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Punxsutawney ready to receive trick-or-treaters on Halloween
PUNXSUTAWNEY — Halloween has become one of the most favorite holidays by children and adults alike
Giant eagles once ruled the skies. They snatched human children, and shaped our evolution
After the dinosaur-killing asteroid hit, giant birds became apex predators for tens of millions of years – and humans were among their prey.
Colorado voters approve measure to ban trans children from playing school sports
Colorado voters approved a ballot measure that will ban transgender children from playing sports in the 2026 election.
On Demand: Understanding the Rise in Uninsured Children in Kansas
On Nov. 5, 2026, KHI hosted a convening that examined the rise in Kansas children without health insurance, the data and policy responses. Watch the recording.
‘The world is out of control’: how political strategist Claire Ainsley is challenging the left to take it back
From children struggling with their mental health to adults worried about AI, many of us feel neglected and ignored by politicians. How would Keir Starmer’s former director of policy fix that?
Free Autism Screening for Young Children - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Nov. 6,, 2026 — Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida offers free monthly autism spectrum disorder screenings for toddlers 18 months to five years of age. The next screenings will […]
Sensory-friendly vaccine clinic helps Madison families overcome health care barriers
Getting vaccinated can be a stressful experience for children with autism or sensory sensitivities, but a special clinic in Madison Friday aimed to make the process easier.
Sleep expert explains the science behind the fall time change
When clocks fall back, we’ll gain an hour — but does that necessarily mean better sleep? Hannah Peach, a sleep health expert at UNC Charlotte, explains how the time change affects our internal body clocks and how shorter days can affect our well-being. She also explains why permanent standard time may be the healthier option, particularly for children and adolescents.
Florida education chief defends science plan
Education Commissioner Henry Mack pushed back Tuesday against criticism that Florida is de-emphasizing evolution in its new plan for teaching science, insisting the state is still covering a subject he agreed was a bedrock of biological science.“Evolutionary biology and the theory of evolution is in the standards,” Mack said. But several parents and teachers who attended an evening forum on the state’s proposed science standards criticized the proposal by the Florida Department of Education, which Mack runs, specifically the handling of evolutionary science.Joshua Garrett, a teacher in Orange County Public Schools, said the state’s proposed standards “danced around” evolution.State standards are benchmarks for what students should learn in their classes kindergarten through 12th grade, guiding what lessons are taught, what subjects are in state-approved textbooks and what concepts are tested on state exams.Florida’s current science standards call evolution a “big idea” and “the fundamental concept underlying all of biology.”The proposed ones barely mention evolution — a scientific theory explaining change in living species over time from natural selection that has been a cornerstone of biology for more than a century. The term “evolution,” in fact, is never defined in the new high school life sciences standards, though the concepts are sprinkled across several units.The education department has made revisions to its proposal, officials said, but it was not immediately clear at the Tuesday forum, held at Lake Buena Vista High School in southwest Orange County, what those changes were.Mack interjected during Garrett’s comments asking him where specifically he wanted the state to mention evolution more prominently. Then he said, “Consider it done.”Mack also asked Garrett to join the state’s faculty committee on the standards.The state released the new standards in September, and several experts quickly criticized them, saying they lacked depth and skirted around both evolution and climate change, important topics for Florida students to learn.The state has since hosted a “listening tour,” including a virtual forum and two other in-person meetings in Walton and Hillsborough counties. Tuesday’s meeting drew a small crowd of about 30 people, six of whom spoke.Mack described the state’s public forums as a chance for “myth busting” and to make clear Florida’s position.He wants to students to learn “above ideology,” he said, and added that evolution isn’t settled science. TNCMS.AdManager.render({region: 'fixed-big-ad-middle-asset', slot: 1, fold: "span"}); “I want to cultivate skeptics in the healthy sense of that term. As a result of these standards, students should not be walking away convinced of anything other than the rigor of the scientific method,” Mack said.The new standards would replace the current set, adopted after a monthslong, statewide fight over the inclusion of evolution as a required subject of study. Those who opposed the 2008 standards argued creationism, or the biblical story that God created all living things, should be taught alongside evolution.Thomas Simon, a Winter Park parent, compared Florida adopting the new standards to Nazi Germany ignoring the findings of Jewish scientists — which in part lost them World War II.“If this board could explicitly name communism in the history standards last year — because words matter — you must explicitly name the foundations of modern medicine, agriculture, and energy,” Simon said.Florida last year adopted new standards that require students learn about the “dangers and evil of communism.”Teri O’Connor, an elementary science teacher in Orange County, urged Mack to curtail the total number of standards, as they list more than 1,000 benchmarks teachers are to cover during their classes.“It’s only 180 days of school. That right there is an issue, especially if you want to dive in. If we need to teach the rigor of it and to critically think about each one, that’s difficult,” she said.Kathleen Murray, who spoke on behalf of the conservative political group Citizens Defending Freedom, said she was in “strong support” of the proposed standards. Science should teach children how to think, not what to think, she said.“When teaching the origins of life and the universe, the curriculum owes it to the Florida students to be honest about the limits of what scientific models can actually prove,” Murray said.State education officials said they’d received about 1,800 comments on the benchmarks, and they have updated them based on that criticism.With Tuesday the state’s final scheduled public forum, Mack said his biggest takeaway was that the standards needed to be more explicit about teaching students how to evaluate scientific studies and evidence and how to understand the scientific method.“We might have to do a better job of helping students question more as a result of these standards,” he said.In his original statement when the standards were announced in September, Mack wrote in a social media post that “science begins in wonder, not in ideology,” and “the classical tradition taught that nature is intelligible because it is ordered — that the book of creation can be read by reason.”Some read that to mean he was trying to interject religion into public school education. 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Kansas’ rate of children without health insurance tops national average for second year
The state’s uninsured rate for kids has been climbing steadily from 5.2% in 2022 to 8.5% in 2025.
907 Sports: The 50th Al Aska Shriners Football Classic Lookback
In this edition of 907 Sports, learn about the Alaska all-star football game that duals as a charity event for Shriners Hospitals for Children. Watch the video attached for the full story.
If It Feels Like Someone Is Watching You When You’re Alone, Scientists Say This Might Be Why
A new study suggests adults who had imaginary friends as children may be more likely to sense an invisible presence nearby.
'Things that Go Boom in the Night' at King's College sparks kids' curiosity about science
Children explored hands-on science at King's College's 27th annual “Things that Go Boom in the Night," featuring Halloween-themed experiments.
Cardi B’s Toddler Daughter Is Still a ‘Little Baby’ & Mommy Totally Agrees
Cardi B often shares playful glimpses of life with her children, and her youngest daughter, Blossom, recently gave fans another adorable moment to enjoy. The toddler’s interaction with her mother quic...
Mobile medical clinics keep mothers and babies healthy
World Vision’s support of a mobile medical outreach clinic in Malawi ensures that more mothers and children receive the healthcare they need.
Shaq says a backup plan will pay him $1M monthly starting next year
NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal spoke about his guaranteed paycheck, his early Google wager, and the "stipulations" on his children's inheritance.
Margaret Cho Recalls Abortions After Pregnancies by ‘Accomplished Men in Entertainment’
The actress and comedian said she’s “really glad” she never had children
New Children’s Entertainment Releases: What Families Can Watch Together in November 2026
Plan family movie nights with November 2026 kids' releases, featuring animated films, holiday stories and familiar characters.
Patrick Stewart’s son Daniel pays tribute with sweet throwback photo after actor’s death
Despite Patrick Stewart previously saying he was estranged from his children, the late actor’s son shared an adorable photo of them together.
I regret thinking club sports were too expensive for our family
I never prioritized club sports for my kids until my youngest joined a soccer team. Now I regret not giving my older children the same opportunity.
New Gastonia youth behavioral center to offer mental health support, substance-use prevention
Facility to offer mental, emotional help to children & adolescents
Gaza floods leave 350,000 displaced Palestinians without shelter: Health Ministry
‘Is the world waiting for our children to freeze?’ says ministry’s director-general, appealing for tents and rebuilding supplies | Anadolu
Memorial Health System awaiting $80 million as payment delays slow hospital project
MARIETTA — Memorial Health System is awaiting about $80 million in anticipated Medicaid payments, a delay President and CEO Scott Cantley said is straining hospital operations and slowing financing for its women’s and children’s hospital project. Cantley said the outstanding payments include about $60 million through the Rural Ohio Hospital Tax Pilot Program for 2025 […]
Prisma Health hosts reverse trick-or-treat parade
Halloween came early today for some young patients at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital- Midlands.
Jefferson Health offers free drive-through flu shots at Dorney Park
Back for its 28th year, the clinic offered free influenza vaccines to all ages, including children 6 months and older.
Scientists identify two overlooked skills that predict reading success
A massive new study reveals that intelligence plays a surprisingly limited role in children's reading success, while visual processing showed no meaningful connection at all. Instead, the strongest predictors are sound recognition, vocabulary, and background knowledge, offering new clues about how to help struggling readers.
Halloween-themed event aims to get youngsters 'excited about science'
GOSHEN — Children in Halloween costumes spent Saturday driving robots, meeting animals and watching chemistry demonstrations at E3 Robotics Center’s sixth annual Science Spooktacular.
Nicklaus Children’s Health System Recognized for Digital Health Achievement as 2026 Digital Health Most Wired Survey Recipient - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
November 5, 2026 – The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has announced the results of its 2026 Digital Health Most Wired Survey, an internationally recognized benchmarking program that […]
Glen Carbon business has been capturing time for 20 years
By Kathy Turner • Time. Sometimes it seems to pass quickly. Sometimes it seems to drag. If we think back to how quickly our children grew up, it can often seem fleeting. But if we’re waiting for our garden vegetables to reach maturity, it can be an eternity. There is a small business in Glen…
Nearly 30% of US adults admit to lying about or exaggerating their symptoms to get antibiotics from doctors, survey finds
In two new surveys, U.S. adults report lying to their doctors and their children's doctors about symptoms in hopes of being prescribed antibiotics.
Ethiopia attacks kill civilians as health system nears collapse, WHO chief says
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Attacks in northern Ethiopia that reportedly killed children, including a newborn, are pushing the region’s fragile health system closer to collapse, the World Health Organization’s chief said Monday.
Kansas' rate of children without health insurance tops national average for second year
Kansas' rate of uninsured children surpasses the U.S. average for the second consecutive year with 8.5% of Kansans under age 18 without access to coverage.
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt's youngest daughter drops her dad's last name
Another one of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's children no longer uses their father's surname.
In Todd County, vaccine skepticism fuels measles surge
Distrust of government, fears over vaccine safety and limited experience with a disease that was virtually nonexistent 20 years ago are causing more parents to decline once-routine vaccinations for their children, officials say.
NICU babies show off first Halloween costumes at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital
Some of the youngest patients at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital showed off their first Halloween costumes during a celebration inside the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
Jackson Health Foundation’s 27th Annual Guardian Angels Luncheon Raises More Than $750,000 for Holtz Children’s Hospital - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Signature fundraiser brings together fashion and philanthropy, featuring Saks Fifth Avenue October 30, 2026 — Today, Jackson Health Foundation hosted its 27th Annual Guardian Angels Luncheon and Fashion Show at […]
ESPN honors Chris Spatola with tribute during Army-Duke broadcast
The death of Chris Spatola was felt across sports media when the tragic news broke in late September. Spatola, a beloved college basketball analyst at ESPN, passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 21, according to his obituary, and is survived by his wife, Jamie, and their three children. He was 47. The lasting grief permeated ESPN’s…
OU Health NICU babies celebrate Halloween as 101 Dalmatians
Oklahoma Children’s OU Health NICU babies dressed as 101 Dalmatians for a Halloween celebration organized by their care team.
Hunger affects health, education and the future
Many among us are hungry. Some don’t have enough food for themselves or their families, consequently parents go to bed hungry so their children will have enough to eat.
Florida Department of Health considers dropping 4 school vaccine requirements – here’s what that could mean for kids
Most parents of young children today haven’t experienced the devastating childhood diseases that used to be common before vaccines were developed.
‘Play-Doh With Margo’: New YouTube Series Encourages Preschoolers to Get Creative
Hasbro's new YouTube series Play-Doh with Margo is squishy fun and benefits children's creativity and development.
NICU babies at OU Health dress up in adorable '101 Dalmatians' costumes for Halloween
Oklahoma Children's OU Health shared some adorable pictures of Halloween fun with babies in the NICU.
Lubbock Children’s Business Fair Nov. 14 at Science Spectrum
The Lubbock Children’s Business Fair will return 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Science Spectrum.
NICU babies at USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital wear their first Halloween costumes
Video above: ‘News 5 Now’ — Top Stories from Nov. 2, 2026 MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Nurses in the NICU wing of USA Health Children’s and Women’s Hospital brought some joy to families whose babies are havi...
Florida could drop four childhood vaccine requirements before DeSantis leaves office
Florida could eliminate four vaccine requirements for children in schools and daycare centers before Gov. Ron DeSantis leaves office Jan. 5.
Prince Harry Opposes Meghan Markle’s MasterChef Plan Involving Kids
A family-friendly kitchen shoot is taking Meghan Markle back to Australia for her new stint on MasterChef. Yet one question is reportedly causing debate at home, with her and Prince Harry said to be disagreeing over whether their children should join her on set. Prince Harry is against their kids making a possible TV cameo […] The post Prince Harry Opposes Meghan Markle’s MasterChef Plan Involving Kids — Source appeared first on Mandatory.
Paul Whitehouse to release ‘proper silly’ TV show for children
Comedian Paul Whitehouse is to release a new animated sketch show for children that is “just proper silly entertainment”.
FAU expands youth mental health services and graduate counseling training through the OWLS-FLY initiative
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Education is expanding its clinical training opportunities for graduate counseling students while providing free mental health services to underserved children ages 6 to 17 and their families. This initiative vis through OWLS-FLY (Opportunity, Wellness, Le
Baptist Health adds two Jacksonville-area pediatric practices
Baptist Health has added two Jacksonville-area pediatric practices to its network, connecting community-based care with services at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Lubbock Children’s Business Fair Nov. 14 at Science Spectrum
The Lubbock Children’s Business Fair will return 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Science Spectrum.
Goldie Hawn Has Always Been Ahead of the Curve
In the latest edition of our Tell Me Everything series, the actress talks about how her foundation “Mind Up” has been focusing on children’s mental health for decades.
Holistic family surroundings are essential for raising healthy children
A child's health is shaped by more than inherited genes or the food on the table. Family routines, relationships, cultural practices, and everyday conditions—from early school schedules to long commutes—also influence how children grow and thrive, according to an Ateneo de Manila University medical professor and clinician.
Astor Services embraces small wins in children's mental health
The nonprofit serves about 8,000 children and families across 11 counties, but faces staffing, reimbursement and access challenges as needs grow more complex.
Parents don’t need all the answers to talk politics with kids, Extension educator says
Parents can help children make sense of elections by listening first and teaching them to check information and form their own opinions, a University of Illinois Extension educator says.
Dentists share oral health tips ahead of Halloween as National Brush Teeth Day approaches
With Halloween just days away and many children preparing to enjoy candy, local dentists are reminding families about the importance of proper brushing and oral health during National Dental Hygiene Month.
'All My Children' Alum Colin Egglesfield Shares Health Update and What's Next (Exclusive)
The actor is running the New York City Marathon to support a special cause.
More than 70 Minnesota children detained during ICE surge, state report finds
A preliminary report from a council established by Gov. Tim Walz details the toll of the federal immigration crackdown on children, schools and the state’s economy.
This Kansas City mom may have to leave the US to afford life-saving health care for her daughter
Now that Children’s Mercy hospital is out of network for her family, Christy Moreno may have to seek specialty treatment in Mexico or Canada. She says the cancellation of the family’s insurance has put her child in a life-or-death situation.
Children’s safety fair brings Halloween fun, health education to Weston
Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital held its 16th annual Children’s Safety Fair, giving children in Weston an early start on Halloween while they learned how to stay safe.
Busing health care: Mobile health clinics will treat LCPS students, staff
A lack of health insurance or transportation, or the inability to get time off from work, can keep low-income Loudoun County Public Schools parents from getting their children dental, medical
Kartoon Studios Files for $300 Million SPAC IPO Targeting Media and Entertainment Acquisitions
Kartoon Studios (NYSE American: TOON), a children’s and family entertainment company, announced that Kartoon Studios Acquisition Corp. (KSAC), a newly... Read More
WHAT THE TECH? Politics and AI
How do we protect children using AI? Who’s responsible when an AI assistant takes an unauthorized action? And how do we protect essential services as hackers gain access to increasingly
Despite concerns, the Trump administration still sends pregnant migrant minors to south Texas
Several children have had to leave the state to receive medical care, including abortions, that is unavailable in Texas.
‘They assume the man next to me is the owner’: four women doing business in Africa in their own way
From feeding schoolchildren to recycling tyres, these entrepreneurs are challenging stereotypes while solving social and environmental problems
Council U-turn on children's nursing cuts
Suffolk County Council is reversing proposals to cut nursing staff from its health visiting service.
Permanent daylight saving time has a dark side, scientists warn
A new study warns that permanent daylight saving time could force American children to make at least 2 billion additional school commutes in darkness, potentially increasing safety risks and disrupting their biological clocks. Researchers found that fatal crashes involving school-aged pedestrians were roughly twice as likely during dark mornings as after sunrise.
CSO of Napo Pharmaceuticals, a Jaguar Health Family Company, and Clinical Investigators Evaluating Crofelemer Conduct Panel Discussion at Pediatric Gastroenterology Conference in Dubai (UAE)
Napo was one of the sponsors of this meeting.The 2nd Best of Elite Ped-GI meeting was dedicated to advancing clinical knowledge and best practices in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, with one of the plenary sessions being focused on parenteral nutrition in children with complex gastrointestinal disorders and intestinal failure (IF).
Florida Department of Health considers dropping 4 school vaccine requirements – here’s what that could mean for kids
Most parents of young children today haven’t experienced the devastating childhood diseases that used to be common before vaccines were developed.
Oklahoma Children's celebrates grand opening of $140 million behavioral health center
Oklahoma Children’s celebrated the grand opening of its $140 million behavioral health center, built to help kids in crisis.
“The View” dresses child as Donald Trump’s algae-infested Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool for Halloween
The talk show has a history of dressing children in absurd Halloween costumes, from one inspired by Will Smith’s Oscars slap to a Chinese spy balloon.
Legal settlement by Meta regarding mental health harm. Who protects children from social media?
ONG Internacional Bullying Sin Fronteras
NICU babies show off first Halloween costumes at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital
Many of the handmade costumes are donated by local knitting groups and former NICU families.
Patrick Stewart’s son Daniel pays tribute with sweet throwback photo after actor’s death
The “X-Men” star previously revealed that he was estranged from his children.
Halloween comes knocking at UVA Health Children’s, bringing joy to young patients
Halloween usually means putting on a costume, grabbing a bag and heading out to collect candy.
New Oklahoma Children’s OU Health center to expand pediatric behavioral healthcare in state
Oklahoma’s first comprehensive pediatric behavioral health center integrated with a children’s hospital is expected to begin serving patients in December.
Calif. county investigates E. coli infections from pumpkin patch
Three children were among the infected.
Jennifer Garner Says She Took Kids Out of School for Six-Week Europe Trip While Ben Affleck Filmed Batman
Jennifer Garner still treasures the memories of a six-week European adventure with her children while Ben Affleck was filming in London. The trip gave the ... Read More
Hard topics, closed books: Banned authors challenge Texas school restrictions
DALLAS — A historian by training, Candace Fleming never guessed she would become a children’s author — until she started reading to her two sons. She fell in love with
A&E warning system to flag dangerously ill children
The initiative, in England, will help busy staff identify children who are deteriorating quickly as they wait for emergency care.
I ditched Netflix and Disney+ for VHS tapes. My kids fight less.
Mariah Smith replaced streaming with VHS tapes to control what her children watch. She says it's reduced screen time and stress.
Memorial Healthcare System Mobile Health Program Connects Thousands to Care, Reduces Hospital Admissions - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
November 5, 2026 – Memorial Healthcare System’s Mobile Health Program continues to expand access to care across South Broward, serving more than 2,000 patients through more than 2,800 visits in the […]
Nicklaus Children’s Health System Appoints Brynne McNulty Rojas to Board of Directors - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report
Nicklaus Children’s Health System has appointed entrepreneur and investor Brynne McNulty Rojas to its Board of Directors. McNulty Rojas brings expertise in technology scaling, finance, real estate investment and global […]
Penn State School of Music to Host Two Family-Friendly Performances in November
Children and families will have two opportunities to experience live music and theater at Penn State this month through a free opera and an interactive
Her son needs cancer treatments, but there's a big problem brewing at his hospital
Kasey Jackson is sounding the alarm after Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri dropped all Affordable Care Act coverage plans for 2027.
Children in Wausau will get a chance to show off skills at a children's business fair
'Leadership Launchpad' hosts sixth children's business fair in Wausau
CHOC Walk in the Park Raises Record-Breaking $3.9 Million to advance Children's Health in Orange County
34th annual fundraiser, presented by Disneyland® Resort, united the community on Aug. 2
Trick-or-Steamers explore science at Schroeder Family Exploreum
JOPLIN, Mo. (KOAM) - Families celebrated Halloween with hands-on science at Trick-or-Steam, held at the Schroeder Family Exploreum. Children could interact with Halloween-themed exhibits and collect candy at each stop. Activities were included with regular admission, and families could drop in throughout the afternoon.Social: Halloween fun met hands-on science at Trick-or-Steam, where kids explored themed exhibits and picked up candy at the Schroeder Family Exploreum.COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Science Begins With Wonder and Sometimes With a Salamander.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Don & Beth Straus Center at Birch Bay Village. BAR HARBOR—The children had come to see the axolotls, those odd little salamanders with pink frills around their heads and the remarkable ability to grow back what they lose. But also there were stickers. There were crafts. There was the kind of excitement that makes a roomful of kindergarteners forget, for a little while, that sitting still is ever a requirement. And then there were the animals themselves, alive in their clear cases at the MDI Biological Laboratory, where 12 children from Pemetic Elementary School got to meet the creatures they had been learning about in class. “Do you love them?” their teacher, Carol Null, asked. The answer came back in a chorus. “I do!” “I do!” “I do too,” Null said, smiling. “I love them even more now.” That was the thing about a day at the lab. Science was no longer a picture in a book, or a word on a classroom wall. It had a face, a tail, and a set of extraordinary powers. And for a child, sometimes that is where wonder begins. Sometimes learning about science is about stickers. Sometimes it’s about bright pink feathers and getting super excited about that glow in the dark. Sometimes learning about science is joy—pure and simple joy. That’s how it was October 28 at the MDI Bio Lab as Miss Hannah (known in the lab as Dr. Hannah Lust, director of STEM, undergraduate and graduate Training), other scientists, graduate students, and MDI Bio Lab staff, hosted 12 students from Carol Null’s Pemetic Elementary School’s kindergarten class. The 2.5-hour program created by Dr. Lust focused on axolotls, a species of mole salamanders, a superhero in the animal world: a superhero with some scientific-study worthy superpowers. One of those superpowers come from the axolotls’ ability to regenerate body parts, including entire limbs. But also, they’re cute. This fall, before coming to the internationally renowned lab nestled in Salsbury Cove, Null has been integrating axolotls into her class. They’ve been part of the kids’ vocabulary and their storytelling. They’ve been part of science. They’ve been part of the children’s learning about facts vs opinions. The Pemetic Elementary kindergarten students learn about invasive species and the impact on the ecology and one student related it to their dad, who lobsters, and his worries about green craps, an invasive species in Maine. “Are they bigger or smaller than you thought they’d be?” the children are asked after the scientists show them multiple see-through cases of axolotls, lined up on a table that they’re told not to jiggle. “Bigger!” “I think they’re bigger.” “Smaller!” The bio lab opening its doors to the collaborations and to students and families is a norm, but this is the first program of this kind. It’s meant to encourage kindergarten students about axolotls. But when the students come to the bio lab something else happens too—something beyond Null’s child-focused teaching—the students see science—and the regenerating creatures in real life. They do crafts. They speak with them. They meet people who know all about them: scientists and educators who talk to the kids like they’re equals. That’s a superhero power, too. Null speaks about meeting the kids where they’re at in her classroom, letting their interest and hearts lead her in their learning. That requires recognition of interests, of individuality, of empathy. Some would argue that’s a super power, too, but it’s also in those 12 students as they listen to the storybook, encounter those live axolotls, and hear about how axolotls might help advance society’s understanding of human health. As Eddie Seckeler (comparative animal models, CORE facility manager), carefully puts the axolotls on a cart and rolls them away, some of the children stop what they’re doing to watch. “Bye axolotls.” “Bye!” “Bye!” The axolotls are not just images in a book, Hello, I’m an axolotl by Hayley and John Rocco; they are real and cool. MDI Biological Laboratory scientists Dr. Prayag Murawala and Dr. James Godwin who both feature in the Roccos’ book. The kindergarteners get to meet them in real life, off the page, in the world, doing science. They learn from them, laugh with them. “The visit is about more than meeting an unusual animal. By introducing children to scientists working in their own community, the experience helps make science tangible and accessible. Students can see that science is not just something they read about in books or learn about at school. It is something real people do every day by asking questions, making observations and working to understand how the world works,” explains MDI Biological Laboratory Director of Communications Rebecca Woods. While the students make axolotl-related crafts around tables, graduate students and staff help out. Ryan holds up his construction paper setting and axolotl to show Omar Maged, a graduate student. “Do you like it?” Ryan asks, eyes wide, turning from his axolotl to look up at Omar. Omar studies the construction paper for a moment, smiles and says definitively, each word important. “It is beautiful.” Null says that she’s so thankful for all the “amazing” community partners that her school and her students get to interact with as they learn and grow and live, but emphasized how the MDI Bio Lab goes out of its way to create something meaningful, something that allows her young students to build their own agency, to know that they can be impactful in their community, to show them how how things they learn about in text is connected to themselves and their community. Woods explains, “Axolotls have an extraordinary ability to regenerate, or regrow, certain body parts, including limbs. Scientists study these animals to understand how regeneration works and what their biology might teach us about tissue repair and healing in humans.” The children enter the space for “a memorable introduction to a big scientific question,” Woods said. “How can some animals regrow body parts? The encounter encourages children to look closely, wonder about what they see and begin to understand how scientists use observations and experiments to investigate questions.” “For the students, the visit is an opportunity to explore a fascinating animal and meet scientists in their own community,” Woods explains. “For MDI Biological Laboratory, it is a chance to share the excitement of research, nurture curiosity, and help young learners discover that science begins with asking questions.“ At the beginning of the school year, Pemetic kindergarteners didn’t know what the axolotl was—at least not exactly—now they know all about the axolotl’s life cycle. “It’s different than a butterfly,” one student told Mrs. Null. It is. The change and knowledge might seem small**,** but it offers a glimpse of what happens when a subject moves beyond the pages of a book and into a child’s world. The children have been learning about butterflies at the Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden. At both the garden and the MDI Bio Lab, the children see the animals, meet the scientists who study them and at the lab encounter a question that researchers are still working to answer: how can some creatures regenerate body parts, and what might that teach us about healing in humans? They leave with gift bags, paper-plate salamanders, new things to wonder about and a connection between the science they learn in school and the work happening in their own community. The axolotls may be remarkable for their ability to grow back what they have lost. For these young students, the day offers something different: a chance to discover how much there is to ask, observe, and imagine. When Null’s students had time to use chalk and draw whatever they want, in the beginning of the year, they drew rainbows. Now? They’re using that chalk and choosing to draw axolotls instead. About MDI Bio Laboratory For more than 125 years, MDI Bio Lab has been a center for training and research in comparative biology. In the last two decades its biomedical research has focused on aging, regeneration, and environmental toxins. The Laboratory houses 11 research groups staffed by an international team of world-class scientists and graduate students. It also leads a statewide network of colleges, universities and research institutions that collaborate to provide training, research experiences and financial support to help young Mainers play a bigger role in today’s biomedical revolution. Located on Maine’s rugged coast, the Laboratory’s 100+ acre campus houses research facilities, cottages and dorms that house visiting scientists and students. It is also home to MDI Bioscience, a subsidiary working to design innovative techniques to speed the drug discovery process. The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art. LINKS TO LEARN MORE NIH INBRE MDI BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY Pemetic Elementary School Hello, I’m an Axolotl Photos: Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment
Guest Commentary: With political division, it’s imperative to keep children out of it
Parents should vote, speak about, volunteer and teach their children the values that guide their lives. But children should not be enlisted in political fights.
AFGHS co-signatory countries ask health care users to help fill the financing gap
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV on antiretrovirals could be targeted for user fees or community health insurance schemes requiring modest premium payments, according to the April 2026 version of the country’s America First Global Health Strategy implementation narrative.1 As part of the “sustainable financing for the private not for profit sector” strategy, 491 facilities will be targeted for a phased introduction of user fees and scale up of community health insurance programs.2 In the Ugandan context, PNFP facilities include faith-based hospitals and other health facilities, US missionary organizations and centers of excellence—services that are often co-located at government facilities but run with additional financial and technical resources. 402,000 people—or about 28 percent of the total Ugandan adult PLHIV population on treatment—get ART from the private not for profit sector. The selected facilities provide the majority of ART and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. The plan doesn’t give the total number of clients served by the 491 facilities, so it is not possible to give a precise number. But the majority of 402,000 is a figure in the hundreds of thousands—hence the estimate I’m using.3 The April draft of the Ugandan implementation plan narrative is the only one I’ve been able to review. But the government of Uganda is not alone in turning to health care users to help fill the financing gaps caused by the abrupt withdrawal of US funds. In July 2025, the Government of Liberia introduced user fees for previously free services including “registration, accommodation, patient feeding, hospitalization, and a wide range of surgical and diagnostic procedures.”4 Earlier that year, Liberia rolled out a revolving drug fund designed to stabilize drug supplies by “allowing patients to pay a small fee for standardized, quality medications,” according to a Ministry of Health press release.5 (Both of these approaches had been proposed in the National Health Policy 2022-2031; media coverage explicitly connects the launch with the US foreign aid cuts.) The health financing strategies proposed by Uganda and established in Liberia are qualitatively different from user fees officially adopted by specific health facilities to cover funding shortfalls caused by the new US approach.6 The latter is a stopgap, adhoc change. The former is a national governmental adoption of policies that pass costs on to health care users, despite evidence that such approaches can exacerbate inequities and leave deficits unfilled. Two countries does not make a pattern, but they do point to urgent questions: Have other countries, including Liberia, included user fees or community health insurance schemes in their implementation plans? If so, do any of these narratives have what Uganda’s lacks: a fall-back plan in place in case these strategies for sustainable health systems fail to deliver—as they have before? I wonder if you think about it Subscribe Predictable pitfalls Both community-based health insurance and user fees are as old as the hills. And after decades of people climbing up these hills, duking it out, climbing back down—neither strategy has shown the results the Ugandan implementation plan is counting on. This is, in fact, a hill some folks are willing to die on. (You knew I’d get there, right?) In November 2025, an African-led team of health system experts published a paper directed at low- and middle income country governments trying to figure out how to create self-sustaining health systems. The money wasn’t coming back. It had been more than nine months since the season of freezing, waivering and wood-chippering; two months since AFGHS tumbled into the world touting co-financing requirements and reductions in future US government health aid. Governments were looking for strategies for sustainable, self-financed health systems, the authors wrote. For countries considering user fees and community health insurance to fill the financing gaps, they had a simple message: Don’t. On user fees, the paper states: “Reliance on user fees is ultimately a regressive and inequitable approach. It places a disproportionate burden on the poor and undermines health system goals of equity and financial protection. […] There is overwhelming evidence that user fees mobilise very limited resources for the public health sector, making it an inefficient mechanism for revenue mobilisation.” On community health insurance: “Attempting to shift the burden of funding previously donor-funded services, such as HIV care and management, and TB treatment, onto contributory schemes would exacerbate their fragility and fail to protect the population.”7 The WHO says that community-based health insurance “cannot be expected to provide a major source of funding or coverage,” and noted that most schemes offer only moderate benefit to individuals paying into them, and exclude the poorest segment of the population.8 And yet, the US-Ugandan implementation plan says that community health insurance is “the central pillar of this [PNFP] sustainability strategy” and that this approach that will generate “pre-paid pooled funding at facility and community level [that] improves financial risk protection for households, reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, and generates structured, transparent revenue streams that can progressively absorb recurrent costs including health worker salaries.” Unfortunately, Uganda’s own history suggests the pillar might not be able to bear this weight. Ugandans Have Been to this Rodeo Before—and Some Want Their Money Back Uganda introduced its first community health insurance scheme in 1996 with support from international donors.9 Thirty years later, somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3 percent of the population is covered by CHI; just over 1 percent has any kind of health insurance.10 User fees were universally introduced in 1993 as a condition of a World Bank loan.11 They were abandoned in 2001, and in 2004—the year I moved to Uganda to watch the free HIV program get underway—a definitive study found that the fees did not improve health systems and outcomes.12 In 2004, most clinics and hospitals had ‘free’ and ‘fee for service’ options for getting care.13 The fee for service, or “cash and carry” programs had often been established in the years prior to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. People who could afford to paid for the drugs, often at facilities in the private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. When free drugs arrived, some people who’d been paying kept on doing so, perhaps because of shorter wait times, greater confidentiality, convenience or other factors. But in the year that I spent visiting the same clinics around the country week after week—including a “center of excellence” that maintained separate days for cash and carry clients and those accessing free ARVs—lots of people who had been paying tried to switch to the free option. They’d paid because they had no other choice. They’d sold pieces of family land, begged family members for loans, bought pills by the week, and sometimes by the day. Or they were just cash-strapped, like most of us, and wanted the funds for other things. 14 Twenty-two years later, this hasn’t changed. Ugandans pay out of pocket for 30-40 percent of their health care costs, leading one paper to declare that “falling ill is more than a health crisis. It is a financial emergency.”15 One recent study found that up to 48.5 percent of households dealing with tuberculosis sold something, took out a loan or dug into savings to defray the costs of TB care—which is supposed to be universally free.16 The Ugandan implementation plan does anticipate challenges. It proposes a phased approach, with 187 facilities introducing user contribution systems in Year 1, 152 in Year 2, and 153 in Year 3. Willingness to pay and feasibility studies will precede roll out; fees will be tiered by region, and a waiver system is proposed to ensure that no one has to pay who is unable to. Moreover, the plan provides for quarterly reviews of epidemiological data to “ensure that user contributions do not compromise epidemic control gains, ART continuity for the client cohort, TB case management, or PMTCT services.” Alt text: A screenshot of a table included in the implementation plan narrative that is the subject of this stack. It’s got a fetching pink bar at the top. It uses the abbreviation “CHI” which is Community Health Insurance, and FBO which is Faith Based Organizations, and it details the number of facilities that will implement user fees with waivers and community health insurance schemes over the five years of the agreement. As I said in the footnote, this is a super interesting document with a lot of other rich material. Tell me what you see—and what you would have focused on. And if you’ve seen something like this, or anything else that strikes you, in another implementation plan, tell me that too. You can use the Substack message platform or try me on Signal at @endaplague_again.25 (because @mercoonfan was, weirdly, taken). But the plan doesn’t fully explain what will happen if this approach doesn’t work out. Yes, progress will be monitored, and corrective action triggered. However, there is no specified funding replacement if premium and fee revenue prove inadequate. Instead, the authors write, “Currently, COEs serve a total client cohort of over 180,000 across 28 facilities. In the initial years, the U.S. Government (USG) will provide financial support for clients; over time, user fees generated by COEs will become the primary source of funding for sustaining their services.” Failure does not really seem to be an option. Health insurance schemes are more acceptable to the Ugandan population than user fees. Members of Parliament and civil society traveled to Ethiopia to see how that country’s scheme worked. In a follow up report, a veteran civil society group recommended allowing the “health insurance ecosystem to grow organically and [to] keep reviewing the law and regulations as this growth takes root.”17 One study found that more than three-quarters of Ugandans were willing to join a health insurance program.18 However, coverage of community-based health insurance is minimal, as is coverage of any kind of insurance—including private plans.19 A national health insurance scheme bill has been stalled for several years and presently sits with President Yoweri Museveni.20 Community-based health insurance scheme that do exist are expanding in number, but losing enrollees. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of community-based health financing schemes across the country increased by 42 percent, while the number of people enrolled decreased by nearly 11 percent.21 None of this means that community-based health insurance should not happen in Uganda—or that people do not want insurance. It doesn’t even mean that user fees and waivers won’t ever work. But there is highly relevant evidence from Uganda and the surrounding region that it is quite optimistic to describe community health insurance and user fees as central supports for sustainable financing in any sector of the health system. And now for the best-case scenario In the best-case scenario22, the Ugandan approach does exactly what it sets out to do, and so does the Liberian fee structure and revolving pharmacy fund—though I’ve not confirmed that these are in the MoU. In one best-case scenario, Uganda is an outlier, and user fees and community health insurance are not recurrent pillars of self-sustaining financing in other countries’ implementation plans. In another best-case scenario, all countries that include these strategies enjoy success beyond anyone’s evidence-informed wildest dreams: reliable funding generated by health care users fees, great health care outcomes for everyone, no exacerbation of inequities, no crippling household debt. No sold land, repurposed school tuition or high-interest loans. In the best-case scenario, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV receiving antiretrovirals from 491 PNFP facilities misses a refill or leaves care because of user fees or community health insurance premiums. This is the best-case scenario for these people for their own health, and for their families. It is also the best-case scenario if Uganda wants to stay on the path to eliminating HIV as a public health threat. According to the country’s most recent data, 96.5 percent of people living with HIV on antiretrovirals are virologically suppressed. Epidemic control depends ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those individuals are on ART, and 95% of those individuals are virologically suppressed. Uganda is still struggling with the first “95"—a frankly abysmal 85.3 percent. If HIV epidemic control and the attendant prevention of new infections, avoidable suffering and premature death matter, the country cannot afford to lose any clients who are currently in care.23 As I write this a couple hours before the polls close for the US elections in the city I live in, I say with soul-deep sincerity: I am rooting for the best-case scenario. I think it’s safe to say that we all are.24 I think it’s also safe to say that if the US and co-signatory governments have inked plans that lead to successful expansion of community health insurance and strategic use of user fees, we all would like to know, now, so that we don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate when success happens. The implementation plan narratives have to enter the public domain. They are the fullest expression of a strategy co-created by two governments. There are assumptions and details that people living in the US and co-signatory countries need to understand that are not available in the MoUs or, to date, in the Congressional Notifications. Some of these details can help other countries that are, as I write this, still working on implementation plans. Others, like a solid count of how many other countries have plans for expanding user fees or health insurance, are important for regional and global health architecture reform initiatives. No matter how this election night turns out, there will be a slew of new Congressional member orientations, briefings and talking points papers in the next few months. Release of implementation narratives should be a bullet point in every context that AFGHS is discussed. These documents can be redacted so that procurement sensitive information isn’t disclosed. There is much more historical precedent for sharing such documents than there is for relying on user fees to fill health financing gaps. Let’s look at the information together so we can hope for the best and prepare for, you know, the other thing. Alt text: A substack first: a bicep selfie! It’s my arm - peachy-white skin, black shirt (flannel, notch neck, too hot for this appallingly balmy November weather, if you’re wondering) and a sticker that says I VOTED 2026. Beige letters on red for I voted. Beige on blue for 2026. You bet I did.25 In your wildest dreams. Subscribe 1 This is a really, really rich 95 page document. There are fascinating ideas and detailed plans in it. It is all worth reading AND I have, in this post, highlighted an instance of content that could pose challenges and certainly posits success of strategies that haven’t worked before. I would love to hear what readers’ see that’s interesting and should be lifted up as something to check for in other implementation plans. I will also shortly be adding a static page to the substack site where implementation plan documents will live. I will put the url into this footnote and it will also be there on emilybass.substack.com by the end of the week. Uganda Implementation Narrative Section 4 April 22 2026 Draft 1.51MB ∙ PDF file Download Download 2 User fees are costs charged for visits, labs, medicines or other health services, usually at the time they are provided. Community health insurance, or community-based health insurance, is what the World Health Organization calls “micro insurance,” which is health insurance targeted at low-income people. 3 As usual (by which I mean always), please prove me wrong. 4 https://smartnewsliberia.com/liberias-ministry-of-health-announces-2025-hospital-service-fees-for-public-facilities/?utm 5 https://moh.gov.lr/news/2025/grand-cape-mount-leaders-residents-embrace-new-community-pharmacy-program/?utm 6 https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/hiv-usaid-pepfar-africa-foreign-aid-cuts-mission-hospitals/?utm 7 https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/11/e021270 8 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/community-based-health-insurance-CBHI 9 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2827475/ 10 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 11 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC527704/ 12 Same citation as the footnote 2 - the article is called “Learning from failed health care reform in Uganda.” To which I say: If only. If. Only. 13 There is a whole taxonomy of user fees to be aware of, if not commit to memory. Out of pocket costs are everything that someone pays for themselves. In this Stack, user fees are planned and policy-supported out of pocket costs. There are also out of pocket costs that people pay to buy drugs or receive tests or health care assessments that would be free if the drugs were on the shelves, or the machines or kits were available, or the staff were on site. A user fee is usually designed to be modest, pegged to willingness to pay, and may be waiveable at the point of care for anyone who is unable to do so. The costs for things that would otherwise be free are whatever the market will bear and people either have to pay them or go without. Out of pocket costs for services and stuff that aren’t available in public facilities are different again from bribes or unofficial fees that some health workers may impose, even though most are indefatigable, tireless and tired, and devoted to their clients. 14 For the record—which really is these footnotes—I would give a whole stack of fridge magnets for a systematic analysis of the economic and social impact of the Mass Unemployment Event in AFGHS countries among the very people who used to be able to afford and cover user fees, both for themselves and vast family networks. Locally employed USAID technical staff, house cleaners, caregivers, drivers and technicians were financial anchors for cousins, friends, friends’ children, friends’ childrens’ cousins, teachers, pastors, neighbors and so many other kinds of kin. Aid recipients lost direct funding; many other people who had not been aid recipients, but parts of the elaborate care webs that function as safety nets for so many people, lost crucial support too. And that’s even before we get to the people who worked at the hotels and restaurants and bars where people employed by the US and its implementing partners used to spend disposable income. Those businesses have lost revenue; those folks have lost jobs. It will be some time coming—and someone will have to fund this work—but I do hope it happens. And I hope, as usual, to be proven wrong. 15 https://eprcug.org/blog/how-out-of-pocket-healthcare-costs-keep-driving-ugandans-into-poverty/ 16 Another straight-to-the-point journal article title. Households experiencing catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Uganda: magnitude and cost drivers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938411 17 https://www.cehurd.org/download/technical-policy-brief-on-community-health-insurance-scheme/?wpdmdl=13661&refresh=6ae9122f5d4ed1793659439 18 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125197/ 19 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 20 https://ugandapost.news/uganda-to-make-health-insurance-mandatory-by-2026/ 21 https://shu.org.ug/download/235 22 With a nod, tip of the stack hat, and wag of the Mercoon tail to a deeply valued reader who told me that I have a tendency to speculate about the worst-case scenarios a little too much of the time. 23 https://news.mak.ac.ug/2026/10/uphia-2025-shows-ugandas-hiv-status-awareness-gap-despite-strong-treatment-outcomes/ As you’ll see in the next footnote, I’ve already written a subSubstack on another topic, so I will be brief with regard to the study referenced in this article. The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment, or UPHIA, will never happen in this way again. For more than a decade, PHIAs have been supported by the US government as a way to generate accurate estimates of country progress on key HIV indicators. They are a holdover from the PEPFAR program that was laser focused on ensuring US taxpayer dollars subsidized progress in pandemic control. There may be other population-level surveys and the data may even be publicly released, as the entire set of FY2026 MER data have not. But PHIAs will never happen again. If you’re wondering whether the estimates of HIV progress at country level might get less reliable….you’re not alone. 24 Ooh baby, I hate “we” in almost all forms. But sometimes I go there, when I am looking for company, which I am. Because this Stack moves into the somewhat-uncharted territory of assessing what the implementation plan narratives may suggest about co-signatory countries’ roles and responsibilities to the people living within their borders. The MoUs, specimen and data sharing agreements were templates. Countries’ answers fit into pre-specified questions that did not include, “how are you going to fill financing gaps and stabilize your health system as this plan unfolds?” In contrast, the implementation narratives are open form—the product of co-creation between the two governments. Co-creation can mean lots of things, but nothing leads me to believe that implementation plans are ghost-written by the US government, or that contents were imposed by the US counterparts. Instead, I think the parts of the plans that read like country government initiatives are endorsed, if not initiated by, those governments. For instance, the Ugandan implementation plan narrative describes plans for revenue-generation through fees charged for equipment calibration, repair and maintenance provided through Uganda’s National Equipment Calibration Laboratory, and laboratory accreditation through the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS), targeting private sector, PNFP, research and academic clients. That’s super specific and also quite ambitious. It doesn’t read like an American idea. There’s also a provision for solar panels, and other stuff that feels country owned and driven. This is where it gets interesting. If co-creation is the case, then both the US and co-signatory governments are accountable for the contents and the outcomes. Most discourse about AFGHS to date has focused on the decisions that America has made, or demanded that other countries make. The AFGHS architects have monopolized the hot seat. As they should, in so many ways. America absolutely created the conditions under which countries needed to come up with health financing strategies to fill unanticipated, catastrophic funding gaps. And with not-too-long a lens, we can look back and see that America is also on the hook for its role in the Bretton Woods institutions that made user fees and health system fiscal austerity conditions of loans during the era of structural adjustment. But in the here and now, it is not at all clear to me that the US is requiring Uganda or any other country to implement specific approaches to sustainable financing. Instead, it is as the authors of that paper up in footnote 6 suggest: African governments have agency. As implementation plans roll out—whether or not the narratives are shared—it will be important to understand what this agency looks like and what it means for people, including the poorest of the poor. And it will be important to figure out how to talk about it safely, respectfully and critically in places other than the literal and metaphorical footnotes. 25 This week’s song is “Once upon a time” by the Moody Blues. (I know, this is gonna be a weird, largely banger-free end of 2026 playlist. HMU with requests.) AND please do watch the video and appreciate the truly amazing opening sequence—a drum kit wasteland, a coupla plastic bags, a bit of sand. Sort of like the hill where fiscal austerity policies that put costs on health care users might go to perish. But then there’s a lady with amazing hair. It’s worth it.
Russell Wilson And Ciara Cover Town & Country
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From Cozy Board Books to Spooky Manors, These Kids’ Titles Top the 2026 Holiday Gift List
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Neil Garg named recipient of the 2026 Science and Education Pioneer Award
Distinguished Professor Neil Garg has been named the recipient of the UCLA College, Division of Physical Sciences’ 2026 Science and Education Pioneer Award for his contributions to science and education. He will be honored at Exploring Your Universe, UCLA’s free science festival, on Sunday, Nov. 8, in the Court of Sciences. The ceremony and Garg’s remarks will take place at noon in Young Hall CS50, and will be livestreamed here. He will also give a family-friendly lecture, “Organic Chemistry in the Movies”, at 3 pm in Young Hall CS76. The Pioneer Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to science and inspired public engagement with science education, particularly among young people. Previous award recipients include astronaut and UCLA alumna Dr. Anna Lee Fisher (2017), mathematician and UCLA alumna Danica McKellar (2018), actress, author and neuroscientist Dr. Mayim Bialik (2019), Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Andrea Ghez (2020) and UCLA mathematics professor and Fields Medalist Terence Tao (2025). Garg is the Distinguished Kenneth N. Trueblood Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA. He received his B.S. from New York University and Ph.D. from Caltech, and completed postdoctoral studies at UC Irvine before joining the UCLA faculty in 2007. Garg is an internationally recognized organic chemist whose research focuses on developing new chemical reactions, often challenging long-standing rules in chemistry. He has published more than 200 scientific papers. Beyond his research accomplishments and award-winning classroom teaching, Garg is passionate about making chemistry accessible and engaging for students and the broader public. He has developed innovative websites, apps, and games used in more than 175 countries, authored The Organic Coloring Book series, and created outreach programs that introduce children to chemistry, including his popular Chem Kids camp. His honors include the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Horizon Prizes for both research and education, the Cherry Award for Great Teaching, the California Professor of the Year Award, and the AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science. In 2026, he received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s prestigious Centenary Prize.
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‘The View’ dresses child as Trump’s algae-infested Lincoln Memorial pool for Halloween
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Donors raise $12.5M+ for new NICU at Marshfield Children’s
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How a scientist went from hero to traitor in a US water crisis
When the water in Flint, Michigan, became contaminated with dangerous levels of lead, Dr Siddhartha Roy, then a third year PhD student, was part of the team of scientists who publicly contradicted state and federal claims that it was safe. He became a local hero until a new piece of research challenged the idea that children in Flint had been left permanently brain damaged by the crisis. His adherence to the evidence, no matter who it offended, has earned him the 2026 Maddox prize, which recognises individuals who stand up for science and evidence, despite challenges or hostility. He tells Ian Sample how he reflects on his experience in Flint, and why he lost friends as a result of his work there
CARROLL CONDEMNS CHILD’S MISTREATMENT, RENEWS PUSH FOR JUVENILE MENTAL HEALTH DETENTION FACILITY
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 4, 2026) — Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Paducah, chairman of the Senate Families and Children Committee, issued the following statement in response to reporting on the mistreatment of a child at the McCracken Regional Juvenile Detention Center. “Leaving a child in a flooded cell for