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Trump’s Board of Peace proposes $2.45 billion blueprint for Gaza reconstruction

The group's board unveiled a 66-project blueprint to get things started while acknowledging enormous hurdles that must still be overcome

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Sep 23 • 10:38 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
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PR veteran urges business groups to defend First Amendment

The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, a correspondent for Reuters.

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Sep 23 • 10:27 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
UN health agency calls for investment boost to save young lives from cancer

More children and young people are beating cancer, but progress remains uneven across regions and age groups, highlighting the need for increased investment to boost survival rates.

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Sep 23 • 9:09 AM EDT • Health • news.un.org
Roche Canada and Health Data Research Network Canada Announce First-of-its-Kind Partnership Focused on Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Care

Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada) and Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada) today announced a novel partnership that uses health data from multiple provinces to better understand pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments and care across Canada. It marks HDRN Canada's first private-sector project and Roche Canada's first collaboration with HDRN Canada on multi-provincial health data research.

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Sep 23 • 9:05 AM EDT • Health • finance.yahoo.com
Groups Have LOTTs of Fun Visiting Downtown Olympia’s WET Science Center

When you’re a kid, nothing is more exciting than school field trip days. And if you were a kid in Thurston County, odds are the convoy of school buses dropped you outside the LOTT Clean Water Alliance’s WET Science Center in downtown Olympia.

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Sep 23 • 8:27 AM EDT • Science • thurstontalk.com
National Trust, after battling with Trump, to announce legal defense fund

The preservation group, which sued to stop the White House ballroom, says it will push back against the administration’s changes to historic sites and laws.

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Sep 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Americans are drinking less since the pandemic began, but one group bucks the trend

Studies previously found alcohol consumption and deaths surged during the pandemic as Americans grappled with stress and isolation.

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Sep 23 • 7:30 AM EDT • Health • washingtonpost.com
'Cahill calm over owners unlikely to ease fan concern'

Tim Cahill has suggested Everton fans should not be concerned about the owners' lack of visibility and that supporters "have to be careful what you wish for". Most understood The Friedkin Group needed time to unpick the tangled financial web left behind by the Farhad Moshiri era. The early business deals, such as consolidating the club's high-interest debt and replacing it with a long-term financing deal with JPMorgan Chase, felt a healthy step forward.

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Sep 23 • 7:23 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Business group puts markers down for Space Force acquisition overhaul

Business group puts markers down for Space Force acquisition overhaul Business group puts markers down for Space Force acquisition overhaul

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Sep 23 • 7:17 AM EDT • Business • spacenews.com
Reform and the UAE – a threat to British politics

By Alex Carlen The United Arab Emirates likes to present itself as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The oil-rich Gulf state has committed to Net Zero by 2050, hosted COP 28, and even declared “championing climate action” as one of three strategic objectives for this week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly. But behind the scenes the UAE has quietly built one of its closest political relationships in Europe with the party most hostile to climate action in Britain: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. There is no evidence that the UAE is funding Reform. But a new FairSquare report, Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat, published today, documents a growing political relationship that should concern anyone interested in the integrity of British democracy. Reform’s leaders have embraced the UAE’s political model and promoted positions that align closely with the Emirati government’s priorities, while the UAE has given Farage and his party unusually warm access and public backing. What is emerging is not simply a relationship between British politicians and a wealthy Gulf state, but a channel through which an authoritarian government can cultivate political influence here, and abroad. Democracy for Sale relies on its readers. If you already support us, thanks so much. If you don’t, sign up to support fearless independent investigative journalism. Subscribe Back in January, Nigel Farage appeared at a GB News event in Dubai. On the 50th floor of a tower overlooking the luxury resorts and upscale residences of Palm Jumeirah, the Reform leader declared: “I want Clacton to look like this.” At the event – which Farage never declared on his official register of interests – senior Emirati officials mixed with British expats. Farage was keen to flatter. “We recognise you are our friends”, he said, assuring them that “a Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.” Controversy surrounding Reform’s finances and its susceptibility to foreign influence have centred around high-profile donations from billionaire crypto donors, and the jailing of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, for accepting bribes to give pro-Russia speeches. Far less attention has been paid to Reform’s blossoming new alliance with the UAE, an oil-rich authoritarian state with a track record of ruinous anti-democratic interventions. Farage wasn’t always so fond of the UAE. Back in 2023 he called it an “absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record.” Now Reform’s hierarchy calls the UAE home. Deputy leader Richard Tice splits his time between his constituency and Dubai and has called on the UK to learn from the UAE. The party’s treasurer Nick Candy runs a firm which has been in partnership with a UAE-state linked firm since 2024. Nadhim Zahawi sits on the board of an Abu Dhabi think tank alongside an array of the most senior UAE officials and is reportedly close to three brothers of the country’s despotic ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed. Reform’s leading lights have effusively praised the UAE’s governance model, defended it from criticism, and advanced its political agenda in the UK. GB News, whose two major shareholders – the Legatum Foundation and Paul Marshall – have strong links to the UAE, has been more than happy to broadcast UAE propaganda and was forced to pay damages in 2025 after airing a false claim about a UK charity by the UAE “disinfluencer” Amjad Taha. The UAE has responded in kind. When the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs conducted an official visit to the UK in May, Farage was the only non-government figure granted an audience. UAE state media publicised the meeting, and said that they discussed “the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests.” For the UAE these ‘mutual interests’ largely concern its paranoia over political Islam, and in this regard the UAE-Reform alliance is part of a broad and troubling pattern. Following a crackdown on dissent at home in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the UAE has offered material and political support to a range of violent and authoritarian actors willing to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood with no regard for the consequences. Its meddling in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and most notably Sudan, have been devastating. The UAE’s strategy of seeking out partners on the political fringes who it believes will advance its interests is not unique to Britain – it extends beyond the Middle East to Europe and the US. In France, it has offered clandestine support to Marine Le Pen through secret meetings, as well allegedly funding trips to the region after which Le Pen returned with a renewed focus on the UAE’s perceived enemies – Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Left-wing opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the UAE of smearing him and of “encouraging discrimination, hatred or violence”. In the US, the UAE actively supported the rise of Donald Trump, establishing itself as a key ally during both his first and second terms. Around these relationships sits a wider ecosystem of figures willing to amplify UAE narratives, that even extends to Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. Subscribe In Britain, the UAE has used a combination of aggressive diplomacy and illicit, disruptive tactics to achieve its policy goal of eliminating any perceived threat from political Islam. In 2012, for instance, it threatened to block billion-pound arms deals with the UK and stop inward investment if David Cameron did not act against the Muslim Brotherhood and rein in the BBC’s coverage of the group – going so far as to suggest, with no supporting evidence, that the group had infiltrated the BBC. It has financed smear campaigns against a high-profile UK charity and funded a mercenary to secretly surveil, and possibly assassinate, a British national on British soil. In Reform UK, the UAE has finally found an ally willing to not only ban the Muslim Brotherhood, but to publicly vilify the group and repeat the UAE’s claims that dangerous Muslims are a fifth column in British society, a narrative that aligns with the Islamophobia and anti-immigration sentiments that underpin Reform’s populist politics. The Rycroft review into foreign interference concluded that “hostile states and non-state actors have a clear incentive to attempt to undermine UK democracy.” The UAE’s network and alliance with Reform must be understood within that framework. It is a powerful, disruptive and deeply authoritarian actor with the resources and networks to intervene in our politics, and a track-record of doing so in a multitude of other countries. The evidence of the threat the UAE poses is overwhelming. The question is whether parliamentarians are willing to call the UAE out and demand action using the tools that the government has to respond. Placing the UAE on the “Enhanced Tier” of the Foreign Registration scheme alongside Russia and Iran would send a powerful signal to the UAE that its meddling will no longer be tolerated, and would place Farage’s next trips to the UAE under the scrutiny they deserve. Alex Carlen is research and advocacy manager at London based human rights organisation FairSquare and author of its new report Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat. Subscribe

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Sep 23 • 6:50 AM EDT • Politics • democracyforsale.substack.com
As school board election nears, CPS parents incensed by political group at school event

Some CPS parents say they want a stronger firewall to protect against electioneering on school grounds. It comes after a nonprofit affiliated with the Common Ground Collective, a group heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks that opposes the Chicago Teachers Union, paid for the DJ at a back-to-school fair and handed out fliers that directed to endorsements.

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Sep 23 • 6:30 AM EDT • Politics • chicago.suntimes.com
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Lynchburg Council members want answers to unpaid invoices from Mason Lane Entertainment

Several members of the council are pushing for answers as to why the group running the Lynchburg Amphitheater has not paid its current invoices.

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Sep 23 • 6:17 AM EDT • Entertainment • wset.com
PS6 and Project Helix battle for worst new-gen feature as Xbox and PlayStation outline horrific new ideas

The next-gen is addressing all the wrong problems 🤦

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Sep 23 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • gamingbible.com
Clean Virginia: NextEra’s utility takeover attempts, alleged political moves relevant to merger case

Advocacy group argues NextEra’s past political ties and attempts to acquire utilities deserve scrutiny in the $67 billion merger case.

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Sep 23 • 5:27 AM EDT • Politics • virginiamercury.com
Experienced Bruno Guimarães on leadership and Brazil's rebuild

Among the most experienced players in the squad called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the Super FIFA international window, midfielder Bruno Guimarães detailed his leadership role in the current group and ...

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Sep 23 • 4:28 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Banijay Entertainment Heats Up Dating Slate with Temptations Under the Sun

Media and entertainment group, Banijay Entertainment, today announces it has acquired the global rights to French-Canadian dating format, Temptations Under the Sun. Expanding the group’s strategy-led reality-dating portfolio, the title is a spin-off of Canada’s longest-running reality romance show Occupation Double, which has aired for more than 20 years. Created by Productions J, the French […]

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Sep 23 • 4:22 AM EDT • Entertainment • banijay.com
Britain's JD Sports says Nike turnaround is only a matter of time

Nike is taking the right steps to revive its business and a ​turnaround is only a matter of time, ‌said the finance chief of British sports and fashion retailer JD Sports , one of the U.S. group's largest customers.

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Sep 23 • 4:20 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Britain's JD Sports says Nike turnaround is only a matter of time

Nike is taking the right steps to revive its business and a ​turnaround is only a matter of time, ‌said the finance chief of British sports and fashion retailer JD Sports , one of the U.S. group's largest customers.

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Sep 23 • 4:20 AM EDT • Sports • reuters.com
Health Partners Group Appoints Ruth Handcock as Chief Executive Officer

LONDON, September 23, 2026--Health Partners Group, the UK’s leading provider of high-quality occupational health and treatment services, today announced that Ruth Handcock will join as Chief Executive Officer, effective from 2nd November 2026. Andrew Noble, Co-Founder, who has served as CEO for the past ten years, will become Co-Chairman, working closely with Ruth, the senior leadership team and the Board.

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Sep 23 • 4:00 AM EDT • Health • finance.yahoo.com
Nick Sirianni’s winning percentage places him among NFL legends

Nick Sirianni’s .701 winning percentage places him alongside four Hall of Fame coaches in an exclusive group of NFL winners

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Sep 23 • 3:21 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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WTFN Merges Fred Media & Digital Arm Radar To Form Studios Business

Australian producer WTFN Group has pulled together TV distribution arm Fred Media and digital division Radar to form an integrated studios operations.

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Sep 23 • 3:00 AM EDT • Business • deadline.com
Nvidia establishes Israeli research group focused on AI for medicine and science

The Applied AI Architecture group has begun recruiting researchers in Israel and will work on AI applications ranging from genomics and drug discovery to new materials.

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Sep 23 • 1:52 AM EDT • Science • calcalistech.com
Sister Partners With Branded Entertainment Company Common Interest

ane Featherstone and Elisabeth Murdoch's Sister Group has entered the branded entertainment market by buying a stake in Common Interest

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Sep 23 • 1:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • variety.com
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Sister Group Strikes Partnership With Branded Entertainment Company Common Interest, Makes Minority Investment

Sister Group, Jane Featherstone and Elisabeth Murdoch‘s ever-growing transatlantic powerhouse, has entered the branded entertainment business by forging a strategic partnership with London-based compa...

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Sep 23 • 1:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
What links smoking, body fat, mental health, genes, and heart risk? Inflammation may be part of the answer

In a large UK Biobank study, higher levels of the chronic inflammation marker GlycA were associated with smaller heart chambers, thicker heart walls, impaired diastolic function, reduced stroke volume, and a 43% higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in the highest versus lowest GlycA group. Genetic susceptibility also modified the associations between environmental exposures, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk, while inflammatory proteins in the IL-1, TNF, and IL-6 pathways statistically mediated several of these associations.

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Sep 23 • 12:15 AM EDT • Health • news-medical.net
Wu-Tang Management Shares Business Advice, Life Lessons with Birmingham Youth

By Shauna Stuart | For the Birmingham Times The Wu-Tang Clan experience doesn’t stop at the stage. For more than 30 years, the legendary hip hop group has ensured its mantra “Wu-Tang is for the ch…

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Sep 22 • 11:42 PM EDT • Business • birminghamtimes.com
Chief Counsel told staff early not to use Signal

The influencer issue this summer left the group chat.

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Sep 22 • 8:22 PM EDT • Politics • ny1.com
The science that brought green back to China’s Loess Plateau awarded the 2026 Volvo Environment Prize

Once stripped of vegetation and scarred by some of the world’s most severe soil erosion, China’s Loess Plateau has undergone a remarkable ecological transformation. Professor Bojie Fu, one of the scientists who helped make that recovery possible, is the recipient of the 2026 Volvo Environment Prize.

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Sep 22 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • volvogroup.com
Command (Hockey) Performance

The Kraken’s newly created sports performance group has added a third strength and conditioning coach plus a full-time dietitian for wider, deeper scope aimed at more wins on the ice

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Sep 22 • 7:54 PM EDT • Sports • nhl.com
How Index Switches Will Impact Tencent Music Stock Investors

Tencent Music Entertainment Group was removed from the FTSE All-World Index on its NYSE listing and added on its SEHK listing in September 2026, while fresh research updates highlighted mixed views on its core music operations and broader platform trajectory. The index switch concentrates liquidity closer to Tencent Music Entertainment Group’s onshore business footprint. This may sharpen investor focus on how its streaming, social entertainment, and offline initiatives line up with...

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Sep 22 • 5:24 PM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st
Scott Gardner: We were outstanding

Leeds United Under-21s boss Scott Gardner spoke of his pride in his ‘special group’ after a 4-3 EFL Trophy victory over Sky Bet League One Barnsley.Cheered on by nearly 400 travelling fans, the Ac...

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Sep 22 • 5:13 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Names in the News 9-22-26

Appointments and promotions at Marriott International, American Express Global Business Travel and Kempinski Group

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Sep 22 • 4:42 PM EDT • Business • businesstravelexecutive.com
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Real Madrid star Mbappé misses France training

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé was forced to sit out group training with the France national team on Tuesday morning. This comes with the attacker dealing with a bout of illness.Mbappé was for his p...

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Sep 22 • 3:15 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Best for business: Byron Donalds earns NFIB nod

Business groups continue to back the Naples Congressman.

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Sep 22 • 2:51 PM EDT • Business • floridapolitics.com
STC Spanish Professor Elevates Hispanic Culture in New Publication

What began with a group of students who simply wanted to share their poetry has grown into a more than two-decade tradition of celebrating language, culture and creativity at South Texas College (STC).

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Sep 22 • 2:32 PM EDT • Business • texasborderbusiness.com
Oregon Health Authority scraps proposed psilocybin fee increases

(KTVZ) -- The Oregon Health Authority will not move forward with proposed fee increases for state psilocybin licensees. State health officials decided to halt the rulemaking process after receiving feedback from advisory groups and the public. The decision stops a rulemaking process that would have made significant fee adjustments across the state's psilocybin program. The

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Sep 22 • 2:31 PM EDT • Health • ktvz.com
Michigan Chamber endorses John James for governor

The endorsement of James over Democrat Jocelyn Benson was not unexpected given the group’s history of supporting Republican gubernatorial candidates. But it came considerably earlier than four years ago.

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Sep 22 • 1:11 PM EDT • Business • crainsdetroit.com
California Prop. 44 Pits Health Care Groups Against Union

Prop. 44 would require community clinics to spend at least 90% of their annual revenue on patient care and related services.

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Sep 22 • 12:31 PM EDT • Health • americancommunitymedia.org
Free Speech Groups Say the FCC's Disney/ABC Investigation 'Reeks of Political Pretext'

FIRE, Cato, PEN America, and others take on the broadcasting police.

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Sep 22 • 12:30 PM EDT • Politics • yahoo.com
This Week In Happy Valley: Defense Leads The Way

Penn State football’s secondary exits non-conference play as one of the team’s most dominant position groups. Who should be Penn State’s starting running back as Big Ten play begins? The most important stats behind Penn State’s quick 3-0 start. Saturday’s win over Buffalo was the lowest recorded attendance at Beaver Stadium since the start of […]

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Sep 22 • 12:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Justice Department Sides With Churches in Political Speech Case

The Justice Department told an appeals court it largely agrees with the religious groups suing it over how far churches can wade into politics and still keep their tax-exempt status.

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Sep 22 • 12:00 PM EDT • Politics • news.bloombergtax.com
Business Tenancies—Two Problems

The Law Commission proposes reforms to business tenancy laws, addressing pre-emption rights and intra-group lease assignments.

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Sep 22 • 11:06 AM EDT • Business • klgates.com
OPB’s First Look: Unionization in college sports

A group of women's basketball players at Oregon State argues athletes should be public employees. Here's your First Look at Tuesday's news.

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Sep 22 • 10:30 AM EDT • Sports • opb.org
Plan a Night Out in Downtown Bloomsburg, PA

Plan a night out in Downtown Bloomsburg, PA, with local food, shopping, games, live music and creative activities. Explore walkable stops near Bloomsburg University for date nights, group outings and evenings with friends.

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Sep 22 • 10:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • discovernepa.com
Entertainment-Booking Startup Ande Raises $52 Million From Lightspeed, Redpoint

Personal AI agents like Instinct and Muse have promised to take away the hassle of booking hard-to-get restaurant reservations, Broadway tickets and sporting events. Now, a startup is coming out of stealth to do the same for corporate entertainment—events, group dining, catering, sporting events ...

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Sep 22 • 10:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • theinformation.com
RFK Jr.-linked group offered access to U.S. officials for a fee

A nonprofit with ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. solicited payment from companies in exchange for access to top agency officials at an upcoming event, documents show.

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Sep 22 • 9:00 AM EDT • Science • latimes.com
“Politics Are Desperately Important at the Moment”: Bill McKibben on Midterms, Trump & Climate Crisis

Ahead of the midterm elections, activist and writer Bill McKibben says he has been traveling across the United States with Third Act, the environmental group he founded to harness the power of seniors who care about the climate and democracy. “These elections are also starting to set the groundwork for 2028,” says McKibben, who calls the next U.S. presidential vote “maybe the last election that happens in a timeframe when we still really have an opportunity to affect some of the outcomes of these things.”

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Sep 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • democracynow.org
Gavin Newsom paddles to the political right with 3 notable vetoes

Newsom's rejection of pension, work-from-home and environmental bills won points with the right but angered some unions and advocacy groups.

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Sep 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • calmatters.org
Wendy’s moves to take 314 restaurants from bankrupt Meritage

Wendy’s terminated Meritage Hospitality Group’s franchise agreements for 314 restaurants, citing about $147 million in unpaid royalties and fees.

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Sep 22 • 7:56 AM EDT • Business • crainsgrandrapids.com
The Cardinals Season is Over, But the Future is Bright

The 2026 schedule hasn’t yet concluded, but the Cardinals’ playoff hopes are officially extinguished. From JJ’s debut and Burley’s monstrous blast that set the tone for the season on opening day, to a group of SFA baseball players taking their shirts off and swinging them over their heads. Jordan Walker reintroducing himself to the baseball […]

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Sep 22 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Position grades from the Patriots’ win over the Steelers

Our film review of each position group after the Patriots’ 20-3 win over the Steelers.

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Sep 22 • 6:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Is 50 the new 60?

Subscribe TL;DR: Younger generations are showing signs of worse health compared to earlier-born cohorts at the same age This backward “drift” is showing up both in mortality risk and chronic disease Worsening trends in obesity and diabetes are the most consistent signals Taking the long view, we’ve made astonishing gains in health and life expectancy in the last century. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled from 32 years in 1900 to 73 years in 2024. (But don’t forget, there were still old people when life expectancy was 32). As people lived longer, they also generally lived healthier along the way. It turns out that avoiding things that can kill you early, like malnutrition and lots of childhood infections, also keeps you healthier later in life. In a classic 2004 paper, Finch and Crimmins proposed that cohorts of children who benefited from fewer early life infections had less lifetime exposure to inflammation and cardiovascular disease later in life, accelerating mortality improvements at older ages. Poor nutrition in the womb has also been linked to a higher risk of later chronic disease. The upshot is that improvements in childhood health can pay dividends many decades later. The combination of better living conditions (nutrition, sanitation) and medical advances (antibiotics, vaccines, blood pressure meds, etc) meant that people’s healthy lifespan generally expanded, even as they lived longer. Aging researchers call this best-case scenario “compression of morbidity”—meaning we delay the onset of disease and disability even faster than the years of life we are adding. During my 20+ year research career, we could generally bank on the idea that younger generations would not only live longer but also keep getting healthier along the way. “60 is the new 50” as they say… Enter “Generational Health Drift” Sadly, this expectation of steady progress may be changing. You’ve probably heard that US life expectancy gains have slowed to a crawl in the past couple of decades. Mortality improvements are also slowing (though less dramatically) in many other high-income countries (you can read more about that in a review paper I wrote here). Mortality is a very blunt health measure, but it is often a good barometer for the broader population health trends happening underneath. And we are now seeing that younger generations may be in worse health at similar ages compared to earlier born cohorts. My collaborator Prof. George Ploubidis at University College London coined this worsening health in more recently born cohorts “generational health drift.” “Generational health drift” is bad news on multiple fronts. Most obviously, we don’t want our health progress to go backward. But the timing is also bad, since our populations are aging. In demographic terms, “population aging” means that the proportion of the population at older ages (i.e >65 years) is increasing. Fun demography fact: Current population aging is not due to the recent declines in the birth rates making the news, but declines in fertility decades ago, after the “baby boom.” As baby boomers reach older ages, the smaller cohorts behind them mean the percentage of older adults will increase. For example, the share of the population age 65 and older in the US increased from 12.4% in 2004 to 18.0% in 2024. This story of population aging was written long ago. Many worry that population aging will put pressure on health care and pension systems. But if people reach older ages in better health than in years past, those fiscal pressures would be less dire than projected. Healthy older people can also continue to contribute to society in many valuable ways, including paid work, caregiving, community service….even high political office 🤷. On the flip side, if younger generations reach retirement age in worse health and with more disabling conditions, this could magnify the societal challenge of population aging. Evidence for worsening generational health A recent paper that I LOVED in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Leah Abrams and colleagues examined which birth cohorts (aka generations) were behind worsening US mortality. Behold the Lexis diagram (cue swooning demographers). Calendar time is on the x-axis, age on the y-axis. Birth cohorts can be followed over time as they age on the diagonal lines moving up and to the right. This figure plots the year-on-year % change in all-cause mortality at a given age. Green shading indicates mortality improvements over time, white is stagnation, and gray shading indicates worsening mortality. Following the diagonal line for those born in 1950, you can see a noticeable shift from green to gray that follows this cohort for most of their lives. This gray shading shows generally worsening mortality for the 1950 to 1959 birth cohorts compared to their predecessors across all ages. Concerningly for my GenX and elder millennial peeps, there was also a deterioration in mortality for birth cohorts born in the 1970s and 1980s, visible as dark gray areas at ages 30 to 45 during the 2010s. While some of these mortality changes reflect specific shocks such as the opioid epidemic, most deaths still occur from major causes of death such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For cancer, the gray in the top left corner of the figure below reflects the legacies of smoking for older cohorts, followed by a period of green with improvements in cancer mortality as smoking rates declined. But the white/gray shading in the bottom right corner highlights a stagnation and reversal of the cancer trends, with cohorts born around 1970 to 1985 experiencing worsening cancer mortality. This deterioration was most noticeable for colon cancer mortality, possibly linked to obesity or dietary factors. Not just dying more, but less healthy along the way. A recent paper by Dr. Laura Gimeno of University College London (of which I am a co-author), found evidence that more recently born cohorts in Great Britain have stagnating or worsening health. A stylized picture of what“generational health drift” might look like: The review paper found: Rates of childhood overweight and obesity were highest among Gen Z. Rates of diabetes in the 40s almost doubled from 3.1% among the Baby Boomers to 5.9% in Generation X. Gen Z reported higher rates of poor mental health in adolescence compared to earlier-born groups. These UK results are consistent with studies showing worsening health across generations in the US as well. A 2021 US study found that more recently born cohorts had worse biological markers (like blood pressure and blood sugar) than earlier generations at the same age. A separate 2022 study of Americans aged 50 and over found that more recently born generations had a higher number of chronic diseases, with younger age of disease onset. A 2024 Lancet paper found that in the US, women born in 1945 had 33% obesity prevalence at age 50, rising to 48.2% for women born in 1970 turning 50. So what’s going on, and can we turn it around? We don’t have a definitive answer for what’s causing the deteriorating health of younger cohorts, but circumstantial evidence points to worsening trends in obesity and diabetes in both the US and UK. Remember that cohort trends reflect lagged effects of early environments, and younger generations have faced both earlier onset and more severe obesity across their lifetimes. Despite these very concerning trends, the future is not set in stone. We’ve reversed poor generational health trends before: drops in smoking are a major reason cancer and heart disease deaths fell so dramatically in recent decades. GLP-1 drugs may finally turn the tide against rising rates of obesity and diabetes, though it is still early days. But things could also get worse…for example from a return to higher levels of childhood infectious diseases that can have a lasting impact on health. See for example: [ ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) [ Don’t You Forget About Me(asles): The Virus That Erases Immune Memory ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Jenn Dowd, PhD · March 24, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Even as an optimist, emerging data on the “generational health drift” has my full attention. For most of my research career, we took it for granted that each generation would be healthier than the last. But if present trends continue, **50 could be the new 60….**and Gen Z celebrities will soon look older than Paul Rudd :). Stay well, Jenn Share the Health! If you found this post useful, please share it with a friend. Share

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Sep 22 • 6:03 AM EDT • Health • jenndowd.substack.com
Banijay Entertainment Brings Back Romance with Nordisk Film TV’s Date Knight

Media and entertainment group, Banijay Entertainment, today unveils a brand-new dating reality format Date Knight. Produced by Nordisk Film TV, part of Banijay Nordic, for Danish public broadcaster DR, the format will join the group’s portfolio of new IP heading to MIPCOM. Date Knight invites singles to step into a spectacular romantasy world where epic […]

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Sep 22 • 5:55 AM EDT • Entertainment • banijay.com
GOP Money vs. $5 Gas: What Will Matter More in the Midterms?

GOP groups are spending big as rising gas prices fuel Republicans’ panic ahead of the midterms.

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Sep 22 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • politico.com
EPIC Entertainment Group brings seasonal experiences to life

Halloween and Christmas events cap off the company's milestone year

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Sep 22 • 4:43 AM EDT • Entertainment • blooloop.com
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Personnel note: The Southern Group adds another dose of health care expertise with AHCA alum Erica Floyd Thomas

'Erica has spent her career at the center of some of the most consequential health care policy and programmatic decisions in Florida.'

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Sep 22 • 4:30 AM EDT • Health • floridapolitics.com
‘Healthy and Delicious Can Coexist’: Experts Discuss Making Food More Joyful and Sustainable

Cécile Beliot-Zind, Ertharin Cousin, Vikas Khanna, and Marcus Samuelsson spoke on a panel at TIME100 Talks: Architecting Healthier Food Systems for All.

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Sep 22 • 2:00 AM EDT • Health • time.com
Week 4 Nebraska volleyball grades

Sports reporter grades the performance of Nebraska volleyball after another undefeated week and breaks down each position group. See how Harper Murray, Bergen Reilly and the rest of the Huskers performed against Creighton, North Carolina and Florida Gulf Coast.

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Sep 22 • 1:00 AM EDT • Sports • dailynebraskan.com
Perception Gaps: Why Misjudging Our Political Opponents Is Damaging American Democracy

Perception gaps — misunderstandings about our fellow Americans across the political spectrum — are damaging the fabric of our country. Correcting these gaps is essential to preserving the kind of democracy that respects free speech, individual dignity, and civic responsibility.At their core, percept...

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Sep 22 • 12:40 AM EDT • Politics • thefulcrum.us
Alibaba plans AI model with 5 trillion to 10 trillion parameters, unveils new chip

Alibaba Group plans to train a new artificial ​intelligence model with between 5 trillion and 10 trillion parameters, Chief Executive Eddie Wu said on Tuesday, as the ‌Chinese technology giant outlined a sweeping strategy encompassing AI models, chips and data centres.

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Sep 21 • 10:50 PM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Quintin Primo in talks to join stalled Michael Reese redevelopment team

Capri Investment Group's founder is negotiating for a substantial stake as City Hall presses the development team for a new plan.

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Sep 21 • 7:46 PM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
Voting groups sound alarm on funding shortfalls that they say could affect midterm turnout

Several of the nation’s largest left-leaning voter engagement and racial justice organizations are facing steep funding shortfalls and staffing cutbacks.

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Sep 21 • 6:11 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
The front door is still a phone line: What voice AI returned at Virtua Health, Keck Medicine + more

Every health system, from a 15-location clinic group to a national system with tens of billions in revenue, shares the same overlooked front door: the

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Sep 21 • 6:05 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com
Thirteenth Floor entertainment group brings Halloween fun to SoCal

The latest videos from KTLA

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Sep 21 • 6:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • ktla.com
Drinking finally slows after pandemic spike, but not for every age group

The decline in drinking was driven by Gen Z and millennials, but heavy drinking among adults in their 50s and 60s is still increasing.

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Sep 21 • 5:00 PM EDT • Health • nbcnews.com
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Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corp. announces leadership transition

Robert Hartwig, president of Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corp. since 2023, plans on retiring in 2027, the group announced. Nathan Smithey, currently the group’s senior vice president of loan production, will succeed Hartwig. Hartwig began working at Iowa Bankers Association in 1997. (Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corp. is an affiliate of Iowa Bankers Association.) Hartwig held roles…

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Sep 21 • 4:21 PM EDT • Business • businessrecord.com
Hayden Panettiere remembered at Malibu memorial service

Hayden Panettiere attends the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix's new film 'Blonde' at TCL Chinese Theatre on Sept. 13, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)Hayden Panettiere was celebrated over the weekend at a memorial service held in California, her representative confirmed to ABC News.Around 80 friends of the late Nashville star, who died on Aug. 16 at the age of 36, gathered in Malibu on Saturday to share "an evening of music, memories, laughter and tears."“We wanted to honor Hayden in the best way we knew how—with as much love as possible," Panettiere's representative, Kasey Kitchen, said in a statement with a group of the actress's friends, who jointly organized the memorial.The statement continued, "It was a beautiful and intimate ceremony where friends came together to celebrate her life and honor the beautiful, magnetic light and love she infused into the world.”Panettiere's Nashville co-star Connie Britton and other celebrities, including Evan Ross and Ruby Rose, were photographed attending the memorial.Panettiere died after she was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment.The actress's official cause and manner of death have not yet been announced.An investigation into her death has expanded from South Carolina to Los Angeles, and investigators are focusing on the role drugs may have played in her death, sources told ABC News last week.Kitchen, Panettiere's representative, said in a statement on Sept. 15 that her death "remains under investigation pending toxicology results.""As we await the answers we are all seeking, may we also remember Hayden for the incredible legacy she leaves behind — the light she shined on mental health and postpartum depression, and the voice she gave to those who felt unseen and unheard," Kitchen said. "The answers we are all seeking will come."Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Sep 21 • 2:16 PM EDT • Entertainment • willmarradio.com
Paramount reaches deal with states to settle their case challenging Warner buyout, AP source says

A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Skydance-owned Paramount has reached a settlement with a group of state attorneys general that had sued to challenge the company’s...

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Sep 21 • 1:19 PM EDT • Entertainment • stamfordadvocate.com
Oregon's competitiveness ranks fall as business group urges policy reforms

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) --- Oregon Business and Industry released its 2027-28 Oregon Competitiveness Agenda today, urging state lawmakers to reform tax and regulatory policies to address ongoing economic stagnation. The statewide business group highlighted several indicators showing Oregon trailing national growth and employment averages over consecutive years. Data cited in the report shows Oregon's economy

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Sep 21 • 1:06 PM EDT • Business • ktvz.com
NBC 5/Telemundo 39 station group Texas voter poll

Economy and inflation are top issues according to likely voters surveyed in the NBC 5 Dallas/Telemundo Station Group Texas Voter Poll. NBC 5’s Larry Collins and Phil Prazan tell us the details.

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Sep 21 • 12:36 PM EDT • Politics • nbcdfw.com
Take part in Palmer Group’s 2027 salary survey

Palmer Group is seeking input from Iowa business leaders for its 2027 Annual Salary Guide, which will examine hiring plans, compensation trends and workforce priorities for the coming year. The four-question, multiple-choice survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete and will be available to complete through Oct. 2. Responses will be kept confidential and…

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Sep 21 • 12:19 PM EDT • Business • businessrecord.com
Sacramento artists to install empty film set, urging attorney general to protect entertainment jobs

Sacramento Poet Laureate Andru Defeye and local artist group Sol Collective will unveil a public art installation in Capitol Park to represent the decrease in California’s entertainment jobs later today.

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Sep 21 • 11:42 AM EDT • Entertainment • fox40.com
Business briefs: Treymor community opens in Mt. Juliet

Homebuilder group PulteGroup has announced the opening of its newest and largest Middle Tennessee John Wieland Homes neighborhood, Treymor, in Mt. Juliet. The 317-acre development community is located near Benders Ferry Road. It will feature 349 homes on lots up to nearly an acre, according to a company news release. The community will also offer

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Sep 21 • 11:38 AM EDT • Business • mainstreetmediatn.com
A New Kind of Model for AI Decision-Making?

Exploring TypeSafe's Jev and comparing it with OpenAI on intent classification

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Sep 21 • 11:30 AM EDT • Science • towardsdatascience.com
This Week: Phone Bank for Transit, SF Politics, Transit Tales

Here is a list of events this week. Monday/today! Phone bank with SFBike to Save Transit. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is phone banking and connecting with voters, explaining how vital it is to pass the Regional Transit Measure this November. Join them to help make sure our regional transit survives and thrives. Monday/today, September 21, 5-7 p.m. San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Office, 1720 Market Street, S.F. Tuesday Historic Photo Exhibit Tour. Moving San Francisco is a collaboration between the SFMTA and San Francisco Arts Commission and is on view at City Hall through November 25. During this informal tour, they will take an in-depth look at selected photos from San Francisco transit history and learn more about the stories and people behind them. Tuesday, September 22, 5-7:45 p.m. North Light Court inside City Hall, One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, S.F. Tuesday San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Board Meeting. SF Bicycle Coalition members are invited to attend all board meetings. Tuesday, September 22, 6-8 p.m. Register for Zoom link. Tuesday SF Politics 101 with Joel Engardio. ​SF Politics 101 is a look at how local politics work and the history that shaped San Francisco—brought to life with visuals and narrative storytelling. Tuesday, September 22, 6-7:15 p.m. SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, S.F. Register to attend. Wednesday Transit Tales: A Storytelling Night. Join SPUR and Muni Diaries at Local Economy for an evening of true stories inspired by riding transit. From unexpected encounters and meet-cutes to funny mishaps and heartfelt moments, Transit Tales celebrates the experiences that make public transportation unforgettable. Wednesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Local Economy, 6028 College Ave, Oakland. Saturday Group Ride: Richmond BART to Point Pinole. Join Bike East Bay for a family-friendly, no-drop group ride to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. Saturday, September 26, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Starts at Richmond BART Plaza, 1600 Nevin Plaza, Richmond. Saturday Shipwreck Cove Opening. Come see Sunset Dunes’s newest playground. Saturday, September 26, 3 p.m., Sunset Dunes and Kirkham, S.F. Saturday 55 Wine Line Progressive. Ride between Horsies Market & Saloon, Bar Part Time and Ruby Wine on the 55 Dogpatch bus. Saturday, September 26. Three locations in Dogpatch. See SFMTA site for more details on locations and times. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

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Sep 21 • 11:14 AM EDT • Politics • sf.streetsblog.org
Women's FA Cup Third Round Qualifying opponents revealed

The draw for the Third Round Qualifying of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup has been made, with Leeds United drawn to face Stockton Town Ladies at the Map Group UK Stadium.Our Durham County FA Leagues oppos...

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Sep 21 • 10:26 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
'We have an abundance of fight, spirit and determination'

Hull City captain Lewie Coyle says he was "very proud" of the group's "never say die attitude" after conceding two early goals at St James' Park. Newcastle United, who were 2-0 up within seven minutes of kick-off, ended the Tigers' unbeaten start to the Premier League season, despite Mohamed-Ali Cho pulling a goal back in the 67th minute. "It is a tough result to take, especially when you look at the amount of chances we had at the end," Coyle told BBC Radio Humberside.

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Sep 21 • 10:15 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
AI investments face ‘so much uncertainty’ on returns, expert warns

Bahnsen Group Managing Partner and CIO David Bahnsen analyzes the massive rise in artificial intelligence capital expenditures and highlights his energy stock picks on ‘Mornings with FOX Business.’

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Sep 21 • 9:10 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Exclusive: Donatella Versace Is Back With a New Brand

The legendary designer has partnered with Revolve Group on a new independent venture that will include fashion and beauty.

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Sep 21 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • vogue.com
CES principal discusses rationale behind lack of sixth-grade science

BAR HARBOR — In June, a group of 13 families first raised doubts about the way the Connors Emerson School administers its science instruction in the higher grades — providing

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Sep 21 • 8:24 AM EDT • Science • mdislander.com
Announcing our new STEP Grant winners: A Solar System shadow-tracker,…

Three groups of scientists will receive crowdfunded support to further the scientific exploration of space.

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Sep 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • planetary.org
Business Group on Health taps BioRadar to boost workforce readiness for emerging threats

Biological threat intelligence is increasingly becoming a workforce and business issue, not just a public health concern. | Biological threat intelligence is increasingly becoming a workforce and business issue, not just a public health concern. Emerging threats—infectious disease outbreaks, pandemics and potential bioterrorism events—can cause workforce and operational disruptions.

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Sep 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • fiercehealthcare.com
Business Group on Health taps BioRadar to boost workforce readiness for emerging threats

Biological threat intelligence is increasingly becoming a workforce and business issue, not just a public health concern. | Biological threat intelligence is increasingly becoming a workforce and business issue, not just a public health concern. Emerging threats—infectious disease outbreaks, pandemics and potential bioterrorism events—can cause workforce and operational disruptions.

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Sep 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • fiercehealthcare.com
HSG taps Crew’s Shepro to lead business operations for Columbus NWSL franchise

Mary Shepro, promoted to president of the Crew last year, will now oversee business operations for both the Crew and the forthcoming NWSL expansion franchise.

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Sep 21 • 7:58 AM EDT • Business • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Swiss business groups pressure parliament over UBS capital rules before vote

ZURICH, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Swiss business groups have weighed into the debate on tougher capital rules for UBS, writing to lawmakers to lobby against what they say risks being "excessive" ​regulation drawn up for the bank after the 2023 ‌collapse of C...

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Sep 21 • 7:32 AM EDT • Business • kfgo.com
Swiss business groups pressure parliament over UBS capital rules before vote

ZURICH, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Swiss business groups have weighed into the debate on tougher capital rules for UBS, writing to lawmakers to lobby against what they say risks being

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Sep 21 • 7:32 AM EDT • Business • lufkindailynews.com
NJ labor chief criticizes 'river of misinformation' about independent contractor rule

A rule set to take effect Oct. 1 has caused a furor among business groups and freelancers, but the state insists enforcement won't change.

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Sep 21 • 7:18 AM EDT • Business • newjerseymonitor.com
Tim Lamb Group Facilitates La Porte Ford Acquisition

Tim Lamb Group, the largest auto dealership sales and acquisitions firm in North America, announced the successful acquisition of Auto Park Ford of La Porte. The dealership, located at 1522 E. …

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Sep 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • buildingindiana.com
Game Changers: Asia Gholston-Pierson, Ilitch Sports & Entertainment

Game Changers: Asia Gholston-Pierson, Ilitch Sports & Entertainment

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Sep 21 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Game Changers: Donna Wilkinson, Pacers Sports & Entertainment

Game Changers: Donna Wilkinson, Pacers Sports & Entertainment

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Sep 21 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Game Changers: Stephanie Rudnick, Angel City Football Club, MKTG Sports + Entertainment, The Yellow Brick Collective

Game Changers: Stephanie Rudnick, Angel City Football Club, MKTG Sports + Entertainment, The Yellow Brick Collective

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Sep 21 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Game Changers: Alberta Lewis Lee, Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group

Game Changers: Alberta Lewis Lee, Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group

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Sep 21 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Game Changers: Susan Williamson, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

Game Changers: Susan Williamson, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

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Sep 21 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Game Changers: Kelly Skoloda, Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Game Changers: Kelly Skoloda, Monumental Sports & Entertainment

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Sep 21 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Baby girls’ greater interest in faces offers clue to nature v nurture debate

Study finds overall differences between groups of newborns by sex that are likely to be determined by biology

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Sep 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
Liberian official’s Minnesota group home accused of overbilling Medicaid

A new state investigation found Golden Touch Health Care billed Medicaid for 45 hours of services per day — a number that was mathematically impossible on many days based on its staffing levels.

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Sep 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • mprnews.org
NCT 127 opens ‘The Redline’ world tour in Seoul for 10th anniversary

The group launched its “The Redline” world tour in Seoul with futuristic staging, career-spanning hits and snacks from the stage in an energetic 10th-anniversary celebration.

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Sep 21 • 4:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • koreajoongangdaily.com
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BAAN Holding: Playocity Entertainment Project in Jeddah to Cost SAR 25 Million

BAAN Holding Group Company announced that the estimated cost of its new Playocity entertainment project, in partnership with global brand Hasbro, is…

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Sep 21 • 3:56 AM EDT • Entertainment • maaal.com
Whether you like it or not, celebrities have an impact on politics

The global groundswell of support for Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian advocacy serves to remind us that maybe celebrity activism really is that deep after all, writes Cheek’s Varsha Yajman. Subscribe In the last week, publications, podcasts, and influencers that have either rarely or never spoken about Israel’s genocide in Palestine have flooded my social feed. And it was all because singer Ed Sheeran and his team dropped Macklemore as his opener for saying “Free Palestine” on stage. Millions raised, millions speaking up in support of Palestine - all of this confirming my view that, whether I like it or not, celebrities do have an impact on political outcomes. And this is interesting when much of the time celebrity activism can induce an eye roll - I love to see Charli XCX pointing out a Palestinian flag in the crowd, but it’s hardly the bold symbol of allyship that some fans would make it out to be. But there’s a line between healthy scepticism and outright dismissal - and I’d argue that the latter lets the rich and powerful off far too easily. For instance, actress Jennifer Lawrence, once outspoken about her political views, last year told The Times she no longer believes celebrities have a role to play: “Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.” While it’s a narrative she might find comfort in, it simply is not true. Grassroots movements often garner worldwide attention when celebrities and other high-profile spokespeople bring a mainstream platform to their causes. And this frustrates me. We have had three years of a live-streamed genocide. Macklemore himself has been calling for a Free Palestine long before he booked the Sheeran concert. Yet it’s the high-profile fallout of the last week that finally seems to have made saying “Free Palestine” socially acceptable in the mainstream. It feels like the collective mood has shifted, where calling out censorship is now the obvious response - not just the business of ‘radical’ activists. To recap, Sheeran’s decision followed an ultimatum from billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, one of the venues Sheeran was scheduled to perform at: either drop Macklemore as your opener after only two of the eight scheduled shows, or you do not play at any stadiums. Sheeran’s disappointing decision to stand on the side of billionaire-led censorship has ultimately seen a surge in support for Free Palestine. It began when all his openers and his backing band pulled out of Sheeran’s tour, in solidarity with Macklemore and with the Palestinian cause. It was met with an uproar of support from those who had never or barely touched politics before: influencers lip-syncing to Macklemore’s music, singers like Jack Antonoff singing “Free Palestine,” and publications and podcasts standing with Macklemore. And finally, we saw material support: Macklemore donated $1 million in profits from his two nights opening for Sheeran’s tour to several Palestinian aid groups and called for Sheeran and Kraft to match it, which they have since promised to do. We’ve also seen children’s entertainer Ms Rachel follow suit with a $1 million donation to Palestinian aid, and publication PopBase has donated $10,000. Anera, a humanitarian aid group working in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, said donations since Macklemore’s announcement were more than triple this month’s daily average. The group’s Instagram page has also gained 8,000 followers. Macklemore far from the first celebrity to speak and participate in politics in the Western World. In 1924, singer Al Jolson supported Republican candidate Warren G. Harding for president, and decades later, celebrities such as Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, and Aretha Franklin voiced their public support for the Civil Rights movement. More recently, in the lead-up to the 2024 US election, ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah partnered with the organisation Power the Polls to recruit poll workers to address shortages- a problem disproportionately affecting voters of colour. The campaign saw 170,000 new sign-ups - 35,000 of which came directly through the TV show’s link - resulting in the recruitment of 713,000 total poll workers that year, an almost three-fold increase on the organisation’s goal. Alongside recruiting workers, celebrities in the US (where voting in elections is not compulsory) have made a huge difference by calling for people to register to vote. Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 saw over 400,000 visitors on the voter registration site within 24 hours of her Instagram post. In 2023, Swift had urged her fans to register, resulting in 35,000 new voter registrations. Similarly, Ariana Grande promoted voter registration in 2019 by setting up booths at concerts on the American leg of her tour, resulting in over 33,000 voters registering. And the same thing is happening closer to home. This year, musician Jack River successfully called for government action to ensure creatives in Australia do not have their work scraped by generative AI companies. Celebrity as the mediator between the punter and the politician Celebrity activism isn’t just a feel-good news story - research tells us it actually makes a difference. By directing attention to issues affecting the average person, like voting inaccessibility or a lack of action on a genocide, researchers Alfred Archer and Amanda Cawston state that “celebrities can play a useful bridging role between political elites and the people they represent”. Alternatively, in a world where talking about politics is “not cool,” or where people lack exposure or knowledge to engage with politics, celebrities can act as an educational resource or an entry point into the political world - when they speak up about an issue, their audience gets exposed to it. Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival is a perfect example. Rodrigo partnered with twelve organisations focused on women’s issues, such as reproductive rights. These organisations had stalls at the festival for people to meet them and were also featured heavily on social media, giving their issues global attention and raising $20 million for the organisations. We have also seen celebrities at award shows such as the Emmys wearing F*CK ICE pins, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s treatment and detainment of people - generally people of colour. When celebrities speak up about political issues in public forums, they put the issue at the forefront of mainstream media, rally their supporters, and make it clear that, however much they disagree, the government cannot simply ignore it. Our over-reliance on celebrities versus our politicians As much as I love seeing my favourite celebrity use their platform for a good cause, there is an important question to ask: not whether celebrity activism is good or bad, but whether we should have to rely on celebrities. And the answer would, in an ideal world, be no. In an ideal world, or merely a just world, action on Palestine would’ve happened decades ago, climate change would be taken seriously, and most importantly, people would understand their democratic rights. However, that is not our reality. Only around 28 per cent of Australian Year 10 students reach proficiency in civics and citizenship. In the US, almost two-thirds of people under 30 say high school civics education didn’t prepare them to understand voting deadlines, how to research candidates, or how to vote by mail. When civics education is weak, our trust in these institutions and our understanding of change-making processes also decline. ​This is where celebrity steps in and becomes our main source of reliance. As Mary R. Connelly notes in _The Tartan, “_Celebrities will always be involved in campaigns in one form or another, but their presence is not what causes people to vote blindly. The lack of political engagement and literacy is what allows celebrities to wield their influence on the political sphere so impactfully.” About the author ​Varsha Yajman is the Digital Content Producer at Cheek Media. She is a youth advocate and lawyer with a background in climate litigation and is passionate about looking at the intersection between race, climate justice, and mental health. Thanks for reading Cheek Media Co. ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share

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Sep 21 • 3:54 AM EDT • Politics • cheekmedia.substack.com
Platinum Exits De Wave Group

Beverly Hills-based buyout shop Platinum Equity has sold a yacht and cruise outfitter to Italian private equity firm Renaissance Partners. Neither

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Sep 21 • 3:39 AM EDT • Business • labusinessjournal.com