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NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights
The NAACP is calling on Black athletes and fans to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in states that are taking steps that the nation’s oldest civil rights group says are restricting Black voting rights.
Southampton Expelled From Playoff Final For Spying; Middlesbrough Reinstated
Southampton expelled from English second-division playoff final for spying on Middlesbrough.
Jacksonville High health science teacher nominated for statewide CTE teacher award
An Onslow County Schools teacher has been nominated for a statewide career and technical education award, according to district officials.Heather Morrow, a heal
ACC baseball championships: Duke eliminates NC State, full bracket, results, schedule
The ACC Baseball Championship is being held in Charlotte. It is a 16-team, single-elimination event.
Sen. Cassidy has no regrets over Trump impeachment vote, even after it cost him his seat
Cassidy lost his seat in his state’s Republican primary Saturday after Trump endorsed one of his opponents.
NAACP urges boycott of college sports in south over voting rights
Eight southern states have moved to draw new maps after Callais decision, severely weakening the Voting Rights Act
State Health Coverage for Immigrants and Implications for Health Coverage and Care
Noncitizen immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, face significant barriers to accessing health coverage and care and are significantly more likely than citizens to be uninsured. This brief provides an overview of state health coverage programs for immigrants, including among states that have taken up options in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expand coverage for lawfully present immigrants and/or established fully state-funded programs to fill gaps in coverage for immigrants.
The great indoors: Travel Lane County seeks indoor sports venue
On this edition, we talk with Samara Phelps of Travel Lane County about its efforts to develop a large indoor court sports venue to both accommodate local teams and also attract out-of-town tournaments. We also talk with KLCC's Zac Ziegler about his story on Springfield Public Schools being found by the state to be non-compliant with certain curriculum.
Back in Business? The IRS Revives “Significant Issue” Rulings for Corporate Transactions
On May 5, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) released Revenue Procedure 2026-21 (the “Rev. Proc.”), which reinstates a program under which
NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights
The NAACP is calling on Black athletes and fans to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in states that are taking steps that the nation's oldest
States sue over new student loan limits on certain nursing and healthcare degrees
New York, Arizona, North Carolina, Kentucky and Nevada are among the states challenging a rule that limits federal student loans for graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy and more.
What comes next: ASU women’s flag football club at forefront of sports rapid growth
Arizona State women’s flag football rose from a startup program to compete in the inaugural Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic, highlighting the rapid growth of the sport and creating new opportunities for girls and women nationwide.
Voters cast ballots in several high-profile primary elections
Voters head to the polls in primary elections in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama. Follow for live news updates.
ICYMI: State Leaders Attended NFIB’s 2026 Ohio Small Business Day
Small business owners heard from the Senate President, House Speaker, and Chief Just of the Supreme Court.
Science and Immigration Are Interconnected: On Higher Education, ICE, and the Assault on DEI
One day in graduate school, I confessed to my fellow students that I had never been outside of the United States. They hailed from all over the world, so I was embarrassed to admit it. “You don’t need to leave the country,” one of them replied, “Here, the world comes to you!” In many ways, he was ri
Illinois joins suit arguing Trump grad loan caps threaten healthcare workforce
Illinois joined 25 Democratic-led states suing the Trump administration over new graduate student loan caps they say could worsen healthcare worker shortages.
NAACP urges Black athletes to boycott college sports in the South
The NAACP is calling on Black athletes, alumni, fans and the general public to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in states that aim to redistrict longtime Black lawmakers.
NAACP calls for boycott of Southern college sports programs over voting rights
The NAACP is calling on Black athletes, alumni, fans and the general public to boycott the athletic programs of public universities in states that aim to redistrict longtime Black lawmakers.
Health worker shortage will worsen with federal loan limit, 25 states say in suit
The lawsuit comes after the Education Department finalized rules that reduce the amount of money graduate students can borrow from the federal government.
Report Warns Distrust in Elections Threatens Business Confidence and Economic Stability
/PRNewswire/ -- As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, growing distrust in elections poses a threat to both democracy and the economy. A new...
NFIB Hosts Small Business Roundtables in Midland & Odessa
Attendees in Odessa heard from State Rep. Brooks Landgraf.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity Joined NFIB’s Small Business Day in Harrisburg
Small business owners met with elected officials at the Capitol.
Inside Alabama Politics
It's Election Day here in Alabama, which equal parts exciting and maddening to most politicos. In any case, we're finally going to get closer to some answers on what the next chapter of the state's elected leadership will be. But not for a good twelve hours!
Live Results: Oregon midterm state and congressional primaries
Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and the nearly two dozen challengers hoping to defeat her are among the candidates who will seek their parties’ nominations for state and federal offices in Tuesday’s primary.
Live Results: Georgia midterm congressional primaries
Voting concludes in the swing state of Georgia on Tuesday in competitive primaries for governor and a U.S. Senate seat that could decide control of the closely divided chamber.
VIDEO: NFIB’s Josh McLeod Discusses Top Small Business Issues on C-SPAN
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2026) – NFIB Director of Federal Government Relations Josh McLeod joined C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Monday to discuss the current state of the small business economy and the top issues that are impacting Main Street. McLeod explains how the 20% Small Business Deduction
Central's Jacie Reardon embraces chaos of multi-sport spring, enters state among top throwers
Reardon is ranked top-three in the discus, shot put and javelin ahead of this week's state meet.
Curiosity Guides 2026 Keller Award Winners
Doctoral graduates Anna Yaschenko and Junjian Wang knew early on that genetics would be part of their future. In NC State labs, their innovative research earned them recognition as the 2026 recipients of the Kenneth R. Keller Research Award.
Mainstream anime moments create big business opportunities
Anime has gone mainstream in the United States, drawing millions of fans who spend big money on conventions, streaming, gaming, and merchandise. But anime is no longer reserved just for cosplayers. Now, businesses and sports franchises are increasingly tapping into anime culture to grow audiences, strengthen fan loyalty, and create new revenue opportunities.
Dr. Elisabeth Ploran named inaugural dean of SFA’s College of Health Professions
Following a nationwide search, Stephen F. Austin State University has appointed Dr. Elisabeth Ploran as the inaugural dean of the College of Health Professions. Ploran will begin her tenure in July, coinciding with the launch of the new college.
Will AI cause mass political polarization? Maybe not
Dartmouth political scientist Brendan Nyhan says fears of AI-driven political persuasion may be overstated.
Voters in six states head to polls with Kentucky’s Massie facing Trump’s fury
Contest seen as latest test of president’s grip on GOP as he urges voters to reject one of the few senior Republicans who has defied him
What to watch in Tuesday’s primaries in Kentucky, Georgia and elsewhere
Tuesday brings one of the busiest primary days of the 2026 calendar year, with six states holding nominating contests.
She Was Finding Sources of Dangerous Water and Soil Pollution
Melanie Malone led a research project to identify and study contamination sites in Washington State. Then the E.P.A. canceled her grant.
Math interventions bill would now exempt some Ohio schools from teaching science of reading
A recently added carveout to a math interventions bill would exempt some Ohio schools from teaching the science of reading curriculum — despite a statewide mandate. Lawmakers in the Ohio House Educati...
Math interventions bill would now exempt some Ohio schools from teaching science of reading
A recently added carveout to a math interventions bill would exempt some Ohio schools from teaching the science of reading curriculum — despite a statewide mandate.
Is Sports Betting Getting Much Too Easy?
There are efforts at the state level to curtail it, but it’s not going away.
Member States Support Extended Deadline For Talks On Pandemic Agreement Annex
All World Health Organization (WHO) member states supported the extension of talks on the last outstanding piece of the Pandemic Agreement, the Pathogen
Sports roundup for Monroe County Region events May 16-18
Bedford's boys lacrosse opens the state tournament with a win over SMCC; Airport softball team takes second in Michigan Challenge.
Powell: Courtroom chaos in Murdaugh case could spill into South Carolina politics
News that the South Carolina Supreme Court had overturned the murder convictions of Alex Murdaugh in the state’s “Trial of the Century” made headlines nationwide.
Yomiuri: Japan Post to Strengthen Real Estate Business, Aims for Top 10 Rank Among General Developers
Japan Post Holdings Co. announced Friday its policy to strengthen its real estate business in a new medium-term management plan. The company will develop asset-turnover businesses through such initiatives as the sale of condominiums and the establishment of a real estate investment advisory firm.
Trump administration plans to admit more white South Africans as refugees this year
The Trump administration plans to admit up to 10,000 more white South African refugees into the United States, citing discrimination against Afrikaners | K-DAWN
Trump targets Massie in explosive Kentucky showdown as six states hold high-stakes primaries
Six states hold primaries Tuesday testing President Trump's grip on the GOP, with high-profile races in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
Creative businesses in region receive state grants to build stability, expand reach
The grants are designed to improve the recipients' business operations, expand their reach and build long-term stability.
Oregon sees a sustained drop in overdose deaths, state health officials say
Following national trends, the opioid crisis in Oregon may have reached its inflection point.
Trump administration proposes admitting more White South African refugees
The Trump administration is proposing increasing the refugee admissions ceiling to 17,500 for White South Africans, according to a State Department report to Congress obtained by CNN.
Michigan health officials warn of rising Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry
Michigan health officials are reporting an increase in Salmonella infections linked to three multistate outbreaks tied to contact with backyard poultry, particularly baby chicks and ducklings.
Traditional Medicine Innovation for Health Impact: Financing, Collaboration, and Future Pathways
This session brings together WHO, Member States, innovators, regulators and private sector partners to explore the role of integrating and advancing traditional medicine to improve health outcomes, while accelerating innovation, partnerships and collaboration. Discussions will focus on translating evidence and innovation into implementation, addressing financing and policy barriers, and identifying practical pathways to scale credible, community-rooted traditional medicine approaches to expand access, equity and health impact.Watch live on YouTube
Woodbridge school counselor named 2026 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of Year - State of Delaware News
Taylor Richey, a school counselor from the Woodbridge School District, is the state’s 2026 Delaware Behavioral Health Professional of the Year. Secretary of Education Cindy Marten made the announcement at a statewide banquet honoring the district and charter network behavioral health professionals of the year. The Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center counselor said […]
Girls flag football championships highlight rapid growth of the sport in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
New Jersey's top girls flag football teams took the field Monday at the Eagles' Jefferson Health Training Complex, competing for a state title ahead of Pennsylvania's championship matchup later in the day.
New Health Law Section Chair Jim Dering Wants To Hear From You - New York State Bar Association
Jim Dering plans on getting on feedback from members as he starts his term as the new chair of the Health Law Section. “To work with the Health Law Section’s other officers and Executive Committee, as well as others, in continuing to advance the section’s efforts to best serve existing members and attract new ones,”
Political group sues Missouri officials over pressuring county clerks
People Not Politicians is seeking a court injunctive to stop state officials from pressuring county election authorities to use a gerrymandered congressional map.
Why Josh Shapiro Isn’t Acting Like Other Potential 2028 Candidates
The Pennsylvania governor’s in-state focus is a contrast with other possible presidential hopefuls.
State health officials step in amid ongoing Wintergreen wastewater issues in Nelson County
State health officials have joined the response to ongoing wastewater overflow issues at the Wintergreen Wastewater Treatment Plant in Nelson County.
Georgia’s agribusiness industry depends on a thriving, fully funded public health system
In the fiscal year 2027 budget that Gov. Brian Kemp signed last week, less than one in every 10 state dollars spent on Georgia’s three primary health agencies is allocated to the Department of Public Health. The future of Georgia’s No. 1 industry relies on a state and local public health system that can track […]
Kudos to Cheer Club, College of Business faculty, Cybersecurity team and more
Becky Cottrell, Ph.D., Department of Social Work, and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Becky Cottrell from the Department of Social Work and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., from the School of Education co-authored an article recently published in an international journal. Read the article. Biff Baker, Ph.D., College of Business Biff Baker, Ph.D., received a Best in Track award from the Society for Advancement of Management for research examining bureaucratic inefficiencies within Section 8 subsidized housing programs. The study focuses on how administrative delays and communication breakdowns can create housing instability for families and discourage landlord participation. It also offers recommendations to improve accountability and trust in public housing systems. Brendan Fry, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics and Statistics Brendan Fry, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, co-authored the article “Modeling the Impact of Venous Collapsibility on Retinal Oxygenation,” published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. The interdisciplinary research brought together scholars from the University of Delaware, Indiana University Indianapolis, McGill University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Access the article. Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Bridget Arend, Ph.D., professor in the School of Education, co-published the book “Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A Resource for More Purposeful, Effective, and Enjoyable College Teaching, Second Edition” with James R. Davis. The book explores practical approaches to improving college teaching and student learning experiences. Buy the book. College of Business Faculty At the 2026 Western Decision Sciences Institute international conference, Sally Baalbaki-Yassine, Ph.D., Debora Gilliard, Ph.D., and David Lynn Hoffman, Ph.D., from the College of Business received the Best Case Study Paper Award for “Oreo: A Global Success Story in Brand Evolution and Market Leadership.” Lisa McVicker, Ph.D., and Apryl Brodersen, Ph.D., also had their paper, “Electronic Performance Monitoring: Employer Panacea or Legal Quagmire?” accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Leadership. Community Engagement Exchange Program Metropolitan State University of Denver was selected to host international Fellow Aleja Henao Espitia of Bogotá, Colombia through the Community Engagement Exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. View Espitia's LinkedIn profile. David Varel, Ph.D., College of Letters, Arts and Sciences MSU Denver historian David Varel, Ph.D., has been awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship program supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, and selected just 63 scholars from more than 2,000 applicants this year. Varel’s project, “The Black Chicago School: Academic Activism in the Age of American Apartheid,” explores the work of Black scholars who challenged scientific racism, built alternative institutions and helped lay the foundation for the modern civil rights movement. The fellowship provides up to $60,000 to support full-time research and writing. Learn more about the fellowship. MSU Denver Office of Financial Aid Team Several MSU Denver employees were recognized for leadership and service during the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators (CAFAA) conference held in May in Crested Butte. Don Holtzen, interim associate director of systems, chaired the conference and was recognized for his service as CAFAA conference chair and technology chair during the 2025-26 term. Holtzen also received the Postsecondary Institution Professional of the Year award, which recognizes financial-aid professionals who have made significant contributions to their institutions and to CAFAA. Tori Pacheco, associate director of Student Services, helped design décor and facilitate the conference and was recognized for her service as CAFAA secretary during the 2025-26 term. Destiny Candelaria, call center coordinator, served on the conference planning committee and presented on One Stops during the event. Michael Nguyen, executive director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, assisted as a CAFAA board member and was recognized for serving as president-elect during the 2025-26 term. Richard Balbag, program assistant I, received the Distinguished Support Staff Member of the Year award, honoring staff members who have made exceptional contributions to their financial-aid offices. Military Friendly Recognition Military Friendly has awarded MSU Denver Gold Status as a military-friendly university and ranked the University No. 7 nationally for military spouses. The recognition reflects MSU Denver’s strong support systems for veterans and military spouses, including transfer credit assistance and retention-focused resources. As of 2026, 1,050 military-connected students are enrolled at the University, advancing institutional priorities around serving veterans and supporting student retention. MSU Denver Cheer Club The MSU Denver Cheer Club earned third place in the 4-Year College Small Coed Intermediate division at the USA Spirit Nationals. Celebrate the win on Instagram. MSU Denver Cybersecurity Team An MSU Denver cybersecurity team earned first place in the Strategist category at the 2026 CYBER RECon National Competition hosted at Fort Meade, Maryland, by U.S. Cyber Command. Led by Jeffrey London, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Matthew Bopp, the team competed against universities and law schools nationwide with its 30-page legal analysis on cybersecurity and free speech titled “Freedom of Speech and MDM: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation.” The paper also earned Bopp a personal invitation to apply to the University of Maryland School of Law. MSU Denver Debate Team MSU Denver Debate won the 2026 Sierra Sustainability Summit hosted at Yosemite National Park in April. Students Kat Conte and Simon Bernhard bested teams from George Washington University, Gallaudet University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of San Francisco and Tennessee Tech in the modified present-and-defend style competition. Their proposal recommended adapting Colorado’s Keep Colorado Wild Pass model to support California state parks facing budget constraints. Learn about the summit. MSU Denver Women’s Golf MSU Denver Women’s Golf was represented on the national stage this month as junior Neige Dunn competed as an individual at the NCAA West Regional. She became the first Roadrunner in 10 years to qualify for NCAA Regionals as an individual. Get the details.
Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network to air MHSAA baseball state championship games
Multiple MHSAA baseball championship games to air on GCSEN
Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network to air MHSAA baseball state championship games
Multiple MHSAA baseball championship games to air on GCSEN
UC faculty and staff rally for state investment in science
UC President James B. Milliken and other leaders urged state lawmakers to pass SB 895, bipartisan legislation that would place a $12 billion bond to fund scientific research across California on the November 2026 ballot.
New suit would force Missouri ruling on redistricting referendum
There is a new legal fight underway over Missouri’s newly-drawn congressional maps, less than a week after a pair of unanimous state supreme court rulings on the issue.
Live Results: Kentucky midterm congressional primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party, faces a tough primary challenge Tuesday in Kentucky’s state primary. It’s the latest example this primary season of the president trying to purge the party of Republicans he perceives as disloyal. Kentucky voters will also pick nominees for U.S. Senate, five other U.S. House seats and the state General Assembly. Voters in Louisville will winnow down
Sen. Dave McCormick asks Pennsylvania to embrace AI during Harrisburg luncheon
HARRISBURG — U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick wants Pennsylvania at the forefront of the artificial intelligence boom happening across the United States.
Illinois resident suspected of hantavirus infection tested negative for illness
The risk for hantavirus to spread in Illinois remains very low, state health officials emphasized.
Meta to lay off 8,000 employees, move 7,000 to new initiatives related to AI
As part of the restructuring, the company will also be eliminating managerial roles....
Police: Throop man threatened to kill Sen. Flynn, business owner on social media
A 35-year-old Throop man posted messages on social media threatening to kill State Sen. Marty Flynn and local business owner Steve Masterson, police said.
Murdaugh attorney SLAMMED after retrial ruling: ‘Bald-faced allegations of politics’
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson discusses the state Supreme Court’s ruling in the Alex Murdaugh retrial case and criticism of defense attorney Dick Harpootlian’s past Democratic political leanings.
APSA Statement on the Dismissal of the National Science Board -
The American Political Science Association (APSA) condemns the Trump Administration’s recent dismissal of all 22 members of the National Science Board (NSB), the independent advisory and oversight body for the National Science Foundation (NSF). This [...]
North Idaho State Fair is less than 100 days away: Here is what you need to know
Heart health screenings deliver lifesaving impact
Penn State Health helps bring heart health care to people who might not otherwise have access by offering free cardiovascular screenings at community organizations and events across central Pennsylvania.
Heart health screenings deliver lifesaving impact
Two weeks after her father suffered a stroke, Courtney Barclay, 46, jumped at the chance to get a free blood pressure check while grocery shopping in Carlisle. “With everything going on with my dad…
Teaching with food boosts preschoolers' science knowledge and vocabulary
Using food in the classroom can help preschoolers learn more about science and increase their vocabulary skills, according to new research from North Carolina State University and East Carolina University. ...
Balancing act: 26 Sun Devils sports present unique challenges in NIL era
Arizona State’s athletic department faces unique challenges in sponsoring 26 varsity sports teams, especially with the rise of name, image, and likeness.
Penn State Health earns fourth consecutive VETS Indexes employer award
For the fourth consecutive year, Penn State Health has been recognized by VETS Index for its commitment to hiring, retaining and supporting veterans. The College of Medicine also was honored.
Penn State Health earns fourth consecutive VETS Indexes employer award
For the fourth consecutive year, Penn State Health has been recognized by VETS Index for its commitment to hiring, retaining and supporting veterans. The College of Medicine also was honored.
Penn State Health to hold pediatric open house in Manheim Township Wednesday
Penn State Health Children’s Lancaster Pediatric Center is holding a pediatric open house Wednesday in honor of National Emergency Medical Services Week. The event, which is free and open to
Children’s Colorado must resume care to transgender plaintiffs, state Supreme Court rules by 5-2
The Colorado Supreme Court, by a 5-2 vote, ordered Children’s Hospital Colorado on Monday to resume providing certain medical services to a group of transgender plaintiffs, which it had ceased in the face of funding threats from the federal government last year. The unusual appeal before the Supreme Court stemmed from a trial judge’s rejection […]
Justice Department announces a $1.7 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' fund to compensate Trump allies
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in announcing the fund in a statement that it was "a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress."
DraftKings to close sportsbook at Wrigley Field: report
DraftKings will stop taking in-person bets at Wrigley Field on May 31, blaming rising city and state sports wagering taxes.
Delaware Division of Public Health Director Announces Retirement - State of Delaware News
DOVER, Del. (May 18, 2026) — After 32 years of dedicated service, Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Steven Blessing announced his retirement effective July 1, 2026. The first non-physician DPH Director in state history, Blessing led the organization through many changes during his tenure and leaves a legacy of meaningful initiatives that have, […]
Adult dies of hantavirus in Colorado, state health officials say
An adult in Colorado has died after a confirmed case of hantavirus that is not linked to a recent outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials said in a statement on Monday.
Big Ten post-spring power rankings: Ohio State looks to end conference title drought, can USC break through?
With spring practices in the rear view and the 2026 season getting closer every day, here's a look at the hierarchy in college football's best conference
Expert explains the science, safety, and legal landscape around mifepristone used in abortions, miscarriage care
The U.S. Supreme Court has preserved access to mifepristone—the medication used in the majority of abortions in the United States and in some miscarriage care—for now. The action maintains current rules ...
New MatterChat Model Helps AI to ‘See’ the Language of Science
From writing emails to generating computer code, much of the artificial intelligence prevalent in our daily lives has succeeded by mastering one domain: text. However, this leaves a major blind spot in the physical sciences, where models depend on the high-resolution, three-dimensional data of the physical world, like the intricate lattice of atoms in a crystal. Delivering on the promise of using AI for science requires teaching these data-driven text models to seamlessly “talk to” physics-based models. Now, a new AI framework from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), called MatterChat, solves this problem by creating a specialized “bridge.” It connects the conversational power of a Large Language Model (LLM) with a physics-based AI that models “interatomic potentials”: the complex physical forces between atoms. The resulting system already significantly outperforms general-purpose AI tools like GPT-4 at predicting material properties, and the team hopes it can accelerate scientific discovery by serving as a robust research partner that provides grounded insights and generates step-by-step instructions for synthesizing novel materials. A paper describing this work was recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence. “Traditional simulations can provide the physical rigor required for materials science, yet their computational cost remains prohibitive for high-throughput screening. Conversely, while LLMs excel at rapid knowledge synthesis, they inherently lack the ‘structural vision’ to interpret materials directly from their underlying atomic coordinates,” said Yingheng Tang, a postdoctoral researcher in Berkeley Lab’s Applied Math and Computational Research Division (AMCR) and lead author on the paper. “MatterChat was built to solve this dilemma, empowering LLMs with a structural ‘vision’ that allows researchers to leverage their full potential for solving complex, real-world materials challenges.” Empowering language models to solve complex challenges in materials science To build MatterChat, the Berkeley Lab team drew inspiration from technologies like Vision Question Answering (VQA) and Text-to-Image (T2I) generation. In these tasks, AI must translate high-level text concepts into visual images, or vice versa. Doing so requires developers to build tools that “bridge” two fundamentally different forms of data. The researchers adapted this concept to the physical sciences. With MatterChat, they created a “bridge model” that successfully connects an LLM’s general knowledge with the deep understanding of the atomic-scale world encoded in scientific interatomic potentials. Until now, researchers using LLMs to solve materials problems usually had to feed them raw data files as if they were just strings of text. It’s like asking an AI to understand a complex 3D engine based only on a parts list: the LLM can read the names, but it can’t “see” how the atoms fit together in space. MatterChat solves this by training a specialized AI bridge model, pre-trained on millions of crystal structures and an LLM, to align the LLM’s representation of the world with the interatomic potential’s representation of the world. The bridge model can translate physical insights into a format the LLM can actually understand. By giving the LLM these “scientific eyes”— a scientific “inductive bias” in the terminology of AI — the Berkeley Lab team has transformed it into a robust research tool capable of providing grounded scientific insights into complex materials challenges, such as predicting thermal stability or analyzing electronic band gaps. “We think of atoms as living in a physical space, but from a machine learning perspective, they are just vectors living in some very non-trivially structured manifold in a high-dimensional Euclidean space; and, of course, the same is true for the sentences and paragraphs that we use to express our ideas about those atoms,” said co-author Michael Mahoney, Berkeley Lab’s Scientific Data Division (SDD) AI Initiative Research Lead. “The bridge model basically gets those two structures to ‘talk with’ each other.” As a proof-of-concept of this general approach, the team trained their bridge model on a dataset curated by pairing nearly 143,000 stable atomic structures from the Materials Project with their corresponding physical properties. This training data was automatically assembled using the Materials Project’s API and deliberately enriched with properties fundamental to microelectronics design — like formation energy and bandgap — allowing MatterChat to learn the complex patterns connecting a material’s atomic blueprint to its functional performance. To validate their model, the researchers benchmarked MatterChat against a suite of other AI systems, from general-purpose LLMs to other specialized scientific AI methods. The results show that MatterChat consistently outperformed its competitors across a range of tasks. The model was more accurate in classifying material types and demonstrated superior precision in predicting numerical properties. For example, it excelled at predicting a material’s bandgap, a property critical for designing new electronics from high-capacity energy storage to next-generation computer chips. “Our design is significantly more efficient because we don’t have to build a massive AI model from the ground up,” said co-author Zhi (Jackie) Yao, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s AMCR. “Instead, we take two powerful, pre-trained models — a structural encoder for materials physics and an open-source LLM — and use them off-the-shelf. The only component we actually train is the lightweight ‘bridge model’ that translates between them. It’s the difference between building an entire car factory and simply designing a smart adapter that connects a world-class engine to a world-class navigation system. This approach is not only computationally efficient, but also makes the system modular, so we can easily upgrade components or adapt the bridge for other scientific domains in the future.” Crucially, this modular design highlights exactly how institutions like Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy are carving out a highly valuable niche in the booming AI landscape. Rather than competing with Silicon Valley tech giants to build ever-larger language models from scratch, the lab is focusing on the specialized connective tissue that makes commercial AI useful for hardcore science. Because the bridge model approach underlying MatterChat is forward-compatible, it is perfectly positioned to leverage these parallel tracks of innovation. As Mahoney pointed out, “We expect that industry will continue to develop improved LLMs, and we expect domain scientists and facilities will continue to generate new data. An important part of scientific machine learning is not simply to solve problems on today’s data, but instead to develop general methods that will be forward-compatible with orders of magnitude more data, whether from scientific domains or from LLMs.” According to Yao, the MatterChat project, which was initially developed and enhanced with funding from a Berkeley Lab Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Program, will now expand its capabilities. In a collaboration with Fermilab, MatterChat is already contributing to a U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission project — called Accelerating eXtreme Environment Specs-to-Silicon (AXESS) — that aims to speed up the development of next-generation, high-speed, radiation-hardened detectors for challenging particle physics experiments by using advanced 3D integrated circuits (chiplets) and AI-driven data analysis. In addition to the LDRD support, the team also credits supercomputing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), located at Berkeley Lab, with MatterChat’s success. “We are incredibly grateful to NERSC; this research simply would not have happened without access to the Perlmutter supercomputer through their AI for Science program,” said Tang. Wenbin Xu, a NERSC postdoctoral fellow at the time, was also a major co-author of the work, as was Benjamin Erichson, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s SDD, highlighting the benefits of AMCR-SDD collaboration on AI for science. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
Doing Business in ... Renton
Driving through Renton on Interstate 405, it’s hard to miss the massive Boeing 737 manufacturing facility at the southern tip of Lake Washington.
The Revivalists announce 2026 U.S. run: How to secure the best ticket deals before they are gone
The group’s upcoming schedule of live performances officially kicks off this month with two Tennessee shows. Following the two May appearances, the band will travel across the states hitting several concert halls and amphitheaters.
Ohio State football is high up on CBS Sports' post-spring college football rankings ahead of a notable team
Spring football has been over for a few weeks for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Tudor Dixon returns to Michigan politics with new PAC aimed at boosting Republicans in key battleground
Tudor Dixon announces her role leading United We Fund, a new multi-million dollar PAC aimed at boosting Republicans in battleground state Michigan.
Penn State Health unifies psychiatric and behavioral health services to expand access across central Pennsylvania
Penn State Health has consolidated all psychiatric and behavioral health services under a single identity, integrating former Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute inpatient and outpatient services to…
Photos from Congo and Uganda as WHO declare health emergency over Ebola
The World Health Organization declared the Ebola disease outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, after more than 300 suspected cases. This is a photo gallery curated by AP
K-State drops UCF series in regular-season finale
Kansas State baseball dropped its final regular season series at Central Florida, finishing the regular season with an overall record of 28-26 with an 11-19 Big 12 record.
Dr. Magdalena Toda named College of Natural and Applied Sciences dean - News
She will begin the position July 1.
Most iconic barbecue restaurant in every state
From roadside shacks to barbecue institutions like Franklin Barbecue in Austin, here's the most iconic barbecue restaurant in every state.
UnitedHealth Group stock slides after Berkshire Hathaway exits position in the health insurer
UnitedHealth stock tumbled after Berkshire Hathaway revealed it sold its entire state of health insurer
Maryland ballot blunder triggers GOP push for federal review of blue state's voter rolls
Republicans call for a federal review of Maryland's voter rolls after a ballot vendor error forced the state to resend thousands of primary ballots.
York County cookie shop fails health inspection with one violation
A York County cookie shop failed its state health inspection with one violation.
AP Decision Notes: What to Expect in Oregon’s Primaries
WASHINGTON (AP) — Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek and the nearly two dozen challengers hoping to defeat her are among the candidates who will seek their parties’ nominations for state and federal offices in Tuesday’s primary. Voters will also decide a statewide ballot measure that would raise ...
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Kentucky’s primaries
One of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party faces a tough primary challenge in Kentucky’s state primary | 97.3 The Sky
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Kentucky’s primaries
One of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics within the Republican Party faces a tough primary challenge in Kentucky’s state primary.
Ball State’s Dr. Renee Twibell Recognized Nationally for Pioneering Contributions to Nursing Science
Dr. Renee Twibell, a Ball State University alumna and associate professor emerita in the University’s School of Nursing, has been selected to receive the 2026 Pioneering Spirit Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).