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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
States sue over Trump cuts to research funding, STEM diversity efforts
By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A group of U.S. states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the administration of President Donald Trump from making massive cuts to federal funding for scientific research and projects focused on increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. The attorneys general of 16 states, including New York, California, Illinois, and New Jersey, say the Trump administration lacks the power to cap research funding and eliminate diversity programs provided by the National Science Foundation that were mandated by Congress. The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court. Earlier this month, 13 major U.S. universities sued over NSF's decision to cap reimbursement for indirect research costs such as lab space and equipment at 15%, which mirrored funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Energy that judges have temporarily blocked. Wednesday's lawsuit also challenges the cap at NSF along with the elimination of programs designed to boost the participation of women, minorities and people with disabilities in STEM fields. The states say both efforts could cause the U.S. to lose its position as a global leader in STEM research. "Institutions will not be able to maintain essential research infrastructure and will be forced to significantly scale back or halt research, abandon numerous projects, and lay off staff," they said. The NSF declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House has proposed slashing NSF's $8.8 billion budget by more than 55%, and said it plans to restructure and drastically downsize the agency. New York Attorney General Letitia James said people use technology made possible by NSF funding every time they go online, scan a barcode at a store, or get an MRI scan. 'This administration's attacks on basic science and essential efforts to ensure diversity in STEM will weaken our economy and our national security," James, a Democrat, said in a statement. The states claim that the reimbursement cap would devastate scientific research at universities throughout the country. James' office said New York state universities received $104 million in NSF funding last year, which supported research into microelectronics, climate research and battery technology. They claim the cap and the elimination of diversity programs violate a federal law barring "arbitrary and capricious" actions by agencies, and violate the constitutional separation of powers by encroaching on funding decisions made by Congress.
The National
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Davy Russell body swerves yet another campaign event
THE campaign for the Holyrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, which is due to be held on Thursday next week, has its very own campaign song now, an adaptation of the Brave Sir Robin song from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Brave Davy Russell ran away. Bravely ran away, away! When scrutinty reared its ugly head, He bravely turned his tail and fled. Yes, brave Davy Russell turned about And gallantly he chickened out. Brave Davy Russell has body swerved yet another campaign event, a hustings organised by campaign group No Cuts Lanarkshire. He was represented at the event by the Labour leader of South Lanarkshire Council, Joe Fagan, who insisted that Russell couldn't attend the hustings as he was at an "NHS event. Possibly he was away at the local hospital having an MRI brain scan to discern whether he's actually capable of stringing a coherent sentence together. On learning that Russell was yet again a no-show, the Tory candidate Richard Nelson announced that he would not be taking part. Nelson has a side gig as a comedy hypnotist, perhaps he was just relieved to find an excuse not to participate when he realised that not even hypnotism was going to get those attending the event to believe that the Tories have anything meaningful to say about combating poverty. Nelson said: 'I don't think it's right that I debate the council leader. I would have rather debated with Davy Russell, with the actual candidate. So, I'm going to withdraw from here because I don't think it's fair that the leader of the council comes on his behalf." Russell has consistently refused to participate in hustings, debates and media interviews since the campaign began. This has led many to wonder how Russell can speak up for the people of Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse when he doesn't even seem capable of speaking up for himself. After councillor Fagan made his opening remarks on behalf of the absent Labour candidate, a woman in the audience asked him: "How can you stand and say your speech and say about how Davy Russell is going to lead for the constituency, going to stand in Holyrood and speak for the people of this constituency when he can't turn up to radio interviews, when he can't turn up to hustings, when he can't speak without Anas Sarwar by his side?" Fagan responded: "Well, right now, he is at an event on the NHS." The woman retorted: "He's always at an event, Joe." During an interview on BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland show this morning, Labour's Scottish leader Anas Sarwar half-heartedly attempted to defend his perennially absent candidate and his party's woeful campaign in a by-election which a year ago would have been Labour's for the taking, but now it looks – not merely as a hold for the SNP – but as though Labour may struggle to hold on to second place. Asked by host Gary Robertson why Russell appears to be avoiding all debates, hustings, and media interviews, including an invitation to appear on the very programme the Labour leader was currently on, Sarwar could only reply: "That's a matter for the campaign team and the campaign." It's quite remarkable that Sarwar can't even take responsibility for his own party's Holyrood election campaign. It's his only job. Sarwar then insisted that Russell had done media interviews and would be doing more in future, there's only a week of campaigning left, but he's hoping we haven't noticed. He's also hoping we haven't noticed his own litany of broken promises. Those must be media interviews that exist only in Sarwar's imagination, just like the way he's standing up to Keir Starmer. During the interview, Sarwar even managed to get Russell's name wrong, calling him Davy Hamilton before quickly correcting himself. But it's unfair to criticise Sarwar too much for that, he probably hasn't seen much of Davy Hamilton, sorry, Davy Russell either. UK trade envoy visits Israel Just a week after Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced that the UK was suspending trade talks with Israel in protest at Israel's withholding of food and medical aid to Gaza, the UK Government's trade envoy to Israel, Lord Ian Austin, was pictured in Haifa in northern Israel, where he said the British Government would continue to encourage "British businesses to export to Israel and Israeli businesses to invest in the UK". Austin is due to remain in Israel until Friday in order to "maintain" the UK Government's relationship with Israeli businesses. Now the British Palestinian Committee, an independent organisation of British Palestinians advocating for Palestinian rights, has written to Lammy arguing that the visit "appears to directly contradict" the UK Government's previous condemnation of Israel. Dr Sara Husseini, the director of the organisation, said that the "limited steps" against Israel by the UK Government "are already being undermined". In its letter to Lammy, the committee wrote: "One week ago, you announced the suspension of free trade agreement negotiations with Israel in light of its ongoing military assault on Gaza. "Yesterday morning, the UK Trade Envoy to Israel, Lord Ian Austin, publicly stated on X that he was in Israel to 'promote trade with the UK' meeting with Israeli businesses and officials. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv further amplified this message by publishing a photo of Lord Austin at the Haifa Port. "This visit appears to directly contradict your Government's recent announcement and suggests that business continues as usual, despite almost 600 days of Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza." The committee has called on Lammy to clarify the nature and mandate of Austin's visit to Israel and "take appropriate steps to ensure that the government is not reneging on its own policy". The UK Government had previously insisted that the visit was unrelated to the recently suspended new free trade deal and that Austin was not involved in trade negotiations.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Contributor: Biden's cancer diagnosis should be a teaching moment
Joe Biden's metastatic cancer diagnosis brings together two controversial issues: PSA testing for prostate cancer and presidential politics. To understand what is at stake Americans need basic information about PSA testing, and a frank discussion of the reasoning behind the prostate cancer screening decisions in the former president's case. The dribble of information we've gotten only creates more uncomfortable questions for Biden and his family. The absence of adequate explanation also fails to contribute to public appreciation of these important medical issues. The prostate, a walnut-shaped gland at the base of the bladder, produces 'prostate specific antigen,' or PSA. Chemically classed as a glycoprotein, a sugar/protein aggregate, it leaks from the prostate into the blood, where its level can be measured with routine blood testing. As men age, the prostate enlarges, increasing PSA levels. Screening tests take advantage of the fact that prostate cancer usually leaks more PSA than normal prostate tissue. And in the case of prostate cancer, the PSA typically rises relatively fast. Read more: 6 doctors on Biden's cancer diagnosis, how it may have arisen and his treatment options Beyond these basic facts, the PSA story becomes hazy. Although an elevated PSA may signal cancer, most men with an elevated PSA have benign prostate enlargement, not prostate cancer. Worse yet for screening, many men with prostate cancer have a mild and slow-moving disease that requires no treatment. They coexist with their disease rather than dying of it. This fact leads to the old adage that prostate cancer is the disease of long-lived popes and Supreme Court justices. Medical advisory panels view PSA screening with skepticism partly due to the challenges of distinguishing benign PSA elevations from those related to cancer. Confirming a suspected cancer diagnosis requires prostate biopsies that can be painful and can produce side effects. Additionally, once a diagnosis is made, patients who might have coexisted with their disease may needlessly be subject to the harms of treatment, such as radiation and surgery. Finally, the benefits of early treatment of prostate cancer have been difficult to prove in clinical studies. For all these reasons medical advisory panels have discouraged widespread testing or recommend a nuanced approach with careful discussion of risk and benefits between patients and their physicians. Read more: Column: History alone should have made more reporters skeptical about Biden's health Despite these concerns, the pendulum has swung toward more PSA testing in recent years. One reason is that improvements in radiographic imaging, such as MRI, allow for 'active surveillance' that can track early lesions for signs of spread, allowing doctors to distinguish between relatively benign cases of prostate cancer and those likely to progress. Interventions can then be directed more specifically to those at high risk. In my medical practice, I have generally been an advocate for prostate cancer screening despite the controversy surrounding the clinical benefits. My experience leads me to believe that early diagnosis improves prognosis. But even without improved medical outcomes, patients and their families still benefit from early diagnosis for the purposes of planning. No one wants to be sideswiped by a late-stage symptomatic disease that limits both clinical and life choices. In Biden's case, after some initial delay a spokesperson revealed on May 20 that there had been no PSA testing since 2014, during Biden's vice presidency. The reasons were not revealed. Read more: Contributor: We all saw Biden's decline in real time. The scandal is how few people cared Such a decision might have been justified based on questions about the benefits and risks of PSA testing. However, given the importance of the health of a vice president and potential future president one might have expected doctors to err on the side of more information. The omission invites speculation that the political implications of a borderline or increasing PSA might have played a decisive role. More information regarding his last PSA and the basis for the decision not to continue screening might put such speculation to rest. In the past, the public has gained insight into important medical conditions from the unfortunate maladies affecting the first families. Colon cancer screening received increased attention after President Reagan's diagnosis in 1985. Betty Ford's public disclosure of her struggles with alcoholism and prescription drug dependency helped de-stigmatize treatment for substance use disorders. Biden's illness also offers an opportunity. Consider that prostate cancer poses the greatest cancer mortality risk faced by non-smoking American men. Transparency in dealing with the former president's condition would serve the public interest by increasing awareness and understanding of the important, nuanced care decisions faced by so many men. Daniel J. Stone is an internist and geriatrician in Beverly Hills. If it's in the news right now, the L.A. Times' Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Latest injury updates on Indiana Fever star
The Indiana Fever are facing the Washington Mystics for the first time of the 2025 WNBA season on Wednesday. It will mark the first time since the final game of the 2023 WNBA regular season that the Fever will be without the services of star point guard Caitlin Clark as she deals with a left quad injury. In Clark's stead, the Fever are expected to primarily rely on Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham to man the point. Meanwhile, center Aliyah Boston and off-the-ball guard Kelsey Mitchell will be asked to shoulder a larger scoring load with the sharpshooting Clark out of the lineup. CAITLIN CLARK INJURY: Fever taking 'long-game approach' to star's absence Here's what to know about Clark's status both for Wednesday's game and moving forward. Clark is not expected to play in the Fever's game against the Mystics on Wednesday. She will miss her first game of the 2025 WNBA season as she deals with a left quad strain. Clark's absence will mark the first time during her college and professional careers she has missed a game due to injury. She played 139 games while at Iowa and 46 games during her first season-plus with the Fever. CAITLIN CLARK INJURY EFFECT: Ticket prices drastically fall with Indiana Fever star out The Fever announced Monday that Clark is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks while recovering from a left quad strain. "I don't know when it happened," Fever coach Stephanie White said of the injury Monday, according to the Indianapolis Star. "I know (after the Liberty game) we got a message that something was going on with her leg and they were getting an MRI, and then we got the word." White clarified Clark's injury is a new one and is not an aggravation of the left quad injury that caused the star point guard to miss a preseason game against the Mystics. Indiana is set to play four games during the initial two weeks Clark is expected to be out of the lineup. They are as follows: Wednesday, May 28: at Washington Mystics Friday, May 30: vs. Connecticut Sun Tuesday, June 3: vs. Washington Mystics Saturday, June 7: at Chicago Sky As difficult as Clark's absence will be for the Fever, White said the silver lining is it happened early in the season. "Certainly we'd rather have it early than late," White said. "It's a great opportunity for our team to find an identity. It's a great opportunity for our team to play in a different way. And I also think it's a great opportunity for Caitlin to watch the game from the sideline and to grow and almost like a coaching kind of mindset, and see some different things that we might be talking about on film, addressing in practice, to see it develop in live action." Clark is the Fever's leading scorer and leads the WNBA in assists per game to start the 2025 season. Here's a look at the 2024 Rookie of the Year's full stats per game: Minutes: 35 Points: 19 Rebounds: 6 Assists: 9.3 Steals: 1.3 Blocks: 1 Turnovers: 5 FG%: 40.3 3P%: 31.4 The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark injury update: Is Fever star playing today vs Mystics?
USA Today
18 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Latest injury updates on Indiana Fever star
Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Latest injury updates on Indiana Fever star Show Caption Hide Caption Diana Taurasi believes the 'physicality' of the WNBA decreasing USAT's Meghan Hall catches up with WNBA legend Diana Taurasi and her reaction the the Fever-Sky game and how the physical aspect of the W is changing. Sports Seriously The Indiana Fever are facing the Washington Mystics for the first time of the 2025 WNBA season on Wednesday. It will mark the first time since the final game of the 2023 WNBA regular season that the Fever will be without the services of star point guard Caitlin Clark as she deals with a left quad injury. In Clark's stead, the Fever are expected to primarily rely on Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham to man the point. Meanwhile, center Aliyah Boston and off-the-ball guard Kelsey Mitchell will be asked to shoulder a larger scoring load with the sharpshooting Clark out of the lineup. CAITLIN CLARK INJURY: Fever taking 'long-game approach' to star's absence Here's what to know about Clark's status both for Wednesday's game and moving forward. Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Clark is not expected to play in the Fever's game against the Mystics on Wednesday. She will miss her first game of the 2025 WNBA season as she deals with a left quad strain. Clark's absence will mark the first time during her college and professional careers she has missed a game due to injury. She played 139 games while at Iowa and 46 games during her first season-plus with the Fever. CAITLIN CLARK INJURY EFFECT: Ticket prices drastically fall with Indiana Fever star out Caitlin Clark injury update The Fever announced Monday that Clark is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks while recovering from a left quad strain. "I don't know when it happened," Fever coach Stephanie White said of the injury Monday, according to the Indianapolis Star. "I know (after the Liberty game) we got a message that something was going on with her leg and they were getting an MRI, and then we got the word." White clarified Clark's injury is a new one and is not an aggravation of the left quad injury that caused the star point guard to miss a preseason game against the Mystics. Indiana is set to play four games during the initial two weeks Clark is expected to be out of the lineup. They are as follows: Wednesday, May 28: at Washington Mystics Friday, May 30: vs. Connecticut Sun Tuesday, June 3: vs. Washington Mystics Saturday, June 7: at Chicago Sky As difficult as Clark's absence will be for the Fever, White said the silver lining is it happened early in the season. "Certainly we'd rather have it early than late," White said. "It's a great opportunity for our team to find an identity. It's a great opportunity for our team to play in a different way. And I also think it's a great opportunity for Caitlin to watch the game from the sideline and to grow and almost like a coaching kind of mindset, and see some different things that we might be talking about on film, addressing in practice, to see it develop in live action." Caitlin Clark stats 2025 Clark is the Fever's leading scorer and leads the WNBA in assists per game to start the 2025 season. Here's a look at the 2024 Rookie of the Year's full stats per game: Minutes : 35 : 35 Points : 19 : 19 Rebounds : 6 : 6 Assists : 9.3 : 9.3 Steals : 1.3 : 1.3 Blocks : 1 : 1 Turnovers : 5 : 5 FG% : 40.3 : 40.3 3P%: 31.4 The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
