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Stakeholders Testify on Medicaid & Health Care Costs

Stakeholders testify on Medicaid, the cost of care, and program funding needs bedore the Senate Budget Committee.

Aug 4 • 10:01 AM EDT • Health • c-span.org

Ravens Outfit Local Youth Football Programs Through Sports Grant

Team to host Youth Football Day on Aug. 5 at training camp practice. Approximately 2,500 participants from 24 youth and high school programs to receive new equipment and apparel.

Aug 4 • 9:30 AM EDT • Sports • baltimoreravens.com

At colleges, the AI boom means everyone wants to dabble in computer science

As enrollment in traditional computer science programs declines, universities across the United States are rapidly expanding artificial intelligence education to include students from diverse majors like music and psychology.

Aug 4 • 9:01 AM EDT • Science • sentinelcolorado.com

Major airline to roll out ‘Business Priority,’ offers new benefits for corporate travelers

The program is part of the airline’s strategy to improve the overall travel experience.

Aug 4 • 8:31 AM EDT • Business • al.com

UTC DNP students provide free health screenings, build skills at Chattanooga Wellness Expo

Despite the rain, hundreds of Chattanooga community members came to McKenzie Arena and the Wolford Family Athletic Center on Saturday, Aug. 1, for the Chattanooga Wellness Expo. Among them were 20 faculty members and students from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

Aug 4 • 7:50 AM EDT • Health • blog.utc.edu

Socialist Mamdani launches new war on NYC business leaders -- kicking them off mayor's fund that backs city programs

Aug 4 • 7:25 AM EDT • Business • nypost.com

Community Colleges Help Drive Workforce Development

Those workers got their training through the workforce development programs at Calhoun Community College, Drake State Technical & Community College and

Aug 4 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • huntsvillebusinessjournal.com

Report: Microsoft to bring Xbox 360 games to "Xbox PCs", handhelds and Project Helix

Plus: Microsoft's disc-to-digital programme dated.

Aug 4 • 4:33 AM EDT • Technology • digitalfoundry.net

SNAP changes push more North Carolina families to food pantries, food banks

In some places, locally supported nonprofits are stepping up, but leaders say their work can never fill the hole left by cuts to the federal food stamps program.

Aug 4 • 4:15 AM EDT • Health • northcarolinahealthnews.org

Stakeholders Testify on Medicaid & Health Care Costs

Stakeholders testify on Medicaid, the cost of care, and program funding needs bedore the Senate Budget Committee.

Aug 4 • 12:00 AM EDT • Health • c-span.org

How ICE Is Weaponizing Social Media Against Its Critics

The agency says its surveillance program searches for threats to agents, but critics see free-speech infringements.

Aug 3 • 9:00 PM EDT • Politics • wsj.com

People With Disabilities Fear Service Cuts as Trump’s DOJ Questions Legal Protections

By Stephanie Armour | KFF Health News Amanda DeSimone-Shabrack relies on a home healthcare aide to help her high-needs autistic 12-year-old son. Virginia’s Medicaid program covers the assistance, enabling her to work as both an education technology specialist and a professor, run errands, and keep ...

Aug 3 • 6:06 PM EDT • Health • usnews.com

Here's why Apple Upgrade requires AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon for iPhone

The new Apple Upgrade program has a key piece of fine print: “If you’re leasing an iPhone, you’ll need to...

Aug 3 • 5:11 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com

Mamdani Dismisses Business Leaders Advising NYC’s Mayor’s Fund

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dismissed the business and civic leaders who advised a multimillion-dollar fund that channels private donations into public programs, removing a longstanding group of corporate advisers from City Hall’s philanthropic arm.

Aug 3 • 3:33 PM EDT • Business • bloomberg.com

With state funding, Harrisburg co-working space to offer free small business help

Local entrepreneurs can get a business boost through a new program that is kickstarting during National Black Business Month. Harrisburg-based Culture & Commerce on Monday announced that it is opening a business assistance center for historically disadvantaged businesses inside its downtown space. With partnership from the Covation Center, based in Williamsport, Culture and Commerce will […]

Aug 3 • 2:47 PM EDT • Business • theburgnews.com

Summer Ventures at App State immerses NC high schoolers in hands-on science and math research

Each summer, high school students from across North Carolina become researchers at App State through Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics. Offered at no cost to participants, this state-funded program engages students in hands-on, collaborative research alongside faculty and staff. App State is one of four UNC System schools that host the program.

Aug 3 • 1:20 PM EDT • Science • today.appstate.edu

If Not AOC, Then Who?

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

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

UT Launches New Materials Science Bachelor’s Program

From alternative fuels to the next quantum computer, it starts with materials science

Aug 3 • 12:46 PM EDT • Science • news.utexas.edu

Jacksonville-based Complete Health to pay $14M in Medicare Advantage settlement

Complete Health Partners Holdings has agreed to pay $14.1 million to settle allegations that it caused false diagnosis codes to be submitted to boost payments from the Medicare Advantage program, the Department of Justice said.

Aug 3 • 12:17 PM EDT • Health • news4jax.com

Lucky Strike brings Bowling Forever to a Times Square billboard

Lane reservations and events booked Aug. 3–9 receive 20% off for visits through Aug. 31; more than 300,000 bowlers participate in leagues, with fall programs upcoming.

Aug 3 • 12:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • stocktitan.net

At colleges, the AI boom means everyone wants to dabble in computer science

WCHS ABC 8 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Charleston and nearby towns and communities in the Tri-State area, including Huntington, Dunbar, Marmet, Montgomery, Nitro, South Charleston, St. Albans, Cedar Grove, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, Pratt, Cross Lanes, Elkview, Pinch, Sissonville, Big Chimney, Cabin Creek, Chelyan, Davis Creek, Institute, Jefferson, Loudendale, Mink Shoals, Pocatalico, Quick, Quincy, Rand, Buffalo, Eleanor, Hurricane, Nitro, Poca, Winfield, Culloden, Fraziers Bottom, Hometown, Red House, Scott Depot, Teays Valley, Danville, Madison, Hamlin, Logan, Chapmanville, Man, Delbarton, Kermit, Gilbert, Matewan, Williamson, Summersville, Richwood, Flatwoods, Gassaway, Sutton, Spencer, Ravenswood, Ripley, Mason, Point Pleasant, Ashland, Pikeville, Ironton, Portsmouth, Gallipolis, and Athens.

Aug 3 • 11:10 AM EDT • Science • wchstv.com

Augusta Health Announces Internal Medicine Residents Class of 2029

New Psychiatry Residency Program Approved to Help Meet Growing Behavioral Health Needs FISHERSVILLE, VIRGINIA — Augusta Health is proud to welcome its third class of Internal Medicine residents. On July 1, fifteen new resident physicians began their training, continuing Augusta Health’s commitment to developing the next generation of healthcare providers for our community. The new […]

Aug 3 • 10:58 AM EDT • Health • augustahealth.com

Trump administration weighs proposal to gut Head Start preschool standards, leaving states to set the rules

Two people familiar with the deliberations tell The Associated Press the Republican administration's proposed changes could significantly reduce the preschool program's quality standards.

Aug 3 • 10:47 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

SAMHSA awards $73 million in grants for children’s mental health, other programs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced July 31 that it awarded $73.2 million in grants for children’s mental health, suicide prevention and assisted outpatient treatment programs.

Aug 3 • 10:37 AM EDT • Health • aha.org

Beyond crayons: Art therapy tackles youth mental health crisis here

Program leaders report seeing students develop a sense of belonging, confidence and resilience.

Aug 3 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • startribune.com

More Than Numbers: Inside Indiana's Medicaid Enrollment Decline

Three years after enrollment peaked during the pandemic, Indiana's Medicaid rolls continue to decline as eligibility reviews reshape the program.

Aug 3 • 8:14 AM EDT • Health • publichealthwatch.org

More Than Numbers: Inside Indiana's Medicaid Enrollment Decline

Three years after enrollment peaked during the pandemic, Indiana's Medicaid rolls continue to decline as eligibility reviews reshape the program.

Aug 3 • 8:14 AM EDT • Health • publichealthwatch.org

Allied Services partners with businesses to offer employment to disabled

For more than 60 years, Allied Services has collaborated with local businesses to give their clients hands-on workforce experience through its Vocational Services Division’s Work Services Program.

Aug 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • thetimes-tribune.com

UMass Chan summer outreach programs inspire next generation of physician-scientists

Classrooms and labs kept busy this summer at UMass Chan, hosting high school and college students participating in outreach programs.

Aug 3 • 12:13 AM EDT • Science • umassmed.edu

JMU eyes $2 billion economic impact by 2040

James Madison University plans to generate a $2 billion economic impact in Virginia by 2040 through expanded healthcare programs and stronger business partnerships.

Aug 2 • 11:55 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com

Homewood Science Center thanks community for 10 years of support

This year’s Summer Fest was a celebration of 10 years of the Homewood Science Center’s work sharing the wonders of science with the community. The evening’s program also included special recognition to Edie Dobrez, HSC’s executive director. The annual fundraising event brought several hundred people to Idlewild Country Club on[Read More...]

Aug 2 • 9:18 PM EDT • Science • hfchronicle.com

Opponent Preview: Vanderbilt Commodores

Vanderbilt is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, going 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the SEC while being in the playoff conversation the whole year. Head coach Clark Lea has built up the Vandy program into something extremely respectful, if not borderline borderline playoff contending – will need a couple […]

Aug 2 • 9:13 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Einstein College Opens IGNITE Community Teaching Lab to Expand Access to Bronx Science Education

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine has opened the IGNITE (Inspiring Growth in Next Generation Investigation, Training and Education) community teaching lab, the first of its kind in The Bronx. College officials said the state-of-the-art research lab provides high school and college students in Einstein’s pathway programs and across The Bronx with opportunities to experience science through hands-on learning and discovery.

Aug 2 • 3:35 PM EDT • Science • norwoodnews.org

Johnson County Criminal Mental Health Court would offer treatment plans instead of jail time

Johnson County is considering adding a criminal mental health court program aimed at helping repeat offenders with serious mental illness.

Aug 2 • 3:26 PM EDT • Health • kcrg.com

Great Plains Tribal Health Program hosts free Healthy Families Carnival in Rapid City

The Great Plains Tribal Health Program held its free Healthy Families Carnival.

Aug 2 • 2:00 PM EDT • Health • kotatv.com

Federal Policy Priorities To Strengthen Rural Health and Maximize Rural Health Transformation Program Investments

Executive Summary Rural health care in the United States is at an inflection point. The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), enacted as part of H.R. 1, is a $50 billion, five-year investment designed to help states improve access, quality, and outcomes by transforming rural health care delivery. This investment takes place alongside an estimated $137 … Continued

Aug 2 • 12:00 PM EDT • Health • bipartisanpolicy.org

Low-cost healthcare provider in Tacoma shutters women’s health clinic

An earlier hit affecting a family medicine residency program is blamed in latest action.

Aug 2 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • thenewstribune.com

More than $50 million available in new rural health grants

Applications are open for a new wave of $50.5 million in Rural Health Transformation Program grants through the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services.

Aug 2 • 5:30 AM EDT • Health • northdakotamonitor.com

U.S. Restores Some Vaccine and Health Aid to Unicef, Gavi and World Food Programme

The amount is still far below what the U.S. spent previously on humanitarian and health aid, but resumes the flow of money for key efforts to fight malnutrition and disease.

Aug 2 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • nytimes.com

Panama: Haemophilus influenzae meningitis case reported in Veraguas Health Region

The Veraguas Health Region, located in the central-western region of Panama, confirmed a case of meningitis caused by the Haemophilus influenzae bacteria in a 12-year-old student from La Primavera School, diagnosed on July 29. The patient remains hospitalized, is receiving appropriate treatment, and is in stable clinical condition. The regional health director of Veraguas, Xavier A. Torres Domínguez, reported that, once the diagnosis was confirmed, the Ministry of Health (Minsa), in coordination with the Social Security Fund (CSS), immediately activated the epidemiological investigation and health response protocols established for this type of event. Canada: Haemophilus influenzae type B outbreak in Calgary As part of the actions implemented, the Epidemiology teams carried out the identification and monitoring of the patient’s close contacts, applying the corresponding preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission and safeguard the health of the educational community. Health authorities explained that meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae is a bacterial disease that requires timely medical attention. In that regard, they urged the population to immediately seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, drowsiness, or altered mental status. They also reiterated that vaccination is the main preventive measure against this disease, and therefore called on parents and guardians to verify that their children’s immunization schedules are complete, in accordance with the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 1 • 6:29 PM EDT • Health • outbreaknewstoday.substack.com

7 entrepreneurs among latest grads of local business academy

It was mission accomplished for seven entrepreneurs who recently completed a 12-week program designed to help small business owners build stronger, more sustainable enterprises.

Aug 1 • 6:18 PM EDT • Business • shawlocal.com

A Courthouse Employee Got $41,250 for a Business That Didn’t Exist, She Won’t Go to Prison

A former Illinois courthouse employee admitted obtaining $41,250 in Paycheck Protection Program loans for a remodeling company that investigators said did not exist. Erica L. ... Read More

Aug 1 • 5:35 PM EDT • Business • yahoo.com

Grant applications for mountain region healthcare nonprofits available through CommonSpirit

CommonSpirit Health has opened grant applications for local nonprofits operating in its Mountain Region. According to a recent press release, these grants — which are part of the CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grants program...

Aug 1 • 4:36 PM EDT • Health • summitdaily.com

Cybersecurity and business among new academic programs at Gwinnett schools

When the 2026-2027 school year begins on Wednesday, some Gwinnett County Public Schools students will begin their educations in fields such ranging from cyber security, pharmacy operations and patient care

Aug 1 • 3:26 PM EDT • Business • gwinnettdailypost.com

The Forensic Science Lab at Columbus Arts Council

A STREAM program for ages 5–13 meets at 9 a.m. at the Columbus Arts Council, 501 Main St. Students will investigate mock crime scenes, examine fingerprints and footprints, and use clues to solve a mystery, with instruction from forensic science professionals.

Aug 1 • 12:30 PM EDT • Science • cdispatch.com

Saturday Throwback: 1994 summer program teaches rocket science to kids

In today's Saturday Throwback, take a look back to 1994 at some of the things these kids learned in a summer program that teaches rocket science.

Aug 1 • 10:30 AM EDT • Science • firstalert4.com

Trump administration plans to upend Head Start by deregulating it

The administration is preparing a rollback of Head Start, a change that supporters of the childcare program fear could gut its long-held anti-poverty mission.

Jul 31 • 9:47 PM EDT • Politics • seattletimes.com

Whitney M. Young Scholars showcase business, tech skills through UofL summer program

Tenth and 11th grade students in the Whitney M. Young Scholars program presented projects Friday during the fifth annual Digital Transformation Academy at UofL's Thornton's Academic Center.

Jul 31 • 8:27 PM EDT • Business • wdrb.com

Grayson College launches new Agricultural Sciences pathways to begin Fall 2026

Grayson College has announced the expansion of its Agricultural Sciences program with the addition of a new workforce and career-focused pathway designed to meet the needs of nontraditional students, working adults, and aspiring agricultural entrepreneurs. The college will continue to offer its Associate of Science (AS) in Agricultural Sciences, a 60-credit-hour transfer degree intended for students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Jul 31 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • ntxe-news.com

DECA prepares Queen Creek district students for business world

The lessons learned in Queen Creek Unified School District’s career and technical education programs can extend beyond graduation. For Crismon High School graduates Isabella M. and Kamea M., …

Jul 31 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • yourvalley.net

UNCW Business School Students Travel to Prague for Real-Life Consulting Experience by Robert Burrus

This article was contributed by Kestrel Smoot, International Programs Coordinator for UNCW’s Cameron School of Business. During the most recent spring semester, 33 upper-level finance and marketing students from the UNCW’s Cameron School of Business traveled to Prague, Czechia, to participate in an intensive international consulting project. Unlike traditional study-abroad programs, the Prague consultancy project focuses on real client engagement. Each year’s project is entirely new, designed through collaboration between faculty and industry partners to identify a current business challenge that students will address. This year, students worked with MAMS-Champi, a Czech non-alcoholic beverage company that is seeking to expand into other global markets. Throughout the first half of the semester, students attend class at UNCW and prepare for their time abroad by conducting preliminary research, developing analytical frameworks, and organizing themselves into specialized teams responsible for tasks such as marketing strategy, industry analysis, consumer segmentation, and competitive evaluation. The course emphasizes independence and teamwork, requiring students to take ownership of their work, manage deadlines, and collaborate across functional groups. Additionally, faculty serve as advisors, allowing students to navigate the complexities of the project much as they would in a professional consulting environment. Once in Prague, students met with company leadership, toured facilities, and refined their recommendations based on real-time feedback. The in-person component is widely regarded as the most transformative aspect of the program because students must synthesize weeks of work into a cohesive presentation and deliver it to the client, demonstrating professionalism, strategic thinking, and adaptability. Beyond the consulting work, students participated in cultural and educational activities that broadened their understanding of global business environments. They explored Prague’s historic districts, learned about Czech culture, and engaged with local professionals. These experiences helped students understand how economic, regulatory, and social factors shape market opportunities. The Prague consultancy project stands as a defining example of the Cameron School of Business’s commitment to experiential learning, consistently strengthening students’ confidence, enhancing their resumes, and serving as a focal point in job interviews. Employers recognize the value of the hands-on experience and transferable skills students gain, underscoring the program’s role in preparing industry-ready graduates for today’s fast-moving business landscape.

Jul 31 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • wilmingtonbiz.com

Judge strikes down Houston minority contracting rule, leaving business owners uncertain

For more than four decades, Houston’s Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Program has helped connect certified businesses with city contracting opportunities. Now, a federal judge’s ruling is changing part of that process.

Jul 31 • 7:32 PM EDT • Business • click2houston.com

CMS Administrator Oz Joins Governors and NGA to Advance Rural Health Transformation and Address Medicaid Program Integrity

OKLAHOMA CITY – The National Governors Association (NGA) today welcomed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz for discussion to advance the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and address Medicaid program integrity in states across the country. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee facilitated the wide-ranging conversation during NGA’s annual Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City. “With […]

Jul 31 • 6:02 PM EDT • Health • nga.org

Bradbury Science Museum Brings Hands-On Activities To Rural Students Through Annual Summer Science On Wheels Program

A student from San Juan Elementary School dissects owl pellets as part of the anatomy and physiology unit. Courtesy/LANL Students at James H. Rodriguez Elementary School work on plastic straw rocket launchers. Courtesy/LANL LANL News: In June, the Bradbury Science Museum’s education team hit the road as part of the annual Summer Science on Wheels […]

Jul 31 • 3:13 PM EDT • Science • ladailypost.com

How scientists are trying to repair the body from within: Regenerative medicine and anti-aging

At Scripps Research and its drug discovery arm, the Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, scientists are developing regenerative medicine therapies designed to help the body repair itself from within. Unlike traditional medicines that primarily manage symptoms or slow disease progression, regenerative medicine aims to restore damaged tissues and rebuild function lost to aging and disease. Researchers are advancing programs focused on the heart, lungs, digestive tract and eyes, including investigational therapies for heart failure, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, age-related macular degeneration and other chronic conditions that become more common as we age. Learn how scientists are activating the body’s natural repair mechanisms to explore a future where medicine may not only treat disease, but help reverse its damage.

Jul 31 • 3:06 PM EDT • Science • scripps.edu

The Streaming Bubble Keeps Popping

(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) One of my rules is “never bet against PE [private equity]”. This isn’t to say that I agree with their methods or tactics or strategies or financial innovations (aka shenanigans). Just that in the long arc of financial history, they’ve tended to return very good returns to their shareholders. That said, their forays into entertainment have left me...skeptical. I’ve written before about PE’s production company/celebrity production company roll ups, and those haven’t really worked out. Some PE groups tried to “roll up” an industry that isn’t “roll-up-able” for lack of a better term—since the barrier to entry for starting a production company is very low—often paying top dollar for celebrity production companies at the height of streaming valuations. So yeah maybe we can bet against PE when they venture into filmed entertainment. I’ve also noted that studio lots seemed to be a bubble back in 2022. Sure enough… Yikes! That sure sounds like some private equity guys lost some money. The only caveat being that holding a lot of land in Los Angeles is always valuable. But that wasn’t the pitch and likely real estate investment companies overpaid for said land. I mean, Goldman Sachs had to repossess it after all. (Technically, I’m not sure these buyers were traditional private equity, but PE was buying LA studio lots earlier this decade.) All to say: I call out bubbles when I see them, and they often pop. Anywho, my most famous bubble call was the “streaming bubble”, specifically that the major streamers were making too many shows and films. And that it could all come crashing down. Notably, I made this call before the strikes of 2023, but those strikes potentially accelerated the popping. And now it has indeed popped. One of my most popular articles of last year made that exact case. A year later, it’s time to update that analysis. The bottom line is that the streaming contraction continues. Credit where credit is due, Luminate—an analytics company whose data I use weekly in my streaming ratings report—called this out in a recent report I saw highlighted in both Bloomberg and The Hollywood Reporter. But I’m adding my data to their look, including streaming films and kids TV shows. I’ll also provide some other data that all tells the same picture. Let’s dive in! Subscribe The Number of Streaming TV Shows, Films and Specials Is Declining AGAIN in 2026 Let’s get right to the data, starting with my dataset. Specifically, each week I track every “notable” title to come out on streaming. I try to grab every title on every major streamer, meaning if it’s a first run or original or exclusive, I track it. This helps me call out the “dogs not barking” and the misses/flops each week. So that will be our first series of charts, my weekly collection data. Let’s start with the raw TV show, film and special data, by week. Note: As the years have gone by, I have actually added more sources (going from just one source to five sources) to find new titles, meaning that this data collection is, likely, more accurate now than in the past. Which means my team and I are more likely to have undercounted titles in the past rather than today. I like to cut the data several different ways. Here’s that same look, by quarter, to more sharply show the trends: And here’s the data just looking at the first half of each year. That’s the same data, just cut three different ways with three different time periods. Note that films, TV shows, and specials are all down by 25%, 42% and 17%, respectively, from 2022. The good news is that the number of films and specials actually increased year-over-year from 2025 to 2026, but not enough to offset the 25% decline in TV shows. Now, I also look at kids shows, and here they are pulled out on their own: And here’s that by quarter: This really seems to be a notable area of pullback by the streamers. Kids shows are down 80% from 2022. This reflects some formerly Disney+ shows going to cable TV first, but also pullbacks from HBO Max, Prime Video and Netflix. I also categorize the TV shows by English language and non-English language, and that also reveals a lot of where the drop comes from: And here is by the half-year: In this look, the good news is the drop for English language shows seems to have stabilized in the last year. But the bad news is the long term decline from the 2022 peak. Other Data So I wasn’t the only person to notice this decline in the number of shows. I have a few other data sources for this, though most only go through the end of 2025. As I said, Luminate beat me to the punch, so let’s look at their data. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… What TV loss streaming didn’t make up for... How Netflix has changed their programming slate over time… Ten more images charting the decline of production... What type of films aren’t being made anymore... The good news (for movie theaters)… And more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.

Jul 31 • 2:43 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

NJ announces $83M in first round of federal rural health grants

New Jersey announced $83 million in rural health grants for 103 projects, the first round of funding in the new five-year program.

Jul 31 • 1:58 PM EDT • Health • newjerseymonitor.com

AmeriCorps funding cut ends Allegheny Co. health program after 30 years

Federal funding cuts have ended Allegheny County’s National Health Corps, an AmeriCorps-affiliated program that addressed community health needs by providing health education, care coordination and access to services. On Thursday, the Allegheny County Health Department announced that the final cohort from the program’s Pittsburgh site had graduated, bringing the initiative’s

Jul 31 • 1:52 PM EDT • Health • triblive.com

A Roadmap for Building Resilient Immunization Programs

Explore priorities, strategies, and coordinated actions by health agencies and partners to strengthen immunization programs nationwide.

Jul 31 • 12:00 PM EDT • Health • astho.org

Computer science and engineering major named College of Engineering marshal

Ranjani Suraj has been named the summer 2026 student marshal for the Penn State College of Engineering. Suraj will receive bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science and engineering through Penn State's Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Program, along with a minor in mathematics, during the University's undergraduate commencement ceremony, which will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Jul 31 • 11:43 AM EDT • Science • psu.edu

SAMHSA Awards $73.2 Million for Mental Health Treatment and Suicide Prevention Programs

HHS announced awarded $73.2 million in grants to strengthen children’s mental health services, suicide prevention programs.

Jul 31 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • hhs.gov

Monroe County sees millions in business funding through New York SBDC program

Monroe County businesses secured $5.8 million in funding through New York's Small Business Development Centers, boosting local job creation and business launches.

Jul 31 • 10:15 AM EDT • Business • rbj.net

Connecting with the community to create technology-based health solutions

Adria Laborin has appreciated everything she’s learned in the classroom in her first year as a student in Arizona State University’s Master of Public Health program.But as a young woman who wants to make a difference in the world, there’s only so much a classroom can offer.

Jul 31 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • news.asu.edu

ACC, AMC Team wins Department of War small business awards

The Army Materiel Command Office of Small Business Programs team, which features Army Contracting Command personnel Gherin Fracasso, Anthony Piccolo, and Suzanne Anderson from ACC-New Jersey, earned several Department of War and Department of the Army Small Business Awards for their achievements in Fiscal Year 2025 during a ceremony at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.

Jul 31 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • dvidshub.net

Recipients Revealed For Entertainment Community Fund's 2026 Alex Dubé Scholarship Program

The five selected dancers will receive $10,000 each to support their education.

Jul 31 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • playbill.com

Penn State Health expands tuition program to strengthen workforce, support patient care

Penn State Health is expanding its employee tuition program to provide all full-time employees and their eligible dependents with significant tuition discounts at Penn State and Pennsylvania College of Technology, reinforcing its commitment to workforce development, retention and educational advancement.

Jul 31 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • psu.edu

Mercer students provide behavioral healthcare to farmworkers

Earlier this summer, Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) faculty and Master of Family Therapy (MFT) students participated in the Georgia Farmworker Family Health Program.

Jul 31 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • den.mercer.edu

Global Health program builds future nursing leaders through clinical immersion in Zambia

Students from the UT San Antonio School of Nursing gaining a global perspective on health and cross-cultural care.

Jul 31 • 4:00 AM EDT • Health • news.utsa.edu

Political Turmoil Will Not Derail Killer Robot Program, Former Minister Says

The recently ousted Ukrainian defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, an advocate for drone and robot warfare, says Ukraine’s tech-heavy strategy will persist.

Jul 31 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Local advocates mark Medicare, Medicaid anniversary, push for affordable health care

13WHAM ABC Rochester provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, health reports, notices of events and items of interest in the community, local sports and entertainment programming for Rochester and nearby towns and communities including Greece, Victor, Pittsford, Penfield, Henrietta, Webster, Irondequoit, Fairport, Chili, Gates, Rush, Wheatland, Canandaigua, Farmington, Spencerport and Hilton.

Jul 30 • 8:54 PM EDT • Health • 13wham.com

Clemson, Dabo Swinney Land Prolific 2028 QB Prospect

Georgia standout Trace Hawkins pledged his future to the Tigers, giving Dabo Swinney a dual-threat playmaker and a championship-winning foundation for the program’s 2028 recruiting class.

Jul 30 • 7:16 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Bill Belichick reveals 'adjustments' made with Michael Lombardi out

Bill Belichick admitted that the UNC football program has had to make adjustments with Michael Lombardi on paid leave.

Jul 30 • 5:57 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

McGuireWoods Advises Transform Health Partners on Medical Facilities Acquisition

McGuireWoods advised Transform Health Partners, LLC, a management services organization that manages outpatient medical weight loss programs within Ambulatory Surgery Centers in its acquisition of Sound Surgeons, a bariatric and...

Jul 30 • 5:22 PM EDT • Health • mcguirewoods.com

AHA heart failure registry making a major impact after 20 years

The registry has collected more than 1.6 million patient records from more than 800 hospitals. "We can do even better," one cardiologist said. "We have to treat heart failure with everything we've got."

Jul 30 • 4:50 PM EDT • Business • cardiovascularbusiness.com

VA Employee, CEO Plead Guilty to $14 Million Health Care Kickback Scheme

The Florida-based individuals worked together to fraud patients of the VA Community Care Program (VACCP), per the Justice Department.

Jul 30 • 4:16 PM EDT • Health • military.com

Apple Stock Falls Nearly 2% Before Earnings as Upgrade Program Launches

Investors are weighing expected double-digit revenue growth against margins, component costs and Apple's new device-leasing strategy.

Jul 30 • 3:53 PM EDT • Technology • finance.yahoo.com

Strengthening the rural workforce: East Alabama Health tackles nursing shortage

Apprentice programs at East Alabama Health cover nursing and other crucial roles , including medical coders, scrub techs and CNAs

Jul 30 • 2:56 PM EDT • Health • aha.org

Leaders in Health program equips community leaders to drive change | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Leaders in Health provides public health training and leadership development for people in nonprofit, government, and other roles.

Jul 30 • 2:05 PM EDT • Health • hsph.harvard.edu

How Medicaid fraud could affect your tax dollars and health care

Local 12 WKRC-TV is the local station for breaking news, weather forecasts, traffic alerts, community news, Cincinnati Bengals, Reds and FC Cincinnati sports updates, and CBS programming for the Cincinnati , Ohio area, including Avondale, Blue Ash, Bond Hill, Camp Washington, Cheviot, Cleves, Colerain Township, Columbia-Tusculum, Corryville, Norwood, Delhi, East Price Hill, Golf Manor, Hyde Park, Lebanon, Loveland, Lower Price Hill, Madeira, Mariemont, Mount Adams, Mount Airy, Mount Healthy, Mount Lookout, Mount Washington, Oakley, Over-The-Rhine, Reading, Sedamsville, Sharonville, Springdale, St. Bernard, South Cumminsville, Symmes Township, Mason, Hamilton, Union Township, Walnut Hills, West Chester, Wyoming, West Price Hill, Westwood, Winton Hills, Alexandria, Bellevue, Covington, Crescent Springs, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, Fort Thomas, Fort Wright, Florence, Hebron, Highland Heights, Newport, Southgate, Villa Hills, Walton, Aurora, Greendale, and Lawrenceburg.

Jul 30 • 1:20 PM EDT • Health • local12.com

Penn State Health expands tuition program to strengthen workforce and support patient care across health system

Penn State Health is expanding its employee tuition program to provide all full-time employees and their eligible dependents with significant tuition discounts at Penn State and Pennsylvania College…

Jul 30 • 12:30 PM EDT • Health • pennstatehealthnews.org

Summer program explores outer space with science fair and planetarium

With summer in full swing, students at Stout Middle School turned their curiosity toward the stars this week during the DiscoverWorks Program. Throughout the five-week program, students have...

Jul 30 • 12:14 PM EDT • Science • firstbell.dearbornschools.org

San Antonio high school students participate in hands-on research during summer Texas Biomed program

While many teenagers took a break from learning this summer, dozens of San Antonio high schoolers spent their time studying in a professional-grade laboratory.

Jul 30 • 11:47 AM EDT • Science • ksat.com

The Entertainment Community Fund Reveals 2026 Alex Dubé Scholarship Recipients

The Entertainment Community Fund has revealed the five recipients of the 2026 Alex Dubé Scholarship Program. These one-time awards of up to $10,000 per recipient are distributed annually to dancers enrolled in accredited graduate degree programs.

Jul 30 • 11:47 AM EDT • Entertainment • broadwayworld.com

Apple Upgrade vs iPhone Upgrade Program: Here are the key differences

Here are the key differences between the newly launched Apple Upgrade and the discontinued iPhone Upgrade Program.

Jul 30 • 11:08 AM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com

Summer internship program prepares the next generation of professionals in adolescent health

Nine undergraduate students gain hands-on experience through the UT Teen Health Summer Internship Program.

Jul 30 • 10:02 AM EDT • Health • news.utsa.edu

How Louisiana colleges will use an infusion of tax money for their sports programs

Scholarships and budget balancing are the main ways athletics programs at Louisiana colleges plan to use their allotments of tax revenue

Jul 30 • 10:00 AM EDT • Sports • lailluminator.com

The new "science golden age" looks suspiciously like a grift

This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 The Trump regime is trying to usher in a “Golden Age in Science” where scientific research is run like a Trump family business, artificial intelligence is all that matters, profit is everything, and expertise is for chumps. Or at least that’s the vision emerging from a new 123-page “Report to the President” from Michael Kratsios, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In a normal administration, you could probably skip over learning about a science policy document — but this is no normal administration, and this is no normal science policy document. Instead, it’s Trump’s attempt to end the actual golden age of science that was kicked off in 1945 with the publication of '“The Endless Frontier” by Vannevar Bush. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) [ Harmeet Dhillon demonstrates danger of posting through it ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) Liz Dye · Jul 29 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/harmeet-dhillon-portland) Bush, at President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s request, laid out a vision of federal support for science that centered on funding universities to do basic research, saying that as long as those institutions were “vigorous and healthy and their scientists are free to pursue the truth wherever it may lead, there will be a flow of new scientific knowledge to those who can apply it to practical problems in Government, in industry, or elsewhere.” Kratsios’s report is supposed to be the successor to Bush’s, and even apes the format, but this isn’t really a document about science policy. It’s one about ending science research as we know it in favor of shoveling cash at big tech companies. While it might be temping to wave this away as an aspirational policy document, Trump has already begun to shift billions in research funds to AI projects and has taken a hatchet to science funding across the board. He’s teed up the shift Kratsios proposes here, and since neither Congress nor the Supreme Court seem inclined to stop him from doing whatever he wants with taxpayer money, it isn’t doomering or hyperbole to say we are staring down the barrel of a world where the only “science” the government intends to support is for-profit tech and defense advancements. Science for dummies Part of how you can tell this isn’t a document about science is that you are immediately faced with an absolute wall of business-speak of the worst sort. Did you know we must “tightly couple our science and technology enterprises to ensure that groundbreaking ideas invented in the United States are rapidly prototyped, tested, manufactured, and scaled domestically”? You do now! That tone isn’t surprising, because Kratsios has no background in science or research. He has a bachelor’s in political science and spent most of his career working for Peter Thiel at Thiel Capital. After a stint in the first Trump administration as Chief Technology Officer, where he also did not do any science, Kratsios was tasked in 2020 with overseeing the Pentagon’s research budget for a brief time, a position that, as the Wall Street Journal put it, “carries a great deal of power in terms of dictating investment allocations.” He spent the Biden years at Scale AI as “head of strategy,” which you will also note is neither a science nor a research job. But Scale AI has contracts with the Department of Defense and, as the Washington Post wrote in 2023, “has been aggressively pitching itself as the company that will help the US military in its existential battle with China.” And now you have the necessary background for our new golden age, which is going to be a golden age of taking money away from scientists and universities and giving it to companies like Scale AI. A note from Aaron: Working with brilliant contributors like Lisa takes resources. If you aren’t already a paid subscriber, please become one to support our work. 👇 Subscribe In a genuinely galling move, Katsios spends a lot of time slamming universities because of “administrative burdens on researchers” and the “well-documented inefficiencies” in academia, the message being that those damn universities waste the time of amazing researchers with paperwork. Except it’s the administration that is attempting to impose inefficient, unnecessary burdens on those researchers with a proposed Office of Management and Budget rule that would require senior political appointees to approve every science grant and ensure it aligns with Trump’s personal priorities. Researchers would also have to seek prior government approval to attend conferences or publicize their research. And political appointees could terminate any grant at any time if they feel like it. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) [ The murder of expertise ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) Lisa Needham · Jun 11 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/omb-rule-science-funding) But when it comes to AI, we’re going to “restore permissionless innovation.” The report proposes to give lucky ducky innovators a pile of cash up front for grants lasting five years or longer, saying “awards should be fully-funded in year one, with all resources earmarked upfront, to minimize administrative burdens and reduce pressure for researchers to generate intermediate results to secure continued funding.” Yeah, wouldn’t want to have to make the Very Special Tech Bros show results or get money parceled out year by year like the plebes at universities. The report also proposes that we should have “fast grants” with “simplified applications requiring just a few pages of writing” because that is definitely how science works, just writing a bit off the dome and getting some cash. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) [ Tech elites are turning AI into ChatGPTrump ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) Paul Waldman · July 29, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-ai-action-plan-altman-llms) Oh, and we should have prizes and challenges, where multiple teams compete. The proposed prizes include incentives like “advance procurement commitments,” which means the federal government agrees to buy whatever is being developed. There’s also “regulatory fast-tracking,” making sure all those great AI thingies don’t have to wait too long to be unleashed on a market. These aren’t incentives to do science. These are incentives to develop things with tax dollars that you can then sell to the government for more tax dollars. In the suggestion that might be the most unhinged, the most very opposite of how both government and research work, our new age will include “golden tickets.” That’s where an individual reviewer in an agency — yes, just one person — can “recommend unconventional proposals that may not pass consensus-driven review panels” because somehow this will “surface valuable ideas too divisive for committees and attract higher quality reviewers by empowering them to exercise independent scientific judgment.” Yes, that’s saying that a random person in an agency should be able to shovel money at some idea even if it can’t pass a review panel, and that the opportunity to do so will attract better employees because apparently all the best minds in science are chomping at the bit to be allowed to unilaterally fund AI research based on their personal vibes. But that isn’t at all how actual science works, and actual scientists aren’t unhappy about review panels. They work collaboratively, not siloed in some secret race to create the next AI chatbot. A 2020 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research examined whether peer review panels succeed in helping agencies predict which research ideas will best advance science. Peer review was better at finding “diamond in the rough” applicants than a single government program official. How about that. Trump always wants a taste It’s painfully clear that what Katsios is trying to do here is turn the whole of government science research and funding into the sort of “move fast and break things” paradigm that is the hallmark of big tech. That method works to line the pockets of tech executives, but it isn’t science. There’s a reason the government funds different kinds of research than private tech companies do. What Katsios either fails to understand or deliberately ignores is that the federal government is the main funder of basic research precisely because it can take a long time for it to bear fruit and is not intended to be profitable as such. “Basic” here does not mean rudimentary or simple, but rather research that is designed to advance scientific knowledge instead of achieving a specific outcome or product. Big tech companies don’t widely fund that sort of research, because it doesn’t make them money. Industry dollars account for only about 20 percent of basic research funding, while the government contributes around 60 percent. Big tech companies and startups do, however, rely on and benefit from that basic research. A 2019 study found that 35 percent of all patents obtained by venture-backed startups from 1976 to 2016 cited federally supported research. Basic research funded by the NIH contributed to every single drug the FDA approved from 2010 to 2016. [ ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) [ The Saudi nuclear farce and governance by whim and meme ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) Noah Berlatsky · Jul 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.publicnotice.co/p/trump-saudi-nuclear-deal) Unlike inventing the next ChatGPT, actual science is slow and iterative. Government funding of research that, on its face, would not appear to lead to any big new invention is actually what underpins those big new inventions. If the government hadn’t funded research into desert lizard venom, we wouldn’t know about semaglutide, and we wouldn’t have Ozempic. If research scientists hadn’t studied how bees optimize nectar foraging within a colony, we wouldn’t have the algorithm that assigns internet traffic across computer servers. The report assiduously ignores that a symbiotic, profitable relationship between the federal government, universities, and private companies already exists. Each federal research dollar generates about $1.50 to $3.00 in long-term economic benefits. The $36 billion the government awarded in NIH research funding in fiscal year 2025 generated $94 billion in new economic activity. Trump’s proposed new golden age is intended to strip those billions from universities, resulting in the dismantling of departments and the shuttering of labs. But Katsios has a plan for that: Universities should just become trade schools to churn out no-show STEM degrees! “Require universities and community colleges to embed practical technical training and externships into STEM curricula. Let hands-on experience and industry credentials count toward degrees.” It’s quite the feat to, on the one hand, strip schools of funding for scientific research while simultaneously demanding to control what is taught and, oh, also, colleges need to give degrees to employees at big tech companies just for being employees at big tech companies. The new golden age would also exacerbate the brain drain Trump’s policies have already caused. Nature found that in the first quarter of 2025, US scientists submitted 32 percent more job applications abroad than in 2024. A March 2025 poll by Nature of roughly 1,600 scientists found that over 1,200 said they were considering leaving the country. Europe is investing $565 million to make it a “magnet for researchers” and provide funding for scientists who relocate. The new golden age is also about embedding Trump’s xenophobia into the fabric of American science. The report complains of an “over-reliance on foreign students” that “creates a security challenge our institutions are ill-equipped to address” and that a “reliance on foreign talent sidelines American students.” This is, to put it mildly, nonsense. International students pay far higher tuition and often receive no financial aid. Their tuition dollars are what make it possible for American students to get financial aid. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, international students contributed $43.8 billion to the US economy and supported over 378,000 jobs. Those 1.1 million international students accounted for only six percent of the total number of students in higher education that year, but were such an economic engine that for every three international students, one job was created or supported. It’s impossible not to wonder whether part of Trump’s loathing for universities and their leading role in scientific research is that there is no way for him to corrupt the process and make money off it in the same way he can by giving millions and billions to Silicon Valley types who, in turn, give him millions in cash. There’s no way for his children to invest in universities that the government then gives no-bid contracts to, fattening the family’s bottom line, which is pretty much the Trump sons’ current venture capital practice. Trump and Katsios’s view of science is narrow, cramped, and wrong. We’re not in a crisis, we’re not a failed state. We’ve been a science superpower for decades, and the only thing that threatens that is Donald Trump. Tech bros are already living high off the hog in this administration. They don’t need any more of our tax dollars. Hopefully this new golden age never comes to pass. Thanks for reading Public Notice. This post is public so feel free to share it. Share We’ll be back with more tomorrow. If you appreciate today’s PN, please do your part to keep us free by signing up for a paid subscription. 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 Thanks for reading, and for your support.

Jul 30 • 8:12 AM EDT • Science • publicnotice.co

Gov. Stein announces STEP-NC, the first health care apprenticeship program in state government

Gov. Stein announced STEP-NC, the first healthcare apprenticeship program in state government on July 16. Read more about the program here.

Jul 30 • 8:06 AM EDT • Health • ednc.org

<em>CASNews</em> faculty spotlight: Dr. Fernando Severino

Meet Dr. Fernando Severino, associate professor in the School of Communication and Latin American and Latino/a studies Program.

Jul 30 • 8:04 AM EDT • Science • news.illinoisstate.edu

PRESS RELEASE: Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association to Support Seven Enterprise Zone Business Participants for New “Builder’s Room” AI Business Cohort

Amplify Bloomington and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce will hold an info session on Tuesday, August 4, at 6 p.m. at The Mill classroom, 642 N. Madison St., to introduce The Builder’s Room. The Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) is supporting seven spots in the cohort located within the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Zone to participate in this new hands-on cohort program that helps local businesses use AI-assisted tools to solve real operational challenges.

Jul 30 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • idsnews.com

The US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know

The US has unveiled what officials claim is the most radical overhaul of the public R&D system in a generation, which if implemented could have significant implications for transatlantic research collaboration. Science: A New Golden Age derides universities as “legacy institutions” and instead wants to prioritise funding on technological challenges, new research labs and funding that follows individual scientists, rather than being linked to their institutions. “Too much of our research enterprise has come to serve itself rather than the scientists within it,” writes Michael Kratsios, director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the only named author of the report. “Federal funding agencies should support a broader range of performers.” But some critics argue that the strategy is a smokescreen, using genuine problems in academia as an excuse to further weaken US universities, which US vice-president JD Vance has labelled “the enemy..”Even as it talks of a “golden age” for science, the White House has proposed halving the 2027 budget of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), and has put forward double-digit cuts for other funding bodies, such as the National Institutes for Health. It asked for similarly steep savings in 2026, but Congress stopped them going through. Science: A New Golden Age says success will be measured by the extent to which scientists are “free” to pursue the most “vital questions,,” painting academia as currently hidebound by bureaucracy, sluggishness and consensual conservatism. And yet the Trump administration is simultaneously planning new rules that will hand political appointees unprecedented powers to screen and cancel grants. The report has pretentions to be the successor to Science: The Endless Frontier, the seminal 1945 document in which presidential science advisor Vannevar Bush set out the case for post-war government funding of basic research, helping to spur the creation of funders such as the NSF. Even the title page font is the same. But it remains unclear if the latest report will leave anything like as lasting a legacy.Here, Science|Business explains some of the biggest proposed changes in Science: A New Golden Age, and how Europeans think it might change the landscape of their biggest science partner.Universities under fireA key target of the report are US universities, which it repeatedly suggests are outmoded as research institutions. It criticises the NSF for channelling resources “overwhelmingly to a single type of performer, the university-based, principal investigator-led research group..” Universities “extract” money from researchers’ grants to support “growing administrative bloat,” alongside legitimate uses. The Trump administration has been trying to cut the overhead costs in federal research grants that flow to universities. Instead, new institutions are being built. In May, the NSF announced it would spend $1.5 billion on two new so-called X-Labs, focused on scientific instrumentation and quantum systems. The idea is that they fill a niche in the landscape, tackling problems that are too big for a university lab, but too early stage for private start-up funding. Parallel with Europe?This shift to new research organisations parallels moves in Europe to set up new innovation agencies, such as Germany’s Sprind, the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency, and the EU’s European Innovation Council. The Dutch and French governments are looking to set up their own entities too. There’s now an emerging consensus, evident in a number of new strategies, that public R&D needs to be shaken up, Charles McIvor, an economist at the OECD, has written in response to Kratsios’s plans. “What stands out for me across these strategies [in the US, Germany, South Korea and Japan] is that governments are realising that the old ways of delivering STI [science, technology and innovation] programming no longer works,” he said in a LinkedIn post. Metascience wins?The document is, at least on the face of it, also a big win for some policy thinkers in the US who want far more experimentation with new forms of research grant and institution.It name-checks a litany of new public R&D ideas, from focused research organisations and advance market commitments to “golden tickets,” which allow grant reviewers the power to hand applicants money without requiring the consensus of other review panellists.Related articlesEuropean researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationFocused research organisations: what are they, and how do you set them up? NIH turmoil risks reciprocal EU-US access to health research funding In addition, every federal research funding agency should set up a metascience unit, the strategy says, “with authority to run controlled experiments on review and funding mechanisms.” The UK has already set one up, the strategy points out. This mirrors recommendations to the European Commission. In 2024, a report led by former Portuguese science minister Manuel Heitor also advised the EU to set up an “experimental unit” to test out new methods of funding research. So far, however, Brussels hasn’t put forward any plans to do so. Bypass universitiesBut there’s a worry that the Trump administration is using the metascience movement to justify an overhaul of public R&D that punishes universities, which it sees as centres of political resistance. Last year, it threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless it hired and admitted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create “viewpoint diversity” across campus. It’s also attempted to strip academics of funding for working on politically forbidden areas, like LGBTIQ people’s health.The new strategy appears to be a “move to bypass the power of universities full stop and allow funders and political bureaucracies to handpick the projects and people who will execute them,” said Jean-Claude Burgelman, a former senior official in the Commission’s research directorate, on LinkedIn.The EU’s science counsellor in Washington, Florent Bernard, wrote that the plans risk diverting public research funding so that it “solely serves private interests.” “Who, if not independent universities, will do research that demonstrates the impact of tobacco on lung cancer or the role of human activities in our current climate crisis?” he wrote.Should we take it seriously?“I would view the overall document as a bad faith argument,” said Cole Donovan, director of science policy at the campaigning group Stand Up for Science, and a former OSTP official. “I don’t see the project itself as something that can be isolated from the broader attack on the system.” He thinks the argument that academia has become dysfunctional and in need of radical reform is being deployed as part of a “PR argument” to legitimate moves against US scientists. The strategy presents ideas like metascience units as new, whereas there were moves to set them up at the NSF during the previous administration of Joe Biden, Donovan said. The other caveat here is that the OSTP has limited power to carry out any of these recommendations. While Kratsios has issued a memo to research agencies telling them to implement the recommendations in the report, he doesn’t have direct budgetary control. “As a former OSTPer myself, this does not seem like a document that is realistic,” said Donovan.

Jul 30 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net