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, July 15, to Friday, July 21. 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.

Mainstream News:

• The World Meteorological Organization is warning citizens of parts of Europe, Asia, and the U.S. of an increased risk of death due to a global pattern of heat waves causing excessively high temperatures. Some ways to protect yourself include spending time outside to allow your body to adjust to the temperature before deciding to set out for a long day, hydrating, finding out if medications you take can make you more vulnerable to the heat, wearing lighter colors, and knowing the signs of heat-related illness.
• A virtual hearing kicked off the Education Department’s new plan for crafting regulations for student debt relief, following the Supreme Court’s ruling last month striking down the original plan. The Biden Administration’s second attempt will be aimed at helping those who need it most, the working- and middle-class borrowers left with debts that are “unaffordable, unreasonable, and unacceptable.”

Education News:

• According to a report released on Wednesday, the quality of classroom teaching dropped during the pandemic. School districts participating in the study stated that they found it “almost impossible” to implement their recovery plans due to staffing shortages and obstacles related to teacher training.
• A new analysis shows that degree-completion rates among Latino students have stagnated in recent years, while white students’ graduation rates rose, thus widening the gap between them.

Health News:

• A new study concluded that the use of hearing aids can lower the risk of dementia by 48 percent for older adults at risk, as age-related hearing loss nearly doubles the risk for dementia and accounts for over 8 percent of all dementia cases.
• A federal report showed that more people and animals, including pets, are getting sick from exposure to toxic algae that forms in natural bodies of water across the country. Exposure to high levels of blue-green algae and the toxins they create can cause illness and even death.

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, July 8, to Friday, July 14. 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.

Mainstream News:

• As outdoor workers struggle in a heat wave that has swept the nation, a new Washington Post article warns that there are few legal protections for workers in high temperatures. Laws typically vary by state, leaving workers across the country at risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and other heat-related injuries.

Education News:

• Some teachers and educators are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help create lesson plans, exams, and emails, with the technology even integrating district standards into the materials. While the use of AI in the classroom can be controversial, some teachers claim that it allows for more creativity, especially when a teacher needs help getting started.
• A recent article by the Chronicle of Higher Education explores how the importance of application essays is changing after the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action. There’s now a “supercharged spotlight” on including personal stories and information in essays to help an applicant stand out, said the article.

Health News:

• A recent study shows that emergency mental health visits for young females increased by 22 percent during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase is thought to be due to pandemic-related disruptions, including online learning, increased stress, and even potential abuse at home.
• The CDC reported this week that almost 1 in 10 children in the United States have a diagnosed developmental disability. The statistics call for a greater focus on creating accommodations, information, and resources for the families and children affected.
• A new study confirms a link between racism and childhood obesity. According to the study, children who experienced racial discrimination were more likely than their peers to have a high body mass index (BMI) a year afterward. “Discrimination is a type of stressful life experience that has negative effects on health just like other types of stressful life experiences,” said one of the researchers in the USA Today article on the study.

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, July 1, to Friday, July 7. 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.

Mainstream News:

• After his earlier initiative was struck down by the Supreme Court, President Biden has just taken the first step toward creating a new student loan forgiveness plan. The Biden Administration plans to use the Higher Education Act, which has a provision that allows the government to “compromise” or “waive” federal student loan obligations.
• According to a new study by the US Geological Survey, almost half of all tap water in the US is contaminated with “forever chemicals”. These are chemicals that linger in the human body and can cause cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, liver damage, and hormone suppression.

Education News:

• A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education detailed how the Supreme Court’s ruling on race-conscious admissions will not affect the majority of colleges. The lawsuits that led to the Supreme Court’s decision centered on two colleges with extremely slim chances of admission. Institutions like those are selective enough to need to use race as a factor to diversify their student body, but that is not the case for most colleges.
• The number of homeless students in California jumped by 9%, making the total about 187,000 kids. The cause of homelessness among all in California is the shortage of affordable housing in the state, according to a researcher at UCLA.

Health News:

• In the past 20 years, the number of people dying from pregnancy-related causes has more than doubled, with the worst outcomes among Black, Native American and Alaska Native people. Researchers say that doctors would have a better chance at preventing maternal mortality if more women had access to healthcare postpartum.
• A new study found that clinical overuse of marijuana is linked to complications after major elective surgery, including blood clots, stroke, breathing difficulties, kidney problems, and even death. This is because smoking marijuana impacts blood flow in the brain and body, decreases respiration and body temperature, contributes to airway blockages, raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, impacts heart rhythm, and more.

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 on 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, June 24, to Friday, June 30. 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:

• The Supreme Court ruled to strike down affirmative action policies for colleges and universities on Thursday. The decision means that race can no longer be a specific factor for consideration in making admissions decisions at some universities.
• The Supreme Court ruled against Biden’s student loan forgiveness program on Friday morning, leaving millions of Americans to prepare for the pandemic-era freeze on loan payments to lift this fall.

Health News:

• Smoke from Canadian wildfires is back in the United States, causing unhealthy levels of air quality across the east coast. The air quality, along with a heat wave affecting much of the south, is causing concern for climate activists and health professionals alike.
• The White House announced this week that President Biden is using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea. This sleep condition is fairly common and has been documented in the president’s medical records since 2008, according to a CNN article.
• Every athletes worst nightmare – a torn ACL – is now believed to be able to heal itself. A study released this week found that surgery isn’t always necessary to repair the ligament. In fact, results from the study found that 90 percent of studied ACLs “showed signs of healing and repair on scans about three months later” with regular bracing and physical therapy. Sceptics claim that the signs of repair observed from the study could be scarring or a misread, rather than actual healing.
• A recent study shows that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps to combat racial divides in food insecurity. While racial disparities in food insecurity persist across the country, the study found that when used, the SNAP program was an “effective tool in minimizing inequities created by a lack of access to nutritious foods.”
• According to a Washington Post article, when seeking medical help, 60 percent of women and girls with endometriosis were told that the pain they were experiencing was from regular menstrual cramps. Endometriosis, a painful disease in which tissue grows outside the uterus, can often start in adolescence but doesn’t get diagnosed until adulthood, leaving thousands of women struggling.

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, June 17, to Friday, June 23. 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:

• Washington D.C. public schools approved new social studies standards on Wednesday that will focus on “experiences of people of color, D.C. history, and media literacy.” The standards are expected to be fully implemented by the 2025–2026 school year.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that the state of Florida is suing the Biden administration over college accreditation requirements. The announcement comes after DeSantis has made notable changes to the state’s own accreditation processes, including blocking campus spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and requiring some Florida colleges to change accreditors within the next two years.
• On Wednesday, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) released new data showing that school children are still far from recovering from the academic aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health News:

• According to a report from Climate Central, “mosquito days,” or days with hot and humid weather, have increased in the United States over the past few decades. The increase in mosquito days is not only alarming for climate activists, but also causes concern for public health officials over the potential health threat of Zika, malaria, West Nile, and other viruses that mosquitoes can carry.
• The S. Preventative Task Force is now recommending that doctors screen all adults for anxiety and depression—whether or not they are experiencing symptoms. This is the first time the task force has recommended routine screening of all adults, a change thought to be in relation to the increase in mental health struggles following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A report released Thursday by The Commonwealth Fund found an increase in the rate of preventable maternal mortality in the United States. According to the report, the rate of maternal mortality “nearly doubled” and increased most for women of color.
• The CDC is recommending all Americans with international travel plans this summer ensure that they’re up to date on the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The vaccine is a two-dose series and provides 97 percent protection against the viruses. The advisory comes as the United States and other countries attempt to keep active measles outbreaks under control.
• A new research report may have found that taking antidepressants could lessen your chance of testing positive for COVID-19. While previous reports on the topic showed mixed results, this week’s published research showed a “potential clinical benefit” of antidepressants on the spread of the virus.