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Substantiation, Entity Indebtedness, and Business Expense Deductibility: An Analysis of the Simmons Case — Current Federal Tax Developments
Cathryn A. Simmons v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2026-34 (April 22, 2026) In a recent memorandum decision, the United States Tax Court addressed recurring substantiation issues surrounding closely held entities, commingled funds, and rental real estate deductions. The taxpayer, Cathryn A. Simmons, p
Battle between business partners over West Suburban hospital escalates, as more details about financial woes emerge
The owner of the West Suburban Medical Center property is ramping up his efforts to remove his business partner from the hospital, as more details emerge about the hospital’s financial woes before its closure.
iPhone 18’s new specs might bring subtle regressions to cut costs
Rumors about the base iPhone 18 indicate it could regress in minor ways to be more like Apple’s budget ‘e’ model.
Our unsung hero of science: Friedrich Miescher, the man who discovered DNA
Working on human pus in a medieval castle, Miescher discovered a substance that would eventually unlock our understanding of how life works.
Gamers sue Nintendo over tariff refunds, saying consumers should get the money back
Two gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging that the company will be unjustly enriching itself with any refund it secures from the U.S. government over widespread tariffs last year that, among other things, hiked the prices of Nintendo hardware and accessories. “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit states. Nintendo sued the U.S. government to secure a tariff refund in March, after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs a month prior, saying they were illegally implemented by President Donald Trump.. The gamers who have sued, California-based Gregory Hoffert and Washington-based Prashant Sharan, both say they purchased Nintendo goods that had increased in price due to tariffs, according to the complaint. They filed their suit in the Western District court of Nintendo of America’s home state of Washington and are seeking class action status to represent all people in the U.S. who purchased price-hiked Nintendo goods between February 1, 2025 and February 24, 2026. They allege that Nintendo’s recovery of any tariff refunds would constitute unjust enrichment and violate Washington state consumer protection law. Similar class action lawsuits pressing companies to pass on tariff refunds have been previously filed against FedEx, UPS and eyeglass importer EssilorLuxottica. The tariffs were announced in early April, and by mid-month, Nintendo had announced $5 price increases for controllers for the then-forthcoming Switch 2. In August, it raised the price of the original Switch. In their suit, the gamers cite comments from Nintendo executives connecting the tariffs to price increases. In May 2025, a month after the tariffs were imposed, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa told investors “Our basic policy is that for any country or region, if tariffs are imposed, we recognize them as a part of the cost and incorporate them into the price.” Nintendo’s March lawsuit, along with tariff-recovery suits from hundreds of other companies was immediately put on hold pending the implementation of a refund system. The U.S. government announced the beginning of the refund process earlier this week. Companies could receive as much as $160 billion, per CNBC. In March 2026, after Nintendo filed its lawsuit to recover the cost of the tariffs, I asked the company if they planned to pass their refund on to customers who’d paid increased prices. The company’s response acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit but avoided answering that question: “We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic.” Even a promise to consumers may not have spared Nintendo this week’s lawsuit. FedEx previously promised to pass its tariff refunds on to consumers. They’ve been sued over them anyway.
Xbox Game Pass price cut but day-one Call of Duty access ended
New Call of Duty games will be added to the subscription service "about a year" after release, Microsoft said.
"Not surprising at all" - analysts see Xbox Game Pass price cut as inevitable shift that will drive subscription growth in 2026
Price drop expected to aid growth in platform users, while opinion is divided on the impact on Call of Duty revenues
Top 5: Ryan Spann submissions
The Fortis MMA rep will take on Marcus Almeida in a UFC Vegas 116 heavyweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Defends Spending Cuts to Health Agencies
Kennedy appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the President’s 2027 budget.
Health department to lead all street outreach teams
The City’s outreach teams work with people struggling with housing and substance use issues.
How Al Gore Politicized Climate Science
An Inconvenient Truth turns 20 next month. In the 2006 documentary, former vice president Al Gore argued that human-driven climate change was an urgent, civilization-threatening crisis. The film became a cultural phenomenon, winning two Academy Awards and making climate change one of the defining political issues of our time. I am sure that there will be many retrospectives seeking to relitigate the scientific claims in the film. But the far more important anniversary story is not about the accuracy of any of Gore’s individual claims but rather about what the film helped to unleash in the scientific community: bringing partisan politics into the institutions of science. Gore did not simply make a film about climate change: He implored the scientific community to join him in overt climate advocacy. The fuel that Gore added to the fire of pathological politicization of the climate science community is the most important legacy of An Inconvenient Truth. Almost three years after the film’s release, Gore took the stage at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)—the country’s largest and most prominent scientific organization—and delivered something much closer to a revival sermon than a scientific lecture. Gore told the assembled scientists that they could no longer “in good conscience accept this division between the work you do and the civilization in which you live.” His directive was clear:
This fantastic adaptation of a classic book will burrow into your subconscious
Based on the 1942 novella by Albert Camus, "The Stranger" proves cracklingly, urgently alive in a way most other literary adaptations could only dream of.
U.S. Abruptly Rescinds Subpoenas in John Brennan Inquiry
The vacillation came after the Justice Department replaced a career prosecutor with a loyalist to President Trump in the administration’s effort to charge the former C.I.A. chief with a crime.
Partnership offers one-stop site for mental health, recovery services in Manchester
Manchester officials on Tuesday announced a partnership with the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (MHCGM) to enhance the city's response to homelessness, substance use disorder and mental health issues.
Microsoft's Game Pass gets cheaper, loses launch day Call of Duty access
New Xbox CEO says subscription "has become too expensive for too many players."
Tim Cook's Legacy Is Turning Apple Into a Subscription
The soon-to-exit Apple CEO went all in on services. Now, the incoming CEO, John Ternus, will need to embrace the AI era.
Microsoft cuts Xbox Game Pass price, to remove 'Call of Duty' day one inclusions
Microsoft has dropped the price of its video game subscription service and the platform will not include future "Call of Duty" game releases on launch day, the company said on Tuesday, in the first major strategy shift under new gaming boss Asha Sharma.
Deep Sea Mining Symposium Announcement
Abstract submissions are now open for the 8th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC8), taking place November 13–17, 2026, in Edinburgh, Scotland—and we’re excited to announce an open sym…
Behavioral health data exchange challenges impede interoperability, says ONC
Technical barriers, workforce limitation, privacy concerns and cost may all contribute to lower rates of electronic exchange of health information by mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, a new analysis shows.
The Subaru X-100 Was The Plane-Shaped Car Designed To Cross The U.S. On A Single Tank Of Gas
The Subaru X-100, a one-off concept built with one purpose in mind: to drive across the U.S. on a single tank of gas, getting 100 MPG in the process.
Stop Paying for a VPN: Firefox Just Built One Right Into Your Browser
Mozilla's built-in VPN offers an extra layer of privacy for your browser traffic without requiring a separate subscription.
Reps. Smucker and Davids Introduce Bipartisan ‘Accountable Produce is Medicine Act’
WASHINGTON — Representatives Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) and Sharice Davids (KS-03) introduced the bipartisan Accountable Produce is Medicine Act (H.R. 8355), legislation aimed at modernizing the U.S. health care system by incorporating proven nutrition-based interventions to prevent and manage chronic disease.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
WhatsApp Testing Paid 'Plus' Subscription Tier
WhatsApp has started testing a paid subscription tier called WhatsApp Plus, which adds a set of personalization options on top of the standard messaging experience, according to WABetaInfo.
Rep. Blake Moore discusses health care affordability
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, vice chair, House Republican Conference and member of the House Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittee on Health, joined Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health and AHA chair-elect, for a fireside chat. While the conversation covered topics including health care access and regulation, the overarching theme was making health care more affordable for both patients and hospitals and health systems.
Annual Business Plan Competition Showcases Student Ingenuity
A subscription-based platform designed to streamline commercial production for small businesses; an “academic hospitality” concept blending culturally authentic dining with late-night st
This new camera captures what happens in a trillionth of a second
Scientists have unveiled a breakthrough imaging method that can capture the hidden details of events unfolding in trillionths of a second. This new technique doesn’t just track how bright something is—it also reveals subtle structural changes that were previously invisible, all in a single shot. By effectively turning ultrafast phenomena into detailed “movies,” researchers can now watch plasma form, electrons move, and materials transform in real time.
The Death of Public Health
During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30 years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.” Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy (R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!” “I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”, even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease. It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice. (On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.) What’s happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask, isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.” As expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary, the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the community—the opposite of public health. In an article titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom. “Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because individual health affects the health of others, public health measures regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’ sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.” The medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection. The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others? In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.” Thanks for reading Beyond the Noise! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
EDC and Business Impact NW to host two free workshops on capital readiness for businesses
Submitted by the Economic Development Council.
The healthcare subsidy paradox
For Millions the choice is no longer about selecting a healthcare plan that meets their medical needs; instead, must choose only what they can afford.
‘WhatsApp Plus’ subscription launching soon with new features
WhatsApp is planning a new ‘WhatsApp Plus’ paid subscription, and it just went live in the app’s Android beta ahead of an iOS launch.
Disallowance of COVID-19 Leave Credits: A Review of Substantiation and Trade or Business Requirements — Current Federal Tax Developments
Marie M. Kanda v. Commissioner, T.C. Summary Opinion 2026-3 (Docket No. 3772-24S. Filed April 20, 2026) Between 2015 and 2023, Marie M. Kanda suffered from several serious health conditions, including breast cancer and severe osteoarthritis, which led to her doctor determining she was disabled and
WhatsApp's paid subscription starts rolling out to some
But your free experience isn't at risk
WhatsApp tests ‘Plus’ subscription that adds stickers and more for a few bucks a month
Like Snapchat Plus, but for WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Joins Instagram in Selling New Premium Subscriptions
WhatsApp is selling a new premium subscription that includes more custom features, part of a broader effort by parent company Meta Platforms Inc. to build a revenue stream that can complement its core advertising business.
Google Photos rolls out touch-up tools for making ‘quick, subtle fixes’ to your selfies
Google Photos is rolling out new touch-up tools to most users globally, though it's careful to stress these are for "subtle" changes.
WhatsApp is testing a premium subscription, put it is mainly cosmetic
WhatsApp is testing a subscription after Meta debuted a similar subscription for Instagram earlier this year
These Salmon Got High on Cocaine. That Wasn’t the Craziest Part.
Scientists in Sweden made an unexpected discovery when they exposed the fish to the illegal drug as well as another substance.
Trump Backs Psychedelic Research
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, April 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Psychedelic drugs could soon play a larger role in mental health care. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at boosting federal research into substances like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA
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.
Tariff refund system for businesses scheduled for launch on Monday
The U.S. tariff refund system is set to launch on Monday, allowing businesses to submit their claims for reimbursements after paying $166 billion on duties determined to be illegal by the Supreme C…
April 20 "Colorado Chamber Office Hours": The housing debate from a business lens | The Sum and Substance
A leader in the homebuilding industry and a Senate Republican offer opposing viewpoints on this year's housing package.
U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar
U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold today provided critical maternal and newborn health equipment that will reach healthcare facilities across Madagascar, demonstrating how U.S. foreign assistance builds a safer, healthier world by helping recipient countries build self-reliant health systems in line with the America First Global Health Strategy. Under President Trump’s America First foreign assistance policy and the America First Global Health Policy, U.S. support serves as a tool of strategic engagement – not global charity. Every U.S. taxpayer dollar is subject to rigorous oversight to ensure measurable results, maximum efficiency, and accountability, with zero tolerance for fraud, waste, or abuse. Through the bilateral Global Health Memorandum of Understanding with Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health, both governments agreed on shared priorities and responsibilities, including a strong focus on maternal and newborn health and Madagascar’s increasing co-investment in its own health system. Madagascar continues to face major challenges in maternal and newborn health, including high maternal mortality rates and significant gaps in access to quality delivery care. In rural regions, many women still give birth at home or in facilities without adequate infection-prevention supplies. Through the U.S.-funded Momentum Country and Global Leadership Project, the United States is providing essential equipment to healthcare facilities nationwide: calibrated reusable drapes for infection prevention in approximately 1,000 community health centers (CSBs), single-use calibrated drapes for 35 hospitals, and management tools for health workers to improve data collection and care coordination. “U.S. foreign assistance makes America safer by preventing instability and strengthening health systems that can detect and contain infectious diseases before they cross borders,” said Chargé d’Affaires Arnold during the handover ceremony. “Our support is temporary and targeted, designed to help Madagascar build greater self-reliance and reduce long-term dependence on U.S. taxpayer resources.” This U.S. support will help standardize safe delivery practices, strengthen infection prevention, and improve data management systems. Used effectively, these materials will contribute directly to reducing maternal and newborn deaths, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to quality delivery care remains limited. From major hospitals to remote health centers, U.S.-funded equipment is already delivering results. The nationwide scope of this support ensures that women and newborns across Madagascar benefit from improved infection prevention and safer delivery practices. This targeted assistance helps save lives today while supporting Madagascar’s transition toward a self-sufficient health system, ensuring that today’s U.S. support leads to Madagascar’s future independence from foreign assistance.
Nova Launcher could soon add a proactive AI assistant that sucks up all your data
Nova Launcher could soon introduce Nova AI, a built-in AI assistant complete with a chatbot, and a new Nova Plus subscription tier. Read on!
Grand to spin ‘Charlotte’s Web’
The classic tale “Charlotte’s Web” will be performed on the Stanley Subaru Stage at The Grand on Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, May 2, at 1 p.m.
Festival season is coming. Here's how to submit your information.
The deadline to submit info for The Tribune's annual Festival Guide is May 8. Here's what's needed and how to submit.
Pinwheels and the ‘lobster district’: How Virginia Democrats drew up a US House map to all but lock out Republicans
Virginia Democrats hope the new congressional map they’re asking voters to approve Tuesday will flip four Republican House districts, delivering 10 of 11 seats in a state Vice President Kamala Harris won with just 52% of the vote in 2024. To do it, they want to dramatically rework entire sections of the state, slicing up deep blue districts in the Washington, DC, suburbs and around Richmond, and creating a new district running along the Blue Ridge Mountains that connects liberal cities. That’s required something called the “lobster district,” stretching from northern Virginia into two “pincers” grabbing up rural territory.
Pep Guardiola issues Rodri injury update after worrying Arsenal substitution
Rodri played 88 minutes in Man City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Etihad StadiumSpain international has played regularly after foregoing injury woes earlier this yearBallon d’Or winner suffered a ...
AMC Entertainment Closes $425MM Term Loan with Deutsche Bank
Odeon Finco, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Odeon Cinemas Group and AMC Entertainment, entered into a credit agreement with Deutsche Bank AG (New York branch)
AI swarms could hijack democracy without anyone noticing
AI-powered personas are becoming so realistic that they can infiltrate online communities and subtly steer public opinion. Unlike traditional bots, they adapt, coordinate, and refine their messaging at a massive scale, creating a false sense of consensus. Early warning signs—like deepfakes and fake news networks—have already appeared in global elections. Researchers warn that the next election could be the true test of this technology’s power.
Indonesia advances One Health and pandemic preparedness through CARE-I
CARE-I is financed by the Pandemic Fund, a global financing mechanism established in 2022 to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The programme focuses on advancing the One Health approach by strengthening collaboration across human, animal and environmental health sectors at both national and subnational levels. It will be implemented for three years from 2026 to 2028.
State House moves forward with Health Dept. budget
LANSING — Two and a half months before the state’s budget deadline, members of the Republican-led Michigan House of Representatives unleashed a flurry of budget proposals from their respective subcommittees, including a three-part plan to fund the Department of Health and Human Services. With the department making up nearly half of the state budget, members […]
Sources: ‘Fitbit Air’ is a screen-less Whoop competitor debuting with ‘Google Health’ subscription
At the end of March, Google started teasing a screen-less Fitbit band. 9to5Google can now report that this device will...
Computer science was once a 'golden ticket' — now it's seeing the biggest enrollment drop of any major in 6 years
Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Johnson said AI has "substantially wiped out" coding as a reliable source of opportunity.
Computer science was once a 'golden ticket' — now it's seeing the biggest enrollment drop of any major in 6 years. What students are choosing instead
Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Johnson said AI has "substantially wiped out" coding as a reliable source of opportunity.
Curing U.S. Health Care, Part I
In 2008, much to their own surprise, leading Democrats unified around a program of major health care reform. Policy wonks had spent years developing the concepts behind what eventually became Obamacare; big Democratic victories in the 2006 midterms and the prospect of controlling both Congress and the presidency made it possible to imagine turning those ideas into reality. During the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama advocated similar plans, based on those ideas, for expanding insurance coverage. And it happened! The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010. When it was fully implemented in 2014, millions of Americans got health insurance: Impressive as the raw numbers are, they don’t tell the whole story. Before the ACA, even upper-middle-class Americans often found it impossible to get health insurance if they had pre-existing medical conditions. Many Americans were trapped in jobs they wanted to leave but couldn’t for fear of losing their employment-based coverage. Meanwhile, dire predictions from the usual suspects about runaway costs proved wrong. In fact, overall U.S. medical spending has grown much more slowly since the ACA was enacted than before. But the U.S., alone among advanced nations, still falls far short of providing universal health care. As you can see from the chart above, 8 percent of the population was still uninsured in 2024, a number that is set to rise over the next two years as a result of Republican policies. True, many of the uninsured in 2024 were undocumented immigrants, who we don’t try to cover. But there are still a lot of uninsured. Moreover, a significant number of Americans who have health insurance are in fact underinsured. As a result, they are at risk of incurring devastating healthcare costs and are sometimes forced to forgo needed care. This number is set to rise sharply in the next two years as a result of Republican policies adopted under Donald Trump. And not only is the U.S. unique among advanced countries in its under-provision of health care coverage, it also incurs by far the world’s highest healthcare costs per capita. So now may well be a good time to get behind a new push for major health reform — an effort, if you like, to finish the job begun under Obama. Today’s primer is devoted to the economics of health reform. During his failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Donald Trump famously complained, “Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.” Actually, we did know — and it’s not that complicated. Health economists understand the principles very well. And because health policy varies greatly among advanced nations, we know a lot about what works and what doesn’t. This will be the first in a series about health reform. Beyond the paywall I’ll address the following: 1. Why markets can’t be trusted to deliver healthcare 2. Routes to universal healthcare 3. What works? In a follow-up post I’ll discuss the pros and cons of different approaches, and possible paths forward for the United States.
Browns were also reportedly looking into Dexter Lawrence trade
There is an alternate timeline that would be much worse for the Bengals.
Surprising Discovery That AI Performs Subliminal Learning And Does So In Mysterious Ways
Newly published research suggests that AI can subliminally learn. This is exciting but also disconcerting. Evil AI could sneakily turn other AI. An AI Insider scoop.
2025-'26 CCX Sports All-Area Boys Basketball
After a great season of boys basketball in the northwest suburbs we've consulted with local coaches to name the CCX Sports All-Area team.
The Barents Sea is receiving more and more warm water, and scientists believe they have finally found the reason that had eluded them for 40 years
Scientists solve a 40-year Arctic mystery. Discover how a subtle shift in weather "rhythm" is pumping warm Atlantic water into the North.
How Trump is pushing psychedelics reform through the health agencies
Trump directed the federal government to rush access to psychedelic treatments and reevaluate their status as controlled substances.
Behavioral Health Urgent Care Set to Open in Robeson County
The facility in Lumberton will be open 24 hours a day to help patients who are experiencing a mental health or substance misuse crisis.
Trump Signs Order To Accelerate Legal Access To Psychedelics For Patients With Mental Health Conditions
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at expanding and expediting research on the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, a move aimed at making substances such as psilocybin, ibogaine, LSD and MDMA more readily available to patients in clinical settings. The move will “dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based […]
Inside USS Torsk, last US submarine to sink enemy ship until Iran War
The USS Torsk, a historic submarine that's now a museum in Baltimore, was the last US Navy submarine to sink an enemy ship until Operation Epic Fury.
Is stevia actually healthy? What to know when cutting back on sugar
Is stevia bad for you? A dietitian breaks down what to know about the sugar substitute.
Colorado Politics Calendar Apr. 20-26
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Best of Central Florida Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: MyerScapes Environmental
Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Best of Central Florida Community’s Choice Awards today.
Naples Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Nicoletta + Co.
We’re in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Bonita Springs + Naples Community’s Choice Awards today.
Microsoft Expands Xbox Mode to Windows Laptops, PCs, and Tablets
We recently reported on Microsoft renaming the Xbox Full-Screen Experience to Xbox mode and subsequently updating the gaming UI with new display options for gaming handhelds. Most recently, though, Microsoft has announced that it will be bringing that console-like UI to more devices. Many of these d...
President's Trump Tower penthouse could be subject to new NYC tax
While he has framed his complaint as solely an objection to taxes broadly, Donald Trump's own condo could be subject to the pied-à-terre tax.
Exclusive | Ilhan Omar Says She Isn’t a Multimillionaire, Blames Accounting Error
The Minnesota Democratic congresswoman, facing potential investigations pushed by President Trump and House Republicans, said she isn’t as wealthy as documents she previously submitted to Congress suggest.
Notebooks are now available for free Gemini app users
After rolling out to Google AI subscribers earlier this month, the Gemini app has now launched notebooks to free users.
Council demands more transparency from Mayor Mamdani on mental health response program
The City Council on Thursday passed legislation that requires the mayor’s office to submit regular reports tracking the performance of B-HEARD.
The Jacksonville Waves, the city’s newest pro sports team, is set to tip off May 15th
We are less than a month away from tip off for the new women’s basketball league. The Jacksonville Waves play the team’s first game at VyStar Veteran’s memorial Arena on Friday May 15th.
Steph Curry is testing Fitbit's screenless Whoop competitor
The NBA's greatest shooter has been not-so-subtly showing off the potential Whoop killer.
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. Subsidiary Odeon Finco PLC Announces Closing of $425 Million Term Loan
LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Odeon Finco PLC (“Odeon”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Odeon Cinemas Group Limited (“OCGL”) and AMC…...
'My fire is there' - Howe comes out fighting
This was the day when Eddie Howe channelled his inner Mikel Arteta. "My fire is there," the Newcastle United head coach said as he echoed words from his Arsenal counterpart. Having appeared a little flat at his news conference a week previously – even before a subsequent defeat against Crystal Palace - a defiant Howe came out fighting on Friday.
UM students to compete in 37th business startup challenge
A panel of 24 evaluators from across Montana meticulously reviewed over 103 submissions, selecting 14 finalists to compete in this year’s event.
Carrick needs Man Utd form reversal
It has been interesting to observe how Manchester United have been assessed in the wake of Monday's disappointing home defeat by Leeds, and particularly the reaction to Michael Carrick. What had previously been viewed as calmness in the technical area and a sense of stability gained from not making many changes, was suddenly viewed as inaction and questions were raised about why Carrick did not bring on any substitutes. To that end, Manchester United are not doing well.
Johnny Gaudreau being inducted into sports hall of fame this year
Johnny Gaudreau is being inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame later this year.Gaudreau grew up in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia.The pare
Apple Could Unveil Its Sub-1nm Chips In A Few Years, As TSMC Said To Fire Up Trial Production In 2029
A report states that TSMC is planning to begin trial production of its sub-1nm process in 2029, giving Apple an opportunity to unveil a technological marvel
Commissioners approve business accelerator initiative to expand child care accessibility in Harris County
The demand for child care subsidies soared during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains on the rise. In Harris County, around 30,000 families are on a waitlist to receive state scholarships for child care services through the Texas Workforce Commission, according to a recent University of Houston study.
Player Availability Report: #VANvSKC
Player Availability Report is SportingKC.com’s look at the latest status updates around the team ahead of upcoming matches and is presented by Saint Luke’s. All details listed are from the league’s official Player Status Report that is submitted the day prior to the match. Sporting Kansas City continues the club’s
A new Android 17 beta reveals plans for “Pixel Glow” light animations.
Google just released the fourth beta for Android 17 today, and now, 9to5Google and Android Authority point out that it contains mentions of a new lighting feature that we might see on the next round of Pixel phones. The Pixel Glow details say it “uses subtle light and color on the back of your device to inform you of important activity when it’s face down,” when interacting with Gemini, or when favorite contacts are calling. [Link: Pixel Glow 'visual feedback' tool might just hint at big Pixel 11 hardware changes | https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-glow-3658443/ | Android Authority]
The subtle science behind safer brain implants
In a recent publication appearing in Advanced Science, researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience challenge the assumptions surrounding the design and materials used for brain implants. ...
Reps. Adams, Underwood and Sen. Booker Introduce Black Maternal Health Week Resolution
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congresswomen Alma Adams, Ph.D. (D-NC-12) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), along with U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), introduced the bicameral resolution recognizing April 11 through April 17 as Black Maternal Health Week.
Health Subcommittee: The Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Health and Human Services Budget
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.
Politics News Site NOTUS to Become ‘The Star’
The Washington publication is rebranding as it expands its local news and sports coverage in the wake of substantial layoffs at The Washington Post.
This Chicago suburb ranked No.1 in Illinois for starting a business, report says
A new WalletHub study names North Chicago the best small city in Illinois for entrepreneurs. Here's why it stands out.
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.
Data highlights gaps in finding in-network mental health coverage
Americans across 43 states enrolled in health plans from the nation’s four largest commercial health insurers face potential disparities in finding in-network coverage for mental health care and substance use disorder treatment relative to physical health care, according to the Mental Health Parity Index released by the Kennedy Forum.
Why CBS Remains Bullish on Syndicated TV Shows
The head of CBS Media Ventures, Bryon Rubin, breaks down why the subsidiary’s lineup of game shows, courtroom shows and a daytime talk show makes business sense in 2026.
Tiger Woods fights attempts to subpoena his pharmacy records
Prosecutors are seeking to obtain Woods' prescription drug records in wake of rollover accident.
U.S. Senator to introduce bill aimed at ending sports blackouts, making games easier to watch for fans
The bill aims to prevent fans from having to own subscriptions to multiple streaming services to watch their favorite team.
Texas Rangers and real estate developer Vela launch sports-adjacent mixed-use firm RVX Ventures
Texas Rangers subsidiary, REV Entertainment, and developer, Vela, have launched a sports-adjacent real estate firm, RVX Ventures.
UNC Hussman offers new sports play-by-play class | UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media
This story, written by UNC Hussman alumna Caroline Daly ’24, was originally published on unc.edu. The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media has a new, hands-on class available for students interested in sports careers. Students in “MEJO 390: Sports Commentary and Play-By-Play” can call live radio broadcasts for Carolina sporting events, streamed live on the Go Heels website. This spring, 11 students are calling mostly softball games to gain experience and learn the preparation needed for a successful broadcast. The class is capped at a small number to provide consistent, individual feedback. Matt Krause, the radio voice of Carolina women’s basketball, teaches the class to help students sharpen their skills, using his experience with the Tar Heels and calling games for ACC Network and ACC Network Extra. “There is no substitute for live reps, and that is the only way you get better. The classroom component teaches you how to get better, but going about that requires sitting in that chair, making mistakes and being able to know your broadcast is going somewhere,” Krause said. “These students are doing real live games, and they will have tape where if they want to pursue this. They will have ready-made demos to send for jobs. Being able to utilize all the resources of UNC, GoHeels Productions and the Carolina Athletics brand and create these opportunities for students is really impactful.” In the class, students learn fundamentals like how to announce starting lineups for different sports and how to conduct research before games. Krause has led the class in mock preparation exercises, looking at game charts with information about the different teams and players that they can refer to at pivotal moments during the game. Krause and the students then critique each other, listening to clips from the past week to find ways to improve. It’s a rare class without a slew of quizzes or assignments. Their main tasks are calling games and making a portfolio or demo reel of their best calls at the end of the semester, all with the goal of being ready to step into similar roles after graduation. Laible live streams her coverage on the GoHeels website. Calling a live game while broadcasting her coverage allows her to get hands on experience. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill) Junior Anna Laible ’27 wished for a class just like this. Her first year at Carolina, she interned with the Coastal Plain League, where she was introduced to play-by-play for baseball. “I enjoy the challenge and uncertainty of each game being different because each sport looks a little different,” said Laible. “Each game is different — not just with teams but what could happen with certain records being broken or random trends. That’s what I enjoy most.” She wanted more opportunities for reps during college to prepare for a career after Carolina, so she pitched an idea for the class to Livis Freeman ’99, distinguished associate professor of sports communication. Laible and Freeman reached out to GoHeels Productions for a partnership and then connected with Krause. “This is how at UNC Hussman we separate ourselves: Our students go into the field ready,” said Freeman. “The biggest compliment we get it is when our students start their careers, they don’t need any hand-holding.” Laible calls a Carolina softball game at Kessing Stadium – after pitching the idea to Hussman faculty. Her interest in sports commentary allowed her to apply her interest as she attends Carolina. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill) Laible is now a student in the class, which has helped her strengthen her skills and deepen her passion for the field. The goal is to expand to other sports like soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. “The hands-on experience I’ve gotten here is invaluable. I’ve loved the classes and professors because they’ve taught me a lot, but it’s also the things outside of class, too, that have helped me grow,” said Laible. “Since being at UNC, I’ve grown a lot in the versatility, from doing writing to production and commentating. UNC Hussman and Carolina have given me the ability to be strong and well rounded.”
Railmark announces return to passenger rail business
HENDERSON, Ky. — Railmark Holdings, which operates short lines and provides industrial switching along with a number of other rail services, is returning to the passenger rail business through subsidiary Train Travel Inc., the company announced on Wednesday, April 15. Train Travel’s 38-year history includes operation of the Star Clipper Dinner Train and Reno Fun Train, as well as a rail-centric