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The Strange Future of AI-Written Software: Do Companies Really Own Their Code?
Companies may soon discover that owning the code is no longer equivalent to owning the system.
Scientists solve 30-year-old mystery and discover a hidden defense against inflammation
Scientists have solved a decades-old mystery and uncovered a hidden immune system defense that protects healthy cells from the very inflammation meant to fight infections. The surprising discovery could lead to new approaches for treating cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and other conditions involving excessive inflammation.
Meet the Doctors and Scientists Who Won in the Midterms
These midterm winners know the health-care system from the inside—and want to help fix it.
STEM School Highlands Ranch vs. Aurora Science & Tech: Colorado High School Girls Basketball, Dec. 10, 2026
STEM School Highlands Ranch at Aurora Science & Tech, Colorado high school girls basketball, Dec. 10, 2026, 7:15 PM. Records, rosters and head-to-head.
California professors challenge Trump administration over canceled science grants
Three researchers claim the National Science Foundation targeted federally funded projects involving climate change, diversity and STEM education.
A butterfly garden brings science to life at Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
A butterfly garden brings science to life at Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
Democratic doctors and scientists ride the blue wave
The clinicians and researchers who will take office are ready to tackle the U.S. health care system.
Democratic doctors and scientists ride the blue wave
The clinicians and researchers who will take office are ready to tackle the U.S. health care system.
Kevin O'Connell Scrutiny Returns Amid Vikings QB Struggles
Despite high-profile roster upgrades, Minnesota’s offense remains stagnant. With Kyler Murray struggling to find his rhythm, pressure mounts on Kevin O’Connell to adapt his system before the season slips away.
CData Software Recognized as Challenger in Gartner's 2026 Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools
CData’s platform connects and governs access to hundreds of enterprise systems for people, applications and AI agents CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Nov. 4, 2026 — CData Software today announced that it has been positioned as a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Integration Tools. CData is the only vendor positioned in the Challenger […]
CU Anschutz Researchers Evaluate NIH Effort to Connect Research Data
CU Anschutz researchers play a major role in evaluating research data from 18 programs to help scientists uncover relationships across studies and make better use of existing research. AURORA, Colo., Nov. 4, 2026 — Scientists generate vast amounts of research data, but connecting information across studies can be difficult. The NIH Common Fund Data Ecosystem […]
Waystar touts bigger health system wins and growing AI pipeline
Healthcare payment software maker Waystar again outperformed analysts’ estimates in the third quarter as the company builds out new artificial intelligence capabilities and drives growth by adding | Waystar again outperformed analysts’ estimates in the third quarter as the company builds out new AI capabilities and drives growth by adding new customers and selling more of its platform to existing clients.
If Israeli politics were rational, Arab parties would now be holding all the cards
The existing rules of the political game that preclude full Arab participation are illogical, immoral and counterproductive. The system requires a total reset.
Pope warns economic inequality threatens peace, urges politicians to serve common good
The threat to world peace stems from economic imbalances linked to development that is
The National STEM Festival is taking its science fair global
After three years of showcasing young innovators from across the U.S., the festival is expanding internationally, with events planned for the U.K. and Mexico.
Hackers tried to boil blood in the latest European fridge attacks
A cyberattack attempted to raise the temperature of refrigeration systems at blood storage facilities in France.
On the advantages of health system-owned health plan, what Medicaid cuts might mean and the future of U.S. health insurance: A conversation with Geisinger's Jeremy Gaskill
Jeremy Gaskill took the reins at the Geisinger Health Plan earlier this year after a long career at Humana. He discusses the similarities and differences between Geisinger and Humana and the advantages of a health plan that is part of a health system.
How space weather shapes young planets
Scientists suspect powerful solar flares helped strip away the atmospheres of planets like Mars. A Michigan State University researcher is now searching for evidence of how those same forces shape planets beyond our solar system. Adina Feinstein, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, believes exoplanets are the key to understanding the early days of our solar system. This week, she received a Schmidt Sciences FirstLight grant to investigate how space weather influences young planets.
Scientists may have finally explained why our brains and bodies are cross-wired
Scientists propose that the brain’s mysterious cross-wiring, which connects each hemisphere to the opposite side of the body, may have originated more than 500 million years ago in the visual systems of ancient fish. Rather than evolving for a specific advantage, this unusual arrangement may simply be a legacy of evolution building new brain circuits on an ancient foundation.
HCPSS Teams Up with Student Group to Drive Student Interest in and Understanding of Coding, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence
Several years ago, Julie Wray and Carrie Trudden, Howard County Public School System’s (HCPSS) then- and current coordinators of Instructional Technology, began receiving emails from a group called Howard County Hour of Code (HocoHOC). At the time, Wray and Trudden were unfamiliar with the group and skeptical about its offer to partner with the district […]
Lobo football to health care leadership, Brad Cook finds purpose in building better systems
For Brad Cook, leadership began long before he entered the healthcare industry. As a student at The University of New Mexico, Cook received a full ride scholarship to serve as the head equipment manager for the Lobo football team. This experience gave...
Ad Fontes Science develops journal reliability rating system
New approach aims to support collection decisions, publishing strategies and research assessment
Wolf 1130: A Triple Star System Just 54 Light-Years Away From Earth May Go Supernova
The triple system's evolution into a "cataclysmic variable is inevitable," according to a recent paper.
Why big mergers aren’t in Inova’s playbook
Inova President and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones outlined the system's growth plans and capital project strategy.
$2 Million Settlement Resolves Covenant Health Data Breach Lawsuit
Covenant Health, St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital Nashua, N.H., and other Covenant Health facilities were named Covenant Health, St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation, St. Joseph Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital Nashua, N.H., and other Covenant Health facilities have agreed to pay $2 million to settle a class action lawsuit stemming from a May 2025 security incident.
New global Mouth-to-Body Health Institute aims to turn oral-systemic science into better prevention and care
A new global institute has been launched to advance research into the relationship between oral health and overall health and turn the latest oral-systemic science into better prevention and care.
AI boosts operational efficiency but not systemic climate action, global study finds
Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely promoted as a tool for sustainable development, but whether its operational gains translate into deeper ecological transformation remains uncertain. A new global assessment examines how AI diffusion relates to seven core United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering health, education, clean energy, industry and infrastructure, sustainable cities, responsible consumption and production, and climate action. It also explores the channels behind
AI Teammates Launches Ongoing AI Implementation Program for Mid-Market Business Owners
Program builds a working AI system in the first 6 weeks, then continues as an ongoing operating partnership for owners of $1M to $20M businessesSilicon Valley, California--(Newsfile Corp. - November 4, 2026) - AI Teammates, founded by Alice Y. Chen, has launched the AI Architecture Method, a structured implementation program that builds and operates AI systems on behalf of business owners rather than training them to build their own.Image Credit: AI TeammatesTo view an enhanced version of this..
AFGHS co-signatory countries ask health care users to help fill the financing gap
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV on antiretrovirals could be targeted for user fees or community health insurance schemes requiring modest premium payments, according to the April 2026 version of the country’s America First Global Health Strategy implementation narrative.1 As part of the “sustainable financing for the private not for profit sector” strategy, 491 facilities will be targeted for a phased introduction of user fees and scale up of community health insurance programs.2 In the Ugandan context, PNFP facilities include faith-based hospitals and other health facilities, US missionary organizations and centers of excellence—services that are often co-located at government facilities but run with additional financial and technical resources. 402,000 people—or about 28 percent of the total Ugandan adult PLHIV population on treatment—get ART from the private not for profit sector. The selected facilities provide the majority of ART and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. The plan doesn’t give the total number of clients served by the 491 facilities, so it is not possible to give a precise number. But the majority of 402,000 is a figure in the hundreds of thousands—hence the estimate I’m using.3 The April draft of the Ugandan implementation plan narrative is the only one I’ve been able to review. But the government of Uganda is not alone in turning to health care users to help fill the financing gaps caused by the abrupt withdrawal of US funds. In July 2025, the Government of Liberia introduced user fees for previously free services including “registration, accommodation, patient feeding, hospitalization, and a wide range of surgical and diagnostic procedures.”4 Earlier that year, Liberia rolled out a revolving drug fund designed to stabilize drug supplies by “allowing patients to pay a small fee for standardized, quality medications,” according to a Ministry of Health press release.5 (Both of these approaches had been proposed in the National Health Policy 2022-2031; media coverage explicitly connects the launch with the US foreign aid cuts.) The health financing strategies proposed by Uganda and established in Liberia are qualitatively different from user fees officially adopted by specific health facilities to cover funding shortfalls caused by the new US approach.6 The latter is a stopgap, adhoc change. The former is a national governmental adoption of policies that pass costs on to health care users, despite evidence that such approaches can exacerbate inequities and leave deficits unfilled. Two countries does not make a pattern, but they do point to urgent questions: Have other countries, including Liberia, included user fees or community health insurance schemes in their implementation plans? If so, do any of these narratives have what Uganda’s lacks: a fall-back plan in place in case these strategies for sustainable health systems fail to deliver—as they have before? I wonder if you think about it Subscribe Predictable pitfalls Both community-based health insurance and user fees are as old as the hills. And after decades of people climbing up these hills, duking it out, climbing back down—neither strategy has shown the results the Ugandan implementation plan is counting on. This is, in fact, a hill some folks are willing to die on. (You knew I’d get there, right?) In November 2025, an African-led team of health system experts published a paper directed at low- and middle income country governments trying to figure out how to create self-sustaining health systems. The money wasn’t coming back. It had been more than nine months since the season of freezing, waivering and wood-chippering; two months since AFGHS tumbled into the world touting co-financing requirements and reductions in future US government health aid. Governments were looking for strategies for sustainable, self-financed health systems, the authors wrote. For countries considering user fees and community health insurance to fill the financing gaps, they had a simple message: Don’t. On user fees, the paper states: “Reliance on user fees is ultimately a regressive and inequitable approach. It places a disproportionate burden on the poor and undermines health system goals of equity and financial protection. […] There is overwhelming evidence that user fees mobilise very limited resources for the public health sector, making it an inefficient mechanism for revenue mobilisation.” On community health insurance: “Attempting to shift the burden of funding previously donor-funded services, such as HIV care and management, and TB treatment, onto contributory schemes would exacerbate their fragility and fail to protect the population.”7 The WHO says that community-based health insurance “cannot be expected to provide a major source of funding or coverage,” and noted that most schemes offer only moderate benefit to individuals paying into them, and exclude the poorest segment of the population.8 And yet, the US-Ugandan implementation plan says that community health insurance is “the central pillar of this [PNFP] sustainability strategy” and that this approach that will generate “pre-paid pooled funding at facility and community level [that] improves financial risk protection for households, reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, and generates structured, transparent revenue streams that can progressively absorb recurrent costs including health worker salaries.” Unfortunately, Uganda’s own history suggests the pillar might not be able to bear this weight. Ugandans Have Been to this Rodeo Before—and Some Want Their Money Back Uganda introduced its first community health insurance scheme in 1996 with support from international donors.9 Thirty years later, somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3 percent of the population is covered by CHI; just over 1 percent has any kind of health insurance.10 User fees were universally introduced in 1993 as a condition of a World Bank loan.11 They were abandoned in 2001, and in 2004—the year I moved to Uganda to watch the free HIV program get underway—a definitive study found that the fees did not improve health systems and outcomes.12 In 2004, most clinics and hospitals had ‘free’ and ‘fee for service’ options for getting care.13 The fee for service, or “cash and carry” programs had often been established in the years prior to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. People who could afford to paid for the drugs, often at facilities in the private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. When free drugs arrived, some people who’d been paying kept on doing so, perhaps because of shorter wait times, greater confidentiality, convenience or other factors. But in the year that I spent visiting the same clinics around the country week after week—including a “center of excellence” that maintained separate days for cash and carry clients and those accessing free ARVs—lots of people who had been paying tried to switch to the free option. They’d paid because they had no other choice. They’d sold pieces of family land, begged family members for loans, bought pills by the week, and sometimes by the day. Or they were just cash-strapped, like most of us, and wanted the funds for other things. 14 Twenty-two years later, this hasn’t changed. Ugandans pay out of pocket for 30-40 percent of their health care costs, leading one paper to declare that “falling ill is more than a health crisis. It is a financial emergency.”15 One recent study found that up to 48.5 percent of households dealing with tuberculosis sold something, took out a loan or dug into savings to defray the costs of TB care—which is supposed to be universally free.16 The Ugandan implementation plan does anticipate challenges. It proposes a phased approach, with 187 facilities introducing user contribution systems in Year 1, 152 in Year 2, and 153 in Year 3. Willingness to pay and feasibility studies will precede roll out; fees will be tiered by region, and a waiver system is proposed to ensure that no one has to pay who is unable to. Moreover, the plan provides for quarterly reviews of epidemiological data to “ensure that user contributions do not compromise epidemic control gains, ART continuity for the client cohort, TB case management, or PMTCT services.” Alt text: A screenshot of a table included in the implementation plan narrative that is the subject of this stack. It’s got a fetching pink bar at the top. It uses the abbreviation “CHI” which is Community Health Insurance, and FBO which is Faith Based Organizations, and it details the number of facilities that will implement user fees with waivers and community health insurance schemes over the five years of the agreement. As I said in the footnote, this is a super interesting document with a lot of other rich material. Tell me what you see—and what you would have focused on. And if you’ve seen something like this, or anything else that strikes you, in another implementation plan, tell me that too. You can use the Substack message platform or try me on Signal at @endaplague_again.25 (because @mercoonfan was, weirdly, taken). But the plan doesn’t fully explain what will happen if this approach doesn’t work out. Yes, progress will be monitored, and corrective action triggered. However, there is no specified funding replacement if premium and fee revenue prove inadequate. Instead, the authors write, “Currently, COEs serve a total client cohort of over 180,000 across 28 facilities. In the initial years, the U.S. Government (USG) will provide financial support for clients; over time, user fees generated by COEs will become the primary source of funding for sustaining their services.” Failure does not really seem to be an option. Health insurance schemes are more acceptable to the Ugandan population than user fees. Members of Parliament and civil society traveled to Ethiopia to see how that country’s scheme worked. In a follow up report, a veteran civil society group recommended allowing the “health insurance ecosystem to grow organically and [to] keep reviewing the law and regulations as this growth takes root.”17 One study found that more than three-quarters of Ugandans were willing to join a health insurance program.18 However, coverage of community-based health insurance is minimal, as is coverage of any kind of insurance—including private plans.19 A national health insurance scheme bill has been stalled for several years and presently sits with President Yoweri Museveni.20 Community-based health insurance scheme that do exist are expanding in number, but losing enrollees. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of community-based health financing schemes across the country increased by 42 percent, while the number of people enrolled decreased by nearly 11 percent.21 None of this means that community-based health insurance should not happen in Uganda—or that people do not want insurance. It doesn’t even mean that user fees and waivers won’t ever work. But there is highly relevant evidence from Uganda and the surrounding region that it is quite optimistic to describe community health insurance and user fees as central supports for sustainable financing in any sector of the health system. And now for the best-case scenario In the best-case scenario22, the Ugandan approach does exactly what it sets out to do, and so does the Liberian fee structure and revolving pharmacy fund—though I’ve not confirmed that these are in the MoU. In one best-case scenario, Uganda is an outlier, and user fees and community health insurance are not recurrent pillars of self-sustaining financing in other countries’ implementation plans. In another best-case scenario, all countries that include these strategies enjoy success beyond anyone’s evidence-informed wildest dreams: reliable funding generated by health care users fees, great health care outcomes for everyone, no exacerbation of inequities, no crippling household debt. No sold land, repurposed school tuition or high-interest loans. In the best-case scenario, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV receiving antiretrovirals from 491 PNFP facilities misses a refill or leaves care because of user fees or community health insurance premiums. This is the best-case scenario for these people for their own health, and for their families. It is also the best-case scenario if Uganda wants to stay on the path to eliminating HIV as a public health threat. According to the country’s most recent data, 96.5 percent of people living with HIV on antiretrovirals are virologically suppressed. Epidemic control depends ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those individuals are on ART, and 95% of those individuals are virologically suppressed. Uganda is still struggling with the first “95"—a frankly abysmal 85.3 percent. If HIV epidemic control and the attendant prevention of new infections, avoidable suffering and premature death matter, the country cannot afford to lose any clients who are currently in care.23 As I write this a couple hours before the polls close for the US elections in the city I live in, I say with soul-deep sincerity: I am rooting for the best-case scenario. I think it’s safe to say that we all are.24 I think it’s also safe to say that if the US and co-signatory governments have inked plans that lead to successful expansion of community health insurance and strategic use of user fees, we all would like to know, now, so that we don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate when success happens. The implementation plan narratives have to enter the public domain. They are the fullest expression of a strategy co-created by two governments. There are assumptions and details that people living in the US and co-signatory countries need to understand that are not available in the MoUs or, to date, in the Congressional Notifications. Some of these details can help other countries that are, as I write this, still working on implementation plans. Others, like a solid count of how many other countries have plans for expanding user fees or health insurance, are important for regional and global health architecture reform initiatives. No matter how this election night turns out, there will be a slew of new Congressional member orientations, briefings and talking points papers in the next few months. Release of implementation narratives should be a bullet point in every context that AFGHS is discussed. These documents can be redacted so that procurement sensitive information isn’t disclosed. There is much more historical precedent for sharing such documents than there is for relying on user fees to fill health financing gaps. Let’s look at the information together so we can hope for the best and prepare for, you know, the other thing. Alt text: A substack first: a bicep selfie! It’s my arm - peachy-white skin, black shirt (flannel, notch neck, too hot for this appallingly balmy November weather, if you’re wondering) and a sticker that says I VOTED 2026. Beige letters on red for I voted. Beige on blue for 2026. You bet I did.25 In your wildest dreams. Subscribe 1 This is a really, really rich 95 page document. There are fascinating ideas and detailed plans in it. It is all worth reading AND I have, in this post, highlighted an instance of content that could pose challenges and certainly posits success of strategies that haven’t worked before. I would love to hear what readers’ see that’s interesting and should be lifted up as something to check for in other implementation plans. I will also shortly be adding a static page to the substack site where implementation plan documents will live. I will put the url into this footnote and it will also be there on emilybass.substack.com by the end of the week. Uganda Implementation Narrative Section 4 April 22 2026 Draft 1.51MB ∙ PDF file Download Download 2 User fees are costs charged for visits, labs, medicines or other health services, usually at the time they are provided. Community health insurance, or community-based health insurance, is what the World Health Organization calls “micro insurance,” which is health insurance targeted at low-income people. 3 As usual (by which I mean always), please prove me wrong. 4 https://smartnewsliberia.com/liberias-ministry-of-health-announces-2025-hospital-service-fees-for-public-facilities/?utm 5 https://moh.gov.lr/news/2025/grand-cape-mount-leaders-residents-embrace-new-community-pharmacy-program/?utm 6 https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/hiv-usaid-pepfar-africa-foreign-aid-cuts-mission-hospitals/?utm 7 https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/11/e021270 8 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/community-based-health-insurance-CBHI 9 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2827475/ 10 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 11 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC527704/ 12 Same citation as the footnote 2 - the article is called “Learning from failed health care reform in Uganda.” To which I say: If only. If. Only. 13 There is a whole taxonomy of user fees to be aware of, if not commit to memory. Out of pocket costs are everything that someone pays for themselves. In this Stack, user fees are planned and policy-supported out of pocket costs. There are also out of pocket costs that people pay to buy drugs or receive tests or health care assessments that would be free if the drugs were on the shelves, or the machines or kits were available, or the staff were on site. A user fee is usually designed to be modest, pegged to willingness to pay, and may be waiveable at the point of care for anyone who is unable to do so. The costs for things that would otherwise be free are whatever the market will bear and people either have to pay them or go without. Out of pocket costs for services and stuff that aren’t available in public facilities are different again from bribes or unofficial fees that some health workers may impose, even though most are indefatigable, tireless and tired, and devoted to their clients. 14 For the record—which really is these footnotes—I would give a whole stack of fridge magnets for a systematic analysis of the economic and social impact of the Mass Unemployment Event in AFGHS countries among the very people who used to be able to afford and cover user fees, both for themselves and vast family networks. Locally employed USAID technical staff, house cleaners, caregivers, drivers and technicians were financial anchors for cousins, friends, friends’ children, friends’ childrens’ cousins, teachers, pastors, neighbors and so many other kinds of kin. Aid recipients lost direct funding; many other people who had not been aid recipients, but parts of the elaborate care webs that function as safety nets for so many people, lost crucial support too. And that’s even before we get to the people who worked at the hotels and restaurants and bars where people employed by the US and its implementing partners used to spend disposable income. Those businesses have lost revenue; those folks have lost jobs. It will be some time coming—and someone will have to fund this work—but I do hope it happens. And I hope, as usual, to be proven wrong. 15 https://eprcug.org/blog/how-out-of-pocket-healthcare-costs-keep-driving-ugandans-into-poverty/ 16 Another straight-to-the-point journal article title. Households experiencing catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Uganda: magnitude and cost drivers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938411 17 https://www.cehurd.org/download/technical-policy-brief-on-community-health-insurance-scheme/?wpdmdl=13661&refresh=6ae9122f5d4ed1793659439 18 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125197/ 19 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 20 https://ugandapost.news/uganda-to-make-health-insurance-mandatory-by-2026/ 21 https://shu.org.ug/download/235 22 With a nod, tip of the stack hat, and wag of the Mercoon tail to a deeply valued reader who told me that I have a tendency to speculate about the worst-case scenarios a little too much of the time. 23 https://news.mak.ac.ug/2026/10/uphia-2025-shows-ugandas-hiv-status-awareness-gap-despite-strong-treatment-outcomes/ As you’ll see in the next footnote, I’ve already written a subSubstack on another topic, so I will be brief with regard to the study referenced in this article. The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment, or UPHIA, will never happen in this way again. For more than a decade, PHIAs have been supported by the US government as a way to generate accurate estimates of country progress on key HIV indicators. They are a holdover from the PEPFAR program that was laser focused on ensuring US taxpayer dollars subsidized progress in pandemic control. There may be other population-level surveys and the data may even be publicly released, as the entire set of FY2026 MER data have not. But PHIAs will never happen again. If you’re wondering whether the estimates of HIV progress at country level might get less reliable….you’re not alone. 24 Ooh baby, I hate “we” in almost all forms. But sometimes I go there, when I am looking for company, which I am. Because this Stack moves into the somewhat-uncharted territory of assessing what the implementation plan narratives may suggest about co-signatory countries’ roles and responsibilities to the people living within their borders. The MoUs, specimen and data sharing agreements were templates. Countries’ answers fit into pre-specified questions that did not include, “how are you going to fill financing gaps and stabilize your health system as this plan unfolds?” In contrast, the implementation narratives are open form—the product of co-creation between the two governments. Co-creation can mean lots of things, but nothing leads me to believe that implementation plans are ghost-written by the US government, or that contents were imposed by the US counterparts. Instead, I think the parts of the plans that read like country government initiatives are endorsed, if not initiated by, those governments. For instance, the Ugandan implementation plan narrative describes plans for revenue-generation through fees charged for equipment calibration, repair and maintenance provided through Uganda’s National Equipment Calibration Laboratory, and laboratory accreditation through the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS), targeting private sector, PNFP, research and academic clients. That’s super specific and also quite ambitious. It doesn’t read like an American idea. There’s also a provision for solar panels, and other stuff that feels country owned and driven. This is where it gets interesting. If co-creation is the case, then both the US and co-signatory governments are accountable for the contents and the outcomes. Most discourse about AFGHS to date has focused on the decisions that America has made, or demanded that other countries make. The AFGHS architects have monopolized the hot seat. As they should, in so many ways. America absolutely created the conditions under which countries needed to come up with health financing strategies to fill unanticipated, catastrophic funding gaps. And with not-too-long a lens, we can look back and see that America is also on the hook for its role in the Bretton Woods institutions that made user fees and health system fiscal austerity conditions of loans during the era of structural adjustment. But in the here and now, it is not at all clear to me that the US is requiring Uganda or any other country to implement specific approaches to sustainable financing. Instead, it is as the authors of that paper up in footnote 6 suggest: African governments have agency. As implementation plans roll out—whether or not the narratives are shared—it will be important to understand what this agency looks like and what it means for people, including the poorest of the poor. And it will be important to figure out how to talk about it safely, respectfully and critically in places other than the literal and metaphorical footnotes. 25 This week’s song is “Once upon a time” by the Moody Blues. (I know, this is gonna be a weird, largely banger-free end of 2026 playlist. HMU with requests.) AND please do watch the video and appreciate the truly amazing opening sequence—a drum kit wasteland, a coupla plastic bags, a bit of sand. Sort of like the hill where fiscal austerity policies that put costs on health care users might go to perish. But then there’s a lady with amazing hair. It’s worth it.
Mitigating health risks to protect communities
WHO and development partners have been working throughout 2026 to strengthen the capacity of health workers across Indonesia in risk assessment and public-health emergency preparedness. These efforts strengthen prevention, detection and response for emerging infectious diseases, even when no such event has occurred.
Banks moving to provide AI toolkits to small-business clients
Huntington plans to roll out an AI operating system aimed at time-strapped owner-operators. Goldman Sachs is focusing on education and research.
SoCal voters share their thoughts on election integrity
While some Riverside County voters feel confident in our election system, others don’t
Carle Health billing system problems disrupt patient payment options - CU-CitizenAccess.org
Technical snags in Carle Health‘s billing system conversion have disrupted online payment options for patients across one of central Illinois’ largest healthcare systems, prompting the provider to extend billing deadlines. The health system is temporarily unable to process payments online that are made directly from checking or savings accounts because of the software conversion, Carle […]
Apple warns rogue AI agents could ‘conceal’ and ‘manipulate,’ causing unintended consequences for its business
The iPhone maker said AI agents could access systems without authorization and cause damage.
New early learning reading space debuts at R.B. Tullis Library in New Caney
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Benefis Health System to restructure services, citing financial pressure
Benefis Health System is preparing to restructure several services in Great Falls beginning December 19 and continuing into the new year.
Microsoft’s Windows EVP Pavan Davuluri Believes “Your PC Should Respond When You Need It To,” Saying 8GB Systems Now Offer Up To 40% Faster Multitasking
Even on 8GB systems, Windows chief Pavan Davuluri promises snappy multitasking with massive responsiveness gains across daily workflows
Adena Health gets $750K grant to add two ambulances
A $750,000 federal grant will help Adena Health System buy and equip two ambulances to transport patients in southern Ohio.
STHS to Host Webinar on Link Between Gut Health & Overall Well-Being, Nov. 17th
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Safari update brings vertical tabs, adaptive dark mode, AI integration
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Covenant becomes first mid-Michigan health system to offer new cardiac imaging technology
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Kristin Pearce: Specialty patients need a healthcare system that works together
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Health Ministry Director-General to step down after nine years, set to join Columbia University
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Swedish Defence University establishes doctoral programme in Systems Science for Defence and Security
The Swedish Defence University has established its own doctoral programme in Systems Science for Defence and Security, allowing it to independently admit PhD students starting in early 2027. The interdisciplinary field blends social sciences and engineering to tackle complex defence issues, from cyber security and space capabilities to military capability development.
Scientists discover potentially massive dwarf planet candidate hiding beyond Pluto
A powerful new telescope has discovered a dwarf planet candidate beyond Pluto — and scientists say it could be among the largest of its kind ever found in the reaches of our solar system.
Scientists discover potentially massive dwarf planet candidate hiding beyond Pluto
A powerful new telescope has discovered a dwarf planet candidate beyond Pluto — and scientists say it could be among the largest of its kind ever found in the reaches of our solar system.
Pensacola-based Baptist Health Care announces CEO's 2027 retirement and successor
Mark Faulkner, who has led the health system for 14 years, is stepping down at the end of June, with chief operating officer Brett Aldridge becoming the fifth CEO in the organization's 75-year history.
How Providence’s strategic reset fueled a financial turnaround
Providence is shuttering most of its insurance business as the nonprofit health system pursues asset sales, layoffs and partnerships to shore up finances.
5 iPhone features you should be using after updating to iOS 27
New must-use iPhone features with iOS 27 include Siri AI, a system-wide AirPods EQ, AI-assisted shortcuts, custom Wallet passes and Safari improvements.
Looser Health IT Certification Requirements Shift Oversight to Health Systems
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is rolling back several health IT certification requirements that could reduce certification costs for technology developers. But they may leave hospitals and health systems holding more responsibility for evaluating the safety and performance of the AI tools they purchase.
Are Investors Undervaluing Science Applications International (SAIC) Right Now?
Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.
MultiCare closes merger with Samaritan Health Services
The combined system includes 18 hospitals across Washington and Oregon.
Boeing Invests $300,000 In Free 2 Teach STEM Initiative
Aerospace and defense manufacturing giant Boeing announced on Monday a $300,000 gift to Free 2 Teach, the Huntsville-based nonprofit that provides free
HEADS Center Hosts Inaugural Scientific Convening on Long-Term Care | Hopkins Economics of Alzheimer’s Disease & Services Center
Hopkins Economics of Alzheimer’s Disease and Services (HEADS) Center hosted a convening about the long-term care system and reform efforts.
grandMA3 onPC DMX-key From MA Lighting
LAS VEGAS ― The new MA Lighting grandMA3 onPC DMX-key, a powerful solution for achieving professional lighting results in compact and flexi | The perfect combination of simplicity, power and the reliable grandMA3 system will be showcased at the ACT Entertainment booth 1111 at LDI 2026.
How 3 health systems are exploring new AI use cases
Mass General Brigham, Cleveland Clinic and UH Cleveland Medical Center are exploring new ways to use AI in future clinical care.
Behind Reliable Laboratory Testing: The Science, Experience, and Problem-Solving Approach of Dustin Newman
Exploring how analytical chemistry, microbiology, quality systems, and practical laboratory experience contribute to reliable testing and better decisions across multiple industries
MultiCare, Samaritan Health Services come together
Samaritan has joined MultiCare after more than a year of planning. MultiCare has pledged to invest $700 million into the system.
Shielding system linked to lower operator radiation exposure during IR procedures
A lead-free, ceiling-mounted shielding system could significantly reduce occupational radiation exposure among physicians performing fluoroscopy-guided procedures, according to a study presented at TCT 2026.
Challenging genetic modification rejectionists: Our evolving food system has relied on science for thousands of years
ryza rufipogon is an ordinary-looking wild grass found today in parts of China, India and Southeast Asia. More than 8,000 years ago, people living in the
Beaver Dam’s Marshfield Medical Center becomes a part of UW Health system
UW Health announced Monday that the Marshfield Medical Center in Beaver Dam will become a part of the UW Health system.
After Cancelling Zelda Switch 2 Pre-Orders, Walmart Is Now Supposedly Sending Out $519 Gift Cards
Some customers also claim they've been able to "reorder" the system
Boston Symphony Orchestra's grand AI experiment is a boon to democracy
In this year’s election season orchestras have been practicing the call for democratic thinking on a global scale, including in Los Angeles, Leipzig, Germany and Boston, where the Boston Symphony Orchestra is experimenting with AI —to great effect.
Election confidence remains high despite high profile cases questioning system
Millions of voters have already turned in their ballot
Northeastern students speak about voting for the first time
First- and second-year Northeastern students discuss voting for the first time, from excitement and research challenges to navigating ballots and systems.
Sony Wants You to Trade In Your PS5 for $400 if You're Not Using It
Circulate those systems
Beaver Dam’s Marshfield Medical Center becomes a part of UW Health system
UW Health announced on Monday that the Marshfield Medical Center in Beaver Dam will become a part of the UW Health system and be renamed.
Community Corner—Tubman Center for Health and Freedom
Community Corner highlights the work of Seattle Human Services’ community partners in their own words. Our goal is to gather stories and photos that illustrate their amazing work on behalf of the people of Seattle. This post focuses on the Tubman Center for Health and Freedom, a multifaceted healthcare system designed specifically to meet the […]
Valley Health’s Monday Health Minutes
You can get health tips from Valley Health Systems every month on First Look at Four.
Novant Health buys ‘long served’ Northern Regional Hospital in Surry County
Novant Health announced on Monday that Northern Regional Hospital in Surry County has joined its growing healthcare system.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Honors Physicians, Installs New Medical Staff Leaders - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Nov. 2, 2026 – Sarasota Memorial Health Care System honored two longtime physicians for outstanding service and announced its 2026-2027 chiefs of staff for the SMH-Sarasota and SMH-Venice campuses. John […]
‘Big business’: little-known court system in Louisiana churns out thousands of evictions – and millions in fees for judges
Guardian investigation: Louisiana’s justice of the peace court system may violate tenants’ constitutional rights as eviction fees boost judges’ incomes.
Will Kings’ Bench Production Improve in Winless Streak?
Sacramento’s historic 0-6 start stems from a league-worst second unit. Discover why coaching rotations and key injuries have left stars like Malik Monk struggling to provide depth.
Troy defense company lands Army contract
A Troy-based defense systems and logistics company announced Monday it received a four-year contract with the U.S. Army worth up to $49.9 million.
Call of Duty: Warzone Is Adding a Weather System This Week
Call of Duty: Warzone is adding a weather system that will make every match feel a bit different.
Bon Secours completes Fauquier Health acquisition
Bon Secours Mercy Health acquired Fauquier Health, marking the Ohio-based Catholic health system’s entry into Northern Virginia.
Bon Secours completes Fauquier Health acquisition
Bon Secours Mercy Health acquired Fauquier Health, marking the Ohio-based Catholic health system’s entry into Northern Virginia.
Week Starts with Spacewalk Preps and Life Science
Preparations continue for the second in the final series of spacewalks to upgrade the International Space Station’s power generation system on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Expedition 75 crew focused its research efforts on life science at the beginning of the week.
Microsoft AI CEO warns industry against trying to build conscious machines
Should artificial intelligence systems be given rights? One of the leading thinkers on the fast-evolving technology weighed in over the weekend. Microsoft AI Chief Executive Mustafa Suleyman, in an X
Scientists build whole-Earth simulation to help find life on other planets
It's a dizzyingly busy time for scientists searching for life on distant planets. To date, astronomers have cataloged more than 6,000 planets beyond our solar system and are searching the atmospheres ...
Claude’s new rules against game cloning won’t stop the AI copying boom
The tsunami of imitators is way bigger than any one model maker can stem.
Underwater technology showcase brings ocean researchers and industry to URI Narragansett Bay Campus
KINGSTON, R.I. — Nov. 2, 2026 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, based at the URI Narragansett Bay Campus, hosted an underwater systems and autonomy showcase with two blue technology companies, Sonardyne and Voyis, in early October. The two-day event brought together oceanographers, ocean engineers, industry experts, and other participants […]
Is Brazil the exception? Inside Latin America’s rightward political shift
Experts say recent conservative shift may not reflect ideological conversions but could instead stem from frustration with left-wing governments that may not have addressed persistent problems.
How might women be reintroduced into the science community they helped create?
Experts explore how female STEM experts can be reintroduced into the conversation after decades and even centuries of being omitted.
Ethiopia: Violence in the north is pushing health system to the brink, WHO chief warns
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Monday for greater protection for civilians caught in conflict in northern Ethiopia following deadly drone strikes this past weekend.
Texas State University, Lone Star College System establish guaranteed transfer pathways
A new transfer agreement will ensure that coursework completed at LSCS will apply toward earning a TXST bachelor’s degree.
Hanwha to offer premium discounts to shipowners with strong cybersecurity
South Korea’s Hanwha General Insurance Company Ltd. has partnered with Busan-based Cytur Inc. to develop an integrated system that rewards shipowners with preferential insurance terms for…
AFT Expands National Soil Health Demonstration Trial Network with nearly $5 Million from USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is awarding American Farmland Trust (AFT) nearly $5 million over five years through its Conservation Innovation Grants On-Farm Trials program to help expand AFT’s national network into a coordinated Soil Health Management Systems (SHMS) Network. Working with 35 trial host farms across 14
Four tips from political science professor Sara Morell on how to manage the midterm madness.
Sara Morell, assistant professor of political science, is quick to admit she doesn’t have a crystal ball to predict what will happen on election day. “I don’t have any more information than what you see in the polls,” she says. “But I understand a lot about how our political system works. So I may be […]
How Tim Moore Built Vū Technologies Into a Global Virtual Production Business
Tampa's Vū Technologies raised $23 million, then sold its studio operations to focus on building virtual production systems for others.
PAHO expands partnerships with Barcelona institutions to drive innovation and strengthen health systems in the Americas
Barcelona, Spain, November 2, 2026 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) strengthened its cooperation with institutions in Catalonia during a visit to Barcelona by its Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, from October 30 to November 2.
Brittany Mahomes Is Right: That Ref Call Was A Joke
Brittany Mahomes called out the refs after a false start cost the Chiefs. The Big 12 admitted a replay error too. Here is why the system is broken.
Census Bureau Proposal Threatens Our Public Health and Health Care System
The proposed changes would exclude noncitizens without lawful permanent residency – including many who are lawfully present.
Mental Health Care Was Never Built for Everyone
Companies aren't slowing down to ask if AI is ready for mental health; they're racing to build it in. Encoding the same unexamined standards into these tools means repeating the systemic issues marginalized groups have lived with for far too long.
Midstream Health nabs $20M series A to help hospitals recover lost margin
Health systems are losing margins they’ve already earned, according to Sumit Kadakia, CEO and co-founder of Midstream Health. | Health systems are losing margins they’ve already earned, according to Sumit Kadakia, CEO and co-founder of Midstream Health. The startup bets artificial intelligence can improve hospital margins by finding money that is already embedded in contracts and transactions.
Are Employer Health Costs Out of Control?
In a new column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman dissects the conventional wisdom that employer health costs are “out of control.” He writes that “the story this year is not about out-of-control employer health costs—they were moderate—or of a collapsing employer-based insurance system, although it certainly has many problems, including being propped up by a $470 billion annual tax subsidy. Instead, the story this year seems to be a conspicuous shift of premium costs to workers despite a moderate overall premium increase.”
Ethiopia attacks kill civilians as health system nears collapse, WHO chief says
The World Health Organization reports that attacks in northern Ethiopia are pushing the region’s fragile health system closer to collapse
Ethiopia attacks kill civilians as health system nears collapse, WHO chief says
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Attacks in northern Ethiopia that reportedly killed children, including a newborn, are pushing the region’s fragile health system closer to collapse, the World Health Organization’s chief said Monday.
Ethiopia attacks kill civilians as health system nears collapse, WHO chief says
The World Health Organization reports that attacks in northern Ethiopia are pushing the region's fragile health system closer to collapse | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM