A CalMatters commentary co-written by UCLA doctoral student and Marine Corps veteran Jason Williams argued that federal research funding cuts are threatening programs that help veterans transition from military service to careers in science and higher education. Williams highlighted the impact on UCLA’s Veterans in STEM program, which provides research experience, mentorship and professional development opportunities for student veterans. The authors urged support for California’s proposed Science and Health Research Bond Act, saying it could help sustain research programs and educational pathways amid ongoing federal funding uncertainty. (Newsroom chronicled Williams and the Veterans in STEM program.) Read more about UCLA in today’s Forbes, Associated Press and others.

More highlights from UCLA in the News: June 17, 2026

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ ‘bright spot’ in year of declining diversity | Los Angeles Times

In past years, streaming was considered a more accessible outlet for early-career, female or BIPOC filmmakers, a pattern reflected in data about gender and racial representation. According to Part 2 of UCLA’s 2026 Hollywood Diversity Report, which was released Wednesday and analyzed all of the original English-language films distributed on major streaming platforms in 2025, that trend reversed across every category studied. (UCLA’s Darnell Hunt, Michael Tran, and Ana-Christina Ramón were quoted. Also: Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TheWrap and Entertainment Weekly.)

Public still favors action on climate change despite fossil fuel drive | The Guardian

Research from earlier this year found that U.S. households are paying between $400 and $900 more each year because of the impacts of the climate crisis, with costs ballooning to more than $1,300 in some counties in states such as California, Louisiana and Florida. “The status quo has a lot of real negative consequences for American households,” said Kimberly Clausing, an economist at the UCLA School of Law and one of the study’s co-authors, who added that home insurance rates and, less obviously, health costs are being accelerated by the climate crisis.  

The latest on the war in Iran | CNN

“If we look at what little has come out — and has Bloomberg apparently has published the 14 points of the deal — Iran is obtaining all of these benefits, these concessions, including $300 billion in infrastructure investment, reconstruction investment. It’s getting a removal of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. And all sanctions lifted without having to commit to anything in particular, that we could see. Nothing specifically that has to be done on their part, other than to agree to enter into discussions about future cooperation issues relating to its uranium enrichment program and transit through the Strait,” said UCLA’s Benjamin Radd.

DOJ seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center | Associated Press

“This is particularly audacious because it is supposedly grounded in constitutional powers,” said Ann Carlson, a professor at the UCLA School of Law. The Justice Department is saying it “can step in and dismiss a lawsuit on any ground and all grounds.”

UCLA-tested pancreatic cancer drug doubles survival | Baltimore Sun

A daily pill doubled patients’ survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer treatment by blocking one of the primary drivers of the tumor, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, reported … “For years we’ve made incremental gains in treating pancreatic cancer,” Dr. Zev Wainberg, professor of medicine and investigator at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-first author of the study, said in a UCLA news release. “Seeing this magnitude of benefit in a randomized phase three study is very encouraging for all patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and is a paradigm shift in this deadly disease.”

Kidney healing improves after protein blockade | Medical Xpress

A drug previously developed at UCLA to help heart tissue repair itself after a heart attack might also help kidney tissue repair and regenerate, researchers have found … The new finding, published in Cell Stem Cell, builds on many years of research in the laboratory of UCLA cardiovascular scientist Arjun Deb. (Deb was quoted.)

Different prices for same ride share raise questions about fare calculations | NBC News

Keith Chen, a professor of behavioral economics at UCLA and the former head of economic research at Uber, said ride prices on the app have moved toward “more complicated optimization” over time. Pricing, he said, evolved from a taxi-like model based on time and mileage to more complex factors that include future car demand and randomized pricing tests to gauge what customers were willing to pay.

Webb and Hubble reveal the history of a relic of Milky Way’s formation | Phys.org

“Along with the ages of these populations, the cluster preserves a fossil record of progressive enrichment of heavy elements by supernovae,” said co-author R. Michael Rich, a research astronomer at the University of California, Los Angeles.