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SF: Chinatown Health Center Begins $71 Mil Seismic Retrofit
Perched atop the Broadway Tunnel in San Francisco, the historic Chinatown Public Health Center will undergo a long-awaited seismic retrofit and modern upgrade to continue serving Chinatown's...
George E. Johnson Sr., founder of a pioneering Black hair care business, dies at 99
George E. Johnson Sr. was a pioneer in Black hair care whose multimillion dollar business was the first Black-owned company to be listed on the American Stock Exchange. His family says he died Monday...
McConnell speaks to Republican leaders as speculation swirls about his health
Senate Republican leaders have spoken to Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell as he remains in the hospital.
Nearly 3 in 4 scam victims say it harmed mental health, report finds
Americans lost an estimated $68 billion to scams in 2025, while many victims reported lasting emotional and financial impacts, according to Gallup and the Stop Scams Alliance.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa wants to send $1,500 to every Texas household
The so-called “Corruption Tax Refund” checks are the latest effort by the Austin Democrat to brand Gov. Greg Abbott as beholden to big donors.
Cytokinetics Announces Three Late-Breaking Science Abstracts at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026
Hot Line Presentation of Primary Results from ACACIA-HCM to Elaborate on Positive Topline Results in Patients with Non-Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Company to Host In-Person and Virtual Investor Event to Discuss Results from Late-Breaking Science Presentations SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) today announced three Late Breaking Science abstracts were accepted for presentation at the European Society of Cardiology
Trump demands Republicans use budgetary gambit to pass voting reforms
Donald Trump's latest demand: that congressional Republicans combine voting reforms with defense spending and bring both to his desk before recess.
A dozen businesses have opened in Ardmore this year. Here’s a list of what’s new, and what’s on the horizon.
Newcomers to the Main Line community include mom-and-pop shops, national chains, and expansions of popular local names such as decorated Szechuan restaurant EMei and Jersey-based eatery Gouldsburgers.
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s new contract being finalized
In addition to the various signings requested by Gasperini, new sporting director Tony D’Amico is also focusing on the renewal situation. In addition to Celik and Dybala, the issue of Lorenzo Pelleg...
Squishy dumplings seized in Hull over health risk
Trading Standards Officers in Hull have seized more than 1,000 of the fake dumpling squishy toys.
Suffolk BME Business Awards 'reflect the county as it is'
Nominations are now open ahead of the Suffolk BME Business Awards night in November.
Xbox sale round-up July 7, 2026
New Xbox sales are now live, with big discounts on Atomic Heart, Dragon Ball FighterZ, DEATHLOOP, Dead Cells, Redfall, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 and more
Hoto’s PixelDrive screwdriver is down to $60, matching its best price
It’s got six adjustable torque settings.
Arlington hardware store to close its doors after 78 years in business
After 78 years in business, Ayers Variety and Hardware in Arlington’s Westover Village neighborhood is closing its doors for good at the end of this month.
Williamson Health board unanimously approves hospital sale to Ascension
Williamson Health will no longer operate as an independent, community-owned hospital following a vote by the hospital system’s board on Monday.
McConnell 'continuing his recovery,' but details scarce after hospitalization
Staff for Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell has said that the senator is “continuing his recovery” in a hospital while the Senate is out of session.
‘Our business today is not healthy’: 1,600 Xbox employees among the 4,800 laid off by Microsoft as it looks to ‘reset’ gaming division
A third of Microsoft's global layoffs were Xbox employee as the company reduced its workforce by 2.1% globally.
Tennessee Titans projected starters ranked near bottom of NFL
ESPN analysts rank the Tennessee Titans 28th, citing concerns about the team's safety position and depth.
Padres' Biggest Trade Deadline Need Revealed
The San Diego Padres sit four games out of a postseason spot heading into a crucial trade deadline.
Michigan health official breaks down scope of fast-moving cyclosporiasis outbreak
A fast-moving parasite outbreak is spreading across Southeast Michigan, and now we are getting answers from the state’s top doctor.
Why Meta's potential cloud business 'makes a lot of sense'
Gradient general partner Darian Shirazi joins Yahoo Finance to share his take on recent reports about Meta (META) potentially selling excess compute.
Shia LaBeouf keeps popping up in El Paso. Here’s why
Shia LaBeouf took selfies with fans at the El Paso airport over the weekend. Here's a possible reason why the actor keeps visiting the Sun City.
AI is already reshaping U.S. politics at every level
AI has emerged as one of the biggest financial forces in this year’s elections, and a magnet for deepening bipartisan resentment as concerns about data centers and job security grow. On the campaign trail, AI is also reworking the playbook for how to run for office.
TV Talk: Eckhardt targets Huffines in comptroller's race
Eckhardt says the office should serve taxpayers, not politics, while questioning Huffines' judgment. Huffines has pledged to run government lean and eliminate waste.
Four people killed in an Israeli strike in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon
Four people were killed when an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's state news agency.
Bellingham stuns Mexico to announce World Cup arrival 🔥
Nobody had scored against Mexico at this World Cup until Jude Bellingham arrived. England face not just a tough, but a massive test against the co-hosts on Sunday evening as they travel to the storie...
Loose Feathers: Lamar and Zay throw punches, Minter takes Cincy
Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers added boxing to their offseason training regimen.
Sunday Sports: Summertime lacrosse is in full swing
Here’s a recap of your North Country sports this Sunday.
Mets play the Braves looking to end road slide
New York Mets (36-53, fifth in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (52-35, first in the NL East) Atlanta; Sunday, 12:30 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Mets: Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 113 strikeouts); Braves: Martin Perez (6-5, 3.27 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 61 strikeouts) LINE: Braves -198, Mets +161; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets will attempt to end their three-game road slide in a matchup with the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta has a 27-16 record in home games and a 52-35 record overall.
Saturday Sports: Previewing the Thousand Islands Challenge
Here’s a recap of your North Country sports this Saturday.
Final Injury Report for Fire-Storm: Will Karlie Samuelson Play?
The Portland Fire may be without one of their key players in Saturday night’s game against the Seattle Storm.
Disk Polishing Goes Open Source
Optical media is great — it’s pretty high density, relatively durable, and decently long-lasting if well cared for. If not well cared for, well, it’s only relatively durable, and …
Twelve Sick, One Recall, and No Word From Public Health: E. coli O145:H28 Turns Up in Publix GreenWise Frozen Blueberries
A tip o' the pen to David Neal at the Miami Herald, who flagged a recall that a lot of people would have skated right past over a holiday weekend. On
Fireworks cap America’s 250th celebration in Alton
Alton's Fireworks on the Mississippi draw big crowds for semiquincentennial celebration
Dear Abby: My husband refuses to get help for his mental health issues. I feel like I’m going at it alone
She's a counselor and can see where this road is leading. Is it time to get off it?
SpaceX's Next Big Business Isn't Rockets. It's Computer Chips.
The newly public space company is quietly buying its way into the AI hardware race.
Gov. Wes Moore on ‘responsibility’ to show ‘patriotism is not political’
Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.) joins Meet the Press NOW to preview his upcoming address on America’s 250th birthday as President Trump prepares to deliver his own remarks.
Comedy saved Teruko Nakajima. Her ‘Made in America’ is saving others
From Cedars-Sinai psych ward to Upright Citizens Brigade stage, Teruko Nakajima turns a doctor’s “prescription” for comedy into an one-woman show.
Jaguars roster: Jabbar Muhammad gains roster momentum
Strong offseason performances have helped Jabbar Muhammad build momentum as he competes for a spot on the Jaguars' 53-man roster.
Importance of firework safety with CHI Health
Eric Jensen with CHI Health's Burn Unit shares important firework safety reminders ahead of holiday celebrations.
Learning the Mike McCarthy offense: Making sense of the stats
What do the numbers say about Mike McCarthy’s offensive prowess? How improved will the Steelers be?
The ‘Weight’ of a Nation: St. Augustine, Dante, and the Soul of American Politics
COMMENTARY: On America's 250th birthday, remember we were made by God to receive love ourselves, and to show love to others.
Legionnaires' disease cluster on NYC's Upper East Side under investigation
Inside Bask Health: The Plug-and-Play Infrastructure Supporting the Telehealth Boom
Bask operates behind the scenes of the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) telehealth market, providing infrastructure that aims to streamline the backend process.
2026 Phillies MLB Draft Preview: Caden Sorrell, OF
Just as I was trying to figure out who to write up next, Baseball America popped out their 5th mock draft, this time with a new name as the Phillies pick. It doesn’t sound like there’s sourcing for this or actual rumors of Phillies interest so much as there is “It’s the 36th pick. Who […]
The Wonders Center & Science Museum: Celebrating America 250
Nashville News, Weather, and Sports
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year
Mere startups when he took the oath of office, the new ventures have now eclipsed in revenue much of his vast property portfolio that took him decades to accumulate.
Computer science society creates new research integrity role to address case backlog
AndreyPopov/iStock Over the last five years, the Association for Computing Machinery has been dealing with a rapid rise in allegations of research misconduct that have created a backlog of cases to…
New requirements for sports agents in Louisiana aim to protect student-athletes
The launch of the online portal comes after a state law went into effect last month, increasing regulatory oversight of endorsement contracts and sports agents.
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh emphasizes political independence, signals focus on inflation
New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Wednesday that the central bank would remain independent and seek to bring down inflation, likely foreclosing the rate cuts President Trump has sought
Women's sports market will 'grow the way tech grew in the early days,' says one of its earliest investors
Women's sports continues its period of strong growth.
Africa CDC: Uganda health ministry confirms isolated Marburg case
Africa's top public health agency said on Wednesday that Uganda's health ministry had confirmed an isolated case of Marburg virus disease.
This is the most disruptive change in mental performance in my 40 years
Jeff Troesch has worked as a mental performance coach for almost 40 years. He says one change has loomed above all others.
Kathy Griffin claims she's 'banned' from Jimmy Fallon's 'Tonight Show' for being 'too controversial'
Kathy Griffin claims she was informally 'banned' from Jimmy Fallon's 'Tonight Show' for being 'inappropriate or too controversial,' and slammed the show for platforming the likes of Donald Trump and Conor McGregor.
Universal Orlando Resort unveils Fourth of July entertainment and fireworks
Experience the Fourth of July at Universal Orlando Resort with fireworks, entertainment, activities, and dining.
Kawhi Leonard reportedly traded back to Raptors as Clippers move on from star forward
The Kawhi Leonard era is over with the Clippers.
Oracle E-Business Suite Payments flaw under attack (CVE-2026-46817)
Exploitation attempts targeting a vulnerability (CVE-2026-46817) in Oracle's E-Business Suite's Oracle Payments module have been spotted.
NFL offseason power rankings: No. 27 Las Vegas Raiders might finally have a plan, starting with Fernando Mendoza
Crews called to overnight fire to auto repair business in Boonville
Crews called to overnight fire to auto repair business in Boonville
Crews called to overnight fire to auto repair business in Boonville
Crews called to overnight fire to auto repair business in Boonville
Crews called to overnight fire to auto repair business in Boonville
Crews called to overnight fire to auto repair business in Boonville
Adrian Newey: Aston Martin chief speaks on his health issues and confirms F1 team set for for big Hungarian GP car upgrade
Monaco parcel bomb blast severely wounds Ukrainian oligarch
Source says Vadym Yermolaiev was one of two adults left with life-threatening injuries after apartment blast on Monday
Sony’s next-gen PlayStation will go ‘beyond the living room’
There could be new ways to play your games on the go.
Supreme Court will weigh Trump-backed Republican push to revive Arizona voting laws
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider a Republican push to enforce strict Arizona voting laws passed in the swing state after the 2020 election. The high court has allowed some similar rules to take effect temporarily before, including Arizona's proof-of-citizenship requirement for state and local elections and a Virginia purge of voter rolls that the state said was aimed at keeping noncitizens from voting. READ MORE: Supreme Court rejects Trump's
Hoopaholic’s Gazette: DM, PK, NCAA, WC & BS
So be true to your school now/ Just like you would to your girl (or guy) OK, maybe the wisdom of Brian Wilson doesn’t have much if anything to do with today’s entry. But I did hear it on the radio today, and the Bard of 60s teen culture was all that and fostered us […]
Medicare will start covering weight-loss drugs on July 1 for the first time. Here’s what you need to know
Millions of Medicare enrollees will gain their first-ever coverage for drugs for weight loss under a temporary pilot program that launches July 1.
Kawhi Leonard reportedly drawing interest from Mavericks, Raptors in trade discussions with Clippers
Entertainment Firms Face AI Copyright Uncertainty
Editorial analysis: For AI and ML practitioners, unclear copyright rules raise the legal risk and compliance cost of using generative models in production content pipelines. According to The Economic Times, Indian entertainment firms are investing heavily in AI for content creation, but current copyright law, which is tied to human creativity, may not clearly protect AI-assisted or AI-generated works. The Economic Times reports lawyers warn that, without specific legislation or case law, such works face risks of duplication and misuse, complicating licensing, attribution, and monetization for studios and creators. The article highlights that creators and rights holders in India currently have limited legal recourse under existing statutes, per The Economic Times.
Rescheduling marijuana would put politics ahead of science
The Drug Enforcement Administration is considering a proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, which would recognize all cannabis products as havi…
Rescheduling marijuana would put politics ahead of science
The Drug Enforcement Administration is considering a proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, which would recognize all cannabis products as havi…
This Week’s Small Business Tech News: Apple Significantly Raises Their Prices
AI is reshaping small business IT, customer service and marketing. Learn why Microsoft agents, Apple price hikes and AI influencers matter to your business.
How Domo went from a $2.8 billion darling to fighting for its survival
Domo has been rocked by executive departures, new competition from AI agents, and the drunken-driving arrest of its founder and CEO, Josh James.
Yankees Birthday of the Day: Eric Reyzelman
Celebrating an unheralded Yankees prospect on his 25th birthday!
Colts roster preview: AJ Haulcy garnering attention during offseason
With training camp off in the distance, we will be previewing each player on the Colts' 90-man roster. Up next is S AJ Haulcy.
Walker Buehler delivers statement win for the Padres over Dodgers
The Sporting Tribune's Fernando Ramirez writes about Walker Buehler throwing a solid game against his former team.
Ronaldo, Messi and the question that haunts sporting superstars: When do you stop?
Some football titans are having their last dance at a World Cup
California is in for a summer of wild billionaire spending
OPINION: With competing tax measures on the ballot, California billionaires will be spending like... billionaires, political columnist Joe Garofoli writes.
Trump news at a glance: president tests out a new ‘red scare’ ahead of midterms
Republican strategists believe rise of Mamdani could present opportunity to tag Democrats with most extreme views of the left – key US politics stories from Friday 26 June
Guided kayak tours stopped at Pinellas Bayway South
FDOT said no private for-profit business is allowed to operate within the state transportation facility right of way per Florida Statute.
World Cup 2026 Round of 32 tracker: Who’s qualified, who’s eliminated and who’s still alive
Weather drives cowherd size, not broken markets
Data shows weather, not broken markets, drives cowherd decisions. Producers cite grazing concerns and drought as top barriers to expansion.
Lionel Richie postpones concert at United Center in Chicago following health scare at Minnesota show
Lionel Richie has postponed his concert this week at the United Center in Chicago following his health scare at during his first performance in a tour with Earth, Wind and Fire.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
Blue Jackets acquire Valeri Nichushkin from Avalanche: Sources
Nichushkin, 31, has four years left on his current deal and a 12-team no-trade list.
Entrepreneurs pitched business ideas to Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi is on the hunt for the next big business breakthrough. Check out the absolute best pitches and standout moments from the innovators making waves at Cannes Lions.
Another roadblock for DOJ campaign against trans health
New bill proposes expanding methadone access, $5.7 trillion on U.S. health care, and more health news from Morning Rounds
TikTok and YouTube are reinventing how young fans watch sports
Sports TV ratings and live rights fees are soaring, but professional leagues and broadcasters are facing a new battleground for young fans. Social platforms like TikTok and YouTube are claiming an increasing share of viewing hours among Generations Z and Alpha. Sports clips, highlights and creator content can introduce younger fans to professional sport, but how do the major players cash in?
What Does Success Look Like in 2026 for Dolphins?
After moving on from veterans such as Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, the upcoming season is about developing the Dolphins' roster, resetting the culture, and gaining salary cap flexibility for the future. The goal for any NFL team is not just to succeed in the immediate future but to establish a solid foundation for long-term success. After releasing Tagovailoa, Willis became the Dolphins' most significant free agent acquisition after he signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract with $45 million guaranteed.
Trump berates Senate Republicans over Iran war vote, calls off bill signing
Trump canceled a scheduled signing ceremony on a housing bill that passed both chambers overwhelmingly this week
Trump abruptly cancels signing housing bill, blindsiding Republicans
Trump is pressuring senators to focus on his proof-of-citizenship voting bill even though it doesn't have the votes to pass
Microsoft's quantum computing technology called into question, again
A new critique in the scientific journal Nature is raising fresh questions about Microsoft's claimed quantum computing breakthrough last year, which underpinned the company's announcement this month that it will have a working quantum system by 2029.
Several overnight business break-ins reported in Cabarrus County
Break-ins were reported in Concord, Harrisburg and Kannapolis.
They’ll never forget Steve Spurrier in Florida. He’s going to make sure of it
Few people are more associated with 1990s college football than Steve Spurrier, whose Fun 'n' Gun offense revolutionized the Florida Gators.