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New GTA 6 Info Coming Soon, It Seems

We could see GTA 6 again soon.

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Jul 29 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • gamespot.com
Legal Analysis Offers Insights for Improved Data Sharing, Better Health

State public health and Medicaid agencies each collect large amounts of data, and sharing that data across agencies could offer a more complete picture of residents’ health and the factors that shape it. To support expanded data sharing, The Pew Charitable Trusts commissioned a first-of-its-kind legal analysis of federal and state laws governing how such critical information is shared.

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Jul 29 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • pew.org
Employee Spotlight: Samuel Hogue III Builds a Legacy of Service…

Your home base for all City of Toledo services, information, and more.

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Jul 29 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • toledo.oh.gov
Christmas in July entertainment

We’re The Boerne Star! Local yesterday, today and tomorrow. Your resource for news and information

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Jul 29 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • boernestar.com
The Science Behind the AI Panic Is Shakier Than You Think

A column by Sascha Lobo Is AI making us dumb? So asked DER SPIEGEL on its cover a while ago. After a few weeks of recovery and a therapeutic intervention with the help of my AI, I feel able to respond. That’s a bit unfair, of course; the article itself is more nuanced than the loud cover, the image of a schoolkid with dull prompt questions, or the subtitle: “AI is conquering the schools, and educators fear a disaster.” The short answer to “Is AI making us dumb?” is: no. The long answer is more interesting, and even carries a preliminary glimmer of the spectacular. Unfortunately, it requires a detour into the sphere of artificial intelligence, into the mogul-field terrain of technology assessment, the attention economy, and the destructive virus of cultural pessimism. Along with narrowing the scope to AI’s effects on education and work rather than on intelligence. Because the honest version of the question would be: Does AI help us learn and work, or not? Generative AI, which set off the still-ongoing hype with ChatGPT, has only existed in relevant distribution since late 2022, early 2023. For a technology-driven transformation of people and society, that is extremely short. For that reason alone, research is still in its infancy. And technology assessment is not a fast discipline anyway. Prominent voices from Elizabeth Eisenstein to RAND to Tom Wheeler say we still cannot conclusively judge the consequences of the printing press. Its invention is a mere 580 years back, and some scholars would rather not circulate assessments that might have to be retracted in two or three hundred years. We’re Going Through Growing Pains A phenomenon that already caused upheaval in social media research makes serious assessment of AI’s consequences even harder: the “moving target” problem of LLM-ology, as the linguist Sean Trott called it in 2025. AI develops so quickly and so unpredictably that researchers often end up studying snapshots of the past. There are concepts, from morphological analysis to anticipatory governance, for keeping research, planning, and regulation halfway meaningful anyway. But even with those, universally valid statements are rare. DER SPIEGEL - The German View is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe We should therefore treat findings about the interplay between humans and AI as far more procedural and situational. Unfortunately, this challenge comes at the worst possible time. We are going through growing pains: AI’s everyday impact has grown very large very fast, and with it the longing for guidance. Annoyingly, the body of solid knowledge has not exploded along with it. Experts cannot be moved to broad consensus on even banal statements about AI. Sascha Lobo, born in 1975, is an author and strategy consultant focusing on the internet and digital technologies. Together with Jule Lobo, he explores the debates of the day in the podcast “Feel the News – Was Deutschland bewegt” (”What Moves Germany”). Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says software developers are dying out. Bill Gates considers coders one of only three professions that will survive the AI tsunami. Top tech economists find virtually irrefutable arguments both for and against an AI bubble. The same naturally applies to the structurally youth-hostile debate over whether AI is good or bad for young people. The gap between the demand for insight and the supply of solid knowledge creates an orientation vacuum. This vacuum of AI cluelessness is filled, as the attention economy described by Georg Franck in 1998 would have it, with half-knowledge (funnily enough, often AI-generated), marketing, and self-marketing. After all, infinite money is at stake, along with academia’s best current shot at global fame. But this iridescent froth of interpretation operates more by the algorithmic principles of the digital public sphere than by seriously earned insight. That is why dramatized, fear-feeding claims about AI are so promising. It tempts parts of academia into distorted drivel, and parts of the media then sensationalize the published drivel once more. Was the Research Aimed at a Desired Result? How badly this can influence academia and public perception is demonstrated by one of the most-discussed studies on AI’s effects: “Your Brain on ChatGPT.” The MIT study by Nataliya Kosmyna also gets plenty of space in the SPIEGEL cover story. What was measured and interpreted: lower brain activity in people who write with AI assistance, compared to people who only google or write without any tools. As is common with preprints, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, and it contains substantial weaknesses that experts have sharply criticized. The first round had 54 participants in three groups, the second only 18, who reportedly also came from MIT’s own orbit. There was no preregistration (committing in advance to what you want to find out with which data). In their analysis, Stanković et al. even discovered an opposite effect that the study does not further explain. Some measurement data has not (yet) been published. And the EEG analysis method used is considered too imprecise to support such far-reaching conclusions. The biggest criticism, though, is the suspicion of an activism-driven study. In an interview with Time, lead author Kosmyna said she published the study immediately, rather than after full peer review, because she feared politicians might otherwise decide to put ChatGPT in kindergartens. She considers that absolutely harmful. It is legitimate to hold such a view. It just seems unscientific to approach a study with it, and then to design the setup so that the chance of a fitting desired result remains as high as possible. Ideologies Collide It is not easy to separate genuine AI insights from studies that trivialize and weaken well-founded AI criticism. The same goes for the opposing, AI-enthusiastic narratives, because the pro-AI side works against it with billions in resources. Ideologies collide, fed by egos, PR strategies, moral posturing, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Doomsday marketing makes the search even harder: AI companies can profit from warnings about the dangers of AI, whether through the notoriety of apocalypse narratives or because, in some target groups, danger translates into power. Some seemingly negative findings are therefore quite welcome in the AI industry. If you try to get at the findings presumably less influenced by interest groups, the picture in education seems relatively clear: AI can improve educational outcomes when the right AI is used the right way, namely pedagogically. Simply dumping an AI chatbot into a classroom, by contrast, accomplishes little. Huge surprise. But something else is also obvious: whether they are allowed to or not, kids use AI for school, which is why the controlled integration of AI tools into education is, in the medium term, entirely without alternative. In the world of work, the landscape of findings is more complex and requires more differentiation. A series of serious studies points to an AI effect that suits neither the alarmists, regulation fetishists, and AI opponents, nor the trillion-dollar corporations with their armada of paid scientists, PR professionals, and ecosystems: working with AI helps the inexperienced (at least for now) considerably more than it helps the pros, in certain fields of work, and provided they know how to use it correctly. Missing Domain Knowledge Among the experienced, the professionals, and the high flyers, by contrast, despite frequent time savings, partially negative effects and new problems are emerging. Take the jagged frontier problem: AI solves task A brilliantly and fails completely at task B, even though both look similar even to professionals. Or the verification-cost problem, in which AI’s greater productivity gets eaten up by the enormous effort of checking its output. Or the illusion of competence, because AI makes new domains seem easily penetrable, until you painfully discover that deep domain knowledge is missing. Taken as a whole, the effects of working with AI do lean positive. But the promise that AI works as a turbocharger for everyone and boosts practically everything simply refuses to materialize. The AI magic the world has been feeling since ChatGPT arrived in late 2022 has so far barely shown up in most companies’ numbers. The consulting firm McKinsey has coined a term for this, the “gen AI paradox,” and believes that work processes and corporate structures would have to be rebuilt quite fundamentally to realize AI’s benefits at scale. Reuters just reported that only 3.3 percent of Microsoft’s customers have subscribed to the AI package Copilot. That may be down to the product; in other areas we continue to see soaring successes and new AI triumphs. But after the first quarter of 2026, disillusionment is the word for all too many AI projects at traditional companies: because the promised revolution of AI agents has so far failed to arrive or been postponed, and because of the leveling effect that many of the studies cited here suggest. Against Inequality The societal effects, on the other hand, appear rather encouraging. Many previous technologies operated on the Matthew principle, named for the Gospel verse about giving to those who already have: they tended to reward the more competent and more privileged. AI, however, seems more often to have an equalizing effect once a threshold of access and education is crossed. Some anecdotal insights point in this direction, for example, how an unemployed man in Leipzig successfully defended himself in court in 2025 against fraud accusations from Germany’s federal employment agency — without a lawyer, armed only with ChatGPT. The AI made mistakes and cited invented court rulings, but in the end the man walked away unpunished. And a key capability of artificial intelligence is its capacity to learn: set up correctly and fed with data, it can keep getting better. It is a question of time, or more precisely of AI innovations and training data, until even free AI chatbots write better legal briefs than law graduates with perfect exam scores. Whether that will make anyone dumb is something the world’s press will surely inform us of in due time. Subscribe Leave a comment

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Jul 29 • 4:23 AM EDT • Science • derspiegel.substack.com
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Health100™ Earns Industry Accreditation for Consumer Data Privacy and Security

Health100™, a CVS Health company, earned CARIN Accreditation from DirectTrust, recognizing its commitment to secure, transparent access to personal health information.

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Jul 29 • 3:00 AM EDT • Health • cvshealth.com
How progressive media is boosting insurgent Democrats ahead of midterms

More progressive Americans are swearing off traditional media. They’re turning to independent podcasts, social media and digital news for information.

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Jul 29 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • apnews.com
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A new media ecosystem is taking root on the left, reshaping Democratic politics

More progressive Americans are swearing off traditional media. They’re turning to independent podcasts, social media and digital news for information. This shift could impact Democratic primaries by...

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Jul 29 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • sfgate.com
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What Health Informatics Means in Physical Therapy

Physical therapists are well positioned to use informatics to improve education, communication and patient-centered care.

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Jul 29 • 12:01 AM EDT • Health • consultqd.clevelandclinic.org
Florida health officials issue guidance on psychotropic medications for children

Florida health officials are advising against the use of psychotropic medications for children ages 5 to 17, highlighting the need for informed parental decisions.

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Jul 28 • 6:06 PM EDT • Health • wpbf.com
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Gemini can now make your Google Docs look a lot less boring

Need some visuals? Gemini can now create and edit images, diagrams, and infographics directly inside Google Docs.

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Jul 28 • 5:22 PM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com
Bubble Science from Hands On! Discovery Center

Hands On! Discovery Center's John Krekelberg and Krissy Worth show us some fun experiments with bubble science! For more information visit www.VisitHandsOn.org.

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Jul 28 • 4:06 PM EDT • Science • wjhl.com
Asm. McKinnor's Bill Banning Drones Above Outdoor Entertainment Events Awaits Senate Decision - The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Assembly Bill 2113, titled “Aviation: Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Ticketed Entertainment Events,” passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 30 by a 6-0 vote and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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Jul 28 • 3:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • sdvoice.info
Gemini can now generate diagrams and infographics directly inside Google Docs

Google is continuing to expand Gemini’s capabilities across Google Workspace, and the latest update brings some major visual firepower to Google Docs. According to a new post on the Google...

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Jul 28 • 2:23 PM EDT • Technology • chromeunboxed.com
Audio tapes appear to show Biden discussing sensitive information with memoir ghostwriter

In the sessions, Biden discusses a range of matters, shares notes from his vice presidency and appears to confirm to Zwonitzer that he retained some classified material.

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Jul 28 • 1:01 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
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NEA Business Notes: Tractor Supply to stay in Walnut Ridge

The city of Walnut Ridge announced that Tractor Supply has signed a 10-year lease extension for its Walnut Ridge store, reinforcing the retailer’s long-term commitment to the community and the...

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Jul 28 • 1:00 PM EDT • Business • talkbusiness.net
Secretary of state warns about scam email impersonating state business registry

Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas is warning businesses across the state about a phishing email impersonating the Connecticut Business Registry, designed to steal sensitive information. Thomas said the “malicious email” appears to come from the Connecticut Business Registry and includes a DottedSign link prompting recipients to view and sign a digital document. The link can trick users into revealing…

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Jul 28 • 11:38 AM EDT • Business • nbcconnecticut.com
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Bridging Systems: Health Care and Public Health Collaboration for Preparedness

This infographic provides actionable steps for public health agencies to build strong partnerships with health care and bolster emergency preparedness.

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Jul 28 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • astho.org
Biden interviews with ghostwriter reveal him discussing sensitive information

About three hours of audio and 117 pages of transcripts were released by the conservative Oversight Project

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Jul 28 • 8:58 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Biden interviews with ghostwriter reveal him discussing sensitive information

About three hours of audio and 117 pages of transcripts were released by the conservative Oversight Project

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Jul 28 • 8:58 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Double Fine Announces Layoffs Following Split From Xbox

"Only the survival of our studio would ever make us consider such a painful action," says Double Fine head Tim Schafer.

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Jul 28 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com
Stony Brook University Researchers Chosen for DOE Genesis Mission AI-for-Science Awards

July 27, 2026 — Researchers at the State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) secured five inaugural awards through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Genesis Mission, a national AI-for-science initiative designed to accelerate scientific discovery and strengthen U.S. leadership in innovation, energy and national security. The awards reinforce Stony Brook University’s […]

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Jul 27 • 8:18 PM EDT • Science • hpcwire.com
Scientists create an “electron lighthouse” with laser light

Scientists have created an “electron lighthouse” that uses laser light to launch and steer electrons through a semiconductor without an applied electrical field. The quantum effect could eventually improve optical sensors, communications, imaging, and information storage.

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Jul 27 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
What happens when AI chatbots handle a mental health crisis?

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we gather information and communicate with one another.It’s also changing how some people seek out mental health care. But what happens when this sophisticated technology is used to deal with serious mental health issues?For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Jason Fuller, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane and Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez. Our director is Jonas Adams.It was edited by Diane Webber and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.

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Jul 27 • 5:05 PM EDT • Health • npr.org
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Felony Theft Charges Filed Against Landscaping Business Owner, Investigators Seek Additional Information   - Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office

GOLDEN, Colo. (July 27, 2026) --The First Judicial District Attorney's Office has filed two felony theft charges against Ulises Tajonar Diaz, 32, alleging he received more than $32,000 in deposits from two Jefferson County homeowners for landscaping projects that were never started. Diaz advertised and operated landscaping businesses across the metro area under the names My Son’s Landscape and My Son’s Landscape Group LLC.

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Jul 27 • 3:48 PM EDT • Business • firstda.co
Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, John Kennedy call for more information on Iran conflict

Both senators say the U.S. should not withdraw from the conflict, but they say President Donald Trump’s administration should give the public more information about why it is happening and what the objectives are.

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Jul 27 • 3:45 PM EDT • Politics • nola.com
Sustainable Mendota Heights Business Spotlight

Since 1987, Sovran has helped Minnesota organizations grow and compete by providing information technology (IT) services. As one of the first Sustainable Mendota Heights Businesses, Sovran leads in th

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Jul 27 • 9:37 AM EDT • Business • mendotaheightsmn.gov
Agassi Sports Entertainment publishes updated investor presentation under Reg FD

Agassi Sports Entertainment furnished an updated investor presentation under Regulation FD.Key Highlights:Original SEC Filing: Agassi Sports Entertainment Corp. [ AASP ] - 8-K - Jul. 27, 2026This is an AI-powered summary. It may contain inaccuracies. Consider verifying important information with th…

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Jul 27 • 8:33 AM EDT • Entertainment • tradingview.com
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62-Year-Old Baha’i Prisoner Denied Medical Furlough Despite Critical Health Concerns

According to information received by IranWire, Neda Badakhsh, a 62-year-old Baha’i citizen, remains incarcerated in Dowlatabad Prison in ...

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Jul 27 • 6:46 AM EDT • Health • iranwire.com
How financial stress can affect the brain over the long term

People who experienced persistent financial struggles were slower to process information and showed memory recall decline by middle age.

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Jul 27 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • washingtonpost.com
Nick Woltemade told he's free to leave Newcastle on loan

Newcastle United are planning to send Nick Woltemade out on loan for the 2026/27 season, according to The Athletic.The Premier League club have already informed the German forward of their decision, w...

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Jul 27 • 3:28 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
AI mental health chatbots feel empathetic, but safety evidence still lags

Immune dysregulation may contribute to depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety through chronic inflammation, altered neuroimmune signaling, genetic susceptibility, and stress-related epigenetic changes. Evidence also suggests that biologically defined patient subgroups may benefit from more precise, immune-informed approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

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Jul 27 • 12:36 AM EDT • Health • news-medical.net
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YouTube’s health content rewards attention-grabbing videos over reliable medical information

Researchers analyzed 3,958 Korean-language medical YouTube videos and found that clickbait-heavy content attracted more views, likes, and comments. Higher-quality videos from medical professionals and public institutions often received less attention, highlighting a visibility gap in online health information.

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Jul 27 • 12:03 AM EDT • Health • news-medical.net
Google Maps’ biggest Android Auto upgrade is reaching more users

Google is expanding Immersive Navigation and the live speedometer in Android Auto, bringing richer maps and better driving information to more users.

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Jul 26 • 9:19 PM EDT • Technology • digitaltrends.com
Science Expo shares information about a variety of subjects

The Activities Center inside the Harker Heights Library was buzzing with activity Wednesday for two hours as the annual Science Expo was open.

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Jul 26 • 3:00 PM EDT • Science • kdhnews.com
Louisiana Blue simplifies the health plan experience for all members with MyLABlue

Louisiana Blue introduces MyLABlue digital platform for all members, offering convenient and secure access to health insurance information and services.

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Jul 26 • 1:00 AM EDT • Health • nola.com
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Back-to-school giveaway connects families with health services, Medicaid info

Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center is helping families get ready for back-to-school season.

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Jul 25 • 6:41 PM EDT • Health • kctv5.com
MU Health Care hosts annual screening and education event at Farmer's Market

MU Health Care held its third annual screening event including heart health screenings and education; stroke and heart attack information; cancer prevention education; Stop the Bleed training; hands-only CPR training; vision screenings; child safety education and car seat checks; and pediatric height and weight measurements for kids.

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Jul 25 • 5:58 AM EDT • Health • komu.com
Andy Burnham and the rise of ‘aura farming’ in politics

Is “aura farming” the new political superpower? There are some days in TV news when you find yourself standing in the middle of a farm, surrounded by baby goats, trying to explain internet slang. Subscribe This was one of those days. There I was, in wellies, trying to unpack aura farming - a Gen Z term for carefully cultivating your image online so that you look effortlessly cool, authentic and charismatic. The trick, apparently, is that it can’t look like you’re trying too hard. Which, I’ll admit, felt slightly ironic as we filmed an entire report on a farm purely because the word farming is in the title. ‘Shaped by algorithms’ Whether you like it or not, politics increasingly feels like it’s being shaped by algorithms as much as manifestos. Take Andy Burnham. Since arriving at Number 10, he’s been impossible to miss online. One minute he’s out for a casual jog with Mo Farah. Next he’s announcing policy alongside TikTok high priestess Bus Aunty. His social media paints a very deliberate picture: less polished Westminster operator, more bloke from the North who just happens to be running the country. It’s not accidental. Burnham’s “King of the North”, New Order-loving persona has become part of a carefully constructed political brand. Authenticity is now something politicians work incredibly hard to make look effortless. But Burnham isn’t inventing this playbook. Like so many of us doomscrolling on an evening, he’s been influenced online. The digital strategy of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pictured above right, has become a case study in viral political communication, and some of the people behind that campaign have recently been advising the Labour Party in Britain. Their message is simple: if you want to reach younger voters, you need to show up where they already spend their time. Embracing content creators And increasingly, that doesn’t mean traditional news interviews (awkward). It means speaking to content creators like Max from The Career Ladder, whose channels reach around 20 million followers worldwide. His interview with Burnham, pictured below, was posted almost immediately after he became Prime Minister. What struck me wasn’t just the audience size, but something Max told me afterwards: many people in the comments said they’d discovered Britain had a new Prime Minister through his interview. Think about that for a moment. Not through rolling news. Not through newspapers. Through a creator they were already following while scrolling. Share That’s a profound shift in how political information reaches people, one that’s been gathering momentum for some time. It also explains why politicians are embracing content creators and spending millions on digital marketing. Of course, this isn’t unique to one party. ‘Personality before policy’ In many ways, the right were quicker off the mark in building their aura online. Donald Trump built much of his political identity on social media. Nigel Farage remains one of Britain’s strongest political performers on TikTok. Politicians across the spectrum now understand that personality often reaches people before policy does. During a six-week UK general election campaign alone, overall digital ad spending routinely tops £11m. Share Channel 4 News Former Number 10 social media adviser Andrew Wong put it well when he told me that “vibes” can help someone get noticed, but they only work if they’re rooted in a genuine personality. Force it, and audiences spot it instantly. The bigger question is whether internet charisma can backfire on you - especially when you’re Prime Minister. Because behind Burnham’s carefully curated videos is a veteran politician with decades of Westminster experience. The spontaneity is produced. While the authenticity may be genuine, it’s managed. That’s not necessarily a criticism. It’s simply the reality of modern political communication. Aura farming alone is not enough to harvest change. But in the age of algorithms, winning attention may be the first battle. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment

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Jul 25 • 4:01 AM EDT • Politics • channel4news.substack.com
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“Graphic Talk About Science: Adventures in Science Engagement”

Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO), Southern California’s esteemed home to several of the most groundbreaking astronomical discoveries in history, welcomes the public to the third Saturday Evening Talks & Telescopes of the season on Saturday, July 25, 2026. MWO is honored to present “Graphic Talk About Science: Adventures in Science Engagement,” a lecture by Clifford V. Johnson, from UCSB. This lecture explores how graphic storytelling can make cutting-edge physics more accessible, as Johnson discusses the science and creative process behind his illustrated book, “The Dialogues: Conversations About the Nature of the Universe.” Tickets are available here: www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture072526 During the six-month season, each Talks & Telescopes event runs from 5:30pm to 11:30pm with the “talk” portion of the evening beginning in the Observatory’s Auditorium. The 60+ minute presentation is followed by picnic dining—bring your own, or purchase from a food truck or caterer—and then, after the sun goes down, stargazing through Mount Wilson’s immense telescopes, the largest in the world made available to the public. Additional stargazing around the grounds will be available thanks to members of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. Both the 60-inch telescope and the 100-inch—the latter famously used by Edwin Hubble to discover the expanding universe—will be available for viewing the night sky. Priced at $50, this event series offers the most economical stargazing event option on the mountain. Tickets and more information are available on Mount Wilson Observatory’s website here: www.mtwilson.edu/lectures. Advance purchases are highly recommended. UPCOMING SATURDAY EVENING TALKS & TELESCOPES OF THE 2026 SEASON August 22: “Towards a Functional Cosmology” www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture082226 Join artist Lita Albuquerque for a lecture on her multidisciplinary practice at the intersection of art, science, and cosmology. Drawing on decades of work across painting, land art, performance, and installation, she reflects on projects created in remote, astronomy-linked environments and how they shape her exploration of time, space, and human perception. September 19: “The Brightness of Stars: Henrietta Leavitt and the Transformative Nature of Attention in Art and Science” www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture091926 Visual artist and author Anna Von Mertens explores the life and legacy of Henrietta Leavitt, whose study of variable stars enabled the first reliable measurements of cosmic distances. Working among the Harvard Computers, Leavitt laid the foundation for breakthroughs at Mount Wilson, including Harlow Shapley’s mapping of the Milky Way and Edwin Hubble’s discovery of an expanding universe. Drawing from her book “Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt,” Von Mertens shares archival materials alongside her own artwork inspired by Leavitt’s life, to celebrate how careful attention leads to both scientific discovery and a meaningful life. October 17: “The Duality of Genius and Struggle: G.E. Hale” www.mtwilson.edu/events/lecture101726 This talk, presented by Sam Hale, explores the extraordinary life and legacy of his grandfather, George Ellery Hale—the visionary behind some of the world’s most important astronomical institutions. Drawing on both history and personal connection, Sam Hale offers insight into a legacy that continues to shape science and culture today. VISITING MWO The gate to Mount Wilson’s campus opens at 10:00am daily and closes at 5:00pm from early April through November. Entrance to the grounds is free. Visitors can hike, gaze at the telescope domes and towers that dot the landscape, and take a look at historic Mount Wilson photos and letters in the Museum. The Cosmic Cafe (www.mtwilson.edu/cosmic-cafe), located above the main parking lot at the Observatory entrance, is open on weekends in the spring, summer, and fall. In addition to traditional menu items such as hot dogs, drinks, and snacks, the Cafe offers wraps, salads, and sweet treats from Little Flower. PARKING A U.S. Forest Service Adventure Pass is required to park at the Observatory. A $5 day pass or a $30 dollar annual pass may be purchased at the Cosmic Cafe on weekends between 10:00am and 5:00pm. During the week, passes are available at locations around Los Angeles. The most convenient location before heading up is at the Shell station in La Canada Flintridge at the bottom of the Angeles Crest Highway (https://find.shell.com/us/fuel/10007957-4530-angeles-crest-hwy/en_US). Visit the U.S. Forest Service website for more information about Passes and other locations to buy them: www.fs.usda.gov/r05/passes/adventure-pass For more information about Visiting Mount Wilson Observatory, please visit: www.mtwilson.edu/visiting NOT ADA-COMPLIANT Please be advised that access to the 100-inch dome is via an open-air, 53-step staircase inside the building. There is no ADA-compliant access.

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Jul 24 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • discoverlosangeles.com
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Trump orders signs placed outside Smithsonian museum warning of "inaccurate" information
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Jul 24 • 7:38 PM EDT • Politics • cbsnews.com
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Vanderbilt Health warns about ‘data security incident’ potentially involving patient info

Vanderbilt Health announced Friday that it’s notifying “a limited number of patients” about a data security breach from earlier this year.

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Jul 24 • 7:28 PM EDT • Health • wkrn.com
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo Hosts Youth Mental Health Roundtable on Psychotropic Medication Guidance

The discussion highlighted the importance of ensuring families have access to information about the benefits, risks, and available alternatives when making decisions regarding a child’s care.

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Jul 24 • 1:48 PM EDT • Health • floridahealth.gov
What's to blame for Canada's wildfires?

The inferno that sent toxic smoke billowing toward the United States won't be the last. Officials are now battling both the wildfires and misinformation.

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Jul 24 • 1:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencenews.org
AI web browsers 'aren't ready for the public,' scientists warn as they highlight massive security red flags

By enhancing the functionality of agentic browsers, they have become insecure and could be sharing personal information.

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Jul 24 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com
Brazil uses forensic science to trace gold's origin and tackle illegal mining in the Amazon

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil is using forensic science to tackle illegal gold mining in the Amazon, a top threat to the rainforest, Indigenous groups and other communities there that has accelerated deforestation and driven mercury contamination to dangerous levels.

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Jul 24 • 9:03 AM EDT • Science • wral.com
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Brazil uses forensic science to trace gold’s origin and tackle illegal mining in the Amazon

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil is using forensic science to tackle illegal gold mining in the Amazon, a top threat to the rainforest, Indigenous groups and other communities there that has accelera…

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Jul 24 • 9:01 AM EDT • Science • thehill.com
Update: The Majority Of PlayStation Network Services Are Back Online

The PlayStation Store is still experiencing issues, however.

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Jul 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com
WhatsApp Rolls Out Redesigned Message Bubbles for iOS

WhatsApp is rolling out a new design for message bubbles on iOS, reports WaBetaInfo. The platform's message bubbles are rounder than before with a softer shape – similar to iMessage – while shared media files appear without the original borders, giving them a cleaner look. The platform's message bubbles are rounder than before with a softer shape – similar to iMessage – while shared media files appear without the original borders, giving them a cleaner look.

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Jul 24 • 7:19 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Iceberg Lettuce in 9 States

Information on the current multistate outbreak of Cyclospora in the United States.

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Jul 24 • 7:07 AM EDT • Health • cdc.gov
ResearchGate partners with Science China Press

Participating journals will span subjects including medicine, physical sciences, mathematics, technology and computing

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Jul 24 • 3:38 AM EDT • Science • researchinformation.info
Secret Service agent on JD Vance's detail investigated for allegedly leaking operational security info

A Secret Service agent on JD Vance's protective division faces an administrative and potential criminal inquiry over compromising operational security.

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Jul 23 • 7:35 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
EBSA Electronic Disclosure by Group Health Plans Under Employee Retirement Income Security Act Proposed Rule

What: On July 23, 2026, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) proposed a rule for group health plan administrators to use electronic media to furnish documents and information to participants and beneficiaries of plans subject to

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Jul 23 • 5:18 PM EDT • Health • advocacy.sba.gov
Member of Vance's Secret Service detail being investigated over suspected leak

An agency spokesperson said the member faces an internal investigation over allegations that they compromised "operational and information security"

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Jul 23 • 3:57 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
ICYMI: Minnesota Small Business Owner Joins NFIB’s Small Business Rundown

Rep. Brad Finstad of Minnesota joined the Small Business Rundown to discuss repealing Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting

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Jul 23 • 2:02 PM EDT • Business • nfib.com
2026 Health Policy Leadership Forum

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practicesconvened state and territory governors’ health policy advisors in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 8-10 for the 2026 Health Policy Leadership Forum. Through a discussion-based format, the forum provided governors’ advisors, NGA Partners and invited guests with an opportunity to exchange perspectives, share implementation strategies, and discuss emerging policy challenges shaping state and territorial health systems. Discussions focused on advancing governors’ health priorities in a rapidly evolving policy and fiscal environment while highlighting innovative approaches and peer-informed solutions from across the country.

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Jul 23 • 1:34 PM EDT • Health • nga.org
Ilicali's Hull City transfer 'clues'

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has said he is "disturbed" by claims of the club being rejected by transfer targets and, in an unusual move, attempted to clarify the situation. "We are reading dozens of false transfer rumors in many places," wrote Ilicali in a social media post. Ilicali, who did not mention the reports he was referring to, added: "To prevent false speculation and to give you more information, I am leaving you with our latest transfer situation, which includes some clues..."

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Jul 23 • 12:11 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Many Ohioans believe pot is safe during pregnancy, alarming health officials

A survey commissioned by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation shows many pregnant women are misinformed about cannabis use during pregnancy.

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Jul 23 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • dispatch.com
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When It Comes to Fusion, Materials Matter

Fusion at high temperatures powers the sun and, if harnessed, could provide a potential source of energy here on Earth. But controlling fusion reactions has other benefits. The process also generates subatomic particles called neutrons that are used in a range of applications spanning medicine, research, and national security. Now, scientists at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), and the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have found that the materials surrounding a fusion reaction can dramatically increase how often it occurs, particularly at low energies where fusion is rare. The study was published July 18 in Nature Communications. Their approach sets up a way to study and engineer nuclear reactions within solid materials, opening a new field of “materials-driven fusion.” Instead of designing materials just to survive the harsh conditions of fusion, researchers might be able to design materials that boost the reaction in specific conditions, similar to the way catalysts speed up chemical processes. “It gives you a new knob to turn that you didn’t have before,” said Arun Persaud, head of the Fusion Science & Ion Beam Technology group in Berkeley Lab’s Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics (ATAP) Division. “If we understand this effect better, it opens the door to engineering new materials that would affect the fusion rate under certain conditions. Someday future progress might enable more compact and efficient neutron generators, which have all kinds of applications, like cargo screening, planetary science, and medical therapy and imaging.” In the experiment, researchers used two different methods to pack deuterium, a heavy form of hydrogen atoms that is often used in fusion, into thin foils of palladium and titanium. They then fired a beam of deuterium ions at the foils at different energies and measured how often fusion happened. Then they compared the rates from the different materials and methods with the “bare” fusion reaction (not in a material). The team found that fusion rates depended on how the deuterium was loaded into the metal foils. The biggest effect was at the lowest energies, below 2.5 kiloelectronvolts (keV), where theory predicts fusion rates drop off sharply. Instead, researchers found a surprising plateau: Some samples showed elevated fusion rates roughly a quintillion times higher than bare fusion reactions. (A quintillion is a 1 followed by 18 zeroes.) Researchers are not exactly sure why that’s happening, though they have some ideas and ways to test them. The electrons and defects within the material might partially shield repulsive electrostatic forces between deuterium nuclei, making it easier for them to get close together and fuse. Tuning the electronic structure, defects, and composition of materials could help make nuclear reactions happen more readily. “It comes down to better understanding the mechanism so that we can try to enhance it,” said corresponding author Jeremy Munday, a professor at UC Davis. “We’ve seen that we can increase fusion rates, but what is the limit? Can we bring it to lower temperatures or energies? There’s obviously a lot of interest and excitement about fusion, so if there’s something we can learn about the physics at these lower energy scales, maybe there’s something we can translate to other areas of nuclear science.” The team plans to explore a wider range of materials and continue probing the unexpected fusion plateau at lower energies. Their work establishes a reproducible experimental platform to study how solid materials influence nuclear reactions, creating a new area of research that links fusion science with materials science and chemistry. “The work shows conclusively that the material environment where fusion occurs at low temperatures is an active participant rather than a passive container,” said Cameron Geddes, director of ATAP. “That adds a new dimension to fusion research.” This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

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Jul 23 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • newscenter.lbl.gov
Entertainment this week: Shakespeare, edible plants, and more

Friday, July 24 9pm Kilowatt Hours – Bar of America, 10040 Donner Pass Rd.. Additional dates: 7/24, 7/25. For more information, visit https://www.barofamerica.com/calendar.html or call 530.587.2626. Classical Tahoe – 7-9 p.m., Ricardi Pavilion at the...

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Jul 23 • 10:05 AM EDT • Entertainment • sierrasun.com
Ford bets on Apple for its next-generation of EVs

Ford is the first automaker to use a new set of developer tools that will let it embed Apple Maps navigation and mapping directly into its vehicles' infotainment systems.

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Jul 23 • 9:58 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com
Bank of America and Carolina Panthers Extend Naming Rights for Bank of America Stadium, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to Charlotte and the Carolinas

Tepper Sports & Entertainment showcases fan-focused enhancements in new renderings and increases private investment, bringing the total project to more than $1.3 billion

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Jul 23 • 8:57 AM EDT • Sports • panthers.com
Bank of America and Carolina Panthers Extend Naming Rights for Bank of America Stadium, Reinforcing Long-Term Commitment to Charlotte and the Carolinas

Tepper Sports & Entertainment showcases fan-focused enhancements in new renderings and increases private investment, bringing the total project to more than $1.3 billion

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Jul 23 • 8:57 AM EDT • Entertainment • panthers.com
Entertainment for everyone

Sarah Gross, fresh off releasing her fourth studio album earlier this month, leads the entertainment coming to local and regional venues over the next couple of weeks. The folk/Americana singer-songwr...

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Jul 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • tnonline.com
New KFF Poll Shows Public Divided When It Comes to Trusting Federal Health Agencies for Reliable Information

KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds that following large declines in trust in federal health agencies from 2020 through early 2026, trust in the CDC as a source of health information held steady over the last 6 months, while trust in both President Trump and state government officials declined somewhat.

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Jul 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • kff.org
Secret Service agent on Vance’s detail suspected of leaking information is put on leave amid internal review

A Secret Service agent on Vice President JD Vance’s security detail is under internal review and has been put on administrative leave after being suspected of leaking information for a news story that included details about Vance’s travel, a source familiar with the matter said.

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Jul 22 • 11:07 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Trauma-informed coaching program aims to keep more Chicago kids in sports

Chicago's WNBA All-Star festivities are highlighting some of the biggest names in women's basketball, but they are also drawing attention to the coaches shaping the next generation of athletes.

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Jul 22 • 7:18 PM EDT • Sports • abc7chicago.com
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Dodgers vs. Phillies game chat

Eric Lauer faces Aaron Nola as the Dodgers wrap things up against the Phillies. WEDNESDAY GAME INFO

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Jul 22 • 6:26 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
kreativschock Celebrates More Than 15 Years in Business, Reinforcing Its Position as a Top Web Design Agency in Göttingen

Göttingen, Germany, July 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- kreativschock WebDesign & Digitalagentur celebrates more than 15 years of hands-on pra...

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Jul 22 • 2:19 PM EDT • Business • markets.businessinsider.com
Anabi Oil partners with Accel Entertainment to support 600 gaming terminals at Green Valley Grocery stores

Agreement extends Anabi's existing relationship with Accel across its southern Nevada convenience-store portfolio, including the Rebel brand

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Jul 22 • 11:59 AM EDT • Entertainment • cspdailynews.com
UA researcher leads global effort to promote reliable health information

UA's Rebecca Ivic anchors a global commission on health communication sponsored by Nature Medicine, a leading academic journal.

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Jul 22 • 10:30 AM EDT • Health • news.ua.edu
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Inside the "We Buy Houses" Business

Have you ever gotten a text asking if you'd sell your house? Or maybe someone called out of the blue wanting to buy a property you didn't even know was connected to your name. In this episode of Entrepreneurial Shades of Gray, Dani and Chelsey sit down with Rhen Bartlett, CEO of Heartland Buys, to answer the questions so many homeowners have. How do these companies find you? Why do they target certain properties? And when does selling directly to a home buyer actually make sense? From inherited homes and rental properties to fixer-uppers and probate, Rhen pulls back the curtain on an industry most people know very little about. He also shares red flags to watch for and practical advice to help homeowners make informed decisions when they're approached about selling.

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Jul 22 • 8:10 AM EDT • Business • fox10tv.com
From Paper to Action: How Systematic Monitoring Can Help Health Benefits Packages Deliver on Their Promise

Health Benefits Packages (HBPs) can be a strategic tool to advance Universal Health Coverage. But their impact depends not only on the services included, but also on whether people effectively receive those services with adequate quality and financial protection. It also depends on the factors behind implementation gaps. While there is no shortage of guidance for using evidence-informed priority-setting approaches, less attention has been paid to monitoring whether, how, and why HBPs deliver (or not) in the real world. This gap matters, particularly in the context of stagnating progress towards Universal Health Coverage, because it leaves policymakers in the dark: Are HBPs delivering on the promise made to the population? If not, why, and what corrective action can be taken?

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Jul 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • cgdev.org
Céline Gounder on cyclospora reporting.

CBS’s Céline Gounder on how the rapid spread of the “diarrhea parasite” is a symptom of Trump’s government cuts—which have stymied access to crucial public health information.

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Jul 22 • 6:34 AM EDT • Health • cjr.org
Langrisser: Sea of Sword first gameplay trailer, details, and screenshots

BlackJack Studio has released the first gameplay trailer, information, and screenshots for the newly announced “next-generation fantasy tactical RPG” Langrisser: Sea of Sword.

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Jul 21 • 10:47 PM EDT • Technology • gematsu.com
Congressman Crow reveals new info about Aurora ICE detainee conditions; medical advocate sounds alarm on heat & illness
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Jul 21 • 10:19 PM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
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Dodgers at Phillies game chat

A couple of All-Stars on the mound on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Tuesday game info

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Jul 21 • 6:21 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Broward Health hosts 1st Bump, Baby and Beyond Fair to help expectant parents

Broward Health is working to make preparing for a baby a little less intimidating by connecting expectant families with resources, doctors and information before delivery day.

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Jul 21 • 5:31 PM EDT • Health • local10.com
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Deputies seek pair for information after break-in at Buncombe County business

Detectives with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office are asking for the public's help identifying a man and woman they want to speak with regarding a break-in.

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Jul 21 • 4:33 PM EDT • Business • wlos.com
Court says conservative think tank can get Biden audiotapes

The audiotapes informed a special counsel report that called Biden an ‘elderly man with a poor memory.’

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Jul 21 • 12:49 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Deputies searching for 2 connected with breaking and entering at Buncombe Co. business

Anyone with information is asked to contact Deputy Conrad at (828) 250-6670 or cyril.conrad@buncombenc.gov.

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Jul 21 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • foxcarolina.com
Extreme heat is eroding health, productivity and incomes of Dhaka’s informal workers

DHAKA — On June 28, as the afternoon sun beat down on Bangladesh capital Dhaka’s sprawling Tejgaon neighborhood, Samiha Begum gathered her two school-aged children and headed for the shade of Hatirjheel Lake. Their narrow one-room home in a nearby slum had become unbearable. She said, “The room starts heating up as soon as the […]

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Jul 21 • 9:11 AM EDT • Health • news.mongabay.com
Munson Army Health Center Open House: Discover Your Medical Home at Fort Leavenworth

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas -- Whether you're new to Fort Leavenworth or have been part of our community for years, we invite you to join us for the Munson Army Health Center Open House, Wednesday, Aug. 12. Stop by anytime from 1 to 3 p.m. to meet the healthcare professionals who support Soldiers, families, retirees and other eligible beneficiaries. Learn about the many services available to help you stay healthy, mission ready and informed.

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Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • dvidshub.net
Marketplace Insurance Enrollment Dashboard

Explore Kansas marketplace health insurance enrollment by county, district and region to better understand access statewide.

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Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • khi.org
Samsung Launches Health Assistant Beta — First Fully Integrated AI-Powered Personal Health Assistant

Today, health information is often fragmented across multiple devices, apps, and services, making it difficult for people to build a complete understanding of their overall wellness. While access to health data has never been greater, many users still struggle to interpret what their data means and understand how they can make meaningful changes in their […]

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Jul 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • news.samsung.com
YOHANNES WOLDEMARIAM - Liberation Gold and the New Politics of Extraction

Can political orders emerging from war build institutions strong enough to ensure that wealth becomes public capacity rather than a new form of domination?

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Jul 21 • 4:00 AM EDT • Politics • theelephant.info
HeRAMS Ukraine health services across oblasts - Legal entities (April 2026)

Infographic in English on World about Health; published on 22 Jun 2026 by WHO

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Jul 20 • 9:34 PM EDT • Health • reliefweb.int
Why Hybrid Healthcare Is a Business Imperative for Employers in Nevada

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement.

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Jul 20 • 9:04 PM EDT • Health • thenevadaindependent.com
Why Hybrid Healthcare Is a Business Imperative for Employers in Nevada

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement.

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Jul 20 • 9:04 PM EDT • Business • thenevadaindependent.com
Tracker helps to understand New York prison release trends

The information is from the past 10 years including information on releases from January 2015 to May of this year.

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Jul 20 • 6:57 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Dodgers vs. Phillies game chat

Dodgers return to a park they last visited during that historic 2025 postseason campaign. Monday’s game info

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Jul 20 • 6:55 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Nearly 6 in 10 young women get health and wellness information from influencers

57% of women ages 18 to 29 say they ever get health and wellness information from influencers.

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Jul 20 • 10:24 AM EDT • Health • ssrs.com
Shaky political "science": breakdown of the peer review process

[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 December 2025, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting (RCV). 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 four articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report; the second one analyzed 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; a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research; and a fourth article that analyzed seven studies sponsored by New America’s political reform program that deployed flawed methodology based on “simulated” elections instead of real-world elections, which when combined with some basic misunderstandings of RCV, produced odd and misleading results]. In this fifth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we examine two flawed studies on the impact of RCV on voter turnout authored by San Francisco State University professor Jason McDaniel. McDaniel’s research in these two papers stands out for its puzzling methodology, inadequate and cherry-picked data, and faulty analyses that not only misunderstands ranked choice voting but reflects a basic misunderstanding of politics in general. The first of the McDaniel studies actually passed through a peer review process and then was subsequently published by the Journal of Urban Affairs, despite its obvious errors. It is perplexing that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the errors and send it back to McDaniel for a rewrite or outright rejection. This calls into question the credibility of the peer review process itself. The peer review process is supposed to represent the intellectual pinnacle of the profession – a way for academics to certify the quality of each other’s work, and to act as a check against sloppy research. In the case of the McDaniel study, the peer review process failed. Yet his flawed study has been cited dozens of times by other political scientists in their own flawed works — an unvirtuous circle of academic research. Here is the first Jason McDaniel study that we analyzed: “Writing the Rules to Rank the Candidates: Examining the Impact of Instant-Runoff Voting on Racial Group Turnout in San Francisco Mayoral Elections,” by Jason McDaniel, 2016, Journal of Urban Affairs. This study covered San Francisco’s use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in mayoral elections, purporting to show that RCV reduces voter turnout overall, increases voter errors, and has a negative impact on “marginal populations,” i.e. racial minorities, mainly as the result of the alleged complexity of RCV asking voters to rank candidates and having to be familiar with multiple candidates and related dynamics. McDaniel reached these conclusions by examining five San Francisco mayoral elections taking place in odd years (i.e. where there are no federal or state races on the ballot) from 1995 to 2011, comparing three earlier non-RCV races (in 1995, 1999 and 2003) with the later two RCV races (in 2007 and 2011). Only two RCV races were studied, and as McDaniel acknowledged, only the contest in 2011 was “competitive” (that contest in 2007 was the first mayoral election using RCV, and incumbent mayor Gavin Newsom won easily in the first round of counting, earning 74% of first choices and far ahead of the second place candidate who had just 6.3% of first choices). Yet even the allegedly competitive contest in 2011was won by an incumbent with a landslide margin of nearly 20 points. No other elections were studied by McDaniel, even though San Francisco elects 17 other offices besides mayor with RCV, including the 11 seats on the Board of Supervisors (the name for the city council) in even years, and six other citywide offices in odd years. Previous academic research has found that competitive elections can stimulate greater voter involvement and higher turnout. For unexplained reasons, this study ignored at least 34 other RCV races between the years 2004 to 2011, many of which were very competitive and had high voter turnout. Instead, McDaniel’s analysis based its conclusions on data from only a single, marginally-competitive mayor’s race using RCV. These 2007 and 2011 mayoral elections were the only two RCV elections that McDaniel used as the sole basis for his small data set to determine the impact of RCV on voter turnout. Despite having no meaningful data to inform his study, McDaniel nonetheless concluded that RCV lowered turnout when compared to the previous three mayoral non-RCV elections using two-round runoffs. Then, using the same inadequate database of San Francisco elections, McDaniel also found that “Instant-runoff voting is associated with a significant decline in Black voter turnout and White voter turnout…On average, Black voter turnout decreases by 18 points and White voter turnout decreases by 16 points …” But how could he credibly arrive at that conclusion when his study was based on voter turnout in two RCV contests that were not even remotely competitive? Beyond that, McDaniel tacitly admits that the key determining factor driving Black voter turnout was not RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable Black candidate. McDaniel wrote, “Black voter turnout was about 17 percentage points higher for the two elections that featured an African American candidate compared to the three elections that did not” — but one of those three elections did not use RCV. The same dynamic was present for White voter turnout, in which higher turnout was not correlated with RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable White candidate. Beyond that, McDaniel’s voter turnout results, whether correlated with the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections, showed no clear patterns. In his Figure 1, he shows low Asian voter turnout in the non-RCV elections in 1999 and 2003 when there was no viable Asian candidate running, but in the 2007 mayoral election using RCV, there is still no viable Asian candidate, yet Asian turnout increases dramatically. For Latinos, voter turnout is virtually the same in 1999 (no viable Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2003 (leading Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2007 (no viable Latino candidate, RCV elections) and 2011 (leading Latino candidate, RCV elections). Meanwhile White voter turnout increased dramatically from a low in the 2007 mayoral election, in which the leading candidate was a white incumbent, to the 2011 election in which there were no leading white candidates that finished any higher than sixth place with 5.6% of the vote. Clearly other factors were determining voter turnout than either the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections. Despite these inconsistent findings, McDaniel boldly marches forth to render conclusions about the impact of RCV on different groups of racial voters, even though his conclusions are not remotely supported by his data. This looks like the worst kind of “data cherry picking” to cover up a puzzling conclusion based on a poor data set involving only two RCV elections, neither of which were remotely competitive. McDaniel’s cherry picking didn’t stop there. In calculating voter turnout for the three non-RCV mayoral elections in 1995, 1999 and 2003, he failed to mention that in each of these years there was a two-round runoff election, with a first round election in November in which no candidate garnered a winning majority of the vote, followed by the decisive runoff in December. So there were two non-RCV elections in each election year. But McDaniel only decided to include one of the two elections in his data set, apparently the December runoff in each year (which had higher turnout in two out of the three mayor’s races, and lower turnout in the third). So he ignored the November 1995 election, the November 1999 election when turnout was only 45 percent, and the November 2003 election when turnout was only 45.7 percent. This is flawed methodology based on blatant cherry picking, since McDaniel simply omitted three elections worth of data that did not fit within his frame. His study should never have made it through a peer review process, and it is an embarrassment to political science that not only was it approved for publication, but it has been uncritically cited by dozens of other political scientists. Share A “study” without wider context or credible data Lacking a data set that included even a single competitive RCV mayoral race, McDaniel declared that RCV lowered voter turnout in 2011, when turnout was 42.5 percent. But he also ignored -- or did not realize -- that voter turnout in mayoral elections during 2011 had sharply declined in all big cities, including far more steeply in nearby Los Angeles and other cities. In fact, San Francisco’s election in 2011 had the second highest turnout of any mayoral election in the nation’s 22 largest cities from 2008-2011. Was 2011 just a particularly low turnout year all across the country, perhaps because the country was still reeling from the aftermath of the housing market collapse in 2008-2010? McDaniel ignored this factor and did not search for alternative explanations beyond his flawed thesis. Furthermore, while McDaniel suggested that RCV leads to more “overvotes” – which is an invalidated ballot in which a voter, in either a non-RCV or RCV race, makes a mistake and selects two candidates for a single choice – he failed to address that in the June 2012 US Senate primary contest, which used the typical “one-choice” plurality method and did not use RCV, there was more than five times as many overvotes in San Francisco and Oakland than in the RCV mayoral elections in those cities. Additionally, turnout had been significantly higher and more representative in RCV elections for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors races -- that McDaniel didn’t even bother to study -- as compared to previous “delayed two-round runoffs” for those offices, often higher by as much as 40% in the RCV races. Perhaps the most surprising irony was that an earlier study co-authored by McDaniel (Overvoting and the Equality of Voice under Instant-Runoff Voting in San Francisco by Francis Neely and Jason McDaniel, 2015, California Journal of Politics and Policy) found that overvotes are often more common in lower-income precincts, but that the pattern of overvoting is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. Wrote Neely and McDaniel: “[Overvote] errors appear to be a function of complexity in general and not IRV per se…. the pattern of overvoting is similar in both IRV and non-IRV contests…Even among votes cast in a top-of-the-ticket race like U.S. Senate, overvoting occurs in an uneven fashion” (IRV, or ‘instant runoff voting,’ is another name for ranked choice voting in single-winner contests). So McDaniel not only contradicted his own conclusion in his earlier study with Neely, but the earlier study had been an important corrective for one of the most frequently made mistakes made by anti-RCV political scientists – a continual failure to provide crucial context by pairing a comparative analysis of real world RCV elections with an analysis of real world plurality or other electoral methods. Unfortunately McDaniel’s earlier study does not get cited much by other researchers, and McDaniel did not even cite it in his own flawed study analyzed above. Incredibly, McDaniel cherrypicked McDaniel, even as his flawed study has been cited dozens of times. Despite being a textbook example of poor political “science,” featuring both inadequate as well as cherrypicked data, the shelf life of McDaniel’s study has been extended endlessly by other political scientists and media outlets who have cited it uncritically. Equally troubling, the Journal of Urban Affairs put this paper through its peer review process and published it despite its numerous flaws. McDaniel gets it wrong, Part II Not content with producing one shoddy, confused paper, McDaniel produced another one a few years later, here is the link: Electoral Rules and Voter Turnout in Mayoral Elections: An Analysis of Ranked-Choice Voting by Jason McDaniel. San Francisco State Univ. (McDaniel, 2019). In this paper, McDaniel extended his previous flawed research focused on San Francisco, about voter turnout and voter impact, to multiple RCV cities through the 2018 elections. In his data set he included San Francisco, Minneapolis, St Paul, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro and Santa Fe. He then compared their turnout in mayoral elections to non-RCV cities, and to mayoral elections in those cities held before first RCV usage, and concluded “a significant decrease in voter turnout of approximately 3–5 percentage points in RCV cities after the implementation of RCV.” But he replicated many of the same mistakes as his first study presented above. While in this study McDaniel attempted to distinguish between various factors, such as odd year vs. even year elections, competitive races vs. noncompetitive, contests with open seats and other factors, the analysis is superficial and inadequate. He attempts to incorporate so many often-conflicting variables that his conclusions are once again unsupported by the actual data, and ultimately unconvincing (this second study never underwent a peer review process). For example, McDaniel declared that for RCV cities “in elections that are more competitive than average (margin of victory less than 20%), there is no significant RCV effect on voter turnout.” Yet McDaniel is a professor in a city, San Francisco, in which the 2018 special election using RCV to fill a mayoral vacancy was exceedingly close, decided by a margin of only one percentage point, and resulted in the second highest turnout in San Francisco history for a mayoral election. Illustrating the complexity involved in assessing the critical factors in turnout, that special election was held on the same election day as federal and state offices, which tends to boost turnout. Yet more voters participated in that RCV mayoral election than voted on the same day in the non-RCV primary for governor in which former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom was running. Even more puzzling, in this study McDaniel inaccurately cited his own previous study from 2015 with Neely. McDaniel wrote, “Neely and McDaniel (2015) examine individual ballot image files within a natural experiment, and find higher rates of ballot errors in RCV elections compared to non-RCV elections” (emphasis added). However, we quoted from that 2015 study several paragraphs above, and in actual fact Neely and McDaniel actually concluded the opposite -- that the pattern of overvoting – which is the most common form of ballot error – is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. McDaniel also ignored the fact that in Bay Area RCV elections held in even years – at the same time as federal and state elections, when turnout is highest -- the “undervote” (that is, the dropoff in ballots cast for governor or mayor) has declined, which contradicts his thesis that the act of ranking ballots in RCV elections is too complex and presents a barrier for certain demographics of voters. To his credit, McDaniel actually acknowledged another contradiction in his own paper, which found a negative RCV turnout effect in some odd-year elections but not others, admitting that “may present a challenge to the theory that increased complexity [from RCV] will have a marginal negative effect on voter turnout.” But he tried to wallpaper over that contradiction by blaming it on an unlikely source -- bad election administration. McDaniels wrote, “This would suggest that the negative impact of RCV on voter participation may be alleviated by high quality election administration,” without presenting any data or even anecdotes to support such an unfounded theory. While competent election administration of any election, whether RCV or non-RCV, is crucially important, there is no credible research that supports the far-fetched notion that the quality of election administration has much of an impact on voter turnout in US elections, whether using RCV or otherwise. Upgrade to a $5 subscription The unvirtuous circle of academic research It is puzzling how McDaniel’s first study could have survived the peer review process for the Journal of Urban Affairs. The mistakes in McDaniel’s first study above should have been obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of ranked choice voting as well as elections in general, and elections in San Francisco specifically. It undermines faith in the credibility of the peer review process to think that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the egregious errors and reject McDaniel’s sloppy research and paper. And it remains a black mark on political science that this thoroughly discredited study has been cited dozens of times by other researchers. Indeed, in our research paper it became apparent that many political scientists cite each other’s flawed research to pad their list of citations and to legitimize their own flawed research, creating an unvirtuous circle of political science. More broadly, McDaniel’s voter turnout studies, like other studies evaluating RCV’s impact on turnout, lacked a recognition that no credible opinion or research can claim that RCV increases voter turnout merely because so many voters are excited to vote for their favorite candidates instead of “lesser evil” candidates without worrying about spoilers. Instead, with respect to turnout, the advantage of RCV has always been that, in most places where it has been used, it has eliminated a pre-November primary or post-November runoff, which usually saw about half the turnout of the November general election. This is especially true during even years when there are state and federal elections on the ballot which substantially drive turnout more than local contests. Any study that does not adequately account for this non-November primary/runoff vs November general election dynamic, or odd year vs even year election factors, is simply not credible. Both of McDaniel’s studies largely failed on those grounds. Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to a $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS…your digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe

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Jul 20 • 9:29 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com
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Jul 20 • 7:52 AM EDT • Science • americanbazaaronline.com
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Six AMC theaters showed THE ODYSSEY for more than 85 hours

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Jul 20 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • stocktitan.net
AI is becoming part of UK adults' health information journey

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ORNL and PNNL have developed domestic technologies to produce ultra-high-purity silicon and germanium precursor materials.

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Jul 20 • 3:59 AM EDT • Science • thequantuminsider.com
Google starts informing Android users about a major backup storage change

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Jul 20 • 2:39 AM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com