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Atlanta Beltline expands small-business incubator with 13 businesses
The Atlanta Beltline Marketplace program provides affordable commercial space and business mentoring to local entrepreneurs.
5 Mini Gadgets From Belkin That Are Small Enough To Take Anywhere
Belkin's UltraCharge Power Bank, Wireless Microphone, Magnetic Charging Camera Grip, RockStar USB-C Audio Adapter, and Magnetic Wireless Power Bank w/ Stand.
Letter | Crowley's healthcare proposal good for small businesses
Dear Editor: I launched an affordable interior design company in November 2023, a year after leaving a corporate job due to burnout. That year, I paid $300 a month for
Solar system's smallest planet is getting even smaller — shrinking 30% faster than astronomers thought
Botpool Create Launches AI Website Builder Backed by Human SEO Experts for Small Businesses
The AI website builder lets small business owners describe their business in plain language, publish a live site the same day, and start capturi...
Atlanta Beltline expands small-business incubator with 13 businesses
The Atlanta Beltline expanded its marketplace incubator to 13 businesses across four locations, including many Black-owned shops.
How burnt coconut helped discover new to science endemic species in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO — As dusk settled over the paddy fields at Puwakpitiya, a village on the northern edge of Knuckles Mountain Range locally known as Dumbara mountains in Central Sri Lanka, researchers began laying traps along the uneasy boundary between farmland and forest. They were targeting small terrestrial mammals moving through the landscape. On the ground, […]
CERN finds gluons behaving strangely deep inside atomic nuclei
Physicists at CERN have found a new way to peer deep inside atomic nuclei and distinguish between two competing explanations for how gluons behave. Using the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, researchers measured particle production at unprecedented spatial resolution, revealing structures as small as about one-quarter the size of a proton. At the smallest scales, they saw a surprising drop in J/ψ production that conventional “nuclear shadowing” struggles to explain.
Scientists announce discovery of a hidden solar process
An international team of scientists have announced the discovery of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the form of small,
5 Small Business Ideas for People Who Want a 4 Day Workweek
These small business ideas allow for longer weekends by batching jobs, charging recurring fees, or concentrating work on a given four-day period.
Business creating unique crochet figures
LEWIS CENTER — Take a quick walk over to The Market at Evans Farm on any Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon, and you’re bound to see a shop which will have you hooked-literally. HooksandChains35, a small business based out of Upper Arlington, is one occupant of the cheery neighborhood market, and it puts a unique spin on cozy crochet items.
Here's how some Chicago small businesses are ramping up their use of AI
Mary Nguyen Aregoni, owner of the West Loop restaurant Saigon Sisters, started using Gemini, Google’s AI tool, early this year. She took free online courses about AI and a webinar from Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program. “It's pretty easy and intuitive to use, but you have to know how to ask the right questions or prompt,” she says.
The Prescription for Better Health Insurance? Competition.
Anticompetitive behavior, such as consolidation, in the health-insurance industry has allowed a small group of insurers to dominate the market. One of the main drivers of this behavior is “adverse selection,” where individuals know more about how sick they are than insurance companies do. To mitigate the risk of paying out more claims than they can cover, insurers often raise their premiums. Kellogg’s Amanda Starc and her colleague argue that, to create a truly healthy health-insurance marketplace, regulators and policymakers need a framework for rethinking the complex interactions between adverse selection and regulatory guardrails.
Ilika, Genflow Biosciences, EnergyPathways, Ariana Resources, Tertiary Minerals, Light Science Technologies - Small Cap Week in Review
Hackler concludes Summer Small Business Lunch & Learn Series with startup workshop
Hackler Hall Event Center will host the final installment of its Summer Small Business Lunch & Learn Series from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.
CT regulators approve double-digit health insurance rate hikes for 2027
CT approved 2027 health insurance increases averaging 11.3% for individuals and 15.1% for small groups.
How AI is helping many small businesses hire, not fire
AI is often linked to job losses, but new research suggests it may actually help small businesses expand their workforces, Inc. reports. A Gusto survey of roughly 2,000 small businesses finds that 64% are experimenting with AI, and nearly two-thirds of those businesses say the technology is making it easier to launch or operate their […]
Daniel Haake: Small business needs a lifeline amid road repairs
The city’s current approach to the 16th Street Bridge is to manage what it can control, making sure the bridge is completed on time. But for businesses like Long’s Bakery, managing the schedule isn’t the whole answer.
House Panel Weighs Energy Costs as Small Business Demand Grows
House subcommittee hearing reveals energy policy clash over small business costs. Experts debate resource needs and opportunities. Read the latest.
The 9 Best Snack Options to Support Your Gut Health
Experts break down the best food options for day’s smallest meal that won’t cause bloating or indigestion.
Mercury Is Shrinking, and Faster Than We Thought
New estimates using the planet’s surface wrinkles show that our smallest planet is growing even smaller, at a faster clip than expected.
What Today's Business Grants Reveal About Tomorrow's Funding Opportunities
Colorful GrantWatch promotional graphic featuring a winding road leading toward a bright city skyline at sunrise. A large white arrow on the road points toward “Tomorrow’s Opportunities.” On the left, a signpost displays funding focus areas including Innovation, Clean Energy, Workforce Development, Community Growth, and Small Business. The headline reads, “What Today’s Business Grants Reveal About Tomorrow’s Funding Opportunities.” The GrantWatch logo and “Time to Apply” appear at the top. In the lower right corner, a stack of books labeled “Plans” and “Grants” is topped by The Queen of Grants 2 by Libby Hikind, reinforcing the theme of planning for future grant funding opportunities.
Oklahoma businesses face hiring, sales pressures this fall
Oklahoma businesses face hiring challenges, weaker sales and inflation concerns as small-business optimism slips.
NFIB survey: Small business optimism cools in August from surge in July
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index dipped in August to 98.7, just 1.1 points below July’s highest level since August 2025.
Naperville News Digest: KidsMatter holding science video contest; National Merit Scholarship semifinalists announced
Roundup of small news items for the Naperville area.
'Whatever we do is political' says Iranian director Asgari at Venice
Even the smallest choice in Iran today becomes a "political act," with cinema a powerful tool of resistance, Iranian director Ali Asgari said at the Venice Film Festival Friday. The director of "Divine Comedy", part of last year's secondary competition, is back at Venice this season competing for the Golden Lion with "A Bit of Light," about a doctor in Tehran scarred by the violence inflicted on anti-regime protesters who decides to give up and end his own life.
How Jeremy Gosch is refocusing Hy-Vee
Jeremy Gosch, in his fourth year as Hy-Vee’s CEO, is steering the large, Midwest regional grocery chain through a competitive landscape unlike any faced by his predecessors. The four Hy-Vee CEOs who preceded Gosch helped transform a small Iowa grocery chain into a regional retailer with more than $14 billion in annual sales. Along the…
Alliance Entertainment Holding Stock Soars Over 12% After Hours — Is This Small-Cap Entertainment Play Ready for a Comeback?
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:AENT) shares climbed 12.52% to $6.20 after the bell on Thursday following the announcement of fiscal year results.Revenue, Margins and EBITDA All Post Solid GainsThe results, announced after the market closed on Thursday, were for the period ended June 3…
Postpartum politics: What it means to run for government as a new mum
Victorian Greens candidates Nina Crawley and Lini Fernando reflect on their experiences running a political campaign just months after giving birth. From the challenges and compromises to the support networks that wrapped around them, and why showing up vulnerably in public space matters. Subscribe In 2024, when my second child was four months old, I decided to run for local government. Fast forward two years, I am again four months postpartum, with my third child, and this time running in the state election. But this time has hit differently. Going through pregnancy, birth and postpartum while being a political candidate has had a more profound and personal impact than I ever expected. I reached out to my fellow Greens candidate for the state election, Lini Fernando, who gave birth 20 days before me, and her experience closely mirrored mine. Postpartum has its own unique challenges that we’ve not seen reflected in stories about women running for office. When people discuss the “juggle”, they’re usually talking about the practical mechanics of looking after small children - childcare arrangements, pumping schedules and logistics. As mums of multiple children, we were both aware of the logistical changes and difficulties that accompany giving birth and the months after. We assumed that combining this with running for election would be hard, but that we could organise our way out of any problems. What neither of us anticipated was the intense vulnerability that comes with putting yourself into the spotlight of a state election campaign at a time when you are physically exhausted and navigating things like breastfeeding and feeling like a stranger in your own body. There have been challenges that neither of us anticipated. Firstly, needing to buy new clothes because the supportive leggings that are a staple of the postpartum wardrobe weren’t going to cut it for community events. Lini held her first fundraiser - a trivia night - just three weeks postpartum. A business-casual wardrobe, several sizes bigger than pre-baby, was needed, and fast. As women, how we look is closely scrutinised, and the internalised fatphobia is loud. We are conditioned from our earliest days to believe that our appearance is tied to our worth, and taught how we are allowed to show up in public. Women who dare to put themselves into the spotlight also receive more abuse than their male counterparts, including criticism of their appearance. To stand in front of members of your community and try to convince them that you’re the best person to represent them in parliament is a challenge in and of itself. To do it with leaking breasts, a pelvic floor that could betray you at the first sign of a sneeze, a body that still feels unfamiliar, and with half your hair falling out (hello postpartum hair loss!) is another thing altogether. It requires courage, allowing yourself the grace to be vulnerable in public, and the belief that showing up, however imperfectly, matters. And the vulnerability isn’t just physical; it also includes factors like having to ask a campaign team to accommodate the realities of having a baby. Asking for help is hard, and it’s a skill that both new parents and hopeful political candidates need to become comfortable with. Parents understand the disappointment that comes when a call for help or connection is rebuffed, like a friend cancelling a much-needed coffee. That rejection is amplified for political candidates calling dozens of people each week. Many people don’t realise running for Parliament, when you aren’t the incumbent, is a volunteer role supported largely by other volunteers who have to squeeze volunteering in around their paid work. Calls need to be made and meetings held after work hours - usually during “witching hour” (5-8 pm), that special time of night when babies cry for no reason. I found that I was struggling to make these commitments, or having to tap out and ask for them to be rearranged. When I spoke to Lini, we realised that she had had a similar experience, this push-pull of being the candidate and wanting to show our faces at meetings and help recruit new volunteers at ‘calling parties’, but also being the only people who could settle our newborns. Sometimes we could merge the two worlds; Lini and I realised that we had both attended 7:30pm meetings online, sitting in a dark room, struggling though breastfeeding and settling our babies. Although we’re both committed to breaking the stigma around breastfeeding, it can be hard to keep your composure while trying to feed a young baby as they try to latch, spew and fuss. Ultimately, Lini and I agreed that showing up vulnerably in public space matters. Leaders should possess empathy and understanding for those who feel raw and in transition; from the dad who just got evicted to the teen who acquired a disability - anyone who feels they aren’t the version of themselves they expected right now. The patriarchy tries to tell us otherwise, but women shouldn’t have to wait until they’re ‘recovered’, no longer vulnerable, before they feel entitled to participate in public life. In fact, we could all benefit from our leaders being a little more vulnerable. *This piece was cowritten, but has been presented in the first person for the sake of style. About the authors Nina Crawley is former teacher and community organiser who now works in human rights and inequality advocacy for a non-profit. She’s a mother of three keen to get back to running as soon as her pelvic floor allows! She’s contesting the seat of Ivanhoe for the Greens in this year’s state election. Lini Fernando is a lawyer working in diverse areas of law including anti corruption and public law. She’s a mother of two and a gardening and good policy enthusiast. She is currently contesting the seat of Croydon for the Greens in this year’s state election. Thanks for reading Cheek Media Co. ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share
Wasps are disappearing this summer, and scientists are worried
Britain’s wasps have become mysteriously scarce this summer, and scientists suspect an unusual combination of temperature swings, heatwaves, and food shortages may be responsible. Even the wasps that remain appear unusually small, potentially offering a glimpse of how extreme heat could reshape insect populations.
Loudoun Chamber announces finalists for small business awards
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce announced the finalists for the 32nd annual Loudoun Small Business Awards.
The Not-So-Secret Winner in Netflix and YouTube’s Streaming Wars Battle
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Here’s a good piece of advice: when someone tells you a company has “won” the streaming wars, just assume they haven’t. Remember the narratives about the streaming media over the last few years: 2024 - Netflix has won the streaming wars! 2025 - YouTube has won the streaming wars! Yet…in 2026, I’d categorize it as… 2026 - Netflix and YouTube are battling for talent! Netflix and YouTube are aggressively fighting for top creators, marking a fierce new battle in the streaming wars. For two companies that “won”, that certainly doesn’t seem like winning behavior. If you win, you don’t have to fight for talent, because talent has to come to you. This is a good reminder that, if the streaming wars are a war—and I think they are—we should know what type of war they are. So it’s worth revisiting one of my big theories of the streaming wars, that the war these battles most represent is… The Thirty Years’ War1 I prefer this war to other, simpler wars, because, while it featured two “sides”—based on religion—and the current war has two main sides—tech versus entertainment—it also featured a lot of smaller players battling it out, sometimes switching sides. And that’s still the case for entertainment and media, despite the above headlines. I’d recommend this truism: if someone has to tell you they won the streaming wars, they probably haven’t. To wit, if someone told you they were fighting in the Thirty Years’ War—and no, they didn’t call it that at the time—and in year five, they told you they won, well, obviously they had 25 more years to go. That’s a lot of preamble to say, the story of the week is the latest battles between YouTube and Netflix. Their battle for talent says a lot about how hard this war will be to win. All that, plus The Curse of the Mogul in action, Netflix providing more (theatrical) data, whether Apple TV is in trouble, AMC getting in on distribution, and a whole lot more. Subscribe Today’s article is sponsored by… Substack is hosting a live Emmys watch party, starting at 5PM on the East Coast (2PM on the West Coast) on Monday, 14-Sep. Check it out! Tune In Most Important Story of the Week - Who’s the Big Winner in the Netflix vs YouTube Showdown? Netflix spent a lot in 2025, and then even more in 2026 adding a host of “creators”—both podcasters and YouTube stars—to their TV lineup. Frankly, for years, I’ve thought that more major studios/streamers/channels should look to YouTube as the launching pad for future stars and IP. Either by poaching proven talent—albeit at good prices—or by treating YouTube as an arena for your “A&R” reps to scout new talent and emerging voices. Netflix started executing the former strategy—which I thought was smart—while Focus Features did the latter with Obsession. So what changed? YouTube finally responded! Yikes. That’s a strong response, and stronger than I’d argue most narratives about YouTube suggest. People often describe YouTube as a self-reinforcing flywheel of success. Get on YouTube or perish. So why did YouTube have to respond? Because other folks poaching their top talent could really damage their business, implying their flywheel is a pinch more rickety than most analysis suggests. Clearly, creators can envision a life off YouTube and potentially a much more lucrative one. The Curse of the Media Mogul is Playing Out In Real Time We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Who is the big winner in the Netflix versus YouTube battle… The biggest question about YouTube… Plus why YouTube’s saber rattling should worry talent… Why I’m skeptical that a U.S. federal tax credit for film will happen… What key change could pull Apple from the streaming business. AMC getting in on distribution… Some great reads on the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
NC’s Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown has local finalists
WILMINGTON — Voting is open for NC’s first Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown until Sept 15, with married finalists Kevin Roberts and Anna Barrett representing Cape Fear Community College…
“The Democracy Plays” Bring Politics the to Rosendale Theater
“The Democracy Plays” presents five short works about local government, immigration, reproductive rights, political fatigue, and civic action at the Rosendale Theatre September 17–20.
Augusta Health Showcases Community-Based Approach to Strengthening Rural Health Care
State leaders visit Augusta Health during the Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care Retreat FISHERSVILLE, VIRGINIA — Improving rural health care means looking beyond the immediate challenges facing hospitals and health systems. It requires investing in people, programs, and partnerships that keep care accessible and help communities remain healthy over the long term. This […]
Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected
The solar system’s smallest and innermost planet has been shrinking ever since its formation, but a new study shows that shrinkage may be greater than previously known.
The Planet Mercury Has Been Shrinking—More Than Scientists Expected
The solar system's smallest planet has gotten smaller still, a new study reveals.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
Small Business A.I. Training sessions were hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator
Hosted by NWLA APEX Accelerator were Small Business A.I. Training sessions.
NFIB Small Business Optimism Index falls slightly in August
The NFIB released its Small Business Economic Trends report for the month of August 2026, with the report showing a slight dip in Small Business Optimism, down 1.1 points from July 2026 to 98.7. In addition, the report showcased an Uncertainty Index score of 89 points, well above the average of 68 points. This number […]
Science Lab: Christian Parker’s task is tall, Cowboys' window is small
The 2026 season arrives with lots of pressure for the Cowboys, and that includes Christian Parker's defense being up against a shrinking offensive window in Dallas.
University of Iowa Health Care calls off $2B+ patient tower build
Plans to build a new, $2 billion-plus patient care tower and other accompanying upgrades at the University of Iowa Health Care’s main campus are off the table in favor of smaller-scale upgrades to | "Significant financial challenges” facing the healthcare industry at large have limited Iowa Health Care’s ability to “responsibly” deploy capital toward the five-year build. It is now proposing a $380 million capital plan focused on updating and expanding existing facilities.
Apple Watch Series 12 Has Smaller Screens and Bigger Cases
The Apple Watch Series 12 pairs a smaller display with a wider case than Series 10 and Series 11, even though the pixel resolution hasn't changed, according to Apple's own tech specs. For the 46mm Series 12, Apple's tech specs page lists the display area at 1,196 sq mm, down 2% from 1,220 sq mm on Series 10 and Series 11. The 42mm size shows a similar 1.9% drop, from 989 sq mm to 970 sq mm.
Chattanooga food trucks, small businesses take center stage at free September celebration
AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12 Pre-Orders Open on Amazon, With Early Discount
Apple yesterday announced the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 at its "Surprise and Shine" event, and today all of these devices are up for pre-order on Amazon. This also includes the first cash discount on the Apple Watch Series 12. >Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Senphonix Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Advance SleeveSense, a Continuous, Long-Term Vitals Monitoring Platform
Senphonix, Inc., a medical-technology startup developing SleeveSense™, a wearable that will continuously monitor patients' vital signs over days, weeks, or months, today announced it has received a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through America's Seed Fund. The award supports engineering to strengthen the patent-pending device's wireless and radio-frequency systems and to move it from prototype toward a manufacturable produ
Small Business Opportunity Week Returns September 21-25
Read Small Business Opportunity Week Returns September 21-25 by Georgia Business Council for SaportaReport here.
iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro: 35+ Upgrades Compared
Apple yesterday announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, succeeding the iPhone 17 Pro that launched last September. The new models are built around the A20 Pro chip, a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, a redesigned vapor chamber, and a smaller Dynamic Island. Last year's iPhone 17 Pro brought one of the biggest design changes to the lineup in years, switching from a titanium frame and glass back to an aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2.
NFIB: Small business hiring dipped slightly in August
Small business owners’ hiring and plans to hire fell slightly in August, according to the NFIB August jobs report.
How geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaboration
Researchers have measured how worsening geopolitical relations hobble scientific collaboration, at last quantifying the impact of rifts between governments on cooperation between labs. Over the last decade, a tenser world has thrown up new barriers to cross-border science. Collaboration between the US and China has dimmed as the two countries have sunk into an ever-deeper rivalry. Links between Russia and Europe have collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But while a concern, the magnitude of the damage is less than might be expected. For all the geopolitical turmoil of the last decade, international scientific collaborations are near a record high. “Some part of the story is positive,” said Shreyas Gadgin Matha, a social scientist at Harvard University and an author of the new study. “Research collaborations are largely resilient.” Matha and colleagues looked at data on cross-border research papers and patents in the period 2000-23, and analysed how they were impacted by countries’ political relations, as measured by how often states voted together in the United Nations. They found that when states drift apart at the UN by the median difference in votes between all countries, joint scientific papers decline by 3.1% over the next three-year period. To put that in context, over the last decade, the US and China have diverged by around a third of that difference in votes every three years. In other words, on average, it takes quite a significant diplomatic rift even to trigger a small single-digit percentage drop in joint papers. “In the short term, even something like a 3% reduction [in joint papers] is, in some ways, not that big of a number,” said Matha. Research remains more international than ever, according to an analysis extending to 2023 released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2025. We’re still living in an era of unprecedented scientific globalisation, the analysis says, with 27% of papers in OECD countries written across borders. In 1970, just 2% of articles had authors from different countries. Longer-term damage?However, this trend towards increasing international collaboration “has lost momentum and might be partly breaking down,” the OECD analysis says, largely due to a fall in the intensity of US-China joint papers since 2018. Matha and his colleagues stressed they are not complacent about the global science system. For now, “it's pretty resilient,” said co-author Muhammed Yildirim, director of academic research at Harvard’s Growth Lab. But if links are weakened, through the denial of study visas, for example, then this could have a much longer-term effect, cascading through generations of scientists, he added. Related articlesChina becomes Russia’s biggest collaborator after war decimates science ties with the west US scientists prefer German to Chinese collaborators, study finds Horizon Europe is now truly global. But what comes next? Another finding of the study, Burning bridges or bridging divides: Geopolitics and collaboration in research and innovation, is that trust appears easier to destroy than create.The hit to scientific collaboration when countries drift apart is around three times as big as the growth in joint papers when they move closer, the paper finds. “It's far easier to break these ties than to mend them, and that that also perhaps has some larger policy lesson,” said Matha.PatentsThe results around patents were less clear cut. Some methods of analysis found a statistically significant link between a diplomatic rift and a drop in co-patenting, but others did not. According to Yildirim, patents with cross-border inventors are often developed by multinational companies, which may have invested heavily in global R&D facilities, so are less likely to change how they operate simply due to a change in the geopolitical weather. “That's why we might not be seeing the effect immediately in technology,” he said.By contrast, researchers might be more sensitive to geopolitics, because visa policies can quickly affect who meets who at academic conferences, he went on. International collaboration on patents is much lower than for academic articles, the study shows. It peaked at around 10% in 2010, and has since fallen back to around 8%. This could be because China dramatically ramped up domestic patents in the 2010s, said Yildirim, squeezing the international share.
How geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaboration
Researchers have measured how worsening geopolitical relations hobble scientific collaboration, at last quantifying the impact of rifts between governments on cooperation between labs. Over the last decade, a tenser world has thrown up new barriers to cross-border science. Collaboration between the US and China has dimmed as the two countries have sunk into an ever-deeper rivalry. Links between Russia and Europe have collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But while a concern, the magnitude of the damage is less than might be expected. For all the geopolitical turmoil of the last decade, international scientific collaborations are near a record high. “Some part of the story is positive,” said Shreyas Gadgin Matha, a social scientist at Harvard University and an author of the new study. “Research collaborations are largely resilient.” Matha and colleagues looked at data on cross-border research papers and patents in the period 2000-23, and analysed how they were impacted by countries’ political relations, as measured by how often states voted together in the United Nations. They found that when states drift apart at the UN by the median difference in votes between all countries, joint scientific papers decline by 3.1% over the next three-year period. To put that in context, over the last decade, the US and China have diverged by around a third of that difference in votes every three years. In other words, on average, it takes quite a significant diplomatic rift even to trigger a small single-digit percentage drop in joint papers. “In the short term, even something like a 3% reduction [in joint papers] is, in some ways, not that big of a number,” said Matha. Research remains more international than ever, according to an analysis extending to 2023 released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2025. We’re still living in an era of unprecedented scientific globalisation, the analysis says, with 27% of papers in OECD countries written across borders. In 1970, just 2% of articles had authors from different countries. Longer-term damage?However, this trend towards increasing international collaboration “has lost momentum and might be partly breaking down,” the OECD analysis says, largely due to a fall in the intensity of US-China joint papers since 2018. Matha and his colleagues stressed they are not complacent about the global science system. For now, “it's pretty resilient,” said co-author Muhammed Yildirim, director of academic research at Harvard’s Growth Lab. But if links are weakened, through the denial of study visas, for example, then this could have a much longer-term effect, cascading through generations of scientists, he added. Related articlesChina becomes Russia’s biggest collaborator after war decimates science ties with the west US scientists prefer German to Chinese collaborators, study finds Horizon Europe is now truly global. But what comes next? Another finding of the study, Burning bridges or bridging divides: Geopolitics and collaboration in research and innovation, is that trust appears easier to destroy than create.The hit to scientific collaboration when countries drift apart is around three times as big as the growth in joint papers when they move closer, the paper finds. “It's far easier to break these ties than to mend them, and that that also perhaps has some larger policy lesson,” said Matha.PatentsThe results around patents were less clear cut. Some methods of analysis found a statistically significant link between a diplomatic rift and a drop in co-patenting, but others did not. According to Yildirim, patents with cross-border inventors are often developed by multinational companies, which may have invested heavily in global R&D facilities, so are less likely to change how they operate simply due to a change in the geopolitical weather. “That's why we might not be seeing the effect immediately in technology,” he said.By contrast, researchers might be more sensitive to geopolitics, because visa policies can quickly affect who meets who at academic conferences, he went on. International collaboration on patents is much lower than for academic articles, the study shows. It peaked at around 10% in 2010, and has since fallen back to around 8%. This could be because China dramatically ramped up domestic patents in the 2010s, said Yildirim, squeezing the international share.
25 years after 9/11, small businesses in Lower Manhattan are thankful to still be serving the community
Halfpricesoft.com Expands Business Tools With Launch of New Operational Software
Halfpricesoft.com today showcases the powerful integration of its flagship payroll tools: ezPaycheck and ezACH direct deposit software. Designed specifically for small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) and accounting professionals, this software duo provides a complete, in-house payroll processing and electronic payment delivery system without recurring subscription fees.
Fox Cities businesses balance tornado relief with keeping doors open
Small business owners put their daily operations on hold and organized large-scale efforts to direct volunteers and donation requests after the tornado. Now, they’re navigating how to continue help…
Indigenous fisherwoman finds ‘lost’ spinach pipefish, not seen by science in 40 years
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. On the final day of a two-week expedition, where researchers were searching for a “lost” species along Papua New Guinea’s Sepik River, Helen Asu arrived with two small, greenish-brown fish. She had caught them while fishing for prawns […]
Small businesses that adopt AI hire more workers
A new report's findings bolster evidence that AI is leading to growth for entrepreneurs.
2026 Rising Stars: Summerlyn Feckner
After growing Spokane-based Ginger Co. Interiors LLC, which does business as Ginger Designs, from a small startup into an established interior design firm, Summerlyn Feckner, 30, expanded into co-ownership of Spokane Valley-based Coyote Creek Cabinets, bridging the gap between design and physical craftsmanship.
AI is taking my work, says graphic designer
Danny Williams says small businesses are increasingly turning to AI to generate posters.
Viewpoint: Unlocking Europe’s wildfire data
Europe is already investing in the science, technology and infrastructure needed to understand, prevent and fight wildfires. Copernicus provides satellite-based Earth observation and environmental information, while the European Forest Fire Information System provides information on fire danger and forest fires across Europe. Weather and climate systems add forecasts of heat, drought, wind and humidity; historical fire databases show where fires have occurred; and researchers generate increasingly detailed knowledge about fuels, fire behaviour, forecasting, modelling and risk management. Meanwhile, new European research projects are adding digital twins and other tools to this growing ecosystem.However, these data do not necessarily sit together, nor are they necessarily described, structured or governed in ways that allow them to be used together. Much of the information is public, but some is commercially held. Some is sensitive. Some is subject to legal, security or operational restrictions. Even when data can be legally accessed, different systems may use different formats, terminology and rules.Europe therefore faces an unusual paradox: we have vast amounts of relevant information to respond to the wildfire challenge, but not the means to bring it together. For example, a wildfire researcher or emergency service might need to ask whether a particular combination of vegetation, drought, wind and topography has historically been associated with rapid fire spread. The relevant information may exist in several institutions, using different systems and subject to different conditions of access.The challenge is to conduct an authorised analysis that interacts with these sources, combines the results and respects the rules imposed by each data custodian.An important part of the answer can be found in the Fair principles, the idea that data should be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. Developed more than a decade ago, these principles have become a central reference point for modern data stewardship, making it easier for people and machines to find data, understand what it means and determine whether it can be reused.Readability by machines is essential, since AI systems will be key to meeting the data challenge. Bring analysis to the dataThe proposition is not to give an AI system unrestricted access to sensitive databases. Quite the opposite. The goal is to make it possible for approved algorithms to go to the data, rather than requiring sensitive data or large datasets to be copied to wherever the analysis happens.Imagine an analysis asking a series of questions of different data stations. At one station it might examine weather and climate data; at another, historical fire records; at another, experimental measurements of fire behaviour. The algorithm does not need to download everything. It can operate within the environment permitted by each data custodian and return only the results that the rules allow to leave.This is sometimes described as data visiting, and related approaches already exist in areas such as federated analysis and federated learning.Sensitive data should therefore not be treated as a free-for-all for machines. This requires appropriate governance at multiple levels. Access needs to be authenticated and authorised. The purpose of an analysis should be defined. The code or model being run should be controlled. Data custodians should be able to specify what can be queried and what results can leave their environment. Activities should be auditable and human oversight should remain where the consequences require it.In other words, the objective is not to trust AI with the data. It is to design systems in which AI never has more access than it needs.As open as possible, as closed as necessaryFair data should also not be confused with open data. Some wildfire data should be openly available. Other information may legitimately need to remain restricted because it concerns critical infrastructure, security, commercial interests, privacy or operational capabilities. The principle should be: as open as possible, as closed as necessary.The important point is that restricted data should not automatically become unusable data. If machines can discover what information exists, understand its meaning, establish where it came from and determine the conditions under which it can be used, authorised analyses can potentially be carried out without the underlying data ever leaving the environment in which it is protected.Restricted data can still be Fair and machine-actionable.This is also an important question of data sovereignty. European institutions should not have to surrender control of their data to a handful of technology platforms in order to benefit from AI. Nor does Europe need to start again by building one giant repository for every piece of wildfire information. The better approach is to connect what already exists.This is the principle behind emerging approaches such as Tryangle, developed through the Leiden Initiative for Fair and Equitable Science. Rather than creating another centralised data warehouse, the approach seeks to provide an interoperable layer through which approved algorithms can visit distributed data sources while respecting the rules of their custodians.In this way, a data station can remain where it is. Its custodians can retain control. Existing databases and applications do not have to be abandoned. What changes is their ability to communicate with other systems through common, machine-readable descriptions, access rules and interoperability mechanisms.But approaches like this need data that meets the Fair principles. Only then can an interoperable ecosystem safely begin to turn fragmented information into collective intelligence.Data infrastructure is wildfire infrastructureThe implications of this approach are entirely practical. Firefighters could gain better intelligence about local and evolving risks. Land managers could test prevention strategies using more comprehensive information about fuels, weather and past fires. Researchers could compare evidence across ecosystems without repeatedly moving huge datasets between institutions. Smaller regions and resource-constrained teams could access analytical capabilities without having to build large data infrastructures themselves.Europe is already investing heavily in satellites, databases, research programmes, forecasting systems and scientific expertise. The question is whether we will connect those investments well enough to turn them into actionable intelligence.That requires policymakers and funders to treat data infrastructure as seriously as physical infrastructure. Data generated or supported through European public funding should be Fair, verifiable and machine actionable by design, wherever legally and ethically possible.Related articlesData Corner: Europe’s burning need for wildfire mitigation researchClimate monitoring must remain a global enterprise, experts sayIn practice, that means funding not only the production of data, but also the infrastructure that makes data usable across systems: metadata, provenance, interoperability, access mechanisms and governance. Where data must remain restricted, we should ensure that it can still be securely discovered, verified and used for authorised analysis.Initiatives such as the European Open Science Cloud offer an existing framework through which these principles can be put into practice. What is needed now is to accelerate implementation and make them a standard part of how Europe funds and builds research and innovation systems.We do not need another generation of disconnected databases. The data is already there. The opportunity is to make it work together, securely, responsibly and quickly enough to help prevent the next fire, rather than simply document the last one.Jean-Claude Burgelman is professor emeritus at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and editor-in-chief at Frontiers Policy Lab. For more than 20 years he held leading roles in research and innovation policy at the European Commission.
Lauren Oto advocates for Sacramento’s small businesses and diversity in leadership
Oto is one of the 2026 Change Makers, an award from The Sacramento Bee and the Nehemiah Leaders Programs.
Vendor applications open for Downtown Winter Farmers' Market
Vendor applications are open for the Downtown Winter Farmers’ Market, which will return to Capital Square in downtown Des Moines Nov. 20-22. Farmers, producers, makers and small businesses can apply to participate through Sept. 25. The three-day market, produced by the Downtown Farmers’ Market, will feature local food and gifts, live entertainment and food trucks…
Hy-Vee to host supplier summit featuring more than 80 small businesses
Hy-Vee Inc. is hosting its Opportunity Supplier Impact Summit today and Thursday at its headquarters in West Des Moines, bringing together entrepreneurs and small businesses with the grocer’s category managers and retail leaders for networking and product showcases. On Thursday, more than 80 small businesses from across the U.S. will present their products and services…
Astronomy, Materials Science Awards Plummet at NSF
Physics grants saw a smaller drop in grants awarded this year compared to other fields within NSF’s Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate.
Before construction on Commanders stadium begins, roster of small business contractors needs to be filled
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Las Vegas CFP host committee seeks small businesses for 2027 title game vendors
Southern Nevada small businesses are being invited to sign up for potential vendor opportunities tied to the 2027 College Football Playoff National Championship
These small Seattle theater spaces are making big moves
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Veterans turn business ideas into something real on screen
A small group of veterans from across the state learned how to take a business idea and turn it into a software-based business.
Edelman Financial Engines Expands Into Small Business
Edelman Financial Engines partnered with ADP to offer retirement plan advisory services to small and mid-sized businesses
Joe’s Parkway Market: ‘It’s just hard to sustain a small business’ as Bozeman grows
The popular Bozeman market will close its doors in early October after nearly 60 years of family operation.
CFP seeking Southern Nevada small businesses, volunteers for national championship week opportunities
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Two Tiny Lifeforms Built a Bridge Too Small to See—and May Have Made Humanity Possible
Stromatolites, formed by microbial mats, hold evidence of a symbiotic relationship that possibly kickstarted complex life billions of years ago.
Edelman, ADP team up for small business retirement servicing
Edelman Financial Engines offers retirement plan solution geared at small and mid-sized businesses, partnering with ADP
Small Steps, Big Results - Butte Woman Finds Success Through Intermountain Health Healthy Lifestyles Program
For Leslie Lance, staying healthy has never been about dramatic changes. Instead, the 71-year-old Butte resident believes in taking one step at a time. Those small steps are paying off. After learning she was prediabetic, Lance enrolled in the Intermountain Health St. James Hospital Healthy Lifestyles class, a Diabetes Prevention Program. Af...
Electrical Trade Attracts New Workers; Small Business Optimism Dips in August
WARREN, Ohio – Women are finding a growing place in the electrical trades, with apprenticeship programs in the Mahoning Valley reporting increased interest and enrollment. Young apprentices are gaining experience across residential, commercial and industrial work while preparing for careers in the field.
Laredo College offers free small business incubator workshop
Laredo College is offering a free online small business incubator for people with a business idea they want to launch.
How Social Media and AI Chatbots Are Reshaping Youth Mental Health, and What Congress Can Do About It
It’s hard to move legislation in Washington, DC right now. Congress seems deadlocked on even commonsense ideas. But there is one spot where we still see consistent bipartisan collaboration: youth mental health. That’s because the youth mental health challenge is vast. Nearly half of teenagers and two-thirds of young adults regularly experience mental health distress, yet only a small … Continued
Greenville hosting small real estate developer forum Oct. 18-20
During the forum's time in Greenville, attendees will learn about the people, projects and policies that have led to the city's transformation
Influencer marketing can bring a boom, but will it last?
Influencer marketing has become a polarizing issue, with some businesses and venues pushing back against creators while others see significant value in the exposure they can generate, Inc. reports. For small and midsize businesses, influencer attention can deliver dramatic increases in traffic and sales, but it also comes with risks and operational challenges. In Michigan, […]
In 1971, researchers moved 10 wall lizards onto a small Croatian island — 36 years later, their descendants had stronger bites and a plant-heavy diet, with valves in their intestines that the scientists could not find in the population on their original island.
Ten transplanted wall lizards founded a population with a different diet, stronger bites and distinctive gut anatomy. Follow-up studies examine the roles of plasticity and genetic change.
Madera Fair brings daily entertainment
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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 […]
Your Holiday Shopping Season Playbook: What to Do Now - Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
By Barbara Weltman – The National Retail Federation (NRF) says the holiday shopping season runs from November 1 through December 31. Last year, an NRF survey found that 42% of consumers planned to begin holiday shopping before November. Will this year be different? And what will consumers on average spend? Last year, sales were strong, surpassing the prior […]
Optimism index: Small business owners feel good now, are wary about future
The National Federation of Independent Business released its August small business optimism index on Tuesday and it showed a small dip to a reading of 98.7 from 99.8 in July. But the optimism index remained just above its long-term average …
Small Business Spotlight: Guitar shop aims to strike a chord
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN STRING THEORY GUITARS INC.? ALLISON & LEE WILLIAMS: “We are lifelong musicians with a passion for playing. We love Wilmington and the live music scene here, and we wanted a way to be a part of the music community without having to start work at 9 p.m. We also want to be a destination for residents and musicians performing in and around the downtown area.” WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDE, AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT HELPS CUSTOMERS? We love Wilmington and the live music scene here, and we wanted a way to be a part of the music community without having to start work at 9 p.m. We also want to be a destination for residents and musicians performing in and around the downtown areaTHE WILLIAMSES: “We’re a true basics-to-boutique destination. If you’re someone who’s just starting out, we can set you up with high-quality, brand-new equipment at a great entry-level price point. When you’re ready for your dream guitar, we can help you design and create a fully custom electric or acoustic guitar to your specifications. We have a broad selection of both guitars and amplifiers for players of every level. We also have a community board in the store to connect bands, students, instructors, repair technicians, and anyone providing a service to the local music community.” WHAT PAST EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE THAT LED YOU TO CREATE STRING THEORY GUITARS? THE WILLIAMSES: “Lee has played guitar for almost 40 years, from middle school band to gigging rock bands. Allison has a background in orchestra and musical theater, as well as retail management. We worked together as a husband-and-wife team in manufacturing for many years prior to moving to Wilmington. Having shopped in countless music stores over the years, we set up our shop with the goal of being welcoming and inviting. Our philosophy is ‘if it’s on display, it’s for play.’ No instrument or amplifier is out of reach in our store.” WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR GROWTH? THE WILLIAMSES: “We would love to grow the bluegrass and folk instrument segment of our business. We carry banjos, mandolins, resonator guitars, ukuleles and related accessories. We’ve seen and heard plenty of talented bluegrass and folk musicians around Wilmington, and we look forward to expanding our selections to support this growing segment of the local music scene.” WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING RIGHT NOW IN YOUR BUSINESS? THE WILLIAMSES: “Getting the word out about our brand and some of the unique brands we represent is a challenge for any new business. Online exposure through the Cargo District, Wilmington Downtown Inc. … and our online following is steadily growing. Our other challenge is the logistics of our streets. Our neighborhood is amazing, and you could spend the entire day walking around the Cargo District. As the District continues to grow, we’re seeing more pedestrian traffic, particularly in crossing 16th and 17th streets. We’ve seen some improvements in traffic calming, but the sooner we can improve safety with crosswalks and pedestrian signals, the more welcoming our neighborhood will be.”
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
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