SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " decision " 3,079 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Democratic Senators Fault Hegseth’s Leadership on Iran
In a letter, the 11 senators questioned the defense secretary’s decision to gut programs intended to protect civilians and said his orders endangered U.S. troops.
Leaker: Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 to Cut Costs
Apple is downgrading the planned specifications of the standard iPhone 18 to cut costs, a leaker claims. In a new post on Weibo, the user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 18 features "certain manufacturing downgrades" that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be "a cost-cutting measure".
Ty Simpson turned down $6.5M from Miami: Here's where ex-Alabama QB must land in 2026 NFL Draft to break even
The former Tide signal caller turned to the legendary Nick Saban for advice on his final decision
DeSantis administration gets pushback for its child health policies
The DeSantis administration is getting pushback for its children’s health care policies and its decision to remove tens of thousands of children from a subsidized health insurance program.
A game of split-second decisions: Putting health and human performance to the test
When athletes step onto the field, reacting a fraction of a second too late can be the difference between making a play and sustaining an injury. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, faculty in the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) are studying what drives those split-second decisions and how sleep, mental health and cognitive processing affect performance and injury risk.
Trump admin to begin refunding $166B to businesses in wake of Supreme Court decision
Businesses can now seek repayment of tariffs imposed under emergency powers after a Supreme Court ruling in February invalidated the policy.
Alabama forward Amari Allen reveals official NBA draft decision
Alabama forward Amari Allen has revealed his decision surrounding entering the 2026 NBA draft or not.
Matches To Make After UFC Winnipeg
UFC Winnipeg went down last night (Sat., April 18, 2026) inside Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which saw Mike Malott secure a stunning stoppage victory over Gilbert Burns in the third round of their Welterweight headliner (see it again here). In the co-main event, Charles Jourdain defeated Kyler Phillips via unanimous decision, while […]
Advancing epidemic and pandemic preparedness through research readiness: SEAR Unity Studies Network Sites chart the way forward in 2026
On 25 March 2026, WHO Regional Office for the South‑East Asia Region (SEARO) convened the first meeting of the SEAR Chapter of the Unity Studies Network Meeting in 2026 to take stock of progress and plan next steps for strengthening epidemic and pandemic preparedness across the Region. The meeting focused on reviewing the ongoing adaptation of selected, standard Unity Study methodologies, sharing field implementation experiences from 2025, and identifying key priorities to guide collaborative work in 2026.Held virtually, the meeting brought together representatives from six Unity Studies network sites across five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) as well as participants from all three levels of WHO.The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing regional efforts in South‑East Asia to strengthen early investigations and studies for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, with a focus on pandemic influenza and other emerging respiratory pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. In this context, and as part of preparedness for the rapid generation of evidence, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in SEAR (WHE/SEAR) encourages Unity Studies sites to adapt prioritized, standardized Unity Study protocols to their national contexts. This approach supports the generation of timely and reliable evidence to inform public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.These efforts are supported through a combination of experience sharing, participation in the global Unity Studies network webinars, capacity‑building of the national public health workforce, and regional collaboration that promotes inter‑country, inter‑agency, and inter‑ministerial action. In parallel, sites are encouraged to explore diversified funding sources to help sustain research preparedness over the long term.Discussions highlighted the importance of WHO’s catalytic financial support through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contributions (PIP‑PC). When combined with national and institutional resources, this support enables countries and sites to maintain continuity of activities at a core level and remain prepared to respond rapidly and effectively to future epidemics and pandemics.Regional and Global Updates: Opening the session, Dr Pushpa Ranjan Wijesinghe, Programme Area Manager, Pandemic and Epidemic Management (PEM) Unit, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, highlighted the progress made in operationalizing the Unity Studies Network across the Region and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of WHO at all three levels, together with country unity studies sites. He emphasized the availability of limited but catalytic funding through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PIP‑PC) workplan at SEARO to sustain network activities in 2026, while encouraging sites to leverage additional funding sources to expand implementation.Representing SEARO, Dr Ashok Basnet, consultant, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness reported that, at the regional level, the Unity Studies Network currently includes six sites across five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. He noted that in 2025, catalytic funding supported protocol adaptation, training, and pilot implementation. In addition, a regional Unity Studies symposium held during the Global Public Health Summit in Sri Lanka strengthened and advocated collaboration between the Unity Studies site, national decision‑making forum, relevant technical units of the ministry of health, WHO and other partners.The symposium also highlighted the role of early investigations and studies as a key component of a multi‑source surveillance system needed at country level to generate a broad range of evidence. It underscored the critical role of country Unity Studies sites and similar research entities in generating evidence to support public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.Participants of the WHO GISRS Unity Studies Sites Network- SEAR Chapter Meeting 2026 (Photo credit- PEM/WHE/SEARO). SEARO also updated participants on ongoing efforts to develop a regional Unity Studies webpage and to promote participation in global knowledge‑sharing platforms, including webinars and the WHO Community of Practice. Priorities for 2026 include supporting the implementation of Unity protocols, strengthening collaboration and experience sharing across sites, documenting and publishing findings, integrating Unity Studies activities as a component of multi-source national surveillance systems, and building workforce capacity.Dr Nickle Boddington of the Global Influenza Programme (GIP) at WHO Headquarters, which coordinates the Unity Studies Network globally, provided updates on global Unity Studies activities, noting that the network has expanded to 16 sites worldwide. New and updated protocols, including rapid clinical severity assessment tools and standardized data platforms, are being developed to support implementation. The global Community of Practice has also been launched to facilitate technical exchange, and continued support will be provided to sites for protocol adaptation, ethical approvals, and readiness for early investigation during outbreaks. Updates from Unity Studies sites in SEAR in 2025Unity Studies sites shared progress and experiences in implementing protocols across diverse country contexts. Sites initiated activities in 2025 using catalytic funding from SEARO, complemented by the mobilization of internal national resources. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh, reported the adoption and piloting of investigation protocols on non‑seasonal influenza and emerging respiratory diseases during recent avian influenza outbreaks, demonstrating a multi‑source funding approach involving government, WHO and One Health partners.The Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), New Delhi, India, highlighted the piloting of household transmission investigation studies, the expansion of the national Unity Studies network, and the contribution of study findings to global evidence through published outputs. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, shared experiences from large‑scale seroprevalence studies conducted during the COVID‑19 pandemic, recent efforts to strengthen national Unity network sites through training activities, and plans to initiate multi‑centre studies on respiratory viruses.Similarly, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, highlighted its experience in developing integrated surveillance and diagnostic protocols for multiple respiratory pathogens, enhancing readiness for targeted investigations of emerging threats. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, reported ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Health and exploration of additional funding sources to initiate studies. Meanwhile, the National Public Health Laboratory, Nepal, provided updates on continued coordination with national stakeholders to initiate implementation, despite delays related to the country context.Across sites, shared experiences underscored the importance of protocol adaptation, multisectoral collaboration, and sustainable funding to operationalize Unity Studies and generate evidence for public health action.Discussions and Way ForwardThe meeting reinforced key priorities for 2026, including strengthening unity studies protocol implementation, enhancing collaboration, knowledge sharing, integrating research as a component of national multi-source surveillance systems, and ensuring that generated evidence informs public health decision‑making. Participants also emphasized the importance of documentation, visibility, and leveraging multiple funding sources, and agreed on the following action points.Unity Studies Sites and WHO Country Offices:Advance adoption and implementation of at least one Unity protocol, continuing activities initiated in 2025 with catalytic funding, supplemented with other sources of funding where feasible.Document site-specific experiences, outcomes, and lessons learned; participate in regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms including WHO webinars and the Community of Practice.Work closely with ministries of health to establish unified national platforms for translating generated evidence into national public health decision-making. WHO Country Offices may facilitate technical support and complementary, synergistic funding opportunities where feasible. WHO Regional OfficeCoordinate with WHO Country Offices to support implementation of core unity studies activities by network sites through catalytic funding and provide technical guidance and virtual engagement opportunities throughout 2026.Facilitate the participation of all Unity Studies sites in the regional meeting on Unity Studies implementation in October 2026, to be held back‑to‑back with the Annual SEAR Regional PIP‑PC Meeting; develop and host a SEAR Unity Studies website; and mobilize support from academic institutions within the SEAR Unity Studies Network to support the development of regional manuscripts that showcase Unity Studies activities to scientific audiences and promote knowledge‑sharing.Explore complementary funding opportunities and partnerships to sustain and expand network activities across the Region.WHO HeadquartersProvide global technical guidance, updated protocols, and toolkits to support the implementation of Unity Studies in SEAR.Facilitate engagement of SEAR sites in global webinars, the Community of Practice, and opportunities to showcase their work.Support joint publications, inclusion of SEAR experiences in global outputs, and identification of additional funding and collaborative opportunities to strengthen Unity Studies activities.
AI shaping our health care decisions, even whether we go to the doctor
For nearly half of Americans, artificial intelligence plays some sort of role in their health care decisions, a new Gallup poll found.
Trump's approval rating drops over economy, Iran war in new poll
New polling from NBC News Decision Desk measured new lows for the president's second term. See the numbers.
Poll: Trump's approval rating hits second-term low as Americans sour on the economy and Iran war
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation, according to an NBC News Decision Desk Poll, with some cracks emerging in his GOP support.
This week in SC politics: Governor candidates itching to debate
GOP leaders have finalized who will make the cut for the upcoming Republican gubernatorial debate — a decision that could shape the race before many voters fully tune in ahead of the June primary.
Gago explains his decisions at the start of the match
Fernando Gago spoke to the press after a hard-fought goalless draw against Everton, which puts Universidad de Chile’s future in the tournament at risk. One of the questions surrounding his starting...
Why Owen Heinecke's return is 'a great benefit,' according to OU coach Brent Venables, teammates
OU head coach Brent Venables and teammates shared their excitement to have redshirt senior linebacker Owen Heinecke returning following a Cleveland County judge’s decision to grant him an injunction for
Somali-owned Minnesota transportation company calls contract cancellation ‘blatant discrimination’
Medical Transportation Management’s decision to end its contract with Southdale Transportation Services could result in 95 workers losing their jobs.
New Apple iPhone Fold Decision Changes Smartphones Forever
Apple's key design decision has forced and inspired its rivals to follow suit. A (partially) new way to making foldable phones will quickly become the norm.
Iraola bowing out in style - where will he go next?
Any suggestion of distraction following Andoni Iraola's decision to leave Bournemouth was firmly dismissed by his players in their statement victory against Newcastle.
Earth Day reminds us science is stronger when it starts with communities
Science is essential. But the story of how we practice it has expanded over the decades to be more connected to real-world decisions and outcomes.
After the Live Nation monopoly verdict, artists say it's time for real change
Artists and organizers NPR spoke with say they don't expect to see any immediate changes in the live music industry following the Live Nation decision — but they see this is a first step in the right direction.
Trump envoy faces 'sweeping' investigation over business ties, diplomatic role
Democratic U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin launched what he described as a "sweeping" investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, over a potential conflict of interest, according to an April 17 press release. The inquiry focuses on Kushner's dual role as a diplomatic intermediary and head of a private equity firm, raising questions about whether his financial ties could influence U.S. foreign policy decisions. Kushner has played a central role in Trum
Barcelona at breaking point over Lewandowski and Rashford decisions
Barcelona are heading into a defining phase of their summer planning, with two major attacking decisions staring right in their face. The situations involving Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford a...
‘We just need someone who’s not crazy’: Inside the White House decision to nominate Erica Schwartz as CDC director
Over the course of 12 months, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen a traumatic shooting, abrupt leadership changes and a shattering of its image as a globally respected public health agency.
Scott Gaudin: Business owners don’t need a bank. They need a banker.
There is no shortage of banks—there are more than 4,500 nationwide. There is no shortage of products, platforms or capital in the market today. On paper, business owners have more options than ever before. And yet, many still feel like they are making important decisions alone. That is the problem. Business owners do not need […]
Why Personal Legal Issues Don't Stay Personal for Long in Leadership
Personal issues rarely stay personal — especially when they begin to impact leadership clarity, operational momentum, and financial decisions.
House approves short-term extension of surveillance law in blow to Republicans’ long-term plan
The decision to extend a warrantless security law until 30 April came after 20 Republicans worked with House Democrats to defeat attempts to pass five-year and 18-month renewals
Opinion: Can Brian Kemp’s Derek Dooley gamble pay off?
The Georgia governor’s decision not to run for U.S. Senate and instead get behind the former University of Tennessee football coach has peeved his fellow Republicans.
How did Louisville Kings come to be? Inside the UFL expansion decision
How did Louisville, Kentucky, land a United Football League franchise? Here's an inside look at how and why the Louisville Kings UFL team came to be.
What the Cavs playoff rotation should look like
Kenny Atkinson will have to make some tough decisions with the lineup.
Judge allows 'national security' work to proceed at White House ballroom construction site
President Donald Trump railed against a federal judge's decision on Thursday that continues to block above-ground construction of a $400 million White House ballroom, allowing only below-ground work on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.
RFK Jr accused of ‘dangerous conspiracy theories’ at heated budget hearing
Trump ally grilled by lawmakers over ‘terrible decisions’ on vaccines, public health and funding cuts to key programs
Deadline Hollywood
CBS Entertainment Chief Addresses 'Watson' & 'DMV' Cancellations: "We Had To Make Tough Decisions" Read more below.
Jose Mourinho Has Entered the Newcastle Conversation
Newcastle United are approaching decision time on Eddie Howe’s future as the manager of the side. An awful end to the season and a team that cannot escape their never-ending struggles, currently sitting in the very lower half of the Premier League table, simply screams for action. Howe remains in charge and, seemingly, for some […]
Protecting kids from deceptive and unsubstantiated health claims: the FTC’s case against TruHeight
Parents and kids (like all consumers) need clear, truthful information to make informed decisions — especially when those decisions affect their children’s health and physical safety. With that in mind, the FTC is working to protect kids and teens from deceptive health claims. Take the Agency’s recent case: the FTC charged Vanilla Chip LLC, which does business as TruHeight, with using unsubstantiated health claims and fake or incentivized reviews to market its supplements to kids, teenagers, and caregivers.
Dallas County GOP Chair Allen West resigns amid push for his removal
His resignation comes after he made a controversial decision among his party to return to countywide voting for the May 26 runoff.
Review: Pragmata On Switch 2: An Ambitious Port Held Back By Variable Performance
Not so pragmatic decision-making.
'Show me the money'
What happens when a former senator, a prior governor, a previous representative, and a political advocate talk about corporate money in politics? The exact scenario played out at the MSU-hosted discussion titled “Money, Transparent Elections and the Montana Experience,” at the end of last week. Audience members experienced a bipartisan glimpse into corporate influence, how it is built, spent on campaigns and challenged by voters. A candid conversation emerged between guest speakers former Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester, former Attorney General and Governor Marc Racicot, previous state senator and representative Jeff Mangan, and political advocate Michel Beckel. The conversation between the four guests circled back to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a landmark 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations, unions, and associations to spend unlimited amounts of money influencing elections. The decision concluded independent political spending is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment, directly leading to the rise of massive political action committees and ‘dark money’ in U.S. elections spending. Tester was the first to address the ‘black elephant’ in the room. Responses to moderator questions are edited for clarity and brevity. “We are seeing unbelievable sums of money being put out trying to influence people on how to vote,” Tester said. “Oftentimes the truth goes out the window before the campaigning even starts.”
Barnesville businesses forced to make difficult decisions after massive fire
CBS Entertainment Chief Addresses 'Watson' & 'DMV' Cancellations
CBS Entertainment Chief Addresses 'Watson' & 'DMV' Cancellations: "We Had To Make Tough Decisions"
Siri Engineers Sent to AI Coding Bootcamp as Apple Prepares to Deliver Siri Overhaul
Apple is sending a large portion of its Siri engineers to a multi-week bootcamp to learn to code using AI, reports The Information. Apple's decision to teach its programmers to better use AI for coding comes just two months before Apple is expected to unveil a smarter, more capable version of Siri at WWDC. While employees attend the coding bootcamp, around 60 members of the Siri development team will stick around to work on Siri, and an additional 60 will evaluate how Siri is performing.
Angels’ Jorge Soler Gets Decision on Suspension Appeal After Brawl
MLB adjusted Los Angeles Angels slugger Jorge Soler's punishment following his appeal after he received a seven-game suspension. The post Angels’ Jorge Soler Gets Decision on Suspension Appeal After Brawl appeared first on LA Sports Report.
Fraud allegations may spark additional probe
Staff found 15 instances when this occurred but noted that time limits for making a decision made it “impossible to determine the exact number of fraudulent QC’s claimed by Collector 1.”
Lena Dunham on New Memoir, Jack Antonoff, Health Issues, More
Writer, director, and actor Lena Dunham joins TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones to talk about her new memoir, “Famesick: A Memoir,” where she opens up about her health, experience with fame, and what it means to come of age under the intense scrutiny of Hollywood. Dunham talks about the negative attention she got while starring in “Girls” and how it exacerbated her health issues, reflects on her breakup with Jack Antonoff, and opens up about her battle with pharmaceutical dependency. Dunham also shares the story of how she came to the decision to get a hysterectomy when her endometriosis became unbearable, despite her dreams of being a mother.
Dow Jones and WSJ launch new sports vertical with live event
More media companies are leaning into coverage of the business of sports as a way to capitalize on the growing appetite for insights on the topic from business decision-makers.
Communicating About Measles for Health Professionals
Join our upcoming webinar to get the latest data, learn evidence-based communication approaches, and get practical tools to help professionals navigate conversations about measles vaccination, respond to concerns, and support informed decision-making.
HealPort Raises 1.2M USD to Scale Global Digital Health Infrastructure
MUSCAT, Oman, April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HealPort announced that it has raised $1.2 million in funding to accelerate development and deployment of its integrated platforms and supporting infrastructure designed to help governments, health agencies, and institutions strengthen health system intelligence, planning, and decision-making. The funding will be allocated to three priorities: infrastructure development and integration, global ecosystem expansion, and establishing HealPort as the
UBS chairman says key business decisions may soon become unavoidable
Key business decisions may soon become unavoidable, UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher said on Wednesday, turning up the volume on a tense debate about proposed Swiss capital requirements that has triggered growing pressure from markets and shareholders.
First day of Oceano Dunes closure, business owner speaks on the impact
A federal court decision is bringing changes to California’s Central Coast, banning off-road vehicle use and camping at the Oceano Dunes for some time.The ruli
GOP Rep on Trump’s Iran War: ‘I’m not worried about the political consequences of a righteous decision’
In-patient mental health clinic in Chevy Chase neighborhood gets approval despite public outcry
The decision was met with boos of frustration at the meeting, with some opponents shouting, "See you in court."
Six-figure offers and hundreds of calls, all-conference guard details portal decision
Hudson Mayes had \
Colorado’s climate decisions are health decisions — and this moment matters
Colorado is at a pivotal moment. The state has made real progress transitioning to cleaner energy, but we still have much work to do.
How Georgetown Graduates Turn Sustainability Into Better Business Decisions
Read more news, MBA rankings, and all things related to business education in the Poets&Quants section for
New investigative newsroom launches at ASU's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism
A new investigative newsroom focusing on accountability reporting, innovation and experimentation with AI-driven tools launches today at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication as part of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism.The Beam is a multimedia newsroom that produces in-depth, high-impact reporting on issues that matter to Arizona communities, while building modern tools for the public to engage directly with the decision-makers shaping their lives.
This simple metal tube helps scientists predict drought before it happens
We’re in a perilous moment for water. But the Church Sampler is one of the many devices scientists can use help us make better decisions.
Shades of Ferguson but Carrick needs a response
Michael Carrick seemed to be taking a chapter out of Sir Alex Ferguson's play book with his ferocious attack on the decisions that went against Manchester United last night. The big question is how will they respond?
Steelers make franchise-altering decision in latest mock draft
I wonder how this would be received.
Rep. Eric Swalwell of California says he will resign from Congress after sexual assault allegations
The decision caps a swift political fall for the seven-term lawmaker, who had been seen as a frontrunner in California’s gubernatorial race.
Trump officials consider physician, a Fox News regular, for top vaccine post
Houman Hemmati is under consideration to lead the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. A final decision has not been made.
‘The Pitt’s Noah Wyle Reacts to Supriya Ganesh’s Shocking Exit
Wyle also explained why the decision was made to write Ganesh out of the show.
Pirates made a mistake signing Marcell Ozuna over Andrew McCutchen
The Bucs made a bad decision.
Watch: As AI Makes More Health Coverage Decisions, The Risks To Patients Grow
This year, executives from nearly every major health insurance company made the same declaration in calls with Wall Street analysts: Using artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions would help save them money.
Red Wings Recall Brandsegg-Nygard For Season-Ending Road Trip
The post Red Wings Recall Brandsegg-Nygard For Season-Ending Road Trip appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. In what can only be described as a puzzling decision, now that it’s too late to help, the Detroit Red […] The post Red Wings Recall Brandsegg-Nygard For Season-Ending Road Trip appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Adam Kinzinger visits Tufts to discuss US politics, a look into the future
Members of the Tufts community sat in a packed auditorium on Wednesday evening while former Congressman Adam Kinzinger reflected on a decision that solidified his reputation and legacy within the American political sphere.
AVAC: Abrupt shutdown of US global health supply chain raises risks for HIV, TB and malaria programs
Two hundred and fifty civil society organizations signed on to a letter to the US Secretary of State calling for immediate reversal of this decision.
SF, California leaders blast Trump for firing Presidio board
State and local leaders condemned the decision to fire all six board members of the Presidio Trust, the federal agency that manages the historic national park.
Op-Ed: Protecting Taxpayers Means Looking Beyond the Politics of Short-Term Rentals
Santa Barbara is on the verge of making a consequential decision about short-term rentals—but without first answering a basic question: what will it cost?
Blue Jays Facing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Decision After Unfortunate News
The Toronto Blue Jays were dealt an unfortunate blow against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Philippines says any energy deals with China must respect its sovereignty
The Philippines said on Sunday that any decision to pursue oil and gas cooperation with China would be made strictly in line with its constitution and respect its sovereignty.
Your wishes, your voice: Ochsner doctors encourage families to plan ahead for National Healthcare Decisions Day
Every year on April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day serves as a reminder that medical emergencies rarely arrive with warning. When they occur, the decisions surrounding treatment often must be
Protecting Taxpayers Means Looking Beyond the Politics of Short-Term Rentals
Santa Barbara is on the verge of making a consequential decision about short-term rentals — but without first answering a basic question: What will it cost?
Seniors: John Lemp, 70
Has been working for more than 50 years in the business — M. Lemp Jewelers in Syracuse — that his great-grandfather started in 1890 By Mary Beth Roach Don Lemp owns and represents the fourth-generation of the family business, M. Lemp Jewelers, but he still calls himself “a counter guy.” “I love interacting with couples. It’s a wonderful business. You’re celebrating marriages, engagements, births, anniversaries — all these different significant moments that people invite you into their lives for whatever brief period of time it might be to help them celebrate whatever their important occasion is,” he said. This is one of several reasons why Lemp, at 70, has been working for more than 50 years in the business that his great-grandfather started in 1890. Always located in the downtown Syracuse area, the store has been situated in the building that the family owns on East Fayette and Warren streets since 1971. He jokes that he’s been in the business so long he is now selling engagement rings to the second generation in some families. He also loves the opportunity to learn about the ever-changing industry and gemstones. “You have to know not only diamonds, but all the colored stones, from A to Z, from andalusite to zircons,” he said. Lemp said he had originally thought he wanted to become an attorney, but while working part-time in the store while attending college at Syracuse University, he decided to follow in the family business. His father, Walter D. Lemp Sr., and his mother tried to discourage their son from pursuing retail, reminding him of the hectic hours and lifestyle intrinsic in this business. But the younger Lemp [whose full name is Walter D. Lemp Jr.] prevailed. So, over the years, father and son got to work together in the family business for 35 years. And while many other jewelers retreated from downtown to suburban malls in the 1970s, the Lemps decided to stay downtown. And it’s a decision that Lemp Jr. feels it has worked out well. As he explained, downtown Syracuse is seeing a rebirth. One website, Point2Home.com, has noted that more than 6,000 people live there and the median income is about $62,000. In addition, according to the website that Lemp built years ago, the store can cater to customers throughout the country. His customers, whether from across the country or across Onondaga County, are just one reason that Lemp stays engaged in the business. His employees, the opportunity to continue to learn in an industry, and the challenge to continue to improve business are all other reasons, he noted. He’s also been able to travel to India to buy diamonds and he enjoys buying and selling estates. “I’d rather gallop in the corral than ride into the sunset,” Lemp said.
“AI polls” are fake polls
A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.
Miguel Rojas Makes Bereavement Decision After Father’s Passing
Dodgers veteran Miguel Rojas is staying with the team and will not go on the bereavement list amid the passing of his father, Miguel "Mickey" Rojas Sr.
Potential Democratic 2028 Candidates Condemn Trump’s ‘War of Choice’ in Iran
At a convention in New York, several Democrats mulling presidential bids rallied around opposition to President Trump’s decision to attack Iran.
Proactive business decisions are improving local cancer care
Two of the region’s leading cancer organizations—Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Ochsner Cancer Center—are pushing deeper into underserved communities, deploying new technology and rethinking how care is delivered. The challenges of access, staffing and financing remain formidable, but the distance between patients and quality care is shrinking. Nearly 80% of Louisiana’s land is classified […]
Health‑coverage decisions in retirement can shape when and how federal retirees tap their money
You've got to be careful about the tax planning and also what you might expect in the future down the road," said Tammy Flanagan.
Exploring the cognitive science behind NFL Draft decision-making behaviors
The human behavior and decision-making aspects behind a person’s dating life doesn’t stray too differently from the choices coaches and general managers make when selecting a player in the NFL Draft. “You date someone and you make a choice to commit to this person, or keep looking,” said Cleotilde Gonzalez,
Google’s Gmail Upgrade Decision—2 Billion Users Must Act Now
You have been warned — do not lave this "overwhelming" decision until it's too late.
Watch: As AI Makes More Health Coverage Decisions, the Risks to Patients Grow
Major health insurers and even Medicare are using artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions. But class action lawsuits have accused insurers of using AI to wrongfully withhold treatment, and new research illuminates the risks.
Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For 500 Million Windows Users
All change for Windows — it's now decision time for 30% of all PC owners.
Judge blocks Pentagon’s latest bid to limit press access
A federal judge tore into the Department of Defense on Thursday for attempting an end-run around his decision voiding parts of a restrictive press policy rolled out by Secretary Pete Hegseth last year, saying the Pentagon had flouted his ruling when it quickly implemented a tighter policy.
Apple Apparently Still Undecided on iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island
Apple is weighing two options for the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island, and a final decision has yet to be made, according to the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station.
Rep. Seth Moulton picks: Josh Shapiro or Gavin Newsrom?
Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, who launched a primary challenge against Sen. Ed Markey to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate, answered rapid-fire questions on his decision to return money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), his past comments about trans athletes and his stance on ICE. With the 2026 elections underway, The Post's Anna Liss-Roy is grilling candidates in races across the country, pressing Democrats and Republicans to share their takes at high-speed.
Italian football must change
No miraculous cure-all, no controversial VAR decision, no scapegoat or savior of the nation pulled out of a hat should distract too much attention: the reforms Italian football has been waiting for fo...
Coös County health center CEO says new rural health funds not enough to counteract Medicaid cuts
Edward Shanshala, CEO of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, said when Congress passed its massive tax cuts and spending law last year, he and his colleagues made the difficult decision to shut down the organization’s clinic in Franconia in anticipation of the law’s impacts. Shanshala doesn’t think a new tranche of federal funding will be enough […]
Fracking Industry Misuses Science to Push Toxic Waste Rule
New Analysis Finds Falsified Produced Water Science Ahead of High-Stakes New Mexico Decision
Zeldin tells climate skeptics to 'celebrate vindication' after repeal of baseline climate rule
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday defended his decision to repeal the legal determination that serves as the basis for federal rules to slow climate change.
Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For 500 Million Windows Users
All change for Windows — it's now decision time for 30% of all PC owners.
"Decisive victory" Political Analyst breaks down Taylor Supreme Court win
Judge Chris Taylor has won Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race, a result political analysts say will shape the court’s balance and key decisions on elections for years to come.
Inside Rob Wright's decision to enter the transfer portal and what's next
The money and talent discussions behind the BYU guard's decision to enter the transfer portal again
With Orion still flying, NASA is nearing key decisions about Artemis III
One of the questions is what the initial orbit will be for Artemis III."
Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates
Updates to VeraCrypt, a popular and long-running piece of encryption, are now thrown into doubt because of a seemingly unexplained Microsoft decision.
Sun Prairie mayor says ‘difficult decisions’ ahead as $3.95M referendum fails
The referendum aimed to help maintain several public safety services after the city hit its levy limit last year.
College basketball transfer portal opens; Cade Horton to miss season; Masters player rankings, predictions
Plus stay-or-go NBA Draft decisions that will define college basketball's offseason
Sandy Alcantara questions Marlins' decision to end his bid for back-to-back shutouts in 9th inning
‘Best Medicine’s Abigail Spencer Ponders Louisa’s Major Decision After ‘Beautiful Offer’
Plus, her hopes for Season 2.
Parents navigate opportunities, challenges of high school sports NIL shift
Following the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s (MHSAA) decision to allow high school athletes to participate in name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities, families around the Lansing area are starting to feel the impact. While the idea of student-athletes earning money from their talents is exciting, many parents say the reality is more complicated than […]
How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran
In a series of Situation Room meetings, President Trump weighed his instincts against the deep concerns of his vice president and a pessimistic intelligence assessment. Here’s the inside story of how he made the fateful decision.