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Illinois Just Passed a Tough New AI Law. Even Small Businesses Should Pay Attention
Illinois’s new AI law may target frontier developers, but it offers every business a preview of where AI regulation is headed.
Chicago's confusing food cart regulations burden small businesses
I've been working in law and public policy for over 15 years, and even I had a hard time making sense of Chicago's permit rules for food vendors.
US court orders Redditor to pay Nintendo £3.4m over Switch piracy
A US court has ordered Reddit moderator James 'Archbox' Williams to pay Nintendo £3.4 million after he ignored a lawsuit over pirated Switch games.
Mark Gongloff: Private jets have a free-rider problem
If you try to take a free ride on, say, public transit in New York City, you’ll get in trouble with the law. If your mode of transportation is a
White House orders over $800M in funds rescinded; Collins calls it 'clear violation' of law
The White House announced Friday evening that it was rescinding over $800 million in congressionally appropriated funds across a range of government programs.
Rick Jackson talks healthcare, Burt Jones lawsuit at Savannah stop
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson met with veterans in Savannah on Friday, emphasizing his health care plan as he and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms approach the final weeks of the race.
Lawyers for Rep. Max Miller again subpoena Sen. Bernie Moreno, father of ex-wife
Lawyers for embattled Republican Rep. Max Miller have subpoenaed his former father-in-law Sen. Bernie Moreno as part of the ongoing custody battle between Miller and his ex -wife Emily Moreno, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN.
Owner says fencing outside longtime Greektown liquor store hurts business, sues
Athens Liquor owner Ather Butris claims street festival fencing has become a barrier to his bottom line, prompting a lawsuit against the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership.
Trump cancels nearly $1 billion in spending approved by Congress, a move some lawmakers called illegal
Trump Proposes $810 Million in Education and Health Cuts, Defying Congress
The attempted clawback represents the second time in as many years that the White House has sought to cancel funding approved by lawmakers.
TikTok settles for over $100 million in mental health lawsuit, Alabama AG says
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office announced Friday it reached a minimum $100 million settlement deal with TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, days before a state court was set to hear arg…
Pennsylvania DOH withdraws 502-page disease control plan after backlash from lawmakers
The Pennsylvania Department of Health just pulled a plan to make some major changes to the state's rules for controlling diseases after a bit of backlash.
Supreme Court Ruling Could Have Limited Impact on Voter Screening in Midterms
Federal law requires a 90-day “quiet period” before elections, likely restricting the immediate scope of a decision that allows the use of a citizenship database to examine voter rolls.
Democratic lawmakers oppose state dollars for nuclear
They argue that taxpayers and ratepayers should not be asked to subsidize new nuclear projects.
Democratic lawmakers oppose state dollars for nuclear
They argue that taxpayers and ratepayers should not be asked to subsidize new nuclear projects.
Running a small business means making sacrifices. Are they permanent?
Small business ownership means sacrificing time, predictable income, and sometimes even your own paycheck to build a business. Those sacrifices can become
Jodie Turner-Smith’s rep slams ‘fictional lawsuit’ against actress and her brother for alleged sexual misconduct and drug use
According to three Jane Does, the “Queen & Slim” actress enabled her brother’s conduct by financially supporting him.
AI ads are popular in the 2026 midterms, but state laws haven’t stopped a lack of disclosure
Campaign advertisements that use AI to attack rival candidates are not uncommon in the 2026 midterms, some more obviously fake than others
Whatley praises NC laws Cooper vetoed on school lessons and transgender athletes
At an event at a Christian private school, Michael Whatley accused Roy Cooper of promoting “values from New York” instead of North Carolina.
Texas’ delay of maternal death report hurts women, lawmakers say
The highly anticipated report, which includes deaths that occurred after Texas banned abortions, has recommendations on how to reduce pregnancy risks.
Mariska Hargitay offers more hints about Christopher Meloni’s “SVU” return: ‘I got my old partner back’
The actress already confirmed Meloni will appear on the upcoming 600th episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
Trump Releases ‘Love Me’ Message in New Ad Paid for with Public Money and Using an Unauthorized Song Ahead of Midterm Elections
“I am looking at lawyers and handling this internally,” JMSN, the artist who recorded the song, said
Murray, Baldwin Lead Colleagues in Demanding Vought Abandon Any and All Plans to Exert Political Control Over NIH Funding
Lawmakers emphasize need for Republicans to join Democrats and support new guardrails in law to protect the integrity of NIH’s grantmaking process following long line of politically motivated attacks on NIH ICYMI: Senator Murray on Trump’s Latest Plan to Politicize Lifesaving NIH Research ICYMI: Murray on Trump Admin Scrapping Plans for Executive Order to Empower […]
Wisconsin senator introduces bill to ban ICE, CPB agents from polling locations
Sen. Tammy Baldwin said the legislation sends a message to the president that lawmakers are watching, even if there’s no chance the bill passes before Election Day.
Nathan Fielder Just Helped A Pilots’ Mental Health Bill Become Law
Fielder's campaign has now been successful after the Senate just passed the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act.
Sherrill wants Caldwell to resign. If he stays, lawmakers may face an impeachment fight.
If he remains in office, the controversy could continue limiting her ability to travel outside New Jersey while intensifying pressure on lawmakers to consider impeachment.
Adventist Health strikes $18.5M settlement resolving sexual abuse lawsuit
Adventist Health has struck an $18.5 million settlement resolving a lawsuit brought by former patients who alleged sexual abuse from an employed physical therapist. | The settlement translates to more than $2.6 million per plaintiff, “representing one of the nation’s largest per-plaintiff recoveries in a sexual abuse case involving a medical provider,” law firm Lewis & Llewellyn said.
Stop the wiretap shakedown on Main Street
House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams called for federal modernization of surveillance laws following the introduction of bipartisan legislative efforts to protect businesses fr…
Trump administration runs taxpayer-funded ‘love me’ ad
Democratic lawmakers have demanded more details about the ad
Supreme Court allows Trump administration to use expanded database for potential voter purges
Critics have said the data could lead to U.S. citizens being kicked off the voter rolls, but the justices noted the law prohibits broad voter purges in the weeks leading up to an election.
Appeals court cites defendant's mental health issues in reversing trial court ruling on probation violation
The Indiana Court of Appeals cited a defendant’s mental health crisis in reversing a trial court decision ordering him back to prison for a probation violation.
Man City vs the Premier League: The lawyers who have been fighting sport’s ‘trial of the century’
A guide to the highly-trained - and paid - barristers who have been arguing one of English football's most significant legal cases
AI Slop or IP Gold? The Business of Brainrot
This case is not merely about memes; it is a test case for how artists and IP law will continue to grapple with the commercialization efforts behind viral internet culture and new forms of digital creativity.
Jaguars expect a favorable response against the Patriots
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars are counting on one thing following their worst offensive performance in 11 months: a favorable response against New England.
NFL gameday: Brock Purdy 'in prime' for San Francisco 49ers, Patrick Mahomes chases Tom Brady record and Dexter Lawrence leads Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl charge
Watch the Los Angeles Chargers against the Buffalo Bills exclusively live on Sky Sports from 5.30pm on Sunday, before the Dallas Cowboys face the Baltimore Ravens in the first NFL game to be played at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 9.25pm
Texas advocates warn proposed cuts to health, assistance programs could hurt vulnerable communities
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission proposed cuts to more than 20 client services programs. Dozens of Texas advocates testified at a legislative budget board hearing Thursday to ask state lawmakers to protect those programs.
Trump uses public funds for 'Love me' ad that promotes himself
The White House is using public funds for a TV ad that promotes President Trump and his record, calling it a "public service announcement."
Federal judge rolls back landmark disability protections
The Justice Department said in June that it would no longer enforce laws that prioritized people with disabilities living and receiving services in their communities, rather than in nursing homes or facilities. It is making good on that promise.
Pioneer of China NewCo model sued in US over trade secret misuse, double-dealing
A legal feud unfolding in New York is putting a spotlight on the work of a business development veteran who is credited for pioneering one of biopharma’s hottest dealmaking mechanism: the China “NewCo” model. In a lawsuit originally filed in New York state court and recently moved to federal court, China’s Lepu Medical Technology has alleged that biopharma business development consultant Su Zhang, who was hired to help shop its GLP-1 weight-loss candidates to Western partners, engaged in corporate double-dealing and trade secret leaks. According to the complaint, while acting as Lepu’s primary dealmaking liaison for a group of obesity and metabolic disease drug candidates, Zhang was secretly double-dipping as the acting chief business officer for a direct competitor, BrightGene Pharmaceutical. “She never adequately disclosed the role, never sought Lepu’s consent, and never proposed any safeguard,” Lepu alleged in its complaint, which was filed in July after Zhang’s consulting firm, CoDevCo, sought certain transaction-based success fees from its angry customer through an arbitration process in Singapore. Lepu, the parent company of Lepu Biopharma, has asked Zhang to pay back its $500,000 retainer and disgorge all benefits she received during the alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, plus other damages and relief. The company has also requested the court grant injunctions to protect Lepu’s trade secrets. The ill-fated partnership officially kicked off in December 2024, when Lepu tapped CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism” to identify collaborators for the company’s drug candidates. According to Lepu’s complaint, Zhang personally negotiated and signed the agreement as managing director for CoDevCo, which used her home address. Before the Lepu deal, Zhang made a name following a short stint as the global head of business development for Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. It was during her tenure that Hengrui signed a landmark deal granting exclusive rights for a portfolio of GLP-1 assets to Hercules, which was at that time newly established by a group of private equity and venture capital firms. In addition to the regular upfront and milestone payments, Hengrui also gained an equity stake in Hercules, which later became Kailera Therapeutics. The Hengrui-Hercules deal opened a new paradigm, where a Chinese biopharma company spins off certain early-stage assets to investors for further development through the creation of a new company abroad. The “NewCo” model quickly came into vogue as it allows Western investors to access high-potential assets originating from China at an early stage while giving the Chinese licensors an opportunity to reap long-term benefits through equity stakes in the new firms. The NewCo model proved its value when Kailera staged a record-breaking $625 million IPO on Nasdaq this April, merely two years into the Hengrui deal. Related Kailera CEO 'knew we were in a good spot' before obesity biotech's record-breaking $625M IPO On her LinkedIn page, Zhang described her work at Hengrui as “[b]uilding team and capability from the ground up,” forming NewCo and major pharma partnerships worth billions of dollars. Lepu clearly wanted that kind of track record to help boost its own cardiometabolic portfolio, which includes a range of assets for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and muscle preservation during weight loss treatment. “Lepu’s pipeline is very valuable, but only if Lepu could secure the right international partner to expand into the overseas market during the available commercial window,” the company argued in its complaint. The Chinese biotech said it had little knowledge of U.S. laws, customs or business practices in the business development field, and therefore “needed to rely entirely” on the expertise of Zhang and her team as the firm’s first engagement of a U.S.-based BD consultant. “Zhang’s dominating influence on the business development strategy is further evidenced by the fact that she personally controlled the business-development communications on behalf of Lepu with potential partners,” Lepu said in its complaint. After entering the deal, Zhang introduced Lepu to her four associates. According to Lepu’s version of events, all of them were allegedly employed at different time points to perform similar jobs at other Chinese companies that Lepu described as its competitors, while having access to Lepu’s confidential information. As such, Lepu described Zhang’s team as “a roster of individuals whose primary professional loyalty, by virtue of their concurrent full-time employment, ran to Lepu’s competitors.” As well as the specific examples set out in the case, a look at Lepu’s deals over the period suggests Zhang may have been involved in at least one transaction. During their partnership, Lepu, through its subsidiary Shanghai Minwei Biotechnology, also out-licensed its GLP-1/GIP/FGF21 agonist MWN105 to a NewCo called Sidera Bio in the fall of 2025. The deal included an upfront and near-term payment of $35 million, up to $1.01 billion in milestones, and a 9.99% stake in the Danish startup. It seems likely that Zhang facilitated the Minwei deal given that Lepu is on record as having used CoDevCo as its “exclusive business development mechanism.” The big shock for Lepu came in the form of a news article on June 25, 2025. The article, reporting on phase 2 data for BrightGene’s GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist BGM0504, identified Zhang as acting chief business officer of the Lepu rival. Blindsided by her association with BrightGene, Lepu confronted Zhang in July 2025. “Lepu was given assurances that there was nothing to be concerned about and told that Zhang would explain the matter to Lepu,” Lepu alleged in its complaint. “Zhang never did.” Lepu claimed that Zhang had the motive and opportunity to steer potential prospective partners toward BrightGene or other competitors. Later, in February 2026, one of Zhang’s associates joined BrightGene as the vice president for global business development, according to the complaint. Around the same time, Lepu sent written demand letters asking Zhang to account for her BrightGene role, identify what confidential data were shared with the rival firm, and provide any conflict-of-interest or firewall policies during the engagement. According to Lepu, neither CoDevCo nor Zhang answered the questions in their responses. Related Novo vs. KBP: How a $1.3B deal turned into a fraud accusation and an international legal fight In a motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York on Sept. 4, Zhang’s legal team argued that Lepu’s agreement was signed with CoDevCo, and that an employee of the contractor does not owe fiduciary duties to the client. In its complaint, Lepu said: “That CoDevCo was the contracting entity does not insulate Zhang from personal liability for duties she personally undertook and personally breached.” Taking the argument one step further, the defending party argued that the consulting agreement “does not create a fiduciary relationship even between CoDevCo and Lepu; instead, it identifies CoDevCo as an independent contractor retained to market Lepu’s business to potential western partners.” Although CoDevCo was Lepu’s exclusive business-development contractor, there were no terms stipulating that the consulting firm should serve only Lepu, Zhang’s lawyer noted. As to Lepu’s claims that Zhang misappropriated trade secrets, the defendant argued that Lepu authorized the use of the information so Zhang’s team could perform their service per the agreement. In a rebuttal filed on Sept. 11, Lepu’s lawyer set out why they believe the Chinese biotech satisfied New York law’s misappropriation definition by alleging that the defendant used a trade secret “in breach of a duty or through improper means.” As an alternative to dismissing the suit, the defendant suggested the action should be stayed pending outcomes from the arbitration of a separate case in Singapore. While NewCo pioneer Zhang is defending her business arrangements, momentum behind the NewCo trend has continued unabated into 2026. Through August, Chinese biotech assets have spurred 15 NewCo deals this year, according to local trade publication PharmaDJ.
Meet the Michigan climate candidate on Trump’s radar
Less than two months ago, William Lawrence was a relatively unknown progressive climate group co-founder and a dark-horse candidate for Congress running in a Trump district in the middle of Michigan.
Democrats press RFK Jr. on an ethics agreement change involving law firm fees
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces scrutiny from congressional Democrats over ethics disclosures | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Muslim Americans push back as Republican politicians stoke anti-Sharia rhetoric ahead of election
Senator Ted Cruz targeted Muslim Americans at the recent Republican midterm convention, declaring that Sharia law “has no place in America.” It was part of a broader surge of GOP rhetoric condemning the religious code followed by Muslims in the U.S. and around the world. Muslim American leaders a...
Muslim Americans rebut new wave of anti-Sharia rhetoric from GOP politicians
Senator Ted Cruz targeted Muslim Americans at the recent Republican midterm convention, declaring that Sharia law “has no place in America.”
Muslim Americans push back as Republican politicians stoke anti-Sharia rhetoric ahead of election
Senator Ted Cruz targeted Muslim Americans at the recent Republican midterm convention, declaring that Sharia law “has no place in America.” It was part of a broader surge of GOP
Texas advocates warn proposed cuts to health, assistance programs could hurt vulnerable communities
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission proposed cuts to more than 20 client services programs. Dozens of Texas advocates testified at a legislative budget board hearing Thursday to ask state lawmakers to protect those programs.
Delaware awards $23M to local health centers, braces for Medicaid reductions
Three Delaware medical centers are poised to receive nearly $23 million this year as the state looks to bolster rural healthcare.
Virginia health committee considers mandating licensed nurses in every school
Virginia schools could be required to have a licensed nurse in every building starting in 2028, under a legislative proposal introduced Wednesday. The measure is designed to close healthcare gaps by placing experts in schools to manage complex medical conditions. Virginia permits school divisions to employ nurses, but state law doesn’t require it. About 8% […]
Author of America’s tariff statute: Trump’s tariffs are illegal
Ambassador Alan Wolff says President Donald Trump’s novel implementation of America’s tariff law is illegal and runs counter to how Congress intended the presidential power to be used.
Best of Denton 2026: Finance, Law and Business Services
Each year, The Denton Record-Chronicle hosts the Best of Denton awards to highlight a few deserving and beloved Denton businesses who are just the best at what they do. Here
NC Republican leader plans to address school library book controversies
Rep. Brenden Jones is warning that NC lawmakers may respond to local efforts to limit the public’s ability to remove books from school libraries.
Nintendo of America awarded $4.5m in lawsuit from Redditor for pirating Switch hardware and software
James C. Williams, also known as 'Archbox,' ordered to disable access to online shops offering pirated Switch games and social media accounts linked to piracy
US lawmakers pitch tax credit bill for entertainment industry
The law seeks to reshore production work for movies and TV to the US
Scattering neutrinos to probe the fundamental laws of the universe
As part of Ricochet, an international collaboration that studies neutrinos, MIT PhD student Faith Reyes progressed from learning the basics of the experiment to helping guide the work of other scientists.
Former Vanillaware veteran Takafumi Noma on new action RPG DAWNGAZER and building a transmedia fantasy IP that will “accommodate all kinds of stories and forms of gameplay”
WA lawmaker call for more oversight after Longview disaster
Although the state is facing a budget crisis, Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, said he “can’t think of a more worthy cause” for lawmakers to pass and fund.
National Forensic Science week brings attention to CSI investigators
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – CSI teams are sometimes an under-recognized part of many law enforcement agencies. But investigating crimes takes precision, skill, and focus. “Evidence doesn&…
Lawmakers introduce bill to create federal film tax credit
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a 20% federal film tax credit
Lawmakers introduce bill to create federal film tax credit
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a 20% federal film tax credit
Lawmakers introduce bill to create federal film tax credit
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a 20% federal film tax credit
CBA, Shen squaring off in midseason Class AA showdown
CBA (3-0) will travel to Shenendehowa (2-1) Friday night for a crucial Section 2 Class AA regular season meeting.
Pa. lawmakers face deadline to regulate and tax skill games
Pa. lawmakers have less than three weeks to reach a deal on skill games, including how to regulate and tax the machines.
Oregon political leaders demand emergency federal assistance for East Evans Creek Fire
Initial request was denied in late July; fire was sparked by a rollover crash in which a teen driver has been arrested Multiple Oregon federal lawmakers are requesting that the […]
Agents involved in Mar-a-Lago search ask Judge Aileen Cannon whether gag order blocks testimony
FBI agents who probed Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home asked Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday whether they could testify before a grand jury — or even consult their lawyers — as part of an investigation into whether former government officials conspired against the president.
Lawmakers debate solutions to violence against health care workers
The branches differ on the extent of penalties to impose on those who assault a health care worker.
Board of criticized North Dakota business financing program plans meeting to address audit
Officials overseeing a state-backed business financing program that drew critical audit findings and a sharp response from lawmakers plan to meet in coming weeks to address the situation.
Quality Behavioral Health Facing Federal Medicaid Fraud, Forced Labor Investigation
Quality Behavioral Health and its leader have petitioned the courts to have federal law enforcement give back $18.8 million in assets investigators seized
New York sues prediction market Polymarket
The lawsuit is the latest legal challenge to rein in betting apps.
Adventist Health's Sonora hospital settles sexual abuse lawsuit for $18.5M
Adventist Health Sonora will pay $18.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by seven women who say they were sexually abused by a physical therapist, the plaintiffs' law firm announced this week.
Senate rejects measure to block Trump from ordering more strikes on Iran
The administration ignored passage of a similar resolution in June, arguing that it lacks the force of law.
Police: Driver was high when he crashed into Massena home business
A St. Lawrence County man was allegedly high on drugs when he drove a pickup truck into a house in Massena Thursday morning.
Griffin MSI’s new design must go back to the drawing board: ‘Carbuncle in the park’
The two-story, 458-foot long entry pavilion threatens to visually overpower the landmark museum's historic entrance and great lawn.
Lawmakers Introduce 20-30% Federal Film Incentive
Lawmakers have introduce da 20%-30% stackable film incentive in a bid to restore domestic production.
Trump admin to end key part of arch review, effectively evading preservation law
The agency that oversees an important part of the National Historical Preservation Act says it will jettison a part of the approval process.
WSFS Financial Corp. opens 1st office in Lancaster County
Delaware-based WSFS Financial Corp. has expanded to Lancaster County with the opening of its first location here.
Reddit mod ordered to pay Nintendo $4.5 million in Switch piracy lawsuit
Nintendo’s copyright crusade continues.
Trump ad airing with government funding despite law against ‘propaganda’
A TV ad boosting President Trump and saying that it was paid for by the U.S. government is airing in two major markets despite a federal law against using tax funds for "propaganda."
McGonigle Is Running Away With AL Rookie of the Year
Kevin McGonigle sits inside the top five in all of baseball, and Keith Law has seen enough. #Tigers
Paid influencers quietly push political messaging on social media
Paid content creators are quietly pushing political messaging on social media platforms like TikTok to shape public opinion. Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell reacts to the trend and a new California law requiring political ad disclosure.
Nintendo Wins $4.5M In Switch Pirate Lawsuit
The court entered a default judgement in favor of Nintendo
Dutch consumer group files lawsuit against Epic for misleading young players on Fortnite, seeking more than €100m in compensation
"Epic deliberately designed the game to pressure players into buying. Young consumers are supposed to be protected from exactly that," says group
Trump is giving China’s Xi a warm welcome. But criticism is loud on Capitol Hill
Lawmakers from both parties are using the visit to denounce China’s actions on the world stage
CVS Health; Criteo Agree to Pay $20.5 Million to Resolve Website Tracking Litigation
Settlements have been agreed to resolve class action litigation against CVS Health & Criteo and American Wellness Corp. The lawsuits stem from their CVS & Health and Criteo have agreed to pay $20.5 million to resolve class action litigation over the use of website tracking tools. American Wellness Corp. has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a similar class action complaint.
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law
The incident is the first known breach to affect a government agency, and Australia's prime minister has vowed to hold OpenAI accountable.
Is metascience being co-opted?
In July, the White House released a report that argued academia is deeply dysfunctional and in need of radical reform.Science: A New Golden Age sets out a litany of problems many academics will recognise: interminable waits for grants; short-term funding rather than support for longer, more ambitious projects; ballooning administrative requirements; pressure to publish, and many more. “The scientific machine is getting bogged down,” it says. At least on the face of it, Science: A New Golden Age is a triumph for the metascience movement, a loose-knit, global group of academics, philanthropists and think tankers that want far more testing and experimentation in how we fund public research and innovation. The report tells US research funders to set up internal metascience units to do just this. But it has also set alarm bells ringing that metascience is being conveniently deployed to help justify the defunding of US universities, which US vice president JD Vance has openly labelled “the enemy.” “Just because you have an issue with your plumbing in your house doesn't mean you light the entire house on fire and burn it to the ground,” said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, a group campaigning against what it says are attacks on scientists by the Trump administration. No one is arguing that academia doesn’t need reform, but there’s debate over how far and how fast the system should be shaken up. Does public R&D need slow and steady evidence-based adjustment, or radical new experiments?One of the key arguments in Science: A New Golden Age is that there’s not enough funding for what it calls “mid-level” science: engineering-heavy projects that require tens of millions of dollars, involve ten to a hundred people, and last around five years. Such a project might develop a brain-computer interface for people with Alzheimer's disease, for example. As such, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already announced $1.5 billion to set up so-called X-Labs, effectively new research organisations to pursue breakthroughs in areas such as quantum sensing and new scientific instruments. Funding divertedBut there’s a catch: this money has squeezed NSF budgets for more traditional, fundamental research grants, Science reported in June, likely meaning less cash for university-based scientists. Science: A New Golden Age also makes various swipes at universities, accusing them of extracting overheads from scientists to fund administrative bloat. “We have become dependent on a narrow set of legacy institutions,” it says. The report doesn’t mention it, but the US government is simultaneously seeking greater powers over federal funding, which would allow political appointees at funding agencies to screen or cancel research grants mid-project. The White House is also seeking to slash the NSF’s budget by more than half in 2027, although similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by Congress. Convenient hookThis has worried some that the metascience agenda could be misused as a kind of smokescreen to further weaken universities. James Wilsdon, executive director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, said that the report contains lots of “interesting ideas” and agrees that in places, academia is a “pretty broken system.” But the risk is that metascience is being deployed as a “convenient hook” to support cuts and a “political land grab” to transfer grant power from scientists to political appointees in US funding agencies.So far, the metascience agenda hasn’t been seized on by radical right parties in Europe. But Wilsdon worries it will cross the Atlantic, politicising research reform efforts and making them more difficult to carry out. The report is already making some in Europe sceptical of the entire idea. “The system is not without flaws, but the metascience discussion is not likely to improve the system but rather to generate munition to undermine it,” said Claes de Vreese, a professor of AI and society at the University of Amsterdam. Peter Thiel protégéOfficially, Science: A New Golden Age has just one named author: Michael Kratsios, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former chief of staff to Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel. He also served as chief financial officer of Thiel’s Clarium Capital Management. Since the 1990s, Thiel has criticised US universities for moving away from teaching what he views as the classic works of western civilisation, and drifting towards “anti-Western zealotry.” And since 2011, he has offered two-year fellowships of $250,000 to young people to skip or drop out of university, and instead start companies or pursue scientific research. “College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new,” according to the Thiel Fellowships website. In other areas, the Trump administration has promoted academics with a longstanding interest in metascience. For example, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, in 2020 co-authored a study arguing the funder backs overly conservative proposals, although he achieved wider prominence as a critic of pandemic lockdowns. Careless talk costs fundingEven before the Trump administration embraced the metascience agenda, some metascientists privately wondered whether they should be careful not to overstate dysfunctions in academia, in case this gets used as ammunition against universities. But others think being cautious with criticism is pointless. After all, last year, the Trump administration sought to cut funding from US universities on an entirely different premise: supposed antisemitism on campus. “I don't think these governments need a technical metascientific excuse to attack the universities, they will want to do so anyway,” said Will Stone, a researcher at Science Works, a new think tank advocating for a “metascience revolution” in the UK. “I think researchers should report what they find, even when the findings may be used to advance policies they disagree with,” echoed Russell Funk, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who in 2023 co-authored a highly influential paper that argued scientific papers were becoming less disruptive over time. No justificationThat said, Funk thinks that metascientific research certainly doesn’t justify a weakening of universities. Instead, scientists need “time, resources and stability to pursue unfamiliar ideas,” he said. “Taking away those conditions works against the very goal the reforms are supposed to achieve.”The Institute for Progress, a Washington DC-based innovation policy think tank that has championed X-Labs and metascience units, also says that reforms should complement, not supplant, universities. “Unpredictable, unreliable, and reduced federal funding to researchers is destabilising to the very foundations of research and development and is bad,” said Jenn Gustetic, the institute’s director of metascience and R&D policy.Evolution or revolution?This points to a much bigger divide in the metascience community: how far and how fast should public R&D be shaken up? Does it need evolution or revolution? For example, Science: A New Golden Age says the science system relies too heavily on traditional “workhorse” project grants, the type that pay out around $250,000 a year to fund “hypothesis-driven science by small teams on tractable questions.” However, in criticising project grants, the report “decisively picks one side of a debate that is far from settled,” David Hilmer Rex, a metascientist based in Denmark, has written. In June, Pierre Azoulay, a metascientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defended project grants, saying that the alternative of X-Labs “merits scepticism.”A-B testingOne challenge in metascience is that it’s easier to generate evidence for some types of change than others. Most straightforwardly, research funders can run A-B tests on different ways of awarding money. For example, Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation recently trialled distributed peer review, where applicants rate each other’s proposals, and measured its results against traditional review panels. Distributed peer review made quicker decisions, although awarded money to largely different ideas. However, much of the focus of the metascience movement has been on founding fast-moving and free-acting new research organisations and funders, in contrast to the alleged stodginess of mainstream academia or public innovation grants. A culture of speed and freedom are the animating principles behind Germany’s Sprind or the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).Related articlesViewpoint: it's time to experiment with how Europe funds science European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationHowever, while it’s possible to closely study previously successful bodies, such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), for historical clues to their secret sauce, it’s impossible to guarantee in advance that the likes of Sprind or Aria will actually work as hoped. But advocates of new organisations say this inherent uncertainly shouldn’t stop us trying. “If we wait for definitive proof that something will work before we try it, I don't know where your proof is coming from,” said Stone. Trade-offsUp until now, experiments in metascience haven’t generally come with hard trade-offs over money. In the US, new ideas such as focused research organisations have often been funded by billionaire philanthropists. In Europe, new innovation agencies such as Sprind and Aria, or the Netherland’s new National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, haven’t needed explicit cuts elsewhere in the research system. But with the $1.5 billion establishment of X-Labs by the NSF, the trade-offs are becoming clearer. Some metascientists privately wonder whether a smaller pilot would have been more appropriate, given that the idea is untested. The Institute for Progress counters that the $1.5 billion X-Labs budget is spread out over a decade, so will account for less than 2% of the NSF’s annual budget. “It’s important to remember that [Darpa] was once an institutional experiment as well. Now it’s one of the most cited innovative funding models in the world,” said Gustetic.As for Europe?The US isn’t the only country placing metascience at the heart of its research strategy. Science: A New Golden Age looks admiringly at the UK, which in 2024 set up a Metascience Unit to scrutinise how it funds research. In Brussels, it’s more of a mixed picture. In 2018, the EU set up the European Innovation Council to funnel grants and equity to start-ups, although it’s sometimes criticised for awarding money too slowly. Recently, the council has started experimenting with challenges, where teams of inventors compete to overcome a technological challenge. The European Commission also wants to experiment with partially randomising grant winners, to cut down on bureaucracy. However, the Commission’s own advisers have said the EU’s own research schemes are too conventional. They want the Commission to establish a new dedicated unit to scrutinise and experiment with funding. But there’s no sign of a such unit emerging in Brussels’ plans for the next Horizon Europe programme, which from 2028 is set to distribute more than €160 billion over seven years. Sam Bogerd, director of breakthrough innovation at the Brussels-based Arq Foundation, an AI-focused think tank that also looks at metascience, says that Europe might have the opposite problem to the US: universities and basic research funding are still reasonably well supported, but there’s not enough experimentation. “We're not taking a close enough look at where this money can achieve the most, and I am worried that the good ideas around metascience will be tainted politically by their association with the Trump administration,” he said. He’s still lobbying for the Commission to set up an experimental unit. But in the meantime, the Arq Foundation plans to do its own research, and is currently hiring two metascience researchers to run the rule over how Brussels spends research funding.
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Trump SBA to Extend Comment Period After Ranking Member Markey Leads Effort to Rescind SBA Policy that Reclassifies Billion-Dollar Businesses as “Small Businesses”
Trump admin policy would reclassify 114,000 larger businesses as “small” to access small business resources and win federal contracts meant for small businesses Letter (PDF) (Washington, September 23) – This week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its plans to extend the deadline to submit comments on its controversial proposed rule regarding small business size standards until November 20. The Trump SBA’s announcement came shortly after Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), alongside 12 of his Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Administrator Kelly Loeffler demanding that the Trump SBA rescind a harmful policy that would dramatically redefine what a small business is. The Administration’s proposed policy would change the small business size standard to designate 114,000 larger companies some with annual revenue above $1 billion—as small businesses, giving these businesses access to small business resources and federal contracts typically set aside for actual small businesses. In the letter, Ranking Member Markey and the lawmakers emphasized that small businesses will be shut out of the federal contracting space as government agencies award contracts to larger businesses, causing small businesses to lose revenue, lay off workers, or close their businesses entirely. “For more than 70 years, SBA’s mission has been clear: promote and protect the interests and viability of small businesses. By proceeding with this proposed methodology and rule, SBA moves further away from its mission of facilitating healthy small business participation in the U.S. economy. We urge SBA to rescind these proposals, meet in earnest with small businesses across the country, and discuss the proposal and methodology with congressional committees of jurisdiction. SBA must be committed to developing measured increases to the size standards that do not reward large, billion-dollar companies but instead helps our small businesses survive, grow, and thrive.” The lawmakers highlighted the following points in their letter: Under the Trump SBA’s new size standards, the highest receipts-based standard would exceed $1 billion in annual revenue—more than 20 times the current $47 million maximum—and the highest employee-based standard would reach 3,600 employees—more than twice the current 1,500 employee maximum. Specific increases include an increase in size of nearly 492% for banks, 1,500% for law firms, and more than 2,051% for private equity firms. Of the 114,000 businesses that would be newly classified as small, more than 37,000 of these businesses have collectively won more than 100,000 federal contracts worth approximately $71 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 alone without a small business designation. If SBA included the awards won by these 37,000 businesses in its Fiscal Year 2025 analysis, small business contracts would have accounted for 38% of all federal contracts, instead of the 27% that SBA announced this summer. The letter was co-signed by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Christopher Coons (D-Dela.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). Ranking Member Markey is fighting to protect small businesses in Massachusetts and across the country from the Trump SBA’s harmful policies that put big businesses and billionaires over American small businesses, workers, and families. In August, Ranking Member Markey slammed the Trump SBA’s proposal to overhaul its small business size standards to benefit big businesses over small businesses. In July, Ranking Member Markey and House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to start and grow their businesses. Also in July, Ranking Member Markey and Senator Hirono submitted a comment letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) opposing a proposed rule change by Trump’s SBA to the 8(a) Business Development Program that would harm underserved small business owners and entrepreneurs. In June, Ranking Member Markey released a new report highlighting Trump’s drastic reduction in federal contracting dollars awarded to American small businesses. ###
Iowa judge dismisses Trump’s lawsuit against Des Moines Register and pollster
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