SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " AZ " 19,157 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Weekly entertainment report: Live music and lively arts, Nov. 5-8 » Nashua Ink Link
Make it a musical weekend.
Downtown Mesa businesses thrive as city keeps vacancy rate below 10 percent, leaders say
Businesses are filling up fast in downtown Mesa, according to city leaders who say their downtown sector has more than 500 individual properties. All but 6.9% of them are filled.
New FSU Health hospital under construction in Panama City Beach
A new FSU Health hospital under construction in Panama City Beach is set to open in 2028. The first phase will have up to 180 beds.
Jamie Foxx welcomes third child, his first with Alyce Huckstepp
Jamie Foxx and his girlfriend Alyce Huckstepp welcomed their first child together. The "Ray" Oscar winner is also a father to two adult daughters, ages 32 and 18.
Becerra prepares to take helm as governor with few political debts. But there's questions about his agenda
California is about to enter the 'Becerra era,' though the governor-elect who coined that phrase has dropped few hints about what will define it.
'The De Los Podcast': Let's talk about Latino mental health
Why are Latinos less likely to seek mental health than other ethnic groups? What might be behind the worsening mental health in our youth? And where do you even start to get therapy? L.A. therapist Guadalupe Cesar-Nuñez answered these questions and more on the latest episode of the De Los Podcast.
As blue wave crashes, business leaders weigh impact of ballot measures
Chief concern for leaders was Colorado’s Amendment 87, which would end the state’s flat 4.4% income tax, replacing it with a graduated tax system that for some upper incomes would extend rates to beyond 8%.
Bring Khazalite might to armies of Order with Regiments of Renown
Duardin resilience is a hot commodity in the Mortal Realms.
Strong Spine Chiropractic Opens Business In New Location
The Strong Spine Chiropractic has moved from its former Harrison Street location to a new office at 7 Rugby Place. The move allows the husband and wife owned business to expand both customer and building wise as their business continues to grow. Strong Spine Chiropractic is owned by Kevin Strong and Rosalie Betts. The pair […]
‘Hegseth has been a disaster’: Sen. Kelly tells CNN
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) called Trump’s handling of the Iran war a “complete disaster,” as he argued Democrats should use congressional power to push for an end to the conflict.
Mahoning Valley arts and entertainment
Art ASHTABULA ARTS CENTER, 2928 W. 13th St., Ashtabula: “Hope in Artistry: Suicide Awareness & Prevention,” through Nov. 21. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. ashtabulaartscenter.org and 440-964-3396. BUTLER INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN ART, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown: “In […]
Proposals Emerge to Reinstate Some Taxes: Business NH Magazine
Proposals are emerging for next year’s legislative session aimed at increasing state revenues and lowering local property taxes.
‘Real Family Business’: Jaffrey Subway Closes, Owner Retires After 32 Years: Business NH Magazine
After three decades, the Jaffrey location was her last restaurant; it closed Oct. 20 after 13 years of operation. Now, Monette, who just turned 65, plans to enjoy retirement at her home in Royalston, Mass.
Tazewell small business owner's Facebook Marketplace account hacked
Knoxville, TN News, Weather, and Sports
Hacked Facebook Marketplace account costs Tazewell small business owner thousands
TAZEWELL, Tenn. (WATE) — A scammer has hacked his way into the Facebook Marketplace account of a small business owner in Tazewell, and the breach has cost the owner a lot of money. Larry Meredith s…
Juliana Stratton’s win marks historic first for women of color in national politics
With Juliana Stratton's election win Tuesday night, she'll join Sen. Tammy Duckworth in Washington, D.C., next year. Together, they mark a historic milestone for Illinois as the first state with two women of color serving simultaneously in the U.S. Senate.
The Republican missteps that laid the groundwork for a historic midterm rebuke
A campaign that put a distracted President Donald Trump front and center, and a war no one asked for, led the party into a wall of voter anger.
Bakery celebrates more than four decades in business
The family has not shied away from adversity.
Bakery celebrates more than four decades in business
A bakery in Kenova, West Virginia, is celebrating more than four decades in business.
Midterm elections make history with a wave of political firsts
Voters made history Tuesday, electing candidates who will become the first to hold some of the nation’s highest offices.
Democrats get their health agenda ready ahead of takeover
Presented by AstraZeneca{beacon} Healthcare Healthcare The Big Story Democrats get their health agenda ready ahead of takeover Reinstating the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium ta…
Julianna Stratton’s win marks historic first for women of color in Illinois politics
With Juliana Stratton's election win Tuesday night, she'll join Sen. Tammy Duckworth in Washington, D.C., next year. Together, they mark a historic milestone for Illinois as the first state with two women of color serving simultaneously in the U.S. Senate.
Latin Grammy-winner Bobby Pulido wins Texas Congressional District 15
Bobby Pulido becomes the first Latin Grammy winner elected to Congress. He will represent Texas' 15th Congressional District.
Flutter Entertainment PLC (FLUT) (Q3 2026) Earnings Call Highlights: Brazil Impairment, ...
Flutter Entertainment PLC (FLUT) posted 2% revenue growth but swung to a net loss on an $873 million Brazil write-down, trimmed full-year 2026 guidance, and paused buybacks to prioritize deleveraging.
AZ business leader says election sets up tax, school choice fights
Danny Seiden says voters sent a message on rising costs, while Arizona businesses are ready to work with both parties after Democratic election gains.
La Plata County Public Health warns health hazards may lurk in aftermath of floods
Department advises clean up crews to remain wary of debris and possible contaminants
Emboldened Democrats gear up to challenge Trump over Iran war, Gulf business ties
Democrats are weighing options to enforce Congress’ authority to declare war.
Arizona Democrats celebrate, Republicans mourn power shift in state politics
Democrats point toward affordability, education and water as key priorities if the Arizona Legislature goes blue. Some key statehouse race results are still pending.
Brandywine student lands a spot at Jefferson Health’s Volunteer Medical Program
This past summer, third-year biology student Aaliyna Patel took an important step toward her future career in medicine through a volunteer internship with Jefferson Health’s Abington Hospital.
‘Opportunities are endless’: Hornets Sports and Entertainment team up with developers for the old Epicentre
Queen City Quarter, formerly known as the Epicentre has been acquired by a group of development partners including Hornets Sports and Entertainment.
‘Opportunities are endless’: Hornets Sports and Entertainment team up with developers for the old Epicentre
Queen City Quarter, formerly known as the Epicentre has been acquired by a group of development partners including Hornets Sports and Entertainment.
Elon Musk will face scrutiny from Democrats in Washington and Texas after midterms
Democrats are likely to launch investigations into Musk's influence, including his leadership of DOGE and government contracts
Mapping the hidden hazards beneath our feet | Investors Lab
From unstable slopes to former industrial sites to hurricane alleys, some places are not safe to live in. Yet circumstances often force low-income populations into these areas, where natural disasters can have devastating effects. Rebecca Dzombak fills in the details for SN. And we have intel on advanced imagery and subsurface mapping that aim to provide early warnings before disasters strike.
‘We Have No Shared Reality’: Two Political Influencers on the Future of Politics Online
Kat Abughazaleh and CJ Pearson spoke at WIRED World Fair on Wednesday about the influence of social media on politics following Tuesday’s midterm elections.
It was a big night for doctors to win seats in Congress, riding the blue wave
Historically, most physicians who served in the House or Senate have been Republicans. In the next Congress, physicians who are Democrats made significant gains.
UK Veterinary Science Marks Opening of the Sports Medicine Research Center
The new industry-supported facility will advance research on musculoskeletal conditions to improve equine and human health and welfare.
Women, science, and why The Love Hypothesis is the hit Rom-Com of the year
These are times of chaos, these are times of change, but they are definitely times for readers — and now it’s The Love Hypothesis’s turn. When I read this book by Ali Hazelwood a few years ago, it wasn’t that popular to adapt romantic comedies, but major streaming platforms are now treating us to a healthy
Urbanowski: The arts are more than entertainment — they are essential to community health
November is Arts & Health Month, which was created to celebrate and increase momentum for the growing field of arts and health around the world.
Urbanowski: The arts are more than entertainment — they are essential to community health
November is Arts & Health Month, which was created to celebrate and increase momentum for the growing field of arts and health around the world.
California professors challenge Trump administration over canceled science grants
Three researchers claim the National Science Foundation targeted federally funded projects involving climate change, diversity and STEM education.
Judge rules against former Harvard business professor Francesca Gino in tenure case
A federal judge has sided with Harvard in a lawsuit brought by former professor Francesca Gino, who challenged the university’s decision to revoke her tenure.
Kansas just elected a Democrat. His message to Washington? Be decent
The Methodist pastor who flipped a Republican Senate seat says voters want more than political change. He tells NPR what he heard from Kansans about decency, faith and finding common ground.
Prepping for business at The Honey Baked Ham Company
The Honey Baked Ham Company has options to help you prepare for holiday gatherings.
Back in the majority, Democrats have plans for a long list of Trump investigations
Democrats will have the ability to subpoena records and compel individuals to testify. The Epstein files, Elon Musk, the Iran war and Trump's business interests may all come under the microscope.
Trial to test plasma treatment for burn patients
Vanderbilt Health is conducting a research study that will look at whether plasma administered early in the course of treatment helps severely burned patients survive their injuries.
Sports figures-turned-politicians mixed results in midterm elections
Former athletes NFL linebacker Colin Allred, MLB slugger Mark Teixeira, and Paralympian Josh Turek are a few of the sports figures who participated in the midterm elections and won.
Harrison Ford to be recognized at the Paley Honors Fall Gala
The Paley Center for Media will celebrate Harrison Ford at its fall gala, alongside previously announced honorees Greg Berlanti, Goldie Hawn and Melissa McCarthy.
Nintendo Switch 2 Homebrew Is ‘Very Close to an Amazing Era,’ Says Modder Behind a 60 FPS Mario & Luigi: Brothership Mod
A Nintendo Switch 2 mod runs Mario & Luigi: Brothership at 60 FPS, showing the power of backward-compatible homebrew
'Energy Switch' continues the discussion on the health of our oceans
In part 2 of this discussion, we talk about plastic pollution, fertilizer runoff and oil spills along with potential solutions.
UT Martin student attends national forensic science academy
UT Martin senior Harlee Veazey of Paris hopes to have a career in law enforcement investigations.
New Research Tests Whether AI Models Know Their Own Thoughts
By injecting “thoughts” directly into large language models, researchers are trying to map out AI’s capacity for introspection.
Cuyahoga County’s health and human services levy passes
Voters went to the polls and approved Issue 11, a levy for the Cuyahoga County Department of Health that sought to increase funding to keep essential services running.
Alexa Rendell joins Sky Sports F1 team ahead of Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil
Alexa Rendell has joined the Sky Sports F1 team ahead of this weekends Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil; watch Fridays practice sessions for the Sao Paulo GP from 3.30pm and 7pm, live on Sky Sports F1
UK government announces public interest investigation into Sky deal to takeover ITV's media arm
U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she will intervene in the planned 1.6 billion-pound or $2.2 billion deal between Sky and ITV’s media and entertainment arm. Nandy said Wednesday that
I On Politics
CB2 MEETING: Community Board 2 has scheduled a Regular Monthly Meeting and Public Hearing of the Full Board: Thursday, November 5, 2026, 6:30 P.M., at Sunnyside Community Services, 43-31 39th Street, Ground Floor, Sunnyside. CB6 MEETING: Community Board 6 Meeting Notice: Thursday, November 12, 2026 at Queens Borough Hall, Helen Marshall Cultural Center, 120-55
CVS Health to split in two, separating pharmacy business from insurance
Health insurers have grappled with higher medical costs recently, while drugstores face mounting competition from Amazon and a declining foot-traffic.
CVS Health to split in two, separating pharmacy business from insurance
Health insurers have grappled with higher medical costs recently, while drugstores face mounting competition from Amazon and a declining foot-traffic.
As Holidays Approach, No One Cares About Amazon’s Biggest Business
Amazon quietly became America's largest company by revenue, yet holiday shoppers and Wall Street investors seem far more focused on its AI ambitions than its massive e-commerce engine, and that split attention may be hiding a serious risk.
New UND non-thesis biomedical graduate program adds to number of programs offering alternative experiences
The Department of Biomedical Sciences at the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences is offering a non-thesis option of its Master of Science graduate program.
Experts criticise clubs' rhetoric on ending betting sponsorships
The tone adopted by representatives of Brazilian clubs during Tuesday’s (3) public hearing at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) on the ban on betting companies drew criticism from football marketing a...
Can Meta’s Business Pay For Its Spending?
For questions about this article or underlying research, email help@trefis.com.Management said on its October 21, 2026 call that Meta Platforms (META) is spending heavily on servers, data centers and network infrastructure.
Analysis-AI shopping agents could threaten Amazon and Walmart’s ad business
By Juveria Tabassum, Nicholas P. Brown and Arriana McLymore Nov 4 (Reuters) - The rise of AI-led shopping is posing a conundrum for retailers like Walmart and Amazon: how to enable AI agents to shop on their websites, without threatening their lucrativ...
Analysis-AI shopping agents could threaten Amazon and Walmart’s ad business
By Juveria Tabassum, Nicholas P. Brown and Arriana McLymore Nov 4 (Reuters) - The rise of AI-led shopping is posing a conundrum for retailers like Walmart and Amazon: how to enable AI agents to shop on their websites, without threatening their lucrativ...
Department of Political Science welcomes new leadership
The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science welcomed William Franko as the new department chair and Vito D’Orazio as the director of graduate studies
Department of Political Science welcomes new leadership
The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science welcomed William Franko as the new department chair and Vito D’Orazio as the director of graduate studies
Regional business leaders share their perspectives on giving back
This month we asked: In what ways does your organization give back to the community?
Video: McKennie joins Juventus group training before AZ Alkmaar clash
Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie trained with his teammates at Continassa this morning, on the eve of a Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar.Juventus are preparing for Thursday’s away Europa Lea...
Sanford Health Column: Keeping human connection at the heart of healthcare
When used appropriately, AI documentation can make a visit feel more personal, not less. Instead of dividing attention between a patient and a computer screen, a clinician may be able to focus more fully on the conversation.
Report Milan agree record 50m-a-year Adidas kit deal
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Milan have reached a record €50m-a-year agreement with kit manufacturer Adidas, which will design the Rossoneri’s shirt for ten years starting in 2028.Milan wi...
St. Monica High reaches flag football final in inaugural season
St. Monica put together its girls' flag football program for this season and they'll be playing for the Southern Section Division 6 championship.
‘Extreme’ orchestra feat coming to Paramount Theatre
Acclaimed pianist Stewart Goodyear joins Orchestra Iowa at Cedar Rapids’ Paramount Theatre on Nov. 14-15 to perform all five Beethoven piano concertos in chronological order across two days.
HCPSS Teams Up with Student Group to Drive Student Interest in and Understanding of Coding, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence
Several years ago, Julie Wray and Carrie Trudden, Howard County Public School System’s (HCPSS) then- and current coordinators of Instructional Technology, began receiving emails from a group called Howard County Hour of Code (HocoHOC). At the time, Wray and Trudden were unfamiliar with the group and skeptical about its offer to partner with the district […]
Rising Stars: Publicis Health’s Ariel Rabinowitz knows what it takes to 'meet people where they are'
Marketing was always the plan for Ariel Rabinowitz, who felt a pull to an agency job in New York City upon graduating from Syracuse University with a dual degree in marketing and advertising. | Publicis Health’s Ariel Rabinowitz learned lessons about health literacy, trust and access firsthand while teaching at a school in the Bronx.
‘Arrested Development’ alum David Cross coming to Iowa City
Comedian David Cross, known for his work on “Mr. Show” and “Arrested Development,” talked with The Gazette about fatherhood, his career and more ahead of his appearance Nov. 10 at
State employees to see small jump in health premiums under new PEIA proposal
During a hearing Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, the PEIA Finance Board released a plan that raised health insurance premiums 2% next year. This affects West Virginia state government employees.
Jayson Tatum diagnoses Celtics' main early season struggle
After breaking their five-game winning streak to the Rockets, Jayson Tatum had a major insight on what the Celtics led by Coach Joe Mazzulla are struggling with.
Fit Tips: The science of recalling your forgotten glutes
To fix gluteal amnesia (or “dead butt syndrome”), you need to stretch tight hip flexors and retrain your brain to fire your glute muscles using targeted activation exercises. Movement is how you remind your glutes what they’re capable of doing.
'Full-time job to keep up with it': Drug pricing program changes worry WV clinic
Beginning in 2027, Trump administration changes to the federal 340B drug pricing program will increase the purchasing and administrative costs for eligible clinics, including in West Virginia, which will have to pay up front for the drugs and seek rebates from drug manufacturers.
Is One Stalled Business Reason Enough To Sell Zoom Stock?
For questions about this article or underlying research, email help@trefis.com.The growth outlook for the Online business is the one number that should worry a Zoom Communications (ZM) holder, though the concern remains a moderate one. Online brought in about 38% of Zoom's revenue in fiscal Q2 2027.
'Richard Avedon: Hollywood' is now on view at Gagosian in L.A.
A new exhibit at Gagosian, 'Richard Avedon: Hollywood,' features more than 120 images, spanning from 1947 to the year Avedon died in 2004.
Marc Maron is figuring out what to do with all his free time
After ending ‘WTF With Marc Maron,’ the comedian is embracing privacy, pursuing new projects and figuring out life beyond the microphone.
Outback franchisee files for bankruptcy, citing California labor costs
San Diego-based Cerca Trova Restaurant Group, which once operated nearly 100 Outback Steakhouse restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday.
Election 2026 live updates: Democrats take Congress as Trump distances himself from historic losses
Democrats have taken control of the House and Senate and are poised to launch a wave of investigations into President Donald Trump's administration.
These 9 candidates for governor just made history
Voters on Tuesday elected the nation's first Black woman governor and the nation's first Native American woman governor.
This 4-billion-year-old Martian meteorite fell to Earth – and scientists used a genius trick to work out exactly where it came from | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Scientists have discovered that Mars meteorite Teghaza 001 is in fact one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever discovered.
Benefits Can Help Older Adults Stretch Their Budgets and Protect Their Health
Every year, older adults leave $58 billion in benefits unused, money that could help cover groceries and prescriptions.
DAZN Pulse: Miami wins college football's bizarre Midterm Elections
Miami Hurricanes take center stage in college football’s bizarre midterm elections, with the latest headlines, analysis and reaction. Read more at DAZN News.
Today’s Papers
La Gazzetta dello SportReal InterThe Nerazzurri restart in style: Feyenoord crushedBisseck opens the account, then Pio and Zielinski score. Chivu keeps climbing the table: ‘Our best version.’Roma ...
Colorado measure banning transgender athletes from gendered sports is too close to call
Proposition 134 would prohibit athletes it defines as male from playing on female sports teams, though it provides exceptions for athletes it defined as female who want to play on boys teams
Arizona voters poised to approve restrictions on transgender athletes
A ballot measure that would restrict transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports appeared headed to approval Tuesday night.
Lewiston’s mayor faces runoff after a tumultuous year in city politics
Challenger Rick LaChapelle had 45.7% of votes to 35.3% for Mayor Carl Sheline, according to unofficial results.
St. Albert the Great Academy: Finding amazement in agrarian science
St. Albert the Great is typically remembered in history by his Latin title, "Albertus Magnus." This Dominican abbot and bishop in the Catholic Church is remembered not just for his
How a Ms. Frizzle-esque librarian helped Flagship’s Louisa Helms find biotech
BioSpace 40 Under 40 honoree Louisa Helms is a lot of things—athlete, scientist, entrepreneur and likely future biotech executive. Just don’t ask her to pick up any pipettes.
Susan Collins concedes race to Troy Jackson in stunning political upset
The election all but ends the political career of one of Maine’s most famous and scrutinized elected officials.
SC secretary of state wins 7th term leading office for business filings
South Carolina’s longtime secretary of state, Mark Hammond, won a seventh term in office.
Texas Politics Enter a New Era After Hinojosa's Win
Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa won the race for governor, the first Democrat to win the office since 1990. She beat incumbent Greg Abbott, who was seeking a fourth term.
These college students launched legal tech startup during finals week
Raphael Lim and Jamison Teng have had to sacrifice social life, grades, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training to build up Jam & Raph.
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.
Early results show AZ voters backing Prop. 318, restricting transgender student sports, bathrooms
Early returns show a ballot measure to ban transgender students from using preferred bathrooms and locker rooms is leading in the polls.