Latest news with #BreakthroughT1D
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House settlement enters political arena, where there's much congressional debating — and sniping — over college sports' future
Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) on a potential federal college sports bill: 'We're almost there, but I know we can make some tweaks that could improve the bill. We are close to filing the bill and getting it to markups.' (Photo byfor Breakthrough T1D) WASHINGTON — Just a few minutes into Thursday's congressional hearing on college sports, a Democrat member accused her Republican colleagues of secretly drafting the legislation, intentionally cutting out members of her party and not properly giving public notification of the hearing. Seconds later, another member put aside college sports talk to discuss how President Donald Trump, he says, is 'trying to destroy American higher education.' Advertisement And a third sitting committee member, very flatly, described her feelings on legislation that would grant the NCAA and power conferences liability protection: 'This is something I cannot support.' If anyone thought the approval of the House settlement would result in a newfound focus and agreement among lawmakers over a federal college sports bill, think again. 'I just want to get this straight,' began Lori Trahan, a Democrat U.S. House representative from Massachusetts and a former college volleyball player, 'this committee is considering a bill that would constrain or roll back athlete rights, block further progress and give them little in return?' Strong push — and pushback — to get to a House vote Thursday's near 2 1/2 hour hearing before a House Commerce subcommittee signaled, quite clearly, that a bipartisan resolution over congressional legislation may still be leagues away — despite the passage of a landmark settlement ushering in the age of athlete revenue sharing within college sports. Advertisement In fact, Democrat members of this committee — the one that controls the future of any college sports bill in the House — launched criticisms toward the settlement itself. They don't, for instance, like the cap on athlete compensation (the settlement comes with an annual rev-share spending max per school). And they don't like the new enforcement entity (it stands to make athletes ineligible if third-party NIL deals are rejected by a new clearinghouse). 'I have some concerns with the current iteration of this bill as well as some provisions of the settlement,' said Yvette Clarke, a Democrat representative from New York. 'I am extremely hesitant to grant any kind of liability limit on antitrust exemptions at this stage given that antitrust lawsuits are the driving factor in bringing about this long overdue era of fair compensation for college athletes.' And then, nearly two hours into the hearing, Clarke voiced publicly what so many inside and outside college athletics believe to be a solution. 'There needs to be some kind of legitimate collective bargaining between college athletes and the NCAA and its member institutions,' she said. Despite Democrat pushback Thursday, Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), the chair of this House Commerce subcommittee, plans to soon introduce his bill, a draft of which was socialized last week and was at the center of the hearing. The bill mostly grants the NCAA and power conferences all of their requests for federal legislation: (1) preempts state NIL laws; (2) grants limited protection to enforce rules by codifying the settlement terms; and (3) deems college athletes as students and not employees. Advertisement After the hearing, Bilirakis told Yahoo Sports that he is open to considering suggestions from Democrats on changing portions of the draft. He is in the process of attempting to find a Democrat co-sponsor for the legislation, and he will now begin negotiating with members of two other House committees — Judiciary and Ed/Workforce — to attempt to reach a bipartisan agreement that seems, if not impossible, improbable. Either way, a bill is coming. 'We're almost there, but I know we can make some tweaks that could improve the bill,' Bilirakis said. 'We are close to filing the bill and getting it to markups.' But what then? 'Intentionally vague' future in college sports Because of the Republican majority in the House, the bill, even without Democrat support, could work its way out of committee and onto the floor, where a vote along party lines may see it approved and then shipped to the Senate for a similar process. Advertisement However, despite a Republican majority in the Senate, legislation there faces a much more difficult path because of filibuster rules. Without 60 senators voting for the bill — that includes seven Democrats or independents — it is subject to delay. If Thursday's hearing is any indication, Democrats believe that this legislation grants the NCAA and conferences too much antitrust protection and 'halts' progress made by athletes over compensation. A similar draft of a bill exists in the Senate from Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas who has spearheaded negotiations over a college sports bill in that chamber. Five senators — three Democrats and two Republicans — have held regular in-person gatherings over legislation since March. No agreement has been reached, but Cruz, like Bilirakis, seems determined to introduce a bill soon. The hurdles in reaching an agreement include (1) the breadth of liability protection and to which entity to grant those powers; (2) the anti-employment clause and its duration; and (3) long-term medical and healthcare support for athletes. Advertisement One thing is becoming abundantly clear: Without federal legislation, the NCAA and power conferences fear that the stream of legal challenges against its rules will continue, even within the House settlement structure. The settlement leaves college sports' future 'intentionally vague,' described South Carolina Republican House member Russell Fry. But does this bill 'go too far?' he asked aloud. 'You don't want to go too far and create more problems than you solve.' One of the big problems, lawmakers and college stakeholders say, is the unlimited amount of transfers within the industry — something that evolved into a leading discussion point in Thursday's hearing. One witness in the hearing, William King, the SEC's associate commissioner for legal affairs, told lawmakers that officials need federal legislation to 'regulate transfers' — something that even some Democrats agree with. While new revenue-share contracts struck between schools and athletes are expected to limit movement, the contracts are not employment deals, thus many are questioning their enforceability. Advertisement 'I thought it was crazy that kids were transferring during the NCAA tournament,' said Democrat Marc Veasey of Texas. However, later on, Veasey said that pro-NCAA legislation such as this turns back college sports to a past without athlete compensation and other benefits. 'The past,' said Veasey, 'was jacked up.' The Republicans fired back. 'We are not here to micromanage college sports,' Bilirakis said. 'We are here to strengthen it.' Few across the aisle see it that way. In fact, Trahan took issue with the new enforcement entity, the College Sports Commission, and the NIL clearinghouse, 'NIL Go,' that is expected to review third-party athlete NIL deals to determine if they are 'real NIL and not pay-for-play,' as King described Thursday. Advertisement 'This bill rewrites [the NIL] process to guarantee people in power always win and the athletes who fuel this multi-billion dollar industry always lose,' Trahan deadpanned. NCAA keeps stacking up wins over eligibility One of the issues not seriously raised Thursday: a player's eligibility, a concept that has been at the center of lawsuits from players requesting additional years of competition. In fact, as the hearing began, the NCAA got good news from a state that, lately, has become a thorn in its collective side. A Tennessee judge denied a preliminary injunction in the eligibility case brought by Vols basketball player Zakai Zeigler, who, despite exhausting his college eligibility, filed suit challenging the NCAA rules granting athletes four competition seasons over five years. Advertisement The NCAA has now won 17 of 20 injunction decisions in eligibility cases in the past year, and the organization is appealing the three it did not win. NCAA president Charlie Baker told Yahoo Sports this week that he 'believes we will win those three' on appeal. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the argument for a college sports bill marches onward. Despite the House settlement's approval, disagreements linger and divide exists. What now? More talk, perhaps even more hearings and, maybe weeks from now, the introduction of legislation that may or may not go anywhere.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fundraising walk raises awareness for Type 1 Diabetes
AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) – Breakthrough T1D held a fundraising walk Sunday morning at Six Flags. Breakthrough T1D, mostly recently known as JDRF, was established in 1970, and throughout the over 50 years of raising money through charity walks, their mission remains the same. Hundreds of athletes participate in IRONMAN 70.3 in western Mass. 'It funds critical research to help improve lives of people who are living with Type 1, while also looking for a cure,' said Jon Muskrat, Executive Director of Breakthrough T1D in Greater CT & Western MA. 'And also help raise awareness for people about the disease and what some of the warning signs are to look for.' Hundreds of people gathered, including family, friends, supporters, and those living with Type 1 Diabetes, better known as T1D Champions. Together, all the teams and participants raised $117,000, money that will support research for Type 1, giving hope to families like Stacy Brabender and her son Jacob, who was diagnosed at the age of four. 'It's very overwhelming,' Stacy Brabender said. 'I called his pediatrician when he had bad breath and was drinking a lot of water. I thought I was a crazy mom. It turns out we were sent immediately to the emergency room. We spent the next two days learning how to keep our son alive, because we no longer knew how.' Now, alongside Jacob and their team called 'Jacob's Justice League,' they are celebrating their ninth year walking towards a cure. 'Seeing people here really makes me feel special,' Jacob Brabender said. 'It makes me feel supported, and it overall makes me happy because they stand by me.' Families who have a loved one who's been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes know there are highs and lows that come with it. 'I just want to let all other families know that have children with Type 1 Diabetes or anything else, any other illness, that there is a support group out there and you can reach out,' said Carmen, Carlos' mother from 'Carlos' Warriors.' 'There is people to talk to.' A community supporting each other towards a shared goal, no matter the age. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
2 Iowa teens attend Type 1 diabetes Children's Congress in Washington, D.C.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Two teenagers from Iowa joined youth from across the world at the Breakthrough T1D Children's Congress in Washington, D.C. this weekend. Every two years, the Children's Congress brings youth from across the world to Washington D.C. to share their Type 1 diabetes stories with Federal lawmakers. This year, the delegates are visiting from June 7 -9 and represent Breakthrough T1D groups across all 50 states, Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Greek Food Fair Festival helps keep Church in community The youth will act as delegates who share their stories and the stories of others, while engaging in leadership and advocating for continued research funding. This year, two delegates from Iowa, Elizabeth and Sachin, are sharing their stories. Elizabeth, 17, is from Adel and was diagnosed with T1D at 14 years old, just days before the Super Bowl. She says seeing Noah Grey on the field reminded her that she could do anything. Elizabeth has built a T1D community through sharing tips and tricks, and hopes it helps others feel less alone. Elizabeth enjoys connecting with the community through her job and volunteering, she hopes to open her own business in the future. Sachin, 13, was diagnosed with T1D at 10 and loves everything engineering. Sachin enjoys making fun inventions that bring laughter, and practical ones like a new kind of insulin pump he designed for his recent science fair project. Since his diagnosis, Sachin has attended walks, galas, and summits to support Breakthrough T1D and learn about exciting new technology that could help those living with Type 1 diabetes. Visit the Breakthrough T1D website to learn more about the Children's Congress and the 170 delegates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Perth Now
05-06-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Why Roger Cook is throwing support behind diabetes research
Premier Roger Cook and senior minister Paul Papalia rallied with families affected by type 1 diabetes on the steps of Parliament House last Thursday morning. Both Mr Cook and Mr Papalia have children who live with the condition, which affects more than 135,000 people nationwide. Type 1 diabetes prevents the body from producing insulin, which is needed to remove glucose from the bloodstream. If left untreated it can be fatal and cause long-term health complications such as kidney, heart, nerve and eye damage, and gum and tooth disease. Your local paper, whenever you want it. It is estimated that about 25,000 Australians are in the early stages of T1 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed. The gathering at Parliament House was part of a broader awareness campaign led by advocacy group Breakthrough T1D ahead of its Blue Tie Gala this month, which hopes to raise more than $1 million for vital research. Both Mr Cook and Mr Papalia are scheduled to attend the gala. 'Type 1 diabetes doesn't discriminate — it touches families in every corner of our community,' Mr Cook said. 'Today, we stand not only as leaders but as parents united in the mission to raise awareness, drive research and ultimately find a cure.' Mr Papalia said the event would help fund 'life-changing' breakthroughs in T1D research. 'Living with type 1 diabetes is a relentless challenge, but it's one made easier through community, advocacy and support,' he said. 'Events like the Blue Tie Gala are critical in shining a light on the realities of T1D and helping fund the breakthroughs that can change lives.' Mt Lawley entrepreneur Ljupco Taneski, who donates 50 per cent of his company's profits to Breakthrough T1D, was also at Parliament House with his family and daughter Caterina, who lives with the condition. Caterina Taneska (9) with her father Ljupco Taneski. Riley Churchman Credit: Riley Churchman / The West Australian Breakthrough T1D CEO Sydney Yovic said the event, along with the support from the Government and 'generous donors', was incredibly important in the drive towards a cure for T1D. 'The families meeting Premier Cook and Minister Papalia know all too well the burden of living with T1D, and how important it is that we achieve our goal of creating a world without the condition,' she said. The Blue Tie Gala will be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition centre on June 7. Tickets are available at
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Breakthrough T1D walk
Katie Milton of Move 100 and Charlie Hughes shares details on this years Breakthrough T1D Walk.
