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Concern over Health Care Affordability Is Widespread
A majority of Californians are pessimistic about their future health care costs. These worries are fueling broad opposition to federal health care rollbacks.
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.
The Guardian view on a significant week for European politics: progressives have some reasons to be cheerful
Editorial: Events in Denmark and Italy show geopolitical instability is creating opportunities for a centre-left response to the far right
Xiaomi's EV business defies industry slump with standout profitability
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Glyphosate: A story of science, risk, and nuance
In the summer of 2014, a California groundskeeper named Dewayne Johnson started noticing patches of raw, weeping skin spreading across his body. He had spent years applying Roundup, Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide, for a school district, sometimes drenched in it when equipment malfunctioned. By 2014, he had a diagnosis: non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2018, a jury awarded him $289 million in damages, later reduced on appeal. Tens of thousands of lawsuits followed. The story hasn’t quieted down. It’s all over the internet, swinging between “this will kill you, buy organic” and “relax, you’re fear-mongering.” Some of that recent chatter stems from an Executive Order protecting glyphosate and its production, which set off intense infighting within the MAHA movement. Some of it reflects a deeper truth: Americans genuinely care about harmful chemicals in their environment (see poll below). And the conversation isn’t going anywhere, with a Supreme Court case involving Monsanto set for this April. Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. But does glyphosate cause cancer? And how much exposure is actually risky? With so much mistrust in institutions and corporations (and some genuine conflicts of interest), making sense of the actual scientific evidence is genuinely hard. Here is a translation of what the scientific evidence actually says. Does glyphosate cause harm? Glyphosate is an herbicide that kills most plants it contacts rather than targeting specific species. It works by blocking an enzyme pathway (EPSPS) that plants and many microorganisms need to produce essential amino acids. Without those amino acids, the plant can’t grow and dies. Glyphosate was first developed by Monsanto in the 1970s and became ubiquitous after the company introduced “Roundup Ready” crops in the 1990s. In 2024, Bayer removed glyphosate from residential Roundup-branded products due to litigation pressure. But today it is still the most widely used herbicide in the world. Farmers also discovered they could spray it directly on crops like oats, lentils, beans, and peas just before harvest to dry them out faster and make harvesting easier. Because of its widespread use, it’s obviously really important to understand if it’s harmful to humans. The key principle: The dose makes the poison The most important concept in toxicology is that “the dose makes the poison.” Sixteenth-century physician Paracelsus articulated what remains the foundational principle of toxicology: sola dosis facit venenum. Water will kill you if you drink enough of it. Aspirin saves lives at 81 milligrams and causes internal bleeding at higher chronic doses. So, at what dose is glyphosate poisonous? The LD50 in rats (the dose that kills half the test animals) is around 5,600 mg/kg body weight. Table salt is roughly 3,000 mg/kg. By that classic measure, glyphosate is less acutely toxic than salt. But some people are exposed to a lot of glyphosate through their work. And among the general public, there are many questions about low-dose, cumulative exposure from multiple sources over long periods. Does glyphosate cause health problems? Cancer Correlation maps are striking, with one analysis finding that 60% of counties that spray the most glyphosate have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma rates above the national average. But correlation alone doesn’t establish cause, which is why animal and human studies matter. In animals: Rat studies are typically what most fear is rooted in, but most people don’t know the study details on the dosage given to rats. A pooled analysis of the 13 most rigorous rat studies found evidence that very high doses, around 55,000 times greater than typical food residue exposure, can cause certain cancers. In humans: One of the strongest studies followed 55,000 herbicide users over 20 years and found no overall increased cancer risk. There was one signal: among those with the highest use, rates of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) appeared elevated. A broader meta-analysis of 18 human studies also found no overall cancer risk, though a separate meta-analysis focused specifically on non-Hodgkin lymphoma found that people with high cumulative glyphosate exposure faced a 41% higher relative risk compared to those with low or no exposure. These human studies are observational studies (randomized controlled trials would be unethical), and meta-analyses are only as reliable as the studies they pool. But the story seems consistent: at very high exposure levels, there may be some cancer risk. But that’s about as far as the science currently takes us. Emerging research: gut and reproductive health Gut: Because glyphosate targets a pathway that exists in some gut bacteria, scientists have questioned whether it could affect the microbiome. In mice, a 2023 University of Iowa study found that glyphosate altered gut bacterial composition and raised markers of intestinal inflammation. A 2024 systematic review found similar patterns: disrupted gut bacteria and problems with the mucus layer that protects the intestinal wall in mice. Whether this translates to humans is an open question. The human gut is highly variable and resistant, and we don't yet have strong studies confirming the same effects in people. Reproductive health: Animal studies have found that glyphosate-based herbicides can interfere with reproductive hormones, including disrupting egg cell development in mice and reducing the number of eggs available in sheep’s ovaries. However, the doses used in these experiments were high, so it’s not yet clear whether the same effects would occur in humans. On the human side, a 2021 pilot study led by Mount Sinai researchers tested urine samples from pregnant women across the U.S. and found glyphosate in 95% of them. The study also found a possible connection between higher glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and a subtle physical difference measured in female newborns. That said, some connections weren’t statistically reliable and this was a small study. The researchers themselves said more and larger studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions. What do regulators say about glyphosate safety? In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A). The classification is worth taking seriously. But, there’s an important distinction: IARC classifies hazard, meaning the potential to cause harm under some conditions. It does not assess risk, which accounts for actual exposure levels and the real-world probability of harm. The U.S. EPA, the European Food Safety Authority, Health Canada, and regulatory agencies in Australia and Japan have all concluded that glyphosate is “unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans” at realistic exposure levels. They’re asking a different question: given how much of this people actually encounter, what is the probability of harm? Your actual exposure is what determines your actual risk. What does glyphosate mean for your daily life? At the grocery store: Food residues are small. The EPA’s acceptable daily intake is 1.75 mg/kg of body weight per day. To hit that threshold from oatmeal alone, a 150-pound adult would need to eat roughly 50 pounds of oats every day. But this calculation addresses only one pathway (food), and we don’t yet have robust tools to measure people’s actual total exposure. If reducing exposure matters to you, organic certification prohibits synthetic herbicides, and organic oat products generally test at lower or undetectable levels. Either way, a diet rich in whole grains, conventional or organic, is far better for your health than one that omits them out of fear of residues. On the farm: Occupational exposure is orders of magnitude higher than consumer exposure. Farmers and farm workers who mix, load, and apply glyphosate-based herbicides, especially without protective equipment, face meaningfully different risk profiles. Proper PPE isn’t optional. Integrated weed management strategies that rotate chemical modes of action are also worth taking seriously, both for health and for long-term effectiveness. If you live near a farm: Spray drift is real. Concentrations near field edges can spike during and after application, particularly on windy days. This is an area where I think public health could really step up and empower rural communities with buffer zones, rather than placing the onus on individuals. But for now, knowing your local agricultural calendar and keeping windows closed during application are the first steps. Bottom line Dewayne Johnson was exposed to glyphosate at levels most people will never encounter, and a jury decided he deserved compensation. That outcome is not evidence that the oatmeal in your pantry is dangerous. But it is a reminder that the dose, the context, and the person doing the exposing all matter enormously. Glyphosate is a chemical tool with benefits, trade-offs, and genuine open scientific questions. Learning to hold that complexity without collapsing into panic or dismissal is, honestly, one of the most useful and hardest things to do in navigating modern health science. Love, YLE Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is founded and operated by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, wife, and mom of two little girls. Hannah Totte, MPH, is an epidemiologist and YLE Community Manager. YLE reaches more than 425,000 people in over 132 countries with one goal: “Translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe
Player availability report, presented by Orlando Health Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute: Orlando Pride at Chicago Stars
Here is this week's player availability report, presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, for Friday's home match at Chicago Stars
Effectiveness of politicians’ public denials amid corruption accusations examined in new study
A new article investigates how public denials by politicians accused of corruption influence electoral accountability and why positive and negative partisanship shapes voter reactions.
Crystal Etienne: Florida’s school choice debate isn’t ignoring evidence, it’s asking for it
Critics argue school choice expansion lacks full data and accountability
Did Scientists Overestimate AI’s Ability To Think Like Humans?
A new wave of AI research is attempting to tackle one of psychology’s oldest questions: whether the human mind can be unified under a single theory.
Anthropic’s Claude can now control your Mac, escalating the fight to build AI agents that actually do work
Anthropic has given Claude the ability to control a Mac, marking a major step in the AI agent race and raising new questions about automation, reliability, and security.
Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO said doctors "better find me incompetent"
The prison recording emerged during a three-day competency hearing over the ability of Michael Jefferies to stand trial for sex trafficking.
New poll finds Trump's net favorability at record low in Wisconsin
The first Marquette University Law School poll conducted after the U.S. attacks on Iran found 61% oppose the war, with divides among Republicans.
Stony Brook Southampton Educators Earn Suffolk County Recognition for Science, Sustainability and Service
Suffolk County Legislator Ann E. Welker recognized educators from Stony Brook Southampton during the March 10 general meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature and the Women of Distinction luncheon, both held in Riverhead, NY. Wendy Pearson, vice president for strategic initiatives at Stony Brook University and executive director for Stony Brook Southampton, received a 2026 Woman
Context Matters: The Truth about Hospital Spending and Health Care Costs
Recent analyses of national health spending have again placed hospitals at the center of the affordability debate.
Using multiple AI health tools could pose reliability risks
Hundreds of AI tools for health care tout accuracy rates above 90%, but most are tested only in isolation.
Hochul pushes environmental review reforms amid state budget negotiations
Hochul has touted the policy as a key element of her affordability agenda.
Segment: Financing Action on Extreme Heat and Maternal and Newborn Health: The Way Forward
The segment “Financing Action on Extreme Heat and Maternal and Newborn Health: The Way Forward” will examine how innovative and better-aligned financing approaches can respond to these growing risks. Discussions will highlight country experiences in mobilizing domestic resources, opportunities to unlock and scale climate finance, and the role of heat-smart innovations in building resilient health systems. Particular attention will be given to low- and middle-income countries, where exposure and vulnerability remain highest, and where integrated solutions can deliver the greatest impact.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he's 'not a fan' of AI
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he is 'not a fan of AI,' warning the technology lacks reliability and the human understanding users expect.
As President Trump’s Attacks on Science Escalate, Big Oil Moves to Avoid Legal Accountability
This piece was originally published in Climate Home News. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) recently agreed to hear arguments in Boulder v. Exxon and Suncor a case that could decide whether communities harmed by climate change can hold polluters accountable in state court. Origin
When Voters Worry About ‘Affordability,’ Many Point to Health Care
Democrats have had limited political success running on the Affordable Care Act, even with its relative popularity. Now President Trump’s health care cuts may have given the issue new resonance.
The politics of disability at the Academy Awards
Throughout history, disabled bodies have been portrayed as a burden.
Opinion | Doctors should be paid to keep patients healthy
Value-based care works best when physicians lead, specialists share accountability, and long-term outcomes matter.
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.
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The Joe Kent saga lays bare the real Trump derangement syndrome
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A new study finds ChatGPT can give different answers to the same question, raising concerns about its accuracy, reliability and consistency.
FNC acquires McPherson-based farm management business
Farmers National Company has acquired a Kansas-based farm management division to help provide sustainability for ag operations. FNC says the purchase from Peoples Bank and Trust in McPherson, Kansas, will give producers access to specialized management, local knowledge, and resources to help maintain profitability for producers. Grant Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President of Farm and […]
As Trump administration cracks down on health care fraud, people with disabilities feel singled out
As the Trump administration goes after fraud in health care, advocates say the disability community feels singled out.
Health Subcommittee Scrutinizes Patient Affordability, Competition, and Access Across the U.S. Provider Landscape
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Grassroots Climate Justice in Lebanon: Money, Power, and the Politics of Survival
Lebanon is caught in a cycle of financial meltdown, political instability, and climate change.
Chairman Griffith Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Third Hearing in Series to Improve Health Care Affordability for All Americans
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Chairman Griffith Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Health Third Hearing in Series to Improve Health Care Affordability for All Americans
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Misalignment and Risk Tolerance Gaps Undermine Business Resilience, Kroll Study Finds
Kroll, the leading independent provider of global financial and risk advisory solutions, today released global cyber resilience research findings revealing a critical gap between organizations' perception of their cyber preparedness and their actual capability to defend against, and recover from, sophisticated attacks. This gap is being driven by misalignment between the C-suite and cyber decision-makers. This disconnect is costly, as organizations face a yearly average of $2.2 million in recove
11Alive
WXIA (Atlanta) — 11Alive is your source for breaking news, Georgia weather, traffic, and live coverage in Atlanta and across the metro area. Get the latest updates from the 11Alive team — from major local headlines and investigations to severe weather, community stories, and the moments everyone’s talking about. Watch live newscasts, stream breaking coverage, and catch up on the top stories shaping Atlanta, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Decatur, and surrounding communities. Subscribe for: • Atlanta breaking news + live updates • Georgia weather forecasts, storms, and severe weather alerts • Investigations and accountability reporting • Community stories across the metro area • Major events, sports, and local explainers WXIA / 11Alive — Atlanta news and weather, live and on demand. 🔗 More: https://www.11alive.com
Kharg Island Is an Appealing Target for Trump, With High Risks
A U.S. attack or a move to seize control of Iran’s main oil export hub could cripple the country’s ability to profit from its natural resources. But it would also risk sending energy prices even higher.
Study finds ChatGPT gets science wrong more often than you think
A new study put ChatGPT to the test by asking it to judge whether hundreds of scientific hypotheses were true or false—and the results were far from reassuring. While the AI got it right about 80% of the time on the surface, its performance dropped significantly when accounting for random guessing, revealing only modest reasoning ability. Even more concerning, it frequently contradicted itself when asked the exact same question multiple times, sometimes flipping answers back and forth.
Contributor: War abroad, injustices at home and a theme running through it all
For a template to connect the public’s wariness about war with concerns about affordability and xenophobic immigration policies, look to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Volvo Construction Equipment Announces Closure of Rokbak Business
As part of a long-term strategic shift and due to unsustainable profitability of the Rokbak articulated hauler business, Volvo CE will close its Rokbak business
The LYCRA Company to Eliminate More than $1.2 Billion of Debt through Prepackaged Restructuring Process, Positioning Business for Long-Term Financial Stability and Growth
WILMINGTON, Del., March 17, 2026--The LYCRA Company to Eliminate More than $1.2 Billion of Debt through Prepackaged Restructuring Process
Volvo Construction Equipment announces closure of Rokbak business
As part of a long term strategic shift and due to the unsustainable profitability of the Rokbak business Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) will close its Rokbak business and concentrate resources on its portfolio of other hauling solutions. The business had revenues of SEK 1.0 bn in 2025 and was loss-making. The closure of the business will negatively impact operating income by about SEK 0.7 billion in the Construction Equipment segment in Q1 2026 and will be reported as an adjustment. About SEK 0.4 billion refers to non-cash items with the majority related to goodwill impairment.
Trump repeatedly suggests Newsom can’t be president because he has dyslexia
President Donald Trump has repeatedly taken aim at Democratic rival and possible 2028 presidential candidate Gavin Newsom. But lately, he’s become fixated on saying the California governor cannot be president due to his “learning disability.”
WKYC Channel 3
WKYC (Cleveland) is your source for breaking news, Northeast Ohio weather, traffic, and live coverage in Cleveland and across the region. Get the latest updates from the WKYC team — from major local headlines and investigations to severe weather, community stories, and the moments everyone’s talking about. Watch live newscasts, stream breaking coverage, and catch up on the top stories shaping Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and surrounding communities. Subscribe for: • Cleveland breaking news + live updates • Northeast Ohio weather forecasts and severe weather alerts • Investigations and accountability reporting • Community stories across the region • Major events, sports, and local explainers WKYC — Cleveland news and weather, live and on demand. 🔗 More: https://www.wkyc.com/
Health care cost illusions still underpin debates
North Carolina's 2026 session could reshape health care affordability statewide.
Young voters helped elect Trump, but some have regrets over the Iran war
They were a key part of the coalition that powered the president’s comeback, and their frustrations signal vulnerability for Republicans ahead of the midterms.
Farage Mega Donor Exposes Vulnerability in UK Politics
Britain’s biggest political donor is a crypto investor and aviation entrepreneur who has lived in Thailand for more than two decades. The £12 million ($16 million) that Christopher Harborne gave to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK last year wouldn’t be permitted in France, Canada or Ireland. If you’re sensing something askew with the UK’s rules for campaign finance contributions, you’re not alone.
MSC Group Developing New Entertainment Production Studio in Scotland for MSC Cruises, Explora Journeys
MSC Group is developing MSC Creative Studios in Edinburgh to enhance entertainment for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys, with full operational capability expected by July 2026.
Driving habits of teens and young adults
Nearly all parents think their teen or young adult child’s driving ability is as good or better than other teens and young adults. 1 in 3 parents worry their teen or young adult driver will cause an accident. 1 in 4 parents have taken steps to address their teen or young adult child’s driving behavior. Witnessing risky driving behavior does not affect parents’ rating of their teen or young adult child’s driving ability.
Business majors preparing for the future
The third annual Arizona Statewide Business School Case Competition (ASBSCC), coming to Northern Arizona University, provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and test their soft skills—communication, leadership, adaptability, networking and collaboration—by placing them in realistic business scenarios that demand quick thinking and effective teamwork. This collaborative effort between Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and NAU allows students to work across institutional lines to…
Winter Sports and Lower Limb Motor Disability
People with lower limb motor disability need tailored equipment, training, and medical oversight to boost performance while preventing upper limb overload and skin problems.
Outgoing Maine hospital lobbyist says health costs can’t be stopped
Steven Michaud discusses Maine's healthcare affordability challenges, hospital changes, and the need for disease prevention and management.
iOS 27 Will Reportedly Be Like Mac OS X Snow Leopard
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that iOS 27 will be similar to 2009's Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that one of Apple's biggest priorities is bug fixes for improved performance and stability. At WWDC 2008, Apple showed a presentation that said Mac OS X Snow Leopard had "0 new features," as it opted to focus on performance and stability improvements.
Amazon Deepens Digital Health Push As Logistics Deal Supports Valuation
Amazon.com (NasdaqGS:AMZN) is rolling out its AI powered healthcare assistant to all customers, expanding access beyond existing One Medical members. Air Transport International's pilot union has reached a tentative labor agreement with management after five years of talks, affecting a key part of Amazon's air cargo network. These developments touch both Amazon's digital health ambitions and the operational reliability of its logistics operations. At a share price of $207.67, Amazon.com...
Player availability report, presented by Orlando Health Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute: Orlando Pride vs Seattle Reign
Here is this week's player availability report, presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, for Sunday's home match vs Seattle Reign
Sen. Booker demands ‘accountability’ for the war in Iran
Democratic Senator Cory Booker tells CNN that both parties have allowed presidential power to grow unchecked, but says the war in Iran is unlike anything seen before and demands a congressional response.
Kansas star Darryn Peterson recounts 'traumatic' experience with full-body cramps early in the season
The Kansas freshman got in-depth on the health struggles that have limited his availability
‘Everything is going up’: Americans struggle with affordability despite Trump’s claims
US workers are finding it difficult to afford basic necessities as the president claims ‘the economy is roaring back’
Linux Finally Catches Up to Windows with a Game-Changing Performance Feature
For years, the Linux kernel’s scheduler has been world‑class at balancing loads, yet it missed a crucial, cache‑aware instinct. In modern multi‑core systems, that gap can turn into measurable latency, especially when threads bounce between cores that don’t share the same cache. A new upstream feature, often called Cache Aware Scheduling, is now set to change that equation. A cache‑savvy scheduler arrives At the heart of any OS, the scheduler decides which thread runs where and for how long. In modern CPUs, small private caches (L1 and L2) sit beside each core, while a larger Last Level Cache (LLC, typically L3) is shared among groups of cores. When a task migrates across LLC boundaries, its warm data may vanish from the cache, forcing slower trips to main memory. Cache Aware Scheduling keeps related tasks close to their shared LLC, reducing destructive migrations. By respecting cache topology, the kernel minimizes cold‑start penalties and preserves locality that many workloads desperately need. The result is less thrashing, fewer memory stalls, and more consistent throughput. "Keep tasks close to their data, and the system will keep performance close to its peak." Why this narrows the Windows gap Windows has long leaned on topology‑aware, cache‑sensitive heuristics, especially since the Windows 10 era. That advantage helped Microsoft handle hybrid designs with P‑cores and E‑cores, plus complex cluster and NUMA layouts. With cache awareness integrated upstream, Linux brings parity to this vital dimension, without sacrificing its trademark flexibility. The Linux approach remains deeply configurable, reflecting the ecosystem’s breadth across servers, desktops, and embedded devices. It layers atop existing NUMA‑balancing and energy‑aware logic, refining placement rather than reinventing the wheel. Crucially, it aligns scheduling with the hardware’s real shape, not just with abstract CPU counts. Real‑world gains and who benefits Early tests on Intel Sapphire Rapids platforms point to gains in the 30–45% range for select workloads. Those wins appear in cache‑sensitive tasks like in‑memory analytics, high‑thread compilation, and microservices with tight working‑sets. Games and latency‑bound engines can also feel steadier frame‑times, especially when threads share hot assets. The benefits extend to AMD’s 3D V‑Cache parts, where keeping threads near enlarged cache slices prevents needless misses. Hybrid x86 designs with performance and efficiency cores further profit when cache and core roles are scheduled in concert. Even handhelds running SteamOS can squeeze more out of limited power, translating cache locality into smoother play. Key advantages include: Lower end‑to‑end latency Fewer expensive misses to RAM Better multi‑socket and NUMA behavior Improved energy efficiency More predictable QoS under mixed loads Stronger scaling on dense servers Caveats, tuning, and rollout No scheduler change is purely free, and trade‑offs still exist. Favoring locality can reduce cross‑cluster balance if limits are set too tight. Likewise, fairness and utilization must remain healthy, especially under heterogeneous, bursty workloads. Linux’s implementation is designed to be measured and tunable, not a blunt instrument. It cooperates with energy‑aware scheduling for mobile efficiency, and with NUMA‑balancers on big iron. Expect architecture‑specific refinements as vendors surface richer topology hints and cache‑sharing maps. Upstream integration has begun, with broad distribution adoption likely over the next cycles. Many users will encounter the change through standard kernel updates in 2025–2026, depending on distro cadence. Server‑class kernels may enable or tune it sooner for targeted fleets where cache locality is money in the bank. How to think about performance impact Cache Aware Scheduling amplifies gains when your workload is both CPU‑bound and cache‑sensitive. Think tight inner loops, hot code paths, and datasets that fit snugly in shared LLC. It’s less dramatic for I/O‑bound services or memory‑hungry tasks that blow past cache capacity. Still, even modest locality improvements often translate into smoother tail‑latency, which is where user experience and SLAs typically break. Developers can further help by pinning related threads, batching work, and aligning data to reduce cross‑cluster chatter. The scheduler’s new awareness works best when applications expose good hints. The bottom line By understanding and honoring cache topology, Linux removes a subtle yet costly bottleneck. The kernel’s smarter placement keeps hot data hot and work near where it belongs. That narrows a long‑standing gap with Windows, while preserving the openness and tunability Linux champions. For gamers, creators, and operators, the payoff is practical: more consistent frames, faster builds, and snappier services. For the ecosystem, it’s another step toward hardware‑savvy scheduling that turns transistor complexity into real‑world speed. And for Linux itself, it’s a timely upgrade that matches today’s silicon with tomorrow’s expectations.
What Earth’s longest-lived animals can teach us about aging better
Inside the growing scientific quest to understand what creatures with the extraordinary ability to defy the ravages of time can teach us about making human aging better.
Trump signs executive orders aimed at home affordability ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump on Friday signed a pair of executive orders aimed at showing his commitment to improving home affordability — a key issue for many voters going into November’s election for control of the House and Senate.
LeBron James' adaptability a key in victory over the Bulls
The 41-year-old forward is letting Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves control the offense, but he continues to find ways to impact the game on both ends of the court.
As a computer science grad, she expected stability. Then AI arrived.
Despite a degree and skills, a new grad faces hiring challenges in tech due to AI's influence on entry-level job availability.
As a computer science grad, she expected stability. Then AI arrived.
Despite a degree and skills, a new grad faces hiring challenges in tech due to AI's influence on entry-level job availability.
Microsoft just fixed my BIGGEST gripe about the Windows 11 setup experience
The latest Windows 11 preview build introduces the ability to specify a custom user directory for your account, something both macOS and Linux have supported for decades.
MHA Members and Business Leaders Join Crain’s for Healthcare Affordability Roundtable
The MHA partnered with Crain’s Content Studio to facilitate a healthcare affordability discussion, which was highlighted in its Detroit and Grand Rapids publications.
Bracketology: Michigan, Arizona lurking as Duke looks shaky in race for No. 1 overall seed at NCAA Tournament
The Blue Devils' apparent vulnerability makes the race for the No. 1 overall seed interesting
Google Messages is finally rolling out a fix for its most annoying oversight
Google Messages is rolling out the ability to copy a part of a message in its latest beta update, fixing a major user annoyance.
Money, madness and the business of the bracket
Every March, millions of Americans convince themselves they can outsmart probability.They fill out a bracket, trust a hunch and watch the chaos unfold. What looks like a three-week basketball frenzy is in fact one of the most powerful business engines in American sports.
Parallels Confirms MacBook Neo Can Run Windows in a Virtual Machine
Parallels Desktop virtualization software is compatible with the new MacBook Neo, according to an update from the company – but Windows VM performance will depend on your intended use case. From Parallels' updated knowledge base article: Parallels Desktop runs on MacBook Neo in basic usability testing. The Parallels Engineering team has completed initial testing and confirmed that Parallels Desktop installs and virtual machines operate stably on MacBook Neo.
How AI‑Driven ELNs Are Becoming the Center of Scientific Reasoning
Embedding AI agents in ELNs and LIMS brings reasoning directly into research. Using validated tools and clear audit trails, scientists accelerate discovery while maintaining governance, transparency, and accountability.
Buzzfeed has ‘substantial doubt’ it can stay in business
Buzzfeed, the digital media company that took the mid-2010s by storm, said on Thursday it has “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue as a business.
9NEWS
KUSA (9NEWS Denver) is your source for breaking news, Colorado weather, traffic, and live coverage in Denver and across the Front Range. Get the latest updates from the 9NEWS team -- from major local headlines and investigations to severe weather, community stories and the moments everyone’s talking about. Watch live newscasts, stream breaking coverage and catch up on the top stories shaping Denver, Boulder, Aurora, Fort Collins and all of Colorado. Subscribe for: • Denver breaking news + live updates • Colorado weather forecasts, snowstorms and severe weather alerts • Investigations and accountability reporting • Community stories across the Front Range • Major events, sports and local explainers KUSA / 9NEWS Denver -- Colorado news and weather, live and on demand. 🔗 More: https://www.9news.com
When AI is taking notes, hospitals charge more
Plus: Docs and hospitals up next in House affordability hearings
High insurance costs are putting child care programs out of business — but bill proposes solution
Under state licensing rules, child care programs are required to have liability insurance or disclose to parents that they are uninsured. Having a liability policy protects high-risk businesses, but expensive and hard-to-find plans are hurting an industry already facing thin financial margins and availability issues.
High insurance costs are putting child care programs out of business — but bill proposes solution
No one likes to deal with or pay for insurance, and child care providers are no exception. Under state licensing rules, early care and education programs are required to have liability insurance or di...
Senate passes bipartisan housing bill to improve access and affordability
The bill would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals
Business News: TAG Heuer Names Béatrice Goasglas, Current Head Of The Americas, As New CEO
In a bid for executive stability, TAG says Goasglas, who has been with the brand since 2018, will take over the top job May 1st.
First MacBook Neo teardown praises 'absolutely amazing' repairability
"No sticky tape, no tricky adhesives, modular parts... it's just super straightforward, elegant design."
McDonald's rolls out 'McValue 2.0' menu with $3 items, $4 meals after years of post-pandemic price hikes
The fast-food giant unveils its "McValue 2.0" strategy, with affordable breakfast and McNugget deals as franchisees align on fixing the chain's affordability gap.
These women want to have babies. They say Trump's policies are getting in the way.
Some women who want to grow their families are choosing not to because of affordability, lack of access to maternal health care and other fears.