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A federal health program for 9/11 responders is still short-staffed
Doctors working with the government program to help survivors with 9/11-related illnesses warn about staffing shortages and slow approvals.
Michael Carrick believes Man Utd can still have big season despite equalling club's worst Premier League start- Paper Talk
Latest transfer news and headlines include: JJ Gabriels reason behind wanting to leave Manchester United; Andoni Iraola continuing to want more from Alexander Isak despite his winning goal against Bournemouth; Martin ONeill ponders his future as Celtic boss
9/11 responder recounts rescue and recovery efforts, health struggles after attacks
He fought terrorism as an FBI agent, now he is fighting cancer and for the health of his fellow 9/11 responders
When American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon, Jeffrey Miller rushed to the scene, spending weeks on site recovering evidence from the burned wreckage.
I On Politics
CB3 CANDLELIGHT VIGIL: In Remembrance of September 11, 2001, Queens Community Board 3 will hold a Candlelight Vigil on Thursday, September 20, in observance of the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, bringing our community together to remember and honor the lives lost, the first responders who answered the call, the survivors, and all
Koch and the Chase Koch Foundation donate $1 million to The Pinnacle
The $1 million donation will go toward completing renovations to the state-of-the-art facility, offering local first responders comprehensive health and wellness services.
Benin bets on turning its cotton crop into clothes at home
The fabrics made by Fatoumata Dosso carry the tag “Made in Benin.” They are words that she proudly pondered one afternoon. Her fabrics represent an ambition much bigger than her
Opinion | A first responder’s response: Riverhead officials twisted my words for political gain
A retired FDNY firefighter who lost 12 members of his firehouse on 9/11 shares his perspective on a Riverhead Town Hall clash and calls for ethical local leadership.
Ride Against Suicide raises awareness for mental health, suicide prevention
Volunteers are in the midst of a 4-day journey, biking across Wisconsin and Minnesota raising awareness for responders’ mental health.
Video Many 9/11 first responders face lasting health effects 25 years later
ABC News spoke with first responders about illnesses linked to dust, smoke and debris exposure at ground zero 25 years later— and their fight for benefits.
Sean Sharaf considering retirement after beating Gable Steveson
Sean Sharaf ponders retirement after Gable Steveson win.
Ella Langley ponders the dream at L.A.'s Greek Theatre
The 27-year-old country singer brought her smash 'Choosin' Texas' to the Greek on Tuesday night in the first of two sold-out shows.
Exclusive: Two of gaming’s biggest names are making a big investment in gaming’s future
The first thing to know about the Nova Games Foundation is that it isn’t about The Game Awards. And it’s not about PlayStation. The ambitious new grant program is the brainchild of Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny. Keighley is the host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest and Opening Night Live. Cerny is a game designer of some 45 years and the lead architect for the PlayStation 4 and 5. But this new thing, which they’re revealing through Game File, isn’t about their day jobs. It’s an unaffiliated, standalone philanthropic project. It’s a bet on the artistic future of video games and a way, they tell me, to give back. “I’m nearing the end of my career,” Cerny recently told me over email. “I’m not done yet, but paying it forward—in the best way possible—is very much on my mind these days,” The Nova Games Foundation is a university-affiliated fellowship program, intended to offer six-figure grants to 20 young game designers each year, potentially for decades to come. It will offer no-strings-attached funding along with mentorship from games industry leaders, a combination intended to aid the development of groundbreaking new games, Cerny and Keighley told me. Nova will begin accepting applications in December, from class of 2026 and 2027 students from 13 affiliated gaming programs at universities in eight countries. The schools working with Nova include the New York University and the University of Southern California in the U.S., along with Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, Cerny and Keighley said. The plan: $100,000 per recipient, with about a quarter of Nova fellows eligible for up to $500,000 more for projects that are shaping up particularly well. Payments will be delivered based on development milestones, and recipients will own their games. Nova will help promote the work, and developers will be free to pursue the publishers and platforms of their choice. Nova can help introduce fellows to publishers, but won’t take a cut. “I’ve always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I’ve never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games,” Keighley told Game File. “I’ve never owned stock in a game company or taken a financial stake in a game. Nova is philanthropy: we aren’t taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we’re hoping for is creative—helping new voices make games and find their footing. “Mark and I have each made multi-million-dollar donations to establish the foundation, and we intend to keep contributing. We hope others will join us.” Cerny and Keighley have already hired an executive director, John Maconga, and a head of grants, recent Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan, to help launch the effort. They’re working to recruit game industry leaders to join the effort. Keighley says “dozens of leading game directors have already expressed interest in contributing their time.” To name one, they’ve already gotten Josef Fares, lead designer from It Takes Two and Spit Fiction studio Hazelight on board with a donation and pledge to help out. “I’m proud to support Nova because it gives the next generation of creators the freedom to explore their creativity and hopefully bring their unique visions to life,” Fares told Game File. A plan forged from a friendship Keighley and Cerny have known each other a long time. It’s been so long, Cerny isn’t even sure exactly when they met. “We travel in much the same circles and I’m sure first intersected in the 90s or early 2000s,“ Cerny said. Keighley thinks it might have been during his stint writing a column about the mid-’90s console 3DO for a gaming magazine while Cerny was working on games with Crystal Dynamics or on Way of the Warrior with Naughty Dog. They became genuine friends about a 10 years ago, Keighley said, as they bonded over a shared love of games and a hope to improve the industry. “About a decade ago, we started having dinner a few times a year in LA,” Keighley said. “Just to catch up on life and the industry. Those conversations continued over Zoom during COVID. Nova grew out of that friendship and a question we kept coming back to: ‘What could we do to help the next generation of game directors get started?’” Keighley credits Cerny with the idea to figure out a way to put their money and time back into the industry. At one of those dinners, Keighley proposed the idea of a fellowship program. He’d recalled applying for a Rhodes Scholarship when he was younger. “Spoiler: I didn’t get it,” he said. He’d admired the MacArthur Foundation’s so-called “genius grants.” He liked these kinds of programs that recognized people’s talents and gave them the financial boost and the freedom to realize their potential. With Cerny, he had pondered what a game industry version of that could be. Keighley liked the idea of centering the fellowship on students, drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of Jenova Chen, the USC game design graduate who went on to lead the creation of gently moving, ambitious games such as Flower and Journey. Keighley also thought it could be useful to help promising graduates bridge the transition from student to professional. “Joining an established studio isn’t always possible—especially in today’s market—and even then, it isn’t the right path for everyone,” Keighley said. A fellowship, he realized, could give “graduates the time, resources and guidance to pursue a game of their own and not worry about the commercial viability.” As the idea took shape, Cerny also saw an opportunity to enable more games of a certain type: “The target with the grants is games as an artistic medium,” Cerny told me. “We like to say games with ‘artistic, literary and societal value.’” He added: “I’m a pretty big gamer myself, though I tend to gravitate towards the smaller and more unique or artistic titles, games like Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray or Outer Wilds. I was just playing and Roger on a flight to Japan, and was getting misty eyed to a degree that I was concerned that a flight attendant would ask me if I was OK. “So one fun benefit here is the games that will come out of the Nova Games Foundation – I can’t wait to play them myself.” Cerny believes it will also be useful for Nova fellows to hone their craft and team leadership skills. “We are looking for the next generation of visionaries,” he said. “The trick is that they will also need to have the executive function necessary to drive a small project to completion.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Going big with this Keighley and Cerny may have started Nova and may be the ones primarily backing it right now, but they’re dreaming of something that goes beyond them. “Mark and I may have helped get it started, but one of our measures of success is that Nova grows into something the entire games industry feels a sense of ownership in,” Keighley said. “Our ambition is to build a lasting endowment supported by people and companies across the industry, and an equally broad community of creators willing to give their time and experience to the next generation.” The industry has a lot of knowledge that it can pass to the next generation, Keighley said: “Nova can hopefully become a way to connect that generosity with talented young creators at the moment when it can make the biggest difference.” Cerny, who told me he believes Nova can mature “over the next 10 or 20 years,” sees an opportunity to give generations of game makers momentum. “The industry has changed immeasurably since I started in games in 1982,” he said. “These graduates have talent, training and tools that outclass what we had back in the day by an astonishing amount. But they face a tough road ahead getting traction in the industry, and many could benefit from our support. We want to be there to give it to them.” “There’s a personal side to this, too,” Keighley said. “I don’t have children, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I can do for future generations. Games have been my entire career. I’ve been incredibly fortunate, and helping someone else build a life in this industry feels like a meaningful way to give back.” Cerny’s oeuvre dates back to Marble Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He has stood on stage multiple times to reveal the future of PlayStation hardware. He’s been an executive producer for a string of modern PlayStation classics such as The Last Guardian and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Nevertheless, of Nova, he said, “It’s certainly not like anything I’ve done before.” Nova Foundation applications will be due in December and the first wave of fellows will be announced in March 2027. A full list of participating universities and steps students and recent graduates can take to apply to become a Nova Fellow is forthcoming.
Jon Stewart explains his ongoing philanthropic support of first responders
Jon Stewart says he never planned to focus his charity work on first responders and their families, but it grew organically. “The Daily Show” host said he wanted to support
Lubbock first responders promote wellness programs to address mental health
First responders in Lubbock are highlighting department wellness programs designed to give officers, firefighters and paramedics access to mental health support.
City of Memphis investing millions in Soulsville housing, development
Also this week, early voting is underway and a judge is pondering whether to lift a ban on several people who were barred from Memphis City Council.
The Times’s New Space Editor Has Her Eye on the Cosmos
On the Science desk, Victoria Jaggard spends her days pondering the universe’s most pressing mysteries.
Keane presence at Celtic Park defeat played down
Roy Keane's appearance at Celtic Park as Martin O'Neill ponders his future as manager is played down as Aberdeen's Findlay Marshall expresses relief at not being sent out on loan.
What questions face Pocognoli after Scotland defeat?
Sebastien Pocognoli has much to ponder before next month's Nations League group-stage finale after a bruising home defeat by Slovenia.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, researchers are still discovering health effects among first responders
“We see differences 25 years later between those who were using or not the PPEs. We see that in these types of brain imaging…” said Dr. Roberto Lucchini.
Photos | MediSys Health Network honors 16 9/11 first responders
MediSys Health Network held a special ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 at the Jamaica Hospital Nursing Home, in which the organization
5K memorial walk raises funds for first responder mental health support
Community members gathered Saturday at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College for the inaugural 5K walk event benefiting first responder mental health.
Using archery to help first responders with mental health support
Initiative born from 2024 ambush that killed four officers now taking shape with outdoor therapy approach
Will Pocognoli change goalkeeper after Swiss loss?
Andy Burke ponders whether Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli will change goalkeeper after Angus Gunn's performance in the 3-0 defeat by Switzerland.
Records confirm nearly 300 emergency calls to Kalamazoo mental hospital since January 2025
First responders have been dispatched nearly 300 times since January 2025 to Kalamazoo Behavioral Health Hospital.
Sacramento first reponders stretched thin by thousands of mental health- and homeless-related calls
UFPD co-responder program expands mental health response on campus
During Mental Illness Awareness Week, UFPD highlights a growing team that brings law enforcement and mental health professionals together to support the UF community.
Dementia is taking a toll on Sept. 11 responders. A federal health program doesn’t cover it.
Doctors and scientists are pushing to get dementia added to a list of medical conditions connected to Sept. 11.
Wellness Health Fair Today
Local first responders and medical professionals are joining forces today to commemorate the events of 9/11, and promote healthier lifestyles for both public safety personnel and the general public. Whiteville Police and Fire, the sheriff’s office and the Highway Patrol with Columbus Regional’s Donayre Cancer Center to host the event from 1-4 p.m. at Vineland…
Using archery to help first responders with mental health support
Initiative born from 2024 ambush that killed four officers now taking shape with outdoor therapy approach
Flock Safety's fastest-growing business is police drones
What if a drone arrived before the police? Flock Safety's fastest-growing part of its business is drone as first responder technology. Credit: AJC
Local business donates 22 new mattresses to Bay County first responders
First responders across Bay County are getting a better night’s rest thanks to a donation from a local business.
Emergency medicine responders meet with Becca Balint to talk rural health bottlenecks
So many of the problems EMTs deal with, providers said, catch people where they fall through the cracks of other social services.
7 winners and losers from Patriots’ win over the Steelers
Elijah Ponder, Christian Gonzalez, and other standout players from Week 2.
One Month at a Time: Planning for and pondering the inevitable end
Columnist Bill Lynch reluctantly turns his sights to the future -- more specifically, his own inevitable, mortal end.
Analysis: Glasner left with food for thought
There will be plenty to ponder for Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner after this result. Forest's 24 shots today were their second most in a Premier League match since they returned to the top flight in 2022. Similarly, only Pascal Gross (15) has created more chances in the league this season than Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White (14).
Shawnee business honors first responders with pancakes and gratitude
EnviroTech Heating and Cooling owner James Gallet said the idea started last year when his daughter suggested hosting a breakfast for the community’s first responders.
Howard reappointed to lead NIOSH, World Trade Center Health Program
Dr. John Howard receives another six-year term overseeing NIOSH and a health program serving more than 140,000 9/11 responders and survivors
Vance? Rubio? DeSantis? Cruz? Republicans at Dallas convention ponder options for post-Trump leader
The vice president's speech solidified his status as a potential frontrunner, and President Donald Trump talked him up afterwards as a “very talented guy” who “did a very good job."
1 person hospitalized after argument leads to gunfire at Medley business
First responders in Miami-Dade County rushed to the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday morning.
‘He makes all things new’: 400 queen bees saved as Vidalia business rebuilds after fire
A devastating fire destroyed 12 years of work at a Vidalia honey bee supplier, but first responders saved more than 400 queen bees as the owners found a message of hope in the ashes and vowed to rebuild.
9/11 had a profound impact on the mental health of tens of thousands of first responders, doctors say
He fought terrorism as an FBI agent, now he is fighting cancer and for the health of his fellow 9/11 responders
When American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon, Jeffrey Miller rushed to the scene, spending weeks on site recovering evidence from the burned wreckage.
Chelan County Sheriff's Office
This National Co-Responder Week, we recognize and thank our Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) for the work they do every day, alongside patrol and throughout the year. Their partnership brings together...
How Flagstaff firefighters are changing the conversation on mental health
Flagstaff firefighters say the hardest calls can follow first responders home, fueling a push to make mental-health care part of the job.
25 years later, 9/11 health crisis continues on Long Island
The 9/11 health crisis on Long Island persists with rising cancer cases and ongoing mental health impacts among responders and families; an online oral history project preserves their stories
Health leaders ponder ways to boost confidence in science-backed public health
Trust in the U.S. healthcare system has plummeted in recent years.
Trump honors 9/11 first responders — and plugs his political priorities
President Donald Trump on Tuesday honored the heroes of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks — but couldn’t resist mentioning the Iran war and communism.
Beloit Sky Carp event fundraises for first responder mental health initiatives
Families enjoyed a day of filled with games, food, live entertainment and community spirit, all in the name of supporting our first responders.
Trump Tells Weird Lie About Where He Was on 9/11
At an event honoring first responders, Trump claimed he was carried away from Ground Zero by firefighters, which didn’t happen.
Health: The Fight For The Health Of 9/11 First Responders
A quarter century after 9/11, the health of those who responded to the attacks continues to be affected.Some 3,000 people died across three locations that day. An estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants and risked physical injury in the hours and days that followed. That’s according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Since the dust and debris have settled, more than 96,000 have been diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions related to 9/11.In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, establishing the World Trade Center Health Program and reopening the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Today, more than 150,000 people are enrolled in the program.But that program wouldn’t exist without the advocacy of survivors and first responders who put their bodies and lives on the line following the attacks. How did that fight for care unfold?For more information about the Rutgers WTC Health Program, click here. And to learn more about applying, click here.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Scientists gathering in Newport say gray whales won’t go extinct, but declining numbers are a warning
As many questions as answers floated around the Hatfield Marine Science Center this week as researchers drawn from thousands of miles pondered the perilous fate of the Pacific gray whale.
NYC releases 170,000 pages of long-sought 9/11 health, air quality records
New York City opened a public portal containing 170,000 pages of 9/11 records sought for years by first responders, survivors and families concerned about Ground Zero health risks
Ebola creates new hot spots in Congo as responders describe ‘chaotic’ response
The Ebola outbreak in Congo is spreading rapidly to new hot spots where patients have little or no support.
Mental Health Facility for First Responders
Jordan Love backs plan for mental health facility for first responders
The Weather Channel dunks on Titans-Texans matchup
How bad do you have to be as an NFL franchise to get made fun of by The Weather Channel of all things? That’s a question that fans of the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans are unfortunately now made to ponder. Both AFC South teams are 0-4 to start the season, but both arrive at…
Man City win surprising thriller but Sunderland expose growing problem
Man City 5-3 Sunderland: Brian Brobbey ran City’s defence ragged and scored a hat-trick, leaving Enzo Maresca plenty to ponder – even in victory
Nashville celebrates Phil Ponder amid health battle
As community legend Phil Ponder works through health battles, the community wants to share their love and support.
PAHO marks 50 years of strengthening health emergency preparedness and response in the Americas
Washington, D.C., 28 September 2026 (PAHO) – When two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela in June 2026, health authorities and emergency responders faced an enormous test. Within hours, regional emergency coordination mechanisms were activated to support the national and international response. Almost immediately after, health facilities were being assessed, medical supplies were mobilized, and highly trained and self-sufficient Emergency Medical Teams from across the Region were ready to deploy.
Empath Health Unveils Dementia Education Program for Clinicians, Caregivers, First Responders
Florida-based Empath Health has launched a new dementia program that combines provider and caregiver education with clinical care. The
Rep. Tom Tiffany swims to safety after plane makes emergency landing in a Wisconsin lake
Tiffany and the pilot got out of the plane and called 911. They were rescued by emergency responders in a fire department airboat.
Fatal Motorcycle Collision Followed by Separate Vehicle Crash Into Local Business
Emergency responders were dispatched to two serious motor vehicle crashes Sunday afternoon, October 11, including a fatal motorcycle collision and a subsequent crash involving a vehicle striking a…
Changing the mental health conversation, one swing at a time
Next18, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, offers retreats for military veterans and first responders that combine the game of golf with mental wellness education.
Atlantic Health building briefly closed in Morris Township after workers report odor
First responders investigated the Madison Avenue building Monday; no hazardous substances were detected.
Fatal Motorcycle Collision Followed by Separate Vehicle Crash Into Local Business
Emergency responders were dispatched to two serious motor vehicle crashes Sunday afternoon, October 11, including a fatal motorcycle collision and a subsequent crash involving a vehicle striking a…
Ebola responders grapple with widening outbreak in DR Congo
The deadly Ebola virus outbreak in DR Congo continues to spread across the vast country despite some success in containing it, aid officials said on Tuesday, in a renewed call for international support to help responders on the ground.
Cleveland Christmas Connection returns with 500 exhibitors at I-X Center
The Cleveland Christmas Connection celebrates its 40th year at the I-X Center Nov. 20-22, featuring 500+ exhibitors, celebrity appearances, and free admission for military and first responders on Sunday.
CE4Less, AATBS Partner With NextLine Health to Support Veterans and First Responders
/PRNewswire/ -- CE4Less and AATBS, behavioral health education brands of Level Education Group, have partnered with NextLine Health to provide continuing...
He fought terrorism as an FBI agent, now he is fighting cancer and for the health of his fellow 9/11 responders
The retired FBI special agent is advocating changes to the WTC Health Program.
Benin bets on turning its cotton crop into clothes at home
The fabrics made by Fatoumata Dosso carry the tag “Made in Benin.” They are words that she proudly pondered one afternoon. Her fabrics represent an ambition much bigger than her
Trump honors 9/11 victims, first responders and service members
In several veiled references to the Iran war, Trump said in his Pentagon speech that the U.S. continues to honor the lives lost on 9/11 by fighting
Howard reappointed to lead NIOSH, World Trade Center Health Program
Dr. John Howard receives another six-year term overseeing NIOSH and a health program serving more than 140,000 9/11 responders and survivors
An ER wait can worsen a mental health crisis. Hampton offers another option.
Local responders say Riverside’s psychiatric emergency department helps people in crisis reach specialized care sooner, as Virginia expands options beyond medical emergency rooms.
Residential air pollution linked to higher depression scores among 9/11 responders: Study
9/11 first responders' exposure to air pollution and extreme heat in the neighborhoods they live in compounded poor health outcomes, a new study finds.
Ground Zero first responder shares lasting health impact decades after 9/11
Volunteer EMT Mordechai Shedrowitzky and an NYU doctor share how exposure to World Trade Center dust can have serious health consequences decades later.
Roane County EMS partners with HopeNation for daily mental health check-ins
Roane County EMS is partnering with Tennessee-based HopeNation to provide first responders with confidential, daily mental health check-ins sent directly to their phones.
Review: Ella Langley ponders the dream at LA's Greek Theatre
LOS ANGELES — Halfway through her very sold-out concert Tuesday night at the Greek Theatre, Ella Langley pulled up a stool near the front of the stage and told us
Presley Gerber may have suffered overdose, cardiac arrest: dispatch audio
Presley Gerber may have suffered an overdose and gone into cardiac arrest when he died at a rehab facility on Sunday, according to audio of the call summoning first responders.
After thousands of deaths, first responders are still navigating health effects 25 years post-9/11
It’s estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxins, risk of physical injury and stressful conditions from 9/11 and the aftermath, according to the WTC Health Program.
Health leaders ponder ways to boost confidence in science-backed public health
Trust in the U.S. healthcare system has plummeted in recent years.
Program focuses on mental health of WTC first responders
Tens of thousands of World Trade Center first responders and survivors are monitored and treated for more than 70 different cancers and more.
Neighborhood environments impact long-term health of 9/11 responders
Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that environmental conditions where World Trade Center responders live may influence their long-term physical and mental health.
25 years after 9/11, Rutgers still treats first responders
Rutgers has treated more than 6,500 people coping with cancers, PTSD and other conditions linked to their work at Ground Zero.
Patriots Day remembrance at Morley VFW Post No. 5368
Morley VFW Post No. 5368 honored Sept. 11 victims and first responders with a Patriots Day event featuring local artists and a “Hee-Haw”-styled concert.
Involuntary treatment remains sticking point in new mental health legislation
Signing of SB 989 makes it easier for first responders to initiate CARE Court petitions.
Greg Hinz: Can the brave new world of AI be tamed?
Pritzker’s team says they’re pondering AI legislation when the General Assembly returns in November. But real solutions will require not state but federal, even international action.
Woman allegedly walked naked into Watertown business, assaulted first responders
A woman allegedly high on drugs is accused of walking into a Watertown business naked before assaulting first responders.
Greg Hinz: Can the brave new world of AI be tamed?
Pritzker’s team says they’re pondering AI legislation when the General Assembly returns in November. But real solutions will require not state but federal, even international action.
Plague is stoppable. The next health threat may not be.
The word plague is scary. Centuries ago, the Black Death killed tens of millions of people and changed the course of history. Plague still kills people around the world, and the word still evokes catastrophe. New fears of plague surfaced on October 2, when a lab worker in Irkutsk, Russia, died of pneumonia. Reports suggested that she may have contracted plague through a laboratory exposure. Understandably, people were alarmed. On October 7, the World Health Organization called for the Russian Federation to be transparent about what it knew. WHO issued an update on October 10. Russian authorities told WHO that testing did not identify plague and that investigations found no laboratory release. WHO said confidence in its risk assessment remained limited and that further clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory information was needed. The cause of the woman’s illness remains unknown, and WHO says a laboratory-associated exposure cannot be excluded. As I explained in a recent interview, this incident is very unlikely to lead to a pandemic. Plague is still active, including in the U.S., which sees a handful of cases each year. But it is a disease we can prevent and treat. Plague doesn’t spread readily, and it responds to antibiotics. The standard response—isolate the patient, trace contacts, and administer antibiotics and monitor for symptoms among contacts for seven days—works. We have even planned for antibiotic-resistant plague. At CDC, we developed a playbook for antibiotic-resistant plague and ran exercises on how to find and stop it. CDC guidance anticipates engineered resistance and recommends two different classes of antibiotics if there’s reason to suspect it. There is no evidence that resistance—or even confirmed plague—is involved in this incident. We have thought through how to address plague, but we’re not ready for the next major health threat that emerges from a lab or from animal spillover to humans. What should concern people is how little stands between the world and the next pathogen to get loose. Since peak COVID, epidemic preparedness has fallen off the political agenda, but the risk is greater than ever. More labs handle dangerous pathogens with more ways to make those pathogens deadlier, and more people live and work in close contact with animals. There are actions we can take now: We need better lab safety in every country. The number of labs that work with dangerous pathogens has increased worldwide over two decades, but there’s no enforceable international standard and no inspection regime; the Biological Weapons Convention, fifty years on, still has no verification mechanism. Labs that study dangerous germs need strong safety systems, training, and oversight. We need to reduce spillover events. Three in four emerging human infections start in animals, and there’s a lot we can do to reduce spillover risk, but the world is doing very little of it. Live-animal markets are one place to act. For instance, closing live-bird markets helped control H7N9 influenza in China. Reducing opportunities for people to encounter infected animals can prevent infections before they become outbreaks. In The Formula for Better Health, which is now out in paperback along with the hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook versions, I argue that labs do too many risky experiments with too many dangerous pathogens in too many institutions, and that every experiment should first answer one basic question: Is the likely benefit greater than the risk? Spillover risk can also be reduced: In the book, I discuss how Brazil cut its deforestation rate by 70% from 2004 to 2012 while increasing agricultural production and reducing risky contact between people and forest animals. We need faster detection and response. Delay costs lives. Strong surveillance, good labs, and trained responders can turn a single case into a small cluster of infections instead of an epidemic. Resolve to Save Lives has worked for nearly a decade to help countries find and stop outbreaks faster. The 7-1-7 target, which Resolve to Save Lives developed with partners in Uganda and elsewhere, provides a clear standard: detect within 7 days, notify within 1 day and complete all essential early response actions within 7 days. In Uganda’s Kasese district, for example, a review of a measles outbreak using 7-1-7 identified shortages of accessible funds, fuel, and vehicles that delayed the response. District leaders established funds they could access quickly. When, a few months later, the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever appeared, the district detected it in three days, notified authorities in one, and mounted an effective response in two. Only one case was confirmed, and the patient survived. Because funds were available before the emergency, authorities were prepared and able to act. This kind of preparation can’t wait until the next crisis begins. Plague is an old disease we that know how to stop. The next threat may be harder to recognize, harder to treat, and easier to spread. Safer labs, less risk of spillover, and faster outbreak detection and response need sustained investment now, while we still have time to prevent the next emergency. Share
Mamdani draws fury from 9/11 mourners over Ground Zero appearance: ‘Disrespectful’
Footage captured Zohran Mamdani greeting Rudolph Giuliani at Ground Zero as victims' families and first responders criticize his 9/11 attendance.
World Trade Center health program provides care for first responders and survivors of 9/11
Roane County EMS partners with HopeNation for daily mental health check-ins
Program sends first responders daily text prompts monitored by licensed clinicians
Business Beat: Coldwater Ponderosa ownership celebrate 7 year anniversary
COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) - The Coldwater Ponderosa Steakhouse is celebrating seven years of successful operation u...
Baltimore proposes new Department of Neighborhood Safety to handle some nonviolent 911 calls
Baltimore leaders are proposing a new Department of Neighborhood Safety that would send trained responders to certain nonviolent 911 calls instead of police officers.
Good science requires much more than evidence
Empiricists believe that scientific theories are true only if they make correct empirical predictions: if we can't verify these predictions, then there is no reason to expect that they tell us anything about reality. However, Professor of Philosophy at King's College David Kyle Johnson argues that this is mistaken. In response to Bas van Fraassen, who has written on this subject for the IAI, he argues that we have many reasons for believing a theory to be true, such as it being parsimonious and having large scope — qualities which have been used throughout the history of science as criteria for judging theories. In 2024, Princeton philosopher Bas van Fraassen wrote a short article for IAI News entitled “Science Does not Describe Reality: The Limits and Benefits of Explanation.” At the time, I was working on two projects (a science book and a Great Course) that, when completed, would (among other things) defend science’s ability to describe reality. I wanted to write a response to van Fraassen, but the projects demanded too much of my attention. But now that those projects are complete, I am in a position to explain the objections to van Fraassen’s thesis. Summarizing van Fraassen’s argumentIn a nutshell, his argument is this: What scientists do is make predictions based on theories and then invite others to test to see whether those predictions are borne out. “If theory T is right, result R should happen in experimental condition C.” Many think that running an experiment that shows that R happens in condition C is proof that theory T is true (and should be believed). But, van Fraassen argues, that R happened in condition C is only a reason to think that R happens in condition C. That’s the only observable, or empirical, result we can actually see, so that is all that we are really justified in believing. (The underlying theory that made that prediction still may or may not be true.) That is why he calls those who accept his position “empiricists.”Before I explain what is wrong with this position, let me explain what it gets right. What van Fraassen Gets RightFirst, a theory correctly predicting the results of an experiment is not, strictly speaking, “proof” that the theory is correct. The basic line of reasoning is this:If the theory T is true, result R should happen. Result R did happen. Thus, theory T is true.In other words:“If T then R. R. Thus, T.”This is a deductively invalid, fallacious mode of reasoning, called “affirming the consequent.” Those premises do not guarantee that the conclusion follows. “If I am in Pennsylvania, then I am in the USA. I am in the USA. Thus, I am in Pennsylvania.” Clearly that argument doesn’t guarantee its conclusion; neither does the above argument.However, science is not a deductive method of reasoning; it is an inductive one. And inductive arguments merely try to raise the probability of their conclusion, not “prove” them for certain. Thus, the fact that an experimental result doesn’t prove a theory is true is irrelevant; it’s not supposed to. That is not what scientific reasoning is about.___If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational.___Second, it’s also true that a single experimental result doesn’t provide enough justification to believe that a theory is true. Scientists do not come to a consensus about whether a theory is true by looking at a single experiment; they look at all the evidence to determine where the preponderance of evidence points. The mere fact that I am in the USA raises the probability that I am in Pennsylvania, but not nearly enough to conclude that I am in Pennsylvania. However, if I am also regularly encountering people wearing Eagles and Phillies hats and seeing advertisements for Founding Father tours, I probably am. In the same way, a theory successfully predicting the outcome of one experiment is not enough to conclude that it is true; but if a theory makes a wide variety of predictions that are all vindicated by multiple experiments, performed by many different groups and people, all actively trying to prove the theory false (which is what good scientific experiments are designed to do)—that is a good reason to conclude that the theory is true. In other words, if you repeatedly try to prove something false but can’t, that is a very good indication that it isn’t. The problem of underdeterminationIn reply, those whom van Fraassen calls “empiricists” often point to the “problem of underdetermination.” For any given theory that makes successful predictions about what happens in experimental conditions, there are countless other possible theories that make exactly the same predictions—and since they do, the experimental evidence in question is just as much reason to accept any of those theories as it is to accept our original one. Thus, the argument goes, we have no way of knowing whether our original theory is true, or one of the other “predictively equivalent” theories is true. SUGGESTED VIEWING How Occam's Razor changed the world With Johnjoe McFadden As an example of underdetermination, philosophers often offer this example. The evidence of fossils seems to provide reason to conclude that the universe is quite old; ancient fossils are what the “ancient universe” hypothesis predicts. But it’s also possible that God created an ancient-looking universe 200 years ago, complete with a “fake” fossil record for us to find, to make it look old. The existence of fossils is what that theory predicts too. So, the argument goes, the fossil record can’t be used as evidence that the universe is ancient; the fossil record supports the “200-year-old ancient-looking universe” theory just as much. The problem of underdetermination points out that, for any theory with supporting evidence, we could invent another completely different theory that predicts exactly the same evidence, and thus undermine that evidence’s ability to support the original theory.But this “argument from underdetermination” betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what scientific reasoning is and how it works. To explain, let me use another rather strange (but very real and commonly discussed) philosophical thought experiment called “The Grue Problem.” The “Grue” ProblemSuppose I want to know what color emeralds are, so I observe a few, see that they all appear green, and form the theory that “all emeralds are green.” I thus predict that the next 100 emeralds I find will also appear to be green. And let’s say that happens, and so I thus conclude that my theory that all emeralds are green is true. Now, one might rightly point out that I don’t know for sure that all emeralds are green—I have not seen them all. Maybe some I haven’t found yet are blue. Fair enough. After all, we used to think that all swans were white, until we found some black ones. But let’s say that I go on a quest and collect every emerald in the universe—and, for the sake of the argument, let’s say I can do this, and can even know that I have every one of them. So, I collect them all, look at them all, and verify that they all appear green. Can’t I now rightly conclude that all emeralds are green?Inspired by the problem of underdetermination, a friend might argue that I cannot.Sure, they all appear green now—but there could be another kind of color called “grue.” Something is grue if it is green up to a certain point in time, but then spontaneously turns blue. And there could be an infinite number of “shades” of grue. Something that is one shade of grue will turn blue at noon today, but something that is another shade of grue will turn blue at noon tomorrow, etc. So yes, the emeralds appear green now; and since they haven’t turned blue yet, they are not some “past” shade of grue. But they might be some “future” shade of grue (e.g., they may turn blue at noon tomorrow). And since all future shades of grue are consistent with “being green up to this point in time,” the evidence you have is completely consistent with the notion that all emeralds are some future shade of grue, rather than green. Indeed, that they would appear green until now is what the “some future shade of grue” hypothesis predicts. So, we have just as much reason to conclude that all emeralds are some shade of grue as we do to conclude that they are green.You’re probably thinking “It’s not equally possible that the emeralds are grue; they are obviously green.” You are right! But explaining why your instinctive reaction to my friend’s argument is correct will help inform why van Fraassen’s “empiricist” is wrong and science actually does describe reality.The main mistake my friend makes is in thinking that the “empirical evidence” (of all the emeralds appearing green) is (or even should be) all I am using to draw the conclusion that all emeralds are green. It is not. I am also considering known facts about how colors typically work; things don’t usually change color, and when they do, they don’t do so suddenly, without cause, and all at once. So, even though the simple evidence of the emeralds all appearing green up to this point is consistent with them being some future shade of grue—that is even what the grue hypothesis “predicts”—it is still exceedingly unlikely that they are. The hypothesis that they are green is much more likely. Understanding science refutes the problem of underdetermination The misunderstanding about science that the “empiricist” pointing to “the problem of underdetermination” makes is similar to the one that my friend made. Science is not just about considering experimental evidence; in fact, it’s not even just about considering empirical evidence. As Ernan McMullin and many other philosophers of science have pointed out, the inference that makes science is “inference to the best explanation” (sometimes called “abduction” or “retroduction” by McMullin). While, depending on the circumstances, scientists use many different kinds of reasoning, science as a whole is, simply put, the process of considering multiple competing explanations and comparing them to certain criteria—explanatory criteria (the kinds of things explanations must be and do, by definition, to be a good explanation)—to see which explanation is the best.And these criteria do not deal only with empirical results. Yes, successful predictions raise the probability of a hypothesis, but it’s also the case that the more new assumptions a theory makes, the less likely it is to be true; every new assumption presents an opportunity for the theory to be false. (The fewer assumptions a theory makes, the simpler or “more parsimonious” it is said to be.) Likewise, the more existing evidence a theory contradicts, the less likely it is, because in order for a theory to be true, every piece of evidence it contradicts has to be somehow faulty. (The fewer established theories a new theory contradicts, the more “conservative” it is said to be.) And, obviously, the more something explains, the better explanation it is. (This is called having “scope.”) If a theory raises unanswerable questions, it’s not expanding our understanding, and thus is not wide-scoping. Scientists consider all these things when deciding which theory to accept, because the theory that adheres best to these explanatory criteria is most likely to be true.___the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth.___The reason the grue hypothesis is no good is because it invents an entirely new kind of color—not just a new shade, but an entirely different category of color (a different way colors work)—and thus is not parsimonious. It raises unanswerable questions about how and why emeralds would just spontaneously change from green to blue (and thus does not have wide scope). And it contradicts what is already well established about how color works (and thus is unconservative).The theories that the problem of underdetermination points to do the same thing. Yes, the theory that God created an “ancient-looking universe” (complete with an ancient-looking fossil record) two hundred years ago is also consistent with the empirical evidence (of a fossil record) that presently exists; but that theory is monumentally unparsimonious (it requires many extra assumptions about infinite entities) and not wide-scoping (it raises unanswerable questions about why God would do such a thing). So, I can rationally conclude that it is false.Indeed, the history of science includes many examples of theories that were rejected because they lacked parsimony and/or scope, even before their falsity (and the truth of their competing theory) was confirmed by observation. As I point out in my book, geocentrism was rejected by the scientific community because it lacked parsimony, almost 200 years before the observation of parallax confirmed that the Earth moves around the sun. And the continuum theory of matter was completely rejected by 1860, because it couldn’t explain chemical reactions or organize matter into a periodic table, even though the experiments that eventually confirmed atomic theory weren’t even proposed until the 1870s. Solving the best of a bad lot problemIn response, the “empiricists” are likely to object, this time pointing to the “best of a bad lot” problem. “We have no reason to conclude that an explanation that has been shown to be better than others is true because we have no guarantee that the true theory was among those that we were considering.” If you have a “lot” (a collection) of poor explanations, even the best one is not true.The responses to this problem, however, are numerous. Peter Lipton argues that the set of hypotheses that scientists consider are not just randomly selected and thus unlikely to contain a theory that is true; they use existing knowledge to home in on what is most likely to be true. A doctor trying to explain abdominal pain is not going to bother wondering whether demons are causing it; they are going to stick with things like appendicitis and kidney stones, because they are most likely. Further, despite its name, inference to the best explanation is not just the process of comparing hypotheses and accepting the best one; we also want one that is a good explanation in its own right. If it’s not, we are going to keep looking until we find an explanation that is. And while that process does not guarantee that we will come across the exact truth, it’s very likely that the theory that emerges as the best will be at least approximately true, and thus we will be justified in believing it. And lastly, as I point out in my book, although many theories not based in scientific evidence (like geocentrism and continuum theory) have been completely overturned, science almost always progresses by the refinement of scientifically established theories—not their replacement. (Although our sun is not the center of the universe, heliocentrism was our first step in understanding the Earth’s true place in the universe.) So even if a theory we accept today may not be completely right, accepting it is a step on the journey toward the complete truth. The example of atomic theoryNow, it’s worth pointing out that most empiricists are not skeptical of all scientific theories; they are only skeptical of the ones that hypothesize the existence of “unobservables.” It’s not like they think that round Earth, heliocentrism, and germ theory are just useful (but untrue) “instruments” for making predictions about how to most efficiently navigate the seas, predict planetary motion, and treat diseases. They admit that the Earth actually is round, that the planets revolve around the sun, and that germs exist and cause disease. These facts and entities can be observed; the theories that suggest they exist are true. It’s only when theories start hypothesizing the existence of unobservables—like electrons, or quantum fields—that can’t be observed directly, that we should start doubting the theories’ truth. And to be fair to van Fraassen, in this published work, he doesn’t really say that we should doubt the truth of such theories. Only that scientific reasoning does not rationally force us to accept them as true. Skepticism, or agnosticism, he argues, is warranted. SUGGESTED READING Science is based in metaphor By Andrew Reynolds But the history of atomic theory throws a monkey wrench into that argument. Atoms used to be unobservable; again, scientists first accepted the theory that they exist because it had such grandiose explanatory power. But then atoms were seen with electron microscopes. They thus moved into the category of the observable. But this didn’t substantially change anything about what scientists were justified in believing; it certainly didn’t change any “atomic skeptics’” minds. It just confirmed what everyone already knew! If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational. The fact that the thing itself is not technically observable does not make doubting its existence rational.What’s more, the atoms were seen with an electron microscope. But electrons are themselves unobservable. How can an electron microscope reveal an atom if electrons are not real? This leads us to what is famously known as Hilary Putnam’s “miracle argument.” It’s (not) a miraclePhilosopher Hilary Putnam’s miracle argument is somewhat famous. Basically, he argued that a scientific theory being able to repeatedly make successful predictions—even about unobservables—without being at least approximately true would require a “miracle.” In other words, it would be such an improbable occurrence that it could not rationally be believed—the better explanation for why scientific theories about unobservables make the right predictions is because the unobservable entities and structures they hypothesize exist.Van Fraassen has addressed this argument. Indeed, in his original article, where he references Alison Gopnik’s point about orgasms not being “necessary for procreation” even though the desire for orgasm “drives the creation of progeny,” he is pointing to his own argument about how organisms are not naturally selected by evolution to get true beliefs; to the extent that belief-forming processes are selected for, the ones that are selected are the ones that are useful for survival—not the ones that produce true beliefs. In the same way, van Fraassen argues, scientific theories are accepted, not because they are true, but because they aren’t falsified; they make successful predictions; that’s what makes them “stick around.” So, the fact that they make successful predictions (and thus became accepted) is not a reason to think they are true.This argument is similar to C. S. Lewis’s “argument from reason,” which he used to argue against evolution: “The truth of evolution undercuts our ability to know that it is true.” Lewis’ argument famously failed; Elizabeth Anscombe, by Lewis’s own admission, demolished Lewis in a debate on the topic, and I have explained elsewhere why modified versions of the argument fail as well. In short, it’s because it fails to recognize that a belief-forming process can make an organism more likely to survive because it reliably produces true beliefs. It is therefore not the case that beliefs generated by naturally selected belief-forming processes are automatically false or unjustified.In the same way, the reason a theory “sticks around” could be because it’s not falsified, because it “makes correct predictions.” But the reason it makes correct predictions is most likely because it is true. (In pointing this out, I am echoing the arguments of Musgrave, Lipton, Psillos, and Kitcher, who refuted van Fraassen’s argument and analogy long before his 2024 article.) It would be a huge coincidence that it could do so without being true. And that is the point of Putnam’s miracle argument. Thus, contrary to van Fraassen’s suggestion, the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth. ConclusionLet me close by saying something about the fact that empiricists don’t doubt the truth of all scientific theories, just the ones that hypothesize unobservables. In today’s society, this theory is dangerous to espouse publicly. The nuance between being skeptical about all of science, and just the highly technical theories about unobservables, is guaranteed to be lost to the average reader. And there is so much unjustified skepticism and doubt about the findings of science and experts that a headline like “Science Does Not Describe Reality” could easily fuel the anti-science movement, worsen climate change denial and cause the next pandemic.This is why I believe it was important to still respond to van Fraassen’s article, a full two years after he wrote it. Not only, as I have argued, does it represent a philosophically inaccurate view of how scientific reasoning works and what scientific reasoning can do, but it is a dangerous view to boot. It should thus be rejected.
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