SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " opera " 4,048 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Can Your Business Afford a Cyberattack? - Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
By Rieva Lesonsky – Most small business owners know a cyberattack could disrupt their operations. But they may not realize just how expensive that disruption could be. Verizon Business’s 2026 Breach Impact Study (BIS) looked at about 70,000 cyber insurance claims, of which more than half (38,000) were paid to policyholders to cover insurable cyber incidents from January […]
NASCO and Doxim Partner to Modernize Health Plan Administration and Improve Communications
NASCO, a leading provider of healthcare technology solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Doxim®, a leader in customer communications management (CCM) and engagement technology for highly regulated markets. The collaboration brings together NASCO's deep health plan administration expertise with Doxim's omnichannel communications capabilities to help health plans modernize operations and deliver more seamless, personalized experiences for all healthcare stakeholders.
Hoping customers would return after Operation Metro Surge, immigrant businesses are still waiting
These anecdotal reports match preliminary data from government and other researchers.
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
Cleveland Clinic Partners with Luminai to Transform Health System Operations
Collaboration applies AI automation to complex administrative processes at enterprise scale – with fax referral transcription as the first use case
What’s new in theaters this weekend?
The return of witchy sisters, a church group hunted by spiders, CIA operators in Tehran, a new rock doc and more hit theaters this weekend.
Clearway Health Scales Operational Excellence with Appointment of Chief Operating Officer
/PRNewswire/ -- Clearway Health, a company that partners with hospitals and health systems to plan, build and operate specialty pharmacy programs, announces...
Findhelp Partners With Maryland Health Care Commission as the First Specialty Exchange to Advance Social Care Interoperability
/PRNewswire/ -- Findhelp, the nation's leading social care technology platform, today announced it is the first specialty exchange that has registered with the...
Findhelp Partners With Maryland Health Care Commission as the First Specialty Exchange to Advance Social Care Interoperability
Findhelp, the nation's leading social care technology platform, today announced it is the first specialty exchange that has registered with the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC).
East Side businesses say roadwork has slowed recovery after Metro Surge
As a two-year road construction project in St. Paul’s East Side enters its final stretch, immigrant-owned businesses say the impact is slowing their ability to recover from Operation Metro Surge.
Report that Netanyahu was warned before October 7 triggers political earthquake in Israel
An investigation published by 'Haaretz' claims the Israeli prime minister was informed by UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, 10 days before the attack, that Hamas was planning a major operation against Israel.
Film and TV Portrayals of A.I. Go Beyond Science Fiction
Plots involving some kind of artificial intelligence are even part of soap operas. Here’s how they’ve evolved over the decades.
Inside Sergey Brin's growing influence over Google Gemini
Google's AI reshuffle has handed more sway to Sergey Brin, say insiders, who describe an effective operator trying to run Gemini like a startup.
Behind the scenes at Sky Sports Cricket: A team of 130, 17 cameras and a drone operated from a synagogue roof
The Athletic witnessed first-hand the organised chaos of the commentary box on day two of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's
NiteShyft Announces October Launch of AI Business Operating Platform for Small Companies
NiteShyft will open its AI business operating platform to the public in October 2026, following private testing in which AI agents completed more than 2,000 business tasks at a median speed 736 times faster than benchmark estimates, according to company records.Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - September 8, 2026) - NiteShyft today announced that its business operating platform will open to the public in October 2026, following a private testing period in which the platform executed.
Tribal consortium achieves long-desired ownership of Alaska Native Medical Center
The nation’s biggest tribal health organization now owns the Anchorage hospital it has long operated.
Smithfield Foods expects to swing to third-quarter operating loss in fresh pork business
Smithfield Foods said on Tuesday its fresh pork segment is expected to swing to an adjusted operating loss in the third quarter, due to persistent pressure from lower hog prices and a shrinking industry market spread amid cautious spending.
Mapping the Global Health Landscape: Analysis of Fourteen International Organizations
The global health architecture includes a number of diverse international organizations with different mandates, governance models, financing structures, and operational approaches. This KFF resource looks across a range of variables to provide a descriptive mapping of 14 key global health and related international institutions. It is intended to inform discussions about synergies and coordination, duplication, comparative advantage, shared challenges, and architectural reform.
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of Sept. 8
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Google Chrome starts two-week release cycle with version 153
As previewed earlier this year, Google Chrome is now operating on a two-week release cycle. Previously, Chrome received...
What Formula One Engineering Can Teach Us About AI Infrastructure
Michael Fuller, Executive Chairman of Conflux Technology, examines why thermal performance alone is no longer enough in modern data centers, and how balancing heat transfer with hydraulic efficiency can unlock significant operational gains. The AI era is forcing data center operators to rethink some long-held assumptions about infrastructure design. As processor power densities continue to […]
Intercard is chosen by Family Entertainment Group for its strategic partnership with Topgolf
ST. LOUIS — Intercard is proud to announce that Family Entertainment Group, one of the nation’s premier developers and operators of entertainment experiences, will use Intercard’s cashless te…
Star Stable Entertainment reduces workforce by 20% to secure long-term future of its multiplayer horse adventure RPG
Interim CEO says by "reducing operating costs and refocusing resources," Star Stable will be in the "best possible position to adapt and grow"
Indian Health Service leaders follow gains from Indiana Federal EHR go-live
Indian Health Service leaders gained valuable insight by observing VA’s Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) go-live operations in Indiana.
Six decades of politics (but little government)
The first aired episode of “Star Trek,” entitled “The Man Trap,” premiered on September 8, 1966 — 60 years ago today. I’m actually editing a political science fiction issue of The Forum right now, and it’s prompted to me think a lot about the ways that Trek deals with politics and government and what it’s offered us as commentary. The @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe The original TV series ran from 1966 to 1969. It had a loyal but modest following, but the audience grew substantially with the series in syndication for years after that. The franchise developed its first motion picture in 1979, followed by five sequels, and then a whole other series of films built around the “Next Generation” series that first aired in 1987. In recent decades, several more TV series have built up around it, including the current “Strange New Worlds,” now in its fourth season. Throughout the past six decades, the franchise has offered us a good many insights into US politics and international relations, although often disguised as science fiction yarns. The original series was largely a Cold War fable, with the United Federation of Planets (a stand-in for the US) perpetually at odds with the Klingon Empire (a stand-in for the USSR). The “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” episode (1969) posited a planet divided into two races, largely indistinguishable to outsiders, but nonetheless constituting a brutal racial hierarchy. “Patterns of Force” (1968) showed a struggling planet where the leader had attempted to construct a benevolent dictatorship — literally Nazism without bigotry — and found that authoritarianism could not exist apart from hierarchy and oppression. (Relatedly, I’d put “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” high on a list of dad films about the end of the Cold War, near “The Hunt for Red October.”) Get 20% off for 1 year Indeed, the original series itself was something of a political statement, with a multi-racial crew running the Enterprise, a diverse and largely peaceful Federation mostly free from want and oppression, and protected by Starfleet, an armed force whose scientific mission was at least as important as its military one. Famously, when Nichelle Nichols wanted to walk away from the role of Uhura on the original series, none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. met with her and urged her to remain on the show, discussing the importance of viewers seeing an intelligent Black woman as part of the command team three centuries hence. Later series in the Trek franchise offered a good deal of political commentary on their own, but probably none as explicitly and incisively as “Deep Space Nine,” which ran from 1993 to 1999. The episodes surrounding the Dominion War, especially the “In The Pale Moonlight” (1998), showed the compromises, sacrifices, and moral rot associated with winning even a just war — probably better than any series would until “Andor” (2022-25). In “Far Beyond The Stars” (1998), Captain Benjamin Sisko is somehow transplanted to the role of a science fiction writer in 1950s New York. The writer is frequently sidelined and his ideas stolen because publishers don’t want to credit a Black writer. Several series have depicted the secretive Section 31 — an unacknowledged black ops security force operating within Starfleet. These episodes often end up using Section 31 as a foil to show the dangers of a lawless group within a lawful society, even (especially) when that group posits itself as essential for everyone else’s freedom to continue. The current “Strange New Worlds” has played with a few political themes. I found the first two seasons of this show among the best that the Trek franchise has produced in decades, but this season and the last have really been struggling for ideas. Yet one interesting thread is the idea that the diplomatic and enlightened leadership style of Captain Christopher Pike will not work in all situations. “A Quality of Mercy” (2022), which I wrote about here, puts Pike in the middle of a battle with a Romulan vessel in an alternate timeline, and finds that Pike’s conciliatory style would actually make a lengthy and deadly war more likely, while a quick and more violent approach might have prevented the war. This season’s opener, “Valles Marineris,” shows a pre-lightspeed civilization locked in a war to the death with a neighboring planet. The idea of an alliance or a federation hasn’t even occurred to them — their ship’s commander is curious but doesn’t see it as an option. For a franchise as political as “Star Trek,” one thing we almost never see is the government. We get occasional glimpses of Starfleet’s council — mostly uniformed people at a rectangular table — but almost no sense of how the Federation is governed. Are there elections? Who is in the legislature? How much power does the president have? What kind of factional divisions do they wrestle with and how? The shows and films are pretty silent on this. We’ve seen a few military tribunals within Starfleet, but little about how civilians deal with crime and injustice. With recent years seeing some of the franchise’s more interesting plot lines and casts, it seems clear that Star Trek is still full of energy and ideas. Given the erosion of American democracy and the reshuffling of the international order, there’s no shortage of material for future shows to comment on. I’m not sure we should toast to 60 more years, but cheers to a show that continues to teach us about ourselves. Share
Court-appointed CHP leader says jailed Erdoğan rival is not a political prisoner
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, reinstated by a court as leader of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), said Tuesday that jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was not a political prisoner but signaled that the two politicians’ parties could cooperate if İmamoğlu can run for president. “He is not a political prisoner. He was not jailed because of his […]
China’s Evolving Strategy for International Science and Technology Cooperation
China has been increasing its emphasis on science and technology research as a key priority, including by directly integrating the strategy for international scientific engagement into its broader framework for national power and technological self-reliance.
Sudan’s healthcare system on brink of collapse, MSF warns
More than a third of Sudan's health facilities are nonoperational as aid cuts deepen crisis, medical charity says.
Studies link New Mexico drilling to radiation, air pollution, health risks
A new paper ties oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin to radioactive airborne plumes near the small New Mexico town of Loving.
Tyson Cuts Outlook as U.S. Cattle Shortage Hammers Beef Business
Photo credit piter2121 - stock.adobe.comTyson Foods lowered its fiscal 2026 profit and sales forecasts Thursday as the historically tight U.S. cattle supply continues to pressure meatpackers. The company now expects adjusted operating income of $1.85 billion to
Oklahoma attorney says legal marijuana businesses face years of delays and costly shutdowns
An attorney for several Oklahoma marijuana businesses say delays of up to two years and shutdowns over minor inventory errors are pushing legal operators out of business.
Six Flags Acquires Iconic ArieForce One, Bringing Fan-Favorite Roller Coaster Back to Life
/PRNewswire/ -- Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE:FUN), North America's largest regional amusement-resort operator, has acquired ArieForce One, the...
Canadian teens still rank among the world's best in reading, math and science — but scores are slipping. Here's why
Canada's decline in 2025 mirrors a global downward trend, according to the latest findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
NOAA Announces Priorities to Promote Science-Based American Seafood Dominance
The priorities serve as an operational roadmap of NOAA Fisheries’ direct support of the President's Executive order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.
Lecxe Consulting Debuts to Help Indian Businesses Turn AI into Business Outcomes
Lecxe Consulting is an AI consulting and implementation company helping Indian businesses build custom AI powered business systems. Since inception, Lecxe has helped clients reduce costs up to 80% every month through AI-powered business systems, while simplifying the way organisations operate.
FIBS publishes Finland country report on business perspectives on the climate transition
Helsinki, Finland, August 2026: WBCSD Global Network partner FIBS (Finnish Business & Society) has published the Finland edition of the Business Breakthrough Barometer 2026, providing insights into how medium-sized and large companies in Finland view the climate transition compared with businesses globally. The report is based on responses from 49 companies operating in Finland and
China’s Warrior Scientists: Insights from Recent Operations Around Taiwan
China’s marine scientific research ships are expanding their operations around Taiwan, and they are not just there to advance the frontiers of human
Oil price approaches $100 a barrel after attacks on Saudi oil facilities
Saudi authorities said operations at some energy facilities have been attacked by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis
Scientists sent a robot two miles below California and found a bigfin squid; it was the first live Northeast Pacific sighting
Two miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, in a world of near total darkness and crushing pressure, a remotely operated vehicle glided silently through the water. Its cameras were scanning the deep for the strange and the seldom-seen when something extraordinary appeared on its screen.
AXA scales governed AI infrastructure across global operations
The insurer's vendor-agnostic hub is already live in five entities, with AXA XL among those building claims and email applications
Arkansas regulators approve Blue Cross, Cambia Health affiliation
The Arkansas Insurance Department has approved a strategic affiliation between Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Cambia Health Solutions. The affiliation will unify operations and enable the organizations to...
Tate & Lyle strengthens climate ambition with updated science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle), a global leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, announced updated science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) across its operations and supply chain. The new targets, which have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with reductions required to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, apply to Tate & Lyle’s expanded global footprint and supply chain following i...
Navy Medicine Advances Operational Health IT for Distributed Maritime Operations
CHESAPEAKE —Navy Medicine leaders, Fleet representatives, and operational health IT experts convened to accelerate the fielding of medical information capabilities designed to support patient movement, medical logistics and force readiness
Port of Grandview works to attract new businesses with active marketing and land development
The BriefThe Port of Grandview is actively marketing the community to attract new business development, with efforts including attendance at trade shows and conventions like Food Northwest in Portland.The Port reports strong demand for business property, with several prospective clients currently seeking space to build in Grandview.The Port recently acquired 45 acres for its new Woodworth Road Business Park, with planning underway to support the community's continued growth.GRANDVIEW — The Port of Grandview is capitalizing on strong interest in the community by actively marketing Grandview to businesses seeking locations for expansion and growth. The Port's efforts are paying off, with increased development activity and growing demand for available business property.Grandview's appeal stems from multiple factors. The community's available land and central location between the Tri-Cities and Yakima make it an attractive option for businesses looking to establish or expand operations. The Port has recognized these advantages and is taking a proactive approach to market the community directly to potential clients.Port Executive Director Randy Tucker says the Port has been actively attending trade shows and conventions to promote Grandview as a business destination. These events, including Food Northwest in Portland, provide opportunities to connect with companies actively seeking new locations."Say, hey, locate your business here and bring your customers here. And it's worked out pretty good for us," Tucker said.The Port's marketing strategy is generating results. The Port reports strong demand for business property, with several prospective clients currently looking for space to build in Grandview. This interest reflects the effectiveness of the Port's outreach efforts and the community's appeal to businesses in various industries.To support this growth, the Port recently acquired 45 acres for its new Woodworth Road Business Park. Planning is underway to determine how the property can best support Grandview's continued development and attract additional businesses to the area.The combination of available land, strategic location, and active marketing positions Grandview as an increasingly attractive option for businesses seeking to relocate or expand. As the Port continues its efforts to promote the community, Grandview appears poised for continued economic growth and development. News Three Queens Fire approaching 10,000 acres, now 11% contained Robert Desaulniers, Josh Culbreth News Two injured after rear-end crash leads to rollover near Grandview Robert Desaulniers News Grandview High School temporarily enters secure and teach for possible altercation between students Robert Desaulniers News Port of Grandview pursues economic growth with new business park development William Albert, Apple Valley News Now News Driver dies in fiery crash in Columbia Park Friday Erin Wencl COPYRIGHT 2026 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Don't Nod warns it may not have enough funding to operate beyond January 2027
Don't Nod has warned there is "material uncertainty" over its ability to continue operating beyond January 31, 2027, un…
UK begins talks to rejoin EU security missions after Brexit
The deal could see British officials take part in crisis management operations for the first time since Brexit.
Dave Dombrowski Gets Brutally Honest About Phillies Future
Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, opened up about his future in the sport.
China and Russia launch first sea ice survey as Arctic tensions swell
Beijing and Moscow are stepping up cooperation in the polar region, drawing Washington’s attention as climate change opens new sea routes.
Security Forces Dismantle Terrorist Cells Southeast of Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced the dismantling of three operational cells affiliated with terrorist Takfiri groups in southeastern Iran, with nine terrorists arrested and three others killed in clashes with security forces.
Kenya minister warns foreigners against 'misusing' visas to trade
Kenya is due to start enforcing measures to restrict foreign nationals from operating small-scale businesses.
NC father at center of US Senate ad says he was ‘swindled’ by GOP political operatives
Despite his intentions, the ad has landed a North Carolina man squarely in the middle of one of the nation’s most watched races.
What's open and closed on Labor Day 2026? See which businesses are operating.
Encompass Health (EHC): This Rehab Hospital Giant Just Raised Its Own Bar Again
On August 5, Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) reported second quarter results that beat its own expectations by enough to raise full year guidance twice in the same release, first on revenue and then on profit. Net operating revenue climbed 9.6% to $1.597 billion, and adjusted earnings per share rose 10.7% to $1.55. For the largest owner […]
CT beer maker pours $650K into new brewhouse, eyes further expansion amid wholesale growth
Nod Hill Brewery invested $650,000 in its Ridgefield operation as wholesale sales rise, with plans to boost production capacity by 2028.
Sam Dong to expand Hawkins County manufacturing operations
Gov. Bill Lee, Deputy Gov. and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and Sam Dong officials have announced the company will create 22 new jobs and
Accenture stays on for My Health Record support
It will continue supporting My Health Record under a new three-year contract and a multi-supplier operating model led by the ADHA.
Alex Rajak of Profundity Inc. Launches Operational Value Assessment to Help Business Owners Build Stronger, More Transferable Companies
New operational assessment identifies weaknesses that may limit growth, increase owner dependence and create challenges during a future transition or saleToronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 6, 2026) - Profundity Inc., a business operations advisory firm serving companies across the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario, today announced the launch of its Operational Value Assessment, a structured advisory service designed to help privately held companies identify and address...
Kane County regional education office gets new business director from Sycamore schools
The Kane County Regional Office of Education named a longtime Sycamore schools' official as its next director of business and operations.
Asia-Pacific Media Forum Opens in Shenzhen, Expands Regional Media Cooperation
SHENZHEN, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 6, 2026--
PayPal layoffs hit Israel as payment giant restructures global operations
The cut will hit the Tel Aviv development center, which develops artificial intelligence systems to analyze transactions in real time, detect fraud, prevent money laundering, and monitor the company’
Voya Financial’s (VOYA) Earnings Fell While Its Retirement Business Boomed
On August 4, Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA) announced its second-quarter 2026 results, and the headline numbers tell an uncomfortable story. Net income available to common shareholders dropped to $90 million, or $0.97 per diluted share, down from $162 million and $1.66 a year earlier. Adjusted operating earnings fell just as sharply, to $140 million from $240 […]
BGCSCK names new CEO
Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas has named Kyle Ellison as its new chief executive officer, effective Sept. 1. Ellison previously served as interim CEO and chief operating
A Political Operative on the Verge of Self-Deportation
Daysi González, who works to elect Democrats, is gearing up to leave the U.S. as soon as this month. She wants her own party to pay attention.
What's brewing: Rockwell teens operate new coffee business
ROCKWELL — Coffee is served. That and a wide variety of other treats can be found at Sweet Sippers Caffeine Club, a new coffee business in Rockwell operated by siblings, […]
Why Is Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Reassessing Guest Safety After A Liability Verdict?
Caesars Entertainment (NasdaqGS:CZR) was found liable in a high-profile lawsuit over alleged systemic security failures at the LINQ Promenade, following a severe assault that left a guest with life-altering injuries. The verdict highlights concerns about security management and guest safety practices across Caesars properties. Investors are weighing potential reputational effects along with possible changes to operating procedures and regulatory scrutiny. This kind of legal and operational...
Faster than Usain Bolt? Here's all the records robot 'athletes' broke at this year's World Humanoid Robot Games in China.
Humanoid robots at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing have outpaced and out-jumped human athletics benchmarks, but the event also revealed how much work remains before they can operate reliably in the real world.
Masculinity explored in ‘Bucks Harbor’
“Bucks Harbor” will have its Maine premiere at the Camden Opera House on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 2:15 p.m., as a Camden International Film Festival Best of Fest selection.
Apollo’s €3bn Bayer deal shows ‘non-control’ financing is spreading to operators
Apollo’s €3bn Bayer LARC investment and a $35bn Broadcom financing highlight how private credit is funding AI and industrial capex without operators giving up c
Reform UK winded by donations row as insiders call for shift in approach
Nigel Farage's admirers in the party are calling for a stronger operation as the party aims for power.
Proto Labs (PRLB) Could Be 15% Undervalued On Leadership Change And Business Insider Nod
Proto Labs (PRLB) is back in focus after Business Insider recognized the company as one of America's Most Innovative Businesses, and with the upcoming arrival of seasoned operations leader Sam Ramahi as Chief Operations Officer. Against this backdrop, Proto Labs’ share price has shown mixed momentum, with a 1 day share price return of 2.40% and a 7 day share price return of 2.13%, in contrast with a 30 day share price decline of 9.82%. Yet a much stronger 58.60% share price return year to...
Chinese-German team builds ultra-sensitive ‘floating compass’ to hunt dark matter
The device detects vanishingly weak magnetic signals, such as those produced by the human brain, and can operate at room temperature.
Cosm’s 700-seat domes make NFL rights run like venue operations
Cosm’s NFL deal brings Thursday, Sunday, and Monday games into 700-seat 12K domes, changing staffing, AV ops, and ticketing playbooks.
Three killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, health ministry says
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon "in response to Hezbollah’s attempted attack yesterday against IDF troops operating in the security zone."
Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met. Princess the boa constrictor got the part
The Metropolitan Opera in New York requires auditions for everyone on stage | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met. Princess the boa constrictor got the part
The Metropolitan Opera in New York requires auditions for everyone on stage | 830 WCCO
Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met. Princess the boa constrictor got the part
The Metropolitan Opera in New York requires auditions for everyone on stage | 104.1 FM KMOX
Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met. Princess the boa constrictor got the part
The Metropolitan Opera in New York requires auditions for everyone on stage | WWL
Primm braces for booming Labor Day business
Visitors return to Primm Valley Resort as Terrible's takes over operations.
Adult Post-operative Mental Health Outcomes Following Abdominal and Orthopedic Surgeries: A Scoping Review
Poor mental health has been shown to negatively impact surgical outcomes; however, the impact of surgery on mental health remains under-investigated. Therefore, in this scoping review, we aimed ...
SAC Health lays off 49 workers to close budget gap of $10M
SAC Health’s CEO wrote in a memo to staff that layoffs and executive pay cuts were necessary in order to reduce the operating gap.
FDIC Deposit Rule Gives Banks More Room for Business Cash
For banks seeking a larger share of their commercial customers’ operating cash, new federal deposit rules may help those efforts. The Federal Deposit
Boynton Beach woman arrested after probe of alleged illegal massage business off Federal H
A woman is accused of running an illegal massage operation in Boynton Beach, according to a press release from the Boynton Beach Police Department.
As health costs climb, some care shifts to Michigan’s charity clinics
A network of free clinics operates on shoestring budgets, volunteers, donated supplies and hope. Some predict they’ll need more of that if more Michiganders lose health coverage.
A marvelous autumn ahead for classical music and opera
September is here and that means the fall season for classical music and opera is just around the corner. Here’s a preview of just a brief selection of the great
Exclusive | DOJ Staff Were Told to Pause Antitrust Work With Canadian Government
The Justice Department said that an official who sent a “Pause on Canada” email had misunderstood a directive and that it continues to cooperate with the Canadian government amid a trade dispute.
The AI free zone: Why infrastructure modernization is important even if your midsized business isn’t investing in AI technologies
Discover why strategic IT modernization—not just AI—is the key to growth for midsized businesses. Learn how infrastructure upgrades drive security, scalability, and operational resilience.
U.S. issues sanctions on Turkish bank that it is 'financial lifeline' for Iran
The actions come nearly a week after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “Operation Economic Outcast"
U.S. issues sanctions on Turkish bank that it is 'financial lifeline' for Iran
The actions come nearly a week after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced “Operation Economic Outcast"
VAST Data and CrowdStrike Take Aim at a Growing AI Security Problem
VAST Data and CrowdStrike are expanding their partnership to bring more security into the systems companies use to build and run AI. The companies are integrating CrowdStrike’s Falcon security platform with the VAST AI Operating System. The goal is to protect not just the infrastructure running AI, but also the enterprise data being fed into […]
Cencora Launches Cell and Gene Therapy Enablement for Health Systems
COR launches CGT Enablement to help health systems build and scale cell and gene therapy programs with financial, operational and access support.
IEDC seeking to hire business accelerator operators
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. is looking for interested parties to run business accelerators for Indiana-based companies at various stages of development, from startups to more established companies.
Exodus Narrative Director Explains Romance, Relationships, and Mass Effect Comparisons in New Sci-fi RPG
The upcoming space opera RPG Exodus has drawn a lot Mass Effect comparisons, and its narrative director worked on both. He explains their differences and more.
EU and ASEAN discuss health emergency preparedness and response
The Director-General of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Dr Florika Fink-Hooijer, met with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, in Jakarta on 4 September 2026 to discuss health emergency preparedness and response to emerging health threats, and to explore deeper cooperation between the EU and ASEAN. Both regions face similar challenges from emerging threats such as infectious diseases, which will further increase with climate change and increased travel, requiring global and regional cooperation. Both sides acknowledged that regional partnerships are essential to prepare for the next health emergency — it's a matter of when, not if. Building close EU-ASEAN cooperation on health emergency preparedness and response is therefore critical to ensuring a collective response, as we look ahead to the Commemorative Summit in 2027 marking the 50th anniversary of EU-ASEAN Dialogue Relations. Among other topics, discussions covered future partnership in the establishment and operations of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), as well as other key avenues for deeper collaboration.
Genesee Brewing parent company sold to private equity firm
Saothair Capital Partners acquires Genesee Brewing's parent company, renaming it North American Breweries and investing in Rochester operations.
Astrophysics smallsat begins science mission
The first in a new class of small NASA astrophysics spacecraft has started operations, providing both science data and lessons for future missions.
HERA Director-General visits Indonesia to strengthen health cooperation
The Director-General of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Dr Florika Fink-Hooijer, met with Indonesia's Minister of Health, H.E. Budi Gunadi Sadikin, in Jakarta on 4 September 2026. Discussions centred on Indonesia's expansion of surveillance capacities, including genomic sequencing as well as local manufacturing capacity. There was a clear commitment to work together on wastewater surveillance going forward. Earlier that day, Director-General Fink-Hooijer, met with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Secretariat to discuss health emergency preparedness and response to emerging health threats, and to explore deeper cooperation between the EU and ASEAN. More info on the meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat: https://link.europa.eu/HdVV7q
Markel announces collaboration with Midwest General Insurance Agency to expand small business workers compensation offering in California
/PRNewswire/ -- Markel, the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), announced today a strategic collaboration with Midwest General Insurance...
TN Politics: Will Memphis leaders take tougher stance against federal agencies?
The National Guard and ICE are operating in legal gray areas with little to no accountability. Otis Sanford says its time for mayors to speak out.
AMC Entertainment Shares Rise 9.1% Following Leawood Films Distribution Launch
AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) shares rose 9. 1% in pre-market trading as investors assessed the cinema operator’s recently announced Leawood Films distribution venture alongside its latest financial performance.