A Recap of This Week’s Top News – October 6, 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 to be 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, September 30, to Friday, October 6. 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.

Education News:

• President Biden announced that his administration approved $9 billion more in student loan forgiveness, affecting 125,000 borrowers benefiting from three existing federal relief programs.
• As of 2022, every U.S. state has passed at least one law or policy aimed at promoting K-12 computer science education. However, research suggests that not all new computer science classes are taught by teachers who are certified in that subject. As of 2019-20, computer science was the “least popular certification subject for new teachers,” said an Education Week article on the topic.

Health News:

• Two new reports concluded that women pay a “pink tax” for their healthcare, spending more out of pocket than men do. Specifically for women with breast cancer, the extra costs are so significant that it can affect their health outcomes.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a guidance document that proposes a new policy aimed at significantly reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. The policy proposes that health providers offer gay and bisexual men, as well as transgendered women, access to a common antibiotic after having unprotected sex to lower their risk for certain STIs.
• As consumers are ordering free home COVID-19 tests from the government, some may find that their tests arrive already expired. However, the federal government has extended the expiration dates on many home tests, stating that they will still work.