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Calls grow for Eric Swalwell to resign from House amid sexual assault allegations
The California Democrat suspended his campaign for governor amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women
A summer of classical music ‘for all’
The Aspen Music Festival and School celebrates its 77th year this summer. The season begins July 1 and ends Aug. 24 and includes over 200 performances.
Rep. Eric Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor after sex assault allegations
Rep. Eric Swalwell faced intense pressure to drop his bid for California governor after reporting Friday that prompted many supporters to drop their support for him
Eric Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor
Swalwell continues to deny the allegations
Downtown Evanston to offer Refresh & Renew: Health & Wellness Open House event April 25
Spend April 25 day exploring local fitness and wellness businesses in downtown Evanston — try free mini-sessions, meet owners and instructors, tour spaces
Inside my $240-a-night room at theWit Chicago, a Hilton hotel
After spending one night at theWit, a Hilton hotel in Chicago, I think it's a top choice for luxury travelers on a budget.
The Screen Time Maximalists Who Spend an Ungodly Amount of Time on Their Phones
As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.
ON THE JOB: “What is the Best Business Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Sound advice can contribute to your success. We recently asked area business leaders, what was their best advice they’d ever received. Here’s what they said: “The best advice I ever received was from my then –boss, Gerry Church, Fulton plant manager at Miller Brewing Co. He told me that whenever I wanted to discuss a business problem or issue with him, I should also be prepared to offer possible solutions. It’s the difference between being proactive or reactive. It’s also the difference between being a leader or follower. That has served me well in any business relationship I have had since then.” — Stephen Chirello, Owner, Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton “Someone will always do it for less; they will also take the most effort to service or satisfy and leave you for the next lower price.” — John M. Henry, Owner, Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing, Phoenix Press, Oswego “I’m going to answer this question by turning it around and giving my own advice that is, ‘Always treat every customer as if they were your only customer!’ We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in business this year. We started our business on March 25, 1976. My advice works.”” — Nick Chervinsky, President, Brewerton Pharmacy, Brewerton “’You need to toot your own horn, my grandfather, Howard D. Dice, told me.” — Beth Ann Dice, Women’s active aging and cancer recovery coach, Mission Movement Wellness Studio & Breast Cancer Recovery Studio, Fulton “In the micro enterprise class, they taught, ‘Get a good lawyer, accountant and bank.’ That was over 30 years ago and I still have those three today. I chose good people I could grow with.” — Tony Pauldine, Owner, Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractors Inc., Oswego “From my grandfather; ‘Listen to everyone! You never know where you will get the solution you need.’” — Kevin Dean, Executive director, Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton “‘Preparation is the mother of success.’ My dad always drilled that into my head growing up, and it has helped me avoid a lot of snags in both my personal and professional life. Thanks, Dad!” — Bekkah Frisch, Owner and president, iHeart Holdings, Inc., Fulton “If you don’t take a risk and try, you will never know.” — Justin Taber, Owner, Torbitt’s Service Center, Oswego “Be ready to take a loss.” — Cody Seymour, Manager, Damiano’s Eatery, Mexico “I’ve received so much good business advice over the years. When people are giving you advice, always be curious rather than judgmental. Follow your gut. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.” — Dana Decker, Principal owner/broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Oswego ’Do it and figure it out later.’ It hasn’t failed me yet. Too many people take time to think about doing this and this and this and then the opportunity is over with. If it’s somewhat reasonable — if it’s not something outrageous — do it and figure it out later.” — Jeremy Allen, Licensed real estate salesperson, Acropolis Realty Group, Syracuse “’Try to meet the needs of the customer. Treat them like you’d like to be treated.’ It’s like the Golden Rule says.” — Douglas Dickson, Physician and associate at CNY Foot Surgery and Podiatry Care, East Syracuse “The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received applies to life in general: always be honest. Never overstate your capabilities and always be willing to ask questions. The more specific you can be in any given topic will always lead to a better outcome.” — Tom Fernandez, President, Woodbine Hospitality, Syracuse “As a business owner, the advice would be ‘Don’t overextend yourself. Especially in agriculture, expect issues to come up.’ If something is going right, it’s not true agriculture. This last season, we scaled very hard to field another crew. We got more drones, crew and generators based on projections. This last season hit the ag community hard with a very wet spring. We did 15,000 to 20,000 acres for fungicide and the same for cover crop seeding in 2024. We scaled to 25,000 to 30,000 for 2025. We ended up doing 2,000 for fungicide and 3,000 for cover crop seeding. That’s why that advice was good.” — Rick Jordan, Operations manager, CNY Drove Services, Clinton “’Keep your head down, mind your own business and do the best for your clients that you can do.’ It has a lot to do with my success in working for Galloway Century 21.” — Ed Fayette, New York state licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Galloway, Oswego “’Expand in all ways, always.’ It just keeps you going and keeps you growing.” — Stephen Baier, Licensed real estate person, The Real Estate Agency & Bouck Commercial, Auburn “The best advice is, ‘Your biggest asset you won’t see on the books because it comes from your employees.’” — David Flickinger, Owner, Edible Arrangements, Syracuse “Don’t take things personally when you’re working with the public.” — Leeann Desimone, Manager, Annie’s Hallmark Shop, Auburn “‘Follow up.’ The customer knows that you care about what you are doing and that their opinion counts. Sometimes they might be on the fence about whether they want to use your company. If they’re asking your opinion on things, they feel you are concerned about what you’re doing. They like to be kept in the loop if they’re spending money with you.” — Dorothy Casper, Saslesperson, SweetWoods Memorials, Phoenix “The best business advice I received is ‘Never be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.’ That’s how you learn.” — Debbie Bilello, Owner, Virtual Office Solutions, Central Square “’You need to grow your business but you can’t grow too big too fast.’ That’s what we’ve done at Pinnacle Maintenance. We’ve tried to grow but not too fast. Along those same lines, there’s another good piece of advice, ‘Don’t take on more than you can handle because it only leads to a bad name for your business and a bad experience for your customers.’ It goes along the same lines as growing your business slowly and carefully.” — David Wines, Owner, Pinnacle Maintenance, Central Square “Always be on time and do what you say you are going to do.’ I’ve done very well following that advice. Most of my work is referral and I don’t really do any advertising so I have a pretty good customer base. It’s mostly word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.” — Robert J. Fleming, Owner, Bob Fleming Windows & Doors, Brewerton “’Concentrate on your finances, always pay your taxes, and form a team you can depend on. Try to help the community you’re in as much as you can.’ We do all of these all the time here. We give and give and give to the community and the community gives back to us always.” — Susan Bonnet, Co-owner, Bonnet Sales and Service, Central Square “Keep smiling. It brings a positive attitude to the workplace.” — Karin Lindsley, Vice president, DTS Truck Service, Syracuse “‘Customer service above all.’ Following this advice has served us very well.’ — Guy Fox, Owner, Fox’s Discount Parts, West Monroe “The best thing to do is to make sure you’re taking in more money than you’re spending. I wish I could say I’m a good businessman but I have been in business since 1981. I’m not a bean counter but work well with my hands and its’s served me well all these years and I am still in business.” — Matt McGill, Owner, Matt McGill Collision, Brewerton
Seniors: Carol Watson, 72
Owner of Carol Watson Greenhouse and Landscaping in LaFayette enjoys her growing business — still puts in six-, seven-day weeks By Mary Beth Roach Carol Watson, the owner of Carol Watson Greenhouse and Landscaping, has been in gardens since she could walk. Literally. She said she learned to walk in her grandfather’s garden, which was next door to her current home and business in LaFayette. Today, at 72, she is running the business that her mother, Claire, opened in 1981 as Watson Greenhouse. Watson worked part-time for her mom until 1990, when she joined her full time. While she may not have had any formal horticultural experience, she said she learned so much about growing and raising plants from her mom, who had an abundance of energy and talent. Now, after 35 years in the business full time, Watson has no plans to retire, although she joked that she’d like a couple of days off a week. On her seven-acre site, complete with four greenhouses, Watson said her favorite parts of the job are working with and educating her customers; helping some of her young customers build terrariums; conducting occasional class field trips; and supporting local art by decorating the shop with an eclectic mix of pottery from at least four area craftspeople. A one-time employee of the former Dey Bros. department store in Syracuse, Watson said she loves merchandising and enjoys displaying unique pieces of art on shelves and even suspending from ceilings. “We’re creative. We also had top quality plants. We got a reputation of quality plants and unusual products,” she said. It’s tending to her customers and her plants, showcasing the unusual products, and hosting special events to benefit the community that keep her motivated to work six to seven days a week. “I just love it. I love taking care of the plants. I’m one of the few people that really enjoys watering,” she said. And while she has cultivated a solid customer base over the years, she remains savvy in her marketing efforts to draw in new customers. For example, she does a gardening segment on CNY Central television; her active Facebook page has thousands of followers; and she hosts a number of unique events and classes that not only introduce her shop to potential new clients, but some benefit nonprofits as well. About 13 years ago, when the local symphony orchestra was struggling, she said she wanted to help. So, partnering with the group, she began offering concerts, called Soirees, featuring the Syracuse Orchestra’s string quartet. Following up on a suggestion from a customer whose brother is a deejay in retirement, specializing in sock hops, she hosted the greenhouse’s first sock hop. Plants got moved back toward the walls to make room for dancing; a caterer was brought in, offering diner-like food; guests came in period outfits; and proceeds went to the Food Bank of CNY. She is excited about doing it again in October. Via her website, she promotes the greenhouse as an “oasis in the snow,” offering visitors the opportunity to pick up some decorating and gift ideas while taking in the floral and citrus scents. And she also caters to her four-legged friends. Over this past winter, she said, she came up with a “brilliant idea,” although at the time she didn’t appreciate just how brilliant it would become. Feeling it too cold outside to take her dog for a walk, she opted to bring it into the greenhouse. And before long, she was inviting people to bring their dogs into the big greenhouse as well. She looks forward to extending that invitation again this upcoming winter season. For Watson and her customers, the greenhouse is always in season.
Anthropic may soon pass OpenAI on this measure of AI business spending
Anthropic has seen a surge in business spending in recent months, according to Ramp's AI index.
In this era of political violence, candidate security costs are higher, new report says
Security spending for congressional and presidential campaigns has jumped fivefold over the past decade as an increasingly hostile political environment has led to escalating threats against public officials, ranging from doxing to assassination plots, according to a report released Thursday.
State health chief says budget plan ‘protects what matters most’
State Health Commissioner Raynard Washington defended his department’s $2.79 billion annual spending plan to lawmakers Thursday.
Argonne Open House 2026
Argonne Open House 2026Saturday, June 27, 20269:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Lemont, Illinois Argonne National Laboratory, located just 15 miles west of Chicago, is one of the world’s leading scientific research laboratories. And for one day only, it’s open to the public. At Argonne’s Open House you can spend the day thinking and acting like a scientist and discover how science can answer the biggest questions facing humanity.
Starting a Business
Marco Island has strong household income, steady tourism, and a customer base that values quality. On paper, it looks like an ideal market. But the longer you spend here, the more you realize something familiar: The opportunity is real. So are the constraints.
USPS to suspend payments to employee pension plan to free up cash
The US Postal Service said Thursday it would temporarily suspend payments to an employee pension plan to free up cash amid a financial crisis.
Russia’s Science Funding Drops Below 1% of GDP, Falling Behind Globally
Russia's R&D spending drops to 0.97% of GDP, falling behind Egypt and Malaysia. Government civil science funding hits a 15-year low.
Spotify Introduces New Video Controls for Listeners
Spotify has always been about putting listeners in the driver’s seat. Today, people don’t just want more ways to spend their time; they want that time to be well spent. That’s why, from Taste Profile to Prompted Playlist, and the expansion of managed accounts to Smart Filters, we’re giving users more control over their listening...
Officials: Greenwood restaurant's business license suspended
FOX Carolina's Scottie Hunter has the details.
Politicians Are Spending More Money on Security as They Increasingly Become Targets
Political candidates are purchasing more home alarms, bulletproof vests, and other protections amid rising fears of political violence.
Coös County health center CEO says new rural health funds not enough to counteract Medicaid cuts
Edward Shanshala, CEO of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, said when Congress passed its massive tax cuts and spending law last year, he and his colleagues made the difficult decision to shut down the organization’s clinic in Franconia in anticipation of the law’s impacts. Shanshala doesn’t think a new tranche of federal funding will be enough […]
Which U.S. metros have the highest health spending? The answer might surprise you
There's not a consistent theme among the 10 highest and lowest spending metros, which highlights the “irrationality” of U.S. health care spending, experts say.
Democrats fighting for Iowa Senate seat tussle over Chuck Schumer and super PACs
The primary fight between state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls has emerged as a key race to watch, with Republicans ready to spend to defend the seat this fall.
LinkedIn scanning users' browser extensions sparks controversy and two lawsuits
LinkedIn says claims fabricated by extension maker suspended for scraping data.
'Tokenmaxxing' is the new Silicon Valley AI debate
Some engineers are "tokenmaxxing," or spending as many AI tokens as possible. But are leaderboards tracking token use the answer?
Masters 2026: Inside attendees' merch hauls, from gnomes to golf gear
The Masters Tournament isn't only about golf. Shopping has become a must-do experience at the event, with people spending thousands on their hauls.
President's budget brings back NASA science cuts
The President's Budget Request for fiscal year 2027 calls for $18.8 billion in NASA spending, a $5.6 billion cut.
BREAKING: Berke Büyüktuncel enters the transfer portal
Junior forward Berke Büyüktuncel entered the transfer portal on Wednesday morning after spending two seasons with Nebraska, per On3.
Democratic opposition could stymy Trump's 2027 budget blueprint
Several Democrats said the proposed budget's cuts added to their concerns about cuts to non-defense programs that were passed into law in last year’s sweeping tax and spending law, known as the Big Beautiful Bill Act.
'Implementation cycle': Jay Collins says homestead property tax relief may be phased in over years
Local governments may be spending too much, but they need time to adjust to the new reality.
US core capital goods orders increase in February
New orders for key U.S.-manufactured capital goods increased more than expected in February, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower, suggesting some moderation in business spending on equipment in the first quarter.
Report: Iran, inflation concern small businesses
(The Center Square) - U.S. small businesses reported reduced spending and hiring amid concerns over military strikes against Iran and looming inflation data, according to a new report.
Iowa's Miller-Meeks noncommittal on spending cuts to fund Iran war
US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks says she would "look very carefully" at proposed spending cuts to fund the U.S. war with Iran while touting tax cuts.
MAGA Is Winning Its War Against U.S. Science
Source: NBER With all the other terrible news right now, you may not have noticed that Donald Trump is in the process of killing American science. OK, that’s an exaggeration — but not that much of an exaggeration. The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal calls for a gigantic increase in military spending combined with severe cuts to social programs. But as the chart above shows, it also calls for debilitating reductions in research funding. Furthermore, Trump appointees have already been strangling science by sharply reducing the rate at which research grants are approved. Here, for example, is the number of new grants approved by the National Science Foundation: Source: Nature Large numbers of existing grants have also been frozen or terminated, especially in the study of infectious diseases. Add to this a sharp drop in visas issued to foreign students, who often play a direct role in research and who help support academic departments that do research: Put all of this together, and much U.S. scientific research is set to come to a screeching halt — not a few years from now, but over the course of the next year or two. This new assault on U.S. science is taking place at a time when the role of American science in the world has already been greatly eroded. The chart below, based on research recently reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research, measures national strength in science by the share of publications in highly ranked journals. In the 1990s the United States had more such publications than the rest of the world combined. Since then we’ve dropped into third place — well behind China and slightly below the European Union. And this was before the Trump administration’s attack on science had time to take its full effect. Source Some erosion in U.S. scientific preeminence was inevitable given China’s growing sophistication and wealth. But we’ve also fallen behind Europe, even though everyone says that Europe is lagging economically and technologically. Claims about Europe’s underperformance are, in fact, dubious if one looks hard at the data. But it’s still striking to see America lagging. What’s going on? There are presumably multiple factors behind America’s scientific lag. But even before Trump II the growing hostility of the U.S. right to science surely had some negative effect. And since the rise of MAGA G.O.P. attitudes toward science in general have become overwhelmingly hostile. This is true even for the Republican rank and file: And while I haven’t been able to find good survey data, it’s obvious that the anti-science turn has been even more pronounced — and began earlier — among the Republican political elite. Chris Mooney published The Republican War on Science in 2005, and even then was describing a longstanding trend. Why have Republicans turned so anti-science? Part of the answer is that they believe that scientists don’t support them. And they’re right! A study of who scientists give money to shows that only a small percentage gave money to Republicans even 20 years ago, and that almost none of them donate to Republicans now: Social scientists have always been strongly pro-Democratic, while there used to be a significant number of physical, “hard” scientists supporting the GOP. But these days physicists are almost as uniformly Democratic, or at least non-Republican, as sociologists. Why are there almost no Republican scientists? It’s not a mystery. GOP political orthodoxy includes positions that are at odds with the scientific consensus on multiple issues, ranging from the validity of the theory of evolution, to the reality of climate change, to the efficacy and safety of vaccines. In each case the scientific consensus is solidly grounded in evidence. But even before the rise of MAGA the U.S. right was increasingly hostile to evidence-based policymaking — especially, of course, where the evidence is unfavorable to fossil fuel interests or quack medicine, both financial mainstays of right-wing politics. So scientists don’t support Republicans, and the feeling is mutual. Today’s Republican Party doesn’t like science or scientists. It doesn’t like having its preconceived views challenged by appeals to evidence. It knows that very few scientists are on its side electorally. In general, it sees scientific research as a threat to its grasp on political power. Add in MAGA’s combination of rabid anti-intellectualism and allergy to any hint of criticism, and one has the makings of a drastic anti-science turn in policy. “Ignorance is strength” might was well be an official MAGA motto. And as I said, we aren’t talking about something that will happen over the course of multiple years: The U.S. scientific enterprise is threatened with severe damage, even collapse, over just the next year. There are many reasons to find this prospect horrifying: Think of all the beneficial advances, affecting almost every part of life, that won’t happen because U.S. science — still crucial to the world — has been eviscerated. But think, also, of America’s international standing. Can a nation that has forfeited its role as a leader, or even a contender, in global science, still be a Great Power? No. MUSICAL CODA
Vance makes time to visit Hungary to support Orbán amid Iran negotiations
The war with Iran is raging, gas prices continue to rise and spending battles persist on Capitol Hill. So why is the number two man in the White House flying to Budapest?
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.
Why it costs $159,197 annually to raise kids in NYC
A new report found the median New York couple with kids needs to spend $159,197 on housing, food, healthcare, and childcare to live in the city.
Florida Bar, Supreme Court discipline 8 lawyers for misconduct
Most of the lawyers were suspended, while one had his license revoked.
Can the US afford guns and day care?
Trump intends to cut social program spending in favor of funding his war
Republican group to spend $45M to help Rogers win Michigan Senate race
A national Republican group said it’s dumping $45 million into Michigan’s open U.S. Senate race as an initial investment to help ex-Rep. Mike Rogers.
'They could spend 4 or 5 hours per day underwater': How humans adapted to the most challenging environments
In the book "Adaptable," evolutionary anthropologist Herman Pontzer explores human biology and development, and how people have evolved to survive everywhere on Earth.
Why are popcorn buckets popular? Inside the collectibles rage
Struggling movie theaters have turned to selling increasingly elaborate novelty popcorn buckets to increase fans' concessions spending.
Why the U.S. Spends So Much on Healthcare
A big reason is the high prices Americans pay for surgeries and drugs.
I spend $12,000 a year to keep up my appearance in Utah as a publicist
Hilary Reiter Azzaretti had never done Botox or gotten regular facials before moving to Utah. Once she saw the people in Park City, she started both.
Eileen Higgins, Juan Fernandez-Barquin to launch program helping Miami-Dade residents restore driver's licenses
The initiative aims to help those with suspended licenses get back on the road.
Train transfer hub linked to reduced healthcare spending
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University and Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. evaluated the 2019 Osaka-Higashi Line station openings using a natural experiment and health insurance claims. While the overall rail-line effect was not significant, Shigino Station, a well-connected transfer hub, showed an estimated cumulative reduction of about JPY 62,500 per medically treated person over four years, highlighting that station connectivity and local context may determinewhether new stations deliver healthcare cost benefits.
It Was John Wayne’s Political Club. Now It’s Spending Millions on Online Influence
A conservative organization with decades of influence in California has quietly turned attention, and millions of dollars, to a national initiative of right-leaning news operations, records show.
Auto industry trade group urges feds to scrap gas tax and replace it with a vehicle weight fee
Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella proposed replacing the federal gas tax with a weight-based vehicle fee for road infrastructure spending.
Hundreds expected to 'Spend in the Black' at 75th Street event
Organizers expect hundreds of people to come out to spend their money and support Black businesses on Saturday.
What it's like flying Southwest after all the changes; A-List helped
I hit the spending threshhold on my Chase Reserve card in 2025 to secure free A-List status on Southwest. Now, I wouldn't fly the airline without it.
The early bird gets the seat
“Sylvia,” “A Chorus Line” and “Grease” comprise the 2026 summer slate for Aspen Theatre’s main stage. Locals early bird passes go on sale at Clark’s Market from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Congress gave money for global HIV work. The Trump administration isn't spending it
U.S. work combatting HIV/AIDS has saved millions of lives globally. Under the Trump administration, funding has been slow in coming and unpredictable, wreaking havoc on people trying to do the work.
EBCI Tribal council votes to suspend board running its cannabis business
The EBCI voted to remove the chairman and the rest of Qualla Enterprises’s board at its latest council meeting.
DC Wrap: 2 U.S. planes go down in Mideast; Trump proposes defense spending boost
A look at the day's biggest stories in national politics
DC Wrap: 2 U.S. planes go down in Mideast; Trump proposes defense spending boost
A look at the day's biggest stories in national politics
Gemma 4 and what makes an open model succeed
Having written a lot of model release blog posts, there’s something much harder about reviewing open models when they drop relative to closed models, especially in 2026. In recent years, there were so few open models, so when Llama 3 was released most people were still doing research on Llama 2 and super happy to get an update. When Qwen 3 was released, the Llama 4 fiasco had just gone down, and a whole research community was emerging to study RL on Qwen 2.5 — it was a no brainer to upgrade. Today, when an open model releases, it’s competing with Qwen 3.5, Kimi K2.5, GLM 5, MiniMax M2.5, GPT-OSS, Arcee Large, Nemotron 3, Olmo 3, and others. The space is populated, but still feels full of hidden opportunity. The potential of open models feels like a dark matter, a potential we know is huge, but few clear recipes and examples for how to unlock it are out there. Agentic AI, OpenClaw, and everything brewing in that space is going to spur mass experimentation in open models to complement the likes of Claude and Codex, not replace them. Especially with open models, the benchmarks at release are an extremely incomplete story. In some ways this is exciting, as new open models have a much higher variance and ability to surprise, but it also points at some structural reasons that make building businesses and great AI experiences around open models harder than the closed alternatives. When a new Claude Opus or GPT drops, spending a few hours with them in my agentic workflows is genuinely a good vibe test. For open models, putting them through this test is a category error. Something else to be said about open models in the era of agents is that they get out of the debate of integration, harnesses, and tools and let us see close to the ground on what exactly is the ability of just a model. Of course, we can’t test some things like search abilities without some tool, but being able to measure exactly the pace of progress of the model alone is a welcome simplification to a systematically opaque AI space. Share The list of factors I’d use to assess a new open-weight model I’m considering investing in includes: Model performance (and size) — how this model performs on benchmarks I care about and how it compares to other models of a similar size. Country of origin — some businesses care deeply about provenance, and if a model was built in China or not. Model license — if a model needs legal approval for use, uptake will be slower at mid-sized and large companies. Tooling at release — many models release with half-broken, or at least substantially slower, implementations in popular software like vLLM, Transformers, SGLANG, etc due to pushing the envelope of architectures or tools. Model fine-tunability — how easy or hard it is to modify the given model to your use-case when you actually try and use it. The core problem is that some of these are immediately available at release, e.g. general performance, license, origin, etc. but others such as tooling take day(s) to week(s) to stabilize, and others are open research questions — with no group systematically monitoring fine-tunability. In the early era of open models, the days of Llama 2 or 3 and Qwen pre v3.5, the architectures were fairly simple and the models tended to work out of the box. Some of this was due to the extremely hard work of the Llama, Qwen, Mistral, etc. developer teams. Some is due to the new models being genuinely harder to work with. When it comes to something like Qwen 3.5 or Nemotron 3, with hybrid models (either gated delta net or mamba layers), the tooling is very rough at release. Things you would expect to “just work” often don’t. I’ve been following this area closely since we released Olmo Hybrid with a similar architecture, and Qwen 3.5 is just starting to work well in the various open-source tools that need to all play nice together for RL research. That’s 1.5 months after the release date! This is just to start really investing more into understanding the behavior of the models. Of course, others started working on these models sooner by investing more engineering resources or relying on partially closed software. The fully open and distributed ecosystem takes a long time to get going on some new models. All of this is lead-in for the most important question for open models — how easy is it to adapt to specific use-cases? This is a different problem for different model sizes. Large MoE open-weight models may be used by entities like Cursor who need complex capabilities in their domain, e.g. Composer 2 trained on Kimi K2.5. Other applications can be built on much smaller models, such as Chroma’s Context-1 model for agentic search, built on GPT-OSS 20B. The question of “which models are fine-tunable” is largely background knowledge known by engineers across the industry. There should be a thriving research area here to support the open ecosystem model. The first step is to understand characteristics of different base and post-trained models to understand what they look like. The second step is to tune pretraining recipes for open models so they’re more flexible. Interconnects AI is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe For The ATOM Project and other Interconnects endeavors, we’ve put in substantial effort to measuring adoption trends in the open ecosystem. Everything takes a long time to unfold after a model is first publicly available — and adaptability is why. What we know for sure now, when Qwen has been going from strength to strength with its releases, is that technical staff across the industry has gotten comfortable working with Qwen models. Countless research methods and datasets were made to work with Qwen. It’ll take patience for any other model family to get to this point — a patience I’m not sure many open model builders have. This takes us to Gemma 4, Google’s latest open models. Gemma 3 was released more than a year ago, in March of 2025, and is a bit underrated. Gemma 4 comes in 4 sizes for now, with a bigger, MoE model of over 100B total parameters rumored but not released yet. The models we have today come in sizes of ~5B dense, 8B dense, 26B total 4B active MoE, and 31B dense. I’m most excited that they’re finally adopting a standard Apache 2.0 open source license. This’ll massively boost adoption. The standard of better licenses for strong open-weight LLMs was set by mostly Chinese open model labs in the last 1-2 years, and now U.S. companies are following suit. I will personally be so happy if the horrible Llama licenses and Gemma terms of service were an ~18-month transient dynamic of the industry being nervous about releasing strong open models. The Gemma 4 scores look very solid, the small models have incredible benchmark scores (especially in general domains like LMArena) and the 31B model rivals the recent Qwen 3.5 27B, which is the leading member of that class. The ~30B size range is an important one, as it’s accessible both to researchers and to enterprises looking to deploy the model in real use-cases. Where the 7B model scale is the default for tinkering and research, a 30B model is the default for seeing if an open model can unlock substantial value in your specific workflow — a good mix of intelligence, low price, tractability for downstream training, etc. This takes us back to the above adoption criteria I mentioned for open models and the bigger question — do I think Gemma 4 will be an overwhelming success? Previous Gemma models have been plagued by tooling issues and poorer performance when being finetuned. Gemma 4’s success is going to be entirely determined by ease of use, to a point where a 5-10% swing on benchmarks wouldn’t matter at all. It’s strong enough, small enough, with the right license, and from the U.S., so many companies are going to slot it in. I’m cautiously optimistic that Gemma 4 is going to work better here. Winds are shifting for open models built in America. We saw GPT-OSS go through a bumpy launch to become an overwhelming success. There’s a collective energy around the likes of Reflection, Arcee, Nemotron, Gemma, Olmo, and peers that show substantial demand for building new stacks around open models. There’s capital to be spent on AI stacks across the economy by those who want more ownership of everything, including the model. After launching The ATOM Project 240 days ago, the conversation is shifting into the next stage. Summer of 2025 was a crisis moment where the U.S. AI scene realized it can’t wait and figure out open models after building AGI. The two markets will capture different areas and proceed in parallel. Now that more companies in the U.S. are releasing strong models, we need to improve the ecosystem so that these models are easy to use, understand, and build value around. It’s the hard work to build another inflection point in these adoption plots I’ve been updating consistently, but that’s the work to be done. Join me in it. More data coming soon! Here’s a sneak peek:
Trump Budget Seeks to Fund NASA’s Lunar Base, Cut Total Spending
The White House is once again asking Congress to cut NASA’s science budget nearly in half, mimicking an effort last year that was rejected by lawmakers.
15 New York state senators urge Hochul to suspend gas tax
Sen. Michelle Hinchey and others are calling on the governor to enact a gas tax holiday in response to rising fuel costs caused by the war in Iran.
White House proposes 12% cut to federal health agencies in 2027 budget request
Congress largely ignored President Trump's previous budget proposal, instead boosting federal health spending.
Op/Ed: N.C. under-invests in PK-12 public education
Partly as a consequence of North Carolina’s budgetary austerity, its spending on pre-K-12 public education has sunk to harmfully low levels. We’re chronically short of teachers; turnover is too high; and teaching is a less appealing career for smart professionals. Our children suffer.
Trump's 2027 budget asks Congress for $1.5 trillion in defense spending, with 10% cuts elsewhere
White House seeks massive increase in defense spending with $1.5 trillion ask in new budget request
The White House is seeking roughly $1.5 trillion for defense as part of a fiscal 2027 budget request – a proposal that would boost military spending to its highest point in modern history as the Trump administration wages its war with Iran.
Trump calls for a major increase in defense spending alongside cuts in domestic spending
The White House is releasing details of President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget, including a $1.5 trillion defense spending request. That's the largest of its kind in decades.
Trump calls for a major increase in defense spending alongside cuts in domestic spending
Trump calls for a major increase in defense spending alongside cuts in domestic spending
Trump Requests $1.5 Trillion for Military Spending
The massive, proposed increase would be offset in part by steep cuts to domestic programs, some of which the administration describes as wasteful.
Oregon gave millions in erroneous benefits for state health plan, audit says
The findings come as Oregon is under pressure from the GOP’s 2025 federal tax and spending law to reduce miscalculations for benefits.
IDF suspends reservist who forced blinded Palestinian to advertise his jewelry business
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Health and government groups spend millions advertising on websites that promote misinformation, sometimes unintentionally
For years, health and government organizations have spent millions of dollars on advertising that appeared on websites that regularly promote health misinformation — financially supporting this growing health threat, sometimes inadvertently.
New study shows that SKYPAC generated over $16 million in 2025
The report highlights SKYPAC’s role as a destination that attracts visitors who spend money throughout the community.
Business owner spends nearly five decades ‘multi-tasking’ in Auburn
Connie Dorsch, 79, provides services related to upholstery, quilting, floor coverings, engravings and more. She started this business with her husband in 1977.
Business owner spends nearly five decades ‘multi-tasking’ in Auburn
Connie Dorsch, 79, provides services related to upholstery, quilting, floor coverings, engravings and more. She started this business with her husband in 1977.
'Massive expansion of government': Blaise Ingoglia pans overspending in St. Lucie County
The county is growing. But the budget is growing faster.
Spend in the Black event supporting Black-owned businesses returns this weekend
Apple employee #8 Chris Espinosa on working his whole life at one company
It used to be common in Japan for someone to spend their entire working life at a single company, but...
WME Sells Sports Agency to Publicis
Publicis Groupe is set to acquire 160over90 in a bid to win more of advertisers’ spending in sports.
Wave of retirements and politics promise spending panel makeover
The House Appropriations Committee is set to undergo a major shake-up following the midterm elections, especially among its Republicans. With four members retiring, two running for Senate and four others in potentially tight reelection contests, nearly a third of the committee’s Republicans may not return in the next Congress. Democrats are looking at a lower […]
Selwyn Rogers: Bearing Witness to Violence
Howie and Harlan are joined by trauma surgeon Selwyn Rogers, who reflects on caring for victims of gun violence and speaking with families in their darkest moments—and explains why the problem must be understood as a shared societal responsibility. Harlan examines new evidence suggesting U.S. healthcare spending has grown more slowly than expected; Howie discusses a retracted Lancet article that highlights the risks of undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Blazers fined $100K, 2 executives suspended for contact with draft-ineligible player in 2023
The Blazers said in a statement they self-reported the violation to the league.
Citing patient deaths, Idaho Senate approves restoring cut Medicaid mental health programs
The bill would spend Idaho legal settlement funds to reinstate the mobile treatment program, called the Assertive Community Treatment program.
Senate and House Republicans Strike Deal to End Homeland Security Shutdown
Legislation to reopen the department, which the House G.O.P. angrily rejected on Friday, could be approved as early as Thursday morning. It represents a sharp turnaround by them and President Trump.
Iowa hopes to get up to $1 billion to improve rural health infrastructure. Some say it will do little to offset looming Medicaid cuts
State officials hope to bring in up to $1 billion in federal funds over the next five years to improve rural health infrastructure, but some say it will do little to help rural hospitals weather looming Medicaid spending reductions.
We’re Spending Billions on Collagen. Here’s What the Science Actually Says
We’re spending billions on powders and gummies, but is it a waste of money? Discover what recent clinical studies from Harvard and FSU reveal about collagen's actual impact on skin, joints, and aging.
Big Tech promised AI would disrupt labor — just not like this
Oracle is reportedly laying off thousands of employees, adding to an already long list of tech giants cutting staff while spending hundreds of billions of dollars on AI data centers.
'I didn't know we had one': Some lawmakers unaware of airline perks
Delta Airlines announced it was suspending a special service for members of Congress during the partial government shutdown.
Why are the same women's basketball teams in Final Four? The answer is money
Parity is rising in women's college basketball, but it hasn't reached the top as the same teams are in the Final Four. Spending is the difference.
As many as 356,000 Ohioans will lose health coverage under Trump spending law, new reports says
A Trump-backed law imposes Medicaid work requirements. A report says 356,000 Ohioans will lose coverage. Almost all have jobs or can't work.
Hochul tees up budget extender as Tier 6 talks percolate
Conversations have yet to fully lock in around countless issues that relate directly to spending, including pension reform.
Kathy Hochul is spending political capital in her affordability fight
The Democratic governor is at odds with fellow Democrats in a high-stakes budget battle.
Ramp economist on how over 50,000 businesses are spending on software and AI
Ramp economist on how over 50,000 businesses are spending on software and AI
Charts show how the highest and lowest earners spend their money
Households with the highest income spend more on housing, but the lowest-income quintile spends a higher share of its spending on that category.
Head of Colorado’s Medicaid program resigns as state Senate was preparing to take “no confidence” vote
Kim Bimestefer’s resignation comes as the state Medicaid program has dealt with billing mistakes and scrutiny over past spending
Emigholz: FY27 Budget Needs Less Spending, Fewer Business Taxes
NJBIA Chief Government Affairs Officer Christopher Emigholz told the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today that New Jersey is at “an inflection
The science behind Easter candy cravings — and when it becomes too much
Americans love Easter candy, spending more than $5 billion on it in 2024, with chocolate bunnies and eggs among the most popular treats, according to the National Confectioners Association. While having a candy or two on a holiday isn’t a problem, consistently eating too much sugar can have significant negative effects. According to Brenda Davy, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech and a registered dietitian, added sugar consumption is
Tapping, twirling and "T" signs: Sports replays have a language all their own
Every moment of pretty much any major sporting event can be dissected in high-definition these days, and officials and umpires are spending more and more time staring at a TV screen to review close calls.
Tapping, twirling and “T” signs: Sports replays have a language all their own
Every moment of pretty much any major sporting event can be dissected in high-definition these days, and officials and umpires are spending more and more time staring at a TV screen to review close…
Tapping, twirling and "T" signs: Sports replays have a language all their own
Every moment of pretty much any major sporting event can be dissected in high-definition these days, and officials and umpires are spending more and more time staring at a TV screen to review close calls. It's also led to a type of sign language unique to the sports world. There's the twirling motion with a finger that's ubiquitous during NBA games when anyone believes their team has been wronged.
Big Tech joins Big Oil as big CA politics spenders
Tech companies spent $39 million to influence California politics last year, making 2025 a blockbuster year of spending for Meta, Google and others.
Is an IDA Health Window the Global Health Financing Solution?
The global health architecture is facing intense scrutiny. There are now an A-Z of initiatives launched to lead the reform, from the Accra Reset to the Lusaka Agenda Secretariat and a WHO-led process. Critics have argued that the current system fails to focus on the poorest countries, fragments national systems, undermines country ownership, and displaces domestic health spending.
China’s Birthrate Falls. But the Child-Care Business Is Booming.
China is creating spending channels across healthcare, fertility and infant nutrition, boosting some companies.
Pricing, politics and patients: the new drug affordability battle
The USA remains the outlier among wealthy drug markets. OECD data for 2023 put US retail pharmaceutical spending at $1,713 per person, against an OECD average of $766. Germany was at $1,158 and Switzerland at $1,061.