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NIST Releases Cybersecurity Guide for Solo Business Owners
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AFGHS co-signatory countries ask health care users to help fill the financing gap
Hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV on antiretrovirals could be targeted for user fees or community health insurance schemes requiring modest premium payments, according to the April 2026 version of the country’s America First Global Health Strategy implementation narrative.1 As part of the “sustainable financing for the private not for profit sector” strategy, 491 facilities will be targeted for a phased introduction of user fees and scale up of community health insurance programs.2 In the Ugandan context, PNFP facilities include faith-based hospitals and other health facilities, US missionary organizations and centers of excellence—services that are often co-located at government facilities but run with additional financial and technical resources. 402,000 people—or about 28 percent of the total Ugandan adult PLHIV population on treatment—get ART from the private not for profit sector. The selected facilities provide the majority of ART and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services. The plan doesn’t give the total number of clients served by the 491 facilities, so it is not possible to give a precise number. But the majority of 402,000 is a figure in the hundreds of thousands—hence the estimate I’m using.3 The April draft of the Ugandan implementation plan narrative is the only one I’ve been able to review. But the government of Uganda is not alone in turning to health care users to help fill the financing gaps caused by the abrupt withdrawal of US funds. In July 2025, the Government of Liberia introduced user fees for previously free services including “registration, accommodation, patient feeding, hospitalization, and a wide range of surgical and diagnostic procedures.”4 Earlier that year, Liberia rolled out a revolving drug fund designed to stabilize drug supplies by “allowing patients to pay a small fee for standardized, quality medications,” according to a Ministry of Health press release.5 (Both of these approaches had been proposed in the National Health Policy 2022-2031; media coverage explicitly connects the launch with the US foreign aid cuts.) The health financing strategies proposed by Uganda and established in Liberia are qualitatively different from user fees officially adopted by specific health facilities to cover funding shortfalls caused by the new US approach.6 The latter is a stopgap, adhoc change. The former is a national governmental adoption of policies that pass costs on to health care users, despite evidence that such approaches can exacerbate inequities and leave deficits unfilled. Two countries does not make a pattern, but they do point to urgent questions: Have other countries, including Liberia, included user fees or community health insurance schemes in their implementation plans? If so, do any of these narratives have what Uganda’s lacks: a fall-back plan in place in case these strategies for sustainable health systems fail to deliver—as they have before? I wonder if you think about it Subscribe Predictable pitfalls Both community-based health insurance and user fees are as old as the hills. And after decades of people climbing up these hills, duking it out, climbing back down—neither strategy has shown the results the Ugandan implementation plan is counting on. This is, in fact, a hill some folks are willing to die on. (You knew I’d get there, right?) In November 2025, an African-led team of health system experts published a paper directed at low- and middle income country governments trying to figure out how to create self-sustaining health systems. The money wasn’t coming back. It had been more than nine months since the season of freezing, waivering and wood-chippering; two months since AFGHS tumbled into the world touting co-financing requirements and reductions in future US government health aid. Governments were looking for strategies for sustainable, self-financed health systems, the authors wrote. For countries considering user fees and community health insurance to fill the financing gaps, they had a simple message: Don’t. On user fees, the paper states: “Reliance on user fees is ultimately a regressive and inequitable approach. It places a disproportionate burden on the poor and undermines health system goals of equity and financial protection. […] There is overwhelming evidence that user fees mobilise very limited resources for the public health sector, making it an inefficient mechanism for revenue mobilisation.” On community health insurance: “Attempting to shift the burden of funding previously donor-funded services, such as HIV care and management, and TB treatment, onto contributory schemes would exacerbate their fragility and fail to protect the population.”7 The WHO says that community-based health insurance “cannot be expected to provide a major source of funding or coverage,” and noted that most schemes offer only moderate benefit to individuals paying into them, and exclude the poorest segment of the population.8 And yet, the US-Ugandan implementation plan says that community health insurance is “the central pillar of this [PNFP] sustainability strategy” and that this approach that will generate “pre-paid pooled funding at facility and community level [that] improves financial risk protection for households, reduces catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure, and generates structured, transparent revenue streams that can progressively absorb recurrent costs including health worker salaries.” Unfortunately, Uganda’s own history suggests the pillar might not be able to bear this weight. Ugandans Have Been to this Rodeo Before—and Some Want Their Money Back Uganda introduced its first community health insurance scheme in 1996 with support from international donors.9 Thirty years later, somewhere between 0.2 and 0.3 percent of the population is covered by CHI; just over 1 percent has any kind of health insurance.10 User fees were universally introduced in 1993 as a condition of a World Bank loan.11 They were abandoned in 2001, and in 2004—the year I moved to Uganda to watch the free HIV program get underway—a definitive study found that the fees did not improve health systems and outcomes.12 In 2004, most clinics and hospitals had ‘free’ and ‘fee for service’ options for getting care.13 The fee for service, or “cash and carry” programs had often been established in the years prior to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. People who could afford to paid for the drugs, often at facilities in the private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sector. When free drugs arrived, some people who’d been paying kept on doing so, perhaps because of shorter wait times, greater confidentiality, convenience or other factors. But in the year that I spent visiting the same clinics around the country week after week—including a “center of excellence” that maintained separate days for cash and carry clients and those accessing free ARVs—lots of people who had been paying tried to switch to the free option. They’d paid because they had no other choice. They’d sold pieces of family land, begged family members for loans, bought pills by the week, and sometimes by the day. Or they were just cash-strapped, like most of us, and wanted the funds for other things. 14 Twenty-two years later, this hasn’t changed. Ugandans pay out of pocket for 30-40 percent of their health care costs, leading one paper to declare that “falling ill is more than a health crisis. It is a financial emergency.”15 One recent study found that up to 48.5 percent of households dealing with tuberculosis sold something, took out a loan or dug into savings to defray the costs of TB care—which is supposed to be universally free.16 The Ugandan implementation plan does anticipate challenges. It proposes a phased approach, with 187 facilities introducing user contribution systems in Year 1, 152 in Year 2, and 153 in Year 3. Willingness to pay and feasibility studies will precede roll out; fees will be tiered by region, and a waiver system is proposed to ensure that no one has to pay who is unable to. Moreover, the plan provides for quarterly reviews of epidemiological data to “ensure that user contributions do not compromise epidemic control gains, ART continuity for the client cohort, TB case management, or PMTCT services.” Alt text: A screenshot of a table included in the implementation plan narrative that is the subject of this stack. It’s got a fetching pink bar at the top. It uses the abbreviation “CHI” which is Community Health Insurance, and FBO which is Faith Based Organizations, and it details the number of facilities that will implement user fees with waivers and community health insurance schemes over the five years of the agreement. As I said in the footnote, this is a super interesting document with a lot of other rich material. Tell me what you see—and what you would have focused on. And if you’ve seen something like this, or anything else that strikes you, in another implementation plan, tell me that too. You can use the Substack message platform or try me on Signal at @endaplague_again.25 (because @mercoonfan was, weirdly, taken). But the plan doesn’t fully explain what will happen if this approach doesn’t work out. Yes, progress will be monitored, and corrective action triggered. However, there is no specified funding replacement if premium and fee revenue prove inadequate. Instead, the authors write, “Currently, COEs serve a total client cohort of over 180,000 across 28 facilities. In the initial years, the U.S. Government (USG) will provide financial support for clients; over time, user fees generated by COEs will become the primary source of funding for sustaining their services.” Failure does not really seem to be an option. Health insurance schemes are more acceptable to the Ugandan population than user fees. Members of Parliament and civil society traveled to Ethiopia to see how that country’s scheme worked. In a follow up report, a veteran civil society group recommended allowing the “health insurance ecosystem to grow organically and [to] keep reviewing the law and regulations as this growth takes root.”17 One study found that more than three-quarters of Ugandans were willing to join a health insurance program.18 However, coverage of community-based health insurance is minimal, as is coverage of any kind of insurance—including private plans.19 A national health insurance scheme bill has been stalled for several years and presently sits with President Yoweri Museveni.20 Community-based health insurance scheme that do exist are expanding in number, but losing enrollees. Between 2022 and 2026, the number of community-based health financing schemes across the country increased by 42 percent, while the number of people enrolled decreased by nearly 11 percent.21 None of this means that community-based health insurance should not happen in Uganda—or that people do not want insurance. It doesn’t even mean that user fees and waivers won’t ever work. But there is highly relevant evidence from Uganda and the surrounding region that it is quite optimistic to describe community health insurance and user fees as central supports for sustainable financing in any sector of the health system. And now for the best-case scenario In the best-case scenario22, the Ugandan approach does exactly what it sets out to do, and so does the Liberian fee structure and revolving pharmacy fund—though I’ve not confirmed that these are in the MoU. In one best-case scenario, Uganda is an outlier, and user fees and community health insurance are not recurrent pillars of self-sustaining financing in other countries’ implementation plans. In another best-case scenario, all countries that include these strategies enjoy success beyond anyone’s evidence-informed wildest dreams: reliable funding generated by health care users fees, great health care outcomes for everyone, no exacerbation of inequities, no crippling household debt. No sold land, repurposed school tuition or high-interest loans. In the best-case scenario, not one of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans living with HIV receiving antiretrovirals from 491 PNFP facilities misses a refill or leaves care because of user fees or community health insurance premiums. This is the best-case scenario for these people for their own health, and for their families. It is also the best-case scenario if Uganda wants to stay on the path to eliminating HIV as a public health threat. According to the country’s most recent data, 96.5 percent of people living with HIV on antiretrovirals are virologically suppressed. Epidemic control depends ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those individuals are on ART, and 95% of those individuals are virologically suppressed. Uganda is still struggling with the first “95"—a frankly abysmal 85.3 percent. If HIV epidemic control and the attendant prevention of new infections, avoidable suffering and premature death matter, the country cannot afford to lose any clients who are currently in care.23 As I write this a couple hours before the polls close for the US elections in the city I live in, I say with soul-deep sincerity: I am rooting for the best-case scenario. I think it’s safe to say that we all are.24 I think it’s also safe to say that if the US and co-signatory governments have inked plans that lead to successful expansion of community health insurance and strategic use of user fees, we all would like to know, now, so that we don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate when success happens. The implementation plan narratives have to enter the public domain. They are the fullest expression of a strategy co-created by two governments. There are assumptions and details that people living in the US and co-signatory countries need to understand that are not available in the MoUs or, to date, in the Congressional Notifications. Some of these details can help other countries that are, as I write this, still working on implementation plans. Others, like a solid count of how many other countries have plans for expanding user fees or health insurance, are important for regional and global health architecture reform initiatives. No matter how this election night turns out, there will be a slew of new Congressional member orientations, briefings and talking points papers in the next few months. Release of implementation narratives should be a bullet point in every context that AFGHS is discussed. These documents can be redacted so that procurement sensitive information isn’t disclosed. There is much more historical precedent for sharing such documents than there is for relying on user fees to fill health financing gaps. Let’s look at the information together so we can hope for the best and prepare for, you know, the other thing. Alt text: A substack first: a bicep selfie! It’s my arm - peachy-white skin, black shirt (flannel, notch neck, too hot for this appallingly balmy November weather, if you’re wondering) and a sticker that says I VOTED 2026. Beige letters on red for I voted. Beige on blue for 2026. You bet I did.25 In your wildest dreams. Subscribe 1 This is a really, really rich 95 page document. There are fascinating ideas and detailed plans in it. It is all worth reading AND I have, in this post, highlighted an instance of content that could pose challenges and certainly posits success of strategies that haven’t worked before. I would love to hear what readers’ see that’s interesting and should be lifted up as something to check for in other implementation plans. I will also shortly be adding a static page to the substack site where implementation plan documents will live. I will put the url into this footnote and it will also be there on emilybass.substack.com by the end of the week. Uganda Implementation Narrative Section 4 April 22 2026 Draft 1.51MB ∙ PDF file Download Download 2 User fees are costs charged for visits, labs, medicines or other health services, usually at the time they are provided. Community health insurance, or community-based health insurance, is what the World Health Organization calls “micro insurance,” which is health insurance targeted at low-income people. 3 As usual (by which I mean always), please prove me wrong. 4 https://smartnewsliberia.com/liberias-ministry-of-health-announces-2025-hospital-service-fees-for-public-facilities/?utm 5 https://moh.gov.lr/news/2025/grand-cape-mount-leaders-residents-embrace-new-community-pharmacy-program/?utm 6 https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/hiv-usaid-pepfar-africa-foreign-aid-cuts-mission-hospitals/?utm 7 https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/11/e021270 8 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/community-based-health-insurance-CBHI 9 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2827475/ 10 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 11 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC527704/ 12 Same citation as the footnote 2 - the article is called “Learning from failed health care reform in Uganda.” To which I say: If only. If. Only. 13 There is a whole taxonomy of user fees to be aware of, if not commit to memory. Out of pocket costs are everything that someone pays for themselves. In this Stack, user fees are planned and policy-supported out of pocket costs. There are also out of pocket costs that people pay to buy drugs or receive tests or health care assessments that would be free if the drugs were on the shelves, or the machines or kits were available, or the staff were on site. A user fee is usually designed to be modest, pegged to willingness to pay, and may be waiveable at the point of care for anyone who is unable to do so. The costs for things that would otherwise be free are whatever the market will bear and people either have to pay them or go without. Out of pocket costs for services and stuff that aren’t available in public facilities are different again from bribes or unofficial fees that some health workers may impose, even though most are indefatigable, tireless and tired, and devoted to their clients. 14 For the record—which really is these footnotes—I would give a whole stack of fridge magnets for a systematic analysis of the economic and social impact of the Mass Unemployment Event in AFGHS countries among the very people who used to be able to afford and cover user fees, both for themselves and vast family networks. Locally employed USAID technical staff, house cleaners, caregivers, drivers and technicians were financial anchors for cousins, friends, friends’ children, friends’ childrens’ cousins, teachers, pastors, neighbors and so many other kinds of kin. Aid recipients lost direct funding; many other people who had not been aid recipients, but parts of the elaborate care webs that function as safety nets for so many people, lost crucial support too. And that’s even before we get to the people who worked at the hotels and restaurants and bars where people employed by the US and its implementing partners used to spend disposable income. Those businesses have lost revenue; those folks have lost jobs. It will be some time coming—and someone will have to fund this work—but I do hope it happens. And I hope, as usual, to be proven wrong. 15 https://eprcug.org/blog/how-out-of-pocket-healthcare-costs-keep-driving-ugandans-into-poverty/ 16 Another straight-to-the-point journal article title. Households experiencing catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis in Uganda: magnitude and cost drivers. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32938411 17 https://www.cehurd.org/download/technical-policy-brief-on-community-health-insurance-scheme/?wpdmdl=13661&refresh=6ae9122f5d4ed1793659439 18 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125197/ 19 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10861328/#b3-jpmph-23-110 20 https://ugandapost.news/uganda-to-make-health-insurance-mandatory-by-2026/ 21 https://shu.org.ug/download/235 22 With a nod, tip of the stack hat, and wag of the Mercoon tail to a deeply valued reader who told me that I have a tendency to speculate about the worst-case scenarios a little too much of the time. 23 https://news.mak.ac.ug/2026/10/uphia-2025-shows-ugandas-hiv-status-awareness-gap-despite-strong-treatment-outcomes/ As you’ll see in the next footnote, I’ve already written a subSubstack on another topic, so I will be brief with regard to the study referenced in this article. The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment, or UPHIA, will never happen in this way again. For more than a decade, PHIAs have been supported by the US government as a way to generate accurate estimates of country progress on key HIV indicators. They are a holdover from the PEPFAR program that was laser focused on ensuring US taxpayer dollars subsidized progress in pandemic control. There may be other population-level surveys and the data may even be publicly released, as the entire set of FY2026 MER data have not. But PHIAs will never happen again. If you’re wondering whether the estimates of HIV progress at country level might get less reliable….you’re not alone. 24 Ooh baby, I hate “we” in almost all forms. But sometimes I go there, when I am looking for company, which I am. Because this Stack moves into the somewhat-uncharted territory of assessing what the implementation plan narratives may suggest about co-signatory countries’ roles and responsibilities to the people living within their borders. The MoUs, specimen and data sharing agreements were templates. Countries’ answers fit into pre-specified questions that did not include, “how are you going to fill financing gaps and stabilize your health system as this plan unfolds?” In contrast, the implementation narratives are open form—the product of co-creation between the two governments. Co-creation can mean lots of things, but nothing leads me to believe that implementation plans are ghost-written by the US government, or that contents were imposed by the US counterparts. Instead, I think the parts of the plans that read like country government initiatives are endorsed, if not initiated by, those governments. For instance, the Ugandan implementation plan narrative describes plans for revenue-generation through fees charged for equipment calibration, repair and maintenance provided through Uganda’s National Equipment Calibration Laboratory, and laboratory accreditation through the Uganda National Accreditation Service (UGANAS), targeting private sector, PNFP, research and academic clients. That’s super specific and also quite ambitious. It doesn’t read like an American idea. There’s also a provision for solar panels, and other stuff that feels country owned and driven. This is where it gets interesting. If co-creation is the case, then both the US and co-signatory governments are accountable for the contents and the outcomes. Most discourse about AFGHS to date has focused on the decisions that America has made, or demanded that other countries make. The AFGHS architects have monopolized the hot seat. As they should, in so many ways. America absolutely created the conditions under which countries needed to come up with health financing strategies to fill unanticipated, catastrophic funding gaps. And with not-too-long a lens, we can look back and see that America is also on the hook for its role in the Bretton Woods institutions that made user fees and health system fiscal austerity conditions of loans during the era of structural adjustment. But in the here and now, it is not at all clear to me that the US is requiring Uganda or any other country to implement specific approaches to sustainable financing. Instead, it is as the authors of that paper up in footnote 6 suggest: African governments have agency. As implementation plans roll out—whether or not the narratives are shared—it will be important to understand what this agency looks like and what it means for people, including the poorest of the poor. And it will be important to figure out how to talk about it safely, respectfully and critically in places other than the literal and metaphorical footnotes. 25 This week’s song is “Once upon a time” by the Moody Blues. (I know, this is gonna be a weird, largely banger-free end of 2026 playlist. HMU with requests.) AND please do watch the video and appreciate the truly amazing opening sequence—a drum kit wasteland, a coupla plastic bags, a bit of sand. Sort of like the hill where fiscal austerity policies that put costs on health care users might go to perish. But then there’s a lady with amazing hair. It’s worth it.
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Faced with the daunting prospect of starting over, Maltez placed her trust in Texas A&M Galveston as the premier marine biology program in the state. Deciding that she would never feel satisfied unless she tried, she applied—finding the resolve to face the demanding science curriculum head-on.Any lingering doubts vanished during her first semester on the island campus. The close-knit campus environment and small class sizes allowed Maltez to build immediate connections with her professors and peers—a welcoming backdrop where her love for ocean stewardship could truly take root.“I instantly fell in love with the campus and the small classes,” Maltez recalled. “I was like, ‘Yep, I’m so happy I came here.'”Before long, Maltez found a second home inside the university’s Sea Life Facility. Designed to mirror complex, large-scale aquarium infrastructure on a manageable scale, the space offered Maltez a safe training ground to grow familiar with system maintenance and water chemistry under the tutelage of Sea Life Facility Manager Katie St. Clair. While tending to the tanks there, she grew especially fond of watching the facility’s resident clownfish breed and care for their clutches.“Katie definitely wants us to learn, ask questions, and get hands-on experience,” said Maltez. “So, it has been great having her help with getting pre-experience before doing it in the real world.”That hands-on experience quickly sparked a deeper interest in animal husbandry—the daily art of monitoring the animal’s diets, observing their behavior, and maintaining the aquarium’s overall health. Eager to turn those newfound practical skills into technical credentials, Maltez even earned certifications in life support systems and water quality management through Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators courses.Maltez’s passion soon extended beyond campus boundaries. During a summer study abroad program in South Caicos, Turks and Caicos, Maltez immersed herself in underwater field research. In addition to learning about local history and ecotourism impacts, she snorkeled daily, utilizing drones and hydrophones to record underwater bioacoustics and listen to the often-missed crackles of snapping shrimp, fish, and lobster larvae. Maltez at SeaWorld San AntonioPhoto courtesy of Briana Maltez“What you don’t realize is that there’s so many animals around you, but because they sense, you already, they run away,” Maltez explained. “I think that’s really cool to experience, because you don’t even think about that when you travel.”Yet, among all her academic adventures, a week-long course at SeaWorld San Antonio through MARB 302 stands out as a defining milestone. Camping on-site alongside fellow marine biology majors, Maltez gained behind-the-scenes access to professional veterinary and husbandry operations, building lasting friendships and even interacting with penguins in the snow.The undeniable highlight of the trip was face-to-face interaction with beluga whales. Having admired the titanic cetaceans for years, getting to learn directly from their trainers solidified her ultimate aspiration: to care for belugas and contribute to conservation research supporting wild populations in Alaska.“They are one of my favorite animals, and I had heard so much about them,” said Maltez. ”Getting to see them up close was an amazing experience.”When she is not analyzing marine environments, Maltez documents campus life through her camera lens. As a photographer for the Nautilus student newspaper, the Yell Leaders at Midnight Yell, and the Shark Scholars club, she brings the university’s passionate energy into sharp focus. With less than a year remaining until graduation, Maltez looks back on her decision to return to school with gratitude. Taking her journey one day at a time helped her push through demanding coursework, unlocking opportunities she once thought were out of reach. Today, Maltez stands as a compelling example of what happens when passion meets purpose: By trusting her drive and embracing every hands-on experience, she has transformed a second chance at college into an opportunity to dive into a career beneath the waves.
The Star Entertainment Group to pay A$260 million penalty
The Federal Court has issued a ruling against The Star Entertainment Group, imposing a penalty of $260 million for breaches of AML/CTF laws.
How Office Technology Dealers Are Winning Net-New Business
To break even in 2027, office technology dealers will need up to 25% net-new account growth, per management consultancy SBA.
Opinion: Imagination infusion can help both philanthropy and nonprofits they support
Grant structures aren't always consistent with helping grantees deliver on their missions.
U.S. Small Business Administration Names SBA Lafayette an SBA Preferred Lender
Lafayette Square SBLC, LLC (doing business as SBA Lafayette), today announced being named a Preferred Lender ("PLP") by the U.S. Small Business Administration ("the SBA"). The designation gives SBA Lafayette delegated authority to make SBA 7(a) credit decisions, expediting funding approval. In fiscal year 2025, the SBA backed 77,600 7(a) loans totaling $37 billion, making the program a vital source of capital to American small businesses.
Alan Dysert of ‘All My Children’ fame dies
“My heart is broken as I share that my beloved husband, Alan, passed away on October 23, 2026,” his wife said.
SBA disaster loans available to business, private nonprofits impacted by drought
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans for eligible Wisconsin small businesses and private nonprofit organizations impacted by drought that began on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Raye's three songs enter Spotify's Billions Club
Raye's songs 'Where Is My Husband!,' 'Prada,' and 'Escapism' reached one billion streams on Spotify.
My husband and I moved abroad in our 50s, didn't want to waste time
Leslie Hodgin and her husband decided to stop waiting to move abroad, selling most of their belongings and relocating to the Netherlands.
Data center boom sparks massive power line fights hundreds of miles away
In Cat Kemmerling’s dream, she and her husband Rob are sitting in their pickup truck on a cliff on their West Virginia farm, overlooking the Shenandoah River. The truck is falling backwards over the edge, into the abyss below.
Renee Minogue is helping shape her husband's gubernatorial bid
The 52-year-old mother and wife of GOP gubernatorial candidate Michael Minogue is a full-blown political influencer.
I'm 38, my husband is 61. I'm now starting to feel our age gap.
Raising two young children has made me realize how much our 23-year age difference affects our lives.
Molly Ringwald posts rare photos of daughter Mathilda on her birthday
Molly Ringwald posted rare photos of daughter Mathilda on her 23rd birthday. The ‘Pretty in Pink’ star and husband Panio Gianopoulos have three kids.
Susanville tribal businesses sue SBA, alleging suspensions cost nearly $130M in contracts
Businesses owned by the Susanville Indian Rancheria sued the Small Business Administration on Oct. 22, accusing the agency of a “brazen abuse of government power” that cost them nearly $130 million in federal contracts and cut off revenue supporting the Northern California tribe. The tribe’s ATI Government Solutions LLC federal contracting business, along with six […]
Hila and Ethan Klein have made content together since 2011. Now she says he cheated for months.
Hila Klein, who started a YouTube channel with her husband in 2011 that now has 5.4 million subscribers, posted a lengthy statement on Instagram about the alleged affair.
H3 Podcast on Indefinite Hiatus After Hila Klein Announces Separation
The H3 Podcast is on indefinite hiatus after Hila Klein said her husband Ethan had an affair and the crew said it will no longer work with…
Rebecca Gayheart shares insight into estranged husband Eric Dane’s final days
Dane died at age 53 on Feb. 19.
'This is despicable': Amy Acton responds to Ohio attack ad
Her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy is airing the ad featuring her estranged mother, whose husband was charged with sexual abuse in her childhood.
Baton Rouge startup selected for national health tech competition
Baton Rouge health technology startup Chrysalis is among 15 teams selected to participate in a national competition focused on using AI to help people living with chronic, difficult-to-diagnose illnesses. The company, co-founded by husband-and-wife duo Brent and Brittany Martin, will present its flagship product, Chrysalis Health Spaces, Thursday afternoon during the final demonstration of the […]
Firestorm over US political ad featuring Democrat's estranged mother
Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, faced a firestorm of criticism Wednesday over an ad featuring Democratic rival Amy Acton's estranged mother, whose husband was charged with...
Shreveport police seek help identifying suspect in Coburn Supply burglary
Shreveport police are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect caught on surveillance video breaking into a local business.
Amy Acton Says Vivek Ramaswamy Exploited Her Estranged Mother for Political Gain
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton accused her mother’s then-husband of sexual assault when she was a child.
SBA to allow Iowa businessowners to share thoughts on Fed regulations
The U.S. Small Business Association‘s Office of the National Ombudsman and Office of Advocacy announced that the SBA will host two events in Iowa early next week, allowing small business owners of the state to share their thoughts on federal regulations and how they have impacted their businesses. The first event will be hosted in […]
UPDATE: SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Tusayan Following Grand Canyon Flash Floods
Congressman Eli Crane
Dear Abby | Husband's interest wanes after wife's surgeries
Dear Abby: I have been married to my husband for many years. We are both over 60. About eight years ago, I was diagnosed with, had surgery for and rehabbed
Australian politician who was intentionally hit by car loses both her legs
Australian lawmaker Helen Haines, who was intentionally hit by a car in an apparent political attack, has lost both of her legs, her husband said.
Husband-and-wife investors renovate Indian Village home with families in mind
April and James Mulroy aimed to create a high-end product that retained the home’s historical character and one that was particularly appealing to families.
Making Marie Antoinette review – sweet Coppola home movie indulges the family business
Shot by Sofia’s mother Eleanor this documentary shows something of the strain of shooting a period piece, but is a far cry from the tumultuous portrait of her husband in Hearts of Darkness
Commentary: What a new fight over chemical safety reveals about our changing politics
A new movement for human health is giving people from different backgrounds a reason to stand together.
Australian Politician Who Was Hit by Car Has Lost Both Legs
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Doctors have amputated both of Australian federal lawmaker Helen Haines ' legs as she remains in critical condition after being repeatedly hit by a car in an apparent act of political violence, her husband said Wednesday. The 65-year-old independent politician is ...
49ers overreactions: Are Eddy Piñeiro's misses creating another kicker problem?
NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco responds to the latest 49ers overreactions from San Francisco's Week 6 win over the Washington Commanders.
Area school business managers recognized
BISMARCK – The North Dakota School Boards Association (NDSBA) recognized Velva School District Business Manager Skyler Helseth and Powers Lake School District Business Manager Shayna Johnson as graduates of the North Dakota School Business Managers Certification Program (NDSBMCP) during its annual convention on Oct. 8 in Bismarck. The certification program offers 20 college level courses […]
‘Call Her Daddy’ host Alex Cooper gives birth to first child
NEW YORK — “Call Her Daddy’s” Alex Cooper is officially a mom. The 32-year-old podcast host and her husband, Hollywood producer Matthew Kaplan, have welcomed their first child together, a
Jason Segel, Kayla Radomski marry at SoCal's Huntington
Actor Jason Segel and dancer Kayla Radomski are husband and wife. The pair celebrated their marriage at SoCal's sprawling Huntington in San Marino.
U2 to headline NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve gameday
U2 performs at Suncorp Stadium on November 12, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Attack Ad Featuring Candidate’s Mother Turns Ohio Governor’s Race Even Uglier
A Republican ad features Amy Acton’s estranged mother calling her daughter a liar. The two have not spoken since Dr. Acton’s mother backed her husband after his arrest on rape charges.
Small Business Administration Opens Nominations for Small Business Week Awards
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the South Carolina District Office opened nominations for its 2027 National Small Business Week Awards, which recognize exceptional small business owners from South Carolina. National...
SBA urges Iowans to nominate their favorite small business for an award
There are all kinds of small businesses in Iowa that we can’t do without, from diners and donut shops to tailors and auto mechanics, and it’s time to recognize those merchants that make our lives better. Ryan Lincoln, the Iowa district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, says the agency is taking nominations for […]
Federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans available to businesses impacted by Grand Canyon flash flood
Coconino County received a Declaration of Economic Injury from the Small Business Administration (SBA) which opens the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to businesses impacted by the Grand
Dee Snider to induct wife into Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame
Suzette Guilot-Snider created Twisted Sister’s iconic, trend-setting fashion Fashion designer Suzette Guilot-Snider will be inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) at their Stony Brook Village location at 97 Main Street on Saturday, November 14th at 8:30 pm. Her husband, Twisted Sister lead singer and LIMEHOF Inductee Dee Snider, will […]
Entertainment Company Sponsors NJ Student Film Showcase in Atlantic City
Netflix has signed on as a sponsor for the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Workshop (NJSBA) 2026 Student Film Showcase in Atlantic City. The Workshop 2026 runs Oct. 19–22. It…
Business Monday: Family-operated food truck boosts health with smoothies made from aloe they grow
“We wondered what we were going to do with all of (the aloe),” said Crystal Mukai, owner of Aloe Kine Smoothies. “My husband was actually the one who started making it into smoothies and we thought it was a wonderful way to use our local produce.”
Business Monday: Family-operated food truck boosts health with smoothies made from aloe they grow
“We wondered what we were going to do with all of (the aloe),” said Crystal Mukai, owner of Aloe Kine Smoothies. “My husband was actually the one who started making it into smoothies and we thought it was a wonderful way to use our local produce.”
The Ingersolls perform at Western Town Library
WESTERNVILLE — Western Town Library, 9172 Main St., will host a special Fall Concert featuring the husband-and-wife acoustic duo The Ingersolls on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Five Veterans Groups Receive $1 Million in New SBA Grants to Help Entrepreneurs Boost US Business Production
Funding Earmarked to Further Equip Veteran Business Owners to Support America’s Supply Chain
LIVE: Avenged Sevenfold at Brisbane Entertainment Centre -
18 October 2026 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre - words by Lucas Bell - pictures by Isis Totora It’s been 4621 days since the California rockers Avenged Sevenfold have graced a stage in Brisbane. Off the back of Soundwave 2014, no one anticipated the second billed band of the festival would take over 12 years to
The Brew Spot celebrates new ownership
The Brew Spot Coffee Shop is celebrating a new chapter as husband-and-wife duo Eric and Christina Rollyson officially take ownership of the local coffee shop.
Allison Williams Says There Is ‘a Science’ to Buying a Kids’ Halloween Costume as a Parent (Exclusive)
The actress shares a 4-year-old son, Arlo, with husband Alexander Dreymon
Cher Admits She Loves to Ski Despite Ex-Husband Sonny Bono’s Fatal Accident on the Slopes
“Harry Potter” star Bonnie Wright announces birth of second child
She also shares a son, Elio Ocean, with husband Andrew Lococo.
Easton’s Witches’ Walk back for 2nd year. Is the magic still there to draw 1,000 again?
New this year, the Twin Flame Experience — a local husband-and-wife duo — will perform theatrical fire-spinning shows between 6 and 7 p.m. both days.
Melissa Gilbert seemingly reacts to dismissal of husband Timothy Busfield’s child sexual abuse charges
A judge dismissed the charges against Busfield on Friday, though they may be refiled by prosecutors in the future.
SBA Offers Relief to Small Businesses and Nonprofits Impacted by Grand Canyon Flooding
Congressman Eli Crane
In sickness and health: Husband and wife share powerful breast cancer survival stories
One local couple is making sure both women and men know the warning signs of breast cancer.
In sickness and health: Husband and wife share powerful breast cancer survival stories
One local couple is making sure both women and men know the warning signs of breast cancer.
Adjusted quarterly net income, revenue rise at Simmons First
Simmons First National Corp. on Thursday (Oct. 16) reported adjusted third-quarter net income of $79 million, up 21.7% compared with $64.9 million in adjusted net income in the same quarter...
New SBA lending rules create hurdles for aspiring business owners
Some worry the updated rules to the Small Business Administration's 7(a) loan program would make it harder for some would-be buyers to obtain financing, putting business acquisitions further out of reach.
SBA Opens 2027 Small Business Awards Nominations » CBIA
The U.S. Small Business Administration is accepting nominations for its 2027 National Small Business Week Awards through December 7.
Bay Area sports calendar, Oct. 16-18
Draymond Green and the Warriors host the Portland Trail Blazers in their final preseason game on Friday at 7 p.m. (NBCSBA)
Grand Canyon flash flood relief: SBA opens disaster loans for small businesses
Small businesses and nonprofits affected by flash flooding at the Grand Canyon can now apply for low-interest federal disaster loans up to $2 million.
Med Center Health mammographer stresses yearly screenings after 40
Mammographer of 23 years breaks down comfort, compression and digital technology.
Former Boston TV meteorologist, ‘Today’ co-host says divorce is official
A former Boston television meteorologist says her divorce is now official more than a year after she and her husband announced their separation.
Hilary Swank, 52, is pregnant, expecting third child
Oscar winner Hilary Swank, 52, and husband Philip Schneider are growing their family, now expecting their third child together.
Halle Berry’s son cleared to testify in custody battle with Olivier Martinez
Actress’ ex-husband alleges she abused 13-year-old Maceo.