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Orlando Science Center brings back Cosmic Concerts laser shows
Cosmic Concerts returns to the Orlando Science Center in September, October, November, and December, and will feature music by Taylor Swift, U2, and Metallica. Here's what to know about tickets and schedule.
BhSUN coordinates calcium signaling, microtubule organization, and hormone metabolism to drive directional fruit growth in wax gourd
Fruit shape determines market value in wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), but the genetic programs that make some fruits long and cylindrical while others turn out short and round have remained largely mysterious.
USC Dornsife professor Moh El-Naggar named director at Carnegie
Biophysicist and microbiologist will lead Carnegie’s Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, maintains appointment and research at USC Dornsife
Entertainment Listing: Sept. 9
Wednesday Sept. 9 Little Nashville • Marion Writers Rounds, 6 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. Advertisement Booby’s • Carbondale Gritty Biscuit & Guitar Rabbit, 8 p.m. Hangar 9 • Carbondale Karaoke Night, 8 p.m. Thursday Sept. 10 Booby’s • Carbondale Open Mic Karaoke Night, 8:30 p.m. Hangar 9 • Carbondale ...
Adidas' Handball Spezial Gets a Dynamic Polka Dot Collab
Sneaker Politics and Adidas have teamed up on a brilliant Handball Spezial featuring a patchwork polka dot treatment inspired by Buddy Guy. Find out how to buy the sneaker here.
Oklahoma @ Michigan Preview And Prediction
I’m not overthinking this one. Oklahoma is going to beat Michigan comfortably. The No. 11 Sooners travel to Ann Arbor on Saturday after completely destroying UTEP 51-0 in their season opener. Oklahoma scored on its first eight possessions, while John Mateer threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan’s opener couldn’t have looked more different.…
Michigan Justice Fund pivots to national stage with New York fiscal sponsor
The organization helped spur the state to redirect $200 million from incarceration and achieve the state’s lowest imprisonment rate in three decades.
Texas and Nuevo León Advance Strategic Economic Partnership
Texas and Nuevo León officials and business leaders are moving to strengthen long-term economic cooperation following two days of meetings in Austin focused on investment, innovation, workforce development and strategic planning.
Talent show brings joy to kids at children’s hospital
A weekly talent show at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital helps pediatric cancer patients and families find support, healing and happiness through music, magic, and creative expression.
NCAA says Michigan football win over Western Michigan will stand
The NCAA says Michigan's victory over Western Michigan will not be rescinded.
Walton: Mental health resources are economic infrastructure
Melissa Walton of the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council examines how behavioral health investments can support Oklahoma County's growth and workforce.
DE Micah Parsons could return before Packers-Cowboys game
Green Bay Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons is making progress in his return from knee surgery.
Place-name politics: Why outrage alone won’t erase Trump’s name
Renaming Ottawa’s Trump Avenue is part of a long history of cities engaging in “toponymic diplomacy.”
Influencer marketing can bring a boom, but will it last?
Influencer marketing has become a polarizing issue, with some businesses and venues pushing back against creators while others see significant value in the exposure they can generate, Inc. reports. For small and midsize businesses, influencer attention can deliver dramatic increases in traffic and sales, but it also comes with risks and operational challenges. In Michigan, […]
Dachtoberfest Returns To Littleton Oct. 3
LITTLETON, N.H. — New Hampshire’s first and only wiener dog festival returns to Littleton, NH this fall for its third year on Saturday, October 3 at Remich Park from 11
Persona 6 adds Switch 2 version
Persona 6 will launch for Switch 2 in addition to its previously announced PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) versions, ATLUS announced. A release date was not announced.
Congressional Report on Potential TBIs, Mental Health Risks in Naval Aviation
The following is “Unseen Impacts: An Investigation into the Navy’s Response to Potential Traumatic Brain Injury and Mental Health Risks in Naval Aviation” published on Sept. 8, 2026, by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs. From the Report Executive Summary Following reporting by The New York Times about an epidemic of potential brain injuries in naval aviators contributing to suicide, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform launched an investigation to assess the Navy’s knowledge of and actions taken regarding this issue. The findings reveal a disconnect between growing concern and
Penn State Legend Micah Parsons Opens Up About Injury Recovery
Former Penn State Nittany Lions star pass rusher Micah Parsons has spoken out about his ACL recovery process.
The Rwandan eyeing Champions League history against Man Utd
Rwanda forward Joy-Lance Mickels has helped Azerbaijan's Sabah reach the Champions League proper on their competition debut, and is now looking to down the team he supports.
Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Switch, and PC
Square Enix has announced Romancing SaGa 3 remake Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, Switch, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store). It will launch on February 16…
Carrick on Shaw, 'magical' Champions League and Sabah
Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Champions League fixture against Sabah at Old Trafford (kick-off 20:00 BST). Defender Luke Shaw has been given an extra recovery day and they will know by Thursday whether he will be in the squad. Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt has trained well and is "on good track" to make a return soon but United have to "get the balance right" for the next steps.
Ascension economic development pipeline holds $22B in potential investment
The Ascension Parish Economic Development Corporation has recorded $347 million in announced capital investment and 46 new jobs so far this year, according to its president and CEO, Kate MacArthur. … Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
Bayern Munich not yet sure if Michael Olise will extend
FC Bayern will give Olise until next year to make a decision.
Brent Venables hopes elite nonconference games won’t go away
Ahead of Michigan game, OU's Brent Venables shares why he likes tough non-conference games.
BGI Genomics Launches "Digital Life Twin" Framework to Power Proactive Health
Commemorating BGI Group's 27th anniversary, BGI Genomics today introduced its Digital Life Twin framework alongside an advanced multi-omics diagnostic portfolio at the 2026 Global New Product Launch Event. Grounded in over two decades of population-scale genetic discoveries, the launch marks a decisive transition from traditional, reactive diagnostics to continuous, predictive health management across the entire human lifecycle.
How titanosaurs hatched eggs in cooler climates
Fossil eggshells believed to be from some of the biggest dinosaurs that ever lived have been found in a surprisingly cool climate far from the equator. But those titanosaurs were too big to sit on their eggs. Microscopic evidence shows what they did instead to keep the eggs warm enough to hatch.
Suicide-Related ER Visits In Children Rise, But Many Hospitals Lack Specialized Mental Health Care
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — ER visits by children suffering suicide-related crises jumped before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study says. Emergency department visits among children involving self-harm or suicide rose by 74% between 2016 ...
Place-name politics: Why renaming streets named Trump requires more than just outrage
Renaming Ottawa’s Trump Avenue is part of a long history of cities engaging in “toponymic diplomacy.”
Blizzard Workers Ratify Union Contract With Microsoft
Blizzard's many disparate unions are also being condensed into three groups for ease of future bargaining
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
A photon from the biggest cosmic explosion since the Big Bang appears to have defied Einstein. Scientists may finally know how
"We started from a very simple question: how did this photon survive a journey that, according to known physics, should have destroyed it?"
Leaked Video Shows iPhone 18 Pro's 3-in-1 Dynamic Island in Action
A leaker has activated Apple's upcoming three-item Dynamic Island mode inside the iOS 27 simulator, offering the first video demonstration of the new iPhone 18 Pro feature. The leaker, known as pdfu, posted a video showing the Dynamic Island toggling between three simultaneous Live Activities, matching what Bloomberg's Mark Gurman described in his report earlier today. "The new Dynamic Island with 3 items is already supported in iOS 27," pdfu wrote.
Meet the strategists behind Michigan’s biggest 2026 campaigns
The people helping steer Michigan’s marquee 2026 races either work directly for the candidates or at consulting firms retained by them.
Besxar is building an orbital semiconductor factory, one SpaceX rocket at a time
If you want to manufacture in space—and bring the products back again—there's a limited set of options: Wait to go to the International Space Station, or
A new strategy enables precise fabrication of nanoporous carbon structures
Nanoporous carbon materials have attracted significant interest for applications in lightweight structural materials, microdevices, and bio-integrated systems due to their low density, chemical stability, electrical conductivity, and tunable mechanical properties. However, existing fabrication approaches often struggle to simultaneously achieve precise patterning, controllable porosity, and desirable mechanical performance. A research team led by Professor Min Qiu at Westlake University has developed a new fabrication strategy, termed Mix-ice lithography (Mix-IL), that enables direct construction of nanoporous carbon structures with tunable pore architectures and complex geometries. The study has been published in Science Bulletin.
Scientists find a bone-building switch that could fight osteoporosis
An experimental compound called AP503 significantly strengthened bones in mice by activating GPR133, a receptor that boosts bone formation while slowing bone loss. Because the same treatment has also been linked to stronger muscles, researchers see intriguing potential for combating age-related decline and osteoporosis.
Arbeloa needs 'positive support' but defence is 'comical'
Rohan: I feel as though Arbeloa has completely underestimated the physicality of the Premier League. Without signing another centre-back as a partner for Calvin Bassey, he has allowed other players to breach the right of our defence easily. Arbeloa needs to find a way to counter this so we can start picking up points.
Dolly Parton remembered in new 28-page tribute comic book
The country music superstar, entrepreneur and philanthropist died Aug. 25
‘Smooth World’ filmmaker was surprised that smooth jazz is cruising along
Mickey Duzyj’s documentary has three sneak preview screenings in Atlanta starting this week.
The Lucas Museum's approach to curation courts controversy
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is challenging art-world hierarchies by placing commercial art, comics and pop culture works in conversation with pieces by Frida Kahlo, Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and more.
Stevens wants Trump administration to address tariff refund backlog
The Michigan congresswoman helped lead a letter to the Trump administration asking it to clear a backlog she says is hurting Michigan business.
Epic v. Health Gorilla: “Working as Designed”
We’ve been on a bit of a legal bender since just before Labor Day, so let’s keep a good thing going! As predicted, Epic does not want its case against Health Gorilla consolidated with the data breach cases, so it filed a motion to vacate the conditional transfer. And because they had to explain to the Panel why this case is different, they put a good chunk of previously unseen Epic v. Health Gorilla discovery record on the public docket! Roll the tape! The Case Against Consolidation Before we get to the fun stuff, let’s do the housekeeping. Epic's motion boils down to three arguments (sorted in ascending order of how well they land): A judge has already decided this. Judge Olguin declined to relate the fraud action to another ELU case (Patterson v. UVA Health), holding that the two do not call for determination of substantially similar questions of law or fact. Epic asks the Panel to treat that (a Rule 42 ruling) as law of the case. The overlap is thin. The three common questions Health Gorilla and the Panel identified are neither numerous nor complex (the qualities the Panel looks for before centralizing). Moreover, they are outnumbered by the questions unique to each side: The breach cases turn on security architecture, notification timing, and patient-level access. The fraud action turns on false treatment attestations and breaches of the framework agreements. Consolidation costs more than it saves. 17 of 21 parties in the fraud action do not appear in a breach case. The cases are also at very different stages: Olguin has a scheduling order running through a January 2028 trial while the breach actions are much more nascent. I like the last two more than the first because they attack the basic economics of an MDL: there just may not be enough shared discovery here to justify dragging all the defendants and a relatively mature fraud case all the way to Florida. On the other hand (while I know exceedingly little about MDL and Rule 42), I have a hard time seeing why a district judge's decision about his own docket would control what the Panel does with the separate § 1407 question. I might be reading between the lines too much, but I sorta think Epic's own brief half-concedes this, framing the two provisions as "two sides of the same coin" but then adding "respectfully submit" (which is often lawyer speak for “we know this is a reach”). The Ladder Gets More Rungs Anyway, the arguments are not why you're here (aside from the lawyers, maybe). Back in June, we discussed how Epic was using the smaller defendants to build an evidentiary ladder toward Health Gorilla and Unit 387. Turns out discovery has been adding a few rungs of its own.
September 9, 2026: Embedded Trials in a Learning Health System, in This Week's Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds
In this Friday’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds, Ryan Zarychanski of the University of Manitoba will present “Embedded Trials in a Learning Health System: A Hospital Policy of Tranexamic Acid […]
The new Apple Watch will use microphone and other sensors to generate AI recaps of your day
Apple will announce the new Apple Watch lineup later today, and Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has the early scoop. He...
Lisandro Martinez's chances of agreeing new Man United contract revealed
Lisandro Martinez in action with Michael Carrick celebrating with fans left inset
What ‘right’ and ‘left’ mean in Israel today
In Israel, the left-right divide is shaped less by economics than by positions on Palestinian statehood and occupation.
A path toward justice and public safety
Strangulation can be one of the most dangerous forms of assault; despite the lack of visible ailments it is accompanied by. Though strangulation leaves no broken bones, bruises or visible wounds, it is one of the strongest predictors of future homicides for domestic violence victims. Until this year, second-degree assault by strangulation was not classified […]
La Porte County Business Expo Brings Local Business Together September 17
Michigan City, IN – Businesses and community members from throughout La Porte County are invited to connect, discover local products and services, and build new contacts at the La Porte County Business Expo on Thursday, September 17, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Purdue Northwest – Westville campus. The collaborative event is hosted by the Michigan City Chamber, Westville Area Chamber, and La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP) and will showcase businesses from across La Porte County and beyond. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the people behind local businesses, learn about the products and services available and make
ETHS sports icons honored at 11th annual Mason Park Picnic
Honoree Don Michelin, at right, recognizes the community elders who mentored him. More than 300 people turned out for the 11th annual Mason Park Picnic on
Dana White Comments on Michael Page’s UFC Future
UFC president Dana White confirmed that the promotion has no interest in re-signing Michael Page after the conclusion of his contract.Page just finished his six-fight UFC contract with a 5-1 record, but his fights were not exciting to watch, and the UFC had no interest in re-signing him.Dana White Confirms Michael Page Is No Longer […] The post Dana White Comments on Michael Page’s UFC Future appeared first on HEAVY.
Sene
As Halloween approaches, this week’s scene spots Michael Myers standing at the grave of his sister Judith on the lawn of a home in Winchester.
Traditional Inuit Diet: Foods, Nutrition, and Health Effects
Traditional Inuit diets combine nutrient-dense marine and terrestrial country foods that remain important sources of protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and other essential nutrients. The transition toward market foods is occurring alongside changes in cardiometabolic health, micronutrient intake, and gut microbiome patterns, while food insecurity, socioeconomic conditions, physical activity, colonial processes, and environmental change complicate the relationship between diet and health.
A Marine Science Michelangelo?
Angelique Allen merges ocean art and octopus neuroscience at Santa Barbara Sea Glass & Ocean Arts Festival.
August 2026 Michigan legislative roundup: Money out of politics, prison safety and primary care
Each month, The Michigan Daily publishes a compilation of some of the most relevant bills in the Michigan Legislature for students.
US Research Cuts Drive Scientists to Germany
US-based researchers are seeking academic asylum in Germany following the Trump administration’s funding cuts—a loss to American science.
Altour's Boult: Rising Travel Costs a 'Permanent Phenomenon'
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DeWitt takes down Mason 3-1 on the pitch
DEWITT, Mich. (WLNS) – DeWitt soccer uses a big 2nd half to help the Panthers take down Mason 3-1. DeWitt senior Colter Rees led the Panthers with two goals, coming off a free kick and a penalty shot. Junior Will Broderick would round out the scoring for DeWitt, as he delivered the dagger with two minutes […]
Mack Cleveland: Using computational materials science to engineer higher burnup fuels
Propelled by a love of mathematics and materials science, the MIT doctoral student models granular chemical reactions in uranium dioxide, work that might lead to less fissile nuclear waste and improved plant performance.
Gen Z conservative influencers bring campus debates to Valley colleges, drawing online audiences
At a table on the campus of Mesa Community College, microphones are on, cameras are rolling and students are lining up to debate everything from politics and religion to culture and public policy.
Rock Creek Entertainment District bond preparations continue after judge denies injunction
Norman’s Rock Creek Entertainment District construction and bond preparation can move forward following a four and a half hours hearing where Cleveland County District Judge Michael Tupper ruled in favor
Judge dismisses ORED Rock Creek Entertainment District lawsuit motions, rules in favor of city
In a four and a half hour hearing Tuesday, Cleveland County Judge Michael Tupper ruled against Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development and in favor of the city of Norman, Norman
A (temporary) win for science and sanity
Congress rejects rule that would give Trump control over all research and academic grants—for now
Experts: Canadian tariffs could hit Kansas City businesses with trade conflict
Canadian counter-tariffs of up to 50% on U.S. goods are affecting Kansas City businesses, with experts warning of job vulnerabilities and economic uncertainty.
Microsoft breaks Patch Tuesday record with 974-CVE deluge
Adobe also brought goodies to the patch party and they deserve immediate attention
Tiafoe escapes Michelsen to reach US Open semi-finals
Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down -- and 3-0 down in the fifth set -- to edge 22-year-old Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10/6) and reach the US Open semi-finals on Tuesday.But in a match of swinging momentum shifts, Tiafoe battled back from 5-3 down in the third set and recovered an early break in the fifth to reach his third US Open semi-final in five years.
Pat Fitzgerald Tells Spartans Playing Time Starts in Practice
Pat Fitzgerald told Michigan State that playing time is earned in practice, not on Saturdays. #GoGreen
New York braces for impact of retaliatory tariffs
As the issue becomes a flashpoint in the November midterm elections on one hand, the real day-to-day economic impact is playing out on the other.
SK hynix Charts Its Business and Technology Direction at the 2026 Future Forum—”Now Is the Golden Time to Leap Forward”
▲ A panoramic view of the 2026 SK hynix Future Forum venue On September 8, SK hynix held the 2026 SK hynix Future Forum (Future Forum) at the SUPEX Center on its Icheon Campus under the theme, “The Golden Time
Chinese scientists find a hidden atomic structure that unlocks methane
Scientists found that a tiny atomic structure that forms on nickel oxide during methane conversion is more effective than the metallic nickel long believed to drive the reaction. The discovery allowed a low-nickel catalyst to rival one containing 10 times more metal, potentially opening the door to cheaper and more efficient industrial catalysts.
Michigan Fans Split On Bryce Underwood Ahead Of Oklahoma
Michigan fans are split on Bryce Underwood after the Western Michigan escape, with Oklahoma next. #GoBlue
Alex Michelsen’s Mysterious Girlfriend Draws Attention at US Open
Alex Michelsen and his girlfriend, Caroline, continue to keep a low profile during his successful run at the 2026 US Open. The post Alex Michelsen’s Mysterious Girlfriend Draws Attention at US Open appeared first on HEAVY.
Canada imposes retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, raising concerns for Michigan businesses
MAC Asks NCAA, CFP to Overturn Western Michigan-Michigan Game Result
The conference previously seemed to accept the game’s outcome.
D-backs @ Royals discussion
Today’s Lineups DIAMONDBACKS ROYALS Lars Nootbaar – DH Carter Jensen – C Ketel Marte – 2B Bobby Witt – SS Gabriel Moreno – C Vinnie Pasquantino – 1B Geraldo Perdomo – SS Salvador Perez – DH Corbin Carroll – RF Michael Massey – 2B Nolan Arenado – 3B Nick Loftin – 3B Tommy Troy – […]
Where Michigan voters stand with single-payer health insurance, according to poll
Michigan voters were asked in a recent poll how they felt about the upcoming November general election. Some questions focused on Michigan voters’ opinions on the American health care system.
Michigan Jewish leaders call on El-Sayed to change posture on Israel
The 98 Biggest TV Show Flops, Bombs and Misses in the First Half of 2026
(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.) In July, I updated my look at how the “streaming bubble” popped since 2023, showing the decline in streaming TV shows over time. But after compiling and analyzing and writing about over one hundred TV show flops in the first half of 2026—I counted 99 “nominees” and there are even more honorable mentions—I couldn’t have told you that the number of shows is going down. When it comes to scripted, English-language TV shows, it feels like we have as many bombs as ever. I don’t keep a specific count, but some streamers probably had as many flops as they’ve ever had.1 That’s right, it’s time for part two of my analysis of the biggest flops, bombs and misses on streaming in the first half of 2026. Two weeks ago, I took a look at films. Today, TV shows. If you want to read the full methodology for how I assemble this list, you can find it at the bottom of this article. In short, this list is… ...scripted and unscripted TV shows,...from the nine major streamers,...in the US (using US-only ratings),...excluding true crime, kids and foreign-language shows,...that got no/poor ratings,...from Jan-2026 to the end of June-2026. Reminder: this article does not represent my personal opinion—many of these shows are great!—but I follow the data, and a miss is a miss and a bomb is a bomb. Also, price matters. If a TV show costs north of $100 million, it needs to get lots and lots of streaming viewership to justify that budget. As with past editions, I ordered this list by streamer, going from best (fewest flops) to worst (the most misses)—taking the size of the flops into consideration—and like the last edition, three or four streamers vied to take the win/loss of having the most flops. (But the actual winner is no surprise.) I try to avoid tooting my own horn too much, but seriously, in just under 5,000 words (including the methodology section) I provide a mostly comprehensive overview of the eight major streamers (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and Apple TV) for the first half of the year, mentioning most of their hits and all their misses. It summarizes the entire first half of 2026! If you want to support this work, please subscribe. Subscribe Tubi Big Mood Boarders The Freak Brothers Twenty Twenty Six Honorable Mentions: Busted on Bodycam, Deestroying the Pitch, Destination World Cup 2026 I don’t think that Tubi spends all that much making or (mostly) licensing these original TV shows—Big Mood, Boarders and Twenty Twenty Six all come from the UK—but they’re not free and they didn’t chart anywhere. Winner: The Freak Brothers Have you even heard of this show? It’s an animated comedy...that’s on its third season! And Pete Davidson, Woody Harrelson, John Goodman and Tiffany Haddish all provide voice talent for it. Yes, animated shows don’t cost as much as live action shows, but cheap isn’t free! So a show with this level of talent needs to perform better. Disney+ Daredevil: Born Again Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Honorable Mentions: Behind the Attraction, Donna Hay Coastal Celebrations, We Call It Imagineering Disney+ doesn’t make all that many original shows anymore. They had two flops, and one was animated. Their one not-a-miss show, Wonder Man, got just good enough viewership to not be considered a “miss”...but it’s since been cancelled. At this point, Disney has pivoted entirely away from making big budget TV shows for Disney+ to making...almost nothing for Disney+? Sure, Disney’s spending circa 2019-2022 was unsustainable, but now they’re pivoting too far in the other direction. At some point, Disney needs to stop shifting strategies so wildly. Really, Disney should have made fewer shows for Disney+ at launch and the shows they did make at that time needed to be made at more reasonable budgets. And they should adopt that strategy now. Winner: Daredevil: Born Again Daredevil, the Marvel Comics character, is on my personal Mount Rushmore of favorite superheroes, so it pains me to give him the win/loss today, but this show deserves it. I’ll repeat my hot take from last spring: “Based on his popularity, Daredevil should be in movies, and probably ones that cost a lot less than the MCU’s usual price tag. Disney/Bob Iger/Ike Perlmutter (who, based on reporting, made the decision) made a huge mistake selling TV shows to Netflix in the 2010s, thus limiting this character to the small screen. Daredevil could have anchored Marvel’s post-Infinity War plans, and if he did, the MCU would probably be in a better place than it is now.” HBO Max 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 four streamers had the most misses... HBO’s strong start to 2026… The caveat to Peacock’s turnaround this year... Paramount+’s key man problem… What country isn’t delivering hits for Netflix or Hulu... The cavalcade of stars on a streamer where no one is watching their shows... Across nearly 5,000 words of analysis… And a lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you’d like to read more about why you should subscribe, please read this article about the Streaming Ratings Report, why it matters, why you need it, and why we cover streaming ratings best.
Michigan rabbis lay out demands for El-Sayed and state Democrats to earn their votes
As the candidate seeks Jewish voters, an open letter describes Jewish sovereignty in Israel and Jewish safety as “nonnegotiables.”
MAC Challenges Michigan Win, Big Ten Fires Back
The Big Ten has responded after the MAC accused its replay crew of failing to follow proper protocol during Michigan’s miracle win over Western Michigan.
How Michael Carter-Williams Can Help Syracuse Basketball Program
The former SU guard has a new opportunity.
Trinity Health to slash 557 workers at Livonia headquarters
Livonia-based Trinity Health notified the Michigan Department of Economic Opportunity that it plans to cut 557 information technology jobs.
Faculty Focus: Chris Erickson, College of Business
Chris Erickson has spent 40 years at NMSU as an economics professor, researcher and mentor. Erickson, a professor in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics and International Business in...
Microsoft patches a record 972 vulnerabilities, 112 of them critical
Security gnomes are pumping out patches ahead of an expected onslaught of AI-assisted attacks.
Pritzker defends Logan prison closure; pumps 5-year plan to attract new business to Lincoln
During a media appearance Tuesday in Bloomington, Pritzker said he's the most pro-economic development governor since Jim Thompson, who left office in 1991. He plans to work with Logan County officials to state properties where industry has left, including the pending closure of Logan Correctional Center.
Survey: Will Michigan cover the spread vs Oklahoma?
Will Michigan cover the spread against Oklahoma? Vote in this edition of SB Nation Reacts.
Senate Set to Vote to Begin Debate on Protect College Sports Act
Background The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 (PCSA), introduced in the Senate on June 2, 2026, by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and joined by Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Chris Coons (D-DE), represents a comprehensive federal legislative effort to reshape the governance and economics of intercollegiate athletics, including redistributing the significant media revenues generated by college sports. Reported favorably 19-9 from the Senate Commerce Committee and placed on Senate Calendar No. 449 on June 24, 2026, the PCSA was substantially revised on August 7, 2026 (Senate Amendment 6768). The PCSA arrives against a backdrop of cascading judicial decisions that have systematically dismantled the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) authority to regulate the economics of college sports.
National Landing innovation district CEO named
National IQ names Michael Manuccia as its inaugural CEO to lead the innovation district’s growth in National Landing.
We redshirted our son for kindergarten. Then he skipped a grade.
We held our son back for kindergarten because of different state cutoffs. When he became bored academically, we moved him ahead a grade.
Supreme Court rulings change the economics of political party spending
A Supreme Court ruling last week allowing political parties to continue accessing cheaper TV and radio advertising may give a boost to Republicans as campaigns
Supreme Court rulings change the economics of political party spending
A Supreme Court ruling last week allowing political parties to continue accessing cheaper TV and radio advertising may give a boost to Republicans as campaigns
Supreme Court rulings change the economics of political party spending
A Supreme Court ruling last week allowing political parties to continue accessing cheaper TV and radio advertising may give a boost to Republicans as campaigns
Supreme Court rulings change the economics of political party spending
A Supreme Court ruling last week allowing political parties to continue accessing cheaper TV and radio advertising may give a boost to Republicans as campaigns
Supreme Court rulings change the economics of political party spending
A Supreme Court ruling last week allowing political parties to continue accessing cheaper TV and radio advertising may give a boost to Republicans as campaigns
Supreme Court rulings change the economics of political party spending
A Supreme Court ruling last week allowing political parties to continue accessing cheaper TV and radio advertising may give a boost to Republicans as campaigns
Years before Nepal floods, scientists pitched a seismic warning system
The scientists, who are based in Europe, say the system could have triggered lifesaving alerts before floodwaters hit in Nepal. But the concept is unproven in the field.
MAC Takes Michigan’s Hail Mary Win to the NCAA
The MAC has asked the NCAA to hand Michigan's Hail Mary win to Western Michigan. #GoBlue
Exclusive: Two of gaming’s biggest names are making a big investment in gaming’s future
The first thing to know about the Nova Games Foundation is that it isn’t about The Game Awards. And it’s not about PlayStation. The ambitious new grant program is the brainchild of Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny. Keighley is the host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest and Opening Night Live. Cerny is a game designer of some 45 years and the lead architect for the PlayStation 4 and 5. But this new thing, which they’re revealing through Game File, isn’t about their day jobs. It’s an unaffiliated, standalone philanthropic project. It’s a bet on the artistic future of video games and a way, they tell me, to give back. “I’m nearing the end of my career,” Cerny recently told me over email. “I’m not done yet, but paying it forward—in the best way possible—is very much on my mind these days,” The Nova Games Foundation is a university-affiliated fellowship program, intended to offer six-figure grants to 20 young game designers each year, potentially for decades to come. It will offer no-strings-attached funding along with mentorship from games industry leaders, a combination intended to aid the development of groundbreaking new games, Cerny and Keighley told me. Nova will begin accepting applications in December, from class of 2026 and 2027 students from 13 affiliated gaming programs at universities in eight countries. The schools working with Nova include the New York University and the University of Southern California in the U.S., along with Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, Cerny and Keighley said. The plan: $100,000 per recipient, with about a quarter of Nova fellows eligible for up to $500,000 more for projects that are shaping up particularly well. Payments will be delivered based on development milestones, and recipients will own their games. Nova will help promote the work, and developers will be free to pursue the publishers and platforms of their choice. Nova can help introduce fellows to publishers, but won’t take a cut. “I’ve always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I’ve never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games,” Keighley told Game File. “I’ve never owned stock in a game company or taken a financial stake in a game. Nova is philanthropy: we aren’t taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we’re hoping for is creative—helping new voices make games and find their footing. “Mark and I have each made multi-million-dollar donations to establish the foundation, and we intend to keep contributing. We hope others will join us.” Cerny and Keighley have already hired an executive director, John Maconga, and a head of grants, recent Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan, to help launch the effort. They’re working to recruit game industry leaders to join the effort. Keighley says “dozens of leading game directors have already expressed interest in contributing their time.” To name one, they’ve already gotten Josef Fares, lead designer from It Takes Two and Spit Fiction studio Hazelight on board with a donation and pledge to help out. “I’m proud to support Nova because it gives the next generation of creators the freedom to explore their creativity and hopefully bring their unique visions to life,” Fares told Game File. A plan forged from a friendship Keighley and Cerny have known each other a long time. It’s been so long, Cerny isn’t even sure exactly when they met. “We travel in much the same circles and I’m sure first intersected in the 90s or early 2000s,“ Cerny said. Keighley thinks it might have been during his stint writing a column about the mid-’90s console 3DO for a gaming magazine while Cerny was working on games with Crystal Dynamics or on Way of the Warrior with Naughty Dog. They became genuine friends about a 10 years ago, Keighley said, as they bonded over a shared love of games and a hope to improve the industry. “About a decade ago, we started having dinner a few times a year in LA,” Keighley said. “Just to catch up on life and the industry. Those conversations continued over Zoom during COVID. Nova grew out of that friendship and a question we kept coming back to: ‘What could we do to help the next generation of game directors get started?’” Keighley credits Cerny with the idea to figure out a way to put their money and time back into the industry. At one of those dinners, Keighley proposed the idea of a fellowship program. He’d recalled applying for a Rhodes Scholarship when he was younger. “Spoiler: I didn’t get it,” he said. He’d admired the MacArthur Foundation’s so-called “genius grants.” He liked these kinds of programs that recognized people’s talents and gave them the financial boost and the freedom to realize their potential. With Cerny, he had pondered what a game industry version of that could be. Keighley liked the idea of centering the fellowship on students, drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of Jenova Chen, the USC game design graduate who went on to lead the creation of gently moving, ambitious games such as Flower and Journey. Keighley also thought it could be useful to help promising graduates bridge the transition from student to professional. “Joining an established studio isn’t always possible—especially in today’s market—and even then, it isn’t the right path for everyone,” Keighley said. A fellowship, he realized, could give “graduates the time, resources and guidance to pursue a game of their own and not worry about the commercial viability.” As the idea took shape, Cerny also saw an opportunity to enable more games of a certain type: “The target with the grants is games as an artistic medium,” Cerny told me. “We like to say games with ‘artistic, literary and societal value.’” He added: “I’m a pretty big gamer myself, though I tend to gravitate towards the smaller and more unique or artistic titles, games like Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray or Outer Wilds. I was just playing and Roger on a flight to Japan, and was getting misty eyed to a degree that I was concerned that a flight attendant would ask me if I was OK. “So one fun benefit here is the games that will come out of the Nova Games Foundation – I can’t wait to play them myself.” Cerny believes it will also be useful for Nova fellows to hone their craft and team leadership skills. “We are looking for the next generation of visionaries,” he said. “The trick is that they will also need to have the executive function necessary to drive a small project to completion.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Going big with this Keighley and Cerny may have started Nova and may be the ones primarily backing it right now, but they’re dreaming of something that goes beyond them. “Mark and I may have helped get it started, but one of our measures of success is that Nova grows into something the entire games industry feels a sense of ownership in,” Keighley said. “Our ambition is to build a lasting endowment supported by people and companies across the industry, and an equally broad community of creators willing to give their time and experience to the next generation.” The industry has a lot of knowledge that it can pass to the next generation, Keighley said: “Nova can hopefully become a way to connect that generosity with talented young creators at the moment when it can make the biggest difference.” Cerny, who told me he believes Nova can mature “over the next 10 or 20 years,” sees an opportunity to give generations of game makers momentum. “The industry has changed immeasurably since I started in games in 1982,” he said. “These graduates have talent, training and tools that outclass what we had back in the day by an astonishing amount. But they face a tough road ahead getting traction in the industry, and many could benefit from our support. We want to be there to give it to them.” “There’s a personal side to this, too,” Keighley said. “I don’t have children, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I can do for future generations. Games have been my entire career. I’ve been incredibly fortunate, and helping someone else build a life in this industry feels like a meaningful way to give back.” Cerny’s oeuvre dates back to Marble Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He has stood on stage multiple times to reveal the future of PlayStation hardware. He’s been an executive producer for a string of modern PlayStation classics such as The Last Guardian and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Nevertheless, of Nova, he said, “It’s certainly not like anything I’ve done before.” Nova Foundation applications will be due in December and the first wave of fellows will be announced in March 2027. A full list of participating universities and steps students and recent graduates can take to apply to become a Nova Fellow is forthcoming.