SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " ACA " 100 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Sign in to save shuffle history.
Redeemer Health filed for bankruptcy protection
The Montgomery County health system has reported operating losses every year since 2017.
Astros reportedly interview Yankees bench coach for managerial vacancy
The Astros are searching for a new manager.
Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy ‘Overview’ trailer
Nintendo has released a four-minute overview trailer for Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy.
U.S. science academy and IIT Kanpur sign climate research accord
The partnership will bring U.S.-based researchers to India for collaborative projects development and knowledge exchange.
Red Wings Shuffle Goalies With John Gibson’s Status Unclear
John Gibson is hurt with no update from McLellan, and Detroit just moved a goalie. #RedWings
DoorDash tells workers not to connect to Instacart peers on LinkedIn.
DoorDash told employees not to connect with Instacart peers on LinkedIn until their deal is closed.
Table tennis group helps black men tackle mental health
Participants say the sessions create friendships and conversations they struggle to have elsewhere.
NH office construction pipeline runs thin
The amount of available office space in New Hampshire is shrinking and becoming more expensive to lease due to a lack of new construction and higher demand that is still trying to find its footing post-COVID. The office vacancy rate statewide fell to 10.3% in the third quarter, down 3.1% from a year ago, and average asking rent rose to $22.28, up 1.7% from a year ago, according to a Colliers study.
Eastern requests more state funding for Integrated Science Building after receiving bids
Construction of EIU’s Integrated Science Building is awaiting the state’s decision to allocate more funds after projected expenses exceeded the current budget. The bids are for a new three-story academic science building for the biology and chemistry departments to the south of the Tarble Museum of Art, along with a new greenhouse. The university has currently received bids from four different...
UT Martin student attends national forensic science academy
UT Martin senior Harlee Veazey of Paris hopes to have a career in law enforcement investigations.
Russell Wilson reportedly joins Philip Rivers in interviewing for NC State head coaching vacancy
NC State is not keeping a low profile in its head coaching search.
Transportation Noise Increases Heart Risk, Even If It Doesn't Disturb Your Sleep
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Nov. 3, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Trains, planes and automobiles all pose a long-term hazard to people’s heart health, a new study says. High levels of transportation noise penetrating a person’s home increase risk of heart attack, stroke and heart ...
Academic Freedom Protects Politics
Attempts to suppress “political” ideas have no place in a free country or a free university.
A new HIV-prevention drug is showing promising signs, but it's difficult to find in Africa and beyond
Demand for lenacapavir is far outstripping supply in Uganda, other parts of Africa and all over the world. U.S. regulators on Monday approved a generic version for sale in low-income countries.
Mental health evaluation ordered for man accused of assaulting police officer
On Monday afternoon, the man was allegedly involved in a violent encounter with police near Armory and Cleveland streets
Des Moines University, Bryan College of Health Sciences expand partnership for anatomy program
Des Moines University will set aside seats in its master's of anatomy program for qualifying Bryan College of Health Sciences students.
Did Cher not deserve her Oscar, as Michael Douglas said last week?
Michael Douglas has reignited an online debate over the 1988 Oscars race by joining those who say Glenn Close, not Cher, deserved the best actress trophy.
Abby Lee Miller leads dance workshop, Q&A about ‘Dance Moms’ for Baton Rouge stop of USA tour
On Sunday, Nov. 1, Abby Lee Miller hosted a dance workshop and Q&A at Thrive Academy. The workshop, which began at 1 p.m., was open to local dance companies until the event transitioned to a Q&A at 5:30 p.m. that was open to members of the public that bought tickets. This event is one of...
Russell Wilson takes first step towards NC State coaching job after CBS move
Russell Wilson has interviewed for the vacant NC State head coaching job, just months after retiring from the NFL and joining CBS Sports as an analyst. The former Seattle Seahawks quarterback is now one of two high-profile candidates linked with the role, alongside Philip Rivers, who also played college football for the Wolfpack.
Remodel Health and Lively let employees choose an individual health plan and open an HSA in one connected experience
Remodel Health, a leading individualized benefits platform, and Lively, a top-rated health and lifestyle benefits provider1, known for building the modern health savings account (HSA), today announced the launch of the Remodel Health HSA, powered by Lively. Employers that administer a CHOICE Arrangement (formerly known as ICHRA) with Remodel Health can now enhance their benefits package with an HSA that connects directly to the employee plan-shopping experience.
The Last Disney+ Original?
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get going, I wanted to remind readers about how I plan to keep your trust while I add advertising to this newsletter. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I’m running ads now, but the danger is that it could impact my analysis and writing. I have a list of sponsors on my About Page, so if you think I’m biased, you can check out who’s sponsored this newsletter! This is something that I’m not sure anyone else in digital media does (if you’re a writer or media outlet and you do this, let me know and I’ll shout you out!) but it’s something I’d love to see embraced by the entire industry. Sunlight, i.e. transparency, is often the best disinfectant. Okay, on to this week’s issue. We (finally) have another major Disney+ TV show to talk about, so that’s my main focus for today. Plus, we had a lot of new shows come out, including the fourth seasons of The Diplomat and Tulsa King! And Love is Blind! The Lowdown! Also, four (four!) straight-to-streaming films came out this week, featuring a lot of big names and celebrities, so I’m going to look at those. All that, mixed news for the WNBA, Reacher ends its run on the charts, Skydance does well in September viewership, NYU’s Sundance dominance, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of October 12th to October 18th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - Disney+’s Porridge Problem Listen, per my headline, VisionQuest isn’t the last Disney+ Original. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s not. They have other MCU shows in development. Well, maybe one: But it sure feels like the end of an era. I’d call it their “porridge too hot” era, to quote myself from The Ringer. I told Ben Lindbergh that Disney+ seemingly couldn’t figure out the right amount of content. In the heights of the Streaming Bubble Era (circa 2019 to 2022), they started releasing an insane amount of TV shows. After their growth slowed, they’re down to two or three shows a year, and that might be down to 1 by 2027. Here’s my TV shows by year chart: Even at the time, I thought Disney was making too many shows (that cost too much). Today? They’re definitely making too few shows (though the budgets are more in check, at least according to the reporting). Porridge too hot, porridge too cold; too many shows, now not enough. Which makes evaluating VisionQuest so interesting. This show didn’t have a great lead-in, whether it be a Marvel Cinematic Universe film (the last non-Sony-produced-Spider-Man flick came out The Fantastic Four from July of 2025) or Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show (the two this year were Wonder Man back in January and _Daredevil: Born Again_in May, both of which underwhelmed). And so far, VisionQuest hasn’t quite recaptured the MCU Originals glory, but it has some signs of sparks. First, it made Samba TV, though at a lowly ninth place. At least it made it, a feat some other Marvel shows didn’t accomplish. (Ironheart landed on the Samba TV charts one week at tenth place, but Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again both missed.) VisionQuest also made Luminate, though with only 3.0 and 7.6 million hours. But it missed Nielsen in its first week. The best news might be its 7.8 on IMDb, on 12K reviews so far, great numbers, even for a superhero show. Looking at those numbers, this show will really need to pick up in future weeks—and it may since it’s coming out weekly—or Disney will have another disappointment on its hands. Disney+ binge-released their last few shows to try to boost numbers, but that meant shows like Iron Heart and Wonder Man didn’t last long on the charts. _Daredevil: Born Again’s_last season missed entirely (though it came out weekly). Here’s the Disney+ Originals by totals: And for a fun new look, here are those same shows, rearranged by the years they came out: That really shows that, in addition to Disney+ releasing fewer shows, those shows just don’t hit like they once did. If I had to offer one main explanation, it’s that Marvel Studios moved away from characters who starred in the Avengersmovies (The Scarlett Witch, Vision, Hawkeye, Loki, Falcon, Winter Soldier) to characters who didn’t (Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Iron Heart, Wonder Man, Daredevil). It sounds trite, but more popular IP tends to do better than less popular IP. In Marvel’s case, beloved, decades-old characters trump newer ones. And yes, I think this is a problem for Disney. The failure of Marvel TV shows to linger for weeks on the charts, unlike in 2021 and 2022, explains why Disney’s share of the charts has plummeted: That’s a strategic issue. Yes, these shows are really expensive, but without them, Disney+ will struggle, especially if Disney+ keeps raising prices AND licenses out its shows non-exclusively. My recommendation? Return to the core value proposition, which is Disney+ as “genre HBO”. The goal is six shows a year, coming out weekly, spaced out throughout the year. When a show hits, keep it coming back. Make three to four of those shows Marvel or Star Wars, and fill out the rest with IP swings like Percy Jackson, Goosebumps or something like National Treasure. And make YA-skewing shows like Coven Academy to fill out the schedule. Disney, you can get this porridge just right, er, make the right number of shows. Quick Notes on TV Netflix’s sophomore, er, junior, er, senior season slump abated very, very slightly this week. I speak of The Diplomat, which returned for its fourth season on 15-Oct. Credit where credit is due, this show debuted in April of 2023, and has put out new seasons every year since. Has that helped the viewership? Not really. This season opened to 16.4 million hours, which is down significantly from the first season (21.7 million hours) and down somewhat from the second season (18.0 million hours), but it is up from last year’s 14.2 million hours opening. On Samba TV, it opened to third place; that’s also very good. On Luminate, it opened to 25.0 million hours, which is good, but over thirty million hours is a hit on that platform. Netflix wisely renewed it, since it’s steady and, frankly, Netflix needs hits.1 Paramount+ put out Tulsa King’s fourth season on a Friday. After putting out most of their big, usually-Taylor Sheridan-scripted shows out on Sundays last year, they’ve clearly moved to Fridays going forward. Was this a thought-out strategic change, Netflix mimicry, or a data-inspired move? Tough to say. Fridays are crowded with new movies, but so are Sundays with new shows. Anyways, this one is coming out weekly, and we haven’t seen it hit the Nielsen or Luminate charts yet. But it did make Samba TV at fifth place, which is a good opening. Still, if this doesn’t make Luminate or Nielsen next week, I’d call it a disappointment. Netflix had two unscripted shows hit the charts this week, one a docu-series and one a reality competition show. Tyson is a four-episode docu-series about one of boxing’s most popular fighters, and it made both the Samba TV and Luminate charts, but not Nielsen. That’s a solid run for only four episodes (assuming it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to produce). Netflix’s latest season of Love Is Blind also returned for its eleventh season, which opened to 10.0 million hours, down from previous seasons. It also had 11.0 million hours according to Luminate, roughly in line with the Nielsen numbers. Last issue, I analyzed the triple successes of Below, Carrie and Crystal Lake, noting that all three have done well. I mostly used Nielsen, but all three shows also made Samba TV (see above). Crystal Lake in particular did very well on Luminate, getting 35.0 million hours, top for Peacock among first seasons: The top “show” of the week would have been Thursday Night Football again, at 41.7 million hours. This is still above last year’s game, but it continues the season’s overall downward trend, which happens every year. (Though a big week is coming, based on the news stories I’ve seen.) As I said before, I’ll do a deeper dive on all the October games later this month, with comparisons to previous years. One company is quietly on a roll, when you consider the shows it makes and streams. I speak of Skydance—a point Variety made—noting that it produces Neagley and Reacher for Amazon, along with Paramount+’s Lioness, which means it produced three of the top four shows of September according to Nielsen. By the way, Neagley fell off the Nielsen charts after four weeks, which is a pinch short for how well it started, but it’s still a huge success. (Interestingly, it finished just 7.3 million hours ahead of the cancelled Ride or Die.) The point, though, which I’ve made before, is that Prime Video still has a problem with how many co-productions it buys, most notably _The Boys_from Sony and Reacher/Jack Ryan from Skydance. It’s not a critical flaw—everyone licenses shows—but Amazon still struggles to make its own hits. Reacher finally fell off the Nielsen charts, so here’s its final rank for season four: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… ...An example of the algorithm NOT picking a film… …whether or not Netflix buys shows simply for the movie poster… ...if East of Eden is above the Obliterated Line... ...what four star-studded straight-to-streaming films didn’t chart... ...and a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue.
Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences names academic center after Governor Kay Ivey
Alabama’s first residential public high school focused on healthcare careers aims to help address workforce shortages, particularly in rural communities.
Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, Thronefall, Warhammer Survivors, and More
November is officially here, and apparently your backlog is already getting longer. Between cracking puzzles, defending kingdoms, and braving battles, Coming soon to XBOX Game Pass: Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, Thronefall, Warhammer Survivors, and more.
5 healthcare fights Democrats could take on after midterms sweep
Democrats now have leverage to try to restore the expired Obamacare tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts and push for changes they say would make healthcare more affordable.
With ACA open enrollment starting, healthcare is top of mind for many voters
Open enrollment for the Affordable Card Act marketplace opens Nov. 1, just two days before Election Day, putting healthcare in sharp focus the same year millions have lost coverage.
A butterfly garden brings science to life at Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
A butterfly garden brings science to life at Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy
David Shifrin celebrates a Chicago music institution
Myra Hess (1890–1965) was an English pianist who studied at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. She made her debut performing a piano concerto by
Bringing World-Class Sports and Entertainment to Sands’ Regions: The NBA China Games 2026 in Review
Sands China’s presentation of the NBA China Games 2026 brought world-class sports and entertainment to Macao.
Democrats could explore 'Medicare for All' and other health cost fixes
Democrats will seek to restore ACA subsidies and reverse nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. Will "Medicare for All" be next?
November Community Chats: Less Busywork, Better Feedback and Business Diversification
ACA’s monthly community chats cover small-business issues, leadership, healthcare collections, state advocacy and technology trends.
South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare to sell women's health product in Europe to Ennogen
By Nqobile Dludla JOHANNESBURG, Nov 2 (Reuters) - South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare will sell the European commercialisation rights and related intellectual property for its women's health product
Melco Resorts & Entertainment: Adjusted EBITDA reached $288 million as Macau softness sharpened focus on cost discipline and deleveraging
Q3 adjusted property EBITDA was $288 million, or $298 million adjusted for VIP hold, while Macau demand softened and competition remained intense. Deleveraging and disciplined reinvestment remain priorities; 2027 CapEx guidance was reduced to $275 million.Based on Melco Resorts & Entertainment Q3 2…
'Perfect Storm' Could Give Dems Kansas Senate Seat
'Perfect Storm' Could Give Dems Kansas Senate Seat
Nearly half of US adults under 65 had little to no health insurance in 2026: Report
Nearly half of U.S. adults had inadequate health insurance in 2026, as ACA marketplace enrollment declined and millions lost Medicaid coverage.
Nov. 5 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts-Entertainment Source: Faces and Places
On Oct. 17 at the CC and Regina Yin Ranch in Vacaville, the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs (APAPA) celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gala attended by 500 guests.
Law enforcement to beef up in Dallas entertainment district after shootings and nationwide violence
Federal and local authorities plan to increase police presence in a Dallas entertainment district after deadly shootings over the weekend. Three shootings left four people dead and 15 injured early
Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences names academic center after Governor Kay Ivey
Alabama’s first residential public high school focused on healthcare careers aims to help address workforce shortages, particularly in rural communities.
Karl Rove: To Understand Today’s Politics, Look to America’s Past - Richard Nixon Foundation | Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum
Understanding today’s political climate starts with understanding America’s past, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove told an audience at the Nixon Library on Oct. 27. Rove spoke at a National Civics Day program of the Foundation’s Nixon Civic Academy. He met with student participants before the talk and praised their engagement and questions.
Jonathon Brooks may be on practice field soon
Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks may have his 21-day practice window opened soon
Des Moines University, Bryan College of Health Sciences expand partnership for anatomy program
Des Moines University will set aside seats in its master's of anatomy program for qualifying Bryan College of Health Sciences students.
States step up ACA subsidies as premiums keep climbing
States including Virginia, Rhode Island and California are putting new money into ACA subsidy programs as exchange premiums rise and federal support shrinks.
Buatsi v Hutchinson 2 - all you need to know
All you need to know about Saturday's rematch between Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson for the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title.
Declining influenza vaccinations continue among health care workers
Despite often caring for patients at higher risk of severe outcomes from respiratory virus infection, health care workers in Oregon continue to lag in rates of vaccination against the potentially
What to know about the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period
People signing up for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act for 2027 should expect higher premiums and fewer options. The enrollment period starts Sunday and ends in mid-January.
Philly sports team owners are sending big checks to Josh Shapiro. But he’s not the only one.
An Inquirer analysis of campaign finance data explored how owners of Philly sports team are spending on politics. Josh Shapiro is one of the big winners.
Detroit Lions Open as Favorites Against Miami Dolphins
The Detroit Lions are seven-point road favorites against the Miami Dolphins in Week 9 following their emotional 19-15 victory over Minnesota.
Georgians should expect higher prices as they shop for ACA plans
This is the second year of major premium increases. Enrollment in Georgia Access is down one-third since Jan. 1. Open enrollment began Sunday.
College football's obsession with young coaches may be causing it to overlook some of the sport's best minds
November 5 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts-Entertainment Source: Activities
The Touro Day Alumni Celebration is set for Nov. 8 at 10 a.m.
From the US midterms to the hard right in Britain, empathy has become a dirty word in politics
Across the world, virtues such as compassion and kindness are gathering dust, like old hymn books in a long-deserted church, says Guardian columnist John Harris
Rising health insurance premiums raise concerns for North Carolina families as ACA enrollment begins
The rising costs have made finding affordable coverage increasingly difficult.
Golden View Classical Academy vs. Aurora Science & Tech: Colorado High School Girls Basketball, Jan. 7, 2027
Golden View Classical Academy at Aurora Science & Tech, Colorado high school girls basketball, Jan. 7, 2027, 5:30 PM. Records, rosters and head-to-head.
FMS Trainer Expands Into Business Aviation
Heading365 has signed Aviation Academy Austria as launch customer for Challenger 350/3500 FMS trainer at EATS.
ACA changes: Higher premiums, fewer enrollment options
People signing up for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act for 2027 should expect higher premiums and fewer options.
Melco Resorts & Entertainment: Disciplined spending and lower CapEx anchor plans amid softer Macau demand
Q3 adjusted property EBITDA was $288 million, while Macau demand softened in October amid broader China economic weakness and intense competition. Deleveraging and disciplined reinvestment remain priorities; FY2027 CapEx guidance fell to ~$275 million.Based on Melco Resorts & Entertainment Q3 2026…
FDA Approves First Generic Of HIV Prevention Drug, Lenacapavir
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic version of lenacapavir, the highly effective twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV,
College of Business navigates leadership changes following faculty departures
Clemson University has seen significant changes in its administration and faculty during the 2026-2027 academic year, particularly within the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. Most notably, the University is led by a new president, Benjamin Ayers, who holds a Ph.D. in accounting and is a former dean of the University of Georgia’s...
A gnarly weekend ahead at Cafe Nola
Last weekend was brimming with Halloween-themed programming for local Frederick music fans to trick-or-treat to, especially with the full moon leading up to the big night to get everybody in
Forum in Baghdad puts responsible business practices at the heart of Iraq's economic growth
Government representatives, business leaders, international partners, academics and civil society representatives gathered in Baghdad today for the Iraqi Forum for Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Integrity. The Forum aimed to strengthen the role of Iraq's private sector in driving sustainable economic growth by promoting transparency, accountability and responsible business practices
Speech Delivered at the 8th Global Forum of Leaders for Agricultural Science and Technology (GLAST 2026) Theme: Shaping Future Agriculture with Science & Innovation; How can technology and global partnerships enable future agriculture, By H.E. Ambassador Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, PhD Permanent Representative of the AU to the People's Republic of China, Sanya— 2 November 2026-African Union
Distinguished President Huang Sanwen, President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; My Brother Professor Felix Dapare Dakora, Excellencies, Distinguished Heads of Agricultural Academies and Research Institutions, Representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the CGIAR and IAEA Ladies and Gentlemen. Good morning. It is my great honour to be with you in this majestic city of Sanya, in Hainan Province to participate in the 8th Global Forum of Leaders for Agricultural Science and Technology, hosted by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. I thank the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences for the invitation, and for having kept this forum going since 2006. Few gatherings bring together so many agricultural institutions from so many regions like GLAST. Let me, from the outset, on behalf of H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, commend H.E. President Xi Jinping for his strong and clear leadership, which continues to deepen China-Africa relations. As we meet here today, China, under the able leadership of President Xi, is celebrating its two miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.
Minnesota Wild Reveal New Uniforms
The Minnesota Wild rolled out something new on Monday, and every detail of it ties back to a Minnesota winter night.
49ers fill practice squad spot with a veteran wide receiver
The 49ers signed KhaDarel Hodge to the practice squad
Scientists develop novel model to forecast internal solitary waves from multiple sources in the Sulu Sea
A research team led by Professor Li Xiaofeng from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS) has developed a model to forecast internal solitary waves originating from multiple ...
Wastewater surveillance expands to include multiple pathogens, including measles virus
Wastewater monitoring to prevent or mitigate disease outbreaks has ramped up since COVID-19 to include testing for RSV, influenza, norovirus, mpox, foodborne illnesses and more.
Nebraska learns kickoff time for game at Rutgers
The Big Ten Conference has announced the start time for Nebraska's football game against Rutgers later this month.
Orlando Science Schools accepting Student Applications for 2027-2028 Academic Year
Newly Expanded Seminole Campus Now Enrolling through 11th Grade
The percentage of people without health insurance is growing
The percentage of working-age adults without health insurance has increased in the past two years, largely because many people can no longer afford Obamacare coverage after Congress allowed federal subsidies
Democrats, Trump hold final rallies before midterm elections
Democrats teed up final get-out-the-vote rallies Monday on the eve of midterm elections where they expect to win at least partial control of Congress and impose political constraints on President Dona...
Digital Science acquires Jenni AI to connect research sources | ETIH EdTech News
Digital Science acquires Jenni AI, used by more than 8 million students and researchers in 189 countries, with plans to connect it to Dimensions’ 171 million publications. ETIH EdTech News covers the acquisition, academic writing tools, citation verification and continuity for existing subscribers.
LaMelo Ball Makes NBA History in Timberwolves' Win vs. Bucks
Ball needed just 311 games to reach 1,000 career three-pointers, the fastest anyone has ever done it.
Michael Mann shoots himself in leg at gun range
Michael Mann has shot himself in the leg at a Los Angeles gun range.
What to know about the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period now underway
The sign-up window for the marketplace, also known as Obamacare, starts Sunday in most states and runs through Jan. 15.
Where Panthers QB Bryce Young ranks statistically after Week 8
Bryce Young's stats took another hit across the rankings.
Cashius Howell set to miss multiple weeks
Bengals DE Cashius Howell could be IR candidate after wrist surgery
Kyler Murray Explains What Detroit Did to Justin Jefferson
Kyler Murray had an explanation for Justin Jefferson's quiet afternoon at Ford Field, and it points at Detroit's defense. #OnePride
IN THE NEWS: This Health Care Election Unleashes a Democratic Tidal Wave Across the Nation
“This has very much been a health care election. Health care is a top economic worry of voters…Reversing Medicaid cuts and restoring ACA subsidies are top priorities for Democrats.” —...
Twenty-five faculty receive new Provost Awards for academic excellence
Twenty-five Penn State faculty earned one of two new Provost's Awards recognizing full-time faculty of any rank, tenure-line or non-tenure-line, whose accomplishments during the current year distinguish them as top performers within their units.
Fetterman Blasts El-Sayed Over Dispute With Stevens
Fetterman Blasts El-Sayed Over Dispute With Stevens
Detroit Lions Sign Linebacker Following Devastating Injury News
The Detroit Lions are signing veteran linebacker K.J. Britt from the Patriots' practice squad following injuries to Jack Campbell and Jimmy Rolder.
I’m an Entertainment Editor, and These Are the New Christmas Movies on My Watchlist This Year
If you're looking for the best new Christmas movies in 2026, we've gathered holiday films for you to watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Hallmark, and other streamers.
Hungary Celebrates Science Day in Honor of Count István Széchenyi
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the University of Sopron commemorated the legacy of the Academy’s founder in Nagycenk.
UMaine political science chair cites affordability, Trump in election results
WABI TV5 News at Noon
Cher responds after Michael Douglas shaded her 1988 Oscars victory over Glenn Close
Cher responded after Michael Douglas shaded her 1988 Oscars victory for ‘Moonstruck,’ after Douglas took a dig at the pop icon for beating Glenn Close at the 60th Academy Awards.
St. Albert the Great Academy: Finding amazement in agrarian science
St. Albert the Great is typically remembered in history by his Latin title, "Albertus Magnus." This Dominican abbot and bishop in the Catholic Church is remembered not just for his
Compass expands agent benefits with health and retirement support
Compass launched concierge healthcare and retirement planning for 250,000 agents, including ACA navigation and Solo or team 401(k) setup.
Health insurance rules are changing. Here’s how to avoid an unanticipated bill.
A raise is supposed to help your finances, but for some Americans with Affordable Care Act plans, it could backfire this year.
Paramount-Warner Bros. $110 Billion Merger Reshapes Hollywood
Page 28 dives into the road to Skydance, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Gala, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and more.
Canada Soccer, Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment, TSN and RDS Announce Live Coverage of National Teams' Concacaf Campaigns
CANMNT takes on Guatemala in the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals and CANWNT chases FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027™ and LA28 Olympic Games qualification at the Concacaf W Championship, with matches airing on TSN, RDS, and OneSoccer
Canva cuts jobs as growth slows. Read the CEO's memo.
Canva CEO Melanie Perkins wrote a memo explaining how a major reorganization will affect 22% of the company's workforce.
AFGHS co-signatory countries ask health care users to help fill the financing gap
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV on antiretrovirals could be targeted for user fees or community health insurance schemes requiring modest premium payments, according to the April 2026 version of the country’s America First Global Health Strategy implementation narrative.1 As part of the “sustainable financing for the private not for profit sector” strategy, 491 facilities will be targeted for a phased introduction of user fees and scale up of community health insurance programs.2 In the Ugandan context, PNFP facilities include faith-based hospitals and other health facilities, US missionary organizations and centers of excellence—services that are often co-located at government facilities but run with additional financial and technical resources. 402,000 people—or about 28 percent of the total Ugandan adult PLHIV population on treatment—get ART from the private not for profit sector. The selected facilities provide the majority of ART and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. The plan doesn’t give the total number of clients served by the 491 facilities, so it is not possible to give a precise number. But the majority of 402,000 is a figure in the hundreds of thousands—hence the estimate I’m using.3 The April draft of the Ugandan implementation plan narrative is the only one I’ve been able to review. But the government of Uganda is not alone in turning to health care users to help fill the financing gaps caused by the abrupt withdrawal of US funds. In July 2025, the Government of Liberia introduced user fees for previously free services including “registration, accommodation, patient feeding, hospitalization, and a wide range of surgical and diagnostic procedures.”4 Earlier that year, Liberia rolled out a revolving drug fund designed to stabilize drug supplies by “allowing patients to pay a small fee for standardized, quality medications,” according to a Ministry of Health press release.5 (Both of these approaches had been proposed in the National Health Policy 2022-2031; media coverage explicitly connects the launch with the US foreign aid cuts.) The health financing strategies proposed by Uganda and established in Liberia are qualitatively different from user fees officially adopted by specific health facilities to cover funding shortfalls caused by the new US approach.6 The latter is a stopgap, adhoc change. The former is a national governmental adoption of policies that pass costs on to health care users, despite evidence that such approaches can exacerbate inequities and leave deficits unfilled. Two countries does not make a pattern, but they do point to urgent questions: Have other countries, including Liberia, included user fees or community health insurance schemes in their implementation plans? If so, do any of these narratives have what Uganda’s lacks: a fall-back plan in place in case these strategies for sustainable health systems fail to deliver—as they have before? I wonder if you think about it Subscribe Predictable pitfalls Both community-based health insurance and user fees are as old as the hills. And after decades of people climbing up these hills, duking it out, climbing back down—neither strategy has shown the results the Ugandan implementation plan is counting on. This is, in fact, a hill some folks are willing to die on. (You knew I’d get there, right?) In November 2025, an African-led team of health system experts published a paper directed at low- and middle income country governments trying to figure out how to create self-sustaining health systems. The money wasn’t coming back. It had been more than nine months since the season of freezing, waivering and wood-chippering; two months since AFGHS tumbled into the world touting co-financing requirements and reductions in future US government health aid. Governments were looking for strategies for sustainable, self-financed health systems, the authors wrote. For countries considering user fees and community health insurance to fill the financing gaps, they had a simple message: Don’t. On user fees, the paper states: “Reliance on user fees is ultimately a regressive and inequitable approach. It places a disproportionate burden on the poor and undermines health system goals of equity and financial protection. […] There is overwhelming evidence that user fees mobilise very limited resources for the public health sector, making it an inefficient mechanism for revenue mobilisation.” On community health insurance: “Attempting to shift the burden of funding previously donor-funded services, such as HIV care and management, and TB treatment, onto contributory schemes would exacerbate their fragility and fail to protect the population.”7 The WHO says that community-based health insurance “cannot be expected to provide a major source of funding or coverage,” and noted that most schemes offer only moderate benefit to individuals paying into them, and exclude the poorest segment of the population.8 And yet, the US-Ugandan implementation plan says that community health insurance is “the central pillar of this [PNFP] sustainability strategy” and that this approach that will generate “pre-paid pooled funding at facility and community level [that] improves financial risk protection for households, reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, and generates structured, transparent revenue streams that can progressively absorb recurrent costs including health worker salaries.” Unfortunately, Uganda’s own history suggests the pillar might not be able to bear this weight. Ugandans Have Been to this Rodeo Before—and Some Want Their Money Back Uganda introduced its first community health insurance scheme in 1996 with support from international donors.9 Thirty years later, somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3 percent of the population is covered by CHI; just over 1 percent has any kind of health insurance.10 User fees were universally introduced in 1993 as a condition of a World Bank loan.11 They were abandoned in 2001, and in 2004—the year I moved to Uganda to watch the free HIV program get underway—a definitive study found that the fees did not improve health systems and outcomes.12 In 2004, most clinics and hospitals had ‘free’ and ‘fee for service’ options for getting care.13 The fee for service, or “cash and carry” programs had often been established in the years prior to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. People who could afford to paid for the drugs, often at facilities in the private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. When free drugs arrived, some people who’d been paying kept on doing so, perhaps because of shorter wait times, greater confidentiality, convenience or other factors. But in the year that I spent visiting the same clinics around the country week after week—including a “center of excellence” that maintained separate days for cash and carry clients and those accessing free ARVs—lots of people who had been paying tried to switch to the free option. They’d paid because they had no other choice. They’d sold pieces of family land, begged family members for loans, bought pills by the week, and sometimes by the day. Or they were just cash-strapped, like most of us, and wanted the funds for other things. 14 Twenty-two years later, this hasn’t changed. Ugandans pay out of pocket for 30-40 percent of their health care costs, leading one paper to declare that “falling ill is more than a health crisis. It is a financial emergency.”15 One recent study found that up to 48.5 percent of households dealing with tuberculosis sold something, took out a loan or dug into savings to defray the costs of TB care—which is supposed to be universally free.16 The Ugandan implementation plan does anticipate challenges. It proposes a phased approach, with 187 facilities introducing user contribution systems in Year 1, 152 in Year 2, and 153 in Year 3. Willingness to pay and feasibility studies will precede roll out; fees will be tiered by region, and a waiver system is proposed to ensure that no one has to pay who is unable to. Moreover, the plan provides for quarterly reviews of epidemiological data to “ensure that user contributions do not compromise epidemic control gains, ART continuity for the client cohort, TB case management, or PMTCT services.” Alt text: A screenshot of a table included in the implementation plan narrative that is the subject of this stack. It’s got a fetching pink bar at the top. It uses the abbreviation “CHI” which is Community Health Insurance, and FBO which is Faith Based Organizations, and it details the number of facilities that will implement user fees with waivers and community health insurance schemes over the five years of the agreement. As I said in the footnote, this is a super interesting document with a lot of other rich material. Tell me what you see—and what you would have focused on. And if you’ve seen something like this, or anything else that strikes you, in another implementation plan, tell me that too. You can use the Substack message platform or try me on Signal at @endaplague_again.25 (because @mercoonfan was, weirdly, taken). But the plan doesn’t fully explain what will happen if this approach doesn’t work out. Yes, progress will be monitored, and corrective action triggered. However, there is no specified funding replacement if premium and fee revenue prove inadequate. Instead, the authors write, “Currently, COEs serve a total client cohort of over 180,000 across 28 facilities. In the initial years, the U.S. Government (USG) will provide financial support for clients; over time, user fees generated by COEs will become the primary source of funding for sustaining their services.” Failure does not really seem to be an option. Health insurance schemes are more acceptable to the Ugandan population than user fees. Members of Parliament and civil society traveled to Ethiopia to see how that country’s scheme worked. In a follow up report, a veteran civil society group recommended allowing the “health insurance ecosystem to grow organically and [to] keep reviewing the law and regulations as this growth takes root.”17 One study found that more than three-quarters of Ugandans were willing to join a health insurance program.18 However, coverage of community-based health insurance is minimal, as is coverage of any kind of insurance—including private plans.19 A national health insurance scheme bill has been stalled for several years and presently sits with President Yoweri Museveni.20 Community-based health insurance scheme that do exist are expanding in number, but losing enrollees. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of community-based health financing schemes across the country increased by 42 percent, while the number of people enrolled decreased by nearly 11 percent.21 None of this means that community-based health insurance should not happen in Uganda—or that people do not want insurance. It doesn’t even mean that user fees and waivers won’t ever work. But there is highly relevant evidence from Uganda and the surrounding region that it is quite optimistic to describe community health insurance and user fees as central supports for sustainable financing in any sector of the health system. And now for the best-case scenario In the best-case scenario22, the Ugandan approach does exactly what it sets out to do, and so does the Liberian fee structure and revolving pharmacy fund—though I’ve not confirmed that these are in the MoU. In one best-case scenario, Uganda is an outlier, and user fees and community health insurance are not recurrent pillars of self-sustaining financing in other countries’ implementation plans. In another best-case scenario, all countries that include these strategies enjoy success beyond anyone’s evidence-informed wildest dreams: reliable funding generated by health care users fees, great health care outcomes for everyone, no exacerbation of inequities, no crippling household debt. No sold land, repurposed school tuition or high-interest loans. In the best-case scenario, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV receiving antiretrovirals from 491 PNFP facilities misses a refill or leaves care because of user fees or community health insurance premiums. This is the best-case scenario for these people for their own health, and for their families. It is also the best-case scenario if Uganda wants to stay on the path to eliminating HIV as a public health threat. According to the country’s most recent data, 96.5 percent of people living with HIV on antiretrovirals are virologically suppressed. Epidemic control depends ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those individuals are on ART, and 95% of those individuals are virologically suppressed. Uganda is still struggling with the first “95"—a frankly abysmal 85.3 percent. If HIV epidemic control and the attendant prevention of new infections, avoidable suffering and premature death matter, the country cannot afford to lose any clients who are currently in care.23 As I write this a couple hours before the polls close for the US elections in the city I live in, I say with soul-deep sincerity: I am rooting for the best-case scenario. I think it’s safe to say that we all are.24 I think it’s also safe to say that if the US and co-signatory governments have inked plans that lead to successful expansion of community health insurance and strategic use of user fees, we all would like to know, now, so that we don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate when success happens. The implementation plan narratives have to enter the public domain. They are the fullest expression of a strategy co-created by two governments. There are assumptions and details that people living in the US and co-signatory countries need to understand that are not available in the MoUs or, to date, in the Congressional Notifications. Some of these details can help other countries that are, as I write this, still working on implementation plans. Others, like a solid count of how many other countries have plans for expanding user fees or health insurance, are important for regional and global health architecture reform initiatives. No matter how this election night turns out, there will be a slew of new Congressional member orientations, briefings and talking points papers in the next few months. Release of implementation narratives should be a bullet point in every context that AFGHS is discussed. These documents can be redacted so that procurement sensitive information isn’t disclosed. There is much more historical precedent for sharing such documents than there is for relying on user fees to fill health financing gaps. Let’s look at the information together so we can hope for the best and prepare for, you know, the other thing. Alt text: A substack first: a bicep selfie! It’s my arm - peachy-white skin, black shirt (flannel, notch neck, too hot for this appallingly balmy November weather, if you’re wondering) and a sticker that says I VOTED 2026. Beige letters on red for I voted. Beige on blue for 2026. You bet I did.25 In your wildest dreams. Subscribe 1 This is a really, really rich 95 page document. There are fascinating ideas and detailed plans in it. It is all worth reading AND I have, in this post, highlighted an instance of content that could pose challenges and certainly posits success of strategies that haven’t worked before. I would love to hear what readers’ see that’s interesting and should be lifted up as something to check for in other implementation plans. I will also shortly be adding a static page to the substack site where implementation plan documents will live. I will put the url into this footnote and it will also be there on emilybass.substack.com by the end of the week. Uganda Implementation Narrative Section 4 April 22 2026 Draft 1.51MB ∙ PDF file Download Download 2 User fees are costs charged for visits, labs, medicines or other health services, usually at the time they are provided. Community health insurance, or community-based health insurance, is what the World Health Organization calls “micro insurance,” which is health insurance targeted at low-income people. 3 As usual (by which I mean always), please prove me wrong. 4 https://smartnewsliberia.com/liberias-ministry-of-health-announces-2025-hospital-service-fees-for-public-facilities/?utm 5 https://moh.gov.lr/news/2025/grand-cape-mount-leaders-residents-embrace-new-community-pharmacy-program/?utm 6 https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/hiv-usaid-pepfar-africa-foreign-aid-cuts-mission-hospitals/?utm 7 https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/11/e021270 8 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/community-based-health-insurance-CBHI 9 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2827475/ 10 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 11 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC527704/ 12 Same citation as the footnote 2 - the article is called “Learning from failed health care reform in Uganda.” To which I say: If only. If. Only. 13 There is a whole taxonomy of user fees to be aware of, if not commit to memory. Out of pocket costs are everything that someone pays for themselves. In this Stack, user fees are planned and policy-supported out of pocket costs. There are also out of pocket costs that people pay to buy drugs or receive tests or health care assessments that would be free if the drugs were on the shelves, or the machines or kits were available, or the staff were on site. A user fee is usually designed to be modest, pegged to willingness to pay, and may be waiveable at the point of care for anyone who is unable to do so. The costs for things that would otherwise be free are whatever the market will bear and people either have to pay them or go without. Out of pocket costs for services and stuff that aren’t available in public facilities are different again from bribes or unofficial fees that some health workers may impose, even though most are indefatigable, tireless and tired, and devoted to their clients. 14 For the record—which really is these footnotes—I would give a whole stack of fridge magnets for a systematic analysis of the economic and social impact of the Mass Unemployment Event in AFGHS countries among the very people who used to be able to afford and cover user fees, both for themselves and vast family networks. Locally employed USAID technical staff, house cleaners, caregivers, drivers and technicians were financial anchors for cousins, friends, friends’ children, friends’ childrens’ cousins, teachers, pastors, neighbors and so many other kinds of kin. Aid recipients lost direct funding; many other people who had not been aid recipients, but parts of the elaborate care webs that function as safety nets for so many people, lost crucial support too. And that’s even before we get to the people who worked at the hotels and restaurants and bars where people employed by the US and its implementing partners used to spend disposable income. Those businesses have lost revenue; those folks have lost jobs. It will be some time coming—and someone will have to fund this work—but I do hope it happens. And I hope, as usual, to be proven wrong. 15 https://eprcug.org/blog/how-out-of-pocket-healthcare-costs-keep-driving-ugandans-into-poverty/ 16 Another straight-to-the-point journal article title. Households experiencing catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Uganda: magnitude and cost drivers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938411 17 https://www.cehurd.org/download/technical-policy-brief-on-community-health-insurance-scheme/?wpdmdl=13661&refresh=6ae9122f5d4ed1793659439 18 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125197/ 19 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 20 https://ugandapost.news/uganda-to-make-health-insurance-mandatory-by-2026/ 21 https://shu.org.ug/download/235 22 With a nod, tip of the stack hat, and wag of the Mercoon tail to a deeply valued reader who told me that I have a tendency to speculate about the worst-case scenarios a little too much of the time. 23 https://news.mak.ac.ug/2026/10/uphia-2025-shows-ugandas-hiv-status-awareness-gap-despite-strong-treatment-outcomes/ As you’ll see in the next footnote, I’ve already written a subSubstack on another topic, so I will be brief with regard to the study referenced in this article. The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment, or UPHIA, will never happen in this way again. For more than a decade, PHIAs have been supported by the US government as a way to generate accurate estimates of country progress on key HIV indicators. They are a holdover from the PEPFAR program that was laser focused on ensuring US taxpayer dollars subsidized progress in pandemic control. There may be other population-level surveys and the data may even be publicly released, as the entire set of FY2026 MER data have not. But PHIAs will never happen again. If you’re wondering whether the estimates of HIV progress at country level might get less reliable….you’re not alone. 24 Ooh baby, I hate “we” in almost all forms. But sometimes I go there, when I am looking for company, which I am. Because this Stack moves into the somewhat-uncharted territory of assessing what the implementation plan narratives may suggest about co-signatory countries’ roles and responsibilities to the people living within their borders. The MoUs, specimen and data sharing agreements were templates. Countries’ answers fit into pre-specified questions that did not include, “how are you going to fill financing gaps and stabilize your health system as this plan unfolds?” In contrast, the implementation narratives are open form—the product of co-creation between the two governments. Co-creation can mean lots of things, but nothing leads me to believe that implementation plans are ghost-written by the US government, or that contents were imposed by the US counterparts. Instead, I think the parts of the plans that read like country government initiatives are endorsed, if not initiated by, those governments. For instance, the Ugandan implementation plan narrative describes plans for revenue-generation through fees charged for equipment calibration, repair and maintenance provided through Uganda’s National Equipment Calibration Laboratory, and laboratory accreditation through the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS), targeting private sector, PNFP, research and academic clients. That’s super specific and also quite ambitious. It doesn’t read like an American idea. There’s also a provision for solar panels, and other stuff that feels country owned and driven. This is where it gets interesting. If co-creation is the case, then both the US and co-signatory governments are accountable for the contents and the outcomes. Most discourse about AFGHS to date has focused on the decisions that America has made, or demanded that other countries make. The AFGHS architects have monopolized the hot seat. As they should, in so many ways. America absolutely created the conditions under which countries needed to come up with health financing strategies to fill unanticipated, catastrophic funding gaps. And with not-too-long a lens, we can look back and see that America is also on the hook for its role in the Bretton Woods institutions that made user fees and health system fiscal austerity conditions of loans during the era of structural adjustment. But in the here and now, it is not at all clear to me that the US is requiring Uganda or any other country to implement specific approaches to sustainable financing. Instead, it is as the authors of that paper up in footnote 6 suggest: African governments have agency. As implementation plans roll out—whether or not the narratives are shared—it will be important to understand what this agency looks like and what it means for people, including the poorest of the poor. And it will be important to figure out how to talk about it safely, respectfully and critically in places other than the literal and metaphorical footnotes. 25 This week’s song is “Once upon a time” by the Moody Blues. (I know, this is gonna be a weird, largely banger-free end of 2026 playlist. HMU with requests.) AND please do watch the video and appreciate the truly amazing opening sequence—a drum kit wasteland, a coupla plastic bags, a bit of sand. Sort of like the hill where fiscal austerity policies that put costs on health care users might go to perish. But then there’s a lady with amazing hair. It’s worth it.
Ohio State hosts researchers, business leaders to share AI strategies
Students, scholars and business leaders from across the country recently gathered at The Ohio State University to discuss how academic institutions and companies are implementing AI.Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business convened the AI in Business Conference at The Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center on the Columbus campus. The confere...
Three talking points from the Premier League
Arsenal moved top of the Premier League with a statement 1-0 win at Liverpool as Manchester United plunged further into crisis with a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the weekend's action: Arsenal show grit of champions There are few feats Mikel Arteta has not achieved since taking charge of Arsenal seven years ago but a Premier League win at Anfield had eluded him until Sunday.
Bill Murray asks Trump advisor to say his ‘dog just died’ in awkward TV exchange
“I want to see what happens to your smile,” the actor told Kevin Hassett during a bizarre moment on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”