A Recap of This Week’s Top News – January 13, 2023

Changes to policy, scientific discovery, and expert recommendations and opinions all have the power to rapidly influence the landscape of a sector. Whether you’re a leader at a non-profit, a member of a university’s marketing department, or a stakeholder for a public health agency, being informed about the latest industry happenings can be the difference between exceeding and falling short of organizational goals. At Hager Sharp, our experts vigorously scan media coverage to identify areas of opportunity. And now, with the introduction of the Sharp Round-Up, you too can review what we consider some of the top news of the week.

Below you will find a compilation of news spanning the health and education, labor, and economy sectors. This list includes mainstream, DC-focused, and trade publication coverage from Saturday, January 7, to Friday, January 13. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.

Here’s what you need to know.

Politics and Policy:

• This past Tuesday, the Department of Education released details of a proposed plan to improved income-driven repayment plans. The new plan aims to make student loan payments more affordable for borrowers. Additionally, the Biden administration will be publishing a request for information to receive formal public feedback on programs that are not financially beneficial for students.

Health News:

• According to Dr. Leana Wen, the latest COVID-19 variant, XBB.1, is more contagious, but the strain doesn’t cause a more severe disease. PCR tests can pick up on the new variant, but further research is needed to determine if existing vaccines provide any protection against the strain.

• A study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institute found that a protein, GFPAP, could be a possible biomarker for early stages of Alzheimer disease. This marker would reveal the disease 10 years before actual symptoms show.

Education News:

• Following the pandemic which caused staff shortages and increased learning loss— there has been a sharp decline in enrollment across public schools in America. Alternatively, private and charter schools gained more students, and the number of homeschooled students doubled.

• ChatGPT, an AI tool that can write anything once given a simple prompt, is gaining popularity in the education community. Although there has been some concern surrounding the implications of automating some aspects of teaching, educators note that the tool can save them hours of work.