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Stop the wiretap shakedown on Main Street
House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams called for federal modernization of surveillance laws following the introduction of bipartisan legislative efforts to protect businesses fr…
Trump administration runs taxpayer-funded ‘love me’ ad
Democratic lawmakers have demanded more details about the ad
WCES targets India’s semiconductor market with specialty gas business
Indian renewable energy firm Waaree Clean Energy Solutions (WCES) will enter the domestic specialty gases market to target semiconductor manufacturing amid the Indian government’s $13.2bn Semiconductor Mission 2.0 programme.
iPad Mini With A20 Pro, New HomePod Mini Colors, and New Apple TV 4K All Just Leaked
MacRumors has just leaked the next iPad mini, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K models, all of which are likely to be announced this October. The most notable iPad mini details revealed in the leaks include an A20 Pro chip, a new speaker design, and a landscape front camera, while images have revealed that the next HomePod mini will be available in new colors like green and pink.
Hannah Einbinder and Susan Sarandon detained while protesting Netanyahu in NYC
Actors Hannah Einbinder and Susan Sarandon were detained by police on Sept. 24 during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
CDC vaccine policy recommendations grind to a halt under Health Secretary Kennedy
Federal guidance on new vaccines has stopped.
Maggie Voisin Breaks Down the Science of Skiing
Maggie Voisin has spent her career learning how to break skiing down into its smallest details; speed, trajectory, timing, rotation, terrain. Years of competition taught her how to calculate a…
Iran has suggested a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 7 days
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal in a private gathering on Thursday
Iran has suggested a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 7 days
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal in a private gathering on Thursday
REG - Light Science Tech.
RNS Number : 4163W Light Science Tech. Holdings PLC 25 September 2026 TR-1: Standard form for notification of major holdings1. Issuer DetailsISINGB00BNDQJN14Issuer NameLIGHT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES HOLDINGS PLCUK or Non-UK IssuerUK2. Reason for NotificationAn acquisition or disposal of vo…
Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Apple Watch Series 12: Every Difference Detailed!
Every feature compared between the Apple Watch Series 12 & Apple Watch Ultra 4 - side-by-side in real life!
You Can Edit Your Photos With Lightroom and Photoshop Inside Google Gemini
Google Gemini users can now edit their photos with Adobe's creative editing tools inside Gemini, including color and lighting changes.
CDC vaccine policy recommendations grind to a halt under Health Secretary Kennedy
NEW YORK (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new flu vaccine that tested well in older adults. But the federal agency responsible for telling doctors and
Earth Tearing Apart Beneath Pacific Northwest
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Scientists have captured an unusually detailed view of a major tectonic system beneath the Pacific Northwest beginning to come apart.
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.
Democrats press RFK Jr. on an ethics agreement change involving law firm fees
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces scrutiny from congressional Democrats over ethics disclosures | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Mississippi Department of Health to host maternal and infant health conference
The conference will also break down the newly released dietary guidelines for Americans and what they mean for pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding.
World of Warcraft: Forever has recaptured the original MMO's magic, something I thought was impossible
World of Warcraft: Forever's beta has set a high bar for the new iteration of the classic MMO, and having played it over the past few days, I'm utterly smitten
Eat This, Age Slower: The Diet Habits Science Now Urges You to Try - Futura-Sciences
Can What You Eat Really Slow Down Cellular Aging? For years, scientists have observed that people who eat a balanced diet tend to live longer and healthier lives. But how exactly do the foods we eat affect the aging of our cells? Until recently, the detailed mechanics remained a vast...
Netanyahu turned the UN into campaign theater – but will Israelis buy the show?
NATIONAL AFFAIRS: The prime minister presents himself on the global stage as a leader uniquely equipped to defend Israel in a hostile world, seeking to bring that same message home to Israeli voters.
Meta debuts Tamagotchi-style AI agent
Meta is creating a tiny, portable Muse Charm device for carrying around the company's AI agent, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced.
As RFK Jr. Opens Inquiry On Disputed Health Effects Of Cellphone Radiation, What Does Science Tell Us About Radiofrequency Emissions?
The Trump Administration aims to “identify gaps in our knowledge.” But it's not clear this investigation will add much to the conversation beyond what scientific studies have already shown.
As RFK Jr. Opens Inquiry On Disputed Health Effects Of Cellphone Radiation, What Does Science Tell Us About Radiofrequency Emissions?
The Trump Administration aims to “identify gaps in our knowledge.” But it's not clear this investigation will add much to the conversation beyond what scientific studies have already shown.
Experts tracked lions for four years and found something incredible
The Lion King got one major detail wrong, a new study shows
New study suggests the aging brain is adapting, not declining
As we get older, the brain prioritizes wisdom over remembering details for good reason, according to researchers.
Third generation grows Perino's Home & Garden Center's 77-year-old business in Metairie
Perino's Home & Garden Center, a mainstay in Metairie for 70 years, is led by the third generation of the Perino family, a group of five daughters who continue to grow the business.
Political science professors weigh in on U.S. House recess
On Sept. 16, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson recessed the House of Representatives a day earlier than scheduled. He sent members of Congress home to their districts before the midterm elections. This decision came following Rep. Thomas Massie’s introduction of articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, primarily related to military action...
Verrado Marketplace announces next wave of businesses opening this year
When fully completed, Verrado Marketplace will house more than 55 retailers, restaurants and service providers.
Future of Marketing Briefing: Imagining the ad business hiding inside Meta’s Muse
Meta built its $243 billion ads business on human attention. Agents could be next in line.
NJ Gov. Sherrill calls for lieutenant governor to resign after probe
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called for Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after a report released Sept. 24 detailed state ethics violations and alleged that Caldwell sexually harassed a
Costco clinches $184M in tariff refunds, with more expected
Costco confirmed it received $184 million in tariff refunds, with more on the way, according to its latest earnings call. On Thursday, the big-box retailer said the money was reinvested
Justice Jackson Calls Emergency Docket ‘Potentially Corrosive’
Hours after fielding the Trump administration’s latest emergency application, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson gave a speech urging the Supreme Court to rethink such requests.
Hannah Einbinder, Susan Sarandon arrested in protest against Netanyahu
Hannah Einbinder and Susan Sarandon were arrested after protesting the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations in New York City. Cynthia Nixon, Elliot Page, Indya Moore, Mary Beth Barone, Caleb Hearon and Sarah Sherman were also at the demonstration.
Cowgirl Softball beat the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma 6-0 Tye Gensler has the details
#cowgirlsoftball #okstate #okstatesoftball #oklahomastateuninversity #softball #sportsnews #sportsmedia #studentmedia
Interested in purchasing a commercial space through the Business Community Ownership Fund?
Our Business Community Ownership Fund has two brand-new, cold-shell commercial spaces in Rainier Valley available to match with a business owner. If you’re interested in the spaces below, please visit our website for more details on eligibility and reach out to our program staff at OED_BCOF@seattle.gov. Available commercial spaces (9/24/26): Atrium Court, 7324 Martin Luther […]
At least 30 arrested, including actors, politicians during anti-Netanyahu protest outside UN
Police arrested at least 30 people, including actors and politicians, during a protest outside the United Nations headquarters on Thursday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hours before he addressed the UN General Assembly.
Jewish community divided on Israeli PM Netanyahu's appearance at U.N.
People stood and sat in the street, linked arms and blocked traffic.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 vs. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2: How these AI glasses compare
Meta's newest smart glasses are an iterative, expensive update.
Police arrest actors, politicians protesting against Netanyahu outside UN
By Maria Tsvetkova NEW YORK, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Police arrested at least 30 people including actors and politicians as they protested outside United Nations headquarters on Thursday against Israeli
Police arrest actors, politicians protesting against Netanyahu outside UN
Police arrested at least 30 people including actors and politicians as they protested outside United Nations headquarters on Thursday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his speech at the General Assembly.
Meta gets to consumer AI device market before OpenAI, but Zuckerberg's strategy remains unproven
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's new Muse Charm device is intended to put his company ahead of rivals like OpenAI and Google in AI agents and consumer hardware.
Democratic House candidate arrested during Netanyahu protest in NYC
Darializa Avila Chevalier was among several progressive elected officials and nominees who protested Netanyahu's speech at the U.N.
'Disrupting Politics' details Green Bay native's experiences in D.C. tech with eye on AI
(WLUK) -- For the last 23 years, a Green Bay native has had a front row seat in Washington D.C. at the intersection of technology and politics.Katie Harbath has
Google rolling out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6 for Pixel
Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6 is now available for Pixel devices, barely a week after Beta 5 launched. Beta 6...
Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6 arrives for Pixel testers
Google's latest preview of Android's next big update has landed, with Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6 builds now available.
Netanyahu says Mamdani endangers Jewish New Yorkers
The mayor has encouraged the federal government to arrest Netanyahu.
Gardner council OKs plans for massive entertainment, education district. What’s next?
While the project is one step closer to reality, there are some details that will be ironed out next month. Here’s what to know.
Rising prescription and supplement use poses health risks for seniors
Older Americans are increasingly taking multiple prescription medications and dietary supplements. Although the prevalence of potentially major drug-drug interactions has declined slightly, more than 1 in 5 older adults are potentially at risk, according to a USC-led study published September 24 in JAMA.
Fort Smith-based RVR to retain medical marijuana cultivation license
The more than six-year legal roller coaster ride that jeopardized the operations of River Valley Relief (RVR), a Fort Smith-based marijuana cultivation business, has come to an end with a...
EXCLUSIVE: DHS Secretary Mullin slams sanctuary politicians as attacks on ICE officers skyrocket
Assaults against ICE officers surged 1,649% since Trump took office, with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin blaming sanctuary politicians and anti-ICE riots.
Netanyahu says attacking Iran was ‘one of the easiest decisions’ he’s ever made
He denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of delegates who walked out of the U.N. General Assembly when he took the podium to speak
Meta Launches $1M Developer Competition to Stock 'VR Glasses' with More Hand-tracked Apps
At Meta’s annual developer conference today, the company announced its next VR Start Developer Competition, this time slated to award a prize pool of $1 million to spark the community to get cracking on Meta VR Glasses-compatible content. Meta is hoping to appeal to developers of both new and existing projects across entertainment, gaming, and […]
Netanyahu says attacking Iran was ‘one of the easiest decisions’ he’s ever made
He denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of delegates who walked out of the U.N. General Assembly when he took the podium to speak
Netanyahu says attacking Iran was ‘one of the easiest decisions’ he’s ever made
He denounced as “moral cowards” a mass of delegates who walked out of the U.N. General Assembly when he took the podium to speak
US cybersecurity agency releases election infrastructure plan
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s cybersecurity agency on Thursday released an election infrastructure security plan 40 days before November’s midterms, laying out potential threats to election systems and listing services it would offer to election officials to protect the vote. The plan, which Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had originally promised to release by […]
Scientists Discovered a Mysterious Force Eating Away at Cars, Bridges, and Monuments
When water slides on a surface, it can pick up an electric charge—and that can have consequences for metals exposed to the elements.
RFK Jr.'s ethics filing reveals book deals worth millions of dollars
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s annual financial disclosure revealed he has received two lucrative book advances and free flights from a friend while in office.
This ‘World of Warcraft: Forever’ Mod Blocks All Interactions With Asmongold Fans
The beta for the hotly anticipated World of Warcraft: Forever has been marred by fans of the streamer Asmongold who have filled the game’s public spaces with spam and slurs. To fix the issue, a player named Solastro created a mod called OlympusMute that hides any chats from players
Android’s Create My Widget ‘app’ detailed on phones, Googlebooks
Create My Widget will debut in early October on Googlebooks. Ahead of that, a Play Store listing details what the interface will look like...
SOME CITY SPORTS FIELDS ARE CLOSED TODAY SEE LINK FOR DETAILS 9-24-26
****FIELDS THAT ARE CLOSED TODAY (9-24-26) ARE: AMBER MEADOWS BASEBALL FIELD, BOTH LOATS BASEBALL FIELDS, AND RIVERWALK SOFTBALL FIELD**** What “CITY SPORTS FIELDS ARE CLOSED” means &ndash
Muse will apparently let you download its entire filesystem
With a little coaxing, Meta’s AI will reveal all its secrets.
VR Glasses are Meta’s big bet on the future of TV
Will people who didn't buy a Quest VR headset really pay $1300 for a TV replacement?
Finance Committee advances Klomp for deputy health secretary - Live Updates
Klomp will be Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s No. 2 if confirmed.
Bills defensive lineman T.J. Sanders out indefinitely after having appendectomy
Brady didn’t provide a timetable for Sanders’ return in announcing the player had surgery a day earlier.
What moving to a healthcare AI reality looks like for Oracle
Supporting care pathways and clinical workflows with new artificial intelligence agents is not a bid to replace providers, say Oracle leaders as they detail the company's progress integrating AI at the annual 2026 Oracle Health and Life Sciences Summit.
How Daniel Danes MBA’24 Built an Olive Oil Business · Babson Thought & Action
With lessons from Babson, Daniel Danes MBA’24 launched TITIN Olive Oil, bringing traceable, high-quality Spanish olive oil to retailers.
Economic development veteran Mike Malone notes value of statewide competitiveness
Mike Malone, partner at Shallotte, N.C.-based economic development firm Economic Leadership, said cities, counties, and states compete to retain and attract residents and businesses. The firm recently worked with the...
iOS 27.2 beta arrives. How to try the new iPhone Health app.
The new Health app isn't launching on iOS 27.2, but you can still try it early.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Ultra 4 Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade?
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 arrives three years after the Ultra 2. Across those two generations, Apple added satellite connectivity, a larger display, new health sensors, and longer battery life. Are those changes enough to justify replacing an Ultra 2 or paying more for the newest model? Both watches retain a 49mm titanium case, an Action button, a siren, a 3,000-nit display, dual-frequency GPS, and support for recreational diving to 40 meters. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799 in the U.S.
Las Vegas fast-fashion retailer closing all locations
The local retailer is closing its final two stores after opening in the valley in 2009.
Burgers Have Meat and Vegetables. Why Aren’t They Considered Healthy? A Dietitian Explains
Registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade reveals the ingredients and cooking styles that give this beloved dish such a bad rap.
Meta's New AI Device Is This Tamagotchi-Like Muse Charm Keychain
Meta says the keychain will be ready to ship by the holiday season, like some kind of bizarre AI stocking stuffer.
Pensacola Seafood Festival starts Friday. Here’s all the details.
This weekend's Pensacola Seafood Festival features more than just great food. Plan ahead to get the most out of your experience.
Provident Bank Goes Live with MANTL Business and Retail Account Opening Across its 135-Branch Network
/PRNewswire/ -- Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT), a digital sales and service platform provider for financial institutions in the U.S., today announced...
Earth life support systems are flashing red, warns 2026 Planetary Health Check
Human activities continue eroding the planet’s stability, resilience and life-support functions, the third edition of the Planetary Health Check released in September warns. The “scary” part of the 2026 report, says lead co-author Levke Caesar, is that the trends are largely going in the wrong direction. “We still have seven out of the nine planetary […]
Scientific American Starts Sober but Quickly Relapses
A proposal by University of Washington planetary scientist David Catling addresses what origin-of-life researchers call the phosphate problem.
“The View” star Alyssa Farah Griffin details 3-month-old baby’s skull surgery, says newborn will wear helmet for 1 year
“Having to sign off on him getting a blood transfusion and all that was so scary,” the former Donald Trump White House staffer said of son Justin Griffin.
Meta’s Muse AI Charms can interact with each other
More details about Meta’s Tamagotchi-like AI charm.
Mark Zuckerberg says Meta will lead on smart glasses privacy despite ‘pervert glasses’ criticism
In an exclusive interview with NBC News chief tech analyst Joanna Stern, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Meta will do more to highlight its safeguards against secret recording.
Visit Liberty Science Center During Sukkot
(Courtesy of Liberty Science Center) From Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, has exciting programming planned for the entire family. In addition to fascinating science exhibits and shows, the Science Center will provide a sukkah for those observing Sukkot. The center’s exhibition, “The Power of Poison,” explores the […]
Israel’s Netanyahu takes the U.N. stage facing global isolation and a fight for his political future
Netanyahu is not scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump or any other any other U.S. officials and is expected to return to Israel shortly after his speech.
Is metascience being co-opted?
In July, the White House released a report that argued academia is deeply dysfunctional and in need of radical reform.Science: A New Golden Age sets out a litany of problems many academics will recognise: interminable waits for grants; short-term funding rather than support for longer, more ambitious projects; ballooning administrative requirements; pressure to publish, and many more. “The scientific machine is getting bogged down,” it says. At least on the face of it, Science: A New Golden Age is a triumph for the metascience movement, a loose-knit, global group of academics, philanthropists and think tankers that want far more testing and experimentation in how we fund public research and innovation. The report tells US research funders to set up internal metascience units to do just this. But it has also set alarm bells ringing that metascience is being conveniently deployed to help justify the defunding of US universities, which US vice president JD Vance has openly labelled “the enemy.” “Just because you have an issue with your plumbing in your house doesn't mean you light the entire house on fire and burn it to the ground,” said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, a group campaigning against what it says are attacks on scientists by the Trump administration. No one is arguing that academia doesn’t need reform, but there’s debate over how far and how fast the system should be shaken up. Does public R&D need slow and steady evidence-based adjustment, or radical new experiments?One of the key arguments in Science: A New Golden Age is that there’s not enough funding for what it calls “mid-level” science: engineering-heavy projects that require tens of millions of dollars, involve ten to a hundred people, and last around five years. Such a project might develop a brain-computer interface for people with Alzheimer's disease, for example. As such, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already announced $1.5 billion to set up so-called X-Labs, effectively new research organisations to pursue breakthroughs in areas such as quantum sensing and new scientific instruments. Funding divertedBut there’s a catch: this money has squeezed NSF budgets for more traditional, fundamental research grants, Science reported in June, likely meaning less cash for university-based scientists. Science: A New Golden Age also makes various swipes at universities, accusing them of extracting overheads from scientists to fund administrative bloat. “We have become dependent on a narrow set of legacy institutions,” it says. The report doesn’t mention it, but the US government is simultaneously seeking greater powers over federal funding, which would allow political appointees at funding agencies to screen or cancel research grants mid-project. The White House is also seeking to slash the NSF’s budget by more than half in 2027, although similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by Congress. Convenient hookThis has worried some that the metascience agenda could be misused as a kind of smokescreen to further weaken universities. James Wilsdon, executive director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, said that the report contains lots of “interesting ideas” and agrees that in places, academia is a “pretty broken system.” But the risk is that metascience is being deployed as a “convenient hook” to support cuts and a “political land grab” to transfer grant power from scientists to political appointees in US funding agencies.So far, the metascience agenda hasn’t been seized on by radical right parties in Europe. But Wilsdon worries it will cross the Atlantic, politicising research reform efforts and making them more difficult to carry out. The report is already making some in Europe sceptical of the entire idea. “The system is not without flaws, but the metascience discussion is not likely to improve the system but rather to generate munition to undermine it,” said Claes de Vreese, a professor of AI and society at the University of Amsterdam. Peter Thiel protégéOfficially, Science: A New Golden Age has just one named author: Michael Kratsios, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former chief of staff to Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel. He also served as chief financial officer of Thiel’s Clarium Capital Management. Since the 1990s, Thiel has criticised US universities for moving away from teaching what he views as the classic works of western civilisation, and drifting towards “anti-Western zealotry.” And since 2011, he has offered two-year fellowships of $250,000 to young people to skip or drop out of university, and instead start companies or pursue scientific research. “College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new,” according to the Thiel Fellowships website. In other areas, the Trump administration has promoted academics with a longstanding interest in metascience. For example, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, in 2020 co-authored a study arguing the funder backs overly conservative proposals, although he achieved wider prominence as a critic of pandemic lockdowns. Careless talk costs fundingEven before the Trump administration embraced the metascience agenda, some metascientists privately wondered whether they should be careful not to overstate dysfunctions in academia, in case this gets used as ammunition against universities. But others think being cautious with criticism is pointless. After all, last year, the Trump administration sought to cut funding from US universities on an entirely different premise: supposed antisemitism on campus. “I don't think these governments need a technical metascientific excuse to attack the universities, they will want to do so anyway,” said Will Stone, a researcher at Science Works, a new think tank advocating for a “metascience revolution” in the UK. “I think researchers should report what they find, even when the findings may be used to advance policies they disagree with,” echoed Russell Funk, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who in 2023 co-authored a highly influential paper that argued scientific papers were becoming less disruptive over time. No justificationThat said, Funk thinks that metascientific research certainly doesn’t justify a weakening of universities. Instead, scientists need “time, resources and stability to pursue unfamiliar ideas,” he said. “Taking away those conditions works against the very goal the reforms are supposed to achieve.”The Institute for Progress, a Washington DC-based innovation policy think tank that has championed X-Labs and metascience units, also says that reforms should complement, not supplant, universities. “Unpredictable, unreliable, and reduced federal funding to researchers is destabilising to the very foundations of research and development and is bad,” said Jenn Gustetic, the institute’s director of metascience and R&D policy.Evolution or revolution?This points to a much bigger divide in the metascience community: how far and how fast should public R&D be shaken up? Does it need evolution or revolution? For example, Science: A New Golden Age says the science system relies too heavily on traditional “workhorse” project grants, the type that pay out around $250,000 a year to fund “hypothesis-driven science by small teams on tractable questions.” However, in criticising project grants, the report “decisively picks one side of a debate that is far from settled,” David Hilmer Rex, a metascientist based in Denmark, has written. In June, Pierre Azoulay, a metascientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defended project grants, saying that the alternative of X-Labs “merits scepticism.”A-B testingOne challenge in metascience is that it’s easier to generate evidence for some types of change than others. Most straightforwardly, research funders can run A-B tests on different ways of awarding money. For example, Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation recently trialled distributed peer review, where applicants rate each other’s proposals, and measured its results against traditional review panels. Distributed peer review made quicker decisions, although awarded money to largely different ideas. However, much of the focus of the metascience movement has been on founding fast-moving and free-acting new research organisations and funders, in contrast to the alleged stodginess of mainstream academia or public innovation grants. A culture of speed and freedom are the animating principles behind Germany’s Sprind or the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).Related articlesViewpoint: it's time to experiment with how Europe funds science European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationHowever, while it’s possible to closely study previously successful bodies, such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), for historical clues to their secret sauce, it’s impossible to guarantee in advance that the likes of Sprind or Aria will actually work as hoped. But advocates of new organisations say this inherent uncertainly shouldn’t stop us trying. “If we wait for definitive proof that something will work before we try it, I don't know where your proof is coming from,” said Stone. Trade-offsUp until now, experiments in metascience haven’t generally come with hard trade-offs over money. In the US, new ideas such as focused research organisations have often been funded by billionaire philanthropists. In Europe, new innovation agencies such as Sprind and Aria, or the Netherland’s new National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, haven’t needed explicit cuts elsewhere in the research system. But with the $1.5 billion establishment of X-Labs by the NSF, the trade-offs are becoming clearer. Some metascientists privately wonder whether a smaller pilot would have been more appropriate, given that the idea is untested. The Institute for Progress counters that the $1.5 billion X-Labs budget is spread out over a decade, so will account for less than 2% of the NSF’s annual budget. “It’s important to remember that [Darpa] was once an institutional experiment as well. Now it’s one of the most cited innovative funding models in the world,” said Gustetic.As for Europe?The US isn’t the only country placing metascience at the heart of its research strategy. Science: A New Golden Age looks admiringly at the UK, which in 2024 set up a Metascience Unit to scrutinise how it funds research. In Brussels, it’s more of a mixed picture. In 2018, the EU set up the European Innovation Council to funnel grants and equity to start-ups, although it’s sometimes criticised for awarding money too slowly. Recently, the council has started experimenting with challenges, where teams of inventors compete to overcome a technological challenge. The European Commission also wants to experiment with partially randomising grant winners, to cut down on bureaucracy. However, the Commission’s own advisers have said the EU’s own research schemes are too conventional. They want the Commission to establish a new dedicated unit to scrutinise and experiment with funding. But there’s no sign of a such unit emerging in Brussels’ plans for the next Horizon Europe programme, which from 2028 is set to distribute more than €160 billion over seven years. Sam Bogerd, director of breakthrough innovation at the Brussels-based Arq Foundation, an AI-focused think tank that also looks at metascience, says that Europe might have the opposite problem to the US: universities and basic research funding are still reasonably well supported, but there’s not enough experimentation. “We're not taking a close enough look at where this money can achieve the most, and I am worried that the good ideas around metascience will be tainted politically by their association with the Trump administration,” he said. He’s still lobbying for the Commission to set up an experimental unit. But in the meantime, the Arq Foundation plans to do its own research, and is currently hiring two metascience researchers to run the rule over how Brussels spends research funding.
EU science policy wonks debate prospect of stronger ties with Canada
Europe’s research and innovation sector has started asking questions on how European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s offer to make Canada “the first associate member of the EU” would actually work in practice, and who will get to shape priorities in a transatlantic relationship that is getting stronger. The Commission says it wants “a new model of association” under which the EU and Canada will aim to develop “a shared space” to face ongoing challenges. “Working in close coordination with our member states and the European Parliament, we will aim to create a new form of partnership that has not existed until now, building the closest imaginable form of association with a partner outside Europe,” a spokesperson told Science|Business.Locked in an escalating trade war with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly talked of annexing Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been looking east, but full EU membership was never in play. Taking the floor a day after von der Leyen’s proposal, he agreed to strengthen ties under “an alliance of the future” but reined in enthusiasm on the new label. He also suggested expanding Canada’s involvement in the Erasmus+ student mobility scheme, to which it currently has limited access, and the next iteration of Horizon Europe. Canada joined the present Horizon Europe in 2024, but only contributes to collaborative projects.Neither side has detailed the next practical steps in developing this new relationship. “I think nobody at the moment truly knows how this will work,” said Michael Browne, chief executive and founder of Crowdhelix, a global collaborative network that connects players in research and innovation. “It’s more of a statement of intent for closer collaboration, which requires legislative frameworks and approval processes, which have not started.”Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of the League of European Research Universities, said von der Leyen’s pitch to Canada is “politically significant, but the legal content still has to be negotiated and constructed.”Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer university group, agreed that she had only opened “a political door” to Canada, as “associate membership does not come with a predefined set of rights in the EU institutions.”Not only does this status not currently exist as a legal category in the two treaties that set up how the EU functions, but the Commission president cannot unilaterally create a new category of EU membership.According to Deketelaere, Article 217 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which allows the bloc to make association deals with non-EU countries involving reciprocal rights and duties, is “the most obvious existing legal basis for building a much deeper EU-Canada relationship.”Getting universities involvedNo matter how this new cooperation takes shape, Liviu Matei, who heads the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London, hopes to see universities involved in discussions from an early stage.“Its primary motivations, entirely justifiably, are political and geopolitical,” he said. “In the area of higher education, however, restricting the initiative to political and geopolitical considerations would limit the scope of cooperation and lead to distorted frameworks and counterproductive implementation.”It is all the more important since academic interests on the two sides of the Atlantic are “neither identical nor fully aligned,” Matei added. “This is not insurmountable; it simply requires work to articulate the details of this privileged cooperation, including its governance and funding frameworks, as well as its substantive content in education and research.”Related articlesCanada looks to deepen research and education links with the EUZaharieva hopes for a Horizon Europe deal in 2026Canada might participate in European Research Council schemes, for example, which was not on offer in the present Horizon Europe association agreement. But “there would have to be something in it for the EU,” Browne said. “They don’t want to be funding projects outside of the EU where intellectual property is going to sit outside of the EU. There has to be some kind of transfer of knowledge.”But access to funding will not by itself resolve all the practical difficulties of working together, said Björnmalm. “For researchers and students, these include visas and residence arrangements, recognition of qualifications and study periods, and the conditions for pursuing a research career across borders,” he said. “For universities, there is scope for more predictable access to shared laboratories, computing and research data, and stronger support for joint doctoral training and long-term institutional partnerships.”Linda Doyle, provost and president of Trinity College Dublin, said Europe should strive for the “closest possible expression” of this new political alliance. “If Europe is serious about recovering its voice and its place in the world, it needs to be strongly allied with countries who share its values and its vision for a stable, rules-based, peaceful world.”
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