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Public Health Alert For Ground Beef—‘Do Not Consume’
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for certain ground beef products.
‘Corpus Christi’ returns to the Bartell, years after protests
StageQ, Madison’s LGBTQ community theater, stages Terrence McNally’s controversial retelling of Jesus’ life and crucifixion through Easter weekend.
Scientists Discover Alaska Glaciers Are Melting Weeks Longer Than Expected
New radar data reveals Alaska’s glaciers are melting longer and reacting faster to heat.
CDC dilemma: Nominee may need both MAHA and science chops
As a deadline arrives this week to nominate a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, some Republicans are skeptical the administration will find someone who can check all the boxes necessary for confirmation. The candidate will need the “Make America Healthy Again” mindset of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Health and Human Services Department, […]
Support pours in for 76-year-old DoorDash driver forced out of retirement over health care costs
The Vietnam veteran delivers food every night of the week, except Wednesday when he attends church.
Mr. Tire employee arrested for twice setting fires at the business: Solon Police Blotter
Also in this week's blotter, the driver of a Jeep SUV would not stop for Solon police, who were attempting to cite him for an expired license plate.
We disagreed on politics. We agreed on wine. That was enough.
At the Virginia Governor’s Cup Gala in Richmond earlier this month, a very dapper gentleman approached me and introduced himself. In his light-colored suit and bowtie, he looked very Southern in a classical sense, the sort of Virginia Gentleman you used to see south of the Rappahannock as recently as my college days. “I’m a longtime reader and fan of your writing, if not your politics,” he said. His comment was the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, simultaneously conveying praise and disapproval while establishing boundaries. Man, I wish we still discoursed like this instead of shouting bromides and insults to try and “own” our opponents with a funny meme and a furrowed brow. Subscribe “Well, we’ll always have wine to share together,” I said, and thanked him for his kind words. We clinked glasses, exchanged pleasantries about the delicious gold medal-winning wines being poured that evening, and went our separate ways. Our exchange reminded me that more unites us than divides us. Wine brings people together to share a meal and a few hours of joy despite our differences.1 That’s why I refer to the wine community — including readers and consumers — rather than the wine industry. Together, we are so much more than production, distribution and sales statistics. A few minutes later the evening’s awards ceremony began. Applause grew as the 12 winemakers who made the top-scoring wines for the Governor’s Case took the stage, including a loud cheer for Jonathan Wheeler of Trump Winery and his 2018 Blanc de Noir sparkling wine. All the winemakers on stage had reason to be proud, Wheeler perhaps more so. Trump Winery was the only winery to win six gold medals in the competition this year. (Wineries are limited to six entries.) Two of Wheeler’s ciders also won gold medals in a separate competition. When you cover the labels and take the sour taste of politics off your palate, the wines are pretty darn good.2 Then Gov. Abigail Spanberger, newly elected Democrat and Virginia’s first female governor, was introduced to great applause to announce which of the 12 wines had won the Governor’s Cup. She spoke for a few minutes about the importance of wine to Virginia’s economy and tourism and the international acclaim Virginia wine has received. Just two weeks earlier, she gave the Democrats’ response to Trump’s State of the Union speech, but this night wasn’t about politics. That didn’t stop several people in the crowd from speculating on the irony should she have to present the trophy to Trump Winery. In the end, Valley Road Vineyards was displayed on the screen behind Spanberger as the winning winery. Blue Bee Cidery in Richmond took top honors for that category. The crowd cheered a female governor presenting the state’s highest trophy to a female winemaker and then resumed the evening’s festivities, united by their mutual love of wine. A whiff of politics couldn’t dim the cheer of celebration and a community united by its love of wine. In Memoriam: Michel Rolland The global wine community lost a giant March 20, with the passing of Michel Rolland. He was 78. Rolland was the original “flying winemaker,” a globe-trotting consultant who helped Bordeaux regain its mojo in the 1970s and then shaped the rise of Napa Valley cult Cabernet as consultant to Simi, Harlan, Newton, Screaming Eagle, Araujo, Dalle Valle and other wineries. He was instrumental in Argentina’s rise to prominence and even had his own winery, Clos de los Siete, in a partnership with other wine families. Rolland’s career arc paralleled that of Robert Parker, the world’s most influential critic. Parker championed many of the wines Rolland consulted on, helping build his reputation and demand for his services. It also made him a target for Parker’s critics. As W. Blake Gray wrote on Wine-Searcher in his excellent tribute to Rolland: Rolland created the type of wines Parker loved: rich body, plenty of fruit, soft tannins. He sometimes faced the accusation of creating a generic international style of red wine, where the great wines he made in Argentina were indistinguishable from the great wines he made in France. Rolland chafed at that critique, as did many of his fans. He was credited with championing green harvesting and leaf pulling, as well as careful selection of grapes in the winery, practices we nearly universally think of today for high-quality winemaking. “Michel was an incredible innovator who changed how wine was made and how grapes were grown,” Napa Valley winemaker Aaron Pott wrote on Facebook. “His work has transformed the wine trade. He created new ways of looking at wine, tasting wine, evaluating ripeness and quality. … This was not just a man with a ‘style’ that he imposed on vineyards but a man that understood how to make great wine from great sites.” Rolland started his consulting company in 1973 in Libourne, in Bordeaux, with his wife, Dany. Both had graduated the year before from Bordeaux’s Institute d’Oenologie. The couple sold their majority share in the business in 2020, according to Wine Spectator. Over his career, Rolland reportedly worked with more than 100 wineries in 20 countries. He even made it to Virginia, where he consulted for Kluge Estate in the mid-2000s. (Kluge Estate is now Trump Winery.) Reader feedback, please! Last week, I did my first WineLine Live! with Dr. Laura Catena of Catena Zapata winery in Argentina. We enjoyed a fascinating discussion about her efforts to preserve the genetic heritage of old vineyards in Mendoza. I conceived of WineLine Live! for paid subscribers, as a thank you for your financial support. And while only a few people joined live, the video now has more views than I have paid subscribers, so I guess that’s pretty good. Even so, I’m considering opening future installments to anyone on Substack to reach a broader audience. So my questions to you: Should these be public? And what format do you prefer? Live gives a chat feature with the potential for viewers to interact with me and the guest, while a video post would just be that. Another alternative is a podcast, which would just be audio, without video of my chins. Please let me know in the comments. Leave a comment In the Glass A few wines I’ve enjoyed recently: Bonny Doon Vineyard Take Me to Your Liter, Le Cigare Volant, Red Wine of the Earth. 2023, Central Coast, CA. Blend of Grenache, Syrah Cinsaut and Petite Sirah. Delightful wine with expressive red fruit flavors, casual drinking. Doon lovers of a certain age will remember Randall Grahm’s Big House Red; this is more in that style than his original Le Cigare Volant, modeled after Chateauneuf du Pape. The liter bottle makes it an even better value. I see this online at about $15. Great value. Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Origines 2023. 13% - Textbook pinot noir and an excellent, affordable entry (regional) Burgundy. Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2025. $24 at Total Wine & More. Loma Larga Pinot Noir 2021 “Coastal Cool Climate Wine”, Valle de Casablanca, Chile. An older sample, showing beautifully. Spicy and fruit forward. I’m seeing widely varied pricing online, from $18-$32. At the lower end, it’s a terrific value. 13.5% Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry 2016, Mosel, Germany. Found this “in the stack.” And it stacked up well, shedding some of its youthful acidity for opulent Riesling character, including a hint of the mineral oil older Riesling often features. A great value, as I’m seeing it as low as $14 online. 12% abv. Red Tail Ridge Blau Franc Blend 2024, Sans Oak, Finger Lakes. 13.4% abv. The name is a neat portmanteau of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet Franc, thus Blau Franc. The blend is 50-50, no oak involved. The Blau dominates on the palate, with the spicy caraway seed (think New York deli rye bread). The Franc adds body. The result is juicy, energetic and joyful. Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir 2025, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon. This first rosé of 2025 was a welcome respite to our cold, snowy winter here in the Mid-Atlantic. Oh man, I needed this! Bright and energetic, exuberant even, it perks up the mood and goes down fast. 13%. Certified B Corp. Ingredient and nutrition labeling, and in a modest way that doesn’t occupy a lot of label space. (Since it’s not required, presumably there are no minimum font size requirements.) More wineries should follow this example. Dave McIntyre's WineLine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Thanks for reading Dave McIntyre's WineLine! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share 1 Some restraint may be required. 2 Especially the bubblies.
Entertainment and more in the Mid-Ohio Valley
PARKERSBURG – The Artsbridge calendar for this week: TODAY * Geppetto Woodcarver’s Wood Quilt display, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., WesBanco, Market Street, Parkersburg * Art is Life/Life is Art, ages 55-plus,10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Parkersburg Art Center * Butterfly Photo Holder, ages 13-plus,11 a.m. to noon, Marietta Public Library * Hygge Club, adults, […]
The Monday Outlook: Project Hail Mary and the Science Behind Blockbuster Sci-Fi
Project Hail Mary is the latest sci-fi blockbuster to stretch the bounds of audience imagination and stir the curiosity of real scientists. But the science driving films like Project Hail Mary, Interstellar and The Martian isn’t all fictional: at UChicago, researchers exploring the cosmos and decoding the origins of life are making discoveries that would feel right at home on the big screen. This week's Monday Outlook features scientists from UChicago and Argonne National Laborat
“Moana” in live-action: See all the animated characters coming to life in new movie
Moana, Maui, Te Kā... the gang's all here.
Knicks go for 7th straight win, face improved Pelicans
The New York Knicks are surging as the NBA regular season enters its final three weeks.
Apple sets June date for WWDC 2026, teasing "AI advancements"
Apple will host its next Worldwide Developers Conference the week of June 8. The company is expected to announce major updates to Siri with advanced AI capabilities.
Mills, Collins on opposite sides of trans athlete issue
Collins, who is seeking a sixth term, posted on social media over the weekend that she’s held a “longstanding position that transgender athletes should not compete in girls’ and women’s athletics.”
Cargo Headed to Station, Week Begins with Science Prep and Maintenance
A cargo spacecraft is in orbit catching up to the International Space Station for a docking tomorrow to deliver food and supplies to the Expedition 74 crew. Aboard the orbital lab, the seven residents kicked off the week with science operations prep, routine maintenance, and getting systems ready for a future spacewalk.
Seattle Sports This Week: TV and radio for March 23-29
A look at the broadcast schedule for March 16-22 on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app, as well as local sports teams on TV.
Trump Poised to Skip CPAC For First Time in a Decade
President Donald Trump is poised to skip the Conservative Political Action Conference this week, breaking with an annual tradition that has helped define his political rise and shaped the conservative movement.
New C8 Corvette Grand Sport Makes Surprise Debut at 12 Hours of Sebring
The first mid-engined Grand Sport dons a widebody and red hashmarks, with the car's full reveal coming later this week.
Microsoft announces Xbox Partner Preview for this week, with Ryu Ga Gotoku's Stranger Than Heaven finally making a showing
Microsoft has announced its next Xbox Partner Preview showcase will take place later this week, focused on third-party games from the likes of Sega and GSC.
From The Sports Desk: Cinderella’s rough weekend
Iowa knocked off the defending champions, Florida, in a rare upset over the weekend in the NCAA tournament.
The week ahead: Another big (and tough) week for Penguins
Looking at what the Pittsburgh Penguins need to do to secure their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
New ‘Crimson Desert’ Patch Fixes Storage, Combat, Controls, Bosses, Fast Travel
A new Crimson Desert patch has fixed many of the game's biggest issues not even a week after launch. They really transform the game.
Sewing And Munro Continue Dominance In New Global Sports Alliance International Pickleball Tour With Two Golds In Vietnam
The third event of the new Global Sports Pickleball Alliance saw the tour head to Ho Chi Minh City over the weekend, where Jack Munro and Sofia Sewing both won two golds.
Happening this week | Women Working and Winning in Politics Roundtable
The 3rd annual Women Working & Winning in Politics Roundtable will be held at Dillard University
As demand for GLP-1 pills and shots surges, healthy habits are still key
Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health.
Small Business Promotion Week: Hey Honey Marketplace
Jennifer Reeves, nurse turned boutique owner, came up with the idea for Hey Honey Marketplace, a boutique on Abram Street that aims to not just be a store but a community gathering place for women.
D-FW business datebook for week of March 22
Earnings from GameStop, Commercial Metals and Lantern Pharma are part of a busy week.
NCAA Tournament: Iowa's stunning upset of No. 1 Florida caps off thrilling weekend of March Madness
Only three of the four top seeds in the men’s bracket will be playing in the Sweet 16.
Today's hefty Crimson Desert patch includes "beginning of improvements" to keyboard and mouse controls, plus much more
Pearl Abyss has detailed a rather chunky patch for Crimson Desert, after its launch last week was marred by multiple issues and AI controversies.
Venezuelans in New York City remain hopeful, weeks after Maduro’s capture
Maduro remains in U.S. custody facing federal charges.
Palm Beach County high school sports weekly schedule for March 23-28
High school sports are back in full swing in Palm Beach County. See the full schedule for baseball, softball, lacrosse and more.
Brevard County high school sports weekly schedule, Week of March 23-29
Brevard County high school sports schedule for the week of March 23-29, 2026.
‘They’ve Stolen the Narrative’: Black Business Leaders on the DEI Backlash
Bloomberg Businessweek convened five prominent Black executives to candidly discuss navigating the White House, rollbacks in access and the current American mood.
David Gallo opens up about why AI data centers, private equity are good for his company
After Katrina, David Gallo led his family's company, Gallo Mechanical, through a geographic expansion that helped grow the company to nearly $500 million in revenues and more than 700 employees. Last year, he led the 80-year-old business through a sale to a private equity firm. In this week's Talking Business, he explains why it was a good thing
What events are happening in the South Bend area from March 23 to 29?
A variety of events will keep you busy this week. Attend a screening event, catch a concert, attend a lecture or play.
Winners and losers from first weekend of the NCAA tournament feature John Calipari, Darryn Peterson, Big Ten and blue bloods
St. Louis Blues Weekly Prospect Report (March 22)
Jiricek has big scoring week; McIsaac announces future plans; Ralph, Michigan State head to NCAA Tournament with Mayich, Clarkson University eliminated; Peterson scored pair, including a SH beauty for Springfield
Scholar Athlete of the Week: Andra Stokes, Stevens High School
KSAT 12 Sports and CHRISTUS Children’s shine a spotlight on a local senior student athlete
The DLSS 5 Backlash Is Still Swirling
Almost a week on, the controversy and backlash over NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 announcement are still swirling, following some mixed messaging from the company about how the tech works. A reveal trailer on Tuesday showcased multiple games like “Resident Evil Requiem,” “Starfield”, and “Hogwarts Legacy” using the new technology, which goes beyond simple upscaling and leads […]
Longhorns secure major upgrade following NCAA decision on eligibility waiver
Improving the offensive line has been a major focus for Texas this offseason, and the Longhorns got a big piece of that puzzle locked in on Wednesday following weeks of eligibility uncertainty.
US soccer legend Landon Donovan opens up on mental health struggles, redefining success
American soccer legend Landon Donovan opened up about mental health struggles and reconfiguring what success meant to him. He releases "Landon: A Memoir" this week.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference returns the week of June 8
Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) online from June 8-12.
'Project Hail Mary' blasts off to record-breaking $80 million, becomes 2026's best premiere
'Project Hail Mary' burned through the outer layer of box office projections this weekend, reaching an astounding $80 million in its domestic premiere and $141 million worldwide.
Jason Momoa forced to evacuate as devastating storm hits Hawaii
Thousands have been ordered to flee as the archipelago faces its most intense surge of storms in two decades.
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
Politics Now: March 22, 2026
This week on Politics Now with host John Langeler: Nevada is trying to lessen its reliance on fuel from California. We talk with the vice-chair of the committee tasked with determining how to do th…
US, Iran threaten more energy strikes as gas prices surge. What to know
As the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its fourth week, the economic consequences continue to rattle markets.
Apple’s busy March continues with three notable arrivals this week
Apple has had a jam-packed March so far after launching seven new products and surprisingly announcing an eighth. Looking ahead,...
Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo says César Chávez allegations are "just the tip of the iceberg"
California lawmakers this upcoming week are set to move quickly to rename César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day ahead of the holiday that takes place every year on March 31.
Introducing the 2026 Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards finalists - Talk Business & Politics
For several weeks, we have been soliciting the region’s business community for nominations for our first recognition program of the year: the Northeast Arkansas Outstanding Business Awards, presented by Arvest...
Fitchburg Public Library hosts Wisconsin Film Festival preview
FITCHBURG, Wis. — The 28th Wisconsin Film Festival is coming up in just a few short weeks, and a local library is helping get the word out.
Science Central: Planetarium opens this week
Wednesday at 10:30 there will be a ribbon cutting unveiling the 1,830-square-foot planetarium features a 21-foot-high, 28-foot-wide dome.
Readers Respond to Health Insurance Chaos for Providence Customers
“Only other questions I have is who is starting the class action and where can I sign up?”
Report: New iPad with A18 chip still on track to launch in first half of 2026
As part of Apple’s week of product announcements earlier this month, many were hoping to see an update to Apple’s...
Oscar-Winning Alumnus Returns to Pasadena’s ArtCenter for Entertainment Design Expo
One week after winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, KPop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans returns today to ArtCenter College of Design, the Pasadena campus where he studied illustration, for the college’s third annual Entertainment Design Expo. The expo, known as ENTX, opens the Hillside Campus to the public for a full day of gallery exhibitions, game playtesting, animation screenings and interactive experiences featuring work from more than 200 ArtCenter students and alumni. General admission is free with advance registration. Two industry panels — including Appelhans’s talk — require $15 tickets. Appelhans, who graduated from ArtCenter with a bachelor of fine arts in 2002, co-directed KPop Demon Hunters with Maggie Kang. The animated film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released on Netflix, became the streaming platform’s most-watched film in history, according to Netflix, and swept awards season with wins at the Golden Globes, the Annie Awards and the Grammys before taking the Oscar on March 15. His talk and audience Q&A is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ahmanson Auditorium. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The film’s ArtCenter ties extend beyond its co-director. Art director Angela Sung, cinematographer Gary H. Lee, visual development artist Celine Kim and painter Simon Baek are all ArtCenter graduates who worked on the production, according to the college. The free portions of ENTX include a concept design showcase, a production design gallery, a model gallery, a stop motion studio preview, an alumni gallery and a KPop Demon Hunters fan art gallery. Visitors can also playtest games designed by ArtCenter students. An Animation Shorts Showcase runs from 2 to 3 p.m. and includes “Boy, I’m Scared,” a capstone short by ArtCenter graduate Lindsey Tenaglia that was named a semifinalist for the 2025 Student Academy Awards in the animation category. Also screening
Gen Z really, really loves China's trains
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Inflatable homes on the Moon? Scientists reveal how humans could live there sooner than expected - Futura-Sciences
How could humans live on the Moon? Although the Artemis program has taken a more cautious approach following recent delays, the goal remains the same: send astronauts back to the lunar surface. Doing so will require systems that allow crews to stay there for several days, or even several weeks....
A tribute to Scott Ostler, columnist, colleague, friend and sports wit
In Bruce Jenkins’ experience, there was never a teammate quite like fellow San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler, who retired last week.
Game Preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Pittsburgh Penguins 3/22/2026
Who: Carolina Hurricanes (44-19-6, 94 points, 1st place Metropolitan Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (35-18-16, 86 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) When: 3:00 p.m. eastern How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and FDSN South, streaming on ESPN+ Pens’ Path Ahead: Quality opponents await in the next week; the Pens host Colorado on Tuesday, an Avs team […]
Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics
DeSantis signed a bill seeking to block a Manatee cruise port, while another Republican group is in hot water.
Central Mass. by the Numbers, Sunday, March 22
A look at business news in Central Mass. over the past week
The war on Iran is in its fourth week. Here’s what to know
Three full weeks of the war the US and Israel launched against Iran have shocked the world oil market, pierced a sense of safety in parts of the Middle East, and claimed the lives of US service members and civilians in multiple countries.
Politics: Iowa Senate majority leader outlines plans for coming weeks
Second funnel week concluded in the Iowa Legislature, meaning that lawmakers’ focus can return to funding, appropriations and other types of specific bills that don’t respond to the Legislature’s self-imposed
The Antidote to Our Growing Crises Must Transcend Politics
Each day, the challenges in our nation pile up. In just recent weeks, there has been the ongoing war in Iran and the Middle East, and ongoing debates about the growing negative impact of the Internet, looming AI challenges, and the Epstein files. The anticipation of divisive, even ugly, midterm elec...
Things to do in Cincinnati this week, March 23-29
If you're looking for the best events happening in Cincinnati, you're at the right place. Find your next concert, game, festival or family event.
Deals: Galaxy S26 series gets its first price drop, the Pixel 10 series drops even further
Meanwhile, the 2025 MacBook Airs are getting cheaper too - not quite as cheap as the Neo, but they are an important alternative for those who need more RAM.
COLUMN: Frager punches Nebraska men’s basketball’s ticket to Sweet 16
Yes, this is real. It isn’t a dream or a movie. The Huskers are moving on to the Sweet 16 in Houston next week.
Buffalo Museum of Science hosts DinoFEST this weekend
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Buffalo Museum of Science got a little prehistoric Saturday. This weekend is DinoFEST where the museum educates visitors about paleontology, geology, and offers hands on …
Politics Unplugged (Full Episode) March 22, 2026
This week on Politics Unplugged, Progressive activist Kai Newkirk explains why he is running to unseat Democratic incumbent Greg Stanton in the congressional race in CD4. Then, consultants Marcus Dell’Artino and Matt Grodsky discuss the fallout from the Cesar Chavez allegations and the political importance of high gas prices.
Senate blocks amendment on transgender athletes during weekend session
The amendment that was blocked by a 49-41 vote would create potential penalties for educational institutions that receive federal funding
Roberson's Sam Maki leads Week 4 girls spring sports top performers
Roberson soccer's Sam Maki scored five goals to lead the list of Week 4 WNC high school spring sports girls top performers.
Mojang Reveals Chaos Cubed Update Coming to Minecraft Later This Year With Tiny Takeover Release Date Set for Next Week
Mojang has unveiled more information about updates coming to Minecraft in 2026, including the release date for Tiny Takeover and a sneak peek at the Chaos Cubed game drop.
County Proposes Eliminating Preschool for All’s Early Childhood Mental Health Team
Unlike other cuts being made across the county in light of a budget shortfall, the decision to disband the team comes as Preschool for All sits on more than $600 million. The county says the proposed change is not driven by available funding.
DNA building blocks on asteroid Ryugu, bacteria that eat plastic waste, and more science news
Catch up on some of the most interesting science stories from this week.
My twins separated for the first time at 19
After doing everything together their entire lives, my twin sons separated for six weeks and hardly checked in. It was good for their relationship.
NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Zone entertainment announced at Dover Motor Speedway
From a giant rubber duck to live stunts and interactive games... the Fan Zone at Dover Motor Speedway is set to bring high-energy, family-friendly fun to race weekend.
Science news this week: Super El Niño looms, an Acropolis marble fragment resurfaces, and a pure hexagonal diamond is born
March 21, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
Possible Habitability On Mars Pushed Back Millions Of Years, The Forgotten Apocalypse: Scientists Think Earth's First Mass Extinction Has Been Hidden In Plain Sight, And Much More This Week
All the biggest science news stories of the week.
Denver Broncos mock draft: Post-Jaylen Waddle trade
We’re coming back to the mock draft simulator this weekend. The Denver Broncos said ‘f dem picks’ and acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins this week. That trade provided a big boost to the offense, but it will make their 2026 NFL Draft much more challenging. With the reduction in draft capital, […]
The Price of Oil Is Surging. Here’s How It Could Get Much Worse.
Slate’s guide to the most important figures in politics this week.
🗞️Today's headlines: Joan García, academy talent and much more
The call from Luis de la Fuente to Barça’s goalkeeper is one of the top stories of the day on this football-filled Saturday.A great weekend is approaching ahead of an international break, where the...
Battling for top-six spot, Sixers face youth-driven Jazz
Earlier this week, Joel Embiid was said to be close to a return from a right oblique strain.
From Project Hail Mary to Saturday Night Live UK: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Scientist Ryan Gosling is alone in deep space – or is he? – and America’s famed topical satire is given a British angle
Business owners meet with Nashville mayor over high property taxes
Nashville business owners met with the mayor this week after he said will "figure something out" for property tax relief.
Walz unveils tech tax in budget; bipartisan support emerges at Capitol
MPR News host Clay Masters and the politics team recap a week in state politics.
Quiz: This week in politics
It was another busy week in national politics. Take this quiz to see what you know and what you missed.
Why Tencent Music Entertainment Plunged Almost 30% This Week
The Chinese music streaming leader posted decelerating subscription revenue and said it would no longer disclose certain metrics going forward.
The MacRumors Show: Surprise AirPods Max 2 Announcement
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's surprise announcement of the AirPods Max 2 this week. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The AirPods Max 2 introduce a range of improvements primarily driven by the addition of Apple's H2 chip, which replaces the H1 chip used in previous models.
In Reversal, Trump Reinstates Support For Representative Jeff Hurd
President Trump reinstated his endorsement of Representative Jeff Hurd of Colorado, just weeks after pulling it back.
Music Industry Jobs: The Core Entertainment, Republic Records, CAA
Music industry hires and promotions this week include job appointments at The Core Entertainment, MCA, Republic Records, CAA and AudioSalad.
Google Messages launches group RCS Mentions and Trash folder
After beta testing for the past several weeks and months, Google Messages today officially announced Mentions and the Trash folder.
Week Wraps with Health Research and Spacewalk Closeout Procedures
Health research and final spacewalk closeouts wrapped up the week for the Expedition 74 crew members aboard the International Space Station as they gear up to
Unilever Has $40 Billion in Tasty M&A Options
Options have value. And it’s become clear this week that Fernando Fernandez has more than one when it comes to setting a new course for Unilever Plc’s food business, owner of Hellmann’s mayo and Knorr stock cubes. How the consumer giant’s still relatively new chief executive officer plays his hand will likely define his tenure.
Apple to Launch More New Hardware This April
Apple isn't done yet. After announcing seven new products in March – including the iPhone 17e, iPad Air, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook Neo, Studio Display, and Studio Display XDR – the company has one more launch on the books in the coming weeks (as far as we know, at least). AirPods Max 2 go up for pre-order on March 25, with availability beginning in early April.
Apple just broke launch-week records for new Mac users
Tim Cook says Apple just had a record-breaking week for brand-new Mac users. While he won't give details, it's surely the low-cost MacBook Neo that's leading the way.
Apple Announces New Mac Sales Record Following MacBook Neo Launch
Apple's CEO Tim Cook today said the Mac just had its "best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers," which suggests that the new MacBook Neo has been a hit with customers buying their first laptops or switching from Windows. Apple released the MacBook Neo last Wednesday, March 11. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599 for the general public and an even lower $499 for college students.
After weeks of hype, Crimson Desert debuts to high player counts but "Mixed" Steam reviews, citing "disjointed graphics", lovable cats, "awful" UI and more
Pearl Abyss' single player RPG spin-off Crimson Desert released last night, and has had a rocky debut.
Player availability report, presented by Orlando Health Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute: Orlando Pride vs Denver Summit
Here is this week's player availability report, presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, for Friday's home match vs Denver Summit
Whole Hog Politics: The political establishment thrives in our broken primary system
[Watch Whole Hog Politics live: Join us today at 9 a.m. EDT at TheHill.com as Chris Stirewalt and host Bill Sammon break down this week’s political news and answer questions from a live online audi…