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It’s time Colorado built back to affordability

By Samuel G. Michael The price of calling Colorado home has climbed faster than its fourteeners, and not everyone can keep up. Our beloved state is an increasingly unaffordable place to live, pricing out the very people who make it thrive. Without decisive legislative action, we risk losing the essence of what makes Colorado special. […]

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Apr 22 • 2:30 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
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Vodafone offers small businesses cybersecurity, AI capability with Google tie-up

European mobile and broadband operator Vodafone said it would offer its small business customers ​advanced cybersecurity and agentic AI through its $1 ‌billion strategic tie-up with Google Cloud agreed in October 2024.

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Apr 21 • 7:07 PM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Health & Wellbeing Capacity Building Series: From Vision to Action

The Health & Wellbeing Capacity Building Series: From Vision to Action is a five-session learning experience designed to help cities strengthen their ability to advance community wellbeing through…

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Apr 21 • 4:04 PM EDT • Health • nlc.org
Why AI in Business Is About Execution, Not Tools

Discover how AI is used in business, why execution matters more than AI capability and how the Master’s in AI in Business prepares future leaders for execution.

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Apr 21 • 3:40 PM EDT • Business • bu.edu
Behavioral health data exchange challenges impede interoperability, says ONC

Technical barriers, workforce limitation, privacy concerns and cost may all contribute to lower rates of electronic exchange of health information by mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, a new analysis shows.

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Apr 21 • 12:35 PM EDT • Health • healthcareitnews.com
The social sciences need tools for the 21st century

Letters: Readers respond to an editorial on difficulties with replicability of results in social science research

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Apr 21 • 12:30 PM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
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AHA chair speaks at Politico Health Care Summit

Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and 2026 AHA board chair, spoke today at POLITICO’s Health Care Summit about health care affordability.

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Apr 21 • 11:54 AM EDT • Health • aha.org
Inside the debate that sank a small business health insurance bill

With the state legislature focused this session on affordability, a proposal that aimed to lower health insurance costs for small and midsize businesses appeared to have momentum — including backing from Gov. Ned Lamont. But the bill stalled in the Appropriations Committee.

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Apr 21 • 10:11 AM EDT • Business • hartfordbusiness.com
At ‘Thrift Lab,’ Museum Of Science And Industry Explores Sustainable Fashion — And Invites You To Shop

The April 30 event will feature speakers on sustainability and clothing, stitch-themed cocktails, a hub to learn sewing and embellishment skills and a vintage market with “tchotchkes galore.”

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Apr 21 • 9:45 AM EDT • Science • blockclubchicago.org
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections

[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe

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Apr 21 • 9:31 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com
Rep. Blake Moore discusses health care affordability

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, vice chair, House Republican Conference and member of the House Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittee on Health, joined Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health and AHA chair-elect, for a fireside chat. While the conversation covered topics including health care access and regulation, the overarching theme was making health care more affordable for both patients and hospitals and health systems.

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Apr 21 • 9:19 AM EDT • Health • aha.org
Business groups optimistic on Sherrill budget

The governor has proposed limiting businesses' ability to deduct losses as part of her $60.7 billion budget proposal.

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Apr 21 • 7:03 AM EDT • Business • newjerseymonitor.com
Beyond the Promises: Africa, Power, and the Politics of Climate Action

Renewed uncertainty around US engagement, including signals of potential funding reductions, institutional disengagement, and a second withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, has reintroduced questions about the durability of global climate commitments.

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Apr 21 • 5:14 AM EDT • Politics • buala.org
25 Women for '26: Christina Omran combines science, service

Christina Omran has a reputation defined by adaptability and impact, earning recognition as one of Tallahassee’s 25 Women You Need to Know.

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Apr 21 • 5:02 AM EDT • Science • tallahassee.com
Colorado’s energy policies are becoming a national security risk

By William L. Shelton The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is on the verge of making decisions that could have immediate, real-world consequences for every resident in the state, and for the security of our nation. These decisions could restrict energy companies’ ability to add critically needed capacity to our electric grid. This issue is not […]

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Apr 21 • 2:09 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
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Scientists discover skincare compound that kills drug-resistant bacteria

A popular Korean skincare ingredient may be far more powerful than anyone realized. Scientists have discovered that madecassic acid—derived from the herb Centella asiatica—can stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their tracks, including dangerous strains of E. coli. By targeting a bacterial protein that humans don’t have, the compound disrupts the microbes’ ability to survive, making it a promising new type of antibiotic.

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Apr 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Lubrication Engineers Marks 75 Years in Business

Lubrication Engineers marks 75 years, highlighting growth and solutions that help contractors, including roofing professionals, improve equipment reliability and reduce costly downtime.

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Apr 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • roofingcontractor.com
12 Milwaukee Tools Under $75 Worth Adding To Your Collection

Upgrade your toolbox without overspending with Milwaukee tools that deliver power, durability, and value to DIYers and professionals alike.

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Apr 20 • 4:30 PM EDT • Technology • slashgear.com
Head of the Charles board adds business leaders, aims for profitability

The rowing nonprofit just added PNC Bank exec Jon Bernstein and sports marketer Dave Mingey to the board.

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Apr 20 • 2:15 PM EDT • Business • bostonglobe.com
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Sen. Schumer lays out priorities for health care reform

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Congress must set aside partisanship to address urgent health care issues, including affordability and access to care.

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Apr 20 • 11:34 AM EDT • Health • aha.org
How Bruce the Parrot Landed Atop the Pecking Order

The kea gained fame for learning to use a pebble to groom himself. Scientists were astounded by his next innovation.

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Apr 20 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold today provided critical maternal and newborn health equipment that will reach healthcare facilities across Madagascar, demonstrating how U.S. foreign assistance builds a safer, healthier world by helping recipient countries build self-reliant health systems in line with the America First Global Health Strategy. Under President Trump’s America First foreign assistance policy and the America First Global Health Policy, U.S. support serves as a tool of strategic engagement – not global charity. Every U.S. taxpayer dollar is subject to rigorous oversight to ensure measurable results, maximum efficiency, and accountability, with zero tolerance for fraud, waste, or abuse. Through the bilateral Global Health Memorandum of Understanding with Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health, both governments agreed on shared priorities and responsibilities, including a strong focus on maternal and newborn health and Madagascar’s increasing co-investment in its own health system. Madagascar continues to face major challenges in maternal and newborn health, including high maternal mortality rates and significant gaps in access to quality delivery care. In rural regions, many women still give birth at home or in facilities without adequate infection-prevention supplies. Through the U.S.-funded Momentum Country and Global Leadership Project, the United States is providing essential equipment to healthcare facilities nationwide: calibrated reusable drapes for infection prevention in approximately 1,000 community health centers (CSBs), single-use calibrated drapes for 35 hospitals, and management tools for health workers to improve data collection and care coordination. “U.S. foreign assistance makes America safer by preventing instability and strengthening health systems that can detect and contain infectious diseases before they cross borders,” said Chargé d’Affaires Arnold during the handover ceremony. “Our support is temporary and targeted, designed to help Madagascar build greater self-reliance and reduce long-term dependence on U.S. taxpayer resources.” This U.S. support will help standardize safe delivery practices, strengthen infection prevention, and improve data management systems. Used effectively, these materials will contribute directly to reducing maternal and newborn deaths, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to quality delivery care remains limited. From major hospitals to remote health centers, U.S.-funded equipment is already delivering results. The nationwide scope of this support ensures that women and newborns across Madagascar benefit from improved infection prevention and safer delivery practices. This targeted assistance helps save lives today while supporting Madagascar’s transition toward a self-sufficient health system, ensuring that today’s U.S. support leads to Madagascar’s future independence from foreign assistance.

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Apr 20 • 8:57 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov
Why Democrats with 2028 hopes are calling Lina Khan – and what she’s telling them about remaking the economy

Lina Khan is getting constant calls from Democrats, many of them thinking about presidential runs, to sound out problems and workshop potential solutions. That’s a shift from when she was Federal Trade Commission chair and some party leaders avoided meetings or events with her. Khan hasn’t changed so much as the world around her has. Many Americans are furious about rising costs, affordability, technological changes, and soaring profits for the rich. And President Donald Trump has maximized the levers of federal power in ways that were once considered off-limits in both parties. What Khan has in mind for the next Democrat in the White House isn’t a 1,000-page blueprint like the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. It’s more of an overall strategy rooted in her specialty: excavating long-forgotten laws already on the books, then finding ways to apply them to 21st century companies.

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Apr 20 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
How the Professionalization of College Sports Changed Who Wins

The House v. NCAA private antitrust settlement professionalized collegiate sports by requiring colleges and universities to compensate student athletes. The case has changed the economics of college sports, pushing schools to spend big to pay for top athletes to field teams that compete for championships. New research from the Progressive Policy Institute finds that although the new model has narrowed success to the top programs, the ability for schools to pay for success has now been mostly priced in, writes Diana L. Moss.

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Apr 20 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • promarket.org
Biggest party in Romanian coalition set to demand PM's resignation, political crisis looms

Romania's Social Democrats are widely expected to withdraw their ‌support for Liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Monday, likely ushering in months of political instability that will pressure debt, credit ratings and the receipt of EU funds.

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Apr 20 • 5:28 AM EDT • Politics • reuters.com
Bulgaria headed for political stability as former president wins parliamentary majority

With about 130 out of 240 seats in Parliament, Rumen Radev has secured an outright majority in a country marked by deep political fragmentation in recent years. He will become the new prime minister, a position more powerful than president in Bulgaria.

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Apr 20 • 4:14 AM EDT • Politics • lemonde.fr
How Rush dermatology rebuilt culture, access and growth

A five-year transformation tripled access, expanded sites and aligned culture, structure and sustainability at Rush University System for Health.

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Apr 20 • 3:00 AM EDT • Health • ama-assn.org
Scientists unveil how heat-loving enzyme could help improve plastic recycling

Cutinases are fungal enzymes that naturally degrade plant cuticles and show promise for recycling plastics. However, they must balance structural rigidity to withstand high temperatures with flexibility required for catalysis. Now, researchers have investigated the structural basis of catalytic activation in a heat-tolerant cutinase, CtCut, from the fungus Chaetomium thermophilum and found that a rigid core supports stability while a flexible lid is associated with catalytic function, offering insights for improving enzymes for plastic recycling.

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Apr 19 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org
Advancing epidemic and pandemic preparedness through research readiness: SEAR Unity Studies Network Sites chart the way forward in 2026

On 25 March 2026, WHO Regional Office for the South‑East Asia Region (SEARO) convened the first meeting of the SEAR Chapter of the Unity Studies Network Meeting in 2026 to take stock of progress and plan next steps for strengthening epidemic and pandemic preparedness across the Region. The meeting focused on reviewing the ongoing adaptation of selected, standard Unity Study methodologies, sharing field implementation experiences from 2025, and identifying key priorities to guide collaborative work in 2026.Held virtually, the meeting brought together representatives from six Unity Studies network sites across five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) as well as participants from all three levels of WHO.The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing regional efforts in South‑East Asia to strengthen early investigations and studies for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, with a focus on pandemic influenza and other emerging respiratory pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. In this context, and as part of preparedness for the rapid generation of evidence, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in SEAR (WHE/SEAR) encourages Unity Studies sites to adapt prioritized, standardized Unity Study protocols to their national contexts. This approach supports the generation of timely and reliable evidence to inform public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.These efforts are supported through a combination of experience sharing, participation in the global Unity Studies network webinars, capacity‑building of the national public health workforce, and regional collaboration that promotes inter‑country, inter‑agency, and inter‑ministerial action. In parallel, sites are encouraged to explore diversified funding sources to help sustain research preparedness over the long term.Discussions highlighted the importance of WHO’s catalytic financial support through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contributions (PIP‑PC). When combined with national and institutional resources, this support enables countries and sites to maintain continuity of activities at a core level and remain prepared to respond rapidly and effectively to future epidemics and pandemics.Regional and Global Updates: Opening the session, Dr Pushpa Ranjan Wijesinghe, Programme Area Manager, Pandemic and Epidemic Management (PEM) Unit, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, highlighted the progress made in operationalizing the Unity Studies Network across the Region and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of WHO at all three levels, together with country unity studies sites. He emphasized the availability of limited but catalytic funding through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PIP‑PC) workplan at SEARO to sustain network activities in 2026, while encouraging sites to leverage additional funding sources to expand implementation.Representing SEARO, Dr Ashok Basnet, consultant, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness reported that, at the regional level, the Unity Studies Network currently includes six sites across five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. He noted that in 2025, catalytic funding supported protocol adaptation, training, and pilot implementation. In addition, a regional Unity Studies symposium held during the Global Public Health Summit in Sri Lanka strengthened and advocated collaboration between the Unity Studies site, national decision‑making forum, relevant technical units of the ministry of health, WHO and other partners.The symposium also highlighted the role of early investigations and studies as a key component of a multi‑source surveillance system needed at country level to generate a broad range of evidence. It underscored the critical role of country Unity Studies sites and similar research entities in generating evidence to support public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.Participants of the WHO GISRS Unity Studies Sites Network- SEAR Chapter Meeting 2026 (Photo credit- PEM/WHE/SEARO). SEARO also updated participants on ongoing efforts to develop a regional Unity Studies webpage and to promote participation in global knowledge‑sharing platforms, including webinars and the WHO Community of Practice. Priorities for 2026 include supporting the implementation of Unity protocols, strengthening collaboration and experience sharing across sites, documenting and publishing findings, integrating Unity Studies activities as a component of multi-source national surveillance systems, and building workforce capacity.Dr Nickle Boddington of the Global Influenza Programme (GIP) at WHO Headquarters, which coordinates the Unity Studies Network globally, provided updates on global Unity Studies activities, noting that the network has expanded to 16 sites worldwide. New and updated protocols, including rapid clinical severity assessment tools and standardized data platforms, are being developed to support implementation. The global Community of Practice has also been launched to facilitate technical exchange, and continued support will be provided to sites for protocol adaptation, ethical approvals, and readiness for early investigation during outbreaks. Updates from Unity Studies sites in SEAR in 2025Unity Studies sites shared progress and experiences in implementing protocols across diverse country contexts. Sites initiated activities in 2025 using catalytic funding from SEARO, complemented by the mobilization of internal national resources. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh, reported the adoption and piloting of investigation protocols on non‑seasonal influenza and emerging respiratory diseases during recent avian influenza outbreaks, demonstrating a multi‑source funding approach involving government, WHO and One Health partners.The Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), New Delhi, India, highlighted the piloting of household transmission investigation studies, the expansion of the national Unity Studies network, and the contribution of study findings to global evidence through published outputs. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, shared experiences from large‑scale seroprevalence studies conducted during the COVID‑19 pandemic, recent efforts to strengthen national Unity network sites through training activities, and plans to initiate multi‑centre studies on respiratory viruses.Similarly, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, highlighted its experience in developing integrated surveillance and diagnostic protocols for multiple respiratory pathogens, enhancing readiness for targeted investigations of emerging threats. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, reported ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Health and exploration of additional funding sources to initiate studies. Meanwhile, the National Public Health Laboratory, Nepal, provided updates on continued coordination with national stakeholders to initiate implementation, despite delays related to the country context.Across sites, shared experiences underscored the importance of protocol adaptation, multisectoral collaboration, and sustainable funding to operationalize Unity Studies and generate evidence for public health action.Discussions and Way ForwardThe meeting reinforced key priorities for 2026, including strengthening unity studies protocol implementation, enhancing collaboration, knowledge sharing, integrating research as a component of national multi-source surveillance systems, and ensuring that generated evidence informs public health decision‑making. Participants also emphasized the importance of documentation, visibility, and leveraging multiple funding sources, and agreed on the following action points.Unity Studies Sites and WHO Country Offices:Advance adoption and implementation of at least one Unity protocol, continuing activities initiated in 2025 with catalytic funding, supplemented with other sources of funding where feasible.Document site-specific experiences, outcomes, and lessons learned; participate in regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms including WHO webinars and the Community of Practice.Work closely with ministries of health to establish unified national platforms for translating generated evidence into national public health decision-making. WHO Country Offices may facilitate technical support and complementary, synergistic funding opportunities where feasible. WHO Regional OfficeCoordinate with WHO Country Offices to support implementation of core unity studies activities by network sites through catalytic funding and provide technical guidance and virtual engagement opportunities throughout 2026.Facilitate the participation of all Unity Studies sites in the regional meeting on Unity Studies implementation in October 2026, to be held back‑to‑back with the Annual SEAR Regional PIP‑PC Meeting; develop and host a SEAR Unity Studies website; and mobilize support from academic institutions within the SEAR Unity Studies Network to support the development of regional manuscripts that showcase Unity Studies activities to scientific audiences and promote knowledge‑sharing.Explore complementary funding opportunities and partnerships to sustain and expand network activities across the Region.WHO HeadquartersProvide global technical guidance, updated protocols, and toolkits to support the implementation of Unity Studies in SEAR.Facilitate engagement of SEAR sites in global webinars, the Community of Practice, and opportunities to showcase their work.Support joint publications, inclusion of SEAR experiences in global outputs, and identification of additional funding and collaborative opportunities to strengthen Unity Studies activities.

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Apr 19 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • who.int
Caitlin Clark Prioritizes Health As WNBA Banks on Her Availability

WNBA broadcasts during the 2025 season averaged 969,000 viewers across ESPN networks, Ion, and CBS—a modest 3% increase in viewership compared to 2024.

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Apr 19 • 5:16 PM EDT • Health • frontofficesports.com
Windows 11 to get a major reliability update in May with faster clipboard, stable taskbar, storage and more

Microsoft is preparing a major Windows 11 reliability update for May 2026 with improvements across File Explorer, explorer.exe, taskbar, Settings, clipboard history, input systems, and Windows Hello. Early Insider builds show faster performance, fewer crashes, and a more stable experience.

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Apr 19 • 1:09 PM EDT • Technology • windowslatest.com
A permit should mean something. CERTAIN Act guards projects from political meddling.

The CERTAIN Act is a bipartisan bill that aims to protect lawfully issued permits from political interference, increase accountability during review, and ensure projects can move forward on time, w…

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Apr 19 • 1:00 PM EDT • Politics • thehill.com
How a must-win Michigan Senate race turned messy for Democrats

Sitting in a coffee shop in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Abdul El-Sayed is ready to dispel the notion that he’s unelectable. “I think there is this notion that electability is about being the least offensive,” he told CNN. “If that were true, why would Donald Trump have won the presidency twice?” Whether he’s right could have enormous ramifications for control of the Senate. Michigan’s open Senate seat is now emerging as a GOP hedge against a potential takeover for Democrats, who need to net four seats to flip the chamber. Losing Michigan would make the Democrats’ task almost impossible, a major reason why a leading Republican outside group just announced plans to pour $45 million into the state this summer and fall to boost former Rep. Mike Rogers, the likely GOP nominee. El-Sayed faces US Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in a battle already riven by divides over Israel, immigration enforcement and health care.

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Apr 19 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
University of Pittsburgh team's FRED model tracks measles

Pitt's Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics program was instrumental in convincing lawmakers to pass rare legislation that took away the ability of residents to skip vaccines because of religious or personal beliefs.

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Apr 19 • 4:00 AM EDT • Health • newsinteractive.post-gazette.com
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Report: Romano claims full future agreement for Liverpool star

Robertson Exit Looms as Liverpool Face Summer ShiftThere is a quiet inevitability to the way football moves on. At Liverpool, where eras tend to be defined by consistency and identity, the prospect of...

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Apr 19 • 3:50 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
A step toward stability? Atlanta health professionals react to CDC nomination

Dr. Erica Schwartz must still be confirmed by the Senate. Metro Atlanta health professionals and former CDC employees are ‘cautiously optimistic.’

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Apr 18 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • ajc.com
Russia Signals Pullback in Business Support as Budget Strains Mount

Russia’s government warned it will scale back new support for businesses as mounting fiscal pressures limit its ability to sustain the stimulus that helped drive recent economic growth, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said Friday.

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Apr 18 • 3:09 AM EDT • Business • themoscowtimes.com
Science history: Doctor autopsies the brain of a man who couldn't speak — and reveals the seat of spoken language

Dr. Paul Broca conducted an autopsy on a patient known as "Tan," who had aphasia, or the inability to speak. Broca's work identified a region of the brain that is key to spoken language.

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Apr 18 • 2:00 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com
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Amherst Sustainability Festival: A Day of Family Fun, Education, and Entertainment

Mark your calendars for the 14th Annual Amherst Sustainability Festival, taking place on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Amherst Town Common. Coinciding with the regularly scheduled Amherst Farmer’s Market, this free and family friendly event brings together local farmers, environmental vendors, advocacy groups, live entertainment, hands-on demonstrations, sustainable crafts, and much more. “The Amherst Sustainability Festival has become a beloved event

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Apr 17 • 8:47 PM EDT • Entertainment • amherstindy.org
A lead prosecutor in John Brennan investigation has been removed from case, AP source says

A lead prosecutor in the John Brennan investigation has been removed from the case after expressing concerns to Justice Department officials about the viability of a potential criminal prosecution of the former CIA director | Newsradio 1140 WRVA

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Apr 17 • 8:23 PM EDT • Politics • audacy.com
A lead prosecutor in John Brennan investigation has been removed from case, AP source says

A lead prosecutor in the John Brennan investigation has been removed from the case after expressing concerns to Justice Department officials about the viability of a potential criminal prosecution of the former CIA director | WWJ Newsradio 950

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Apr 17 • 8:23 PM EDT • Politics • audacy.com
A lead prosecutor in John Brennan investigation has been removed from case, AP source says

A lead prosecutor in the John Brennan investigation has been removed from the case after expressing concerns to Justice Department officials about the viability of a potential criminal prosecution of the former CIA director | KMBZ

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Apr 17 • 8:23 PM EDT • Politics • audacy.com
WA police lag on required deescalation, mental health training

Washington law enforcement officers are way behind completing training required under a marquee police accountability law.

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Apr 17 • 6:12 PM EDT • Health • washingtonstatestandard.com
Sara Rodriguez questions electability of rivals running for governor

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is questioning the electability of her top competitors in the Democratic primary for governor.

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Apr 17 • 10:19 AM EDT • Politics • jsonline.com
Google brings individual hotel price tracking to Search for all your summer travel needs

After adding the ability to track city-wide pricing last year, Google is introducing individual hotel price tracking.

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Apr 17 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com
Engineering, game design faculty turn nuclear science into interactive learning experience

At Kennesaw State University, learning about nuclear energy isn’t limited to textbooks and lectures. Researchers are developing a video game that helps users understand how reactors operate through hands-on experience. At the center of the project titled “Simulating the AP1000: An Educational Game to Promote Understanding of Nuclear Energy Safety and Sustainability” is a collaboration between engineering and game design faculty. The initiative focuses on turning complex nuclear concepts into an interactive learning experience.

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Apr 17 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • kennesaw.edu
Carrick needs Man Utd form reversal

It has been interesting to observe how Manchester United have been assessed in the wake of Monday's disappointing home defeat by Leeds, and particularly the reaction to Michael Carrick. What had previously been viewed as calmness in the technical area and a sense of stability gained from not making many changes, was suddenly viewed as inaction and questions were raised about why Carrick did not bring on any substitutes. To that end, Manchester United are not doing well.

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Apr 17 • 7:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Why some tech leaders are sounding the alarm about Colorado’s ‘deteriorating’ business climate

Colorado enjoyed a reputation of being business-friendly in recent decades. But some in the business community worry that too much regulation is hurting the state’s ability to attract new companies. And they’re asking the governor for help.

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Apr 17 • 3:35 AM EDT • Business • kunc.org
Microsoft Defender 0-Day Vulnerability “RedSun” Enables Full SYSTEM Access

A researcher known as “Chaotic Eclipse” released a PoC exploit for a Microsoft Defender zero-day, “RedSun,” on GitHub.

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Apr 17 • 1:08 AM EDT • Technology • cybersecuritynews.com
Player Availability Report: #VANvSKC

Player Availability Report is SportingKC.com’s look at the latest status updates around the team ahead of upcoming matches and is presented by Saint Luke’s. All details listed are from the league’s official Player Status Report that is submitted the day prior to the match. Sporting Kansas City continues the club’s

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Apr 16 • 8:02 PM EDT • Sports • sportingkc.com
Strait of Hormuz blockade ‘working to provide leverage,’ political strategist says

An ‘All-Star’ panel joins ‘Special Report’ to discuss the state of US-Iran negotiations and the impact of the conflict on gas prices and affordability.

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Apr 16 • 7:28 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
AOC, Boebert join calls for sexual misconduct accountability in Congress

Lawmakers who represent leftward and rightward flanks of their parties call for reform after Congress members resign.

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Apr 16 • 4:40 PM EDT • Politics • aljazeera.com
Southwest Florida leaders skeptical if property tax cut makes statewide ballot, or if it can pass from there

Matt Caldwell and Bob Rommel talked about the state of debate and political viability of a massive tax cut.

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Apr 16 • 4:30 PM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com
Kennedy focuses on affordability, combating fraud in Capitol Hill hearing

RFK Jr. focused on President Trump's health care agenda and largely avoided vaccines.

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Apr 16 • 2:41 PM EDT • Health • statnews.com
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New Codex features include the ability to use your computer in the background

An in-app browser allows visual feedback while building websites and more.

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Apr 16 • 2:30 PM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com
Damon Jones, former NBA player and Cavs assistant, reportedly plans to plead guilty to sports gambling charges

Jones was accused of selling insider information to bettors about the health and availability of NBA players, including LeBron James.

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Apr 16 • 2:21 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Flutter Entertainment Stock (FLUT) Opinions on Citi Downgrade

Citi Downgrade Triggers Alarm: Social media erupted today after Citigroup double-downgraded Flutter Entertainment to sell, citing mounting U.S. business risks for its FanDuel unit. Users dissected concerns over slowing growth, intensifying competition, and potential regulatory hurdles. The stock tumbled in premarket trading amid the fresh bearish call.Profitability Doubts Mount: Conversations highlighted slashed EBITDA forecasts and reduced buyba

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Apr 16 • 10:16 AM EDT • Entertainment • quiverquant.com
Get Real With SOMD Politics: Chuck Borges Discusses Housing Affordability, Economic Development And Tax Reform

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — On a recent episode of “Get Real with Southern Maryland Politics,” host Chris Hill sat down with state Senate District 29 candidate Chuck Borges for a wide-ranging discussion about his background, career, and priorities for Southern Maryland. Borges, a 23-year U.S. Navy veteran, said he came to Southern Maryland in 2004 for test pilot […]

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Apr 16 • 9:10 AM EDT • Politics • thebaynet.com
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UNC Hussman offers new sports play-by-play class | UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media

This story, written by UNC Hussman alumna Caroline Daly ’24, was originally published on unc.edu. The UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media has a new, hands-on class available for students interested in sports careers. Students in “MEJO 390: Sports Commentary and Play-By-Play” can call live radio broadcasts for Carolina sporting events, streamed live on the Go Heels website. This spring, 11 students are calling mostly softball games to gain experience and learn the preparation needed for a successful broadcast. The class is capped at a small number to provide consistent, individual feedback. Matt Krause, the radio voice of Carolina women’s basketball, teaches the class to help students sharpen their skills, using his experience with the Tar Heels and calling games for ACC Network and ACC Network Extra. “There is no substitute for live reps, and that is the only way you get better. The classroom component teaches you how to get better, but going about that requires sitting in that chair, making mistakes and being able to know your broadcast is going somewhere,” Krause said. “These students are doing real live games, and they will have tape where if they want to pursue this. They will have ready-made demos to send for jobs. Being able to utilize all the resources of UNC, GoHeels Productions and the Carolina Athletics brand and create these opportunities for students is really impactful.” In the class, students learn fundamentals like how to announce starting lineups for different sports and how to conduct research before games. Krause has led the class in mock preparation exercises, looking at game charts with information about the different teams and players that they can refer to at pivotal moments during the game. Krause and the students then critique each other, listening to clips from the past week to find ways to improve. It’s a rare class without a slew of quizzes or assignments. Their main tasks are calling games and making a portfolio or demo reel of their best calls at the end of the semester, all with the goal of being ready to step into similar roles after graduation. Laible live streams her coverage on the GoHeels website. Calling a live game while broadcasting her coverage allows her to get hands on experience. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill) Junior Anna Laible ’27 wished for a class just like this. Her first year at Carolina, she interned with the Coastal Plain League, where she was introduced to play-by-play for baseball. “I enjoy the challenge and uncertainty of each game being different because each sport looks a little different,” said Laible. “Each game is different — not just with teams but what could happen with certain records being broken or random trends. That’s what I enjoy most.” She wanted more opportunities for reps during college to prepare for a career after Carolina, so she pitched an idea for the class to Livis Freeman ’99, distinguished associate professor of sports communication. Laible and Freeman reached out to GoHeels Productions for a partnership and then connected with Krause. “This is how at UNC Hussman we separate ourselves: Our students go into the field ready,” said Freeman. “The biggest compliment we get it is when our students start their careers, they don’t need any hand-holding.” Laible calls a Carolina softball game at Kessing Stadium – after pitching the idea to Hussman faculty. Her interest in sports commentary allowed her to apply her interest as she attends Carolina. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill) Laible is now a student in the class, which has helped her strengthen her skills and deepen her passion for the field. The goal is to expand to other sports like soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. “The hands-on experience I’ve gotten here is invaluable. I’ve loved the classes and professors because they’ve taught me a lot, but it’s also the things outside of class, too, that have helped me grow,” said Laible. “Since being at UNC, I’ve grown a lot in the versatility, from doing writing to production and commentating. UNC Hussman and Carolina have given me the ability to be strong and well rounded.”

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Apr 16 • 9:07 AM EDT • Sports • hussman.unc.edu
AI "nudify" apps are being offered to everyone on the Google Play Store

Offending apps were removed, but does more need to be done?

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Apr 16 • 8:55 AM EDT • Technology • androidpolice.com
Chargé Arnold Speech - Implementation Plan of Five-Year Health MOU - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

Chargée d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold's Speech Discussion on the implementation plan for the five-year health Memorandum of Understanding (…) Colleagues, and honored guests, Good morning, and welcome to the United States Embassy. It is a pleasure to host you today for the second day of this important workshop to discuss the implementation of our bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding on U.S. Government health activities in Madagascar, made possible through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. Today’s focus— discussing a shared vision and developing a preliminary draft for the health MOU Implementation Plan and the terms of reference for the two committees that will steer its implementation—is a decisive step in moving from commitments on paper to concrete action over the next five years. On December 22, 2025, the Governments of Madagascar and the United States signed a five-year bilateral health MOU, with a financial intention of approximately 554 billion Ariary from the United States and This jointly decided MOU intends to strengthen Madagascar’s health system, support lifesaving services, and improve disease prevention and response that matter to both our countries’ health security. For the United States, this means detecting and containing infectious disease outbreaks including malaria, polio, and emerging health threats before they can reach American shores through international travel and trade, protecting American families while reducing the need for costly domestic emergency responses Yesterday, technical experts from the Ministry of Public Health and the U.S. Government worked in thematic groups to draft a preliminary Implementation Plan. Today, your task is to review the shared vision and preliminary draft MOU implementation plan, and the proposed terms of reference for the Joint Steering Committee and the Operational Committee that will guide its implementation. These committees are not just administrative structures. They are the mechanisms that will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, regular dialogue between our two governments, consistent monitoring of progress, and real accountability for the results that will directly benefit the lives of Malagasy citizens. They will also track performance against the benchmarks we have jointly established, which will guide the continuation of U.S. support over the five-year period . Continued U.S. support will be contingent on meeting these performance benchmarks. This ensures accountability to both American and Malagasy taxpayers and guarantees that our partnership delivers measurable results. America First Foreign Assistance means that U.S. support must be strategic, results-driven, and accountable to our taxpayers. It also means we aim to support greater self-reliance and reduced long-term dependence on foreign assistance, with systems that are increasingly financed and led by Madagascar itself. This approach benefits both our nations: Madagascar gains sustainable health capacity, while the United States advances our health security interests and creates opportunities for American health innovations and companies to support Madagascar’s development. In that spirit, I want to recognize the presence of the Ministry’s leadership and the technical directors and program heads responsible for surveillance, basic health services, family health, immunization, countering malaria, laboratories, medicines, and health information systems. Your leadership and technical expertise are essential if this bilateral health MOU is to translate into real and lasting improvements for people in need across the country. Let me emphasize how important collaboration is to the United States in this effort. We can bring American resources, technical expertise, and tools. But this bilateral health MOU can only succeed if it reflects Madagascar’s priorities and if Malagasy institutions lead and maintain its implementation. We see this not as a U.S. project, but as a joint framework under Malagasy leadership, with U.S. support. That is why we are genuinely pleased to host this event here at the Embassy. Opening our doors to you today symbolizes our commitment to work side by side and to remain transparent about how we use U.S. resources in support of Madagascar’s health system. In closing, thank you for your time and your partnership. We are very happy to welcome you here and proud to accompany Madagascar in this next step of implementation planning for our bilateral health MOU. I wish you a productive and focused session. The work you do today will shape how our two governments cooperate on health in the years ahead; it will influence the quality and reliability of health services that Malagasy communities receive; and, most importantly, it will help protect both our nations from infectious disease threats while building Madagascar’s capacity for long-term health system sustainability. Thank you.

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Apr 16 • 8:34 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov
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CBIA BizCast: Setback for Small Business Healthcare » CBIA

Health care affordability, Connecticut’s economy, and workforce development are front and center on this episode of CBIA BizCast.

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Apr 16 • 8:21 AM EDT • Business • cbia.com
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Sonos Era 100 SL Review: A New Era Of Affordability

If you couldn't care less about voice assistants on home speakers, the Sonos Era 100 SL is a relatively affordable option that packs in great sound.

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Apr 16 • 8:17 AM EDT • Technology • bgr.com
United States and Madagascar Discuss Five-Year Health MOU Implementation Plan  - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

United States and Madagascar Discuss Five-Year Health MOU Implementation Plan The United States and Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health are in the process of developing a plan for implementing the U.S.-Madagascar five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on health cooperation, signed under the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. The two-day workshop, at the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, brought together technical experts and senior leadership from the Malagasy and U.S. governments to discuss a shared vision through a preliminary draft MOU Implementation Plan and to establish the joint governance structures that will guide U.S. foreign assistance in health over the next five years. The jointly decided bilateral health MOU, signed on December 22, 2025, builds on decades of U.S. global health assistance to Madagascar. The health MOU involves the U.S.’s plans, working with Congress, to provide approximately $134 million (over 554 billion Ariary) and a Malagasy commitment of $41 million (over 169 billion Ariary). It aims to strengthen Madagascar’s health system, improve disease prevention and response, and support services that address health security concerns for both countries, including malaria, maternal and child health, polio, and global health security issues that could reach U.S. shores if not contained at their source. During the recent workshop, technical staff from the Ministry of Public Health and the U.S. Government health team worked in thematic groups to draft detailed implementation plans for the five-year MOU period. On the second day, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold and Ministry of Public Health and Economic and Finance Ministry leadership joined the technical teams to discuss plans and proposed terms of reference for two committees: a Joint Steering Committee and an Operational Committee. These structures will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, regular dialogue between the two governments, consistent monitoring of progress, and accountability for results. The framework includes performance benchmarks that will guide continued U.S. support and track Madagascar’s progress toward self-reliance. “We see this not as a U.S. project, but as a joint framework under Malagasy leadership, with U.S. support,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold during the workshop’s opening session. The approach reflects U.S. foreign assistance principles that emphasize strategic, results-driven support that advances American interests while helping recipient countries build sustainable health systems. The framework is designed to build systems that Madagascar will increasingly finance and lead itself, reducing long-term dependence on foreign assistance.

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Apr 16 • 7:39 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov
Amazon Expands Autos Business: Time to Sell These 2 Stocks Now?

Amazon has the reach and capability to disrupt nearly any retail industry, and it's now doing more than dipping its toes in the automotive industry.

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Apr 16 • 7:15 AM EDT • Business • fool.com
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HHS brings on an affordability czar

Casey Mulligan will advise the agency on health care affordability, Axios has learned.

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Apr 16 • 5:30 AM EDT • Health • axios.com
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Angry researcher drops second Windows Defender zero-day exploit: “They mopped the floor with me”

A disgruntled researcher released a second zero-day Windows Defender exploit, dubbed RedSun, shortly after Microsoft patched the first vulnerability.

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Apr 16 • 4:53 AM EDT • Technology • cybernews.com
How Dangerous Is Anthropic’s New AI Model? Its Chief Science Officer Explains.

Just how fast is the future coming at us, and how worried should we be? Last week, Anthropic announced Claude Mythos, the latest in what has become the leading family of AI models. In a very short time, AI models from Anthropic and other companies have become shockingly powerful at coding. But Mythos stands out because it is not just able to write code that can hack into critical systems, like those that run financial companies, but also to analyze systems and find and string together vulnerabilities in them, allowing Mythos to evade even sophisticated defenses. Anthropic chose to release Mythos to only about 40 leading corporations, so they could analyze the model’s capabilities and prepare countermeasures, in an effort it calls Project Glasswing. The release of Mythos—and the prospect of similarly powerful AIs to follow—has caused tremors at the top levels of Washington and corporate America. Jared Kaplan, co-founder and chief science officer at Anthropic, is at the center of this breakthrough. We sat down with Kaplan so he could walk us through just how powerful Mythos is, what the implications are for issues like our personal privacy, and what comes next. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Sean Fischer: For the layman, how is Claude Mythos different—more powerful, more dangerous—from previous models released by Anthropic? Jared Kaplan: I think most people have experienced the fact that our computers get faster and faster over time and over many decades. There’s this very smooth trend where every 18 months, maybe, computer processing power doubles. I think AI is on a trend in which it’s improving maybe 10 times faster than that. A lot of the earliest work that I did in AI was around identifying this scaling trend in AI. Claude Mythos is the latest model from Anthropic, but it’s not different because it’s qualitatively different. It’s really just kind of the culmination of the trend of AI models getting smarter and smarter at all kinds of general capabilities, from reasoning to software engineering to scientific research to knowledge work. For us, it was the first model to demonstrate very elite-level cybersecurity capabilities. It wasn’t because we trained Claude Mythos to focus on cybersecurity, but it was because, as a byproduct of its general intelligence and its general ability with software, it’s particularly good at identifying vulnerabilities in software and how to exploit them.

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Apr 15 • 11:40 PM EDT • Science • thefp.com
Health Taxes and the IMF: Are Support and Reform Aligned?

Health taxes remain one of the clearest opportunities for countries to raise revenue while improving public health, but how these reforms are supported matters as much as whether they are adopted. The current pattern—where reform commitments are concentrated in lower-income countries, while technical support is more visible elsewhere—raises a practical concern: complex excise reforms may be pursued without commensurate design and implementation support. Given the technical demands of these reforms, this gap could affect both their durability and effectiveness.

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Apr 15 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • cgdev.org
STATEMENT FROM LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT

/PRNewswire/ -- The jury's verdict is not the last word on this matter. Pending motions will determine whether the liability and damages rulings stand. Live...

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Apr 15 • 7:02 PM EDT • Entertainment • prnewswire.com
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How to Turn Peak Energy Demand Into Cost Control & Business Advantage

Learn practical ways to manage usage, reduce risk, and improve cost predictability during peak demand periods.

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Apr 15 • 6:49 PM EDT • Business • nrg.com
Sexual abuse allegations spur calls for a broader reckoning in Congress

Resignations came quickly this week from two congressmen accused of sexual misconduct toward staff members. Yet for many of the women of Capitol Hill, the moment of accountability was years in the making — and far from enough.

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Apr 15 • 6:47 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Statement From Live Nation Entertainment

The jury’s verdict is not the last word on this matter. Pending motions will determine whether the liability and damages rulings stand. Live Nation will soon renew its motion for judgment as a matter of law, which the Court deferred until after the jury returned its verdict. That motion addresses all…

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Apr 15 • 6:10 PM EDT • Entertainment • newsroom.livenation.com
Seattle Reign Goalkeeper Evan O’Steen signs extension through 2030

Today, the Seattle Reign announced that goalkeeper Evan O’Steen has signed a contract extension through 2030. She becomes the longest contracted player on the roster. O’Steen previously became the youngest goalkeeper signing in club history at just 17 years old. “Securing Evan O’Steen through 2030 is an important step in building long-term stability within our […]

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Apr 15 • 5:38 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
ICARUS experiment marks major milestone in first neutrino science results

The milestone by ICARUS paves the way to probe sterile‑neutrino oscillations for the full Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab. The first results demonstrate the data’s excellent quality and suitability for physics analyses, as well as the maturity of the software tools for event selection, fitting and detector simulation.

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Apr 15 • 1:07 PM EDT • Science • news.fnal.gov
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Breath carries clues to gut health

At-home breath tests could reveal insights about gut health, though their ability to assess food intolerances is not yet clear.

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Apr 15 • 1:00 PM EDT • Health • sciencenews.org
Governor Ivey Signs Bills to Enhance Alabamians’ Health and Healthcare Delivery -

MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey has signed several bills into law this session to improve the availability and delivery of healthcare services for all Alabamians. She also signed a bill to encourage people using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits … Continued

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Apr 15 • 12:11 PM EDT • Health • governor.alabama.gov
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PGA Sustainability Toolkit Launches With Focus on Bottom Line

The trade group’s latest green production resource offers advice for cutting down emissions on set — and selling that approach to top creatives and heads of department.

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Apr 15 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • hollywoodreporter.com
CISA flags Windows Task Host vulnerability as exploited in attacks

CISA warned U.S. government agencies to secure their systems against a Windows Task Host privilege escalation vulnerability that could allow attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges.

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Apr 15 • 10:51 AM EDT • Technology • bleepingcomputer.com
A PvP Guide to Sustainability Week 2026

New event means new grinding opportunities for PvP! We got an all-new Pokemon to hunt down and a couple oldies-but-goodies to grind for as well. How do they look? Let’s see! A GOOD CURSE? ☠️ It doesn’t feel that long ago, but it’s been a year and half since GALARIAN CORSOLA arrived in Pokémon GO, and while the meta has changed […]

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Apr 15 • 8:08 AM EDT • Technology • pokemongohub.net
Japan Pledges $10 Billion to Help Countries Cope With Oil Prices

With supply chains at risk, the aid to Southeast Asian nations is aimed at securing the availability of oil-based products, including medical equipment.

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Apr 15 • 7:58 AM EDT • Business • nytimes.com
Merlin Entertainments: Liability Management Playbook for the Senior Notes

Discover the Merlin Entertainments Liability Management Playbook and understand refinancing options, covenant flexibility, and structural risks facing the senior notes.

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Apr 15 • 6:57 AM EDT • Entertainment • know.creditsights.com
TMZ Gets Political

The tabloid TMZ is ripping elected officials with a searing scrutiny beyond even what it usually reserves for celebrities, becoming an improbable fount of accountability.

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Apr 15 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • newyorker.com
GOP faces rising political tides on Iran, affordability in midterm year

Republicans are facing an increasingly difficult political environment in a midterm election year where their majorities in the House and Senate are on the line. The Iran war has been a drag on Pre…

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Apr 15 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • thehill.com
The political power of Latin America's first ladies

First ladies in Latin America are more than ceremonial figures. They influence public policy, advance political careers, and build power within the core of the executive branch – without a formal mandate, or accountability. Carolina Guerrero Valencia shows why ignoring them means misreading presidential power itself

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Apr 15 • 4:10 AM EDT • Politics • theloop.ecpr.eu
95% of people carry this virus and scientists may have just found how to stop it

Scientists have taken a major step toward stopping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an extremely common infection linked to cancer and chronic disease. By using mice engineered with human antibody genes, researchers created powerful human-like antibodies that block the virus from attaching to and entering immune cells. One of these antibodies completely prevented infection in lab models with human immune systems, marking a breakthrough after years of difficulty tackling EBV’s ability to invade nearly all B cells.

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Apr 14 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Apple App Store threatened to remove Grok over deepfakes: letter

In a letter to senators sent in January, Apple detailed how it responded to Grok’s ability to generate sexualized deepfakes.

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Apr 14 • 7:09 PM EDT • Technology • nbcnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
New, massive study finds only half of social science findings replicate

The University of Virginia led the work, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the reliability and reproducibility of research.

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Apr 14 • 3:34 PM EDT • Science • news.virginia.edu
How Georgetown Graduates Turn Sustainability Into Better Business Decisions

Read more news, MBA rankings, and all things related to business education in the Poets&Quants section for

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Apr 14 • 11:57 AM EDT • Business • poetsandquants.com
New investigative newsroom launches at ASU's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism

A new investigative newsroom focusing on accountability reporting, innovation and experimentation with AI-driven tools launches today at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication as part of the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism.The Beam is a multimedia newsroom that produces in-depth, high-impact reporting on issues that matter to Arizona communities, while building modern tools for the public to engage directly with the decision-makers shaping their lives.

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Apr 14 • 11:43 AM EDT • Politics • news.asu.edu
Swalwell resigned. But will he face real consequences?

California Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress and suspended his gubernatorial campaign. But did he actually apologize and take accountability?

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Apr 14 • 10:45 AM EDT • Politics • usatoday.com
GoPro Mission 1 Pro: 8Kp60 Video, 50MP Photos, 10-Bit Log, 5+ Hour Battery

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro features a Type 1 sensor, up to 8Kp60 video capture (along with 8K Open Gate), and 50 megapixel photo capability.

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Apr 14 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • petapixel.com
Victoria Li's senior project: Exploring how AI processes information

Knowing how chatbots turn input into output will help with reliability and trust in AI agents

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Apr 13 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • seas.harvard.edu
Gemini for Google Home Keeps Getting Huge Upgrades

We can't seem to go a week at this point without Google pushing out several upgrades and changes to its Google Home products. From Gemini for Home to bug and reliability fixes, we're really...

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Apr 13 • 4:56 PM EDT • Technology • droid-life.com
SGMC Health to Host Free Community Stroke Seminar

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States, and timely recognition and treatment can save lives. SGMC Health invites the community to […]

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Apr 13 • 2:50 PM EDT • Health • sgmc.org
Romney returns to Mass. 20 years after 'Romneycare' passage

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a rare public appearance in Boston on Monday to celebrate his signature health care law, which later became a liability during his unsuccessful run for president.

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Apr 13 • 1:58 PM EDT • Health • wbur.org
2026 Bluebird Banter Top 40 Prospects: Matt’s Pref List

The last instalment in the Top 40 series on this off-day is my list of prospects I was somewhat higher on and would have either had on or in the mix for the back of my list alone. As Tom noted on his list, these are deep(er) sleepers, generally low probability, but usually they’re be […]

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Apr 13 • 1:16 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Secures Provider Compliance with Disability Rights Laws

HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Secures Provider Compliance with Disability Rights Laws

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Apr 13 • 1:05 PM EDT • Health • hhs.gov
Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate

As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as “lunatic” and “clearly insane.”

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Apr 13 • 12:18 PM EDT • Health • nytimes.com
Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate

As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as “lunatic” and “clearly insane.”

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Apr 13 • 12:18 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com