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New movies to watch this weekend: See 'Faces of Death' in theaters, rent 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,' stream 'Christy' on HBO Max
Sydney Sweeney's critically lauded performance in "Christy" hits HBO Max, while the not-so-critically lauded "The Bride!" is available for rent.
Crossroads District businesses react to Royals stadium proposal near their neighborhood
Local business owners in the Crossroads District reacted to the city's new Royals stadium proposal two years after voters denied a sales tax extension for a downtown baseball stadium.
Aviatra Accelerators to host Women-Owned Business Crawl April 25 in Covington
Aviatra Accelerators will showcase a new retail marketplace during its Women-Owned Business Crawl in downtown Covington and MainStrasse neighborhoods on Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature more than thirty women-owned businesses – from retail shops to bars, restaurants, and service providers – across Covington’s thriving small business community,...
Sacramento crematorium plan faces scrutiny as neighbors raise health concerns
St. Denis neighbors push back against business applying for liquor license
Less liquor stores and more community resources: that’s what residents of the St. Denis neighborhood are hoping for as they push back against a business applying for a liquor license.
Olivia Munn Says 'Obnoxious' Male Co-Star Wouldn't Let Her 'Save' Him On-Screen
The “Your Friends & Neighbors” star said the actor quickly grew “combative with the director” over the scene.
Ishbia family taking swing at youth sports facility for vacant Office Depot
(Editor’s Note: Alex Harrison Perry reported this story for Evanston RoundTable, a neighboring independent newsroom. It was shared with The Record as part of an ongoing collaborative effort.) The vacant Office Depot building at 2722 Green Bay Road — just a block south of Wilmette — could become a year-round site for youth sports, as a North Shore family […]
Detroit hiring retail director to boost stores in neighborhood business districts
Jeffrey Lewis II opened Morningside Cafe on Detroit’s east side three years ago and said he has seen growing momentum along East Warren Avenue.
Businesses in Rochester's EMMA, Beechwood neighborhoods to receive grant funding
Through KeyBank's Small Business Fund, local businesses can apply for grants from $2,500 to $10,000.
Washington State Ousted This Health Insurance Lookalike. In Oregon, It Carries On.
From one vantage, the story of Zion HealthShare shows Washington to be an overzealous nanny state. From another perspective, Oregon might stand to learn from its consumer-protection-minded neighbor to the north.
Science happens here! Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology invites public to free Open House Saturday, May 2, 2026
Dive into the world of marine science and explore cool tech at this open house you won't want to miss! Have you ever wondered what happens in that unique
Marshawn Lynch talks ‘Euphoria,’ football and the connections between them
The former Seattle Seahawks running back has two upcoming acting projects: “Euphoria” Season 3 (premiering April 12 on HBO Max) and the film “He Bled Neon.”
Looks like Sony is Testing a New PlayStation 5 Dashboard Design, and Fans Hope Full Themes Are Next
A new PlayStation 5 update is testing a fresh design for the console's dashboard, fans say.
New PS5 Dashboard Update Leaks And Damn, Sony, That Looks Good
The PlayStation 5 home menu is about to get a lot easier to navigate, according to a beta tester
Business in Brief: New Van Ness businesses; Intelsat auction canceled; Whale Tea rebrands; I’m Eddie Cano bankruptcy update | Forest Hills Connection | News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood
Some Forest Hills Connection reporting involves poking our heads through open doors. Doing so recently yielded the news that the last remaining vacant retail space at Park Van Ness (4455 Connecticut Avenue) has been leased to an IV hydration spa. A contractor getting the space ready told us Hydralive Therapy is moving in. Similarly, we […]
‘Neighbors’ finds entertainment in the mundane
For fans of reality TV, a new series has entered the world of streaming services. “Neighbors,” an American television series, was released on Feb. 13. Directed by Harrison Fishman and Dylan Redford, “Neighbors” aims to bring out the world’s craziness by showcasing real-life conflicts over mundane topics between various neighbors and neighborhoods. At the moment,...
Let Colorado’s communities govern their own neighborhoods
By Jeff Bailey and Cindy Bailey Coloradans have always done things their own way. From how we manage our land to how we build our economies, the instinct to govern locally — to trust mayors, councils and commissioners over distant bureaucracies — is not a partisan position. It is a point of pride. When a […]
Eligibility questions spark calls to suspend Minnesota’s $100 million ‘promise’ to small businesses
5 INVESTIGATES found several Minnesota Promise grant recipients appear to be operating miles outside of eligible neighborhoods, and others that may not be operating at all.
Health care costs are Americans' top worry, a new poll finds
A new Gallup poll reveals health care access and affordability is Americans' top concern, surpassing the economy and inflation.
Communication Services Stock Performance
Yahoo Finance's Communication Services performance dashboard help you quickly analyze & examine stock performance across the Communication Services sector using dozens of metrics and views.
VHC Health development plan faces pushback at environmental meeting
A proposal for a new behavioral health center on S. Carlin Springs Road is facing pushback on environmental impacts and effects on the surrounding neighborhood. Misgivings about the 146-bed, 131,000-square-foot development proposal from VHC Health and Lifepoint Health made their way into discussions at the March 26 meeting of the county's Forestry & Natural Resources
‘Soaked and broken’: Owner of Enfoque Images devastated after her business building collapses
GEDDES, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — What was once a photography building has now partially collapsed. For Jacqueline Vidler, owner of Enfoque Images, when a neighbor calls, it’s usually not a good sign. “He said...
Vault: The break from crypto politics is over
It’s been three months since the collapse of the Senate Banking Committee’s effort to advance a landmark crypto market structure bill. Now, with election season right around the corner, the panel is gearing up to try once more.
What now? State study weighs health impacts of Republic Steel in Canton
A new state study examines Canton Republic Steel's potential health effects on the community. Neighbors remain uncertain.
Apple CarPlay Just Got Three Popular iPhone Apps
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen received three popular apps this week: ChatGPT, Google Meet, and Audiomack. CarPlay Ultra in an Aston Martin In addition, WhatsApp is beta testing a revamped CarPlay app that will improve upon the basic Siri-based functionality that was previously available. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay.
The Apple CarPlay Widgets Every iOS 26 User Needs to Enable Right Now
Maximize your dashboard with the best CarPlay widgets for iOS 26. From the new Ambient Music player to AI-powered voice bots and predictive traffic, here is what to install.
4 New Gadgets For Your Car's Dashboard That Outshine Built-In Tech
Some solid gadget options for car dashboard tech enhancements include heads-up displays, tire pressure monitoring systems, and wireless CarPlay adapters.
Houston East End underpass floods again, drivers stranded and businesses impacted
A flood-prone underpass in Houston’s East End is once again causing problems for drivers and businesses, with neighbors saying even light rain can make the road impassable.
N.J. award-winning actor’s new HBO comedy special set to premiere this weekend. How to watch.
This comedian, who was raised in Rutherford, will open up about his life and opinion on today's issues in upcoming comedy special.
Chicago travel mistakes I made as a first-time tourist
I spent two days in Chicago for the first time. I regretted exploring too many neighborhoods and visiting in the winter.
Austin home-based business rules could change under new pilot program
Austin is considering a pilot program to allow more home-based and “front yard” businesses, aiming to lower startup costs and help residents launch small ventures within their neighborhoods.
Austin weighs allowing front-yard businesses to help residents launch dreams from home
Austin is considering a pilot program to allow more home-based and “front yard” businesses, aiming to lower startup costs and help residents launch small ventures within their neighborhoods.
City of Gadsden breaks ground on Phase 5 of improving Gadsden Sports Park
Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford says he grew up in the neighborhood and is proud to see the facility where it is today.
Less than one-fifth of Marylanders correctly answered these 5 questions about state politics. How do you stack up?
Marylanders were quizzed about state politics in the latest poll by the UMBC Institute of Politics -- and the results might surprise you.
Protect Los Santos and Acquire New Law Enforcement Vehicles During the Latest Neighborhood Watch Event
Clean up the streets and assist residents across Los Santos and Blaine County during the new Neighborhood Watch Event in GTA Online.
These Good Health snacks pass the lunchbox test (and taste good too!)
Looking for healthier snacks for you and your kiddos? Good Health has a guilt-free lineup of veggie straws, chips and more.
TNT Sports and CBS Sports to Reunite Michigan’s Iconic “Fab Five” — Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King & Ray Jackson — for Special NCAA Men’s Final Four Altcast on truTV & HBO Max
ArchWell Health opens 4 new senior care clinics in Northeast Ohio
The Medicare Advantage-focused health provider will host grand openings throughout April in Cleveland Heights, Euclid and two Cleveland neighborhoods, bringing its regional total to nine centers.
Iran fires missiles at Israel and Gulf neighbors as Trump talks of winding down Mideast war
Iran responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s address to Americans on the war with new missile attacks targeting Israel and the Gulf Arab states
FishBait Solutions rebrands as Pivotal Sports & Entertainment
Some 18 years after is after its founding by Rick Jones as FishBait Marketing, the boutique agency known as fishboat Solutions since 2021, is rebranding to Pivotal Sports & Entertainment.
Yet another San Antonio business shutters in rapidly evolving part of town
The neighborhood's food and drink scene is in flux.
‘The White Lotus’ Announced The Season 4 Cast — And Some Stars You Probably Already Know And Love
Helena Bonham Carter, Rosie Perez and more are headed to France to film the new season of the hit HBO show.
HBO Original Sports Documentary Series U.S. AGAINST THE WORLD: FOUR YEARS WITH THE MEN’S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM Debuts May 12
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Firing Cop in Shooting, Did Mayor Yield to Politics?
When he peremptorily fired the Hartford police officer who shot and killed a mentally ill man who was walking through his neighborhood with a long knife and was refusing police […]
Walkable Neighborhoods Can Boost Physical Activity, Population Health
New research from Washington State University shows that small increases in neighborhood walkability could lead to substantial gains for a sedentary population, boosting individuals’ physical activity and ultimately improving their health.
The art of small-town politics
When we arrived in River Forest, the village board was dominated by a village president who had reigned from 1993-2009. An interregnum of four years ensued, followed by the current board president, in place since 2013. Ours is a small town next to a large town. River Forest has about 12,000 residents. Our neighbor to […]
Kansas City business owners oppose single-serve alcohol ban
Business owners are fighting back against a proposed ordinance that would ban single-serve alcohol sales in high-crime neighborhoods.
Neighboring businesses react to possible arson after Petersburg house fire
An arson investigation is underway after a large house fire in Petersburg Sunday afternoon.
Haleiwa open for business as North Shore storm recovery continues
While people are urged to stay away from impacted neighborhoods, local business leaders stressed that Haleiwa town is open and that respectful support can help the community recover.
Black Knights Sports Day gives third graders a glimpse of their future
Charlottesville High School turned its stadium into a hands-on learning space.
As Trump Squeezes Cuba, U.S. Military Exists in a Bubble
The Navy base at Guantánamo Bay sparkles at night while neighbors across a Cuban minefield struggle in darkness driven by a Trump fuel embargo.
Silencer Central acquires vacant Wells Fargo building for future growth
A former Wells Fargo call center is off the market -- bought by its neighboring business for future growth.
Pitt commits $5M in new investments to city parks, neighborhood business corridors and public safety
The University’s most recent commitment builds on decades of collaboration and support between the City of Pittsburgh and its premier anchor institution.
Do good neighbors make good economies? Minnesota could be a test case
Economic studies strongly suggest that higher levels of trust can lead to increased commerce, promote financial innovation and even foster economic growth. Will the neighborly care and civic engagement in Minnesota during the Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge translate into economic resilience?
BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on the NinjaFit Playground by Neighborhood Ninjas—coming to Lee this summer
Providing a “fun, free, safe and accessible space where community members of all ages can connect and engage in free, obstacle-based fitness and active lifestyles together.”
Jackknifed semi-truck closes southbound Business 80, CHP says
The California Highway Patrol said the semi-truck struck a vehicle and jackknifed on a connector ramp before catching fire.
Tech: The scrambled data center politics
One thing is clear: data centers are an increasingly salient political issue heading into the midterm elections.
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
Arizona fans pack Arcadia sports bar to watch Wildcats advance
Arizona fans filled a popular UofA sports bar in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood to cheer on their Wildcats.
Why a retired Army officer sees Michigan as key to defense industry
Lt. Col. Misty Martin (Ret.), who is chair of an upcoming defense expo in Detroit, says 'every neighborhood in Michigan has someone who served.'
See 98-year-old 'Taylor Swift of cabaret singers' in Provincetown this summer
The 2026 Provincetown Town Hall series has actors from NBC, HBO shows, Broadway stars, Tony and Grammy nominees, and Ru Paul's Drag Race contestants.
What to stream in April 2026: ‘The Testaments,’ ‘Big Mistakes’
Here's what's coming to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+ and other streaming services in April.
Broad Ripple welcomes new sports, entertainment venue
BROAD RIPPLE, Ind. — The Broad Ripple neighborhood will soon be home to another place where people can enjoy fun and food. Stick & Hack Entertainment is opening its second location at 46th Stre…
Science happens here! Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology invites public to free Open House Saturday, May 2, 2026
Dive into the world of marine science and explore cool tech at this open house you won't want to miss! Have you ever wondered what happens in that unique
Newcastle should resist any calls for change
The biggest game of the weekend was Newcastle v Sunderland - well, it was in the north east, anyway. For all the passion, and there was plenty on show, as well as the usual late drama, in the end it was Sunderland winning to go 11th leaving their neighbours down in 12th. For Sunderland it is still a fine season as a promoted side, but for Newcastle this is disappointing mid-table mediocrity following defeat in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup against Manchester City and in the Champions League against Barcelona.
'The Pitt' Star Noah Wyle Talks Universal Health Coverage, Season 3
The hit drama took the London spotlight ahead of the U.K. launch of HBO Max, as Wyle shared how his years of TV doc experience helped when the producer of 'KPop Demon Hunters' needed a medical hand this awards season.
Google’s Android Automotive is moving from the dashboard to the ‘brain’ of the car
Better voice assistants and more predictive vehicle maintenance alerts
Lithia sports facility proposal sparks heated zoning battle between neighbors, supporters
A growing dispute is unfolding in Lithia, where a proposed private youth sports complex is drawing strong reactions from both neighbors and supporters.
The Family Van brings free health screenings to Boston neighborhoods
With barriers rising in health care access, mobile clinic fills critical gaps
Linden Entertainment Signs ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’, ‘Tow’ Director Stephanie Laing
EXCLUSIVE: Linden Entertainment has signed Emmy-winning director, writer, and producer Stephanie Laing for management. Laing is coming off the theatrical release of her new film, Tow, a comedy-drama s...
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.
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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.