Featured Stories
Smithsonian's "First Do No Harm" Exhibition Explores Medical History
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian's "First Do No Harm" Exhibition Explores Medical History
November 6, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will open "First Do No Harm," an exhibition that explores science, medical practice, public health and how practitioners, inventors, patients and communities have shaped healthcare in the United States. Featuring stories about efforts to reduce suffering, extend lives and provide better healthcare for all, the exhibition is scheduled to open to the public Friday,
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian's "First Do No Harm" Exhibition Explores Medical History
November 6, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will open "First Do No Harm," an exhibition that explores science, medical practice, public health and how practitioners, inventors, patients and communities have shaped healthcare in the United States. Featuring stories about efforts to reduce suffering, extend lives and provide better healthcare for all, the exhibition is scheduled to open to the public Friday,Nov. 6, and will be on view for about three years.
Inspired by the ancient charge to "first, do no harm," healthcare practitioners have advanced medicine to improve people's lives and developed cutting-edge technologies that have revolutionized medicine. Not everyone, however, has benefited equally from medical advances, and some innovations have also raised new challenges and consequences. The core of the exhibition looks at astonishing advances but also at disparities and ramifications in the areas of health data, medical technologies, medicines and microbes. The third focal point highlights how community advocates, responding to gaps in care, have sought ways to improve health outcomes in their communities and beyond.
The exhibition opens with three case studies. The first features Maurice Hilleman, a scientist who helped develop some 40 life-saving vaccines. The second highlights the 1985 landmark study commissioned by Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler during the Reagan administration, the Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health, in which the federal government for the first time acknowledged racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. The third case study focuses on San Francisco's Chinese Benevolent Association, which in 1899 established the Tung Wah Dispensary to provide care for a community excluded from the city's hospitals. Together, these stories illustrate scientific innovation, public health challenges and community responses across different periods of American history.
"'First Do No Harm' offers a dynamic showcase of some of the most significant artifacts in the museum's collection, encompassing some of the greatest achievements in science and advances in medicine," said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum's Elizabeth MacMillan director. "Visitors will be able to explore how practitioners, patients and communities have shaped healthcare in the United States. It's a story that's challenging yet also relatable and accessible, uplifting and wonderfully human."
The exhibition will feature significant artifacts from the museum's collections related to medicine and science, paired with vibrant graphics and three thought-provoking questions to provide insight into the stories presented in the exhibition. Objects on display include:
* The Liotta Cooley artificial heart, the first artificial heart implanted in a human, 1969.
* A 1928 sample of penicillin mold from Alexander Fleming's lab, a discovery that led to the breakthrough antibiotic to treat infectious diseases.
* HIV and AIDS drugs from the 1980s and early 1990s AIDS epidemic.
* A mosquito net from the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2019.
* A syringe used by Jonas Salk to test the polio vaccine in 1950 and a vial of Pfizer's 2021 COVID-19 vaccine.
* A prototype scanner that Nobel Prize-winning physicist Allan M. Cormack used in experiments that helped establish the theoretical foundations of computed tomography (CT scans), 1963.
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About the Museum
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The doors of the museum are always open online, and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, PK-12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to the museum's website. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonians-first-do-no-harm-exhibition-explores-medical-history
IDB Approves $101.68 Million in Financing to Improve Road Connectivity and Strengthen Honduras' Value Chains
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves $101.68 Million in Financing to Improve Road Connectivity and Strengthen Honduras' Value Chains
November 06, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved $101.68 million to improve road infrastructure in northwestern Honduras, facilitate connections between agricultural areas and the main logistics corridors and markets, and help reduce transportation costs for producers in the region.
The operation is aligned with
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves $101.68 Million in Financing to Improve Road Connectivity and Strengthen Honduras' Value Chains
November 06, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved $101.68 million to improve road infrastructure in northwestern Honduras, facilitate connections between agricultural areas and the main logistics corridors and markets, and help reduce transportation costs for producers in the region.
The operation is aligned withthe IDB Group's regional "America en el Centro" program, which seeks to promote the development and integration of Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
The operation will finance the rehabilitation, improvement, and maintenance of 48 kilometers of the Pito Solo-Santa Barbara section of National Route 20 (RN-20), as well as the rehabilitation and improvement of rural roads serving productive areas. These interventions aim to strengthen connections between agricultural production areas, national and regional logistics corridors, and Puerto Cortes, a key maritime gateway to markets.
Approximately 63,300 people are expected to directly benefit from the interventions on RN-20 and rural roads, including producers, transport operators, and businesses linked to value chains. An additional 32,630 residents living within a two-kilometer radius of the works are expected to benefit indirectly.
In addition to the road works, the program will strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of Honduras' Secretariat of Infrastructure and Transportation (SIT), with the goal of improving the planning, prioritization, implementation, and maintenance of road infrastructure. This component will help strengthen management of the road network and promote the long-term sustainability of investments.
The $101.68 million specific investment loan (ESP) consists of $61.008 million from the Bank's Ordinary Capital resources, with a 20.5-year repayment period, a nine-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR. The remaining $40.762 million, from the Bank's Concessional Ordinary Capital resources, has a 40-year repayment and grace period and an interest rate of 0.25%.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-approves-10168-million-financing-improve-road-connectivity-and-strengthen-honduras-value-chains
Archives of American Art Announces New Craft Exhibition and Launches Monthly Podcast Celebrating Makers Across the Nation
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Archives of American Art Announces New Craft Exhibition and Launches Monthly Podcast Celebrating Makers Across the Nation
"Materials, Methods, and Meanings: Craft in the Archives of American Art" Opens Nov. 6 and "United States of Craft" Podcast Debuts Nov. 11
November 6, 2026
The Smithsonian's Archives of American Art announced today "Materials, Methods, and Meanings: Craft in the Archives of American Art," a new exhibition exploring stories of craft that have shaped the American experience. Now on
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Archives of American Art Announces New Craft Exhibition and Launches Monthly Podcast Celebrating Makers Across the Nation
"Materials, Methods, and Meanings: Craft in the Archives of American Art" Opens Nov. 6 and "United States of Craft" Podcast Debuts Nov. 11
November 6, 2026
The Smithsonian's Archives of American Art announced today "Materials, Methods, and Meanings: Craft in the Archives of American Art," a new exhibition exploring stories of craft that have shaped the American experience. Now onview at the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery in the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture in Washington, D.C., the exhibition is a contribution to the Smithsonian's celebration of the United States' 250th anniversary.
The Archives also announced the launch of United States of Craft, a new monthly podcast debuting Wednesday, Nov. 11. Hosted by Glenn Adamson and Sarah Archer, the series will bring to listeners the voices and stories of makers, thinkers and visionaries shaping craft across the nation.
Featuring approximately 70 original objects from the collections of 30 artists and craft professionals, "Materials, Methods, and Meanings" brings together unique items that explore how makers across craft disciplines have shaped and transformed the field through material experimentation, the exchange of knowledge and the integration of personal histories, memories and values into their work.
The items on display focus on the postwar period and span established disciplines, including ceramics, glass, fiber, metal and wood as well as an expanding range of media. The exhibition includes material samples, artists' tools, preparatory sketches, notes and writings, news clippings, photographs and other archival materials that illuminate the experimentation, relationships and intentions behind creative work and offer a deeper understanding of craft, revealing the ideas and experiences that finished objects alone cannot convey.
The exhibition highlights items from the collections of ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu, fiber artist Lia Cook, glass artist Edris Eckhardt, woodworker George Nakashima and jewelry artist Joyce J. Scott. It also includes work from the newly acquired collections of ceramicists Otto and Gertrud Natzler, jewelry artist Jan Yager, woodworker Cheryl Riley and museum curator and leader Paul J. Smith, who played a central role in shaping the modern studio craft movement. The exhibition was organized by Archives associate curator Chyna Bounds.
United States of Craft Podcast
Extending these stories beyond the exhibition, United States of Craft, a monthly podcast hosted by Glenn Adamson and Sarah Archer, will explore the history of the studio craft movement in the United States through the people, places and pathways that have shaped and sustained it. Featuring the voices and stories of makers, thinkers and visionaries, the series invites listeners to discover the diverse perspectives and regional histories that make up the American craft landscape. The podcast's first episode will explore craft in the states of Wisconsin, New York, North Carolina, New Mexico and Hawaii.
Through the exhibition and podcast, the Archives of American Art highlights the people, ideas and networks that have shaped American craft, demonstrating how archival collections can deepen an understanding of creative practices and preserve the stories behind the objects that define them. These stories highlight the achievements of America's craft communities, celebrating their contributions to America at its 250th.
Initial funding for this project was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, which made this exhibition possible. This project also received support from Smithsonian's Our Shared Future: 250, a Smithsonian-wide initiative commemorating the nation's 250th. Signature support for Smithsonian's Our Shared Future: 250 has been provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Additional contributions have been made by Target. This exhibition is part of Handwork 2026, presented by Craft in America.
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About the Archives of American Art
Founded in 1954, the Archives of American Art collects, preserves and makes available primary sources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. The Archives' holdings encompass more than 30 million items and are accessible at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and through its exhibitions and publications. An international leader in the digitization of archival collections, the Archives makes over 3.5 million digital images freely available online. The oral history collection at the Archives includes more than 2,600 interviews, the largest accumulation of first-person accounts of the American art world.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/archives-american-art-announces-new-craft-exhibition-and-launches-monthly-podcast
SBA Launches ICAP to Modernize 7(a) Loan Origination, Streamline Workflows, and Accelerate Small Business Lending
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release:
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SBA Launches iCAP to Modernize 7(a) Loan Origination, Streamline Workflows, and Accelerate Small Business Lending
Phased Onboarding Will Open for Integrated Origination, Risk Management, and Real-Time Processing for SBA Lenders
November 5, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the new Intelligent Capital Access Platform (iCAP), a modern origination, processing, and management platform designed to make SBA lending faster, simpler and more secure. The new
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release:
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SBA Launches iCAP to Modernize 7(a) Loan Origination, Streamline Workflows, and Accelerate Small Business Lending
Phased Onboarding Will Open for Integrated Origination, Risk Management, and Real-Time Processing for SBA Lenders
November 5, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the new Intelligent Capital Access Platform (iCAP), a modern origination, processing, and management platform designed to make SBA lending faster, simpler and more secure. The newplatform marks a historic technology overhaul for the agency as it moves away from fragmented, decades-old software including ETRAN and the Capital Access Financial System (CAFS). By bringing the efficiency, usability, and risk controls of modern banking together, iCAP simplifies loan application preparation, accelerates review, and strengthens fraud prevention. Following consultation with SBA lenders, the agency is empowering its lenders with the tools they need -- especially community banks and rural lenders -- to deliver more loans, faster, for small businesses.
"As an agency entrusted with backing billions of dollars in small business loans, we're offering our thousands of banking partners the technology and risk management tools consistent with the demands of a modern financial institution to better serve their small business clients by clearing out decades of bureaucratic inefficiency," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "The same discipline my team and I brought to building financial services and technology businesses now guides SBA's modernization: equipping lenders with dynamic, integrated systems that accelerate transactions, provide visibility, and strengthen risk controls instead of PDFs, piles of paperwork, and uncertainty. With iCAP, we are putting private-sector standards into practice -- replacing manual workflows with modern technology that accelerates loan review and stops fraud. SBA is transforming into a faster, more accountable partner, giving our lenders greater capacity to serve small businesses while strengthening protections for taxpayer dollars."
For two decades, SBA's legacy ETRAN origination systems went without a single major upgrade, leaving lenders to navigate cumbersome manual workflows. Over the next few months, iCAP will replace those outdated processes with the connected workflows, automated controls, and intuitive interface lenders expect from a modern banking partner. These upgrades simplify the origination process, in part to empower community and regional banks to join SBA's lender network and deliver more financing to rural America.
iCAP is available through lender.sba.gov and includes the following key capabilities:
* Real-time application validation. Automated checks flag missing or inconsistent information as lenders prepare applications, reducing submission errors, avoidable rework, and review delays.
* Single-entry data capture. Information automatically populates related application sections, eliminating duplicate entry and redundant document submissions while improving data consistency.
* Dynamic application requirements. Data fields and documentation requirements adjust to the loan type, processing method, and transaction details, streamlining application preparation.
* Integrated review and communication. Lenders and SBA reviewers work from shared screens, with in-app messaging and notifications that keep requests, responses, and supporting information within the loan workflow.
* Transaction visibility. Application status tracking and a consolidated activity record give lenders and SBA reviewers visibility into loan progress and a traceable history of actions and communications.
* Embedded fraud screening. Up-front fraud and eligibility reviews, combined with visibility into prior SBA debt, help lenders and SBA identify potential risks earlier in origination.
The launch follows a six-month pilot program that helped refine iCAP through lender participation and feedback. To date, more than 250 lenders have joined the platform, processing 2,000 loans totaling millions of dollars. The feedback during the pilot was used to refine application flows, simplify document requirements, and expand functionality to support both delegated and non-delegated lending. This approach has allowed the SBA to develop a bespoke platform cost-effectively in well under two years, without waiting for a single, years-long system replacement.
The SBA will deliver its lender experience transformation in phases. ETRAN continues to support certain functions during the transition, including post-submission changes and modification requests through ETRAN Servicing, as well as access to approved loans' Terms & Conditions documents. The new 7(a) origination application programming interface (API), which enables lenders' software systems to exchange information with SBA, is scheduled to become available in production in December 2026, with migration from the ETRAN origination interface required by June 2027; information on the phases will be provided in the coming weeks.
Although iCAP's origination capabilities currently extend only to 7(a) lending, the platform does support modernized secondary-market transactions through its Guaranty Sale application, with prepopulated documents, in-app signatures, and real-time transaction tracking. SBA's roadmap for future capabilities includes adding 504 origination, servicing, and liquidation to iCAP, bringing the same commercial-grade tools for streamlined processing, earlier risk detection, and greater transaction visibility to the 504 lending community.
The iCAP rollout anchors the agency's broader lending agenda for fiscal 2027: building an efficient, integrated lender experience to expand the agency's lending network, simplifying the 504 loan process, and surging financing to small businesses in the defense industrial base in support of initiatives such as the new Smaller War Plants Commission. By pairing modern banking tools and stronger fraud controls with simpler loan processes, the SBA is positioning itself to work with more lenders and deliver more capital to the small businesses essential to the nation's economic strength and security.
The SBA will be communicating directly with lenders to begin using the iCAP platform. All lenders will have access to loan origination in iCAP by January 1, 2027. For users originating loans in ETRAN today, no additional enrollment is needed. You will receive login instructions, live training, system guides and self-service resources. Secondary market investors may access the modernized Guaranty Sale process through the new investor.sba.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/11/05/sba-launches-icap-modernize-7a-loan-origination-streamline-workflows-accelerate-small-business
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine: U.S. Coast Guard Should Adopt New Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Assault at Sea, Says New Report
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSrep) -- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued the following news release:
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U.S. Coast Guard Should Adopt New Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Assault at Sea, Says New Report
November 5, 2026
WASHINGTON -- To address sexual assault at sea, the U.S. Coast Guard should improve survivor care, strengthen accountability, build a climate of safety centered on prevention, and improve data collection to better understand the scope of the problem, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSrep) -- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued the following news release:
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U.S. Coast Guard Should Adopt New Strategies to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Assault at Sea, Says New Report
November 5, 2026
WASHINGTON -- To address sexual assault at sea, the U.S. Coast Guard should improve survivor care, strengthen accountability, build a climate of safety centered on prevention, and improve data collection to better understand the scope of the problem, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,and Medicine. In the U.S. Coast Guard, mission readiness depends on the safety, health, and trust of crew members, particularly because personnel may serve aboard vessels in remote locations where access to care, support, and resources is limited.
The Coast Guard's more than 75,000 personnel operate in a maritime, military environment that presents special conditions, needs, and constraints for confronting sexual assault. Vessels ranging from small patrol boats to large national security cutters deploy for weeks or months with limited access to resources and support.
"Time at sea creates unique vulnerabilities for sexual assault and harassment in the Coast Guard, and survivors aboard vessels have fewer options since evacuation can be difficult, privacy is limited, and medical resources may be scarce," said Alicia Carriquiry, distinguished professor, president's chair in statistics, and director of the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence at Iowa State University, and chair of the committee that wrote the report. "Ensuring access to comprehensive, trauma-informed care that puts survivors' well-being first is essential."
Prioritizing care and well-being
The report calls for a multidisciplinary, survivor-centered system of care that recognizes the highly individualized and evolving nature of recovery. This includes attention to immediate safety needs, treatment of injuries, prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, short- and long-term physical and mental health needs, and time-sensitive evidence collection to support investigation and prosecution if a survivor chooses to pursue this option.
Sexual assault medical forensic examinations are not currently conducted on Coast Guard vessels; instead, the survivor would need to be transferred to the nearest facility that offers the examination, if the individual requests one. To increase access to immediate care, the report calls for the implementation of a telehealth sexual assault forensic examination (i.e., teleSAFE) model on Coast Guard vessels as a comprehensive health care forensic response or as a consultation service, depending on the vessel type. TeleSAFE care can expand access to timely medical forensic examination, enable adherence to best clinical practice, improve evidence collection and integrity, and enhance survivor options and support.
Strengthening accountability, investigation, and prosecution
The Coast Guard's response to sexual assault and harassment cannot be assessed solely by prosecutions or convictions because many survivors choose not to pursue legal action. Effective accountability requires the pursuit of both substantive justice, through investigation, prosecution, and appropriate consequences when warranted, and procedural justice, through fair, transparent processes. A trauma-informed response includes accountability, with prosecution that is survivor-centered, offender-focused, and grounded in advances in science and behavioral research, the report says.
Recent reforms to the military justice system, including the transfer of charging and referral authority for covered offenses from the chain of command to the U.S. Coast Guard Office of the Chief Prosecutor, were designed to strengthen independence and survivor confidence. However, the report finds that gaps in transparency and evaluation remain and recommends clear guidance and training for leaders and Coast Guard members on any changes to policies and procedures, along with ongoing evaluation of their impact. Because leaders set the climate of their units, their accountability is also essential to preventing and responding to sexual assault.
Building a climate of safety and respect
The report recommends strategies to foster a climate of safety and accountability where sexual assault is not only addressed but also prevented. Achieving this requires a sustained, comprehensive approach built on accountable leadership, improved training, active assessment and risk monitoring, structural and environmental design, and stronger data collection and reporting.
The Coast Guard should ensure that all personnel involved in prevention, response, and accountability receive comprehensive training and sufficient resources to perform their jobs effectively.
Recent policy has changed some of the living and working environments on commercial vessels. Building on this, the Coast Guard should update physical spaces on vessels to improve prevention and response to sexual assault and harassment, drawing on best practices and requirements from the maritime industry and other comparable organizations, the report says.
Improving data collection and reporting
Current data systems are inadequate for estimating how often sexual assault occurs at sea. In addition, sexual assault is underreported in all contexts and may be even more pronounced at sea, as service members may hesitate to come forward for fear of retaliation, negative career impacts, or alienation from their unit.
To better inform efforts to prevent sexual assault and improve survivor care, the report recommends that the Coast Guard improve its data collection and reporting processes, especially for incidents that occur while underway and at ports away from home port. Specifically, it calls for greater transparency, systematic recording of incidents by location, and adoption of the most rigorous, widely validated instruments available for measuring sexual assault and harassment statistics to better understand the scope of the problem.
The study was undertaken by the Committee on Sexual Assault at Sea and sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
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View report here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/DBASSE-CLAJ-23-03/publication/29402
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Original text here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/us-coast-guard-should-adopt-new-strategies-to-prevent-and-respond-to-sexual-assault-at-sea-says-new-report
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine: To Improve Access to Primary Care, New Report Calls for a Common Fund, Increased Investment, and Expanded Workforce
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSrep) -- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued the following news release:
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To Improve Access to Primary Care, New Report Calls for a Common Fund, Increased Investment, and Expanded Workforce
November 5, 2026
WASHINGTON -- While some federal policies enacted since 2021 have strengthened primary care, other policies are projected to reduce patient access to care, and overall, limited progress has been made in ensuring everyone has access to high-quality primary care, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSrep) -- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued the following news release:
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To Improve Access to Primary Care, New Report Calls for a Common Fund, Increased Investment, and Expanded Workforce
November 5, 2026
WASHINGTON -- While some federal policies enacted since 2021 have strengthened primary care, other policies are projected to reduce patient access to care, and overall, limited progress has been made in ensuring everyone has access to high-quality primary care, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,and Medicine. The report recommends establishing a common fund that would pool payments from public and private insurers to provide universal and continuous financial coverage for primary care access regardless of insurance status or health plan, increasing total investment in primary care, and expanding the primary care workforce to meet population needs.
The committee that wrote the report assessed progress in implementing access-related recommendations from the 2021 National Academies report Implementing High-Quality Primary Care (https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/HMD-HCS-18-15), which identified primary care as the only part of the health care system that results in longer lives and improved health outcomes for everyone. Therefore, the report declared primary care a "common good" that should be available to everyone who seeks it and called for public investment to strengthen the nation's primary care system.
Since the previous report, an annual scorecard produced by the Milbank Memorial Fund, the Physicians Foundation, and the Robert Graham Center has tracked the health of primary care in the United States, which was one of the 2021 report's recommendations. The scorecard documents limited progress toward ensuring that high-quality primary care is available to all, stating that nearly 3 in 10 adults and 1 in 7 children continue to lack a usual source of care.
Some federal policies enacted since 2021 that have strengthened primary care include new Medicare payments for advanced primary care management; extended telehealth flexibilities; and increased funding for Teaching Health Centers, which train primary care residents in community settings. However, other policies, such as certain provisions from Public Law 119-21 are projected to limit access to primary care. The net effect of recent federal policy changes is likely to further compromise access to primary care, largely by reducing health insurance coverage, which is strongly associated with having a usual source of care, the report says. The committee called for federal and state policymakers, health insurance providers, and payers to act in concert to carry out the new report's recommendations.
Ensuring access to high-quality primary care cannot be fully achieved unless all people have financial coverage for primary care, the report concludes. It recommends that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Congress support states in establishing a common fund that provides universal coverage for primary care, pays primary care practices at standardized rates that appropriately value primary care, and eliminates cost-sharing for patients. States should enact laws to create these programs, and HHS should work with states on waivers to include Medicaid, ACA Marketplace plans, and Medicare. As an alternative to state-run programs, Congress should consider creating a federal common fund administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Greater investment in primary care would better enable practices to provide access to high-quality primary care for all, the report says, but the additional resources and funds need to reach the practices delivering primary care and strengthen their capacity. Payers should specify in contracts with health systems that any additional primary care payments be reinvested in the work of primary care practices. In addition, state regulatory bodies should implement policies that increase the share of health spending devoted to primary care, doubling current investment, and they should require health plans to document and report how provider organizations are using these payments to strengthen primary care teams.
To ensure that the United States expands and sustains a primary care workforce that can meet population needs, the report recommends that future legislation expand Medicare-funded positions at institutions that have a history of producing primary care clinicians and require that a number of the new slots go to primary care trainees. Congress should also increase funding to support doubling the number of residents in Teaching Health Centers and make that funding mandatory. Additionally, to recruit more students into primary care, particularly in underserved areas, Congress should at least double the funding appropriated to the National Health Service Corps and decrease the time for loan forgiveness in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
The study -- undertaken by the Committee on Ensuring Access to High-Quality Primary Care in the United States -- was sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Nursing, American Board of Family Medicine, American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, Arnold Ventures, California Health Care Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, Healing Works Foundation, Milbank Memorial Fund, National League for Nursing, New York State Health Foundation, Samueli Foundation, and the Society of General Internal Medicine.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/to-improve-access-to-primary-care-new-report-calls-for-a-common-fund-increased-investment-and-expanded-workforce
IDB Approves $750 Million Financial Package to Support Bolivia's Economic Stabilization Plan
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves $750 Million Financial Package to Support Bolivia's Economic Stabilization Plan
November 05, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $750 million financial package to support Bolivia's comprehensive plan for macroeconomic stabilization and fiscal reforms.
The IDB operation supports a broader reform program agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October 2026 and backed by the international community.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves $750 Million Financial Package to Support Bolivia's Economic Stabilization Plan
November 05, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $750 million financial package to support Bolivia's comprehensive plan for macroeconomic stabilization and fiscal reforms.
The IDB operation supports a broader reform program agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October 2026 and backed by the international community.
The IDB package consists of a $500 million special development loan (SDL) to provide budget support and help stabilize the economy, and a $250 million policy-based loan to support critical fiscal reforms and put the country on a path toward fiscal sustainability.
The policy-based loan is the first in a series of two programmatic operations that are technically related but financially independent. This first operation will support reforms to strengthen macrofiscal planning; improve the efficiency of public spending by rationalizing energy subsidies and payroll expenditures, and strengthening public investment, while enhancing the tax system through simpler tax policies and stronger tax administration.
The $500 million special development loan has a seven-year maturity and a three-year grace period, while the $250 million policy-based loan has a 20-year maturity and a 7.4-year grace period. Both loans have interest rates based on SOFR.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and
knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: https://www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-approves-750-million-financial-package-support-bolivias-economic-stabilization-plan
