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Berlin Greenhouses to be Sold at Foreclosure Auction in October: Business NH Magazine

It is now clear what the next step for the greenhouses off East Milan Road will be: the auction block on Oct. 28 at 11 a.m.

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Sep 24 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • businessnhmagazine.com
Agents involved in Mar-a-Lago search ask Judge Aileen Cannon whether gag order blocks testimony

FBI agents who probed Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home asked Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday whether they could testify before a grand jury — or even consult their lawyers — as part of an investigation into whether former government officials conspired against the president.

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Sep 24 • 6:33 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Jewish community divided on Israeli PM Netanyahu's appearance at U.N.

People stood and sat in the street, linked arms and blocked traffic.

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Sep 24 • 6:25 PM EDT • Politics • ny1.com
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Attorney representing CNN reacts to judge temporarily blocking Trump’s media ban
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Sep 24 • 6:07 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
How AI Is Driving Both Parties Back to Their Roots

The dot-com boom shifted political alignments. AI is shifting them back.

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Sep 24 • 4:45 PM EDT • Politics • thedispatch.com
Concerns about misuse of flock cameras cross Alabama’s political aisle

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, joined colleague Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, in asking the Department of Justice to give guidance on flock cameras.

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Sep 24 • 4:14 PM EDT • Politics • wsfa.com
Senate rejects measure to block Trump from ordering more strikes on Iran

The administration ignored passage of a similar resolution in June, arguing that it lacks the force of law.

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Sep 24 • 3:00 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
How every senator voted on the Iran war powers resolution

The Senate failed to block President Donald Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran in a 49-50 vote.

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Sep 24 • 3:00 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
This ‘World of Warcraft: Forever’ Mod Blocks All Interactions With Asmongold Fans

The beta for the hotly anticipated World of Warcraft: Forever has been marred by fans of the streamer Asmongold who have filled the game’s public spaces with spam and slurs. To fix the issue, a player named Solastro created a mod called OlympusMute that hides any chats from players

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Sep 24 • 1:46 PM EDT • Technology • 404media.co
Spokane's Teleport Block Party brings local businesses together

A writer goes to Spokane's Teleport Block Party and highlights two local businesses.

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Sep 24 • 1:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • gonzagabulletin.com
MLB's CC Sabathia Shares Health Message, Talks Hall of Fame

MLB star CC Sabathia joins TODAY to share a message about the importance of understanding your cholesterol numbers and shares his own health scare. “I was pitching in the big leagues and had no idea I had this blockage and just got lucky enough to be able to catch it,” he says. He also opens up about being inducted into the Monument Park Hall of Fame at Yankee Stadium. “It means more than going into the Hall of Fame…To be able to come to the Bronx, put on the pinstripes and succeed here…feels great.”

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Sep 24 • 9:45 AM EDT • Health • today.com
Judge orders White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Reporters say they're still blocked

The back-and-forth is the latest in an extraordinary showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes.

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Sep 24 • 9:24 AM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Steelers-Lions Blockbuster Trade Idea Would Reshape Detroit

CBS Sports proposed a blockbuster trade that would send Joey Porter Jr. and DK Metcalf to the Lions for Jameson Williams and a 2027 first-round pick.

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Sep 24 • 9:21 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Pujols on MLB’s Looming Lockout Threat

Albert Pujols on a potential MLB lockout and his future as a big league manager.

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Sep 24 • 9:17 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Distant time crystals can somehow fall into the same rhythm

Researchers have shown that multiple time crystals inside a semiconductor can synchronize their oscillations, much like pendulum clocks gradually falling into the same rhythm. The coupling is carried by spin-polarized electrons, allowing time crystals separated by up to 40 micrometers to lock to a common frequency. The discovery reveals surprisingly long-range connections between these exotic spin systems and could help researchers develop future spin-based devices.

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Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.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.

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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.”

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Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net
Scientists thought they knew how this 70-year-old leukemia drug worked

A 70-year-old leukemia drug is still revealing new secrets. Researchers found that removing a protein called NUDT5 protected cells from the drug, even though simply blocking the protein had little effect. The unexpected result points to a hidden cellular role that could help explain why people respond differently to certain leukemia treatments.

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Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Singapore Scientists Claim They Built The World’s Most Accurate Atomic Clock

Scientists claim a lutetium-ion atomic clock would be off by no more than about one second over 300 billion years.

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Sep 24 • 3:43 AM EDT • Science • thequantuminsider.com
When Bellamy watched on as Ronaldo caused lockdown

Craig Bellamy says Cristiano Ronaldo is "beyond a superstar" before his Wales side face the Portugal legend in the opening match of their Nations League A campaign.

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Sep 23 • 5:31 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Nissan Z Kaze concept unlocks a new era of sports car nostalgia at 2026 ZCON

The Nissan Z Kaze concept was revealed today at ZCON, the annual enthusiast convention of the Z Car Club Association.

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Sep 23 • 3:30 PM EDT • Sports • usa.nissannews.com
Lock In On Thursday Night Football With Our Betting Preview

Thursday Night football best bets on Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers plus updated odds on NFL MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year

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Sep 23 • 2:43 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Seattle Symphony and Seven Lions team-up marks an orchestra first

Dance music titan Seven Lions has headlined the Gorge Amphitheatre and thrown a Sodo block party. But this year he's felt the Seattle embrace more than ever.

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Sep 23 • 1:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
Logitech G Unveils Fifteen New Products at Logitech G PLAY 2026

There has never been a more exciting time to be a gamer. Today at Logitech G PLAY 2026, Logitech G unveiled fifteen new products, along with new software experiences and breakthrough designs created to elevate how competitive players, creators, and everyday gamers play. As blockbuster releases,...

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Sep 23 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • techpowerup.com
Lawsuit seeks to block new NC mail-in ballot processes

A coalition of left-leaning groups is suing to block new absentee ballot guidelines approved by the State Board of Elections, arguing that mail-in voters could be disenfranchised.

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Sep 23 • 11:48 AM EDT • Politics • wunc.org
Xbox’s Mythic achievements sound like PlayStation’s Platinum trophy

The Xbox Mythic achievement has its own unique unlock sound.

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Sep 23 • 11:45 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Taylor Swift announces 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' will be released on Friday

The pop superstar will release an expanded version of her blockbuster 2025 album with four new songs.

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Sep 23 • 11:06 AM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com
Christina Applegate is blond and back online after lengthy hospital stay

LOS ANGELES — Christina Applegate has resurfaced on social media after a lengthy hospital stay to show off her lovely locks. In a reel posted to Instagram, The Emmy-winning actor,

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Sep 23 • 11:01 AM EDT • Entertainment • recorderonline.com
A Massive Jackpot of Green Fuel Is Locked Underground—and Scientists May Have Just Found the Key

A new study replicated the heat and pressure conditions of Western Australia’s vast iron-ore deposits to produce natural hydrogen gas.

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Sep 23 • 9:30 AM EDT • Science • popularmechanics.com
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Gears of War: E-Day gets Liquid Death collaboration in the US

Players in the US can now unlock a unique pose and banner combination in Gears of War: E-Day, thanks to a new partnership with Liquid Death.

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Sep 23 • 8:44 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
Unlocking Xbox's New Mythic Achievement Sounds Incredible, And Here's How It Might Work

Answering the big DLC question

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Sep 23 • 7:30 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Ready for takeoff: Ken Maassen's classes and hands-on experiences helped prepare him for a career at Lockheed Martin

Maassen, who received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, helps integrate gas-turbine engines onto the aircraft.

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Sep 23 • 7:06 AM EDT • Science • news.clemson.edu
Reform and the UAE – a threat to British politics

By Alex Carlen The United Arab Emirates likes to present itself as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The oil-rich Gulf state has committed to Net Zero by 2050, hosted COP 28, and even declared “championing climate action” as one of three strategic objectives for this week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly. But behind the scenes the UAE has quietly built one of its closest political relationships in Europe with the party most hostile to climate action in Britain: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. There is no evidence that the UAE is funding Reform. But a new FairSquare report, Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat, published today, documents a growing political relationship that should concern anyone interested in the integrity of British democracy. Reform’s leaders have embraced the UAE’s political model and promoted positions that align closely with the Emirati government’s priorities, while the UAE has given Farage and his party unusually warm access and public backing. What is emerging is not simply a relationship between British politicians and a wealthy Gulf state, but a channel through which an authoritarian government can cultivate political influence here, and abroad. Democracy for Sale relies on its readers. If you already support us, thanks so much. If you don’t, sign up to support fearless independent investigative journalism. Subscribe Back in January, Nigel Farage appeared at a GB News event in Dubai. On the 50th floor of a tower overlooking the luxury resorts and upscale residences of Palm Jumeirah, the Reform leader declared: “I want Clacton to look like this.” At the event – which Farage never declared on his official register of interests – senior Emirati officials mixed with British expats. Farage was keen to flatter. “We recognise you are our friends”, he said, assuring them that “a Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.” Controversy surrounding Reform’s finances and its susceptibility to foreign influence have centred around high-profile donations from billionaire crypto donors, and the jailing of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, for accepting bribes to give pro-Russia speeches. Far less attention has been paid to Reform’s blossoming new alliance with the UAE, an oil-rich authoritarian state with a track record of ruinous anti-democratic interventions. Farage wasn’t always so fond of the UAE. Back in 2023 he called it an “absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record.” Now Reform’s hierarchy calls the UAE home. Deputy leader Richard Tice splits his time between his constituency and Dubai and has called on the UK to learn from the UAE. The party’s treasurer Nick Candy runs a firm which has been in partnership with a UAE-state linked firm since 2024. Nadhim Zahawi sits on the board of an Abu Dhabi think tank alongside an array of the most senior UAE officials and is reportedly close to three brothers of the country’s despotic ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed. Reform’s leading lights have effusively praised the UAE’s governance model, defended it from criticism, and advanced its political agenda in the UK. GB News, whose two major shareholders – the Legatum Foundation and Paul Marshall – have strong links to the UAE, has been more than happy to broadcast UAE propaganda and was forced to pay damages in 2025 after airing a false claim about a UK charity by the UAE “disinfluencer” Amjad Taha. The UAE has responded in kind. When the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs conducted an official visit to the UK in May, Farage was the only non-government figure granted an audience. UAE state media publicised the meeting, and said that they discussed “the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests.” For the UAE these ‘mutual interests’ largely concern its paranoia over political Islam, and in this regard the UAE-Reform alliance is part of a broad and troubling pattern. Following a crackdown on dissent at home in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the UAE has offered material and political support to a range of violent and authoritarian actors willing to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood with no regard for the consequences. Its meddling in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and most notably Sudan, have been devastating. The UAE’s strategy of seeking out partners on the political fringes who it believes will advance its interests is not unique to Britain – it extends beyond the Middle East to Europe and the US. In France, it has offered clandestine support to Marine Le Pen through secret meetings, as well allegedly funding trips to the region after which Le Pen returned with a renewed focus on the UAE’s perceived enemies – Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Left-wing opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the UAE of smearing him and of “encouraging discrimination, hatred or violence”. In the US, the UAE actively supported the rise of Donald Trump, establishing itself as a key ally during both his first and second terms. Around these relationships sits a wider ecosystem of figures willing to amplify UAE narratives, that even extends to Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. Subscribe In Britain, the UAE has used a combination of aggressive diplomacy and illicit, disruptive tactics to achieve its policy goal of eliminating any perceived threat from political Islam. In 2012, for instance, it threatened to block billion-pound arms deals with the UK and stop inward investment if David Cameron did not act against the Muslim Brotherhood and rein in the BBC’s coverage of the group – going so far as to suggest, with no supporting evidence, that the group had infiltrated the BBC. It has financed smear campaigns against a high-profile UK charity and funded a mercenary to secretly surveil, and possibly assassinate, a British national on British soil. In Reform UK, the UAE has finally found an ally willing to not only ban the Muslim Brotherhood, but to publicly vilify the group and repeat the UAE’s claims that dangerous Muslims are a fifth column in British society, a narrative that aligns with the Islamophobia and anti-immigration sentiments that underpin Reform’s populist politics. The Rycroft review into foreign interference concluded that “hostile states and non-state actors have a clear incentive to attempt to undermine UK democracy.” The UAE’s network and alliance with Reform must be understood within that framework. It is a powerful, disruptive and deeply authoritarian actor with the resources and networks to intervene in our politics, and a track-record of doing so in a multitude of other countries. The evidence of the threat the UAE poses is overwhelming. The question is whether parliamentarians are willing to call the UAE out and demand action using the tools that the government has to respond. Placing the UAE on the “Enhanced Tier” of the Foreign Registration scheme alongside Russia and Iran would send a powerful signal to the UAE that its meddling will no longer be tolerated, and would place Farage’s next trips to the UAE under the scrutiny they deserve. Alex Carlen is research and advocacy manager at London based human rights organisation FairSquare and author of its new report Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat. Subscribe

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Sep 23 • 6:50 AM EDT • Politics • democracyforsale.substack.com
Championship 2026-27: What have we learned so far?

As we enter the three-week international break, BBC Sport looks back at the opening block of Championship fixtures to see what we have learned so far.

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Sep 23 • 6:17 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Poll: Neither Americans nor Canadians wanted Trump’s trade war

Americans say President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada aren’t worth higher prices, as Canadians remain in lockstep behind Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

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Sep 23 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • politico.com
Liverpool U21's show 'character' in shootout win over Rochdale

Boss Rob Page hailed the "character and resilience" of his Liverpool U21's side as they drew 3-3 against Rochdale in the Jersey Mike's Trophy while down to 10-men. Mor Talla Ndiaye was sent off in the first half for Liverpool before Devante Rodney broke the deadlock for Rochdale. Liverpool equalised before the break with a great solo goal from Will Wright, but Rochdale scored twice in quick succession in the second half through 41-year-old Ian Henderson.

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Sep 23 • 3:40 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Celebrate leaf season at Waynesville's Fall Block Party

Kick off the most beautiful season in the Blue Ridge with a lively block party in downtown Waynesville from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6.

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Sep 23 • 12:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • themountaineer.com
Mobile children’s museum ‘in the business of restoring childhood,’ one building block at a time

In advance of brick-and-mortar, Heart of Play hosts pop-up exhibits throughout Whatcom County

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Sep 23 • 12:00 AM EDT • Business • cascadiadaily.com
Seahawks Backup Emerges as Potential Trade Option for Commanders

The Seattle Seahawks have a QB3 who might interest teams dealing with injuries at the position. For now, Jalen Milroe is the backup to Drew Lock until Sam Darnold returns. Still, could teams looking for QB help consider Milroe?Seattle took Milroe in the third round and sees plenty of upside in him, but would the […] The post Seahawks Backup Emerges as Potential Trade Option for Commanders appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 22 • 11:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Romania’s political deadlock risks handing power to far right, PM nominee warns

A partnership between the socialists and the far right would set a dangerous precedent for the EU, Siegfried Mureșan told POLITICO.

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Sep 22 • 10:02 PM EDT • Politics • politico.eu
Dodgers Plan To Activate Shohei Ohtani Wednesday

The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to lock up one of the two National League byes

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Sep 22 • 8:31 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Protesters at Paramount's gates say Bonta 'caved' on Warner Bros. merger deal

Dozens rallied outside Paramount's Hollywood lot, saying the settlement clearing its Warner Bros. merger fails to protect L.A. entertainment jobs.

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Sep 22 • 5:17 PM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com
Supreme Court Order Gives Parents Custody of Baby in Surrogacy Fight

A surrogate refused to have an abortion after the fetus was diagnosed with a serious heart problem. She asked the justices to block a court order giving custody to the biological parents.

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Sep 22 • 4:52 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Lionel Richie hospitalized again, drops some Earth, Wind & Fire shows

Lionel Richie and his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire hit yet another health-related roadblock this week. He was hospitalized to receive treatment for an irregular heartbeat.

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Sep 22 • 3:29 PM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com
Day-into-night music, entertainment. Popular Turlock eatery to mark summer’s end

It’s a family friendly celebration with no cover charge.

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Sep 22 • 3:14 PM EDT • Entertainment • modbee.com
California, New York sue to block Trump deals canceling offshore wind projects

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday

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Sep 22 • 1:25 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
California, New York sue to block Trump deals canceling offshore wind projects

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday

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Sep 22 • 1:25 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
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In a concrete-covered culture, John Wilson carves out a micro-movie revolution

In a blockbuster movie world, John Wilson is carving out an idiosyncratic niche of his own | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM

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Sep 22 • 1:23 PM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
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Apple Will Soon Announce an All-New Operating System

Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reiterated that the operating system will feature a grid of app icons, widgets, and customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub.

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Sep 22 • 12:19 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Would Troy Aikman actually walk away from ESPN?

This originally appeared in Tuesday morning’s edition of The A Block, Awful Announcing’s daily newsletter with the latest sports media news, commentary, and analysis. Sign up here and be the first to know everything going on in the sports media world. Something is off when the analyst half of the longest-running broadcast marriage in NFL history…

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Sep 22 • 12:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Scientists develop real-time AI monitoring for an advanced nuclear reactor component

Just as a clogged kitchen sink can bring household routines to a halt, a blockage in a nuclear reactor's heat exchanger can slow operations and require urgent attention. Researchers at the U.S. Department ...

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Sep 22 • 10:20 AM EDT • Science • techxplore.com
Cohere Health Helps Health Plans Unlock Revenue by Closing Hidden HEDIS® Gaps

/PRNewswire/ -- Cohere Health®, the leading clinical intelligence and operations platform for health plans, today announced new performance results...

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Sep 22 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • prnewswire.com
What’s Next for Paramount

Hollywood watchers believe the studio prevailed over states seeking to block its deal for Warner Bros. Discovery. It’s now free to reshape the media industry.

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Sep 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • nytimes.com
This emerging treatment could help people avoid knee replacement surgery

A minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolization could offer a new middle ground between conservative treatments and knee replacement for osteoarthritis. By blocking tiny blood vessels associated with inflammation, GAE can significantly reduce pain, with some patients reporting little or no pain afterward. Studies suggest the benefits may last two to four years in people who respond well.

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Sep 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
The Green Bay Packers receive intriguing Micah Parsons return scenario

The Green Bay Packers enter Week 3 at 1-1 as the Atlanta Falcons visit Lambeau Field, while Micah Parsons continues his recovery from last season’s torn left ACL. His return date remains uncertain, and the same can be said for Jayden Reed following his frightening Week 2 injury. Peter Bukowski of Locked On Packers pointed [...]

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Sep 22 • 7:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Raspberry Pi Locks Down RAM Upgrades

In a recent video [Jeff Geerling] addresses an issue discovered with the Raspberry Pi firmware, specifically how since around 2024 the firmware locks down what RAM size and even module is supported…

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Sep 22 • 7:00 AM EDT • Technology • hackaday.com
Is 50 the new 60?

Subscribe TL;DR: Younger generations are showing signs of worse health compared to earlier-born cohorts at the same age This backward “drift” is showing up both in mortality risk and chronic disease Worsening trends in obesity and diabetes are the most consistent signals Taking the long view, we’ve made astonishing gains in health and life expectancy in the last century. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled from 32 years in 1900 to 73 years in 2024. (But don’t forget, there were still old people when life expectancy was 32). As people lived longer, they also generally lived healthier along the way. It turns out that avoiding things that can kill you early, like malnutrition and lots of childhood infections, also keeps you healthier later in life. In a classic 2004 paper, Finch and Crimmins proposed that cohorts of children who benefited from fewer early life infections had less lifetime exposure to inflammation and cardiovascular disease later in life, accelerating mortality improvements at older ages. Poor nutrition in the womb has also been linked to a higher risk of later chronic disease. The upshot is that improvements in childhood health can pay dividends many decades later. The combination of better living conditions (nutrition, sanitation) and medical advances (antibiotics, vaccines, blood pressure meds, etc) meant that people’s healthy lifespan generally expanded, even as they lived longer. Aging researchers call this best-case scenario “compression of morbidity”—meaning we delay the onset of disease and disability even faster than the years of life we are adding. During my 20+ year research career, we could generally bank on the idea that younger generations would not only live longer but also keep getting healthier along the way. “60 is the new 50” as they say… Enter “Generational Health Drift” Sadly, this expectation of steady progress may be changing. You’ve probably heard that US life expectancy gains have slowed to a crawl in the past couple of decades. Mortality improvements are also slowing (though less dramatically) in many other high-income countries (you can read more about that in a review paper I wrote here). Mortality is a very blunt health measure, but it is often a good barometer for the broader population health trends happening underneath. And we are now seeing that younger generations may be in worse health at similar ages compared to earlier born cohorts. My collaborator Prof. George Ploubidis at University College London coined this worsening health in more recently born cohorts “generational health drift.” “Generational health drift” is bad news on multiple fronts. Most obviously, we don’t want our health progress to go backward. But the timing is also bad, since our populations are aging. In demographic terms, “population aging” means that the proportion of the population at older ages (i.e >65 years) is increasing. Fun demography fact: Current population aging is not due to the recent declines in the birth rates making the news, but declines in fertility decades ago, after the “baby boom.” As baby boomers reach older ages, the smaller cohorts behind them mean the percentage of older adults will increase. For example, the share of the population age 65 and older in the US increased from 12.4% in 2004 to 18.0% in 2024. This story of population aging was written long ago. Many worry that population aging will put pressure on health care and pension systems. But if people reach older ages in better health than in years past, those fiscal pressures would be less dire than projected. Healthy older people can also continue to contribute to society in many valuable ways, including paid work, caregiving, community service….even high political office 🤷. On the flip side, if younger generations reach retirement age in worse health and with more disabling conditions, this could magnify the societal challenge of population aging. Evidence for worsening generational health A recent paper that I LOVED in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Leah Abrams and colleagues examined which birth cohorts (aka generations) were behind worsening US mortality. Behold the Lexis diagram (cue swooning demographers). Calendar time is on the x-axis, age on the y-axis. Birth cohorts can be followed over time as they age on the diagonal lines moving up and to the right. This figure plots the year-on-year % change in all-cause mortality at a given age. Green shading indicates mortality improvements over time, white is stagnation, and gray shading indicates worsening mortality. Following the diagonal line for those born in 1950, you can see a noticeable shift from green to gray that follows this cohort for most of their lives. This gray shading shows generally worsening mortality for the 1950 to 1959 birth cohorts compared to their predecessors across all ages. Concerningly for my GenX and elder millennial peeps, there was also a deterioration in mortality for birth cohorts born in the 1970s and 1980s, visible as dark gray areas at ages 30 to 45 during the 2010s. While some of these mortality changes reflect specific shocks such as the opioid epidemic, most deaths still occur from major causes of death such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For cancer, the gray in the top left corner of the figure below reflects the legacies of smoking for older cohorts, followed by a period of green with improvements in cancer mortality as smoking rates declined. But the white/gray shading in the bottom right corner highlights a stagnation and reversal of the cancer trends, with cohorts born around 1970 to 1985 experiencing worsening cancer mortality. This deterioration was most noticeable for colon cancer mortality, possibly linked to obesity or dietary factors. Not just dying more, but less healthy along the way. A recent paper by Dr. Laura Gimeno of University College London (of which I am a co-author), found evidence that more recently born cohorts in Great Britain have stagnating or worsening health. A stylized picture of what“generational health drift” might look like: The review paper found: Rates of childhood overweight and obesity were highest among Gen Z. Rates of diabetes in the 40s almost doubled from 3.1% among the Baby Boomers to 5.9% in Generation X. Gen Z reported higher rates of poor mental health in adolescence compared to earlier-born groups. These UK results are consistent with studies showing worsening health across generations in the US as well. A 2021 US study found that more recently born cohorts had worse biological markers (like blood pressure and blood sugar) than earlier generations at the same age. A separate 2022 study of Americans aged 50 and over found that more recently born generations had a higher number of chronic diseases, with younger age of disease onset. A 2024 Lancet paper found that in the US, women born in 1945 had 33% obesity prevalence at age 50, rising to 48.2% for women born in 1970 turning 50. So what’s going on, and can we turn it around? We don’t have a definitive answer for what’s causing the deteriorating health of younger cohorts, but circumstantial evidence points to worsening trends in obesity and diabetes in both the US and UK. Remember that cohort trends reflect lagged effects of early environments, and younger generations have faced both earlier onset and more severe obesity across their lifetimes. Despite these very concerning trends, the future is not set in stone. We’ve reversed poor generational health trends before: drops in smoking are a major reason cancer and heart disease deaths fell so dramatically in recent decades. GLP-1 drugs may finally turn the tide against rising rates of obesity and diabetes, though it is still early days. But things could also get worse…for example from a return to higher levels of childhood infectious diseases that can have a lasting impact on health. See for example: [ ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) [ Don’t You Forget About Me(asles): The Virus That Erases Immune Memory ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Jenn Dowd, PhD · March 24, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Even as an optimist, emerging data on the “generational health drift” has my full attention. For most of my research career, we took it for granted that each generation would be healthier than the last. But if present trends continue, **50 could be the new 60….**and Gen Z celebrities will soon look older than Paul Rudd :). Stay well, Jenn Share the Health! If you found this post useful, please share it with a friend. Share

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Sep 22 • 6:03 AM EDT • Health • jenndowd.substack.com
Jiang Feng: The Unravelling of German & European Politics

A state election in eastern Germany has become a revealing test of the changing political landscapes of Germany and Europe, writes Jiang Feng, Professor and Chairman of the Council of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies (SAGGAS) at Shanghai International Studies University. His analysis follows the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) (which has been classified as right-wing extremist by German authorities)in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, in which it finished far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Jiang previously served as Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The following article was published on 8 September 2026 on huanqiu.com, the online platform of the Global Times. On 6 September, the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, were announced. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right by German authorities, made history by becoming the largest party in the state parliament, winning 43.8 per cent of the vote — twice its share in the previous election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had governed the state continuously for 24 years, won just 17.2 per cent, its worst result ever in Saxony-Anhalt. On the night the results were announced, the atmosphere at the CDU gathering was unusually calm. There was neither shock nor argument, as if the defeat had long been expected. Several veteran party members who had spent years working in the state government said: “Defeat is not a bad thing. It is time to make changes.” This state election has not only upended Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape, but also laid bare the deep tensions between Germany’s traditional party structure and model of governance, on the one hand, and an increasingly polarised society on the other. Its repercussions are already being felt at the federal level, making Saxony-Anhalt a useful case study of the broader trend towards political polarisation and realignment in Europe. Governing Difficulties after Electoral Victory The most immediate consequence of the election is a historic setback for the mainstream party order that took shape in post-war Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has leapt from a peripheral party to the largest political force in the state. Its electoral base has expanded beyond the traditional category of “marginal protest voters” to take on the characteristics of a cross-class coalition. The party has not only consolidated its support in rural areas, but also attracted many middle-class voters and even members of the social elite with stable jobs, their own homes, and substantial incomes. It has thus evolved from a “protest party” into one with the potential to govern. Despite its commanding lead in the vote, however, the AfD faces an institutional obstacle to governing the state: the mainstream parties’ long-standing “firewall” against it. Neither of the two potential routes to forming a government appears likely to break the current political deadlock. The first would be a coalition of establishment parties, led by the CDU and bringing together the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in a cross-camp government. In terms of parliamentary arithmetic, such a coalition could prevent the AfD from forming a government and preserve the outward stability of the traditional political order. Yet these parties are fundamentally divided over key issues including immigration, the energy transition, economic management, and cultural and education policy. Coalition negotiations would therefore be extremely difficult, and even if a government could be formed, it would most likely prove short-lived. More importantly, an alliance of establishment parties aimed at keeping the largest party out of government would play directly into the AfD’s narrative that “political elites are suppressing public opinion”. It could deepen perceptions of political unfairness, further strengthening the AfD’s political capital, and creating a dynamic in which “the more it is suppressed, the more people vote for it”. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for state premier, has said that if efforts to form a government fail because other parties refuse to cooperate, the AfD will push for a fresh election, which he believes could deliver the party an absolute majority of seats. This points to more intense political battles ahead. The second option would be a coalition between the AfD and the BSW. Together, the two parties would command a simple majority in parliament, making this, on paper, the quickest route to forming a government. The BSW is the only elected party that has not ruled out cooperation with the AfD, and the two parties share some common ground, including on policy towards Russia. There is therefore a degree of political basis for cooperation. Were such a coalition to materialise, Germany would see its first state government jointly formed by a party defined as far-right and one with a far-left background, creating what might be called a “bipolar anti-establishment alliance”. Such an outcome would fundamentally break with the ideological boundaries of post-war German party politics. It is worth noting that even if the AfD ultimately fails to enter the state government, its roughly 47 per cent share of parliamentary seats would give it a powerful blocking minority. Without its consent, major decisions requiring a two-thirds majority — including constitutional amendments, significant budgetary adjustments, and state-level institutional reforms — would be extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, whoever ultimately forms the government, the AfD will be an unavoidable force in Saxony-Anhalt politics, with a direct influence on the state’s legislative process. Systemic Failures in Germany’s Governance Model The Saxony-Anhalt election result reflects a systemic failure of Germany’s post-war mainstream-party model of governance to adapt to rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. It stems from multiple, mutually reinforcing structural tensions and highlights the existing political system’s difficulty in adapting to “an increasingly polarised society First, collective anxiety has replaced individual material hardship as a central driver of political mobilisation. The rise of the AfD can no longer be explained simply by poverty or social marginalisation. Its increasingly cross-class electoral base suggests that what is driving voters towards the party is, above all, concern about the broader direction of society. This anxiety about the future of the political community goes beyond individual gains and losses. In political discourse, economic anxiety has become closely intertwined with immigration, while immigration and refugee issues are, in essence, questions of social fairness. This perception turns conflicts over the distribution of social resources into negative assessments of governing parties, providing a broad social basis for far-right political narratives. Second, regional disparities and East German identity have undermined the strategy of addressing eastern Germany’s structural challenges at the regional level. More than three decades after German reunification, eastern states such as Saxony-Anhalt have experienced periods of economic growth, but their underlying economic structures remain weak, and household incomes and wealth remain significantly below those in western Germany. At the same time, they continue to face population outflow, an ageing population, labour shortages, and other structural challenges. At a deeper level, historical experiences — including the collapse of the former East German economic system, mass unemployment during the transition, and the westward shift of decision-making power over major issues — have left some residents with a sense of being “second-class citizens” and of being excluded. For years, the German government treated the “syndrome” of reunification as a regional problem to be gradually addressed at the local level. That approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable, as regional development disparities emerge as a core structural factor shaping national politics. Third, the erosion of institutional trust is perhaps the most decisive factor. AfD supporters tend to distrust establishment institutions, including parliament, government, and the mainstream media. Their concerns about economic security, pensions, and social fairness are significantly greater than the social average. Increasingly, their support for the AfD reflects not an expectation that the existing system can be improved, but a search for an alternative to the current political order. Such a systemic deficit of trust will be extremely difficult for the traditional parties to repair in the short term. Fourth, a generational shift in political mobilisation has amplified political polarisation. Unlike traditional parties, which rely heavily on offline rallies and mainstream media coverage, the AfD has developed a social-media mobilisation strategy built around “raising an issue — identifying who is responsible — offering a simplified solution — building a shared identity”. It turns complex social tensions into concise political narratives, rapidly channelling public sentiment into political support. The contrast on the eve of the election was particularly telling. The establishment parties, together with trade unions and churches, organised an offline march attended by more than 10,000 people, but its reach was largely confined to those present and to traditional media coverage. The AfD held a much smaller indoor event, yet livestreaming on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, combined with the involvement of online influencers, gave it a reach and mobilising capacity far beyond that of the march. The contrast illustrates how the traditional parties’ methods of political mobilisation are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a political environment transformed by changes in media technology. A Microcosm of Structural Political Change in Europe The shockwaves from the Saxony-Anhalt election quickly travelled beyond the state to the federal level. Calls for political accountability followed immediately after the results were announced. The governing CDU and SPD are now under enormous pressure, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil face an unprecedented test. Political polarisation in Germany is no longer simply a regional phenomenon. The post-war model of multiparty government by establishment parties is breaking down and being reshaped. Viewed in a broader European context, the Saxony-Anhalt election is part of a continent-wide wave of party polarisation, mainstream-party decline, and rising right-wing forces. Far from an isolated phenomenon, it is a microcosm of the structural political changes unfolding across Europe. Weak economic growth, cultural tensions over immigration, and declining trust in institutions are fuelling the rise of right-wing forces in several countries, challenging the liberal internationalist order established in post-war Europe. As a core member state of the European Union, Germany’s ability to adapt its political system and the direction of its politics will have profound implications for both European integration and the evolution of the international order. Subscribe [ Pekingnology China’s Germany watchers take stock of Berlin’s uneasy turn On 7 December 2025, nearly 50 Chinese scholars and policy researchers gathered in Beijing for the 2025年德国形势年终研讨会 “2025 Year-End Seminar on the Situation in Germany… Read more 9 months ago · 31 likes · 1 comment · YIRUI LI and Yuxuan JIA ](https://www.pekingnology.com/p/chinas-germany-watchers-take-stock?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1151841) [ Jiang Feng on Germany's 2025 and beyond: no easy exit ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond) Yirui LI and Yuxuan JIA · Jan 24 The following is an op-ed by Jiang Feng, published on 29 December 2025 at Shanghai Observer 上观新闻, the digital platform of Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [ Read full story ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond)

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Sep 22 • 3:04 AM EDT • Politics • eastisread.com
Kayak Clarifies Position in Business Travel Marketplace

Kayak for Business is looking to broaden its appeal beyond its enterprise configuration with Blockskye, targeting SMEs as well as large clients. SVP Eva Fouquet told BTN's Elizabeth West the company also is pursuing a hybrid strategy, developing AI capabilities while maintaining traditional online booking options as traveler trust develops.

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Sep 22 • 12:00 AM EDT • Business • businesstravelnews.com
China’s Leader Xi Seeks to Extend Truce with Trump During U.S. Summit

Facing an American president constrained by war and politics, China’s leader may seek to lock in a tactical truce while he shores up a fragile economy at home.

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Sep 21 • 10:00 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
11 Packers Appear on Week 3 Injury Report vs. Falcons

A grueling short week looms as star wideout Jayden Reed and 10 other Green Bay Packers race against the clock ahead of Week 3.

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Sep 21 • 9:16 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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iOS 27.2 beta 2 reveals new details about anti-snatching feature

Apple continues to work on a feature that automatically locks an iPhone when it detects that the device has been snatched from its owner’s hand.

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Sep 21 • 5:53 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com
What to know about Paramount's settlement and its impact on movies

Movie studio Paramount has agreed to settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 states, the last big obstacle blocking the company’s $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in a

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Sep 21 • 5:01 PM EDT • Entertainment • idahostatejournal.com
Craven County Community Health Center cuts ribbon on Havelock expansion, adds VA clinic and pharmacy

Craven County officials celebrated the opening of an expanded community health clinic Monday, bringing essential medical, pharmacy, and behavioral health care closer to home for eastern county residents.

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Sep 21 • 4:39 PM EDT • Health • witn.com
Face ID bug is causing some iPhone 18 Pro models to malfunction

Unlocking Face ID-protected apps is causing some iPhone 18 Pro units to freeze and reboot.

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Sep 21 • 4:01 PM EDT • Technology • phonearena.com
‘Voices Unlocked’ fills St. Andrew’s Hall with science, song and support

The second annual “Voices Unlocked” event was held at St. Andrew’s Hall on Sept. 17. With its live music, resource booths, and speakers from the scientific community, the event aimed

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Sep 21 • 3:15 PM EDT • Science • thesouthend.wayne.edu
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iOS 27.2 reveals new features coming to Apple Music, CarPlay, more

Code for iOS 27.2’s beta releases points to new features in the works for Apple Music, CarPlay Ultra, and more.

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Sep 21 • 3:01 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com
Drew Lock lights up Arizona in Week 2

Drew Lock continues to shine to begin 2026 with three scores in Week 2 vs. Arizona.

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Sep 21 • 1:29 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Bungie is freeing vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns after Marathon "did not reach as many players as we had hoped"

Bungie promises to unvault Destiny 2 campaigns and raids that were locked away, all while rebuilding the shooter's future, after a tepid response to Marathon.

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Sep 21 • 1:06 PM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Latino Heritage Art Fest, La Feria, returns to Columbus

Downtown Columbus will come alive with art, music, dance, food, and celebration during the Latino Heritage Art Fest on Oct. 3 at Blockfort Gallery and The Loom.

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Sep 21 • 1:03 PM EDT • Entertainment • spectrumnews1.com
State attorneys general agree to settle Paramount merger lawsuit

The state attorneys general suing to block Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, have reached a settlement, clearing the way for the companies to complete the merger.

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Sep 21 • 12:58 PM EDT • Business • cnn.com
Public Health seeks info on dog bite near Madison's Cabot Lane

MADISON (WKOW) — Public Health Madison & Dane County is searching for a dog that bit a person on Saturday on the 800 block of Cabot Lane in Madison.

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Sep 21 • 12:48 PM EDT • Health • wkow.com
The scientific reason why the days feel shorter as you age

Scientists have several theories for why our perception of time changes with age

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Sep 21 • 12:33 PM EDT • Science • the-independent.com
‘Destiny’ Lives: All Content To Be Unvaulted And Future Games Planned

Just months after the decision to end Destiny 2 updates and seemingly shelve the IP, Bungie has made a blockbuster announcement that Destiny will live on.

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Sep 21 • 12:02 PM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Seahawks Droppings: New starting quarterback, same results for streaking ‘Hawks

Seattle rolls with Drew Lock at QB, setting franchise records along the way.

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Sep 21 • 11:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Arizona volleyball middle blockers providing variety, still searching for consistency

Arizona’s middles have all shown stretches of strong play, but the entire team needs to do that consistently

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Sep 21 • 10:51 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Amazon blocks Meta's Muse AI agent from shopping on its site

Meta's Muse AI assistant blocked by Amazon for what it called unauthorized shopping access, citing a violation of its conditions.

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Sep 21 • 10:32 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Minecraft Dungeons II gets time-limited reward ahead of launch next week

Ahead of Minecraft Dungeons II's launch on September 29, fans can unlock a unique Corrupted Creeper Cape for the game via a limited-time event.

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Sep 21 • 10:11 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com
New Orleans officials want to redevelop Claiborne Avenue. Here’s what they're planning next.

New Orleans city officials will design a new outdoor performance space, marketplace and nonprofit cafe along Claiborne Avenue as part of a plan to redevelop the 19-block North Claiborne Avenue

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Sep 21 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • nola.com
Microsoft patents idea for in-game PC and Xbox adverts shown during downtime "trigger events"

Microsoft may soon show ads during downtime moments in PC and Xbox games, similar to free-to-play mobile games.

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Sep 21 • 8:19 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Argonne develops real-time AI monitoring for an advanced nuclear reactor component

Argonne National Laboratory researchers proposed an AI-powered monitoring system that can spot blockages in the heat exchangers of molten-salt-cooled reactors in real time, helping prevent costly shutdowns and improve reliability for next-generation nuclear energy.

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Sep 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • anl.gov
Britain’s Burnham is set to meet Trump for the first time at the UN in New York

Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Burnham plans to discuss ways to bolster Ukraine's defenses and ease fuel prices that have soared since the US-Israeli war with Iran blocked ships from moving freely through the Strait of Hormuz. Burnham, once critical of Trump, now says he wants to seek common ground. Trump has called Burnham “a nice guy,” but has also concerned U.K. officials by expressing support for Irish unification and musing about the future of the Falkland Islands.

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Sep 21 • 7:59 AM EDT • Politics • mymotherlode.com
Two Veteran Voices Who Will Impact the Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are a young team, which makes the presence of veterans in their locker room more important.

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Sep 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
I Haven't Watched Many Big Movies Like Practical Magic 2 Starring Middle-Aged Women, So I Did A Deep Dive

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock back on the big screen got me thinking.

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Sep 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Getting nonstop political texts? Here’s what you can do to stop them

Political campaigns and pollsters can fill your inbox ahead of an election. Here’s what federal and Ohio guidance says about opting out, blocking and reporting unwanted texts.

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Sep 21 • 5:09 AM EDT • Politics • dispatch.com
Suki Waterhouse Announces December Tour Dates, Timed Close to Robert Pattinson's Next Blockbuster Release

The English singer's major-label debut album was released over the summer.

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Sep 21 • 2:27 AM EDT • Entertainment • thestate.com
Suki Waterhouse Announces December Tour Dates, Timed Close to Robert Pattinson's Next Blockbuster Release

The English singer's major-label debut album was released over the summer.

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Sep 21 • 2:27 AM EDT • Entertainment • macon.com
Patrick Mahomes displays MVP form on SNF

Coming off a shaky debut, Patrick Mahomes was locked in on Sunday night, passing for 382 yards and three scores.

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Sep 21 • 1:47 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
☹️ Negative (-20%)
Scientists want these 5 'maxxing' trends dead

The “-maxxing” trend promises that extreme optimization of your sleep, appearances, fitness, diet, or wellness routine will somehow unlock a better version of you. But when health advice becomes a competition to optimize every single thing, real science often gets lost. Our scientists break down the -maxxing trends they really want you to stop—and what the evidence actually says.

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Sep 21 • 12:00 AM EDT • Science • acsh.org
Falcons searching for answers after crushing loss to Carolina

Frustration boiled over on the Falcons’ sideline during a 34-3 loss to the Panthers, but head coach Kevin Stefanski insists Atlanta’s locker room remains resilient despite mounting quarterback and offensive struggles.

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Sep 20 • 8:40 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Choate workers’ union files lawsuit to block state from gutting mental health facility

ANNA — The labor union representing hundreds of employees at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center has filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s planned downsizing of the facility, arguing Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration failed to follow state laws governing reductions in healthcare services, the closure of state facilities and the preservation of psychiatric beds. ...

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Sep 20 • 8:21 PM EDT • Health • dailyegyptian.com
Eagles’ Saquon Barkley Gives Injury Update After Win vs Titans

The Philadelphia Eagles saw their star running back Saquon Barkley leave Sunday’s action against the Tennessee Titans early. The veteran went from the medical tent to the locker room before returning to the game momentarily. Barkley ended up having little impact on the Eagles’ tight win over the Titans. After the game, the running back […] The post Eagles’ Saquon Barkley Gives Injury Update After Win vs Titans appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 20 • 8:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
A film thinner than a human hair blocks electromagnetic waves—and hides heat!

CHANGWON, South Korea — A research team led by Dr. Taehoon Kim of the Composites & Convergence Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), headed by President Chul-jin Choi, has collaborated with research teams led by Dr. Seon Joon Kim and Dr. Jaewoo Kim of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) to develop an ultrathin composite film that combines electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, infrared (IR) stealth, and high mechanical strength. The researchers achieved these multifunctional properties by combining carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers and MXene in a structure resembling “bricks and mortar.” The technology is expected to protect military systems and aerospace electronics while also reducing electromagnetic interference in 5G/6G communication devices and wearable electronics.

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Sep 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org
Jalen Carter injury scare in Eagles-Titans Week 2 game

The Eagles DT went down after trying to block a field goal late in the game, but thankfully, it was just some cramping.

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Sep 20 • 5:55 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
BUSINESS Rebecca Wood brings New England roots to Chicago’s ENJOY stores

When ENJOY, An Urban General Store (ENJOY) owner and president Rebecca Wood moved to Chicago in 2002, she lived near Lincoln Square and spent lots of time exploring the small businesses on Lincoln Ave. “The 4700 block fascinated me…and the neighborhood felt like a village inside this big city I was still getting to know,” said Wood. […]

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Sep 20 • 5:22 PM EDT • Business • windycitytimes.com
Frank Mrvan talks steel industry, possible Chicago Bears move

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Sep 20 • 4:07 PM EDT • Business • insideindianabusiness.com
Ebola outbreak update: Cases and deaths; Dungu health zone, Haut-Uélé province now affected

A total of 73 new confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) were reported on September 18, 2026, including 25 community deaths. Of these confirmed cases, 46 were from Ituri province, 18 from North Kivu, 6 from Haut-Uélé, and 3 from Tshopo. A new health zone, Dungu, in Haut-Uélé province, was affected during the day. As this zone borders South Sudan, strengthening cross-border surveillance is necessary. During the day on September 18, 2026, 12 deaths within Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs)—10 in Ituri and 2 in North Kivu—were unfortunately recorded, bringing the total number of deaths for the day to 37. However, 41 patients were declared recovered (30 in Ituri, 6 in Haut-Uélé, 3 in North Kivu, and 2 in Tshopo) after testing negative for EVD twice. Since the start of the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a cumulative total of 7,614 confirmed cases, including 3,676 deaths, has been recorded, representing a case fatality rate of 48.3%. The epicenter remains Ituri province, which accounts for 77.2% of the confirmed cases reported across the seven affected provinces and also accounts for 63.0% of the new confirmed cases. A new health zone was affected on September 18, 2026. Consequently, 63 out of 167 health zones (37.7%) across 7 provinces are affected. Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube Response measures feature 97% traveler screening at entry points, surveillance expansion to new area Dungu, and community outreach sensitizing over 110,000 people in one day. The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s health system faces deep, structural constraints that predate the current Ebola outbreak and make epidemic response far harder. These problems are most acute in rural areas and the conflict-affected east. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Eastern provinces have seen health facilities damaged, looted, or abandoned. Insecurity delays patients, blocks supply deliveries, and exposes staff to attacks. Millions of displaced people live in camps with poor water, sanitation, and health services, increasing outbreak risk. Vast distances and poor roads mean many people walk hours or days to reach care. These same weaknesses explain why Ebola has continued to spread into new, under-prepared health zones even as some original hotspots show improvement: surveillance, laboratory turnaround, contact tracing, and infection control remain thin outside the best-supported sites. The Ministry of Health and partners have scaled up treatment centres, laboratories, and vaccination in the current outbreak, and some digital surveillance systems (DHIS2) provide a useful backbone. However, the underlying gaps in staffing, basic infrastructure, reliable funding, and logistics have not been closed. Without sustained investment in those foundations, the system will remain vulnerable to both routine disease burden and the next large outbreak. If you like the reporting on Outbreak News Today, please consider a paid subscription for $5/month or $30 a year. Help support the cause of this niche journalism. It is appreciated.

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Sep 20 • 2:59 PM EDT • Health • outbreaknewstoday.substack.com
Ms. Rachel Says Ed Sheeran Caved Over Macklemore Exit

The children's educator says Sheeran failed a moral test after venues reportedly threatened to block Loop Tour dates featuring Macklemore.

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Sep 20 • 1:40 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Why politicians should pay more attention to the polls (reprise)

Welcome to the 231st edition of The Week in Polls (TWIP), a polling newsletter that always welcomes new readers. So please don’t keep TWIP a secret; share it with your friends and colleagues: Share The Week in Polls With all the stories swirling around Reform, JL Partners and political polling, I am finally tearing myself away from talking about the regulation of polling this week - and instead re-running a previous piece reminding us why the solution to problems with polls isn’t simply to ban or ignore them. Rather, we need them to play a vital role in making our politics - and politicians - better. This is followed by summaries of the latest national voting intention polls, seat projections from MRPs and the most recent party leader ratings. Subscribers who pay for the full edition can also read ten insights from the latest polls and analyses, including: A trio of organisations and a pair of professors have been casting their eyes over the Liberal Democrats ahead of the party’s autumn conference; What impact did the summer heatwave have on views on climate change? and Which wins out between chocolate and cheese? If you are not yet a paid subscriber, you can read all ten by starting a free trial now: Get FREE 7-day trial For more polling news as it comes in ahead of next week’s edition, you can also follow The Week in Polls on Bluesky. Picking up on my doubt last week about whether or not 35% of British train travellers have tried to order a takeaway for delivery to a railway station or carriage, thank you to reader Iain, who has been in touch to say he has done just that… in India. Another quick pair of updates, this time on the controversies around Reform and polling. Politico has a further scoop - “Farage aide caught in donor sting attended Egypt retreat with JL Partners” - and Ian Dunt has written about the problems with polling too: “Seeing the response of many polling experts in the last few weeks suggests that they are nervous about what is happening and keen to mitigate against it. Seeing the response of journalists, which has been basically non-existent, suggests the precise opposite.” My usual reminder as well: please do hit reply if you’ve spotted a poll, focus group or new piece of poll-based research that you think should be in contention for coverage in a future edition. Thank you! And with that, on with the show. How politicians get public opinion wrong I have written before about the benefits that come from widespread availability of high-quality political polling. We need more polls and more good coverage of polls. However, what I’ve not dug into before is the research into how accurately politicians estimate public opinion on issues. Thankfully we have academic research to tell us. First, the bad news: We present results from a study of 866 politicians in four countries.1 Politicians were asked to estimate the percentage of public support for various policy proposals. Comparing more than 10,000 estimations with actual levels of public support, we conclude that politicians are quite inaccurate estimators of people’s preferences. They make large errors and even regularly misperceive what a majority of the voters wants. Politicians are hardly better at estimating public preferences than ordinary citizens. Walgrave, S., Jansen, A., Sevenans, J., Soontjens, K., Pilet, J.B., Brack, N., Varone, F., Helfer, L., Vliegenthart, R., van der Meer, T., Breunig, C., Bailer, S., Sheffer, L. & Loewen, P.J. (2023a), “Inaccurate Politicians: Elected Representatives’ Estimations of Public Opinion in Four Countries”, The Journal of Politics, 85(1): 209-222. The bad news is not quite as bad as that makes it sound because, when asked whether the majority of public opinion was for or against various policies, politicians picked the wrong option ‘only’ 29% of the time. However, this included getting it wrong even when public opinion is far from evenly split on an issue: They do not only get it wrong when the public is divided and hard to read (e.g., when there is a 51%:49% distribution). Seventy percent of the misplacements occur for policies with a relatively clear distribution of at least 60% (dis)agreeing citizens. Moreover, the public scored only slightly worse than politicians, picking the wrong option 2.7 out of 8 times on average, compared with 2.3 times for politicians. Turning to the other measure of accuracy (not which side is in the lead but what the percentage support is for each side), politicians on average were 18 percentage points out in their guesses. Again, this was only slightly better than the public, whose error came in at 21 percentage points.2 Further research, using the same mix of countries, gives a little more comfort about how (in)accurate perceptions are: We show that politicians have a better understanding of public opinion when they think the issue matters to voters. Further, when an issue is personally important to politicians they more accurately estimate their party supporters’ opinions. The results confirm that politicians hold more accurate perceptions of voters’ preferences when they think it is important to do so but not necessarily when the issues actually are important to voters. Butler, C., Walgrave, S., Soontjens, K. & Loewen, P.J. (2024), “Politicians are better at estimating public opinion when they think it is more salient”, Party Politics: 1–13. Even so, it’s not a good picture. The remedy for this? Politicians should spend more time reading the polls. So forward this newsletter to someone you know… Share For a more general argument against banning polls, see my 2024 piece. Is “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet” good advice or not? The latest episode of my Political Fictions podcast heads across the Atlantic for a dip into one of the political TV classics: Mark and Cory talk about a giant of American political drama for the first time this week, as they tackle The West Wing. They talk about Let Bartlet Be Bartlet, the nineteenth episode of series one. In it, Mark wonders if The West Wing is actually the epitome of the “Boris Johnson school of politics”, Cory outmanoeuvres Mark into confirming we will record a Christmas Special about Love, Actually and they debate whether the central message of this episode has been misunderstood. Cory’s email newsletter is Paperback Rioter and Mark has a family of email newsletters. Subscribe to our newsletter for some additional bonus content and to get alerted whenever a new episode comes out. Our theme tune is “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin MacLeod/incompetech.com and licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. You can also listen to our episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the web or YouTube. Elsewhere from me… [ A Lord's Eye View How to fix the problem of money in our politics Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords. This time I am taking a look at how our political system is regulated, and the protections we need to keep democracy safe from becoming simply a contest to see who has the biggest bank account… Read more 5 days ago · 3 likes · 2 comments · Mark Pack ](https://lordseyeview.substack.com/p/how-to-fix-the-problem-of-money-in?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1269283) If you spot a factual error… Borrowing an idea from Stuart Ritchie and others, if you spot a factual error in an edition of this newsletter, I will give you a free 12-month subscription to the paid-for version (or an extra 12 months on your existing one). Factual errors qualify, but grammatical errors or disagreements over interpretation do not, and my decision is final. Messages about both of those are always welcome, though. Voting intention and leadership ratings Here are the latest voting intention polls from different pollsters. It is all pretty static at the moment, with a small and consistent Labour lead in nearly all the polls. The table is also online here, along with explanations about what is included. It is updated regularly throughout the week as new polls are released. Next are the seat projections from MRPs, also sorted by fieldwork dates, listing those which are based on dedicated fieldwork (rather than models based on averages of other polls). Because such MRPs are published infrequently, some of the entries below are quite old. Finally, here is a summary of leadership ratings, with a graph from PollCheck: Detailed numbers from the latest polls are online here, and both that and the graph are updated regularly throughout the week as new data comes out. For historical figures on both voting intention and leader approval stretching back to the 1930s, including Parliamentary by-election polls, see PollBase. Catch up on the previous two editions [ ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ A crisis point for political polling Sep 13 ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ Read full story ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) [ Extra questions about the polls in Reform’s funding scandal Sep 6 ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) [ Read full story ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) My privacy policy and other legal information are available here. Links to purchase books or other items are usually affiliate links which pay a commission for each sale. Quotes from social media messages are occasionally lightly edited for punctuation and clarity. If you are subscribed to other email lists of mine, please note that unsubscribing from this one will not automatically remove you from the others. If you wish to be removed from all my lists, simply reply to this email to let me know. A quintet of Lib Dem polling analyses, and 9 other polling insights you shouldn’t miss The following ten findings from the most recent polls and analyses are only for subscribers who pay for the full edition, but you can sign up for a free trial to read them straight away. Ahead of the start of Liberal Democrat conference, we have a trio of organisations and a pair of professors with pieces out about Ed Davey’s party:

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Sep 20 • 1:02 PM EDT • Politics • theweekinpolls.substack.com
First pediatric medical-behavioral Health Unit opens, Deaconess partners with Evansville Fire Dept

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Sep 20 • 12:30 PM EDT • Health • insideindianabusiness.com
😐 Neutral (25%)