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Beech Mountain’s Autumn at Oz draws faithful pilgrims
Autumn at Oz, the world’s largest Wizard of Oz festival, takes place on Beech Mountain at the Land of Oz theme park, attracting tens of thousands of visitors over nine days each September with immersive Oz-themed experiences along the Yellow Brick Road.
Treasury shows off new Trump dollar coin, urges Americans to spend it at liberal coffee shops
U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach challenged Americans to use the new Trump dollar coins at liberal coffee shops in a Treasury Department TikTok video.
Quinn Ellis praised by Rick Pitino for playing ‘like a veteran’ in St. John’s preseason win
He scored only three points in St. John’s exhibition opener Wednesday night, but coach Rick Pitino came away impressed by his new point guard anyway.
Best foods for reducing dangerous belly fat and protecting heart health
Belly fat and visceral fat are linked to serious health issues. A doctor shares how lean protein, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats can help reduce stomach fat.
Vols football linebacker coach William Inge discharged from hospital
Tennessee assistant coach William Inge shared on Wednesday that he was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after dealing with an undisclosed medical issue.
LA28 still not prepared for Cultural Olympiad, critics say
A state legislative hearing Wednesday revealed that L.A.'s plans for its Cultural Olympiad are woefully behind schedule as the LA28 Summer Games approach.
Philadelphia Phillies Fire 2 Coaches After Early Playoff Exit
The Philadelphia Phillies made some major coaching staff changes after their early exit from the MLB playoffs. The post Philadelphia Phillies Fire 2 Coaches After Early Playoff Exit appeared first on HEAVY.
Pelicans banking on better health and a new coaching staff to improve their unchanged core
The Pelicans are essentially running it back with the same core roster that they've had the past two non-playoff seasons, with Zion Williamson as their centerpiece.
Tyler Cameron argues “DWTS” isn’t about being the ‘best’ dancer after shocking season 35 eliminations
The “Bachelorette” alum cited this week’s departure of Guillermo Rodriguez.
Central Oregon's first children's museum finally secures a home, and a new name
After reaching more than 24,000 people through its Mobile Museum, the Children's Museum of Central Oregon is taking the next step. Rebranding as Ruckus, a Children's Science Museum, the organization has secured a permanent home in Bend and is working to create Central Oregon's first dedicated children's science museum.
Children's museum secures Bend building, rebrands as Ruckus science museum
The Children's Museum of Central Oregon is turning a nearly 8,000-square-foot building in Bend's Central District into Ruckus: A Children's Science Museum. Its Mobile Museum has reached more than 24,000
Katie Zacharia Is Trump’s New Press Secretary. But Is She a Lawyer?
Katie Zacharia told The New York Times that the confusion over her legal credentials was the result of one big misunderstanding.
Peloton's Matt Wilpers teams up with QuickBooks to help small-business owners
QuickBooks gives business owners a clearer picture of their finances, while Wilpers' approach focuses on creating consistent habits around cash flow, financial goals, and regular check-ins.
Your Business Probably Has More Data Than Insight by Nathan Tayloe
Most businesses know more about themselves than they ever have. Leaders have access to financial reports, sales pipelines, customer data, employee metrics, website analytics, and dashboards for almost every part of the organization. CRMs track every stage of the sales process. Marketing platforms report results in real time. AI can analyze and summarize enormous amounts of information in seconds. Yet I've sat in plenty of meetings where all of that information is available, and some of the most important questions are still surprisingly difficult to answer. What's actually working? Why are customers choosing us? Where are we losing opportunities? What should we do differently? Having the data and understanding what it means are two very different things. More Information Doesn't Always Create More Clarity Over the past decade, businesses have invested heavily in visibility, and that's a good thing. We can understand performance with a level of detail that would have been unimaginable not long ago. But there's an unintended consequence. The easier something becomes to measure, the easier it is to assume it must be important. Website traffic goes up, so that looks positive. Leads increase, so marketing appears to be working. Sales activity climbs, so the pipeline looks healthy. Maybe. The numbers tell us what happened. Understanding why it happened, whether it matters, and what we should do next still requires judgment. Not Everything That Matters Fits on a Dashboard Consider a customer who ultimately contacts your company through Google. The data may attribute that lead to search. What it may not show is that the customer heard about you from a colleague six months earlier, saw your company mentioned in an industry publication, followed one of your employees on LinkedIn, and read several reviews before finally searching for your company. Google may have produced the click. It didn't necessarily create the decision. This happens throughout a business. Some of the things that matter most are difficult to reduce to a single metric: Why your best customers stay Why talented employees choose your company Why a prospect trusts one provider over another Why one service is gaining momentum while another isn't Why the market perceives your business the way it does Data can help answer those questions, but it needs context. Better Decisions Start With Better Questions One of the easiest traps for leaders is starting with the information in front of them rather than the decision they're trying to make. Instead of opening a dashboard and asking, "What does the data show?" it can be more useful to start with a different set of questions: What are we trying to understand? What decision are we trying to make? What would we need to know to make that decision confidently? That changes the role of data. Instead of looking at every number available and searching for meaning, you're using information to understand something specific about the business. Information Still Requires Judgment More sophisticated analytics and AI will continue to give leaders access to better information, faster. That's valuable, but I don't think it reduces the importance of experience and judgment. If anything, it increases it. Someone still has to decide which numbers deserve attention, which patterns matter, what context might be missing, and when the data isn't telling the whole story. The goal isn't to know more about your business simply because you can. It's to understand your business well enough to make better decisions. Good data can tell you what happened. Good leadership has to decide what it means. — Learn more about how we help organizations turn business, customer, and marketing insights into smarter strategies at tayloegray.com, or reach out directly at nathan@tayloegray.com.
Ex-Trump aide: Katie Zacharia ‘not qualified for the job’
Former Trump White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci tells CNN’s Elex Michaelson he doesn’t think White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is ready for the job.
Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia faces scrutiny over claims she’s a lawyer
China’s notoriously difficult National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination can only be taken by Chinese citizens
Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia faces scrutiny over claims she’s a lawyer
China’s notoriously difficult National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination can only be taken by Chinese citizens
Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia faces scrutiny over claims she’s a lawyer
China’s notoriously difficult National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination can only be taken by Chinese citizens
Clovis entrepreneur uses soccer to expand opportunities for local children
From a bag of soccer balls to serving more than 20,000 children. Clovis entrepreneur Jesus Garcia is using sports to teach teamwork, resilience and community while helping connect young athletes with opportunities across the Valley.
Stanford Scientists Find New Way to Revive Bleached Coral
Bleached corals have a remarkable ability to recover, when put in contact with a healthy clone and beneficial algae, Bay Area researchers announced in a study published Monday.
‘Politics as Profit’ or ‘Pure Fiction’: Bribery Trial of Ex-Oakland Mayor Kicks Off
In the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, prosecutors claimed Thao put her political power up for sale, while defense attorneys attempted to impeach the government’s star witness.
Padres' offseason storylines include Sheets' health, Pivetta's contract
SAN DIEGO -- A fly ball that doesn’t hit a roof cable, a ninth-inning liner a few inches to the right, a deep drive from Manny Machado that carries just a bit farther -- with any of those things, maybe the Padres are preparing to host Game 3 of the
Business Council CEO Resigns
Josh Dorrell has announced he will step down as Chief Executive Officer of the Wyoming Business Council (WBC). The WBC Board of Directors accepted his resignation at a special meeting on October 14. Dorrell took the helm in 2020, bringing private-sector leadership and a results-driven approach to the WBC. He guided the agency through the […]
"Ridiculously expensive": Massachusetts computer repair shop seeing uptick in business as costs rise
Gainesville businesses propose opening new courthouse parking garage during off-hours
Business owners want Alachua County to open the garage on nights and weekends
Warriors' Kristaps Porziņģis will remain out indefinitely due to 'health-related matter' but will be around team
Kristaps Porzingis Updates 'Frustrating' Health-Related Matter as Warriors Star Out Indefinitely
Golden State Warriors Kristaps Porziņģis provided an update on his health after the team said in a statement on Wednesday he would "remain out indefinitely" with the same "health-related matter" that has kept him out of training camp and the preseason.
NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas visits Detroit as Michigan Senate race draws national attention
With Election Day approaching, Michigan is once again at the center of the national political spotlight, and NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas is bringing his broadcast to Detroit.
The iPhone Duo's screen repair costs make Samsung foldables look like a bargain
Apple has revealed its iPhone Duo repair prices, with inner display damage costing $999 and other repairs potentially reaching $1,499.
Ubisoft plans cuts at German studios, adding to wave of workforce reductions
Ubisoft is planning to reduce its workforce in Germany, where it operates a trio of studios, by about 100 workers, Game File has learned. The company wants to offer employees buyouts to, should enough people accept, avoid having to lay anyone off. “In Germany, we initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across Ubisoft Dusseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin & Ubisoft Mainz,” a company rep told Game File. A “works council” is a union-like group representing employees. “The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organizational changes,” the Ubisoft rep added. The company declined to confirm the scale of the potential headcount cut. Of the impacted studios, Mainz might be the best known to the public. It leads development of the Anno series and shipped the well-reviewed strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana in November 2025. Berlin and Dusseldorf operate as support studios within Ubisoft’s creative network. Berlin recently supported the development of Rainbow Six Siege and the Rayman Legends Retold remake. Dusseldorf also contributed to those projects, as well as The Settlers and Ubisoft-branded escape rooms. Dusseldorf is the biggest of the three studios, with some 400+ workers, compared to just over 100 at the other two, a source familiar with the reductions and the teams told Game File. More than half of these new reductions of about 100 people are expected to happen at Dusseldorf. The planned cuts were announced at a town hall for the German studios on Tuesday of last week. In an email follow-up, the studio group’s managing director, Benedikt Grindel, said the cuts were intended to “best position our German studios for the future... with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities and organizational setup needed for the work ahead.” The email was an echo of the past. In January 2025, Grindel had emailed the Ubisoft developers in his region (or studio “zone”) to explain that a round of 185 cuts at the time, including about 65 at Dusseldorf, were “essential to improve our operational efficiency and ensure the long-term sustainability of our studios, the zone and the company.” A half-decade of continued job cuts Ubisoft has been aggressively cutting its headcount for years. At the end of September 2022, it had 20,729 workers. By the end of March 2026, that total was down to 16,590. Studio management is trying to trim costs as it grapples with a changing industry and a drought of releases, let alone hits. The company announced earlier this year that it had reduced its costs since 2022 by “nearly €325 million” ($362m) and planned to lower them through 2028 by another €180 million ($200m). In June the company said it was closing down its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and cutting roles in its Barcelona team. Even commercial and creative success hasn’t spared studios from this ongoing company-wide contraction. As Game File was nailing down details around the proposed cuts in Germany, Ubisoft management was informing workers of cuts in its Singapore studio, which shipped a hit remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag this past July. Some 70 positions in Singapore are being eliminated “to align the studio with upcoming production needs,” per a company rep’s statement to Game File. In early 2024, a large team in the Singapore studio launched the multiplayer pirate game Skull & Bones. It performed poorly but has been supported with regular content updates since. Many of Ubisoft’s studios around the world are heavily subsidized via regional grants and tax breaks. Singapore had been among them for years, but received no such local assistance in the 12 months ending this past March. News of the Singapore cuts broke today alongside word that Ubisoft is also proposing the closure of RedLynx, pending negotiations with officials. The Finnish studio behind the motorbike series Trials was founded in 2000 and sold to Ubisoft in 2011. As reported by VGC (and corroborated by Game File), Ubisoft management told employees it could not come up with a new, sustainable assignment for RedLynx. The 2025 workforce at Ubisoft Dusseldorf were straight-up cuts. This time, Ubisoft is hoping the reductions at its trio of German studios will largely come from workers taking a payout to leave. The company offered such voluntary dismissals at its Massive Entertainment studio (The Division) a year ago. For the German studios’ buyouts this time around, Ubisoft and the Works Council had discussed a formula that’d pay a worker’s monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by the number of years they’ve worked at the company, according to Game File sources. The formula is still subject to negotiations with the Works Council and has not yet been part of an official offer to workers. It could be adjusted up or down, and it could be supplemented with additional bonuses. Asked about the floated payout formula, a Ubisoft rep told Game File, “The terms of a potential voluntary departure program remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives. No final agreement has been reached, and we won’t comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: Epic’s AI adventures Epic Games (Fortnite, the Unreal engine) is all-in on using AI to try to transform the way it makes video games and game-making tools. It’s leaders appear to be undeterred by any resistance among gamers and some game developers around generative AI—and instead emboldened by advances, particularly in AI-assisted programming. A recap of the last three days: On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Epic management told workers last week that development of an upcoming game combining Star Wars and Marvel characters would be “AI first.” Employees would be expected to use AI models such as Claude to code the game. A manager told Epic’s developers there would be “[n]o more hand-written code” and that art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows,” per the outlet. Just ahead of that story running, Epic founder Tim Sweeney tweeted: “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.” In a follow-up, Sweeney predicted that most game development processes would be at least three times faster a year from now than they were in January 2026, thanks to AI. To a person on X who told him he was failing to read the room, Sweeney said: “Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it’s not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be.” On Wednesday, Epic announced it was releasing a faster launcher for its Epic Games Store marketplace. It did so by stating in a blog post as clear as could be that the launcher is an AI-enabled, vibe-coded project: Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look. Programming is hard? That was unexpected phrasing from a company founded by a legendarily great programmer. Back in 2011, Sweeney told me that he’d picked up programming quickly as a kid and rejoiced at the power it gave him. “I could look at any program that anybody else had written and, with enough effort, build something cooler.” Item 3: The Xbox Labs experiment (and one of the people behind it) Microsoft’s Xbox division, which is flooding the zone with announcements lately, yesterday revealed a new internal tech-tinkering team called Xbox Labs. In the words of Xbox boss Asha Sharma Labs is “a small group of game makers, engineers and scientists whose job is to turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience.” Conventional wisdom coming out of the announcement is that Labs is a team that’ll focus on ideas driven by generative AI. In her announcement, Sharma cited some of the dizzying achievements in tech and gaming over the past month as AI agents and other AI tools have been deployed to swiftly figure out how popular games work, then rebuild them and mix them up. She mentioned seeing ”games rapidly decompiled and rebuilt to run on hardware they were never originally designed to support” and said “[p]erhaps more surprisingly, we’ve seen many of the biggest games in the world have been remixed into the source code of another.” (Minecraft plus Elden Ring, for example, or Fortnite + Super Monkey Ball + Overwatch + Diablo + others.) Sharma also cited the work of Windows PC games being ported to run in browsers, a seeming reference to a recent AI-assisted fan port of Halo. Or perhaps Call of Duty or GTA. Sharma didn’t use the specific term “AI” in her memo, but she came close, citing AI “agents” and their potential for game-making tools that Labs could help craft: I think XBOX has an important role to play here. Coding became the first major workload for agents because they can write, run, and test software. Games share many of those same properties, and people spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing XBOX games, roughly five times the estimated time spent writing code worldwide. We’ve spent 25 years learning how to make great games, and I want our game makers to help shape what these new technologies make possible. As we learn, we’ll share the tools we build with developers across the industry, just as we always have. When I asked an Xbox rep if Labs was an AI-centric team, they said genAI was not the focus, describing it as having a broader mandate for using new tech in new ways in gaming. As an example, they pointed to Xbox’s recently launched disc-to-digital gaming usage rights program. Microsoft didn’t specifically name anyone involved full-time in Xbox Labs yesterday, but on social media and LinkedIn, I spotted Adrian Mato IDing himself as leading the creatio of tools at Labs and talking up the launch. Mato first caught my attention in late September, when he said on X that he was “starting to build a new team at Xbox focused on products and tools for how games get built and distributed as agentic tools become more capable.” At the time, he framed AI-based tools as a supplement to traditional game dev tools. “I don’t think we need to replace them,” he said. Since then, he’s publicly shown interest in AI and in games. He’s recently spent some of his X feed marveling at the power of AI agents and praising the lighting in the latest Gears of War. Following the Labs announcement yesterday, he enthused about the Xbox Labs’ stylish landing page. He wrote: “We built some fun tools to art-direct shaders in real time, experimented with interactive ASCII art, and sprinkled in lots of tiny details. “Move your mouse to leave a colorful trail that reveals the original footage, or interact with the video to trigger bursts of particles. “A lot of love went into making it all feel just right. “More to come”
LMH Health receives Level IV Trauma Center designation
LMH Health has been designated a Level IV Trauma Center by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), recognizing the organization’s trauma program and strengthening access to emergency care for patients across the region. The achievement follows a comprehensive review process conducted every three years to ensure hospitals meet standards established by the American […]
Rockaway Beach: Not Business as Usual
The Oregon Coast tourist town has punched well above its weight in business attraction and retention in recent years.
Lamont's lead over Fazio reaches 20 points in Quinnipiac poll
Lamont has not trailed in any public poll, with an average lead of about 15 points in four surveys released over the past four weeks.
John Mayer Live at The Sphere: How to get tickets to newly-added shows, prices, dates and more
The guitarist will take on one of the nation's most iconic venues next spring.
SMU Makes Texas History With Landmark Texas Capital Uniform Deal
SMU makes history with a Texas Capital jersey sponsorship covering all 17 varsity sports, expanding the Mustangs' commercial reach and generating new revenue in Dallas.
MIT-TASC seeks future tribal leaders with advanced science camp
Applications for the 2027 Tulsa Advanced Sciences Camp, ran by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, opens Oct. 14 for Native American high school students.
Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #227
Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over district-provided housing for teachers and staff In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school […]
Kristaps Porzingis, Warriors Give Status Update as Health-Related Matter Sidelines Star Indefinitely
Kristaps Porzingis and the Golden State Warriors provided updates on the star's health status on Wednesday after he returned to the team's practice facility on Tuesday to meet with general manager Mike Dunleavy and vice president of player health and performance Rick Celebrini amid his ongoing absence from the team.
Troy Aikman, Joe Buck reportedly got into argument in 'Monday Night Football' booth over contract extension tensions at ESPN
Former Beach Boy Al Jardine on Mike Love Health: Speechless, Depressed
Jardine, who's not in regular contact with Love, found himself "speechless" and "really depressed" when he saw the recent footage of Love onstage but knows the Beach Boys frontman doesn't want to stop performing: "He wants to be onstage, but he just doesn’t know how not to do it."
College football's new reality: Schools can't fire their way out of trouble anymore
Penn State's Matt Campbell Delivers Strong Message to Recruits
Head coach Matt Campbell has a bold message for recruits on what Penn State is like compared to the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns.
Hiyd is a health tracker that attaches to the watch you already wear
Former Apple engineers figured out how to get a biometric sensor to attach to your watch without any magnets or adhesives.
In Final Four homecoming, Detroit organizers tout opportunities of citywide event
Spartans coach Tom Izzo hopes the April event helps the city make its case for another Final Four.
Amazon (AMZN) Has a $25B Chip Business. Is the Cash Burn Worth It?
Most people think of Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) as the place their packages come from. The part of the company drawing the most attention right now sells something far less visible: custom AI chips. In the second quarter of 2026, Amazon Web Services (AWS) said its chips business and its AI business had each passed a $25 […]
DFW Business Datebook: AT&T, Texas Instruments and airlines report
Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines will report third-quarter earnings this week in key moments for each carrier.
Valkyries reach record $100M in annual revenue as world's most valuable women's sports franchise
The Valkyries have become the first professional women's sports team to generate $100 million in annual revenue, adding another milestone to their second season that has drawn sold-out crowds and helped make the franchise, nearing a $1 billion valuation, the most valuable team in women's sports.
10 health conditions may be linked to Alzheimer's years before diagnosis
Depression, vertigo, headaches and stroke were among conditions linked to early-onset Alzheimer's disease years before diagnosis, a Finnish study suggests.
YouTube is upending Hollywood — and Alphabet might be the best entertainment bet
The creator economy has turned the entertainment industry on its head this year, with YouTubers now directing box-office hits. Are entertainment giants like Disney (DIS) and Netflix (NFLX) still the stocks to buy? Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management CEO Ross Gerber and his expert panel weigh in on the rise of creator-led projects taking hold in the film industry. Today's Market Hang panel consists of Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman, Business Insider Today executive editor Dan DeFrancesco, Baird investment strategist Ross Mayfield, and SlateStone Wealth partner and chief market strategist Kenny Polcari.
Bleached Coral Rebounded After Touching Healthy Coral, Study Finds
After sick corals were placed in direct contact with healthy ones of the same genetic make-up, they recovered at “incredible” speed, scientists found.
Teradata Brings Elastic Python Compute to AI Studio, Unifying Data, Governance, and AI
New distributed Python capability accelerates large-scale AI operations while keeping data and compute within the Teradata platform SAN DIEGO, Oct. 14, 2026 — Teradata today announced the general availability of Elastic Python Compute within AI Studio. The capability gives enterprise data science teams a managed, distributed Python environment for scaling AI compute and machine learning […]
Beacon CEO ML Mackey Named to Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Statewide Advisory Council
Beacon Interactive Systems announced today that CEO and Co-founder ML Mackey has been named to the newly formed Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Statewide Advisory Council.
Tulane Beach Volleyball Receives Bid to AVCA Pairs National Championship
The Green Wave pair of Tawny Ensign and Kaydence Stormes finished in third place in the bid division to clinch the team's spot.
Goldman Sachs CEO Solomon on earnings: We have a big, durable, diverse business
CNBC’s Kate Rooney and David Solomon, Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO, join 'The Exchange' to discuss earnings going forward, M&A activity, and more.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bobby Witt Jr. headline list of Rawlings Gold Glove award finalists
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Bobby Witt Jr. already have a few Gold Glove awards under their belts.
Boston Mayor Joins Effort to Protect Legal Cannabis in Massachusetts
Mayor Michelle Wu is the latest in a list of a growing number of high-profile figures endorsing the ‘No on 8’ campaign to protect the Commonwealth’s cannabis laws against a prohibitionist-backed ballot Question 8 in the November mid-term election.
Horse Girls and Gays Rejoice! Mamdani Says “Neigh” to Carriage Industry
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Council have reached an agreement to end the use of horse-drawn carriages by June 2028.
IMDB Launches Features From LinkedIn Like Connections
The entertainment industry platform will let pro users add connections and publicly endorse each other's work.
Scientists Unlock 700,000-Year-Old Secrets Hidden Inside a Giant Elephant Tooth
A giant elephant’s tooth has preserved clues to the watery world that sustained early humans nearly 700,000 years ago. Researchers studying elephant remains from Gesher Benot Ya’aqov (GBY-NBA) in northern Israel have reconstructed a Pleistocene environment rich in water, vegetation, and wildlife. Published in Quaternary Science Reviews, the study reveals the landscape shared by enormous
Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLUT) Reaches New 1-Year Low After Analyst Downgrade
Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLUT) Reaches New 1-Year Low After Analyst Downgrade
Building a More Equitable Maternal Health System, a Conversation with Ta’Sheena Williams of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Michigan has taken a comprehensive approach to maternal and child health policy, with a focus on strengthening Medicaid coverage and reimbursement, expanding community-based care, addressing racial disparities, and investing in prevention and maternal health systems. We asked Ta’Sheena Williams, Policy Director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health (MCMCH), to reflect on Michigan’s […]
Federal watchdog says 9 large US banks denied service to customers over political or religious views
A federal banking watchdog determined that nine banks' sweeping internal guidelines lacked objective, risk-based criteria, effectively shutting out legitimate customers.
The Sewing Hui of Maui launches bridal and formalwear alterations training program
Five Maui residents will receive specialized sewing and business training, with $2,000 in startup funding available to each successful graduate.
Jeremiyah Love being used as blocker
Arizona Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love is being used to help out pass protection over running routes, head coach Mike LaFleur said.
Florida State University professor explains how short-form video is changing political debates
As November’s midterm elections approach, political debates emerge at the forefront for many voters. But as more people turn to short-form video,
The real problem with Katie Zacharia not actually being a ‘lawyer’
The press secretary is supposed to spin the news, not be the news.
Lena Dunham's 'Girls' is making a comeback — but 1 key character is missing from the announcement
The Emmy-winning show is returning for a limited run at HBO.
Houston Astros part ways with manager Joe Espada
The news comes one day after a report that Espada was granted permission to interview for the Mariners manager role.
Illinois flag football rankings: USA TODAY Sports Super 10, Week 8
As the IHSA postseason reaches the quarterfinals, here's where Illinois' flag football teams stand in the latest Super 10 rankings.
The Medical Minute: 10 health tips for parents during cold and flu season
As the cold weather approaches, it’s important to protect your family from the flu, COVID-19 and RSV. A Penn State Health pediatrician shares some simple tips to help keep everyone healthy.
‘A Man From the Future’ contends with sex and science through Alan Turing’s eyes
Through A Man From the Future, the Pet Shop Boys swirl together their familiar electronic sound and ideas of machinery with classical orchestration and the naturalistic world, a fitting commemoration
Royan Institute Achieves National Recognition: Center for Cell Science Ranks Second Nationwide
The Center for Cell Science at Royan Institute, affiliated with the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), has...
Essentia Health highlights importance of knowing care options
As respiratory virus season approaches, Essentia Health is reminding patients to know their options for receiving care and avoiding unnecessary — and often more expensive — trips to the emergency room.
Katie Zacharia's debut shows the pitfalls and possibilities of White House press secretary's role
This would not be an easy job under any circumstances.
These states could elect their first female governors this year
WASHINGTON — Minnesota and Tennessee appear set for a political breakthrough this year, with each state poised to elect its first female governor. The major-party nominees in both states are
Georgia's Kirby Smart expects Auburn to be physical on Saturday
Georgia's head coach was quick to point out how physical Auburn is capable of being ahead of Week 7's matchup in Athens.
Kristen Tabert, Scarlett Middle School science teacher
Scarlett Middle School science teacher Kristen Tabert was born in Southfield and raised in Brighton. She spent much of her childhood swimming and hiking at Kensington Metropark. Tabert earned a bachelor’s degree in education and […]
Beyond the Hospital: Old Dominion University Nursing Students Take Community Health Into Practice
It’s 9 a.m. on a scorching summer day in Williamsburg. Audrey Wallin has arrived at Grove Christian Outreach Center from Virginia Beach expecting to put her nursing skills to work. What she finds is a lesson in healthcare that extends well beyond a blood pressure cuff.
Venezuela’s Machado tops poll as US-backed negotiations resume
María Corina Machado holds a commanding lead in presidential voting intentions in Venezuela even as she remains sidelined from U.S.-backed negotiations between the government and opposition aimed at restoring democratic
Margaret Qualley's 'Love of Your Life' is about letting go. But she's standing by those barefoot sandals.
Qualley and costar Aaron Pierre break down the dynamics of their new romantic drama.
2026 State of the Climate Report Shows a Planet Reaching Its Limits
The seventh edition of an annual report analyzing Earth’s "planetary vital signs” indicates that Earth systems are rapidly destabilizing, some at an accelerating rate. The report, published today in BioScience, analyzed 16 of these signs, including greenhouse gas emissions levels, ocean heat content and acidity, the mass of major ice sheets, the number of hot days, Earth's surface temperature, and more.
Where the Rockets Can Improve Before Their Preseason Finale
The Rockets need to value each possession more if they hope to improve from last season.
Russell Brand's U.K. sexual assault trial begins: What to know
Russell Brand faces prosecution for multiple counts each of rape and sexual assault. His trial is underway at Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
Going the distance
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is about to reach a major milestone: one light-day from Earth
29 New Changes in the Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake — Redesigned Puzzles, Updated Miniboss Fights, and Deeper Dialogue
I played more than an hour of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Switch 2, and as someone who’s finished the original several times, I noticed a lot of small changes that shine some light on the thought process behind recreating this adventure. It seems everything was on the table when considering what to tweak: altered puzzles more closely fit the modern controls, redesigned miniboss fights spice things up across each round, and new shortcuts and context clues make navigation more intuitive.
Phillies expected to name Don Mattingly as full-time manager after 2026 turn around
Don Mattingly helped the Phillies recover from a terrible start in 2026.
Political Uncertainty Puts Some U.S. Companies' Hiring Plans on Hold
/PRNewswire/ -- Politics is reaching beyond the ballot box and into the workplace, with two-thirds of U.S. hiring managers (66%) saying the current political...
Terry Bradshaw hints at retirement, says his time as an NFL analyst is 'coming to an end'
UNCP Computer Science Program earns ABET accreditation
Photo by UNCPUNC Pembroke’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program has earned initial accreditation from ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission, providing independent recognition of the quality and rigor of the program as it prepares students for careers and advanced study in computing.The accreditation, which extends through Sept. 30, 2032, comes as UNCP continues to expand its computing programs amid rapid growth in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science and other emerging technologies.ABET accreditation is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process that evaluates academic programs against established standards for quality. The review examines curriculum, student outcomes, faculty qualifications, assessment practices, student support and continuous improvement.“Earning initial ABET accreditation is a significant milestone for our Computer Science program because it provides external recognition of the quality of our program and validates our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Dr. Haitao Zhao, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, in a press release. “For our department, this achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff and gives our students greater confidence in the quality of their education and preparation for careers and graduate study.”For prospective students, the accreditation provides independent assurance that UNCP’s program meets standards established for computing education and is preparing graduates to enter technical fields in the global workforce.Earning the accreditation required faculty and staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the program, including its curriculum, educational objectives, student learning outcomes and assessment processes. The review included a detailed self-study, documentation and an on-site evaluation.The accreditation arrives as UNCP looks toward the next phase of growth in computing. The department plans to continue strengthening its computer science curriculum while expanding hands-on learning and research opportunities for students. It also plans to pursue ABET accreditation for its information technology and cybersecurity programs.Future plans include developing new opportunities in artificial intelligence and graduate education, including an AI track and a Master of Science in Computer Science with a focus on AI and cybersecurity.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Busy Fall
We have a busy fall ahead of us—and that’s always good news. We like to stay busy. We’re working on two special annual publications: the CNY Business Guide and the CNY Winter Guide. Both publications are designed to reach specific audiences in the community. We’re excited about these new editions and would like to share a few details about them. Let’s begin with the Winter Guide. Winter can be challenging, but it also offers plenty to celebrate. The new CNY Winter Guide will help readers embrace the season and make it more fun and enjoyable. This year’s annual publication will feature an extensive calendar of events, compelling stories, and curated lists of things to do and see throughout the winter. This will be our 31st annual issue. It is one of the few publications—if not the only one—devoted exclusively to winter in Central New York. For advertisers, it offers a valuable opportunity to reach readers across the region. As we tell prospective advertisers, one ad works for them all season long. Rates start in the low $200s. The guide will be available at hundreds of high-traffic locations, including all Wegmans stores and select Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets locations. It will also be available online, with every ad hyperlinked so readers can click directly through to the advertiser’s website or Facebook page. Our network of drivers will also deliver the guide to hundreds of high-traffic locations several times throughout the winter. The publication will be out by Thanksgiving. The CNY Business Guide is a one-of-a-kind publication that many readers use as a reference. Unlike the books of lists published by business journals across the country, it comes in a glossy, full-color magazine format. It also ranks employers in four counties, with a particular emphasis on Oswego and Onondaga and substantial information about Cayuga and Jefferson. It is an ambitious project that requires extensive research, phone calls, careful fact-checking, writing and design. In short, it takes a great deal of work—and we’re glad to take on the challenge. The guide is widely distributed to business and professional readers throughout Central New York. The Business Guide gives companies an excellent opportunity to highlight their growth and expansion, showcase new products, and share other noteworthy developments. For readers, it provides a valuable snapshot of companies across the region, including what they do and who leads them. The guide will be published in early December. We invite companies to advertise in both publications. Advertising costs are relatively low, and each guide offers access to a broad audience across Central New York. Wagner Dotto is the editor and publisher of Oswego County Business Magazine.
HOW I GOT STARTED: Jim Brooker
Owner of Starlight MFG Solutions in Fulton was vice president at Otis Technology in Phoenix — until the company closed locally. He then decided to open his own shop. “We are pretty much doubling in size each year so far,” he says By Stefan Yablonski Q: When did you start this business” A: I started Starlight MFG Solutions LLC while I was working at another government contractor. I was vice president of engineering at Otis Technology at their Phoenix location until they closed that facility due to a shift in business at the end of 2023. While at Otis, I was also working on Starlight on a part-time basis. I gained a lot of exposure to a lot of different equipment. That is the kind of service we provided to Otis when we were a part of them. Now we have spun that whole concept off here. Q: How would you describe it? A: It’s a manufacturing engineering firm specializing in custom automation to serve as an outsourced engineering support for companies that need additional resources. I want to make it a sustainable business that can partner with local manufacturers to help them. Q: What is your background; did you go to college with this in mind? A: I am a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. My B.S. from RIT was in manufacturing engineering technology and my MS from RIT was in manufacturing and mechanical systems integration with a minor in business. Q: Why this type of business? A: I identified a large gap in the market for companies that needed small to medium help with manufacturing projects. Q: What services do you offer? A: We are focusing more on manufacturing. We do a lot of robotics, we do laser marking, we do filling — pretty much anything that the customer needs. Q: Have you seen any growth since you started? A: Yes. We have been growing ever since the company started. Our specialties include robotics, vision inspection and guidance, rotary-indexing workcells, dispense systems, laser marking, machine tending and more. We provide support to companies that need additional resources. We moved to a facility in Fulton about a year and a half ago. We are leasing our space in Fulton — the former NET & Die facility. We bought our own equipment, we are leasing the space. We have been operating here since early 2024. Q: You’re ready to take on bigger jobs? A: We want to stay in the small to medium size market where the large players don’t want to play. That is kind of where we found our niche. We are expanding regionally to take on more of those projects. My customers are relatively small business. They don’t have in-house automation; engineering and development teams are not feasible. Q: Business has been doing well? A: I am pretty satisfied about where we are at. We are definitely growing year to year. We are pretty much doubling in size each year so far. We are self-sustaining. Q: How busy are you on any given day? A: How busy? That’s kind of relative. We average between three and five projects going on in the shop at any time. We have a backlog that is manageable. We have seen a great demand for laser marking. The work is very relationship-driven. Much of it is based on referrals from other customers. Q: So, you must have a pretty big staff? A: No. I have just one other full-time person, a colleague from Otis. I bring in other people as the projects dictate. I handle sales and the overall operation of the manufacturing processes. We use outside sources for some work. We aren’t afraid to take on the other jobs — but we are filling our niche pretty well. Q: Do you get tired? A: I don’t get tired, no not really. Before this I ran a facility in Phoenix for 12 years. I enjoy solving problems and that part of the job is still my favorite. I have a supportive family life at home that definitely helps a lot. I just love the challenge of it. Q: Do you still live in the area? A: Yes. I live in Phoenix, town of Lysander. Q: What is the biggest job you’ve done? A: We have done some that were pretty good size. I don’t want to get into dollar amounts, don’t want to share gross revenue. We try to use locally sourced components. It is just amazing the components you can find that are locally produced.
PROFILE: Ben Sio
New President of CenterState CEO Brings Nearly Two Decades of Experience to Drive CNY Growth By Stefan Yablonski Ben Sio serves as president of the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity — or CenterState CEO. The independent Syracuse-based nonprofit is committed to creating inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth in Central New York. “I started in this position in March, so it has been six months. I’m in my 19th year with CenterState,” he said in August. As president, he is responsible for overseeing the organization’s administration and governance, while leading and executing its vision to be an effective advocate, exceptional employer and a force for positive outcomes for the community. He previously served as chief of staff and senior vice president of strategy, policy and planning, overseeing the organization’s long-term strategic planning, consulting, corporate governance, fundraising and development, land-use planning and government relations. In his years with the organization, Sio has led or supported many high-profile strategic initiatives including the creation of the CNY Rising Plan, the launch of the NUAIR Alliance and the region’s UAS strategy, the creation of the Micron-enabled Community Priorities Document and the recently awarded NY Smart I Corridor Tech Hub. “When we decided to split Rob’s [Simpson] role into two positions, he has the CEO title and I got the president title. Rob remains focused on forward looking vision strategy for the organization and I’m more focused on the day-to-day operations,” he explained. “I’m also responsible for building consensus around strategic needs and priorities and managing the change necessary to drive execution. It’s an eventful job. “The experiment that we call CenterState is always evolving and shifting and addressing where we see market demand and market failure. “If we see something in our economy that isn’t going the way we think it should go, then whether it is housing development or workforce development or something else, we are always figuring out how to step into these situations and address those challenges.” “We are the largest ever in terms of staff that we have ever been. We are no longer the 20-person organization we were when we started out many, many years ago,” he said. “There are more day-to-day things to take care of. But also there is just so much happening in the community right now that is pulling CenterState and our expertise in so many directions. I tell people if we were bored and not busy, then I’d be really concerned about what we are doing. But we are not bored. We’ve certainly got our hands full — and that is a good thing.” CenterState has now approximately 63 employees on its staff, according to recent nonprofit database records. It’s involved in myriad programs, ranging from Genius NY, a business accelerator competition for uncrewed systems, IoT and robotics startups, to CenterState Up Start, a collaborative business development program that connects local, service-based businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs to the tools and networks that help them thrive. CNY Guy Through and Through A Central New York guy through and through, Sio was born and raised in Skaneateles. “My mom was a teacher, an art teacher. My father worked for many, many years with National Grid. He was there through the transition from Niagara Mohawk to National Grid,” he said. “Neither of my parents were touched by cutbacks and job loss. But I grew up going through that transition and being concerned that there were rounds of layoffs. My childhood connection to the economy here in Central New York … years ago it was on the decline. There were people that lived here that were concerned about losing their job. They were thinking they lived in a place that didn’t show much promise.” That narrative translated to his generation, he added. “The kids that grew up in the ‘90s in Central New York were very much told, directly or indirectly, by their parents, that they had to go somewhere else to find economic opportunity. That is what I grew up thinking,” he said. “I only went a few miles down Route 20 for college — in Geneva, New York; I graduated from Hobart and William Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and political science. “I got real interested in regional economies; because what makes regional economy is what makes the economy successful. And when I graduated, I had an opportunity to move to Washington, DC and work down there at a nonprofit doing this work.” However, he decided to stay in Central New York. “I got hired two weeks after I graduated. I got hired by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. At the time it was one of two entities doing economic development in Central New York — [the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Development Association] — and it eventually became CenterState CEO,” he said, referring to 2010 merger between the two organizations. During his time at CenterState, Sio has also split time at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where he supported communities developing export and foreign direct investment (FDI), a long-term cross-border investment where an individual or company from one country buys a lasting stake or control in a business located in another country. The program — known as Global Cities Initiative — was designed to help leaders in major U.S. and international metropolitan areas reorient their local economies toward global markets. “Early on in my tenure at CenterState, we had done a lot of work with the Brookings Institution, just regional planning stuff. We worked with them on developing a regional export plan, to export more products out of Central New York and a larger business plan for the region. They hired me on to help replicate those plans in different parts of the country,”Sio explained. “So, I worked there for three or four years. I worked for CenterState, but I was technically loaned to Brookings for a period of time to help them do this work elsewhere.” Family ties “My wife is Carly. We have been married 14 years. We have two kids, a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. “With a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, fun is a relative term these days. We do a lot of hiking. The kids this summer got very interested in waterfalls. We’ve hit every waterfall we could in a short hike — we’ve done Skaneateles and some others.” “I do woodworking and wood turning — it’s a branch of woodworking; you use a wood lathe. My big thing there is making wood bowls. I do that in most of my free time, which is not much,” he quipped. “I like to get into my woodshop and make a bowl and decompress and turn off the rest of the world for a little bit. I usually do it late at night when the house is quiet. It is definitely my escape from the day to day. I make a lot of bowls; all different sizes, all different species of wood. It’s a fun thing to do for me.” He gives away many of his creations. “They are mostly gifts — I don’t really sell them. I really don’t have time to go set up a booth at a fair or craft show. I usually give them away. I donate them to different things. If you are in my periphery, you’ve likely received a salad bowl from me as a gift. I just need to find something to do with all the stuff that I create,” he said. Lifelines Name: Benjamin Sio Position: President, CenterState CEO Birth Date: Not provided Birth place: Syracuse Residence: Westvale Education: Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the Finger Lakes Affiliations: Member of the boards of Skaneateles Festival, Greccio Foundation, Interfaith Works, CNY Community Foundation Personal/family: Married with two kids Hobbies: Woodworking and woodturning