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States are the next vaccine battleground
This is the web edition of STAT's D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.
World discovers it can hedge US trade risk
It will be many years before the United States' allies can contemplate dispensing with the need for its military might or challenging the tech supremacy of its Silicon Valley giants.
Galaxy Z TriFold seemingly won’t allow trade-ins, as it briefly went up for sale early
Samsung announced earlier this week that the Galaxy Z TriFold would be available for purchase in the United States on...
Escape from Washington? Senators look to start new chapters as governors
U.S. senators are increasingly looking to leave Washington for leadership roles in their home states
Escape from Washington? Senators look to start new chapters as governors
U.S. senators are increasingly looking to leave Washington for leadership roles in their home states.
Nearly 2,000 Products Recalled in 3 States After Being Exposed to Rodent Waste—FDA Issues Risk Warning
Diet Coke, Hershey's, and Tylenol are among the many popular products under recall. They were held in a facility with rodent and bird waste.
Inside Maryland’s High-Stakes Bid for Trump’s $50 Billion Rural Health Fund
The White House asked states to compete for a rare pot of new money dedicated to transforming health care across rural America.
Trump’s National Guard deployments have cost taxpayers nearly $500 million dollars
President Donald Trump’s sweeping deployment of National Guard troops to several major cities across the United States cost taxpayers approximately $496 million from June through December last year, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office.
Here's what to know about the $50 billion states are getting for rural health
To satisfy Republicans opposed to last summer's cuts to health care, the Trump administration launched an ambitious 5-year initiative known as the Rural Health Transformation Program.
KPN Consulting Services Announces Over 20M USD in Business Acquisitions and Launch of Financial Wealth Symposium
CHARLOTTE, NC, UNITED STATES360-Degree Consulting Firm Expands Economic Empowerment Footprint Through Strategic
As college sports look more professional, sponsors turn to high school
High school sports, some marketers are finding, can provide brands with national reach and inroads with potential future star athletes.
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
Thousands of Californians move to Idaho every year. Who are they?
They’ve faced, at times, a chilly welcome from Idahoans. What the data tell us about the state’s largest group of newcomers.
The best and worst states to start a business in 2026
'It’s crucial to establish your business in a state that will maximize your chances of success,' one analyst said.
How scientists predict big winter storms : Short Wave
This past weekend, Winter Storm Fern struck the States. Sleet, snow and ice battered Americans all the way from New Mexico to New York. Scientists predicted its arrival in mid-January, and in anticipation of the storm, more than 20 state governors issued emergency declarations. But how did scientists know so much, so early, about the approaching storm? NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher says it has to do with our weather models… and the data we put into them. Which begs the question: Will we continue to invest in them?Interested in more science behind the weather? Check out our episodes on better storm prediction in the tropics and how the Santa Ana winds impact the fire season this time of year. Have a question we haven’t covered? Email us at shortwave@npr.org. We’d love to consider it for a future episode! Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by our showrunner Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones and Rebecca Hersher checked the facts. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. News clips were from CBS Boston, Fox Weather, Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, and PBS Newshour.
Governor’s goal of getting Oregon on CNBC’s Top 10 States for Business is misguided
Not only are the CNBC rankings irrelevant, the goal could serve as a pretext for giving corporate lobbyists what they’re always after: tax cuts.
Nevada ranks near the bottom for health. Here’s why
Nevada ranks among the least healthy states, driven by poor outcomes in housing, non-medical drug use and access to care.
South Carolina measles outbreak reaches 789 cases, surpassing Texas
The ongoing outbreak has spread to at least 3 other states, sending hundreds of people into quarantine.
South Carolina measles outbreak is largest in US since measles was declared eliminated
The fast-growing measles outbreak in South Carolina is now the largest in the United States since the disease was declared eliminated in this country more than two decades ago.
Google's more affordable AI Plus plan rolls out to all markets, including the U.S.
Gemini 3 Pro and other AI tools are now available globally through the Google AI Plus plan, which is $7.99 per month in the United States.
Tahoe Forest Health System celebrates Heart Health Month
TRUCKEE, Calif. – Tahoe Forest Health System invites local residents to join a month-long celebration of Heart Health Month this February. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States,...
Google Brings Cheaper $7.99 'AI Plus' Plan to 35 Countries, Including U.S.
Google today announced that it is expanding its more affordable Google AI Plus subscription plan to 35 countries and territories, including the United States. In the U.S., Google AI Plus is priced at $7.99, giving Google Gemini users a more affordable option for accessing upgraded AI services. Prior to now, Google AI Pro was the most affordable AI subscription plan at $19.99 per month.
Even in ‘business-friendly’ states, federal policy shocks are hurting Latino-owned firms
Texas, Florida, and North Carolina are so-called “business-friendly” states worth watching because they sit at the intersection of rapid growth, demographic dependence, and policy volatility.
Breakdown In Federal Health Tracking Leaves U.S. Vulnerable To Outbreaks, Pandemics, Experts Warn
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Jan. 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The United States is more vulnerable to future outbreaks, pandemics and health crises due to a breakdown in federal disease tracking, a new study says. Nearly half of once-routinely updated health surveillance databases ...
HHS has new vaccine rules. They're doomed to fail.
Trying to import Denmark's vaccine schedule into the United States is like bolting a jet engine onto a toy plane.
Bondi’s injection of voter roll demands into Minneapolis ICE tensions draws claims of ‘ransom’
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s demand that Minnesota hand over sensitive voter registration records to the federal government amid tensions over ICE and immigration enforcement underscores the importance of the administration’s nationwide data grab that is facing resistance in multiple states and has stumbled in the courts.
Policies and interventions to create healthy school food environments: WHO guideline
This WHO guideline provides Member States with evidence-based recommendations and implementation considerations on policies to improve school food environments. It covers three areas: direct food provision in schools; nutrition standards or rules for foods and beverages served or sold at school; and nudging interventions that modify the school food environment to promote healthier choices.
Alex Pretti Shooting Poses a Question for the Right: Who’s a Conservative?
Republicans wrestle with Trump administration positions that seem to contradict their beliefs on gun rights, states’ rights and limited use of federal power.
US Official says Washington is open for business if Iran wishes to contact them
The United States is "open for business" if Iran wishes to contact Washington, a U.S. official said on Monday, as the United States seeks to pressure Tehran over a government crackdown on protesters.
MediaTek Estimated To Be Hit The Hardest Out Of All Chipset Manufacturers Thanks To The Memory Crisis, As More Than 50% Of Its Revenue Comes From SoC Shipments
Qualcomm has largely been able to diversify its business, but a new report states that the DRAM shortage will strike MediaTek the hardest
Iowa politics: Proposal would require all Iowa police officers to cooperate with ICE
House File 2041 says local and state agencies "shall cooperate and work with United States immigration and Customs Enforcement and any other federal immigration-related agencies when requested.”
Providers say feds’ new rural health care grants to Illinois won’t cover Medicaid cuts
State received second-smallest grant among neighboring states.
Trump Officially Cuts Ties With WHO, Ending Decades-Long Partnership
By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Jan. 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The United States has officially pulled out of the World Health Organization (WHO), a year after President Donald Trump announced plans to leave the global health group. The Trump administration said the decision was based on what it called WHO’s poor ...
CDC Restores $5 Billion in Public Health Grants After 24-Hour Pause
By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Jan. 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Federal officials have lifted a short pause on more than 100 public health grants worth over $5 billion, allowing states to continue work aimed at strengthening health systems. The funding, provided through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...
How spit hood use could be made safer, according to experts
The federal government doesn’t monitor spit hood use at psychiatric facilities. States, national medical organizations and accrediting agencies don’t either.
Doctors ignore new federal vaccine recommendations to stick with science
The American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday released its updated recommendations for what vaccines children should get. It’s a routine revision, hardly different from last year’s recommendations, but it carries more significance this year: More states and doctors are relying on it instead of a controversial new schedule from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors ignore new federal vaccine recommendations to stick with science
The American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday released its updated recommendations for what vaccines children should get. It’s a routine revision, hardly different from last year’s recommendations, but it carries more significance this year: More states and doctors are relying on it instead of a controversial new schedule from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors ignore new federal vaccine recommendations to stick with science
The American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday released its updated recommendations for what vaccines children should get. It’s a routine revision, hardly different from last year’s recommendations, but it carries more significance this year: More states and doctors are relying on it instead of a controversial new schedule from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Where and how spit hoods are used across the U.S.
Across the country, spit hoods have been used in medical settings in at least 29 states over the past decade, a Seattle Times investigation found.
Colorado is shrinking — time for our elected officials to take notice
By Jon Caldara Something strange is happening in Colorado — strange enough that the political class should notice. People are leaving Colorado. After years of being one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, net in-migration has stopped and may be reversing. According to Federal Reserve Bank data, the last time Colorado’s population took a […]
Confusion swells as Trump administration abruptly halts public health funding to cities and states, then reverses course
As public health departments across the country prepared for a massive winter storm this weekend, notice landed in their inboxes that pivotal grant funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was paused. No more money could be spent.
Freeze of public health funds for states, then reversal, sows confusion
A sense of whiplash spread across state public health agencies after the Trump administration paused $5 billion in federal spending, only to quickly say it would lift the pause on Saturday.
US Health Department pauses about $5 billion in state public health grants, Bloomberg News reports
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has sent notices to states and partners pausing public health grants that add up to about $5 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing an email.
US Health Department Pauses About $5 Billion in State Public Health Grants, Bloomberg News Reports
Jan 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has sent notices to states and partners pausing public health grants that add up to about $5 billion, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing an email. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. (Reporting ...
CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states
The CDC has paused more than 100 grants to states and organizations to update infrastructure for public health projects.
1 in 5 Americans get no exercise outside of work — where does your state rank?
One in five Americans get zero physical activity outside work, with Mississippi leading inactivity at 30.6% while Colorado ranks most active at just 15.6%.
HHS Pauses Roughly $5 Billion in State Public Health Grants
The Department of Health and Human Services sent notices Saturday to states and partners pausing public health grants, which adds up to an estimated $5 billion in potential losses for health departments.
Things I never travel without, from woman who's been to all 50 states
As a frequent traveler, noise-canceling headphones, a notebook, electrolyte packets, and a tripod are some of the things I never travel without.
Salem City Council to vote on repealing downtown parking tax
Salem City Council will vote on Jan. 26 on whether to advance a bill repealing the Downtown Parking Tax District.
WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States
WHO regrets the United States’ notification of withdrawal from WHO – a decision that makes both the United States and the world less safe. The notification of withdrawal raises issues that will be considered by the WHO Executive Board at its regular meeting starting on 2 February and by the World Health Assembly at its annual meeting in May 2026.
Trump’s Exit From the World Health Organization Is Dangerous
Withdrawing the United States from the WHO is "is a dangerous wager that puts American lives at risk."
California becomes first state to join a World Health Organization network, Newsom's office says
The news comes after the Trump administration withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization.
Kuvings Announces New Line of Health-Boosting Juicers to Support 2026 Wellness Goals
Illinois, United StatesJanuary is the ideal time to invest in a Kuvings juicer for your health goals. With peak
Hamm v. Smith: The Limits of Legal Certainty when Science Evolves - Petrie-Flom Center
Can states keep IQ testing people sentenced to death until they get the “right” score for execution? What is really at the heart of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on executing people who have an intellectual disability?
Nurses demand Congress abolish ICE, invest in health care
Nurses demand the removal of immigration enforcement agents from communities, the abolition of ICE, and accountability for this administration’s crimes against all residents of the United States.
'The ultimate insult': Trump diminishing NATO's Afghanistan involvement causes distress in UK
Trump said in an interview in Davos on Thursday that he wasn't sure NATO would support the United States if and when requested. He said that troops "stayed a little back a little off the front lines."
US Withdraws from World Health Organization
The Trump administration terminated the United States' membership in the World Health Organization on January 22, 2026.
UK's Starmer Names Business Adviser Chandra as Special Envoy to US, Source Says
WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed his top business adviser, Varun Chandra, as a new special envoy to the United States, with a focus on trade and private sector investment, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The move comes amid ...
The thrill of covering sports lies in a constant hunt for details
I have joined the Guardian today as an assistant sports editor in the United States. This is why I do what I do
After TikTok Deal, Chinese Firms Search for a New Global Path
Chinese firms must contend with geopolitical tensions and mistrust to do business in the United States. Some are choosing to avoid the U.S. altogether.
US airlines issue travel waivers, announce cancellations ahead of widespread winter storm
A winter storm threatened thousands of flights heading into the weekend across two dozen states, as airlines issue travel waivers for customers impacted by the snow.
United States Completes WHO Withdrawal
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State today announced the United States’ completion of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization
Trump admin orders review of federal funding to 14 blue states; NJ Governor responds: ‘everything he touches turns to crap’
Rodman contract saga ends with record Spirit deal
United States forward Trinity Rodman has signed a new three-year contract with the Washington Spirit to remain at the club, ending months-long uncertainty over the star's future.
The Michigan Science Center rockets to the top 20 in the Country
The famous science center cracks the top 20 list of science museums in the United States
The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Shares Two Ways You Can Prevent Cervical Cancer
January 22, 2026 Media Contact: Dr. Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Shares Two Ways You Can Prevent Cervical Cancer January Marks Cervical Health Awareness Month WARRENTON, Va.– Cervical cancer is highly preventable, yet thousands of women die from it each year in the United States. The Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District encourages you to take two simple steps […]
What’s in Trump’s ‘framework’ Greenland deal? Here's what we know
Trump's announcement of a 'framework of a future deal' marks a shift after weeks of threats from the United States. Here's what we know.
Ron DeSantis implores Idaho to back his call for a balanced federal budget
The Governor believes the states can compel action, while Congress won't act without pressure.
How States Can Combat Health Care Consolidation and Corporate Conflicts of Interest
States have several policy levers they can use to curb consolidation and corporate conflicts of interest, protecting competition and lowering costs.
Alarm as US mulls prioritising citizens in research funding
A senior White House official said the Trump administration is considering ways to prioritise research funding to American citizens, triggering alarm in the research community that the country could destroy its century-long status as a magnet for overseas talent.Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said last week that it is “important for us to continue to emphasise the use of federal R&D dollars towards American scientists and technologists that are staffed by Americans in their labs.” Asked about support for Chinese students during a Congressional hearing, Kratsios went on to say that in future funding announcements, the OSTP would “emphasise” that “we're funding American students.”The precise meaning of his impromptu comments, and what they could mean in policy terms, isn’t yet clear. The OSTP did not respond to multiple requests for clarification from Science|Business.But given that US science and technology has relied on overseas talent for the past century, Kratsios’s words have alarmed former US science officials.Immigrants have made up around 30-40% of US Nobel Prize winners since the 1940s, for example. Except for some sensitive projects, countries typically grant research funding on a nationality-blind basis, lest they deter foreign scientists from immigrating. “If director Kratsios’s statements are taken literally and become official policy of the White House, [research-intensive] universities will likely have to close labs if not entire research divisions,” said David Biggs, a former science and technology official in the US State Department. In their most extreme interpretation, Kratsios’s comments would imply that foreign scientists established in the US would see access to funding curtailed. This would “result in many world-leading professors who work in the United States in fields that this administration considers a priority (like fusion energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing) leaving the country,” said Cole Donovan, a former US science diplomat, and now associate director at the Federation of American Scientists.CripplingHowever, given the context of the conversation, Kratsios may have been referring more narrowly to funding for doctoral or postdoctoral students. At the hearing, he said he wanted to see labs staffed by US citizens. But even this would have devastating consequences for the US science system, say former officials, because the country is so dependent on early-career foreign researchers. Recent statistics show that nearly half of those in the US with a PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) are considered short-term visitors, or non-residents in the official terminology. If this included residents who are not yet citizens, the proportion would likely be even higher. “Foreign PhD students are really a significant and core part of the university STEM workforce, and postdocs is similarly large,” said Donovan. Preventing US-based academics from hiring them from overseas would be a serious blow, he said. “If it's the case that this administration intends to limit funding to labs staffed only with US citizens, the effect will be to cripple the American scientific enterprise,” said Chris Marcum, a former OSTP official. “To think that these researchers can simply be replaced is a pipe dream. The labs will close,” said Marcum. Go elsewhereAround half of US-trained postdocs are foreign-born, said Biggs. “If these top international students cannot get funding to do their research, or even if they hear that funding for foreign students has been greatly restricted and will be super competitive, they will no longer choose to study in the US and will go elsewhere.” It’s unclear for now if Kratsios’s comments will translate into a real policy shift. But they could add to turmoil in the US science system since Donald Trump took over as president one year ago. Related articlesNIH turmoil risks reciprocal EU-US access to health research fundingUS set to close office responsible for global science and technology dealsTrump halts new NIH grants to international health-research partnersSince then, nearly 8,000 grants at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation have been frozen or terminated, Naturereports. Courts have overturned most of these cancellations, but the disruption caused remains significant. Both those agencies have also dished out around a quarter fewer grants this year than normal, the journal reported. International student enrolment is also down by 17%. The Trump administration also proposes to cut research budgets by around a third, although Congress may mollify the cuts.
Alarm over US plan to prioritise citizens in research funding
The US’s leading science official has said the country will focus its research spending on scientists with US citizenship, triggering alarm that the country could destroy its century-long status as a magnet for overseas talent.Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), said last week that it is “important for us to continue to emphasise the use of federal R&D dollars towards American scientists and technologists that are staffed by Americans in their labs.” Asked about support for Chinese students during a Congressional hearing, Kratsios went on to say that in future funding announcements, the OSTP would “emphasise” that “we're funding American students.”Kratsios’s precise meaning, and what it could mean in policy terms, isn’t yet clear. The OSTP did not respond to multiple requests for clarification from Science|Business.But given that US science and technology has relied on overseas talent for the past century, Kratsios’s words have stunned former US science officials.Immigrants have made up around 30-40% of US Nobel Prize winners since the 1940s, for example. Except for some sensitive projects, countries typically grant research funding on a nationality-blind basis, lest they deter foreign scientists from immigrating. “If director Kratsios’s statements are taken literally and become official policy of the White House, [research-intensive] universities will likely have to close labs if not entire research divisions,” said David Biggs, a former science and technology official in the US State Department. In their most extreme interpretation, Kratsios’s comments would imply that foreign scientists established in the US would see access to funding curtailed. This would “result in many world-leading professors who work in the United States in fields that this administration considers a priority (like fusion energy, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing) leaving the country,” said Cole Donovan, a former US science diplomat, and now associate director at the Federation of American Scientists.CripplingHowever, given the context of the conversation, Kratsios may have been referring more narrowly to funding for doctoral or postdoctoral students. At the hearing, he said he wanted to see labs staffed by US citizens. But even this would have devastating consequences for the US science system, say former officials, because the country is so dependent on early-career foreign researchers. Recent statistics show that nearly half of those in the US with a PhD in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) are considered short-term visitors, or non-residents in the official terminology. If this included residents who are not yet citizens, the proportion would likely be even higher. “Foreign PhD students are really a significant and core part of the university STEM workforce, and postdocs is similarly large,” said Donovan. Preventing US-based academics from hiring them from overseas would be a serious blow, he said. “If it's the case that this administration intends to limit funding to labs staffed only with US citizens, the effect will be to cripple the American scientific enterprise,” said Chris Marcum, a former OSTP official. “To think that these researchers can simply be replaced is a pipe dream. The labs will close,” said Marcum. Go elsewhereAround half of US-trained postdocs are foreign-born, said Biggs. “If these top international students cannot get funding to do their research, or even if they hear that funding for foreign students has been greatly restricted and will be super competitive, they will no longer choose to study in the US and will go elsewhere.” It’s unclear for now if Kratsios’s comments will translate into a real policy shift. But they could add to turmoil in the US science system since Donald Trump took over as president one year ago. Since then, nearly 8,000 grants at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation have been frozen or terminated, Naturereports. Courts have overturned most of these cancellations, but the disruption caused remains significant. Both those agencies have also dished out around a quarter fewer grants this year than normal, the journal reported. International student enrolment is also down by 17%. The Trump administration also proposes to cut research budgets by around a third, although Congress may mollify the cuts.
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