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$5 flat-fee deliveries: A Haverhill business is built on community connection
From restaurant supplies to last-minute hardware runs, Store to your Door is meeting everyday needs
From One Major to Three in Four Years: Connecting Data Science, German and Linguistics at Montclair
In a German language program for local children and on an archive translation project, Isabella Zarate Gonzalez shows how Montclair’s mix of STEM, world languages and community engagement helped her connect her interests into a single path
Segment: Financing Action on Extreme Heat and Maternal and Newborn Health: The Way Forward
The segment “Financing Action on Extreme Heat and Maternal and Newborn Health: The Way Forward” will examine how innovative and better-aligned financing approaches can respond to these growing risks. Discussions will highlight country experiences in mobilizing domestic resources, opportunities to unlock and scale climate finance, and the role of heat-smart innovations in building resilient health systems. Particular attention will be given to low- and middle-income countries, where exposure and vulnerability remain highest, and where integrated solutions can deliver the greatest impact.
Astrophysicist Deborah Haarsma Connects Science with Christian Faith at Pepperdine Libraries' Frank Pack Lecture
Hosted by Pepperdine Libraries' Rushford Center, the University community was given the special honor of hearing Haarsma's insights on Christian faith and science at the 21st annual Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture.
SC sees historical ranking in a 2025 national health ranking
South Carolina came in at 36th in the United Health Foundation's America Health Rankings 2025 annual report, the state’s best ranking since the report started b
Former political rivals take on Trump’s push to nationalize voting
GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg and former Obama White House counsel Bob Bauer aim to present a united front against the Trump administration’s efforts to oversee election administration
Dual-threat Dixon makes an impact beyond his own sport
Few athletes embody their sport and community like senior track and field athlete Ashriel Dixon.
NASA Data Hackathon Inspires Community Action
On Jan. 31, students, library staff, researchers, and community members gathered at the University of Florida’s (UF) Marston Science Library for the
Veterinary Science Certificate Program promotes early steps on career path
Rural communities face a growing shortage of veterinary professionals, creating challenges for pet owners and livestock producers alike.
NMSU’s ‘Big Bang Bash’ invites community to hands-on art and science experience
New Mexico State University’s College of Arts and Sciences welcomes kids of all ages to this year’s “Big Bang Bash: Where Arts and Sciences Collide” from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2 at...
How LuGus Studios Turned a Viral Prototype Into a Successful Business
LuGus Studios discusses building Liftoff, growing a niche drone sim audience, and sustaining a 15-year indie studio through community-driven development, iterative workflows, and a focus on impact over scale.
Uplifting and Not Ceding Ground on Health Equity Practice Is Critical to Strengthening Public Health and the Health of the Nation
Public health science gains in the last quarter century in the United States have been formidable due to a focus on structural and social determinants of health, thereby enhancing understanding of the role of inequitable policies in shaping health inequities and inequitable access to ameliorative resources.
How entertainment production hubs are creating new housing hotspots
NewHomeSource reports entertainment production hubs are driving housing demand by boosting local economies, attracting home buyers with modern amenities and community design.
Southcoast Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Perfect Smiles Dentistry
Nominations for the SouthCoast Community's Choice Awards are rolling in! Don't miss your chance to recognize your favorite local businesses.
Susquehanna business school ranks No. 3 nationally for academic experience in debut on Poets&Quants
Stay up to date with the latest news, stories, and achievements from the Susquehanna University community.
Kyle Shanahan ‘very excited' for 49ers to reunite with linebacker Dre Greenlaw
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is happy the team was able to re-sign linebacker Dre Greenlaw in NFL free agency.
When Vermont’s treatment landscape shifts, community providers step up
As Vermont’s substance use treatment landscape shifts, community providers are stepping up to maintain access to care. In Washington County, strong partnerships ensure rapid connection to treatment, recovery services, and coordinated support.
Danone to buy protein shake maker Huel as health nutrition craze drives demand shift
Merging the companies is an opportunity in fast-growing nutrition space, said Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique.
Small Business Promotion Week: Hey Honey Marketplace
Jennifer Reeves, nurse turned boutique owner, came up with the idea for Hey Honey Marketplace, a boutique on Abram Street that aims to not just be a store but a community gathering place for women.
Building a Culture of Health: BJACH Opens Armed Forces Wellness Center at Fort Polk
FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital marked a significant step forward in supporting warfighter readiness and community well-being with the grand opening of its new Armed Forces Wellness Center on March 23. The center, located on the first floor inside BJACH, provides Soldiers, Families, civilian employees and beneficiaries with access to personalized health assessments, education and coaching designed to improve overall health and performance.
Data Is at the Heart of What Public Health Does
Data is key to protecting the health and safety of a community, from identifying and tracking disease outbreaks to ensuring that water is safe to drink. Data is also vital to understanding where resources are most needed. This value is especially apparent to the officials charged with protecting public health, such as Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai’s (Kauaʻi’s)* district health officer.
As President Trump’s Attacks on Science Escalate, Big Oil Moves to Avoid Legal Accountability
This piece was originally published in Climate Home News. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently agreed to hear arguments in Boulder v. Exxon and Suncor a case that could decide whether communities harmed by climate change can hold polluters accountable in state court. Origin
Grub Lab: $6 Million Raised To Bring Sports And Entertainment IP To Independent Restaurants Nationwide
Grub Lab, an Australia-founded restaurant technology startup, announced it has raised $6 million in funding from Quantaco to accelerate its expansion across the United States and support a national rollout tied to major sports leagues and entertainment studios. The company is positioning itself as a modern solution to help independent restaurants compete for family dining traffic through interactive, branded experiences.
Cencora to buy retina business of EyeSouth Partners for $1.1 billion
Drug distributor Cencora said on Monday it would buy the retina business of eye care network EyeSouth Partners for $1.1 billion, expanding its eye care unit.
UCLA tries to enjoy rare opportunity for Lauren and Sienna Betts
UCLA works to celebrate Lauren and Sienna Betts as successful sisters and individual playmakers pushing to help the Bruins win.
Women’s health innovation is a huge opportunity Philadelphia is in danger of missing
A booming medical market is creating jobs, research and startup funding, and the region has the talent and institutions to become a national leader, a local entrepreneur writes.
Meet CT’s 2026 Women in Business honorees
Hartford Business Journal’s 2026 Women in Business awards recognize top leaders who are making a significant difference within their organization and the broader community.
As mayoral election looms, D.C.’s business class worries about what’s next
A potential leftward shift in the wake of the pandemic and the Trump administration’s cutting of thousands of federal jobs has sparked unease in the city’s business community.
Personnel note: Tampa Electric names Ed Narain as Director of Regional Affairs
'Tampa Electric has a long history of supporting the growth and success of the communities it serves, and I look forward to helping strengthen those partnerships.'
Rising job opportunities in sports management attract students
Kaleb Tkacs became involved in sports management from the moment he stepped foot on Duquesne University’s campus in August 2023. Tkacs, of Scottdale, joined as a volunteer film crew member with the Duquesne football team that fall. In 2024, he was elevated as a student assistant, overseeing the film crew,
Four Jewish ambulances set on fire in London in what health secretary calls 'sickening' attack
The attack on the Jewish Community Ambulance service in north London is being treated as an "antisemitic hate crime", the Metropolitan Police says.
Best selling author Marie Benedict to talk at the United Theatre
WESTERLY — Marie Benedict, the Pittsburgh-based author known for using real — mostly forgotten — women as inspiration for her bestselling works of historical fiction, was on the phone Tuesday
Color of Hockey: Williams helping to grow sport on, off ice in Jacksonville
Works for Sabres ECHL affiliate as goalie coach, director of community development
Third annual 'Hop into Health' draws families for free screenings and Easter fun
In Jacksonville Sunday afternoon, Onslow Memorial Hospital hosted a fun and free opportunity for families to enjoy activities like an Easter egg hunt, and take
Chelan Co. Sheriff’s Office secures nearly $55k in funding for behavioral health unit
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has secured nearly $55,000 in outside grant funding to support and expand its behavioral health crisis response program, allowing the agency to add training, equipment and other resources without using county funds.
Eye of Terror – New rules for Defilers, Mutilators, and Kravek Morne
See the new datasheets now.
Politics, protests and popular culture: The University of Minnesota community responds to ICE impact through memes and music
Outside Coffman Union on March 3, The University of Minnesota’s Students for a Democratic Society protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence in Minnesota and on campus, despite reports that Operation...
Acadiana business owner Walter ‘NuNu’ Broussard dies
A well-known Acadiana business owner and community figure has passed away.
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
United Airlines Just Issued a Playbook for Any Business Staggered by Skyrocketing Costs
In a letter to employees, CEO Scott Kirby delivered a master class on boosting morale as he deals with the impact of surging jet fuel prices.
Southern Living names top small towns, Florida snags 5 spots
St. Augustine named best small town in the Southern United States.
Introducing the 2026 Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards finalists - Talk Business & Politics
For several weeks, we have been soliciting the region’s business community for nominations for our first recognition program of the year: the Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards, presented by Arvest...
Natrona County health and food inspections (3/13/26–3/19/26)
CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper-Natrona County Health Department inspects restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, mobile food units, commissaries and
Get ready to vote in the next Detroit Community Choice Awards
The awards program seeks to shine a light on outstanding businesses in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
In the Fight to Defend the Amazon, This Indigenous Community’s Secret Weapon Is Science
In the copper-rich mountains of southeastern Ecuador, Shuar people are combining ancestral knowledge and modern science to protect their forest from a Canadian mining giant.
Jacob Devaney: Man United loanee puts in midfield masterclass
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Marc Abrahams, founder of the satirical Ig Nobel Prizes: ‘Scientists in the US are very angry. People are waking up’
The awards are moving to Switzerland, because their founder believes he can no longer guarantee the laureates’ safety in the United States
Bridging medical realities in the study of technology and health
Anthropologist and MIT Associate Professor Amy Moran-Thomas studies medical technologies and how they fail to reach some communities. “What anthropology has to offer the world, and other knowledge systems, is the insights of people that might be missing from many accounts,” she says.
Families gather at Science Spectrum for Severe Weather Awareness Day
Families and community members gathered at the Science Spectrum on Saturday to learn how to stay one step ahead of weather emergencies.
Healthy Kids Day collaboration with PTO Science Night, April 17
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WHO verifies deadly hospital attack in war-torn Sudan
The World Health Organization (WHO) verified on Saturday a hospital attack in war-torn Sudan that killed 64 people.
My postpartum mental health meant I spent five months on a mother and baby unit
Sofii Lewis was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis tendencies and OCD after giving birth.
Former FBI chief, Robert Mueller, dead at 81
Robert Mueller oversaw the probe into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States election.
Farmers and rural community members can access free mental health resources
KGAN CBS 2 and KFXA Fox 28 provide local news, weather forecasts, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Cedar Rapids and nearby towns and communities in the Corridor and throughout eastern Iowa, including Iowa City, Waterloo, Dubuque, North Liberty, Coralville, Marion, Morengo, Williamsburg, Washington, Tiffin, Tipton, Solon, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Central City, Urbana, Independence, Manchester, Dyersville, Oelwein, Cedar Falls, Waverly, Evansdale, Guttenberg, West Union, New Hampton, Decorah, Waukon, Maquoketa, Sigourney, Fairfield, Grundy Center, La Porte City, Dysart, Fayette, Elkader, Strawberry Point and Belle Plaine.
Chicago spring equinox celebration highlights mental health, nature | ChicagoLIVE
Friends of Nature is hosting a spring equinox celebration on Chicago's Southeast Side that will highlight mental health, nature and community.
Local Business Spotlight: Educational Foundation of AACPS
The Education Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools is helping bridge gaps, support innovation, and create new opportunities for students and educators throughout the county. In this wee…
Ancient DNA reveals a farming shift that pushed a society to the brink
A new study reveals that farming in Argentina’s Uspallata Valley was adopted by local hunter-gatherers rather than introduced by outside populations. Centuries later, a stressed group of maize-heavy farmers migrated into the region, facing climate instability, disease, and declining numbers. Despite these pressures, there’s no sign of violence—instead, families stayed connected across generations, using kinship networks to survive. The research shows how cooperation, not conflict, helped communities navigate crisis.
Doulas can improve health outcomes for women and babies. Insurers are taking notice.
While more Medicaid patients and even some on private plans have gained doula coverage in recent years, United is the first major insurer to begin rolling out the benefit nationwide.
Community's Choice Awards spotlight: Oliv Epicurean Grill
Local favorites don’t nominate themselves. Volusia-Flagler Community’s Choice Awards nominations are in the final days.
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The Brevard Community’s Choice Awards are picking up steam. Have you nominated your local favorites yet?
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Momentum is building for the Best of Bold City Community’s Choice Awards. Nominate before you forget.
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Milwaukee Top Choice Community’s Choice Awards nominations are almost done. Don’t ghost your favorite local businesses.
High Gas Prices, Driven Up by the Iran War, Loom Over the Midterms
The war has complicated the Republican message on affordability. Democrats see an opportunity to drive their economic message while tying President Trump to an unpopular overseas conflict.
BTS fans take over central Seoul for K-pop kings' comeback
South Korean megastars BTS reunite Saturday for their first show in nearly four years, with an expected 260,000 fans taking over central Seoul for a K-pop extravaganza livestreamed to millions more wo...
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Since Feb. 28, what officials describe as an escalation in hostilities involving the United States, Israel and Iran has had ripple effects across the United States, from the stock market to gasoline prices and residents’ mental health.
130-Year-Old Unity Hall Hosts Bluegrass Legend Tony Trischka
A 130-year-old building was filled with music fans as a bluegrass legend performed on stage.
Short-Term Cuts, Long-Term Costs: Investing in Health Care for All Californians
Providing health care for all Californians improves health, strengthens communities, and prevents higher long-term costs.
WXYZ-TV sports anchor Brad Galli to leave the station
Galli posted on Facebook that he is excited about a new opportunity that he didn't name. He said it will allow him to be home more with his family.
Nuclear reactor developer X‑energy files for US IPO
X-energy has filed for an initial public offering in the United States, it said on Friday, as the reactor developer aims to tap growing investor enthusiasm for nuclear power.
Value investors see mispriced opportunities from sports to fertilizer
Value investors pitched a mix of stock ideas in disparate corners of the market at the Value Invest conference in New York on Thursday.
Building Brighter Tomorrows: Advancing Community Health in 2026 and Beyond
The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, in partnership with the Institute for Child Success, is hosting the 2026 Building Brighter Tomorrows Conference on Thursday, April 16 at Furman […]
Building scientists in Charlottesville: Inside the UVA Innovation Hub
The award-winning partnership between the city schools and UVA’s School of Education expands learning into the community.
Charleston Waterkeeper opens Community Science Lab for researching water quality, monitoring microplastics
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WBCD) — Charleston Waterkeeper has opened a first-of-its-kind Community Science Lab, inviting residents, students, and volunteers to take a hands-on role in monitoring Lowcountry wat...
Making the Most of America’s Mega-Decade of Sports
Considering the diplomatic opportunities and risks of hosting the world’s biggest sporting events.
Learning by serving: Rose fellows reflect on lessons from the field | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Rose Service Learning Fellowship funds community-engaged field projects around the globe.
A meningitis B outbreak is happening in the UK. What people should know
Health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating a cluster of meningococcal infections, including two deaths.
Pentagon orders 2,500 troops, 3 warships from California to the Middle East
The Pentagon deployed three warships and roughly 2,500 Marines to the Middle East from the California-based USS Boxer amphibious ready group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Unknown Worlds co-founders' lawyers accuse Krafton of "intentionally leaking" Subnautica 2 release date
"Krafton self-servingly announced the launch without any regard to its impact on the game, the team, or the community," say lawyers
Political tug of war over Iranian women's soccer team prompts criticism in Australia
The United States and Australia’s political tug of war against Iran over the fates of seven members of the Iranian women’s soccer squad who were torn in between appears to have ended
US intel finds no China plan to invade Taiwan by 2027, despite military buildup
The U.S. intelligence community says China has no fixed timeline to invade Taiwan and is not planning action by 2027, marking a shift from prior warnings.
He's one reason why aid cuts weren't as dire for the HIV population as predicted
Harerimana Ismail of Uganda is a community health worker who checks on kids with HIV. He lost his salary after the Trump administration's aid cuts but he keeps doing his job.
How New Mexico Became an Obamacare Success Story
Affordable Care Act enrollment has dropped across the United States since the enhanced federal subsidies expired. But New Mexico has record numbers of people signing up.
Santa Fe small businesses awarded microgrants to pursue new opportunities
A total of 40 Santa Fe business owners received the microgrants, which were valued at between $3,000 and $5,000.
Political tug of war over Iranian women's soccer team prompts criticism in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The United States and Australia’s political tug of war against Iran over the fates of seven members of the Iranian women’s soccer squad appears to have ended with the depleted team returning home minus the two players who defected last week.
Purple Row After Dark: Colorado Rockies Community Predictions 2026!
How do you think the Rockies will do this year?
This Infamous Radioactive 'Tomb' Is Leaking, And Experts Are Worried
"The integrity of the dome could be in jeopardy."
Sense of belonging predicts who stays in science
New research shows that feeling connected to a scientific community may be key to reducing attrition, with professional societies positioned to strengthen belonging across disciplines.
Markiplier to Microdramas: The Ankler x NAB Show’s Future of Entertainment
Share Subscribe Vegas, baby! The Ankler is heading back to NAB Show for a second year in a row — and doubling down on conversations with the smartest people in the industry. From April 18–22, we’re partnering again with the industry’s biggest media and tech gathering to break down the Business of Media and Entertainment as it’s actually evolving: faster, riskier and increasingly driven by new formats, new audiences and new power players. This curated series will bring together top creators, executives and innovators to tackle the forces reshaping the industry — from the AI disruption of Hollywood’s creative ecosystem to the rise of the creator economy, shifting audience behavior and the changing economics of production. We’ll be rolling out more programming in the coming weeks — including top speakers from leading AI studios, prediction markets and beyond — so keep an eye on the Business of Media and Entertainment hub. But first up, we’re announcing two panels about what’s actually working in Hollywood: The Scary-Smart Business of Horror A good scare has become one of the entertainment economy’s most reliable engines. With disciplined budgets, built-in fandoms and global box office upside, horror consistently outperforms. From theatrical releases to streaming-first originals and creator-driven IP, the genre is artistically flexible and financially durable — and one of the last truly communal experiences for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. Join YouTube creator Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, whose independent feature Iron Lung earned more than $50 million at the global box office, Atomic Monster president Michael Clear and screenwriter Akela Cooper (M3GAN, Malignant) for a conversation moderated by Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey about why horror travels so effectively across platforms and borders, how studios and independents are building sustainable genre pipelines and why the next wave of breakout franchises may emerge from unexpected sources. Inside the Microdrama Boom Short-form serialized storytelling is having a major moment. Microdramas, social-native series and creator-led narratives are capturing massive audiences with low-cost, rapid production cycles and direct-to-fan distribution. What was once dismissed as niche or experimental is now attracting major platform investment. Moderated by Jarvey, this panel of microdrama creators and executives — including one of the format’s top stars and producers, Kasey Esser, and Dhar Mann Studios’ head of vertical content, Erin McFarlane — examines how format innovation, fandom dynamics and algorithmic discovery are reshaping the economics of scripted storytelling and what traditional studios can learn from these agile models. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Lynne@theankler.com Share
New dispute emerges around Subnautica 2’s early access release
Lawyers for the ousted—and now partially reinstated—leadership team of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica 2, are crying foul over news that the game will be released into early access in May. The release announcement earlier this week was made improperly, potentially “damaging the game and sowing additional confusion among the Subnautica community,” the lawyers said in a letter sent on Tuesday to Vice Chancellor Lori Will of Delaware’s Court of Chancery. In their letter, the lawyers also floated the idea of asking Will to find Krafton in contempt of the court’s ruling. The letter was sent just one day after Will’s bombshell ruling that publisher Krafton had breached its contract with Unknown Worlds’ executive team, when it fired them last June. The new issue isn’t necessarily the May early access timeframe, but how the news was announced. The letter and Krafton’s response have not been previously reported. A quick recap of prior events: Subnautica 2 is an unreleased, underwater survival adventure and the most-wishlisted game on Steam. Last year, longtime Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill, along with studio co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, were fired by Krafton. They swiftly sued, saying the publisher had terminated them to avoid paying out up to $250 million in potential performance-based bonuses. The studio leaders had hoped to earn that with an early access release of the game, which Krafton had blocked. The publisher argued in court that Subnautica 2 wasn’t ready, which the ousted execs disputed. On Monday, Will ruled that Krafton had violated its contract, firing the execs to avoid the performance payouts, and that it had to reinstate Gill and give him full authority over any early access release for Subnautica 2. On Tuesday, IGN reported on a new memo issued that day to Unknown Worlds staff by Steve Papoutsis, the executive Krafton had put in charge of Unknown Worlds after the 2025 firings. In the note, Papoutsis said that Subnautica 2 had passed a key development milestone “last week” and that he and Krafton had determined the game “is ready for Early Access release in May.” This news appeared to catch the lawyers for Gill, Cleveland and McGuire by surprise. On Tuesday night, they sent a letter to Will expressing “serious concerns” about whether it would be possible to forge an agreement with Krafton consistent with the judge’s order. Papoutsis’ memo was a problem, they wrote. He didn’t have the authority to declare anything about Subnautica 2’s release. As of 9am ET on Monday, March 16, the effective date of Will’s order, Papoutsis wasn’t CEO of Unknown Worlds. Gill was. And, per Will’s order, only Gill could make Subnautica 2 release decisions. They continued: Krafton self-servingly announced the launch without any regard to its impact on the game, the team, or the community—let alone this Court’s Opinion. Announcing the release of a game is momentous, and it is typically accompanied by significant marketing activity, fanfare, and community coordination. And most importantly, the announcement is carefully designed to maximize excitement for the game. That entire process was supposed to be driven by Mr. Gill. However, in defiance of the Court’s Opinion, Krafton has now taken that away, further damaging the game and sowing additional confusion among the Subnautica community. The lawyers speculated that Krafton had “intentionally leaked” Papoutsis’ memo and then issued an official statement to confirm the leak. Game File is a reader-supported publication. My reporting is only possible through support from readers like you. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe On Wednesday, lawyers for Krafton defended their client in their own letter to vice chancellor Will, saying nothing they did violated her order nor showed contempt: Papoutsis’s message was simply celebrating the UW employees’ efforts toward a past event: Krafton’s pre-Opinion determination that Subnautica 2 was ready for Early Access release. There was nothing improper about conveying the results of the milestone review or thanking the development team for their dedication and talent. They added that Gill could still make his own call about Subnautica 2’s release: In his role as CEO, Gill will be able to assess independently his views on the state of Subnautica 2 and the appropriate release schedule; nothing in Papoutsis’s message alters Gill’s authority or discretion. Vice chancellor Will has not responded to the letters and doesn’t necessarily have to. Both parties were previously ordered by Will to confer this week and submit a proposed judgment consistent with her ruling. The letter from Gill’s attorney’s this week doesn’t indicate whether he would or would not support a May release for Subnautica 2. But it could limit his options. And, if Gill’s lawyers are right, the lack of marketing fanfare around the leak of the May date could dull the launch of the game. Any harm to Subnautica 2’s launch is an extra sensitive issue given the context of the legal dispute: millions of dollars of payouts are on the line, tethered to the scale of the game’s initial performance. In her ruling on Monday, Will noted that there was obvious “bad blood” between Gill’s side and Krafton but that the two would need to work together: “They can—and must—act in good faith to navigate their remaining contractual relationship.” Item 2: A new kind of couch co-op game A highlight of GDC each year is the Alt.Ctrl showcase that features games played with extremely experimental controllers. Perusing this year’s offerings last Friday, I found a game controlled with giant scissors, another with big toothbrushes and one that amounted to dumpster diving. My favorite was Pivot, a co-op game about collectively maneuvering a couch. It was developed by students at the University of Utah’s masters of arts and engineering games program. Players lift and tilt the physical couch in order to control the position of a virtual one. That virtual one is moving through an obstacle course on-screen, while being pursued by a giant skull. Developer Nishant Verma told me at GDC that the couch is made of styrofoam (this became more evident as I watched!) and that the name was a riff on an episode of the sitcom Friends. Item 3: In brief… 🚫 Ubisoft is laying off more than 100 workers at its Red Storm studio, as the North Carolina location known for decades for its Tom Clancy games, ceases in-house game development, VGC reports. 👀 On Monday, Nvidia’s revealed its DLSS 5 AI-driven graphics technology that purports to improve game graphics… and it has been roasted about it by the media and the online gaming public for the remainder of the week. The tech changed the faces of characters in footage from Resident Evil Requiem, Hogwarts Legacy and EA Sports FC, drawing accusations of giving carefully art-directed games the generic look of AI “slop.” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had said on Monday that “DLSS 5 is the GPT moment for graphics—blending handcrafted rendering with generative AI to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression.” By mid-week, Huang was telling Tom’s Hardware that the new tech’s critics were “completely wrong” because game-makers could still “fine-tune the generative AI” to suit their game’s aesthetics.
Recap: CCST Science & Technology Week 2026 - California Council on Science & Technology (CCST)
CCST’s 9th annual Science & Technology Week brought together policy leaders, science and technology experts, CCST champions, and our incredible network of partner institutions to discuss some of the state’s biggest challenges and opportunities
New Cholesterol Guidelines: The No. 1 Thing Young People Can Do Now to Boost Heart Health
New cholesterol guidelines offer opportunities to not just treat disease, but to get ahead of it.
Implementing the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy in Angola - United States Department of State
Today, the United States and the Republic of Angola signed a five-year bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), advancing the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy in Africa. Working with Congress, the Department of State intends to provide $71 million to support HIV, malaria, and global health security programming, while Angola will invest […]
Equine Business Code Draft Update now available, survey open
The Washoe County Planning Division has completed a draft of the equine business code, which is available online and can be viewed here: Equine Business Annotated Draft. Planners will host several opportunities in the coming weeks to provide feedback on the draft code. The first is an Equine Business Code Update Webinar that will review the equine business code update process so far, what […]
Only 4 Louisiana parishes fall below the U.S. average for adults with COPD. See the data.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is the 5th-leading cause of death in the United States and the cause of more than 150,000 deaths each year. Here's the data for each Louisiana parish.
NVIDIA DLSS 5 Gets 84% Dislikes on YouTube as Backlash Grows
NVIDIA's latest DLSS 5 technology has faced a significant community backlash, with its approval rating dropping considerably. On the published YouTube video, NVIDIA's official DLSS 5 announcement has received an overwhelming 83.7% dislikes, with only 16.3% likes. This is a substantial negative ratin...
Art in Public Places
Art in Public Places (AIPP) is the City of Austin’s public art program. Administered through Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment, AIPP commissions visual artists to create site-specific artworks that reflect Austin's communities.
CMA opposes dangerous ballot measure threatening community health clinics
CMA is strongly opposing a proposed statewide ballot initiative that would strip billions of dollars from vital health...
German Health Minister Nina Warken and WHO Hub in Berlin highlight 2025 achievements
Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Nina Warken, visited the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin today to review progress and launch its 2025 Annual Report. The report highlights advances in using artificial intelligence, data science and pathogen genomics to strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics.In 2025, the WHO Hub in Berlin worked with more than 160 Member States and over 190 partners to help countries and organizations develop new systems and tools to detect and understand new public health threats as quickly as possible, whenever and wherever they occur.BMG to confirm whether they wish to contribute a quote. “Detecting outbreaks early is one of the most effective ways to save lives and prevent epidemics from becoming global crises,” said Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken. “Germany is proud to host and support the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. Its work strengthens our safety at home and helps protect people worldwide.”Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming the detection of outbreaks. In 2025, the Hub launched an upgraded version of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, which uses enhanced AI functions to scan global online information in real time and help experts quickly identify unusual health events. The system is now used by 120 countries.To better anticipate health threats, countries need information beyond traditional health data. The Hub supports countries in implementing Collaborative Surveillance, which integrates data on climate, animals, travel, and population movement to provide a more comprehensive and real-time understanding of health threats.The Hub also expanded global access to pathogen genomics, which helps scientists detect new pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, understand how they spread and how dangerous they may become. Through the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), the WHO Hub in Berlin worked with 309 partners in 101 countries to expand access to these technologies.“We are in a new era of global health threats, and we need new tools to face tomorrow’s challenges,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. “The WHO Hub in Berlin helps countries use data and technology more effectively so they can identify risks earlier and respond faster. No country can address these threats alone. Strong cooperation remains our best defence.”“Berlin offers an ideal environment for our work. We collaborate closely with world-leading institutions such as the Robert Koch Institute and the Charité Center for Global Health,” said Dr Oliver Morgan, Head of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. “Germany has supported the WHO Hub since its establishment, and we are pleased to welcome Federal Minister Nina Warken to the Hub today. This strong partnership helps us advance innovation in pandemic and epidemic intelligence and better support countries to prepare for future health threats.”The Hub is expanding the use of advanced analytics and mathematical modelling to forecast how outbreaks may develop and to assess which response measures are most effective. Through its Collaboratory, the Hub connects modelers and analysts with governments to ensure their work addresses real public health needs. In 2025, the community grew to 1300 members from 50 countries and 200 institutions. An AI-powered pandemic simulator, currently in the prototyping phase, will help decision-makers compare outbreak scenarios and help identify effective disease control measures.
Cycle Nova: Villanova students unite to honor a legacy and advance heart health
Villanova, Pa., March 17, 2026 — Beat for Good, Villanova University’s student‑run organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by cardiovascular disease, hosted its inaugural cycling fundraiser, Cycle Nova, on Saturday, March...
Women in Medicine and Science Research Day Highlights Achievements and Opportunities
The 20th annual Women in Medicine & Science Research Day on March 11 offered opportunities for community-building, networking, mentoring and collaboration.