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Rayman 30th anniversary has save data bug and Ubisoft support says post launch support has ended
Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition was recently released and it is a nostalgic gem, however there are reports that if you play the Atari Jaguar and MS-DOS versions of Rayman it simply does not save your…
Bonnabel and Riverdale decided the district title, and a ‘four-year guy’ made the difference
It was crunch time, with a lot on the line. However, Bonnabel senior guard Thomas Molette was in his comfort zone.
Can AI Build You A Gaming PC? Here's The Truth
AI can suggest parts to use in a gaming PC; however, it fails at accounting for size and models to use. Instead, go with real people for help when building.
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) Valuation Check After Recent Share Price Rebound
Event context and recent performance snapshot Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) stock has moved sharply in recent periods, with a 4.6% gain over the past day contrasting with declines over the past week, month, and past 3 months. See our latest analysis for Tencent Music Entertainment Group. The sharp 4.6% one-day share price gain follows a period of weaker momentum, with 30-day and 90-day share price returns showing declines of 9.22% and 16.27%. However, the 1-year total...
St. Clair Shores sewer project leaves businesses struggling
An infrastructure project on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores is designed to reduce sewer overflows into Lake St. Clair. However, some say the project is also reducing their business flow.
São Paulo 🆚 Grêmio: Weverton blunder gifts bizarre penalty, watch
The first half of the match between São Paulo and Grêmio this Wednesday (11) was marked by a bizarre penalty.The foul was called in a play where Weverton hit Danielzinho with his arm after the midfi...
Last chance to buy Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection as it's being delisted
Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection, which previously launched on Nintendo Switch, will soon be delisted. Limited Run Games shared the news today that impacts all platforms. The delisting will take place on March 31, 2026. After that date, it will no longer be possible to buy the package from the Nintendo eShop. However, those that previously made a purchase will...
St. Cloud entertainment center out, cannabis facility could take space
St. Cloud's entertainment center proposal failed; however, a new project looks to replace it. This new proposal could bring high-paying jobs.
Albany County legislation would limit cooperation with ICE
The county legislature says it introduced two new resolutions. However, lawmakers say this will not prevent agencies from complying with federal immigration laws.
Telehealth Nurse honored for lifesaving bond with Veteran | VA Central Alabama health care
For most patients, a telehealth nurse is a reassuring voice on the phone or a face on a screen, a distant guide navigating the complexities of health care. For Veteran Jacqueline, however, that voice became a lifeline that transcended the digital divide and pulled her back from the brink of death.
Soybeans Correct with Corn and Wheat Awaiting WASDE, More China Business
Risk off in the outside markets also played a role in the selling pressure according to Lane Akre, economist with Pro Farmer. However, he doesn't think all the China demand is priced into the soybean market.
Baton Rouge Rep. Dixon McMakin exits race for Julia Letlow’s House seat
A crowded field of potential candidates remains, however.
Assessing BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
BrightSpring Health Services overview BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG) has drawn fresh investor interest after recent trading left the shares at $39.68. This has prompted a closer look at how its healthcare services profile aligns with its current market performance. See our latest analysis for BrightSpring Health Services. Recent trading has been mixed, with a 3.44% 1 day share price return and a 2.00% 7 day share price decline. However, the 90 day share price return of 17.02% and 1 year...
West Hartford Business Buzz: February 9, 2026 - We-Ha
A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses. Business Buzz is sponsored by NBT Bank, and we are very thankful for their support! By Ronni Newton Neither the weather nor college basketball have been very favorable this weekend. I'm hoping, however, that the arctic attack will recede and
Making science more visible
As he enters a laboratory with saltwater pools full of fish, Luka Žuvić explains how climate change is affecting the feeding ecology and reproductive biology of Atlantic bluefin tuna, and how the species is adapting.It is a topic that may seem remote to many people. But in a country where fishing and aquaculture are important to the economy and national identity, Žuvić’s research is at the intersection of science and society. “In Croatia, marine and environmental science are closely connected to people’s lives because fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and coastal development are a big part of our lives,” explains Žuvić, a doctoral student working at the Croatian Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in the Adriatic coastal city of Split. He also serves as one of Croatia’s ambassadors to Science Comes to Town (SCTT), a European Commission-funded project that aims to make scientific research more accessible, while inspiring young people to study the sciences. The project kicked off in Spilt on 20 January with a conference attended by partner institutions, community representatives, policymakers and scientists. Along with Split, Brest (in France) and Kiel (in Germany) will host a year of activities connecting scientists with the public.Žuvić, 31, is part of the Young Researchers' Career Development Project, a doctoral programme funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. His research on Atlantic bluefin tuna builds on a foundation-backed project focusing on the reproductive potential of farmed tuna, including their sexual maturation and spontaneous spawning in captivity, which has implications for the restoration of the Adriatic Sea's natural tuna populations. He also studies the tuna's feeding ecology through stomach-content analysis, using DNA metabarcoding and morphological approaches, and employs geometric morphometrics to improve the identification of juvenile tuna and related species. The research aims to enhance understanding of the tuna farming ecology, improve fish farm management and contribute to sustainable aquaculture and fisheries research.Engaging with local communitiesConnecting with the community is crucial for Žuvić’s research. Conversations with fishermen help him better understand the bluefin tuna's habits and how marine pollution affects the fish. “They are also curious about the biology and ecology of bluefin tuna,” he says of local fishermen, adding that sharing research with non-scientists benefits everyone. “Sometimes scientific research is invisible,” he explains. “That's why we as researchers need to go out from our institutions and labs to the public so that we can show them what we are working on. This helps create more trust in the scientists and their research.”Engaging the public also raises awareness about the anthropogenic changes to the marine environment resulting from human activities and pollution. Žuvić helps remove plastic and other rubbish from the Adriatic Sea that pose a direct threat to marine species. Predators, such as bluefin tuna, are especially vulnerable to ingesting waste churned up by fishing trawlers. “They are very opportunistic fish that follow trawlers and ingest everything,” he notes. To illustrate the impact, he has shown students the contents of bluefin tuna stomachs. “Finding a plastic bottle cap in the stomach of a bluefin tuna is concerning,” he says. "Science can be a powerful way to turn curiosity into practical solutions,” Žuvić adds, and sharing research outcomes “helps increase public awareness and improve understanding of human impacts on the marine environment.”The research also has implications for Croatia's economy. The Atlantic bluefin tuna’s rich, flavourful meat is highly valued for sushi and other raw fish dishes. However, overfishing nearly brought its population to collapse by the early 2000s. Although the species has made a comeback in the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, catches continue to be managed through agreements with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Croatia was a pioneer in developing commercial aquaculture as an alternative to open-sea fishing and accounts for about 10% of the EU’s farmed production of the bluefin tuna, with Japan being a key export market.A history of European collaborationCroatia has participated in Europe’s framework programmes for research and innovation since 2007, six years before officially joining the EU. Žuvić believes that EU funding and collaboration with other European researchers is vital for Croatian science. As part of the SCTT opening conference, the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, the University of Split and other local institutions were part of a science fair to showcase research on topics, such as robotics and an EU LIFE project on the protection of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean. “I hope that Science Comes to Town will help increase scientific literacy and curiosity among citizens, particularly students, and show that science is not something that is distant or abstract, but something that directly affects everyday life,” Žuvić concludes. “Ultimately, I hope that projects like it contribute to building a society that values knowledge and critical thinking, and that we can think about long-term sustainability using knowledge from science.”Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
What to Expect From the iPhone 18 Pro After the Latest Rumor Reversal
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another seven months or so, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that the devices will have only partially under-screen Face ID, which will result in a narrower Dynamic Island area.
Despite saturated live sports calendar, Super Bowl remains north star for brands
Brands are pouring budget into TV tentpole coverage during a congested live sports calendar. Not all events are equal, however.
What is curling? Everything you need to know about this winter sport
When the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games come around every four years, there are many sports which compete to grab the attention of viewers around the world. However, there is one in particular that seems to capture the hearts and minds of many every time: curling.
iOS 26.2.1 causing crashes, freezes, and more for some users
iOS 26.2.1 was released last week, adding support for AirTag 2, alongside bug fixes. However, a small minority of users...
Thinking About Marijuana After 65? Doctors Warn of Overlooked Health Risks
Many people are using marijuana for medical reasons, and it may provide benefits for some. However, Stanford Medicine experts warn that older adults, in particular, should be mindful of the potential health risks. Eloise Theisen had no plans to become a medical cannabis expert. Now a geriatric
Column | I’m an oncologist. Here’s what the science says about cancer and supplements.
Most dietary supplements are not harmful. Some, however, should be treated with caution when it comes to cancer, especially in certain populations of people.
The tension between big team science and colonial power dynamics
Nature Human Behaviour - Big team science promises to globalize the social behavioural sciences. However, without structural reform, it will reproduce a research model in which data are gathered...
A “spiritual entertainment” inspired by faith, international intrigue, and Cardinal Zen
Crafting an interesting story is more difficult than simply pulling something from today’s headlines. However, in the hands of a gifted storyteller, current events can be an inspiration for profoundly interesting and edifying stories. David […]
Which free agents should the Denver Broncos re-sign?
Heading into the 2025 season, the Denver Broncos had several key players in the final year of their deals who would become free agents at the end of the year. However, the team did a lot of the heavy lifting throughout the year and signed defensive linemen Zach Allen and Malcolm Roach, wide receiver Courtland […]
Louisville Defeats Stanford 84-66
Louisville played a balanced game against Stanford and never trailed and racked up another 20-win season. They finished with five players in double figures with Mackenly Randolph and Laura Ziegler having career highs. However, Coach Jeff Walz was not impressed with his team’s outing. Coach Walz said, “Actually I don’t think we played well at […]
SEC survey results: Fans on the state of the conference, Indiana and the future of the sport
By and large, SEC football fans are humbled. However, they’re not in a panic, based on the results of a reader survey by The Athletic.
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
Tea can improve your health and longevity, but how you drink it matters
Drinking tea, particularly green tea, is linked to better heart health, improved metabolism, and lower risks of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. It may also help protect the brain and preserve muscle strength as people age. However, processed teas—such as bottled and bubble varieties—often contain sugars and additives that may cancel out these benefits. Moderation and choosing freshly brewed tea appear key.
Employer Health Insurance Isn't Fitting the Bill. We Need a New Way Forward.
America has a health insurance problem – and it’s only getting worse. These days, most Americans get their health insurance through employer-sponsored health plans. However, that system is becoming increasingly costly, with premiums up 25% in the last five years. And it’s not just individual ...
Starfield 2.0 Could Be Real After All
A new mention about Starfield 2.0 has surfaced, however, no concrete information has been shared. Here are more details.
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) Valuation After US$1b Debt Refinancing And Extended Maturities
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) recently completed a private offering of US$1b in 8.625% senior notes due 2032, using the proceeds to redeem its existing 2027 notes and to extend its debt maturity profile. See our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment. The refinancing news comes after a sharp 30 day share price return of 16.25% that partly offsets a 90 day share price return decline of 33.35%. However, the 1 year total shareholder return decline of 61.75% shows that longer term investors...
Monoclonal Antibodies in Veterinary Health Market Research 2026 - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031
The monoclonal antibodies in veterinary health market face growth opportunities due to rising animal chronic diseases and pet humanization trends. Advanced, safer biologic therapies are favored over traditional drugs, supported by increased pet insurance. However, high costs present a major market entry barrier. Monoclonal Antibodies in Veterinary Health Market Monoclonal Antibodies in Veterinary Health Market Dublin, Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Monoclonal Antibodies in Veterinary Hea
Top 25 And 1: No. 2 Nebraska moves to 19-0 after third straight double-digit win
The Cornhuskers have their toughest test ahead, however, as a date with Michigan awaits on Tuesday
Alarm as US mulls prioritising citizens in research funding
A senior White House official said the Trump administration is considering ways to prioritise research funding to American citizens, triggering alarm in the research community that the country could destroy its century-long status as a magnet for overseas talent.Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said last week that it is “important for us to continue to emphasise the use of federal R&D dollars towards American scientists and technologists that are staffed by Americans in their labs.” Asked about support for Chinese students during a Congressional hearing, Kratsios went on to say that in future funding announcements, the OSTP would “emphasise” that “we're funding American students.”The precise meaning of his impromptu comments, and what they could mean in policy terms, isn’t yet clear. The OSTP did not respond to multiple requests for clarification from Science|Business.But given that US science and technology has relied on overseas talent for the past century, Kratsios’s words have alarmed former US science officials.Immigrants have made up around 30-40% of US Nobel Prize winners since the 1940s, for example. Except for some sensitive projects, countries typically grant research funding on a nationality-blind basis, lest they deter foreign scientists from immigrating. “If director Kratsios’s statements are taken literally and become official policy of the White House, [research-intensive] universities will likely have to close labs if not entire research divisions,” said David Biggs, a former science and technology official in the US State Department. In their most extreme interpretation, Kratsios’s comments would imply that foreign scientists established in the US would see access to funding curtailed. This would “result in many world-leading professors who work in the United States in fields that this administration considers a priority (like fusion energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing) leaving the country,” said Cole Donovan, a former US science diplomat, and now associate director at the Federation of American Scientists.CripplingHowever, given the context of the conversation, Kratsios may have been referring more narrowly to funding for doctoral or postdoctoral students. At the hearing, he said he wanted to see labs staffed by US citizens. But even this would have devastating consequences for the US science system, say former officials, because the country is so dependent on early-career foreign researchers. Recent statistics show that nearly half of those in the US with a PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) are considered short-term visitors, or non-residents in the official terminology. If this included residents who are not yet citizens, the proportion would likely be even higher. “Foreign PhD students are really a significant and core part of the university STEM workforce, and postdocs is similarly large,” said Donovan. Preventing US-based academics from hiring them from overseas would be a serious blow, he said. “If it's the case that this administration intends to limit funding to labs staffed only with US citizens, the effect will be to cripple the American scientific enterprise,” said Chris Marcum, a former OSTP official. “To think that these researchers can simply be replaced is a pipe dream. The labs will close,” said Marcum. Go elsewhereAround half of US-trained postdocs are foreign-born, said Biggs. “If these top international students cannot get funding to do their research, or even if they hear that funding for foreign students has been greatly restricted and will be super competitive, they will no longer choose to study in the US and will go elsewhere.” It’s unclear for now if Kratsios’s comments will translate into a real policy shift. But they could add to turmoil in the US science system since Donald Trump took over as president one year ago. Related articlesNIH turmoil risks reciprocal EU-US access to health research fundingUS set to close office responsible for global science and technology dealsTrump halts new NIH grants to international health-research partnersSince then, nearly 8,000 grants at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation have been frozen or terminated, Naturereports. Courts have overturned most of these cancellations, but the disruption caused remains significant. Both those agencies have also dished out around a quarter fewer grants this year than normal, the journal reported. International student enrolment is also down by 17%. The Trump administration also proposes to cut research budgets by around a third, although Congress may mollify the cuts.
Alarm over US plan to prioritise citizens in research funding
The US’s leading science official has said the country will focus its research spending on scientists with US citizenship, triggering alarm that the country could destroy its century-long status as a magnet for overseas talent.Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said last week that it is “important for us to continue to emphasise the use of federal R&D dollars towards American scientists and technologists that are staffed by Americans in their labs.” Asked about support for Chinese students during a Congressional hearing, Kratsios went on to say that in future funding announcements, the OSTP would “emphasise” that “we're funding American students.”Kratsios’s precise meaning, and what it could mean in policy terms, isn’t yet clear. The OSTP did not respond to multiple requests for clarification from Science|Business.But given that US science and technology has relied on overseas talent for the past century, Kratsios’s words have stunned former US science officials.Immigrants have made up around 30-40% of US Nobel Prize winners since the 1940s, for example. Except for some sensitive projects, countries typically grant research funding on a nationality-blind basis, lest they deter foreign scientists from immigrating. “If director Kratsios’s statements are taken literally and become official policy of the White House, [research-intensive] universities will likely have to close labs if not entire research divisions,” said David Biggs, a former science and technology official in the US State Department. In their most extreme interpretation, Kratsios’s comments would imply that foreign scientists established in the US would see access to funding curtailed. This would “result in many world-leading professors who work in the United States in fields that this administration considers a priority (like fusion energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing) leaving the country,” said Cole Donovan, a former US science diplomat, and now associate director at the Federation of American Scientists.CripplingHowever, given the context of the conversation, Kratsios may have been referring more narrowly to funding for doctoral or postdoctoral students. At the hearing, he said he wanted to see labs staffed by US citizens. But even this would have devastating consequences for the US science system, say former officials, because the country is so dependent on early-career foreign researchers. Recent statistics show that nearly half of those in the US with a PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) are considered short-term visitors, or non-residents in the official terminology. If this included residents who are not yet citizens, the proportion would likely be even higher. “Foreign PhD students are really a significant and core part of the university STEM workforce, and postdocs is similarly large,” said Donovan. Preventing US-based academics from hiring them from overseas would be a serious blow, he said. “If it's the case that this administration intends to limit funding to labs staffed only with US citizens, the effect will be to cripple the American scientific enterprise,” said Chris Marcum, a former OSTP official. “To think that these researchers can simply be replaced is a pipe dream. The labs will close,” said Marcum. Go elsewhereAround half of US-trained postdocs are foreign-born, said Biggs. “If these top international students cannot get funding to do their research, or even if they hear that funding for foreign students has been greatly restricted and will be super competitive, they will no longer choose to study in the US and will go elsewhere.” It’s unclear for now if Kratsios’s comments will translate into a real policy shift. But they could add to turmoil in the US science system since Donald Trump took over as president one year ago. Since then, nearly 8,000 grants at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation have been frozen or terminated, Naturereports. Courts have overturned most of these cancellations, but the disruption caused remains significant. Both those agencies have also dished out around a quarter fewer grants this year than normal, the journal reported. International student enrolment is also down by 17%. The Trump administration also proposes to cut research budgets by around a third, although Congress may mollify the cuts.
Political interference, activism a constant under Polis’ Colorado Parks & Wildlife
Colorado Parks & Wildlife can’t catch a break. If polling were used to measure public trust in agencies, it would be a dreary picture. This, however, is the result of political interference with the agency, not as a result of the professionals managing wildlife in the state. Former CPW Director Jeff Davis was a political […]
A Look At Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) Valuation After Its $1b Senior Notes Refinancing
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) has just closed a private offering of US$1b in 8.625% senior notes due 2032, and is using the proceeds to fully redeem its outstanding 2027 senior notes. See our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment. The refinancing news has arrived alongside a sharp 17.68% 1 month share price return and a 3.95% 7 day share price gain. However, the 1 year total shareholder return of 62.66% and 3 year total shareholder return of 58.63% indicate that longer term momentum has...
Science & Medicine: A mother's mission transforms care for Chromosome 18 disorders
Jannine Cody, PhD, founded and leads the Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center, which has revolutionized the understanding of and care for disorders caused by alterations in chromosome 18 in humans. However, Cody began this mission as a mom with a baby with a chromosome 18 disorder who needed care.
Patriots’ Potential Next Playoff Opponent Revealed After Bills-Broncos Thriller
The New England Patriots still need to win in their divisional round matchup with the Houston Texans on Sunday. It’ll be quite intriguing if they can take care of business, however… New England is just one victory away from visiting the one-seed Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in the 2026 AFC Championship […]
Welcome Stitchery is 2025 Business of the Year
The owner of the business being honored by the Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce with the Business of the Year Award continues to see her dreams coming true. When Justine Hougen opened Welcome Stitchery in the summer of 2021, the store was located on Highway 169. However, she shares she had always wanted to be […]
Broncos Can Exploit Three Bills Weaknesses in the Divisional Round
The Bills move forward once more. Escaping Jacksonville with a thrilling 27-24 victory and giving fans heart palpitations, Josh Allen aims to do it again in Mile High. However, is his magic enough to overcome the fiery Denver defense that leads the NFL in sacks? If the Broncos want to beat the reigning MVP, they must exploit […] The post Broncos Can Exploit Three Bills Weaknesses in the Divisional Round appeared first on The Lead.
Bully Online Mod Creators Insist Shutting the Project Down 'Was Not Something We Wanted'
Cast your mind back to the end of last year, and you may remember we reported that a group of volunteer modders had united to develop an online mode for Rockstar's Bully (also known as Canis Canem Edit in some parts of the world). Fast-forward just a few short months later, however, and now the Bully online project is "shutting down forever."
Samsung Internet for Windows is now widely available, no more restrictions
It's still in beta, however. Back in October, Samsung launched its web browser called Internet on Windows. This was a pretty important development, as...
Sports for People and Planet
The $2.3 trillion global sports economy is experiencing robust growth, with annual revenues projected to reach $8.8 trillion by 2050. However, factors such as rising levels of physical inactivity and escalating environmental challenges could erode up to $1.6 trillion in annual revenue by mid-century. The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, has developed this insight report to highlight the urgent social and economic imperative for coordinated public–private action to secure the sector’s long-term resilience, presenting transformative, multistakeholder pathways and innovative case studies.This approach ensures that the future of sport remains competitive and inspiring, while also being sustainable and inclusive for people and the planet alike.
Mary Barra has unfinished business at GM
Barra's legacy, however, will likely hinge on her ability to deliver on GM's transformation.
Meta Compute, The Meta-OpenAI Battle, The Reality Labs Sacrifice
Mark Zuckerberg announced Meta Compute, a bet that winning in AI means winning with infrastructure; this, however, means retreating from Reality Labs.
A Look At Astrana Health’s Valuation As It Updates Investor Presentation For National Platform Expansion
Astrana Health (ASTH) drew fresh attention after updating its investor presentation at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, outlining its delegated risk and care delivery model across 16 markets and its evolution into a national platform. See our latest analysis for Astrana Health. The refreshed presentation coincides with a recent 15.55% 1 month share price return. However, the 1 year total shareholder return of a 13.05% decline and 3 year total shareholder return of a 22.73%...
This PVAMU alum has taught over 3,000 girls about cosmetic science and has now opened a STEM classroom
Kristen Wells-Collins ’15 ‘18 is inspiring young girls to become chemists. Wells-Collins was raised in an under-resourced community in Beaumont, TX, and said she had limited exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), according to her commentary on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” However, Wells-Collins went on to pursue a degree in chemistry at Prairie View A&M University, according to her […]
Perfectionism and competitive sport increase the risk of exercise addiction, study finds
Physical exercise is one of the main recommendations for maintaining good health. However, when practiced compulsively and without control, it can become a problem: exercise addiction.
Penguins/Bruins Recap: Pens shutout in Boston
Pregame Dan Muse hasn’t reacted via lineup changes to losses very frequently this season, however today changes on that front. All three of the top lines are mixed up a bit, Anthony Mantha moves up to the top line, Ben Kindel and Tommy Novak join Justin Brazeau on a new-look line, and perhaps most inexplicably […]
Western Pacific Region achieves milestone: 19 countries complete comprehensive health information system assessments
The Health Information and Digital Health (HID) unit in the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has successfully supported 19 countries, covering 99% of the Region’s population, to conduct comprehensive health information system (HIS) assessments, surpassing the regional target of 15 set for 2025 and advancing efforts toward universal health coverage. Using SCORE, a technical package of essential interventions, recommended actions, tool and resources developed by WHO and partners to address challenges in meeting HIS needs, these assessments systematically assess health data availability and quality, enabling countries to monitor trends, identify and respond to emerging health challenges, and improve policies and programmes for healthier families, communities and societies. The first round of SCORE assessments were conducted between 2019-2021 in 14 countries in the Region and over 130 countries globally. The second round of SCORE assessments were conducted between 2024-2025.SCORE assessments are a key priority identified by Member States and WHO at all levels, including within WHO-Country/Multi-Country Cooperation Strategies, the Regional Vision Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025–2029), and the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14, 2025–2028). Within the Regional Vision, implementing SCORE assessments is a key action for technology and innovation to advance health equity (strand 5).The SCORE for Health Data technical package is based on five key interventions, represented by the acronym SCORE. Interventions S, C and O focus on strengthening core data sources. Survey (S) covers population-based health surveys, surveillance systems and censuses, including their capacity to monitor health-related SDGs. Count (C) focuses on birth, death and cause of death registration as parts of a functional CRVS system. Optimize (O) addresses routine health service data and key health service inputs such as health financing and health workforce.Interventions R and E focus on data use for action. Review (R) examines regular analytical reviews of health sector progress and performance, together with national analytical capacity. Enable (E) looks at the policy, governance, and digital foundations needed to support effective data use.The Western Pacific Region shows relatively strong performance in the Review (R) and Count (C) interventions. Most countries in the Region demonstrate good analytical reporting and institutional capacity for analysis and learning. More than two-thirds of countries show more mature CRVS systems, driven by improvements in birth and death registration. However, medical certification of cause-of-death remains a key gap, with limited or low coverage in over half of countries in the Region.Performance under the Survey (S) intervention is mixed. While surveillance systems are generally strong, several countries in the Region continue to face challenges in implementing their surveys and censuses. Monitoring health-related SDGs is still a challenge for more than a third of countries in the Region.The greatest challenges are observed in the Optimize (O) and Enable (E) interventions. More than half of countries have lower maturity levels in routine health service and resource systems. Two-thirds of countries also face challenges with effective use of data and evidence for policy and action, largely due to gaps in digital infrastructure, governance and legislation for health data systems, and especially in data and sharing.  As part of the SCORE methodology, multi-stakeholder consultations and validation workshops were conducted in many countries to review findings and plan strategies for HIS strengthening. The HID unit continues to provide targeted support to facilitate dialogue and assist countries in developing HIS improvement plans. These plans guide governments and partners to align investments and coordinate efforts for maximum impact.WHO also assists countries with tailored technical support to address key gaps as requested by countries/national health authorities. SCORE assessments should be conducted periodically to monitor progress in HIS strengthening, although progress across addressing gaps identified in SCORE should be continually tracked as countries implement improvements.Additional countries will be supported to implement SCORE in 2026. The Regional Vision delivery-for-impact target, endorsed by Member States, is for all countries and areas to have implemented SCORE assessments and have an increased SCORE index by 2029 while WHO is aiming for 80% of Member States in the Region to conduct round two assessments. Countries yet to complete assessments are therefore encouraged to contact the HID unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific for tailored support.The implementation of SCORE HIS assessments in the Western Pacific Region was supported by The Gates Family Foundation.
Asus geo-restricts top-end Core Ultra X Zenbook S14 and certain Zenbook S16 SKUs
Asus launched refreshed versions of the Zenbook S14 and Zenbook S16 at CES 2026. However, it looks like not all SKUs will be across all regions. The Core Ultra X7 and Core Ultra X9 versions of the Zenbook S14 seem to be limited to the US and Europe, while Ryzen AI 5 and Ryzen AI 9 options with the Zenbook S16 are limited to Canada.
Unofficial Intel Arc driver includes Big Battlemage "BMG-G31" firmware, so why hasn’t Intel announced the GPU yet?
Intel Arc B770 was a no-show at CES 2026 Intel's product keynote was surprisingly more consumer-oriented than NVIDIA's and AMD's. However, the
The 5 Biggest No-Shows of CES 2026
As the Consumer Electronics Show of 2026 comes to an end, our field crew has done of a lot of work to keep readers updated. However, pre-CES expectations were high for several product launches, that sadly didn't happen. In today's piece we are ranking the top five things we didn't get at CES 2026, e...
Louisville Defeats Miami 77-68
Louisville did not look sharp in the first half and were down 2 at halftime. However in the second half a totally different showed up on the floor. The Cards turned up the heat offensively and defensively which led to them outscoring Miami 27-12 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Miami cut the […]
Packers-Bears Preview
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have played each other more than any other two teams in the NFL. Playoff games, however, are a rarity.
All the Head-Turning Security Tech I Saw at CES 2026
CES brought a crowd of security companies all trying to impress with new cameras, sensors and locks. However, what really caught my attention is...
Analysis: A Keegan-like thriller
It is a scoreline so often associated with Kevin Keegan. Who could forget that chaotic game at Anfield in 1996 when Stan Collymore struck late for Liverpool to break Newcastle hearts? This time, however, Newcastle were toasting a quite remarkable victory following a late turnaround of their own.
How Recent Developments Are Shaping The Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) Investment Story
The latest valuation work on Sphere Entertainment has lifted the fair value estimate from US$75.30 to US$88.30, supported by a slightly lower discount rate at 9.87% and a small increase in the revenue growth assumption to 6.03%. These tweaks build on Street research that has become more constructive, with bullish voices pointing to Las Vegas Sphere performance, a fuller content pipeline and recent earnings data. Cautious analysts, however, still question how durable current attendance trends...
Vitamin D vs. Vitamin E: Which Is Better for Immunity and Energy?
Both vitamins are good for you. Taking vitamin D, however, is better for directly boosting your energy and immunity, according to experts.
Belgian PM’s cat Maximus is social media star with ‘subliminal political message’
Maximus Textoris Pulcher, an official resident at Rue de la Loi 16, shows a warmer side of Bart De Wever
WCG Predicts: Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions
Hello, Chicago Bears fans! Well, after the thrilling game against the Niners that, unfortunately, ended in disappointment, the 1st overall seed and bye in the first round of the NFL playoffs is off the table for the Beloved. However, there is still something to play for, as a win against the Detroit Lions (or an […]
How the Science of Photography Can Lead You Astray
I often refer to photography as a blend of art and science. However, our cameras' lack of adherence to scientific principles can lead to confusion. Both
Apple Discontinued These 25 Products This Year
With the end of 2025 near, the time has come to look back at the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Most of the products that were discontinued this year were simply replaced by a new model with an updated chip. However, the iPhone SE line was entirely discontinued when the iPhone 16e launched, and the iPhone Plus line is being phased out. Below, we have listed 25 products that were discontinued by Apple this year.
The disunity of science is a feature, not a bug
Mathematical models wield miraculous power, but mistaking them for reality has trapped science in a destructive quest for a “Theory of Everything.” Physicist and philosopher Ragner Fjelland argues that this leads to bloated, Frankenstein theories kept alive by clumsy, ad-hoc amendments, which reduce rather than boost science’s power. Fjelland calls for a radical shift in our attitude: we must reorientate towards creating entirely new theories, celebrating rather than lamenting disunity and diversity in science. Science, from the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day, has more or less developed in a “reductionist” way. The fundamental assumption is that all sciences may be ordered in a hierarchy that can be represented as an upside-down pyramid. At the top we find the human sciences, and at the bottom physics. Strong (or “ontological”) reductionism maintains that all theories at one level can be completely reduced to the lower level, all the way down to theories of atoms and elementary particles, or whatever is “at the bottom.” In the end, all diversity in the world can be unified in one fundamental theory. Hence it is called a final theory, or a Theory of Everything.One of the central figures in developing the idea of a Theory of Everything is the Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft, who received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1999 for his work. He emphasizes the non-empirical status of the theory:There exists no closely resembling alternative theory. This means that any slight change brought about in the rules would make the theory unlikely or inelegant. The theory will be a "package deal": take it, or leave it. This should hold both for the local laws and for the boundary conditions.This endeavor is not new. On the contrary, it goes all the way back to the birth of Western philosophy 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians made regular astronomical observations during a period of 600 years, from 747 BCE until 150 ACE. They developed mathematical techniques to predict astronomical phenomena, but they made no attempts at explaining them. However, the Greeks developed models, both material and theoretical, to explain the observed phenomena.The best example is Plato’s late dialogue Timaeus. Here he introduces a divine craftsman, the Demiurge, who has constructed the universe according to an original plan. Plato seems to have thought that the original plan is what is actually real, while the material world is merely an imperfect realization of it. He therefore does not, in the Timaeus, reconstruct the material universe, but the original plan, which can then be used to explain the material universe.Plato’s aim in producing a theoretical model is to reconstruct the original plan. That is what he carries out in Timaeus—and some modern physicists have embarked on the same project. For example, Einstein’s basic attitude is reflected in the title of Abraham Pais’ biography: “Subtle is the Lord...,” echoing Einstein’s comment, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” In an interview Einstein compared our situation to a child who enters a huge library. The child knows that someone has written the books, but he does not know the languages in which they are written. He suspects that there is a mysterious order, but he does not know what it is.___“We have all been working in what Husserl called the Galilean style; that is, we have all been making abstract mathematical models of the universe to which at least the physicists give a higher degree of reality than they accord the ordinary world of sensation.”Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)___This Platonist view is contrary to a widespread impression of science, symbolized by the picture of the “father” of modern science, Galileo Galilei, with his telescope. According to this impression, Galileo liberated himself from the dominating metaphysics of his day—basically Aristotelian philosophy—and constructed a telescope that he directed towards the sky, showing that Jupiter has four moons. He also performed experiments with bronze balls rolling down inclined planes and found the law of freely falling bodies.However, in other cases Galileo emphasized the unreliability of our senses. It is easy to see why. He defended Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, we are not at rest at the center of the universe, but moving at a tremendous speed through space. Why don’t we observe this motion? Galileo praises Copernicus because “with reason as his guide he resolutely continued to affirm what sensible experience seemed to contradict.” In other places he directly refers to Plato. SUGGESTED VIEWING The quest for a final theory With Michio Kaku Galileo’s Platonism goes back to his early writings. In The Assayer, published as early as 1623, Galileo compared the universe to a grand book that is written in the language of mathematics, and “its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.” Therefore, things that cannot be described by mathematics—for example, colors, smells and odors—are not real. They are merely subjective.This division into subjective and objective, advocated by Galileo and his younger contemporary René Descartes, is normally associated with a mechanistic world view, which is regarded as the opposite of Platonism. When we reduce something to, for example, molecules and atoms, we move “downwards.” In contrast, the Platonist moves “upwards,” to abstract entities. However, it only shows that when we address fundamental questions, we should be careful in applying everyday spatial metaphors like “up” and “down.”___Nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world.___The endeavor of finding a Theory of Everything has been heavily criticized. In 2006, the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin published “The Crisis in Fundamental Physics.” He argued that one of the most fundamental principles of science is that we should only regard theories as scientific if we have the possibility to show that they are false by experiments. Although he did not refer to Karl Popper, other critics have referred to Popper and argued that a theory is not scientific if it cannot be falsified (see for example Ellis & Silk 2014).These were not the first physicists to be anti-reductionists. In 1972, the journal Science published an article by the physicist Philip Anderson with the title “More Is Different.” This is the kind of article a scientist would normally write only after he has won a Nobel Prize. However, Anderson won the Nobel Prize for physics five years later, in 1977. The article is amazing, not primarily because it argues in favor of anti-reductionism in general, but because it argues for anti-reductionism within physics itself. Anderson’s conclusion was:At each stage entirely new laws, concepts, and generalizations are necessary, requiring inspiration and creativity to just as great a degree as in the previous one. Psychology is not applied biology, nor is biology applied chemistry.We may say that Plato started the “unity of science movement,” based on Euclidean geometry as the model of all knowledge. A distinguishing mark of geometry is that all possible constructions can be reduced to a few fundamental principles. We have to acknowledge that this approach has limitations. In general, we can easily model technological systems. In addition, we may construct simplified and idealized models that capture important aspects of systems, from various perspectives and for various purposes. But nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world. In a complex system, each level has its distinct, emergent, properties that are characteristic of this level. Therefore, a complex system should be investigated at different levels and from different perspectives. Instead of exclusively pursuing a scientific ideal based on the unity of science, we should acknowledge the diversity—or even the disunity—of science.
These 5 Oklahoma politics stories were popular in 2025
Each story we brought you in 2025 is important. However, these five are among the most popular of the year and display the rich breadth of what KOSU offers in Oklahoma political news.
Video games may be a surprisingly good way to get a cognitive boost
However, the type of game and how often you play it matters, with experts recommending moderation.
12/21 Big Ten Basketball Preview: Oregon vs. Gonzaga
There are six Big Ten games set for the day, mainly involving schools at home hosting mid-majors. The two exceptions, however, include Penn State taking on Pitt in Hershey Pennsylvania and Oregon facing Gonzaga in the Northwest Elite Showdown in Portland. Pittsburgh vs Penn State Nittany Lions The first game of the day involves an […]
Trump Now Shares One More Thing in Common With History’s Worst Dictators
This sort of behavior is alien to a republic and a democracy. It is common, however, in dictatorships.
Health care is 'engine' of the job market — and that's risky for the economy
Health care is a bright spot in the cooling job market. However, that poses risks to the economy if the sector falters.
Louisville Beats EKU 76-51
If all you saw was the final score you might think this game was a cake-walk but if you actually watched the game you probably want to forget the first half. However as Coach Walz said, “This was probably the first game all year that I’ve seen us look as bad as we did in […]
Centrist Republicans revolt, signing a petition to force a vote on Obamacare funding
The Affordable Care Act subsidies are still expected to expire at the end of this year, however, raising insurance premiums for millions of Americans.
WHO highlights health risks and opportunities in the global waste crisis
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report, Throwing away our health: the impacts of solid waste on human health – evidence, knowledge gaps and health sector responses, warns that poorly managed solid waste is driving a public health crisis and calls for urgent action to protect people and the environments they live in.Globally, the volume of municipal solid waste is growing at an unprecedented rate. Yet, many countries still lack the systems and resources to manage this waste safely. “Solid waste reflects how our societies produce and consume, and how we treat people and the environment in the process,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i., Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health & Migration at the World Health Organization. “If we continue to treat waste as an afterthought, we will lock in avoidable disease, climate pollution and deep social inequities. This report is a clear call to put health and equity at the centre of how we design, manage and ultimately reduce waste.”The report summarizes evidence on how solid waste – especially municipal solid waste – affects health through polluted air, water, soil and food. When waste is not collected, or is dumped, burned or not poorly treated, it can release hazardous chemicals, contaminate drinking-water sources and create breeding grounds for insects and rodents.Communities underserved by waste management services, those living near dumpsites and poorly managed landfills and incinerators, children and pregnant women, as well as waste workers – particularly those working informally – face the greatest risks. For the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) community, the report underlines that safe management of municipal and health care waste is integral to safely managed, climate-resilient systems.A large share of municipal solid waste is still not collected or is disposed of in uncontrolled conditions, including open dumpsites and open burning. These practices damage ecosystems, contribute to climate change and undermine efforts to build healthy cities. When waste is properly managed, however, it can become a resource – generating energy and creating green jobs. The report calls for a coordinated, multisectoral response grounded in the waste hierarchy: preventing waste where possible, then reducing, reusing and recycling, with safe recovery and disposal.Key actions for governments and partners include reducing waste generation at source; expanding affordable and reliable waste collection services, especially in underserved communities; improving control at recovery and disposal facilities; and eliminating open dumping and burning, including hazardous waste. The new report identifies a central role for the health sector in addressing solid waste as a public health threat. The health sector can prevent and minimize health-care waste at source, improve segregation and safe treatment, invest in cleaner climate-resilient technologies, and advocate for health-protective policies and standards. The report also encourages more surveillance, research and biomonitoring to strengthen the evidence base, and promotes social protection and inclusion of informal waste workers.“This report gives countries and health authorities a very practical agenda,” said Mr Bruce Gordon, Head, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health Unit, WHO. “Health ministries can start now by ensuring safe management of health-care waste, developing strong occupational health programmes for waste workers, and working with municipalities to reduce health risks from solid waste by closing open dumps and burn sites and gradually improving towards safe services. These concrete steps save lives today and will make cities cleaner and healthier in the future.
Germany warns rejecting Ukraine loan would harm EU countries' finances
Krichbaum's claim is the opposite of Belgian PM Bart De Wever's, who argues the 'reparations loan' would actually increase EU government borrowing costs
Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted
Microsoft's Copilot AI chatbot is arguably one of the most controversial add-ons ever implemented in the Windows 11 operating system. However, the controversy doesn't stop at PC operating systems. It seems to extend to TVs as well. According to Reddit user u/defjam16, his LG TV webOS received an upd...
Kirby Air Riders development team to be disbanded soon according to Masahiro Sakurai
It would seem that patch 1.2.0 for Kirby Air Riders has begun its distribution process. This update fixed some issues involving certain events while also applying a few balance adjustments.However, Masahiro Sakurai took this as an opportunity ...
Kirby Air Riders team is disbanding soon, but game could get another balance patch
According to director Masahiro Sakurai, the team behind Kirby Air Riders will be disbanding soon. At this point there largely isn’t a reason to keep everyone together. Development is finished, and as previously announced, the game isn’t getting DLC. However, we’re likely to get one more balance patch. Sakurai shared the following on social media: “As discussed in Air Riders...
Recent Trends in Commercial Health Insurance Market Concentration
Commercial health insurance markets remain highly concentrated across coverage types. However, the individual market, which consists mostly of the ACA Marketplaces, has attracted more insurers and witnessed greater insurer competition across a variety of measures since the implementation of the enhanced premium tax credits in 2021, according to a new Healthy System Tracker analysis.
The New WHO Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance: Incorporating Common but Differentiated Responsibilities into PABS - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty designed to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The product of three years of arduous negotiations, the treaty marks a new era of global cooperation in public health. However, core aspects of the agreement remain unresolved—notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, which is intended to ensure equitable access to pandemic-related materials and benefits. To support the successful implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Introduction For the first time, an international treaty has enshrined the principle of “One Health,” the compelling idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment all contribute to pandemic risks. SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009–10), Ebola (2014–16), and COVID-19 all emerged through zoonotic spillover from animal hosts—respectively, civets, hogs, and bats. Together, they underscore the need for a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach. The Pandemic Agreement responds to this call, requiring state parties to acknowledge the ecological interplay and commit to a comprehensive “One Health” strategy. Specifically, Article 5 charges governments to address “the drivers of pandemics and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface,” including wild animal markets, deforestation, and antibiotic overuse. Yet the effectiveness of this “One Health” vision depends equally on the free flow of scientific information and data among countries and institutions. Just as environmental and animal health factors have been neglected in past global frameworks, so too has data sharing been marginalized, despite its centrality to timely detection and response. The Pandemic Agreement takes an important step by requiring governments to enhance data collection and cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these provisions will remain aspirational without a robust Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. The PABS system will determine whether countries and researchers can rapidly exchange pathogen samples and genetic data while ensuring equitable access to resulting research and development, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Without such mechanisms, the treaty’s promise to operationalize “One Health” and strengthen global preparedness will risk becoming largely symbolic, echoing earlier failures to translate shared principles into coordinated action. Equity Concerns When the 2025 Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, it left the difficult question of access to pathogens and the sharing of resulting benefits to be addressed in a separate agreement. Negotiations on this separate agreement, PABS, are now underway in Geneva. Yet governments remain divided over fundamental questions of equity between the countries that primarily contribute to the system and those that primarily draw from it—and consequently benefit. For example, wildlife in countries bordering the equator is likely to produce PABS materials, but companies in Europe are likely to use them to develop lucrative products. The most likely contributor countries are likely to be those biodiverse countries around the equator, such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, where the number of human-mammalian viral host interactions is large. Conversely, countries most likely to benefit from this material are those with the technology, investors, and infrastructure to capitalize on genomic data, such as the United States, EU member states, and Japan. This imbalance reflects a broader pattern seen in prior international frameworks. Now, as in the past, the wealthiest countries in the world (a useful heuristic is membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) disproportionately benefit from systems in which pathogens and genomic sequencing data are contributed to a common source. Under the International Agreement on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the “Plant Treaty” or “Seed Treaty”) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, companies from Europe and North America disproportionately withdraw biological samples and data for development into lucrative medical products. Their governments and companies have both statutory and contractual claims to the products that those companies correspondingly produce. PABS appears poised to follow the same pattern. The text calls for strong language on access to pathogens and associated data, but the corresponding benefits that should flow to poorer countries are couched in equivocal or non-binding language. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities To address these inequities, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Common but differentiated responsibilities are often a feature of climate change negotiations. The basic principle is that, even though all countries should reduce carbon emissions, governments that became rich and powerful through massive carbon emissions (e.g., France, the United Kingdom, the United States) should have a greater obligation to address the resulting crises. Applied to PABS, it would require that governments hosting and supporting companies developing lucrative products carry greater obligations toward the cost of running the PABS system; share benefits or final medical products; and transfer technology to help countries worldwide develop their own capacities to innovate and manufacture vaccines during an emergency. For example, an annex could mandate that any company based in an OECD country that withdraws PABS material would be obligated to donate the resulting diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines to the WHO during a public health emergency or pandemic. Questions remain about how robust those donations would be, but the principle is that they should deliver highly significant lifesaving benefits to be equitably shared. Theoretically, this approach mirrors the PIP Framework, in which companies withdrawing influenza samples are required to pay half of the operating costs. In practice, however, the framework has fallen short. The PIP Framework Secretariat has struggled to secure payments from companies, with companies often disagreeing over how much is owed. Additionally, without another pandemic influenza to test the strength of the agreement during a public health emergency, corporate compliance with sharing mechanisms remains unknown. Even if these limitations did not characterize the PIP Framework, partially paying for operating expenses does not address the inequity in access to genetic data and pathogen samples that left less developed countries last in line for COVID-19 vaccines (and, before them, H1N1). Common but differentiated responsibilities would go further, addressing governments’ legitimate grievances regarding information sharing. It would make withdrawals of PABS material and resulting products more transparent, building trust across the board. Enforcement and Enduring Success A key implication of this approach is that the governing mechanism of the PABS must have real enforcement authority. The WHO Pandemic Agreement delegates its core governance responsibilities to a Conference of the Parties (COP)—a governing body composed of one representative from each participating government, similar to those established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed WHO Pandemic Agreement COP is charged with oversight functions but ultimately possesses no real authority to compel a government to take any action it does not wish to take. The text does not give the COP the ability to, for example, sanction a party that does not comply with either textual obligations or PABS provisions. In other words, there are no effective mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. Perhaps just as significant, establishing a meaningful enforcement mechanism within the PABS system would strengthen the WHO’s credibility and its ability to ensure compliance across global health governance. By setting a precedent for accountability, such a mechanism could enhance the organization’s authority not only within the Pandemic Agreement but also in enforcing the revised International Health Regulations and other frameworks for public health emergencies. Conclusion The PABS annex can—and should—be different. It should establish clear responsibilities for funding as well as for sharing the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that result from contributions to the system. The system, in turn, must include a dedicated body empowered to hold governments and the corporations they sponsor accountable for their responsibilities before, during, and after pandemics. Doing so would restore trust in the broader agreement, which was eroded as commitments were repeatedly diluted while parties scrambled to meet their own self-imposed deadlines during the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A robust PABS Annex would cement a grand social bargain. Wealthier countries and their corporations would gain unimpeded access to scientific information essential for developing and manufacturing lifesaving medical products. As such, they would stand to gain considerable economic benefit. Yet that privilege must be matched with responsibility. The grand bargain must include not only the right to innovate, but also the duty to ensure that innovation serves all. As medical products are developed and produced through collective contributions, every person must have equal access. All human beings deserve an equitable chance to survive—to save their own life, the lives of their families, and the well-being of their communities. … Sam Halabi, JD, MPhil, is the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Health and the Director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at Georgetown Law. He serves as the co-lead for the WHO’s Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI and Health’s training workstream. He earned his JD from Harvard, his MPhil from Oxford, and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University. Lawrence Gostin, LLD (Hon.), JD, BA, is University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director and Timothy and Linda O’Neill Professor of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is the author of Global Health Security: A Blueprint for the Future (Harvard University Press, 2021); Global Health Law (Harvard University Press, 2014); Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2016); Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2018); Law and the Health System (Foundation Press, 2014); Principles of Mental Health Law & Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010). He also directs the WHO Collaborating Center at Georgetown University. Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Pebble's founder introduces a $75 AI smart ring for recording brief notes with a press of a button
After rebooting the Pebble smartwatch, founder Eric Migicovsky is expanding his company's device lineup with a new smart wearable: an AI-powered smart ring known as Index 01. Named for the finger where the ring is meant to be worn, the new $75 ring is not meant to be a competitor to the always-on, always-listening AI devices, like the AI pendant Friend, but instead offers a way to record quick notes and reminders with a press of a button on the ring's side. AI only comes into play via the open source, speech-to-text, and AI models that run locally on your smartphone, via the open source Pebble mobile app. That is, if the Ring's button is not being pressed, it's not recording. (And this is a press-and-hold gesture, too, which means you can't start the ring's recording and then let go to surreptitiously record a conversation.) You can wear the stainless steel ring while in the shower, washing hands, doing dishes, or in the rain, but you would have to take it off for other water-related activities, like swimming. At launch, it's water-resistant to 1 meter. The ring is also not a fitness tracker or sleep monitor. It doesn't record details about your heart rate or health. And it's not there to be your AI friend. "I'm not trying to build some AI assistant thing," Migicovsky told TechCrunch in an interview. "I build things that solve one main problem, and they solve it really well," he explains. "I think of as external memory for my brain...that's what this is. It's always with you." Plus, the ring has been designed to be highly reliable and privacy-preserving, he says, as all your thoughts are stored on your phone, not in the cloud. There is no subscription. Migicovsky has been wearing the ring for three months now and says he cannot imagine going back to a world where he doesn't always have a memory device with him. "The problem is that, during the day, I get ideas or I remember something, and if I don't write it down that second, I forget it," he says. The ring solves this problem, he adds, without becoming another device you need to charge. "The battery lasts for years," Migicovsky claims. Technically, the ring is said to support roughly 12 to 14 hours of recording. On average, the founder says he uses it 10-20 times per day to record 3-6 second thoughts. At that rate, he'll get about two years of usage. When the ring's battery dies, you can ship it back to the company for recycling. When using Index, you can record up to five minutes of audio, which can be saved to the ring and synced to your phone later. This makes sense for recording briefer, personal thoughts and notes, even when you don't have your phone handy, but it wouldn't work for recording a longer chat, like a presentation, meeting, or in-person interview of some kind. The ring also supports 99+ languages and has a bit of on-device memory, in case you're not in Bluetooth range of your device, where the recording is ultimately saved and transcribed. (The raw audio is retained, too, in case the speech-to-text is garbled due to loud background noise). If you own a Pebble smartwatch or one from another brand, your recorded thought can even appear on the watch's screen so you can verify it's correct. The ring works with Pebble's mobile app, which offers notes and reminders, but can optionally integrate with your phone's calendaring system, too, or other apps, like Notion. And the ring's software is open source, which makes it hackable by the community, the founder points out. Because of its open nature, the ring's button is already programmable. In addition to the press-and-hold gesture, you can program the ring to do other things with a single or double press, like play or pause your music or control the shutter on your phone's camera. You could use it to send a message through the universal chat app Beeper, which Migicovsky also created, or you could add your own voice actions via MCP. A new approach to hardware Migicovsky acknowledges that hardware can be difficult to get right -- as the previous exit of Pebble to Fitbit showed. (Fitbit, too, was later acquired by Google in 2021). "I didn't earn any money during Pebble -- we exited, but it was not a great exit," Migicovsky admits. This year, however, he decided to reboot the Pebble project after Google open sourced the PebbleOS, which opened up the door to new hardware. With his new company, Core Devices, Migicovsky plans to do things differently. Still, the founder doesn't regret his previous choices, he clarifies. "I wouldn't have gone back and changed anything. I loved what we built. I loved what we did. I love the company that we built, but it's not the only way to build a company," he told TechCrunch. " And, speaking as an ex-YC partner, there are -- there's a time and a place for building a venture-backed startup. Some companies are phenomenal when they raise money and build a big team, and I tried that...I think what I'm doing now is trying an alternative path, which is start from profitability," he says. The new company is a small team of five, self-funded, and focused on sustainability. So far, Core Devices has shipped the Pebble 2 Duo smartwatch with a black-and-white display. Its first run sold out, and the company is now preparing to ship the upgraded version, the Pebble Time 2. The newer device, which has seen 25,000 pre-orders, is a stainless steel watch with a larger, color e-ink screen. As for the Index 01, the ring's pre-order offer ends in March 2026. After that, the price increases to $99. It currently comes in silver, polished gold, and matte black and works with iOS and Android devices. Customers can select from eight ring sizes and three colors.
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