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Casey Means' surgeon general nomination is stalled
The nomination has languished despite ongoing efforts from the White House and Make America Healthy Again activists, revealing how intractable rifts over health policy can be even when Congress has shown deference to President Donald Trump.
Casey Means' surgeon general nomination is stalled
The nomination has languished despite ongoing efforts from the White House and Make America Healthy Again activists, revealing how intractable rifts over health policy can be even when Congress has shown deference to President Donald Trump.
Students ‘Surge’ with fun at local entertainment center
Have you ever wanted to visit an arcade, a restaurant and a bowling alley all in one place? Surge Entertainment by Drew Brees combines all three in same building, along with more activities including laser tag and sports simulators. While the venue offers variety, its attempt to do everything at once leaves certain areas underdeveloped,...
Means’ surgeon general nomination is stalled as senators question her experience and vaccine stance
Wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means’ nomination to be U.S. surgeon general is stalled a month after senators of both major political parties grilled her on vaccines and other health topics during a tense confirmation hearing, deepening doubts about her ability to secure the votes she needs for the role.
Measles outbreak in Southeast Michigan now at 7 cases, health officials say
Green Leader Polanski Says the UK Shouldn’t ‘Strangle’ Business
The leader of the UK’s insurgent Green Party said government shouldn’t be “strangling” business, as he tempered his left-wing bloc’s economic message ahead of nationwide local elections in May.
Green Leader Polanski Says the UK Shouldn’t ‘Strangle’ Business
The leader of the UK’s insurgent Green Party said government shouldn’t be “strangling” business, as he tempered his left-wing bloc’s economic message ahead of nationwide local elections in May.
Surgeon general nomination is stalled
Wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means' nomination to be U.S. surgeon general is stalled a month after senators of both major political parties grilled her on vaccines and other health topics during a tense confirmation hearing.
Baptist Health-Fort Smith may cease full hospital operations - Talk Business & Politics
Little Rock-based Baptist Health is planning to end hospital operations at Baptist Health-Fort Smith with the campus providing emergency room and possibly limited surgery services. Existing physician agreements are set...
Warner's 'Sinners' Returns Atop U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Following Oscars Win
Warner’s Sinners returned atop the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.K. home entertainment sales chart, after winning multiple Oscars at the March 15 Academy Awards. Last week’s chart topper, Universal’s Wicked: For Good dropped to No. 2, after four non-consecutive weeks at No. 1. Warner’s other Oscar-winner, One Battle After Another, surged 14 spots to No. … Continue reading "Warner’s ‘Sinners’ Returns Atop U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Following Oscars Win"
Florida Democrats Win Special Election in Mar-a-Lago’s District
Emily Gregory’s victory brought the Democratic surge to President Trump’s backyard, Palm Beach, just weeks after her party won the mayor’s race in Boca Raton, 30 miles south.
Divided Supreme Court weighs the right to seek asylum at the southern border
The case posed a fundamental clash between the government's need to manage surges at the border and the moral and historic right to offer asylum to those fleeing persecution.
Marathon has sold 1.2M copies across Steam, PS5, and Xbox
Alinea Analytics estimates show that Marathon has generated gross revenues of $55M via 1.2M copies sold on Steam, PS5, and Xbox: Looking at the split between Steam, PS5, and Xbox, Steam is clearly the main platform for Marathon, accounting for a little under 70% of the audience (800K copies sold). Meanwhile, PS5 takes about 19% (217K) and Xbox (including console, PC, and cloud) accounts for a bit over 11% or 133K. Marathon is technically a first-party Sony title, so seeing the home console struggle to break 20% of the volume is a notable data point for the ongoing platform-agnostic debate. PlayStation Studios online games will almost certainly continue being multiplatform (despite Sony reportedly pulling back on PC releases). Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe As for Marathon, the consensus among hardcore players who pushed through the awkward onboarding phase – myself included – is that it’s fantastic. The gunplay, aesthetic, and presentation are among the best in the shooter genre. A great game doesn’t always equal an immediate hit, though, as shown by our estimates. Things are looking lukewarm right now. But this might be one of those marathon-not-a-sprint situations. Had to, didn’t I? Why wasn’t Marathon a hit on the same level as Arc Raiders? One topic that came up in a lot of conversations at GDC this year was why Marathon hasn’t hit the same stratosphere as Arc Raiders. On paper, they’re both extraction shooters, and Marathon has the Bungie pedigree – the house that built the gold standard for gunplay in Halo and Destiny. Marathon’s neon-futuristic aesthetic also distinguishes itself from the gritty realism of Tarkov or the post-apocalyptic hope of ARC Raiders. But vibes can only get you so far for first impressions if the onboarding feels like a brick wall. Marathon is a sweaty PvP-focused experience with a first-time user experience and UI that I can only describe as dreadful. Players are dropped into a complex ecosystem where the UI, though visually striking, is functionally uninformative, forcing users to manually hover over nondescript, identical icons just to identify basic gear or weapon mods. This lack of clarity is compounded by punishing mechanics like a severe heat gauge for movement and a scarcity of vital resources, all without a clear tutorial or a low-stakes mode to learn the ropes. Most people – even top streamers and veteran shooter players – have no idea what’s going on in Marathon at first. Arc is on the complete other end of the spectrum. As we covered here and here, Arc Raiders offers a more collaborative, approachable loop where players often work together toward shared goals. And the objectives are instantly clear. To many players, this contrast only emphasised Marathon’s issues, especially during the testing period. Players understand the Arc Raiders loop within 30 minutes, while Marathon acts as a massive filter, chewing up newcomers and spitting them out before they can experience the depth of Bungie’s signature gunplay. What I’m getting at here is that the poor first-time user experience of Marathon’s Server Slam likely stifled launch sales, while the opposite was true for Arc. Let’s look at the pre-launch copies sold for each game during their respective Server Slams (launch-aligned) : Looking at the trajectory: Arc Raiders saw a massive 80% jump in copies sold during its three-day Server Slam (day -13 to -11). Players jumped in, realised the water was fine, and immediately opened their wallets. Marathon, meanwhile, saw a 49% increase in the four days following its Slam (Day -7 to -3). At the time of each game’s respective launch, Arc Raiders had nearly double the Steam footprint of Marathon – and word of mouth only continued to grow. Bungie could have had more time to fix the onboarding process had the beta happened earlier. But Marathon launched three days after the beta finished. These factors limited the launch sales quite a bit, I reckon. Marathon has found a niche audience, though Despite the friction-heavy start, the data suggests that those who survived Marathon’s onboarding are loving life. We’ve been tracking cross-platform DAUs, and while there’s the expected post-launch leakage, many players are sticking with it. After peaking at 478K total DAUs on its first Saturday, Marathon has settled into a respectable rhythm, holding 345K DAUs as of yesterday and averaging 380K DAUs across the weekend. Steam continues to do the heavy lifting here, consistently accounting for the lion’s share of the daily players. Players have been putting in the hours, too: On Steam, Marathon’s average playtime has climbed to 27.8 hours, significantly outpacing the console averages on PS5 (16.5h) and Xbox (17.3h). Even more telling than the averages: 22% of the Steam audience has surged past the 50-hour mark, and nearly 7% have already logged over 100 hours. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe This data suggests that once the Bungie magic clicks, it hooks players deeper than the average extraction shooter. There’s also started to be a shift in the game’s discourse. Marathon launched as one of those games that’s cool to hate. But as Marathon’s 100-hour club grows, we’re seeing conversations around its mechanical merit outweigh the negativity. Several high-profile creators, who were initially vocal critics, have spent the last week coming around on the mechanical depth of the endgame. It’s a subtle but positive signal; the hate train is losing steam, and a new narrative about the game is emerging. Bungie faithfuls unite Another interesting metric in Marathon’s first few weeks is who, exactly, is playing. Bungie leans heavily on its prestige as the “makers of Halo and Destiny,” in its marketing, and that message has clearly hit the mark. On Steam, the gravity (hammer) of Bungie’s previous work is unavoidable. A staggering 78.2% of Marathon players also played Destiny 2. The trend carries across other platforms, with 74.2% of PS5 players and 82.7% of Xbox players also having played Destiny 2. The Halo legacy lives on, it seems. More on that in a bit. While Destiny 2 went free to play, these numbers still represent a high-intent migration of a fanbase that trusts Bungie’s specific brand of kinetic gunplay and cryptic world-building. The Xbox data adds another layer of legacy. About 85.7% of Marathon players on Xbox have played Halo Infinite, while over half of the Steam audience has spent time in Halo Infinite and 36.1% in the Master Chief Collection (a paid collection of the old Bungie-made legacy games). Interestingly, we see a 55.9% overlap with ARC Raiders on Steam. Overlap is even higher there on PlayStation (60.5%) and Xbox (66.5%). And there’s also significant crossover with Helldivers 2 on all platforms, too. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe Bungie has found some of its fans with Marathon, and the challenge now is keeping this engaged in a high-stakes PvP environment when they’ve spent the last decade primarily enjoying the power fantasies of PvE. On that note… Go the full 26 miles? Or cut and run? Time for some could’ve, should’ve, would’ve. These things would have improved Marathon’s performance at launch: A more robust onboarding process, perhaps in the form of a short single-player/PvE campaign. We know Bungie fans love this stuff. A traditional arena-based mode akin to Destiny’s Crucible could have been a bridge for the cautious players who’d have been otherwise deterred by the Server Slam. It’s also a great palate cleanser after getting merked. Introducing a dedicated PvE environment would have similarly diversified the conversation and lowered the barrier for the Bungie faithful who found the pure PvP extraction loop too abrasive. PvE is safer than PvP these days. There’s an argument that a thin PvE mode would have just felt like a budget Destiny, potentially hurting the brand more. But given how dire the FTUE is, I think it would have been a net positive. Any kind of tutorialised loop that demystifies the stakes, really. While there is merit in a studio sticking firmly to a singular creative vision, and going all in on the hardcore extraction loop. Less forgiving is the technical reality is that the user interface and first-time user experience (FTUE) were not at a commercial standard for launch. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe In a landscape where player time is oversaturated and the most contested currency, a flawed FTUE is a critical failure point. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as Marathon has an incredible, unique gameplay loop, suggesting that financial success is still attainable if Bungie can pivot effectively. Bungie and PlayStation now face a difficult strategic crossroads, though – one within a challenging games market. They could: Double down on Marathon with a long-term Rainbow Six Siege- or No Man’s Sky-style recovery plan, which is something I heard Last Stand Media’s Chris Maldonado mention last week. While this could be a sunk-cost fallacy in action, it could eventually yield the audience the game’s mechanical depth deserves. Shift focus toward the inevitable Destiny 3 or another project, mitigating the escalating opportunity cost and cutting their losses, so to speak. Doing both is an expensive proposition, given the high overhead and burn rate of operating out of Bellevue, Washington. With Sony recently demonstrating a lower threshold for underperforming studios and projects, the margin for error has vanished. Whatever happens, the next six months will determine whether Marathon becomes a cornerstone of Sony’s live-service portfolio or a cautionary tale of vision exceeding accessibility. I’m hoping it’s the former, because Marathon rocks. As always, hit subscribe to get updates on Marathon and other relevant games. Subscribe Want to get your hands on our data for yourself – for free? We’re offering a free trial of our platform for games companies. Send us a message here, or reply to this email, and we’ll set you up. The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]
Iran war starts to hit global economy, business surveys show
The Iran war is already taking a toll on major economies around the world, according to business surveys on Tuesday which showed how a surge in energy prices and rising uncertainty were dampening activity and pushing inflation expectations higher.
US business activity slows as war-driven costs surge
U.S. business activity slowed in March to its weakest pace in nearly a year as rising costs tied to the Iran conflict weighed on demand, Bloomberg writes. A key S&P Global index dipped but remained in expansion territory, while input prices surged to multimonth highs. Service sector growth softened, hiring declined and companies passed higher […]
Paranovus Entertainment Technology (PAVS) surges 125.9% as low-float dynamics amplify trading volatility
Paranovus Entertainment Technology Ltd. (PAVS) is up 125.9% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.Analysis: The most likely driver looks technical rather than fundamental: PAVS has been prone to sharp, liquidity-driven swings after its recent reverse split reduced share count and tightened the tradable float. This could also be because traders are positioning around potential changes in the company’s at-the-ma
U.S. Business Activity Hits 11-Month Low as War Drives Prices Higher
U.S. business activity growth slowed to an 11-month low in March while prices surged, according to a preliminary S&P Global survey released Tuesday. S&P’s composite output index, based on its surveys of services and manufacturing firms, fell to 51.4 from 51.9 in February. That was its weakest readi
Populist Waves in the Americas: Redefining Politics and Democracy
A surge in populist leadership across the Americas is promising simplified solutions, risking democratic checks and human rights.
Home heating oil firms squeezed as diesel, crude prices surge amid Middle East tensions
It's a volatile market for home heating oil businesses. Rising oil and fuel costs after a brutal winter have customers calling and asking for help.
Demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, and not just for weight loss
Use of blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound is growing, with about 1 in 8 adults in the U.S. saying they currently take the medications.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Brings Novel Minimally Invasive Vascular Surgery Procedures to the Bronx - NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx today announced it has begun offering two types of minimally invasive surgical procedures that were
As demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, healthy habits are still key
Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health.
Doubts from key Republicans on surgeon general test MAHA’s political power
Casey Means faces pushback from some Republicans over her refusal to forcefully recommend vaccines.
Iranian Missile Strikes Are Costing Big Oil Billions in Lost Revenue
Damaged energy infrastructure is likely to take years to come back online, but a surge in oil-and-gas prices is helping to offset some of the lost production for now.
How the G.O.P. and Democrats Are Talking About the Surge in Gas Prices
Republicans have largely been on defense against Democratic criticism. Here are five arguments advanced by figures in both parties.
Jason Momoa forced to evacuate as devastating storm hits Hawaii
Thousands have been ordered to flee as the archipelago faces its most intense surge of storms in two decades.
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.
US, Iran threaten more energy strikes as gas prices surge. What to know
As the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its fourth week, the economic consequences continue to rattle markets.
Top 5 states with the highest number of safe hospitals, according to new report
Doctors are in: Stuffed animals get health checks at zoo's Teddy Bear Care Fair
Toddlers Eliza and Olivia Altman watched attentively as Toledo Zoo & Aquarium volunteers performed “surgery” on their nearly decapitated stuffed animals ...
‘Hearing a lot from military families’: Local mental health provider reports surge in calls since conflict in Iran began
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.
Far-left surge in Airbus’ hometown scares big business
Employers brace for France Unbowed’s possible takeover of city hall in Toulouse.
Montana oil politics heat up as war in Iran continues
A surge in drilling interest is colliding with higher fuel costs in an election year.
The danger of letting a mystic lead public health
A look at Casey Means shows the weakness of her nomination and the surgeon general position itself.
Judge Rules US Government Overreached With Transgender Health Care Declaration
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge said the government overreached by issuing a declaration that called treatments like puberty blockers and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people experiencing gender dysphoria, according to a ruling Thursday in Oregon. Judge Mustafa Kasubhai's ruling ...
Yale Surgery Launches Health Career Collaborative–New Haven to Mentor Local High School Students
The Department of Surgery has launched the Health Career Collaborative (HCC)–New Haven, a mentorship program connecting local high school students with surgeons
High-speed combat drone production starts at new US Anduril plant in days
Anduril Industries will begin building its new FURY, "loyal wingman," high-speed combat drones in the coming days at a new facility in Ohio, as the U.S. military's interest in unmanned aircraft surges following battlefield successes in Ukraine and Iran.
Iran strikes major Qatari plant, prompting a surge in oil prices
Fears of an energy crisis deepened after Israel hit a gas field and Iran struck a major LNG site in Qatar, sending the price of oil and gas up.
Firefighters investigating ‘strong odor’ at Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center
Firefighters are investigating a ‘strong odor’ at the Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center on Wednesday afternoon.
HMPV is spreading in Wisconsin. What does that mean for you?
Some respiratory viruses, especially RSV, are seeing a late winter to early spring surge in Wisconsin, public health experts say.
MORNING BUSINESS REPORT: Amazon delivery changes, airline booking surge
Changes may be coming to Amazon package delivery, and at least one major airline is seeing a jump in bookings amid concerns over possible ticket price increases.
Tiger Woods provides health update as he eyes return at The Masters
We are three weeks away from The Masters, and we still aren’t certain if the greatest golfer of all time will be teeing it up at Augusta National. Tiger Woods underwent his seventh back surgery towards the end of 2025, and did not lay out a timeline for his return.
RepRisk report reveals banks exposed to more frequent, complex, and costly business conduct risk incidents and surge in AI-driven issues
The Business Conduct Risk Intelligence Report 2026, published by RepRisk, distils the views of global C-suite leaders in banks, asset managers, asset owners,...
WATCH LIVE: Sen. Markwayne Mullin testifies in confirmation hearing for DHS secretary
Colorado voters will decide whether to ban trans kids from gendered sports, outlaw gender-affirming surgery for children
Voters will also be asked whether to make child sex trafficking punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole
Trump reveals GOP congressman faced ‘terminal’ health condition and had months to live
President Donald Trump on Monday revealed that a GOP congressman had received a critical diagnosis and had only months to live before the president personally intervened to help him get emergency heart surgery.
Trump reveals GOP congressman faced ‘terminal’ health condition and had months to live
President Donald Trump on Monday revealed that a GOP congressman had received a critical diagnosis and had only months to live before the president personally intervened to help him get emergency heart surgery.
Trump says Florida Rep. Neal Dunn would’ve been 'dead by June’ absent intervention - Live Updates
During a meeting with Kennedy Center board members, Trump shared details of Dunn’s health and the surgery doctors performed.
Girls & Science 2nd Saturday
2nd Saturdays at CSU Spur are free and open to the public for lots of family-friendly programming, including cooking activities in the CSU Spur kitchen, opportunities to watch veterinarians perform surgery on dogs and cats, see horses assisting with human therapies, engage with scientists at work, and play in a kid's kitchen and kid's vet clinic - allowing kids to become a veterinarian for the day and fix up stuffed animals.
Measles' resurgence in the US is a grim sign of what's coming
Two pandemic researchers explore the recent resurgence of measles in the U.S. and what it could mean for the future of disease responsiveness.
Airline CEOs torch lawmakers for turning air travel into a ‘political football’
Airline leaders warned the DHS shutdown left TSA workers unpaid and travelers facing long lines as spring travel demand surged and pressure mounted on the aviation system.
This small Minnesota town pulses with immigrant-run businesses. ICE has threatened their survival
Like the Twin Cities and other communities, Long Prairie took an economic hit during Operation Metro Surge and hasn’t yet recovered.
One of Britain’s last major chemical plants at risk as energy prices surge
If costs stay high for the next three months, US owner Peter Huntsman says he will close the site on Teesside
'If it's our time, then that may have to be': Acadia Cafe launches effort to stay in business
The cafe and music venue says "rent and utilities have had to fall by the wayside" amid struggles during Operation Metro Surge.
River Ryan impressing in spring after missing 2025 season
River Ryan is scheduled to pitch one of the Dodgers’ split squad games on Sunday, getting the home game at Camelback Ranch against the Texas Rangers. The right-hander who had Tommy John surgery in August 2024 and missed all of 2025, is now vying for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, or at least a […]
The impact of social drivers of health on delayed time to breast cancer surgery
British Journal of Cancer - The impact of social drivers of health on delayed time to breast cancer surgery
How have 'belief and clarity' improved Ulster?
After Friday's win in Edinburgh took them to second in the table, how have "belief and clarity" helped Ulster's resurgence?
Second possible measles case under investigation in Washtenaw County
Airline ticket prices surge on United, Delta, and American: charts
Jet fuel is typically airlines' biggest expense after labor. Most US airlines do not hedge against fuel costs, unlike other carriers around the world.
Mac Trade-Ins Surge Amid MacBook Neo Launch
Apple this week saw an unusual surge of Mac trade-ins amid the launch of the MacBook Neo. A reliable source speaking to MacRumors revealed that the quantity of Macs traded in at Apple retail stores this week increased over 100% compared to previous weeks, likely driven by demand for the MacBook Neo and M5 MacBook Air.
US farmers rush to sell crops as Iran war fuels rally
U.S. grain prices have surged since the Iran war began, triggering a flurry of corn and soybean sales by farmers who squirreled away last year's harvests due to weak prices.
No. 31 seed stuns N.J. wrestling world weeks after his wild health scare required surgery
It took 11 days after surgery to get back on the mat. On Thursday, he pulled off massive upsets at N.J. wrestling state championships.
Healthcare spending surges past state benchmark
Spending on healthcare in Massachusetts jumped by 5.7 percent in 2024, according to new state report
Medicare Advantage 'dark money' group tries to win higher payments for insurers
What appeared to be a surge of grassroots support for higher Medicare Advantage payments was actually driven by a pro-industry group.
We study pandemics. The resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming
Opinions from across America, powered by the Washington Post
As Health Insurance Costs Soar CFOs Seek Ways to Dull the Pain
Companies face a roughly 9.5% surge in costs this year, the biggest rise in at least 15 years.
NH cyber security expert calls Stryker hack a 'critical infrastructure attack'
The cyberattack affected people across the country, including a woman in New Hampshire who went in for surgery Wednesday morning.
What to know about rotator cuff injuries as RFK Jr. undergoes shoulder surgery
Recovery can be painful and slow, but patients usually get better over time.
Pokémon Pokopia is such a "viral hit" that it's making Nintendo's share price surge (after months of going down)
Pokémon Pokopia is huge and a viral hit already. Moreover, it's boosted Nintendo's share price and Switch 2 sales following a few slower months.
High schoolers are using AI to tackle cancer and build robotic surgeons
Finalists in the Society for Science and Regeneron $1.8 million science competition are increasingly turning to machine learning, and organizers are balancing innovation with misuse.
Mobile brain scans sound like science fiction. But they're now helping more Canadian patients
A rising number of Canadian facilities are using mobile brain scanners to help patients, by offering MRIs mid-surgery in hospital or diagnosing stroke right on the roadside. So what's the future of this game-changing technology?
Cosmetic surgery investigation prompts push for tighter safety standards
A national plastic surgeons group urged people seeking liposuctions, Brazilian butt lifts or other cosmetic procedures to "do their homework."
College Sports Commission's NIL clearinghouse strained by surge in school-linked deals
Deals tied to collectives and institutional partners are overwhelming the CSC and triggering growing legal and conference scrutiny
Hunter Greene likely out until July in brutal injury news for Reds' Cy Young contender
Greene will have surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow
Absa Profit Climbs to Fresh Record as Africa Businesses Expand
Absa Group Ltd.’s profit rose to a record as business outside the lender’s home market of South Africa surged.
Surge in diesel prices could strain local businesses
A week ago, diesel in North Carolina was $3.56. The average now in North Carolina is 4.69 a gallon.
Vietnam urges people to work from home to save fuel as Iran war disrupts supplies
Vietnam's trade ministry has called on local businesses to encourage their employees to work from home as part of efforts to save on fuel amid supply disruptions and price surges triggered by the Iran war.
Trump’s War in Iran, and Rising Gas Prices, Collide With Midterm Agenda
The attack on Iran has led to a surge in energy prices at a moment when the cost of living is a major issue heading into the fall elections.
Dakota Johnson is the newest Calvin Klein Girl
Interest in the brand has surged with the release of "Love Story," which chronicles the romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and former Calvin Klein publicist Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
Does the Viral Olive Oil and Lemon Shot Have Health Benefits?
A gastrointestinal surgeon discusses why this trend has so much appeal and whether it's worth your time.
Tracking gas and oil prices as Iran war escalates
Oil prices have surged this week, hiking gas prices when Americans are already struggling with affordability.
Advent Said to Explore $4 Billion Sale of Naval Defense Business
Advent is exploring a sale of its Ultra Maritime business for more than £3 billion, as demand surges for naval defense companies amid conflicts from Iran to Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.
Historic price shock: Oil surges above $100
A historic disruption to the world’s oil production sent crude prices smashing through the $100 barrier Monday for the first time in nearly four years.
A measles surge, AI in warfare and accelerated global warming
Why measles cases are rising in the U.S., how artificial intelligence is shaping warfare, and what accelerated global warming means for the world
Starmer seeks to reassure public over cost of living as oil surges above $100 a barrel
The prime minister is facing pressure from unions and some backbenchers to prepare a support package as oil and gas prices threaten to push up inflation
Stocks Tank in Asia as Oil Price Surges
Asian markets tumbled on Monday as Middle East tensions and spiking oil prices sparked a mass exit from the region’s previously booming stocks.
VIEW Oil surges 20% as Iran war fuels supply fears
Oil prices jumped about 20% in early trading on Monday, hitting their highest since July 2022, as the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran fuelled fears of tighter supply and prolonged disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices soar past $100 a barrel as war escalates in Iran
Oil prices surged past $100 per barrel on Sunday, the first time crossing that mark since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as investors worried that the war in Iran would mean prolonged restrictions on Middle Eastern oil flows.
Making a 'digital twin' of yourself could revolutionize future surgeries, making medical procedures much more personal
Live Science spoke with Dr. John Pandolfino, a researcher who designed a "digital twin" to help guide surgery.
Is It Too Late To Consider Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) After Its 85% One-Year Surge
If you are wondering whether Madison Square Garden Entertainment is still good value after its recent run, this article will walk through what the current share price might be implying. The stock closed at US$58.84, with a 1 year return of 84.7%, an 8.3% gain year to date, a 1.6% decline over the last 30 days, and a 6.8% decline over the last week, which may signal shifting views on its potential and risk. Recent coverage has focused on Madison Square Garden Entertainment as a live...
In Jayson Tatum's return, Celtics lose Nikola Vučević to a hand injury for at least a month
Vučević, who came to Boston at the trade deadline, had surgery Saturday
Bengals Legend Willie Anderson Shares Major Health Update After Kidney Transplant
For a man who spent his career protecting his quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals legend Willie Anderson just won the most important battle of his own life. After being diagnosed with kidney disease about a decade ago, Anderson recently underwent surgery.
Evan Ferguson’s Roma career likely over after surgery decision
Evan Ferguson’s career at Roma is likely over, as the Republic of Ireland international is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season through injury according to reports in Italy.It has be...
England's away-day blues - could they finally lose to Italy?
BBC Sport examines England's struggles as they aim to get their Six Nations back on track against a resurgent Italy in Rome - where they have never lost - on Saturday.
Shakopee business on impact of ICE surge: "This is worse than the pandemic"
Bergen County district may cut staff as health care costs jump $3M
Westwood Regional School District faces potential job cuts for teachers and staff due to a 32% surge in healthcare costs.
NYC doesn't have enough hotel rooms for FIFA World Cup, must suspend Airbnb restrictions: business leaders
“There are not enough beds [for the World Cup]... and without additional capacity, hotel prices will surge….and spending will leak to New Jersey and the suburbs,” a coalition of business groups...