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Ex-US congressman David Rivera sentenced to 10 years in prison for Venezuela lobbying

River's ex-housemate, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, testified he had no idea about his activities.

Oct 2 • 5:05 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Kansas' third-party secretary of state candidate eager to inspire electoral evolution

Scott Morgan, a convert to third-party politics in Kansas, embraces his secretary of state nomination by United Kansas Party as an opportunity for change.

Oct 2 • 4:37 PM EDT • Politics • kansasreflector.com

Former GOP Rep. David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying

David Rivera has been jailed since jurors found him guilty in May on all counts, including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of his work for former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Oct 2 • 2:55 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Ballard makes new pledge in Secretary of State race | Crossroads Politics

Oct 2 • 2:28 PM EDT • Politics • wthr.com

RFK Jr.'s AI claims spark physician backlash as debate over medical AI intensifies

Robert F. | Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said on Tuesday that artificial intelligence can provide patients a second opinion that is "much better informed than any doctor in the country."

Oct 2 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • fiercehealthcare.com

Michael Douglas reveals secret Kathleen Turner romance after lying for 40 years

Michael Douglas reveals in his new memoir that he and ‘Romancing the Stone’ costar Kathleen Turner had a romantic relationship but lied about it for 40 years.

Oct 2 • 9:51 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

'A kind of Rosetta Stone': AI decodes 217-year-old secret letter ordered by Napoleon

GPT-6 Astra has been used to solve a centuries-old cipher used to convey strategic military information between Napoleon's troops.

Oct 2 • 6:30 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com

Pete Hegseth creates a Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs reporting directly to him

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is launching an office of religious affairs at the Pentagon.

Oct 2 • 12:02 AM EDT • Politics • seattletimes.com

'Grey’s Anatomy' actor Sophia Bush secretly married former pro soccer player Ashlyn Harris

In her new memoir, 'Grey’s Anatomy' actor Sophia Bush reveals that she secretly married former pro soccer player Ashlyn Harris.

Oct 1 • 7:54 PM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com

The secret to healthy habits isn't doing more. Psychologists say it's 'wellness stacking,' and here's how it works

Psychologists explain what wellness stacking is, why it works neurologically, and how to build a daily routine that holds up even on your worst day.

Oct 1 • 4:01 PM EDT • Health • creators.yahoo.com

Ballard wants secretary of state office 'out of politics.' His opponents see a problem

The Independent running to be Indiana's next secretary of state said he wants to see the office banned from endorsing other candidates or donating to a political party.

Oct 1 • 1:07 PM EDT • Politics • wfyi.org

Trump says Secret Service wants him to ‘take down’ Oval Office

The president also said he is looking into designating the White House room as a “federal landmark,” potentially preserving his changes.

Oct 1 • 12:30 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Early voting begins Oct. 6

Taos countians will begin to cast ballots next week for the Nov. 3 general election, in which New Mexicans will choose a new governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, land

Oct 1 • 11:45 AM EDT • Politics • taosnews.com

There’s a Secret to Safeguarding Moms’ Mental Health. Or Is There?

Life's a breeze for new and expectant mothers, right? Their bodies "just know exactly what to do" to snap back after pregnancy. Having "a really consistent morning routine" works wonders. So does "remembering to slow down and breathe" and engaging in "open communication" with family and friends. Of course, none of these things can safeguard

Oct 1 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • musebyclios.com

How Is The Federal Government Counting Measles Deaths?

Recently Secretary of HHS Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., changed how the federal government tracks deaths in its official measles tally, after Pennsylvania reported four deaths. This Policy Watch reviews the two roles, strengths, and weaknesses of the two public health surveillance systems at the center of this change: the Nationally Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).

Oct 1 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • kff.org

Ag Secretary Rollins says USDA working to secure future of dairy farms

From export growth to Dairy Margin Coverage, Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins details policies she says helps dairy farmers navigate challenges and grow.

Oct 1 • 6:09 AM EDT • Business • wisfarmer.com

Secretary of state candidate Ballard calls for ban on political actions by officeholder

Denouncing political activity by Indiana’s top elections officer, secretary of state candidate Greg Ballard is calling for a ban on partisan actions by whoever holds the office.

Oct 1 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • indianacapitalchronicle.com

September Monthly Review: Health MCP Guy?

For all the time I spend talking about APIs and data exchange, this newsletter has had embarrassingly little interoperability of its own. It’s old-school SaaS, baby - UI or bust. Not all of that is my fault! Substack, for all its popularity, is (as mentioned before) really frustrating as my system of record. The primary user it optimizes towards is the reader, whose attention feeds the app, the Notes feed, and the recommendation network that Substack is actually selling. Health API Guy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe They’re falling into the same trap that Medium once sprinted into, albeit at a much more glacial speed. Younger generations may not remember (or never knew) it, but Medium once lured publications like The Ringer and Signal v. Noise onto its platform, only to lose them as it rebuilt itself around a paywall and an algorithmic feed. Substack’s original pitch circa 2020 was the antidote (you own your list), but every new feed feature chips away at it. I get it: writers are generic supply in the eyes of the Substack product team. Generic supply follows demand, so the consistent pressure on the PMs is to generate demand, which leads to every product cycle going toward discovery (Notes, recommendations, the app, live video). The end result lackluster author tools (laggy and broken analytics are truly crippling) all despite the premium price point. The archive is where it crosses from authorial gripes to actual reader impact, though. Across Substack and LinkedIn, I’ve published 1,218 posts and nearly 900,000 words since 2018. Substack’s native search can see only the 464 posts that live on Substack, and even there it’s woefully inadequate at surfacing relevant content (even for the guy who wrote it)! Readers have the same problem, writ large. Ask the Archive Fixing search (for both my readers and my own use) turned out to be extremely non-trivial, unfortunately: There’s no public API for readers to access content RSS exists for new content notification, but it only carries the 20 most recent posts and cuts paid ones off at the preview The only Substack MCP is an admin tool for analytics The export exists for authors, but it’s painfully awkward and slow. So I built something to work around that: the Health API Guy MCP. It’s a private MCP server holding the full text of everything I’ve written across Substack and LinkedIn. Add it to Claude or ChatGPT as a connector and you can ask things like: It pairs keyword search (for acronyms and case names, of which we have many) with semantic search. Every post is also labeled by topic, form, and court case, so you can pull a lawsuit’s (or multiple cases’) entire docket across Substack and LinkedIn in one query: Hail, Healthapiguyhydra This is also a bit of me eating my own cooking. I’ve spent the year arguing that headless healthcare is arriving and that developers want primitives over abstractions. Last week in Hail, Benihydra, I watched Salesforce plug its platform into Claude and bet that the records underneath outlive whatever interface sits on top: Salesforce must believe that the Hydra’s immortal head is the records, permissions, and business logic (in that they will survive whatever happens to the interface). It felt a bit hypocritical to keep my own archive behind a Substack search bar. The archive is the body. Substack is one head, and now whatever tool you might use is another. Will the EHRs follow my lead? Probably not imminently, but one can hope! Why Founding Members Only The MCP is available to Founding Member subscribers. A few reasons: It costs money and time to run. Hosting, the database, Clerk usage and AI compute for search and labeling are significant operational costs (that increase with usage). Substack gives me no way to automate access. There’s no API to check whether someone is a paid subscriber, so every user is manual operations for now. It’s a beta. We’ll need to improve things and parts will break. I’d rather they break for a small group of dedicated readers who will tell me about it. The Founding tier deserved a real benefit. Until now it was mostly a generous tip. Now it comes with something. If you’re already a Founding Member, reply to this email with the address you’d like provisioned. If you’re not and want in, upgrade here. Larger teams (such as companies) can get access too: group subscriptions at the Founding tier come with the group discount. The admin for the subscription can reply with the list of addresses to provision. Get 20% off a group subscription Pricing Founding membership is now a flat $200 a year, replacing the old suggested $150 that readers could adjust. Existing Founding Members will have access grandfathered in at their previous rate. Month in Review Articles Published Make Networks Dumb Again (Sep 11): AI is making old analog networks cheaper to use and flooding them with machine traffic in the process. A plea for agent-native rails with the intelligence at the endpoints, and for Washington to drag them to ubiquity. Interoperability, Unbuttoned (Sep 29): Interoperability is a series of workflows in a trenchcoat, and this post finally takes the trenchcoat off. A color-coded map shows which provider workflows went digital, which are fragmented, and which still run on fax. Video Content Antitrust’s System of Record Problem (Sep 3): The FTC’s investigation into Epic prompted a ninety-minute webinar, now posted with chapters and a smoothed transcript. We get into why market definition, missing B2B share data, and the SSNIP test leave antitrust poorly suited to systems of record, plus why information blocking may be doing more than any pending lawsuit. The Information Exchange: Cerner Milking Edition (Sep 18): This was so fucking fun. Ryan Tucker, Ryan Brickner, Brad Thorson, and I try an Around the Horn format, complete with points, penalties, and a mute button. We debate whether Oracle Health is dead, who would actually buy Cerner (IBM enters the chat), p(Doom), and why the front desk still hands you a clipboard. Regulatory Ask Not What Your Network Can Do (Sep 23): CDC’s RFI on public health data intermediaries lists use cases already served, unevenly, by eCR, lab reporting, IZ Gateway, and syndromic surveillance. The real opportunity sits in one question about AI: a network that can handle the next emergency without another interface project. Court cases Particle v. Epic: The Naughty Schoolteacher (Sep 4): After a summer-long vigil, the answer on Epic’s early summary judgment bid is two paragraphs and a remedial assignment. Particle advances to the next grade, and market definition gets another year of discovery. The Epic Discovery Files (Sep 8): Texas’s motions to compel arrive with a 251-page appendix of requests, objections, and meet-and-confer letters with Cravath. Inside: Epic using generative AI for document review, denied interoperability requests in scope, and Noerr-Pennington raised against lobbying discovery. Epic v. Health Gorilla: “Working as Designed” (Sep 9): Epic wants nothing to do with the data breach MDL, and explaining why puts fresh discovery on the public docket. The spiciest allegation: Health Gorilla told GuardDog to scrub its law firm business from its website instead of cutting off access. Veeva v. Epic: Legal Bypass Surgery (Sep 15): Veeva asks the Wisconsin Supreme Court to skip the Court of Appeals, while law professors and three policy groups line up as amici. Meanwhile, Epic’s lawyers apologize for another round of citation errors, including a quote that never existed. Texas v. Epic: Behind the Black Bars (Sep 17): The court portal served up Epic’s unredacted filings, revealing a $5 million document review budget and the AI workflow behind it. Also inside: the 200-plus company names Texas wants searched, and one very expensive Zoom invitation. OpenEvidence v. Doximity: Consequences Will Follow (Sep 25): OpenEvidence tells the court it will not comply with a discovery order, and its own lawyers at Quinn Emanuel say they won’t defend the choice. Add years of Slack reported unrecoverable, and Rule 37 sanctions come into view. Health Tech Keeps Choosing Violence (Sep 28): Doximity moves to end OpenEvidence’s case, Epic asks Texas to show its work, and a sleepy Audacious Inquiry patent fight sprouts antitrust and information blocking counterclaims. The main event is a long-sealed Cognizant v. Infosys ruling that hints where system of record antitrust claims can survive. EHRs One Verb for Oracle Health (Sep 14): Oracle’s earnings call quantifies every data center to the decimal point, while Oracle Health gets a single verb: “accelerate.” Panning the few healthcare mentions turns up an agentic care management system, a research-to-care ledger play, and the question of whether healthcare gets Larry’s patience. Epic’s Forretress Under Siege (Sep 30): Judy Faulkner tells a panel Epic paused hundreds of projects to harden its software and calls it a “shame,” while a spokesperson insists the roadmap hasn’t changed. Project Glasswing, a Pokémon-branded QAN sprint, and a trove of Jodel grievances reconcile the two Epics and preview the Jevons paradox coming for all software. Industry Analysis Scanning for a Network (Sep 1): Scan.com raises $220M to build the imaging network labs never got, speedrunning Zocdoc’s consumer-to-B2B pivot. Its wedge to network density may be the most American one available: personal injury litigation. The Front Desk Wants the Damn Whole Building (Sep 16): Hello Patient buys Converse Health, pushing its AI front desk into referrals, chart work, and prior auth. The copilot categories keep blurring, and your distribution partner is still your final boss. Cross-industry Comparisons A Different Patchwork Quilt (Sep 10): Healthcare loves to envy open banking, but the US version has no mandate, a toll booth at Chase, and data quality problems of its own. The grass isn’t greener; it’s another American patchwork quilt, and perhaps a worse one. Hail, Benihydra (Sep 21): Salesforce brings its platform into Claude, Slack, and its own agent, inviting the interfaces that might replace it. Cut off one head and more grow back, so long as the records underneath stay put. Living on A Trade Secret Prayer (Sep 22): Six credit unions are suing Fiserv, the Epic of core banking, by claiming their own member records as trade secrets. Banking has no Cures Act, so its lawyers reach for legal alchemy that healthcare has already tried. Other News None this month External Media Nabla Accelerate NYC: I kicked off fall conference season at Nabla’s Accelerate event in New York, where Delphine Groll opened by asking the room to picture the company it wants to become and the one it doesn’t. I liked her framework of bureaucracy, fear, and ego as the blockers. I also love vendor conferences/events in general - different vibe than industry biggies. Healthcare 101 with Nikhil Krishnan: I briefly guest lectured Out-Of-Pocket’s Healthcare 101 class. Appreciated Nikhil’s takeaways cover whether AI doctors can query HIEs, why healthcare’s data-liberation rules beat most industries’, and the hi-res graphic is in the comments. HCN: Epic Probed by the FTC: I joined the HCN guys to talk through the FTC’s investigation into Epic. Cedric’s new hairdo was an unexpected plot twist. The episode also covers MFN drug pricing, healthcare M&A and Eli Lilly’s acquisition streak. Fall Conferences: At eHealth Exchange’s Annual Meeting in Austin on Oct 27, I’ll moderate a panel on the tensions between AI, HIEs, and timely patient access with Jean Ross (Primary Record), Therasa Bell (Kno2), Byron Crowe (Doctronic), and Michael Marchant (Freenome). Here’s the rest of my schedule if you want to meet up: CommonWell (Redwood Shores, CA): Oct 13-14 Will be participating in a fun Jeopardy event Open@Epic (Madison, WI): Oct 20-23 Will be enjoying Verona, Willy Street, and other local adventures eHealth Exchange and Sequoia Project (Austin, TX): Oct 27-29 Yeehaw HLTH (Vegas): Nov 15-18 Groundhog Day, Venetian Edition RSNA (Chicago): Nov 30-Dec 2 See me at “Governing AI in Breast Imaging: What Health Systems Are Actually Doing” Digital Health Counsel 2026 AI Summit (Seattle): December 2-3 Will likely be speaking to a bunch of lawyers about information blocking Posts I Liked ChatGPT’s Epic integration: game changer or nothing burger?: Joshua Liu, MD offers five thoughts on OpenAI’s Epic launch, starting from the point that it rides the same open APIs available to anyone. He argues read-only access leaves ordering to Art and the ambient startups, and asks why HCA is piloting it alongside Commure. He’s sorta a must-follow at this point - consistently excellent, thought-provoking takes. Epic, Lilly, and the Discovery pass: Seth Chaney reads Epic’s first major Discovery deal (with Eli Lilly), as well as its revised developer terms on commercial displays, as the pipe finally opening between EHRs and pharma. Life sciences and health continue to collide. Scott Rossignol on EHR payer platforms and ePA fees: Scott argues the top ambulatory EHR vendors are turning the prior auth mandate into a per-member-per-year toll on payers, for an API whose operating cost has nothing to do with covered lives. His fix is two lines of regulatory text: put the CRD/DTR/PAS certification criteria in the Base EHR definition, and bring payer-facing ePA connectivity under § 170.404’s cost-based fee rules. It’s a good solution. Health API Guy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Oct 1 • 4:36 AM EDT • Health • healthapiguy.substack.com

Banijay Entertainment’s Scripted Secret: Find the Talent, Then Back the Ideas

With 170 labels across 25 territories, Banijay Entertainment has plenty of scale. But at Iberseries & Platino Industria, Steve Matthews, head of scripted, creative, made clear that the company’s globa...

Oct 1 • 3:37 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

No longer a secret, Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes doc 'You Can See Everything' lands in New York

No longer a secret, “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, has premiered at the New York Film Festival

Oct 1 • 2:22 AM EDT • Entertainment • washingtonpost.com

No longer a secret, Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes doc 'You Can See Everything' lands in New York

No longer a secret, “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, has premiered at the New York Film Festival | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM

Oct 1 • 2:12 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com

No longer a secret, Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes doc 'You Can See Everything' lands in New York

No longer a secret, “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, has premiered at the New York Film Festival | WWL

Oct 1 • 2:12 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com

Ad Council Launches New Maternal Mental Health Campaign As 3 In 4 Conditions Go Untreated

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Secret to Motherhood, a maternal mental health effort from the Ad Council's "Love, Your Mind" campaign, supported by the Arthur M....

Oct 1 • 12:01 AM EDT • Health • prnewswire.com

Viewpoint: Kennedy’s ‘bad science’: MAGA embrace bolsters HHS secretary’s influence and popularity

Pennsylvania has recorded four measles deaths this year — the state’s first in 35 years — yet the federal government’s official measles death count still

Oct 1 • 12:01 AM EDT • Science • geneticliteracyproject.org

Senate confirms Keith Sonderling, a business ally, as labor secretary

The vote came shortly before senators planned to recess late Wednesday to campaign ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Sep 30 • 11:29 PM EDT • Business • washingtonpost.com

Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as Labor Secretary

Another Florida man has been confirmed to Donald Trump's Cabinet.

Sep 30 • 11:11 PM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com

UN Decade of Healthy Ageing midpoint report finds progress, calls for greater investment

New evidence in the Secretary-General's report to the 81st UN General Assembly, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordination with the UN system, finds more countries acting on healthy ageing than ever before – but longer lives will not become healthy, dignified ones without faster, more sustained investment at country level.(NEW YORK, 28 September 2026) The Secretary-General transmitted to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly the mid-term progress report on the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030), marking the midpoint of the ten-year global effort to improve the lives of older people. The report was prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordination with the UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing and with inputs from thirteen UN entities, the World Bank Group and civil society partners. It finds real progress in countries – and persistent gaps that must close before 2030.The number of people aged 60 and over passed 1 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, with the fastest growth in low- and middle-income countries. Longer lives are not automatically healthy ones: globally, the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at age 60 widened between 2000 and 2023, and an estimated 71% of excess deaths from COVID-19 between 2020 and 2023 were among people aged 60 and over. “Longer lives are one of humanity’s great achievements, but we cannot congratulate ourselves while leaving millions without health and support,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director, Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO. “The first half of the Decade has shown what is possible. The second half must be about scaling and financing the progress to meet the needs and rights of older persons.”Real progress, unevenly sharedThe report finds that more countries than ever now have legislation against age-based discrimination – up from 44.5% in 2018 to 57.7% today – and over half now have national long-term care policies, up from 49% in 2023 to 56.7%, dedicated programmes to build age-friendly environments (54.6%), and comprehensive health and social assessments of older people (54.6%). New WHO guidance on services for long-term care and for Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) delivered in communities is enabling systemic change as an increasing number of countries incorporate these services within national universal health care benefit packages. A host of UN agencies and other partners support training, increasing health workforce competencies and use of digital health tools.“This report shows the Decade of Healthy Ageing is working,” said Dr Ritu Sadana, Head of the WHO Secretariat for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. “More countries are legislating against ageism, providing integrated care, strengthening long-term care systems, and creating age-friendly environments than ever before, in all regions and income levels. But progress is uneven and in one area, regressive: fewer countries report active multi-stakeholder forums on ageing, down from 53.1% in 2020 to 43.3% today. The second half of this Decade must turn commitments into results, in every country.”The financing gap: this Decade's binding constraintFinancing remains the binding constraint: more than a third of reporting countries (33.8%) have very little or no dedicated resources to develop long-term care, with similar shortfalls across the Decade’s other priority areas. Less than half of countries (45.4%) have legislation providing access to assistive devices (including hearing aids, spectacles or rollators), which are key to enabling older people to maintain productive, independent and dignified lives. Only 22.7% of countries can track older people’s health over time – the largest gap across the Decade’s core progress indicators. Nationally representative information is needed in each country, as policies and interventions cannot be designed as if all older adults of a given age share similar needs and capacities. The report calls for sustained investment through national budgets, country-owned plans, development cooperation and innovative financing mechanisms to fully close these gaps by 2030.“The Decade was designed as a whole-of-UN effort, and this report shows it in action,” said Amal Abou Rafeh, Chief of the Programme on Ageing Section at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and Permanent Co-Chair of the UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing. “Thirteen UN entities, the World Bank group and civil society organizations contributed to this report, with WHO as the lead technical and implementing agency. That is the model of coordination the second half of the Decade will need to scale, with countries leading legislation, funding and implementation, engaging older people.”“Investing in healthy ageing is not simply a cost; it is one of the highest-return investments a government can make,” said Fiona Stewart, Global Lead for Ageing and Pensions at the World Bank Group. “Countries that invest early in integrated and long-term care see savings that outweigh the upfront cost many times over. The evidence in this report makes the economic case; what is now needed is predictable financing at country level to act on it, along with efforts to support older entrepreneurs and the silver economy.”Older people's own voicesThe report also draws on the direct experience of older people themselves, including a multilingual global survey conducted by the International Federation on Ageing that reached more than 1000 older people across 58 countries. WHO and UN partners called on Member States to use the second half of the Decade to accelerate implementation, strengthen data systems, and secure the financing needed so that the gains of longer lives reach older people everywhere. About the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2020, the Decade is a global collaboration bringing together governments, UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, academia and older people themselves to improve the lives of older people, their families and communities. It is coordinated by the World Health Organization together with the UN Inter-Agency Group on Ageing. The Decade's mid-term progress report was transmitted to the General Assembly by the Secretary-General, prepared by WHO, and is available in 6 languages.Full Report available: A/81/366 Implementation of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030): Note by Secretary-General [ العربية | 中文 | English | Français | Pусский | Español

Sep 30 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • who.int

Steve Hilton presses Xavier Becerra on AI regulation and legislation

During CNN’s debate, Hilton pressed Becerra on harsh criticism attributed to former Biden policy adviser Susan Rice in an Axios report from 2024. Rice denied those remarks.Becerra responded by pointing to his record, saying he “helped create millions of jobs” during his time in Congress, as California’s attorney general and as HHS secretary.

Sep 30 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Five-star point guard pays secret official visit to Kentucky

The Kentucky basketball team hosted a five-star point guard for a visit, and fans didn't know he was in town.

Sep 30 • 7:27 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem files for divorce from her husband of 34 years

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband of 34 years.

Sep 30 • 3:33 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

The Indiana secretary of state oversees elections. Should they eschew partisan politics?

Indiana's secretary of state is the state's top election official. One candidate for the office is asking: should they engage in supporting a political party themselves?

Sep 30 • 2:33 PM EDT • Politics • indystar.com

Mike Rowe on America’s great tradesperson shortage: ‘I don’t care what your politics are. Math doesn’t care, either’

At Ford Pro Accelerate, Rowe sparred with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Defense's Mike Duffy about the divide between college and the trades.

Sep 30 • 2:16 PM EDT • Politics • fortune.com

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand tells CNN she has ‘grave concerns’ about Defense Secretary Hegseth’s leadership

Sep 30 • 1:47 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Secret phone-record seizure sparks personal lawsuit from GOP senator

Marsha Blackburn's lawsuit targets Jack Smith personally, arguing the special counsel was never lawfully appointed and violated her constitutional rights.

Sep 30 • 11:22 AM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

A hidden energy “treasure” under the Alps and Pyrenees? Scientists stunned - Futura-Sciences

A Secret Under Our Feet? Could hydrogen be the hidden energy of tomorrow? Recent breakthroughs are strengthening the case for this natural gas—also known as “white hydrogen”—as a key energy player in a decarbonized future. In France’s Lorraine region, for example, deep drilling has uncovered significant concentrations of natural hydrogen,...

Sep 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • futura-sciences.com

Chicago’s iO Theater is hosting an expert-led science bar talk exploring the complex forensic psychology and clinical profiles of real-life serial killers and alternative mental health therapies

Curiosity meets actual experts at Curious Hour in Chicago, where you can sip and learn about psychology and more.

Sep 30 • 6:55 AM EDT • Science • secretchicago.com

New Evanston Art Center exhibit explores mental health, taboos

The lobby of the Evanston Art Center is full of secrets laid bare in its latest exhibit, “Whispers in the Dark.” The exhibition, which had its opening reception Sunday, features the work of seven creators using a variety of artistic mediums. The pieces examine mental health and taboo topics, often utilizing macabre imagery. When entering...

Sep 29 • 10:40 PM EDT • Health • dailynorthwestern.com

A.I. Is ‘Better Informed’ Than Doctors, Kennedy Tells Industry-Backed MAHA Summit

The health secretary, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials addressed a conference sponsored by corporations, including A.I. companies and others with business before the government.

Sep 29 • 7:41 PM EDT • Health • nytimes.com

Military academies won\'t give tenure to civilian faculty, Hegseth says

The Defense Department has decided to stop appointing civilians as tenured faculty at U.S. military academies. Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo Tuesday outlining the change, saying he wanted to

Sep 29 • 6:06 PM EDT • Politics • lancasteronline.com

Supreme Court lets Trump continue deporting people to 3rd countries while justices consider policy

Under a series of often-secret agreements, the Trump administration has deported some 25,000 people to more than two dozen countries, including Liberia and Guyana.

Sep 29 • 3:31 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

RFK Jr hosts MAHA Summit: Business leaders RALLY

FOX Business' Jackie DeAngelis reports on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosting the MAHA Summit to make America healthy again. A Steak 'n Shake executive praises the initiative,

Sep 29 • 2:36 PM EDT • Business • foxnews.com

RFK Jr hosts MAHA Summit as business leaders rally to make America healthy again

Jackie DeAngelis reports on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosting the MAHA Summit. A Steak 'n Shake executive praises the initiative, while Democrat Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El Sayed outlines his proposals.

Sep 29 • 2:23 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com

Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin welcome baby girl

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and Victoria’s Secret model Barbara Palvin 'took Labor Day literally this year,' she wrote on Instagram.

Sep 29 • 1:38 PM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com

Remarkably preserved feathered dinosaur discovered in China reveals new secrets of flying predator evolution

A newly discovered feathered dinosaur named Norellraptor barsboldi had sharply curved teeth and claws, as well as four wings, and it adds evidence to the idea that flight evolved several times in different dinosaur groups.

Sep 29 • 12:47 PM EDT • Science • livescience.com

RFK Jr outlines expansive vision for collecting US health data at Maha event

Health secretary calls for medical and lifestyle details to be sent to doctors and AI to address ‘chronic disease epidemic’

Sep 29 • 10:41 AM EDT • Health • theguardian.com

Ranked among America’s best science museums in 2026: NASA’s visitor center in Houston lets you touch a real Moon rock and step inside a Space Shuttle replica

Space Center Houston: the NASA science museum where Moon rocks, spacecraft and Candlelight concerts bring space history to life.

Sep 29 • 10:40 AM EDT • Science • secrethouston.com

Hegseth says NSA, military cyber forces will guard election systems in midterms

But the defense secretary's announcement comes after Trump gutted the civilian agency specifically created to safeguard election infrastructure

Sep 29 • 9:23 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com

Hegseth says NSA, military cyber forces will guard election systems in midterms

But the defense secretary's announcement comes after Trump gutted the civilian agency specifically created to safeguard election infrastructure

Sep 29 • 9:23 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

Hegseth says NSA, military cyber forces will guard election systems in midterms

But the defense secretary's announcement comes after Trump gutted the civilian agency specifically created to safeguard election infrastructure

Sep 29 • 9:23 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

Watch live: RFK Jr., Vance outline MAHA agenda at health summit

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Vice President Vance will headline the annual Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) summit in Washington on Tuesday. The daylong gathering …

Sep 29 • 8:29 AM EDT • Health • thehill.com

The Beclowning of Scott Bessent

One iron law of current politics is that nobody who associates themselves with Donald Trump emerges with a shred of credibility. For some, that’s not a big loss — it’s not as if anyone respected Pete Hegseth even before he decided that the key to military success in an age of drones and AI was more testosterone. For others, however, the costs are real. I’m old enough to remember when Marco Rubio was widely considered a reasonable, thoughtful politician. Right now, however, my candidate for the biggest loser is Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury. Bessent started out with significant reputation to lose: When Trump selected him, this was the headline in the Financial Times: Jason Furman, Barack Obama’s chief economist, described him as a “credible Treasury secretary who has a real understanding of the global economy”. But Bessent has now transformed himself into the Baghdad Bob of bonds. Three weeks ago, after intervening (for reasons that remain somewhat unclear) to support the Japanese yen, Bessent boasted about his ability to move markets and dared investors to bet against his, declaring “I am the house now.” He then tried to push long-term interest rates down, buying 30-year U.S. Treasuries in a move some have compared to paying down part of your mortgage by running up your credit card balance. Here’s how that’s going so far: To get some perspective on how high interest rates have gone, here’s a longer-term perspective: We haven’t seen interest rates this high since the fading days of the dotcom bubble. Why are interest rates hitting new records? The backdrop, as I argued in last Sunday’s primer, is the huge AI-driven investment boom; more on that next week. But the immediate cause of the latest interest rate spike was Trump’s rejection of an Iranian proposal to end the war. This rejection sent crude oil prices, which for a while had fallen considerably, shooting back up: It’s notable, by the way, that oil prices remain high even though a significant amount of oil is now being shuttled through the Strait of Hormuz by night, on smaller vessels. That’s an interesting story, which has a lot to do with the fact that oil from the Hormuz shuttle runs must be transferred to larger vessels before being shipped to markets in Europe and Asia; around 15 percent of the world’s large crude carriers are now parked off the coast of Oman, waiting to be tanked up. This is creating a shipping crunch: But that’s a topic for another day. For now, the point is that with oil still high and refined products, especially diesel, still close to record levels, inflation will remain elevated. And this in turn means that the Federal Reserve will keep short-term interest rates high, an expectation that is feeding into longer-term rates. Hence Bessent’s bond-market humiliation. The truth is that Bessent might not have been able to get interest rates down even in the best of circumstances. But he certainly won’t get anywhere as long as Trump keeps believing that he can somehow convert his Iran debacle into a triumphant victory. And Trump will keep believing that as long as he is surrounded by sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear. Sycophants like, for example, Scott Bessent, who is predicting the imminent collapse of the Iranian economy, possibly within two weeks. Bessent is right to say that the embargo on Iranian oil exports is placing the country under great economic strain. But his implicit prediction that this will quickly produce a deal that Trump can call victory looks no more plausible than his boasts about the bond market. The big question now is, why would anyone with a reputation to lose work for Donald Trump? As the beclowning of Bessent shows, joining the Trump team won’t just damage your reputation; it will utterly destroy it.

Sep 29 • 7:10 AM EDT • Politics • paulkrugman.substack.com

Bobby Harrison: Politicians’ superpower might allow them to avoid blame for rising healthcare costs

The secret superpower of politicians is that we, the voting public, often do not understand how their actions or inactions impact us, thus allowing elected officials to escape consequences.

Sep 29 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • cdispatch.com

VP Vance & HHS Secy. Kennedy Join Admin. Officials and Health & Tech Industry Leaders at MAHA Summit

Vice President Vance and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. join administration officials and health care and tech industry leaders at the 2026 MAHA Summit in Washington, DC.

Sep 29 • 12:00 AM EDT • Health • c-span.org

Hegseth directs military to defend US midterm elections from foreign interference

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a memo directing the military to defend the US midterm elections from foreign interference, the Pentagon said Monday.

Sep 28 • 11:15 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

CDC vaccine policy recommendations grind to a halt under Health Secretary Kennedy

Federal vaccine recommendations have stalled following Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismissal of the advisory committee and subsequent legal challenges to his attempts to overhaul immunization policy.

Sep 28 • 4:42 PM EDT • Health • sentinelcolorado.com

Arizona Sec of State candidates to debate Wednesday | Political calendar

Candidates for Arizona Secretary of State to debate; Deadline to register to vote coming up on Oct. 5; Early voting in Nov. 3 election starts in Oct. 7 & more

Sep 28 • 4:29 PM EDT • Politics • tucsonsentinel.com

Senate Finance Committee Advances Health and Tax Nominees

Senate Finance Committee votes to advance four nominees for HHS Deputy Secretary, IRS Chief Counsel, and Tax Court judge positions. See the results.

Sep 28 • 2:53 PM EDT • Health • legis1.com

Nandy labels Farage ‘master of conspiracy theory’ over Fairford claims

Culture secretary tells event at Labour conference Reform UK leader is exploiting public anxiety

Sep 28 • 1:16 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

An Old Paper Really Did Suggest A Mathematical "Doomsday" On 13 November 2026, But There's No Need To Worry

The paper, written in 1960, suggests "doomsday" will occur on 13 November 2026. But unless there are billions of secret pregnancies out there, you shouldn't be all that concerned.

Sep 28 • 1:02 PM EDT • Science • iflscience.com

A secret Stonehenge under Lake Michigan is baffling archaeologists

Stonehenge is one of many ancient stone circles dotted around the world, in Japan, Australia and even the US.

Sep 28 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencefocus.com

Dominant defensive effort has Notre Dame high in specific categories

It's no secret that Notre Dame's defense has been the team's biggest anchor so far. The defensive effort is reflected in specific categories

Sep 28 • 7:02 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Students weigh in on rhetoric in Maine political advertisements

It is no secret that the Senate race in Maine is hotly contested. Republican incumbent Susan Collins and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, a…

Sep 28 • 3:03 AM EDT • Politics • mainecampus.com

3 business risks of AI-assisted coding executives can’t ignore

Without oversight, AI coding assistants can leak secrets, act sans accountability and spike spend.

Sep 28 • 1:00 AM EDT • Business • ciodive.com

Current and future RFK Jr. aides criticize his science-rejectionist vaccine views

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent years casting doubt on vaccines, but the people lined up to work for him keep saying the opposite. Since

Sep 28 • 12:05 AM EDT • Science • geneticliteracyproject.org

Taylor Swift debuts ‘Patient Zero’ music video at VMAs starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell

The pop star and actress play women who have dated the same man — who secretly poisoned both of them the whole time.

Sep 27 • 10:11 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

WHO recognizes healthy, innovative cities across the Western Pacific Region

Nine Healthy City champions from across the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region received special recognition at an awarding ceremony during the 11th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities in Sydney, Australia.The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has presented the Healthy Cities Recognition Awards every two years since 2004 to celebrate innovative and impactful city-led initiatives that improve the health and well-being of urban populations.Eight cities received awards for their best practices, and one National Forum received the WHO Regional Director’s Special Award in recognition of its long-standing leadership in advancing the Healthy Cities movement.Awardees were selected through a rigorous evaluation process and recognized for demonstrating measurable, innovative and sustainable approaches to health challenges faced by cities.Remarking on the significance of the awards, Dr Huong Tran, Director of the Division of Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Control at the Regional Office, said that, “There is no single blueprint for a healthy city. What works in one context may need to be adapted to another. But by sharing our experiences, including what worked, what was challenging, and what we learnt along the way, we can help one another move faster and further.”Award-winning cities and initiativesThis year's awards recognize outstanding city-led initiatives that have demonstrated measurable impact, innovation and sustainability in advancing health initiatives for urban populations.Baguio City (Philippines) – Data for equity: informing action, improving healthDr Donnabel Tubera-Panes, City Epidemiologist – Medical Officer IV of the Health Services Office accepted the award on behalf of Baguio City. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisBaguio City was recognized for developing a pioneering Livability Index that provides village-level data across all 128 barangays (villages), enabling evidence-based planning and more equitable allocation of resources. By integrating community participation and institutionalizing the index within city planning and budgeting processes, the city has demonstrated how data can drive action to reduce health and social inequities.Eunpyeong-gu (Seoul, Republic of Korea) – Communities living in vulnerable situations: advancing health equity through community engagementVice Mayor Honourable Ahn Hyoung Jun accepted the award on behalf of Eunpyeong-gu. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisEunpyeong-gu was recognized for its inclusive health equity programme supporting vulnerable populations, including isolated older adults and LGBTQI+ communities. Through peer-led community networks, social cooperatives and inclusive service design, the district has strengthened access to care, promoted social inclusion and advanced community ownership of health initiatives.Madiun City (Indonesia) – Adapting and mitigating climate-related crises: building heat resilience and preventing flood-related health risksMs Yuni Dwi Purwani, Secretary General of the National Forum for Indonesian Healthy Cities/Regencies, accepted the award on behalf of Madiun City. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisMadiun City was recognized for its SUPERMIE (Sustainable Public Environmental Management Initiative) – a community-based environmental governance model that addresses urban flooding, climate resilience and environmental sustainability. The initiative contributed to reductions in flood-prone areas, greenhouse gas emissions, diarrhoeal disease and dengue fever, while at the same time improving food security through neighbourhood food gardens. The programme has already been replicated in 15 cities and regencies across Indonesia.Macao Special Administrative Region (China) – Protecting communities from tobacco and alcohol-related harms: tackling commercial drivers of riskDr LO Iek Long, Director of the Health Bureau, Macao SAR, China accepted the award on behalf of Macao. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisMacao SAR was recognized for implementing a comprehensive and integrated approach to tobacco and alcohol control. Through legislation, monitoring systems, enforcement, public awareness campaigns and multisectoral partnerships, the programme has strengthened protection against major risk factors for noncommunicable diseases and established a model that is highly transferable to other urban settings.Phnom Penh Capital City (Cambodia) – Safe, active and health-enabling transport: advancing health and reducing inequities in urban mobilityH.E. Khoung Sreng, Governor of Phnom Penh Capital City accepted the award on behalf of Phnom Penh Capital City. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisPhnom Penh received the award for its Safe School Zone Project, which combines infrastructure improvements, speed management, enforcement, education and stakeholder engagement to protect children and communities. The initiative has demonstrated measurable reductions in crashes and vehicle speeds while providing a scalable model for safer urban mobility across the country.Quezon City (Philippines) – Transforming food environments: addressing policy, market and urban design drivers of health and nutritionMs Jirah Asa M. Sideco, Chief of the Nutrition Section of the Quezon City Health Department accepted the award on behalf of Quezon City. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisQuezon City was recognized for its public food procurement policy that promotes healthier diets through government-run institutions and feeding programmes. Supported by strong policy frameworks and monitoring systems, the initiative improves access to nutritious food for vulnerable populations while serving as a benchmark for other local governments.Samarinda City (Indonesia) – Preventing violence and promoting gender equality: transforming urban systems, norms and spaces Mrs Rinda Wahyuni, Chairperson of Samarinda Healthy City Forum accepted the award on behalf of Samarinda City. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisSamarinda City was recognized for its multisectoral approach to preventing violence and advancing gender equality. Responding to local evidence on violence against women and children, the city has positioned violence prevention as a public health priority, bringing together health services, schools, social welfare institutions, law enforcement, civil society and community leaders to strengthen prevention, reporting, survivor-centred support and legal protection. Through inclusive policies, community engagement and sustainable city financing, Samarinda has developed a locally owned and scalable model for creating safer, more equitable and inclusive urban communities.Singapore – Age-friendly cities: transforming systems to bridge generations for a healthier tomorrowDr Tan Weng Mooi, Director, Integrated Health Promotion, accepted the award on behalf of Singapore. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisSingapore received recognition for its Healthy Precinct Framework, which translates national healthy ageing priorities into neighbourhood-level action. The initiative integrates preventive care, social support, service coordination and age-friendly environments while actively engaging older persons, caregivers and community organizations. Its expansion across multiple precincts demonstrates its scalability and ­long-term sustainability.WHO Regional Director’s Special AwardNational Forum for Indonesian Healthy Cities/Regencies (Indonesia)Ms Yuni Dwi Purwani, Secretary General of the National Forum for Indonesian Healthy Cities/Regencies, accepted the award on behalf of the National Forum. Photo credit: Maria BoyadgisThe WHO Regional Director's Special Award was presented to the National Forum for Indonesian Healthy Cities/Regencies (FKKSI) in recognition of its long-standing leadership in advancing the Healthy Cities movement across Indonesia. As a national platform bringing together local governments, communities, academia and civil society, FKKSI has played a critical role in promoting collaboration, capacity-building, knowledge exchange and advocacy. Its efforts have strengthened and institutionalized healthy urban development nationwide and established a model for multisectoral engagement in the Region. Healthy Cities for allThe 2026 Healthy Cities Recognition Awards highlight how cities can lead transformative action on health by addressing climate change, inequity, ageing, nutrition, mobility, social inclusion, violence prevention and the commercial determinants of health. The recognized initiatives demonstrate that local governments, communities and partners can work together to create healthier, safer and more resilient urban environments for everyone. As urban populations continue to grow across the Western Pacific Region, WHO remains committed to supporting cities in advancing health, equity and sustainable development through the Healthy Cities approach and the Alliance for Healthy Cities. ###Note to editorsSince 2004, the WHO Healthy Cities Recognition Awards have provided a platform for cities to share innovative and effective approaches to improving health and well-being. The awards recognize achievements in areas including climate resilience, healthy ageing, health equity, gender equality, tobacco and alcohol control, urban mobility, nutrition and data-driven governance. In 2026, more than 150 submissions were received from cities and local governments across the Western Pacific Region. The titles and affiliations of awardees are presented as they were at the time the photo was taken.______________For more information, or to arrange media interviews, contact: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific: wprocom@who.int

Sep 27 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • who.int

Shirley Weber explains why she should be reelected as California's Secretary of State

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber reflected on her tenure and outlined her vision for a second term in an interview on California Politics 360.

Sep 27 • 11:25 AM EDT • Politics • kcra.com

'Discovery of the century': Experts have found secret DNA that could unlock a cancer vaccine

Mysterious sequences buried in our genetic code are being found to have unexpected effects

Sep 27 • 10:14 AM EDT • Science • sciencefocus.com

Control Resonant Has a Secret Weapon in the GOTY Race

Underdogs FTW

Sep 27 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • polygon.com

CDC vaccine policy recommendations grind to a halt under Health Secretary Kennedy - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new flu vaccine that tested well in older adults. But the federal agencyRead More

Sep 26 • 11:52 PM EDT • Health • wsvn.com

Lionel Richie shares a 'secret' amid health woes as he announces decision about his future

Sep 26 • 7:06 AM EDT • Health • currently.att.yahoo.com

Lionel Richie shares a 'secret' amid health woes as he announces decision about his future

Sep 26 • 7:06 AM EDT • Health • yahoo.com

Angela Rayner criticises worker visa plans on eve of Labour conference

The housing secretary says the government's plans to change wait times for permanent residency are unfair because they "change the goalposts".

Sep 26 • 5:47 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission

The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.

Sep 26 • 5:01 AM EDT • Health • nytimes.com

Secret Lair Commander Deck: Odds and Ends Decklist

Even the odds (even if those odds are oddly uneven) with Secret Lair Commander Deck: Odds and Ends and The Oddlands—available on September 28, 2026!

Sep 25 • 8:00 PM EDT • Technology • magic.wizards.com

Insane $300+ Reprint Value Secret Lair Precon Release Date Seemingly Revealed

Thanks to a Chaos Vault email that appeared earlier today, Secret Lair's Odds and Ends release date has almost certainly been confirmed.

Sep 25 • 2:36 PM EDT • Technology • mtgrocks.com

Republicans push for temporary export ban to lower diesel costs

Energy Secretary Chris Wright has reportedly been in contact with U.S. refineries to gauge voluntary support for a possible ban on diesel exports

Sep 25 • 12:18 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

Republicans push for temporary export ban to lower diesel costs

Energy Secretary Chris Wright has reportedly been in contact with U.S. refineries to gauge voluntary support for a possible ban on diesel exports

Sep 25 • 12:18 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

CDC vaccine policy recommendations grind to a halt under Health Secretary Kennedy

Federal guidance on new vaccines has stopped.

Sep 25 • 10:46 AM EDT • Health • twincities.com

From 650,000 players to the number one target

City's devotion to data is at the heart of their efforts to close the gap on Arsenal and BBC Sport has been given unprecedent access to the inner workings of the club's metrics machine as we uncover some of the secrets guiding their work - particularly regarding player recruitment and sales. The starting point for any new signing is City's database of 650,000 footballers from around the world.

Sep 25 • 9:13 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

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

Sep 25 • 9:04 AM EDT • Health • 2news.com

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

Sep 25 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • audacy.com

How an entrepreneur followed what's trending to build an 8-figure business

Mike Burnett has had a nearly three-decade run an entrepreneur and small business owner. He unpacks the secrets to business longevity.

Sep 25 • 5:45 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

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...

Sep 25 • 1:09 AM EDT • Science • iowastatedaily.com

Donald Trump adds political stakes, anticipation and potential sideline chaos to Texas-Tennessee showdown

Trump's visit to Neyland Stadium forces Steve Sarkisian, Josh Heupel to plan for communication cuts as Secret Service scrambles coach-to-player headsets.

Sep 24 • 3:18 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

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.

Sep 24 • 2:54 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

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 […]

Sep 24 • 2:14 PM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com

Muse will apparently let you download its entire filesystem

With a little coaxing, Meta’s AI will reveal all its secrets.

Sep 24 • 1:14 PM EDT • Technology • theverge.com

Finance Committee advances Klomp for deputy health secretary - Live Updates

Klomp will be Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s No. 2 if confirmed.

Sep 24 • 12:57 PM EDT • Health • politico.com

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.

Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net

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.”

Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net