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Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
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How should European scientists respond to the US AI kill switch?
Earlier in June, Europe’s worst fears of technological dependence were confirmed when the White House ordered the AI firm Anthropic to stop non-US citizens using its leading models. This kill-switch moment crystalised anxieties in Brussels that the continent, lagging the US on the creation of leading-edge AI models, is now a technological of vassal of Washington. The shock has specific implications for European scientists and universities. Some governments are now worried that with AI being integrated into labs, Donald Trump now has his finger hovering over an off switch for European science. “Having restrictions on this tool, it can have an impact on our own research,” said France’s research minister, Philippe Baptiste, at the VivaTech conference in Paris on June 18.Baptiste, himself a former academic, said that colleagues in mathematics had recently warned him they were now cut off from leading-edge US models, risking their work. “This model is not available anymore now because of the US restriction, and for the first time this had an impact on mathematics,” a field where large language models (LLMs) are making a significant contribution, said Baptiste. So, should European scientists avoid relying on US models in the future? Or would this be a self-harming overreaction? And how is AI being used in science, anyway? What happened?On June 12, it emerged that Washington, citing cybersecurity concerns, had ordered Anthropic to stop non-US citizens using two models: Claude Mythos 5, and Claude Fable 5, a version of Mythos but with guardrails to prevent abuse. Anthropic said Washington’s concerns were overblown. But forced to follow the order, yet with no way to check who was using the models, the company suddenly shut down access for everyone, US citizens included. There’s still no agreement on how to restore broad access. But last week, Bloomberg reported that select US companies, and the US government, still had access to Mythos despite the ban, but the EU’s cybersecurity agency Enisa had been shut out. Class division of researchersIn the longer term, access outside the US should be restored, said Marcel Salathé, co-director of the AI centre at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL), because a permanent restriction would be financially ruinous to US AI firms. “Even Trump will eventually budge to economic pressure,” he said.However, US AI firms might end up operating rather like banks, doing due diligence on users of their leading-edge AI models, he went on.European scientists are unlikely to fall foul of such checks, he said. But having a Chinese postgraduate in their lab, or doing a type of research the US disapproved of, could potentially result in access being denied. “It will create a sort of class division of researchers,” he said. More than frontier modelsHowever, successfully deploying AI in science is about far more than just having access to leading LLMs such as Mythos.Instead, many science-specific tools, most famously Alphafold, which predicts protein folding structures, require “far less” computing power to train than frontier models, well within the capabilities of European supercomputers, according to a recent analysis by the Arq Foundation, a Brussel-based AI think tank. Instead, tools such as Alphafold are possible because certain fields, like protein folding, weather prediction or astronomy, have large, clean, standardised datasets that can be used to train predictive models. Rather than compute, “data is the central constraint for AI for science,” the report says. For example, a less powerful physics model trained on CERN’s data “will be more valuable than the best model without certain data,” said Bengüsu Özcan, author of the report. European advantage?Europe could therefore steal a march by using its scientific data and infrastructure to create models US digital giants cannot. “They might actually match or go even beyond what these big [US] companies are doing,” said Özcan.Indeed, some European start-ups hope to create automated testing labs to create the kind of standardised data that could speed up the discovery of new materials. Materials scientists say there’s currently too little data to train models. AI scientistsHowever, even if the bottleneck for AI in science is often data, rather than compute, being at the mercy of the US for LLM access could still become a problem for European scientists. A new class of “AI scientists” based on leading LLMs is also emerging, Özcan’s report says.Unlike domain-specific tools like Alphafold, these try to automate day-to-day scientific work, by providing an overarching tool that coordinates specific models to synthesise existing literature, generate hypotheses or run analysis of data. The problem for Europe, however, is that these tools are sometimes based on US leading models. Google Deepmind’s AI Co-Scientist, for example, is built on Google’s Gemini LLM. Systematic failureThese scientific automation tools are still in their early stages, and still exhibit “systematic failures on scientific tasks,” Özcan’s report says. One of the problems is that the messy, day-to-day process of scientific discovery is largely not documented, meaning LLMs don’t have a good source of data to learn how scientists actually work. Meanwhile, some tasks, such as literature synthesis, don’t typically require access to leading edge models.However, the performance of AI scientific assistants could improve as companies such as Google pour resources into developing them. Rely on US“Unfortunately, for scientific assistants, there is not much we can do right now except rely on US frontier AI,” said Antoine Bosselut, a natural language processing expert based at EPFL. Chinese-built open models, which can run on local computers, lessening the risk of a shutdown, are touted as one alternative to US dependence. There’s also Mistral, once seen as Europe’s main AI hope, but the Paris-based company has seen its recent models fall behind in performance. But the Chinese alternatives are generally not as capable as US frontier AI models, said Bosselut, unless paired with fiddly, custom tools that allows them to act as independent agents. “Most scientists do not have the time,” he said. Don’t jump ship yetAlthough the kill switch moment is seen a warning shot for European scientists, it doesn’t mean labs should abandon US AI tools immediately. “I do not think the right response is simply to abandon US-based models and systems under the banner of sovereignty or independence,” said Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer university association. “That would be an overreaction.”Related articlesEuropean sovereignty in AI requires ‘ugly trade-offs,’ say experts Robotic lab start-up makes case for €500M EU-funded materials testing facilityAI in science: is it useful? Instead, European researchers need to ask themselves whether they’re becoming dependent on technology that could be turned off in Washington, said Özcan. “They might not see this today, but they should really start asking this question,” she said. European researchers need a plan B, said Salathé. “I would recommend to every researcher, very proactively explore alternatives.”Own toolsIn addition, Björnmalm and others want European research institutions to develop their own scientific AI tools.Instead of signing AI deals with US digital giants, European universities should be using this money to create their own models, which may end up being superior for research, said Sabine Leonelli, an expert on the use of AI in science at the Technical University of Munich. “Universities in Europe seem to be happy to sign commercial contracts with US companies on the assumption [their AI tools] are better,” she said. But US frontier LLMs are typically opaque, and have been developed without independent scientific input, she said. “This is not good enough for science.”Last year, Swiss researchers released Apertus, an LLM designed to be completely transparent, from its development methods to its training data. The idea is that this makes scientific tools built on top of the model far more reproducible than with closed, commercial alternatives.“Europe needs more of this: serious capacity-building that gives researchers, universities and companies credible options,” said Björnmalm.
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(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Scrolling through links over the last week, I stumbled across this fun headline: Wow. Formula 1 (the sport, not the docu-series) is the perfect “dog not barking”. As a reminder, each week in my Streaming Ratings Report, I call out the shows that miss every viewership chart. I dub them “dogs not barking”—like the Sherlock Holmes mystery—because without any data, we forget they even exist. This is in contrast to something like, say, a film flop—cough The Mandalorian and Grogu cough—where even underperforming at the box office is widely discussed here, there and everywhere. In the US, Formula 1 is now in “no public viewership data, so not discussed” territory. After moving to Apple TV from its former home of ESPN, basically no one talks about it. Apple did publish an initial, unsourced, unsubstantiated, (dare I say unserious) datecdote claiming more folks are watching Formula 1 on Apple than ESPN, but we haven’t gotten any updates since. This stands in contrast to when the sport streamed on ESPN, and ESPN PR provided weekly viewership figures. Formula 1 was, at best, a niche sport in America—averaging 1.3 million viewers in the Big Data Plus era—but now it’s basically anonymous. (And yeah, after moving to Apple, I very, very, very much doubt its ratings increased.) Unfortunately, that story isn’t quite big enough to warrant a section in today’s “Most Important Story of the Week” column, but I wanted to call it out, because otherwise, no one else will! Certainly, no one will write articles about the silence/ratings decline, unlike when they wrote breathless articles connecting the rise in viewership to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, including Reuters just last month. (This is a topic I’ve tried to provide a moderate/nuanced/non-hyped take since 2022.) Anyway, on to this week’s issue. I was a bit worried I didn’t have a juicy topic, then the Murdochs went out and did their Murdoch thing: buying Roku. So that’s the story of the week, and it happens to touch on quite a few themes of the streaming wars and the disruption therein. I’ll cover that, plus why more consolidation in Hollywood media looks likely, more good news on the Hollywood labor front, whether we’ll see an uptick in production in Los Angeles, some Broadway and theme park news, cellphone prices going up in the third world (and possibly everywhere), and more. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Another Big Media & Entertainment Merger The story of the week is clearly Fox is buying Roku for $22 billion. I read a lot of good strategy takes on why Fox bought this streaming TV device maker—and I’ll have mine below—but what fascinates me more is how this deal connects to quite a few themes of the streaming wars, linking to everything from the pace of M&A to “aggregeddon” to Netflix’s recent M&A actions/inactions to the shift to advertising from pure play streaming and more. The only topic I can’t really connect it to is my old theory, “never bet against Rupert Murdoch” because he isn’t the one who did this deal; his son Lachlan inked it. (Do I think he provided advice, even at his 95 years of age? Sure.) That plus I have one additional piece of strategy for all entertainment players, inspired by this deal. So let’s dive into all those topics, starting with why I like this deal. Roku is a Great M&A Buy
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After less than two years as PM, Keir Starmer announces his resignation amid mounting pressure from own Labour Party.
Science Over Tradition: Plymouth South Middle Schoolers Advocate for Later School Start Times
PLYMOUTH - June 15, 2026 - In a powerful demonstration of student advocacy, a delegation of eighth-grade students from Plymouth South Middle School presented compelling, science-based research to the School Committee, urging district leadership to push back school start times to improve adolescent mental health, well-being, and academic performance. The presentation sparked immediate commitment from the administration to formally evaluate the district’s schedule over the coming school year. Subscribe The Full Story The final in-person meeting of the academic year opened with a celebratory outdoor ceremony honoring dozens of elementary, middle, and high school student artists whose work was chosen for the biannual Central Office Artwork Awards. However, the evening’s primary policy focus quickly shifted to student-led civic action when eighth graders Sophia Scarini, Skye Togun, Leah Mansfield, James Moore, Avery Mahan and Lily Simpson took the podium. The students revealed that their presentation was the culmination of a year-long civics project involving local community assessments, interviews with former officials, and extensive literary analysis. The research sharply highlighted the biological mismatch between adolescent sleep patterns and current school schedules. Under the district’s current framework, Plymouth High Schools open at 7:20 a.m., Middle Schools at 8:12 a.m., and Elementary Schools at 9:05 a.m.. “The high school start times directly contradict students’ natural sleep patterns,” student Leah Mansfield explained, noting that the teenage brain does not naturally produce melatonin until around 11:00 p.m.. The student presentation underscored a harrowing correlation between sleep deprivation and severe mental health struggles, citing data that adolescents with insomnia are ten times more likely to develop depression. Conversely, data shows that just one additional hour of sleep results in a 28% reduction in students reporting feelings of depression or sadness.
‘Daily cuts… infections’: India’s e-waste workers face toxic health risks
As digital consumption grows and e-waste mounts, burden of managing that waste falls on workers with little protection.
View: The rise of identity politics
Éric Zemmour’s diagnosis is not the standard analysis of why centrist leaders everywhere have grown so profoundly unpopular.
America’s data center backlash is bipartisan — can it stay that way?
As opposition mounts, some experts wonder how long AI infrastructure can steer clear of the partisanship that defines U.S. politics.
AORUS RTX 5090 owner checks GPU after higher fan speeds, finds thermal gel mess
A GeForce RTX 5090 AORUS owner has opened the card after more than a year of use (and end of warranty) and found a large amount of factory-applied thermal…
Bill ensuring health coverage for families of fallen officers in Pa. gets unanimous committee nod
A bill ensuring continuous coverage for families of fallen officers advanced through committee but the cost would fall on cash-strapped municipalities.
Monday’s Everton News: Moyes’ doubts, Bowen rumours, Delap pricetag set
Recapping all the Everton news from the weekend
Iran MOU signals ‘major shift’ from military to economic, political objectives for Trump: Retired general
Ret. Gen. Jack Keane on Sunday said the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signals a “major shift” in the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy ideals in the Middle East. “It’s a…
Vance meets top Iranian officials as US looks to get negotiations back on track
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and top Iranian officials are trying to build out the interim deal to end the war in Iran reached by the two sides last week. They are meeting at a Swiss mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne.
Dartmouth Health reports $63.5 million deficit for first six months of fiscal year
Dartmouth Health faces a $62.5 million deficit due to weather-related closures and high costs, but sees increased patient volumes and revenues.
6 animal fathers who go the distance
From carrying eggs in their mouths to building hidden nests, these animal dads do it all.
Pressure mounts on Starmer to quit after Burnham’s by-election win
UK minister says Starmer considering 'political realities' after rival Andy Burnham secured decisive by-election win.
Keir Starmer Reflects on ‘Political Challenges’ as Pressure to Resign Mounts
An ally of Keir Starmer’s told the BBC on Sunday that Mr. Starmer was “taking the time to think through what the political realities are today compared to last week.”
Dodgers notes: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was tasked with extending the Dodgers’ win streak to five on Saturday, but a complete lack of run support and a “lack of feel” on the mound sunk him in. Yamamoto was tagged for three runs against the Baltimore Orioles, the first time he had given up more than one run in any […]
Neto, Schanuel boost Angels to bounce back win over Athletics
Los Angeles earned its first win of the series, proving strong both at the plate and on the mound.
Gareth Bale on Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho and why he’s investing in women’s sports
Gareth Bale has had time to 'reset' after retiring from football, a game he thinks has moved from basketball to more a 'chess game'
Dirt on Dirt - Salina gives Davenport another MLRA sweep
DirtonDirt.com covers Dirt Late Model racing like no other publication, magazine or website with massive amounts of original content including videos, photos, stories, columns, blogs and more. Eldora Speedway's World 100 and Dream, the Dirt Track World Championship, Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals and all the major races are covered along with the major tours, including the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Aspen’s e-bike only business expands fleet, moves locations
Aspen's Best E-Bikes, one of Aspen's only e-bike exclusive rentals and sales businesses, has officially moved to its new location — 409 South Hunter Street.
In the World Cup’s missing country, failure sparks bitter political battle - Live Updates
Giorgia Meloni’s government is keen to extend control over Italian football as fans mourn a third consecutive World Cup debacle.
Karl Rove analyzes political fallout from US-Iran deal, public opinion of the conflict
Fox News contributor Karl Rove joins ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss the political implications of the Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the potential impact of U.S. public opinion of the deal.
Scientists found a cannabis compound that relieves pain without the high
Compounds responsible for the aroma of cannabis and many other plants may offer a surprising new way to relieve chronic pain. Researchers found that several cannabis-derived terpenes significantly reduced pain in mouse models of fibromyalgia and post-surgical pain, with one terpene, geraniol, showing especially strong effects. Unlike THC, these compounds are not associated with psychoactive effects, making them a potentially attractive alternative for pain treatment.
GOP bullish on political impact for Republicans of Trump MOU with Iran
Republicans are largely skeptical that President Trump’s deal with Iran will deliver a geopolitical win, but they are bullish about its impact on the midterms, with gas prices already droppin…
The U.S.-Iran negotiations have been chaotic. But the confusion has only grown since the MOU was signed.
And it comes as Americans are increasingly down on Trump’s handling of the war the U.S. started with Iran.
World Cup crowds have San Jose businesses bringing in more staff and alcohol
San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose has continued to see enormous crowds day after day for World Cup watch parties.
Carrie’s Custom Confections serves up sweet treats in Umatilla
UMATILLA — Anyone suffering from chronic dry mouth should stop by Carrie’s Custom Confections in Umatilla for a mouth-watering treat. Carrie and Jenny Stamm moved into one of the business […]
The UMN, M Physicians and Fairview Health Services reach finalized healthcare agreement
On June 12, the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents voted unanimously in collaboration with other governing bodies to approve a new 10-year agreement between the University, M Physicians and Fairview Health Services, a partnership that will continue to support healthcare services and investments across the state. With the current agreement scheduled to expire at...
Lynn Bartels, a former newspaper reporter who covered Colorado politics for decades, dies at 69
A journalist who covered Colorado politics for decades has died. Lynn Bartels reported for the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post, and she often worked with CBS Colorado on election coverage.
Lynn Bartels, ‘Grand Dame’ of Colorado politics, dies
Lynn Bartels, a former Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post reporter celebrated for her dogged reporting, deep sources and infectious personality, has died.
Drought drops Smith Mountain Lake 5 feet, forcing boaters and businesses to adapt
Water levels at Smith Mountain Lake are about five feet below normal, forcing lakefront businesses and boat operators to adjust as the drought continues.
Derry City slump to away defeat against Galway
Derry City fall to a 2-1 defeat away to Galway United to mount pressure back on boss Tiernan Lynch.
Aura's impressive e-ink photo frame doesn't even look digital
What's the most cliche possible gift you can give a relative? A digital photo frame, displaying a rotating slideshow of family photos. Now Aura has
County Approves Behavioral Health Services Act Integrated Plan
Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a three-year Behavioral Health Services Act Integrated Plan for Fiscal Years 2026-29.
Lynn Bartels, a venerable and tenacious reporter at the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, dies at 69
Lynn Bartels, a venerable Colorado journalist for more than two decades who possessed a massive Rolodex that seemed to perpetually spin with the names of the state’s biggest — and not so big — players in politics, died…
MARCO Mobile Medicine Brings Care Closer to Home
For many families across Appalachia, a doctor’s appointment can mean taking time off work, arranging transportation, traveling winding mountain roads and spending hours on the road for a visit. It’s a challenge familiar to generations of West Virginians, particularly those living in rural communities where access to specialty care can be limited. Today, Marshall Health Network is helping change […]
Woodstock business damaged in severe storm
Mountain Creamery in Woodstock was damaged when a severe storm moved through on Thursday.
Community Challenge Chaos Sparks
The Chaos Cubed game drop might’ve launched, but the mayhem is just beginning with our Chaos Sparks Community Challenge! Your mission is simple: pick your team, cause a ridiculous amount of chaos, and help the entire community earn some extra-special rewards, including a surprising add-on from Blockception!
U.S. scientific instruments in oceans off Alaska and elsewhere to remain in place
After a public outcry and a unanimous Senate vote, the National Science Foundation dropped plans to remove parts of the Ocean Observatories Initiative system.
HPAE Nurses Ratify New Contract giving Patients Access to a Virtua Health Hospital with Safe Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
HPAE Nurses Ratify New Contract giving Patients Access to a Virtua Health Hospital with Safe Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Now every NJ Hospital with HPAE Nurses has enforceable safe staffing in their union contract EMERSON — HPAE Local 5105 Registered Nurses at Virtua-Mount Holly Hospital have ratified a new three-year contract with Virtua Health that includes enforceable safe nurse-to-patient[...]
L.A. Just Launched a Business Tax Fraud Unit. Its First Arrest? A Famous TV Comedian
The case gives Los Angeles County prosecutors a high-profile opening act for a new unit focused on business tax fraud.
Waymo recalls nearly 4,000 robotaxis after cars enter freeway work zones
Waymo has paused freeway robotaxi operations and recalled nearly 4,000 vehicles after more than a dozen incidents involving autonomous cars entering closed construction zones.
MoU’s $300bn Iran reconstruction fund becomes US political flashpoint
Trump says US will not pay for planned fund as part of Iran MoU, as lawmakers connect price tag to affordability issues.
Health kicks off Aspen Ideas June 22-25
Since 2014, Aspen Ideas: Health has preceded the Aspen Ideas festivals. This year, from June 22-25, it offers more than 60 sessions with seven program tracks revolving around patient care, new treatments and technology, longevity and vitality, creativity, medical enterprise, leadership and how health-related questions often lack black or white answers.
Arts and Entertainment Agenda, June 19-25
Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, June 19-21 Chefs, vintners and food lovers converge for the 2026 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen this weekend from June 19 to 21. The leading culinary event has...
Google's AI Overviews Is Telling Users That SCP Horror Fiction Entities Are Real
Google's AI Overviews are presenting sci-fi and horror phenomena from the famously fake SCP Foundation fan-fiction universe as real.
Mount Sinai to Lead Aspen Discussions on Youth Mental Health, and Healthspan Science and Practice
Will explore innovative approaches to mental health and new frontiers in healthspan, longevity science, and personalized care during Aspen Ideas: Health and the Aspen Ideas Festival.New York, NY and Aspen, CO, June 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mount Sinai Health System experts will lead discussions on innovative community-based approaches to youth mental health and emerging scientific advances that are transforming how we understand healthy aging and healthspan at the 2026 Aspen Ideas: Health an
Snap's $2,195 AR glasses may have cost an insane amount to develop, analyst estimates
Snap stock has had a down week following the hyped reveal of its latest AR glasses.
REV Ocean Begins First Operational Research Season With Ten-Mission Science Program
The missions cover seamount ecosystems off Brazil, in the Sargasso Sea, and across the Eastern Tropical Pacific—alongside Sargassum dynamics, mesophotic and deep-sea biodiversity, transboundary MPA networks, and the science-to-policy pipeline.
Sports is driving a large part of the entertainment economy, says Activate CEO Michael Wolf
Michael Wolf, Activate Consulting CEO and co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss Versant's media rights agreement with the WNBA, appetite for live sports, Fox's $22B acquisition of Roku, Paramount-WBD merger, and more.
Sports is driving a large part of the entertainment economy, says Activate CEO Michael Wolf
Michael Wolf, Activate Consulting CEO and co-founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss Versant's media rights agreement with the WNBA, appetite for live sports, Fox's $22B acquisition of Roku, Paramount-WBD merger, and more.
Iconic Chicago Museum of Science Industry closed Thursday; open for free day Friday
One of Chicago's most famous museums will be closed to the public Thursday to support the grand opening of the new, highly anticipated Obama Presidential Center.
Rubio lets Vance take the fall as Iran deal questions mount
A split over Iran between two top presidential contenders has burst into the open.
Ogilvie signs new two-year Portsmouth deal
Long-serving Portsmouth defender Connor Ogilvie signs a new two-year contract with the club.
$25 million ‘anonymous’ gift to build multipurpose science facility at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University said Wednesday that “anonymous” donors have given the school $25 million to build “a bold new hub of innovation and discovery.”
Purdue flips touted offensive lineman Chase Clark from Oklahoma State
Chase Clark just knew that Purdue was his new home. The Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel three-star offensive lineman took an official visit to Purdue last weekend. He’s now flipped his pledge from Oklahoma State to Purdue. “The visit went great,” Clark said. “The coaches stood out, and also the players’ belief in Coach Crabtree, Coach […]
Researchers found 8 common food additives linked to high blood pressure and heart disease
A major study of more than 112,000 people found that eating foods containing common preservatives may be linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure and heart-related diseases. Researchers tracked participants for up to eight years and discovered that people consuming the highest amounts of certain preservatives had significantly greater risks of hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
Kill Your Doomerism with Citizen Science
As public institutions are gutted and ecological crises mount, volunteer scientists are creating a model of collective action worth believing in.
ICYMI—Hagerty JoinsMornings With Maria on FOX Business to Discuss the Proposed Peace Deal with Iran
Washington—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, joined Mornings With Maria on FOX Business to discuss the president’s interim memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, the CLARITY Act and Reconciliation 3.0. *Click the photo above or here to watch* Partial Transcript Hagerty on the U.S.-Iran MOU: I just want […]