SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Modi " 191 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Health Alert: Worldwide Caution – Updated Public Health Arrival Restrictions and Enhanced Ebola Screening – May 22, 2026 - U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Thailand
Health Alert: Worldwide Caution – Updated Public Health Arrival Restrictions and Enhanced Ebola Screening – May 22, 2026 Event: U.S.-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival in the United States must only enter through the following airports for enhanced screening: Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for flights after 11:59 PM on May 21, 2026 Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) for flights after 11:59 PM on May 22, 2026 George Bush Intercontinental Airport, (IAH), Houston, for flights departing after 11:59 PM on May 26, 2026 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply enhanced public health screening at IAD in response to the Ebola outbreak. This requirement applies to all passengers, including U.S. citizens and LPRs, who were present in those countries. Please be prepared for flight changes or cancellations. Actions to take: Read the Modification of List of Designated Airports Regarding Arrival Restrictions Review the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) information on what travelers need to know about returning to the United States from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan. Read the Department of Homeland Security Alert on Enhanced Ebola Screening. Review Consular Information for Americans Regarding the Ebola Outbreak. If you are planning to travel to the United States, contact your airline to confirm your flight and route. You may also contact the State Department – Consular Affairs: Phone: +1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444 Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive safety and security updates. If you are a registered user, you can manage your subscriptions by clicking the link below. Guest subscribers cannot manage subscriptions but can create a Login.gov account to manage future subscriptions. Manage Your Subscriptions
What is Hindutva, and what are the roots of this political movement?
Hindutva is very different from Hinduism. One is a 20th century majoritarian movement, the other an ancient faith.
Guzman Y Gomez Gives Up on Failing US Business; Shares Soar
(Bloomberg) -- Australian burrito chain Guzman y Gomez Ltd. said it’s closing its Chicago restaurants and exiting the US after failing to generate adequate sales. The company’s shares soared.Most Read from BloombergSpot the Difference: Putin Gets Trump Treatment From Xi in ChinaIran Says the US’s Latest Proposal Has ‘Narrowed the Gaps’Modi’s Toffee Gift to Meloni Ignites Rally in Wrong Indian StockIran in Talks With Oman Over Permanent Hormuz Toll SystemDow Average Climbs to Record on US-Iran De
Kyle Roberts appointed as K-12 supervisor of physical education, health and athletics - Bethlehem Central School District
At its meeting on May 20, the Bethlehem Central Board of Education appointed Kyle Roberts as the district’s supervisor of physical education, health and athletics. In the new role, Roberts will oversee all K-12 instruction in physical education and health education across all seven schools. He will also supervise intramurals and modified-level athletics and will … Continue reading "Kyle Roberts appointed as K-12 supervisor of physical education, health and athletics"
Italy India Politics
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, right, and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands in front of cameras after planting a mulberry tree donated by Modi in the gardens of Villa
Italy India Politics
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, right, welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival at Villa Pamphilii in Rome for talks,Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Italy India Politics
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni waits for India's Prime Minister Narendra Modil at Villa Pamphilii in Rome for talks,Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Senate Small Business Hearing Suggests Some Tariff Wariness - Coalition For A Prosperous America
A Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing held last week had only one manufacturer serving as a witness. He liked the tariffs because they stopped the bloodletting of cheaper imitations from China. However, he told the Senate that changes could be made to existing tariff policy to help lower costs as commodity and other input prices are rising fast.
Kudos to Cheer Club, College of Business faculty, Cybersecurity team and more
Becky Cottrell, Ph.D., Department of Social Work, and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Becky Cottrell from the Department of Social Work and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., from the School of Education co-authored an article recently published in an international journal. Read the article. Biff Baker, Ph.D., College of Business Biff Baker, Ph.D., received a Best in Track award from the Society for Advancement of Management for research examining bureaucratic inefficiencies within Section 8 subsidized housing programs. The study focuses on how administrative delays and communication breakdowns can create housing instability for families and discourage landlord participation. It also offers recommendations to improve accountability and trust in public housing systems. Brendan Fry, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics and Statistics Brendan Fry, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, co-authored the article “Modeling the Impact of Venous Collapsibility on Retinal Oxygenation,” published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. The interdisciplinary research brought together scholars from the University of Delaware, Indiana University Indianapolis, McGill University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Access the article. Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Bridget Arend, Ph.D., professor in the School of Education, co-published the book “Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A Resource for More Purposeful, Effective, and Enjoyable College Teaching, Second Edition” with James R. Davis. The book explores practical approaches to improving college teaching and student learning experiences. Buy the book. College of Business Faculty At the 2026 Western Decision Sciences Institute international conference, Sally Baalbaki-Yassine, Ph.D., Debora Gilliard, Ph.D., and David Lynn Hoffman, Ph.D., from the College of Business received the Best Case Study Paper Award for “Oreo: A Global Success Story in Brand Evolution and Market Leadership.” Lisa McVicker, Ph.D., and Apryl Brodersen, Ph.D., also had their paper, “Electronic Performance Monitoring: Employer Panacea or Legal Quagmire?” accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Leadership. Community Engagement Exchange Program Metropolitan State University of Denver was selected to host international Fellow Aleja Henao Espitia of Bogotá, Colombia through the Community Engagement Exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. View Espitia's LinkedIn profile. David Varel, Ph.D., College of Letters, Arts and Sciences MSU Denver historian David Varel, Ph.D., has been awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship program supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, and selected just 63 scholars from more than 2,000 applicants this year. Varel’s project, “The Black Chicago School: Academic Activism in the Age of American Apartheid,” explores the work of Black scholars who challenged scientific racism, built alternative institutions and helped lay the foundation for the modern civil rights movement. The fellowship provides up to $60,000 to support full-time research and writing. Learn more about the fellowship. MSU Denver Office of Financial Aid Team Several MSU Denver employees were recognized for leadership and service during the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators (CAFAA) conference held in May in Crested Butte. Don Holtzen, interim associate director of systems, chaired the conference and was recognized for his service as CAFAA conference chair and technology chair during the 2025-26 term. Holtzen also received the Postsecondary Institution Professional of the Year award, which recognizes financial-aid professionals who have made significant contributions to their institutions and to CAFAA. Tori Pacheco, associate director of Student Services, helped design décor and facilitate the conference and was recognized for her service as CAFAA secretary during the 2025-26 term. Destiny Candelaria, call center coordinator, served on the conference planning committee and presented on One Stops during the event. Michael Nguyen, executive director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, assisted as a CAFAA board member and was recognized for serving as president-elect during the 2025-26 term. Richard Balbag, program assistant I, received the Distinguished Support Staff Member of the Year award, honoring staff members who have made exceptional contributions to their financial-aid offices. Military Friendly Recognition Military Friendly has awarded MSU Denver Gold Status as a military-friendly university and ranked the University No. 7 nationally for military spouses. The recognition reflects MSU Denver’s strong support systems for veterans and military spouses, including transfer credit assistance and retention-focused resources. As of 2026, 1,050 military-connected students are enrolled at the University, advancing institutional priorities around serving veterans and supporting student retention. MSU Denver Cheer Club The MSU Denver Cheer Club earned third place in the 4-Year College Small Coed Intermediate division at the USA Spirit Nationals. Celebrate the win on Instagram. MSU Denver Cybersecurity Team An MSU Denver cybersecurity team earned first place in the Strategist category at the 2026 CYBER RECon National Competition hosted at Fort Meade, Maryland, by U.S. Cyber Command. Led by Jeffrey London, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Matthew Bopp, the team competed against universities and law schools nationwide with its 30-page legal analysis on cybersecurity and free speech titled “Freedom of Speech and MDM: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation.” The paper also earned Bopp a personal invitation to apply to the University of Maryland School of Law. MSU Denver Debate Team MSU Denver Debate won the 2026 Sierra Sustainability Summit hosted at Yosemite National Park in April. Students Kat Conte and Simon Bernhard bested teams from George Washington University, Gallaudet University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of San Francisco and Tennessee Tech in the modified present-and-defend style competition. Their proposal recommended adapting Colorado’s Keep Colorado Wild Pass model to support California state parks facing budget constraints. Learn about the summit. MSU Denver Women’s Golf MSU Denver Women’s Golf was represented on the national stage this month as junior Neige Dunn competed as an individual at the NCAA West Regional. She became the first Roadrunner in 10 years to qualify for NCAA Regionals as an individual. Get the details.
The AI Era Is Reordering The 4 Paths Of Business Education
AI is commoditizing business expertise. That may expose Founder-CEO education as the missing fourth quadrant of business education.
The Impact of Proposed Changes to the HIPAA Security Rule for Business Associates
A final rule updating the HIPAA Security Rule is due for release as early as May 2026. According to HHS/OCR, the modifications to the Security Rule will The final rule implementing changes to the HIPAA Security Rule is due in May 2026. The final rule will have major implications for business associates of HIPAA-covered entities.
Anthropic now has more business customers than OpenAI, according to Ramp data
For the first time, Anthropic has more verified business customers than OpenAI, according to this month’s AI Index from the fintech firm Ramp.
Good Intentions, No Easy Solution: Why Income Diversification Needs a Gender Reckoning
When commodity prices drop, the path forward is rarely straightforward, and our recent field research in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa communities shows that the costs of getting diversification wrong fall hardest on women and girls.
Scientists successfully transfer longevity gene and extend lifespan
Scientists at the University of Rochester pulled off a remarkable experiment: they transferred a longevity-related gene from the famously long-lived naked mole rat into mice, and the mice ended up healthier and lived longer. The special gene boosts production of a substance called high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which appears to protect against cancer, reduce inflammation, and support healthier aging. The modified mice showed stronger resistance to tumors, healthier guts, and lower levels of age-related inflammation.
Video: Modi’s BJP poised to take control in India’s West Bengal
West Bengal: Modi's BJP conquers one of India's toughest political frontiers
West Bengal’s verdict could reshape not just the state’s politics, but the future trajectory of Modi’s BJP.
Science Has Found Even More Ways Coffee Is Good for You
A new study shows the mechanisms of how coffee modifies the microbiome, reduces inflammation, and influences mood. Even decaf has its perks.
Evolution isn’t random. Scientists find the same genes used for 120 million years
Evolution seems to follow a script more often than expected. Researchers found that distantly related butterflies and moths have reused the same pair of genes for over 120 million years to produce strikingly similar warning colors. Rather than altering the genes themselves, evolution modifies how they’re switched on and off. This discovery hints that life may evolve in more predictable ways than previously believed.
London sports clubs modify security measures after UK terrorism threat level raised
The threat level was raised after two members of the Jewish community were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday.
NBA asks regulator to tighten restrictions on prediction markets
The NBA asked the nation's top commodities regulator on Thursday to impose tighter restrictions on players, game officials and team staff to ensure prediction markets don't undermine sports integrity and fan confidence.
CFTC sues Wisconsin over sports betting lawsuit targeting major prediction markets
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it's suing to "reaffirm its exclusive jurisdiction."
Global consumer companies face pricing stress test from oil shock
The fragile demand recovery seen by consumer companies globally is at risk of getting stalled by chances of more prices hikes as a result of soaring energy and commodity costs due to the Middle East conflict.
Microplastics, MAHA, and the Evolving Politics of Exposure Science
Concerns about microplastics and their effect on human and environmental health are no longer confined to academic literature or environmental advocacy.
Microplastics, MAHA, and the Evolving Politics of Exposure Science
Concerns about microplastics and their effect on human and environmental health are no longer confined to academic literature or environmental advocacy.
Modified Boeing 777 Will Become NASA’s Largest Flying Science Lab
Heavily modified 777 is scheduled to fly its first NASA science mission in January.
This new brain-like chip could slash AI energy use by 70%
A breakthrough in brain-inspired computing could make today’s energy-hungry AI systems far more efficient. Researchers have engineered a new nanoelectronic device using a modified form of hafnium oxide that mimics how neurons process and store information at the same time. Unlike conventional chips that waste energy moving data back and forth, this device operates with ultra-low power—potentially slashing energy use by up to 70%.
NASA's 777 Aircraft Returns with Science Flights on Horizon
NASA’s Boeing 777 has returned to the agency’s fleet after undergoing heavy structural modifications as it transforms from a giant passenger plane into the
Agent's Take: Did the Browns modify Myles Garrett's contract to facilitate trading their star defender?
Are the Browns seriously considering trading their two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year?
South African Business Optimism Wanes in March on Iran Conflict
South African business confidence moderated in March as the US-Israeli war with Iran roiled financial, commodity and foreign-exchange markets.
After Long Avoiding Politics, Commodity Traders Cozy Up to Trump
(Bloomberg) -- For decades, the world’s biggest commodity traders have sought to remain outside of politics, doing deals with anyone who has natural resources to buy or sell. Now, Donald Trump is changing the rules of the game. Most Read from BloombergHormuz Chaos, Lebanon Clashes Dent Trump Peace Deal HopesNvidia Makes Quantum Computing CEO a Billionaire in DaysTrump Says Iran Will Suspend Nuclear Program as Hormuz OpensThe Jet-Fuel Surge Is Making Global Flight Connections DisappearCongo to To
After Long Avoiding Politics, Commodity Traders Cozy Up to Trump
For decades, the world’s biggest commodity traders have sought to remain outside of politics, doing deals with anyone who has natural resources to buy or sell. Now, Donald Trump is changing the rules of the game.
Ex-Goldman Analyst Jeff Currie Is Getting Into the Oil Business
Jeff Currie, the one-time Goldman Sachs Group Inc. commodities strategist known for shaping investor views on energy markets, has co-founded an oil and gas company.
CFTC Chairman Says AI Helps Agency Run More Like a Business
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is using artificial intelligence to boost efficiency, CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig told a congressional
The underworld invades Sutter Street Theatre
FOLSOM — "Hadestown: Teen Edition," an intriguing and beautiful folk opera, delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. The full-length adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell’s "Hadestown," modified for performance
Personnel note: Eric Ludin tapped as Of Counsel for Shumaker's St. Pete office
Ludin is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Mediator, making him a commodity among other lawyers to resolve client disputes.
Consider Kids’ Sports Gear as a Source of Contact Dermatitis
Modifications and alternative products can help manage sports-related allergens in children with allergic contact dermatitis.
Gemma 4 and what makes an open model succeed
Having written a lot of model release blog posts, there’s something much harder about reviewing open models when they drop relative to closed models, especially in 2026. In recent years, there were so few open models, so when Llama 3 was released most people were still doing research on Llama 2 and super happy to get an update. When Qwen 3 was released, the Llama 4 fiasco had just gone down, and a whole research community was emerging to study RL on Qwen 2.5 — it was a no brainer to upgrade. Today, when an open model releases, it’s competing with Qwen 3.5, Kimi K2.5, GLM 5, MiniMax M2.5, GPT-OSS, Arcee Large, Nemotron 3, Olmo 3, and others. The space is populated, but still feels full of hidden opportunity. The potential of open models feels like a dark matter, a potential we know is huge, but few clear recipes and examples for how to unlock it are out there. Agentic AI, OpenClaw, and everything brewing in that space is going to spur mass experimentation in open models to complement the likes of Claude and Codex, not replace them. Especially with open models, the benchmarks at release are an extremely incomplete story. In some ways this is exciting, as new open models have a much higher variance and ability to surprise, but it also points at some structural reasons that make building businesses and great AI experiences around open models harder than the closed alternatives. When a new Claude Opus or GPT drops, spending a few hours with them in my agentic workflows is genuinely a good vibe test. For open models, putting them through this test is a category error. Something else to be said about open models in the era of agents is that they get out of the debate of integration, harnesses, and tools and let us see close to the ground on what exactly is the ability of just a model. Of course, we can’t test some things like search abilities without some tool, but being able to measure exactly the pace of progress of the model alone is a welcome simplification to a systematically opaque AI space. Share The list of factors I’d use to assess a new open-weight model I’m considering investing in includes: Model performance (and size) — how this model performs on benchmarks I care about and how it compares to other models of a similar size. Country of origin — some businesses care deeply about provenance, and if a model was built in China or not. Model license — if a model needs legal approval for use, uptake will be slower at mid-sized and large companies. Tooling at release — many models release with half-broken, or at least substantially slower, implementations in popular software like vLLM, Transformers, SGLANG, etc due to pushing the envelope of architectures or tools. Model fine-tunability — how easy or hard it is to modify the given model to your use-case when you actually try and use it. The core problem is that some of these are immediately available at release, e.g. general performance, license, origin, etc. but others such as tooling take day(s) to week(s) to stabilize, and others are open research questions — with no group systematically monitoring fine-tunability. In the early era of open models, the days of Llama 2 or 3 and Qwen pre v3.5, the architectures were fairly simple and the models tended to work out of the box. Some of this was due to the extremely hard work of the Llama, Qwen, Mistral, etc. developer teams. Some is due to the new models being genuinely harder to work with. When it comes to something like Qwen 3.5 or Nemotron 3, with hybrid models (either gated delta net or mamba layers), the tooling is very rough at release. Things you would expect to “just work” often don’t. I’ve been following this area closely since we released Olmo Hybrid with a similar architecture, and Qwen 3.5 is just starting to work well in the various open-source tools that need to all play nice together for RL research. That’s 1.5 months after the release date! This is just to start really investing more into understanding the behavior of the models. Of course, others started working on these models sooner by investing more engineering resources or relying on partially closed software. The fully open and distributed ecosystem takes a long time to get going on some new models. All of this is lead-in for the most important question for open models — how easy is it to adapt to specific use-cases? This is a different problem for different model sizes. Large MoE open-weight models may be used by entities like Cursor who need complex capabilities in their domain, e.g. Composer 2 trained on Kimi K2.5. Other applications can be built on much smaller models, such as Chroma’s Context-1 model for agentic search, built on GPT-OSS 20B. The question of “which models are fine-tunable” is largely background knowledge known by engineers across the industry. There should be a thriving research area here to support the open ecosystem model. The first step is to understand characteristics of different base and post-trained models to understand what they look like. The second step is to tune pretraining recipes for open models so they’re more flexible. Interconnects AI is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe For The ATOM Project and other Interconnects endeavors, we’ve put in substantial effort to measuring adoption trends in the open ecosystem. Everything takes a long time to unfold after a model is first publicly available — and adaptability is why. What we know for sure now, when Qwen has been going from strength to strength with its releases, is that technical staff across the industry has gotten comfortable working with Qwen models. Countless research methods and datasets were made to work with Qwen. It’ll take patience for any other model family to get to this point — a patience I’m not sure many open model builders have. This takes us to Gemma 4, Google’s latest open models. Gemma 3 was released more than a year ago, in March of 2025, and is a bit underrated. Gemma 4 comes in 4 sizes for now, with a bigger, MoE model of over 100B total parameters rumored but not released yet. The models we have today come in sizes of ~5B dense, 8B dense, 26B total 4B active MoE, and 31B dense. I’m most excited that they’re finally adopting a standard Apache 2.0 open source license. This’ll massively boost adoption. The standard of better licenses for strong open-weight LLMs was set by mostly Chinese open model labs in the last 1-2 years, and now U.S. companies are following suit. I will personally be so happy if the horrible Llama licenses and Gemma terms of service were an ~18-month transient dynamic of the industry being nervous about releasing strong open models. The Gemma 4 scores look very solid, the small models have incredible benchmark scores (especially in general domains like LMArena) and the 31B model rivals the recent Qwen 3.5 27B, which is the leading member of that class. The ~30B size range is an important one, as it’s accessible both to researchers and to enterprises looking to deploy the model in real use-cases. Where the 7B model scale is the default for tinkering and research, a 30B model is the default for seeing if an open model can unlock substantial value in your specific workflow — a good mix of intelligence, low price, tractability for downstream training, etc. This takes us back to the above adoption criteria I mentioned for open models and the bigger question — do I think Gemma 4 will be an overwhelming success? Previous Gemma models have been plagued by tooling issues and poorer performance when being finetuned. Gemma 4’s success is going to be entirely determined by ease of use, to a point where a 5-10% swing on benchmarks wouldn’t matter at all. It’s strong enough, small enough, with the right license, and from the U.S., so many companies are going to slot it in. I’m cautiously optimistic that Gemma 4 is going to work better here. Winds are shifting for open models built in America. We saw GPT-OSS go through a bumpy launch to become an overwhelming success. There’s a collective energy around the likes of Reflection, Arcee, Nemotron, Gemma, Olmo, and peers that show substantial demand for building new stacks around open models. There’s capital to be spent on AI stacks across the economy by those who want more ownership of everything, including the model. After launching The ATOM Project 240 days ago, the conversation is shifting into the next stage. Summer of 2025 was a crisis moment where the U.S. AI scene realized it can’t wait and figure out open models after building AGI. The two markets will capture different areas and proceed in parallel. Now that more companies in the U.S. are releasing strong models, we need to improve the ecosystem so that these models are easy to use, understand, and build value around. It’s the hard work to build another inflection point in these adoption plots I’ve been updating consistently, but that’s the work to be done. Join me in it. More data coming soon! Here’s a sneak peek:
Slay the Spire 2 nerfs card removal, buffs shivs, and adds a new reward system
New Slay the Spire 2 patch notes include a rework for Borrowed Time, a replacement for the Gloom Ascension, and a system called Badges.
Hingham Schools Eye Business Curriculum Expansion as Class Size Concerns Mount
HINGHAM - March 23, 2026 - The Hingham School Committee moved to modernize its high school offerings Monday night, reviewing a comprehensive plan to expand the “small but mighty” Business Department while simultaneously grappling with data that places Hingham as an outlier in elementary class sizes. Director of Social Studies Andy Hoey presented a two-year program review that highlighted the department’s success in community partnerships but warned that high student demand is testing current staffing limits. Meanwhile, committee Chair Jen Benham presented independent research showing Hingham is the only benchmark district with second-grade classes hitting a 25-student cap, sparking a directive for the Policy Subcommittee to review class-size standards. Editors note: South Shore News is going paid in April, subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a story. Reach out for group or organizational pricing. Subscribe The Full Story The meeting opened with a look into the future of Hingham High School’s (HHS) curriculum. Andy Hoey, who oversees the Business Department, presented the first formal program review for the department since 2009. [15:09] Hoey characterized the department as a vital elective hub that currently serves between 14% and 27% of the HHS student body in any given year. [31:31] “We are very proud of our business department here at Hingham High School... while we’re very proud of it, we are always striving to make improvements and enhancements.” [15:55] — Andy Hoey, Director of Social Studies A key highlight of the presentation was the announcement of a new AP Business with Personal Finance course launching next year, pending enrollment. [20:08] The review team found that while the program is “well-aligned” to national standards, it remains a high-school-only offering. Hoey outlined an action plan to explore “vertical articulation,” potentially introducing business or financial literacy units at the middle school level to fill a “gap” identified between fifth and eighth grade. [41:48] However, the department faces “smoke and mirrors” regarding student GPA, according to Hoey. Currently, most business courses are “unleveled” and do not count toward a student’s GPA, which survey data suggests may deter some students from enrolling. [28:15] The committee discussed the possibility of offering Honors or College Prep (CP) credit for advanced courses, such as investing or marketing, to better reflect their academic rigor. [38:27] The discussion took a sharp turn toward elementary education during an enrollment update. Superintendent Dr. Katie Roberts noted a net gain of four students mid-year, but it was Jen Benham’s “rabbit hole” data analysis that caught the committee’s attention. [50:35] Benham researched 13 benchmark towns—representing 34 elementary schools—and found that Hingham was the only district with a second-grade section reaching 25 students this year. [51:36] Benham’s findings suggested that while many districts lack formal class-size policies, Hingham’s current cap of 25 for second grade may be too high. “I think if we could at least have 23 at a cap for grade two,” Benham suggested, noting the importance of that grade level for literacy development. [53:09], [54:55] Dr. Roberts cautioned that smaller classes require more staff, which is a significant hurdle following a budget season where nine general education positions were cut across the district. [55:56] The committee also finalized the 2025 Town Report, which was updated to be more “student-centered” and highlight staff early in the document. [11:12] Additionally, a series of food service policies were approved to align with Massachusetts’ universal free school meal mandate, including new protocols for meal modifications due to allergies or religious needs. [59:23] Share Why It Matters The meeting underscored a tension between Hingham’s desire to offer elite, specialized programming and the foundational pressure of class sizes. The expansion of the Business Department—including potential Microsoft certifications and AP courses—aims to prepare students for a “real world” where credit scores and financial literacy are paramount. [46:20] However, the revelation that Hingham’s second-grade classes are larger than those in all neighboring benchmark towns suggests a potential strain on early education that could impact long-term student performance if not addressed by the Policy Subcommittee. Official Minutes & Data Key Motions & Votes Motion: To approve the Hingham Public Schools 2025 Town Report. [13:16] Vote: Unanimous (7-0) ([01:13:28]) Motion: To approve the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for summer counselor work regarding course placement. [57:33] Vote: Unanimous (7-0) ([57:50]) Motion: To approve Policy EFBA (School Food and Nutrition/Meal Modifications). [01:00:32] Vote: Unanimous (7-0) ([01:00:44]) Motion: To approve Policy EFC (Universal Free School Meals). [01:00:54] Vote: Unanimous (7-0) ([01:01:07]) Public Comment No members of the public spoke during the meeting or via the remote link. [01:02:30] What’s Next The Policy Subcommittee will take up the review of elementary class-size caps over the next year to determine if the Grade 2 limit should be lowered from 25 to 23. [52:18] The Business Department will monitor enrollment for the new AP Business course and continue exploring dual-enrollment partnerships with Quincy College. [38:13] Source Video: Harbor Media South Shore News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Elon Musk Joins in Phone Call Between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi
Mr. Musk’s participation was notable because it is rare for a private citizen to be on a call between heads of state. It also suggests that Mr. Musk is back on better terms with the president.
Myles Garrett landing spots: Why trade rumors could heat up after Browns modify his contract
Don't be surprised if Cleveland ends up trading the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
Russia turned cheap 'Molniya' strike drones into advanced recon tools
The modifications allow Russia to use these drones for battlefield reconnaissance instead of relying on more expensive platforms.
UCLA Health podcast shines a light on colorectal cancer prevention, early detection and rising risks
UCLA Health's podcast episode on colorectal cancer, featuring Dr. Eve Glazier, Katie Couric and Dr. Fola May, highlights the critical need for prevention and early detection amid rising risks, particularly among younger adults. The discussion focuses on cancer screening, lifestyle modifications and advocacy to reduce the incidence of this disease.
Senators introduce bill to ban sports betting on prediction markets
The new bill would amend the Commodity Exchange Act to ban prediction contracts related to sports events or casino-style games.
Health Literacy as a Modifiable Clinical Risk Factor: Operationalizing an Underrecognized Determinant of Outcomes
Health literacy has been considered a social determinant of health and has never been extensively incorporated in the general practice of clinical care. Systematic reviews and cohort studies sho...
Apple Cracks Down on ‘Vibe Coding’ Apps
Apple has quietly prevented AI vibe coding apps such as Replit and Vibecode, which help people create games and other applications, from releasing updates to their mobile apps on the App Store unless they make modifications, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. The ...
At the Winter Paralympics, some athletes have found business opportunities
At the Winter Paralympics, athletes with prosthetics often modify them to fit their bodies more precisely. That has led to some competitors starting their own businesses to help fellow amputees.
At the Winter Paralympics, some athletes have found business opportunities
At the Winter Paralympics, athletes with prosthetics often modify them to fit their bodies more precisely. That has led to some competitors starting their own businesses to help fellow amputees.
Why powerful individuals are dominating politics
From Xi Jinping in China to Narendra Modi in India and Donald Trump in the US, powerful leaders are reshaping the rules of the global great game.
Scientists suggest modifying cars to hit fewer hedgehogs
Placing ultrasound repellants on cars could protect the spiny mammals.
Mental health solutions for the digital age
Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.
Latest iOS 26.4 Beta Adds New Emoji Characters
The fourth iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and macOS Tahoe 26.4 betas that Apple provided to developers today introduce nine new emoji characters. Trombone Treasure Chest Distorted Face Hairy Creature (aka Bigfoot or Sasquatch) Fight Cloud Orca Landslide There are also new skin tone modifiers people wrestling and dancers with bunny ears, as well as a gender neutral option for the ballet dancer emoji.
2026 MBAs Abroad: Khanya Modipa, IESE Business School
International MBA students share their experiences studying in Europe
Providence Oregon CEO Discusses “Joint Decision” With Insurer to Restrict Access to Specialty Care
More than 200,000 CareOregon Medicaid members in the Portland area can no longer get new referrals to most Providence Medical Group specialists. But the Providence Oregon CEO says the system and insurer could modify the arrangement if needed.
Colorado is turning its back on agriculture
Colorado’s farmers and ranchers already face significant challenges, including volatile commodity prices, rising input costs, labor shortages and unpredictable weather. They should not also have to contend with a state legislature that increasingly seeks to regulate how they protect crops and livestock. Yet that is precisely what Senate Bills 26-062 and 26-065 represent: a top-down […]
Economist: China’s politics, not prices, driving U.S. ag purchases
The chief commodities economist with StoneX Group says he’s recently become more optimistic about China buying more ag products from the United States. Arlan Suderman tells Brownfield President Xi Jinping is dealing with internal Chinese politics and he needs U.S. support. “My bias at this point is he will survive it, but in the meantime, […]
Hormel sells whole-turkey business to another Minnesota company, but Jennie-O remains
Waning consumer demand and volatile commodity prices have put pressure on poultry producers. Life-Science Innovations already owns other bird facilities throughout the state.
Money Talks as India Searches for Its Place in Global A.I.
Narendra Modi, the prime minister, convened foreign leaders, the richest Silicon Valley companies and thousands of Indian entrepreneurs for a week of deal making.
BHP Group's first-half profit jumps 22% on higher commodity prices
BHP Group on Tuesday reported a better-than-expected half-year underlying profit, driven by record first-half iron ore production and higher prices for its key commodities, iron ore and copper.
Spring sports physicals for grades 7-12
All student-athletes interested in trying out for a spring sport must have an up-to-date physical submitted to FinalForms in advance of the March 9 start to the season for high school sports and in advance of the March 23 start to the season for modified sports. Families are encouraged to schedule a visit with their child's provider to secure a completed physical form. If this is not possible, the district physician will offer sports physicals at Albany High School, William S. Hackett Middle School, North Albany Middle School and Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School. The schedule is outlined below. No appointment is necessary. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact the Athletics Office at (518) 475-6310. Let's go Falcons! Sports physicals schedule: Albany High March 4 10:30 a.m. Room 1130 Albany High March 5 10:30 a.m. Room 1130 Myers March 17 10:30 a.m. Health Office Hackett March 18 10:30 a.m. Health Office North Albany March 19 10:30 a.m. Health Office
Will Commodity Sports Last?
If you wanted to bet on the Super Bowl this past weekend, you had options. You may have bet with a friend. If you live in a state where it’s legal, you could have gone to a casino or used a casino’s app. Or, starting last year, you could have entered into an event contract […]
Amendment narrows ‘agricultural disparagement’ language in sweeping farm bill
The amendment would align the definition with federal commodity classifications.
Chang’e-6 lunar samples reveal a giant impact reshaped the Moon’s interior
A colossal ancient impact may have reshaped the Moon far more deeply than scientists once realized. By analyzing rare lunar rocks brought back by China’s Chang’e-6 mission from the Moon’s largest crater, researchers found unusual chemical fingerprints pointing to extreme heat and material loss caused by a giant impact. The collision likely stripped away volatile elements, reshaped volcanic activity, and left a lasting chemical signature deep below the surface.
The best medicine: Jimmy Blewett is happy, healthy and ready to race again with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
After a health scare sidelined Jimmy Blewett for a full year, the New Jersey driver is returning to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
The Hottest Commodity in the Mining Business: American Generals
Companies are bringing in retired military brass to navigate Washington and win Pentagon contracts.
What to know about the Melania Trump documentary
As Melania Trump prepares to walk the red carpet at the newly rebranded Kennedy Center Thursday evening, she is proving that a peek behind the curtain of her life isn’t just a historical record, but a multi-million-dollar commodity.
How your health is being commodified by social media
From heath tech developers to influencers, our health is being monetised – and we need to be aware of what's going on, says Deborah Cohen
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
Policies and interventions to create healthy school food environments: WHO guideline
This WHO guideline provides Member States with evidence-based recommendations and implementation considerations on policies to improve school food environments. It covers three areas: direct food provision in schools; nutrition standards or rules for foods and beverages served or sold at school; and nudging interventions that modify the school food environment to promote healthier choices.
“SaaS is dying as a business category”
As AI agents commoditize software, companies such as Wix, monday and Nice confront a forced reinvention of growth, pricing and value.
Qatari jet-turned-Air Force One expected to be delivered this summer, Air Force says
The luxury Qatari jet being transformed into a new Air Force One will be delivered this summer, the Air Force said in a statement, roughly a year after its extensive modification began.
Apple bets on Gemini AI for Siri, signaling shift in AI strategy
Apple, Siri, and Google Gemini AI are at the forefront as Apple rebuilds its assistant, betting on AI model commoditization and flexibility.
The RAM Shortage Is Killing Nvidia's Cheapest GPU for 4K Gaming
We can already tell 16GB graphics cards will become an exclusive commodity in 2026.
As hate spirals in India, Hindu extremists turn to Christian targets
Anti-Muslim violence has soared for more than a decade under Indian PM Modi. Now, Christians face the brunt, too.
The America First Global Health Strategy and Pooled Procurement
To help inform the U.S. America First Global Health Strategy, which includes an emphasis on commodities and pooled procurement, we reviewed eight existing global and regional pooled procurement mechanisms
Anthropic’s new Cowork tool offers Claude Code without the code
Built into the Claude Desktop app, Cowork lets users designate a specific folder where Claude can read or modify files, with further instructions given through the standard chat interface.
Huge Study Links 99% of Heart Attacks And Strokes With 4 Risk Factors
And we can modify them.
Don't regulate modern small business tools out of reach
OPINION - Unnecessary regulations threaten the very systems that help small businesses weather seasonal economic swings. State leaders must work with small businesses and protect access to low-cost financial tools that fuel local economies statewide.
Texarkana, Arkansas, could finalize entertainment district changes Monday
TEXARKANA, Ark. -- Modifying the entertainment district is on the agenda for the first meeting of the year for the city's Board of Directors.
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM): A Deep Value Commodity Business
As part of our ongoing series at The Acquirer’s Multiple, each week we spotlight a stock from our Stock Screeners that may represent a deeply undervalued opportunity hiding in plain sight. This week’s spotlight is Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (CALM) — the largest producer and distributor of shell eggs in the … Read More
The 10 wildest stock, crypto, and commodity market moments of 2025
Come for the Liberation Day stock-market crash. Stay for Nvidia's ascent to a $5 trillion valuation.
Giorgio Armani, Stanley Fischer Among Business Leaders Who Died in 2025
A city-enhancing “starchitect,” a savior of IBM, a revered fashion designer and the founding chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission were among the notable business and finance figures who died in 2025.
The business of predicting the future is booming but EU regulators remain uneasy
Prediction markets are ushering in a new era where collective judgement and "crowd wisdom" are no longer theoretical concepts but tradable commodities. Yet despite their growing success, they remain banned in many EU countries.View on euronews
Analysis | Is anything real anymore? In 2025, even sports fans started to doubt.
The integrity of games might be sports’ most precious commodity. This year’s gambling scandals have fans questioning it — a trend some view as an existential threat.
Cheetah MX4 Mini: A Pint-Sized 3D Printer Controller
There’s a seemingly unending list of modifications or upgrades you can make to a 3D printer. Most revolve around the mechanical side of things, many are simple prints or small add-ons. This upgrade…
Strengthening U.S.-Nigerian Health Cooperation under the America First Global Health Strategy - U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria
Strengthening U.S.-Nigerian Health Cooperation under the America First Global Health Strategy The United States signed a five-year, $5.1 billion bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Republic of Nigeria December 19 to advance the America First Global Health Strategy, supporting resilient, self-reliant, and durable health systems while promoting accountability and shared responsibility. Under the five-year MOU, the United States intends to commit nearly $2.1 billion in health assistance, with nearly $3.0 billion in new domestic health expenditures by the Government of Nigeria over the same five-year period. This represents the largest co-investment any country has made to date under the America First Global Health Strategy and underscore Nigeria’s commitment to greater national ownership of its health system. Under the MOU, the United States will continue to support surveillance and outbreak response, laboratory systems, health commodities; frontline healthcare workers, and data systems. Nigeria faces significant health challenges, including one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally and approximately30 percent of the global malaria burden. U.S. assistance under the MOU will expand access to affordable, preventive and curative services for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, polio, and maternal and child health, strengthening health outcomes across Nigeria. The MOU places a strong emphasis on Christian faith-based healthcare providers, recognizing their indispensable role in delivering care to communities in need. Nigeria’s more than 900 faith-based clinics and hospitals serve more than 30 percent of the country’s 230 million people, often in areas where healthcare facilities are limited or absent. The MOU provides approximately $200 million in dedicated support to strengthen and support these Christian facilities, enhance workforce capacity, and expand access to integrated HIV, TB, malaria, and maternal child health services. Investments in Christian faith-based health institutions are uniquely positioned to complement public-sector facilities and reinforce Nigeria’s overall health infrastructure. The MOU was negotiated in connection with reforms undertaken by the Government of Nigeria to prioritize the protection of Christian populations from extremist violence. As with all U.S. foreign assistance, the President and Secretary of State retain the right to pause or terminate programs that do not align with U.S. national interests, and the United States expects Nigeria to continue making measurable progress in combating religiously motivated violence against Christian communities. This five-year MOU is the latest of several health cooperation MOUs signed in Africa this month. The United States will continue to sign multi-year Bilateral Agreements on Global Health Cooperation with countries receiving U.S. health assistance to advance the America First Global Health Strategy.
Board approves budget modification to backfill $2.4 million in CareOregon behavioral health cuts
On Thursday, Dec. 11, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $2.4 million budget adjustment to fill part of a $4.6 million gap in behavioral health services.
Congress to require greater oversight of military health restructuring
The proposed defense authorization bill calls for more eyes on proposed modifications to military treatment facilities.
Adobe brings Photoshop, Express and Acrobat features to ChatGPT
ChatGPT's 800 million plus userbase can now use Adobe's apps to modify images and PDFs
Why addressing deforestation is a strategic business priority
Companies, governments and investors increasingly see the business value of staying focused on responsible commodity production and sourcing.