| Friday, October 30, 2026 |
| A midterm crossroads for both parties eyeing the beginning of the end of the Trump era |
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| The nation's major political parties are at a crossroads. A decade after he began to remake the Republican Party in his image, President Donald Trump is facing the prospect of a voter rebellion Tuesday that could force conservatives to rethink their undying allegiance to the 80-year-old lame-duck leader and his "Make America Great Again" movement. Already, some Republican candidates have begun to distance themselves from him. And Democrats, who remain unpopular despite midterm momentum, are speeding toward a tug-of-war between establishment leaders and emboldened progressives demanding nothing less than transformative change. Whether either party wins or loses Tuesday, the end of the 2026 midterms marks the beginning of a high-stakes fight over the country's political future in the twilight of the Trump era -- a fight that will swiftly surge to the forefront of American politics as new members of Congress descend upon Washington and the 2028 presidential contest takes off. | |
| New Pennington leader has big plans to expand LSU research center, broaden focus in GLP-1 era |
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| In naming a new leader Thursday, Pennington Biomedical Research Center also unveiled a broader vision for its role in obesity and nutrition research. In the age of weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, Petter Bjornstad sees the renowned LSU research center, with its over 550 employees and yearly budget of around $100 million, broadening its scope beyond obesity to explore downstream effects on the body. To help accomplish that goal, he plans to bring on 30 new faculty members at the direction of Chancellor Jim Dalton, he said. "I think the future is going to be multiorgan and also multitechnology," said Bjornstad said. "Connecting all those dots to better understand the impact of obesity and diabetes on our whole body is going to be really critical to make sure people live long, healthy lives." Pennington announced the selection of Bjornstad on Thursday as the new senior vice chancellor and executive director of the research center, replacing interim leader Jennifer Rood. His appointment is subject to approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors. | |
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