R.F.K. Jr. Clashes With Democrats in Testy Hearings The New York Times
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R.F.K. Jr. Clashes With Democrats in Testy Hearings – The New York Times
Alexandria Mazei, Ph.D. – Cornerstone University
Alexandria Mazei, Ph.D. (ABD), serves as assistant professor of marketing and co-director of the Creativity & Innovation Honors Institute at Cornerstone University. Following a career in corporate banking as a branch manager and digital marketer, she joined the university’s faculty in August 2019. As a faculty member, Mazei has demonstrates her passion for seeing students succeed while teaching courses such as Principles of Marketing, Marketing Management, Consumer Behavior and Marketing Communications through the lens of a Christian worldview. In both her pedagogical approach and leadership, she demonstrates Christlike virtues and teaches students to do the same as Christ-centered business leaders.
Mazei completed a Doctor of Philosophy in business administration with a specialization in marketing at National University. Her dissertation advances knowledge in contemporary digital marketing, examining the experience of influencers working with brands. She also holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in business administration from Northwood University.
In addition to her work at Cornerstone, Mazei remains active in the West Michigan community. She volunteers as the high school youth director at her church, works as the social media manager and digital brand strategist for Pottery Lane GR, and serves as a board member for Community West Credit Union. She also fulfills responsibilities as an advisory board member for Ingalls Pictures, an independent film company, and is a founding board member of Igniser, a nonprofit organization that is committed to stopping human trafficking in Ecuador.
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Trump-Era Cuts, Truth Bans Fuel Growing Racial Divide In U.S. Education – The Seattle Medium
By Stacy M. Brown, Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Despite the promise of equal opportunity heralded by the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, a new WalletHub report reveals that America’s educational system remains critically unequal—especially for Black students. The disparities, experts say, have only widened in recent years, worsened by former President Donald Trump’s dismantling of federal education funding and his administration’s attacks on teaching real American history. WalletHub’s analysis ranked states by racial equality in education, using key metrics such as gaps in graduation rates, college degree attainment, and standardized test scores between Black and white students. Wyoming, New Mexico, and West Virginia top the list for equity, while Connecticut, Minnesota, and Wisconsin rank lowest. According to the report, school districts with predominantly white students receive $23 billion more in funding per year than districts with majority nonwhite students. “Promoting racial equality in education can have a significant impact on promoting equality in the overall economy,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “It is essential to ensure that all school districts receive sufficient funding, the latest technology, and equal opportunities for tutoring and extracurricular activities.”
But instead of addressing these inequities, Trump and his allies have stripped resources from schools, gutted the Department of Education, and fiercely opposed instruction that addresses America’s history of racism, slavery, and systemic inequality. Their rejection of Critical Race Theory—often a stand-in for broader discussions about race—has sparked book bans, curriculum censorship, and efforts to whitewash the past. Rodney Coates, a WalletHub expert and professor at Miami University, said the system is structurally rigged. “Race and class are both associated with differential school spending. Poor areas—mostly Black, Native American, and Hispanic—have lower per-pupil spending across our country,” Coates said. “Educational opportunity and a commitment to excellence are the only lasting solutions.”
The report details how states like Connecticut and Wisconsin—among the worst for racial equity—suffer from wide gaps in high school graduation rates and access to advanced coursework. In contrast, states like Hawaii and New Mexico show narrower gaps in test scores and degree attainment. “It’s not just about race, but the effects are highly racialized,” said Shauna Lani Shames, a WalletHub expert and political science professor at Rutgers University. “Schools remain segregated today by geography and class, which are deeply tied to race due to generations of redlining and discriminatory policies.” The pandemic and recent economic downturns have exacerbated the problem. As WalletHub expert Tyrone Howard of UCLA explained, the regression in math and reading scores for Black and Brown students is alarming, and without targeted resources—school counselors, academic support, and mental health services—the gaps will only grow.
William McCorkle, also a WalletHub expert and an education professor at the College of Charleston, noted structural barriers in South Carolina that perpetuate inequality. “Even at the kindergarten level, some children are divided based on gifted and talented programs, which are almost completely based on parental income.” According to experts, solving these inequities requires more than just increased funding. It demands a commitment to truth, accurate teaching of history, and valuing every student regardless of their background. “Every person deserves the finest education we can provide,” said WalletHub Expert Dr. Kim Scipes, a professor emeritus of sociology at Purdue University Northwest. “Despite its wide usage, there is no white race, no black race, no brown race—there is only one race, the human race,” Scipes stated.
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Health is wealth: why preventive care is the smartest financial move – highlandernews.org
Newsom’s proposed healthcare cuts could leave Californians waiting for health crises that cost thousands.
In May 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a budget to curb a foreseen deficit of $12 billion. One of the proposals includes cutting spending on Medi-Cal, the phased out healthcare program for undocumented immigrants. In Newsom’s proposition, he intends to cancel enrollment for new beneficiaries in 2026 and start some assessed monthly premiums in 2027 in order to save $5.4 billion by 2029. While these cuts may balance future budgets, the increased expenses waiting for treatment among California patients will far exceed costs if they cannot access preventive care.
The United States (U.S.) is the largest spender on healthcare in the world, with an outstanding $4.9 trillion allocated in 2023. Despite heavy investment in healthcare programs, chronic diseases continue to deprive nearly 60 percent of adults, including heart disease and cancer. With preventive early care, which emphasizes being proactive and receiving regular health screenings that provide lifestyle counseling and early detection, many chronic diseases can be managed more effectively or prevented.
When diseases remain undiagnosed, it may lead to the growth of the illnesses, causing patients to rely on costly emergency medical services, such as emergency room visits, to address the health issue. In addition, the maturation of a disease can contribute to straining health issues or even fatality. Such practices have been proven to reduce the financial burden of chronic health by catching diseases earlier, lowering emergency care costs and improving workforce productivity.
Routine doctor visits can detect medical problems before they become costly emergencies. Early disease detection can prevent $517,000 in avoidable costs per chronic disease patient. The savings don’t only consist of medical bills, but also of missed workdays and drug expenses. The later in life that the diagnosis is made, the more severe the physical consequences and the greater the healthcare costs, such as in cases of untreated heart disease. Governor Newsom’s new strategy of reducing access to healthcare to address an estimated $12 billion budget deficit could exacerbate the problem, as losing non-urgent coverage will likely result in more late-stage diagnoses and higher long-term costs to the state.
Preventive care is necessary to reduce expensive emergency care. Approximately 13 to 27 percent of emergency room visits can be addressed as effectively in a doctor’s clinic or an urgent care center. If patients didn’t manage health conflicts through physician clinics and emergency care, a total of $4.4 billion could be saved annually. This consists of unnecessary tests and procedures, along with lower facility fees.
Due to the many obstacles in accessing affordable healthcare and prompt treatment, many people use emergency rooms for non-life-threatening illnesses. In 2023, more than 28 percent of U.S. adults delayed or gave up on receiving medical care. This is a deeply concerning statistic that sheds light on how barriers of cost and access are still driving many Americans away from vital preventive services.
Put simply, one of the major reasons people do not seek preventative care is because of the financial burden related to regular checkups. According to a 2018 Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved study, 45 percent of respondents postponed or avoided treatment because of cost. Financial hardship was found to be a major motivator for people to postpone or forgo both preventative and nonpreventive treatment. This shows how even insured people may run across financial hurdles that stop them from getting regular preventive care.
Regular check-ups and managing chronic diseases at a stable state and vaccinations can help keep an individual healthy and detect health problems early. Addressing community health problems before they hit the emergency room or become expensive hospital cases is the most cost-effective option. California has started several programs to improve access to preventive care. In 2023, the state launched an enhanced cost-sharing reduction program through Covered California, which reduces out-of-pocket expenses for over 600,000 enrollees, eliminating financial barriers to accessing preventative services. The state must continue to support these healthcare services and programs that increase affordability through funding.
Preventive care reduces financial loss by helping individuals receive a stable income. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified chronic diseases as the primary cause of healthcare costs, resulting in an annual loss of $2.7 trillion in economic productivity in the U.S. Moreover, preventative care keeps employees at the workplace rather than in a hospital bed, allowing them to remain productive members of society and support the economy through their labor.
In addition, allowing employees to collect their full paycheck facilitates greater stability in their lives. Avoiding hospital visits enables wage earners to allocate their spending toward providing for their families, freeing them of a heavy financial burden. Moreover, by using preventive care, families and friends are kept with their loved ones, without the distance that comes with hospitalizations. Newsom’s proposal to slash funding for healthcare could create more distance, as increased hospitalizations may result from fewer people being able to afford the preventive care that keeps them out of hospitals.
In a world where maintaining one’s health is becoming increasingly expensive, preventive care serves both as a health measure and an economic remedy. The data shows that early detection of disease significantly lessens the strain an individual bears financially. Preventive care is an essential intervention to halt treatable conditions from developing into chronic emergencies and cut health expenses down the line. Considering these advantages, Governor Newsom should invest in expanding access to state healthcare programs rather than cutting them. Investments that would save long-term expenses by lowering the necessity of emergency interventions and keeping Californians financially active.
By intervening early, fewer people are forced through hospital doors and continue to fulfill their earning potential without the potential financial constraints that come from emergency care and harsh chronic diseases. Overall, the phrase “health is wealth” is a mantra worth spreading in today’s world.
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Culture Shift: Americans Are Ditching Fitness Influencers and Trusting Themselves – SGB Media
Americans have grown increasingly skeptical of the $100 billion fitness industry, according to a new study from Mythology and Vytal World, with 47 percent of active adults trusting their body’s signals over those of experts, influencers and tracking technology when making fitness decisions.
Rejecting traditional fitness culture in favor of self-trust and longevity-focused approaches, the findings are from “The End of Expert Rule,” a comprehensive study conducted by creative agency Mythology and Insights partner Vytal World that uncovers a cultural shift in how people relate to exercise and wellness.
“People are questioning the assumption that someone else knows their body better than they do. This isn’t about rejecting science or expertise entirely, [but] pushing back against the commodification of health and the obsessive culture that we’ve seen,” shared Mythology and Vytal World in a media release.
“People are questioning the assumption that someone else knows their body better than they do,” says L Parker Barnum, managing director at Mythology. “But this isn’t about rejecting science or expertise entirely—it’s about pushing back against the commodification of health and the obsessive culture that we’ve seen over the years.”
The End of Performative Suffering
The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults active in fitness highlights a striking rejection of what the report’s authors call “performative suffering,” with nearly 30 percent identifying the “no pain, no gain” mindset as the most outdated fitness status symbol. Just 7 percent of adults place primary trust in AI systems or tracking technology, challenging the notion that we need constant digital monitoring to achieve wellness.
The report identifies four key aspects driving this cultural shift:
“Our findings suggest we’re witnessing a maturation of fitness culture,” added Natalie Mbogo, co-founder and chief strategist of Vytal World. “Rather than the ‘hustle culture’ fitness of the 2010s with its celebration of exhaustion, people are now prioritizing long-term health, injury prevention and mental well-being.”
Sobering Implications for Brands
These findings present a significant challenge for brands, as successful companies will need to evolve from authorities to partners, acknowledging customers’ expertise, creating spaces for knowledge sharing, and focusing on how products “feel” rather than just how they look.
“Influencer fatigue is real,” the study notes, suggesting that brands must recalibrate their marketing efforts to account for this shift in influence or risk losing relevance as consumers increasingly forge their own paths.
Mythology is an independent creative company based in NYC, founded and led by Anthony Sperduti, with partners Audrey Attal, Ted Galperin, Kim Haxton, and Sophie Mascatello. Vytal World is a research company that reports on how brands understand and connect with their audiences. Through collaborative, community-driven methodologies, with active participants in the research process, creating a more meaningful understanding that leads to more authentic and effective brand strategies.
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Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health receives grants to improve services – Canton Repository
CANTON – Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health has been awarded more than $217,000 in new grant funding from six community-focused foundations and agencies to enhance service delivery, support families and improve internal operations across Stark County.
The grants were awarded by the Health Foundation of Greater Massillon, Massillon Rotary Foundation, North Canton Medical Foundation, United Way of Greater Stark County, the SummerTime Kids program, and the Roy H. Powell and Nina B. Powell Family Charitable Fund.
The grants are:
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It's a Perfect World for entertainment business – ChinaDaily
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Players compete in an online gaming contest in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Perfect World Co Ltd is one of China’s leading online game developers and operators. [Photo/China Daily] |
Players compete in an online gaming contest in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Perfect World Co Ltd is one of China’s leading online game developers and operators. [Photo/China Daily]
China’s digital games market recorded sales of $22.2 billion in 2015, up 23 percent year-on-year
Chinese leading online game developer and operator Perfect World Co Ltd is set to integrate its online gaming and film operations, to build a comprehensive culture unit and cooperate with other enterprises to establish a pan-entertainment ecosystem.
“We will establish culture and entertainment industrial clusters. They will cover games, film and television, animation, comics, literature, media and education, and expand our products to game platforms, cinema, television stations, the internet, retail and other channels,” said Xiao Hong, the firm’s chief executive.
“We are now in an era of globalization, informatization and amalgamation, which brings about numerous opportunities for the culture industry,” Xiao added.
The company has completed the reorganization of its gaming and film businesses.
Zhang Yunfan, president of Perfect World Games, said the firm will accelerate innovation in games content, technology, culture and operations to establish a core competence in the intellectual property field and interact with other players in the pan-entertainment industrial chain.
China’s digital gaming market has grown robustly in the past few years.
According to Newzoo, a global gaming research firm, China’s digital games market has notched up sales of $22.2 billion in 2015, up 23 percent year-on-year, and surpassed the United States where sales touched $22 billion.
China has become the second-largest film market, with box office sales reaching 44 billion yuan ($6.59 billion) in 2015, up 48.7 percent from 2014, according to statistics from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
The Beijing-based online game operator was listed on the Nasdaq in 2007. However, it delisted from the US stock market after finishing privatization last year.
Perfect World Pictures Co Ltd, a movie and TV drama producer listed at the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, said in January that it had acquired a 100 percent stake in Perfect World for 12 billion yuan.
Perfect World Pictures announced on Monday it changed its name to Perfect World, which means Perfect World has formally returned to the A-share market through a reverse merger or better known as a backdoor listing.
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Contract talks stall between Northern Light Health and Anthem – Bangor Daily News
Bangor Daily News
Maine news, sports, politics, election results, and obituaries
Contract talks have stalled between Northern Light Health and Anthem.
That comes three years after another high-profile fight between Anthem, Maine’s largest health insurer, and MaineHealth, the state’s largest health system, which includes hospitals in Portland and Belfast.
On Wednesday afternoon, Northern Light Health said its contract with Anthem will expire on Sept. 30, 2025, if the insurer doesn’t agree to raise reimbursement rates.
That would mean Northern Light’s hospitals from Presque Isle to Bangor to Ellsworth would move out of network for Mainers with Anthem insurance.
James Rohrbaugh, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Northern Light Health, said Wednesday that Anthem’s reimbursement rates have increased at a rate of less than 1.5 percent despite the annual inflation rate for health services averaging 7.5 percent. Reimbursement for services is necessary to keep hospitals, practices and services open and staffed, Northern Light said.
“Anthem’s unwillingness to keep pace with the costs of providing care directly contribute to the risks facing rural healthcare,” James Rohrbaugh said in a statement.
Additionally, Northern Light Health pointed to Anthem’s increase in payment denials for patient care and its 10 percent increase in its profit margin in Maine.
Northern Light Health pledged to work with patients and group policyholders to help them understand their options for care if no contract agreement is reached.
In 2022, a contract dispute between MaineHealth and Anthem played out in public, with the health system accusing the insurer of owing millions in back payments and holding up and disputing millions more in payments, while Anthem accused MaineHealth of millions in overcharges.
Before the contract expired, both sides reached a deal, preventing MaineHealth from withdrawing from Anthem’s network.
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Annual report charts trends in Chinese entertainment – ChinaDaily
The newly released 2024 Tencent Entertainment White Paper provides an in-depth review of the trends and transformations in China’s entertainment sector over the past year, reflecting a dynamic year marked by both challenges and progress.
The comprehensive report features five key sections: film, television dramas, variety shows, music and celebrities. It was unveiled during the 2024 Tencent Entertainment Annual Gala and White Paper Release event at the Beijing Music Industrial Park on Wednesday.
According to the report, as of Nov 20, the total box office revenue for the film sector reached 39.54 billion yuan ($5.42 billion), a year-on-year decrease of 28 percent. The comedy YOLO became this year’s highest-grossing film in China, earning 3.45 billion yuan. However, micro dramas emerged as a dark horse, with a market size of 50.44 billion yuan – up 34.9 percent year-on-year, surpassing the film industry’s box office earnings.
The TV drama industry is shifting its focus from quantity to quality production. This year, a total of 236 dramas were aired, 33 fewer than in 2023. Despite the decline in volume, works such as Blossoms Shanghai and Joy of Life 2 became smash hits. Popular dramas embraced innovative genre fusions, blending elements like crime-solving and romance. Furthermore, the growing popularity of realist themes created new opportunities for middle-aged performers.
The music sector reached 729 million online users, although growth has slowed and the increase in paid users has declined, signaling a saturated market. Offline concerts remained popular, with over 3,500 performances held throughout the year. Music festivals expanded into third-tier and smaller cities. The concept of “music plus tourism” gained attraction in these cities, supported by local policies and sponsorships from various industries.
The variety show industry is experiencing a slow recovery, with 111 online variety shows produced, a year-on-year increase of 11 percent, while traditional satellite TV variety shows remained stable at 73. The most prevalent genres included music, competition and travel-themed shows. Long-running programs continued to perform well with standout examples such as the recent hit See You Again Season 4, which explores the essence of marriage.
During the annual gala, a total of 27 awards were also presented, including Best Filmmaker of the Year, Best TV Actor and Actress of the Year, Best Singer of the Year, and Best Male and Female Variety Show Performers.
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