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W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship announces 2025–2026 Teaching, Research, and Service Award nominees
Each semester, Fort Hays State University’s W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship (RCOBE) recognizes outstanding faculty and staff members by nominating individuals who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and service. These nominations reflect the college's commitment to recognizing the many ways faculty and staff contribute to student success, academic excellence, and the university's broader mission.
Employer healthcare costs are expected to jump again. Workers could feel it
As healthcare costs keep climbing, workers could face higher bills, fewer choices and changes to their health benefits.
Sanford Health, North Memorial Health finalize partnership
As part of the agreement, Sanford Health has committed to investing more than $600 million to meet evolving healthcare needs in Minnesota, including a $500 million expansion of Maple Grove Hospital and a $100 million modernization of Robbinsdale Hospital.
Who CFB coaches think will win the title, plus the Angels sale
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Combine for 35 hits today. Coming up: 🗣️ Ducks, Tigers dominate gossip ⛓️💥 Congrats to Angels fans 👑 NFL 50 under 40 Right now, the texts I want to read most are the ones college football coaches are sending to each other. There’s always an inherent interest there, as these are quite famous men who have to play things straight in front of microphones and cameras for most of the week. What are they gossiping about in...
Rhode Island could see a political wipeout next week
If Governor Dan McKee, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, and Mayor Brett Smiley all were to fall, it would amount to an unprecedented upending of Rhode Island’s political establishment, and a massive rebuke that could signal a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
Kids’ screen habits are damaging their eyes, sleep and mental health: HHS official
Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos says myopia rates are climbing as kids spend more time staring at screens.
August Monthly Review: ChatGPT In Epic
Death, taxes, another frontier lab healthcare launch inspiring truly insane LinkedIn takes. As much as I want to stay away, I repeatedly am the crewman unplugging his ears whenever we pass these sirens. So it’s not the first and probably not the last time we dial up the typewriter rather than tie ourselves to the mast. The full blow-by-blow timeline: Health API Guy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe The End of the Standalone PHR (Jan 8): ChatGPT Health arrives for consumers, at the time powered by b.well. I was bullish on the approach in that the best way for the PHR to finally solve distribution was to meet consumers were they already are (i.e. When Horizontal Meets Healthcare (Jan 9): OpenAI for Healthcare puts out the shingle for enterprises, with SharePoint ingestion standing in for the EHR integration the product actually needed. Another One: Anthropic’s Healthcare Debut (Jan 16): Claude's version, on HealthEx rails instead of b.well, with Agent Skills for FHIR development as the one true vertical-specific investment. ChatGPT for Clinicians: The Trap Sprung (Apr 24): OpenAI filled in the missing GTM middle with a free product for verified clinicians, effectively peeling the enterprise wrapper off ChatGPT for Healthcare and taking the PLG fight directly to OpenEvidence. OpenAI’s Second Attempt at Health (Jul 31): a relaunch of their patient specific app, now branded Health in ChatGPT, where the privacy partition came out, the connectors thinned, and b.well disappeared in favor of first-party FHIR work against a smaller network Beyond a Shingle So what was announced now? Today, we’re introducing a new electronic health record integration that brings authorized patient context from Epic into ChatGPT for Healthcare, along with the Healthcare Public Data plugin for direct, structured access to official healthcare datasets like PubMed, DailyMed, and CMS Coverage. Together, these capabilities bring ChatGPT closer to the systems and sources healthcare teams trust, while supporting the controls and compliance healthcare work requires. The core portfolio is unchanged from prior announcements we delineated and discussed (aside from the relaunch of patient-facing). Since trade publications still seem to be confusing them by using the wrong names: Enterprise sales motion: ChatGPT for Healthcare Protecting their core product / PLG: ChatGPT for Clinicians Consumer/patient-facing product: Health in ChatGPT So really, this is a feature release (specifically for ChatGPT for Healthcare when it comes to EHR integration). What’s cool about it, though, is that we are moving beyond just putting out a shingle. Everything in the January enterprise launch was horizontalizable: Horizontal tech companies thus generally start verticalization with their “putting out a shingle phase”. Telling the world you’re open for business as a horizontal tech company reliably attracts early inbound interest from buyers who are already trying to force-fit horizontal tools into domain-specific workflows and are eager for any signal that the vendor intends to support their use case more directly. Nothing was really vertical specific, which is exactly what you'd expect from the ultimate hypergrowth horizontal company dipping their toes into specific industries. But eventually you have to stop changing the sign on the door and start changing the product. Can you guess where the horizontal product was going to run out of road? This is the core dilemma writ large: verticalization requires differentiation, while scale economics of consumer and horizontal push toward unification. I’ve buried the lede so deep here it will be painful to some readers, but what should be shocking to no one is that my perspective is that EHR integration is the only path that meaningfully resolves this tension for ChatGPT for Healthcare. Integration with Microsoft Sharepoint is fine, but it is categorically insufficient for any product that hopes to influence clinical decision-making. SMART Money Well here we are, eight months later! Real vertical investment has begun, which surprised a few people. One friend in the industry messaged me: “Absolutely no way Epic gave ChatGPT API access.” Looking forensically at the announcements, the integration is notably read-only across appointment notes, laboratory results, medications, and specialist documentation. So while I’m not a betting man, I'd wager the house this is a SMART on FHIR launch: That sounds a lot like USCDI! The recommended path for the workflow they outline would be SMART on FHIR Their Health AI lead’s post is evocative of both standalone and EHR launch SMART, which another termed “ChartGPT” and “EHR Plugin” The implementation burden for SMART on FHIR is the lowest of the available integrative paths This is the team who literally did patient-facing SMART on FHIR with Epic last month Most importantly, if you’re a horizontal company, you generally still haven’t taken the full plunge and thus (overly) value reusability. SMART on FHIR is the logical compromise: healthcare-specific enough to matter, but standardized enough to reuse. Nobody Asked Judy Another friend asked “I thought they had to go to each health system, or did they go direct to Epic and now health systems opt in?” Given the trust paradigms in healthcare, this functionally cannot be Epic hoovering up all the data for OpenAI and shoving ChatGPT in their customers’ faces (or they would revolt). However, I do believe the aforementioned terrible coverage by TechCrunch and other outlets is probably responsible for that question, given the 325 million reference. When using FHIR as a business associate to an Epic customer, there is no EHR gatekeeping to speak of, as that isn’t how fhir.epic.com works: You register an app You pick your APIs You test against the sandbox APIs You list as “Ready for Production” Hospitals pick your app You test and go live with them Bluntly, nobody had to say yes or no in Verona (nor were they given the chance). Vendor Services (their next developer tier up that I doubt OpenAI is using quite yet in this initial release) certainly has contractual paperwork that some resent, but even there, the twin pressures of mounting antitrust and information blocking make outright gatekeeping increasingly fraught. My friend’s sentiment is, to me, representative of a broader industry neurosis, perhaps a sort of scar tissue of prior eras: people assume the gate is still there and never actually try the door. There are certainly other ways Epic (and any EHR) can put its thumb on the scale, but they are not so dumb as to stand in front of a federally mandated API and play bouncer at this exact moment in time. So I think they can and probably should go deeper, as this release is at best parity and at worst behind vertical-specific competition. OpenEvidence did a basic SMART launch with Sutter Health in February, allowing for more convenient evidence search by providers. They then add patient-context (the equivalent SMART on FHIR flow to what we see here) when Cedars-Sinai went enterprise-wide in May. UpToDate has four distinct applications across deeper workflows like patient engagement listed in Epic Showroom and announced a partnership with Epic to power Art at UGM Abridge and other ambient scribes have invested deeply into the deepest bidirectional clinical copilot workflow with integrations well beyond SMART on FHIR. In that light, the “Who is OpenAI primarily targeting here?” is clear. This release brings them into striking distance of OpenEvidence, but not the others quite yet. They are the only one of the three you can reach without building something truly Epic-specific. When will they go further? Competition is a great motivator to overcome the horizontal demons and start building things that can’t be reused: not across industries, not across EHRs, maybe not past the customer you built them for. That’s the price of actually verticalizing. The question is if and when OpenAI will be willing to pay it. Month in Review Here is the monthly review. As a reminder, this is a regular round-up of the month’s posts and other content to surface things you may have missed across regulation, litigation, interoperability, and beyond. AI assistance is used in these bullet summaries so I can focus on articles. Articles Published: None this month Video Content: The Information Exchange: Standards-based Thruple Edition (Aug 14): Back to school for us too, with Brad reporting in from the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem’s one year anniversary in DC. We get into the January CMS-0057 deadline, the fall rulemaking reading list, and why enrollment still keeps most apps off FHIR. The Information Exchange: Epic Dúnadan Edition (Aug 25): A UGM roundup with Ryan Brickner joining for the first time to check our takes against what the building actually thinks. Rangers, Ergo sitting on top of EHI, and a down-market lineup that needs some cuts. Regulatory: Stacked Deck, Bad Hand (Aug 05): ONC’s website refresh took the entire HIT Policy Committee record with it, so I rebuilt the archive and went looking for the regulatory capture story everyone assumes is buried in there. Stacking the deck and winning the hand turn out to be very different things. The Sixth Generation of Patient Access (Aug 19): A quick catalog of the five generations of patient access we’ve layered on since HIPAA, and the two candidates now competing to be the sixth. One is planned. The other is the market routing around the plan entirely. Court cases: Three Cases Walk Into a Docket (Aug 06): Two surprise settlements cleared the board in a single week, and then Judge Maddox dropped ninety-four pages on Vyne v. Henry Schein. The sleeper is a DMCA holding that makes direct-to-database a considerably riskier business model. Epic v. Health Gorilla: Into the MDL (Aug 10): Nine class actions are headed to Miami, and the Panel signaled it wants to bring the case that spawned them along too. That would leave Epic arguing the requests were obviously fraudulent in one courtroom and unknowable in the other. Amazon v. Perplexity: Agents Are Legalized! (Aug 11): The Ninth Circuit vacated the injunction against Comet, holding that the user is the one accessing the servers rather than the company that built the agent. A real win for agentic access, and a much narrower one than the headline suggests. Veeva v. Epic: Come At Me, Bro (Aug 26): Epic’s response brief wants the dismissal affirmed and, unusually, wants the opinion published as precedent. Buried in it is Epic’s own description of what its non-competes actually prohibit, which current and former employees should read closely. EHRs: The Contract Epic Would Never Sign Today (Aug 04): A 1999 SEC exhibit catches Epic licensing nearly its entire product line, Tapestry included, to the company that became TriZetto. The marketing services menu attached to it is the part that will make you blink. Forecast from Verona (Aug 07): The Epic Almanac makes one argument six different ways: the AI is only as good as the networks behind it. Emmie headlines, Art’s context stack is the most ambitious part, and Penny finally gets an autonomous coding date on the calendar. Works With Epic MyChart (Aug 17): Epic’s first new Showroom category since the death of Workshop certifies hardware instead of software, badge on the box and all. Made for iPhone, but for blood pressure cuffs, and rough news for anyone selling the RPM stack sitting in between. UGM Hot Takes 2026 (Aug 20): Everyone else covered the AI announcements, so I went after Savvy deleting the payment gateway, Rangers as Boost with the timer removed, and a down-market lineup with too many entries. Plus the Health Grid tidbits I cannot help myself on. MyChart Central Grows Up (Aug 24): Device data and Emmie turn Epic’s identity hub into a full consumer platform, which is both a logical answer to ChatGPT and a bit of a mistake. It also happens to be the best scraping target Epic has ever shipped. Industry Analysis: The Wrong Yardstick (Aug 12): Vertical software keeps getting judged against Superhuman and Notion, which is the wrong bar entirely. Your user is comparing your product to a whiteboard and forty phone calls before lunch. Primitives vs. Abstractions (Aug 27): Developers want building blocks, systems of record prefer to hand out business logic, and both sides have a real case. There’s no test from the outside that separates the engineering reason from the competitive one, which is why this keeps ending up in court. Cross-industry Comparisons: The Two Kinds of Platform Power (Aug 18): Attention power and record power are different problems that keep getting handed the same regulatory toolkit. Congress’s latest swing at Big Tech shows both what’s possible and where it falls apart. The Dogs of (Platform) War (Aug 21): A CourtListener alert turned up a property management fight with healthcare’s exact shape and none of the Cures Act. Shell prospects, ghost accounts, a notetaker bot that came back to haunt someone, and a lawyer arguing both sides of the same theory in two states. Fractals All the Way Down (Aug 31): Yardi dominates property management right up until you zoom into one segment, where AppFolio owns it outright and Yardi doesn’t appear at all. Where you draw the line around a B2B software market is about to decide an awful lot of cases. Other News: If Judy Had the Courage (Aug 13): A short eulogy for the era when software was allowed to look insane: WinAMP, bold colors, and everything the grey chatbot era has taken from us. External Media: Portland Monthly Health Tech Meetup: Erin O’Brien channeled my own feelings - maybe it’s just because it’s August and beautiful, but the monthly edition of the PDX Health community meetup was a ripper. Make sure to reach out if interested to join for the next one. STAT’s Coverage of Epic This Month: Brittany Trang of STAT did a fantastic job of breaking the FTC investigation that’s been lurking, as well as UGM related coverage, so I had to give her her wish of a meme. Fall Conferences: I’m pumped to be kicking off my fall conference season in NYC at Nabla Accelerate next month, which Chrissy provided the link to apply for. Here’s the rest of my schedule in case you want to meet up: Commonwell (Redwood Shores, CA): Oct 13-14 Open@Epic (Madison, WI): Oct 21-22 eHealthExchange (Austin, TX): Oct 27 Sequoia Project (Austin, TX): Oct 28-29 HLTH (Vegas): Nov 15-18 RSNA (Chicago): Nov 29-Dec 3 Posts I Liked: HTI-6 Should Unbundle API Certification: Josh Mandel makes the case that HTI-6 should split (g)(10) into separate authorization and data certifications, so a PACS or a genomics platform can certify only the role it actually performs. Imaging is the urgent example, but the structure solves a much bigger problem. On implementing ePrior Auth with Epic: Scott Rossignol’s field notes from a live ePrior Auth build on Epic, including the two app registrations nobody warns you about and the CPT mapping problem waiting at the end. CMS-0057 implementations are going to be such a beast. Healthcare point solutions are starting to look a lot like streaming services: Spencer Dorn runs the cable-to-streaming arc against health IT and lands squarely on the bundling half of the cycle. Bundling can be good! It can also be bad! Life is nuanced. Health API Guy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Candidates, voters, merch: Politics bingo ingredients are everywhere at Minnesota State Fair
Turn your State Fair visit into a hunt for politics bingo.
Women in Science: Dr Sabina Auhunas - TIB-Blog
The blog series “Women in Science” introduces women from the TIB who give insights into their careers and personal experiences in science. Dr Sabina Auhunas studied Pharmacy at Bogomolets National Medical University, and obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine in Kyiv and is now working at TIB (Open Science Lab). In this interview, she talks about diversity, shifting directions and persistence in academia.
2026 preseason recap: Former Huskers to find their place in the NFL
These three former Husker athletes competed in the NFL preseason to prove they had what it takes and secure their spot on an NFL team. One of the most recent, Emmett Johnson, was the fifth-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs. Other players such as Ty Robinson and Ameer Abdullah made teh NFL in previous years.
Father stunned by daughter's role in deadly Times Square stabbing spree
The suspect's father told Eyewitness News that he cannot understand what led to the violence.
Father of Times Square stabbing suspect says daughter had mental health issues
A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures
A search for one mysterious particle unexpectedly revealed evidence for two different structures that may belong to the bizarre family of exotic subatomic particles known as XYZ states. The findings could help physicists uncover new ways that quarks and gluons combine to create matter.
House adopts Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank’s resolution condemning socialism, mostly along party lines
The House on Tuesday approved a resolution sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank to condemn socialism in a largely party-line vote that the Colorado Republican characterized as a chance for lawmakers to “stand firm” against an ideology making inroads among Democrats. The nonbinding resolution, HR 1490, also included a call for the “enactment” of GOP-led […]
Running Back Market Rebounds, Todd Gurley Has Thoughts
Former Rams rusher Todd Gurley is happy to see top running backs Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor land big-money extensions in 2026.
William Jewell College: RB Barnett had no known health condition
MicahJo Barnett was immediately attended to by multiple onsite medical workers with AEDs, William Jewell College's interim president said.
Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Set to throw bridge game
Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Set to throw bridge game
Former Texas Tech WR suing NCAA over ban for sports betting
Former Texas Tech wide receiver Roy Alexander is suing the NCAA in an effort to overturn a six-game suspension he received for betting on sports.
Sanford Health finalizes merger with North Memorial Health
Sanford Health has finalized its merger with North Memorial Health, the Minnesota healthcare system that oversees Robbinsdale Hospital.
ALCF Service-Enabled Science Series Explores Experiment-Time Computing and the DIII-D Digital Twin
Sept. 1, 2026 — The latest session in the ALCF’s Service-Enabled Science training series explored how integrated computing resources, automated workflows, and modern data infrastructure are helping accelerate fusion research. The webinar, “Fusing Experiments, Data, and Computing at DIII-D and ALCF,” led by General Atomics’ Mark Kostuk and Brian Sammuli, is now available on the ALCF’s […]
Farm Science Review connects agriculture's past and future
Walk the grounds of Farm Science Review (FSR) this September, and you can move through generations of agriculture in a matter of minutes. Combines work the fields, researchers turn plots into living laboratories, and farmers gather around new equipment to see what might make a difference back hom
Kroenke to buy controlling interest in Angels from Moreno
Stan Kroenke has reached an agreement to acquire controlling interest in the Los Angeles Angels from Arte Moreno.
Woman NYPD killed after Times Square stabbings had long mental health struggle, brother says
Her family became concerned when she missed their regular weekly gathering — the next time they saw her was one the news.
Bank of America employee Erin Piacenti killed in Times Square stabbing
Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti was killed in what police described as a "random and unprovoked" stabbing in Times Square on Monday.
Tahoe Chamber launches four-part ‘Level UP: AI for Small Business’ webinar series
LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Tahoe Chamber is launching a new four-part Level UP: AI for Small Business Webinar Series, designed to help local business owners move beyond the buzz around artificial intelligence and learn practical...
Ex-NFL QB, CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo pleads no contest to OWI
Ex-Dallas Cowboys quarterback and CBS Sports lead football analyst Tony Romo pleaded no contest to OWI charges in Milwaukee. He will have driving privileges revoked for six months and will seek help from a team of doctors.
Sports Editor for The Wall Street Journal Joshua Robinson joins 'GMFB'
Joshua Robinson, Sports Editor of the Wall Street Journal, joins "Good Morning Football" for an exclusive interview.
Sanford Health, North Memorial Health complete partnership
The combined health system will keep essential services at Robbinsdale Hospital while building stronger rural-urban care across Minnesota.
Kustom Entertainment to Acquire TFL, Expanding Integrated Live Event Ticketing and Festival Platform
Kustom Entertainment announced the acquisition of TFL, enhancing its ticketing capabilities and expected to boost revenue and profitability immediately.Quiver AI SummaryKustom Entertainment, Inc. announced its acquisition of TFL, LLC, a leading ticketing distribution and live event technology platform, through a definitive Unit Purchase Agreement. This strategic move is expected to enhance Kustom's festival production capabilities by combining it
Kustom Entertainment, Inc. Enters Into an Agreement to Acquire TFL, LLC (dba Tickets For Less)
Transformational Acquisition is Expected to Combine Kustom’s Music Festival Platform with Ticketing & Distribution Engine; Expected to be Immediately...
Ocean Race Atlantic Combines Sailing, Speed, Adventure, And Science In A Very Cool Way
The inaugural Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, is a high-speed transatlantic sprint from New York City to Lorient, France that leaves September 2
Tim Cook is out as Apple CEO, showed us how to succeed a legend
Apple's newly departed CEO, Tim Cook, beat the odds as Steve Jobs' successor by combining his strengths and judgment with Jobs' values.
Business of the Week: Doron Precision Systems
KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Doron Precision Systems is the Greater Binghamton Chamber Business of the Week. Founded in 1973, Doron is a local business consisting of about 45 people that specializes i...
AI tech uses cardiac CT scans to evaluate inflammation, predict stroke risk
AI technology developed by Caristo Diagnostics was the focus of multiple studies presented at ESC Congress 2026.
Lola Petticrew Is Absolutely Spellbinding in ‘Furious’
The nonbinary actor turns in a stunning performance in the first season of ‘Furious.’
Former FSU running back waived by Dallas Cowboys
Former Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin was waived by the Dallas Cowboys as the team trimmed its roster to 53 players.
49ers, Chargers top sports world poking fun at man who posed as 49ers player
Since two men were arrested with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, the story has dominated social media, with even athletes and sports teams chiming in.
WATCH: Vance says Trump likes to 'switch it up' by posting AI video of Kharg Island bombing
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning after
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning
Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning after convening to compare notes on overlapping bills aimed at reforming the Wyoming Business Council. The future of the state’s top economic development shop has stakes for how prepared Wyoming communities are to host […]
Enjoy food, crafts and entertainment at the Pan African Village
Gwendolyn Muok, president of the Syracuse Onondaga County NAACP, discussed the importance of the NAACP Van Robinson Pan-African Village during its 33rd year at the New York State Fair.
CCIA Files Comments to Japan Fair Trade Commission on its Updated Business Combination Guidelines
Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association submitted comments to the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) in response to its request
Making the case for business pressure on N.C. public school spending
With another school year starting up, Tom Oxholm held a webinar last week seeking to rally business community support for North Carolina’s K-12 system.
MAD: Omnicom Combines Mediahub, Hearts & Science
The new agency network operates across 40 markets and represents approximately $9.1 billion in 2025 billings. It will be led in the U.S. by Nicole Estebanell, who previously served as CEO of Mediahub U.S.
Tulane Ventures brings behavioral health company to New Orleans
Tulane Ventures has invested $250,000 in Cabana, a behavioral health platform co-founded by a Tulane alumnus, as part of a $1 million seed round that also includes 1834 Ventures.Cabana combines clinical care, community groups and tech-enabled support to embed behavioral health support — outside of medical appointments — in the lives of patients battling physical ailments.
Bellevue Alum Boosts Violence Intervention with AI
Barbara Gaskins, a Bellevue University alumna, is combining expertise in criminal justice, re-entry, community violence intervention, and data science to improve outcomes for people impacted by incarceration and violence.After earning her bachelor's and master's degrees from Bellevue University, Gaskins gained the credentials, confidence and tec...
Treasury Department blocks certain journalists from covering G20 meeting
The New York Times said in a statement that denying American journalists access to an event in the U.S. is “not just another disturbing effort by the administration to undermine independent journalism, but a blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny.”
Ancon Construction Receives 2026 Governor’s Half Century Business Award
Ancon Construction has been named a recipient of the 2026 Governor’s Half Century Business Award, recognizing the company for 50 years of continuous operation in Indiana and its longstanding …
Villa-Chelsea transfer links are about business, not friendship, says Emery
Aston Villa do not share a special relationship with Chelsea despite a number of transfers between the clubs in recent years, manager Unai Emery said on Sunday, describing the deals as purely business transactions.
Celebrating Gregg Allman at the Wheeler
Wednesday event combines live music, film screening, panel
AI streamlines search for new ceramics that generate electricity
To streamline the search for new piezoelectric materials, or those that emit an electric charge when manipulated, a team led by materials science researchers at Penn State introduced a new framework that combines an existing artificial intelligence model with human expertise and experimentation.
Robinson's rhythmical action reminiscent of McGrath
Glenn McGrath-like Ollie Robinson has Australia to thank for bringing back into fashion an age-old tactic which is fuelling his success.
Google is getting flak for changing Lake Ontario name to Lake America
Canadian politicians are also scrubbing government websites that embed Google Maps to ensure the lake is labeled Lake Ontario.
Sankey, SEC 'prepared to contest' judge's order in Louisiana
While the SEC said it will comply with an order that prohibits commissioner Greg Sankey from issuing punishment if they roster a player who returns from a pro contract, the league said, in a Sunday statement to ESPN, it will defend its rights in court.
Germany win Men's Hockey World Cup, equal Pakistan's record; Abhay Singh wins 13th PSA Tour title: Indian Sports, August 30
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on August 30, 2026.
‘The Christophers’: A work of art
Absorbing little drama builds to a surprise finale
Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices
Hey all, Jason here. When this hits your inbox, I should be en route to the airport — not to go anywhere myself, just to pick up my better half. I must admit, it’s been strange to be home alone (well, with two dogs) for two weeks! Really lets me “optimize” to spending more time on reading/writing/working, whether that’s healthy or not! Looking forward to getting back into a (somewhat) more balance routine. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading Compare Notes With the People Who Built Modern Fintech Partner content: Remitly CEO Sebastian Gunningham. Increase founder Darragh Buckley. Linda Du, Co-founder & President at Valon. They’ll unpack the decisions behind building and scaling major financial products: what they got right, what broke, what they would do differently, and how AI and new infrastructure are changing the operator playbook. Most events tell you where fintech is going. NerdCon puts the people who built the present in the room and asks them what comes next. Expect an operator-led conversation grounded in real products, real trade-offs and lessons earned the hard way. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% on Regular tickets with code FBW20 before standard pricing ends September 11. Meet the Builders Things To Know & Other Good Reads Advent and Stripe Abandon $50 Billion Pursuit of PayPal (Bloomberg) Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh (Wall Street Journal) The multiplying risks of financing data centres (FT) Let the Bond Market Speak (Wall Street Journal) Did we waste a crisis? Modest proposals to reform deposit insurance. (Fintech Takes Banking) Untangling Guggenheim: How Private Credit Built Its Own Universe (Net Interest) The Hater’s Guide To Circular Financing — Part One (Ed Zitron) Fiat Ventures Rebrands to FGV Capital, Announces $35M Oversubscribed Fund II (BusinessWire) Socure Announces Strategic Growth Investment at $5.2B Valuation and Acquires Agentic Operations Platform Fravity (Socure) Listen: When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well (Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast) Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices When Andreessen Horowitz led EarnIn’s $39 million Series B in 2017, Alex Rampell, a partner at the storied venture capital firm, described EarnIn’s small-dollar advance product as “free,” relying on “entirely on voluntary contributions instead of fees.” Rampell favorably compared EarnIn’s approach to typical payday loans, writing, “Payday loans historically have had the potential to be a slippery slope for consumers into financial distress: opaque systems and steep fees that are hard to repay and set individuals back further than where they started. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, that kind of slide into debt can be extremely difficult to recover from.” But EarnIn’s product — which, the company says, isn’t a “loan,” legally speaking — ends up being anything but free for most users. While it is technically possible to take a no-fee advance from the company, most users incur “Lightning Speed” (instant funding) fees and/or ostensibly optional tips that combined can equate to annualized percent rates that can reach over 1,000%. With an average term of 9.77 days, even fees and tips that are small on an absolute dollar basis are equivalent to high APRs on an annualized basis. A lawsuit filed last week by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against EarnIn describes the company and its product and business practices quite differently than Andreessen’s Rampell; “EarnIn’s business practices are unfair because they are immoral, unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous,” the complaint, filed in District Court in Denver, Colorado, says. EarnIn’s marquee product, Cash Out, isn’t a loan, the company says, as Cash Out is not “[f]orward [l]ooking” because “[t]he money is transferred based on earnings to date,” does not carry a mandatory fee to access funds, and is “non-recourse,” meaning EarnIn cannot pursue recovery from users who don’t repay advanced funds. EarnIn is sometimes referred to as an “Earned Wage Advance” service. Though, unlike some others in the broader category, EarnIn does not integrate with employers’ payroll or time and attendance systems. Rather, EarnIn attempts to verify a user’s income and employment, by examining direct deposit transaction data in their linked external bank account, by using GPS location and Bluetooth data to estimate a user’s time spent at work, if they work in a fixed location, and/or by having a user provided a work email address. While repayment is theoretically optional, as EarnIn would have no recourse, such as reporting non-payment to the credit bureaus or a collections agency, this is anything but clear to users of the EarnIn app, Colorado’s complaint argues. During the process of taking a Cash Out, users must agree to a preauthorized debit of the amount advanced, plus any expedited funding fee and/or tips. Though users technically can revoke this ACH authorization, the fact that they have this right isn’t presented to users during the Cash Out process, but rather is included in linked terms and conditions few users are likely to actually read. And users who do wish to revoke their ACH authorization must do so three or more days before the scheduled transaction date by emailing EarnIn’s customer support. Similarly, EarnIn’s marketing claims that it carries “no interest” and “no mandatory fees” is technically true, but is not the reality for many of the app’s users, the Colorado complaint argues. Further, EarnIn has extensively marketed to users the ability to “access your pay today,” to get “instant” funds, and to get funds “the same day you work” — when, in reality, this speed of access was only possible by paying the additional, undisclosed Lightning Speed fee. The Colorado complaint highlights this contradiction specifically, noting: EarnIn tells consumers that they can ‘Make any day payday with EarnIn’ and that there no ‘hidden’ or ‘mandatory fees.’ For a consumer to access their pay on the same day requested, they would have to pay the Lightning Speed fee. In the fine print of the advertisement EarnIn discloses that ‘[f]ees apply to use Lightning Speed,’ a direct contradiction to the larger text of the advertisement, and a fact that would not be immediately understood by a consumer as ‘Lightning Speed’ is not defined nor explained. Like other small-dollar lending services, rather than explicitly charge interest, EarnIn collects a markup on the optional Lighting Speed fee, which, given the nature of the transactions, many users opt for, as well as offering users the option to leave “tips.” EarnIn leverages either Real-Time Payments (RTP) rails or push-to-card via debit rails if a user opts for the optional Lightning Speed. But while these capabilities cost EarnIn, on average, $0.075 or $0.20 per transaction, respectively, EarnIn charges users significantly more. Initially, EarnIn charged as little as $1.99 for Cash Outs up to $24. But EarnIn has hiked these fees multiple times, and now charges $4.99 for Cash Outs up to $75 and $6.99 for those over $75. According to the Colorado complaint, EarnIn leverages “dark patterns” to manipulate users and to make it more difficult to avoid tipping. Examples of these “road blocks” highlighted in the complaint include: As of 2023, in the EarnIn app, a consumer attempting to get a loan under the default settings had to make at least eighteen separate taps to complete the transaction and reduce the tip to $0. There is an alternative method to leave a $0 tip, via the “Custom tip” feature, but EarnIn made this option difficult to access by visually deemphasizing it and positioning it near devices’ “home” button. Using language and imagery such as “Tip to pay it forward,” “Your generosity supports the service + helps,” “Your tips make a difference,” and “[t]he APR for this cash out is 0%. Your tips help support us.” While Lightning Speed and tipping are, in theory, both optional, in practice, users nearly always ended up paying something. According to the Colorado suit, users were charged either a tip or an expedite fee for more than 92% of transactions, with an average APR of nearly 388%. And, although the advances are “non-recourse,” EarnIn successfully collects on nearly all transactions — 99.18%, according to the complaint, which, Colorado argues, “demonstrat[es] that EarnIn’s advances function as high cost loans, not voluntary payments.” The share of EarnIn users incurring fees — despite the product being marketed as 0% APR — is hard to reconcile with Andreessen investor Rampell’s favorable description of EarnIn vs. “opaque systems and steep fees” associated with payday loans, which, Rampell says, can be “extremely difficult” for borrowers to extricate themselves from. According to Colorado’s suit, EarnIn’s Cash Out product “trapped many consumers in extreme cycles of high-cost reborrowing.” The suit gives an example of one consumer in the state, who took out a whopping 1,151 loans, paying a total of $4,038.50 in Lightning Speed expedited funding fees on loans that averaged the equivalent of 1,421% APR. Another Colorado user, the suit says, took out 1,033 loans, paying $8,561.22 in tips and fees at an average APR of 1,539% . These types of usage patterns demonstrate “the severe and repeated financial harm caused by EarnIn’s illegal lending model,” the Colorado complaint argues. In aggregate, from January 2023 through July 2025, EarnIn extended 3.1 million loans to 56,778 users in Colorado — an average of nearly 55 transactions per person during the time period. EarnIn lent more than $300 million and collected more than $16 million from Colorado users in Lightning Speed fees and in tips. Ultimately, the Colorado complaint argues that “EarnIn’s Cash Outs are loans under Colorado law, and EarnIn’s contention that its product is not a loan based on its disclaimer of any legal repayment obligation lacks any real-world significance given how the Cash Out transactions actually operate in practice.” Colorado further argues that “EarnIn was not working with companies here in providing consumers with funds but acted as a third-party lender and charged illegally high rates, used deceptive design strategies to extract some charges, and trapped consumers in repeat borrowing. Colorado will continue to stand up for consumers and hold companies accountable when they violate our credit laws or attempt to evade them through misleading practices.” Colorado’s suit alleges EarnIn assesses finance charge in excess of that permitted by Colorado law, that EarnIn failed to make legally required disclosures to Colorado borrowers, that EarnIn made supervised loans to consumers without obtaining the requisite license, that EarnIn violated the state’s Deferred Deposit Loan Act, that EarnIn engage in unfair and deceptive trade practices, and that EarnIn made false or misleading statements concerning price. The suit seeks a court order enjoining EarnIn from violating relevant Colorado laws, for EarnIn to refund amounts charged in excess of state law, fees, costs, and penalties, and other relief the court deems to be just. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Q2 Quarterly Banking Profile: Five Quick Takeaways The FDIC released its quarterly banking profile, which is always worth a read, for the second quarter. The profile provides an aggregate snapshot about the overall health of the 4,238 institutions whose deposits are insured by the FDIC, who, collectively, hold more than $26 trillion in assets and saw a total net income of more than $90 billion in the second quarter. Net income was up 12% vs. Q1 2026, with lower provisions and realized gains on securities helping to drive the improvement, somewhat offset by increases in non-interest expense and applicable income taxes. Overall net interest margin was basically flat quarter over quarter (up 1 basis point vs. Q1 2026), though community banks saw NIM grow by 10 basis points, to 3.81%. Unsurprisingly, given that interest rates haven’t changed, unrealized losses on securities changed little, edging up slightly to $326.7 billion vs. $325.1 billion in Q1 2026. Aggregate credit quality has remained benign, with asset quality actually improving slightly in Q2. Overall, institutions reported a 9 basis point decline in their past-due and non-accrual rate, to 1.44%. Net charge off rate also declined by 2 basis points, to 0.57%. And finally, the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund stands at $161.1 billion, making the DIF reserve ratio 1.48% — above the statutory minimum of 1.35%, but still below the designated target reserve ratio of 2%. [Paid Subscriber Exclusive] Nissan Withdraws ILC App, State Associations Plan BankChain Alliance, FDIC Defines “Unsafe or Unsound Practice” For First Time Automaker Nissan withdrew its application to charter a Utah industrial loan company and its corresponding application to the FDIC for deposit insurance last week, on August 19th. Nissan’s application had been outstanding for more than a year, as it originally applied in June 2025. Recent applications to the OCC to form national banks have been decisioned, one way or the other, substantially more quickly than has historically been the case.
Notes: Bears close out preseason with strong win
The Bears closed out the preseason with a nice win on Saturday. @jacobinfante24 shares his notes from the game.
State’s Broadband Buildout Accelerates
Indiana’s broadband buildout has entered a rapidly moving execution phase as projects funded through the state’s Next Level Connections ( NLC ) Broadband Grant Program have delivered thousands of …
Cville Local Experts: Distinguishing the difference between home health and home care.
Whenever someone needs medical support in their home, albeit short or long-term, a combination of both home health and home care can support the family, the patient and relieve some of the financial burden.
‘Brewbeque’ to debut at RiverPark Center with drinks, barbecue, live entertainment
A new fall event combining craft beer, bourbon, barbecue, food trucks, and live entertainment is coming to downtown Owensboro this October, with a portion of the proceeds supporting arts opportunities for area students.
State probing two grants to American Arab chamber after money goes missing
The State Budget Office is reviewing at least two state grants given to the American Arab Chamber of Commerce amid allegations of unaccounted funds.
A fifth-grader in Kansas City clicked ball-and-stick atoms together in science class and asked her teacher if she'd made a real molecule — he photographed it, sent it to a chemistry professor, and at ten years old she became co-author of a published paper on a structure nobody had ever described
A ten-year-old's casual question about her chemistry model kit led to a published paper describing a molecular structure that had eluded professional scientists for decades.
Kids test skills at inaugural Emplify Health Community Combine at Titletown
Hundreds of kids competed in football activities at Titletown on Saturday for the first annual Emplify Health Community Combine.
Duncan Robinson hosts 'Hoops for Healing' to benefit mental health resources in NH
Duncan Robinson, a New Hampshire native and NBA player, hosted an event in Manchester on Saturday night to support health and wellness resources across the Granite State.
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Visit O’Hare Williams studio
The following is an interview with Patti O’Hare Williams, artist and owner of O’Hare Williams, conducted by Discover Marblehead. O’Hare Williams is a Marblehead-based artist and creative studio known for fine art, graphic design and visual storytelling. Patti creates expressive still lifes and landscapes inspired by New England’s coastal beauty, combining color, graphic lines and
Is Oscar Health (OSCR) Fully Priced Following Raised 2026 Guidance?
Oscar Health (OSCR) recently reported record first half 2026 results and raised its full year guidance, a combination that appears to have supported renewed investor attention on the stock this month. At a share price of US$30.47, Oscar Health has seen some short term volatility, with a 7 day share price return down 4.9%. However, the 90 day share price return of 37.07% and 3 year total shareholder return of 363.07% suggest momentum has been strong over a longer stretch as investors react to...
D-backs @ Giants Discussion
Today’s Lineups DIAMONDBACKS GIANTS Ildemaro Vargas – 2B Drew Gilbert – CF Corbin Carroll – RF Rafael Devers – 1B Gabriel Moreno – C Bryce Eldridge – DH Geraldo Perdomo – SS Jung Hoo Lee – RF Nolan Arenado – DH Turner Hill – LF Tim Tawa – 1B Drew Cavanaugh – C Jose Fernandez […]
Pharr EDC’s Global Business Hub Positions Region as Binational Trade Powerhouse
An interview with Pharr Economic Development Corporation President Victor Perez.
'This Looks Like Dogsh*t': Disturbing DLSS 5 AI Filter Applied to Major PS5 Games After Leaking
AI don't really like it
American Airlines Bolsters Maintenance Workforce to Combat Broken Seats, Wonky Tray Tables And Defective In-Flight Entertainment Systems
American Airlines has hired more than 60 additional maintenance technicians to finally get to grips with what the carrier’s frequent flyers, pilots, and flight attendants know all too well… the upkeep of its airplane cabins hasn’t been a big enough priority for far too long, with broken seats, wonky tray tables, and defective in-flight entertainment…
Northeastern introduces artificial intelligence combined majors, renames undergraduate data science programs
This fall, Northeastern will roll out 24 artificial intelligence, or AI, combined majors, which will replace its undergraduate data science majors. The rename of the data science major and its associated combined degrees “more accurately represents the scope and depth of the curriculum,” Christo Wilson, associate dean for academic programs and student experience, wrote in...
Rivian shares slide after CFO announces surprise departure
Claire McDonough will step down from the electric vehicle manufacturer to take the same role at turbine maker GE Vernova Inc.
Minnesota attorney general allows out-of-state acquisition of North Memorial Health
South Dakota-based Sanford Health may move forward in acquiring North Memorial Health next month after the hospital systems signed a 10-year oversight agreement with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. As part of the agreement, Sanford committed to maintaining hospital and emergency services at North Memorial’s Robbinsdale hospital, which is the health system’s flagship safety net […]
‘Like at McDonald’s’: Sports nurse practitioner sold opioids to athletes like ‘you gotta pay for your burger,” DEA investigation finds
Joan Rubinger had a client list that included hundreds of athletes—but the DEA found she doled out thousands of illegal prescriptions.
New dean: GCU's College of Natural Sciences 'rethinking science education'
Dr. Jon Valla, after leaving his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota, planned to become a psychologist, until an internship made him realized that wasn't for him. […]
Minnesota AG announces oversight deal allowing North Memorial-Sanford Health merger to advance
Terms of the agreement include $600 million in investments in North Memorial’s Maple Grove and Robbinsdale hospitals, and maintaining the Level 1 trauma center in Robbinsdale for at least 10 years.
Minnesota AG gives green light to Sanford Health merger with North Memorial
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'We are broken': One family's fight against gambling addiction
For Amit, it all started with a college poker game. Now he's in recovery from a gambling addiction that consumed him and his parents.
Jelly Roll Finally Addresses His Political Views on 'Kimmel'
Jelly Roll delivered an emotional monologue on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' describing his political views and encouraging people to support each other.
Nebraska women's volleyball wins first Spike Under the Lights
The No. 1 Nebraska women's volleyball team defeated No. 17 Florida and No. 11 SMU to claim the championship in the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights exhibition tournament at AT&T Stadium on Thursday.
The US switch in shingles vaccines revealed an unexpected heart health pattern
In a natural experiment involving 72,920 propensity-matched US adults aged 60 years and older, recombinant shingles vaccination was associated with a 9% lower cardiovascular disease burden over seven years compared with the live attenuated vaccine. Lower burdens of ischemic heart disease and heart failure were seen in both sexes, while ischemic stroke was significantly lower only among men, supporting further clinical trials and mechanistic studies
Caesars Entertainment Launches Ball Rush Jackpots™ in New Jersey, the Latest Proprietary Online Title from Empire Creative™
New ball-and-peg style online casino game combines customizable gameplay, layered bonus features and dynamic jackpot opportunities LAS VEGAS (Aug. 28, 2026) Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) (Caesars) today announced the launch of Ball Rush Jackpots(tm) , a new ball-and-peg style online casino game developed by Empire Creative(tm), the Company's in-house game development studio. Now live in New Jersey across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook Casino and Horseshoe Online Casino, Ball Rush Jackpots is expected to become available in additional jurisdictions where Caesars offers online casino gaming following regulatory approval. The title expands Caesars' growing portfolio of proprietary online casino titles, following the successful launch of Ca$hline(tm) earlier this year and further diversifying the Company's lineup beyond traditional slots and table games. Ball Rush Jackpots follows the traditional ball-drop gameplay
The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science
“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
New business opens in Beckley!
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Prime Cabinets and Countertops has chosen Beckley as the new home for their third location! With two others in Parkersburg and Barboursville, the Beckley store is their first fora...
UAH Director of CSPAR, Dr. Gary Zank, Receives International COSPAR Space Science Award; Minor Planet Named in His Honor
A lifetime of probing the invisible forces that shape our solar system has earned a University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) researcher one of the highest honors in international space science, as well as an enduring place among the stars. Dr. Gary Zank, director of the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) and a faculty member and former chair of the Department of Space at UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System, has received the 2026 Committee on Space Research (COSPA
Scientists Analyzed Earth's Hidden Seed Vaults And Made a Disturbing Realization
You reap what you sow.
Judge questions rapid timeline to return Trump's name to Kennedy Center
At a hearing Thursday, the judge asked why the center needed to begin inscribing the president's name on the institution's facade as soon as Sept. 8
Judge questions rapid timeline to return Trump's name to Kennedy Center
At a hearing Thursday, the judge asked why the center needed to begin inscribing the president's name on the institution's facade as soon as Sept. 8
Sword Health and Headspace: A Strategic Deal With Broader Market Implications
This is an exclusive BHB+ article. I did not have Sword Health buying Headspace on my bingo card this year. In fact, if anything I saw both of the digital
Carlos Alcaraz favored at US Open with Jannik Sinner injured
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Tottenham land Marmoush from Manchester City
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NFL renews DraftKings, FanDuel deals, adds Fanatics
The NFL has reached multiyear partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics for those sportsbooks to be official betting operators of the league.
Blood spatter, bats, beer: This metal bar’s ‘Science Time’ happy hour a hit on St. Claude Ave.
What do you get when you combine science, drink deals and goths? That’s Science Time, baby. Here’s an inside look.
Minor League Recap: Welbyn Homers, Jake Fox Has Huge Day
Clippers 3, Indians 4 It’s been a tough season for Yorman Gomez, and that continued today. He allowed four earned runs on six hits including three home runs. His ERA on the season is up to 7.19. Steven Perez, Connor Brogdon, and Carlos Hernandez combined for 4.2 scoreless innings of relief. It wasn’t a great […]
Blake Griffin to host new late night sports talk show
The weekly talk show will debut Oct. 20, opening day of the NBA regular season, and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.
Microsoft's latest AI rebrand beats its own history of terrible rebrands, renaming Microsoft 365 Roadmap to "AI at Work"
If you use Microsoft 365 and want to know what’s coming next, what would you search for on Google/Bing? Microsoft 365 Roadmap, right? Wrong. Microsoft now wants you to search for “AI at Work Roadmap,” as it “centralizes AI innovations” across products like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook. I use Microsoft 365 products all the […]