The US Senate Committee on Appropriations has indicated that it will reject the massive budget cuts that President Donald Trump has proposed for some science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA. Although the proposed Senate bill is far from being passed, there is “cautious optimism, as opposed to the doom and gloom over the past three months”, says Evans. “If there’s real appetite for bipartisan commitment to the science budgets, that’s a huge win.”
In this commentary piece for The Conversation, postdoctoral associate Salah Ben Hammou outlines five common features of recent coups in West Africa: contagion across borders, popular civilian support, muted international responses, coup leaders learning to consolidate power, and a turn away from Western partners toward Russia. Hammou argues that recognizing these patterns is crucial for developing more effective strategies to defend and restore democracy in the region.
A new report by the Commonwealth Fund has revealed the states with the best and worst health care systems, based on 50 different measures. Texas was ranked as the state with the second-worst health care system.
Vivian Ho, chair in health economics at Rice University, explained to Newsweek how support lent to public health systems, cost control, and policy choices made by state leaders — such as whether to expand Medicare under the Affordable Care Act — all factor into a state's respective rankings.
“The American public doesn't understand that consolidated healthcare systems are charging prices that earn them extraordinary profits, which raises the costs of employer-provided health insurance," she said. "That's why so many Americans have to rely on Obamacare or Medicaid for health insurance, or go without coverage at all. Shopping for healthcare has become extremely complicated, and I blame employers for not being more aggressive in designing benefits for their workers that exercise better price sensitivity.”
Despite federal rules, most Oregon hospitals still fail to provide clear, usable pricing info — leaving patients in the dark. Health economist Vivian Ho notes many systems "technically comply" while withholding prices for services patients actually need. Transparency exists in name, not in practice.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Neal Lane and Michael Riordan warn that deep cuts to the National Science Foundation under Trump threaten U.S. scientific leadership. The proposed budget slashes funding by over 50%, risking innovation, climate research, and early-career support. They urge Congress to act before long-term damage to national progress and security becomes irreversible.