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APS Fellow Persis Drell heads DOE science advisory committee
Drell, a Stanford physicist, began in the new role in February.
Weston Port, three-star LB, commits to Michigan football
Three-star linebacker Weston Port committed to U-M in the class of 2027 on Monday, June 29.
Speaker Johnson sends housing bill to White House after Trump refused to sign measure
Speaker Mike Johnson officially transmitted Congress’ bipartisan housing bill to the White House on Monday, according to a spokesperson, kicking off a 10-day countdown for the bill to become law, even if the president does not sign it.
Slotkin Joins Michigan Delegation Urging Small Business Administration to Approve Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined members of the Michigan Congressional Delegation in urging the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request for an administrative disaster declaration following the severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, high winds, large hail and torrential rainfall across the state in April. […]
Ethics panel clears Gallego as Luna declares, 'Once a creep, always a creep'
The Senate Ethics Committee dismissed sexual misconduct and campaign finance allegations against Sen. Ruben Gallego after finding no evidence.
Few details known on Mitch McConnell’s health 2 weeks after hospitalization
Two weeks ago, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell was admitted to the hospital. Few details about his condition are publicly known.
New York AG lauds Supreme Court's mail-in ballot ruling
Letitia James released a statement shortly after the court's 5-4 ruling, which stemmed from a challenge brought by the Republican National Committee.
New York AG lauds Supreme Court's mail-in ballot ruling
Letitia James released a statement shortly after the court's 5-4 ruling, which stemmed from a challenge brought by the Republican National Committee.
Science and Technology Must Deliver for the Public
The United States has never lacked for scientific ambition. What we need now is a renewed civic commitment to ensuring that talent is harnessed for the benefit of all people. Science can work for everyone. Join us as we build a broader coalition committed to that vision.
NEA Nuclear Science Committee advances strategic priorities for the future of nuclear research
The NEA Nuclear Science Committee met on 8-10 June 2026 to advance international collaboration, strengthen scientific expertise, and shape the future of nuclear science through innovation, data and AI.
Conservation efforts emphasize the lesser prairie chicken
Reid DeWalt, deputy director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, spoke to the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee about the Lesser Prairie Chicken and moving conservation forward. He said in 2026, CPW staff counted 77 males on 13 leks, a number that has dropped year over year since 2024. There are fewer than 1,000 chickens […]
House committee advances radiology-backed legislation to curb prior authorization
The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act seeks to streamline the “often cumbersome and time-consuming” task of approving requests for medical imaging in Medicare Advantage.
Queerying neuroscience: How legislation and institutions reframe LGBTQIA+ researchers’ careers
In honor of Pride Month, The Transmitter spoke with three researchers who surveyed hundreds of LGBTQIA+ neuroscientists to better understand how institutional support, harassment and policy intersect to shape their professional trajectories.
The latest 2026 ODA projections reveal aid for health is further at risk
With official development assistance (ODA) by member countries of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) projected to fall again in 2026, the health sector is facing deep cuts.
Rep. Jahana Hayes released from hospital after health scare
Representative Jahana Hayes has been released from the hospital after a health scare last week. In a video posted to Facebook on Sunday, she said she was leaving St. Mary’s Hospital where she was admitted for the last two days. “On Friday, I felt like I was dizzy while shopping, I was out getting phones at the mall and felt…
Standing Committee recommends adoption of four new business items, discusses relationship of the Church of the Brethren and Eder Financial
The Standing Committee of district delegates to the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference held meetings from Thursday evening, June 25, through Saturday afternoon, June 27, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Annual Conference moderator Don Fitzkee presided, assisted by moderator-elect Dennis Beckner and Conference secretary David Shumate.
Comer rejects calls for White House officials' Epstein testimony
Comer chairs the committee, which has been reviewing the federal government’s Epstein investigation.
Comer rejects calls for White House officials' Epstein testimony
Comer chairs the committee, which has been reviewing the federal government’s Epstein investigation.
FISU reinforces its commitment to the World University Sports Movement
On the second day of the meeting, the Executive Committee focused on the upcoming Universiades and the future of the FISU Forum. After a first day concentrating on updating statutes and strategies for a simpler, more innovative and effective future, FISU’s Executive Committee focused on upcoming events on this second and last day of their […]
National Science Foundation finds no violations in Texas A&M research security contract
U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House of Representatives' select committee on China, had urged the NSF to pause funding for a project known as SECURE.
Business Honor Roll picnic celebrates community support
The Business Relations Committee at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena recently welcomed local professionals and industry leaders to a Business Honor Roll Appreciation Picnic hosted by Alpena Agency in their downtown location. Established in 1994, the Business Honor Roll brings together local companies and corporations interested in strengthening health care for our region. Through annual contributions […]
Peters, Bergman lead Michigan delegation in calling on Small Business Administration to approve disaster declaration
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led members of the Michigan Congressional Delegation in urging the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request for an administrative disaster declaration following the severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, high winds, large hail and torrential […]
Mamdani takes victory lap on rent freeze
In February, the mayor appointed six members to the nine-member committee just as this year’s process was set to start.
House Science Republicans Examine Grant Fraud
Committee Democrats argued the hearing was a distraction and an excuse to slash spending.
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment Announces New Cohort
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) has announced their Emerging Executives Committee for 2026.
Congress subpoenas Leon Black during interview about Jeffrey Epstein
The House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to billionaire Leon Black after he declined to answer questions about non-disclosure agreements.
Healey’s $305M economic development bill boosts defense, startups
This week, the Legislature's economic development committee released its own version of the bill, which includes money for defense and AI industries.
Small Business Central to American Prosperity Celebration
House Small Business Committee celebrates small businesses as key to American prosperity ahead of nation's 250th anniversary. Learn why Main Street matters.
Chairman Guthrie, Health Vice Chair Harshbarger, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks Lead Site Visit to Iowa Hospitals to Highlight Benefits of the Rural Health Transformation Program
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Sweden and WHO launch new long-term initiative to transform Ukraine’s health system
WHO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have launched a new multi-year cooperation project to support the long-term recovery and transformation of Ukraine’s health system. The new project, “Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative: Strengthening Health Governance, Health Financing and Service Delivery for Long-Term Recovery”, was launched at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdansk, Poland on 26 June, and will run from June 2026 to 2029. Sweden will contribute approximately US$ 26 million (240 million Swedish krona) to support this project. This contribution forms part of Sweden’s broader support to Ukraine through the Team Europe approach, which brings together the European Union, its Member States, and key partners such as the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood and Enabel, and WHO as lead health agency, to support Ukraine’s recovery, reform agenda and European integration.“Ukraine’s health recovery cannot be measured only by what is rebuilt, but by whether people can count on the health system when they need it most. The scale of the task is immense, with health reconstruction and modernization needs estimated at US$ 19.4 billion over the next decade. Sweden’s US$ 26 million contribution to Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative is a timely investment in the institutions, financing and services that will support Ukraine’s long-term recovery and European integration. WHO remains a trusted partner of the Government of Ukraine in advancing this process. I am deeply grateful to Sweden for its consistent support and partnership,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. More than 4 years of war have placed unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s health system, creating 3 interconnected challenges. The first is responding to the immediate consequences of the war and the urgent health needs of the population. The second is recovering and modernizing health services today. The third is continuing reforms and aligning the health system with European standards in the context of Ukraine’s future accession to the European Union. The war has led to large-scale population displacement, an increasing need for trauma care and rehabilitation, and shortages of health workers. High out-of-pocket payments in Ukraine make access to health services more difficult. Around 46% of total health expenditure is paid directly by individuals, placing a significant financial burden on many households and underscoring the need for reforms in health financing. Older people, persons with disabilities, women, children and veterans continue to face the greatest difficulties in accessing health services. “Ukraine is demonstrating that health system transformation can continue even during war. Ukraine is also continuing to align its health system with European norms and standards. WHO is committed to supporting Ukraine on this journey. We provide technical support, help coordinate partners’ efforts and support the institutional changes needed to strengthen the system. We are grateful to Sweden for its support. Through this partnership, we can help Ukraine build a more resilient, accessible and people-centred health system,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. About the Health System Transformation InitiativeThe new initiative will support Ukraine through 3 interconnected areas: strengthening governance and coordination of health sector reforms through more inclusive coordination platforms and structured policy dialogue; transforming service delivery by reinforcing a primary health care-centred model that integrates family medicine, nursing and midwifery; and improving financial sustainability by supporting reforms that ensure the long-term viability of the national health system and reduce out-of-pocket payments for households. Overall, these reforms are expected to make the health system more coherent and easier to navigate, improve the quality and continuity of care, and ensure more equitable access to services, particularly for those who need them most. They will also support Ukraine’s progress towards a more modern health system aligned with European standards. “We are convinced that long-term recovery is not possible without strong, high-quality, person-centred health services that are accessible to everyone. Our partnership with WHO is designed to support deep and lasting systemic changes. Investments in human capital especially autonomous midwives, whose role for maternal, newborn and adolescent sexual and reproductive health cannot be understated, stronger governance, digital transformation and the financial sustainability of the health system are investments in Ukraine’s future. We are proud to support this process,” said Malin Perhult, the Head of the Ukraine Unit at Sida. Focus throughout implementation will be given to the most vulnerable population groups, including older people, women and children, and persons with disabilities, who have been affected by the war and face greater health-care needs. The initiative will be implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, the Public Health Centre of Ukraine, regional authorities and international partners. This project will help Ukraine move towards a system where everyone can access the health care they need. It will strengthen primary care, make the health finance system more stable and predictable, and reduce the out-of-pocket costs that Ukrainians face when using health services. As a result, the Ukrainian health system will become more aligned with European standards and more sustainable in the long run.
Federal AI security center measure advanced by House Science
A measure that would put into law a key federal office focused on artificial intelligence advanced Thursday out of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, as part of a slate of AI-focused and data center bills. The committee advanced the bills on a bipartisan basis, but put off potential changes regarding funding levels for […]
Sweden: European Social Rights Committee calls for an end to Sweden’s two-tier healthcare system
Amnesty International welcomes a landmark decision by the European Committee of Social Rights finding that Sweden breached the right to health without discrimination.
Senate Indian Affairs Committee Advances Mark Cruz’s Nomination to Lead Indian Health Service
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, led a nomination hearing to consider Mr. Mark Cruz, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and expressed her intent to support his nomination. Representative Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a citizen […]
Business Council deliberations continue with four bill drafts
Lawmakers on the Joint Appropriations Committee spent another day diving through the Wyoming Business Council’s dealings. This time, they also reviewed draft bills that would influence how the council operates.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
http://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-opening-remarks-health-subcommittee-markup-15-bills
Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following opening remarks today at a Health Subcommittee markup of 15 bills:
Health Subcommittee Markup of 15 Bills Addressing Illicit Drugs and Health Care Price Transparency
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Tech: House Science advances AI bills
The House Science Committee advanced a bipartisan bill that would codify increasingly prominent artificial intelligence oversight work being done by the Commerce Department.
Survey finds Roy Cooper continues to hold double digit lead in N.C. Senate race
A new survey finds former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper leading former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley by double digits in the pivotal Senate race in November.
WATCH: Under proposed rule, USPS won't deliver mail ballots to states that don't provide voter rolls, postmaster general says
Postmaster General David Steiner told a Senate committee Wednesday that, if a proposed rule is adopted, the U.S. Postal Service would withhold mail ballots from states that do not hand over to the federal government lists of people who have requested absentee or mail ballots.
Propsal to limit lobbying in city of San Diego politics moves forward
The San Diego City Council’s Rules Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to direct staff to begin drafting a proposed ethics reform package aimed at lobbyists and dark money.
FMOL Health’s E.J. Kuiper touts $500M in capital spending, strong financials
FMOL Health has committed more than $500 million to capital investments since E.J. Kuiper took over as president and CEO.
EPA Announces Two Public Meetings of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals
What: On June 22, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two virtual public meetings of the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC).Why: The SACC provides independent advice and recommendations to the EPA on the scienti
QED Science Launches AI Infrastructure for Scientific Validation
Recognizes The 1% After Blind Evaluation of 57,455 Scientific PreprintsTEL AVIV, Israel, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QED Science, a science validity engine and modern infrastructure for researchers, funders, institutions and life science organizations today launched The 1%, the top 574 life science preprints. The company anonymously scored 57,455 bioRxiv preprints submitted between May 2025 and April 2026 for originality and validity. The ranking is powered by QED Score, QED Science’s vali
USPS tells Congress it needs cash rescue amid broken business model
Postmaster General David Steiner told a Senate committee the agency has amassed nearly $31 billion in cumulative defaults and could run out of cash by year's end
Dozens in Florida among hundreds charged in a DOJ crackdown on healthcare fraud
The two-week operation uncovered more than $6.5 billion in false claims submitted to insurers, according to the Department of Justice. Nearly two dozen arrests were made by state authorities.
Marine surveys: Science and stewardship in action
Submitted by San Juan County.
The Steam Machine's Companion Cube case is big, expensive, and based on a 19-year-old joke, so I hate how well-made it is
The Steam Machine provides a chance to get reacquainted with the Companion Cube, courtesy of Dbrand's pricey (though admittedly finely designed) case.
Heritage Days celebrates America’s 250th
The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group and Heritage Days Committee invite residents and visitors to celebrate Heritage Days 2026 with two days of family fun, live entertainment and community traditions honoring America's 250th anniversary on July 10-11.
'Hacks' star admits she stormed out of Emmys after losing to costar: 'Biggest sore loser'
'Hacks' star Robby Hoffman admitted she stormed out of the Emmys after losing to costar Julianne Nicholson: 'I was the biggest sore loser,' Hoffman told 'Drag Race' icon Trixie Mattel on her podcast.
The Extraordinary Embezzlement Case That Rocked Scottish Politics
Peter Murrell, the husband of the former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon, was sentenced on Tuesday after he admitted to buying a bizarre range of items with the Scottish National Party’s money.
5 things patients should know about intermittent fasting
Are there health benefits to skipping meals? The "Health vs. Hype" AMA podcast explores the issue.
A look at the science that's been lost on long COVID
Since President Trump took office, hundreds of experts advising on science and research issues have been dismissed. One committee was on long COVID, an issue that doctors are desperate for help with.
Mamdani defends criticism of AIPAC after being accused of antisemitism
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday defended his remarks last week sharply denouncing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee after prominent Jewish leaders accused him of antisemitism.
Wicks working to show he's ‘worthwhile' for Eagles with a bet-on-himself deal
It might not be receiver by committee in Philadelphia after all. That’s if newly acquired Dontayvion Wicks has something to say about it.
Lake Placid and NYC form committee to study hosting future Winter Olympics
The announcement Monday suggested a dual-hosting format, the likes of which Milan and Cortina pulled off at this year’s Olympics.
Science Over Tradition: Plymouth South Middle Schoolers Advocate for Later School Start Times
PLYMOUTH - June 15, 2026 - In a powerful demonstration of student advocacy, a delegation of eighth-grade students from Plymouth South Middle School presented compelling, science-based research to the School Committee, urging district leadership to push back school start times to improve adolescent mental health, well-being, and academic performance. The presentation sparked immediate commitment from the administration to formally evaluate the district’s schedule over the coming school year. Subscribe The Full Story The final in-person meeting of the academic year opened with a celebratory outdoor ceremony honoring dozens of elementary, middle, and high school student artists whose work was chosen for the biannual Central Office Artwork Awards. However, the evening’s primary policy focus quickly shifted to student-led civic action when eighth graders Sophia Scarini, Skye Togun, Leah Mansfield, James Moore, Avery Mahan and Lily Simpson took the podium. The students revealed that their presentation was the culmination of a year-long civics project involving local community assessments, interviews with former officials, and extensive literary analysis. The research sharply highlighted the biological mismatch between adolescent sleep patterns and current school schedules. Under the district’s current framework, Plymouth High Schools open at 7:20 a.m., Middle Schools at 8:12 a.m., and Elementary Schools at 9:05 a.m.. “The high school start times directly contradict students’ natural sleep patterns,” student Leah Mansfield explained, noting that the teenage brain does not naturally produce melatonin until around 11:00 p.m.. The student presentation underscored a harrowing correlation between sleep deprivation and severe mental health struggles, citing data that adolescents with insomnia are ten times more likely to develop depression. Conversely, data shows that just one additional hour of sleep results in a 28% reduction in students reporting feelings of depression or sadness.
New York City and Lake Placid explore joint bid to host 2042 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
Committee established to look at feasibility of hosting Games after success of Milan Cortina event this year
Bill ensuring health coverage for families of fallen officers in Pa. gets unanimous committee nod
A bill ensuring continuous coverage for families of fallen officers advanced through committee but the cost would fall on cash-strapped municipalities.
VOTE: Do you agree with the entertainment zones?
The Fresno City Council passed an ordinance for entertainment zones.The ordinance would allow alcohol to be on the street during special permitted events.Howeve
Readers respond: Prove reasons for health insurance cost spikes
Letters to the Editor can be submitted to letters@oregonian.com with full name and place of residence.
Voice of business: A strong chamber builds stronger businesses
A strong economy in the Dayton region doesn’t happen by accident. It requires private sector businesses to invest, leaders to collaborate, and organizations committed to building the conditions that allow
Here's to dad jokes and the hilarious Tennessee fathers who tell them
We had a great time this month talking to some outstanding Tennessee comedians, but the real gems were submitted by these local readers.
Pols & Politics: Boston Mayor Wu joins Scottish statue traffic cone prank: ‘A sense of joy everywhere’
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu admitted to joining in on a traditional Tartan Army prank by placing a traffic cone on a statue outside City Hall. Plus: US Attorney Leah Foley’s special necklace.
Tom Hanks admits he'll 'get up and leave the room' if this 'painful' scene of his comes on
Tom Hanks admitted that he will 'get up and leave the room' if this 'painful' scene from one of his most beloved movies comes on: 'I do this gesture that I just think is false.'
Key Senate Republicans aren't impressed with the shaky Iran peace deal
The Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said planned payouts to Iran would make an Obama-era deal look like a \
The Big Ten and SEC don’t like the college sports bill in Congress. Can they break away?
The Protect College Sports Act took a step forward Thursday with a Senate committee approval. Plenty of potential pitfalls remain ahead, including opposition from the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.
This simple twist could bring quantum computers closer to reality
Researchers found that twisting layered sheets of hexagonal boron nitride can dramatically change the light produced by quantum emitters embedded within the material. The technique offers an unexpected new level of control over components that could power future quantum computers, communications systems, and sensors.
Poll: Americans believe they aren’t being taught enough about democracy
A new NBC News poll shows that Americans remain committed to the nation’s founding ideals — but widely feel that schools are not adequately teaching what’s needed to sustain them.
Oregon Ducks land in-state 3-star EDGE Josh Christensen
In-state 3-star edge rusher Josh Christensen committed to Oregon on Friday, giving the Ducks the top four recruits in the state.
Congressman demands answers from Bard College about ties to Jeffrey Epstein
A Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee requested records from the college about its president's connections to the convicted sex offender.
Spurs 'Committed' To De'Aaron Fox Despite NBA Finals Struggles
The NBA Finals didn't exactly go according to plan for San Antonio Spurs star De'Aaron Fox. Fox, a two-time All-Star, averaged 12.8 points per game in the Finals on 34.3% shooting from the field. Not only did he struggle to consistently put the ball in the basket against the New York Knicks, he ...
UCLA adds former five-star pitching recruit Cambria Salmon
Former Texas Longhorn Cambria Salmon committed to UCLA on Wednesday, becoming the second pitcher to commit to the Bruins.
City of Martinez Set to Explore Entertainment Zone
The City of Martinez is set to explore the idea of creating a Downtown Entertainment Zone in subcommittee on Monday, June 22.
Senate Panel to Consider Mark Cruz for Indian Health Service Director Post
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold a nomination hearing on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 10 a.m. EDT to consider Mark Cruz, a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, for the position of director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) within the Department of Health and Human Services. The White House announced on Monday, […]
MU Health Care officials cite financial challenges amid layoffs, clinic closures
The MU Board of Curators Public Health Affairs Committee held a meeting on Thursday, one day after it was announced that 74 employees were laid off.
Russian big Ilia Frolov has committed to Arkansas basketball
Russian big man Ilia Frolov, who wrapped up his official visit to Arkansas early Thursday morning, has committed to the Razorbacks.
California Man Gets 27 Months For Tax Evasion, Illegal Gambling Business
A California man who admitted operating an illegal offshore gambling business, laundering cash proceeds and evading federal tax has been sentenced to 27 months in prison.
PAHO Executive Committee concludes 178th session with key decisions to strengthen health across the Americas
Washington, D.C., 18 June 2026 (PAHO) – The 178th Session of the Executive Committee of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) concluded today after four days of discussions on the Region's most pressing public health priorities, with Member States approving a series of strategies, plans of action and resolutions that will help strengthen health systems, improve preparedness for health emergencies, and expand access to essential health services across the Americas.
Raskin demands full list of Trump medications, doctors’ names
The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is reupping his probe into President Trump’s health records, less than a week after the president celebrated his 80th birthday. In a letter to the…
House Health Policy Hears Testimony on Behavioral Health Transport Legislation
Legislation addressing behavioral health transport received testimony in the House Health Policy Committee during the week of June 15, while other key healthcare bills advanced in the Legislature.
Protect College Sports Act passes Senate committee amid continued Big Ten, SEC opposition
The next step for the bipartisan college sports bill would be a vote on the Senate floor
Protect College Sports Act moves out of committee, with SEC and Big Ten still opposed
Senate Majority Leader John Thune can now bring the bill to the floor for a vote, but changes can still be made before it gets there.
Senate panel advances bipartisan college sports bill
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Thursday advanced a bipartisan measure to regulate college sports, sending it to the Senate floor. The panel moved the Protect College …
Protect College Sports Act headed to Senate for full vote
The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 on Thursday morning to move the Protect College Sports Act forward to a full Senate vote.
House lawmakers tuck into budget a $36K raise for longtime Boston politician
Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz says it's to keep the $156,000 pay "competitive" for Suffolk register of deeds. But the Legislature also wants to consider consolidating registries across the state.
Legislation overhauling college sports faces major test in Senate
The bill has support from several athletic conferences and the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, but the SEC and the Big Ten have not endorsed it
Legislation overhauling college sports faces major test in Senate
The bill has support from several athletic conferences and the NFL, the NFL Players Association and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, but the SEC and the Big Ten have not endorsed it
‘Dear ACSWP’ webinar focuses on GA items of business with a focus on social witness policy
LOUISVILLE — “Dear ACSWP: Advice, Counsel and Social Witness Policy” was the name of a Wednesday webinar offered ahead of the 227th General Assembly by members and staff of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. More than 60 people attended.
Trump changes pregnancy-prevention program to promote childbearing
A federal poverty-fighting program focused on reducing unintended pregnancies is about to undergo a major overhaul. Reproductive health clinics use Title X federal grant money to provide birth control, cancer screenings and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections to people with little or no health insurance. Title X money cannot be used for abortions. The […]
ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsMornings With Maria on FOX Business to Discuss the Proposed Peace Deal with Iran
Washington—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Mornings With Maria on FOX Business to discuss the president’s interim memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, the CLARITY Act and Reconciliation 3.0. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the U.S.-Iran MOU: I just want […]
Sen. Rand Paul leads hearing considering 11 nominees
The committee's top Democrat criticized Paul, saying the process was needlessly rushed and the packed lineup hurts transparency.
Using AI Tools in Graduate School: Virtual Workshop: APSA Status Committee on Graduate Students in the Profession | Friday, June 26, 2026 -
“Using AI Tools in Graduate School” Friday, June 26, 2026 12:00 PM (ET) / 9:00 AM (PT) | Run Time 75 minutes Register Here Artificial intelligence’s rapid adoption and growing technological power affect nearly all aspects of the political science graduate student research process. Join the [...]
Commitment supports UVA football, men’s basketball, women’s sports at UVA
Virginia Athletics and the Virginia Athletics Foundation announced on Wednesday that Dr. Scott Wagner and Kristin Norman have committed $5 million to provide critical immediate resources and support.
Ole Miss’ 2026 baseball season reminded me of everything still right with college sports
I’m admittedly not one who does his best work when dwelling on instances of yesteryear. But every once in a while, even a sportswriter needs a reminder of what makes this whole thing worthwhile.
NC Senate eyes involuntary commitment bill targeting mental health, crime
A Senate committee is expected to review a House-approved proposal to shift some mental evaluations out of emergency departments and expand the number of people who can conduct them.
South Africa’s DA Commits to Coalition Despite Clashes With ANC
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-biggest political party, remains “100%” committed to remaining in the ruling coalition, even though it isn’t functioning as intended, its new leader said.
Latvia pilots citizen engagement in research grant evaluations
Latvia has introduced an element of citizen engagement to the evaluation of nationally funded research grants. The aim is to both create more connections between science and society, and to improve the quality of its evaluations. The move comes as research funders across Europe are experimenting with ways to improve evaluation processes in the face of a sharpened focus on science’s impact on society. Evaluators of grant applications submitted to Latvia’s Fundamental and Applied Research Programme (FLPP), the country’s main research funder, will this year have the option of consulting citizen feedback on challenges the public thinks science should focus on to inform their decisions. “In recent years, both public discussions and policy-level debates in Latvia have highlighted the importance of demonstrating how publicly funded research contributes to society, the economy and the resolution of real-world challenges,” said a source at the Latvian Council of Science (LCS), which manages the FLPP. “At the same time, research institutions themselves expressed interest in improving the project evaluation framework while continuing to ensure that funding is awarded to the highest-quality projects,” the source added. The citizen input comes from a survey that was conducted between 25 February and 16 March 2025, to which 1,737 people responded. It gathered information on what the public views as problem areas for Latvia, and the role of science and technology in providing solutions to these problems. A summary of these responses has been included as an annex to the FLPP 2026 call for proposals that evaluators can refer to, purely in an advisory manner, when judging proposals. Results from the survey show that the main problem areas identified by the public were in healthcare and public health, followed by the development of new treatment methods and medicines, and then digital technology, data security and cyber security. At the bottom of the list was research aimed at acquiring new knowledge about the universe, matter and the laws of nature. Further analysis looked at the public view of the possible role of science in solving these problems. The survey charted 4,167 individual responses based on open-ended questions that were derived from the participants’ answers. The analysis again found that medical and health sciences topped the scoring, with 788 responses referring to the field. Humanities and the arts were bottom of the list, with 625. Digging further into the details, the survey suggests citizens are aware of and concerned about a number of research areas. This includes technologies and innovation to improve the environment or reduce pollution, the development of modern military technologies and cybersecurity tools, and the development and application of artificial intelligence, among others. “We hope this initiative will help strengthen public trust in science and create a more meaningful dialogue between researchers and society,” the LCS source said, adding that it offers benefits to researchers, evaluators and to the general public. More space for citizen engagement in evaluationsThere is a gradual but increasing use of citizen engagement in research evaluation processes around Europe, especially in healthcare, but it remains relatively rare, said Henry Sauermann, a professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin and an expert in citizen science.“Given that we are at a point where citizen involvement is extremely limited, there is presumably space for more, but it's not that we should do it just because we want to do it,” he told Science|Business. He said some research lends itself better to having citizen input, and this usually tends to be on the applied end of the science spectrum where the public can offer useful feedback based on their experiences. He added that advising scientists on certain topics to study is also a useful approach, in the way that Latvia is doing. “The public does fund a lot of science, there's a lot of tax money going into this. We of course do want to preserve academic freedom, but it's also not unreasonable to incorporate more feedback or input from citizens where possible,” he said. Related articlesCitizen science: where, when, and how to let the public contribute to researchHow can Europe cope with a flood of AI-assisted research grant proposals?Data Corner: Horizon Europe’s AI, digital and data call success rate is 5.2%There are several ways of involving citizens in science funding. The most minimal way is having a few representatives on a panel, such as members of a patient group or union. The most direct way is crowdsourcing funding for specific projects. There is an increasing number of online platforms that allow the public to chip in to support scientific proposals.Sauermann studied this in a recent paper and found that it can have its uses, but it still is not clear if there are benefits to it. There are various assumptions linked to citizen engagement, for example that it increases public trust in science, or that it provides a representative view of what the public thinks about science. These are not necessarily true, Sauermann found. People who participate in engagement activities tend to already be very trusting of science, and, on the whole, it is generally the well-off and well educated who contribute, giving a narrow view of public opinion. On whether citizen input can help manage the increasing number of proposals that are being submitted due to assistance from AI, Sauermann is more sceptical. “The obvious answer to the flood of AI-written proposals is AI-driven evaluation,” he said, adding that it doesn’t mean citizen engagement shouldn’t be a part of evaluations in a well thought-out manner. Southern Denmark’s successful approachOne successful example of citizen engagement in science evaluations was implemented in southern Denmark. Between 2019 and 2025, citizens in the region were invited to vote to fund one of five pre-selected projects in the field of healthcare. The project, called A Healthier Southern Denmark, was a collaboration between regional authorities, the University of Southern Denmark, and two media partners. Over the seven years, there were 75,000 votes and significant public engagement online and on social media. “It was a bit of a wild project, we’d never done something like that before and we were a bit nervous about what would be said in the media about it. But actually, people were very positive,” said Anne Kathrine Overgaard, one of the main organisers of the project from the University of Southern Denmark. The university and its researchers have learned a lot from the experience, particularly about engaging with society and shaping their research to match real-world needs. This is important with Europe’s increasing focus on competitiveness and bringing innovations to market faster, Overgaard said. She hopes to see more citizen engagement in evaluation processes and in science more broadly. “For many years, citizen engagement has been a bit of an add-on to proposals, just to check a box. But I think things are changing,” she said. It’s less about citizens just gathering data and more “about the dialogue between the public and the scientists,” she said. The initiative ended last year as the team wanted to regroup to find fresh momentum. The development of AI and AI-written proposals has made Overgaard reflect on how the project could be reworked to help evaluators. She hopes to bring it back in the future. “It could be a good idea to try this initiative again in a slightly re-worked format,” she said.