SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " alma " 690 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Siloam Springs business owner raises concern over water leaking into basement of historic structure
SILOAM SPRINGS -- When a leak was noticed in the basement of Park House Kitchen + Bar, staff checked for plumbing leaks, drainage issues, air-conditioning runoff and anything else they could think of that might be causing the issue, according to business owner Alma Sanchez.
See the brilliance: Dunn artist creates and sells glass artwork that shines brightly
Cindy Akers-Gilford creates stained glass, fused glass, mosaics, handmade glass jewelry, pendants, suncatchers and other original glass artwork in her studio in Dunn, N.C. Photos provided by Cimply Broken.Self-made Artist and Founder of Cimply Broken, Cindy Akers-Gilford is helping people “see the brilliance” in all things with her glass artwork. Akers-Gilford started her business right after she retired from 20+ years as a civilian contractor at Fort Bragg. The official opening date for Cimply Broken was Nov. 8, 2021.“It’s been quite the adventure ever since. Not only did I have to learn how to manage a small business, but I’ve never taken a class in stained glass or anything I currently do,” shared Akers-Gilford. Her work includes stained glass, fused glass, mosaics, handmade glass jewelry, pendants, suncatchers and other original glass artwork.“I chose glass art just by happenstance. I saw a video on YouTube with a gentleman using plates and resin to make beautiful windows. I used that idea and created a simple picture frame-sized piece for myself. It was beautiful. I put it up in my window and pretty much forgot about it for a few days. Well, one beautiful sunny morning I went up to my studio, and the sun was rising and the light was shining beautifully through that piece. It was absolutely stunning. I thought that it was the perfect reflection of how God’s light shines through each of us. It was broken glass, so it changed ever so slightly as the sun continued to rise in the sky. I thought it poignant – like each of us – we all shine bright and differently in God’s glorious light, and we are all simply broken as well. We are all made beautiful in his light,” explained Akers-Gilford.The name of the business was inspired by the artist’s name and her faith-driven mission. “Simply became ‘Cimply’ as a play on my name and ‘simply’… and ‘Broken’ because we are all Cimply Broken – but each of us is beautiful,” added Akers-Gilford.Akers-Gilford sells her glass art at the Dunn Farmers Market when the weather is bearable, but mostly from her website at www.cimplybroken.com. “I enjoy getting lost in the creative process. I work out of my home, and I often compare my studio to Walmart returns after Christmas time. It’s hectic, busy and there are always at least 10 things being created simultaneously- it is fun!” shared Akers-Gilford. Her goal for the business is to continue to watch customers as they spot a piece of work from a distance and walk up to it in awe. “That is my biggest joy! I don’t speak to them until they speak – that is their moment to ‘See The Brilliance,’ which is my moniker,” shared Akers-Gilford. She also shared she would love to someday become part of an artist collective in Dunn.
Walmart says it's not using personal information to set prices as it expands digital shelf labels
Walmart is aiming to assuage customers' fears about its new pricing technology as it rolls out digital price labels at its stores.
Walmart pilots new health program for customers: What does it include?
Approximately 90% of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Walmart store or Sam’s Club.
Free wellness and health screening event at Lealman Exchange on Saturday Sept. 26
Lealman Exchange hosts free health and wellness event
Homewood BBQ spot improves as 5 other eateries fall below health standards
Five Jefferson County food establishments, American Deli, Jimmy Johns, Walmart Deli, Triple S Food Store and Dollar General, scored below 85 in health inspections, while Jim N' Nicks in Homewood cleared reinspection with a 97 after months out of compliance, according to JCDH.
Pioneer of China NewCo model sued in US over trade secret misuse, double-dealing
A legal feud unfolding in New York is putting a spotlight on the work of a business development veteran who is credited for pioneering one of biopharma’s hottest dealmaking mechanism: the China “NewCo” model. In a lawsuit originally filed in New York state court and recently moved to federal court, China’s Lepu Medical Technology has alleged that biopharma business development consultant Su Zhang, who was hired to help shop its GLP-1 weight-loss candidates to Western partners, engaged in corporate double-dealing and trade secret leaks. According to the complaint, while acting as Lepu’s primary dealmaking liaison for a group of obesity and metabolic disease drug candidates, Zhang was secretly double-dipping as the acting chief business officer for a direct competitor, BrightGene Pharmaceutical. “She never adequately disclosed the role, never sought Lepu’s consent, and never proposed any safeguard,” Lepu alleged in its complaint, which was filed in July after Zhang’s consulting firm, CoDevCo, sought certain transaction-based success fees from its angry customer through an arbitration process in Singapore. Lepu, the parent company of Lepu Biopharma, has asked Zhang to pay back its $500,000 retainer and disgorge all benefits she received during the alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, plus other damages and relief. The company has also requested the court grant injunctions to protect Lepu’s trade secrets. The ill-fated partnership officially kicked off in December 2024, when Lepu tapped CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism” to identify collaborators for the company’s drug candidates. According to Lepu’s complaint, Zhang personally negotiated and signed the agreement as managing director for CoDevCo, which used her home address. Before the Lepu deal, Zhang made a name following a short stint as the global head of business development for Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. It was during her tenure that Hengrui signed a landmark deal granting exclusive rights for a portfolio of GLP-1 assets to Hercules, which was at that time newly established by a group of private equity and venture capital firms. In addition to the regular upfront and milestone payments, Hengrui also gained an equity stake in Hercules, which later became Kailera Therapeutics. The Hengrui-Hercules deal opened a new paradigm, where a Chinese biopharma company spins off certain early-stage assets to investors for further development through the creation of a new company abroad. The “NewCo” model quickly came into vogue as it allows Western investors to access high-potential assets originating from China at an early stage while giving the Chinese licensors an opportunity to reap long-term benefits through equity stakes in the new firms. The NewCo model proved its value when Kailera staged a record-breaking $625 million IPO on Nasdaq this April, merely two years into the Hengrui deal. Related Kailera CEO 'knew we were in a good spot' before obesity biotech's record-breaking $625M IPO On her LinkedIn page, Zhang described her work at Hengrui as “[b]uilding team and capability from the ground up,” forming NewCo and major pharma partnerships worth billions of dollars. Lepu clearly wanted that kind of track record to help boost its own cardiometabolic portfolio, which includes a range of assets for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and muscle preservation during weight loss treatment. “Lepu’s pipeline is very valuable, but only if Lepu could secure the right international partner to expand into the overseas market during the available commercial window,” the company argued in its complaint. The Chinese biotech said it had little knowledge of U.S. laws, customs or business practices in the business development field, and therefore “needed to rely entirely” on the expertise of Zhang and her team as the firm’s first engagement of a U.S.-based BD consultant. “Zhang’s dominating influence on the business development strategy is further evidenced by the fact that she personally controlled the business-development communications on behalf of Lepu with potential partners,” Lepu said in its complaint. After entering the deal, Zhang introduced Lepu to her four associates. According to Lepu’s version of events, all of them were allegedly employed at different time points to perform similar jobs at other Chinese companies that Lepu described as its competitors, while having access to Lepu’s confidential information. As such, Lepu described Zhang’s team as “a roster of individuals whose primary professional loyalty, by virtue of their concurrent full-time employment, ran to Lepu’s competitors.” As well as the specific examples set out in the case, a look at Lepu’s deals over the period suggests Zhang may have been involved in at least one transaction. During their partnership, Lepu, through its subsidiary Shanghai Minwei Biotechnology, also out-licensed its GLP-1/GIP/FGF21 agonist MWN105 to a NewCo called Sidera Bio in the fall of 2025. The deal included an upfront and near-term payment of $35 million, up to $1.01 billion in milestones, and a 9.99% stake in the Danish startup. It seems likely that Zhang facilitated the Minwei deal given that Lepu is on record as having used CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism.” The big shock for Lepu came in the form of a news article on June 25, 2025. The article, reporting on phase 2 data for BrightGene’s GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist BGM0504, identified Zhang as acting chief business officer of the Lepu rival. Blindsided by her association with BrightGene, Lepu confronted Zhang in July 2025. “Lepu was given assurances that there was nothing to be concerned about and told that Zhang would explain the matter to Lepu,” Lepu alleged in its complaint. “Zhang never did.” Lepu claimed that Zhang had the motive and opportunity to steer potential prospective partners toward BrightGene or other competitors. Later, in February 2026, one of Zhang’s associates joined BrightGene as the vice president for global business development, according to the complaint. Around the same time, Lepu sent written demand letters asking Zhang to account for her BrightGene role, identify what confidential data were shared with the rival firm, and provide any conflict-of-interest or firewall policies during the engagement. According to Lepu, neither CoDevCo nor Zhang answered the questions in their responses. Related Novo vs. KBP: How a $1.3B deal turned into a fraud accusation and an international legal fight In a motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York on Sept. 4, Zhang’s legal team argued that Lepu’s agreement was signed with CoDevCo, and that an employee of the contractor does not owe fiduciary duties to the client. In its complaint, Lepu said: “That CoDevCo was the contracting entity does not insulate Zhang from personal liability for duties she personally undertook and personally breached.” Taking the argument one step further, the defending party argued that the consulting agreement “does not create a fiduciary relationship even between CoDevCo and Lepu; instead, it identifies CoDevCo as an independent contractor retained to market Lepu’s business to potential western partners.” Although CoDevCo was Lepu’s exclusive business-development contractor, there were no terms stipulating that the consulting firm should serve only Lepu, Zhang’s lawyer noted. As to Lepu’s claims that Zhang misappropriated trade secrets, the defendant argued that Lepu authorized the use of the information so Zhang’s team could perform their service per the agreement. In a rebuttal filed on Sept. 11, Lepu’s lawyer set out why they believe the Chinese biotech satisfied New York law’s misappropriation definition by alleging that the defendant used a trade secret “in breach of a duty or through improper means.” As an alternative to dismissing the suit, the defendant suggested the action should be stayed pending outcomes from the arbitration of a separate case in Singapore. While NewCo pioneer Zhang is defending her business arrangements, momentum behind the NewCo trend has continued unabated into 2026. Through August, Chinese biotech assets have spurred 15 NewCo deals this year, according to local trade publication PharmaDJ.
Norvell Leads Seminoles vs. Alma Mater Central Arkansas
Florida State coach Mike Norvell will lead his Seminoles against his alma mater, Central Arkansas. Florida State is coming off a loss to Alabama and will look to get back in the win column against the FCS Bears. QB Ashton Daniels must eliminate his turnovers from a week ago to get the victory.
What's up this week: Paly students' science book, political satire sketch show, '90s rockers, a PBS travel host and more
This week, Paly students launch a science-focused children's picture book; Molly Tuttle plays Stanford Live; former lovers reunite at The Pear; Los Altos Stage Company skewers current events and more.
Sellers can now manage sales across Amazon, eBay, Shopify, TikTok, and Walmart from Seller Central
Multichannel selling tools are a new offering in Amazon’s Seller Central that connect orders, listings, and analytics across other channels, giving sellers one place to run their entire business.
CyberPowerPC Gaming PCs With Founder's Edition Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPUs Are on Sale During the Walmart GeForce Week Sale Event
Part of the Walmart's GeForce Week Sale that ends on September 27.
Why McDonald's is following Walmart and Amazon into the advertising business
McDonald's is following the lead of Amazon and Walmart as it starts its own media network.
Horiguchi Returns Versus Almabayev At UFC Qatar
The UFC Flyweight division is hot right now. Just days ago at UFC 331, Joshua Van cemented his rule atop the 125-pound roost with a violent decision win over former divisional kingpin Alexandre Pantoja. Van is expected to face Manel Kape in his next title defense, but otherwise, the division is wide open for any […]
Check your freezer: Popular Walmart item recalled over possible listeria risk
Two lots of Bettergoods frozen pasta sold at Walmart stores nationwide are being recalled after routine sampling indicated they may contain Listeria monocytogenes
Susan Collins can stand up for science by voting against FDA nominee
If the senator values the general health of Mainers, she must reject Dr. Heidi Overton’s nomination.
The Walmart GeForce Week Sale Has Black Friday Worthy Gaming PC Deals, But They're Selling Out Quickly
The best prices I've seen all year on prebuilt gaming PCs with RTX 5060 to 5090.
CyberPowerPC now sells prebuilt PCs with NVIDIA RTX 50 Founders Edition GPUs, 1,000 RTX 5080 systems sell in one day
CyberPowerPC is using NVIDIA's own RTX 50 Founders Edition cards in new Walmart systems. The RTX 5080 configuration with Ryzen 7 9800X3D costs $2,299.
Gavin Newsom paddles to the political right with 3 notable vetoes
Newsom's rejection of pension, work-from-home and environmental bills won points with the right but angered some unions and advocacy groups.
Walmart Has the Best Deal on a GeForce RTX 5080 Prebuilt Gaming PC I've Seen in Months, and It Even Includes a Founder's Edition GPU
Equipped with an RTX 5080 Founder's Edition GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Anti-abortion advocates say it’s possible to 'reverse' an abortion. California wants them to stop
A California judge could decide if so-called 'abortion pill reversal' is free speech — or false advertising.
Deschutes County Health Services Host Naloxone Pop-up Sept. 24th
Deschutes County Health Services, in partnership with Almadorada coffee shop, will host a pop-up naloxone distribution event on Thursday, Sept. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. at Almadorada, 180 NW Oregon Ave., Bend. The pop-up is part
🚨 Alarm at River and Argentina over injury
River Plate’s match against Huracán is raising alarm both in Núñez and in the Argentina national team, as two injury absences have already been recorded.Thiago Almada came off before the first 10...
Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie share rare glimpse at their ‘connection’ and friendship
Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie opened up about their bond, which grew stronger when they worked on ‘Without Blood’ together.
Neither Becerra nor Hilton will commit to AI safety guidelines Newsom laid out Friday
Both Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton agree AI safety is important. What they will do to ensure it is less clear
Angelina Jolie directs Salma Hayek, Demián Bichir in 'Without Blood'
“Without Blood” is now playing in theaters.
Angelina Jolie directs Salma Hayek, Demián Bichir in 'Without Blood'
“Without Blood” is now playing in theaters.
Maine nurses condemn Prime Healthcare’s illegal firings and suspensions at Central Maine Medical Center
Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate for National Nurses United (NNU), released the following statement today in response to illegal discipline against nurses by Prime Healthcare.
Beauty, health and wellness are converging into one retail category
As consumers prioritize holistic retail purchases, beauty, health and wellness are increasingly converging into one category and one consumer budget.
Deschutes County Health Services to host Save a Life Day naloxone pop-up on Sept. 24
Deschutes County Health Services, in partnership with Almadorada coffee shop, will host a pop-up naloxone distribution event on Thursday, Sept. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. at Almadorada, 180 NW Oregon Ave
Walmart launches rural health ambassador pilot, tapping pharmacists for expanded support
Big box retailer Walmart is launching a six-month pilot program that places pharmacists in a new “Health Ambassador” role at five rural stores to help customers navigate health and wellness resourc | Walmart’s Health Ambassador Associate roles will be given to trained pharmacists at each store participating in the program.
The Champions League cloud that casts a long, dark shadow
More than a year on from one of their most embarrassing European exits, Celtic are struggling to escape from a groundhog day entirely of their own making. Amid buzz phrases like "learning lessons" and "wake-up calls" following last weekend's derby drubbing at Ibrox, an interesting yet awkward question emerges: have Celtic learned anything at all from last year's costly mistakes? Going out of the Champions League to Kairat Almaty cast a cloud over huge swathes of last season.
Walmart Supercenter under construction in Liberty Hill
Walmart is opening a 176,000-square-foot Supercenter at Santa Rita Ranch Center in Liberty Hill, expected to launch in late 2027.
He championed vaccine mandates. Will that record help him unseat a party-shifting conservative?
In one of California’s newly created congressional districts, candidates diverge sharply on healthcare issues, but most voters agree healthcare costs too much.
California wants to ban child marriage. Why are these civil rights groups trying to stop it?
Anyone under the age of 18 can get married in California. While lawmakers seek to restrict the practices, these liberal groups tried to block it.
Zocdoc CEO: I’ve watched Walmart, IBM, and others try to ‘disrupt’ healthcare. Here’s why they failed
For too long, we have mistaken disruption for progress. Patients still struggle to find a doctor who takes their insurance.
Photographer Tyler Stalman reviews the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera
Here’s what Tyler Stalman had to say about the iPhone 18 Pro’s new variable aperture, photographic styles, Apple Reference Image, and more.
SCAN Health Plan, Walmart partner on Medicare Advantage plans
SCAN Health Plan is partnering with retail giant Walmart to launch a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in two states, the companies
Walmart takes a bite off the cost of Metroid Ravenous physical preorders
The deal brings the physical copy down to the digital price.
Your alma mater is paying WHAT for its college football roster?! MoneyCall
This week's free sports business newsletter from The Athletic includes analysis about NFL Week 1 ratings, misogyny in sports media and more.
Walmart is partnering with a nonprofit insurer to sell Medicare Advantage plans
The co-branded plans will be available to more than 2 million Medicare enrollees in two states when open enrollment begins Oct. 15
Deal Trends
Our partners share insights on the trends shaping dealmaking in the Life Sciences sector—and what to watch in the months ahead.
Amazon plans 1,000 same-day fulfillment centers to challenge Walmart
Amazon plans 1,000 same-day fulfillment centers to challenge Walmart and bring inventory within 10 miles of most Prime customers in the US.
The new Boox e-ink devices get Android 16 out of the box, including Palma 3
Boox just announced three new e-ink devices on Android 16; the largest tablet is available now, but you’ll have to...
The Boox Palma 3 gets stylus support and a sleek redesign
The Boox Palma 3 could be your next digital notepad.
Walmart Just Discounted Over a Dozen Nintendo Switch Games, Plus Get an Extra $10 With This Secret Coupon
It's a good time to be a Switch gamer.
Walmart to test health ambassador program in rural stores
Walmart continues to find ways to build and expand its healthcare business. The efforts, which include store pharmacists, telehealth options for Walmart+ members, now include testing a health ambassador role...
Walmart to test health ambassador program in rural stores
Walmart continues to find ways to build and expand its healthcare business. The efforts, which include store pharmacists, telehealth options for Walmart+ members, now include testing a health ambassador role...
Sacramento Bee slashes staff as Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs state aid for news outlets
After a 144-year-old newspaper war, a bankruptcy and the internet gobbling its ad revenue, the Sacramento Bee is deeply cutting its staff, its owners announced.
More girls are harming themselves. Only some show up in the ER
Emergency room visits connected to self-harm climbed through 2021, and the numbers remain elevated above pandemic-levels in California even as other indicators of mental distress have declined.
Drugs for autoimmune diseases are pricey. This bill could switch patients to a cheaper one
Nearly 25,000 Californians could get switched to a cheaper drug next year — unless their doctor objects.
Walmart's $70 2-in-1 tablet comes with a 7-piece accessories bundle
It "charges super fast."
Will California progressivism crush Newsom presidential hopes?
Gavin Newsom leaves office in a few months, allowing him to devote all of his time to a 2028 presidential run. The question is whether he can sell a progressive agenda outside the comfortable confines of California.
Several HBCU alumni start 2026 season as NFL Cheerleaders
As the 2026 NFL season kicks off, several HBCU graduates are taking the field in a different capacity, representing their alma maters as cheerleaders for teams across the league. From the sidelines of Atlanta to Baltimore to Washington, these women bring the pride and polish of their HBCU experience into one of the most visible roles in […] The post Several HBCU alumni start 2026 season as NFL Cheerleaders appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Trent Green reveals ongoing support for alma mater Indiana University
During his interview with @EdEastonJr, former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green discussed his ongoing support for Indiana University
BlackRidge Capital launches to fund the “first cheque” for business buyers
Backed by the Carling family office and run by experienced dealmakers, the new finance house specialises in initial-consideration and acquisitio...
Walmart Shoppers Are Supposedly Using a Hidden Promo Code to Knock $20 off The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Preorders, but It Might Not Work for Everyone
Walmart shoppers are supposedly using a hidden promo code to knock $20 off The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time preorders, bringing it down from $70 to $50, but it might not work for everyone.
Political strategist Sarah Longwell to speak at Kenyon
Political consultant and strategist Sarah Longwell will return to her alma mater on Wednesday, Sept. 16, for an event at Kenyon College that is part of her national book tour.
Salman Rushdie will receive a National Book Award medal for lifetime achievement
Salman Rushdie, a U.S. citizen for the past decade, is set to receive a prestigious National Book Award medal for lifetime achievement.
Salman Rushdie will receive a National Book Award medal for lifetime achievement
Salman Rushdie, a U.S. citizen for the past decade, is set to receive a prestigious National Book Award medal for lifetime achievement | 830 WCCO
Walmart Reinvents the Store for a Faster Digital Future
Walmart President and CEO John Furner and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey pointed to value, faster delivery and digital growth as key factors behind the retailer’s second-quarter performance in a video Furner posted on his personal LinkedIn account following the release of Walmart’s Q2 FY27 financial results.
Seneca adds new women's health service
Seneca Healthcare District announces the addition of endometrial ablation to its women's health service line at the Lake Almanor Clinic, providing local
Happy Birthday Joey Hamilton
Today marks Joey Hamilton’s 56th birthday. Coincidentally, it’s also my middle son’s birthday—happy birthday, Tommy! Joey arrived in Toronto as part of one of the worst trades of the Gord Ash era. The Jays sent Woody Williams, Carlos Almanzar, and Peter Tucci to San Diego in exchange for him. Dave Stewart, who had just joined […]
California sanctions insurer after it cut assisted living coverage to thousands
State regulators found eight violations after Health Net's abrupt benefit cuts endangered vulnerable Medi-Cal patients.
Wisconsin alum, rapper Yung Gravy supports local business during Badgers vs Notre Dame game
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Matthew Hauri, better known by his stage and rapper name Yung Gravy, made an appearance in Green Bay over the weekend to support Wisconsin, his alma mater, in their g…
Canada’s Top 25 Entertainment Dealmakers of 2026
Trump’s trade war has given the country’s entertainment industry something it hasn’t had in years: leverage, swagger and a hit list of its own.
Medi-Cal won't pay for assisted living in most of California. One brother fought back
A brother spent 9 months fighting Medi-Cal so his sister could get assisted living near home instead of a nursing home.
Democrats have lost Silicon Valley. Here's what it will take to win it back
If Democrats want to become the party of the future again, they need to stop treating the people building the future like political enemies.
Walmart has a $200 2-in-1 laptop and tablet for 45% off
"I would give it 10 stars if I could."
Calmatters: Californias Healthcare Affordability Office Claims Power To Punish Overspending Hospitals
CalMatters
PS5 Pro Consoles Are Back in Stock Right Now at Walmart for Labor Day in Bundles That Come With an Extra Controller
Walmart has a few PS5 Pro console bundles in stock right now during Labor Day sales... if you can stomach the price.
All of the best Labor Day deals: Galaxy Z Fold 8 $250 off, Pixel 11, Anker chargers, TVs, much more
The Labor Day sales at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are flying today an, after over a week’s worth of...
Most kids don’t know their rights. New book aims to fix that
Iowa City native and former public defender Emily Galvin Almanza has written “Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt,” a middle-grade mystery to teach kids their constitutional rights and the power of due process.
Ben Roethlisberger Returns to Pittsburgh for Special Reunion
Ben Roethlisberger was back in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. No, he is not returning to play for the Steelers at the age of 44. The Steelers already have a 40-plus-year-old quarterback leading the offense.His actual reason for being in attendance was to watch his alma mater, Miami University. That is Miami (OH), where […] The post Ben Roethlisberger Returns to Pittsburgh for Special Reunion appeared first on HEAVY.
California’s Healthcare Affordability Office Claims Power to Punish Overspending Hospitals
Noozhawk republishes news articles from CalMatters on state and local policy issues that affect Santa Barbara County readers. Year after
Walmart is selling a 2-in-1 tablet and laptop for only $85
"I have a Samsung as well, and it's difficult to distinguish between the two."
Walmart bets to grow beyond general merchandise retail
Walmart is gearing up for more direct competition in restaurant delivery. It's not the first time the retail giant has bet on a new line of business.
Atacama Makers connects science, technology, and territory at ALMA
Thirty students from Toconao and San Pedro de Atacama took part in the first sessions of a special edition of the Atacama Makers program, held for the first time this year at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) facilities. Through programming, electronics, and innovation workshops, the young participants are creating technological solutions to the challenges...
Even blue California wants lower taxes and smaller government
A new survey of Californians’ political views shows the Democrats are still dominant, but a majority of voters wants lower taxes and smaller government.
California's healthcare affordability office claims power to punish overspending hospitals
The state's new penalty framework could fine hospitals and insurers up to 125% of overspending, with enforcement starting as early as 2028.
Healthcare Dealmakers—UHS closes Talkspace acquisition, Sanford's North Memorial deal clears and more
Healthcare mergers and acquisitions are in no short supply as providers, health tech companies, payers and other industry players look to expand their businesses and gain a competitive edge. | Sword Health nears Headspace all-cash acquisition, HCA Healthcare adds dozens of Texas urgent care centers and more healthcare merger and acquisition news from August.
California's political hopefuls remain silent on state's job losses, unemployment
California has lost jobs and its workforce. By many measures, it has some of the highest unemployment or underemployment rates in the country.
Health Brief: The remote monitoring squeeze
Plus: Health tech dealmaking spree is spilling into digital health, with buyers targeting virtual care, diagnostics, wearables and AI.
Walmart's ‘Bricktember’ LEGO Sale Page Is a Mess, So I've Picked Out the Best Actual Deals
You can save money on tons of LEGO sets in Walmart's Bricktember sale, including on brand-new sets.
How Silicon Valley used Main Street’s outrage against California privacy law
New changes to the California Internet Privacy Act promise to stop abusive wiretapping suits. They also quietly shield Big Tech from lawsuits.
Why a signature Newsom power move flopped in the last days of the Legislative session
The lame-duck governor's penchant for pushing last-minute demands on California’s Legislature didn't work out as it has in years past.
In standoff with Newsom, California Democrats claw back $450 million for climate projects
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new carbon market rules threatened money for certain climate programs. He struck a deal to continue funding for transit and water projects.
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
Should California backfill science funding Trump cut? Voters could decide in 2028
Last year the Trump administration cut more than 1,000 California science research grants. A bond measure would restore some of that funding.
Should California backfill science funding Trump cut? Voters could decide in 2028
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A California science bond measure to counter the Trump administration’s research cuts is back from the dead after state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom reached a deal last week to place the $7.5 billion request to voters on the March 2028 ballot. Senate […]
'Practical Magic' was filmed in this WA town. It left a legacy
Ahead of the Sept. 10 release of “Practical Magic 2,” we visit Coupeville on Whidbey Island, where the original movie was filmed.
Calmatters: Should California Backfill Science Funding Trump Cut? Voters Could Decide In 2028
CalMatters
California to buy defunct horse track and turn it into the Bay Area's newest public park
California lawmakers struck a deal to divert $125 million in climate funding to buy the former Golden Gate Fields track and turn it into a park
California lawmakers greenlight a new San Diego sports arena, bypassing environmental hurdles
California leaders pushed through a controversial last-minute deal to protect the major project from environmental lawsuits.
California to get more power to sue big businesses under anti-monopoly bill going to Newsom
California prosecutors would gain new powers to sue big businesses over anti-competitive practices under a bill Democratic lawmakers sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
California lawmakers strike wildfire deal that leaves out most of Newsom’s big demands
Newsom backed off his plan to ease utilities' wildfire costs after Democratic lawmakers refused to shift the burden to insurers and survivors
Can California help lower the cost of GLP-1s? Here’s what lawmakers are proposing
An LA-area Democrat wants California to partner with drug manufacturers to make weight loss drugs cheaper — drawing on her own experience paying out of pocket.
Nvidia has been in talks to buy Hugging Face for more than $13 billion
Nvidia has held talks to acquire Hugging Face for more than $13 billion as the chip giant expands its AI dealmaking.
Walton siblings to make up Arkansas Business Hall of Fame class of 2027
The four children of Walmart Inc. founder Sam Walton will be inducted together next year into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
Business hall of fame to induct Rob Walton, Alice Walton, Jim Walton, the late John Walton
The four children of Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton — Rob Walton, Alice Walton, Jim Walton and the late John Walton – will be inducted into the Arkansas Business...