One recent poll found 63% of Americans support M4A, even after respondents were told it would raise taxes and eliminate most private insurance. Another found that 74% of Democrats opposed “providing additional economic and military support to Israel.” And focusing on two demands sets the campaign up to be able to leverage its mandate to make clear demands upon other candidates (which we can’t do if we run with a laundry list of demands). Talking about a Plan B is a distraction from the more urgent work of building a groundswell of calls on AOC to run. It’s good for DSAers, fightback unionists, and progressive organizations to try to convince AOC to run. This proposal is meant as an addendum to pushes to get AOC to run and to line DSA up for that eventuality, not as a substitute for those efforts. But I’m worried that, like in 2024, we might eventually find ourselves with no time to find a viable alternative unless we start now. DSA, with its abundant deliberative processes, moves slowly. The approach you’re suggesting seems risky. If a DSA candidate runs but doesn’t receive a lot of votes, it’ll undercut our current national momentum. This is a reasonable worry. All big initiatives always carry risks, and the path I’m advocating is certainly not free of these. That said, if a Healthcare Not Warfare campaign doesn’t catch on like we envisioned, it’s a pretty simple pivot in March 2028 to explain that in the future we really need our standard-bearers like AOC, or our growing bench of national electeds, to step up in presidential primaries. Moreover, it’s worth noting that the risk of my Plan B proposal is on the whole significantly less than the risk entailed by an AOC run. We should all back her if she runs, since she’d fire up the base, provide huge openings for organizing, have a real shot at defeating a Republican (especially given MAGA’s unpopularity), be a great standard-bearer for our issues, particularly M4A and ending aid to Israel, and be less willing than mainstream candidates to capitulate to any anti-democratic machinations from Trump and co. But it’s also true that AOC could lose, which would be a devastating setback to the country and the Left. Or she could win and find herself unable to pass much, if any, of her (and our) program, a demoralizing prospect. So if we’re willing to take these risks with AOC (and we should), it follows that we should be able to take lower-level risks if she doesn’t throw her hat in the ring. What’s Your Plan B? The US Left is facing its biggest opening for growth and influence since the 1930s. Initiatives that would have been impossible a few months ago are now potentially feasible. A President AOC is now easier to imagine, but if she ultimately assesses that the risks aren’t worth the potential reward in 2028, we can’t be left flat-footed. So even if you’re not convinced by the specifics of my Plan B, I hope you can at least agree that it’d be a disaster for us not to have one — and not to start getting a Plan B into motion. Hopefully other organizers and political currents will put forward their responses and alternative ideas ASAP. The stakes are too high to just wait and see. More As always, please share this article widely. This newsletter depends on all you lovely people to get the word out. Thank you! I uploaded the full text of my Catalyst article on Milwaukee sewer socialism here (it’s updated and 3x as long as the version published earlier on this substack). If you haven’t yet, please make sure to subscribe to Catalyst here; I read every issue front to back, highly recommend. 🌹🎵 Ivan Lins (arranged by Arthur Verocai) — “General da Banda” 🌹🎵

Aug 3 • 12:50 PM EDT • Politics • laborpolitics.com

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase defends trans athletes in women's sports as culture war engulfs WNBA

Four WNBA coaches addressed trans athletes in women's sports within days as protests grow outside games supporting Sophie Cunningham's stance.

Aug 3 • 9:43 AM EDT • Sports • foxnews.com

How to Train, Fuel, and Recover, According to Science

I've spent 17 years writing about how the human body builds fitness, and I distilled the most important lessons into a new ten-part email series. Read the first installment below, and sign up today to get the rest delivered directly to your inbox.

Aug 3 • 9:30 AM EDT • Science • outsideonline.com