All posts tagged: higher

Obamas’ Higher Ground Will Go Independent After Netflix Deal

Obamas’ Higher Ground Will Go Independent After Netflix Deal

Published by Daniella Wilson

Barack and Michelle Obama‘s production company Higher Ground is transitioning to an independent operation following eight years at Netflix. Barack Obama shared the news at an event held Saturday in Philadelphia that featured leaders in media, sports and entertainment as part of a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Speaking on separate panels, both Barack and Michelle Obama talked about their work with Higher Ground. The former president said that after eight years of working exclusively with Netflix and being “very grateful for the launch that happened,” the Obamas are “in the process now of transitioning to a more independent [company] where we can work with a bunch of different studios.” The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to a rep for Higher Ground for comment. The Obamas inked their producing deal with Netflix in 2018. In 2024, Higher Ground and Netflix extended their partnership, with Higher Ground transitioning to a multiyear first-look deal for all of its film and TV projects. Higher Ground’s recent projects with Netflix include Oscar-nominated films Rustin, American …

Higher intelligence in adolescence linked to lower mental illness risk in adulthood

Higher intelligence in adolescence linked to lower mental illness risk in adulthood

Published by José Betancourt

Higher cognitive abilities and greater educational achievement in adolescence strongly predict a lower risk of developing mental health conditions later in life. A nationwide study of Norwegian men demonstrated that individuals with lower test scores and less schooling experienced notably higher rates of psychological distress in adulthood. The research was published in the journal Psychological Science. Previous sociological research has established a strong connection between educational attainment and overall mental well-being. People with advanced degrees generally experience fewer mood and anxiety disorders compared to those who leave school early. At the same time, academic success is intimately tied to a person’s general cognitive abilities, which encompass skills like problem solving, numerical reasoning, and language comprehension. This overlap leaves an unresolved question regarding the root cause of these health disparities. Researchers wanted to know whether the elevated risk of mental illness associated with leaving school early is actually driven by underlying cognitive traits. To answer this, investigators needed to examine both cognitive test scores and educational attainment simultaneously in a large representative sample. Historically, most psychological …

Tax refunds are up. Americans still paid higher taxes

Tax refunds are up. Americans still paid higher taxes

Published by Sam Flores

As President Donald Trump heads into the midterms with hopes that large tax refunds will buoy the Republicans in elections, most Americans will have already had any cash returned from their taxes eaten up by higher prices from a year of Trump’s tariffs. According to IRS data, the average tax refund jumped about 11% between 2024 and 2025, rising from an average of $3,116 to about $3,462. While the $350 difference is a decent windfall for many households, the increase is already outpaced by the taxes Americans paid via higher prices due to Trump’s tariff policy, with most estimates finding the average household has effectively paid upwards of $1,000 in tariffs, and one congressional estimate finding that a typical household has paid upwards of $1,700 in tariffs. Alex Durante, a senior economist at the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation, told Salon that the 11% increase in tax refunds also obscures the reality for most Americans: that the tax cuts resulting from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year will likely amount to an extension of …

Does Working Less Bring Higher Productivity?

Does Working Less Bring Higher Productivity?

Published by Jenni Sidey

The dizzying speed of technological advancement in the workplace is enough to make one pause. Where on earth is the world of work going? A quick scan of job listings on platforms such as LinkedIn or Indeed reveals a landscape in flux with offerings for roles dedicated to training AI models, remote positions coordinated entirely through digital platforms and project-based assignments managed asynchronously with nary a geographic constraint. It can feel disorienting, even discouraging. One begins to wonder: where did the human element go? And yet, not everyone sees this shift as a loss. There are still thinkers imagining a more humane future of work. Joe O’Connor, co-founder of the global consulting and research firm Work Time Revolution, is one of them. Alongside freelance journalist Jared Lindzon, he co-authored Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek, a book that explores what happens when we rethink not just how we work, but how long we work too. Their case studies are telling. Organizations such as Unilever in New Zealand and Australia successfully …

Even mild opioid use disorder is linked to a significantly higher risk of suicide

Even mild opioid use disorder is linked to a significantly higher risk of suicide

Published by José Betancourt

An analysis of National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data showed that individuals with opioid use disorder have 1.88 to 4.17 times greater odds of having suicidal thoughts compared to individuals without the disorder. Their odds of making a suicide plan were 3.35 to 6.7 times higher, while their odds of attempting suicide were 2.8 to nearly 10 times higher. The paper was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the free and confidential Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat live at 988lifeline.org. Opioids are a class of drugs that act on specific receptors in the brain and body to reduce pain and produce feelings of euphoria. They include natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic substances such as morphine, heroin, and fentanyl. Opioids are commonly prescribed for pain management but carry a high risk of dependence and misuse. If this risk materializes, opioid users may develop opioid use disorder. Opioid use disorder …

Era of Political Violence Means Higher Costs for Candidate Security, a New Report Says

Era of Political Violence Means Higher Costs for Candidate Security, a New Report Says

Published by Sam Flores

Security spending for congressional and presidential campaigns has jumped fivefold over the past decade as an increasingly hostile political environment has led to escalating threats against public officials, ranging from doxing to assassination plots, according to a report released Thursday. Federal political committees spent more than $40 million on expenses labeled as security during the 2023-24 campaign cycle, the most recent one for which data is publicly available, according to the report from the Public Service Alliance, a nonpartisan group that focuses on security for public officials. The report did not specify which candidates spent the most on security. The tally also did not count the escalating security costs of the federal government, which includes augmented Capitol Police services for members of Congress and heightened U.S. Secret Service protection for presidential candidates, as well as former and current presidents and their families. “This is not a good place to be as a country,” said Justin Sherman, the report’s author. The report calculated security costs by looking at publicly available filings with the Federal Election Commission …

Wildfire smoke linked to higher assault rates, study finds

Wildfire smoke linked to higher assault rates, study finds

Published by Jenni Sidey

Smoke from distant wildfires can drift into a city without warning, turning the sky hazy and the air sharp. It can make your throat scratch and your eyes sting. Now, new research suggests it may also shape how people act toward each other. A study published finds a consistent link between wildfire smoke and higher assault rates in Seattle over an eleven-year period. The research, led by political scientist Lion Kircheis from the University of Konstanz, does not claim that smoke directly causes violence. Still, it shows a clear pattern that raises new questions about how polluted air may influence behavior. Kircheis examined daily crime data from 2013 to 2023, focusing on days when wildfire smoke affected the city. Across all eleven years, assault rates rose by an average of 3.6 percent on smoky days compared with clear ones. In a city the size of Seattle, that increase equals about one additional assault per day. “I would especially like to emphasize that our study does not provide evidence of a direct causality for the effects …