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Is a ‘political’ email sent with county government resources worth a $5K fine?
Republican County Councilman Nathan Volke is championing three ethics reforms for Anne Arundel County government, with just weeks to go before the election. What’s he hoping to accomplish? How could county government actually change?
BagelUp Growth Lab Returns as Business Incubator for Emerging Bagel Entrepreneurs, Launching a Year-Round Partner Program
Great bagels may start with flour, water, yeast and skill, but building a successful bagel business takes much more. On Saturday, November 14th, 2026, BagelUp (which produces New York BagelFest) will present the second annual BagelUp Growth Lab, a business incubator designed to help promising bagel entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, connections and industry resources needed to turn their bagel concepts into sustainable businesses. Taking place at Loft 39 the day before New York BagelFest at Citi
Organization helps connect Kansas City parents to perinatal health and resources
A walk through Loose Park Sunday offered healing, hope and community for new parents and families.
A student guide to mental health resources on campus
Recognition of someone struggling is only the first step of prevention. Whether a student is experiencing a crisis themselves or knows someone who is, Auburn's mental health resources offer several means of support. College is a transitional time in life, and seeking help during those struggles, no matter how big or small, can make a significant impact.
Business owners offer rewards to those with information on Bissell Street shooting
South Bend Police are still looking for the suspect or suspects in the Bissell Street shooting from two weeks ago that killed three.The community is coming toge
Mental health matters: here are campus resources available for students
The first full week of October recognizes Mental Illness Awareness Week, which is from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10. With students back on campus for the fall term, Wayne State
The Watch: Pesticide Contamination Threatens Drinking Water Sources
Atrazine is detected at harmful levels in more a quarter of rivers and stream miles … Few volunteer firefighters get health screenings … and more.
U.S. treasury secretary to speak at Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry dinner
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent will be one of the guest speakers during the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry's annual dinner Monday.
Rapper Lucki reportedly injured following confrontation at ComplexCon in L.A.
According to multiple sources, rapper Lucki was injured after a confrontation at ComplexCon, which is taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center. TMZ reports that Lucki was involved in…
Breast Cancer Awareness Month in TX: The resources, events, and numbers to know
Experts say this month is about screening and early detection. One in eight women in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
NAMIWalks Charleston brings community together to fight mental health stigma
People gathered at Palmetto Islands County Park on Saturday for NAMIWalks Charleston, an annual event focused on raising awareness, building community and expan
NC election experts warn about voter trust as AI makes political misinformation easier to create
State election officials, journalists and democracy experts say transparency and trusted local sources will be increasingly important as AI-generated political content spreads this election cycle.
Saudi Arabia to cancel Joy Awards, its answer to the Grammys, amid budget cuts, sources say
By Timour Azhari Oct 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is set to cancel next year's Joy Awards, its star-studded answer to the Oscars or the Grammys, as financial strain and the Iran war hit the country's nascent entertainment sector, two people with knowledg...
Sherrill signs new law expanding mental health resources in schools
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has signed the SPARK program into law. Read more about the new program and others offered to South Jersey residents.
Suspect at large after man stabbed outside Northeast Side restaurant, police say
San Antonio police say a disturbance outside a business escalated into a stabbing Friday night. The victim was hospitalized as the suspect fled, briefly reentered the building, and remains at large.
Wellness Services connects students with mental health support and resources
Wellness Services connects students with mental health support and resources
New Flomaton bookstore aims to spark downtown growth amid vacant storefronts
FLOMATON, Ala. -- The town of flomaton's business landscape grew.With a population of just over 14-hundred people, it's downtown landscape is changing.Its done
Bottoms hears UGA students’ worries on AI jobs, mental health and living costs
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms made a campaign stop at the University of Georgia Saturday, meeting with students and parents and discus
Hundreds gather to support Mental Health Awareness
MADISON, (WKOW) — More than 700 people gathered for a NAMIWalks event in Dane County, coming together to raise awareness about mental illness and support mental health resources in the
Senate GOP smashing political spending records in TX with ad-buying binge for Paxton
KVII serves the Amarillo, Texas and Panhandle region with local news, sports and weather for the city and surrounding towns, including Canyon, Hereford, Borger, Pampa, Dalhart, Dumas, Childress, Perryton, Clarendon, Texas; Guymon, Oklahoma; and Clovis, Portales, Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Little Rock police warn of new scam targeting business owners
Little Rock police are warning Arkansans of a new scam that targets business owners and managers.According to a social media post from the department, scammers
USDA Expands Regenerative Pilot Funding Soil Health Conservation
Farmers and ranchers can apply through local Natural Resources Conservation Service offices using their state’s fiscal 2027 ranking deadlines.
Notre Dame Nabs Six Spots on Early NFL Draft Board
For decades, major football programs such as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have spent heavily on training centers and experienced coaching staffs. Those resources help high school recruits become stronger and more prepared early in their college careers. Top universities now run football programs that work much like professional teams. Scouts follow talented college players […] The post Notre Dame Nabs Six Spots on Early NFL Draft Board appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
The Knicks, per sources, are prioritizing a center.
The Knicks, per sources, are prioritizing a center.
Ivy Tech Valparaiso to Host Fall into Wellness Mental Health Fair Oct. 5
Community event will connect students, employees and community members with mental health resources, wellness activities and support VALPARAISO, Ind. — Ivy Tech Community College’s Valparaiso Campus will host its Fall into Wellness Mental Health Fair on Monday, Oct. 5, bringing together students, employees and community members for an afternoon focused on mental health, well-being and connection. The free event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Commons Area at Ivy Tech Community College, 3100 Ivy Tech Drive, Valparaiso. The fair is open to students, faculty, staff and members of the community. Designed to make conversations around mental health
Sunland Park residents raise health concerns over proposed concrete plant near homes
Residents living near the intersection of Pete Domenici Hwy and McNutt Rd in Sunland Park are concerned about a proposed concrete batch plant near neighborhood.
Missoula Public Health offers free mammograms Oct. 14
Women in Missoula have an opportunity to get a free mammogram this month, regardless of whether they have health insurance.Missoula Public Health says women age
Livingston residents, local business voice concerns about film production disruptions
Livingston residents and local businesses are voicing concerns after a film production crew recently took over downtown.While the movie is bringing revenue to t
This week on Power & Politics: Cornell latest, Tax Hike proposals, RAISE Act breakdown
‘I didn’t realize he was this soft’: Dave Portnoy blames Ryan Day’s ‘temper tantrums’ for being removed from ‘Big Noon Kickoff’
Dave Portnoy and other top personalities at Barstool Sports have been a part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff college football pregame show for a little over a year. That is now over, with The Athletic reporting on Friday evening that Barstool Sports would no longer feature on the program. Sources told The Athletic that “there…
Drexel University and the Academy of Natural Sciences may be headed for a split, sources say
Neither the Academy nor Drexel returned calls early Friday evening seeking comment on whether ongoing talks had ended and its outcome.
Nonprofit launches crisis line for those struggling with mental health, substance abuse
LaRose launches new Ohio election and business resource for students
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced today the launch of new online resources designed to help Ohio students learn about elections, civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and the virtues of active citizenship.
Metro Atlanta police department asks for more behavior health resources for crisis calls
This is a unit that the chief has championed for years - so much so that now he says he needs more people on it for people in crisis late at night when they need help the most.
Oktoberfest expected to bring needed business boost to Leavenworth
Oktoberfest is underway in Leavenworth, where businesses said this year's events are vital to the community’s economic comeback after the area experienced deep
Register to Vote by October 5 #AACTNow
Your vote is your choice. Make sure registration is on your calendar. October 5, 2026 is the Texas voter-registration deadline for the November 3 general election. AACT Now is sharing voter information and important election dates to help people prepare. Visit aactnow.org for resources. Presented by Texas Border Business and MeGustaTV.
Renovated W.T. Anderson Health Center expands access after $7.4M upgrade
Atrium Health Navicent celebrated the opening of its newly renovated and relocated W.T. Anderson Health Center in Macon on Friday, following a $7.4 million inve
Health and wellness fair returning to Hartford on Saturday
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The 16th annual Ollie M. Williams Community Health and Wellness Fair will be held Saturday in Hartford. The event will offer free resources, health screenings and giveaways…
Layoffs, Closures Planned at Newport Healthcare, Clarvida, Comprehensive Life Resources
A slew of youth behavioral health programs are closing, resulting in a wave of layoffs. Comprehensive Life Resources, Newport Healthcare and
Riviera Beach man accused of setting fires on business property after trespass warning
Riviera Beach police say surveillance video showed a man set two fires at a business after he had been warned to stay off the property.
Remembering Howard Stevenson, Who Transformed the Study of Entrepreneurship
Howard Stevenson transformed entrepreneurship from a study of founders’ personalities and business formation into a way of managing: pursuing opportunity beyond the resources currently controlled. His approach emphasized testing ideas, committing resources in stages, assembling teams, and rewarding value creation—practices that could benefit organizations of any size. His ideas reshaped business education and influenced generations of entrepreneurs and managers around the world.
Social media video of gas station tattoo session prompts health department response
Health officials are warning of tattoo regulations after a social media video surfaced showing tattooing done between pumps at a gas station.
Tony Romo out at CBS Sports after nine seasons
The move comes after Romo was placed on indefinite leave following his July arrest in Wisconsin for operating while intoxicated.
Breast cancer awareness with Marshall Health Network
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we are taking a look at local resources available to those in our community affected by breast cancer.
Junior Achievement honors Eastern Iowa business leaders, raises more than $167,000
Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa raised more than $167,500 during its 27th annual Corridor Business Hall of Fame event last month.The event, presented by U.S.
Oklahoma’s largest natural health and wellness event returns this weekend in Broken Arrow
New business records emerge in case of woman accused of stealing ambulance
New federal court documents reveal prosecutors have another category of evidence to turn over to attorneys for Sarah Elizabeth George ahead of her November tria
A Mother's Fear: How local family navigated son's mental health crisis
Brianne McFarland said her family's life was just like any other until her middle-school-aged son, Jake, began struggling with his mental health.
Ken Welch's thorny Thursday showed exactly why he's about to join the club of one-timers
Projects delayed for retribution. Hiding from the press. Misuse of city resources. It wasn't just a bad day — it was a terrible one.
Moms of infants overcome barriers to postpartum care with help from patient navigators
A new Northwestern Medicine study has found patient navigators — trained guides who help patients access care and resources while working alongside the healthcare team — can ease the challenging transition to motherhood for low-income pregnant individuals, leading to better health in their postpartum period and more consistent primary care for years to come.
Don’t trade your mental health to be the best
Columnist Sara Sayed emphasizes the importance of students taking advantage of mental health resources to manage academic stress.
Top Senate GOP group puts pause on spending in North Carolina
National Republicans are starting to make major moves to divert resources away from the North Carolina Senate race where GOP candidate Michael Whatley has long been trailing in polls.
Trump is expected to name Jay Clayton as AI czar
President Donald Trump is expected to pick Jay Clayton to be the White House’s new czar of artificial intelligence, two sources familiar with the discussion told CNN.
Prominent Team Owner Shares Leadership Lessons on the Future of Profes
Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, co-owner of the New York Giants and Gotham FC, joined President Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., for the latest Sports Leadership Exchange Speaker Series, as part of the Frederiksen Fo
Sargento acquires La Terra Fina
Acquisition expands Sargento into grocery and club deli departments, creates new business unit.
South County Health becomes first health system in Rhode Island to join Mayo Clinic Care Network
South County Health (SCH) and Mayo Clinic today announced SCH has become the first healthcare organization in Rhode Island to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a select group of independent healthcare organizations carefully vetted by Mayo Clinic and granted special access to Mayo Clinic's knowledge, expertise and resources.
The Mindsets Leaders Need as AI Accelerates the Pace of Business
AI is changing not only what leaders need to know, but how they need to think. Yet many are struggling to adapt to the speed, uncertainty, and emotional complexity of an AI-driven workplace. To keep pace, you need to shift the mindsets that shape your behavior in three important ways: from certainty to clarity, from expertise to exploration, and from emotional control to emotional insight. A simple four-step practice—pause, perceive, pivot, and practice—can help you start to recognize and change automatic reactions. By deliberately reshaping the assumptions and patterns that guide your behavior, you can become more adaptable, curious, and effective as the nature of work continues to change.
Rock Hill students run real businesses, build skills and fund scholarships
For students at Rock Hill High School, learning about the real world doesn’t always happen inside a traditional classroom.Two student-run businesses are giving
Prairie Meadows HR vice president is voice for employees
Gina Vitiritto has spent her professional career as a confidante and advocate for the people of Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. What started as a seasonal waitressing job in her hometown of Altoona became a 32-year career in human resources. She worked in the clubhouse beginning in 1989 and joined the HR team in 1994. …
After turmoil, South County Health lands Mayo Clinic deal
South County Health joins Mayo Clinic’s network, giving RI patients access to top specialists and resources while keeping local control.
South County Health becomes first Rhode Island member of Mayo Clinic Care Network
South County Health has become the first health care organization in Rhode Island to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
TSSAA approves game forfeiture appeal by Science Hill Football
The TSSAA aproved Science Hill High School's appeal regarding ineligible players taking to the field in the Hilltoppers' first two football contests.
$500M rural health funding moves forward in WV, but hospital closures still feared
Business in Northern Kentucky badly damaged after car crashes into it
A business in Northern Kentucky was severely damaged after a car crashed into it on Thursday.
Bats found inside Puyallup elementary school; health officials recommend treatment
The Puyallup School District is taking steps to address a bat infestation at Edgerton Elementary School after at least eight bats have been found in the buildin
Irvington Springs Farm closes after 32 years in business
After more than three decades of farming and serving customers in the Lynchburg community, Kaye and Ben Moomaw are closing Irvington Springs Farm.
Owners of Plot Twist Books in South Charleston looking to sell the business
An award-winning bookstore in Kanawha County is up for sale, according to ownership.https://wchstv.com/news/local/south-charleston-bookstore-earns-award-less-th
2026 Western & Southcentral Region Fall Meetings: A Summary of Business
FRA 2026 Western Region Fall Meeting September 16–18, 2026 | Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond, Oregon The Forest Resources Association Western Region gathered September 16–18 at Eagle Crest Resort in…
50 children in our area hit by cars every year; toxic pond water in Centennial Park; ‘gas station heroin’; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
In a news report following a Murfreesboro child who was killed by an automobile, reporter Amber Jayanth from WSMV Channel 4 News cited statistics gathered at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt about pediatric pedestrian injuries. Trauma registry data from Monroe Carell indicates that about 50 children per year on average are treated after being hit by a car. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: CNN (mRNA flu vaccine); ABC News and the American Journal of Managed Care (Pennsylvania measles outbreak); News Channel 5 (blue-green algae in the pond at Centennial Park, which can release toxins that make people and pets sick). WSMV Channel 4 News interviewed Saumya Aujla, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, about the health risks of kratom, sometimes called “gas station heroin,” and why Tennessee banned the drug. WTVF News Channel 5 interviewed Brianna Smith, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt for a piece on Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Prevention interviewed Mitchell Gigandet, MD, Assistant Professor in the Neuro-Sleep Division, for a story about MDPI research on caffeine that used EEG imaging to see how the drug impacts sleep. It was found that caffeine may make sleep less restorative even when you fall asleep normally and stay in bed for eight hours. The Wall Street Journal reporter Laura Landro interviewed Joseph Schlesinger, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, for a story about ICU alarms keeping patients from getting sleep and creating alarm fatigue for nurses. Billboard reporter Melinda Newman interviewed country star Dasha about her upcoming vocal surgery at Vanderbilt Health. The story was picked up by numerous print and radio outlets including People.
S&T experts contribute to state energy plan
Dr. David Borrok, center, vice provost and dean of S&T’s College of Engineering and Computing, and Dr. Joseph Newkirk, right, professor and chair of nuclear engineering and radiation science, participate in the Missouri Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force, appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe in May. Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources...Continue Reading S&T experts contribute to state energy plan
Oklahoma Senate study examines barriers for guardians in mental health care decisions
When a person is in the middle of a serious mental health crisis and can’t make medical decisions for themselves, families say Oklahoma’s system can leave legal
Think Pink partnership focuses on women’s health in El Paso
Learn how a planned $3,500 gift to Desert Imaging would support screening mammograms and the Women’s Wellness Fund’s broader goals in El Paso.
Alabama Awards Nearly $55 Million in Additional Rural Health Grants
Alabama Awards Nearly $55 Million in Additional Rural Health GrantsMONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Thursday that 34 grants totaling nearly $5
NCDHHS rolls out updated four-year plan, sets four immediate health priorities
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced an updated four-year strategic plan and four immediate priority areas intended to guide
North Las Vegas sports-entertainment complex celebrates final construction phase
A new sports-entertainment complex coming to North Las Vegas is celebrating a major milestone.
How medical weight loss can fit into a person’s long-term health
Nutrition and physical activity remain important parts of weight loss, but medical understanding of obesity has evolved over time to consider other factors too.
Reaching for the STARS: CT Plus
UT Southwestern’s STARS program marks 35 years of inspiring high school students.
Milestone integration for Goshen Health in century long history
WSBT CBS 22 provides news, sports, entertainment and public interest programs to the South Bend, Indiana area including Mishawaka, Notre Dame, Granger, Osceola, Elkhart, Jimtown, Dunlap, New Carlisle, Goshen, Middlebury, Bristol, New Paris, Nappanee, Howe, Lagrange, Topeka, Bourbon, Milford, Syracuse, North Webster, Warsaw, Bremen, Plymouth, Walkerton, Argos, Tippecanoe, Culver, Grovertown, Delong, Rochester, Akron, Winamac, North Judson, LaPorte, North Liberty, Wakarusa, Lapaz, Millersburg, Knox, and Michigan City, Indiana – and these areas of Michigan: St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Buchanan, Niles, Three Oaks, New Buffalo, Harbert, Bridgeman, Stevensville, Watervliet, Berrien Springs, Dowagiac, Marcellus, Cassopolis, Decatur, Vandalia, Constantine, White Pigeon, Galien and Edwardsburg.
Goshen Health officially joins Parkview Health
Goshen Health is moving under the Parkview umbrella, a deal that officials said will offer the community more access to resources.
How Washington Funded the Politicization of Science
Over the last half-decade, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on projects designed to influence academic policies, both in the sciences and other disciplines. The aim was to foster a progressive conception of social justice in these fields. In pursuit of this end, the foundation earmarked nearly a million dollars for a project titled “Creating Inclusive Scientific Societies through Policies and Practices,” over a million for a project on “Faculty Online Learning Communities for Gender Equity,” and over $2 million to foster “racial equity focused departmental change.” Through a public records request, I’ve obtained the proposals and progress reports for dozens of NSF grants designed to promote social justice. Although funding for these grants was eventually halted by the Trump administration, the projects illustrate an important facet of recent higher-education policy. Many of the university policies that promised “social transformation” didn’t arise in a vacuum. They were actively encouraged by outside funders—often by the federal government itself. Subscribe Accreditation—the peer-review process which enables universities to receive federal grants and student loans—has recently become a policy battleground, with accreditors wielding significant power over both universities and academic disciplines. In 2020, when Oregon Health and Science University’s medical school issued an extensive diversity action plan—which promised “consequences” for employees who failed to support “DEI, anti-racism and social justice”—it specifically pointed to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the medical-school accrediting body, to justify the overhaul. The NSF actively promoted DEI-focused accreditation policies. The proposal for a $1.2 million program on promoting “community engagement” in STEM, which I obtained through a records request, notes that the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology was exploring changes to its criteria “that would incorporate JEDI [justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion].” The proposal promised to “support broader JEDI efforts in the general criteria for engineering.” Another grant funded a conference designed to “identify and share best practices and strategies to integrate IDEA principles in accreditation criteria”—referring to an acronym that stands for “inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.” Scholarly societies have become another flashpoint in debates over higher education. Critics argue that many of these societies, which have the power to shape entire disciplines, have become increasingly politicized. Again, through its giving, the NSF played a role in promoting this politicization. In one million-dollar grant that received funding in 2024, a group of psychologists proposed a series of social-justice reforms to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. The proposal, which I obtained via a records request, asserts that “[r]edistributing resources (such as moving different people into leadership roles) is not enough” and that the society’s “governance structures do not yet reflect its stated values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Its solution: review and rework the society’s criteria for leadership development, academic awards, conferences, and publications. Adjusting review criteria informed by “intersectionality” designed to fight “epistemic exclusion” is an easy way to introduce de facto ideological litmus tests into the peer-review process. For many of the grants I obtained, such litmus tests seem to be the point. “Academic departments are racialized social systems that produce and sustain the byproducts of systemic racism,” a proposal for a $2.7 million project funded in 2024 asserts, promising to develop “departmentally-focused change efforts that cultivate values, assumptions, and behaviors that advance racial equity.” The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s million-dollar “I-ADVANCE” project, which effectively created a small DEI bureaucracy on campus, promised to Embed 28 ADVANCE faculty fellows in STEM departments” to amplify its equity goals. Another $1.2 million project promised to create “faculty online learning communities,” made up of scientists at universities around the country, that would eventually build department-level diversity action plans. “Ultimately,” the proposal asserts, perhaps more perceptively than its authors realized, “both organizational change and intersectionality frameworks deal with power.” Indeed, such grants confer a great deal of power to administrators and scholar-activists, who can even use the mere availability of funding as a tool to advance their causes. That history is worth remembering amid today’s debate over federal involvement in higher education: Washington has been shaping university priorities for years, including by financing efforts to instill progressive ideas about race, gender, and equity into academic institutions—and many of the policies those grants encouraged remain embedded within universities long after the federal money has stopped flowing. John D. Sailer is the director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at Manhattan Institute. Share
Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library joins Libraries & Academic Innovation unit
GW’s Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library joined the University’s Libraries and Academic Innovation unit on Sept. 28 in order to make it easier for students, faculty and researchers working across disciplines to use library resources.
Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library joins Libraries & Academic Innovation unit
GW’s Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library joined the University’s Libraries and Academic Innovation unit on Sept. 28 in order to make it easier for students, faculty and researchers working across disciplines to use library resources.
RMC Health System officially becomes Baptist Health Calhoun Hospital
ANNISTON, Ala. (WBMA) — A major change in health care is now official for patients and families across Anniston and Northeast Alabama.Orlando Health announced T
Rotary Health Fair brings on-site blood testing back to Homer
More than 50 exhibitors will offer health screenings and wellness resources
Gov. Stein announces $20M fund to increase health care access in rural North Carolina
A new fund will increase access to health care in rural parts of North Carolina.
Time lost to political haggling means lost momentum for research
While it’s not up to universities to set deadlines for EU institutions, “lost time” in the run-up to the launch of the next Horizon Europe would translate into “lost momentum” for universities, according to Dag Rune Olsen, president of the Young European Research Universities Network.“I think it's important to have [the EU budget] in place in order to be able to work on the research funding mechanisms, because we cannot afford to lose more momentum than we already have,” Olsen told Science|Business in an interview in September, just after EU research lobbies gathered in Brussels to push for a €200 billion budget for the next Horizon Europe programme.A funding gap would mean ramping down research activities, said Olsen. “You can do that quite swiftly, that’s not a problem, but ramping up again is much more difficult.”The last-minute push for an ambitious budget, and for a timely adoption of the research programme, comes at a time when the richest EU states have teamed up to call for significant cuts to European Commission’s proposal for the next multiannual budget, which allocates €175 billion for Horizon Europe. At the same gathering of research associations in September, the European Parliament’s budget rapporteur warned that the EU will need to raise its own taxes, otherwise political pressure and tighter national budgets will translate into a limited EU budget with a less ambitious envelope for research. The research sector hopes EU institutions will reach timely agreement on the budget and on Horizon Europe, but progress has been slow. Legislative progress has been delayed, partly because the European Parliament’s budget committee is still haggling over how to apply new EU-wide spending rules, known as the Performance Framework Regulation, and partly because EU governments have yet to agree on the size of the next EU budget. EU research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva told Science|Business in July that she was hoping for an agreement on Horizon Europe by the end of 2026, but the timelines have been pushed back significantly, with the Parliament now aiming to announce its official position on Horizon Europe only in November. Avoid the funding gapAccording to Olsen, delayed EU funds could prompt universities and researchers to move on and do something else, potentially jeopardising years of work building consortia and collaborations. “If funding is interrupted, the networks fall apart in just a few months,” he said. Olsen also noted that an interruption would affect junior researchers first. PhD students and postdocs are on shorter term contracts and universities risk losing them if funding for EU projects is interrupted. Related articlesEU own resources ‘essential’ for future research budget, says leading MEPParliament haggle over EU-wide spending rules delays vote on Horizon EuropeZaharieva hopes for a Horizon Europe deal in 2026Universities usually have more employees, permanent and short-term staff, than they can cover with national funding, and external funding is essential to keep them all on the payroll. In case of an EU funding gap, “there will be a huge number of people that might end up without any contracts,” he said. Apart from the money issue, Olsen said EU projects forces universities to collaborate more which, in turn, increases the quality of teaching and research. In case of a funding dip, people will look around for opportunities elsewhere, in the private sector or abroad. “And then then you have to recruit again, and it's a tedious business,” said Olsen. “A gap is not a good idea, it's actually a waste of money.”According to Olsen, the difficult political context should encourage universities to make a stronger case for the EU increasing research funding, as universities can deliver on competitiveness, technological sovereignty, security and defence. “The reason why we ask for substantial investments in research is exactly what the Commission, what Europe, the Parliament have been discussing,” he said. “You really need to invest in order to thrive in the longer run.”Focus on the member statesBut EU and national R&D expenditure hasn't kept up with the times. EU governments have failed to reach a spending target set almost 25 years ago. Only six EU countries spend 3% or more of their GDP on R&D. Asked whether universities should put more effort into convincing the governments to ramp up their own spending, but also to support a strong budget for Horizon Europe in the ongoing budget negotiations, Olsen said “the answer is yes.”“We are very actively encouraging our members to talk to their ministries in order to enlighten them about the joint effort,” he said. The network is made up of 25 universities from across Europe, all established in the past 60 years or so.Who will call the shots?Budget and timing issues aside, the Parliament’s research committee has been locked in behind-the-scenes negotiations over the future structure of Horizon Europe, with MEPs disagreeing on the degree to which its collaborative research should be governed by councils of experts.The European Parliament’s lead rapporteur on Horizon Europe wants councils of independent experts to decide on the funding agenda, but the Commission, the Council, and parts of the Parliament disagree. For Olsen, it is normal for politicians to point at the big challenges, but when they start detailing how those challenges should be solved, the endeavour “fails utterly.” He does not necessarily think that “bureaucrats who don’t know the field” would be “much better at it” either. “There has to be a combination” of broad political directions and bottom-up implementation, Olsen said.
Columbus Commons brings back free sunset movie series with Halloween twist in October
Downtown Columbus is getting a spooky dose of outdoor entertainment this October as the free Sunset Movie Series returns to Columbus Commons with Halloween-them