SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " benefit " 2,101 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Structural Factors Impacting White Men’s Health
LDI Fellow Derek Griffith and a colleague theorize that structural factors that benefit white men also may contribute to their poorer behavioral health outcomes.
Strip resort launches parking, dining, entertainment deals for Nevada residents
The program offers parking benefits, dining discounts and gaming rewards for all locals with a valid Nevada ID, according to a news release.
Justin Ishbia’s Shore Capital buys employee benefits firm in healthcare push
Chicago-based Shore Capital has raised more than $2 billion for healthcare investments since 2024.
Joint Society Editorial Calls For Science-Based Approach to CV Health Equity
A joint editorial on behalf of the ACC, American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology and World Heart Federation calls for a new era of equity-centered cardiovascular care designed to redefine prevention, optimize care delivery and ensure that all patients worldwide benefit equally from the promise of modern cardiovascular medicine.
A Dog Named Dug: The Science Behind Therapy Animals
Through the Cornell Companions program, volunteer therapy animals on campus bring emotional and neurochemical benefits to students during stressful times.
Are glucose monitors a good thing for 2-year-olds? Experts look at risks, benefits
The newly approved over-the-counter CGM offers a new approach to tackling childhood obesity but also raises a host of questions.
Principal to acquire Beam Benefits in small business benefits deal
Beam generated $175 million in premiums last year, and the deal targets Principal's specialty benefits 5-9% growth range
Academic Excellence Award Winner
Academic Excellence Award Winner Erin shares her experiences as a Public and Community Health Major, with double minors in Legal Studies and Health Policy and Management:"I came to Ithaca from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts knowing that I wanted an education that would allow me to change the world in a positive light. Admittedly, I was unaware when choosing the public health major just how much of an impact I could make, but through my experiences in this rigorous program, I know public health is where I am meant to be. Being a public health major during the COVID-19 pandemic was a unique experience. My education granted me the opportunity to work on and off campus with different populations to provide support during the pandemic. Professor Srijana Bajracharya was my professor for Research Methods in Health. She encouraged her class to create research projects that would benefit our communities. She was a mentor for me and helped me find my passion in research, which I have brought with me to my job as a research assistant for Rescue - The Behavior Change Agency. I thank Professor Bajracharya for her guidance and support throughout my time as a public health student."
Oregon eyes $421 million in Medicaid cuts, including fewer benefits and limits on prescription drugs
Major cuts are coming to the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s free healthcare program covering 1.4 million children and low-income adults. But the group of experts Gov. Tina Kotek charged with minimizing the harm of those cuts has given her no definitive recommendations.
Research shows sports fans get health benefit from watching their favorite teams
Brigham and Women’s nurses make history with largest health care professional strike in Mass.
Over 4,000 unionized nurses and home care professionals are set to strike July 8, due to unsuccessful pay and benefits negotiations with the hospital's board of directors.
Graduate students benefit from philanthropy
Meet three scholars in applied physical sciences, political science and music who received fellowships to further their research and teaching.
Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+ 2, The Planet Crafter, Palworld 1.0, and More
We have more games, more benefits, and more updates (looking at you, Palworld going 1.0!) for you to dig into.
Make the Business Case for Your Sustainability Initiative
Sustainability proposals often stall not because they lack merit, but because they are framed in a language that does not match how senior leaders allocate capital. While CSOs tend to emphasize impact, materiality, and disclosure, CFOs and CEOs need to understand cash flow, risk, and return. External reporting frameworks are useful for accountability, but they are poorly suited to internal investment decisions, which require project-level comparisons rather than aggregated enterprise metrics. Sustainability investments should therefore be evaluated like any other investment: by showing how they reduce current costs, avoid future costs, generate new revenue, or protect existing revenue. Strong cases begin with a clear business story that links the proposed action to a specific business impact and cash-flow outcome, then quantify what can credibly be quantified while treating harder-to-measure benefits as either upside or an explicit strategic bet.
Strength training: The secret weapon for women’s heart health
Mobility coach Dana Santas shows how integrating resistance training into a weekly fitness regimen can benefit women’s heart health.
A Business Owner Paid Himself a Low Salary for Decades to Save on Taxes. The Trade-Off Shows Up Now, in a Smaller Social Security Check, and Selling the Company Won’t Fix It.
A 66-year-old business owner running an S-corporation for decades is planning his exit. A buyer is circling, and he expects the sale to fund retirement. When it came time for him to request his Social Security statement, the projected monthly benefit was lower than expected. Friends with W-2 careers and similar lifestyles were getting noticeably ... A Business Owner Paid Himself a Low Salary for Decades to Save on Taxes. The Trade-Off Shows Up Now, in a Smaller Social Security Check, and Selling
The order in which food is eaten may have health benefits, dietitian says
VFW defends First Amendment rights amid blowback over political cartoon
Lawmakers and veterans groups are divided on how to pay for a major veterans benefits reform bill.
It's Seattle's best sports year yet. Will Mayor Katie Wilson benefit?
Seattle sports enthusiasm has maybe never been more obvious than this year. The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the World Cup is he, and the SuperSonics feel closer than ever to potentially returning. None of that is due to Mayor Katie Wilson, but will she benefit from it?
Sunlight is not your enemy
Health benefits outweigh the risks for most of us, according to new book
Ebola deaths in Congo top 500 as health workers threaten to strike
Frontline workers have threatened to strike over unpaid benefits and poor working conditions.
Which NBA Stars Benefited Most From This Wild Offseason?
But if Herro stays on the floor, I think this is the best fantasy situation of his career. I'd draft him noticeably earlier than I would have just a month ago. Giannis Antetokounmpo Elite Is Still Elite Sometimes we overthink these things.
Take a walk through Georgia Southern's City Campus, home to the Business Innovation Group
The Business Innovation Group is home to resources for locals, students, and small businesses to grow. With places like the FabLab and the Business Incubator, there is plenty for businesses to benefit from.
$15M HVAC firm finds a buyer
It can be tricky. But going from solo ownership to being an employee-owned business, an air conditioning company founder recently learned, has some cool benefits.
Beetroot juice is trending – its benefits go beyond the hype
Some marathon runners and other athletes swear by beetroot juice shots, but is there evidence they really do anything for our bodies? Columnist Alice Klein investigates
Fort Bend County Fair to Reveal 2026 Entertainment Lineup at Free Sugar Land Event
SUGAR LAND, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo will reveal its 2026 entertainment lineup during a free public event Wednesday as the organization prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary. Fort Bend County Fair 2026 Lineup Reveal Set for July 8 in Sugar Land The “Who’s Playing at the Fair?” gathering is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at Talyard Brewing Company, 1033 Imperial Blvd. Attendees will be the first to learn which artists are set to perform, with giveaways, special guests and family-friendly activities planned. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.2026 Fort Bend County Fair Dates and Schedule The fair’s Championship BBQ Cook-Off is set for Sept. 18-19, with the main fair and rodeo running Sept. 25 through Oct. 4. The events will feature nightly concerts, livestock shows, youth competitions, rodeo performances and carnival attractions. What to Expect at the Fort Bend County Fair 90th Anniversary Celebration "We’re excited to kick off our 90th year by answering the question everyone is asking — who’s playing at the fair?” Fair President Brian Graeber said. “This event is a chance for residents to come together, become part of our fair family, and get an early look at what’s in store for our milestone celebration.” Fort Bend County Fair Scholarship and Youth Impact For 90 years, the Fort Bend County Fair and Rodeo has focused on benefiting youth, promoting agriculture and supporting education. This year, the organization awarded $250,000 in scholarships and generated more than $1.4 million through its junior livestock and other auctions. The lineup reveal is free and open to the public. For more information, visit fortbendcountyfair.com or follow the fair on social media. The fairgrounds are located at 4310 Hwy. 36 South in Rosenberg.
How society feels about breakthrough science
Greater knowledge and visible everyday benefits are driving optimism towards breakthrough science.
4 Health Benefits of Sardines
Sardines are great sources of nutrients like protein and omega-3s. But before you toss a few down, learn about their potential downsides, too.
World Cup a winner for local businesses
Bars like Olde Magoun's Saloon and Phoenix Landing have seen unprecedented sales. And businesses that aren't bars are also benefitting.
Chris Stapleton and Chaka Khan celebrate America's 250th at the L.A. Coliseum
Chris Stapleton was the headlining act at a Fourth of July benefit concert that also featured Smashing Pumpkins, Chaka Khan, Maren Morris and Queen Latifah.
Two new food benefits available to Oregon Health Plan members with complex health needs
The Oregon Health Authority has launched new nutrition benefits for Oregon Health Plan members with chronic conditions to help improve food security.
Supreme Court’s dramatic moves will reshape elections — and give the GOP a midterm boost
Legal experts said the justices’ intervention amid an election cycle and the pace at which the court moved to implement changes that largely benefit one party is all but unprecedented in recent years.
Wang Yi Says China Welcomes Stronger European Business Relations
China welcomes deeper cooperation with Swedish and European businesses, which will benefit all parties involved, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with Investor AB Chairman Jacob Wallenberg in Stockholm on July 4, according to a statement from the ministry on Sunday.
The Best Drink for Joint Health, Backed by Registered Dietitians and Science
See the best drink you can sip on for joint health, according to registered dietitians. This healthy beverage is packed with antioxidants, and also benefits your heart, more.
Fight them for the beaches: the real villain of Europe’s overtourism is big business
From Albania to Portugal, privatisation of the coastline is bringing locals out on to the streets. For them, the economic benefits are few and far between, says Adam Almeida, a writer living in London
The health benefits of fermented foods
Amber Freeman, host of Bloom, joined Fermenting Fairy Founder and CEO, Lauren Mones, in the kitchen to explore the many benefits of consuming fermented foods. While fermentation may sound intimidat…
Jensen Huang's leather jacket could fetch $60,000 at auction
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's black Tom Ford leather jacket is up for auction, with proceeds benefiting charity, Sotheby's said.
The hardest part of starting a business shouldn't be finding support
When entrepreneurs spend less time searching for help and more time building businesses, creating jobs and investing in their communities, everyone benefits.
HHSC Announces Upgraded WIC Cards for Families | Texas Health and Human Services
HHSC launched upgraded WIC EBT cards integrated with the myWIC app to help Texas families manage, track and secure their benefits more easily.
U.S. filings for jobless aid fall to 215,000 as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for jobless aid inched down last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the week ending…
Abolish the NIH. It really would benefit science.
A $48 billion government monopoly should give way to the market.
4 surprising (and evidence-based) health benefits of drinking coffee
Hundreds of studies have shown that a cup of joe — or more! — every day may protect against some major diseases.
CID businesses voice frustration over lack of foot traffic, safety during World Cup
“The rest of downtown is benefiting. We are not. So, enough is enough,” one business owner said.
Trump denies he financially benefits from presidency following crypto earnings
The president said he, like "everybody," is profiting from the stock market going up
Trump denies he financially benefits from presidency following crypto earnings
The president said he, like "everybody," is profiting from the stock market going up
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
Sweating has some health benefits – but detoxing isn't the main one
Fitness studios have drawn people in for years with the promise of “sweating out” toxins. But what's the truth?
Simpler lung cancer screening criteria could capture more patients likely to benefit
New research published in JAMA Internal Medicine compared current USPSTF criteria to a potential shift toward total years smoked, rather than pack years.
‘A political decision’: FIU law school community uneasy over new dean with Trump ties
“Law schools that can build and maintain ties with the conservative parts of the country... are poised to benefit,” the new dean wrote in a cover letter.
Exclusive: FDA allows ZYN to sell pouches on health benefits
The pouches can be marketed as less risky than cigarettes.
Supreme Court loosens campaign finance laws, opening up flood of midterm cash
The change is likely to benefit Republicans, who brought the case and rely more on large donors.
Supreme Court lifts Watergate-era caps on campaign spending
The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a Watergate-era cap on how much money political parties may spend in coordination with candidates, siding with Republicans in a case initially filed by then-Senate candidate JD Vance that experts say could ultimately benefit the GOP in this year’s midterm election.
FDA staff recommendation undercuts RFK Jr.’s push to expand peptides
The chains of amino acids are increasingly marketed for antiaging and health benefits. However, medical experts say many of those claims have not yet been fully tested.
Top GLP-1 prescription indications include sleep apnea, depression and kidney disease, study finds
A report from Trilliant Health looking at payer data found that, as prescriptions for the popular weight loss drugs spike, so rises the number of approved benefits.
Scientists say creatine may help fight depression
Creatine is best known as a muscle-building supplement, but scientists are now investigating whether it could also help treat depression by boosting the brain's energy supply. A new review examined five randomized clinical trials involving 238 participants and found mixed results. Two studies, both involving women with major depressive disorder, reported that adding creatine to standard treatment improved symptoms, while three others found no meaningful benefit.
This Simple Nightly Ritual Improves Nail Health
A dermatologist explains the benefits of nail oiling, as well as which types work best and how often you should apply them.
Pediatric sports medicine expert shares the health benefits of playing soccer
Science and Technology Must Deliver for the Public
The United States has never lacked for scientific ambition. What we need now is a renewed civic commitment to ensuring that talent is harnessed for the benefit of all people. Science can work for everyone. Join us as we build a broader coalition committed to that vision.
Think You Should Wait Before Drinking Your First Cup of Coffee? Science Says There's No Need (or Benefit)
Research shows when you drink your first cup of coffee has no impact on afternoon energy levels. Or hydration. Or anything, aside from how you like to start your day.
After months of unanswered pain, a Philly woman learned she had Stage 3 colon cancer. Now she’s pushing for equitable care
Medical advances mean that more people are surviving cancer. But not everyone is benefiting from those gains equally, a new report shows.
A tale of two World Cup experiences: As Boston reaps economic benefits, Foxboro suffers
With the World Cup taking place in their backyard, Foxboro-area restaurateurs say they have been left in the dark and are not reaping the benefits from the economic boom seen in Boston.
The role customer relationship management plays in small business growth and efficiency
Nutshell reports that small businesses benefit from CRM systems, improving customer retention and sales, while starkly contrasting with larger firms' efficiency.
Editorial: Feds find more health care fraud
It shouldn’t be too much to ask that taxpayer-funded social service programs benefit people who actually exist.
Millions take omega-3 fish oil for brain health but a new study found no benefit
Fish oil supplements successfully delivered omega-3s to the brain, but a two-year study found no meaningful benefits for memory, cognition, or Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. The results challenge the idea that fish oil pills can help prevent Alzheimer’s and shift attention toward overall diet and lifestyle instead.
Millions take omega-3 fish oil for brain health but a new study found no benefit
Fish oil supplements successfully delivered omega-3s to the brain, but a two-year study found no meaningful benefits for memory, cognition, or Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. The results challenge the idea that fish oil pills can help prevent Alzheimer’s and shift attention toward overall diet and lifestyle instead.
Health insurers are looking for MAHA wins
The companies are offering benefits aimed at appealing to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement.
Efzimfotase alfa demonstrated improvements in bone health in treatment-naïve pediatric patients with hypophosphatasia achieving median difference of 1.67 vs placebo in RGI-C Score at week 25 in MULBERRY Phase III trial
Positive results from the MULBERRY Phase III trial showed that efzimfotase alfa (ALXN1850), an investigational enzyme replacement therapy, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in bone health in children (2 to
States seek to lower drug prices by targeting the companies that manage them for health plans
TOPEKA, Kan. — As consumers worry about medication costs, states are trying to lower drug prices by reining in big companies that oversee prescription coverage for health insurers. Some of those companies, called pharmacy benefit managers, also own pharmacies, and one of them, CVS, has spent millions of dollars fighting
The Simplest Focus Booster Is Sitting in Your Drawer Right Now
Science shows that writing by hand strengthens the brain by improving memory, focus, and deep thinking compared to typing.
Senators call for military healthcare program to cover autism therapy as a basic benefit
A letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows an NBC News investigation into the military healthcare program’s restrictions on applied behavioral therapy.
Your Social Security benefits could be cut by a quarter in 2032. Here’s what to know
Americans’ Social Security benefits will have to be cut by roughly a quarter in six years due to depleted funds, according to a June 9 report from the Social Security Board of Trustees. That’s months sooner than the group had estimated in 2025.
Chairman Guthrie, Health Vice Chair Harshbarger, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks Lead Site Visit to Iowa Hospitals to Highlight Benefits of the Rural Health Transformation Program
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
What Happens to Your Liver When You Drink Green Tea Every Day
What does green tea do for your liver? Learn how it may affect fat buildup, inflammation, and liver enzymes, plus risks and benefits.
OHSU advances massive leap in medical science with cellular therapies
Patients are benefiting from CAR-T to treat neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, lupus and other autoimmune conditions.
City council members request special meeting on planned Sports and Entertainment District
San Antonio Council Districts 1, 5 and 7 want a special meeting before Aug. 7 to guide public input on the Spurs arena’s $75M Community Benefits Agreement as the city considers a $489M Sports and Entertainment District.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
Regenerative Agriculture and Population Health
Regenerative agriculture can enhance food quality and reduce harmful exposures through improved soil biology, biodiversity, and ecosystem health, yielding downstream benefits for agriculture, food systems, and human health. It may improve profitability through greater land resilience and lower input costs and may deliver benefits to farms, farmers, communities, and the broader environment. More research is warranted to understand the full range of potential health benefits of regenerative agriculture.
Covington approves new round of small business incentives
The Covington Board of Commissioners approved a new round of small business incentives this week. Learn which businesses will benefit.
Fermented Food: Does Eating Kimchi or Sauerkraut Have Health Benefits?
Researchers are starting to understand how foods like kimchi, yogurt and sauerkraut affect our health.
Latest COVID booster may offer bonus health benefit, study suggests
The latest COVID-19 vaccine (2024-2025) has been linked to fewer serious heart-related events among U.S. veterans. New research confirmed a small reduction in COVID-related cardiovascular events, or COVID-19-associated MACE, due to the vaccine.
Perks of the job: Save on entertainment and essentials with BenefitHub
State of Colorado employees have access to a wide-ranging corporate discount marketplace, and those eligible for benefits at Metropolitan State University of Denver can take advantage of them with their University email. The State of Colorado BenefitHub offers deals on thousands of products, ranging from vacation and event tickets to insurance and other essential services. […]
This health data provider could benefit as AI reshapes drug research
Harvey Stober, senior equity analyst and correspondent at CNBC, explains why this healthcare company could benefit from artificial intelligence reshaping the drug industry thanks to its treasure trove of data.
An Evening of Hope: The Center for Youth Mental Health Hosts its Annual Benefit Dinner
The annual benefit dinner for the Center for Youth Mental Health at NewYork-Presbyterian was hosted by Anna Wintour, Mariska Hargitay, Dr. Zandy Forbes, Dr. Brian G. Donley, and Kim Richter Shirley and Jon Shirley.
Program Director Shares How Articulation Agreements Benefit Meredith Pre-health Post-Baccalaureate Students
Karthik Aghoram, director of Meredith’s Pre-health Post-Baccalaureate Program, recently spoke with Inspira Advantage about the program’s articulation agreements and why they are valuable for students seeking careers in health care.
Business owners and students alike benefit from Akron chamber’s support programs
The Greater Akron Chamber helps more than 850 small businesses in Summit and Portage counties compete with bigger businesses.
Private equity’s move into youth sports brings some truths home
Investments create benefits but also lead to higher costs and risk of inequality
Florida Attorney General Issues Subpoena to CVS Health in Pharmacy Probe
Florida’s attorney general says he is examining whether CVS’s pharmacy benefit manager steers patients to its own pharmacies.
Hot chicken is OK, but soda isn’t? Battle over SNAP scrambles red-blue politics.
Both parties have been enacting state-level bans on using SNAP benefits for soda and candy. On Monday, a federal judge said the new rules violate federal laws governing the food program.
Florida AG launches investigation into CVS Health over pharmacy competition concerns
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a Civil Investigative Demand to CVS Health Corporation, the owner of the Caremark pharmacy benefit manager and hundreds of CVS retail pharmacies across the state.
Lead Maine petitions DHHS to adopt new Medicaid rules
Libby emphasized that neither initiative would cut benefits or eligibility for MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program that spends more than $1.4 billion a year and serves 400,000 Mainers.
RBC AND CANUCKS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT (CSE) ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP; RBC LOGO TO BE FEATURED ON VANCOUVER CANUCKS HOME JERSEYS
RBC expands commitment to sports, entertainment and community by connecting CSE fans to enhanced experiences, including exclusive benefits for RBC clients
A Small Business Platform Expands Its AI-Driven Advice Tool, Finding Solopreneurs Are Flocking
The public benefit corporation ZenBusiness has built out its Velo AI guide in response to high usage by customers.
Holland & Knight Health Dose: June 23, 2026 | Insights
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS issued a request for information RFI seeking input on implementation of new requirements for pharmacy benefit managers PBMs.
5 things patients should know about intermittent fasting
Are there health benefits to skipping meals? The "Health vs. Hype" AMA podcast explores the issue.
Is Lowe's (LOW) Entertainment-Focused Loyalty Push a New Edge in Customer Engagement?
Lowe's Companies, Inc. recently announced a multi-year partnership with Live Nation Entertainment to offer MyLowe's Rewards and MyLowe's Pro Rewards members exclusive live music benefits, including concert perks and amphitheater tailgate experiences at select venues starting this summer. This expansion of the loyalty program into entertainment experiences highlights Lowe's effort to deepen customer engagement beyond the store and into members' leisure time. Next, we’ll explore how this...
From packed restaurants to slow taprooms, World Cup impact varies in Kansas City
The World Cup is bringing fans from around the globe to Kansas City, but not every business is benefiting equally. Some restaurants and entertainment venues are packed, while others say visitor traffic hasn't matched expectations.
Traditional toys benefit children more than virtual entertainment
Click here to view this video from WFXG.com.
Atlanta businesses seeing benefits from international visitors, police presence during World Cup
World Cup fever is filling the stands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but just outside the gates, local businesses are seeing the impact up close.
Scoop: Bobby Pulido headlined school benefit with registered sex offender
Pulido is challenging Rep. Monica De La Cruz in Texas' 15th district.