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Jon Kyl, Senator Known for His Skills Behind the Scenes, Dies at 84
The Arizona politician rose to the second-highest position in the Republican-held Senate caucus thanks to his policy smarts and deft political sensibilities.
NEW RESEARCH: Staples Business Reveals Where SNFs Leave Savings on the Table
Sixty-three percent. Over the next three years, 63% of long-term care (LTC) organizations are likely to consolidate non-clinical suppliers. Another
Dog brains act surprisingly human when told 'no'
Self-control is a serious survival skill.
MDI Health Celebrates Community at 2026 Annual Meeting
BAR HARBOR—MDI Health celebrated the people and partnerships strengthening local healthcare during its 2026 Annual Meeting and Community Celebration, held September 15 at the Bar Harbor Club. The gathering brought together patients, medical staff, employees, trustees, volunteers, supporters, and community partners to recognize the year’s accomplishments and honor those whose contributions make a meaningful difference across the organization and the communities it serves. “This celebration is an opportunity to recognize the extraordinary people who make our work possible,” said Chrissi Maguire, president and CEO of MDI Health. “Their compassion, dedication, and belief in strong local healthcare can be felt throughout our hospital, health centers, Birch Bay Village, and the communities we serve.” During the celebration, MDI Health presented its 2026 Impact Award to Mount Desert Nursing Association (MDNA), recognizing the organization as Community Partner of the Year for providing compassionate, skilled in-home nursing care across Mount Desert Island, Trenton, and Lamoine. “MDNA extends care beyond our walls, helping people remain safely at home, surrounded by the people and places they know and love,” Maguire said. “Its work lies at the intersection of healthcare and community and strengthens our entire healthcare system.” “For 77 years, MDNA has helped our neighbors recover and remain safely at home,” said Amy McVety, MDNA Executive Director. “Our longstanding partnership with MDI Health helps ensure a seamless transition from hospital to home and the continued care patients need. We are grateful for this recognition and especially proud of our talented, hardworking team.” The evening marked a transition in Board leadership. Martha Wagner, PhD, was recognized as she concluded her term as chair of the MDI Health Board of Trustees. Madeleine Braun, PhD, MBA, was introduced as incoming chair. “It is an honor to build on Martha’s leadership and serve an organization so deeply connected to this community,” Braun said. Individual honorees recognized during the evening’s program included Nancy D’Agostino, MDI Health Volunteer of the Year; George Rossi, Birch Bay Village Volunteer of the Year; Marc Woolfolk, Birch Bay Village Employee of the Year; and Beth Applebee, MDI Hospital Employee of the Year. “These honorees represent the very best of who we are,” Maguire said. The program also highlighted new initiatives and honors from the past year. MDI Health launched a free Screening Mammogram Scholarship Program to remove financial barriers to early detection, supported by a generous grant from the Maine Cancer Foundation. An in-hospital food pantry has been opened to meet rising community need and address the link between nutrition and health. MDI Health earned CMS five-star ratings for Patient Experience and Nurse Communication, top marks in the 2026–2027 Lown Institute Hospitals Index, recognition from the American Hospital Association and American Heart Association, and a third consecutive Best Places to Work in Maine designation. The hospital will open its new Main Entrance this fall, as work advances on the expanded Emergency Department and other patient-care spaces. The Building Our Future Campaign has raised more than $56 million in capital and programmatic support to date. “Everything we have accomplished reflects the strength of this community,” Maguire said. “We are grateful to everyone who has contributed their time, talent, leadership, and support to help MDI Health continue meeting the evolving needs of the region.” Subscribe Share Leave a comment
The Business Case for Responsible AI: Enabling Growth by Going Beyond Compliance
Together with CMS, the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the Thomson Reuters Foundation and WBCSD members, we explored why Responsible AI governance is far more than a compliance requirement. It is a business imperative: enabling companies to deliver safe and secure AI-powered services, protect and strengthen workers’ skills and knowledge, maintain oversight of their operations
Will AI really kill everyone? How, exactly?
Industry insiders are once again warning that a superpowered artificial intelligence could exterminate the human race. But how? And which scenarios are actually plausible?
What actually killed the ClarityAct? Politics, says Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong
Scott Melker sits down with Coinbase (COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong, who explains how politics, not legislation, killed the Clarity Act. According to Armstrong, the bill had 95% of what both sides wanted, but bipartisanship was lacking; now the ball is in the FFC and CFTC court. "The Daily Wolf with Scott Melker" airs every day at 12:00 p.m. Tune in for your daily dose of all things crypto.
The Strange New Politics of AI. Plus. . .
It’s Thursday, September 17. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Douglas Murray asks, why do we allow terrorists to die of old age? The American nonprofits backing Hamas. A conversation with Dara Horn and Coleman Hughes. And much more. But first: inside the unlikely coalition warning that AI may kill us all. Last week, an AI researcher named Jacob Coxon made headlines around the world after saying that he had resigned from Anthropic because he believes AI might cause human extinction—and his co-workers do, too. Unlike the rest of us, potentially, the story just won’t die. The Pro-Human Assembly, a conference held Tuesday in Washington, D.C., about the existential dangers of artificial intelligence, couldn’t have come at a better time—or with a more eclectic coalition. The Archbishop of San Francisco was there. So was Steve Bannon, screaming about the Chinese. Bernie Sanders did a quasi-dramatic reading of messages posted to an online forum by rogue AI agents. Ashley Judd paraphrased a graphic Andrea Dworkin quote for reasons that remain a mystery to me still. It was odd. People in the AI industry have talked openly about the possibility of this technology causing human extinction for years, but it hits differently in the wake of the Hugging Face incident. If you don’t know what that is, all the more reason to read my dispatch today. As the doomers see it, the best-case scenario is a future in which humans are basically kept as pets: well cared for, but with zero autonomy. The worst-case scenario, obviously, is the everyone dies thing. What should be done? I heard lots of ideas but no easy answers. There are currently zero federal regulations on AI, which is sort of strange even to think about. After all, we regulate microwaves, and the people running the microwave industry have never once refused to rule out the possibility that their products will end all human life on Earth. What I saw in D.C. left me even more convinced that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes nothing should be done. You know, except for President Trump. — River Page River Page • Tech and Business [ The AI Doomers Have a Plan to Save Us. I Went to Find Out What It Is. ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-ai-doomers-have-plan-save-bernie-sanders-bannon) Read story How Robert Kraft Made Macklemore a Martyr—and How to Better Fight Antisemitism On Monday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a group of other NFL owners banned Macklemore from performing at their stadiums after the rapper delivered a “Free Palestine” speech while opening for Ed Sheeran. Kraft cited the rapper’s “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.” Once multiple venues refused to host shows with Macklemore on the lineup, the tour’s promoter officially dropped him. Today, Josh Kaplan says that the move was counterproductive, arguing that though well-intentioned, Kraft’s decision turned an irrelevant footnote into a martyr. “You cannot cancel people into liking you,” Josh writes. Read his column on what a better response to Macklemore would have looked like. Read [ Robert Kraft Made Macklemore a Martyr ](https://www.thefp.com/p/robert-kraft-made-macklemore-martyr-antisemitism-palestine) This raises the question: What actually works against antisemitism? On the latest episode of Conversations with Coleman, recorded in front of a live audience in New York, Dara Horn joins Coleman Hughes to talk about her new book The Final Solution to the Jewish Question. She argues that antisemitism is a script that has repeated itself across countries and ideologies, and that most people don’t understand that well enough to fight it. Don’t miss their conversation. Watch [ The Lie at the Center of Antisemitism, with Dara Horn ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-lie-at-the-center-of-antisemitism-coleman-hughes-dana-horn) Listen now Douglas Murray • U.S. Politics [ Douglas Murray: The 9/11 Failure That Still Haunts America ](https://www.thefp.com/p/douglas-murray-911-failure-justice-terrorist-guantanamo-bay) Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, the men who planned them have still not faced trial. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and most of the accused have been locked up in Guantanamo Bay since 2002. Judges have retired, and plea deals have collapsed. Today, Douglas Murray examines how this happened and argues that a justice system that allows terrorists to die of old age in an interminable pretrial process is one that has failed. Read his latest column on what that failure says about our unpreparedness for the era we are now living in. Read story The Editors • U.S. Politics [ When Nonprofits Support Terrorists ](https://www.thefp.com/p/when-nonprofits-support-terrorists) A newly declassified CIA brief from 1998 found that Osama bin Laden used nonprofit shell organizations—including U.S.-based Islamic groups—to fund his terror plots. Today, a similar story is unfolding as multiple organizations on American soil present themselves as nonprofits, taking advantage of tax-exempt status while seeking to advance the ideological mission of terrorist groups like Hamas. Read our editorial on the latest evidence of this dangerous trend—and why there’s no excuse for making the same mistake the CIA revealed 28 years ago. Read story Simon Sebag Montefiore and Bari Weiss Live in New York For decades, the Middle East has shaped American foreign policy and loomed large in the public consciousness. Few understand its influence on our politics better than Simon Sebag Montefiore, who argues that America’s quagmires in the Middle East stem from a deep misunderstanding of the region—on both the left and the right. Join him October 1 as he sits down with Bari Weiss live in New York City to kick off his U.S. book tour for The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Get Tickets Now MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS [ Sydney Sweeney’s Naked Truth ](https://www.thefp.com/p/sydney-sweeneys-naked-truth-caitlin-flanagan) Caitlin Flanagan Read story [ I Thought Ukraine Was Losing. Then I Was Almost Hit by a Russian Drone. ](https://www.thefp.com/p/elliot-ackerman-ukraine-drone-gas-station-train) Elliot Ackerman Read story [ The Dangerous Ideology Behind the AI Warnings ](https://www.thefp.com/p/dangerous-ideology-effective-altruism-artificial-intelligence) Shyam Sankar Read story [ Amanda Knox: Patrick Clancy Can’t Win ](https://www.thefp.com/p/amanda-knox-patrick-clancy-grief-internet-crime) Amanda Knox Read story THE NEWS The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point, its first hike since 2023, signaling that another increase could follow as the central bank tries to bring inflation under control. President Donald Trump fired back by demanding that rates be cut sharply, though he stopped short of criticizing Fed Chair Kevin Warsh by name. The Houthis fired drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, including a major oil port on the Red Sea, and Saudi jets struck back with air strikes across Yemen in an escalating front of the Middle East war. (For more on the Houthis, read Zineb Riboua’s column from earlier this week.) A sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill passed the House in a 262–159 vote and is now heading to Trump for his signature. Named after the late senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation would hit countries that purchase large volumes of Russian oil and gas with tariffs of up to 100 percent, and is aimed at cutting off revenue that funds Russia’s war in Ukraine. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the European Union’s first-ever “associate member,” drawing a standing ovation from European lawmakers. The proposal, framed as a response to a world grown more hostile, faces an uncertain path as EU member states would have to approve it, and one diplomat said that “nobody really knows what it means.” The House voted unanimously to send billionaire Leon Black a criminal contempt referral after he defied a congressional subpoena to testify and hand over documents related to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Black chose to fight the subpoena in court rather than comply. Charlie Kirk’s family filed a wrongful death notice Wednesday against Utah Valley University, alleging that a series of security failures left him exposed to a rooftop sniper. The notice is a required legal step before the family can sue. Merriam-Webster added 1,400 words and definitions to its dictionary, including looksmaxxing, vibe coding, and cuffing season. The publisher said the new entries offer “a window into the world today.” The Free Press earns a commission from any purchases made through all book links in this article.
Patrick’s Politics: Islamophobia destroys the true reality of 9/11
ohran Mamdani, the current mayor of New York City, just wanted to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil — the one that had killed nearly 3,000 people in th…
Will AI kill us? ‘This is not science fiction’ warns NJ Dem
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the Bergen County Democrat, is advocating for swift federal action on AI. Republican leaders aren't yet listening.
The Rise Of The Mompreneur Micro-Business: Monetizing Home-Grown Expertise
See how moms turn parenting and career skills into a mompreneur micro-business, with earning ranges and simple steps to start without quitting your job.
Buccaneers vs. Browns: Initial injury report for Week 2
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened preparations for their Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns with a relatively light injury report Wednesday. Safety Miles Killebrew was limited as he continues to work through the concussion protocol, while cornerback Jacob Parrish was also limited with a back injury. The encouraging news for Tampa Bay came with […]
Climate crisis likely behind devastating Nepal-Tibet floods that killed more than 1,300, first study finds
Scientists say global heating was a destabilising factor in collapse of 200,000 sq metre glacier in August
1,700-year-old fragment of the 'Odyssey' discovered between pages of Dutch library book
The fragment is from Book 12, when Zeus curses Odysseus' men for killing and eating Helios' sacred cattle.
Veterans Put Military Skills to Work in Business: Entrepreneurs Share How Service Helped Shape Careers
Starting a new business can be challenging and intimidating. For military veterans who take the entrepreneurial leap, however, the training and experiences they gained in the service can provide valuable tools for success — along with some challenges of their own. Five local business owners shared their experiences transitioning from military service to entrepreneurship during
From Learning to Doing: Putting the Science of Reading Into Practice
Something wasn’t adding up in Davidson County Schools. Students were making strong gains in reading in kindergarten and first grade. They were developing foundational skills and, for the most part, re...
New evidence shows that you are only slightly hotter than a T. rex
These cold-blooded killers were probably as warm-blooded as mammals, according to new research.
Future Frequency Kids
Future Frequency Kids is giving young people hands-on DJ education while building music technology, creativity, confidence and career-ready skills for the entertainment industry.
Brain-eating amoeba that killed 17-year-old linked to a man-made creek, health officials say
A man-made creek was likely the source of exposure to the brain-eating amoeba that killed a 17-year-old boy, health officials said.
Brain-eating amoeba that killed 17-year-old linked to a man-made creek, health officials say
A man-made creek was likely the source of exposure to the brain-eating amoeba that killed a 17-year-old boy, health officials said.
Brain-eating amoeba that killed 17-year-old linked to a man-made creek, health officials say
A man-made creek was likely the source of exposure to the brain-eating amoeba that killed a 17-year-old boy, health officials said.
Zelensky claims Russia targeted plane with drones
Stuart Varney and Victoria Coates react to claims that Russia targeted Zelensky's plane with drones. Coates argues Putin is running out of options and seeking a kill shot to install a puppet government.
BIRDIE THIRTY: "Window feeders provide endless entertainment for cats" - EWN at 7:30am on 9-13-2026
Window feeders provide endless entertainment for kitties, which pays off twofold: it keeps the cats happy and amused without exposing them to the outdoor dangers of predators and cars, and also lets them watch birds without killing them, thus helping out our feathered friends, too! Feral/outdoor domestic cats are one of the top three reasons for decline in bird populations (i.e bird death) in North America, so a window feeder (and indoor cats) are two big steps in the right direction! As seen here, this parade of curious kitties is enraptured by the idea that a bird might visit momentarily. Once a cat learns that a window feeder will attract these winged wonders, it will often stay pinned at the window for hours, eagerly awaiting the next bird. Sometimes watching the cats watch the birds can be even more entertaining than watching the birds themselves!
WIU Research Opportunity Helps High School Student Reach National Competition
Through the Bellott Research Group in Western Illinois University's School of Natural Sciences, high school students are gaining hands-on research experience and developing real-world laboratory skills alongside WIU students and faculty.
Simplilearn and Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science Executive Education Launch Program to Advance LLM and Multi-Agent Systems Skills
Simplilearn, the global digital upskilling platform, along with Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science Executive Education, has launched Build With LLMs: From Context Engineering to Multi-Agent Systems, an 8-week live online program designed to help technical professionals develop the skills to build modern LLM-powered applications and multi-agent systems.
Upcoming "Leadership Unscripted" workshop blends business and comedy
A leadership and networking event next month will focus on a key skill in both business and comedy: improvisation.
Dan Campbell Sends Blunt Message on Josh Allen
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell noted that the Buffalo Bills have a strong offensive scheme and a few strong skill players who make the entire thing tough. However, he did not mince words when it comes to what their goal is. They have to start everything by focusing on quarterback Josh Allen. “Ultimately, I […] The post Dan Campbell Sends Blunt Message on Josh Allen appeared first on HEAVY.
Yuma business owner, passenger killed in Lake Havasu boat crash
Charles “Chip” Romer and Jennifer Luzzi died Saturday night when their boat crashed into a rocky peninsula.
Deadly Brain-eating amoeba linked to Durham facility; health dept says creek lacked required permits
A man-made creek at a Durham facility was the likely source of exposure to the brain-eating amoeba that killed a 17-year-old boy, NCDHHS says
A 3,700-Year-Old Virus Hiding in a Medieval Book Just Killed 500,000 Animals
Holy manuscripts preserved the genome of a plague that wiped out up to 90% of Europe’s historical sheep herds.
Prosecutors won't pursue death penalty for Rob Reiner’s son Nick in killing of his parents
Prosecutors in California say they won’t pursue the death penalty for Rob Reiner’s son Nick in the killing of his parents. Nick Reiner was charged Dec. 16 with first-degree murder in the stunning...
Prosecutors won’t pursue death penalty for Rob Reiner’s son Nick in killing of his parents
Prosecutors in California say they won’t pursue the death penalty for Rob Reiner’s son Nick in the killing of his parents.
OKC Thunder Sign Christoph Tilly for Training Camp
The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Christoph Tilly to an Exhibit 10 deal, and his playstyle and skill set could greatly benefit his fellow rookies as they develop together with the Blue.
Ranking Members Markey, Velázquez, American Small Businesses Fight Back Against Trump SBA’s Discriminatory Anti-Immigrant Lending Policies
More than 120 small businesses and organizations pen letter of support for Ranking Member Markey’s resolution striking down Trump’s ban on awarding SBA loans to green card holders Letter (PDF) (Washington, September 15) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today garnered additional support from Main Street small businesses for his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s discriminatory policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. In a letter of support, more than 120 American small businesses and community organizations, led by Small Business Majority, applauded Ranking Member Markey’s efforts to overturn the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant lending ban and advocated for the passage of Ranking Member Markey’s CRA resolution in the Senate. House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) is leading the resolution in the House of Representatives. The Trump administration’s green card holder ban is the most recent escalation of SBA’s draconian citizenship restrictions that are killing jobs and putting the American Dream further out of reach for entrepreneurs. In Fiscal Year 2025, Trump’s SBA made an estimated $5.5 billion in loans to green card holders, which supported more than 80,000 jobs nationwide. “The Trump administration’s continued attacks on American small businesses and jobs are anti-American, they’re discriminatory, and they’re dragging down our communities and our economy. Thanks to partners like Small Business Majority, countless small businesses, and community organizations, we are fighting back and holding them accountable,” said Ranking Member Markey. “I will not stop fighting to rescind this hateful policy that attacks American entrepreneurs and prevents them from pursuing the American Dream.” “Small businesses and organizations across the country are sending a clear message that the Trump administration's discriminatory lending rules are bad for business,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “I want to thank Small Business Majority for leading this effort and amplifying the voices of the entrepreneurs who create jobs and strengthen our local economies. As Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, I will keep pushing to stop these attacks on the American Dream and ensure that every eligible entrepreneur can access the capital they need to succeed.” In the letter, the small businesses write, “Congress must reaffirm its commitment to serving those who are rightfully and legally entitled to accessing key government guaranteed loan programs in pursuit of the American Dream. Restoring access to responsible, government-guaranteed loans for such a critical segment of our economy will allow thousands of small businesses to access the capital they require to grow and invest in American communities. If Congress does not act to protect access to the very ideals that our country was founded upon by rewarding those who adhere strictly to legal immigration pathways, local economies, communities and Main Street will pay the price.” Ranking Member Markey’s CRA resolution follows his introduction of the Investing in the American Dream Act alongside Ranking Member Velázquez earlier this year. The Investing in the American Dream Act would roll back the SBA’s draconian lending restrictions and restore previous SBA lending policies for immigrant entrepreneurs lawfully in the U.S., including green card holders, refugees, and asylees. More than 100 organizations have called for the passage of the legislation and more than 60 Massachusetts state legislators have raised concerns about the impact of the citizenship restrictions in their local communities. Ranking Member Markey is fighting for small business owners and immigrants that rely on SBA loans to start and run their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to their communities. In July, Ranking Member Markey and Ranking Member Velázquez introduced a bicameral resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential SBA loans to start and grow their businesses and invest in Main Streets nationwide. In May, Ranking Member Markey highlighted the significant contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs in Massachusetts and across the country and condemned the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on immigrant communities at a Small Business Committee hearing. MIRA’s Elizabeth Sweet, who participated in Ranking Member Markey’s listening session earlier in May, provided testimony at the hearing. Also in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a listening session at the Urban College of Boston to hear directly from several Massachusetts immigrant small business owners, lenders, and chambers of commerce how President Trump’s cruel and callous anti-immigrant policies are hurting Main Streets in the Bay State. Earlier in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a press conference alongside Ranking Member Velázquez, Democratic lawmakers, and stakeholders to condemn the Trump administration’s harmful anti-immigrant lending policies and to introduce the Investing in the American Dream Act. In March, Ranking Member Markey released a comprehensive report detailing the harms to small business owners, workers, and consumers caused by the Trump administration’s ICE raids in communities across the country. In February, Ranking Member Markey introduced the Small Business ICE Disruption Fund Act, which would provide grants to small businesses that have been impacted by the Trump administration’s violent immigration enforcement actions on Main Streets across the United States. Earlier in February, Ranking Member Markey, Ranking Member Velázquez, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) sent a letter urging the SBA to rescind their lending rule change that bars legal permanent residents from receiving SBA loans. Previously, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez released a statement condemning the actions of the SBA after it announced that small businesses with legal permanent residents will be barred from receiving SBA loans. In December 2025, Ranking Member Markey and all Democratic members of the Senate Small Business Committee sent a letter to the SBA reiterating concerns with the SBA’s citizenship requirements and highlighting a drop in SBA lending volume. In September 2025, Ranking Member Markey heard directly from SBA lenders about the issues with the citizenship verification requirements. In July 2025, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez sent a letter to the SBA expressing serious concerns with the agency’s new, draconian citizenship verification requirements that require small businesses seeking SBA loans to be 100% owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, and legal permanent residents. ###
Cybersecurity Skills Gap Becomes a Business Risk: Fortinet
Fortinet says 71% of organizations view the cybersecurity skills gap as a business risk, while 86% suffered a breach in the past year.
'Fast Break Philly' serves up a space for girls to enjoy sports
At "Fast Break Philly," Philadelphia girls can find a safe space to enjoy sports at a common skill level.
'Fast Break Philly' serves up a space for girls to enjoy sports
At "Fast Break Philly," Philadelphia girls can find a safe space to enjoy sports at a common skill level.
'Fast Break Philly' serves up a space for girls to enjoy sports
At "Fast Break Philly," Philadelphia girls can find a safe space to enjoy sports at a common skill level.
'Fast Break Philly' serves up a space for girls to enjoy sports
At "Fast Break Philly," Philadelphia girls can find a safe space to enjoy sports at a common skill level.
Evaluating Expectations for AJ Dybantsa in Year One with Wizards
The 2026 No. 1 overall pick enters Washington with the size, skill and versatility to make an immediate impact; but how quickly can AJ Dybantsa turn his potential into production? With a talented roster around him, the stage is set for Dybantsa to make his mark in Washington.
'Friday the 13th' killer is back at Houston's 13th Floor Haunted House
13th Floor Haunted House taps into growing 'Friday the 13th' fandom with new 'Survive the Night' attraction.
Business Owners Undervalue Creative Thinking As A Leadership Skill
Employers say 39% of job skills will change by 2030, and creative thinking is what they will miss most. Artist Neha Shah on leading when the playbook stops working.
Some AI leaders want more safeguards. Is there political will to make that happen?
In recent days, warnings and risks surrounding AI have taken an existential turn. A former Anthropic employee stated that "the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade." And Anthropic's CEO urged AI companies to "pace the frontier" in developing new technologies.But is there political will to make that happen?This episode was produced by Sophia Paliza-Carre and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro. Our director is Jonas Adams.It was edited by Kara Platoni, Brett Neely, Rebekah Metzler, Sarah Handel and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma May Have Personally Responded to Your Customer Support Ticket
New-ish Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has had a busy first six months on the job, including killing the divisive "This is Xbox" marketing campaign, slashing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's subscription price, and unfortunately also overseeing mass layoffs and development studio spin-outs. But as Sharma has gotten settled in her job, she's also been spending time understanding Xbox's products and customers in another way: by fielding customer support tickets.
UTIA launches fellowship to prepare future animal science professionals
Preparing the next generation of animal science professionals requires students to develop both strong scientific skills and the ability to apply that knowledge in real-world agricultural settings. A new program
Lucas County prosecutors to review Mercy Health officer shooting case
Authorities said Christian Strassburg got into an altercation involving an officer, and that officer shot and killed him.
NSF grant to explore whether AI can support students’ critical thinking
Cornell has received a $750,000 grant to study AI-powered reflection tools that build student critical thinking skills.
Darlene Love suggests Frank Sinatra threatened her ex-husband after he ran off with their 3-month-old son
“He called my mother and said, ‘I think your daughter’s trying to kill me,’” Love recalls her then-husband, Wesley Mitchell, saying in a new documentary.
As marketing job postings drop, companies are looking for new skills
Indeed CMO James Whitemore says that while marketing job postings are down, it's the function itself that is evolving, Companies need versatile, business-literate marketers in an AI-driven world.
Staff slept while patient killed at NHS mental health unit
Inquest hears how Rolando Torres-Pena, 22, was able to strangle and kill Hugo Flint-Cahan on a hospital ward in east London.
Amazon won't work with 21 Air after fatal Miami plane crash
Amazon said it has "decided to pause our operations with 21 Air" after a Boeing 767 overshot the runway at Miami Airport, killing five people.
Monkeyflowers thrive in salty air that kills other plants
On the windswept coasts of Oregon and California lives an unassuming little plant called the monkeyflower, which can withstand salty blasts that kill its inland counterparts. Now, researchers at Michigan State University are beginning to understand how it manages to thrive in conditions that leave other plants burned, brown and withered.
Congressman Greg Casar Wants to Stop AI From Killing Us All
The Democrat from Austin talks to Texas Monthly about his bill to prevent the development of superintelligence, which experts warn poses existential risks to humanity.
Democratic candidate in Colorado Springs’ congressional district makes misleading claim in first attack ads
Democrat Jessica Killin is running to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank in the 5th Congressional District. She would be the first Democrat to represent the district.
Amazon suspends use of 21 Air, cargo carrier whose plane careened off Miami runway
Amazon says it has suspended its partnership with 21 Air after one of the cargo carrier’s planes careened off a Miami runway last week and killed five people.
My Chemical Romance hint at first new album in over 15 years: ‘You guys deserve another record’
Killjoys, make some noise!
Ivy Business Week returns with career prep, service and events
Iowa State students will have opportunities to connect with business professionals, explore careers and build professional skills during this year’s Business Week from Monday to Friday. The annual celebration, hosted by the Ivy College of Business, lets students join an employer panel, receive resume and professional introduction feedback, learn about graduate programs and take part...
'Back in Black' review: Christopher Walken is hilarious as a quirky undertaker
Ella Ballentine goes from "Anne of Green Gables" to "The Vampire Lestat," to a killer comedy.
Scientists Resurrect 160-Million-Year-Old Molecules With Surprising Power Against Superbugs
Ancient mammalian antimicrobial peptides revealed stronger bacteria-killing activity in some cases, offering clues for designing future treatments against resistant infections. Some proteins that vanished millions of years ago may still have something to teach scientists about fighting modern infections. University of Oregon biologists have reconstructed antimicrobial molecules dating back as far as 160 million years,
Chris Rock explains why he was ‘not great’ on “Saturday Night Live”
“I don’t believe SNL was perfect for my skillset at the time,” the “Misty Green” actor-director said during a panel discussion at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Laredo Public Health hosting Get Ready Day workshops
The Laredo Public Health Department is inviting residents to learn lifesaving skills and emergency preparedness through bilingual workshops during Get Ready Day.
Former NBA Champion Discredits New Miami Heat's Giannis Antetokounmpo Skills
Channing Frye sparks debate by labeling the multi-time MVP a physical "running back" lacking technical finesse, reigniting the rivalry between pure athleticism and versatile shot-making dominance.
Family of late Iowa State sports editor fundraises for scholarship, studio renovation
Christian was killed in a wrong-way car accident on Highway 30. He was just 26 years old.
Business Owners Undervalue Creative Thinking As A Leadership Skill
Employers say 40% of job skills change within five years, and creative thinking is one they can least afford to lose. It is a leadership muscle, not artistic talent.
Iran Human Rights Council Condemns Zionist Regime’s Crimes against Lebanese People
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemned the Zionist Regime’s continued military aggression against Lebanon and attacks on residential areas that have killed and wounded dozens of civilians, including women and children.
Are you smarter than a 15-year-old? Try these OECD Pisa tests
This week, the OECD's PISA report has revealed a global decline in 15-year-old's maths and reading skills — but how much better can the grown-up's fare?
Business Tech Roundup: Will AI Kill Us In The Next Few Years?
An Anthropic researcher has a warning, ChatGPT helps people draw better and Pinterest rolls out new tools. Meta launches Muse.
'Encouraging but consistency needed'
Hibs fans, we asked for your views on Saturday's Premier Sports Cup quarter-final victory over Ross County. The Jekyll and Hyde performance of Hibs continues and it will be interesting to see if Thibault Klidje and Ante Suto are afforded more opportunities in next two games against Killie and Aberdeen which we should and must aim for six points in. Jury is still out on this team as consistency has been elusive so far.
AI doomer psychology: Why researchers warn of death but keep building
Why do AI researchers keep building technology they believe will kill? Inside the commercial, ethical, and psychological forces driving doomers.
Breaking down the dire warnings about AI's risks to humanity — and what experts says should be done about it
A dire warning from an outgoing researcher at Anthropic that AI could "kill all humans" by the end of the decade led to public outcry over the dangers posed by the technology's rapid development. It's raised questions about why some experts believe AI poses such an extreme risk, and how it could lead to the demise of humanity.
Grading Arizona football’s performance in loss to BYU
In the first big test of the season, Arizona traveled to BYU and kept in touch with the Cougars but ultimately fell 28-17 in a hard fought battle. In the first half, the Wildcats looked like they were up to the task but a second half shutout killed any confidence from the first 30 minutes. […]
Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton on data centers, skill games and more
Pa. House Speaker Joanna McClinton talks data centers, whether a skill games deadline will be met and what a trifecta for Democrats would mean.
UGA vaccine aims to fight fungal infections without harming gut health
Fungal infections kill millions each year.
Nepal mountain collapse killed over 1,300 people, scientists warn warming could trigger more
"Many of these mountain ranges are at a tipping point."
The Benefits And Risks Every Business Leader Needs To Understand About AI
Businesses that consciously embrace AI, seizing its revolutionary advantages while skillfully and strategically handling its risks
The Benefits And Risks Every Business Leader Needs To Understand About AI
Businesses that consciously embrace AI, seizing its revolutionary advantages while skillfully and strategically handling its risks
🤯 Penalty king! Bundesliga keeper extends his own record
He is already known both internationally and nationally as an absolute penalty killer: in today’s match for his new club, Eintracht Frankfurt, Noah Atubolu extended his own record even further. Agai...
My family of 4 visits the same vacation spot multiple times a year
As a family, we visit the same vacation spot multiple times a year. I hope my two kids look back on our trips to the Catskills fondly.
How A Super-Intelligent AI Designed To Make Paperclips Could End Up Killing Us All
An AI doesn't have to be evil to end up destroying us all. Some might just want to make office equipment.
The week the AI freakout went mainstream
Warnings about AI killing many people, or everyone, are going viral. Here are 3 things the government could do.
The politics and possibilities of ‘AI could kill us all’
I found myself fielding a lot of questions from folks who don’t usually talk much about AI this week. They were mostly along the lines of “do you think AI is going to kill us all?” or “how worried should I be about this human extinction stuff?” Motivating this wave of existential anxiety was the highly dramatic resignation of now-former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, who quit his job while publicly sharing his concerns about safety practices at the leading AI companies. More specifically, he declared that almost everyone at OpenAI and Anthropic, the leading AI labs, believes that there’s a decent chance the AI systems they’re producing could “kill us all” by the end of the decade, and the companies aren’t “acting responsibly.” Other AI safety researchers, including those still employed at Anthropic and OpenAI, all confirmed that yes, Coxon is correct, they’re all worried that their company’s products might prove fatal for the entire human race as well. Two more AI employees quit and joined the chorus. Now, the warning shot has been covered everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Fox News to WIRED to the Guardian. I understand why all this sounds scary, but my response to those who have asked, has generally been: No, you don’t need to worry that AI will kill go rogue and kill us all. But that does not mean we shouldn’t worry, period. Far from it. The companies building AI products are now among the wealthiest and most powerful entities in the world. And they very much are building enormous engines of mass surveillance, extraction, and automation. They can and have allowed their AI systems to carry out felony hacks of other companies, provided the government with autonomously generated kill lists, and sold enterprise technology to firms around the world that is explicitly intended to replace jobs. But “AI” has done these things not because they have all-powerful minds of their own but, ultimately, because people have programmed, calibrated, and directed them to. In other words, it’s not AI we need to worry the most about. It’s the people and corporations working to profit from and gain power by deploying it. The technology is sophisticated, sure, and, especially in cybersecurity contexts, potentially disruptive to plenty of existing systems. But if we want to stop this predatory, profiteering, and extractive form of AI—and it’s worth noting that at this point, most people do—we absolutely can. A quick note/plea: I can only do all of this with the support of readers like you, so if you find value in independent, critical tech journalism and analysis, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I want to keep as much of this un-paywalled as absolutely possible, and I need your support to do so. Many thanks to all who continue to chip in, it’s very much appreciated. Onward. Subscribe First, some context: AI industry folks like Coxon have been discussing the prospect that AI will destroy humanity for years. Even before the beginning of the AI boom, many working in the industry, from the executive staff to the rank and file researchers, have obsessed over ‘x-risk’, or the possibility that AI will become sentient or semi-sentient and move one way or another to exterminate humanity. This is ostensibly why Elon Musk bankrolled OpenAI in the first place, and is the grounds for his lawsuit alleging OpenAI betrayed its charter by abandoning its nonprofit status to become a commercial enterprise. Many AI engineers and startup founders have calculated their own personal p(doom), or the probability that the tech product they are working on will initiate an actual humanity-extinguishing apocalypse. 10-25% p(doom)s are pretty common. (I wrote about a long weekend I spent among these folks at one of their top conferences here, to give you an idea of their ideas and belief systems.) Sam Altman himself drove the narrative of the imminent rise of a super-powerful AI, or artificial general intelligence, to prominence by declaring that the technology he was building posed an existential risk to humanity. This idea is in other words baked into the DNA of modern AI companies and into the products they engineer. It’s also why the industry is routinely accused, by myself and others, of “doom marketing,” ie, using such proclamations and framings to impart the sheer power of the technology behind your product onto investors, partners, consumers, and the state. Some ambient understanding of this tendency may have helped prevent the press from repeating the claim every time one of the x-risk folks made it over the years, including when they quit their jobs at AI companies while doing so. Yet Coxon’s AI x-risk alarm has broken containment, as they say, and has exposed the idea to the mainstream media once again. This has happened, I think, for a number of reasons. First, when AI CEOs were going around saying AI might kill everyone in 2023, their companies were well-capitalized, but not nearly to the extent they are today. They were more easily dismissed as eccentric geeks of the sort that Silicon Valley is supposed to produce. Now, not only do their products have much greater market saturation, but people are more aware of a) the often unethical ways the executives and companies comport themselves b) the other adverse impacts of AI that have already arrived, and c) the physical cost of building these systems, particularly when it comes to data centers. Finally, toss in the constant stream of headlines in 2026 about AI models going rogue or potentially upending the world’s infrastructure. [ ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) [ With the backlash to data centers, Flock and AI glasses, a mass opposition to big tech is underway. Silicon Valley is in denial. ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) Brian Merchant · Aug 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) As a result, general sentiment was already overwhelmingly skeptical of AI and its overlords, so the table was pretty well set for someone to come along and say ‘just a reminder, the companies that are building the product that promises to take your job and leave a data center in your neighborhood also think that it might exterminate the human race’ and get a strong reaction from the media and the public. The question is: Should we understand this stuff as hype, strategically fanned to feed already swelling valuations? Is it doom marketing? Genuine cause for alarm that the infrastructure that undergirds modern life is facing a novel threat vector? Or reason to be sincerely worried that AI companies are amassing too much power, and that their products are genuinely dangerous? The answer, I’m afraid, is “yes.” Let me try to untangle all of this a bit, because arguments over how to navigate this moment are extremely heated right now, as they are essentially arguments over how to approach the politics of AI at a moment where there may be a unique opening for action. Those sympathetic to AI alignment concerns and x risk arguments—which increasingly includes a faction on the left who want to shut down AI over safety concerns—argue that people who dismiss AI as all hype have their heads in the sand. Meanwhile, critics of the x-risk narrative—which I might note includes a cadre of investors and tech folks on the right, too—argue that it is hype and can be used to further inflate valuations or for pursuing regulatory capture. The challenge is that many feel that dismissing AI as just hype or purely marketing also diminishes the urgency of taking on the AI industry as the novel and threat to labor, civil society, and the public sphere it is; others that by accepting the industry’s own terms, we imbue it with undue power and enable it. But let’s be clear: Declarations that AI is so powerful it might end the world are a kind of marketing, and anyone who says otherwise is just as off base as those who say that’s all that it is. If you don’t think that these sub-trillion dollar companies have higher-ups who noticed that when their founders talked about super-powerful dangerous AI they got spikes in media interest and phone calls from investors, or that those founders didn’t notice that themselves, and lean into certain narratives to advantage their products, then I don’t know what to tell you. Not all marketing is a Pepsi ad campaign with a celebrity spokesperson. Yet confronting the AI industry should certainly be considered an urgent project. Do I share the x-riskers’ fear that out-of-control, super-intelligent AI agents might end the world? I do not. I’ve read a good deal of AI extinction literature over the last couple of years and I have not come across a credible, step-by-step documentation of how exactly AI might move from self-recursively improving AI to killing every single human on the planet. Most of what I’ve read seems predicated on a sort of reverse Ian Malcolmian logic: Eventually, it becomes smart enough and AI, uh, finds a way (to exterminate humanity). Are the AI companies also overstating and dramatizing what their products can do? Yes, pretty much all the time. They’re in a knife fight for market share and are trying to win customers and government contracts before their investors come knocking. And yet. They have concentrated enormous amounts of compute, have extensive data collection and surveillance capacities, have inserted themselves into the state in numerous capacities, including military kill chains, and they are being run by egomaniacal billionaires who are rushing to monopolize an entire new market. The way I think about their most recent frightening-seeming exploits is not as a “swarm of rogue AI agents building a new civilization” or whatever, but as corporations with a hitherto-unimaginable amount of compute at their disposal recklessly experimenting with automation programs, completely unafraid of any repercussions because we have been unwilling or unable to impose any on them. So I think we should welcome any newfound imperative to hold them accountable. I also think that ultimately, the AI critics, Pause AI folks, leftists, doomers, effective altruists, and, honestly, most of the public, want a lot of the same things: legitimate checks and limits on AI companies’ power, actual transparency into what the companies are doing, and for more of AI to be under public control. (Ultimately, a lot of what animates the x-risk fears are rooted in just that: a fear of losing control.) How we move towards all this, exactly, is the question of the day, and while there’s much to be argued over in terms of building a viable political platform to challenge the AI industry’s power, I do want to cast a vote against one particular approach. Not to pick on Chris here, as there are a lot of folks out there proposing stuff like this, and the policy ideas actually stem from AI safety groups. But not only would this be challenging to land politically (I can already hear the ‘China will beat us to AGI’ calls) and all but unworkable in practice, this approach is a) far too limiting, b) fails to address the current harms caused by AI and c) would likely only wind up serving Anthropic and OpenAI; it’s what regulatory capture looks like in action. Full model transparency is the floor for what should be on offer here. If these companies believe their products will kill us, the very least we deserve is to know how. It’s in the public interest. I would also argue we might get a lot of the way to stopping any currently envisioned robot apocalypse simply by forcing AI companies to assume liability, and to submit to the full brunt of the law. If Sam Altman were liable to be charged with a felony for approving the hack on Hugging Face1, if Google was forced to pay defamation fines each time it published a false and injurious AI Overviews, these companies might suddenly find cause to restrain their models’ output, and we might hear less about rogue AI. We would need to introduce new frameworks and available tools for tracking automated lawbreaking, to be sure, but I’d wager that little would frighten the AI companies more than actually being held accountable for what their products enable. To that end, Illinois has passed an AI liability law, which the industry fought tooth and nail, and Florida is considering one. The next steps would be towards moving AI under public control; again, it’s only reasonable, since everyone, not just AI insiders, should get a say over how a technology whose developers say might kill us is developed and deployed. Dismantling the whole industrial project as currently structured should be on the table, too, pending democratic input. But that’s for another post. For now, suffice to say that while I won’t be losing any sleep about an AI-enabled extinction event, Mr. Coxon and co. have given us an opportunity to underscore the urgency of the clear and present damage AI companies are doing, the extreme power they wield and the extent to which they hold themselves unaccountable, and the abundance of political capital there is out there for taking them on. Subscribe 1 Purely speculative! I do not know if he did or not.
LA Rams’ Offensive Split Exposes Clear Problem After 49ers Loss
The Los Angeles Rams assembled one of the NFL’s deepest-looking skill groups around Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, but their season opener sent an early warning about what happens when Sean McVay turns to a third wide receiver.Sports Illustrated‘s Blaine Grisak highlighted a striking personnel split from Los Angeles’ 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers […] The post LA Rams’ Offensive Split Exposes Clear Problem After 49ers Loss appeared first on HEAVY.
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: Norbert Health Raises $14M to Scale Robotic Care; Black Pearl Completes Tender Offer for Selectis
Investment group Black Pearl completed a tender offer for Selectis Health. Meanwhile, Norbert Health raised $14M in Series A funding to expand robotic
Ocean Way canceled due to hurricane: Santa Monica beach festival is no more
Ocean Way, the groundbreaking beachfront Santa Monica music festival, has been canceled just two weeks before debuting. It was slated for headline sets by the Killers and Olivia Dean.
Business leaders plan to continue AI spend, even if bubble bursts
They’re also investing in upskilling and reskilling efforts to meet AI demands, new report says.
Pennsylvania State Police tell businesses to remove skill games, not just unplug
The Pennsylvania State Police urged the physical removal, rather than just powering off, skill game terminals ahead of Oct. 13, the deadline set by the state Supreme Court for legislators
Pennsylvania State Police tells businesses to remove skill games, not just unplug
The Pennsylvania State Police urged the physical removal, rather than just powering off, of skill game terminals ahead of Oct. 13, the deadline set by the state Supreme Court for
Akron mother killed in accident outside Barberton Summa had 4 kids, her world
Ceaira Cook leaves behind four kids and a partner of over 20 years after being killed in an accident while leaving work at Summa Health in Barberton.
Yosemite National Park highlights Indigenous arrowhead crafting
Called knapping, the skilled process dates back thousands of years.
New Additions: LSU & FMOL Health Nursing Wing
LSU students are now able to earn that nursing degree right here close to home. This new addition located in Huey p. Long Field give students that chance to earn a bachelor’s degree right here in Baton Rouge As well as giving these students the skills they will need once they enter the healthcare field...
Are you smarter than a 15-year-old? Try these OECD Pisa tests
This week, the OECD's PISA report has revealed a global decline in 15-year-old's maths and reading skills — but how much better can the grown-up's fare?
Opinion: Why every college student should learn to think like an entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship teaches students to take risks, solve problems and turn ideas into reality — skills that matter well beyond the startup world.
9/11 families to gather at World Trade Center and Pentagon to remember victims on 25th anniversary
Victims of those killed in September 11 attacks honored at memorials across the US
Bipartisan Data Science and Literacy Act to Prepare Students for Data-Driven Economy Introduced
Today, Reps.Haley Stevens (D-MI), Jim Baird (R-IN), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Bipartisan Data Science and Literacy Act, to expand access to data science education and make sure Michigan students have the skills needed to compete in an increasingly data-driven economy.
Joshua M. Liebman
Rosenberg Calica Birney Liebman & Ross Partner Joshua M. Liebman is an experienced and skilled litigator and transactional attorney.
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.
Postpartum politics: What it means to run for government as a new mum
Victorian Greens candidates Nina Crawley and Lini Fernando reflect on their experiences running a political campaign just months after giving birth. From the challenges and compromises to the support networks that wrapped around them, and why showing up vulnerably in public space matters. Subscribe In 2024, when my second child was four months old, I decided to run for local government. Fast forward two years, I am again four months postpartum, with my third child, and this time running in the state election. But this time has hit differently. Going through pregnancy, birth and postpartum while being a political candidate has had a more profound and personal impact than I ever expected. I reached out to my fellow Greens candidate for the state election, Lini Fernando, who gave birth 20 days before me, and her experience closely mirrored mine. Postpartum has its own unique challenges that we’ve not seen reflected in stories about women running for office. When people discuss the “juggle”, they’re usually talking about the practical mechanics of looking after small children - childcare arrangements, pumping schedules and logistics. As mums of multiple children, we were both aware of the logistical changes and difficulties that accompany giving birth and the months after. We assumed that combining this with running for election would be hard, but that we could organise our way out of any problems. What neither of us anticipated was the intense vulnerability that comes with putting yourself into the spotlight of a state election campaign at a time when you are physically exhausted and navigating things like breastfeeding and feeling like a stranger in your own body. There have been challenges that neither of us anticipated. Firstly, needing to buy new clothes because the supportive leggings that are a staple of the postpartum wardrobe weren’t going to cut it for community events. Lini held her first fundraiser - a trivia night - just three weeks postpartum. A business-casual wardrobe, several sizes bigger than pre-baby, was needed, and fast. As women, how we look is closely scrutinised, and the internalised fatphobia is loud. We are conditioned from our earliest days to believe that our appearance is tied to our worth, and taught how we are allowed to show up in public. Women who dare to put themselves into the spotlight also receive more abuse than their male counterparts, including criticism of their appearance. To stand in front of members of your community and try to convince them that you’re the best person to represent them in parliament is a challenge in and of itself. To do it with leaking breasts, a pelvic floor that could betray you at the first sign of a sneeze, a body that still feels unfamiliar, and with half your hair falling out (hello postpartum hair loss!) is another thing altogether. It requires courage, allowing yourself the grace to be vulnerable in public, and the belief that showing up, however imperfectly, matters. And the vulnerability isn’t just physical; it also includes factors like having to ask a campaign team to accommodate the realities of having a baby. Asking for help is hard, and it’s a skill that both new parents and hopeful political candidates need to become comfortable with. Parents understand the disappointment that comes when a call for help or connection is rebuffed, like a friend cancelling a much-needed coffee. That rejection is amplified for political candidates calling dozens of people each week. Many people don’t realise running for Parliament, when you aren’t the incumbent, is a volunteer role supported largely by other volunteers who have to squeeze volunteering in around their paid work. Calls need to be made and meetings held after work hours - usually during “witching hour” (5-8 pm), that special time of night when babies cry for no reason. I found that I was struggling to make these commitments, or having to tap out and ask for them to be rearranged. When I spoke to Lini, we realised that she had had a similar experience, this push-pull of being the candidate and wanting to show our faces at meetings and help recruit new volunteers at ‘calling parties’, but also being the only people who could settle our newborns. Sometimes we could merge the two worlds; Lini and I realised that we had both attended 7:30pm meetings online, sitting in a dark room, struggling though breastfeeding and settling our babies. Although we’re both committed to breaking the stigma around breastfeeding, it can be hard to keep your composure while trying to feed a young baby as they try to latch, spew and fuss. Ultimately, Lini and I agreed that showing up vulnerably in public space matters. Leaders should possess empathy and understanding for those who feel raw and in transition; from the dad who just got evicted to the teen who acquired a disability - anyone who feels they aren’t the version of themselves they expected right now. The patriarchy tries to tell us otherwise, but women shouldn’t have to wait until they’re ‘recovered’, no longer vulnerable, before they feel entitled to participate in public life. In fact, we could all benefit from our leaders being a little more vulnerable. *This piece was cowritten, but has been presented in the first person for the sake of style. About the authors Nina Crawley is former teacher and community organiser who now works in human rights and inequality advocacy for a non-profit. She’s a mother of three keen to get back to running as soon as her pelvic floor allows! She’s contesting the seat of Ivanhoe for the Greens in this year’s state election. Lini Fernando is a lawyer working in diverse areas of law including anti corruption and public law. She’s a mother of two and a gardening and good policy enthusiast. She is currently contesting the seat of Croydon for the Greens in this year’s state election. Thanks for reading Cheek Media Co. ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share
David Petraeus: George W. Bush, Political Courage, and the Surge in Iraq
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush launched what he called the War on Terror. It began with the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, which quickly toppled the Taliban and expelled al-Qaeda from its most crucial sanctuary. Then, in early 2003, American forces—with the support of foreign allies like the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland—attacked Iraq, toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime and installing an occupation force in hopes of quickly transforming the country into a free and democratic state. Instead, the post-regime coalition authority made significant missteps, and a devastating insurgency erupted. And despite President Bush’s 2004 reelection, the war quickly lost popular support among the American public. In early 2007, Bush appointed General David Petraeus, who had already served in Iraq as a two- and three-star general, to lead allied forces in Iraq, which heralded a sea change in American strategy known as “the surge.” As part of our coverage looking back on 9/11 and the world it created, General Petraeus tells the inside story of one of the most consequential moments in the War on Terror. The general’s essay today is both a crucial history and a profile in political courage. It demands reflection as we take stock of the last 25 years. —The Editors By the end of 2006, the war in Iraq was failing. There is no useful purpose in softening that judgment with the passage of time. The bombing of the al-Askari mosque in Samarra by terrorists that February had accelerated sectarian violence and pulled Iraq into an increasingly vicious Sunni-Shia civil war. Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Sunni insurgent groups controlled substantial areas, Shi’ite militias operated with growing impunity in other parts of the country, and the Iraqi security forces were no longer capable of arresting the downward spiral. The strategy of transitioning security responsibilities to Iraqi forces, consolidating American troops on large bases, and progressively reducing the U.S. presence had clearly been invalidated by the escalating violence. The numbers conveyed the horror imperfectly but unmistakably. In December 2006, an average of 53 Iraqi civilians were killed by violence every 24 hours in Baghdad alone. Washington, meanwhile, was approaching its own breaking point. Public support for the war had fallen dramatically, President George W. Bush’s Republican Party had just lost control of both houses of Congress, and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group—of which future defense secretary Robert Gates was a member—had recommended a course that anticipated a substantially reduced American combat role. Many senior military leaders were deeply skeptical of sending substantial additional forces, advocating instead for an accelerated transition to Iraqi forces, the deployment of additional trainers and advisers, or other more modest measures with an eye to withdrawing U.S. forces. Virtually every political incentive pointed toward reducing America’s commitment. President Bush chose instead to increase it, a decision that remains, in my view, one of the most courageous presidential decisions of the 21st century.
Pennsylvania businesses and nonprofits face deadline on skill game machines
Businesses and nonprofits in Pennsylvania are facing uncertainty as state lawmakers prepare to decide the fate of skill game machines before an October 14 deadline.