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On the Road With Antiprotons: CERN Runs Delicate Test on Transporting Ultrasensitive Antimatter
GENEVA (AP) — Scientists in Geneva are taking some antiprotons out for a spin — a very delicate one — in a truck, in a never-tried-before test drive. If this so-called antimatter comes into contact with actual matter — even for a fraction of an instant — it will be annihilated in a quick flash of ...
Photos: LSU players impress NFL scouts on Pro Day 2026
NFL scouts gathered at the LSU football practice facility to see 17 LSU players that have declared for the 2026 draft on Monday, March 23, 2026. Players like Garrett Nussmeier,
Playoff-bound Wild, Lightning out to improve positioning
The Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning, two powerhouses preparing for the playoffs in their respective conferences, will complete their two-game season series in Tuesday night's matchup in the Sunshine State.
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.
Scientists Say Surprising Smells Are Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Mummies
Analyzing samples of mummies from different dynastic periods showed how the mixtures of substances used in mummification became more complex with time.
Building a Culture of Health: BJACH Opens Armed Forces Wellness Center at Fort Polk
FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital marked a significant step forward in supporting warfighter readiness and community well-being with the grand opening of its new Armed Forces Wellness Center on March 23. The center, located on the first floor inside BJACH, provides Soldiers, Families, civilian employees and beneficiaries with access to personalized health assessments, education and coaching designed to improve overall health and performance.
Bucks, Clippers still hoping to make playoff runs
The Los Angeles Clippers will welcome an old friend back into town Monday when former head coach Doc Rivers and his current team, the Milwaukee Bucks, make a visit to Inglewood, Calif.
Wichita State wins 96-70 against Oklahoma State in NIT
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) Kenyon Giles had 28 points in Wichita State's 96-70 victory against Oklahoma State on Sunday in the NIT.
Surging Hawks look to take advantage of short-handed Grizzlies
The streaking Atlanta Hawks will try to enhance their push for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference when they host the struggling Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Auburn secures 91-85 victory over Seattle U in NIT
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Kevin Overton had 23 points in Auburn's 91-85 win over Seattle U on Sunday in the NIT.
Nets' Danny Wolf: Exits early Sunday
Nets' Danny Wolf: Exits early Sunday
Luke Doncic facing suspension as Lakers oppose playoff-bound Pistons
The Los Angeles Lakers barely kept their winning streak alive on Saturday. They'll go for 10 in a row when they visit the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Monday.
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.
Raptors, Suns playing for postseason in season's final stretch
Two of the best turnaround stories in the NBA this season belong to the Toronto Raptors and the Phoenix Suns, who each missed the playoffs a year ago.
Golden Knights intent on igniting sluggish offense vs. Stars
With 12 games left in the regular season, it's fair to say that things are trending in the wrong direction for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Alaska Sports Scoreboard: March 21, 2026
Scores and results from competitions across the state.
Edgecombe's double-double helps 76ers down Jazz 126-116
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) VJ Edgecombe had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Quentin Grimes scored 26 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 126-116 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Election in Slovenia Will Test Europe’s Political Mood
The center-left government is being challenged by a right-wing populist accused of launching a smear campaign in the final days of a close race.
Coaches in elite company clash when Kansas faces St. John's
SAN DIEGO -- Only three active head coaches in Division I college basketball have won multiple national championships. Two of them meet for a berth in the Sweet 16 when Bill Self's No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks face Rick Pitino's No. 5 St. John's Red Storm on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament East Region.
Celtics' Luka Garza filling key role as unfocused Wolves visit
Celtics' Luka Garza filling key role as unfocused Wolves visit
Predators look to further cement playoff position in Chicago
The streaking Nashville Predators moved into a Western Conference wild-card spot on Saturday.
Illinois State, Wake Forest battle for NIT quarterfinal spot
Another prolific scoring performance by Juke Harris allowed Wake Forest to keep its season alive and the best game of Landon Wolf's career enabled Illinois State to continue playing.
Rockets to utilize tweaked starting lineup vs. Heat
Rockets to utilize tweaked starting lineup vs. Heat
Grizzlies, facing daunting road to play-in, visit hot Hornets
Grizzlies, facing daunting road to play-in, visit hot Hornets
No. 4 Arkansas keeping guard up vs. Cinderella High Point
No. 4 Arkansas keeping guard up vs. Cinderella High Point
Nebraska, hungry for school's first Sweet 16, ready for Vanderbilt
After winning the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament game on Thursday, Nebraska wants more.
Big Money Flows Into State Attorney General Races as Legal Battles Shape American Politics
With control of Congress on the ballot in November, state attorney general races can get lost in the shuffle. But just outside the election spotlight, there are partisan groups, corporate interests and advocacy networks revving up campaigns for offices that are playing a growing role in American ...
Clippers hope trip to Dallas gets them back on track
While trying to overcome their worst stretch since reviving their season starting in late December, the Los Angeles Clippers will visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday while on a four-game losing streak.
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.
Spurs look to extend winning streak while hosting hapless Pacers
The San Antonio Spurs carry a four-game winning streak as they continue their hunt for the top spot in the Western Conference while hosting the hapless Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
Excess Heat Raises Tijuana River Valley Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions, Health Precautions Recommended
People in the South Bay, especially those living near the Tijuana River Valley (TJRV), are experiencing elevated hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions, often recognized by a strong rotten egg smell.
Heat's Pelle Larsson: Scores in double figures again
Heat's Pelle Larsson: Scores in double figures again
Left's political targeting makes a comeback as prominent Democrats advocate for harassment
Fox News contributor Ben Domenech criticizes Democrats including Gov. JB Pritzker and Rep. Maxine Waters over rhetoric targeting Republican and Trump officials on ‘The Faulkner Focus.’
Giants' Logan Webb: Hit hard in spring outing
Giants' Logan Webb: Hit hard in spring outing
Panthers, Flames fight to extend flickering postseason hopes
The Florida Panthers continued their mastery over the Edmonton Oilers with a decisive 4-0 road victory on Thursday in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.
Judge Rules US Government Overreached With Transgender Health Care Declaration
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge said the government overreached by issuing a declaration that called treatments like puberty blockers and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people experiencing gender dysphoria, according to a ruling Thursday in Oregon. Judge Mustafa Kasubhai's ruling ...
Ayo Dosunmu bringing 'genuine energy' as Wolves take on Blazers
Nobody can fill Anthony Edwards' shoes, but Ayo Dosunmu is doing his best to help.
Miami (Ohio) has No. 6 seed Tennessee's full attention
PHILADELPHIA -- After being shut out from scheduling a high-major opponent during the season, Miami (Ohio) finally got a crack at one in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Senior-laden Purdue pivots to ‘March mode’ vs. newbie Queens
For the third time in four years, Purdue enters the NCAA Tournament with a top two seed and a lot of experience.
RFK Jr. Makes Food Sound Like a Miracle Drug. Researchers Say He Often Overstates the Science
In the Trump administration’s campaign to promote healthy eating, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not stopped at his slogan urging people to “eat real food” to prevent disease. In recent speeches and podcast appearances, the nation’s health secretary also has claimed that diet can “cure” schizophrenia and ...
RFK Jr. Makes Food Sound Like a Miracle Drug. Researchers Say He Often Overstates the Science
In the Trump administration’s campaign to promote healthy eating, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not stopped at his slogan urging people to “eat real food” to prevent disease. In recent speeches and podcast appearances, the nation’s health secretary also has claimed that diet can “cure” schizophrenia and ...
Lakers bring star power, winning streak into game against Heat
Luka Doncic and LeBron James are headed to Miami as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Heat on Thursday night.
Premature Menopause Increases Heart Disease Risk
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, March 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Premature menopause can increase a woman’s long-term risk of heart disease from clogged arteries by 40%, a new study says. This risk is particularly important among Black women, as they are three times more likely to ...
Blue Jackets bring pressure-based mindset into meeting with Rangers
The Columbus Blue Jackets are on a 10-game point streak (6-0-4) as they prepare to host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
Bell's 31 lead California over UIC 91-73 in NIT
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) Chris Bell's 31 points led California over UIC 91-73 on Wednesday night in the NIT.
Nevada defeats Murray State 89-75 in NIT
RENO, Nev. (AP) Vaughn Weems had 23 points in Nevada's 89-75 win over Murray State on Wednesday in the NIT.
76ers hoping for Joel Embiid's return against Kings
The Philadelphia 76ers hope to have Joel Embiid back in the lineup when they continue a three-game Western swing with a matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
Struggling Panthers look to ice-out familiar foe Oilers
The Stanley Cup Final reunion returns to Wild Rose Country as Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Duke shrugs off health issues, sets sights on Siena
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Duke enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a familiar goal and matching expectations as the No. 1 overall seed.
Georgia meets Saint Louis in anticipated track meet
Georgia coach Mike White offered up a quick summation of Thursday night's NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round game against Saint Louis in Buffalo, N.Y.
Study Finds Little Proof Cannabis Helps Most Mental Health Conditions
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 18, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Cannabis-based medications are often used to treat mental health problems, but a new review suggests they may not work as well as many people hope. Researchers looked at decades of studies and found little evidence ...
Playoff-bound Nuggets, jockeying for position, take on undermanned Grizzlies
Playoff-bound Nuggets, jockeying for position, take on undermanned Grizzlies
Film Review: “Project Hail Mary” - The Sweet Smell of Science Fiction Wonder
"Project Hail Mary" is an antidote to dystopias, real and imagined.
Playoffs? Check. Next up for Thunder: Handle lowly Nets
The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the first step in their title defense and saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extend his historic streak on Tuesday.
Paleontology has an Epstein problem. Women in the field say it's a symptom of a deeper misogyny
The names of hundreds of scientists have appeared in the Epstein files, including prominent dinosaur researchers. As the paleontology community reckons with the fallout of these revelations, women in the field say it's bringing to the forefront what they've known for years — that paleontology is ripe with abuse and harassment, and its institutions protect men at the top at the expense of women trying to build careers in spaces that treat them as disposable.
City budget plan would boost potential business improvement district for Carytown
The proposed budget includes $125,000 to help establish the assessment district, which would charge businesses in Carytown an additional fee, above taxes, for enhanced city services.
Stratton Wins Illinois Senate Race, Saving Pritzker From Political Embarrassment
The billionaire Democratic governor spent at least $5 million helping his lieutenant governor win the primary.
49ers given uncomfortable 1-word assessment for offseason roster moves
This isn't exactly what the 49ers want to hear about their offseason so far.
Trump was warned of likely Iranian retaliation on Gulf allies, sources say
Pre-war intelligence assessments did not say that Iran’s response was \
Montana’s wild week in politics could have national consequences
What was shaping up to be a sleepy election year in Montana is now anything but. It was a head-spinning week in Montana politics: Two incumbent congressmen declared they weren’t running for re-election — and another got into a scuffle on Capitol Hill. In a tight election year, the shakeup could have national consequences.
Laferriere's 3-point performance powers Kings over Rangers
NEW YORK (AP) Alex Laferriere had a goal and two assists to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Monday night.
Contrasting styles on tap as Oklahoma State, Davidson open NIT
Oklahoma State will be in familiar territory as it tries to cap a solid campaign with an NIT run. The Cowboy open by hosting Davidson on Tuesday night in Stillwater, Okla.
Sharks' late-game execution in spotlight vs. Oilers
San Jose has had no problem scoring goals and taking leads against Edmonton this season.
Knicks endeavor to remain focused against NBA-worst Pacers
The New York Knicks know they shouldn't have any reason to lose focus Tuesday night.
Plagued by early deficits, Wild turn page to meet Blackhawks
A three-game winless streak has done little to compromise the Minnesota Wild's solid playoff positioning.
Recently unbeatable, UMBC and Howard clash in First Four
DAYTON, Ohio -- The field of 68 teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament begins to get whittled down Tuesday night when a pair of No. 16 seeds from the Midwest Region square off.
Factbox-Lawsuits Against Trump Administration's Health Policy Changes
March 16 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday blocked key parts of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort to reshape U.S. vaccine policy, including a move to reduce the number of shots routinely recommended for children. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston sided with medical ...
Red-hot teams clash when Hurricanes visit Blue Jackets
Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho look to continue their respective strong play on Tuesday as the Carolina Hurricanes visit the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets.
Oz Says California’s Not Fighting Health Care Fraud. Data Shows a Larger Battle
By Don Thompson | KFF Health News SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For weeks, Mehmet Oz has been waging a public feud with California leaders over health care fraud, accusing the blue state of failing to adequately combat such abuse. Oz, who heads the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, alleged that
Dejounte Murray boosting Pelicans, who face Mavericks on uptick
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is making up for lost time.
Trail Blazers looking to limit turnovers vs. youthful Nets
On Sunday, the Portland Trail Blazers struggled to avoid turnovers and could not match the physicality of an Eastern Conference team in a playoff race.
Strengthening One Health Field Epidemiology Capacity in the WHO South-East Asia Region
Recent public health emergencies—including the COVID-19 pandemic, recurrent zoonotic disease outbreaks, and the high level of antimicrobial resistance—have underscored the urgent need for strong, multisectoral field epidemiology capacities. This reinforces the importance of a workforce equipped with One Health field epidemiology competencies. To address this need, WHO works with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as part of Quadripartite Alliance for One Health, to strengthen field epidemiology training programmes using a One Health approach.These efforts are aligned with WHO SEARO’s Strategic Framework for Action for Strengthening Surveillance, Risk Assessment and Field Epidemiology and the Regional Roadmap to Advance Field Epidemiology Capacities 2025–2029 emphasize workforce development, multisectoral collaboration, and enhanced preparedness for health emergencies. With funding from the Pandemic Fund, The Competency for One Health Field Epidemiology (COHFE) integration within Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs) or similar initiatives has been initiated in Bangladesh and India and is planned in Sri Lanka.BangladeshIn Bangladesh, COHFE is being adapted to strengthen the Field Epidemiology Training Programme, Bangladesh (FETP-B) Advanced programme. Initiated in July 2025 and led by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), the process brought together stakeholders from human, animal, and environmental health sectors, academia, and laboratories.A Multisectoral Working Group (MWG) was established to guide implementation, conduct readiness assessments, and identify opportunities to institutionalize One Health collaboration. Through national multisectoral consultations and a competency prioritization workshop held in Dhaka in November 2025, stakeholders identified priority technical competencies for surveillance, outbreak investigation, data analysis, and risk assessment, alongside functional competencies related to leadership, coordination, and the laboratory–epidemiology interface. The process also surfaced systemic barriers—such as challenges in data sharing and limited joint investigations—enabling targeted recommendations. These outcomes are guiding curriculum revision, the introduction of One Health simulations and joint field exercises, and the development of a national multisectoral mentorship pool, with updated training materials expected to be implemented in the upcoming cohort.Figure 1. Competency prioritization involving multisectoral stakeholders“COHFE represents a significant step forward in operationalizing the One Health approach. The collaboration between national institutions and the Quadripartite partners is critical for building resilient systems to address complex health challenges in the region.”, Prof. (Dr) Tahmina Sirin, Director, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh.Aligning India’s One Health Training with COHFEIn India, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has strengthened One Health workforce development through its SectorConnect initiative. WHO supported a comprehensive competency mapping and curriculum review to align the Field Epidemiology Programme in One Health (FEP-OH) with all 14 COHFE domains. The review identified strong foundations while generating actionable recommendations to strengthen One Health learning outcomes, expand joint field-based learning, and enhance competency-based assessment. These improvements are informing programme refinement and phased scale-up across additional states.Figure 2. Strengthening learning outcomes for the SectorConnect FEP OH CurriculumThrough these efforts, WHO SEARO will continue to support countries to move from separate sector-based training toward an integrated, impact-driven One Health field epidemiology workforce capable of addressing complex health threats at human-animal-environment interface.ReferencesFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization, & World Organisation for Animal Health. (2024). Competencies for One Health field epidemiology (COHFE) framework. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240080058World Health Organization. (2023). Strategic framework for action for strengthening surveillance, risk assessment and field epidemiology for health security threats in the WHO South-East Asia Region. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290210030World Health Organization. (2024). Regional roadmap to advance field epidemiology capacities in the WHO South-East Asia Region 2025–2029. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290229544
Bulls home after 2-3 Western swing, face sputtering Grizzlies
Bulls home after 2-3 Western swing, face sputtering Grizzlies
Israeli Forces Kill Four Palestinians in West Bank, Palestinian Health Authorities Say
JERUSALEM, March 15 (Reuters) - Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children, during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Palestinian health authorities said. A mother and father, ages 35 and 37, were shot dead in the West Bank village of Tammun, along with two of ...
Two Weeks Into War With Iran, Trump Has Been Knocked Back on His Political Heels
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — In the two weeks since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump increasingly has been knocked on his political heels. He's grown more agitated with news coverage and has failed to find a way to explain why he started the war — or how he will ...
Duke player to sports bettors: 'I hope you blow your knee out'
Duke men's basketball player Isaiah Evans said prop bets aren't healthy for the sports. He told WRAL's Brian Murphy that he and his Blue Devil teammates hear from people about their prop bets, including immediately after Saturday's ACC Tournament semifinal, and it is not helpful, even harrassment.
Duke player: Harassment by sports betting losers is out of hand
Duke men's basketball player Isaiah Evans said prop bets aren't healthy for the sports. He told WRAL's Brian Murphy that he and his Blue Devil teammates hear from people about their prop bets, including immediately after Saturday's ACC Tournament semifinal, and it is not helpful, even harrassment.
Islanders see benefit of grabbing early lead against Flames
The New York Islanders finally learned Friday night they can't always come back and win after falling behind by multiple goals.
How to Gauge Your Personal Risk For a Hernia
By Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay ReporterSATURDAY, March 14, 2026 (HealthDay News) — If you’re carrying extra weight, smoke, or have a cough or sneeze that won’t go away, you may be at higher risk for a condition many people don’t think about: A hernia. Your risk is even higher if you’ve ever had ...
Oscars Spotlight Crowns Brazil's Rise as a Global Entertainment Player
By Manuela Andreoni and Isabel Teles SAO PAULO, March 14 (Reuters) - Millions of Brazilians are expected to watch as movie stars enter the Dolby Theatre for the Oscars ceremony this Sunday, hoping to witness one of their own strike gold for the second year in a row. Brazil's "The Secret Agent"
Leaked audio appears to reveal Rebel Wilson's PR team plotting smear campaign against 'The Deb' producer
In court filings, Rebel Wilson's PR team is being accused by Ghost’s attorneys of plotting a smear campaign amid an ongoing legal battle connected to the actress' directorial debut, 'The Deb.'
Ultra-Processed Foods Bad For Bone Health, Researchers Say
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, March 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — “That stuff will make your teeth rot.” For decades, parents have tried to steer kids away from junk food with that simple warning. It turns out such food is bad for your bones as well, a new study says. People who eat more ...
Experts Weigh in on Digital Health Wearables for Neurological Health
By Deanna Neff HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, March 13, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The fitness tracker on your wrist or the smart ring on your finger can do more than just count your steps. These fast-evolving gadgets are becoming valuable tools for managing complex brain and nerve disorders, according to ...
SEC champ Florida starts tourney with deep, dangerous Kentucky
NASHVILLE -- Kentucky chases a third win in three days, with rested and well-tested Florida awaiting in a Friday quarterfinal game in the Southeastern Conference tournament.
No. 5 Houston stops record-setting Dybantsa, BYU
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Kingston Fleming scored 17 points as No. 5 Houston held off AJ Dybantsa and defeated BYU 73-66 in the Big 12 quarterfinals Thursday night.
Iowa State tramples Texas Tech to reach Big 12 semifinals
Tamin Lipsey scored 20 points to help fifth-seeded Iowa State roll to a 75-53 victory over fourth-seeded Texas Tech on Thursday afternoon in Kansas City and advance to the Big 12 tournament semifinals.
More Concussions Linked To Worse Brain Health Among Recent College Grads
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTHURSDAY, March 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Former college athletes can show signs of concussion-related brain decline as early as five years after graduation, a new study says. Athletes who had three or more concussions during college play had worse scores on ...
Missouri pursues potentially pivotal win over Kentucky
NASHVILLE -- Kentucky, fresh off an opening-round win over LSU, meets a rested Missouri squad in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Wednesday.
Honda expects FY2025/26 loss of up to $4.3 bln from review of EV strategy
Honda Motor revised down its earnings forecast to a loss of 420 billion yen to 690 billion yen ($2.6 billion to $4.3 billion) in the financial year ending this month due to reassessment of its electrification strategy, the company said on Thursday.
Providence defeats Butler 91-81 in Big East Conference Tournament
NEW YORK (AP) Stefan Vaaks had 28 points in Providence's 91-81 victory against Butler on Wednesday in the Big East Conference Tournament.
KBE discusses science standards, assessments and student performance during March virtual meeting
(FRANKFORT, KY) – Members of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE) discussed science education in Kentucky, including a closer look at the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Science, how Kentucky’s assessment and accountability systems measure science proficiency, and student performance,
Best Bookkeeping Software for Small Business (2026): Sage Awarded for Streamlined Recordkeeping by Better Business Advice
Better Business Advice has recognized Sage in its 2026 assessment of the best bookkeeping software for small business, highlighting the platform's structured approach to digital recordkeeping, automation, and financial visibility.
Multilingualism Might Not Aid Brain Aging, Researcher Argues
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, March 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A researcher is disputing a recent high-profile study claiming that people who live in multilingual countries show healthier brain aging. The study, published in Nature Aging last year, found that knowing more than one ...
NC State skids into ACC tournament matchup with Pitt
CHARLOTTE -- North Carolina State could use some uplifting results after a rough patch to conclude the regular season.
Minnesota, Rutgers ride momentum into Big Ten tournament
Moments after his team's regular season ended, Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell turned his attention to the Big Ten tournament.
Cosmetic surgery investigation prompts push for tighter safety standards
A national plastic surgeons group urged people seeking liposuctions, Brazilian butt lifts or other cosmetic procedures to "do their homework."
New NAACP, Sanofi Report Unveils Roadmap for Advancing Health Equity Across the Country
The NAACP, in collaboration with Sanofi, released the findings of the ACE Your Health Community Wellness Survey, one of the largest contemporary grassroots assessments of community health resources in the United States. The report, with nearly 23,000 respondents across 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, provides insights into the real-world conditions that drive health outcomes, from the quality of housing and access to transportation to the pervasive impact of chronic stress.
Daily Multivitamins Slow Aging, Clinical Trial Finds
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, March 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The health boost from daily multivitamins might actually extend to how quickly a person ages, a new study says. Researchers found slower “wear and tear” biological aging among seniors after two years on a multivitamin,
Stress of Pregnancy Complications Might Impact Future Heart Health, Study Says
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, March 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Women who have pregnancy complications might face a higher risk of heart disease, a new study has concluded. The stress of these complications increase a woman’s risk of high blood pressure for years after they deliver,