CTA Foundation News By Steve Ewell ● Feb 20, 2026 Smart Brevity® count: 1.5 mins…446 words The CTA Foundation celebrated an impactful CES 2026, highlighting innovation in accessibility and the power of collaboration. CES provided an incredible platform to bring together industry leaders, partners and innovators committed to advancing accessibility. From assistive technologies to the debut of the Accessibility Stage powered by Verizon, the show featured cutting-edge advancements that empower people of all abilities and reinforced the Foundation’s commitment to creating a more accessible and inclusive future. Keep reading to learn more about: The inaugural Accessibility Stage’s impact at CES. Accessibility innovation programming and events highlighted at CES. And more. As always, thanks for your support.

Inaugural Accessibility Stage Elevated Accessibility at CES The CTA Foundation debuted CES’s first-ever dedicated Accessibility Stage powered by Verizon Accessibility, with accessibility services provided by Microsoft and Aura cast broadcast audio provided by Bluetooth SIG. Located in a high-traffic area of The Venetian Convention Center, the stage featured three full days of programming and quickly became a central hub for accessibility at CES. The stage welcomed strong engagement from attendees throughout the week, bringing together industry leaders, nonprofits and innovators to share insights and showcase technologies improving independence and quality of life. Why it matters: The debut of the Accessibility Stage marked a major milestone for CES, elevating accessibility as a visible and essential part of the global technology conversation.

CES 2026 Programming and Events Highlighted Accessibility Innovation CES 2026 brought together leaders advancing accessibility through the CTA Foundation. The CTA Foundation Accessibility Roundtable, presented by Salesforce, welcomed 180 attendees, while the Accessibility & AgeTech Reception gathered over 350 guests, highlighting strong engagement and collaboration across the accessibility and AgeTech ecosystem. At the Foundation’s annual Pitch Competition, presented by Next50, .lumen received the Grand Prize and Judge’s Choice Award for its AI-powered navigation solution supporting people who are blind or have low vision. Cairns Health earned the Runner-Up Award for its AI-driven digital care companion, while EverEx received the Audience Choice Award. HapWare was named the 2026 Health Challenge winner, Lotus was recognized as the runner up, and ONSCREEN, Inc. received the John and Jane Shalam Award. The Foundation also hosted Accessibility Media and Funders Tours and highlighted startups through the Eureka Park Accessibility Contest, showcasing innovative accessibility solutions across CES.

Thank You to Our CES 2026 Sponsors and Partners The CTA Foundation extends its sincere thanks to our partners who helped elevate accessibility across CES and made these important conversations and opportunities possible.

Welcoming New Trustees to the CTA Foundation The CTA Foundation is pleased to welcome Jim Braun of Dual Electronics and Sarah Thomas of Delight by Design and AgeTech Capital to its Board of Trustees. Their leadership and expertise will help strengthen the Foundation’s work and expand its impact in advancing accessibility and aging technology.

The post CTA Foundation News: Highlights from an Impactful CES 2026 appeared first on Good News!.

Claire Kirsch and her dog at home in Vassar, Mich. Brittany Greeson for The New York Times

The new pet care

By Katie Thomas

I’m an investigative reporter with a focus on the intersection of money and health care. I have a dog named Gerald.

Pets these days are just like us. They get birthday cakes, day care and rubber boots to wear in the snow. Their health care is becoming more human, too — for better and for worse.

Decades ago, animal care was relatively rudimentary. Veterinarians usually owned their own clinics, and the options to treat a sick or injured pet were limited. Today, animal hospitals are equipped with expensive magnetic resonance imaging machines, round-the-clock critical care units and teams of specialists in cancer, cardiology and neurology. For pets and the people who love them, the advances are welcome.

But as animals’ health care has changed to more closely resemble our own, it has also taken on some of the problems of the human system, including the biggest one: cost. The price of veterinary care has soared more than 60 percent over the past decade, outpacing inflation. Private equity firms have snapped up hundreds of independent clinics, in a trend reminiscent of corporate roll-ups of doctors’ offices. Veterinarians around the country told me that they worry this is changing the way that they practice, as they face growing pressure to push costly treatments and order more tests.

The changed landscape means that even as veterinarians can do more for dogs and cats than ever before, pet owners face sometimes heartbreaking decisions about whether they can afford the care. (Read more in our story on the topic.)

Changes in the industry

About one-quarter of primary care clinics and three-quarters of specialty clinics are owned by corporations, according to Brakke Consulting, which focuses on the animal health industry. Sometimes, the corporate ownership is not obvious: Many private equity firms do not change the name of the vet clinic when they take it over.

Most veterinarians are paid, at least in part, based on how much money they bring into a practice, whether that is by ordering tests, selling prescription dog food or performing procedures. One veterinarian said she quit her job after she was told her “cost per client” was too low; another said she was told she needed to see 21 animals a day, about a half-dozen more than her current workload.

Retired veterinarian David Roos and his dog, Chester. Mike Kai Chen for The New York Times

Other veterinarians said the pressure had no influence on the care they provided. In interviews, they said they bore the brunt of pet owners’ complaints, even when they have little to do with setting prices. Veterinarians make far less money than doctors for humans, and are also often in debt from years of education. Prices have gone up partly because of the rising cost of drugs, vaccines and other supplies, as well as worker salaries in a tight labor market.

One veterinarian I interviewed, Dr. Pam Nichols of South Jordan, Utah, has seen the transformation firsthand. When she was starting out in the 1990s, she said she used to sneak dachshunds into the human hospital where her father was a radiologist to give them M.R.I. scans. If the dog needed surgery, the bill would be about $2,000. Now, she said, a similar dog might get an M.R.I. and a CT scan, and will probably be operated on by a specialist who is assisted by several nurses. The cost could reach $10,000.

Tough choices for owners

Veterinary care differs from human health care in one big way: Most pet owners pay out of their own pocket — and in full — before leaving the vet’s office. While pet insurance is available, only a small percentage of pet owners have it.

A generation ago, pet owners with a seriously ill animal may have had little choice but to opt for euthanasia if they wanted to relieve their pet’s suffering. Now, they must choose between extending the animal’s life and going into what can be debilitating debt, or letting an animal die. I spoke to some pet owners who were still paying off credit card debt years after their animals had died. And animal welfare groups said owners frequently relinquished their pets to shelters because they couldn’t afford veterinary bills.

For many people, though, the sacrifices are worth it. That was the case for Claire Kirsch, who was earning less than $10 an hour as a veterinary technician in Georgia when her own dog, Roscoe, and her horse, Gambit, each had medical emergencies, resulting in bills that totaled more than $13,000. The animals would have died if she had not opted for the additional care. She took a higher-paying job, maxed out a credit card and tapped into her husband’s retirement account to pay off the debt.

“I knew I would never be able to forgive myself if we didn’t try,” she said.

The post The Morning: Pet Health Care appeared first on Good News!.

DATE & TIME: SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 LIVE BROADCAST STARTED AT 12:00PM EDT VIA UNIFY at www.facebook.com/UNIFY and www.youtube.com/goodnewsbroadcast.  The website for the event is:  www.pausetheworldforpeace.org

On  September 21st, 2023 on the UN International Day of Peace, the 21^st. Annual  Pause The World for Peace Broadcast, both in-person and global virtual audiences experienced the first ever 100% solar-powered concert in Times Square for peace and ecology, powered by multi-faceted musical artist and climate activist AY Young and his Battery Tour. Also featured is mental tranquility advocate and acclaimed singer Michel Pascal, who was joined by US Presidential Candidate, author, and activist Marianne Williamson and Myron McKinley of Earth, Wind, & Fire. As a part of the larger six-hour Peace Day event, this concert shared virtual messages from legacy peacekeepers like Ringo Starr, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, and Shakira. The nonprofit event producer Good News Corporation has partnered with OMMM, UNIFY, WE.net, AY Young, Battery Tour, SmartFlower, Playa Betty’s, 5 Star Diamond Award, Samsung, GM, BNP Paribas, Hugg-A Planet, New York Parks and Recreation, and Times Square Alliance.

Reverend Paul Sladkus, All Faiths, and Spiritual and Executive Producer for 21 years in Central Park, NY, Times Square, NY, and worldwide stated, “ This year’s participation exceeded our expectation to strengthen the message of International Peace, along with showing our love for MOTHER EARTH.  Here are the links for the three parts, approx. 2 hours each.  We are in negotiation for additional broadcast because Pausing the World for Peace is always needed” 

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/02/part-1-pause-the-world-for-peace-2023/

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/02/part-2-pause-the-world-for-love-2023/

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/09/part-3-pause-the-world-for-hope-2023/

 The Battery Tour’s involvement in the Pause the World for Peace event was highly intentional. On a mission to break barriers and build bridges, AY Young was appointed by the United Nations as the Global Youth Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals in 2020, Generation 17 Youth Ambassador, and SDG Champion. AY has performed over 800 concerts powered entirely by the Battery Tour’s renewable energy. “We are all outlets for change,” says the artist. And driving positive change was a major theme between Pause the World for Peace event collaborators. 

Michel Pascal led a dance meditation and musical performance, seamlessly combining the serenity of meditation, and the joy of dance, promising a unique and transformative experience. Pascal, is co-founder of OMMM which is a movement to create a positive impact on individuals and communities worldwide through the practice of meditation, music, and multimedia content. Pascal, A.K.A “The Medicine Voice,” has been performing at Carnegie Hall since 2016, while working closely with marginalized communities, including prisoners and veterans. The concert featured a bilingual meditation guided by Juliana Klinkert, an esteemed meditation teacher known for her work at the Amity Foundation and in Hispanic communities.

Young and Pascal, along with the generations they represent, continue a wave of peace work built on the foundations of champions of peace like David Gershon (led 1986 Earth Run Torch of Peace), Ben Bowler (founder of UNITY Earth bringing cease-fires for peace), his eminence Shyalpa Rinpoche (currently building Universal Peace Sanctuary at UNESCO World Heritage Site for Peace), Jonathan Granoff (World Academy of Art & Science Fellow and UN Ambassador to the Nobel Peace Laureates), and Jeremy Gilley (founder of Peace One Day with Sir Paul McCartney message). They, like others both in New York and nationally, including Michael Fitzpatrick (25-year cellist to the Dalai Lama), Rick Ulfic & Andrew Kaen (established 11 Days of Global Unity), Reverend Susana Bastarrica & James Cannings (founded Vigil for International Day of Peace), and Reverend Deborah Muldow & Fumi Johns (of May Peace Prevail on Earth with 250,000 Peace Poles worldwide), Peace Lights Peter Rogina, have dedicated their lives to empowering communities, fostering cooperation, and addressing global challenges with social innovations. Seeds planted decades ago are breaking ground as a new surge of activism takes shape in a post-pandemic society ready for collaborative action.

The Pause the World for Peace event included a special segment entitled “Peace in Action” with renowned representatives sharing the latest in major global issues, including domestic violence, school safety, human rights, human security, animal rights, climate action, and ending violence in health, politics, and religion, regardless of gender, race, or disability, promoting practical paths to a thriving life for all. A special military and police tribute for fallen heroes was featured. 

The Pause the World for Peace event, set in the Duffy Square section of Times Square, NY, is hosted by the Good News Corporation, whose founder Reverend Paul Sladkus has continued to be a leader in rallying movements for peace in action. Sladkus, who is an ordained all-faith minister, implores, “193 countries in the UN unanimously agreed to a CEASE FIRE EVERYWHERE, ACTS OF PEACE & LOVE, and WE CAN DO IT. We listened to Ringo Starr at 12:00 pm Noon ET as he requested a Worldwide Moment of Silence for PEACE, from Times Square, virtually on September 21, 2023, and we prayed to keep that moment going for peace and ecology  to last FOREVER.”

The event ran until 5:00PM EDT and aired to the world via UNIFY (received 2 billion views with the UN for Peace Day in 2017), which broadcasted the program to their combined partner audience of millions worldwide. McKinsey Co. stated that there are 1.6 billion people worldwide already aware of the International Day of Peace. Pause the World for Peace aimed to amplify the urgent need for collective action and global cooperation. Together, we stand in solidarity to promote peace, human security, and climate action for a better and brighter future for all.

Musicians who performed  with Michel Pascal were  Myron McKinley, Earth, Wind and Fire Musical Director, Paul Pesco,  legendary guitarist of Madonna and Jennifer Lopez; Stacey Lamont Sydnor, iconic drummer of The Jackson 5; Ian Martin, soulful bassist known for collaborations with David Foster and Barry Manilow; Randy J. Greene, artist, singer, and dancer of Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan; and other diverse, exceptional musicians. Other stage appearances include: the City of New York, Heck from Angry Elephant, Peace Parrots, Protect Yo Heart (featuring artist Uncutt “Love is…” wall), Let’s Disrupt Digital Music Showcase, Indiggo Twins, Chip Shelton Peace Ensemble, Elvis & Elton John Performance Artists Ralph Carey & Russ Davis, Michael Jackson performance artist W. Jackson from China Great Wall, Madonna Artist Chrissie B, Marvin Gaye Artist Doug Quarteze with Gina Muza & Ant Hatcher, Reid Stowe 1,000 Days at Sea, “Beyond the Raging Sea” (refugee movie trailer), Prince Alpert Ocean Rescue Movie, David Lynch TM, Harlem Globetrotters Cheer Program, Andrea McArdle as Annie on broadway with dog Sandy, Saranne Rothberg (Stage 4 cancer survivor, Comedy Cures Foundation), Dr. Levry Global Visionary for Peace, Author and Founder of Neuro Activating Advanced Meditation (NAAM), performance artist Quinn Lemley as Rita Hayworth (face painted on atomic bomb as PR stunt, WWII), Bruce Stephen Foster, World Renown Performer Giorgia Fumanti, Carnegie Hall Pianist Katya Grineva, Michael Bulychev-Okser, Global Stress Initiative, Operation Warrior Shield, “Rock & Roll Man” the Musical (Pioneer DJ Alan Freed, unified through music, desegregation, he named rock & roll, performed by Constantine Maroulis), and the Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love & HOPE Movie.  Special Virtual Message and from their famous Get-Together song from Jesse Colin Young from the Youngbloods, Peter Yarrow from Peter, Paul & Mary. As well as a message from generations MacKenzie Brooke, Reif Harrison, and Chuckie Armstrong from Wonderama.

CONTACTS & LINKS:

Event Contact: Paul Sladkus, paul.sladkus1@gmail.com 212 647 1212 www.pausetheworldforpeace.org

AY Young Contact: Amanda Charney Amanda@BlackPandaPR.com

UNIFY Contact : Tiffany Brown PRStuntGirls@gmail.com

OMMM Contact: Juliana Klinkert info@hommm.xyz

For Updates: Good News Corporation YouTube Channel & Pause The World For Peace

#pausetheworldforpeace #peaceday2023#internationaldayofpeace #climatechange #solar

#mayoradams #pastormonrose #thomasdinapoli #lindarosenthal #galebrewer #marklevine #johnliu #mckinsey&company #tammyscarlett #unify #johnlennon #paulsladkus

The post PAUSE THE WORLD FOR PEACE HOSTED A HISTORIC BROADCAST, Politicians… appeared first on Good News!.

#drthomasobrien #osteopathicmedicine #osteopathic #health #sciences #familyresidency #primarycare #barnabashospital #tommyo #help-10 #treatingpatients #educatingpatients #patchogue #learning #nonprofit

The post Dr. Thomas Obrien, discusses Holistic Health and Medical Marijuana appeared first on Good News!.

Global Security Institute Statement on Russian Invasion

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Read the Statement Here

Dear Friends,

The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia is illegal and will cause enormous suffering. President Putin lied to the world when he stated that Russia would not invade Ukraine. Did Russian diplomats who parroted this lie do so knowingly? Its diplomats are professional and very intelligent. It seems that they, too, were fooled. Yet, I could be wrong. Time will tell. In the meantime, neither Russia nor the US has pledged not to use nuclear weapons first in this or any other instance. In the fog of war, terrible things, unthinkable things, can happen. That is why for diplomats to lie is so serious. If words cannot be trusted, then bullets become verbs, and in the nuclear age, unthinkable things can happen.

Regardless of what specific responses the world takes to stop and reverse this conduct, it is imperative that there be unity of purpose and outrage. Nations that abstained from supporting Security Council condemnation are asked to rethink and change. Political leaders who, for personal or partisan purposes, express explicit or implicit support for Russia’s Crimes Against the Peace should be ashamed and, where they fail to respond to the voice of conscience, we should shame them.

GSI has issued a formal statement to clarify some of the reasons why for the safety and security of the world and especially for the people of Ukraine, all of our voices for the rule of law, justice, and peace must be raised together now.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Granoff
President, Global Security Institute

Read the Statement Here

Security Council Report: “Ukraine: Vote on Draft Resolution”

Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr., GSI Board of Directors and a Chair of its Non-Proliferation Security Group: “In a Historic Moment, the West Cannot Look Away From Ukraine.”

#russia #ukraine #guns #invasion #global #security #institute #putin #peace #council #purpose #outrage #jonathan #granoff #thomas #graham #volodymyr #zelenskyy #resolution #vladimir

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This Sunday the Daisy Jopling Band is collaborating with pop-soul singer Nina BLUE for an incredible performance in NYC at the Cutting Room on the 14 this Sunday at 7PM!

Jeff Miller – Piano
Matthew Watanabe – Keyboard
Lavondo Thomas – Bass
Simon Fishburn – Drums
Michael Feigenbaum -Percussion

THE CUTTING ROOM TICKETS
Visit our website: www.daisyjopling.com

The post The Daisy Jopling Band ?? and NiNA BLUE ? this Sunday appeared first on Good News!.

CKD is a progressive condition and patients with CKD have an increased risk of having heart disease.[1][3] However, most patients don’t know they have CKD, in large part because it is a “silent” disease, with most patients feeling no symptoms until the disease has progressed.[4] In fact, while approximately 15% of US adults are living with CKD, 9 in 10 are unaware they have CKD.[1]

Now, a new treatment option has been proven to help slow the progression of CKD – a huge scientific innovation for CKD patients at risk of progression with and without T2D. This approval is the most significant advancement in the treatment of CKD in over 20 years.

Because CKD may be overlooked until symptoms appear at advanced stages, it is especially important to be aware of risk factors and the serious complications that can occur.[1][5]

CKD tends to get worse over time, so the earlier treatment starts, the better the patient outcomes are. [3]

On May 19, Neil Skolnik, M.D., Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, will be available to discuss the latest treatment option approved by the FDA. Dr. Skolnik will also discuss risk factors and the importance of early detection of CKD.

Interview Courtesy: AstraZeneca

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/2019-national-facts.html.

2. AstraZeneca. Diagnose CKD Now. https://www.diagnoseckdnow.com/

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Kidney Disease Basics. www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html.

4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease.

5. National Kidney Foundation. Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (Egfr). https://www.kidney.org/content/gfr]

#astrazeneca #farxiga #kidney #disease #health #chronic #patient #risk #diabetes #treatment #therapy #heart #ckd #neil #skolnik #thomas #jefferson #medicine #medical #family #factors

The post THE FIRST MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN 20 YEARS TO HELP MANAGE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN PATIENTS AT RISK OF PROGRESSION WITH AND WITHOUT TYPE 2 DIABETES appeared first on Good News!.

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

-Thomas Aquinas

Submitted By:

Cheryl Switzer, Marc Huschke

Dear Friends and Members,

What is FAITH to you? In Yiddish we say something was BESHERT, that something was meant to be. I live in FAITH, that the glass is more than half full. I believe with breath we are blessed, as we were before birth and will be in the after-life.

Thanks Cheryl and Marc for sharing our Thought for the Day.

With this in mind, take a vacation, ASAP, whether it is away or in your own neighborhood. This year our STRESS LEVEL has been off the charts. MONTAUK is a wonderful place to go right now, with very low rates and heavenly weather and nature. Let me know if you want to go.

Here are some scenery videos from Montauk.

http://goodnewsplanet.com/sunset-at-montauk-manor/

http://goodnewsplanet.com/montauk-heaven-on-earth-montauk-water-and-nature-is-peace/

Additional Good News comes from The US ARMY new animated series, the Calling.

http://goodnewsplanet.com/u-s-armys-new-animated-youtube-series-embraces-humanity-of-soldiers-to-reach-gen-z/

and new technology UVAngel to clean the air where you live, work, go out…call me if interested, as NY State just suggested to pursue ways to keep safe…YOU CAN MAKE MONEY AND DO GOOD$$$

http://goodnewsplanet.com/uv-angel-announces-manufacturing-services/

and lastly its not to late to become a Reflexologist, but call today and I will give details from our Reflexology Expert Laura Norman…

http://goodnewsplanet.com/laura-norman-holistic-reflexology-centers-good-news-speaks-to-our-friend-laura/

Thanks for everything and have FAITH.

Reverend Paul Sladkus

All Faiths and Spiritual call if I can help you. friends, family or strangers…212 647 1212

www.peacedayparty.org

September 21 events.

DONATIONS NONPROFIT: Thanks Gina Green, Alisa Farina Maynard and Sheila Hill in memory of her daughter Rebecca for your most generous Good News donations.

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During his tenure, Ridge worked with more than 180,000 employees from a combined 22 components to come together as one agency to strengthen our borders, provide for intelligence analysis and infrastructure protection, improve the use of science and technology to counter weapons of mass destruction, and to create a comprehensive response and recovery division. Ridge served the nation’s first Secretary of Homeland Security until February 1, 2005.

Ridge was twice elected Governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1995 to 2001. He kept his promise to make Pennsylvania “a leader among states and a competitor among nations.” Governor Ridge’s aggressive technology strategy helped fuel the state’s advances in the priority areas of economic development, education, health and the environment.

The post 2018 Tom Ridge Awards – FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT HOMELAND SECURITY FOUNDATION SUPPORTING AMERICA’S HEROES IN FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT – Click on Video and Podcast, Podcast of the entire event stay tuned appeared first on Good News!.