SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " EPA " 10,398 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Birmingham Police work Homewood business homicide investigation
The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) are on the scene of a Homewood business homicide investigation in the 200 block of W Valley Ave.
445 birds euthanized after bird flu found at Providence business
Cases of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza were confirmed in some birds at Antonelli Poultry in Providence, according to the Rhode Island departments of Health and Environment Management.
SBA moves to revise 8(a) rules while preserving tribal, ANC eligibility
Details By Brian Edwards Native Contracting June 13, 2026 The U.S. Small Business Administration has proposed changes to its 8(a) Business Development Program that would eliminate race-based presumptions of social disadvantage for individually owned businesses while leaving eligibility standards unchanged for tribally owned enterprises, Alaska Native corporations and other Native entity-owned participants. In both the title and summary of the proposed rule published in the Federal Register, SBA emphasized that the changes only apply to individually owned firms and “do not impact entity-owned firms,” including tribes, Alaska Native corporation, Native Hawaiian organizations and community development corporations. The proposed rule, announced June 11, would require all individual applicants seeking admission to the 8(a) program to submit evidence demonstrating social disadvantage. Membership in a racial or ethnic group alone would no longer establish eligibility, according to the SBA. For Indian Country, the agency said eligibility standards for businesses owned by federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native corporations, Native Hawaiian organizations and community development corporations would remain unchanged. The proposal comes after the Department of Defense reaffirmed that participation by tribes and Alaska Native corporations in the 8(a) program is based on their political status under federal law rather than diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In a May 28 letter to Alaska's Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey wrote that participation by federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native corporations in federal programs is “grounded in their political status as Native Americans, not DEI initiatives.” The SBA proposal follows a 2023 federal court ruling that found unconstitutional the program's rebuttable presumption that members of certain racial and ethnic groups were socially disadvantaged. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the proposed rule would establish a single standard for individually owned applicants by requiring evidence of social disadvantage. The 8(a) Business Development Program provides participating firms with business development assistance and access to federal set-aside and sole-source contracting opportunities. The program remains a major source of federal contracting revenue for tribal enterprises and Alaska Native corporations. Native-owned firms received $16.1 billion of the program's approximately $26 billion in federal contract awards during fiscal 2024, according to data previously reported by Tribal Business News. The proposal also arrives amid ongoing concerns from Native contractors about SBA administration of the program. In May, the Native American Contractors Association and 53 Native-owned businesses urged SBA to address delays in processing 8(a) applications, saying some reviews had stretched beyond regulatory deadlines and appeared to have stalled since August 2025. The proposed rule is open for public comment through July 13. The Federal Register notice does not reference tribal consultation or indicate whether SBA determined consultation was unnecessary because tribal eligibility standards are unchanged. The SBA has not announced when the proposed rule would take effect. The agency is expected to accept public comments before issuing a final rule.About The AuthorAuthor: Brian EdwardsBrian Edwards is associate publisher and associate editor of Tribal Business News and Native News Online. He is a longtime publisher, editor, business reporter and serial entrepreneur. Subscribe Today!Other Articles by this authorDefense Department reaffirms tribal, ANC eligibility in SBA 8(a) programTribal heritage projects eligible for up to $100K in federal funding through NPS programIHS launches tribal long-term care construction initiative with three projectsIḷisaġvik College acquires site for long-planned Utqiaġvik campus This article is available to paid digital subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Supercomputer illuminates subatomic particle that helps hold matter together
A team of researchers has leveraged a supercomputer at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory to reveal the internal structure of a pion in unprecedented detail. The findings ...
'Best, worst and only Deadhead store' in French Quarter holds closing sale as construction drags on
Dead on Decatur, the Grateful Dead-themed handicrafts and gift shop in New Orleans' French Quarter, will close its Decatur Street storefront at the end of June, with owners citing the impact of a months-long Sewerage & Water Board infrastructure project. The closure follows the recent departures of Cafe Sbisa and Michelin-recognized LUFU NOLA from the corridor.
Mobile County Health Department begins aerial spraying for mosquitoes
The release says the flight route included operations in and around the Cochran-Africatown Bridge area and other areas.
Intel Reportedly Prepares Itself For Raptor Lake ‘NEXT’, As The Demand For DDR4 Platform Increases Significantly
Intel plans to launch Raptor Lake Next CPUs in early 2027 to meet DDR4 demands alongside Nova Lake processors amid high DDR5 prices.
Baldwin County Health Department issues public swimming advisory
The advisory is advisory for the waters of Perdido Bay at Kee Avenue
Angst at the Supreme Court before a rush of decisions
Late spring means the Supreme Court is preparing to unleash decisions. Justices have already had a remarkable term. They invalidated much of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, but also gutted the Voting Rights Act and gave Republicans an advantage in the redistricting war Trump started.
Health department staffers aren't buying RFK Jr.'s peace offerings
Some staffers say their work lives are improving. Others say their jobs have never been more difficult.
Better Business Bureau: Major sporting events bring economic opportunities and increased scam risks
As excitement builds around World Cup matches – especially with Spain's team training in Chattanooga and tournaments being held as close as Atlanta – your Better Business Bureau is encouraging local fans and businesses to prepare for increased activity, heightened demand and the rise in scams that too often accompany major global sporting events.
Department of Veterans Affairs stops LGBTQ+ veteran support
Internal VA guidance obtained by The Advocate raises questions about the future of specialized assistance for those who served.
State Rep. Joe Schomacker resigns, citing 'new business opportunities' for the decision
A Minnesota lawmaker announced he is resigning from his position, citing new business opportunities as the reason for his departure.
Capital City Pridefest brings surge in business to East Village stores
Organizers and business owners in Des Moines' East Village are preparing for a busy weekend as thousands are expected to attend the 47th annual Capital City PrideFest.
How Do PENN Entertainment's US$460 Million Property Bets Reframe Its Omni-Channel Strategy? (PENN)
PENN Entertainment has opened a new US$100 million, 203-room hotel tower at Hollywood Casino Columbus and is preparing to shift Hollywood Casino Aurora from its longtime riverboat site to a new US$360 million land-based complex opening on June 24, 2026, pending regulatory approvals. These twin property projects highlight PENN’s ongoing push to upgrade its brick-and-mortar footprint with larger gaming floors, upscale hotels, and expanded non-gaming amenities that could influence how its...
It’s not Ebola you need to be worried about with the World Cup. These are the real health risks.
That dip sitting out for hours in the heat poses a bigger health risk than Ebola, according to physicians preparing for the World Cup in New Jersey.
ETSU introduces new disaster science program
An interdisciplinary graduate degree will prepare students to solve complex public and environmental health issues.
ETSU introduces new disaster science program
An interdisciplinary graduate degree will prepare students to solve complex public and environmental health issues.
Independent Cascadia? Greater Idaho? Disunited States Look Toward Divorce
At a moment when even the prospects of dialogue seem far-fetched, movements to redraw state lines to link like-minded regions, or even to secede from the union, are gaining strength.
In Retrospect: Poland, Russia, Europe
In April I spent a few days with Zryw, a Polish non-profit organization that recruits young people to enter politics and public life. Their aim is to build a new generation of civic leaders in Poland. I’ve followed their evolution from the beginning; my son is one of the founders. (“Zryw” means “impulse” or “burst of speed” in Polish). Julie Chmielewska, one of Zryw’s leaders, interviewed me at the event. Here is the conversation, lightly edited for grammar and context: Julia Chmielewska: Assuming that culture shapes institutions, could we conclude that some cultures are more prone to authoritarianism? Anne Applebaum: I don’t think so. Every culture, every nation, and every country has the potential for change. When we look at history, we can see that nations do change. Poland has changed, for example, from the 1980s to today. There’s a completely different mentality here than the one I encountered when I first visited, in 1988. The current generation sees the world through a different frame. So no, I don’t believe that certain nations are doomed to authoritarianism, or to anything. Of course, there are political and cultural traditions, but they can always be challenged. JC: So do you think there’s something intrinsic in human nature that pushes people to democracy, freedom? AA: I think there is something in human nature, a deep instinct, that pushes people towards freedom, yes. People who live in authoritarian countries – and I’ve heard this from them over and over again – sooner or later find themselves angered by a feeling of helplessness. They can see the unfairness of crooked courts, irrational political decisions. They naturally dislike the fact that somebody has all the power while they have none. In those circumstances, people who have no political background at all sometimes are politicized just by that frustration. I’m thinking of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, for example, who was a Belarusian housewife, until the circumstances of her husband’s arrest forced her to become a politician. I met a woman who is a Uyghur from China, and who had come to live in Turkey. After several of her family members were arrested, she too was propelled into a political role. These kinds of experiences make people interested in democracy or political reform, even if they thought they didn’t care. I also think that the opposite is true: some people instinctively prefer homogeneity, order, hierarchy. They don’t like the confrontation of opinions or the noise of debate, and they lean towards a single leader or a unified regime. I think that most of modern history is shaped by the clash between those two different sides of human nature. JC: Which force do you find more powerful today? AA: I think they both have a lot of power and there’s no way of predicting who wins. Even in countries that seem very shut off or stuck in an authoritarian system can change. We’ve seen that happen. And vice versa, I think democracies can also begin to fail and slide into authoritarianism. So it’s very important not to be complacent in either direction. JC: I want to go into your history and your experiences. You’ve lived in Russia during a time of incredible change in the late 80s, and then you came back to do research in post-Soviet Russia. AA: I was a student in Russia just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I then traveled and worked there extensively in the 1990s, and I met people who really were full of hope. They hoped that Russia could become a democracy, or at least a place that guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press. These weren’t ideas that came from Washington. Although now the narrative in the Kremlin is different, I met many people who were working towards exactly that kind of transformation. A friend of mine ran a series of seminars – once a year, and then later several times a year, in cities all over Russia – designed to get people to discuss politics in new ways. She invited young politicians and journalists, as well as foreigners. I went to many of them, in Moscow as well as Volgograd and Novosibirsk. Over two decades, hundreds of people came to these seminars, and all of them wanted Russia to be different. I remain convinced that many Russians still want Russia to be different. It’s just that the old system, in the form of Putin, a representative of that system, returned. The KGB reimposed their power. And this wasn’t because of something to do with culture, this was to do with money and politics, and who was in charge. JC: You’ve partially answered my question... I wanted to ask whether that excitement of the 1990s was an exception from the Russian historical norm which has been rather authoritarian? AA: Of course, if you look at the history of Russia since the 18th century, there have always been liberal groups, reformers and revolutionaries. There were the Decembrists, in the early 19th century, and the rural populists later on, who tried to organize the peasantry. A significant group of liberal Russians appeared at the turn of the 20th century, people like the father of the writer Vladimir Nabokov, who was a Russian politician before the revolution. These groups were small in number, but sometimes had a broader significance. The Russian dissident movement in the 1950s and 1960s actually invented the modern human rights movement. It was their idea to hold the leaders of the Soviet Union accountable for the language they used, to remind them of the treaties they had signed and the promised they had made. They created the Helsinki group, for example, that held Soviet leadership to the language of the Helsinki Treaty, which formally ended the Second World War and which contained guarantees of human rights, at least on paper. That idea spread to Eastern Europe, and similar tactics were used here in Poland. (Benjamin Nathans recently wrote a great book about the Soviet dissidents, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause) JC: But seemingly, even if they do ever get power, they could never hold on to it. AA: We don’t know, because they have never really had power. But in any case, we also don’t know what will happen in the future. There is no reason to assume that Russia will forever be condemned to totalitarianism. Even during the first fifteen years of Putin’s regime there was some form of democratic politics. Only when the full-scale war began did he bring everything to an end: he shut down all remaining independent organizations and killed his most important opponent, Alexi Navalny. But does that mean he is popular, that he enjoys legitimacy? Even now, we don’t really know what Russians think about him, or about the war. There is no way of doing real polling in Russia because nobody will answer an independent pollster over the phone. JC: Do you think that the flock of young people, especially young men, who fled Russia after the start of the war represent a continuation of liberal movements that refuse to partake in the authoritarian state, or do you think they are moving for the sake of self-preservation – “I don’t want to go to the army, so I leave”? AA: I’m sure it’s both. I actually know many people who left Russia for political reasons either in the very last years before the war, or else just after the war began. JC: And do you see a change in the young generation versus the old one that have fled? AA: It’s hard for me to say because the people who I know were mostly already politicized. I do know some younger people who left, but most of them were already either active in the opposition, or working as journalists. Many of them very self-consciously think of themselves as maintaining Russian culture abroad, just as in the 20th century the Soviet dissidents or the anti-communist White Russians once thought of themselves as people who maintained the true Russian culture, outside of Bolshevik Russia. JC: Let’s move on to Poland. One of your first experiences with Poland was reporting on Margaret Thatcher’s first state visit, in the autumn of 1988. You followed her around the farmers’ market. AA: She was making a symbolic gesture. She wanted to welcome free markets, but the only one she could really visit was the farmers’ market at Hala Mirowska. JC: And I want to talk about this area because today you can look out of any window in that district, Mirów, and see rows and rows of skyscrapers. How does it feel to see a country built from the ground in such a short time, both politically and economically? AA: You know, when you’re living in a period of dramatic change, it’s always hard to know whether the change is positive or negative. The transformation in Poland created winners and losers, as well as new classes of people, new political movements of different kinds. At the time, it sometimes just felt like turbulence. Now, we can look back at the 1990s and early 2000s in Poland and see in retrospect that the country was headed in towards prosperity and European integration. In around 2009 or 2010, I remember speaking to a woman who worked cleaning government offices, and who asked me if her daughter should study in Amsterdam or in London. This seemed to me to be a real transformation, and it happened very fast: within a few years, Poles stopped feeling like second-class Europeans, and a generation of younger Poles appeared who had no qualms about crossing borders. JC: We again live in turbulent times. Do you think we’re heading towards positive outcomes? AA: I can’t make predictions, because everything that happens tomorrow depends on what people do today. Also, history doesn’t have a trajectory. It doesn’t move in a particular direction. You only think it does afterwards. As I said, you can look afterwards at Poland in the 1990s and you could say this was a period of great progress. But not everybody at the time saw that. Sometimes people are very wrong about a given country’s trajectory. I remember people writing about Ukraine in the 1990s, about how dangerous it was that Ukraine was independent, that this was going to be an anti-semitic state, that Ukrainian nationalism was going to come back... and although you can say many bad things about Ukraine, the country made many bad choices, actually it became a pretty tolerant state which now has a Jewish president and until recently a Muslim defense minister. JC: In the 1990s Poland’s and Ukraine’s GDP were roughly similar. Ukraine was even a bit richer. So the starting point was similar for both of these countries, but they’ve turned out very, very differently. Even if we stop in 2014. Why do you think Ukraine “chose East”? Was it external influence? AA: No, I think Ukraine was in a different position. First of all, central and eastern Ukraine had been part of the Soviet Union since the 1920s, and had therefore experienced a longer period of occupation, repression, Sovietization and even Russification. Ukraine did not have, as Poland did, an alternative elite: a large cadre of economists and politicians, who already had some experience in opposition politics and in independent thinking. In Poland, the transformative finance minister, Leszek Balcerowicz, had already thought about how an economy might be decentralized before he took office. We can argue about how successful he was, but at least he was prepared to try something new. In Ukraine, people weren’t prepared. For one, there hadn’t been much space even for an illegal opposition in the previous couple of decades. Ukraine was also in many ways still emerging from colonial occupation. For the previous couple of centuries, many of the most capable Ukrainians had moved to Russia, and the first generation of leaders in independent Ukraine tended to be former Soviet apparatchiks. They didn’t immediately seek to become closer to western Europe. Instead, they looked for some kind of economic and political “third way” and an accomodation with Russia. Ukraine became stuck in this position, half-in, half-out and became pretty profoundly corrupt. JC: The Polish alternative elite had a vision of where they wanted the country to go. I think the general perception now is that this vision ends with the next election, right? Is this a natural process of gaining power? AA: Their vision, and it was shared by the time by politicians who now call themselves both left and right, was that Poland should join the EU and NATO, as fast as possible. My husband (Radek Sikorski) was in the very first government that said it wanted to join NATO. At the time this was taken very badly in Washington: the demand for NATO membership absolutely came from Poland, not from the US. But even then, in the early 1990s, many Poles already understood that the Russian sphere of influence would grow once again, that it was important to become part of the transatlantic alliance and an integrated Europe as fast as possible: NATO, the EU, the Council of Europe, all of the trading and security alliances. That consensus lasted through several different governments and over many years, even governments containing former communists. For twenty years, right, left and center disagreed about many things, but they all agreed on the direction that the country should go. In retrospect, that consensus created the basis for prosperity in Poland. JC: And regarding the Polish-Ukrainian relations. We know that antagonisms, e.g. the myth of Wołyń [a massacre of Poles that took place in what is now Western Ukraine, in 1943] are increasingly used in Polish political discourse today. In Ukraine, nationalist historians make heroes out of UPA, the Ukrainian revolutionary army, which is held responsible for this tragedy. Where do you see a start for burying the hatchet? Is the reconciliation of our nations possible? AA: So here’s a strange thing: For more than a decade after they both gained independence, Poland and Ukraine participated in a number of projects that were designed to solve exactly these kinds of Polish-Ukrainian differences. Books were published that were jointly written by Polish and Ukrainian historians, monuments were built. These projects were successful: If you’d asked me this question in 2010, I would have said that there are no real historical issues between Poland and Ukraine, that the two countries had mostly reconciled. For a number of reasons, this began to shift. In Poland, children and grandchildren of victims of the Wołyń massacre felt their tragedy hadn’t been fully recognized. In Ukraine, nationalist groups wanted the UPA partisans who had fought against the Soviet Union recognized for their heroism, despite the fact that some in this broad and not well-defined group were also linked to Wołyń. In both eastern Poland and western Ukraine, the memory of the ethnic cleansing that took place there in the late 1940s - Poles were moved West, Ukrainians East - to accomodate new borders has left feelings of displacement and bitterness. The wave of Ukrainian immigration, which started before the war, may have provoked some of this. But don’t underestimate the role played by Russia, which has always wanted to create discord between Poland and Ukraine, and pumps out propaganda to that effect in both countries. Vandalism on both sides of the border, damage done to cemeteries and monuments, is sometimes carried out by provacateurs working for Russia, just to create bad feelings. The Polish-Ukrainian conflict also hides a different reality: although there are real grievances and bad memories, the truth is that the biggest tragedies both nations experienced in the twentieth century were inflicted by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. That should unite these two countries, not divide them. JC: This week (19.04.2026 – Ed.) in Hungary we saw that using historical narratives to create grievance has no longer worked. Are you optimistic about the direction after Orban’s loss? AA: The Hungarian election was really important because it shows that people can actually resist powerful, dominant propaganda. The ruling party Fidesz controlled all of the TV, 90% of the newspapers, the constitutional court, the bureaucracy... and yet people had the nerve to vote against it and resist it. It’s also an important election because Hungary created a huge network of well-funded think tanks and foundations that were funding other far right groups and projects. So that loss is going to have a knock-on effect in other places too, maybe even in Poland. JC: What you’ve said about resisting propaganda reminds me of one of the interviews you did about talking to Russians in the post-Soviet era who claimed that people knew that the system was lying. Why do people choose to believe in these regimes anyway? AA: Because it’s useful. Stephen Kotkin, an American historian, once described how people would learn how to “speak Bolshevik”: It was just a language that you needed to use in order to get by in society. If you didn’t talk the way the regime wanted you to talk, then you might have problems, or lose your job, or your kids would not get into university. It was a way of getting along. Communist Poland was similar, at least in the early years. When I was writing a book about the Sovietization of Eastern Europe after World War II, I met a lot of people who wanted to talk a lot about the war, when many of them had done really heroic things. But almost nobody wanted to talk about the decade afterwards, between 1945 and 1956. This was when you had the short period of terror, violence and Polish Stalinism. To stay safe, people felt the need to just go along with what others were saying, or stay out of politics, or use communist jargon without necessarily believing it. I don’t judge them for it, and I wouldn’t describe all of those people as collaborators. It’s easy to feel moral certainty in retrospect, because we know that communism ended. But if you were living in 1949, it might not have been clear to you that communism was going to end. In very repressive societies, maybe about 10% of people who are really evil – collaborators, torturers. Maybe 10% of people are really brave and who find ways to resist. And then around 80% of people have kids, they have parents, they have to have jobs and they’ve had to get through it somehow. Strange though it may sound, I’ve found that the work I did on that book is now very useful in explaining some of what’s going on in the United States today. There are plenty of members of the Republican Party in Congress who know perfectly well that Donald Trump says many things that aren’t true. But they avoid criticizing him because it’s inconvenient, because they would get in trouble, because someone would attack them on the internet. So actually you don’t even need mass terror to get people to conform. JC: Is Gen Z reinventing agency? AA: We’ll see. In any generation you can find groups of people who want agency. If you live in a society that’s unfair, for example where a tiny number of people have captured most of the wealth, then at a certain point people rebel. This is always easier for younger people, who have you have less to lose. The question now is how the internet will affect the relationships between citizens and the state, and how it will change organizations. The “Twitter revolutions” people spoke about as early as 2008-9, mass protests organized online, have often proved to be very superficial. Although you can easily join something just by clicking, the work of creating a real movement requires physical participation. Successful mass movements of the past, for example the Civil Rights movement in the United States, were built by people who had spent many years together. They had participated in non-violent workshops together. They practiced and prepared. Just using the you can get everybody to show up at a certain moment, but then when the protest is broken up, nothing happens. It’s also true that the repressive regimes have more recently learned how to use the internet to undermine leaders and movements. Most of all, they now understand how to make people cynical. The form of propaganda that most modern authoritarians use - and I think the Russians really pioneered this - deploys sneering cynicism. Instead of praising the rulers, the regime propagandists mock the opposition movement leadership for being supposedly corrupt or sexually degenerate, with the goal of undermining any kind of idealism. JC: MAGA grew on the internet? AA: MAGA is a real grassroots movement. They had symbols, red hats, they showed up at rallies. But you’re right that the cynicism, the sarcasm and the distrust that the movement embodies came originally from the internet, and this is different. Fifty years ago, most European political parties had a social base in real organizations, in trade unions for Social Democrats, in church groups for Christian Democrats. As people stopped going to church and as the trade unions became smaller, the social base of these parties disappeared. Now people who wouldn’t have known one another in the past meet on the internet and create new movements, many of which don’t last. JC: Is history ending? Going in stale circles? AA: History never ends. In truth, human beings want contradictory things at the same time: order and freedom, stability and change. These things are never resolved, and when a society swings too far in one direction, people always push it the other way. But each time that happens, the result is different. Certainly it is true that we are now in a period when old philosophers and ideas from the 1930s are undergoing a revival. Carl Schmitt, who was a philosopher who was very influential on the Nazis, is back as an influence on both the far left and the far right, once again inspiring people to think that all politics has to be existential, that all politics is about defining and defeating enemies. In the US, some are also bringing back dominionism, the idea that we need a Christian and not a secular state. It’s also true that we are living through a more fundamental shift. The old left-right divide, which was mostly about the size of the state, is much less important now. Instead, we are arguing about more fundamental things: what are our rights, what protects our freedom. Or how much power do we want to give small elites, versus how much power to give ordinary people. In America a small group of very wealthy people now control information, because they control the social media platforms and AI, which means they determine what people will read and learn. Finding a way to preserve preserve zones of autonomy and independent thinking, this is going to be the main task for the next generation. JC: What is the one book that a person interested in Central Europe should read? AA: You could read my book “Iron Curtain: the Crushing of Eastern Europe” which tells the story of how the Soviet Union imposed its culture on the region. Or read Tim Snyder’s history of the region, “The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999.” And everyone should read “The Captive Mind” by Czesław Miłosz, which describes exactly the phenomenon we were talking about: why do people collaborate? I joined Scott Galloway and the brilliant Fiona Hill in a discussion about the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the future of global power, and what these conflicts reveal about America's role in the world. Scott told us that this was the 400th edition of his podcast, which is quite a number: My friend Francesco Chiamulera runs a brilliant series of literary events, Una Colline di Libri, A Hill of Books, in the Prosecco Hills, a region of vineyards and elegant hill towns in the Veneto, north of Venice. We did an event in Vittorio Veneto and also drove and biked around the countryside. Buy Autocracy Inc Buy Iron Curtain Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Sharon O'Keefe
As president of the University of Chicago Medical Center and chief operating officer of the 1,286-bed University of Chicago Medicine health system, Sharon O’Keefe oversees a clinical enterprise with annual operating revenue of $2.21 billion. In the past 18 months, UChicago Medicine opened an expanded adult emergency department—a $39 million investment—and an adult trauma center. Since 2011, the system has generated annual growth of nearly 5 percent in revenue and 4 percent in patient admissions. O’Keefe previously was president of Loyola University Medical Center and executive vice president and chief operating officer at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She serves on the Illinois Hospital Association finance and audit committee and is on the American Heart Association’s Midwest affiliate board.
Knicks aim for championship as NYC prepares for sports spectacle
If there’s a saving grace from the bedlam that is about to ensue in New York City on Saturday, with the Knicks on the verge of a championship and Brazil taking on Morocco in the World Cup, it is that Game 5 of the NBA Finals is on the road.
POLITICS: A day in the life of Alexa Avilés - Red Hook Star-Revue
It’s just past 8 a.m. on a rainy Thursday morning in Sunset Park. City Council Member Alexa Avilés finds herself in a position not unfamiliar to most New Yorkers: rushing out the door, preparing for an early meeting while taking calls with her daughter’s school, and racing to make the morning train.
On the road in New York with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin
Zeldin has revived his call to reverse New York State's fracking ban.
Trump administration must re-install exhibits on slavery, climate change and other topics at national parks, judge rules
President Donald Trump last year directed the Interior Department to make changes to parks, monuments and memorials to address any “false revision of history.”
Mississippi Department of Health urges caution with ticks and mosquitoes during summer months
Mississippi Public Broadcasting is MPB. Mississippi is Our Mission. Get the latest news on Tate Reeves, the Election and updates on Television, Radio and Online
With towing business, local man achieves dream
FAIRMONT – After several years honing his skills in and around the Fairmont area, Cameron Meyer has captured his dream by opening up his own business, CM Auto Repair and Towing. Meyer went to college for auto repair right out of high school, and has spent nearly 15 years working for multiple businesses in Fairmont. […]
Paramount's $111-billion Warner Bros. acquisition clears key hurdle
As expected, the U.S. Justice Department gave its consent for the blockbuster merger expected to reshape Hollywood
VDH asks for community's help to stop spread of measles in Buckingham area
The Virginia Department of Health's Southside District is asking for the community's help in stopping the spread of measles.
South Bay public health officials prepare for World Cup
Ebola and hantavirus likely won’t pose risks. More contagious, and familiar, bugs could.
Harry Strunk Lake Health Notice
Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) has been notified of high levels of E. Coli at Harry Strunk Lake in Frontier County also known as Medicine Creek Reservoir. This means the water…
Prolific food and business reporter Katie Taranto leaving ARLnow after two years
After two years of connecting with local businesses, exploring Arlington's wide-ranging food scene and satisfying residents' questions and curiosity, reporter Katie Taranto is leaving ARLnow. Taranto, who is departing to cover federal climate policy at the trade publication Inside EPA, wrote prolifically about the arrival and departure of countless restaurants and retailers in Arlington, while
Alumni Ronay Bakan Wins Multiple Dissertation Awards from the American Political Science Association
Department of Political Science Ph.D. alumnus Ronay Bakan has won two different awards from sections of the American Political Science Association (APSA) for her dissertation titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in the Kurdish Region of Turkey”. Bakan won the Best Dissertation Award from the Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) section, and Honorable...
Alumni Ronay Bakan Wins Multiple Dissertation Awards from the American Political Science Association
Department of Political Science Ph.D. alumnus Ronay Bakan has won two different awards from sections of the American Political Science Association (APSA) for her dissertation titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in the Kurdish Region of Turkey”. Bakan won the Best Dissertation Award from the Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) section, and Honorable...
Latest Utah Jazz draft intel on Boozer, Dybantsa, Peterson
The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, and the Utah Jazz continue their preparation to make the No. 2 overall pick.
Energy Secretary Takes Heat in First House Science Hearing
Democrats used the opportunity to challenge the department’s decision-making on a host of science topics, including Genesis, clean-energy projects, and last year’s Climate Working Group report.
Jan. 6 debanking probe once floated as way to pad anti-weaponization fund
A Justice Department probe examining whether some of the nation’s biggest banks closed accounts of defendants charged in the 2021 Capitol riot and others for political reasons has been raised to the Trump administration as a way to support it’s efforts to compensate people the president claims were victims of weaponization, according to people briefed on the matter.
Justice Department appeals order to remove Trump's name from Kennedy Center
A federal judge ruled May 29 that physical and digital signage with President Donald Trump’s name must be taken down within 14 days
Justice Department appeals order to remove Trump's name from Kennedy Center
A federal judge ruled May 29 that physical and digital signage with President Donald Trump’s name must be taken down within 14 days
Exclusive: US military rushed to prepare ground mission to capture Iran’s uranium, but Trump paused it, sources say
The US’ top general made a secret, rushed visit to US Central Command headquarters in Florida late last month to be briefed in person on plans for the US military to send ground troops into Iran to forcibly seize its highly enriched uranium, the key component necessary to produce a nuclear weapon, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Senate panel sets markup on college sports bill
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled the markup of a bipartisan measure that proposes sweeping changes to collegiate athletics and has the backing of President Donald Trump. The panel is expected to take up several amendments at the markup on June 18, including one aimed at protecting non-revenue sports. Some athletics departments in recent years […]
Ga. teacher-prep programs improve on science of reading, report finds
Georgia colleges and universities are doing a better job preparing future elementary teachers to teach children how to read, according to a new report.
Alabama teacher prep programs outpace nation in science of reading review
The National Council on Teacher Quality graded 20 Alabama teacher prep programs and found that 18 earned an "A" or A-plus for preparing aspiring elementary teachers to teach reading.
Stanford scientists regrow lost cartilage and reverse arthritis in major breakthrough
A new treatment that blocks an aging-related protein restored lost cartilage in old mice and helped prevent arthritis after knee injuries. Human cartilage samples showed similar signs of regeneration, raising hopes for a future drug that could repair joints instead of replacing them.
Austin’s young professionals community is red hot for heart health
AUSTIN, June 12, 2026 —Cardiovascular disease and stroke can affect anybody, of any age – and the young professionals community in Austin is turning up the heat to make sure everyone is prepared to save a life. The American Heart Association’s Young...
Northern Highland Fishery Research Area Celebrates 80 Years Of Internationally Recognized Fisheries Science
On June 20, 2026, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area (NHFRA), one of the longest-running fisheries research projects in the world.
Separated From My MacBook Pro, I Turned to a MacBook Neo. Here’s How It Did
The Neo gave me very few reasons to complain during my week with it.
Tulane report urges healthcare investment to improve Louisiana economy, reverse population loss
A new report argues that Louisiana’s future population and economic growth depends on increasing investments in healthcare services and passing policies that address health disparities.
Trump wants you to know this RFK Jr. aide’s name
Chris Klomp is working to boost morale and deliver results at the Health Department after a year of upheaval.
New degree and certificate programs approved to meet growing workforce demand, critical shortages
Several new degree and certificate programs at Indiana University campuses across the state will prepare students for high-demand careers in health care, ...
UFC announces global sports diplomacy partnership with U.S. State Department
In a development that has forever merged the worlds of combat sports and international affairs, UFC CEO Dana White and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding at the State Department headquarters. Dana White doesn't approve of steady growth and instead ...
Principal Charity Classic: Agronomists use science to prepare greens at Wakonda Club
Agronomists play a crucial role in golf tournaments, using advanced tools and techniques to ensure greens are ready for competition at the Principal Charity Classic.
Politics: West Virginia’s children deserve better
A couple of state senators spoke in preparation for this weekend’s interim committee meetings and site tours at Canaan Valley State Park about what they hope to see addressed by the state and their colleagues. Both Sens. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, and Jay Taylor, R-Taylor, told WV MetroNews they are hoping for work toward reform of […]
Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie case addresses anonymous tip about alleged unmarked grave near Mexican border
The Pima County Sheriff's Department says it has not been in contact with Mexican authorities over an anonymous tip alleging that Nancy Guthrie's remains were buried in an unmarked grave near the border.
Integrating sustainable practices into undergraduate science education
Faculty and students at Georgia State University are working to integrate sustainable practices into undergraduate science education, and a new study highlights ways to advance laboratory practices and ...
Engineering’s Shuo Li selected for Crain’s Cleveland Business’ 2026 Notable Leaders in Architecture, Engineering and Construction | CWRU Newsroom
Shuo Li, PhD, the Leonard Case, Jr. Professorship in Engineering at the Case Western Reserve University Department of Biomedical Engineering, was sele...
Opinion | We Train Boys for Entertainment, Not Work
Young men raised on video games lack a work ethic and preparation for the job market.
SGMC Health Awards ER Nurses and EMS Team
SGMC Health recognizes a group of team members from its Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Dental Department Launches Evening Appointments
Bronx, NY – NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi/North Central Bronx (NCB) today announced its Dental Department will begin offering evening appointments,
Georgia State Preparing Next Generation of Sustainable Scientists
From redesigned experiments to more sustainable habits, a new case study outlines how greener practices can be incorporated into student labs and learning.
Editor's Note: The Difference Between Politics and Party Labels
As we prepare for the 2026 general election cycle, it’s worth questioning why some offices are partisan and others aren’t As I worked on this week’s story on who’s running […]
Steelers shuffle roster spots after minicamp
The Steelers are preparing to wrap up minicamp but Pittsburgh continues to move around the roster.
Are GOP California conspiracy theories preparation for November?
Or could Trump’s fraud claims backfire in the midterms?
Boox updates 6-inch pocketable Android e-reader with stylus support
The Boox Go 6 Gen II turns one of the best Android e-readers into a pocketable notepad with support for...
Fermilab storage infrastructure enables AI-driven scientific and research discovery for DOE’s Genesis Mission
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission is building a new era of AI-driven scientific discovery — and it requires far more than powerful supercomputers to succeed. To support this national effort, Fermilab’s Fermi Data Platform is providing secure, large-scale data infrastructure needed to make advanced AI research possible across the American Science Cloud.
How an activist network built pressure without political power
When Rainforest Action Network began in 1985, it had little of what usually makes an organization powerful. It had no large budget, no legal department, no reliable access to politicians, and no formal way to force global corporations or development banks to change. It had Randy Hayes, a wide activist network, a way to connect […]
Orlando Health doctor recalls Pulse response and trauma response lessons
Dr. Chadwick Smith, a trauma surgeon at ORMC, recalls treating Pulse shooting victims and how the response impacted hospital preparedness.
Eaton to Merge Mobility Business With Dana in $10B Deal
The separation of the division will allow Eaton to focus on its electrical and aerospace businesses, which are benefiting from the AI-driven data center boom
Political reviews are causing a huge grant backlog at the National Park Service
Hundreds of millions of dollars in National Park Service funding is sitting in limbo at the Department of Interior, awaiting a political review that longtime agency staff say has put a stranglehold on the agency’s work.
Elon earns national recognition for preparing future elementary teachers in the science of reading
The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education program at Elon University has earned an A+ from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) for how well they prepare future teachers to teach...
Democrats prepare for potential election interference in midterms
The Democrats are wargaming messaging strategies over fears that Donald Trump may try to influence the midterm elections
How preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is unlike anything else in sports
The iconic and grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most challenging race in motorsports. It's also the race everyone wants most to win.
UTRGV Sports Medicine Adds Muteba Dikanda as Assistant Athletic Trainer
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced the addition of Muteba Dikanda as an Assistant Athletic Trainer.
Tennessee health department warns parents their children will be reported to immigration officials
Pediatricians warned of dire consequences for kids with critical illnesses who rely on a specialized Tennessee public health care program.
New food and entertainment venue coming to Ocala
As the Forge prepares to open in Ocala, developers say food will be a major focus of the new development.
Sacramento businesses prepare for World Cup excitement
Sacramento soccer fans will have no shortage of places to celebrate the World Cup, as local businesses and nonprofits team up to host watch parties, free clinics and community activities tied to the tournament.
New Data Center, Student Collaboration Space Put People at the Heart of Computer Science
The Computer Science and Engineering Department unveiled a new on-site data center that will accelerate computing and artificial intelligence research advances, while giving graduate students and other computer science researchers hands-on access to cutting-edge computing infrastructure.
WHO urges targeted action to strengthen emergency workforce capacities for shared health risks across the Asia-Pacific region
At a time when the world is more interconnected than ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) is disseminating a comprehensive regional analysis of shared health risks across Asia and the Pacific, urging Member States to invest in enhancing workforce capacities regionwide to mitigate these risks and ensure health systems are better prepared to anticipate, tackle and withstand a range of crises and shocks. Over 100 delegates from 49 countries and areas in the Asia-Pacific region reviewed results from the regional risk analysis during the WHO-led Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF) Stakeholders Meeting in Malaysia. Synthesizing insights from 21 strategic risk assessments and more than 800 multisectoral experts, the regional analysis highlighted an urgent imperative: countries must proactively invest in emergency workforce preparedness to navigate a landscape where climate hazards, disease outbreaks and geophysical events increasingly overlap. These complex converging crises create devastating, compounding impacts on health systems and communities – reiterating the need for investing in a fit-for-purpose regional health workforce and multisectoral action.Key findings: an evolving risk landscape More than half of the participating countries ranked flooding, cyclones, dengue and pandemic-potential respiratory pathogens as being of high or very high risk, while antimicrobial resistance, landslides and gastroenteritis remain widespread concerns as well. “Given that 51% – over half – of these assessed hazards are deeply interconnected, isolated health interventions are no longer sufficient,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “Extreme weather events like cyclones and floods directly trigger subsequent disease outbreaks, while environmental degradation – driven by sea-level rise, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion – fuels health risks across the Pacific. Mitigating these cascading risks requires unified, cross-sectoral action linking environmental, agricultural and public health policies to build true regional resilience.” Priority recommendations for action To address critical vulnerabilities, WHO calls on Member States in the Asia-Pacific region to urgently prioritize the following strategic actions: Bridge workforce capacity gaps. Embed and standardize emergency preparedness within academia to promote regional workforce interoperability. Foster multisectoral coordination. Address ad-hoc taskforce responses and fragmented surge support through formalized contingency plans and standard operating procedures that are frequently updated and tested. Secure sustainable financing for emergencies. Overcome systemic barriers to access dedicated funding for both immediate anticipatory actions and long-term emergency preparedness initiatives. Enable emergency-ready primary health care. Embed emergency management into public health workforce readiness planning. Ensure that emergency planning is inclusive. Establish clear pathways for inclusive emergency planning that actively involves communities most at risk and other vulnerable groups. Optimize communication. Update risk communication and community engagement strategies, aligning them with seasonal risk calendars. Elevating workforce readiness to meet regional health risks While the gaps identified are significant, the Asia-Pacific region possesses solid foundational pillars, including dedicated clinicians, laboratory staff, rapid response teams, emergency medical teams and extensive community networks. However, to adequately address the compounding nature of modern crises, the various components of the emergency workforce must collaborate cohesively. True resilience depends entirely on transforming this currently fragmented workforce into a highly trained, interconnected and rapidly deployable asset. To achieve this, WHO is actively advancing regional workforce capacities through the Global Health Emergency Corps initiative. This initiative – supported by the Gates Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy – seeks to build a seamless network of emergency workforce across borders and sectors, ensuring that when a crisis strikes, a standardized, well-coordinated and trained workforce is immediately ready to respond. “Scaling up emergency workforce readiness is no longer optional,” said Dr Gina Samaan, Regional Emergency Director for WHO in the Western Pacific. “It is the definitive factor that will determine how effectively the Asia-Pacific region safeguards health and protects lives in an increasingly unpredictable future.” ____________________For more information, or to arrange media interviews, contact: Ara Johannes, WHO Western Pacific Health Emergencies Division: johannesa@who.int WHO Western Pacific Communications: wprocom@who.int
Eugene braces for 90-degree heat as Lane County health officials urge residents to prepare
With temperatures in Eugene expected to spike into the 90s Sunday and Monday, health officials and HVAC experts are urging residents to prepare now to stay safe
Air quality health advisory for ozone issued for Long Island on Thursday
An air quality health advisory has been issued for Nassau and Suffolk counties for Thursday, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Data: Deadly overdose deaths drop for 3rd consecutive year in RI
Deadly drug overdoses statewide have dropped 50% since 2022, according to new data released by the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Local businesses roll out custom merch as World Cup crowds expected to boost economy
With Philadelphia projected to generate roughly $770 million in economic activity from upcoming FIFA World Cup matches, local businesses are preparing for an influx of fans by offering new merchandise infused with Philly flair.
Kiess to Lead NC State’s Prestage Department of Poultry Science
Aaron Kiess, Braswell Distinguished Professor in commercial layer management, physiology or nutrition, will take the helm as the head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science on July 1. He has served as interim department head since January.
Science on Screen event explores severe weather events and climate change
The Georgia Southern Museum concluded its Science on Screen series last week with an event focused on severe weather, climate change, and disaster preparedness.
Seminole County ranks 3rd in Central Florida rabies exposures, health department says
Seminole County is ranked third in rabies exposure in Florida, with incidents going beyond people's homes, according to health officials.
PHOTOS: High school students explore healthcare careers at UNK camp
The one-day event is hosted by UNK’s Health Sciences Department.
Inside the ‘highly complex’ preparations for Trump’s UFC fight: $60M for staging, port-a-potties and other logistics
Building a televised sporting event accommodating more than 100,000 people without any existing arena infrastructure is a massive production. Doing so at the White House adds significant logistical complications.
Musab Balbale Departs CVS Health
Musab Balbale exits CVS Health after four years as chief merchandising officer. Zach Dennett steps in as interim leader.
Trump admin axes ties to dozens of progressive groups in 'direct opposition' to mission: 'Decisive action'
The Interior Department is cutting 43 partnerships and over $4 million in funding for groups tied to DEI, environmental justice and immigration.
Back to Business Program expands with increase to grant amounts
We designed the Back to Business Program to help small business owners recover from unexpected costs to repair and prevent vandalism and property damage. To meet the needs of businesses, we expanded the program to increase the grant amounts business owners can receive. Applications are open through December 2026, or until funds run out. Changes to […]
Maricopa County Public Health Hosts Father-Focused Baby Shower
As an early start to celebrating Father’s Day, Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) is hosting a community baby shower, focused on fathers of children two years old and younger, a
APSU to host Health and Performance Summit for sport, recovery, tactical fields
Austin Peay State University's Department of Health and Human Performance will host its inaugural Health and Performance Summit.
Acknowledgments
This report was made possible by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals: Research team Jocelyn Kiley, Director, Political ResearchSteven Shepard, Associate Director, Political ResearchHannah Hartig, Senior ResearcherBaxter […]
Central District Health Department searches for new director, interim named
The Central District Health Department is searching for a new health director and a previously named director is no longer with the health department.In a news
Dillard family’s ‘long game’ approach pays off in retail business
Little Rock-based Dillard's Inc., the operator of 272 department stores in 30 states, began in 1938 when founder William Thomas Dillard borrowed $8,000 from his father to open a small store in Nashville in Howard County.
US judge rejects 'unprecedented' bid to block DOJ transgender health subpoenas nationwide
A federal judge in Maryland on Wednesday rejected a novel bid by LGBTQ rights advocates to secure a nationwide order preventing the U.S. Department of Justice from forcing healthcare providers across the country to turn over records about transgender youth who received gender-affirming medical care.
Democrats decry May inflation numbers that Trump says are 'great'
The Labor Department reported Wednesday that consumer prices rose 4.2% in May compared with a year earlier
Musk Calls for UK Protests Days Before SpaceX IPO
Elon Musk should be busy preparing for the biggest stock market listing ever. But he’s still finding time to intervene in British politics.
Extreme heat health alert issued in Chester County amid high temperatures
The alert, effective from June 10 through June 13, marks the first extreme heat health alert issued by the Chester County Health Department in 2026.