From the left. Top: Michelle Perez, Denisha Campbell, Tessa Santner. Middle Row: Miguel Gonzalez, Rachel Neale, Arria Hauldin. Bottom: Caitlin Mims, Rachel Blankenship, Mia Hernandez. Nine current and former Florida State University students have been awarded scholarships through the prestigious Fulbright U.S. student program. Winners include graduate and undergraduate students and represent a range of majors and research areas. Five will carry out teaching assistantships while the remaining four will conduct research. They will continue that work in: Taiwan, Bulgaria, Scotland, Brazil, Spain and its Canary Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and…
Read MoreMonth: May 2023
The BCBSNC bill clears another hurdle in the Senate
A bipartisan bill that would allow Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina and Delta Dental to reorganize and create a holding company that could transfer billions of policyholders’ excess cash was approved Wednesday by the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee. Rep. John Bradford, R-Mecklenburg, a sponsor of HB 346, Reorganization & Economic Development Act, said it works to level the playing field for Delta Dental and BCBSNC, two hospital service companies. He said nonprofit entities currently under state law don’t have the same flexibility as other corporations. Healthcare is a…
Read MorePodcast: placemaking and campus membership
Michigan State University interim president Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., delves into some of the topics she covers in her May 2023 Spartan Community Letter, which you can read by clicking on the communications tab at president.msu.edu. Could you start by reflecting a bit on the beginning? And it was nice to see you with the tiny microphone around Breslin Center talking to some of our graduates. “Oh, that was so exciting, and I never knew that tiny mic was a thing. I got to talk to many students and what…
Read MoreGlobal debt nears record high as rate hikes trigger ‘adjustment crisis’ says top trade body
The IIF said the combination of such high debt levels and rising interest rates has caused the cost of servicing that debt to rise, triggering concerns about leverage in the financial system. “At nearly $305 trillion, global debt is now $45 trillion above its pre-pandemic level and is expected to continue to increase rapidly,” the IIF said. HIROSHIMA, JAPAN – MAY 17 : People walk under a banner promoting the Group of 7 (G7) summit at a shopping street on May 17, 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan. The G7 summit will…
Read MoreSocial Security, Medicare, Federal Salaries: What payments can be delayed if the debt ceiling stalls
The US reached its debt ceiling, or debt limit, in January. The nation could run out of money to pay all of its bills as soon as June 1, the so-called “X-date.” The government would not be able to pay everyone on time. It would likely prioritize payments to investors holding US Treasuries, to avoid a “technical default.” Payments like Social Security, Medicare, tax refunds, military paychecks, and others would likely be delayed. Democrats and Republicans have not yet reached an agreement to raise or suspend the debt ceiling and…
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