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ESMO: Roche touts ‘convincing’ phase 3 KRAS data after win over rivals
Roche has shed more light on its investigational KRAS G12C inhibitor's phase 3 victory over Amgen’s Lumakras and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Krazati. The open-label Krascendo 1 trial enrolled 338 people with previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients who had already received a KRAS G12C inhibitor or pan-KRAS/RAS inhibitor were excluded from the trial. Participants received either divarasib once daily, Lumakras once daily or Krazati twice daily. Roche announced back in July that divarasib had demonstrated statistically significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), meeting the trial’s primary and key secondary endpoints. But the Swiss pharma had been holding back the detailed data until now. At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid, Roche revealed that median OS for the 167 patients who received divarasib was 17.7 months, compared to 12 months for the 171 patients who received Lumakras or Krazati. The benefit was similarly clear when it came to median PFS, which stood at 9.8 months versus 5.7 months, respectively. A total of 44% of patients receiving divarasib were alive without disease progression at one year, compared to 24% of the control group, according to Roche’s presentation. It was a similar story for the objective response rate, which came in at 58% for divarasib versus 32% for the control group, while median duration of response was 11.9 months versus 6.9 months. Stefan Frings, M.D., Ph.D., deputy chief medical officer at Roche Pharma, told Fierce that the data made for a “very comprehensive, strong package, which should be convincing to health authorities.” “It’s an important advance for patients with lung cancer,” Frings said in an interview at a Madrid hotel during the conference. “It's a second-line setting, and patients who receive divarasib benefit compared to the current first-generation KRAS G12C inhibitors by having far longer overall survival,” he continued. “They live longer. They have better progression-free survival, better response rates, and with a safety profile which is—if [anything]—even better,” he said. According to Roche, 4.8% of patients receiving divarasib discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events, compared to 11.7% in the control group. Serious treatment-related adverse events were also less common with divarasib, at 7.8% versus 15.2%. Roche’s confidence in divarasib had been building even before this phase 3 success. The candidate had already shown better potency and selectivity than the incumbent KRAS G12C inhibitors Krazati and Lumakras in preclinical tests. After cross-trial comparisons suggested that the edge translated into better clinical outcomes, Roche axed a study comparing divarasib to the chemotherapy docetaxel and went toe-to-toe with Lumakras and Krazati. “We designed the drug on purpose with higher potency and better selectivity,” Frings explained. “So, based on preclinical models, we clearly knew it would be superior to the first generation.” “It’s honestly not so frequent that pharma companies go head-to-head,” he added. “But if you want to make a point, if you want to convince payers, prescribers and patients … then a head-to-head win is rather rewarding.” While Amgen and BMS reached the regulatory finish line first for KRAS G12C-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC in 2021 and 2022, respectively, they have struggled to capitalize on their head start. Krazati brought in $55 million for BMS in the second quarter, while Lumakras delivered $111 million to Amgen. For its part, Roche is aiming for peak divarasib sales of 1 billion to 2 billion Swiss francs ($1.2 billion to $2.5 billion), according to Frings. The Big Pharma is currently recruiting patients into a phase 3 trial comparing divarasib plus Keytruda against Keytruda plus chemotherapy in previously untreated advanced or metastatic nonsquamous KRAS G12C-mutated NSCLC. Roche has previously suggested that sales in metastatic disease would account for most of the forecast. Frings was tight-lipped on the exact timeline for a regulatory filing but said the Swiss pharma is “certainly keen to get this to as many patients as possible around the world.” Roche has more RAS drugs coming up behind divarasib. The pharma has already launched phase 1 trials of a pan-RAS inhibitor called RG6505 and a KRAS G12D inhibitor dubbed RG6620 in solid tumors. Roche’s partner Chugai Pharmaceutical is also testing a pan-KRAS inhibitor called AUBE00. Roche has made a “deliberate effort” to test a range of RAS drugs, Frings said. “If you have many rare mutations and you are scrambling to find sufficient patients, a pan-RAS inhibitor makes a lot of sense,” he explained.
Inside California Politics: State Senate candidate John Erickson
(Inside California Politics) — California’s top-two primary system often leads to same-party general election races, often between two Democrats, and this year is no exception. Two weeks ago on Inside...
A last-minute voter guide to all 14 propositions on the California ballot
Californians are voting on 14 ballot measures, including propositions on taxes, voting, healthcare, housing and the environment. It's a lot to take in, but we're here to help.
A doctor traded health insurance for direct primary care, cost-sharing
A doctor explains why he replaced traditional health insurance for his family of four with direct primary care and a medical cost-sharing group.
Bernie Sanders backs Amanda Janoo's health plan
Bernie Sanders joined gubernatorial candidate Amanda Janoo in Winooski to endorse her plan for free universal primary care in Vermont.
What happened when humans encountered Gigantopithecus?
Gigantopithecus was the largest primate that ever lived. What would have happened when human ancestors encountered it?
An electronic health record tool for exercise prescription may reduce fall rate among older adults
In a large randomized clinical trial among 22 primary care practices, use of an electronic health record-integrated clinical decision support tool known as…
Charles County Moves Forward With Employee Health Center
LA PLATA, Md. — Charles County commissioners took another step toward establishing a primary care center for county employees and their families Tuesday, Oct. 20, approving a contract with Marathon Health. The approval allows the county to move forward with planning and setting up the center. The proposed center would serve employees, retirees and family […]
FBI investigating Delaware politician’s alleged ‘bribe’ to primary foe, after WHYY News exposed secretly recorded job offer
New Castle County Recorder of Deeds Mike Kozikowski lost the race to David Tackett, who filed a complaint with prosecutors about the gambit.
Disappointed primary voters weigh their choices: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Ramaswamy’s ad underscores how governor’s races could affect downballot contests.
Focus groups: Their candidates lost in the Michigan and Texas primaries. Now what?
Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Ken Paxton in Texas are looking to convince backers of their primary opponents to support their campaigns.
Why are tech entrepreneurs leaving California for Las Vegas?
Historically, about a third of people moving to Nevada from other states have come from California, primarily Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose.
Kings C Sabonis Wants to Be Primary Offensive Initiator
The Sacramento Kings got great return games from Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, which is a great sign of things to come. As the season progresses, Sabonis should be a primary option on the offensive end.
Essential Health highlights personalized direct primary care in Davenport
Essential Health Direct Primary Care offers pediatric and adult patients personalized, evidence‑based care through a flat‑rate membership model that includes extended visits, in‑house pharmacy services and on‑site lab testing.
World's only venomous primate lost to science for 90 years resurfaces in unbelievable place
Republican 'Muslim Brotherhood' attacks on El-Sayed in Michigan seek to exploit Democratic fault lines
Pollsters, political strategists say the approach is aimed at dissuading Jewish and Black voters who backed El-Sayed's primary opponent, Haley Stevens
Op-ed: The case for a primary care triple-double
Strong primary care is the foundation of a high-performing health system, proven to control costs and
Gov. JB Pritzker doling out big bucks to help Democrats — and boost a 2028 presidential run
Pritzker is taking out $40 million from his vast personal wealth to boost candidates in contentious races, and building coalitions with Democrats across the country, including in 2028 early primary states. "It's a terrific strategy," says former presidential candidate Howard Dean.
Crows may make lightning-fast decisions, sometimes twice as fast as humans, study hints
Carrion crows made decisions about their visual environments significantly faster than humans and primates tend to, according to a comparison in a new study.
Lost to Science for 89 Years, a Venomous Primate Has Been Sneaking Into People’s Homes and Gardens
Scientists working with Indonesia’s Alobi Wildlife Rescue Center have confirmed that the critically endangered Bangka slow loris—while excellent at hiding—is very much not extinct yet.
Tottenham’s 2027-28 away kits will be primarily pink
PINK! PINK KITS! (Don’t like the gold, though.)
Question 3 would create all-party primary
Ballot Question 3 would eliminate political party primaries in Massachusetts and establish a single, all-party primary.
Annual Health Fair for the Homeless Friday, October 23
Franklin Primary Health Center is holding their Annual Health Fair for the Homeless Friday, October 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Springhill Recreation
Milaca Clinic earns federal Rural Health Clinic designation
MILACA — Mille Lacs Health System’s Milaca Clinic has earned federal Rural Health Clinic (RHC) certification, a designation intended to strengthen access to primary care in rural communities.
Scientists discover a surprising secret behind the human brain’s wrinkles
Scientists have discovered why common marmosets have unusually small, smooth brains despite starting development much like other primates. The secret lies in subtle changes to brain-building cells that slow neuron production, revealing new clues about how the large, folded human brain evolved.
Venomous primate thought lost to science for nearly a century turns up in gardens and on roads across Indonesia
A big-eyed, venomous primate that had not been documented in scientific literature since the 1930s has been hiding in plain sight on the Indonesian island of Bangka, turning up in backyards, along roadsides ...
Family Medicine Physician Timothy Baty, D.O., Joins UAMS Health Family Medical Center in Batesville
Timothy Baty, D.O., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Family Medical Center in Batesville, where he will provide comprehensive primary care services for patients of all ages.
Top Democrats join California immigrant, Nevada group to sue over federal election probes
The lawsuit accuses Trump and his administration of using “shoddily compiled lists of supposed noncitizens” and “coercive threats" against state officials to assert federal control over the midterms.
TRUE RX HEALTH STRATEGISTS BECOMES FIRST PBM TO BRING INSTACART HEALTH FRESH FUNDS TO EMPLOYER PHARMACY BENEFITS
/PRNewswire/ -- True Rx Health Strategists, the family-owned, pharmacist-led pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) based in Indiana, today announced a first-to-market...
Healthy rapport with doctor builds healthy habits for life
Rigley Bowar has been participating in Special Olympics since he was a youngster. Through it all, he has had the same primary care doctor.
Wisconsin’s seasonal migrant workers lack access to healthcare — until a mobile clinic pulls up to the farm
Thousands of Wisconsin’s migrant seasonal workers face barriers to getting basic healthcare. A Wautoma-based charity is helping fill that gap by taking its mobile clinic to farm fields, providing low-cost primary care medicine to workers mostly from Mexico.
Venomous primate thought lost to science for nearly a century turns up in gardens and on roads across Indonesia
Local wildlife rescue center publishes data in a new paper revealing the critically endangered Bangka slow loris still survives across the Indonesian island of Bangka
Germophobe Primates Want to Avoid Getting Sick, Too
Some monkeys become significantly more cautious about food sources that appear contaminated after experiencing deadly outbreaks of disease.
Who is Tommy Tuberville? Auburn coach turned governor candidate
From the Auburn sidelines to the U.S. Senate, Tommy Tuberville is now seeking Alabama's top office. Here's what voters should know.
Prenosis and Carle Health Mark Sepsis ImmunoScore® Clinical Deployment and First Patients Enrolled in OBSERVE-ARDS Clinical Study
/PRNewswire/ -- Prenosis®, a biology-based technology company delivering precision therapeutics, today announced three milestones in its ongoing relationship...
After Larson's loss, CT's 1st District will elect a new representative
Luke Bronin won the Democratic primary and goes into the general election with the upper hand. He faces Republican Amy Chai on Nov. 3.
Pfizer makes ‘business decision’ to end phase 2 trial of autoimmune drug as program’s future uncertain
Pfizer has called time on a phase 2 trial of its CXCR5 antibody in an autoimmune blood disorder, with the company tight-lipped on whether this marks the end of the road for the asset. The Big Pharma had been evaluating the therapy, dubbed PF-06835375, in a phase 2 study of 61 patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) that kicked off in 2022, according to the federal trials register. However, Pfizer confirmed to Fierce on Monday that this study had been terminated “due to a business decision.” “The decision to terminate the trial was not based on any safety concerns,” a spokesperson pointed out. At time of publication, PF-06835375 remained listed on Pfizer’s website for both ITP and lupus. A phase 1 study in lupus wrapped up in 2022, according to the trials database. ITP is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a low platelet count. Novartis was at one point evaluating its B-cell-depleting antibody ianalumab—recently approved as Fabhalta to treat immunoglobulin A nephropathy—as a potential treatment ITP. But the therapy struggled to demonstrate a benefit in the clinic for this indication. When contacted by Fierce, Pfizer wouldn’t confirm whether all work on PF-06835375 has been halted, and whether the company has any other plans to explore C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5) as a mechanism. CXCR5 is found in blood cancers such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma chemokine receptor. However, there is little expression in normal tissue, which has led some drug developers to explore its potential. Vincerx Pharma had at one point been planning to take an anti-CXCR5 ADC into the clinic to treat B-cell malignancies, but that ambition was scrapped due to cash constraints. Where Big Pharma is placing its bets is one of the hot topics being discussed at Fierce Biotech's high-impact event in London next month. Find out more information and register by clicking on the banner below: [ ](https://qtxasset.com/quartz/qcloud5/media/image/where_big_pharma_is_placing_its_bets.png?VersionId=B8JrRbJ.pFUSK1pJgjeWHLGm_18RdLAy)
The 2026 South Carolina Political Beat Candidate Guide: York County
The 2026 South Carolina Political Beat Candidate Primary Guide: York County
How Science Is Helping Coastal Communities Build Resilience to El Niño
The current El Niño may become the strongest in modern recorded history. The naturally occurring climate phenomenon, primarily associated with persistent, high ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, could have global-scale effects on weather and ocean conditions through 2027.
Here are some of the ways LSU’s Student Health Center supports students during the semester
The LSU Health Center has various resources to help you with your physical and mental health. From student check-ups to therapy, here are some services available to LSU students at the Student Health Center. Physical health LSU’s primary care clinic is what most LSU’s are aware of. Students are encouraged to make an appointment, but...
Nutex Health Schedules 2026 Third Quarter Financial Results Release and Conference Call
Nutex Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUTX), a physician-led, integrated healthcare delivery system comprised of 28 state-of-the-art micro hospitals and hospital outpatient departments in 12 states and primary care-centric, risk-bearing physician networks, today announced that it plans to file its Form 10-Q for the third fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30, 2026, on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, after the market close. The Company will also issue a corresponding press release summarizing financial results on the same
Market Open: Primary Health Properties JV, Serica Growth
FTSE 100 and European stocks decline as Primary Health Properties announces a £700m joint venture, Serica reports growth and Brent crude weakens. Market OverviewThe FTSE 100 opened lower on Monday, falling 0.
Primary Health Properties and GIC form £700 million healthcare joint venture
Partnership seeded by PHP's existing UK and Ireland hospital portfolio
DO, MD, NP, PA: Learn the ABCs of primary care providers
Learn what the credentials mean — and how to choose a provider who’s right for your health needs.
Faith and fury: Texas Senate rivals offer contrasting visions
One preaches love and reconciliation.He defeated the more combative congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary, promising a "politics of love."
Revenue And Earnings Growth Could Be A Game Changer For agilon health (AGL)
agilon health has reported strong annual revenue and earnings growth from its model of partnering with primary care physicians to deliver value-based care for Medicare patients through long-term, globally capitated contracts. The combination of accelerating financial performance and the scaling of its value-based primary care network indicates that agilon health is gaining share where payers and physicians seek partners willing to take on population-level risk. We will now look at how agilon...
2028 Presidential ‘Shadow Primary’ Descends on the Midterm Elections
The schedule is especially packed in New Hampshire, an early presidential nominating state where there is a competitive Senate race Democrats are flocking to this month.
Mosaic Health Launches Public Phase of Conners Campus Capital Campaign - The Source
Mosaic Community Health launched the public phase of its Conners Campus capital campaign on Tuesday, inviting neighbors, businesses and community members to help build a new primary hub for comprehensive health services on Bend’s east side. The launch event, held at the construction site at 2790 NE Conners Ave., brought together state legislators and Mosaic […]
'Whalefall' Writer Explains the Real Science That Drives the Survival Thriller
What happens in 'Whalefall' is surprisingly accurate to the real ordeal, tapping deep into primal human fears.
What the final stretch of the midterms says about the 2028 presidential field
A shake-up of the Democratic primary calendar adds to the intrigue as potential hopefuls join a sprint to help their parties in the midterms.
Frontier, fuboTV, E.W. Scripps, Sphere Entertainment, and AMC Entertainment Stocks Trade Down, What You Need To Know
A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after The LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index fell 5.3 points from September to 45.2 in October 2026, the lowest reading since October 2011. According to LSEG, the survey was taken from Sept. 25 through Oct. 1. The monthly drop was the second-largest on record, behind only April 2020. The index is now below its May 2020 pandemic low of 45.4 and is 7.7 points under its level of a year ago.That kind of break in confidence hits the companies
Frontier, fuboTV, E.W. Scripps, Sphere Entertainment, and AMC Entertainment Stocks Trade Down, What You Need To Know
What Happened? A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after The LSEG/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index fell 5.3 points from September to 45.2 ...
Behavioral health therapist joins UCHealth Estes Valley Medical Center’s primary care team
Behavioral health clinician joins Estes Valley's primary care clinic as an additional resource to meet emotional and behavioral health needs.
Can AI solve our mental health access problem?
Last week I asked you what worries you most about AI in health. It was close, but your top answer was “AI giving bad health advice.” Last week’s poll results: You’re in good company. This concern was top of mind at a conference I joined at Stanford last week, where researchers, clinicians, and people who build AI systems spent a day debating trust and safety in health AI. Stepping back, I’m also hearing your emerging concerns about AI’s impact on our well-being generally. I see this as a matter of public health, and we’ll take it in pieces as we learn together. Today we’ll focus on AI chatbots used for therapy for mental health. Early this month, Governor Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 903, California’s most ambitious attempt to regulate AI use for mental health. It’s at the center of active debate, and raises the questions patients, family members, citizens, and voters will face as AI moves deeper into health care. Let’s work through it. What is “AI-based therapy”? It’s really two things: purpose-built mental health apps designed to deliver structured support, and general chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini that people increasingly use for emotional support—even if they weren’t built for it. Spoiler alert: I don’t know whether the shift toward AI therapy is good or bad. The evidence isn’t there yet. But I do know it’s already happening, and I have some ideas about how we can roll it out with safety in mind. The therapy dilemma, in a nutshell Mental health challenges are common, and strain health and well-being across populations. Therapy (interactive dialogue with a trained, empathetic practitioner) helps many people heal. The demand for licensed therapists far exceeds the supply in California, and AI-based therapy can narrow that gap. AI-based therapy remains novel, unproven, and not well tested. Right off the bat, we can see we’re dealing with trade-offs here. Since the main driver of demand for therapy from a robot is lack of access to therapy from a human, we’ll start there. It’s too hard to find and afford a human therapist California is short roughly 55,000 licensed, non-prescribing therapists and counselors, about 40% of what we need. Psychiatrists, who rely on talk therapy as a complement to prescribed medications, are even more scarce. Eight counties have none, and density ranges from 1.7 per 100,000 residents in San Benito County, to 68.1 in Marin County. My wife is a psychiatrist in Marin, and even here access is tight. If it’s hard in the best-supplied county, imagine rural Sierra County, or the San Joaquin Valley. In 2024, more than half of Californians who tried to make a mental health appointment struggled to find a provider who took their insurance, compared with 14% for physical health care. When Senate staff posed as “secret shopper” patients and called 120 mental health providers in Medicare Advantage networks, they landed an appointment less than once for every five tries. Insurers pay behavioral health clinicians about 22% less than medical and surgical clinicians for comparable office visits. On top of that, billing denials and prior authorizations hit hardest at the solo and small practices common in mental health. Psychiatrists opt out of Medicare at the highest rate of any specialty. In many places, a cash practice for therapy fills quickly with patients paying $250 or more an hour, with no insurance paperwork at all. Families who can pay cash find providers more easily. Those who rely on insurance, including Medi-Cal enrollees, older adults, rural residents, and non-English speakers, compete for what’s left. So we can’t pretend the human system works, and we can’t blame people for turning to AI for support when they’re in distress. AI is filling the gap It’s estimated that roughly a quarter of AI users use it for mental health support. If you have internet, it’s available 24/7, it’s cheap, and it speaks your language. Uninsured adults are about twice as likely as insured adults to do it (30% vs. 14%). It feels anonymous in ways that may enable people to ask things they’re unsure or embarrassed about. The largely hidden, personal use makes it hard to study whether it’s actually helping people with their mental health issues, but researchers are trying. Does AI therapy work? A 2026 analysis of nearly 40 randomized trials found chatbots showed a real but small reduction in depression symptoms. But most of these trials were compared to an alternative of no therapy, not a human therapist. So the benefit of AI therapy is probably real, but modest, and mostly untested against the alternative of human contact. We need more studies. Serious concerns OpenAI’s own estimate is that more than a million ChatGPT users each week show signs of suicidal planning or intent. These are high stakes encounters, and AI doesn’t always get it right. That’s partly because a chatbot can sound like a therapist, but it has no license, no duty of care, and it’s not clear who to hold accountable when it gets things wrong. AI is also designed to help users in whatever task they’re seeking to accomplish. People may feel like they’re getting therapy, but they’re mainly getting a convincing conversation. It’s easy for an AI companion to wander into gray areas, like playing along with “creative writing” that may be about the user’s own suicidal intent. Courts are driving safety conversations A wave of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of families claiming that chatbots pushed people they loved toward self-harm, including teens who died by suicide. The first settlements came this year. OpenAI is headquartered in San Francisco, and dozens of cases alleging that ChatGPT drove users to suicide or self-harm are now before a San Francisco judge. Character.ai has filed for bankruptcy after several states brought lawsuits accusing the chatbot of pushing dangerous content to kids. But the technology seems to be improving. Last month, an independent evaluation found that newer AI models “almost never endorse suicide.” That’s progress, but our societal appetite for even one preventable death is very low. So how do we move forward? Finding a middle ground Earlier this month the governor vetoed Senate Bill 903, a bill designed to place guardrails on the use of AI for therapy. The bill would have prohibited any AI-based platform from being advertised as psychotherapy, and would have required a licensed professional to review and approve each encounter where AI was used to support therapeutic decisions. Newsom called it overly broad, since even routine screening questions would have needed clinician sign-off. Knowing we’re already short on mental health providers, requiring human review of AI encounters may not relieve our access problems. Still, the answer isn’t no oversight. Here’s one feasible short term solution. Rather than reviewing each encounter, a licensed clinician can design the guardrails: what counts as a crisis, what triggers an immediate handoff to a human, and what gets sampled for audit each month. The AI runs inside that structure. Conversations get checked, failures get reported, and a real clinician owns the framework. Medicine already has models to learn from. The FDA process for rolling out newly approved medications is an example. After a product reaches patients, we keep watching for adverse events. Patient-facing AI needs the same “digital pharmacovigilance”: systematic tracking of harms, near misses, and the types of groups that get hurt and why. It’s also critical that users know that they can reach a human if they’re in crisis. Most chatbots now include messages like these: Bottom line The rush to use unproven AI tools for mental health support is mostly a workaround, a sign of a health system people can’t get into. We need better access to proven care from licensed clinicians. That takes reimbursement that makes accepting insurance viable, and a bigger workforce. But, built and tested well, AI could be part of the answer. It could be the 2 a.m. check-in when no one else is awake, or a way for patients to practice skills their therapist taught them. It could be the first step to get someone the right level of care, and take paperwork off clinicians’ plates so they spend more time with patients. None of this is simple. The SB 903 veto doesn’t end the debate, and the legislature will be back. In the meantime, those of us using these tools need to stay informed, ask hard questions, and hold the companies building them accountable. I’ll try to do my part, and we’ll keep learning together. Love,Matt P.S. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988- you’ll reach a real person— or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7. Dr. Matt Willis is the author of Your Local Epidemiologist in California. A California native, he’s served as a primary care physician, CDC epidemiologist, and public health officer for Marin County, where he guided the pandemic response. He lives in Marin with his family and their dogs, Teddy and Ramona. Thank you Cynthia He, MD, PhD, and Parnika Saxena, MD, for their guidance in preparing this article. Cynthia works in an outpatient mental health clinic, treating patients who have Medi-Cal or, sometimes, no insurance. Parnika works in an inpatient psychiatric unit, treating patients with public or private insurance or self-pay ability. All opinions are their own and do not represent their employers.
Morocco health alert issued due to diphtheria: US Embassy
In the North African country of Morocco, the country’s Ministry of Health reported a small diphtheria outbreak with clusters in multiple regions in Morocco in late September. Moroccan health teams are tracing contacts and providing preventive treatment and vaccines. This has prompted the US Embassy to issue a health alert for U.S. citizens in Morocco. Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection. It spreads primarily from person to person through coughs and sneezes (respiratory droplets). Most Americans were vaccinated as children and have received Td or TdaP boosters as adults. The risk to U.S. citizens in Morocco remains low. U.S. Citizens may contact their local doctors if they would like immunizations. Embassy officials advise citizens to watch out for the following symptoms: Sore throat or hoarse voice, mild fever, a thick gray or white coating in the throat or nose, swollen neck and trouble swallowing or breathing. If you or a family member has trouble breathing or swallowing, please contact your local doctor. They also advise on the following actions concerning vaccines: Check your vaccination records and your family members’ records. Get a booster if you need one. Adults need a diphtheria booster (Td or Tdap) every 10 years. Make sure your children are up to date on their routine vaccines. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
After stopping weight-loss drugs, people given a procedure kept about 80% of lost weight
In a post hoc analysis, 32% of Revita participants were weight-stable or lost more, versus 18% with sham; one-year results are anticipated in Q1 2027.
AUGUSTA HEALTH EXPANDS PRIMARY CARE IN HARRISONBURG WITH THE ACQUISITION OF HARRISONBURG FAMILY PRACTICE
FISHERSVILLE, VIRGINIA — Augusta Health has finalized its acquisition of Harrisonburg Family Practice, an established seven-physician primary care practice that has served the Harrisonburg community for 50 years. The acquisition strengthens Augusta Health’s primary care presence in Harrisonburg and builds on its commitment to serving patients throughout the region. Founded under the leadership of Drs. […]
Hasan Piker isn't worried about being a political boogeyman this midterms season
President Donald Trump recently called Hasan Piker a “terrible liability” and a “communist.”The California-based streamer — who describes himself as a socialist — has become the GOP’s political bogeyman ahead of the midterm elections. Piker argues those attacks will backfire, but also says he has played a role in being portrayed as a 'figurehead of the insurgent left.'“The way that I'm portrayed in the media is an America-hating communist Islamist fundamentalist who wants to secretly do jihad, and then also, at the same time, very woke and gay, so there's this weird inconsistency in their messaging,” Piker says. “Who I am is very simple. I'm a socialist. I'm an anti-imperialist. I want what's best for Americans, and I want what's best for everyone from all around the world.”In this episode from NPR’s Newsmakers, Piker sits down with host Leila Fadel and argues Republicans are using him to distract from policies that made life less affordable. He also addresses his seven Twitch bans, defends his rhetoric against right-wing reactionaries, and reflects on the crisis of loneliness among young men — and the limits of his influence.“At the end of the day, I'm a Twitch streamer,” Piker says. “I hold no political office. I have no real political power. So getting people to be upset at a Twitch streamer and their affiliation as a, if you want to call it a surrogate, in the primary is going to be very difficult.”Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.
Cover to Cover: ‘Hollywood, Ending’ offers a witty, compassionate critique of the entertainment industry
In his long-awaited return to fiction, John Green tackles art, love and celebrity culture with his signature empathy and humor in his new novel, “Hollywood, Ending.” Published Sept. 22, “Hollywood, Ending” is Green’s first adult novel after a career of primarily writing teen classics like “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Looking for Alaska.” The...
Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone seized and relatives subpoenaed in probe, AP source says
The Justice Department has historically sought to avoid public investigative actions involving a candidate within 60 days of a primary or general election
Scientists identify avian cholera as major cause of penguin deaths in Antarctica
Thousands of Adélie penguins found dead in Antarctica in 2024 were primarily victims of avian cholera, not high pathogenicity avian influenza (H5N1) as researchers initially suspected, according to a ...
Ubisoft plans cuts at German studios, adding to wave of workforce reductions
Ubisoft is planning to reduce its workforce in Germany, where it operates a trio of studios, by about 100 workers, Game File has learned. The company wants to offer employees buyouts to, should enough people accept, avoid having to lay anyone off. “In Germany, we initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across Ubisoft Dusseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin & Ubisoft Mainz,” a company rep told Game File. A “works council” is a union-like group representing employees. “The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organizational changes,” the Ubisoft rep added. The company declined to confirm the scale of the potential headcount cut. Of the impacted studios, Mainz might be the best known to the public. It leads development of the Anno series and shipped the well-reviewed strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana in November 2025. Berlin and Dusseldorf operate as support studios within Ubisoft’s creative network. Berlin recently supported the development of Rainbow Six Siege and the Rayman Legends Retold remake. Dusseldorf also contributed to those projects, as well as The Settlers and Ubisoft-branded escape rooms. Dusseldorf is the biggest of the three studios, with some 400+ workers, compared to just over 100 at the other two, a source familiar with the reductions and the teams told Game File. More than half of these new reductions of about 100 people are expected to happen at Dusseldorf. The planned cuts were announced at a town hall for the German studios on Tuesday of last week. In an email follow-up, the studio group’s managing director, Benedikt Grindel, said the cuts were intended to “best position our German studios for the future... with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities and organizational setup needed for the work ahead.” The email was an echo of the past. In January 2025, Grindel had emailed the Ubisoft developers in his region (or studio “zone”) to explain that a round of 185 cuts at the time, including about 65 at Dusseldorf, were “essential to improve our operational efficiency and ensure the long-term sustainability of our studios, the zone and the company.” A half-decade of continued job cuts Ubisoft has been aggressively cutting its headcount for years. At the end of September 2022, it had 20,729 workers. By the end of March 2026, that total was down to 16,590. Studio management is trying to trim costs as it grapples with a changing industry and a drought of releases, let alone hits. The company announced earlier this year that it had reduced its costs since 2022 by “nearly €325 million” ($362m) and planned to lower them through 2028 by another €180 million ($200m). In June the company said it was closing down its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and cutting roles in its Barcelona team. Even commercial and creative success hasn’t spared studios from this ongoing company-wide contraction. As Game File was nailing down details around the proposed cuts in Germany, Ubisoft management was informing workers of cuts in its Singapore studio, which shipped a hit remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag this past July. Some 70 positions in Singapore are being eliminated “to align the studio with upcoming production needs,” per a company rep’s statement to Game File. In early 2024, a large team in the Singapore studio launched the multiplayer pirate game Skull & Bones. It performed poorly but has been supported with regular content updates since. Many of Ubisoft’s studios around the world are heavily subsidized via regional grants and tax breaks. Singapore had been among them for years, but received no such local assistance in the 12 months ending this past March. News of the Singapore cuts broke today alongside word that Ubisoft is also proposing the closure of RedLynx, pending negotiations with officials. The Finnish studio behind the motorbike series Trials was founded in 2000 and sold to Ubisoft in 2011. As reported by VGC (and corroborated by Game File), Ubisoft management told employees it could not come up with a new, sustainable assignment for RedLynx. The 2025 workforce at Ubisoft Dusseldorf were straight-up cuts. This time, Ubisoft is hoping the reductions at its trio of German studios will largely come from workers taking a payout to leave. The company offered such voluntary dismissals at its Massive Entertainment studio (The Division) a year ago. For the German studios’ buyouts this time around, Ubisoft and the Works Council had discussed a formula that’d pay a worker’s monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by the number of years they’ve worked at the company, according to Game File sources. The formula is still subject to negotiations with the Works Council and has not yet been part of an official offer to workers. It could be adjusted up or down, and it could be supplemented with additional bonuses. Asked about the floated payout formula, a Ubisoft rep told Game File, “The terms of a potential voluntary departure program remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives. No final agreement has been reached, and we won’t comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: Epic’s AI adventures Epic Games (Fortnite, the Unreal engine) is all-in on using AI to try to transform the way it makes video games and game-making tools. It’s leaders appear to be undeterred by any resistance among gamers and some game developers around generative AI—and instead emboldened by advances, particularly in AI-assisted programming. A recap of the last three days: On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Epic management told workers last week that development of an upcoming game combining Star Wars and Marvel characters would be “AI first.” Employees would be expected to use AI models such as Claude to code the game. A manager told Epic’s developers there would be “[n]o more hand-written code” and that art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows,” per the outlet. Just ahead of that story running, Epic founder Tim Sweeney tweeted: “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.” In a follow-up, Sweeney predicted that most game development processes would be at least three times faster a year from now than they were in January 2026, thanks to AI. To a person on X who told him he was failing to read the room, Sweeney said: “Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it’s not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be.” On Wednesday, Epic announced it was releasing a faster launcher for its Epic Games Store marketplace. It did so by stating in a blog post as clear as could be that the launcher is an AI-enabled, vibe-coded project: Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look. Programming is hard? That was unexpected phrasing from a company founded by a legendarily great programmer. Back in 2011, Sweeney told me that he’d picked up programming quickly as a kid and rejoiced at the power it gave him. “I could look at any program that anybody else had written and, with enough effort, build something cooler.” Item 3: The Xbox Labs experiment (and one of the people behind it) Microsoft’s Xbox division, which is flooding the zone with announcements lately, yesterday revealed a new internal tech-tinkering team called Xbox Labs. In the words of Xbox boss Asha Sharma Labs is “a small group of game makers, engineers and scientists whose job is to turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience.” Conventional wisdom coming out of the announcement is that Labs is a team that’ll focus on ideas driven by generative AI. In her announcement, Sharma cited some of the dizzying achievements in tech and gaming over the past month as AI agents and other AI tools have been deployed to swiftly figure out how popular games work, then rebuild them and mix them up. She mentioned seeing ”games rapidly decompiled and rebuilt to run on hardware they were never originally designed to support” and said “[p]erhaps more surprisingly, we’ve seen many of the biggest games in the world have been remixed into the source code of another.” (Minecraft plus Elden Ring, for example, or Fortnite + Super Monkey Ball + Overwatch + Diablo + others.) Sharma also cited the work of Windows PC games being ported to run in browsers, a seeming reference to a recent AI-assisted fan port of Halo. Or perhaps Call of Duty or GTA. Sharma didn’t use the specific term “AI” in her memo, but she came close, citing AI “agents” and their potential for game-making tools that Labs could help craft: I think XBOX has an important role to play here. Coding became the first major workload for agents because they can write, run, and test software. Games share many of those same properties, and people spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing XBOX games, roughly five times the estimated time spent writing code worldwide. We’ve spent 25 years learning how to make great games, and I want our game makers to help shape what these new technologies make possible. As we learn, we’ll share the tools we build with developers across the industry, just as we always have. When I asked an Xbox rep if Labs was an AI-centric team, they said genAI was not the focus, describing it as having a broader mandate for using new tech in new ways in gaming. As an example, they pointed to Xbox’s recently launched disc-to-digital gaming usage rights program. Microsoft didn’t specifically name anyone involved full-time in Xbox Labs yesterday, but on social media and LinkedIn, I spotted Adrian Mato IDing himself as leading the creatio of tools at Labs and talking up the launch. Mato first caught my attention in late September, when he said on X that he was “starting to build a new team at Xbox focused on products and tools for how games get built and distributed as agentic tools become more capable.” At the time, he framed AI-based tools as a supplement to traditional game dev tools. “I don’t think we need to replace them,” he said. Since then, he’s publicly shown interest in AI and in games. He’s recently spent some of his X feed marveling at the power of AI agents and praising the lighting in the latest Gears of War. Following the Labs announcement yesterday, he enthused about the Xbox Labs’ stylish landing page. He wrote: “We built some fun tools to art-direct shaders in real time, experimented with interactive ASCII art, and sprinkled in lots of tiny details. “Move your mouse to leave a colorful trail that reveals the original footage, or interact with the video to trigger bursts of particles. “A lot of love went into making it all feel just right. “More to come”
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New Board Members and Leadership Team at OH Foundation
The Oswego Health Foundation has announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors, along with new officers who will lead the foundation as it continues its mission of strengthening healthcare in the communities served by Oswego Health. Joining the board are: [caption id=attachment_11136 align=alignleft width=180] Susan Brannan Cole[/caption] • Susan Brannan Cole. She is a public affairs, marketing and communications leader with more than 20 years of experience. She serves as regional manager of external affairs for National Grid in Central New York. Cole also brings significant healthcare communications experience, having spent several years at Upstate Medical University in media relations, digital strategy and public engagement. She previously held leadership roles in communications and government affairs at Novelis and Constellation in Oswego. A graduate of SUNY Oswego, she is passionate about strengthening Central New York communities and supporting initiatives that improve quality of life across the region. [caption id=attachment_11129 align=alignright width=150] Rich Baldwin[/caption] • Rich Baldwin. He serves as director of marketing and business development at King + King Architects, where he leads the firm’s marketing, communications and business development initiatives. Baldwin has remained actively involved in community and nonprofit organizations, including previously serving on the board of regents at Le Moyne College. He has also supported community initiatives through organizations including the Onondaga Historical Association and Father Champlin’s Guardian Angel Society. New leadership at the foundation are: • William W. “Bill” Crist will chair the Oswego Health Foundation. He brings more than 40 years of experience in education, from classroom teacher to superintendent of schools. He retired in 2023 from the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Syracuse and remains deeply engaged in the community through numerous nonprofit and volunteer boards. He also serves as chairman of the Sanctuary Advisory Board for the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. • Heather Sunser will serve as vice chair. Sunser is a financial services practice group leader at Barclay Damon LLP, where she focuses primarily on real estate law, institutional lending, land use and municipal compliance. A graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, she is also active in community service, volunteering with Vera House Legal Clinic, Habitat for Humanity and the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Onondaga County Bar Foundation. • Darcy Antonucci will be the foundation’s treasurer. Antonucci serves as comptroller for Broadwell Hospitality Group, overseeing the financial functions of nine growing corporations as well as the company’s administrative departments. She brings extensive experience in finance, human resources and business operations, along with a strong record of community leadership. Antonucci has served on the Compass Credit Union board of directors and is an active member of the Trinity Catholic School Board. She has also been involved with the Oswego Health Foundation Gala Committee since 2018. • Attorney Rachael A. Dator will serve as secretary. Dator serves as administrator of the Oswego County Assigned Counsel Program, where she oversees grant funding, budgeting and program operations. With more than a decade of legal experience, she has served as an assistant district attorney, court attorney and legal counsel to municipalities and social services organizations. Dator brings extensive knowledge of law, governance and nonprofit operations to her role with the foundation.
Daldrop Opens for Business in Southern Oswego County
$10 Million Facility in the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park marks the largest expansion outside of Germany in the company’s 73-year history By Stefan Yablonski [caption id=attachment_11076 align=alignright width=450] Daldrop SBB CEO Jens Daldrop addresses attendees at the 2025 groundbreaking for the project. Daldrop also chairs the advisory board of Germany-based Daldrop Group.[/caption] A new era of cleanroom technology is underway in Central New York. The Daldrop Group’s advanced manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters is physically built within the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park. This industrial park is located in the town of Schroeppel. It marks the largest expansion outside of Germany in the company’s 73-year history. Daldrop SBB is based in Neckartailfingen, Germany. It is a global supplier of cleanroom technology, primarily to the pharmaceutical industry. It designs and builds advanced cleanroom environments for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology industries. It nvested $10 million in the new project. “We broke ground in 2025; we were under construction all winter. We just opened this spring, early spring,” said Benjamin Morrow, operations manager and control. The company consolidated sites in Salina and DeWitt into the industrial park in Schroeppel, Morrow added. “The next move here is to maximize every square inch of this facility and then we are already looking at the expansion. So, it is more capital investment on equipment — definitely higher-end automation in additional equipment so we can produce more components and then to support the ever-growing base in North America,” Morrow continued. “We are the headquarters for service, maintenance and spare parts. So as Daldrop has more and more installations, they need more and more service, maintenance and spare parts. So that will come out of this facility as well — it already is.” “As a global leader in GMP (global manufacturing support) pharmaceutical cleanrooms for decades, I am very proud to bring manufacturing jobs to Upstate New York,” said Mike Sullivan, president of Daldrop US operations. Key to choosing Southern Oswego County [caption id=attachment_11077 align=alignright width=450] Daldrop SBB at the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park when the company announced the start of construction.[/caption] Sullivan said that the selection of the Schroeppel industrial park was mainly due to the help of Operation Oswego County and two people in the organization. “Prior to being purchased by Daldrop International from the Stuttgart region of Germany, Vince Bongio was a founding partner in SBB Inc. as well as our head of engineering. We based out of Syracuse due to Vince’s skills in HVAC and the manufacturing capabilities found in Syracuse,” said Sullivan. Bongio moved to Syracuse from California in the 1970s to work in Carrier’s Industrial Division of Large-Scale Petrochemical Refrigeration. Next, he advanced to General Electric’s TV Tube Plant where he got into cleanrooms ,leading to his role of head of engineering for Clestra Cleanrooms where he met Sullivan, their New England distributor. “Vince Bongio is a phenomenal engineer. Formerly of Carrier, he grew up in California and went to Cal Poly,” Sullivan explained. “Carrier hired him right out of college and he moved to Syracuse. He is the reason we are in Syracuse today. He is retiring this year. We are very proud and his legacy is having brought Daldrop to Syracuse.” In 2000, Sullivan, Bazinet, Bongio Inc (SBB) was formed with engineering and manufacturing, based in Syracuse, and sales and construction based in Massachusetts as it is today. “SBB Inc. started in Syracuse. I had a design–build contracting firm out of Massachusetts that was primarily doing all the new technologies coming out of MIT,” Sullivan said. “I started a manufacturing side. A big thing for cleanrooms is the HVAC. Most cleanroom suppliers are architecturally focused people. The strength in Syracuse is HVAC. So, SBB developed with me running sales and construction out of Massachusetts and manufacturing out of Syracuse.” “Daldrop wanted to have a relationship in the States and of those who approached us, they were the only ones who really understood HVAC. So, we were the right fit for them. We did a joint venture focused out of Massachusetts from 2012 to 2018 leveraging their technologies,” Sullivan explained. “The commitment was if we brought their product to the States, we would do that if they built it here. “The pieces that had to be in place to make the investment, they wanted to acquire us, we were great with that. If you looked at business recommendations the general guidance was to build in a low labor area — something like North Carolina — but Syracuse had a strong background in HVAC and we chose Syracuse and Oswego County to be our headquarters in the States. So, it is built off of history, technology and the existing supply chain — bringing jobs back to the area.” During the initial discussions with Daldrop about coming to the U.S., SBB agreed to sell under the conditions Daldrop would manufacture in the U.S. There are many areas that offer incentives and economic packages, but the strength of HVAC expertise and skilled manufacturing was a big part of the discussions for site selection. Coming home [caption id=attachment_11078 align=alignright width=451] Construction moves forward in March at the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park.[/caption] The second key person to building in Oswego County is Ben Morrow, Sullivan added. “Ben has been working with Daldrop SBB for more than 12 years and has advanced to COO of manufacturing and engineering. Ben grew up in Phoenix, so building a factory for the Germany company in Phoenix is a strong success for both his community and the appreciation of Ben’s skills as a team leader,” Sullivan said. “I went to high school in Phoenix. So, this is like full circle for me. It’s a small world,” Morrow said. “I hadn’t been back to Phoenix since graduation. This is one of the properties that John Trimble of C&S, he is the former president of C&S, he just retired, suggested. He and I were very good personal friends. John was from Mexico and I was from Phoenix. We knew each other from high school. And the architect of this building, Ed Smart of smartDESIGN Architecture in Batavia — I went to high school with him. So, this was a project that’s full circle a coming home kind of thing. The three of us knew each other — kind of like it was meant to be. Very serendipitous.” Schroeppel was one option for Daldrop to consider; the original intent was just to get a warehouse to store some product, he added. The facility is Daldrop’s largest outside of their native country. Total payroll at the facility will be approximately $2.4 million once fully staffed. “Here is 32,000 square feet and we plan to expand and put in an additional 10,000 square feet,” Morrow said. “We have 17.5 acres. We can put at least three more facilities here, just on this property. The master plan submitted for the current building is the first of possible three buildings on the campus.” “If we can find the right people and advance the production according to the plan, we should be able to grow for the next decade. One of the first jobs we filled was our new HR manager, with a primary focus posting and filling new positions,” Sullivan said. Stop the exodus, start hiring [caption id=attachment_11080 align=alignright width=452] Principals at the local Daldrop SBB headquarters, from left: Ben Morrow, Mike Sullivan and Jens Daldrop.[/caption] “I have been coming to Syracuse for 30 years. One of the things I had a hard time watching was the exodus of factories. One of the toughest things is to watch it with my partners’ kids who had to move away for jobs. It is important for us to give opportunity where people’s kids don’t have to leave the area to get work,” Sullivan said. “My responsibility is to find people who have skill sets that want to work and then I have to build opportunity for that work to happen. “After years of watching companies and Vince’s three sons all move out of the areas to get jobs, it is important to us to provide opportunities for the Syracuse region and help grow our company. We have been hiring for our new factory and will continue for the next few years.” “We are hiring and will continue to hire. Currently we have about 19 on staff right now,” Morrow said. “We expect to grow that by about 10 to 15 in the next 12 to 18 months or so. We are at 19 currently — one in the wings. It’s been great being able to hire locally. All these folks that we’ve been hiring, they all live within a few miles from here.” “We hired someone this past week (end of August). She grew up in the area, raised a family and is working down in Florida. She just took a job with us so she can move back and be with her family. We will be moving her back and she should be starting in October. We are very happy to see this happen,” Sullivan said. “I feel strongly about having a spot for the kids to not have to move out of the area. It is better to have people moving into the area.” Currently, Daldrop SBB has openings for finance manager, COO of construction and delivery, as well as mechanical, electrical designers and Revit modelers, construction managers, commissioning agents and many other skills that are needed. Along with Daldrop’s reputation in life science cleanrooms, there is a strong history in semiconductor, electronics, glass, photonics, aerospace and other markets. This may be helpful with any new technologies building in the market such as the Micron expansion and the support network, Sullivan said. “We acquired this property and closed on it two months before any announcement from Micron. It is serendipitous that they’re right down the street from us,” Morrow added. “Everybody started thinking ‘you guys are supporting Micron.’ We were here first. That is not a goal of ours. We may or may not … they are talking to us; it is an opportunity.” The long run [caption id=attachment_11079 align=alignright width=450] Benjamin Morrow, operations manager and control at Daldlrop, speaks during a recent ribbon-cutting event in Schroeppel.[/caption] “Long term, we will expand the Phoenix facility,” Sullivan said. “We built our facility with a campus approach. Sustainability is big. We designed our rooms to be more sustainable. Our building has no gas lines for heat. We put geothermal wells in the ground. We put heat pumps in for heating and cooling out of those wells and we put a large layer of solar panels up on the roof. We worked with National Grid for metering. Our building is a high efficiency model. We upgraded all the instillation and the glass filtering. So, it is a very green building. We will have a very minimal carbon footprint. It also adheres to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) construction standards.” “We are a bunch of HVAC engineers. We did a large scale geothermal and spent the money up front because we knew it made sense in the business sense in the environmental sense and sustainability,” Morrow said. “We have insulated metal panels on walls and roof; we are an envelope from the exterior.” Daldrop, as a global player, has a strong culture of sustainability that is found in all its products including the new facility. The building has been designed with (sixteen) 400-foot deep geothermal wells, high efficiency construction methods, approximately 70 kilowatt solar photovoltaic panels, electric vehicle chargers and 26% recycled content. “Daldrop thinks of long-term investing,” Sullivan said. “On the roof, photovoltaic panels supplement our power. Over half the energy that I use is coming from the sun. We have chargers up front for employee electric vehicles. This place is built to last. This slab that we are walking on, normal buildings are four inches, some go to six inches, we are nine inches all the way through — except where the heavy equipment is — that is 10 to 12 inches thick, solid concrete. It allows us to reconfigure for whatever type of equipment we want to bring in,” Morrow said. “We are authorized by Underwriters Laboratory to self-certify so we don’t need to have an inspector come out and recertify. We get audited often, but we certify our own electronics. The control system in this building is rather high-end. Our thermostat in every room is zoned, independent. We analyze the data; incorporate it with our solar panels.” “There is a lot of competition for people to work. It’s not just about how much salary they are going to make — it’s about the work environment, the ability for stability. We want to make sure our employees have the best environment to work in,” Morrow added. Similarities “One of the reasons I believe why Daldrop chose this area, Phoenix in particular, is because it is a village, a river-based village. Neckartailfingen in Germany where Daldrop is based is also a river-based village, manufacturing community. So, there is a lot of similarities — that smalltown feel,” Morrow said. “We have a lot of connections through multiple employees that lead back to Carrier, also. Everything came together, the timing everything.” “We are thankful for all the economic development support. Everyone has been helping make this happen. So, keep it up, it is working, that is all I got to say, Sullivan said. “If you look at historical industrial manufacturing, this region has skills that have been un-utilized. The northern industrial region has a lot of skills that if we can tap before they go away, we can leverage them. That is what we are trying to do. You’d be surprised at the supply chain left behind from Carrier — that supply chain is still there.” “Operation Oswego County has been fantastic,” Morrow added. “I can’t say enough good things about that group.” What Is Cleanroom Technology Cleanroom technology is a system of specialized engineering, filtration and operational controls used to maintain an extremely low concentration of airborne particles, microbes and chemical vapors. How It Works • Air Filtration: Uses HEPA or ULPA filters to remove 99.97% of tiny particles down to 0.3 microns. • Airflow Control: Directs air in a steady, unidirectional (laminar) or filtered turbulent pattern to push dust away from work areas. • Environmental Regulation: Maintains precise control over temperature, humidity and positive air pressure to block outside air leaks. • Specialized Attire: Requires personnel to wear full-body garments (“bunny suits”), gloves and masks to stop human shedding
N. Syracuse Manufacturer Marks Milestone, Plans for the Future
Air Innovations has grown from a small local manufacturer into a global business, selling its products in 74 countries organizations. Some of its clients include NASA, Blue Origin and SpaceX. By Stefan Yablonski [caption id=attachment_11117 align=alignright width=450] Michael Wetzel, president and CEO, and his father, Larry, who currently is an adviser to the board of directors. Larry served as the chairman of the board until 2024, when the company was acquired by Altus Capital Partners, a private equity firm.[/caption] Air Innovations in North Syracuse hopes to add more employees and possibly even expand its facility in the near future. The company is a global leader in designing and building environmental process control systems for applications that can’t be addressed with standard HVAC equipment, according to Michael Wetzel, president and CEO. “We customize solutions for temperature, humidity, filtration and pressurization, with additional capabilities in direct-expansion, chilled-water and thermoelectric technologies. Our business now is entirely focused on specialty or niche markets.” Air Innovations celebrated its 40th anniversary on Sept. 18, marking four decades of doing business, manufacturing products and growing in Central New York. In the beginning [caption id=attachment_11138 align=alignright width=451] A worker, Ezzy Salehi, tests a Wine Guardian condenser unit at Air Innovations.[/caption] “A guy by the name of Jim Kelley started the business [known as Floratech] in 1986. It was focused on refrigerated display cases for supermarket fresh flowers,” Wetzel said. “My father [Larry] started Clean Room Technology in the early 1980s, then sold that to a French company called Clestra Cleanroom. “My father and I bought Floratech in 1996 — 30 years ago, 10 years after it was started. Then in 1999, Floratech bought a portion of Clestra and their building. At that point everything was still called Floratech. But, as that was not reflective of the diversity of the business, we rebranded as Air Innovations in 2001.” The company rebranded to pursue a strategy of diversification in specialty HVAC systems. Wetzel explained that since then, it has become a trusted global partner, earning the President’s “E” Award for Exports and securing contracts in the most demanding fields, including aerospace, defense and semiconductor manufacturing. Air Innovations has grown from a small local manufacturer into a global business, selling nearly 70,000 units in 74 countries and territories and developing custom environmental control systems for companies and organizations including NASA, Blue Origin and SpaceX. “We work with all the big names you ever heard of and some you never heard of,” Wetzel added. The Wetzels sold the business two years ago to Altus Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on control investments in lower middle-market, niche manufacturing companies in North America. Founded in 2003, Altus Capital Partners’ headquarters is in Wilton, Connecticut, with an additional office in Lincolnshire, Illinois. “They are an equity firm. Both my father and I both maintain a small minority share. I am going to continue to be involved. I call myself a part-time CEO. I will continue that role for the foreseeable future; I don’t see any change there.” Building to the future “We are at 58 employees right now, which is a little bit down. We had a high of 70. That moves along with the activity we have,” Wetzel said. “We’ll start ramping up here in the fourth quarter into next year. More than 20% of our employees have been with the company for more than a decade. “I am fairly certain that sometime in the next several years we are going to have to enlarge the footprint of our facility and for sure we are going to have to add employees. We already are. We are probably going to have to add five or six people next year. We are always in the market for HVAC technicians; we always need those.” Air Innovations will remain in Central New York, with its current workforce staying in place, he added. “I believe the primary driver of our success over time is the diversity of our business which is a direct result of our willingness to tackle new challenges,” Wetzel said.
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From therapy dogs to furry friends, animals have become adored and adorable companions to Olympians and Paralympians across the sporting world.
Small group health insurance market rates announced
Media Release, Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) has approved 2027 health insurance premium rates for the small group health insurance market. As of March 2026, over 31,000 New Mexicans were enrolled in a small group plan. The average increase across small group plans is 19.8%. These rates take effect on January 1, 2027. The carriers offering small group coverage in New Mexico in 2027 are: Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico (HealthCare Service Corporation) Presbyterian Health Plan Presbyterian Insurance Company UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company Key Factors Driving the Rate Increases The primary factors that contributed to the 2027 increases are: Claims Experience - Higher than expected 2025 New Mexico claims experience, which is the foundation for the 2027 rate development. Cost Trend - Higher utilization and inflation impacted healthcare costs services, which impacts medical services and pharmaceutical costs nationwide. Risk Pool Changes - Nationwide, businesses with healthier employees are opting for alternative health coverage not under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This results ina smaller and less healthy small group ACA risk pool. Final approved rates will be posted on the OSI website. To view the carrier rate sheets and rate increase specifics, visit the Office of Superintendent of Insurance website here. The Rate Review Process Conducted by OSI The OSI rate review process focuses on approving rates for health insurance plans that are actuarially sound, not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory and ensuring health insurance rates comply with all state and federal laws. For more information, visit the Office of Superintendent of Insurance website at https://osi.state.nm.us/en/. *** About the Office of Superintendent of Insurance The Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) is New Mexico’s regulatory agency responsible for overseeing a wide range of insurance products, including private health and life insurance, auto, home, business, and title insurance. OSI regulates private health plans in the individual, small group, and large group markets, ensuring that premium rates are fair, companies are financially sound, and health care insurance coverage is reliable. While OSI does not have authority over self-funded health plans, where an employer assumes the financial responsibility for paying employee health care claims, Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE, OSI plays a vital role in protecting consumers by reviewing premium rates, monitoring insurance company conduct, and licensing producers (formerly known as insurance brokers and agents).
Science, health research bond to appear on March 2028 ballot
(The Center Square) – A bond that would cost California’s taxpayers $7.5 billion for health and science research will go on the March 2028 primary election ballot.
Science, health research bond to appear on March 2028 ballot
(The Center Square) – A bond that would cost California’s taxpayers $7.5 billion for health and science research will go on the March 2028 primary election ballot.
Column: Take a breath. Educate yourself. Then vote.
The California Secretary of State has mailed a thick “Official Voter Information Guide” to every registered voter.
Fullspan Health on Winning the AI Search Revolution
As AI becomes a primary source of health information, healthcare marketers face a new challenge: ensuring their brands appear in the answers consumers receive. | Learn how Fullspan Health is helping brands improve AI visibility, build trust and engage patients across the healthcare journey.
Bad blood spills over in the Texas Senate race — and it’s tearing Republicans apart
Wounds haven’t healed from the contentious primary in which Ken Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn, and allies of both say the other side needs to do more to bring the party together.
Community Health
On Chicago's South Side, the Center for Better Aging provides primary care, wellness education, and social services to adults 50 and older.
Trust TV on Instagram: ""The average primary healthcare is unequipped to treat serious health issues" Bongos Ikwue, Health Advocacy Specialist says Watch Full Episode: https://youtu.be/VO1R9mUSph8 #trusttvnews #healthyliving"
0 likes, 0 comments - trusttv_news on October 11, 2026: ""The average primary healthcare is unequipped to treat serious health issues" Bongos Ikwue, Health Advocacy Specialist says Watch Full Episode: https://youtu.be/VO1R9mUSph8 #trusttvnews #healthyliving".
Commentary: I opened a primary care practice. Now I see why doctors are giving up.
Traditional health insurance pressures doctors to work at volume, or if they add layers of bureaucracy that independent physicians can't easily handle, writes Dimitri Coupet, who says it's time to consider formalizing a direct payment of care model.
What agilon health (AGL)'s Jackson Clinic ACO Expansion Means For Shareholders
In late September 2026, The Jackson Clinic expanded its relationship with agilon health by joining agilon’s Senior Health Connect ACO. This extended value-based care support from roughly 8,000 Medicare Advantage seniors to an expected 9,000 additional Traditional Medicare beneficiaries. This move deepens agilon health’s role in coordinating prevention-focused primary care across Medicare programs, which could influence medical cost trends, operating efficiency, and long-term contract...
Inside California Politics: State Senate candidate Brian Goldsmith
(Inside California Politics) — California’s top-two primary system often leads to same-party general election races, often between two Democrats, and this year is no exception. This week on I…
Universal primary care takes center stage in VT race
Debate intensifies in Vermont over universal primary care proposals as candidates weigh potential savings against higher taxes.
Erie County Department of Health reports potential diphtheria exposure in West Seneca schools
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Erie County Department of Health has confirmed a travel-related case of bacterial illness diphtheria, with schools in the West Seneca Central School District being identified as potential exposure sites. According to the district, notifications have been sent to families at Clinton Primary, Northwood Elementary, Winchester-Potters Elementary & East Middle School. […]
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
The shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out as most of the political world is focused on next month's midterms. Democratic and Republican presidential prospects have
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
As most of the political world focuses on next month's midterm elections, the shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out in public view.
Project ECHO helps primary care providers tackle treatment-resistant depression
Project ECHO at Penn State College of Medicine and the National Network of Depression Centers are launching a no-cost, virtual MBC training series to address treatment-resistant depression.
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
The shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out as most of the political world is focused on next month's midterms. Democratic and Republican presidential prospects have
Dr. Jeff Bird: Indiana University Health Strives to Provide Excellence in Healthcare
By Dr. Jeff Bird— MUNCIE, IN—IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital provides the primary healthcare service for most of the residents of Delaware County and acts as the tertiary care referral center for East Central Indiana. The clinical care is led by two dedicated clinical leaders: Dr. Ryan Johnston MD, the Chief Medical Officer, and Melissa Hicks, DNP, RN, the Chief Nursing Officer. Under their leadership, the quality and safety of patients hospitalized at IU Health Ball Memorial is vigorously monitored, and processes are in place to continually improve. IU Health Ball was founded in 1929 by funds primarily given by...
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
The shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out as most of the political world is focused on next month's midterms.
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
The shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out as most of the political world is focused on next month's midterms.
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
The shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out as most of the political world is focused on next month's midterms.
The midterms stakes are high for these 2028 presidential prospects
The shadow primary for the 2028 presidential contest is quietly playing out as most of the political world is focused on next month's midterms. Democratic and Republican presidential prospects have
‘He wants me to lose’: Paxton complains about lack of support from Cornyn in leaked audio
Ken Paxton has publicly said he would “love to have” John Cornyn’s support after their bruising Republican primary runoff in the Texas Senate race. But privately, Paxton has grown frustrated with the outgoing senator’s distance from his campaign.