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How to watch Mariners games: TV, streaming and channel info

Finally, just before opening day, an answer for fans looking to watch Mariners games on TV. Here's how to watch the M's through cable and satellite provider.

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Mar 25 • 3:49 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
UK bans crypto donations to political parties in bid to curb foreign influence

The move is likely to hurt the hard-right party Reform UK, which accepts crypto and has received large donations from a businessman living abroad.

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Mar 25 • 3:35 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
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The Most Overlooked Sign of Chronic Inflammation, Per a Holistic Health Doctor

Dr. Taz Bhatia reveals the physical changes you don't want to ignore and how to treat them.

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Mar 25 • 3:26 PM EDT • Health • today.com
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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.

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Mar 25 • 2:49 PM EDT • Health • cnn.com
Washtenaw County measles outbreak grows to 7. What you need to know

An unvaccinated child exposed to measles in Washtenaw County is now infected, health leaders say, and a local hospital is now an exposure site.

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Mar 25 • 1:47 PM EDT • Health • freep.com
Jury holds Meta and Google liable for role in young woman's mental health issues

The verdict marks the end of the first-ever jury trial over whether tech giants should be held accountable for social media addiction. It may influence the outcome of 2,000 other pending lawsuits.

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Mar 25 • 1:32 PM EDT • Health • npr.org
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South Carolina measles outbreak could end by April 26, health official says

March 25 (Reuters) - South Carolina could declare its ongoing measles outbreak over by April 26 if no additional infections are reported, the state's top epidemiologist said during a briefing on

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Mar 25 • 1:21 PM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Surgeon general nomination is stalled

Wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means' nomination to be U.S. surgeon general is stalled a month after senators of both major political parties grilled her on vaccines and other health topics during a tense confirmation hearing.

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Mar 25 • 12:52 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
UK bans crypto donations to political parties in bid to curb foreign influence

Britain is banning political parties from taking cryptocurrency donations in a move the government says will help protect democracy from illicit finance

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Mar 25 • 11:33 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
READY, SET, IMPLEMENT! Lifelines in Crisis: Prioritizing Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health in Humanitarian, Conflict and Climate-affected Settings

This dialogue is part of PMNCH’s Ready, Set, Influence series, bringing together policymakers, humanitarian leaders, donors, and grassroots experts. The webinar will focus on accelerating the implementation of health commitments within humanitarian affairs, specifically focusing on the need for integrated, rights-based health services that remain resilient in the face of conflict, disaster and climate events.

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Mar 25 • 11:13 AM EDT • Health • pmnch.who.int
Supreme Court says that internet service provider isn’t liable for bootlegged music downloads

In a major loss for the nation’s music industry, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a major internet service provider is not liable for copyright infringement because it failed to kick known copyright violators off its network.

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Mar 25 • 10:50 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Price tags for patients: I’m still fighting for honest health care transparency

The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act would provide price transparency in the health care system, allowing patients to make informed decisions about their care and reducing costs for employers and fa…

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Mar 25 • 10:30 AM EDT • Health • thehill.com
Supreme Court tosses $1B copyright verdict in record companies' battle over illegal internet downloads

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that internet providers are not liable for copyright infringement by their users, delivering an opinion in Cox v. Sony and tossing a $1 billion verdict.

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Mar 25 • 10:28 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
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

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Mar 25 • 10:25 AM EDT • Science • yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com
More money from undisclosed sources is influencing Massachusetts politics

WBUR's Patrick Madden looked into so-called dark money groups and their growing influence in Massachusetts state politics.

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Mar 25 • 9:45 AM EDT • Politics • wbur.org
How to make emergency rooms safer for people with dementia

In today's Morning Rounds newsletter: A federal vaccine adviser departs ACIP, adults turn to AI chatbots for health info, and radiologists sift through deepfake X-rays.

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Mar 25 • 9:10 AM EDT • Health • statnews.com
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Intel Arc Pro B70 Outclasses NVIDIA’s RTX Pro 4000 In AI At Half The Cost, 50% More Memory

Intel's Arc Pro B70 is designed to offer accessible local inference for AI, delivering more memory at half the price of the competition.

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Mar 25 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com
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Older adults who regularly engaged in exercise sessions lasting at least 10 minutes at a leisurely pace had healthier brains than their sedentary peers, accordi

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Mar 25 • 8:12 AM EDT • Health • alzinfo.org
Digital Science acquires Virtual Knowledge Graph pioneer Ontopic

Acquisition aimed at strengthening technology company's capabilities in semantic data and enterprise AI

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Mar 25 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • researchinformation.info
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.

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Mar 25 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • news.ku.edu
macOS Tahoe 26.4 Adds Slow Charger Indicator for MacBooks

macOS Tahoe 26.4 includes a new slow charger indicator that tells MacBook users when their charging setup isn't delivering full power. As described in an updated Apple support document, a "Slow Charger" label now appears in orange text in the battery status menu and above the Battery Level graph in Battery settings. The indicator is accompanied by an info button for more details.

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Mar 25 • 7:31 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Obelisk Infotech Launches AI-Driven SEO Automation to Help Businesses Scale Digital Growth

PUNJAB, INDIA / ACCESS Newswire / March 25, 2026 / As more businesses move online and competition across digital channels continues to grow, the need for smarter and more scalable marketing strategies has become increasingly important. Obelisk Infotech, ...

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Mar 25 • 7:19 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
U.S. Medicine, Science Facing An Online Misinformation Siege, Poll Concludes

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 25, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Americans are trapped in a ruthless social media spin cycle of viral misinformation regarding science and medicine, with many actively contributing to the problem, a new Harris Poll has found. People have come to ...

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Mar 25 • 6:35 AM EDT • Science • usnews.com
‘Project Hail Mary’ Is Out-of-this-world Entertainment

Back in 2017, filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were hired and, several months into filming, fired from the Han Solo prequel movie, “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

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Mar 25 • 5:29 AM EDT • Entertainment • mountaintimes.info
Poll: 1 in 3 Adults Are Turning to AI Chatbots for Health Information, Equaling the Share Who Use Social Media for Health

About a third (32%) of adults nationally say they have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in the past year for health information, a new KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds. Most who turned to AI for health information say they were in search of quick and immediate advice, though challenges affording and accessing health care also play a role, particularly for younger adults.

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Mar 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • kff.org
KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust: Use of AI For Health Information and Advice

This poll finds that about as many adults are turning to AI for health information as social media, with health care costs and access driving many users, particularly younger users.

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Mar 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • kff.org
Women’s Month Weekly: There’s never been a better time to be a girl in sports

With the influx of audiences now drawn to women's sports, younger girls are growing up in an environment that celebrates them.

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Mar 25 • 2:29 AM EDT • Sports • michigandaily.com
Scientists discover why this deadly lung cancer keeps coming back

Scientists have discovered that losing a key protein in small cell lung cancer triggers inflammation that actually helps tumors grow and spread. Even more surprising, it pushes cancer cells into a more aggressive, neuron-like state linked to relapse.

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Mar 24 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Instagram and Facebook are pushing deeper into shopping and ads

Meta unveiled a slew of new shopping and advertising updates to woo brands and creators. Influencers can soon earn a commission from affiliate links.

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Mar 24 • 7:00 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors

In the closing of the recent trading day, AMC Entertainment (AMC) stood at $1, denoting a -2.36% move from the preceding trading day.

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Mar 24 • 5:45 PM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com
Scientists discover mirror of our solar system in 2 exoplanets forming around a star

Astronomers have spotted two planets forming around a distant infant star, offering a time capsule into see what the solar system looked like billions of years ago.

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Mar 24 • 5:00 PM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
New research sheds light on a common risk factor for colorectal cancer

New research clarifies the risk of colorectal cancer among people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Mar 24 • 3:42 PM EDT • Health • spectrumlocalnews.com
Leveraging storytelling in politics

Community college marketing and communications staff play a key role in providing the visuals and storytelling in a college's efforts to educate and influence lawmakers and other stakeholders. That...

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Mar 24 • 3:20 PM EDT • Politics • ccdaily.com
The politics of public health from Obamacare to COVID

The last three presidents — Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Donald Trump — have all had to deal with health care in America. And along the way, they've clashed with how politics works in Washington D.C. This created today’s environment where the understanding of science is scorned, medical disinformation thrives and creating a nation unprepared for the next health crisis.

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Mar 24 • 3:07 PM EDT • Politics • tpr.org
Google wants Android Automotive to control more of your car

Google wants Android in cars to break out of the infotainment box.

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Mar 24 • 2:27 PM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com
Marathon has sold 1.2M copies across Steam, PS5, and Xbox

Alinea Analytics estimates show that Marathon has generated gross revenues of $55M via 1.2M copies sold on Steam, PS5, and Xbox: Looking at the split between Steam, PS5, and Xbox, Steam is clearly the main platform for Marathon, accounting for a little under 70% of the audience (800K copies sold). Meanwhile, PS5 takes about 19% (217K) and Xbox (including console, PC, and cloud) accounts for a bit over 11% or 133K. Marathon is technically a first-party Sony title, so seeing the home console struggle to break 20% of the volume is a notable data point for the ongoing platform-agnostic debate. PlayStation Studios online games will almost certainly continue being multiplatform (despite Sony reportedly pulling back on PC releases). Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe As for Marathon, the consensus among hardcore players who pushed through the awkward onboarding phase – myself included – is that it’s fantastic. The gunplay, aesthetic, and presentation are among the best in the shooter genre. A great game doesn’t always equal an immediate hit, though, as shown by our estimates. Things are looking lukewarm right now. But this might be one of those marathon-not-a-sprint situations. Had to, didn’t I? Why wasn’t Marathon a hit on the same level as Arc Raiders? One topic that came up in a lot of conversations at GDC this year was why Marathon hasn’t hit the same stratosphere as Arc Raiders. On paper, they’re both extraction shooters, and Marathon has the Bungie pedigree – the house that built the gold standard for gunplay in Halo and Destiny. Marathon’s neon-futuristic aesthetic also distinguishes itself from the gritty realism of Tarkov or the post-apocalyptic hope of ARC Raiders. But vibes can only get you so far for first impressions if the onboarding feels like a brick wall. Marathon is a sweaty PvP-focused experience with a first-time user experience and UI that I can only describe as dreadful. Players are dropped into a complex ecosystem where the UI, though visually striking, is functionally uninformative, forcing users to manually hover over nondescript, identical icons just to identify basic gear or weapon mods. This lack of clarity is compounded by punishing mechanics like a severe heat gauge for movement and a scarcity of vital resources, all without a clear tutorial or a low-stakes mode to learn the ropes. Most people – even top streamers and veteran shooter players – have no idea what’s going on in Marathon at first. Arc is on the complete other end of the spectrum. As we covered here and here, Arc Raiders offers a more collaborative, approachable loop where players often work together toward shared goals. And the objectives are instantly clear. To many players, this contrast only emphasised Marathon’s issues, especially during the testing period. Players understand the Arc Raiders loop within 30 minutes, while Marathon acts as a massive filter, chewing up newcomers and spitting them out before they can experience the depth of Bungie’s signature gunplay. What I’m getting at here is that the poor first-time user experience of Marathon’s Server Slam likely stifled launch sales, while the opposite was true for Arc. Let’s look at the pre-launch copies sold for each game during their respective Server Slams (launch-aligned) : Looking at the trajectory: Arc Raiders saw a massive 80% jump in copies sold during its three-day Server Slam (day -13 to -11). Players jumped in, realised the water was fine, and immediately opened their wallets. Marathon, meanwhile, saw a 49% increase in the four days following its Slam (Day -7 to -3). At the time of each game’s respective launch, Arc Raiders had nearly double the Steam footprint of Marathon – and word of mouth only continued to grow. Bungie could have had more time to fix the onboarding process had the beta happened earlier. But Marathon launched three days after the beta finished. These factors limited the launch sales quite a bit, I reckon. Marathon has found a niche audience, though Despite the friction-heavy start, the data suggests that those who survived Marathon’s onboarding are loving life. We’ve been tracking cross-platform DAUs, and while there’s the expected post-launch leakage, many players are sticking with it. After peaking at 478K total DAUs on its first Saturday, Marathon has settled into a respectable rhythm, holding 345K DAUs as of yesterday and averaging 380K DAUs across the weekend. Steam continues to do the heavy lifting here, consistently accounting for the lion’s share of the daily players. Players have been putting in the hours, too: On Steam, Marathon’s average playtime has climbed to 27.8 hours, significantly outpacing the console averages on PS5 (16.5h) and Xbox (17.3h). Even more telling than the averages: 22% of the Steam audience has surged past the 50-hour mark, and nearly 7% have already logged over 100 hours. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe This data suggests that once the Bungie magic clicks, it hooks players deeper than the average extraction shooter. There’s also started to be a shift in the game’s discourse. Marathon launched as one of those games that’s cool to hate. But as Marathon’s 100-hour club grows, we’re seeing conversations around its mechanical merit outweigh the negativity. Several high-profile creators, who were initially vocal critics, have spent the last week coming around on the mechanical depth of the endgame. It’s a subtle but positive signal; the hate train is losing steam, and a new narrative about the game is emerging. Bungie faithfuls unite Another interesting metric in Marathon’s first few weeks is who, exactly, is playing. Bungie leans heavily on its prestige as the “makers of Halo and Destiny,” in its marketing, and that message has clearly hit the mark. On Steam, the gravity (hammer) of Bungie’s previous work is unavoidable. A staggering 78.2% of Marathon players also played Destiny 2. The trend carries across other platforms, with 74.2% of PS5 players and 82.7% of Xbox players also having played Destiny 2. The Halo legacy lives on, it seems. More on that in a bit. While Destiny 2 went free to play, these numbers still represent a high-intent migration of a fanbase that trusts Bungie’s specific brand of kinetic gunplay and cryptic world-building. The Xbox data adds another layer of legacy. About 85.7% of Marathon players on Xbox have played Halo Infinite, while over half of the Steam audience has spent time in Halo Infinite and 36.1% in the Master Chief Collection (a paid collection of the old Bungie-made legacy games). Interestingly, we see a 55.9% overlap with ARC Raiders on Steam. Overlap is even higher there on PlayStation (60.5%) and Xbox (66.5%). And there’s also significant crossover with Helldivers 2 on all platforms, too. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe Bungie has found some of its fans with Marathon, and the challenge now is keeping this engaged in a high-stakes PvP environment when they’ve spent the last decade primarily enjoying the power fantasies of PvE. On that note… Go the full 26 miles? Or cut and run? Time for some could’ve, should’ve, would’ve. These things would have improved Marathon’s performance at launch: A more robust onboarding process, perhaps in the form of a short single-player/PvE campaign. We know Bungie fans love this stuff. A traditional arena-based mode akin to Destiny’s Crucible could have been a bridge for the cautious players who’d have been otherwise deterred by the Server Slam. It’s also a great palate cleanser after getting merked. Introducing a dedicated PvE environment would have similarly diversified the conversation and lowered the barrier for the Bungie faithful who found the pure PvP extraction loop too abrasive. PvE is safer than PvP these days. There’s an argument that a thin PvE mode would have just felt like a budget Destiny, potentially hurting the brand more. But given how dire the FTUE is, I think it would have been a net positive. Any kind of tutorialised loop that demystifies the stakes, really. While there is merit in a studio sticking firmly to a singular creative vision, and going all in on the hardcore extraction loop. Less forgiving is the technical reality is that the user interface and first-time user experience (FTUE) were not at a commercial standard for launch. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe In a landscape where player time is oversaturated and the most contested currency, a flawed FTUE is a critical failure point. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as Marathon has an incredible, unique gameplay loop, suggesting that financial success is still attainable if Bungie can pivot effectively. Bungie and PlayStation now face a difficult strategic crossroads, though – one within a challenging games market. They could: Double down on Marathon with a long-term Rainbow Six Siege- or No Man’s Sky-style recovery plan, which is something I heard Last Stand Media’s Chris Maldonado mention last week. While this could be a sunk-cost fallacy in action, it could eventually yield the audience the game’s mechanical depth deserves. Shift focus toward the inevitable Destiny 3 or another project, mitigating the escalating opportunity cost and cutting their losses, so to speak. Doing both is an expensive proposition, given the high overhead and burn rate of operating out of Bellevue, Washington. With Sony recently demonstrating a lower threshold for underperforming studios and projects, the margin for error has vanished. Whatever happens, the next six months will determine whether Marathon becomes a cornerstone of Sony’s live-service portfolio or a cautionary tale of vision exceeding accessibility. I’m hoping it’s the former, because Marathon rocks. As always, hit subscribe to get updates on Marathon and other relevant games. Subscribe Want to get your hands on our data for yourself – for free? We’re offering a free trial of our platform for games companies. Send us a message here, or reply to this email, and we’ll set you up. The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]

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Mar 24 • 2:06 PM EDT • Technology • alineaanalytics.substack.com
Georgia: Opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria given politically motivated prison sentence for graffiti

In Elene Khoshtaria’s case, the severity of the punishment appears related not to material damage, but to her political opinions and the symbolic damage she has inflicted on the ruling party

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Mar 24 • 1:16 PM EDT • Politics • amnesty.org
Antoine Griezmann to join Orlando City in MLS when Atletico Madrid season ends: Why 35-year-old is still great

Griezmann, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, joins an influx of star players like Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min in MLS

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Mar 24 • 11:45 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Iran war starts to hit global economy, business surveys show

The Iran war is already taking a toll on major economies around the world, according to business surveys on Tuesday which showed how a ​surge in energy prices and rising uncertainty were dampening activity and pushing inflation expectations higher.

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Mar 24 • 11:31 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Age Comes for Us All—Even Politicians

Don’t look now, but the period from now through the 2028 presidential election will be a historic inflection point in our politics. We’ll see enormous generational change take place amid enormous uncertainty and volatility.

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Mar 24 • 11:15 AM EDT • Politics • cookpolitical.com
Opinion | Climate Science Is Creeping Into Courtrooms

Judges are fed biased information from progressive activists and a flawed scientific reference manual.

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Mar 24 • 10:55 AM EDT • Science • wsj.com
Meet the 2026 Influential Women in Business and see the Women’s Leadership Symposium lineup

They run hospitals, build companies, fight cancer and welcome visitors to the Capital Region. Now, nine of the area’s most accomplished women are being recognized as 2026 Influential Women in Business by Baton Rouge Business Report. The honorees will be recognized May 19 at the Influential Women in Business Luncheon, which follows the fourth annual […]

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Mar 24 • 10:45 AM EDT • Business • businessreport.com
US business activity slips to 11-month low in March amid Iran war, S&P Global survey shows

U.S. business activity slowed to an 11-month low in March as the war in the Middle ​East raised prices for energy products and other inputs, a survey showed on Tuesday, reinforcing fears of an ‌acceleration in inflation in the months ahead.

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Mar 24 • 9:48 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Lee’s Summit weighs permit for seasonal inflatable sports dome

Lee's Summit City Council discusses inflatable high school sports complex with full-size pitch.

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Mar 24 • 9:35 AM EDT • Sports • kctv5.com
Gender equality in science: a distant goal; invisible barriers persist

While the number of women in scientific organisations is increasing, the path towards true equality is slowed down by structural barriers and informal processes

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Republicans at Risk of Losing Latino Support Ahead of Midterms

The economy, inflation and immigration are the top issues for Latinos ahead of the US midterms.

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Mar 24 • 9:00 AM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com
Facts About Small Business: Family Farm Statistics 2026

Advocacy has released its newest infographic, spotlighting America’s family farms. About 86.5% of farms are small family farms. Small family farms generate 17.2% of agricultural production. Advocacy’s infographics use the most recent f

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Mar 24 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • advocacy.sba.gov
TODAY | City of Tampa hosts Bridges To Business Event

City of Tampa Hosts Networking, Information Event For Local BusinessesThe City of Tampa is hosting a Job Order Contracting Information Session & Networking event today at City Center at Hanna Avenue.

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Mar 24 • 8:46 AM EDT • Business • tampa.gov
MLB Opening Day 2026: How to watch every game, including Yankees vs. Giants, full four-day schedule, streaming info and more
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Mar 24 • 8:15 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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We’re Suing the Trump Administration for Removing Science, History from Our National Parks

We cannot fully understand our country and climate without publicly accessible and accurate historical and scientific information.

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Mar 24 • 8:15 AM EDT • Science • blog.ucs.org
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Differences between W2 and 1099 workers for small businesses

Hiring for your small business? One of the first decisions you’ll face is who to hire and how to classify them. Should you bring on a W-2 employee or a 1099 independent contractor? In this episode of Small Business Smarts, ADP’s Laci Buzzelli breaks down the key differences between the two and when each option makes the most sense for small businesses. For more information, visit ADP.com/SPARK

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Mar 24 • 8:02 AM EDT • Business • mediacenter.adp.com
4 Pitt people were named Pittsburgh Business Times 2026 Women of Influence

The awards recognize the region’s businesswomen, including one Pitt dean and three alumnae, who make impactful change by leading organizations.

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Mar 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • pittwire.pitt.edu
Stellar Entertainment Partners with Parrot Analytics to Advance Data-Driven IFE

Stellar Entertainment and Parrot Analytics partner to bring real-time data into airline inflight content decisions.

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Mar 24 • 7:29 AM EDT • Entertainment • apex.aero
San Antonio 2026 Teen Mental Health Survey now open

Teenagers can share their experience with mental health in an ongoing survey meant to inform city policy.

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Wind Turbines Once Had One Job: Generate Power. Now Engineers Want Their Towers to Do Something Modern Life Cannot Run Without

Deep in the North Sea, a strange new AI infrastructure plan is taking shape inside offshore wind turbines.

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Mar 24 • 6:45 AM EDT • Technology • dailygalaxy.com
How Bans on Corporate Political Donations Influence Campaign Platforms

Julia Cagé, Caroline Le Pennec, and Elisa Mougin discuss their recent research on France’s 1995 ban on corporate contributions to political campaigns. The ban pushed candidates to de-emphasize local politics in favor of national issues and, in many cases, adopt more extreme rhetoric.

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Mar 24 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • promarket.org
What growing up in an end-times church taught a science communicator about dispelling misinformation

A passion for snakes opened a crack in the religious beliefs science communicator Paul Martin Jensen grew up with in a end-times Pentecostal church.

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Mar 24 • 4:30 AM EDT • Science • statnews.com
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French Business Lobby Doesn’t See Inflation Surging on Iran War

France’s largest business lobby, Medef, doesn’t see inflation surging because of the Iran war, the organization’s chief said on Tuesday.

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The Supreme Court’s conservatives could significantly alter the 2026 election

The Supreme Court on Monday appeared ready to limit mail-in ballots, a move that would reinforce the justices’ pattern of shrinking voter protections and that has, at bottom, favored Republican interests and the Trump administration.

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Dark money pours into Massachusetts politics

WBUR found a rise of dark money groups trying to sway local elections and influence policy. The nonprofits can raise and spend unlimited money from undisclosed donors. Watchdogs warn about their growing influence on Massachusetts politics.

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City hosts workshop on business license renewals

The City of Paducah’s Finance Department hosted an informational workshop on business license renewals on Monday to help local businesses understand the process before the April 15 deadline.

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We disagreed on politics. We agreed on wine. That was enough.

At the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gala in Richmond earlier this month, a very dapper gentleman approached me and introduced himself. In his light-colored suit and bowtie, he looked very Southern in a classical sense, the sort of Virginia Gentleman you used to see south of the Rappahannock as recently as my college days. “I’m a longtime reader and fan of your writing, if not your politics,” he said. His comment was the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, simultaneously conveying praise and disapproval while establishing boundaries. Man, I wish we still discoursed like this instead of shouting bromides and insults to try and “own” our opponents with a funny meme and a furrowed brow. Subscribe “Well, we’ll always have wine to share together,” I said, and thanked him for his kind words. We clinked glasses, exchanged pleasantries about the delicious gold medal-winning wines being poured that evening, and went our separate ways. Our exchange reminded me that more unites us than divides us. Wine brings people together to share a meal and a few hours of joy despite our differences.1 That’s why I refer to the wine community — including readers and consumers — rather than the wine industry. Together, we are so much more than production, distribution and sales statistics. A few minutes later the evening’s awards ceremony began. Applause grew as the 12 winemakers who made the top-scoring wines for the Governor’s Case took the stage, including a loud cheer for Jonathan Wheeler of Trump Winery and his 2018 Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. All the winemakers on stage had reason to be proud, Wheeler perhaps more so. Trump Winery was the only winery to win six gold medals in the competition this year. (Wineries are limited to six entries.) Two of Wheeler’s ciders also won gold medals in a separate competition. When you cover the labels and take the sour taste of politics off your palate, the wines are pretty darn good.2 Then Gov. Abigail Spanberger, newly elected Democrat and Virginia’s first female governor, was introduced to great applause to announce which of the 12 wines had won the Governor’s Cup. She spoke for a few minutes about the importance of wine to Virginia’s economy and tourism and the international acclaim Virginia wine has received. Just two weeks earlier, she gave the Democrats’ response to Trump’s State of the Union speech, but this night wasn’t about politics. That didn’t stop several people in the crowd from speculating on the irony should she have to present the trophy to Trump Winery. In the end, Valley Road Vineyards was displayed on the screen behind Spanberger as the winning winery. Blue Bee Cidery in Richmond took top honors for that category. The crowd cheered a female governor presenting the state’s highest trophy to a female winemaker and then resumed the evening’s festivities, united by their mutual love of wine. A whiff of politics couldn’t dim the cheer of celebration and a community united by its love of wine. In Memoriam: Michel Rolland The global wine community lost a giant March 20, with the passing of Michel Rolland. He was 78. Rolland was the original “flying winemaker,” a globe-trotting consultant who helped Bordeaux regain its mojo in the 1970s and then shaped the rise of Napa Valley cult Cabernet as consultant to Simi, Harlan, Newton, Screaming Eagle, Araujo, Dalle Valle and other wineries. He was instrumental in Argentina’s rise to prominence and even had his own winery, Clos de los Siete, in a partnership with other wine families. Rolland’s career arc paralleled that of Robert Parker, the world’s most influential critic. Parker championed many of the wines Rolland consulted on, helping build his reputation and demand for his services. It also made him a target for Parker’s critics. As W. Blake Gray wrote on Wine-Searcher in his excellent tribute to Rolland: Rolland created the type of wines Parker loved: rich body, plenty of fruit, soft tannins. He sometimes faced the accusation of creating a generic international style of red wine, where the great wines he made in Argentina were indistinguishable from the great wines he made in France. Rolland chafed at that critique, as did many of his fans. He was credited with championing green harvesting and leaf pulling, as well as careful selection of grapes in the winery, practices we nearly universally think of today for high-quality winemaking. “Michel was an incredible innovator who changed how wine was made and how grapes were grown,” Napa Valley winemaker Aaron Pott wrote on Facebook. “His work has transformed the wine trade. He created new ways of looking at wine, tasting wine, evaluating ripeness and quality. … This was not just a man with a ‘style’ that he imposed on vineyards but a man that understood how to make great wine from great sites.” Rolland started his consulting company in 1973 in Libourne, in Bordeaux, with his wife, Dany. Both had graduated the year before from Bordeaux’s Institute d’Oenologie. The couple sold their majority share in the business in 2020, according to Wine Spectator. Over his career, Rolland reportedly worked with more than 100 wineries in 20 countries. He even made it to Virginia, where he consulted for Kluge Estate in the mid-2000s. (Kluge Estate is now Trump Winery.) Reader feedback, please! Last week, I did my first WineLine Live! with Dr. Laura Catena of Catena Zapata winery in Argentina. We enjoyed a fascinating discussion about her efforts to preserve the genetic heritage of old vineyards in Mendoza. I conceived of WineLine Live! for paid subscribers, as a thank you for your financial support. And while only a few people joined live, the video now has more views than I have paid subscribers, so I guess that’s pretty good. Even so, I’m considering opening future installments to anyone on Substack to reach a broader audience. So my questions to you: Should these be public? And what format do you prefer? Live gives a chat feature with the potential for viewers to interact with me and the guest, while a video post would just be that. Another alternative is a podcast, which would just be audio, without video of my chins. Please let me know in the comments. Leave a comment In the Glass A few wines I’ve enjoyed recently: Bonny Doon Vineyard Take Me to Your Liter, Le Cigare Volant, Red Wine of the Earth. 2023, Central Coast, CA. Blend of Grenache, Syrah Cinsaut and Petite Sirah. Delightful wine with expressive red fruit flavors, casual drinking. Doon lovers of a certain age will remember Randall Grahm’s Big House Red; this is more in that style than his original Le Cigare Volant, modeled after Chateauneuf du Pape. The liter bottle makes it an even better value. I see this online at about $15. Great value. Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines 2023. 13% - Textbook pinot noir and an excellent, affordable entry (regional) Burgundy. Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2025. $24 at Total Wine & More. Loma Larga Pinot Noir 2021 “Coastal Cool Climate Wine”, Valle de Casablanca, Chile. An older sample, showing beautifully. Spicy and fruit forward. I’m seeing widely varied pricing online, from $18-$32. At the lower end, it’s a terrific value. 13.5% Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry 2016, Mosel, Germany. Found this “in the stack.” And it stacked up well, shedding some of its youthful acidity for opulent Riesling character, including a hint of the mineral oil older Riesling often features. A great value, as I’m seeing it as low as $14 online. 12% abv. Red Tail Ridge Blau Franc Blend 2024, Sans Oak, Finger Lakes. 13.4% abv. The name is a neat portmanteau of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet Franc, thus Blau Franc. The blend is 50-50, no oak involved. The Blau dominates on the palate, with the spicy caraway seed (think New York deli rye bread). The Franc adds body. The result is juicy, energetic and joyful. Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2025, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon. This first rosé of 2025 was a welcome respite to our cold, snowy winter here in the Mid-Atlantic. Oh man, I needed this! Bright and energetic, exuberant even, it perks up the mood and goes down fast. 13%. Certified B Corp. Ingredient and nutrition labeling, and in a modest way that doesn’t occupy a lot of label space. (Since it’s not required, presumably there are no minimum font size requirements.) More wineries should follow this example. Dave McIntyre's WineLine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Thanks for reading Dave McIntyre's WineLine! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share 1 Some restraint may be required. 2 Especially the bubblies.

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Mar 23 • 10:54 PM EDT • Politics • dmwineline.substack.com
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Victorian business fined for telling influencers to lie about paid Instagram post in first of its kind penalty

Watchdog also fines PhotobookShop for editing a paid review from an influencer who had described process as ‘fiddly’

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Mar 23 • 9:59 PM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
Freeway series game II chat

The Dodgers play their first game at Dodger Stadium since Game 5 of last year’s World Series on Monday, hosting the Angels for the second of a three-game exhibition series. Roki Sasaki goes for the Dodgers against left-hander Reid Detmers. MONDAY GAME INFO

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Russia in Africa: Inside the alleged operation to influence Angolan politics

A group of Russians and Angolans are going on trial in Angola after being accused of fomenting protests, which they deny.

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Mar 23 • 8:18 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Scientists say NAD+ could slow aging and fight Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

A global team of leading scientists is zeroing in on a tiny but powerful molecule that could reshape how we age. Known as NAD⁺, it plays a crucial role in keeping our cells energized, repairing DNA, and maintaining overall health—but its levels steadily decline over time, potentially fueling diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Researchers are now exploring ways to boost NAD⁺ using compounds like NR and NMN, with early studies hinting at improvements in memory, metabolism, and physical function.

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How Pixar Got the Science Right in Hoppers

Meet the researcher who informed the writers about beaver behavior and threats to their habitat

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NIU Today - Two business graduate degrees reimagined with a bold AI focus

Beginning this fall, two graduate degrees within the College of Business’s Department of Operations Management and Information Systems (OM&IS) will be reimagined to emphasize their focus on artificial intelligence and analytics. Formerly known as the Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA) degree, this degree has been transformed into the Master of Science in Business...

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Woman dies after being shot in vehicle, collapsing in business while seeking help

A woman who was shot inside her vehicle at an Aurora apartment complex and collapsed in a nearby business while looking for help has died, and Aurora police are looking for information about the su…

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Causal Inference Is Eating Machine Learning

Your ML model predicts perfectly but recommends wrong actions. Learn the 5-question diagnostic, method comparison matrix, and Python workflow to fix it with causal inference.

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Shorebird Science and Conservation Collective Shows Big Data Can Protect Birds

New research published in the journal Conservation Biology provides a model for big data to inform conservation.

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Mar 23 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • nationalzoo.si.edu
Trump to Maria Bartiromo: Iran wants to make a deal badly, could be within 5 days or sooner

Maria Bartiromo reports that President Donald Trump says Iran ‘wants to make a deal badly’ as he orders a five-day pause on planned strikes against key infrastructure, signaling ongoing high-level talks and triggering a sharp market rebound.

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There’s little information about a large measles outbreak in Florida, so we went to see it

One of the largest measles outbreaks the US has seen in decades erupted at Ave Maria University in Florida, but very little information was being shared with the public. So CNN went to the small Florida town to learn what’s driving the case count.

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Mar 23 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • cnn.com
Energy Attacks in War on Iran Could Turn Economic Shock Into Long-Term Damage

A new phase targeting oil and gas infrastructure in the Persian Gulf threatens to hurt businesses and customers around the world for months or even years.

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Diabetes, Overlooked and Unchecked, Poses New Risks in Africa

As deaths from diabetes start to rival those from infectious threats like malaria, a new form of the condition linked to malnutrition is surfacing in patients who can afford neither screening nor care.

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Simona Martin: Colorado’s data center boom needs public health guardrails

As AI infrastructure expands across the state, lawmakers face a choice about who bears the costs and risks.

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Mar 22 • 11:00 PM EDT • Health • boulderreportinglab.org
Iranian Missile Strikes Are Costing Big Oil Billions in Lost Revenue

Damaged energy infrastructure is likely to take years to come back online, but a surge in oil-and-gas prices is helping to offset some of the lost production for now.

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A promising fatty liver treatment may raise cancer risk

A surprising new study reveals that blocking a supposedly protective enzyme, Caspase-2, could actually backfire—raising the risk of chronic liver damage and cancer over time. Researchers found that without this enzyme, liver cells grow abnormally large and accumulate genetic damage, leading to inflammation, scarring, and eventually tumors, especially with age. While inhibiting Caspase-2 may offer short-term benefits, such as reducing fatty liver disease, the long-term consequences appear dangerous.

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City of Paducah Finance Department to host informational workshop on Business License Renewals

In case you missed it, the City of Paducah Finance Department will host an informational workshop on Business License Renewals for local business owners at the McCracken County Library tomorrow,

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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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Mar 22 • 2:18 PM EDT • Health • erictopol.substack.com
VoidStealer malware steals Chrome master key via debugger trick

An information stealer called VoidStealer uses a new approach to bypass Chrome's Application-Bound Encryption (ABE) and extract the master key for decrypting sensitive data stored in the browser.

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Mar 22 • 10:32 AM EDT • Technology • bleepingcomputer.com
Scientists discover surprising brain trigger behind high blood pressure

Scientists have uncovered a surprising brain-based trigger for high blood pressure, tracing it to a small region in the brainstem that normally controls breathing. This area, which kicks in during forceful exhalations like coughing, laughing, or exercise, also appears to activate nerves that tighten blood vessels—raising blood pressure. When researchers switched off this region in experiments, blood pressure dropped back to normal, suggesting it plays a direct role in hypertension.

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Mar 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Inflatable homes on the Moon? Scientists reveal how humans could live there sooner than expected - Futura-Sciences

How could humans live on the Moon? Although the Artemis program has taken a more cautious approach following recent delays, the goal remains the same: send astronauts back to the lunar surface. Doing so will require systems that allow crews to stay there for several days, or even several weeks....

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Mar 22 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • futura-sciences.com
Umberto Bossi, the League's populist founder and a pivotal figure in Italian politics, dies at 84

ROME — Umberto Bossi, the founder of Italy’s populist Northern League and one of the most influential — and polarizing — figures...

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Mar 22 • 5:57 AM EDT • Politics • post-gazette.com
Gov. Stein announces $8.5 million for WNC small business recovery after Helene

The funding will assist 13 projects through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program, continuing the state’s response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

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Mar 21 • 2:30 PM EDT • Business • foxcarolina.com
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Fed’s Powell Lauds Volcker Record in Face of Political Pressure

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Saturday lauded the policy record of the late Fed Chair Paul Volcker, who raised interest rates and sparked a recession to tame the high inflation that took off during the 1970s.

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Mar 21 • 1:30 PM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com
Mojang Reveals Chaos Cubed Update Coming to Minecraft Later This Year With Tiny Takeover Release Date Set for Next Week

Mojang has unveiled more information about updates coming to Minecraft in 2026, including the release date for Tiny Takeover and a sneak peek at the Chaos Cubed game drop.

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Mar 21 • 1:24 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Meet Delaware's 2025 Most Influential People in Arts and Entertainment

Meet Delaware's 2025 Most Influential People in Arts and Entertainment

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Mar 21 • 1:02 PM EDT • Entertainment • delawareonline.com
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Apple Wanted to Buy Halide to Boost iPhone 18 Pro's Camera App—Now There's a Lawsuit

Apple's plans to enhance the iPhone 18 Pro's Camera app led it to consider acquiring Halide, but the talks ultimately collapsed and were followed by a fierce legal dispute between the startup's co-founders, according to The Information reports. In the summer of 2025, Apple reportedly held discussions to acquire Lux Optics, the developer behind the popular iPhone camera apps Halide, Kino, and Spectre.

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Mar 21 • 9:50 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Woman, from Large Filipino Family That Loves Food, Thought Health Issues Were Caused by Her Diet. They Weren't (Exclusive)

A woman thought her health issues were caused by her diet, growing up in 'a big Filipino American family, where food is often the center of all gatherings.' However, Jamie Nangpi Harris' ailments were tied to Crohn's disease, a chronic, autoimmune-driven inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the digestive tract, she tells PEOPLE exclusively.

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Mar 21 • 5:06 AM EDT • Health • people.com
Tottenham eye transfer move for Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu

Tottenham Hotspur have watched Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu as they search for goalkeeping reinforcements this summer, according to the Daily Mail.Tottenham need a new goalkeeper, with Guglielmo Vicario ...

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Mar 21 • 2:45 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
NCAA sues DraftKings for trademark infringement

The NCAA has sued DraftKings for trademark infringement for the unauthorized use of terms like "March Madness" and "Final Four"

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Mar 21 • 12:53 AM EDT • Sports • usatoday.com
Scientists just found a hidden 48-dimensional world in quantum light

A routine quantum optics technique just revealed an extraordinary secret: entangled light can carry incredibly complex topological structures. Researchers found these hidden patterns reach up to 48 dimensions, offering a vast new “alphabet” for encoding quantum information. Unlike previous assumptions, this topology can emerge from a single property of light—orbital angular momentum.

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Mar 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Scientists turn probiotic bacteria into tumor-hunting cancer killers

Scientists have engineered probiotic bacteria to act as tumor-seeking drug factories. In mice, these bacteria infiltrated tumors and produced a cancer-fighting drug right where it was needed. This targeted approach could make treatments more effective and reduce side effects. More research is needed before it can be tested in people.

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Mar 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
$8.5 million to fund 13 small business infrastructure projects in western NC

Governor Josh Stein announced a third round of grants to support small business infrastructure in western North Carolina.

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Mar 20 • 6:25 PM EDT • Business • wlos.com
Mark Robinson admits ‘I lied’ about CNN story

Former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson admitted he lied about a bombshell CNN KFile investigation during the final months of his 2024 gubernatorial campaign, uncovering his extensive history of posting inflammatory and racist comments on a pornography website.

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Mar 20 • 5:03 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
A meningitis B outbreak is happening in the UK. What people should know

Health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating a cluster of meningococcal infections, including two deaths.

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Mar 20 • 1:01 PM EDT • Health • cnn.com
Maternal and Infant Health in State Rural Health Transformation Proposals Set Promising Priorities in an Uncertain Landscape

Visit the post for more.

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Mar 20 • 12:37 PM EDT • Health • ccf.georgetown.edu
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Touch a real brain as 'BrainFest' returns to Seattle's Pacific Science Center

We all have them. But how much do you really know about the brain?!'BrainFest', which is a day filled with all sorts of brainy fun, returns to the Pacific Scien

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Mar 20 • 11:48 AM EDT • Science • komonews.com
We're told eyewitness testimoney isn't reliable. But new science says it might be

Psychologist John Wixted says that through the course of a criminal investigation, an eyewitnesses memory can be influenced and altered. But under the right conditions, that testimony can be reliable.

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Mar 20 • 9:48 AM EDT • Science • npr.org
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