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Commission announces plan for polar hub to step up research coordination
The European Commission plans to develop an EU polar research hub to strengthen coordination and improve the alignment between science and policy. The objective, according to a Commission official, is to “better connect research, observation and scientific infrastructure, improve access to research resources and strengthen coordination with stakeholders, including Indigenous people.”Announced in a new EU Arctic strategy on October 20, there is little detail yet on how the hub will be implemented, only that it will “reinforce and expand” the European Polar Coordination Office (EPCO), which is hosted and managed by the European Polar Board (EPB) at Umeå University in Sweden. EPCO was born from the EU-PolarNet projects funded through Horizon 2020 and currently coordinates the EU Polar Cluster, a network of EU-funded collaborative polar projects.While the practical details remain to be defined, the decision sends “a clear and positive signal,” said Maria Grigoratou, head of EPCO and executive secretary of EPB. “By reinforcing EPCO, the Commission has an opportunity to build on the legacy of EU-PolarNet 2, strengthen European polar research coordination and expand cooperation with a broader range of Arctic stakeholders,” she told Science|Business.The move has been welcomed by the polar research community. “The polar research hub could play an important role in connecting existing research communities, observation systems and infrastructure, and in bringing scientific knowledge closer to policymaking, in cooperation with local communities and Indigenous people,” said Katrine Moland Hansen, director of operations at Norway’s Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center.But money will be an issue. “It is clear that EPCO will need more resources and structure to function well and to make research reach policymakers,” said Kati Lindström, vice-chair of the Polar Research Committee of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. “European polar research is big if we pool the resources, and it should not only be left to enthusiastic scientists to develop networks of strategic importance in their free time.”The Arctic strategy makes a point of saying that local communities should have a greater involvement in Arctic science. “All EU Arctic research consortia are mandated to invite Indigenous people representatives to participate in projects,” it reads. “The EU also supports research that is directly led by Indigenous communities and address their challenges.”It also underlines the importance of reinforcing collaboration with like-minded partners such as Norway, Iceland, Canada, the UK, Japan and South Korea, as well as deepening its engagement with NATO. This includes the US, with which “the EU is committed to continuing a pragmatic transatlantic engagement based on shared interests and values.”Related articlesViewpoint: Does Europe dare to invest in the Arctic?Anchor Greenlanders in Arctic climate research, experts tell EU ahead of policy updateFor Moland Hansen, this open and inclusive approach to cooperation is encouraging. “The Arctic is also a strong example of why equal participation of associated countries in EU funding instruments matters.”Overall, she finds the new Arctic strategy to be ambitious, timely and comprehensive. “We particularly welcome the recognition that climate change, environmental protection, security, resilience and competitiveness are closely interconnected,” she said. “Research, observations and forecasting capabilities are essential to understanding the rapid changes taking place in the Arctic and addressing these challenges together.”Security focusWhile the Arctic strategy foregrounds security, with pledges to protect undersea cables, boost satellite monitoring, deploy more icebreakers and improve military mobility, the polar community is satisfied that environmental concerns have not been forgotten.“It is inevitable that there is a strong security angle to the EU Arctic strategy, but the impact of climate change and need for climate mitigation and resilience is also strongly recognised and includes a pledge to stay the course on climate commitments,” said Sian Prior, lead advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, a coalition of campaigning non-profit organisations.“We need to remember that by the time the next Multiannual Financial Framework comes to an end, in 2034, the polar regions, especially the Arctic region, will be living under a new reality when it comes to ecosystem processes, when it comes to the climate,” Grigoratou went on. “And that will affect any ambition that humans may have in the region.”Lindström agreed. “All aspects of European security are dependent on climate change in the Arctic and consequently, on climate science,” she said. “We cannot close our eyes to issues like energy security, critical minerals, northern shipping routes, dual-use technologies and others. However, it remains to be seen how well the promises to protect the environment and Indigenous rights will hold when faced with critical mineral extraction under the Critical Minerals Act.”
Tracking tsunamis triggered by extreme weather
As much of Western Europe faced record-breaking temperatures and extended drought this summer, Croatia experienced another weather event that could also set a worrisome precedent.Over the course of two weeks, a series of meteorological tsunamis (meteotsunamis) struck Croatia’s Adriatic coast, alarming both residents and tourists. Social media posts showed flooded seaside promenades and people walking through knee-deep water. Fortunately, no deaths or major damage were reported.In a world where natural disasters seem to be increasing, meteotsunamis — tsunamis caused by rapid weather changes – rarely make headline news. But warming sea temperatures and changing atmospheric conditions may help explain why these phenomena could become more common, especially in shallower seas and inland lakes with wide coastal shelves.“We have definitely become more aware of them, and there have been a lot more reports of these events in the last 10 years,” says Jadranka Šepić, an associate professor of environmental physics at the University of Split whose research focuses on efforts to track meteotsunamis in real time. She is also one of Croatia’s ambassadors for Science Comes to Town (SCTT), a European Commission-funded programme aimed at making research more accessible to the public.Šepić sees two possible reasons for the apparent increase in meteotsunamis. One is that photos and videos shared on social media are providing more empirical evidence, while rising air and sea temperatures could also play a role. The geophysicist “cannot say with certainty” that warming is a contributing factor because research is still ongoing. “But I can say that previously in Croatia we might have had one exceptionally strong event every 10 or 15 years, and one strong event every five years, and within 15 days this summer we had five strong events,” Šepić notes. “This is not typical.”‘A fist against the sea surface’Unlike tsunamis that are triggered by underwater earthquakes or volcanoes, meteotsunamis are caused by sudden changes in atmospheric pressure combined with other rapidly developing weather events, such as thunderstorms. The effect “is like pushing a fist against the sea surface,” Šepić explains. The resulting oscillation intensifies as it reaches shallower water, and “can be far more destructive than a wind-driven wave because meteotsunamis are accompanied by very strong currents than can penetrate much deeper inland.” The meteotsunami, she continues, “then behaves the same as a tsunami — they slow down and grow as the sea shallows, and then grow further in places like harbours due to further shallowing and narrowing. When they come ashore, they can be very destructive — taking everything with them out to sea and then taking it back.”Croatian research institutions have tracked such sea oscillations since the 1930s because the relatively shallow Adriatic Sea is prone to meteotsunamis. The strongest recorded so far was in June 1978, according to the Adriatic Meteotsunami Catalogue, which is supported by the European Research Council (ERC), Croatian Science Foundation and the country’s leading research institutions. During that event, six-metre-high waves flooded the coastal town of Vela Luka on Korčula Island, causing major damage.Other meteotsunami “hotspots” in Europe include the Mediterranean Sea as well the Atlantic coastal shelves off France, Portugal and Spain. In June 2006, a meteotsunami with five-metre-high waves swept through the harbour of Ciutadella in Spain’s Balearic Islands, causing widespread damage to boats. Several less powerful events were reported in the Balearics and off the coast of Spain this summer, leading to some beach closures.Forecasting is challenging because of how quickly meteotsunamis can develop and their uncertain trajectory. Šepić is involved in two ERC-funded research projects — SHExtreme and MeD-Track — aimed in part at strengthening monitoring and real-time data collection. Access to accurate and immediate information is essential for early-warning systems.Early exposure to meteotsunamisŠepić first learned about meteotsunamis from her parents while growing up in Croatia. She later had the opportunity to investigate these events during her master and doctoral studies in geophysics at the University of Zagreb. The geophysicist has also conducted research at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split, the University of the Balearic Islands in Palma de Mallorca and the Institute of Ocean Science in the Canadian province of British Columbia.Projects like SCTT are important to raise awareness about research and inspiring young people to pursue studies and careers in science, notes Šepić. She credits her colleagues at the University of Split and the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries for their community outreach and engagement in the European project, which includes partner universities and institutions in Brest (France) and Kiel (Germany). As an example of town-gown collaboration, Šepić highlights her own university’s ‘Oceanographers on the Island’ programme. This initiative offers workshops and hands-on learning for children living on numerous Croatian islands.“It is a great privilege for Split to be involved in a project like Science Comes to Town, which is the first of its kind in the European Union," Šepić says. As for encouraging new generations of scientists, “This is a great effort, and I hope that we will see an effect in a few years.”Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
Rubio's India Trip Focuses on Business
The top U.S. diplomat’s three-day trip is focused largely on commercial interests.
Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #228
Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over Iowa’s education savings account program In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board […]
Vanderbilt Institute for Population and Public Health celebrates two decades of transformative success
The Institute for Population and Public Health at Vanderbilt connects research, training and teaching with policy and practical solutions.
Race To Uncover Travel Path Of Nigeria's First Ebola Patient
Nigeria's lone Ebola patient was only diagnosed almost two weeks after showing symptoms – and is reported to have travelled to the capital, Abuja, from Uganda
Supreme Court rebuffs Trump administration restrictions on medical care for transgender inmates
The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to allow the Trump administration to immediately enforce new medical restrictions for transgender people in prison. The decision leaves in place a lower-court block on the policy.
Mixing Politics and Perceptions of AI and Data Centers: Results from the Gardner Food & Agricultural Policy Survey
With an eye towards the rapidly approaching 2026 midterm elections, this article further reviews survey results from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, but through the lens of political…
How governments around the world are shaping what AI can say about politics
I’m a researcher at a nonpartisan think tank at Vanderbilt University, where I study free speech policy.
TERRY TURNER: Sad politics
Early voting is already open, yet most of us in south Georgia have never directly heard what either of the two candidates for governor have as policy agendas, what the goals of those policies are or how they are to be achieved.
UCLA experts give warnings about declining vaccination rates
Amid the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul childhood immunization policy, UCLA experts cautioned that declining vaccination rates could increase the risk of disease outbreaks on campus.
Is Donald Trump ready to do business with Myanmar?
There are signs the United States is shifting its policy towards Myanmar, formerly a global pariah.
How the Trump administration’s crackdown on international students could affect the economy
A new proposed $70,000 fee for international students who are seeking to work in the U.S. after graduation is the latest Trump administration policy targeting scholars from abroad.
Political science, history student connects hometown roots to DC policy work
Dawson Glogau gained hands-on experience in policy research and advocacy during a summer internship in Washington, D.C., through the Liberal Arts Semester in Washington Program.
Political science, history student connects hometown roots to DC policy work
Dawson Glogau gained hands-on experience in policy research and advocacy during a summer internship in Washington, D.C., through the Liberal Arts Semester in Washington Program.
Birth centers are linked to better health outcomes, research shows, but 10 states have none
Birth centers are an option for those with low-risk pregnancies and are correlated with more positive health outcomes, but 10 states do not have any birth centers at all, and more could be built with certain state policy solutions and different models of care, a new report suggests.
Longtime Meta policy head Joel Kaplan is leaving
Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer and a key bridge to Trump, will leave after the midterms and a transition period.
Harms of Public Health Measures Overlooked in COVID-19 Policy Reviews
Investigators link oversight with eroding trust in health authorities and call on future pandemic inquiries to weigh trade-offs.
Inside the GOP’s next battle over women’s sports
The Education Department is facing pressure to rescind a policy that’s helped expand women’s athletics — and conservative women leaders are frustrated.
Tracking Military Health Through the Millennium Cohort Study
Why it matters * Long-term evidence strengthens military health and readiness * Research turns service members' experiences into better care * Findings have informed policy, prevention and screeningNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / October 20, 2026 / For more than three decades, has helped federal military leaders turn health questions into evidence that improves care and readiness. The Millennium Cohort Study shows that work in action, helping agencies better understand health challenges and
Perceptions of science and scientists shape partisan views on common vaccines
How Americans view science and scientists is strongly associated with whether they think vaccines are safe and effective - and helps explain partisan differences in perceptions of some vaccines, according to a new study led by a team from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.
29,000 Granite Staters Could Lose Their Health Coverage, New Study Says
A new study by the NH Fiscal Policy Institute indicates from 23,000 to 29,000 New Hampshire residents will lose their Medicaid health insurance coverage by 2028 under new federal and state regulations and requirements set to begin Jan. 1.
US inequality is getting worse in ways you might not expect
From tax policy to gas prices and tariffs, a mix of new factors is making inequality in the US more extreme.
Hanan Al Kuwari: Executive, Minister, Diplomat - And A Middle-Power Mediator?
The State of Qatar has nominated former minister of public health Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari for Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Entering a competitive contest alongside six other candidates as the WHO faces financial instability, workforce restructuring, and geopolitical fragmentation, her campaign positions her as a pragmatic, delivery-focused nominee.
A note to readers: Science, accountability and elections
Dear readers, As early voting begins, I wanted to share some news — and why it connects to the decisions we make at the ballot box. I’ve been selected for the inaugural cohort of the South Atlantic Climate Journalism Hub mentorship program, hosted by Covering Climate Now. I’m excited to join this group, learn from scientists and fellow journalists, and expand my science reporting. Science directly ties to governance. Local officials make decisions about where development goes, how infrastructure is maintained, what emergency preparations receive funding, and how communities rebuild after disasters. Understanding the evidence behind those decisions helps us evaluate whether our government is serving us well. Here in western North Carolina, those connections are all around us, in Lake Lure and beyond. Flood maps inform decisions about property and development. Engineering assessments help identify risks at dams and bridges. Rainfall forecasts guide emergency preparations. Geological information helps explain landslide hazards. Water testing gives communities information they need to assess conditions. Meteorologists’ knowledge and public perception of weather events shape public safety. Each involves scientific or technical knowledge. Each also raises questions about public responsibility: What did officials know? How did they use that information? What did they tell the public? What did taxpayers receive for their money? A study can identify a problem. Elected officials still have to decide what to do about it, how to pay for it, and how to explain their choices. Reporting should examine both the evidence and the response. That is where I want to strengthen my work. My reporting on Helene recovery, infrastructure, flooding, public safety, and public spending has repeatedly brought me to questions that require scientific expertise alongside public records. This mentorship may help me better understand the research, ask more precise questions, and explain the answers clearly. I also bring the perspective of someone living with these concerns. I live downstream of Lake Lure Dam, and landslides affected my property during Helene. Those experiences bring urgency to my questions. Careful reporting helps establish the answers. Readers deserve to know what the evidence shows, where uncertainty remains, and whether officials accurately describe the information guiding their decisions. You also deserve scrutiny of proposed solutions: what they cost, what they are expected to accomplish, and what risks remain. Access to that information matters. As a mostly deaf journalist who relies on written communication, I will continue pressing for written public warnings, records, and explanations that people can read and use in real time. As you consider the candidates seeking your vote, consider how they approach evidence, preparedness, and transparency. Do they support local journalism, even when it’s not parroting a press release? Do they explain weather events clearly in plain English and explain their decisions after them? Make supporting records available? Acknowledge uncertainty? Follow through when a report identifies a risk? Those are practical questions about governing. Thank you for supporting Cops & Congress and the work that makes these questions part of the public conversation. I’m grateful to David Dickson and the CC Now team for this opportunity, and I look forward to bringing what I learn back to you. Annie DanceEditor & Publisher, Cops & Congress — Learn more about this newsletter, ethics policy, how you can help shape this work, and support it. Follow on X and Facebook. Send constructive criticism, fan mail, and tips with public documents for future stories: CopsandCongress@gmail.com ICYMI: View the Cops & Congress archive — Annie Dance is the publisher of Cops & Congress, a newsletter that analyzes what happens when crime, courts, disaster, democracy, and small-town policies collide. Views expressed here are covered by the First Amendment. Dance has a Bachelor of Arts from Manhattan University in Communication with a focus in Journalism and Government. She has been a journalist for over 20 years. Share Upgrade now or give a gift subscription
'They’ve awakened him’: How a wealth tax fight made Brin a political force
After years of sporadic giving, the Google co-founder has unleashed spending that spans from the billionaire tax to housing and environmental policy.
Proposed New Visa for Home Health Aides and Nursing Assistants: What Healthcare Staffing Companies Need to Know
A new policy proposal published by the Brookings Institution recommends creating a temporary work visa that would let US employers sponsor foreign home health aides, personal care aides, and nursing assistants to help ease a growing shortage of caregivers. The September 29 proposal, authored by Brookings scholar Tara Watson through the Hamilton Project, would create an “H-1D” visa category built specifically for the direct-care workforce, launching as a pilot program of 30,000 visas per year. It would require employers to pay wages near the top of the local market, guarantee workers a minimum number of weekly hours, and contemplate a potential pathway to permanent residence after six years, although implementing that pathway would require additional changes to immigration law. The H-1D is only a proposal at this point. No H-1D legislation has been enacted, and employers cannot currently sponsor workers under this proposed classification. But if the idea gains traction, healthcare staffing companies could find themselves with both a significant recruiting opportunity and a new set of compliance obligations. This Insight walks through the proposal’s general immigration and employment requirements, then turns to the specific opportunities and challenges it could create for staffing firms.
Advancing Women's Health to Improve Outcomes in All Phases of Life
The Executive Order (“EO”) makes it federal policy to prioritize turning women’s health research into better clinical care at every life stage, and it directs HHS, through NIH, to set up a new Women’s Health Division within 90 days. In coordination with the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, the Division will focus on, among other things, understudied women’s health conditions, greater inclusion of women and girls in clinical trials and grant recipients’ adherence to NIH's policy on sex as a biological variable. The EO also creates a White House Women’s Health Task Force, co-chaired by the Secretary of HHS and the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff and composed of officials from other departments and agencies.
How forensic science opened a student’s eyes to agriculture
Forensic science degree leads Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences student toward law, policy and a broader view of agriculture
Erika Donalds weighs in on immigration, school vouchers, state power over local governments
In a wide ranging conversation with WLRN, Erika Donalds, the wife of Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, offered thoughts on immigration, the role of local governments in Florida and education policy. She spoke with WLRN on Friday before she addressed the Tower Club in Fort Lauderdale.
Klobuchar and Demuth spar over taxes, costs and regulation at business forum
With roughly two weeks until Election Day, Lisa Demuth and Amy Klobuchar went head-to-head on economic policy.
Metascience Fellowship
With the need for evidence-based, nonpartisan science policy leadership more urgent than ever, fellows will serve a vital role in innovating and accelerating American scientific enterprise.
Supreme Court to Hear New Case on Race and School Admissions
The court’s decision to review an admissions policy for selective middle school programs in Maryland follows its rejection of affirmative action in higher education.
Supreme Court passes on Chicago parking-ticket case, but two justices sound alarm
The high court declined to hear a challenge to Chicago's policy of confiscating cars over unpaid parking tickets, but two justices raised serious constitutional concerns.
Hegseth wrong to say most non-US Nato forces in Afghanistan did not fight, says No 10
Downing Street emphasises sacrifices of UK troops and reasserts ‘unwavering’ support for Ukraine amid softening US policy towards Russia
In memoriam: Frank M. Ahern, teaching professor emeritus of biobehavioral health
The College of Health and Human Development is saddened to share the news that Frank Ahern, teaching professor emeritus of biobehavioral health, passed away last month. Ahern came to Penn State in 1983 as a senior research associate in the Department of Health Policy and Administration and went on to co-found the Department of Biobehavioral Health in 1991.
Oklahoma's superintendent candidates focused on policy, not politics
Both candidates for Oklahoma state superintendent hope for students to have individual experience during school careers.
GOP St. Louis County assessor candidate Messner wants to help set economic development policy
David Messner is a developer who also helped revive the Old Judge Coffee brand. He is competing against outgoing state Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann, to succeed Jake Zimmerman, who is running for county executive.
Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon show Florida business range
Eight months ago, billionaires Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin spoke to a group of business executives gathered at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. The February event was billed as a global finance and policy discussion, but at times speakers talked about South Florida's growing economy.
Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon show Florida business range
Eight months ago, billionaires Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin spoke to a group of business executives gathered at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. The February event was billed as a global finance and policy discussion, but at times speakers talked about South Florida's growing economy.
Trump dangles rural health dollars to push states to change hospital laws
The Trump administration has tied billions in rural health funding for states partly to the policy commitments they make, including ending their certificate of need, or CON, laws governing the construction of new hospitals.
More needs to be done to help tackle maternal and child health
A senior Irish Government minister has called for more to be done to help further improve maternal and child health across the world. Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday (14 October), Neale Richmond said it was vital the issue remained a “priority” for policymakers at EU and member state level. Richmond, Minister of State for International […]
Most Major Carbon Emitters Barely Mention Health In Their Climate Plans
Low- and middle-income countries that contribute little to global warming have done the most to plan for its toll on health, while the major economies behind
Trump’s Overtures to Putin Put Republican Candidates in Hot Seat
GOP politicians in a number of tight races are breaking with Trump on Russia policy ahead of midterms.
Rubio heads to Central Asia as some wonder if he's keeping the most pressing matters at a distance
This tour is intended to promote U.S. economic and security ties with Central and South Asia. But it has only tangential links to the Trump administration’s current main foreign policy dilemmas in the Middle East and with the Russia-Ukraine war.
How Will Patient Voices Influence Digestive Health Policy and Research? - Digestive Cancers Europe
How Will Patient Voices Influence Digestive Health Policy and Research? - Digestive Cancers Europe / cancer, Digestive Cancers Europe, OncoDaily, Oncology,
Independent Journalist Warns That Global Health Diplomacy Is Deeply Unequal, Newsrooms Struggle To Survive
Independent journalism is increasingly important to understanding the political and financial forces shaping global health, yet the reporters covering these
Reagan’s Immigration Policy ‘A Mess’ Says Schroeder
by Rachael Wright Forty-five years ago this week, Democratic U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, representing the 1st Congressional District and serving on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugee and International Law, said the Reagan administration’s immigration policies were “a mess” and that she felt the administration manipulated refugee policy for foreign policy reasons. “States are left to bear […]
Use This Emergency Brake On Climate Change And Air Pollution, Experts Urge Finance Ministers
They are urging climate negotiators at the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Antalya, COP 31, to create a formal roadmap to tackle air pollution and
Briefing Recap | What the midterms could change about U.S. health care
An election lookahead at what’s at stake for health policy
WP Intelligence Briefing | What the midterms could change about U.S. health care
An election lookahead at what’s at stake for health policy
Small but Mighty: The Path to Prosperity Starts With America’s Small Businesses
Join the Center for American Progress for a discussion on the challenges facing America’s small businesses and the policy solutions that can promote entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.
Testimony: ITEP’s Nick Johnson weighs in on D.C.’s Business Activity Tax proposal
A D.C. Business Activity Tax, or BAT, meets commonly held standards for sound tax policy.
It’s time to bring back science in campaign policy discussions
Despite the politicization of science, a majority of both liberals and conservatives feel that government investment in scientific research is worthwhile for society.
This week in health care policy: October 8–15, 2026
Innovation watch Merck expects faster production of its personalized cancer vaccine. CEO Rob Davis told CNBC the six-week turnaround for intismeran autogene, built from each patient’s tumor and paired with Keytruda, will shrink over time. In August, Merck and Moderna reported that the vaccine delayed recurrence and spread in a 1,137-patient Phase 3 melanoma trial, […]
Wildfires, heat waves and access to care among health-related problems facing Californians
The latest annual California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) offers a more precise look at how the 2025 wildfires affected Californians’ health and well-being. The data also reveal trends in the health of immigrants, low-income individuals, and transgender and gender-expansive communities. The 2025 CHIS data show: 500,000 more California adults said their mental health was harmed...
We’re Living in a Golden Age of Hot-Guy Politicians
From Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed to Jon Ossoff and Pete Buttigieg, a new generation of politicians is going hard on policy while being easy on the eyes.
Can AI solve our mental health access problem?
Last week I asked you what worries you most about AI in health. It was close, but your top answer was “AI giving bad health advice.” Last week’s poll results: You’re in good company. This concern was top of mind at a conference I joined at Stanford last week, where researchers, clinicians, and people who build AI systems spent a day debating trust and safety in health AI. Stepping back, I’m also hearing your emerging concerns about AI’s impact on our well-being generally. I see this as a matter of public health, and we’ll take it in pieces as we learn together. Today we’ll focus on AI chatbots used for therapy for mental health. Early this month, Governor Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 903, California’s most ambitious attempt to regulate AI use for mental health. It’s at the center of active debate, and raises the questions patients, family members, citizens, and voters will face as AI moves deeper into health care. Let’s work through it. What is “AI-based therapy”? It’s really two things: purpose-built mental health apps designed to deliver structured support, and general chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini that people increasingly use for emotional support—even if they weren’t built for it. Spoiler alert: I don’t know whether the shift toward AI therapy is good or bad. The evidence isn’t there yet. But I do know it’s already happening, and I have some ideas about how we can roll it out with safety in mind. The therapy dilemma, in a nutshell Mental health challenges are common, and strain health and well-being across populations. Therapy (interactive dialogue with a trained, empathetic practitioner) helps many people heal. The demand for licensed therapists far exceeds the supply in California, and AI-based therapy can narrow that gap. AI-based therapy remains novel, unproven, and not well tested. Right off the bat, we can see we’re dealing with trade-offs here. Since the main driver of demand for therapy from a robot is lack of access to therapy from a human, we’ll start there. It’s too hard to find and afford a human therapist California is short roughly 55,000 licensed, non-prescribing therapists and counselors, about 40% of what we need. Psychiatrists, who rely on talk therapy as a complement to prescribed medications, are even more scarce. Eight counties have none, and density ranges from 1.7 per 100,000 residents in San Benito County, to 68.1 in Marin County. My wife is a psychiatrist in Marin, and even here access is tight. If it’s hard in the best-supplied county, imagine rural Sierra County, or the San Joaquin Valley. In 2024, more than half of Californians who tried to make a mental health appointment struggled to find a provider who took their insurance, compared with 14% for physical health care. When Senate staff posed as “secret shopper” patients and called 120 mental health providers in Medicare Advantage networks, they landed an appointment less than once for every five tries. Insurers pay behavioral health clinicians about 22% less than medical and surgical clinicians for comparable office visits. On top of that, billing denials and prior authorizations hit hardest at the solo and small practices common in mental health. Psychiatrists opt out of Medicare at the highest rate of any specialty. In many places, a cash practice for therapy fills quickly with patients paying $250 or more an hour, with no insurance paperwork at all. Families who can pay cash find providers more easily. Those who rely on insurance, including Medi-Cal enrollees, older adults, rural residents, and non-English speakers, compete for what’s left. So we can’t pretend the human system works, and we can’t blame people for turning to AI for support when they’re in distress. AI is filling the gap It’s estimated that roughly a quarter of AI users use it for mental health support. If you have internet, it’s available 24/7, it’s cheap, and it speaks your language. Uninsured adults are about twice as likely as insured adults to do it (30% vs. 14%). It feels anonymous in ways that may enable people to ask things they’re unsure or embarrassed about. The largely hidden, personal use makes it hard to study whether it’s actually helping people with their mental health issues, but researchers are trying. Does AI therapy work? A 2026 analysis of nearly 40 randomized trials found chatbots showed a real but small reduction in depression symptoms. But most of these trials were compared to an alternative of no therapy, not a human therapist. So the benefit of AI therapy is probably real, but modest, and mostly untested against the alternative of human contact. We need more studies. Serious concerns OpenAI’s own estimate is that more than a million ChatGPT users each week show signs of suicidal planning or intent. These are high stakes encounters, and AI doesn’t always get it right. That’s partly because a chatbot can sound like a therapist, but it has no license, no duty of care, and it’s not clear who to hold accountable when it gets things wrong. AI is also designed to help users in whatever task they’re seeking to accomplish. People may feel like they’re getting therapy, but they’re mainly getting a convincing conversation. It’s easy for an AI companion to wander into gray areas, like playing along with “creative writing” that may be about the user’s own suicidal intent. Courts are driving safety conversations A wave of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of families claiming that chatbots pushed people they loved toward self-harm, including teens who died by suicide. The first settlements came this year. OpenAI is headquartered in San Francisco, and dozens of cases alleging that ChatGPT drove users to suicide or self-harm are now before a San Francisco judge. Character.ai has filed for bankruptcy after several states brought lawsuits accusing the chatbot of pushing dangerous content to kids. But the technology seems to be improving. Last month, an independent evaluation found that newer AI models “almost never endorse suicide.” That’s progress, but our societal appetite for even one preventable death is very low. So how do we move forward? Finding a middle ground Earlier this month the governor vetoed Senate Bill 903, a bill designed to place guardrails on the use of AI for therapy. The bill would have prohibited any AI-based platform from being advertised as psychotherapy, and would have required a licensed professional to review and approve each encounter where AI was used to support therapeutic decisions. Newsom called it overly broad, since even routine screening questions would have needed clinician sign-off. Knowing we’re already short on mental health providers, requiring human review of AI encounters may not relieve our access problems. Still, the answer isn’t no oversight. Here’s one feasible short term solution. Rather than reviewing each encounter, a licensed clinician can design the guardrails: what counts as a crisis, what triggers an immediate handoff to a human, and what gets sampled for audit each month. The AI runs inside that structure. Conversations get checked, failures get reported, and a real clinician owns the framework. Medicine already has models to learn from. The FDA process for rolling out newly approved medications is an example. After a product reaches patients, we keep watching for adverse events. Patient-facing AI needs the same “digital pharmacovigilance”: systematic tracking of harms, near misses, and the types of groups that get hurt and why. It’s also critical that users know that they can reach a human if they’re in crisis. Most chatbots now include messages like these: Bottom line The rush to use unproven AI tools for mental health support is mostly a workaround, a sign of a health system people can’t get into. We need better access to proven care from licensed clinicians. That takes reimbursement that makes accepting insurance viable, and a bigger workforce. But, built and tested well, AI could be part of the answer. It could be the 2 a.m. check-in when no one else is awake, or a way for patients to practice skills their therapist taught them. It could be the first step to get someone the right level of care, and take paperwork off clinicians’ plates so they spend more time with patients. None of this is simple. The SB 903 veto doesn’t end the debate, and the legislature will be back. In the meantime, those of us using these tools need to stay informed, ask hard questions, and hold the companies building them accountable. I’ll try to do my part, and we’ll keep learning together. Love,Matt P.S. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988- you’ll reach a real person— or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7. Dr. Matt Willis is the author of Your Local Epidemiologist in California. A California native, he’s served as a primary care physician, CDC epidemiologist, and public health officer for Marin County, where he guided the pandemic response. He lives in Marin with his family and their dogs, Teddy and Ramona. Thank you Cynthia He, MD, PhD, and Parnika Saxena, MD, for their guidance in preparing this article. Cynthia works in an outpatient mental health clinic, treating patients who have Medi-Cal or, sometimes, no insurance. Parnika works in an inpatient psychiatric unit, treating patients with public or private insurance or self-pay ability. All opinions are their own and do not represent their employers.
Healey and Minogue made their final pitches to voters in a tense debate. Here are 4 takeaways.
The two clashed over housing costs, public accountability, abortion access, immigration enforcement, and energy policy.
Rice graduate students showcase innovative research at synthetic biology science cafe
The Science and Technology Policy Program at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy hosted a “science cafe” Oct. 13 to bring research to reality and answer questions from the public, giving attendees a look at projects underway in university laboratories and an opportunity to ask questions about the science, its potential applications and its implications for society.
Hegseth’s military imposes testosterone testing despite concerns about the science
Former military doctors say the new policy won’t do what the Pentagon wants. Troops worry it will affect their careers.
Is Milton Friedman to blame for America’s health care woes?
Health policy experts John McDonough and Stuart Butler debate where the U.S. medical system went wrong — and how to fix it.
Watchdog Questions Zeldin’s Tour With Embattled GOP Candidates
The EPA administrator is visiting battleground districts and states in the runup to the midterm elections. Are the trips for policy or politics?
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Public Service & the Midterm Elections
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) discussed the 2026 midterm elections, public service, and the direction of American politics at an event hosted by Georgetown University's Institute of Politics & Public Service. Walz reflected on his unsuccessful 2024 vice presidential campaign, the need for Democrats to deliver policy wins if they hope to win the presidency in 2028, and his contentious relationship with President Trump. He also encourages young people to pursue public service and help shape the country's future.
Last Call for 10.15.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
How BPC is Building Bipartisan Momentum on Youth Mental Health
America’s youth mental health crisis didn’t begin with COVID-19, but the pandemic dramatically accelerated it. More than 40% of teenagers reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Youth suicide attempts, self-injury, and drug overdoses climbed to alarming levels. Meanwhile, the behavioral health system meant to catch these young people remains chronically understaffed and poorly designed … Continued
Michigan needs more behavioral health professionals
When a policy makes it harder for a student to become a social worker, the impact does not end with that student.
International Day Of Rural Women: Geography Should Not Decide A Woman’s Health
On this International Day of Rural Women (15 October), countries need to commit to addressing the disparity between health services in urban and rural areas
Clinton Policy Institute outlines maternal health solutions for states
Health Care Clinton Policy Institute outlines maternal health solutions for states It’s the first major report from the project, which launched in July to foster nonpartisan policies to improve the wellbeing of children and families. Stephanie Akin 10:00 AM, Oct 15, 2026 Dr. Jacob Lenz performs an ultrasound at the Oklahoma State University obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Tulsa, Okla., on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon) The Clinton Policy Institute is calling on states to lead efforts to curb maternal mortality, releasing a 61-page playbook Thursday highlighting successful policies that could be adopted nationwide. The playbook is the first major report from the Clinton Foundation’s project, which launched in July to foster nonpartisan state and local policies to improve the wellbeing of children and families. “Eighty percent of maternal deaths are preventable, and we know what works,” CPI Chair Jennifer Klein said. “The solutions are well established and evidence-based.” CPI’s mission is to convene political leaders from both parties, policy experts, state officials and other stakeholders to explore solutions to longstanding problems. “What we aim to do is bring together people who are deeply engaged, but may not be meeting together in the same room,” Klein said, noting that state policymakers might not always be aware of what their peers are doing in other states. In May, CPI brought together lawmakers from Virginia and Pennsylvania, two of the 14 states that have passed bipartisan maternal health “Momnibus” packages modeled after a comprehensive federal proposal that has repeatedly stalled, called the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act. Other participants included Dr. Mona Hanna, founder of Rx Kids, a Michigan program that provides direct cash allowances to pregnant women and infants. Pennsylvania Rep. Morgan Cephas, who was part of the group, said she learned about funding opportunities she hadn’t come across during her decade in the Legislature. “As legislators we can issue grants, we can pass legislation, we can move policy, but we want to ensure that funding opportunities and programs that are tackling this issue are sustainable,” Cephas said. The playbook outlines broad areas where state policy can make a difference, such as allowing Medicaid to pay for doulas and remote patient monitoring, and using federal and private grant funding to pay for home visits to pregnant and postpartum women. For each category, it highlights innovative programs that can serve as models, with examples of specific actions state lawmakers and governors’ offices can take. Those include the Rx Kids model, which gets funding from the Michigan state budget; Pennsylvania’s Healthy Moms Vibrant Futures strategic action plan, emphasizing equity-centered maternal care, regional collaboration, Medicaid innovation, and workforce development that was launched this year with more than 160 stakeholders; and Kansas’s Bridging Plan, which reserves three slots and provides at least $26,000 in loan forgiveness for obstetric residents who commit to practicing in rural or underserved communities for 36 months. CPI emphasizes that its work is nonpartisan. Klein, the director of the White House Gender Policy Council under former President Joe Biden, acknowledged that CPI also takes positions on abortion, Medicaid funding, and the need to address the economic and social drivers of poor health, which might rankle some conservatives. “We don’t shy away from talking about those things that we think are part and parcel of the maternal health crisis in this country,” Klein said. “That said, there are so many policies that are both evidence-based and have been tried successfully in both red and blue states, and people can see that they can have real impact.” She pointed to the federal option to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months that was made available during the Biden administration and has since been adopted by every state but Arkansas. Other initiatives embraced across party lines include Medicaid coverage for midwives and doulas, as well as “bundled” payments for prenatal and postpartum care. That alternative payment model, pioneered in states such as Arkansas, Colorado and Tennessee, incentivizes fixed fees to cover all healthcare services associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Advocates say it promotes more coordination among caregivers, discourages unnecessary interventions, and expands postpartum support. In addition to maternal health, the initiative is also focused on addressing family economic security, children’s well-being, and democracy and civic resilience.
Opinion: How politics and policy are rewriting the rules of parcel delivery
By Daniil DavydoffFollowing the U.S. parcel delivery market can feel like tracking a race. Tactical moves to increase network capacity, build facilities,
Opinion: How politics and policy are rewriting the rules of parcel delivery
By Daniil DavydoffFollowing the U.S. parcel delivery market can feel like tracking a race. Tactical moves to increase network capacity, build facilities, and launch tools, as well as strategic changes in leadership and operating models, dominate assessments of which carriers are gaining or losing ground, but political and policy forces are shaping those decisions. Labor […] The post Opinion: How politics and policy are rewriting the rules of parcel delivery appeared first on FreightWaves.
Policy brief: Closing the financing gap for adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights
Hinari Document item
How Trump’s megabill may be affecting you right now
When Republicans ask voters to keep them in the majority, they frequently point to the most significant policy achievement of Trump 2.0 — the tax and spending cuts bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Heart doctor: Healthy school meals are heart health policy
Right now, far too many Virginia children lack consistent access to the food they need to grow, learn and thrive. The 2026 Virginia Hunger Study found that one in two (51%) Virginia households with…
Commentary: Trump slashed healthcare for Ohio families and spiked premiums. Now he's offering small checks.
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Maternal Health Takes Center Stage at Xavier University
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Mission adopts policy for artificial intelligence usage in city business
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Last Call for 10.14.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
The Supreme Court sides with GOP again in political ad rates dispute
The ruling gives the FCC more time to review a policy that would extend discounted campaign ad rates to political committees.
US Supreme Court again backs Republicans in clash over political ad rates
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Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #227
Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over district-provided housing for teachers and staff In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school […]
Lawyers for Fed’s Lisa Cook call White House hearing set up by Trump ‘biased’
Her lawyer said she would not be able to attend a hearing Nov. 5 because she will be attending policy meetings in Europe
Lawyers for Fed’s Lisa Cook call White House hearing set up by Trump ‘biased’
Her lawyer said she would not be able to attend a hearing Nov. 5 because she will be attending policy meetings in Europe
Lawyers for Fed’s Lisa Cook call White House hearing set up by Trump ‘biased’
Her lawyer said she would not be able to attend a hearing Nov. 5 because she will be attending policy meetings in Europe
Low-Income Countries’ Push For Climate Money For Health Meets German Pushback Ahead Of COP31
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MLS’s political speech policy is untenable – just ask Austin FC fans
The protests around an anti-ICE T-shirt show that politics can never be separated from sports, especially now
Obamacare enrollment fell to 20.5 million people as of June, KFF says
NEW YORK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Affordable Care Act enrollment fell by 18% to 20.5 million members in June, according to health policy research firm KFF, marking the steepest annual decline since 2015 ...
Building a More Equitable Maternal Health System, a Conversation with Ta’Sheena Williams of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Michigan has taken a comprehensive approach to maternal and child health policy, with a focus on strengthening Medicaid coverage and reimbursement, expanding community-based care, addressing racial disparities, and investing in prevention and maternal health systems. We asked Ta’Sheena Williams, Policy Director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health (MCMCH), to reflect on Michigan’s […]
Why Immigration Policy Changes Matter to Virginia’s Workforce and Employers
Immigration policy changes may feel like a macro event to some, but they can have drastic effects on the micro-details of the workforce, especially in
Executive Women of NJ to honor 48 business leaders
The Executive Women of New Jersey named 48 honorees to be recognized at the 2026 Salute to Policy Makers gala.
PROFILE: Ben Sio
New President of CenterState CEO Brings Nearly Two Decades of Experience to Drive CNY Growth By Stefan Yablonski Ben Sio serves as president of the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity — or CenterState CEO. The independent Syracuse-based nonprofit is committed to creating inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth in Central New York. “I started in this position in March, so it has been six months. I’m in my 19th year with CenterState,” he said in August. As president, he is responsible for overseeing the organization’s administration and governance, while leading and executing its vision to be an effective advocate, exceptional employer and a force for positive outcomes for the community. He previously served as chief of staff and senior vice president of strategy, policy and planning, overseeing the organization’s long-term strategic planning, consulting, corporate governance, fundraising and development, land-use planning and government relations. In his years with the organization, Sio has led or supported many high-profile strategic initiatives including the creation of the CNY Rising Plan, the launch of the NUAIR Alliance and the region’s UAS strategy, the creation of the Micron-enabled Community Priorities Document and the recently awarded NY Smart I Corridor Tech Hub. “When we decided to split Rob’s [Simpson] role into two positions, he has the CEO title and I got the president title. Rob remains focused on forward looking vision strategy for the organization and I’m more focused on the day-to-day operations,” he explained. “I’m also responsible for building consensus around strategic needs and priorities and managing the change necessary to drive execution. It’s an eventful job. “The experiment that we call CenterState is always evolving and shifting and addressing where we see market demand and market failure. “If we see something in our economy that isn’t going the way we think it should go, then whether it is housing development or workforce development or something else, we are always figuring out how to step into these situations and address those challenges.” “We are the largest ever in terms of staff that we have ever been. We are no longer the 20-person organization we were when we started out many, many years ago,” he said. “There are more day-to-day things to take care of. But also there is just so much happening in the community right now that is pulling CenterState and our expertise in so many directions. I tell people if we were bored and not busy, then I’d be really concerned about what we are doing. But we are not bored. We’ve certainly got our hands full — and that is a good thing.” CenterState has now approximately 63 employees on its staff, according to recent nonprofit database records. It’s involved in myriad programs, ranging from Genius NY, a business accelerator competition for uncrewed systems, IoT and robotics startups, to CenterState Up Start, a collaborative business development program that connects local, service-based businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to the tools and networks that help them thrive. CNY Guy Through and Through A Central New York guy through and through, Sio was born and raised in Skaneateles. “My mom was a teacher, an art teacher. My father worked for many, many years with National Grid. He was there through the transition from Niagara Mohawk to National Grid,” he said. “Neither of my parents were touched by cutbacks and job loss. But I grew up going through that transition and being concerned that there were rounds of layoffs. My childhood connection to the economy here in Central New York … years ago it was on the decline. There were people that lived here that were concerned about losing their job. They were thinking they lived in a place that didn’t show much promise.” That narrative translated to his generation, he added. “The kids that grew up in the ‘90s in Central New York were very much told, directly or indirectly, by their parents, that they had to go somewhere else to find economic opportunity. That is what I grew up thinking,” he said. “I only went a few miles down Route 20 for college — in Geneva, New York; I graduated from Hobart and William Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and political science. “I got real interested in regional economies; because what makes regional economy is what makes the economy successful. And when I graduated, I had an opportunity to move to Washington, DC and work down there at a nonprofit doing this work.” However, he decided to stay in Central New York. “I got hired two weeks after I graduated. I got hired by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. At the time it was one of two entities doing economic development in Central New York — [the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Development Association] — and it eventually became CenterState CEO,” he said, referring to 2010 merger between the two organizations. During his time at CenterState, Sio has also split time at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where he supported communities developing export and foreign direct investment (FDI), a long-term cross-border investment where an individual or company from one country buys a lasting stake or control in a business located in another country. The program — known as Global Cities Initiative — was designed to help leaders in major U.S. and international metropolitan areas reorient their local economies toward global markets. “Early on in my tenure at CenterState, we had done a lot of work with the Brookings Institution, just regional planning stuff. We worked with them on developing a regional export plan, to export more products out of Central New York and a larger business plan for the region. They hired me on to help replicate those plans in different parts of the country,”Sio explained. “So, I worked there for three or four years. I worked for CenterState, but I was technically loaned to Brookings for a period of time to help them do this work elsewhere.” Family ties “My wife is Carly. We have been married 14 years. We have two kids, a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. “With a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, fun is a relative term these days. We do a lot of hiking. The kids this summer got very interested in waterfalls. We’ve hit every waterfall we could in a short hike — we’ve done Skaneateles and some others.” “I do woodworking and wood turning — it’s a branch of woodworking; you use a wood lathe. My big thing there is making wood bowls. I do that in most of my free time, which is not much,” he quipped. “I like to get into my woodshop and make a bowl and decompress and turn off the rest of the world for a little bit. I usually do it late at night when the house is quiet. It is definitely my escape from the day to day. I make a lot of bowls; all different sizes, all different species of wood. It’s a fun thing to do for me.” He gives away many of his creations. “They are mostly gifts — I don’t really sell them. I really don’t have time to go set up a booth at a fair or craft show. I usually give them away. I donate them to different things. If you are in my periphery, you’ve likely received a salad bowl from me as a gift. I just need to find something to do with all the stuff that I create,” he said. Lifelines Name: Benjamin Sio Position: President, CenterState CEO Birth Date: Not provided Birth place: Syracuse Residence: Westvale Education: Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the Finger Lakes Affiliations: Member of the boards of Skaneateles Festival, Greccio Foundation, Interfaith Works, CNY Community Foundation Personal/family: Married with two kids Hobbies: Woodworking and woodturning
ON THE JOB: ‘Where Do You See Your Career or Business in 3 to 5 Years?’
“For the next three to five years, I am looking to grow Oswego County Opportunities’ support for the county’s economic development to fight poverty and take advantage of the major investments that are coming to the area.” — Kevin Dean, Executive director, Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton “I love what I’m doing. I’m trying to do this as long as they let me. It’s so exciting to walk the floors at the various factories, talk with community leaders and be part of the solutions to their business problems. As we do this work with manufacturers and community members, we are helping the next generation have these great jobs in skilled manufacturing. I’d like to have the same job title for years to come. I’ve watched the last five years with awe and it makes me proud and excited to be from Upstate New York. I want to keep being part of the conversation that, yes, we can do it in Upstate New York.” — Randy Wolken, President and CEO, Manufacturing Association of Central New York (MACNY) “I oversee the Rochester and Syracuse offices. We’re seeing continual growth as there are more and more job seekers and companies that are looking to fill positions as the economy grows. I’d like to have another Upstate New York office in our region to help promote people under me. I want to see that happen. With an increase in the job market, that is what the end goal is here for sure. We currently have offices in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany, among more than 300 worldwide.” — Briana Calabrese, Marketing director and vice president of finance & accounting and administrative & customer support, Robert Half Recruiters & Employment Agency, Syracuse “Hopefully, we’ll continue to grow by word of mouth. I just took over a couple of years ago. I was an employee for 27 years. Business is great and we’re up on sales from where we were last year and I’m hoping that continues to happen. I get an overwhelming response from people who say they want to support local businesses. It’s my objective when people walk out the door that they want to come back. In a small town like this, it’s crucial. I see myself in five years doing exactly what I’m doing now: sticking with it and trying to grow Fulton Screen Printing.” — Tim Stone, Owner, Fulton Screen Printing, Fulton “I am 85 years old and teach four fitness classes a week and swim four times a week. I hope to live to be 90 — if I can do that, I won’t complain. The older I get, the less afraid I am of dying. What I don’t want to do is get some sickness where I’m lingering and I’m in pain and it just goes on and on. I expect to be exercising as much as I can and I hope I will know when I need to back off to accommodate different problems I may have when I’m older. For a short time, I got up at 6 a.m. to jog for a half hour every morning. But I had to avoid dogs, so I quit jogging. I hope to be able to swim for life. When I swim for half an hour, whatever problems I have wash away. I will still be working in exercise in five years. I also write research articles. It challenges my mind. You have to challenge your mind and body and have some kind of goals and reasons to go on living. My wife died three and a half years ago, so I try to go out and do things, even though she’s no longer here.” — Fred Wilson. Certified personal trainer at Fitness After 50 and leader of senior fitness classes, Syracuse “I expect to continue working as a local financial adviser professional for the next several years. I really enjoy working with my clients and consider it a privilege to come to work every day, helping my clients reach their financial goals.” — Randy L. Zeigler, Certified financial planner practitioner, chartered financial consultant and private wealth adviser, Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, Oswego “I see myself doing something with young people. I want to open an after-school program as a safe space for high schoolers where they can get tutored, behavioral health, get something to eat. I want to do something with policy. I have thought of doing something with neurodivergent kids where kids can run some kind of business. I want to do anything with community like therapy and psychotherapy. I want to still be able to offer those services to people. At 55, I’m not sure how much I will do. I will see what happens after graduation from Keuka College.” — Della Joyce Smith, Master’s student, Syracuse “I think the core of the gym is in personal training. I don’t see that changing. People will still need a gym and personal training will stay. There may be some loss to AI as there is in just about every industry, but there’s always been the ability to go online and get a workout. I don’t think AI will cut into business any more than the internet has. I think the class structure is shifting. Large group classes might be fading away for a while. I see more people going to specialized classes like Pilates. I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe the traditional classes like boot camps started to fade away. It’s important to adapt. Maybe someday I’ll need to get some new kinds of classes. Everything tends to go in cycles.” — Ryan Vollmer, Certified personal trainer and owner Edge Strength and Conditioning, Syracuse “I have been growing my firm at 24% a year. In five years, we may be purchasing or building a new office building to accommodate the new growth. Right now, our focus is on growth and adding team members, mostly financial advisers and administrative staff.” — Terri Krueger, Chartered financial consultant and senior financial adviser with Orla Wealth Management in Syracuse “Over the next three to five years, I see TDO continuing to experience steady, sustainable growth as new industries establish and expand their presence across Central New York. These investments will create new opportunities throughout the regional manufacturing supply chain, and TDO will continue evolving our capabilities to help both existing manufacturers and emerging industries grow, compete, and succeed.” — Jim D’Agostino, CEO and executive director Central New York TDO (Train, Develop, Optimize), Liverpool
BUSINESS UPDATE: All About Cannabis
SUNY Oswego’s cannabis studies prepares for growing business opportunities By Mary Beth Roach [caption id=attachment_11114 align=alignright width=383] Marthinus (Martin) Koen is associate professor of criminal justice and cannabis studies at SUNY Oswego. He and the chair of the SUNY Oswego’s Criminal Justice Department, Roger Guy, created the program.[/caption] As the cannabis industry in New York state continues to grow, so do the business opportunities. New York’s legal cannabis market is projected to hit $3 billion in annual sales this year and more than 600 licensed dispensaries are operating across the state, according to budpedia.com. It’s estimated that New York will add about 16,160 new cannabis jobs in 2026, according to the 2026 U.S. Cannabis Jobs Report. SUNY Oswego, realizing the potential, now offers two programs to acquaint both matriculated and non matriculated students with aspects of this multi-billion-dollar business. Its cannabis studies microcredential came out last year and a minor was introduced this fall. The microcredential allows traditional students to add electives to their degree. Students who are not enrolled in the college can sign up to take classes to learn more about the field, growing the crop and managing or opening a dispensary, according to Marthinus (Martin) Koen, associate professor of criminal justice and cannabis studies at SUNY Oswego. The classes are designed to give those who wish to pursue business opportunities in the field a much broader understanding of cannabis and a more overall perspective of the various aspects of running a business, such as supply chain management, customer service and best practices. “When you’re trying to market it, when you’re trying to make sales, you’re understanding will be a lot more vast and nuanced,” he said. “The last 10 years especially, the hard science on cannabis increased and we have a lot more nuanced understanding right now that hasn’t yet permeated the pop culture,” he added. Koen’s team is also hoping to develop an independent study class that will help somebody who wants to apply for a license. That the classes fill up quickly should come as no surprise. “I think there’s a lot of people who are excited about it because it’s a new industry,” he said and they see an opportunity to make some money. Matriculated students may look at it as fun to learn about and stack on top of their existing major or minor. According to the college’s website, students interested in a microcredential would take cannabis law and policy and cultivation of cannabis, along with two other electives. For the first elective they could select either the economics of cannabis or manufacturing, distribution, and logistics of cannabis; and the second elective would be either cannabis science, analysis, and well-being or cannabis and society. The idea for a microcredential in cannabis studies at SUNY Oswego began in 2023, Koen said, as SUNY statewide was advocating for these types of initiatives. Koen and the chair of the SUNY Oswego’s Criminal Justice Department, Roger Guy, began brainstorming on ideas. Catching their attention was the legalization of full recreational marijuana use in New York state in 2021 and the problem-riddled rollout of the state’s Office of Cannabis Management. Guy and Koen created a Criminal Justice Elective called CRJ 420, called cannabis and society, to see if there was any interest. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that there was interest —a lot of it. Further discussions led to the microcredential, cannabis studies, which incorporated science, business and anthropological perspectives, Koen said. They were allowed to create their own prefixes for the classes, such as CAN 310; CAN 320; and CAN 420. Yes, the 420 was intentional — it’s a slang term and symbol used to refer to cannabis consumption and counterculture — but it’s also meant to reflect that the course, being on the 400 level, is “very academically involved,” Koen explained. The term 420 was coined in 1971 by a group of California high school students as a secret code to meet at 4:20 p.m. at a campus landmark to search for an abandoned cannabis crop nearby. The phrase has evolved, to say the least. It is now associated with cannabis use worldwide. For more information, visit ww1.oswego.edu/academics/microcredentials/cannabis-studies.
Opinion: Vote for Health in the Upcoming Election
Theresa Brown, RN, PhD, unpacks why healthcare policy is a key issue for nurses in the upcoming election.
PredictX Launches New Travel Policy Analyzer and Optimizer
Tool helps managers see where policy changes can deliver savings
Robin Bronk and Industry Experts to Address AI’s Impact on the Entertainment Industry at ChIPs Global Summit
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Rep. Moore says he puts policy over 'toxic' politics; Crosby calls himself a chance for change
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India’s Jaishankar outlines key foreign policy objectives
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar laid out his country’s approach to some of its most consequential relationships in a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg Editor in Chief John Micklethwait on
Sanders, Love and Shelby spar over health care, education, prison
The three candidates for Arkansas governor squared off in a feisty public television debate over education policy, health care, prison construction and other issues on Tuesday (Oct. 13). The debate...