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How to ban gerrymandering when the Supreme Court is stacked against you
What kind of redistricting reforms could actually survive contact with the Roberts Court?
The 2026 election could reshape healthcare
Why everyone who cares about healthcare reform should vote in the midterms.
Key Trump Health Adviser Resigns Ahead of Midterm Elections
Calley Means, who helped unite Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump, pushed food reforms but grew frustrated with stalled progress on the MAHA agenda.
Key Trump Health Adviser Resigns Ahead of Midterm Elections
Calley Means, who helped unite Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Trump, pushed food reforms but grew frustrated with stalled progress on the MAHA agenda.
Introspection required if EU Inc fails, says start-up lobbyist
European start-ups have a new voice in Brussels. Startups for Europe, created from the merger of lobby groups Allied for Startups and the European Startup Network, is hoping to harness the momentum behind EU-Inc, a campaign that united start-ups and investors behind demands for a new pan-European company regime.At a launch event for the new association in Brussels on October 1, the mood was remarkably upbeat compared to a typical Eurobubble gathering, more Silicon Valley than Schuman roundabout.When asked whether this reflects a feeling that Europe is on the right track, chief executive Serena Borbotti-Frison said it’s a “scary” moment as the continent looks to boost its competitiveness amid a new technological arms race.“What is at stake is quite intense, and the way we can answer is by delivering, but also with hope,” she told Science|Business. “It’s what our industry does. It’s not about identifying a pain point and then saying it’s too hard.”For many in the start-up community, that sense of hope is dwindling. In March, the European Commission presented its proposal for EU Inc, naming its initiative after the grassroots campaign.EU Inc was meant to be a gamechanger: the ability to incorporate within 48 hours for less than €100 and scale up across Europe; a harmonised stock option regime enabling start-ups to compete for talent; and simplified insolvency procedures for innovative start-ups to reduce the cost of failure.However, haggling by EU governments has raised concerns that EU Inc will be stripped of the very features, including stock option harmonisation, that are meant to make it attractive for companies.“I fear we are proving to ourselves that the model doesn’t work,” Borbotti-Frison said of the policymaking process. “Everyone agrees we should have EU Inc. Everyone agrees it’s hard to scale and we need to scale to answer the competitiveness [challenge], and still we cannot deliver? [. . .] What does that say about ourselves?”The Commission has made EU Inc a cornerstone of its single market reform, and has agreed with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU to target an agreement by the end of 2026. However, several points are currently holding up an agreement, including national rules around employee participation in management decisions, and the provision that employee stock options always be taxed at the point of sale. Some EU governments have reportedly pushed back on the Commission’s choice of legal basis, contending that anything related to taxation requires unanimity in the Council.Trade unions have also protested against EU Inc, fearing it will be exploited by companies looking to undermine workers’ rights.“If this doesn’t work, it’s introspection time, on the way our institutions work, maybe the way our lobbies work, and maybe the way the cooperation between them works,” Borbotti-Frison said.“Is it in the national interest? Is it a gap between political will and technical ability to operate? Is it speed? I don't know, but something needs to be fixed.”Ahead of last week’s European Council meeting, EU-Inc campaigners tried a new strategy: appealing directly to EU presidents and prime ministers. In an open letter, they urged EU leaders to “step in and give your negotiating teams a clear mandate to change course and reverse their objections to the Commission’s original proposal.”Lessons from EU-IncLike its predecessors, Startups for Europe will represent national start-up associations, but it is also targeting investors. The founding sponsors are venture capital firm Atomico and EQT, the investor selected earlier this year to manage the €5 billion Scaleup Europe Fund.It also wants to harness the knowledge and cross-border experience of European success stories. “Take the list of the 100 biggest unicorns in Europe. We are speaking to all of them,” Borbotti-Frison said. The association plans to publish a full list of supporters following the Slush tech conference in Helsinki in November.Andreas Klinger and Simon Schaefer, two key figures in the EU-Inc campaign, are both on the board of the new association, and Startups for Europe wants to take the lessons from their campaign.What was unprecedented about EU-Inc was “how rooted it was, and how strong it was in bringing everyone on board behind one clear pain point and solution to fix it,” Borbotti-Frison said. “This is an inspiration for us, and then we need to turn it into something more systematic, more bridged in Brussels, more connected to the policymaking game, and to scale it.”If it’s possible to unite such a broad coalition, it’s because the European start-up ecosystem is now mature, she said. “Maybe it was not ten years ago. Maybe it was not five years ago. But now, it’s mature to speak with one voice.”Open and liberal EuropeThe association plans to campaign on files related to three “pain points,” Borbotti-Frison said: “start and scale in Europe, fundraise and invest in Europe, and making Europe the most innovative continent.”As well as EU Inc, she cited public procurement, the EU’s simplification push, the Savings and Investments Union, and files related to AI adoption and technological sovereignty as priorities for the coming months.What these files have in common is that they relate not to subsidies but to the framework conditions influencing the availability of mostly private, or in the case of procurement, public, funding.Related articlesEmployee participation disagreement delays MEPs’ vote on EU IncCommission urges EU governments not to water down EU IncEU’s ‘ultra-fast’ €5B scale-up fund is set up to win, says its fund managerThe budget dispute over the next Horizon Europe programme will also impact start-ups, which are supported notably through the European Innovation Council. But EU innovation funding is a drop in the ocean compared to venture capital and public procurement budgets.“If competitiveness and innovation are a priority, then the [EU budget] should reflect it,” Borbotti-Frison said. However, she added that the main question is not how much public money is invested, but “how do we create the right conditions for the market to solve the problem?”The Scaleup Europe Fund mixes both approaches, using €1 billion in EU funding to crowd in private investors and address Europe’s lack of large-scale, late-stage growth funds. “It’s a proof of concept. Ideally, then the market will do it itself,” Borbotti-Frison said.Startups for Europe is also focused on bringing an alternative political narrative. Amid competing visions for open, global markets on the one side and a protectionist Europe on the other, it wants to offer “a third voice, to say we can be proudly European and build a strong continent in a liberal economy, open to the world, and global.”It can be tempting, when thinking about how Europe can better support innovation, to look across the Atlantic. But while it’s important to compare statistics to see where Europe needs to catch up, that’s where the comparison should stop, Borbotti-Frison said. “On everything else, we need to do it our own way. We don't have the same history. We don't have the same political model. We don't have the same way of life.”Many of the key files that could benefit the start-up community, including EU Inc and the Savings and Investments Union, rely on closer integration within Europe, making it easier to operate across borders.While the Commission has made deepening the single market a political priority, support at national level is more precarious. The coming months will see pivotal elections in Spain and France, while the German government has also been coming under pressure domestically. In each country, far-right parties have been gaining ground.When asked if she was concerned the political situation could jeopardise this progress, Borbotti-Frison responded: “Of course. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t.” However, she continues to believe that cooperation is the only way forward. “Doing it alone is not the solution. It’s also not who we are, it’s not the model we are building, and it’s not the scale we need.”
Hans Kluge: 'WHO's Biggest Advocate, Most Candid Critic' - And An Inside Reformer?
Nominated by Belgium, Dr Hans H. Kluge enters the contest for WHO Director-General after a career spanning frontline missions to leading WHO’s 53-nation European region through COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. Re-elected as regional director in 2024, the Belgian physician brings a quarter-century of WHO insider experience to an election defined by severe financial contraction and geopolitical strain.
Editorial: Chicago needs more jobs. Brandon Johnson wants to tax them.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's revived corporate head tax would make hiring more expensive when Chicago needs jobs, investment and serious spending reform.
September inflation sparks estimated £1.1 billion English business rates hike
Government may push reforms in next week's Autumn Budget
Hospitals: Federal changes will worsen Minnesota healthcare crisis
Minnesota hospitals had a record high of over 2 million emergency department visits in 2024. That year, more than a quarter of hospitals lost money on operations. The Minnesota Hospital Association painted a bleak picture of Minnesota healthcare Tuesday in a new report titled “A Statewide Crisis of Care.” The hospitals are gearing up for […]
Robert F Kennedy's granddaughter dies at 42 after years of health struggles
Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Bobby and Ethel Kennedy, was a Georgetown University graduate and Teach for America alumna who championed for education reform.
Trump’s attacks on California elections endanger democracy, repeating a pattern
Republicans questioned elections before reforms made redistricting nonpartisan. Now they accuse California of letting noncitizens vote.
Column: CEQA needs reform, but not like this
When does positive reform become negative regression?
America’s next big healthcare reform might already be underway
Colorado found a way to make health care cheaper. Other states are paying attention.
Opinion: Ohio manufacturing needs permitting reform
Momentum on reform is building in Congress, with Ohio’s U.S. senators helping advance the conversation.
'All INdiana Politics': Secretary of State candidates face off on voting reform and business portals
INDIANAPOLIS — The race for Indiana Secretary of State is taking center stage as four candidates vie to lead the office responsible for state elections and business licensing. The contest features former congressional aide Max Engling running as the Republican nominee, lawyer and former Marine Corps infantry officer Beau Bayh carrying the Democratic banner, small […]
‘All INdiana Politics': Secretary of State candidates face off on voting reform and business portals
INDIANAPOLIS - The race for Indiana Secretary of State is taking center stage as four candidates vie to lead the office responsible for state elections and business licensing. The contest features for...
‘All INdiana Politics': Secretary of State candidates face off on voting reform and business portals
INDIANAPOLIS - The race for Indiana Secretary of State is taking center stage as four candidates vie to lead the office responsible for state elections and business licensing. The contest features for...
Reform politician says smart glasses helping him make speeches in Wales' parliament
Jason O'Connell sparked debate when he started wearing the glasses, which have an autocue feature.
Criminal Justice Reform Isn’t Dead, Despite GOP Attack Ads
A familiar tough-on-crime election strategy is making a comeback, even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers keep passing reforms across the country.
Ex-Reform politician likens party's response to criticism to an abuser
Sarah Cooper-Lesadd, who defected to Plaid Cymru, says she is "not surprised" by new allegations.
Commentary: Demystifying mental health inpatient stays
I am one of the 68 million Americans living with a mental illness and one of the over 10 million Americans who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Living with these diseases and seeking treatment is highly stigmatized — and newly precarious under the policies of the current federal administration. The best way to break stigma […]
Can this Democrat crack the code for universal healthcare?
Amanda Janoo is running for governor of Vermont. Her health reform proposal has a twist.
Can this Democrat crack the code for universal healthcare?
Amanda Janoo is running for governor of Vermont. Her health reform proposal has a twist.
From labs to billboards: Behind China’s push to turn scientists into patriotic icons
Giant tributes to nuclear physicists and rocket scientists are popping up across major Chinese cities. However, academic Erik Baark observes that behind the scientific drive is a push for academic reforms.
Minnesota health dept. urges people to get measles vaccine amid outbreaks
The Minnesota Department of Health is urging people to get vaccinated for measles if they haven’t already. The guidance comes amid two unrelated outbreaks of measles since mid-September in rural Fillmore and Todd counties. Minnesota has had 42 recorded cases of measles in 2026, already exceeding the total of 26 cases in 2025. The year […]
PAHO Director calls for country ownership and regional solidarity in reshaping global health architecture
Berlin, 15 October 2026 (PAHO) – Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director and WHO Regional Director for the Americas Dr. Jarbas Barbosa called for countries and regional institutions to have a stronger role in shaping ongoing reforms of the global health system during the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin this week, arguing that clearer responsibilities across national, regional and global levels can reduce duplication and help limited health resources deliver greater impact.
Wyoming Business Council CEO resigns amid agency reform efforts
Josh Dorrell's tenure saw the council navigate through a shifting economic and political landscape that included an effort to dismantle the agency.
It’s not the old two-party politics – but Labour and the Tories now know they can shun their populist challengers
Though Burnham and Badenoch may still need the votes of Green and Reform supporters, both leaders have drawn clear lines in the sand, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
Connections Health Solutions Files on Behavioral Health Crisis
Connections Health Solutions' Q3 2026 filing covers behavioral health reform and crisis care access. Read what the filing reveals and why it matters now.
Defender of Kenya's democracy or political compromiser? Kenyans divided over Raila Odinga's legacy
One year after Raila Odinga's death, Kenyans are reflecting on his contribution to democratic reforms and national reconciliation. However, the so-called 'handshakes', with his political rivals remain debatable.
‘Godly leadership’: Lisa Demuth’s Pentecostal faith is a driving force behind her politics
Lisa Demuth asked God whether she should run for Minnesota House minority leader. On the morning Minnesota House Republicans were electing a new leader after a bitterly disappointing 2022 election, Demuth read the Bible verse 1 Peter 4:10: “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them […]
Councillors quit Reform UK after suspensions
David Dresser and Paula-Jane Thackray launch a new political group called Leeds First Independents.
Surprise health care bills are banned, but Americans still pay
If Congress wants to fix the problem, it should reform the No Surprises Act.
Idaho lawmakers tee up bill to reform prior authorization, and more health insurance issues
A panel of Idaho lawmakers that studied issues in the health insurance market formalized plans to draft legislation on a range of issues.
SD rules committee advances campaign finance, `Dark Money' reform packages
The two separate proposals, the Ending Perpetual Fundraising Ordinance and Exposing Dark Money and Banning Shadow Campaigns, follow the previously advanced Follow the Money Ordinance, which the Rules Committee advanced in August.
Liaison team calls for broader Vermont healthcare reform
After reviewing UVM Health's finances, a watchdog group urged Vermont officials to tackle rising costs across the entire healthcare system.
The eyes have it: Reform politician’s ‘smart glasses’ prompt calls for ban in Westminster
Jason O’Connell’s suspected use of the specs to aid his speech in the Senedd reignites debate over the AI-enabled devices
Improved Social Science? Don’t Laugh, It Could Happen
The theme is not unfamiliar: neither the falsehood nor the reasons for it are news. But three efforts at reform are worth knowing about.
DOW Unveils Initiatives Under White House Science Strategy
DOW has rolled out initiatives under the White House science strategy, covering research reform, STEM talent and innovation security.
How bicycling and shared hardship can bridge political divides
Shared effort can do what political arguments cannot. Maybe the road to unity starts with a bike ride.
Millions of Medicaid recipients to face draconian requirements as of 1 January
Trump’s reform law that seeks to make coverage harder to get, and to keep, includes working 80 hours per month
How Two Crypto Billionaires Are Making British Politics More American
A pair of low-profile entrepreneurs gave $100 million to Nigel Farage’s Reform U.K. Party. The system may never be the same.
In north Alabama congressional race, a Democrat pitches affordability and political reform
Throughout all of the 20th century, Alabama's 5th Congressional District, anchored in north Alabama, was represented by a Democrat. But in 2010, after the two parties had evolved and ideologically solidified into what they are today, voters sent Republican Mo Brooks to Congress, upending that longstanding electoral stasis.
The struggle to produce better social science
Christopher J. Ferguson’s article identifies efforts at reform in social science that are worth knowing about.
Oct. 12 "Colorado Chamber Office Hours": Three gubernatorial candidates discuss business issues
Colorado's gubernatorial candidates discuss business issues such as regulatory reform, transportation funding and affordable housing.
Heinrich eyes New Mexico jobs in bi-partisan permitting reform push
By Pat Davis, New Mexico Political Report — For most government workers and union members, Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day is the Monday cap to a three-day weekend. But that is not true for the U.S. Senate staff and local building trades members working to keep up with Sen. Martin Heinrich’s push to pass […]
Hidden fees cost Michigan patients millions. Lawmakers push reforms
‘Facility fees’ are buried deep in bills and often include little explanation. Health officials say they need the money to stay afloat, but won’t divulge much about the charges. One expert calls them a ‘black box.’
Commentary: Native small business owner: Main Street needs someone in the room
I started Lakota Made in 2018 at my kitchen table with six salves, made from plant medicines I learned from Lakota elders. Today, we have a storefront on Riverfront Drive, a small production team, more than 100,000 online orders and customers in 213 countries and territories around the world. Our social media community has 179,000 […]
County GOP dissent shows how Prop. 45’s CEQA reform challenges political lines
Small group of county parties differed from state party leaders over CEQA reform measure that has driven much political soul-searching
Readers Write: Health care reform, U.S. defense, road funding fight
We need to research and weigh all the trade-offs of reform. Then act.
WHO Director-General Candidates Address Global Health Reform In First Public Campaign Event
BERLIN - The WHO Director-General election process ignited its first public candidate conversation on Sunday (11 October) at the 2026 World Health Summit in
Column: Proposals up for vote and world health concerns
Two proposals involving a Constitutional Convention and reforming political spending in Michigan. are among the decisions voters will make in the November election.
Get used to multi-party politics, it’s here to stay
The prime minister’s promise on electoral reform could entrench the complex fights between five, even six parties
A ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A with House Education Chair Laurie Schlegel
What do you think are the main drivers causing Louisiana student test scores to rise? House Education Chair Laurie Schlegel: A great deal of credit goes to Superintendent Cade Brumley, who was hired in 2020 and built a strong team with a clear vision. He worked with the Legislature to implement reforms focused on the […]
A health reform both parties can get behind
Holding insurers accountable could be a point of agreement in a divided Washington
Concern after Europeans endorse US science agenda
Germany’s biggest research funder has said it is “concerned” after Berlin, plus several other European countries, endorsed a controversial US-led science policy statement. On October 4, the White House announced that 16 countries, including Germany, the UK, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Japan and South Korea had backed the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science.The document, agreed on the margins of the annual Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, which gathers science ministers from across the world, appears uncontroversial at first sight. It’s a one-page statement, without any concrete measures, that touches on reducing administrative burden on scientists, experimenting with new funding models and the use of “super intelligence” in science, the Trump administration’s preferred term for artificial intelligence. However, what’s controversial is that much of the language in the Kyoto Vision reflects Science: A New Golden Age, a major policy document released by the White House in July.That document attracted criticism for deriding universities as “legacy institutions” and suggesting money be diverted to new research labs. In a speech in Kyoto on October 4, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office for Science and Technology Policy and the report’s author, said that the US was seeking to “diversify the ways that we support research to meet our best scientists where and when they do their best work.” The worry is that the Trump administration may be using genuine dysfunctions in academia as a pretext to defund and disempower universities, which US vice president JD Vance has labelled “the enemy.” Many in Europe also want more experimentation and reform of how science is organised and funded, and agree with criticisms of academia made by Science: A New Golden Age. But some also fear that if the US pushes for reform partially in bad faith, it could politicise and undermine the whole agenda. Washington is currently trying to change federal funding rules so that political appointees can block and cancel scientific grants. It has cut grants mid-project on topics related to diversity and other politically forbidden areas. And last year, it threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless it admitted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create campus “viewpoint diversity.” “Particularly concerned”Because of this wider US political context, the Kyoto Vision’s otherwise innocuous sounding statement that “we encourage experimentation with new institutional models for science that provide varying levels of autonomy, resources and direction” has caused consternation in Europe, particularly from some of Germany’s biggest science organisations. A spokesperson for the German Research Foundation (DFG), the country’s biggest funder, said that it would “closely monitor whether the current US administration uses the Kyoto Vision to restructure research funding to the detriment of research institutions such as universities and their autonomy.” The DFG was “particularly concerned” with the statement’s references to Science: A New Golden Age, they continued. A spokesperson for the German Rectors’ Conference, which represents the country’s universities, said that the reference to “new institutional models” raises “questions on the underlying understanding of academic freedom and autonomy.” Research funding must “guided first and foremost by scientific not political principles,” they went on. Dampen criticismEuropean endorsement of the Kyoto Vision might dampen domestic criticism of the Trump administration’s science policy, some in the US fear, by suggesting international support. “What we saw from Germany, Japan, the UK and other countries, is an impulse that the administration has exploited with our own science reform movement, a belief they can use dialogue to make things better,” said Cole Donovan, director of science policy at the campaigning group Stand Up for Science. “In practice, the administration has done the opposite.” Not a binding statementThere’s been so much concern in Germany that the country’s federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space put out a statement defending its endorsement of the Kyoto Vision, which it has posted on its website. Related articlesIs metascience being co-opted?European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationThe US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The ministry said that it “should be regarded as a basis for discussion and does not constitute a binding statement.” Backing the statement gives Germany the chance to raise “issues and concerns” with the US during upcoming talks on science and technology scheduled for November. “Although these intentions appear, in principle, to be worthy of support, they will be scrutinised and examined more closely as the process continues,” the statement continues. Super intelligence?A ministry spokesperson confirmed to Science|Business that Germany had broadly endorsed the Kyoto Vision.However, they said Berlin had not agreed to final changes in the statement to refer to AI as super intelligence. In September, facing protests against data centres and polling that suggests US citizens are far more concerned than excited by the technology, Trump issued an executive order that attempts to rebrand AI as super intelligence, following polling on social media.The name change is to “reflect the transformative capabilities of these technologies and the limitless opportunities they create for the American people,” the order says. EU askedThe UK and Italian science ministries did not respond to a request for comment on their endorsement of the Kyoto Vision. Although most EU countries did not endorse the statement, it’s not clear which states the US asked. The White House Office for Science and Technology Policy did not return a request for comment. A European Commission official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that the US had approached the EU, but too late for the EU to quiz all its member states on whether Brussels should endorse the statement.
Prosecutor says man charged in killing of British ex-politician tried to break into Farage's home
LONDON (AP) — A man accused of killing former British politician Ann Widdecombe tried to break into the home of anti-immigration Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage about a year
Prosecutor says man charged in killing of British ex-politician tried to break into Farage's home
LONDON (AP) — A man accused of killing former British politician Ann Widdecombe tried to break into the home of anti-immigration Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage about a year earlier, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
Teen arrested over Facebook post mocking political official
Reform UK Wolverhampton leader Councillor Celia Hibbert and Reform UK activist Fraser discuss concerns over free speech in the UK on 'The Ingraham Angle.'
Most Americans support switch to Medicare for all health insurance
NEW YORK >> Most Americans now favor government-paid health insurance for all, according to a new poll, as voters across party lines see major healthcare reforms as a priority less than a month before midterm elections to decide control of Congress.
Where Ballard and the other secretary of state candidates stand on election reform
When Greg Ballard stepped before reporters for another news conference at the Statehouse last week, he announced his newest proposal for what has become a key issue in his campaign:
Kemi Badenoch: I'd rather have another election than do a deal with Reform UK
The Conservative Party leader also pledged to cut the cost of hiring 21 to 24 year olds.
Most Americans support switch to Medicare for all health insurance
Most Americans now favor government-paid health insurance for all, according to a new poll, as voters across party lines see major healthcare reforms as a priority less than a month before midterm elections to decide control of the US Congress.
With Uzbekistan open for business, investors watch reform staying power
When Nika Kurdiani began to plot London-listed Georgian lender TBC Bank's expansion into Uzbekistan around 2018, he had to bring plastic bags full of banknotes to pay restaurant bills.
Rightlessness after reform? Agrarian conflict and the politics of land in Indonesia
A review of Berenschot et al 2026
Kyoto Vision Rallies 17 Nations for AI-Powered Science: No Budget, No Binding Vows
Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science: 17 nations including the US, Germany, Japan, and South Korea endorsed an AI-driven research declaration at the STS Forum in Kyoto, committing to closed-loop AI labs, reformed science funding, and talent cultivation -- but only to endeavor, not to spend or
Is a ‘political’ email sent with county government resources worth a $5K fine?
Republican County Councilman Nathan Volke is championing three ethics reforms for Anne Arundel County government, with just weeks to go before the election. What’s he hoping to accomplish? How could county government actually change?
Key to Medicare home health reform is determining program's objective: report
Three possible reforms to Medicare home health are cost-sharing, home health eligibility requirements and optional cash payments, according to a September report from Brookings, a nonpartisan think tank. Which track to choose depends on what the overriding purpose of the program is, the four economist authors say.
Don Wagner explains why he should be California's next Secretary of State
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, a candidate for California secretary of state, outlined his qualifications, election reform priorities, and vision for the office during an interview on California Politics 360.
Rahm Emmanuel says Democrats should focus on ethics reforms rather than impeaching Trump
Democrats have publicly weighed wether they should pursue impeaching Trump for a third time.
Insurance Reform Is the Bipartisan Opportunity Washington Should Seize
Both parties in Congress are advancing legislation that would improve health-care transparency.
Tiahrt: 30 years of healthcare reform in America
Hospital waste, fraud and abuse are taking center stage in the discussion about necessary healthcare reforms.
Rural America May Be Ground Zero for Health System Reform
AFT Health Care has posted an article by senior fellow and director of healthcare reform Jeanne Lambrew on health reform through the lens of rural
Stand-off over Protestant march pushes Northern Ireland politics to the brink
Crisis over attempted march down Catholic road may hasten reform of Stormont’s political institutions
3 UK Exporter Stocks That Could Hold Up Better If Politics Shifts
UK politics is being ripped up again, with talk of a more left leaning Labour government under Andy Burnham, possible electoral reform and even Brexit being revisited. That mix is shaking assumptions about regulation, tax and the pound, which can punish some domestically focused groups while leaving certain global exporters relatively better placed. This article walks through three UK large cap stocks exposed to this news and explains how their international reach could matter for your...
Double-digit health insurance increases will hit individual and small group plans in 2027, again
Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans are facing significantly more expensive health insurance next year. The average increase for individual and small group insurance plans is 17% for 2027, the state’s Department of Commerce announced Thursday, raising costs for the 203,000 and 184,000 Minnesotans covered by individual and small group plans respectively. Individuals and their families […]
Welcome to the new Reform roadshow. Same as the last but more desperate
Nige is not rattled that the UK likes its new PM. Or that Reform is second in the polls. Oh no. Because Nige believes in Nige
Governor Sherrill Launches State Health Benefits Program Reform Working Group
State, labor, and healthcare stakeholders begin structured process to develop recommendations for improving affordability and long-term sustainability TRENTON – Governor Mikie Sherrill today announced the launch of the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) Reform Working Group, fulfilling a commitment made last month as part of the Administration’s agreement with 17 unions representing State[...]
Global Fund Leadership Shortlist Unveiled Amid Donor Friction And Push For Reform
The shortlist of five finalists to serve as the next Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was disclosed by the organisation on Wednesday (30 September), launching the final phase of its leadership search. The incoming chief will assume office in early 2027, facing a massive funding shortfall and mounting geopolitical pressure to overhaul the global health architecture.
How Washington Funded the Politicization of Science
Over the last half-decade, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on projects designed to influence academic policies, both in the sciences and other disciplines. The aim was to foster a progressive conception of social justice in these fields. In pursuit of this end, the foundation earmarked nearly a million dollars for a project titled “Creating Inclusive Scientific Societies through Policies and Practices,” over a million for a project on “Faculty Online Learning Communities for Gender Equity,” and over $2 million to foster “racial equity focused departmental change.” Through a public records request, I’ve obtained the proposals and progress reports for dozens of NSF grants designed to promote social justice. Although funding for these grants was eventually halted by the Trump administration, the projects illustrate an important facet of recent higher-education policy. Many of the university policies that promised “social transformation” didn’t arise in a vacuum. They were actively encouraged by outside funders—often by the federal government itself. Subscribe Accreditation—the peer-review process which enables universities to receive federal grants and student loans—has recently become a policy battleground, with accreditors wielding significant power over both universities and academic disciplines. In 2020, when Oregon Health and Science University’s medical school issued an extensive diversity action plan—which promised “consequences” for employees who failed to support “DEI, anti-racism and social justice”—it specifically pointed to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the medical-school accrediting body, to justify the overhaul. The NSF actively promoted DEI-focused accreditation policies. The proposal for a $1.2 million program on promoting “community engagement” in STEM, which I obtained through a records request, notes that the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology was exploring changes to its criteria “that would incorporate JEDI [justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion].” The proposal promised to “support broader JEDI efforts in the general criteria for engineering.” Another grant funded a conference designed to “identify and share best practices and strategies to integrate IDEA principles in accreditation criteria”—referring to an acronym that stands for “inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.” Scholarly societies have become another flashpoint in debates over higher education. Critics argue that many of these societies, which have the power to shape entire disciplines, have become increasingly politicized. Again, through its giving, the NSF played a role in promoting this politicization. In one million-dollar grant that received funding in 2024, a group of psychologists proposed a series of social-justice reforms to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. The proposal, which I obtained via a records request, asserts that “[r]edistributing resources (such as moving different people into leadership roles) is not enough” and that the society’s “governance structures do not yet reflect its stated values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Its solution: review and rework the society’s criteria for leadership development, academic awards, conferences, and publications. Adjusting review criteria informed by “intersectionality” designed to fight “epistemic exclusion” is an easy way to introduce de facto ideological litmus tests into the peer-review process. For many of the grants I obtained, such litmus tests seem to be the point. “Academic departments are racialized social systems that produce and sustain the byproducts of systemic racism,” a proposal for a $2.7 million project funded in 2024 asserts, promising to develop “departmentally-focused change efforts that cultivate values, assumptions, and behaviors that advance racial equity.” The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s million-dollar “I-ADVANCE” project, which effectively created a small DEI bureaucracy on campus, promised to Embed 28 ADVANCE faculty fellows in STEM departments” to amplify its equity goals. Another $1.2 million project promised to create “faculty online learning communities,” made up of scientists at universities around the country, that would eventually build department-level diversity action plans. “Ultimately,” the proposal asserts, perhaps more perceptively than its authors realized, “both organizational change and intersectionality frameworks deal with power.” Indeed, such grants confer a great deal of power to administrators and scholar-activists, who can even use the mere availability of funding as a tool to advance their causes. That history is worth remembering amid today’s debate over federal involvement in higher education: Washington has been shaping university priorities for years, including by financing efforts to instill progressive ideas about race, gender, and equity into academic institutions—and many of the policies those grants encouraged remain embedded within universities long after the federal money has stopped flowing. John D. Sailer is the director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at Manhattan Institute. Share
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