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SPECIAL REPORT: Tough Business

A string of vacant restaurant buildings shows that many restaurants in the region are struggling — and several are closing By Stefan Yablonski [caption id=attachment_11132 align=alignright width=401] Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill on Route 31 in Clay closed its doors in April. It had been in operation since at least 2008.[/caption] By their nature, most restaurants have a limited life. An astonishing 60% go out of business within three years of opening, largely due to fundamental flaws in the planning of the operation. But even restaurants that experience years of success almost always face eventual closure. The restaurant business is very hard and because of both personal factors and external factors beyond anyone’s control, restaurants don’t last forever. For many restaurants, age is a big factor, according to Kenneth Walsleben, professor of practice, entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises at Syracuse University. “The owners have been at it for 20 or 25 years, if not longer, they want some time to themselves,” he said. Such was the case for Jocko’s Famous Ritz Diner in Oswego. Jocko Reitz bought the building in the late 1970s from Robert Shapiro. However, when he stepped away from the business, it eventually closed. [caption id=attachment_11142 align=alignright width=402] For nearly 80 years, Vona’s Restaurant passed through three generations of family in Oswego. It closed its doors on Dec. 31, 2025.[/caption] For nearly 80 years, Vona’s passed through three generations of family in Oswego. Vona’s Restaurant officially closed its doors on Dec. 31, 2025, when no family member wanted to take over. It is on the market. The Ruby Tuesday in Oswego operated for about two decades before permanently closing in April 2026. The restaurant faced multiple temporary health department closures in 2024 and 2025 due to persistent fruit fly and foundation pest issues. Management posted a final closure notice on the doors in mid-April 2026 and the building was put up for sale. The same pattern has been happening in Onondaga County. The big building once used by Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill on Route 31 in Clay remains empty, more than six months after the restaurant closed its doors in April. It had been in operation since at least 2008. [caption id=attachment_11130 align=alignright width=401] Ruby Tuesday in Oswego operated for about two decades before permanently closing in April 2026.[/caption] Just down the road from Smokey Bones, the popular Outback Steakhouse closed in August 2024. Another restaurant took its place, La Cocina Mexican Restaurant, but it closed shortly after. The building sits empty. Other very popular restaurants in the northern suburbs of Syracuse have recently closed. Among them, Fireside by the River in Baldwinsville and Primo Nestico’s Bistro Bar in North Syracuse. “I haven’t really paid attention to the Syracuse area. There has always been some turnover, but there probably has never been a tougher time to be a restauranter than now. It’s just brutal,” Walsleben said. In the first year, roughly 20% to 25% of restaurants close or change hands, according to the National Restaurant Association. [caption id=attachment_11122 align=alignright width=401] Outback Steakhouse closed in August 2024. Another restaurant took its place, La Cocina Mexican Restaurant, but it closed shortly after. The building sits empty.[/caption] “Depending on what statistics you look at, you’ll find that any business has a high mortality rate in the first year. That is just the nature of entrepreneurship,” Walsleben said. “There are certain ones that are getting hit hard while others are more fruitful. “And when you look at the restaurant industry you have to factor in labor which is a large part — typically a third of your expenses — and those costs are going up. And there is always turnover which means investing money to train people. Then you’ve got food costs, which is also a third of the typical restaurant budget. Since the pandemic labor has gone up 41%, food costs have gone up 35%. That’s a big tight squeeze righty there. That’s two-thirds of your budget that has gone up 35% to 40% in the last few years. And then the only way you can make that work is to raise the prices.” The National Restaurant Association reports menu prices are up 36% since February of 2020. In a survey released by the association, more than eight in 10 restaurant owners reported that their food, beverage and labor costs are now higher than before the pandemic. You have to deal with the reality of are the customers willing to pay for that? Walsleben added. Restaurants historically have very thin margins; their profit margin is about 5%. “You have a third that goes into food, a third that goes into labor and about 28%, 29% that goes into everything else — overhead, insurance etc. So that brings you down to your 5% leftover,” he said. “Everything is going up. Customer expectations are going up and people aren’t going to spend that much more. So, you have a tight squeeze here,” Walsleben continued. “Restaurants who use delivery apps, they pay a fee to those guys. Those guys don’t work for free. So, you can kind of see where the squeeze comes from.” Stuck in the middle There are pockets of opportunity; the two extremes of the market can make a profit. But the middle gets squeezed out. “If you are a low-end fast-food kind of place, there is room for that. People have changed their budgets. They are still going out, but they are not spending more,” according to Walsleben. “The high end remains positive. If you have a restaurant that brings a specific experience … a great food product or you are catering to high end customers who aren’t so budget conscious, those patrons are going to expect a high-end experience. They expect excellent food every time. They are expecting excellent service. If you can meet those expectations there is room for you at the top. It’s just the guys in the middle are getting the squeeze from both ends. Tough competition, customer expectations, costs are up. Menu items, you can’t raise the prices as much as you need to. That is why you are seeing a lot of restaurants baling out.” The ones that can adapt quickly are the ones who are doing OK. “Success is heavily dependent on the strength of a restaurant’s concept development and the planning of its execution. Eventually things aren’t always new. Things change. So, if you are in the restaurant business you have got to change your menu — keep things new, fresh and update your meals. It is very fickle industry. One year carbs are out, the next year berries are out. Everybody’s diet changes — constantly chasing the latest phase. You have got to adjust your menu and move with those modifications. If you have a static menu that you have used the last couple years that hasn’t changed except for the pricing, you’ve got a problem,” he said. A lot of times these buildings are singular purpose, he added. “You have a commercially viable kitchen and you got a seating area. There is not a lot of other businesses that cater to that type of a layout. So, it’s pretty common to see another restaurant slide in,” he said. One of the things a banker learns early on is you don’t lend money to restaurants … because they fail so quickly. It is very hard to predict who the winners will be. So, if you are a restaurant in addition to all the other challenges, it is very difficult to get loans, according to Walsleben. “You might work really well in the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean you are a great businessperson,” he said. “Restaurants can fail because the owner didn’t know how to manage things properly. There are a lot of challenges. “There is opportunity at the high end and the low end. But in the middle, that’s the death valley. There are just so many things working against you. You really need to have something that will pull people in and continue to pull people in because you to constantly have to change. Think about a theme and a product that is unique to the area people don’t travel that far these days you have to be able to deliver it in an innovative fashion and keep updating to keep people coming in the door.” Out of Business? How Fast? Do nine out of 10 restaurants fail in their first year, as commonly claimed? No. Survival analysis of 1.9 million longitudinal microdata for 81,000 full-service restaurants in a 20-year U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics non public census of business establishments in the western US shows that only 17% of independently owned full-service restaurant startups failed in their first year, compared with 19% for all other service-providing startups, according to ResearchGate. The median lifespan of restaurants is about 4.5 years, slightly longer than that of other service businesses (4.25 years). However, the median lifespan of a restaurant startup with 5 or fewer employees is 3.75 years, slightly shorter than that of other service businesses of the same startup size (4.0 years). What Makes a Restaurant Successful? Opening and maintaining a successful restaurant is not as easy as creating a great menu and serving excellent food. It takes more than that, according to local restaurant owners who have been in business for decades in the region. They all agree that there are some guidelines to running a successful restaurant. • Quality food: Successful restaurants know exactly what they serve and who they serve it to. Delivering the same great taste every single time builds loyal customers. • Smooth operations: Friendly greetings and attentive staff make guests feel welcome from the moment they walk in. Hiring staff for personality and training for skill ensures reliable, caring service. • Smart marketing: Exceptional food and experiences naturally get people talking and sharing online. Word of mouth can help entice customers. Consistent social media and targeted advertising brings in new and repeat guests also. The menu is what keeps patrons coming back to Mimi’s Diner in Fulton, located at 201 N. Second St. “We locally source our produce and our meats. Our chicken and biscuits is a popular, popular special,” said Richard Tagliareni, the third-generation owner and general manager. “It’s all homemade. We have consistently served quality food.” His grandfather started the business more than 55 years ago. Mimi’s is engrained in the community. They cater to the community and are very involved in everything from the schools to local events. The first Mimi’s Drive-In opened in Mexico. Then a second in Oswego and then Fulton. Fulton’s Mimi’s is the only one left. “The last couple of weeks have been kind of slower than normal. October is usually a busier month for us People will start coming back around again. Also, the price of gas is affecting some things,” Tagliareni added. “We try to keep our prices in line. You go out to eat, you’re going to spend about a hundred bucks or so for two people for dinner. You come here to Mimi’s you are probably for two people for dinner it’s between $50 and $60. We are trying to keep our prices in line. We did have to increase our prices a little bit but things are looking OK.” For the Press Box, 29 E. First St., Oswego, it’s also about great food and a family atmosphere. “Our sports bar and restaurant was established in 1984,” said Alison Canale Scanlon, manager. “I think putting the time into everything makes a big difference and treating people like family when they walk into your restaurant. That’s how we have always operated since 1984.” “It’s the family oriented aspect,” she added. “Consistency, quality and presentation of our food — that’s the secret to a successful restaurant. We try to be very consistent with it. We treat people like family when they come in; because we know how we want to be treated when we go to a restaurant. We treat people the same or better.”

Oct 14 • 8:23 AM EDT • Business • oswegocountybusiness.com

Mom-and-Pop Business Owners Grapple with Harsh Times

Report shows small business owners in NYS less optimistic about the economy. Taxes, inflation, labor costs and competition from larger businesses are major concerns right now, they say By Aaron Gifford [caption id=attachment_11067 align=alignright width=300] Ashley Ranslow is director for New York state at The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).[/caption] Owners of mom-and-pop businesses in New York state have been less optimistic lately than their peers in other parts of the country, a recent report indicates. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), based on a survey of 11,000 of its members in the Empire State, reported that taxes, inflation, labor costs and competition from larger businesses are major concerns right now. “Indeed, while taxes are a major problem in New York and the United States overall, New York small businesses notably are struggling more with the state’s onerous, multi-level tax burden,” Ashley Ranslow, NFIB’s director for New York state, said in the July report. Compared with surveys of business owners in other states, far fewer New York respondents rated their businesses as in excellent or good health. The report also said labor costs here are about 25% higher than the national average and are the “single most important problem” facing businesses. One respondent to the New York-specific survey complained that too much red tape, taxes and laws that restrict high-yielding companies have stifled their operation’s growth. Others said high disability and workers’ compensation insurance costs, alarming increases in utility rates and excessive building regulations are discouraging. Statewide, New York has a gross domestic product of $2.53 trillion (third in the nation, followed by Texas, $2.90 trillion; and California, $4.25 trillion), a per capita income of $90,500 (sixth) and an unemployment rate of 4.6% (34th). There are 2.4 million small businesses that employ 3.9 million people. [caption id=attachment_11112 align=alignright width=451] Member of the Greater Liverpool Chamber of Commerce gather at one of the several functions the chamber organizes monthly. “Everyone in this business community encourages each other to shop local. Everyone just wants to see each other succeed,” says Megan Wilmot, the chamber director[/caption] “New York state boasts one of the largest, wealthiest and most diverse cities in the world — and that’s still only about half the state’s population,” the report said. “In other words, the state is both its iconic city and so much more — geographically, demographically, economically. But New York is not without its challenges, challenges that include notably high taxes and other weaknesses that impact the small business environment,” it said. The report includes an optimism index that compares responses from New York (NFIB) members with those of their peers in other states across several categories. This ranges from plans to increase employment to expectations for higher sales, to plans to increase inventory or expand. The scores for Empire State business owners were lower in most categories, but they did score higher than the national average in noting that they have current employment openings, and that they are hopeful that the economy will improve. “The metrics so far paint a picture of a state with a series of challenges for small businesses, from a slightly below national average Optimism Index to a more seriously below national business health to very substantially below national Employment Index. What is going on with businesses that are creating these differences?” the report stated. In Central New York, the regional labor force comprises nearly 398,000 workers. The median household income here is $71,463, and the gross domestic product for the region last year totaled $61.3 billion, according to the CenterState CEO economic development and research organization. About half of the region’s labor force works for small and mid-sized businesses, although the number of people employed in that sector has decreased by 7% since 2010, according to CenterState’s 2026 economic forecast report. “While record-high employment in large-scale enterprises provides a strong foundation for Central New York,” the report says, “the long-term health of communities depends on a thriving small business sector to serve as a stabilizer.” Area employers identify several barriers to Central New York’s anticipated growth, including lack of specialized or skilled workers, government regulations, unaffordable housing options and long-term construction disruptions. In the city of Syracuse, the number of jobs in retail trade decreased by 1,500 or 4.7% between July 2025 and this past July. By contrast, the number of jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector increased by 2.5% or 700 jobs, in the same annual period, according to the New York State Department of Labor. Still, there’s plenty of interest for new businesses across Central New York. U.S. Census figures show that the number of applications for new businesses in all four counties increased significantly in the past 20 years. In Cayuga County, there were 324 applications in 2005 compared to 470 last year. In Madison County, the number increased from 385 to 480; Onondaga County, from 2411 to 4132; and Oswego County, from 553 to 836. Downtown Cazenovia is exemplary of Madison County’s trend: In the past year, the village welcomed a bait shop, a thrift store, a vitamin infusion center, a pizzeria, a Pilates studio and an Italian restaurant. A candy store is scheduled to open on the main drag in the months ahead. Oswego’s list of interesting new businesses in the past year includes a bubble tea shop, a hot dog eatery in Fulton, a specialty grocery store that features New York state products in Mexico, a beauty and esthetics studio in Hannibal and a hardware and farm supply store in Sandy Creek. In Onondaga County, the Liverpool area has also enjoyed a steady stream of new shops and eateries in recent years. That suburban community is unique in that, unlike neighboring communities, most of the restaurants are family-owned and not part of a national chain. [caption id=attachment_11116 align=alignright width=300] Megan Wilmot is the executive director of the Greater Liverpool’s Chamber of Commerce.[/caption] Megan Wilmot, executive director of the Greater Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, said independent business owners in her community maintain a strong sense of pride in holding their own against national companies. The chamber helps boost morale with red carpet events, ribbon cuttings, coffee hours and five-year anniversary celebrations for participating businesses. “We have built such a strong community,” Wilmot said. “Everyone in this business community encourages each other to shop local. Everyone just wants to see each other succeed.” In Syracuse, the downtown retail occupancy rate last year was about 82%, a slight improvement from 2024, according to the Downtown Syracuse Committee’s most recent annual report. Buildings with the largest amount of vacant space included The Galleries, One Park Place, and Equitable Towers, though not all of those spaces are designated for retail use. New businesses that opened in downtown Syracuse last year: Better with Time Clothing, Dakshin Curry & Biriyani, Havana Tattoo Society, Milano Bean Café, Miss Daisy, Pausa Coffee, Sweets for Babe, The Society CNY and Yafah Beauty Studio. The Destiny USA mall’s occupancy rate decreased from 80% in 2023 to 72% by the end of 2024, according to Integra Realty Resources. That leaves more than a quarter of the mall’s retail space vacant. “Looking ahead, the retail market is expected to see minimal rent growth, with vacancy rates likely remaining stable in community and neighborhood centers but continuing to rise in enclosed malls,” Integra’s report said. “New construction activity is low and redevelopment plans for former malls like Shoppingtown and Great Northern are still in the planning stages. The proposed Micron chip plant may spur development, but challenges remain in finding co-developers for large-scale projects.” Nationally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce expects that small businesses will remain resilient and see their sales and revenues eventually improve. That organization, in a recent national survey, found that 25% of small business owners expect the economy to improve in 2027, while 45% indicated that they plan to increase employment in the next 12 months. And 69% said they believe their small business is in good shape and 70% said they are comfortable with their current cash flow. Thirty-one percent of small businesses reported raising their prices in July and 28% are planning to raise their prices within the next three to four months, the report said. Twelve percent indicated that this is a good time to expand their business. “Small business owners voice optimism for future revenues and hiring,” the report said. “High costs continue to be a wet blanket on reinvestment.” The NFIB reported in July that Main Street, despite gas price hikes, “is OK … for now.” Its small business economics trend report said sales across the country have been strong compared to last year, but continued inflation and higher prices from mom-and-pop establishments are causing some “cracks” to show. “If costs stay this high for much longer, reduced investment will have a tangible economic impact,” the report said. “The status quo is OK, but the outlook? The outlook is uncertain.”

Oct 14 • 8:23 AM EDT • Business • oswegocountybusiness.com

Baptist Health Foundation Announces $1 Million Grant from Knight Foundation to Advance Healthcare Technology Innovation Fellowship - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report

Renewed investment will support the next five years of the Baptist Health Knight Foundation Fellowship in Healthcare Technology Innovation October 13, 2026 – Baptist Health Foundation today announced a $1 million […]

Oct 14 • 7:46 AM EDT • Health • southfloridahospitalnews.com

Schneck Health Experts to Share Tips for Healthy Aging

The Schneck Foundation invites the community to a special event, Live Well, Age Wisely, designed to empower individuals with practical tips and proven strategies for staying healthy, active, and feeling their best as they age. Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the Jennings County Public Library, located at 2375 IN 3 North Vernon, IN […]

Oct 14 • 12:02 AM EDT • Health • crothersvilletimes.com

The Danny Awards to return to NYC showcasing works by disabled musicians across the globe

]Daniel's Music Foundation (DMF) will celebrate 20 years of impacting the music scene with the 7th Annual Danny Awards on Oct. 18.

Oct 13 • 11:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • amny.com

FSU computational scientist earns National Science Foundation grant to improve nighttime thunderstorm forecasts

A Florida State University scientist has received a nearly half-million-dollar grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve nighttime

Oct 13 • 8:46 AM EDT • Science • news.fsu.edu

Piles permit issued for Advocate Health Care new Trinity Hospital

A foundation piles permit has been issued for Advocate Health Care’s new $300 million Trinity Hospital at the former U.S. Steel South Works site near the lakefront. Located at 8000 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, the hospital will be built on 23 acres between Brandon Ave to the west, DuSable Lake Shore Drive to the north and east, and 81st Street to the south.

Oct 13 • 8:30 AM EDT • Health • chicago.urbanize.city

The IMARCS Foundation Releases Free Marine Science Curriculum in Five Languages

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Oct 13 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • streetinsider.com

Prisma Health Midlands Foundation’s Walk for Life set for Saturday in Columbia

The Prisma Health Midlands Foundation’s annual Walk for Life & Famously Hot Pink 10k and 5k is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, outside Segra Park in Columbia.

Oct 13 • 6:19 AM EDT • Health • wistv.com

Coach Kovac extends contract with Dortmund until 2029

Coach Niko Kovac has extended his contract with Borussia Dortmund until June 30, 2029, the Bundesliga club said in a statement on Tuesday. "Together, we've set a clear course for development and laid important foundations for the future.

Oct 13 • 5:18 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

WesternU College of Health Sciences celebrates 40 years of collaboration, mentorship and humanism

Western University of Health Sciences College of Health Sciences celebrated its 40th anniversary by honoring the pioneers who built the college’s foundation and by raising money to benefit students.

Oct 13 • 1:34 AM EDT • Science • news.westernu.edu

WesternU College of Health Sciences celebrates 40 years of collaboration, mentorship and humanism

Western University of Health Sciences College of Health Sciences celebrated its 40th anniversary by honoring the pioneers who built the college’s foundation and by raising money to benefit students.

Oct 13 • 1:34 AM EDT • Health • news.westernu.edu

Palm Beach donor gives $1M to Cox Science Center education programs

Led by a Palm Beach resident, the William H. Pitt Foundation’s $1 million gift will support education programs at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium.

Oct 13 • 1:05 AM EDT • Science • palmbeachdailynews.com

Small group health insurance market rates announced

Media Release, Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) has approved 2027 health insurance premium rates for the small group health insurance market. As of March 2026, over 31,000 New Mexicans were enrolled in a small group plan. The average increase across small group plans is 19.8%. These rates take effect on January 1, 2027. The carriers offering small group coverage in New Mexico in 2027 are: Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico (HealthCare Service Corporation) Presbyterian Health Plan Presbyterian Insurance Company UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company Key Factors Driving the Rate Increases The primary factors that contributed to the 2027 increases are: Claims Experience - Higher than expected 2025 New Mexico claims experience, which is the foundation for the 2027 rate development. Cost Trend - Higher utilization and inflation impacted healthcare costs services, which impacts medical services and pharmaceutical costs nationwide. Risk Pool Changes - Nationwide, businesses with healthier employees are opting for alternative health coverage not under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This results ina smaller and less healthy small group ACA risk pool. Final approved rates will be posted on the OSI website. To view the carrier rate sheets and rate increase specifics, visit the Office of Superintendent of Insurance website here. The Rate Review Process Conducted by OSI The OSI rate review process focuses on approving rates for health insurance plans that are actuarially sound, not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory and ensuring health insurance rates comply with all state and federal laws. For more information, visit the Office of Superintendent of Insurance website at https://osi.state.nm.us/en/. *** About the Office of Superintendent of Insurance The Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) is New Mexico’s regulatory agency responsible for overseeing a wide range of insurance products, including private health and life insurance, auto, home, business, and title insurance. OSI regulates private health plans in the individual, small group, and large group markets, ensuring that premium rates are fair, companies are financially sound, and health care insurance coverage is reliable. While OSI does not have authority over self-funded health plans, where an employer assumes the financial responsibility for paying employee health care claims, Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE, OSI plays a vital role in protecting consumers by reviewing premium rates, monitoring insurance company conduct, and licensing producers (formerly known as insurance brokers and agents).

Oct 12 • 11:20 PM EDT • Health • yournewsnm.com

Community Foundation celebrates 2026 For Impact Leaders class

The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines has announced the graduating class of its 2026 For Impact Leaders program. The 2026 cohort completed a nine-month leadership program designed to build competency in the Greater Des Moines nonprofit community. Here is the class of 2026:

Oct 12 • 3:48 PM EDT • Business • businessrecord.com

NCWV Business Summit to highlight economic trends, growth in West Virginia

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — The Chambers of Commerce of Marion, Monongalia, Harrison and Preston counties will host their 12th annual NCWV Business Summit at High Tech Foundation in Fairmont next week,

Oct 12 • 2:30 PM EDT • Business • wvnews.com

Palm Health Foundation Doubles Gifts to Grow the Next Generation of Mental and Behavioral Health Professionals - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report

Final Weeks to Double Impact: $50,000 Scholarship Match Ends October 31 October 12 2026 – West Palm Beach, Fla. – Community members have just weeks left to double their investment in […]

Oct 12 • 12:10 PM EDT • Health • southfloridahospitalnews.com

Parents start mental health foundation after losing their son

Oct 12 • 10:35 AM EDT • Health • 11alive.com

Duke Energy Grants Support Downtown Revitalization Efforts

The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded $190,000 in grants to South Carolina communities to support downtown revitalization efforts. Funds will be used for facade improvements, wayfinding signage, public gathering spaces, and small business...

Oct 12 • 10:22 AM EDT • Business • greenvillebusinessmag.com

FSU computer scientists appointed National Science Foundation program director

A Florida State University researcher is helping guide national research priorities in artificial intelligence, advanced computing and data systems in his

Oct 12 • 9:29 AM EDT • Science • news.fsu.edu

Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2026

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2026 was awarded to Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford and “for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.”

Oct 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • nobelprize.org

Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2026

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2026 was awarded to Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford and “for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation.”

Oct 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • nobelprize.org

Falling Walls Foundation Female Science Talents Intensive Track 2027 (Fully-funded)

Deadline: November 15, 2026 Applications are invited for the Female Science Talents Intensive Track 2027. For 2027, they are looking for 20 exceptionally talented women in science from all disciplines to take part in the one-year career programme. The Intensive Track is a one-year programme supporting 20 outstanding early-career women in science from all disciplines

Oct 12 • 7:15 AM EDT • Science • opportunitydesk.org

Pentagon Lays Foundation to Implement Trump Administration's 'Golden Age of Science'

Trump launched his "Science: A New Golden Age" initiative on Oct 8 to modernize DOD and recruit talent for the next frontier.

Oct 12 • 5:00 AM EDT • Science • military.com

Quantum Meet Quantum: Hybrid Quantum Computer Lets Scientists Peak in on Foundational Quantum Effect

Oxford physicists used a hybrid quantum computer combining qubits and quantum oscillators to observe the Aharonov–Bohm effect.

Oct 12 • 3:07 AM EDT • Science • thequantuminsider.com

SUNY Optometry’s Inaugural Advancing Vision Summit Explores the Future of Eyecare, AI, and Public Health

NEW YORK—The SUNY College of Optometry Foundation recently brought together leaders from across healthcare for its inaugural Advancing Vision Summit: The Intersection of AI, Eye Care, and Public Health, held September 25, 2026 at CURE in New York City. The day-long event marked the Foundation’s 70th anniversary and explored the growing role eyecare can play in preventive health, an announcement from SUNY said. Sponsors and supporters of the event included EssilorLuxottica, CooperVision, Jobson Optical Group, Alcon, NFP, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Allison & Stephen Flink, Haag-Streit, Marco Lombart, Lavelle Fund for the Blind, Designs for Vision and VSP.

Oct 11 • 8:21 PM EDT • Health • visionmonday.com

Neuralign and Global Ambassador Mandi Gosling Bring Neurological Readiness™ to Science Summit Alongside UNGA

Canadian women-founded Neuralign highlights how Neurological Readiness™ builds foundations for reading, learning and lifelong confidence.

Oct 10 • 2:15 PM EDT • Science • einnews.com

HTA invites local businesses and community organizations to learn how to reach Hawaiʻi’s visitors

Hawaiʻi farmers, makers, small-business owners, cultural practitioners and nonprofits interested in reaching visitors are invited to register for the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s 2026 Foundational Technical Assistance workshops.

Oct 10 • 2:00 PM EDT • Business • mauinow.com

Matthew Lillard recalls thinking ‘Scream’ was ‘lame’ and he’d become a TV star

Matthew Lillard recalled a late-night shoot during the making of ‘Scream,’ during which he and his castmates were discussing their upcoming TV roles.

Oct 10 • 1:58 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

New NHS website aims to make mental health support easier

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust says the site aims to make their services easier to navigate.

Oct 10 • 6:44 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com

Sauer: Hospital consolidation hikes healthcare costs

Recent polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds close to 90% of voters say health costs will shape how they vote this fall.

Oct 10 • 3:12 AM EDT • Health • bostonherald.com

DOE, NIH, and Biohub Partner to Build Foundational Data for Predictive Biological AI Models

WASHINGTON and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 9, 2026 — The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Biohub signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the frontier of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in biology, deepen our understanding of human health and disease, and accelerate breakthroughs in medicine and biotechnology. […]

Oct 9 • 1:22 PM EDT • Science • hpcwire.com

Kitt Peak National Observatory honors Tohono O’odham land, language by renaming science center

Long before the National Science Foundation ever looked up to the starry sky searching for answers about the mysterious cosmos and universe, O’odhams like Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan stood atop I’oligam Du’ag — or Manzanita Shrub Mountain.

Oct 9 • 12:26 PM EDT • Science • kjzz.org

​Rhonda Walker Foundation joins forces with Girls Inc. network to reach more Detroiters

The Detroit-based organization alker-- is affiliating with Girls Inc., a network of local organizations that works with girls and schools in communities across the United States and Canada.

Oct 9 • 10:49 AM EDT • Business • crainsdetroit.com

Finding Joy Again: Sarah Adam on Mental Health and High Performance

There is a familiar message in elite sport: Keep going.Push through the hard training. Push through fatigue. Push through doubt. Push through the pressure.For Sarah Adam — the first woman named to the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Paralympic Team, a silver med...

Oct 9 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • teamusa.com

A-State receives $2.2 million National Science Foundation grant

Arkansas State University has received a $2.2 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead a multi-institutional research project to improve drought tolerance in rice and wheat, two...

Oct 9 • 7:52 AM EDT • Science • talkbusiness.net

A-State receives $2.2 million National Science Foundation grant

Arkansas State University has received a $2.2 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead a multi-institutional research project to improve drought tolerance in rice and wheat, two...

Oct 9 • 7:52 AM EDT • Business • talkbusiness.net

Lee Health Foundation hires Kayla Reiter - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report

Oct. 7, 2026 – Lee Health Foundation welcomes Kayla Reiter as marketing communication coordinator. In this role, Reiter supports the Foundation’s marketing and communication strategy by helping tell meaningful stories that connect […]

Oct 8 • 2:59 PM EDT • Health • southfloridahospitalnews.com

Amarillo NAACP hosting mental health forum on Saturday

The Amarillo NAACP is conducting a Mental Health Forum, focused on people of color, in the Amarillo Area Foundation auditorium at the corner of 10th and Polk.

Oct 8 • 2:24 PM EDT • Health • newschannel10.com

Madison County Business League supports education and schools with scholarships, grants and workforce development efforts

Sam Kelly, Chairman of the Madison County Business League & Foundation and Chairman of the Madison County School District, and Jan Collins, Executive Director of the Madison County Business League, visited Today at 11 with information about how the Business League supports education and schools through the county.

Oct 8 • 2:19 PM EDT • Business • wlbt.com

Cyborg Politics 3.0: AI and the Algorithms of Unpeace

How AI is transforming politics, warfare, and peacemaking, creating a new era of cyborg power and algorithmic "unpeace."

Oct 8 • 11:39 AM EDT • Politics • worldpeacefoundation.org

Foundation welcome Ukraine U15s in sporting exchange programme

This summer, the Leeds United Foundation, in partnership with Jet2, the University of Leeds, local MPs and community partners, proudly welcomed a group of young footballers from Ukraine to the UK for ...

Oct 8 • 11:26 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Amendment 79: New Opportunity: B.8 Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations

The Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations (SSF) program (B.8 of ROSES) solicits investigations that enable the formulation of high-impact spaceflight

Oct 8 • 11:14 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov

UConn, Coach Jason Candle Laying Foundation for Bright Days Ahead

Remember this: Jim Mora's teams were 9-16 in his first two seasons.

Oct 8 • 8:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

New Report Assesses the Strategy to Remake the U.S. Science Ecosystem — and Lays Out a Path to Rebuild It

First installment of a multi-part series, Forging the Future of Science and Democracy, examines the players and the playbook that got us here.

Oct 8 • 8:15 AM EDT • Science • einpresswire.com

Concern after Europeans endorse US science agenda

Germany’s biggest research funder has said it is “concerned” after Berlin, plus several other European countries, endorsed a controversial US-led science policy statement. On October 4, the White House announced that 16 countries, including Germany, the UK, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Japan and South Korea had backed the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science.The document, agreed on the margins of the annual Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, which gathers science ministers from across the world, appears uncontroversial at first sight. It’s a one-page statement, without any concrete measures, that touches on reducing administrative burden on scientists, experimenting with new funding models and the use of “super intelligence” in science, the Trump administration’s preferred term for artificial intelligence. However, what’s controversial is that much of the language in the Kyoto Vision reflects Science: A New Golden Age, a major policy document released by the White House in July.That document attracted criticism for deriding universities as “legacy institutions” and suggesting money be diverted to new research labs. In a speech in Kyoto on October 4, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office for Science and Technology Policy and the report’s author, said that the US was seeking to “diversify the ways that we support research to meet our best scientists where and when they do their best work.” The worry is that the Trump administration may be using genuine dysfunctions in academia as a pretext to defund and disempower universities, which US vice president JD Vance has labelled “the enemy.” Many in Europe also want more experimentation and reform of how science is organised and funded, and agree with criticisms of academia made by Science: A New Golden Age. But some also fear that if the US pushes for reform partially in bad faith, it could politicise and undermine the whole agenda. Washington is currently trying to change federal funding rules so that political appointees can block and cancel scientific grants. It has cut grants mid-project on topics related to diversity and other politically forbidden areas. And last year, it threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless it admitted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create campus “viewpoint diversity.” “Particularly concerned”Because of this wider US political context, the Kyoto Vision’s otherwise innocuous sounding statement that “we encourage experimentation with new institutional models for science that provide varying levels of autonomy, resources and direction” has caused consternation in Europe, particularly from some of Germany’s biggest science organisations. A spokesperson for the German Research Foundation (DFG), the country’s biggest funder, said that it would “closely monitor whether the current US administration uses the Kyoto Vision to restructure research funding to the detriment of research institutions such as universities and their autonomy.” The DFG was “particularly concerned” with the statement’s references to Science: A New Golden Age, they continued. A spokesperson for the German Rectors’ Conference, which represents the country’s universities, said that the reference to “new institutional models” raises “questions on the underlying understanding of academic freedom and autonomy.” Research funding must “guided first and foremost by scientific not political principles,” they went on. Dampen criticismEuropean endorsement of the Kyoto Vision might dampen domestic criticism of the Trump administration’s science policy, some in the US fear, by suggesting international support. “What we saw from Germany, Japan, the UK and other countries, is an impulse that the administration has exploited with our own science reform movement, a belief they can use dialogue to make things better,” said Cole Donovan, director of science policy at the campaigning group Stand Up for Science. “In practice, the administration has done the opposite.” Not a binding statementThere’s been so much concern in Germany that the country’s federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space put out a statement defending its endorsement of the Kyoto Vision, which it has posted on its website. Related articlesIs metascience being co-opted?European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationThe US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The ministry said that it “should be regarded as a basis for discussion and does not constitute a binding statement.” Backing the statement gives Germany the chance to raise “issues and concerns” with the US during upcoming talks on science and technology scheduled for November. “Although these intentions appear, in principle, to be worthy of support, they will be scrutinised and examined more closely as the process continues,” the statement continues. Super intelligence?A ministry spokesperson confirmed to Science|Business that Germany had broadly endorsed the Kyoto Vision.However, they said Berlin had not agreed to final changes in the statement to refer to AI as super intelligence. In September, facing protests against data centres and polling that suggests US citizens are far more concerned than excited by the technology, Trump issued an executive order that attempts to rebrand AI as super intelligence, following polling on social media.The name change is to “reflect the transformative capabilities of these technologies and the limitless opportunities they create for the American people,” the order says. EU askedThe UK and Italian science ministries did not respond to a request for comment on their endorsement of the Kyoto Vision. Although most EU countries did not endorse the statement, it’s not clear which states the US asked. The White House Office for Science and Technology Policy did not return a request for comment. A European Commission official, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that the US had approached the EU, but too late for the EU to quiz all its member states on whether Brussels should endorse the statement.

Oct 8 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net

Six social causes recognised at Atlético’s ADN Rojiblanco gala

The Atlético de Madrid Foundation held its first ADN Rojiblanco awards gala at the Club Telefónica of the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Wednesday 7 October, with six social projects linked to the club...

Oct 8 • 3:20 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Baptist Health Breaks Ground on New Home of Kenneth C. Griffin Neuroscience Institute and Announces $75 Million Total Gift to Neuroscience Research and Care - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report

Stephen Blumenthal, Board Chair, Baptist Health Foundation ,Alex Villoch, Chief Executive Officer, Baptist Health Foundation ,Michael McDermott, M.D., System Chief Executive of Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care, Chief Medical […]

Oct 7 • 6:50 PM EDT • Health • southfloridahospitalnews.com

Vet Hope spotlights mental health awareness with poop bag campaign

The Veterinary Hope Foundation is asking pet owners to "Give a Crap" about their veterinarians in a creative way: through picking up poop.

Oct 7 • 5:00 PM EDT • Health • aaha.org

The Marfan Foundation's Science in Spain Fosters Global Collaboration

The Marfan Foundation's Science in Spain brought global experts together to share research on earlier detection, risk and quality of life.

Oct 7 • 4:54 PM EDT • Science • marfan.org

Free ‘STEAM the Block Party' aims to get DC youth involved in science, tech, arts

Drones, robotics, AI and more: The Steam the Block Party in Southeast D.C. on Friday, Oct. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. aims to spark a love of science. Members of the Swaliga Foundation talk with News4’s Molette Green. Performers include UCB.

Oct 7 • 1:44 PM EDT • Science • nbcwashington.com

'Completely unexpected': Astronomers spy never-before-seen 'phoenix planet' rising from the ashes of a dead star

Astronomers have spotted a rare "second-generation" exoplanet closely orbiting the nearby white dwarf HS 0209+0832. An unusual mixture of heavy elements inside this zombie star suggests that "this system has given birth to a new world using the foundations of the old one."

Oct 7 • 11:22 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com

Health organization in Wichita gives more than $1M for Kansas medical students

Wichita’s Riverside Health Foundation has given more than $1 million to Kansas Health Science University through an endowed scholarship fund established to benefit medical students.

Oct 7 • 10:30 AM EDT • Science • kwch.com

Health organization in Wichita gives more than $1M to benefit Kansas medical students

Wichita’s Riverside Health Foundation has given more than $1 million to Kansas Health Science University through an endowed scholarship fund established to benefit medical students.

Oct 7 • 10:30 AM EDT • Health • kwch.com

Health organization in Wichita gives more than $1M for Kansas medical students

Wichita’s Riverside Health Foundation has given more than $1 million to Kansas Health Science University through an endowed scholarship fund established to benefit medical students.

Oct 7 • 10:30 AM EDT • Health • kwch.com

Foundation provides $1.3 million for scholarships to Kansas Health Science University

Riverside Health Foundation is providing the gift to help more students pursue their dreams of higher education.

Oct 6 • 11:13 PM EDT • Science • kwch.com

Foundation provides $1.3 million for scholarships to Kansas Health Science University

Riverside Health Foundation is providing the gift to help more students pursue their dreams of higher education.

Oct 6 • 11:13 PM EDT • Health • kwch.com

MNUFC, Allina Health and the Sanneh Foundation Team Up to Address Food Insecurity with Meal Kit Initiative

Meal kit program launched to build connection between nutrition education and lifelong well-being

Oct 6 • 4:30 PM EDT • Health • mnufc.com

AI founders for hire: Startup hub Foundations launches service to connect businesses with builders

Foundations Design and Engineering is meant in part to give founders a new way to fund their companies as early-stage investment gets harder to raise. Prices and the share of each contract that Foundations will keep are still being worked out.

Oct 6 • 12:22 PM EDT • Business • geekwire.com

From Building Homes to Building Hope: Larry and Heidi Canraelli Commit $50 Million to Intermountain Health Nevada Children’s Hospital

LAS VEGAS — Intermountain Healthcare Foundation today announced a remarkable $50 million commitment from Larry and Heidi Canarelli to help bring Nevada's first comprehensive, stand-alone children's hospital closer to reality. This gift advances Intermountain Health's Nevada Campaign for Kids, expanding access to specialized pediatric care clos...

Oct 6 • 12:08 PM EDT • Health • news.intermountainhealth.org

Jackson Health Foundation Celebrates Historic $15 Million Gift From Double-Lung Transplant Survivor Carlos Peralta - Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report

Carlos Migoya, Silvia Rios Fortun, Flavia Llizo, Carlos Peralta and his wife Mariana, Dr. Mauricio Pipkin, and David Zambrana Transformational donation expands lung ICU and names the Carlos Peralta and […]

Oct 6 • 11:43 AM EDT • Health • southfloridahospitalnews.com

GBTA Foundation Names 2026 WINiT Top 50

Honor recognizes women in business travel and meetings

Oct 6 • 9:11 AM EDT • Business • businesstravelexecutive.com

Industry Insights: Q&A with Estée Lauder’s SVP of Global Clinical, Consumer Sciences on One-of-a-Kind Complexion Research

“A shade can be technically close to a person’s skin tone and still not look completely natural in every situation.”

Oct 6 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • cosmeticsandtoiletries.com

Next Generation Collective Launches Mental Health Initiative For Young Talent

Next Generation Collective has teamed with The Kids Mental Health Foundation on an initiative to help young people in entertainment navigate growing up in the public eye.

Oct 6 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • deadline.com

Next Generation Collective Launches Mental Health Initiative For Young Talent

Next Generation Collective has teamed with The Kids Mental Health Foundation on an initiative to help young people in entertainment navigate growing up in the public eye.

Oct 6 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • deadline.com

“When democracy is secure, business is too”, says Deputy Secretary General at the European Democracy Summit 2026 in Brussels

“Our standards are stronger when they are built with those who apply them”: the event focuses on the role of business in defending Europe’s democratic foundations

Oct 6 • 6:14 AM EDT • Business • coe.int

Myakka City studies whether it needs a health clinic at its elementary school

MCR Health and Results 1st have received a grant from the Bishop-Parker Foundation to assess the need for a clinic.

Oct 6 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • yourobserver.com

UW-led optoelectronic center receives second round of funding from the US National Science Foundation

A University of Washington-led center for optoelectronics — technologies that combine light and electronics — brings researchers from 14 universities across the U.S. together with the mission to develop new materials to transform information technology with light. Founded in 2021, NSF IMOD has received a second round of funding from the NSF to continue its work for the next five years.

Oct 5 • 7:15 PM EDT • Science • newswise.com

Marfan Foundation Convenes Global Scientists in Barcelona to Advance Research on Marfan, Loeys-Dietz, VEDS and Related Conditions

The Marfan Foundation brings scientists from 23 countries to Barcelona to share research that may lead to new treatments and better quality of life for people with Marfan, Loeys-Dietz and VEDS.

Oct 5 • 5:11 PM EDT • Science • marfan.org

Bladen Community College to host “So You Want to Start a Small Business” class and preview Pitch It Bladen 2027

The Small Business Center at Bladen Community College invites aspiring entrepreneurs to attend “So You Want to Start a Small Business” on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Building 14, Room 104. This class will help participants explore what it takes to become an entrepreneur and take the first steps toward turning a business idea into reality.Participants will explore the entrepreneurial mindset and consider whether they have the interests, characteristics, motivation and willingness to take on the challenges of business ownership. The class will encourage attendees to examine their personal goals, expectations, strengths and readiness to pursue entrepreneurship.Attendees will also gain insight into the realities of starting and operating a small business, including the commitment, planning, decision-making and perseverance required to build a successful venture. Whether participants are just beginning to consider business ownership or already have an idea they want to pursue, this class will provide a foundation for determining their next steps.In addition to the class instruction, attendees will receive advance information about the upcoming Pitch It Bladen 2027 Business Competition, including the application form and details about the program. Individuals who are ready to move forward may submit their applications early and have the opportunity to receive advance acceptance into the program.Pitch It Bladen helps aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs develop their business ideas through structured instruction in business planning, financial management, cash-flow projections, marketing and operations. Participants work toward completing a business plan and preparing a business pitch, with the opportunity to compete for cash prizes.Last year's Pitch It Bladen program demonstrated the value of investing in local entrepreneurs by helping participants strengthen their business knowledge, develop their business plans and prepare to present their ideas. The competition showcased the creativity and potential of Bladen County's small-business community and provided participants with practical tools to move their business goals forward.Building on that success, Pitch It Bladen 2027 will provide another opportunity for local entrepreneurs to gain knowledge, build confidence and take meaningful steps toward launching or growing a business.“The Small Business Center wants to help individuals make informed decisions about entrepreneurship before they take the leap into business ownership,” said Theresa Dennison, Small Business Center director, in a press release. “This class gives participants an opportunity to evaluate whether entrepreneurship is right for them while also introducing them to Pitch It Bladen 2027 and the resources available to help them succeed.”Registration: Visit www.ncsbc.net and search for the class by name, or contact the Small Business Center at 910-879-5572 for additional information.

Oct 5 • 3:26 PM EDT • Business • bizfayetteville.com

Doyon Foundation Selects New Executive Director

Doyon Foundation selected Geraldine “Geri” Simon, a Doyon, Limited shareholder from Allakaket, as the nonprofit’s Executive Director.

Oct 5 • 2:11 PM EDT • Business • akbizmag.com

Philanthropy: Q+A with Gerun Riley

Gerun Riley is president of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, a role she has held since 2016 after 13 years working for the Broads – who have given

Oct 5 • 11:50 AM EDT • Business • labusinessjournal.com

Philanthropy: Q+A with William Ahmanson

William Ahmanson is the president of the Ahmanson Foundation, which financier Howard F. Ahmanson and his wife, Dorothy Grannis Ahmanson, established in

Oct 5 • 11:30 AM EDT • Business • labusinessjournal.com

EU Screening Week 2026: Healthy Lungs for Life activities took lung health checks to communities across Europe

The European Lung Foundation (ELF), European Respiratory Society (ERS) and health partners across Europe ran Healthy Lungs for Life events to take part in the first-ever EU Screening Week, a European Commission initiative that promotes prevention, early detection and health education.

Oct 5 • 11:22 AM EDT • Health • europeanlung.org

Tomball Regional Health Foundation’s support for Lone Star College System approaches $2.5 million

Just two years after graduating from Lone Star College-Tomball with an associate degree in nursing, Petronila Arrey

Oct 5 • 10:25 AM EDT • Health • woodlandsonline.com

3 scientists share Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for work in optogenetics

The Nobel Foundation awarded its prize in physiology and medicine Monday to three scientists who researched how nerve cells affect the brain.

Oct 5 • 10:21 AM EDT • Science • yahoo.com

NWA C-Suite: Brett Amerine

Since 2014, Amerine has been the key leader in driving the growth and success of the Startup Junkie Consulting entrepreneurial support organization. He also launched the 501(c)(3) Startup Junkie Foundation...

Oct 5 • 10:00 AM EDT • Business • talkbusiness.net

American College of Lifestyle Medicine welcomes national resolution advancing nature as a foundation for health and well-being

/PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today welcomed a resolution adopted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)...

Oct 5 • 9:11 AM EDT • Health • prnewswire.com

Yale School of Medicine On the Science of Childhood Anxiety, Say, Anxiety Disorders Are the Most Common Mental Health Challenges In Youth

Credit: Matt Bradbury October 5, 2026 - By Isabella Backman - Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenges in youth. Left untreated, they can disrupt the lives of both children and their families. The good news is that with intervention, most children will overcome these conditions. Across Yale School of Medicine, scientists are working to understand anxiety at every level, from common anxious behaviors to molecular biomarkers in the brain. They are using their findings to develop and disseminate new evidence-based treatments for childhood anxiety. Today, the go-to treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is a form of psychotherapy that teaches children skills for confronting anxious thoughts and helps them practice managing situations that cause anxiety. While it is the gold-standard treatment backed by considerable scientific evidence, up to 50% of children will not see sufficient benefit from CBT alone. Wendy Silverman, PhD, Alfred A. Messer Professor in the Child Study Center, co-directs the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program alongside Eli Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center. One of their main interests is learning how to improve outcomes beyond CBT. “We’re developing cutting-edge, research-based knowledge that can reduce the suffering that anxiety causes children and their families,” says Silverman. Changing parent behavior YSM experts are investigating how to improve CBT outcomes for children by involving the parents. Silverman’s research has uncovered two main components of parent intervention that improve childhood anxiety: not enabling children to completely avoid the things that make them anxious and taking steps to enhance their autonomy. Parents may unintentionally reinforce their child’s anxiety by allowing them to avoid what makes them anxious. They also may unintentionally limit the children’s sense of autonomy by being overly intrusive. “One of the things that we take pride in is that we’ve focused on trying to understand what parents need to do, and to test our ideas and see if changing the parents’ behaviors is enhancing the effects of CBT,” Silverman says. “Our findings thus far suggest that they do." As much as CBT can be helpful, it can also be challenging to get one’s child to do the necessary steps for CBT to work. This is one important reason why Lebowitz created a novel intervention program for parents named Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). Existing intervention programs often teach parents to act as therapists for their child, such as training them on how to practice breathing exercises. “It makes sense, but this doesn’t work very well in practice,” says Lebowitz. “And part of the reason, I think, is that it’s not easy to get your kid to do things, especially if they’re not excited about doing it.” SPACE is unique because it focuses entirely on parent involvement and changing parental behavior—children are not involved in the sessions. For example, parents learn how to use supportive messages that convey confidence that their child can tolerate and manage distress. “It might sound like a parent saying to a child, ‘I get that this is really hard for you, but I know that you can handle it,’” Lebowitz says. The program also works with parents to identify the ways in which they are accommodating anxious behaviors. “We’ll pick one thing that parents are doing that is an accommodation and help them make a detailed plan for how they’re going to change that,” Lebowitz explains. Treating Anxiety in Children and Adolescents Much of the existing research on SPACE has focused on parents of children under age 14. Ongoing studies are now exploring its use with parents of older teens. “Both anxiety and accommodation can interfere with normative developmental shifts during the teen years, including increased autonomy and individuation from parents,” says Rebecca Etkin, PhD, associate research scientist in the Child Study Center. “In this sense, SPACE may be particularly well-suited for anxious teens and their parents. We want to see whether it is effective during this distinct developmental window.” Unfortunately, many families in need of CBT face barriers, including limited availability of services and geographic constraints. One way to improve access is digital interventions. Silverman and her team are developing an evidence-based digitized intervention program for parents that they can access directly from their computer or smart phone. “The work we’re doing will be one of the very few parent interventions that is digitized and importantly tested for effectiveness,” she says. Creating interventions for anxiety-related challenges Silverman and Lebowitz recently received a generous gift to develop and test other interventions that help parents reduce other child anxiety-related behavioral and emotional difficulties, such as restrictive eating and unexplained somatic symptoms. One of these projects in particular focuses on understanding the risks of social media and its potential benefits, including offering a sense of connection. “A lot of research has focused on the idea that social media is harmful and the less of it the better,” says Lebowitz. “But we actually see is that this is not quite right—there are negatives, but there are also positives. So, we’re trying to get a little bit more nuanced of a picture.” The team is working with teens with social anxiety and their parents over an extended period to better understand their social media habits and how their anxiety levels affect engagement with different platforms. The teens will answer questions sent to an app on their phones about mood and social media usage in an effort to capture emotional responses as they unfold. “We hope to develop interventions that can help make the best of social media while protecting against the more problematic effects,” Lebowitz says. The brain’s role in anxiety Researchers are also testing therapies to address anxiety at the neurological and molecular levels. In collaboration with Dylan Gee, PhD, professor of psychology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Hilary Blumberg, MD, John and Hope Furth Professor of Psychiatric Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, Lebowitz and Silverman are using brain imaging to identify changes in a child’s brain before and after parents enroll in SPACE. In one study, children viewed anxiety-inducing images while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the researchers conducted scans with and without the children’s parents nearby. Before SPACE, children’s brains were better able to activate the regulatory circuitry needed to turn off an anxious response when their parents were nearby. But after SPACE, children could activate this circuitry even without the parent around. “As parents work on gradually reducing some of their accommodations, you can see a child get better at regulating their own fear system in the brain,” Lebowitz says. “It’s remarkable.” Research into the molecular underpinnings of anxiety can also inform new childhood anxiety treatments. In a recent study, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Flora Vaccarino, MD, Harris Professor in the Child Study Center, discovered that a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) could be protective from the toxic effects of stress. FGF2 levels in children and their parents were linked to the children’s risk of developing anxiety and depression, the study showed. The findings could help explain why some children who are exposed to early life trauma such as poverty or abuse are more prone to developing mental health disorders. And FGF2 could be a target for treatment. “This is very novel because it starts to give a clue to what is the molecular chain that connects those lived experiences to the actual psychological outcomes,” Lebowitz says. New ways to study and treat childhood anxiety Michael Crowley, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, collaborates with Silverman and Lebowitz to study the role that attention plays in development and maintenance of childhood anxiety. There is a large body of research that shows that anxious children, like anxious adults, are prone to focus on threatening stimuli such as angry faces compared with neutral faces. This has led to innovative interventions that involve attention retraining. The idea is that if experts train children to look away from threatening stimuli, it may reduce their anxiety—especially children with social anxiety who are most prone to attend to threats. The researchers have just completed a clinical trial for attention retraining with 10- to 14-year-olds with social anxiety disorders and are currently analyzing the findings. Besides this innovative attention retraining research, as Crowly notes, “I like to design tasks that are engaging to kids,” Crowley says. “My goal is to assess something without the kids knowing what we are assessing.” With this goal in mind, Crowley has created a virtual game, named Boom, to study threat processing in children with anxiety disorders. The game is similar to that of hot potato—the child and three digital players take turns virtually passing a ball to each other’s gloves. At some point, the ball turns into a bomb, and as the bomb lands in each player’s glove, the outline of the glove turns yellow. The goal is to avoid having the bomb go off in your glove. What isn’t obvious is that the game is designed to measure different types of threatening stimuli, both ambiguous and direct. In the game, the direct threat occurs as the bomb is traveling towards your glove. The ambiguous threat is the yellow outlined glove as it is unknown where the bomb will travel next. While children play the game, Crowley’s team measures their brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). The researchers have discovered that in kids with anxiety, the brain reacts more strongly to ambiguous threats than it does in their peers, but less strongly to direct threats. They believe that the initial abnormally large brain response to not knowing where the bomb is going impairs the brain's ability to properly respond when the threat is actually traveling the child’s way. “The brains of children with anxiety are unable to differentiate between threats you need to do something about and those that are not your problem.” Michael Crowley, PhD, develops innovative games for studying anxiety in children and adolescents.Credit: Matt Bradbury Based on these insights, Crowley hopes to study whether interventions like attention training could restore appropriate threat processing. Crowley’s team is also working on a test called the Balloon Risk Avoidance Task, which evaluates risk-taking and avoidance behaviors. It features a digital balloon that is full of air and about to burst. Kids have six seconds to let air out of the balloon. The more air they let out, the less risk they face that the balloon will pop. But at the same time, the balloon becomes less valuable as it deflates. “The more air you keep in the balloon, the more points you get,” Crowley explains. So far, the researchers have found that when the balloons pop unexpectedly, teens with social anxiety show distinct brain responses. Studying these responses can help psychologists understand the underlying pathways driving the various manifestations of anxiety. The genetics of anxiety When Thomas Fernandez, MD, associate professor in the Child Study Center and of psychiatry, was still in training, there was a lot of excitement about understanding the genetics associated with autism spectrum disorder. Since then, scientists have identified around 250 genes associated with autism. The genetic contribution to anxiety disorders, on the other hand, has historically received less attention. Anxiety is less heritable than autism, but the genetic contribution for anxiety disorders that emerge in childhood may be higher than for anxiety disorders overall. While scientists estimate the heritability of anxiety disorders in general to be around 30% to 50%, some studies suggest higher heritability for certain childhood-onset anxiety presentations. “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism,” Fernandez says. “So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” “I saw firsthand how researchers in the field went about finding vulnerability genes for autism. So, we’re using a very similar playbook for childhood anxiety.” Thomas Fernandez, MD Associate Professor In the Child Study Center and in Psychiatry Now, Fernandez and Emily Olfson, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Child Study Center, are studying children and their parents to identify genetic changes that are present in the child but not the parents, known as “de novo mutations.” “All of us have some de novo mutations—maybe about 50 to 100 sprinkled throughout the genome,” Olfson says. “But when they occur within the coding regions of genes, they can be really disruptive.” Previous research shows that people with autism have higher rates of damaging de novo mutations than the general population. In 2022, Olfson, Lebowitz, Silverman, and Fernandez published a study on 68 children and their families that found that children with anxiety had similarly high levels of these mutations. Studying de novo mutations can help point the researchers to where they should be looking for genes associated with anxiety. “The end game is using the genes to steer us toward the right part of biology that we can then target to come up with better treatments,” Fernandez says. Building on those findings, the team is now studying more families to better understand how these de novo mutations, along with other genetic and environmental factors, shape pediatric anxiety disorders. They recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to enroll 750 new families over the next five years. Olfson is the principal investigator, with co-investigators Lebowitz, Fernandez, Silverman, and Shuangge Steven Ma, PhD, department chair and professor of biostatistics at Yale School of Public Health. Neurodevelopment, Risk Genes, and Mental Health Conditions - The Olfson Lab Joel Gelernter, MD, Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, is interested in how different anxiety disorders differ genomically. “We are studying social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, working to understand why people differ in their risk to these specific anxiety disorders and evaluating various risk factors,” he says. Gelernter was recently involved in one of the largest studies to date of the genomics underlying anxiety disorder. The study included around 122,000 people with anxiety disorders and around 730,000 without. It found that some genetic differences associated with anxiety were linked to signaling that helps reduce overactivity in the nervous system. Many anxiety medications available today work by targeting this process. “It’s nice when the biology that you get out of a large genome-wide study ratifies things that we already know because that can help increase confidence in further findings from the study,” Gelernter says. Uncovering the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders John Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, is interested in the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of which anxiety is a major symptom. In the late 1980s, Krystal’s team discovered that the drug yohimbine activated symptoms in patients with PTSD. “This was the first time we could link a specific biological mechanism to the symptoms of PTSD,” Krystal says. At the time, he adds, this finding was highly controversial. “A lot of people felt that PTSD was a purely psychological syndrome that didn’t have an underlying biology.” Since then, Krystal has dived deep into understanding the neurobiology of PTSD to learn how to better treat it. His team is evaluating the use of ketamine and psychedelics. These would be among the first treatments to be developed specifically for PTSD. They may also be applicable for other disorders including anxiety disorders, Krystal adds. An important gap in PTSD treatment is the absence of biological tests that inform how to best help patients manage their PTSD symptoms. A doctor doesn’t diagnose cancer based on how they feel. Rather, they use tests of the biology of the cancer to determine the best course of treatment. “And we can’t do that in any psychiatric disorder other than Alzheimer’s disease,” Krystal says. “But now we are building a foundation for this approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders for the first time.” Source: Yale School of Medicine

Oct 5 • 6:44 AM EDT • Science • goldrushcam.com

Lunar Foundation Model Advances Moon Science

Oct 5 • 5:05 AM EDT • Science • stratnewsglobal.com

San Diego Foundation Grants Nearly $1M in Binational Water Health Grants

The San Diego Foundation Wednesday granted nearly $1 million in the Binational Resilience Initiative for 10 projects ranging from addressing Tijuana River pollution to restoring coastal habitats in the California-Baja region.

Oct 4 • 12:02 PM EDT • Health • 10news.com

Dr Brandt Foundation Brings Mental Health Conversations to Miami Teens- Haute Living

Dr Brandt Foundation brings Real Conversations to Miami teens, focusing on mental health, self care, honest support and suicide prevention.

Oct 4 • 11:37 AM EDT • Health • hauteliving.com

Breast Cancer Awareness Month in TX: The resources, events, and numbers to know

Experts say this month is about screening and early detection. One in eight women in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Oct 4 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • nbcdfw.com

Memorial Health offers free mammograms to uninsured and underinsured women and men in October

The Springfield Memorial Foundation covers the cost of the mammograms for eligible patients.

Oct 4 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • capitolcitynow.com

NASA and IBM's open source lunar model turns 17 years of orbiter data into a foundation for lunar science

NASA and IBM have released the Lunar Foundation Model, one of the first open-source AI models for lunar science. Trained on nearly 2 million tile bundles, mostly from 17 years of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data, it cuts the error in predicting polar ice deposits by up to 22 percent compared to the strongest model it was tested against.

Oct 4 • 6:10 AM EDT • Science • the-decoder.com

Munson receives $200,000 grant to support community arts programming

UTICA — Munson has received a $200,000 grant from MetLife Foundation to support access to community programming, including the Arts Festival, Art Alive! Family Days, and free summer Community Arts

Oct 3 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • romesentinel.com

Baptist Health Calhoun Hospital Foundation Golf Classic Set for Oct. 7

ANNISTON, AL. — The Baptist Health Calhoun Hospital Memorial Foundation will host its annual Golf Classic on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with proceeds benefiting the health system. The tournament will feature a four-person scramble format with a shotgun start. Golfers may participate in either the morning session, beginning at 7:30 a.m., or the afternoon session, beginning […]

Oct 3 • 5:01 PM EDT • Health • calhounjournal.com

Southern California micro businesses get boost from CIELO Fund

“We want people to know that a lot of what we do is ecosystem building.”

Oct 3 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • pressenterprise.com

Southern California micro businesses get boost from CIELO Fund

“We want people to know that a lot of what we do is ecosystem building.”

Oct 3 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • sbsun.com

Florida Blue Foundation now accepting grant applications for maternal health initiatives

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue and part of the GuideWell portfolio of companies, now is accepting grant applications from nonprofits focused on improving maternal health outcomes in Florida. The foundation seeks to fund Florida-based nonprofits with innovative and actionable solutions designed to improve maternal […]

Oct 3 • 7:03 AM EDT • Health • communitynewspapers.com

Agency diverted $1.4 billion in science funds mandated by Congress

The extraordinary move — holding back part of the National Science Foundation’s research budget — is another creative sidestep by the Trump administration.

Oct 2 • 7:58 PM EDT • Politics • seattletimes.com

Raise the Stakes | RennerVation Foundation Poker Night Supports Nevada Foster Youth

Get ready to Raise the Stakes for Nevada foster youth! Kelly Burrows and Valieria Koss of the RennerVation Foundation join Sarah Johns to preview Raise the Stakes, a fundraising event

Oct 2 • 6:37 PM EDT • Entertainment • 2news.com

Chivas and Sporting Cristal to back Peru’s children via Pásala

When strong convictions come together, great things happen. That is how Chivas and the Jorge Vergara Foundation are joining Club Sporting Cristal and the Semillero de Campeones Foundation to bring the...

Oct 2 • 6:10 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com