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Denis Leary’s ‘crazy idea’ puts civilians through FDNY training to raise funds for fire departments
Actor-comedian Denis Leary has found a unique way to raise funds for his Leary Firefighters Foundation.
Morrisey announces first $28.56 million in rural health transformation funding
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the first $28.56 million in Rural Health Transformation funding, now open for eligible groups to boost health outcomes, grow the rural healthcare workforce, and help more West Virginians return to work.
Colorado Democrats scramble to fund health care subsidies after loss of federal benefits
Colorado Democrats are struggling to devise a long-term plan to respond to higher health insurance costs after Republicans in Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Individuals and families who...
Colorado Democrats scramble to fund health care subsidies after loss of federal benefits
Colorado Democrats are struggling to devise a long-term plan to respond to higher health insurance costs after Republicans in Congress allowed federal subsidies to expire at the end of last year. Individuals and families who...
Three dead in suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, WHO says
A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organization said Sunday.
Power & Politics: Hofstra Exec. Dean of Suburban Studies, Real Estate Broker discuss Levittown growing pains; Billions of dollars missing from school funding
Hofstra Executive Dean of Suburban Studies Larry Levy and Chris Montalbano, a real estate broker, join the show.
Sony Expected to Pay $7.8 Million in PlayStation Refunds After PSN Lawsuit Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval from California Judge
Select PlayStation users may be eligible for refunds tied to digital PSN purchases after a judge offered preliminary approval for a class action lawsuit settlement.
Is Sphere Entertainment Co. (SPHR) Building the Next Global Entertainment Empire?
Ariel Investments, an investment management company, released its “Ariel Fund” Q1 2026 Investor Letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The fund declined 1.48% in the quarter, underperforming both the Russell 2500 Value and Russell 2000 Value indices, which returned 4.77% and 4.96%, respectively. The S&P 500 posted its worst quarterly decline […]
Zayn axes U.S. dates, including Detroit show, as several tours reshape
The former One Direction singer was due at Little Caesars Arena in November; refunds are on their way to ticket holders.
ActBlue sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, alleging political retaliation over Democrats' fundraising
ActBlue sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, alleging he used his office to retaliate against the Democratic fundraising platform ahead of his Senate runoff.
Health Ministry changes medical cannabis guidelines, passes responsibility to insurance funds
Cannabis may still be considered in severe cases, such as insomnia or acute distress, but only alongside proven treatments like psychotherapy and under close supervision.
He recorded his quest for tariff refunds. It shows why billions may never get repaid
After the Supreme Court struck down most of President Trump's tariffs, Richard Brown began lining up the paperwork he needed to get his refund. Experts say many businesses may never get their money back.
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC) Outlook Improves, Yet Challenges Persist
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) is among the best fundamentally strong penny stocks to invest in now. On April 23, Eric Handler from Roth Capital lifted the price target on AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) to $2 from $1.50 and reiterated a Neutral rating. According to the analyst, a multi-year positive content cycle could positively […]
United Way launches fundraising for new mental health fund
United Way of Northeast Florida launched a campaign to raise $250,000 for its mental health programs by May 31.
Inside Democratic Fundraiser ActBlue’s Big Spending and Internal Drama
The group faces investigations from the Justice Department and congressional Republicans six months before the 2026 midterms.
When funding cuts came — these scientists turned to journalism | The Stony Brook Press
Amid funding cuts to scientific institutions across the country, Isako Di Tomassi co-founded the McClintock Letters initiative, a science communication project that publishes opinion pieces written by scientists about their work and why it should continue to be funded. From protecting apples in Washington state to developing novel insecticides in Indiana, the initiative has published over 200 op-eds, all written by scientists defending their federally funded science, across 46 states.
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta
Iowa lawmakers back vape tax to fund $3M pediatric cancer research
Lawmakers passed $3 million for pediatric cancer research at the University of Iowa, funded by a tax on vapes and alternative nicotine products.
School of Public Health lays off lecturers, staff amid budget shortfall
Citing reduced federal research funding and declining international enrollment, the Public Health School laid off four lecturers and 15 staff
The politics of Trump's ballroom
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump was about a half-hour into his second speech of the day, musing about the danger he faced last week at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Saturday night, it was good for one thing. People are loving my ballroom now,” Trump told a crowd last night. “That’s the only thing. They love my ballroom.” Ever since he was hustled off stage at the Washington Hilton last week, after an attempted shooter breached the dinner’s security perimeter and sent guests diving to the floor, the president has argued that the incident is proof for why his White House ballroom is needed. Only his planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, Trump has reasoned, can keep a president truly safe at major events. It’s true that a bunch of GOP lawmakers have jumped on board with new legislation and words of support for Trump’s project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul and other prominent Republicans went on TV to talk about the need for a ballroom. But as we reported at The Washington Post this week, “people” aren’t really changing their minds on Trump’s ballroom. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that most Americans still oppose the ballroom project: 56 percent against it versus 28 percent in favor. The numbers are the same as a poll from last year, the Post’s polling whiz Scott Clement found. Other new polls have found similar margins, too. “I’m just not a giant fan, especially of extravagance,” one independent voter told me. “I mean, in the era we’re in right now, given how much people are struggling, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $400 million on a ballroom.” How we got here The Washington Post has followed Trump’s ballroom project very closely. (My colleague Jonathan Edwards may have written the most total words of any reporter about the project; I may be second.) The project exploded as a national issue after Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing after initially promising not to touch it.1 Historic preservationists sued, and about a month ago, a federal judge ordered a halt to ballroom construction.2 The only way the ballroom could proceed, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled, was if Congress explicitly authorized Trump’s plans. (An appeals court has stayed Leon’s order for now.) The judge’s ruling raised an obvious question: would Congress authorize the project? Keep in mind, “authorization” doesn’t mean that Congress needs to necessarily fund the planned $400 million project; they could just sign off on the private donations that Trump has solicited to pay for the ballroom.3 But GOP lawmakers really didn’t want to talk about the ballroom, we reported at The Post just a few weeks ago. One major reason was the ballroom’s bad polling — not a small detail with many of their own midterm elections looming. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and Trump’s advocacy, may have changed the political conversation around the ballroom. As this week’s polling shows, it doesn’t seem to have affected the fundamental questions surrounding the project. To put it another way, voters still say that cost-of-living concerns are top-of-mind heading into the midterms. Some Republican and independent voters have told me that they see the ballroom as a vanity project that will help Trump but do nothing for their own lives. It might not help Republicans that Trump has dismissed some of the cost-of-living concerns. He’s described “affordability” as a buzzword manufactured by Democrats whose policies helped cause inflation. “They’ve got one good line of bullshit,” Trump said in his first speech yesterday, delivered at a Florida retirement community known as The Villages. Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter! Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work. Subscribe Speaking of Trump’s speeches… I’m down in Florida because it’s my “duty week” as a White House reporter — basically, I follow the president wherever he goes. (And then hand the baton off to one of my Washington Post colleagues next week.) As part of my duty week, I’ve spent a few days covering the White House’s reaction to Saturday’s attempted shooting, including officials’ review of the security protocols to protect the president. Trump was restrained in the wake of the incident, addressing the nation from the White House briefing room about the need for peaceful dialogue and trying to lower the temperature. But he’s clearly been itching to get back out of the White House, and I was curious to hear how his Florida speeches would go. And — to my ears — it was an unburdened Trump. Not the one we saw Saturday night in the White House briefing room, but the one we witnessed on the campaign trail in 2024. Loose, dropping profanities, mocking everyone, including members of his team. “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being. Where’s Dr. Oz? Where the hell are you, stand up,” Trump said, referring to Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made. He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you, I don’t care. I said, ‘You work out the details.’” I wrote up the speech, as Trump headed to West Palm Beach to deliver more remarks a few hours later. The White House didn’t like my story. Their rapid-response team called it the work of a “total loser”4 and “a miserable TDS-ridden moron.” You can be the judge of whether it’s a fair story or the product of someone afflicted with “TDS.” (The White House’s shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”) I’ve pasted the story below with a gift link, meaning that you don’t need to be a Washington Post subscriber to read it. It might prompt you for an email address, though. Meanwhile, I’ll be down in Florida for the rest of the weekend, covering the president. It’s TBD whether those stories will be deemed TDS-afflicted, too. 1 Jonathan details the past six months of ballroom fallout, reactions and the implications for executive authority here. I also had a great time talking about Trump’s ballroom and other projects with Australia’s ABC News Daily on a podcast this week. 2 The judge allowed underground construction and national security-related work to continue. But that hasn’t been enough for Trump, who says the ballroom itself is essential for his protection. 3 The ballroom donors include companies like Palantir, Google and Amazon. For transparency, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where I work. No one has ever interfered with our team’s coverage of the ballroom or our mentions of Amazon or Bezos, and if that changed, I’d speak out. 4 To be fair, I’ve spent the morning working on stories and writing this Substack post rather than enjoying the beautiful Florida weather. So they may be onto something about who’s winning and who’s losing.
Spirit Airlines is ending operations immediately and going out of business after 34 years, with refunds to come but no customer service
The airline said on its website that all flights have been canceled and customer service is no longer available.
Spirit Airlines says it’s going out of business, ending operations immediately
The airline said it would offer refunds, but no help in changing travel arrangements.
Event With Links to Oil Industry Teaches Judges "Healthy Skepticism" of Climate Science
As congressional Republicans accuse climate scholars and lawyers of colluding to influence the judiciary, a symposium hosted by a center funded by the fossil fuel industry educates judges about free-market views of climate science.
Austin March for Babies to support maternal and infant health
This weekend, March of Dimes will host a community walk with the goal of raising funds to improve the health of moms and babies in Central Texas.
Bruce Blakeman's attorneys make case for campaign matching funds in court
Blakeman sued the state Public Campaign Finance Board last month for denying his campaign millions of dollars of public matching funds over a technicality concerning the filing of paperwork.
Tom Steyer rails against Chevron money — but it flows to his allies, too
A Sacramento Bee analysis found seven Steyer endorsers have received campaign money through PACs funded in part by Chevron.
Thousands from across NC join teachers rally in Raleigh
Thousands of teachers and supporters gathered in Downtown Raleigh on Friday for the NCAE "Kids Over Corporations" May Day march demanding higher pay and increased school funding.
Gov. Abbott, HHSC Announce $56 Million in Federal Funding for Rural Health Care Providers to Modernize Equipment, Infrastructure | Texas Health and Human Services
Gov. Abbott announced HHSC is making $56 million in federal funding available to rural health care providers. As part of the Rural Texas Strong plan, the grant opportunity will help health care providers update critical equipment and infrastructure.
Here's when businesses will start getting refunds for Trump's IEEPA tariffs
Trump says he's considering taxpayer-funded deal to bail out Spirit Airlines
Trump said his administration gave Spirit "a final proposal" and would make an announcement Friday or Saturday"
US lawmakers vote to cut science spending—but reject Trump’s sweeping reductions
A draft bill would preserve NASA’s overall funding but downsize the National Science Foundation’s budget by 20 percent.
Ella Halbert '23 wins 2026 National Science Foundation Award | Oberlin College and Conservatory
The young alum will use the funding to conduct wildlife and ecology research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Sports betting industry spending big on Kentucky House GOP primaries
Sports betting companies are funding a PAC that is spending large sums to support Kentucky GOP lawmakers in their primary, despite their votes against legalizing the industry.
How US equipment ended up in the hands of Iran’s allies in Yemen as USAID was disbanded
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen seized US funded equipment, including vehicles, after the Trump administration suspended and slashed humanitarian funding around the world and began dismantling the US Agency of International Development.
US criticises Zambia for lack of engagement as $1 billion health deal stalls
The United States has criticised Zambia for failing to engage on a new health aid agreement governing more than $1 billion in U.S. funding, saying repeated outreach from Washington had been ignored as an April 30 deadline passed without a deal.
Exclusive: Startup Fun raises $72 million for the serious business of converting crypto and cash
The crypto investor Multicoin Capital and the tech VC SignalFire led the Series A fundraise.
Indiana to end HIV outreach program amid federal funding cuts
Indiana is set to end its statewide HIV outreach and testing program this summer.The decision comes after health officials said a drop in federal pandemic relie
Apollo Sports Capital and Tom Dundon make landmark $225 million investment in pickleball
The fresh funds bring the total investment in Pickleball Inc. to $315 million, as investors continue to look at emerging sports as a place to park their money.
With mass firing, Trump deals a fresh blow to American science
Ambitious research is on the chopping block following yet more cuts at the National Science Foundation.
Good Public Transit + Good Public Funding = Good Public Health
Transit agencies need to do more to remind policy makers of the connection between good public transportation and good public health, a report argues.
Political firm with ties to people accused of stealing from Xavier Becerra is supporting his bid for governor
A political firm previously associated with individuals accused of stealing campaign funds from Xavier Becerra is now running an independent campaign to support his bid for California governor.
Stop-and-go science: Researchers pivot to try to salvage important work
The pace of climate change and funding disruptions force scientists to rethink how research is done.
GOP lawmakers seek to defund HBCU after it canceled Republican's commencement speech
GOP lawmakers in South Carolina seek to strip funding from the state's only public HBCU after it rescinded GOP Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette's invitation to speak at commencement ceremony.
Trump signs Homeland Security funding bill, ending record shutdown
DHS has been without routine funds since Feb. 14, causing hardship for workers, though much of Trump’s immigration agenda that is central to the dispute is being funded separately.
How Janet Mills’ Maine Senate bid fell apart
Conversations with nearly a dozen Democrats reveal how deeply the campaign struggled to raise funds and counter Graham Platner’s meteoric rise.
Giving Day Raises Over $1 Million to Support a Healthy Tennessee
The University of Tennessee Health Sciences’ sixth-annual Giving Day wrapped up last week, but the funds raised will have continuing impact.
Giving Day Raises Over $1 Million to Support a Healthy Tennessee
The University of Tennessee Health Sciences’ sixth-annual Giving Day wrapped up last week, but the funds raised will have continuing impact.
Keweenaw school to host Family Fun Night fundraiser for sports program
The academy says next school year will be its first year in varsity sports.
Aurora Mental Health to lay off 111 employees, citing Medicaid funding cuts
Phillips-Henry said the organization is 'committed to ensuring that no client experiences a gap in care as a result of these closures'
Can LIV Golf work without the Saudi billions? Sports investors predict a ‘free fall’
The inner workings of LIV Golf’s business model are a lot bleaker than what the league is boasting publicly.
Can LIV Golf work without the Saudi billions? Sports investors predict a ‘free fall’
The inner workings of LIV Golf’s business model are a lot bleaker than what the league is boasting publicly.
'Playing a waiting game:' Triangle small business owners hope to receive refunds from illegal tariffs
Last week, businesses began applying online for refunds to tariffs the U.S. Supreme Court deemed illegal earlier this year. However, small business owners in the Triangle who worked with brokers to import their goods say that they'll have to wait for their brokers to pass those refunds to them.
Businesses applying for tariff refunds after Supreme Court ruling
Businesses across the United States are now racing to recover billions of dollars in tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled those tariffs, which had been imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, were illegal.
Sandisk Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Sandisk Corporation (Nasdaq: SNDK) today reported fiscal third quarter financial results. “This quarter marks a fundamental inflection point for Sandisk — wh...
Millions allocated to support pregnant women in Pennsylvania for better health outcomes
Funds combined with work of various coalitions across the Commonwealth are expanding care and access to care.
Mississippi ranks last in U.S. on healthcare outcomes and disparities
The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation focused on healthcare issues, released a report Wednesday that provided a nationwide look at how health outcomes, access to care, and quality of care differ based on racial and ethnic identity. The report shows that, compared to national rates, a higher number of Mississippians die from avoidable deaths, lack health insurance, and have less preventative care such as cancer screenings. These trends are heightened for Black Mississippians.
Trump administration ends funding for fentanyl test strips, baffling public health groups: "It doesn't make sense"
Hollywood and Science unite at the 2026 Breakthrough Prize
The star-studded event celebrated achievements by the world’s top scientists in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics.
Hollywood and Science Unite at the 2026 Breakthrough Prize
The star-studded event celebrated achievements by the world’s top scientists in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics.
Triumph Over Tremors
UCLA Health and the Be Still Foundation host the Triumph Over Tremors Pickleball Tournament Series May 16th — uniting communities nationwide to support those with Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s, with proceeds funding awareness, education, support, and access to life-changing treatments.
The data we can’t afford to lose: Why Demographic and Health Surveys matter now more than ever
At a moment when global health and development funding is tightening, one of the most important tools is as risk—data.
Congress votes to reopen key parts of DHS, after House GOP caves on ICE funding
UNCG Introduces Minerva's Health Chariot to Bring More Healthcare Services to the Triad
A new mobile health unit, funded by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina, is bringing healthcare to eight counties in the Triad.
NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE RECEIVE FINANCIAL BACKING FROM AVENUE SPORTS FUND | News
Premier sports-focused investment platform displays belief in the Courage's championship culture and continued growth with significant backing
House approves bill to fund Homeland Security and end the record shutdown
After weeks of delay, the House voted Thursday to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, but not its immigration enforcement operations, and sent the bipartisan package to President Donald Trump to sign, ending the longest agency shutdown in history.
House Passes Stalled Homeland Security Funding Bill, Ending Shutdown
Republicans were forced to use a special maneuver to steer around opposition in their own party and speed the measure to the floor, relying on Democrats to push it through.
LIV Golf to lose investment from Saudi Arabia, fund says
Reeves establishes Mississippi office for Rural Health Transformation Program funds
Gov. Tate Reeves has announced the creation of an office to manage federal funds for improving rural healthcare in Mississippi.
Gov. Josh Stein signs $319M Medicaid funding bill in North Carolina
Gov. Josh Stein signed a $319M bill Thursday, April 30, 2026, ending a months-long North Carolina Medicaid impasse to provide funding care for 3 million residents while adding policy changes.
Governor signs bill to continue funding Medicaid in N.C.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed the Medicaid funding bill into law. The health insurance program faced running out of money within weeks.
LIV Golf: Major changes with Saudi Arabia set to end funding of league starring Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm
Iterative Health Closes $77 Million Series C to Accelerate the Future of Clinical Research
Iterative Health closed a $77M Series C funding round led by Intrepid Growth Partners and GV, with participation from new and existing investors.
What Does the National Science Board Do? Experts Warn Board’s Firing Could Endanger NSF Independence, U.S. Scientific Leadership
The recent news that President Trump notified all 22 members of the National Science Board that they were being dismissed, effective immediately, has caused alarm in the scientific community because of the body’s unique role in leading the National Science Foundation – one of the world’s premiere research-funding agencies.
Research commissioner pitches EU to US scientists and investors
Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is just back from a two-day trip to San Francisco, where she pitched the EU as the place to be for US researchers looking to move and US venture capitalists looking to invest. A Commission spokesperson told Science|Business that Zaharieva used the trip to “promote Europe as a stable, rule-based and vibrant innovation destination.” She emphasised Europe’s excellent infrastructure and predictable funding, particularly through the European Research Council (ERC) and Europe Innovation Council.These are already proving tempting, with applications from US-based researchers to ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) calls increasing substantially over the past few years. According to the Commission, the number of US-based applicants for the annual ERC Consolidator Grant call rose from 19 in 2025 to 64 in 2026, while US bids to the ERC Advanced Grant call rose from 23 in 2024 to 114 in 2025. Meanwhile, US applications to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme rose from 352 in 2024 to 998 in 2025.Pressure on US scientists to seek alternative employment has increased since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Jobs at federal science agencies have been slashed, funding cut in some research areas and international scientific partnerships turned upside down. He has also made unprecedented attempts to control university affairs.During her trip, Zaharieva made a point of highlighting the protection of academic freedom in Europe, “especially in areas like climate change, renewable energy, and health, where US funding has faced cuts,” the spokesperson said.She also underlined the EU’s “attractive long-term career opportunities and relocation support for top researchers from anywhere in the world,” especially through its new Choose Europe for Science initiative.“Transatlantic cooperation remains essential to tackle global challenges while safeguarding shared values such as academic freedom and openness,” Zaharieva wrote on social media ahead of her visit.Related articlesERC walks back stricter resubmission rules for 2027Don’t feel guilty about poaching scientists fleeing Trump, US science body tells EuropeHer itinerary took in Stanford University’s business school and school of medicine, where topics for discussion included entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration. She also met with venture capital firms, including Playground Global, Forgepoint Capital and Akkadian Venture Capital, as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the US.Other meetings included Jensen Huang, the chief executive of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia, and local business associations such as the Bay Area Council and EuroCham. European delegations in the area also received visits, including Advantage Austria and France’s La French Tech, and the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.
LIV Golf announces new strategic intents to continue operations after Saudi funding loss
LIV Golf is searching for new strategies after the loss of Saudi funding.
How Don Mattingly is beginning to put his stamp on Phillies
Fundamentals, rhythm and a calm but clear message are showing how Don Mattingly wants the Phillies to play.
Report: Oklahoma health system performs poorly across all racial, ethnic groups
Health research and policy nonprofit the Commonwealth Fund warns that federal cuts and restrictions to Medicaid and the ACA Marketplace could worsen outcomes.
House proposes cuts to NOAA, science in new funding bill
The National Weather Service would get a boost, and it would be required to maintain staffing levels.
There Is Optimism Around Micron Technology’s HBM Business, Here Is What You Should Know?
Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) has a five year forward EPS growth rate of approximately 130%, making it one of the best long-term tech stocks to buy according to hedge fund. Wall Street sees an upside of almost 10% as of April 27, with the stock soaring over 540% in one year. The highest analyst price […]
Radiology vendor Aidoc raises $150M from Goldman Sachs and others
Funding will help the New York-based company expand into additional clinical indications and capabilities while also supporting further development of Aidoc’s CARE Foundation Model.
Making the case for curiosity-driven science
President Sally Kornbluth spoke in front of a packed crowd about growing challenges to the U.S. research ecosystem as funding for America’s top research universities becomes increasingly strained
Pasadena confirms whooping cough outbreak at Don Benito Fundamental School
House Adopts Budget to Unlock $70 Billion for Immigration Enforcement
The measure will allow the G.O.P. to begin working on a filibuster-proof bill to fund ICE and C.B.P., part of their plan to reopen the long-shuttered Department of Homeland Security.
White House says funds to pay TSA and other Homeland Security workers will 'soon run out'
In a memo late Tuesday to lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget said money that President Donald Trump tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other workers through executive actions will be exhausted by May
UNM Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center Partners with Department of Neurosciences to Promote Greater Rigor and Reproducibility in Research
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has won a three-year $2.6 million federally funded grant intended to bolster the transparency, rigor and reproducibility of HSC research. The initiative, funded by the National Institute of...
UNM Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center Partners with Department of Neurosciences to Promote Greater Rigor and Reproducibility in Research
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has won a three-year $2.6 million federally funded grant intended to bolster the transparency, rigor and reproducibility of HSC research. The initiative, funded by the National Institute of...
Viewpoint: A career in science is possible, and worth it
Starting a career in science is exciting, but also demanding, with researchers often faced with intense competition, long working hours and high levels of stress. A pioneer in the field of mass spectrometry, Carol Robinson has been there. She speaks with Science|Business on the importance of creating a supportive environment, particularly for women.Robinson did not wake up one day thinking that she would become a scientist. It was only late in school that she developed an interest in chemistry. “The more you work at something, the more you think, actually, this is fascinating. So, I went much further and deeper than I ever needed to pass the exam. And then I loved it,” she says. “I thought, I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to enjoy it while I’m here. But I didn’t think this would be my career for 50 odd years.”She left school at 16 to become a lab technician with the drug company Pfizer, which is where she first worked with mass spectrometry. Fascinated, she was encouraged to take a part-time degree and then a PhD. She went on to do pioneering work in native mass spectrometry, a technique that is used to study protein structures in their natural state, paving the way for breakthroughs in drug discovery. She also broke new ground by becoming the first female professor of chemistry at the University of Cambridge, and then the first female professor of chemistry at the University of Oxford, her current home.She now wants to show young researchers that a career in science is worth it. “Sometimes, I believe the culture isn’t very encouraging, and that’s something I have worked on,” Robinson says.In 2021, she launched the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at Oxford, whose acronym gives a sense of what she hopes it will achieve. “Maybe it is corny,” she says. “It’s just a reminder that I would like it if we could all be kind to each other and supportive, especially for early-career researchers of either gender, because there’s quite a big attrition rate in science, and maybe it just doesn’t feel like a very friendly place to work.”And yet, a career in science comes with a lot of flexibility. “There are few careers where you have that amount of freedom, to go to conferences, to the library. Just because you didn’t see me didn’t mean I wasn’t working,” she says. “And I’m excited to come in every day. So, I don’t want people to think it’s a terrible place.”Gender equality is also important when it comes to the quality of science as a career. “The more women we have, the better it becomes,” Robinson adds.Imposter syndromeAccording to EU data, women outnumber men in university education but account for just about a third of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem). And while the number of women working as scientists and engineers in the 27-member bloc is on the rise, their representation remains below that of men, at 41%. This discrepancy is even more pronounced in top-tier functions across these fields, where women fill just 20% of positions.Having supervised many young scientists, Robinson sees that women continue to have a greater propensity than men to doubt their abilities, a feeling she once shared. “When I was doing my PhD at the University at Cambridge, I really felt like an imposter,” she says. “I don’t think I ever felt I deserved to be there or owned it and was proud. I just thought I was lucky.” Later on, she adds, “I was always that person who said, I can’t apply yet because my CV is not strong enough.”She has now made it her job to encourage women to break with this imposter syndrome. For example, rather than calling for volunteers to give a lecture in the groups that she mentors or teaches, which nearly always results in men stepping forward, she goes straight to the women, “because I know they won’t push themselves forward.”But the gender gap in science is not just down to imposter syndrome. The “obvious” reason, Robinson says, and the reason that is on everybody’s mind when discussing workplace gender equality, is the balance between work and raising a family. Her own path was to choose between the two, taking an eight-year break after completing a postdoctoral training fellowship to bring up three children. And she continues to advise women not to work part-time while they raise a family. “You’ll just get half the pay and continue to work full-time because you are not able to fit everything in,” she says. “You should be able to have a family and come back to have the career that you want.”The solution is for men to also take career breaks. “That kind of evens it up, so that it’s not such a big thing for women,” Robinson says. “I always encourage men in my groups to do that. I think it’s important to take your share of the duties.”Support produces resultsAccording to the Women in Stem Network, a UK advocacy group, countries with strong childcare systems and equal pay policies retain more women in technical careers. In Europe, these are primarily found in the Nordic region and parts of central Europe.At the EU level, the European Commission asks all Horizon Europe applicant organisations to have a gender action plan in place. Since this criterion was introduced in 2021, the share of women leading consortia has increased to 31%, against 23% in Horizon 2020. Their overall participation, however, has risen just 1%, to 38%. After trying to weaken the requirement for gender action plans in 2025, the Commission now intends to adopt a plan for supporting women in research and innovation.Related articlesCommission scraps plan to water down gender requirements in HorizonHow gender balance can swing who wins Horizon Europe fundingRobinson herself has benefited from three Advanced Grants from the European Research Council. “I was extremely honoured and privileged to get those, because they really allowed me to fuel my passion,” she says. “Without that, it would have been a much harder slog.”Beyond applying gender rules, she says that more work is needed on translational enterprise, where women are, once again, largely underrepresented. The European Patent Office found that only 13.8% of applications were filed by women in 2022. “We have so many more women doing amazing science; why do they feel it’s not a thing to have a company?” she asks.She founded her own spin-out company, OMass Technologies, in 2016, and remains chair of its scientific advisory board now that it trades as OMass Therapeutics. As for research, Robinson is now studying how changes in the brain may be linked to depression, using port-mortem tissue. “We’re hoping to publish soon,” she says. “We had to consult with a lot of people who knew a lot more about the brain than we did. So, we’ve learnt a lot, and that’s always a lot of fun to learn a new thing. That’s what keeps you going.”
Minnesota Senate approves funding to rescue Hennepin Healthcare from closure
Sony clarifies recent PlayStation DRM update
PlayStation fans and gaming preservations have been alarmed since late last week that a new 30-day timer attached attached to newly-purchased digital games for PlayStation 4 and 5 might render those games unplayable if the system they’re on is offline for longer than a month. But a rep from Sony told Game File today that new system will require only a single online check before it functions as a perpetual license for the digitally purchased game. That is consistent with a newer theory that emerged by gamers testing the 30-day timer over the last two days. “Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual,” a rep for PlayStation told me over email. “A one-time online check is required after purchase to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are needed.” The rep’s explanation squares with the current understanding among players about what’s happening. A multi-day mystery A post last Friday by YouTuber Lance MacDonald spread awareness over the 30-day timer. Quickly, players began stress-testing the system, removing a battery within their PlayStations and checking what would happen if their systems were offline past the timer window. They noticed that setting a PS4 or PS5 to be the “primary” console—a common Sony-authorized method to retain rights to a digital game—wasn’t overriding the 30-day limit. On Tuesday came the breakthrough: A gamer called Andshrew on the Resetera forums posted the results of some tasting. They found that digital games purchased on PS4/PS5 after some time in mid-April would get a 30-day timer that could then be removed and replaced with a perpetual license that would allow the game to be played offline. The transition to the perpetual license occurred some number of days after the digital game was purchased and the system was connected to the internet. They believed that a PlayStation’s online check-in would trigger the license change no sooner than 15 days after the user had purchased the game. This synced with the theory that Sony’s new system is related to the 14-day window that PlayStation users have to request a refund for digitally purchased games. The new timer/check-in system could be a way to defeat some exploit in that refund system, some users theorized. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe In a follow-up, I asked the Sony rep if the 15-day timeline is accurate or if the perpetual license can be activated sooner after purchase. If they share more, I’ll update this post. Sony has not said why they’ve introduced the timer and whether it is designed to stop people from exploiting the refund system. But their explanation suggests that this new DRM method should not result in long-term loss of access to digitally purchased games, just because a PlayStation is offline for a month or Sony’s servers are down. Xbox flashback For many some gamers, the initial reporting of the 30-day timer conjured memories of Microsoft’s disastrous May 2013 announcement of the Xbox One, which was going to require an internet-connected check-in once a day, lest your games become unplayable.1 After widespread backlash, Microsoft abandoned that plan, ahead of the Xbox One’s launch. 1 Fun fact: That 24-hour check-in detail was my scoop from an interview I had that day with then-Xbox exec Phil Harrison. I was EiC of Kotaku at the time and rushing from one Xbox One preview appointment on Microsoft’s campus to another. I phoned the news in to reporter Jason Schreier, who wrote it up for the site.
Blakeman may meet matching funds criteria, review finds
An exclusive look at Blakeman’s fundraising data shows that if he wins his court battle, his campaign would likely qualify for public money.
Congressional Republicans Struggle to Do the Basics as Chambers Clash
House Republicans toiled to pass major measures as lawmakers scramble to fund homeland security, extend spy powers and deliver a farm bill.
Governor orders health, food inspections to resume - Office of the Governor
SANTA FE — Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham today directed the New Mexico Environment Department to immediately resume routine health and food safety inspections that were temporarily paused due to a funding shortfall in the agency’s Environmental Health Bureau. “The Environment Department’s decision to halt inspections was premature,” said Governor Lujan Grisham. “We will resolve the […]
Illinois business owners navigate murky waters of tariff refunds
A Chicago-area company forced the Trump administration to undo much of its tariff policy. Now that toy company and others want their money back.
Report: LIV Golf to notify players that Saudi funding is officially coming to an end
LIV will reportedly notify its players on Thursday that the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which has poured billions into the tour over its four-plus years of existence, will end its funding as of the end of this season.
SBU Students Advocate for Science and Research Funding
Stony Brook’s student Advocacy Corps recently participated in the AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering workshop in Washington, D.C.
Johnson quells House GOP revolt to advance controversial surveillance bill
For more than two hours on the chamber’s floor, the speaker and fellow Republican leaders cajoled holdouts on that bill and others on DHS funding and farm policy.
‘Last Mile’ fund helps NMSU computer science students cross the finish line
For college students out of options, the Last Mile Education Fund provides a faster way to support degree completion in high-demand STEM fields. At New Mexico State University, 19 students (14 of...
House proposes cuts to NOAA, science in new funding bill
The National Weather Service would get a boost, and it would be required to maintain staffing levels.
Rally for Science Funding
Official website of Senator Scott Wiener, representing California Senate District 11.
They want their teams to win. The Liberty and Nets owners are funding scientific breakthroughs on human health that only billionaire philanthropy can achieve
Clara Wu Tsai's $220 million investment in athlete research has already helped lead to a drug designed to preserve muscle strength as we get older.