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Trump is expected to nominate new CDC director, as measles keeps spreading
If confirmed by the Senate, the director will inherit an agency marked by the yearlong chaos of mass layoffs, a deadly shooting and hollowed-out leadership.
Veteran prosecutor confirmed to lead new Justice Department division targeting fraud nationwide
The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead a new Justice Department division focused on prosecuting fraud over critics’ concerns of potential political pressure to target White House opponents
Marvel Rivals confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2
It's now been officially confirmed that Marvel Rivals is on its way to Nintendo Switch 2, as shared by Marvel Games.
'We Will Do It' — Marvel Rivals Dev Confirms Nintendo Switch 2 Version in the Works
Marvel Rivals is officially coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, according to its developers in an interview with IGN. We just don't know when.
Change is ‘long overdue’ at Homeland Security. Can Markwayne Mullin bring it?
Newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told senators during his confirmation hearing that he wanted to keep the department out of the headlines. That won’t be easy.
Epic Games to Layoff 1,000 and Cut $500 Million Amid 'Fortnite' Slump
Epic Games will cut 1,000 staffers and another $500 million in costs amid a slump in engagement with 'Fortnite,' CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed in a memo.
Mad Mercs are back: AMG confirms Black Series GT is officially coming
And it’ll be a homologation car for the next-gen GT3 car
CDC dilemma: Nominee may need both MAHA and science chops
As a deadline arrives this week to nominate a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, some Republicans are skeptical the administration will find someone who can check all the boxes necessary for confirmation. The candidate will need the “Make America Healthy Again” mindset of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Health and Human Services Department, […]
Video: Senate Confirms Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security Secretary
The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin to take over the Homeland Security Department in a 54-to-45 vote on Monday.
Mullin’s Smooth Confirmation Was a Throwback in the Senate
In choosing Senator Markwayne Mullin, who has warm relationships across the Capitol and the political aisle, President Trump was reverting to a bygone tradition.
Markwayne Mullin confirmed to lead Department of Homeland Security
The Oklahoma Republican faced a glide path to confirmation with the help of two Democratic senators.
Markwayne Mullin confirmed to lead a DHS in turmoil
Markwayne Mullin will serve as Donald Trump’s next Department of Homeland Security secretary, elevating the US senator to helm the agency at the center of the president’s controversial immigration enforcement effort and an ongoing shutdown.
Ecological and demographic drivers of Oropouche virus transmission
Nature Health - Nationwide analysis of 30,086 confirmed Oropouche virus cases in Brazil between 2014 and 2025 shows that rural municipalities had over 11-fold-higher incidence than urban areas and...
Several vehicles catch fire at used auto parts business on West Beaver Street
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department has confirmed that several vehicles are on fire at a business on West Beaver Street.
WATCH LIVE: Senate expected to vote on DHS secretary confirmation for Mullin
Watch sperm whale headbutt another for no apparent reason
Researchers have captured extraordinary footage of sperm whales randomly headbutting each other, confirming anecdotal reports from mariners and whalers in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Samsung rolling out AirDrop over Quick Share on Galaxy S26, more devices coming
Samsung has officially confirmed plans to start rolling out AirDrop support over Quick Share starting with the Galaxy S26 series...
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
Capcom celebrates Resident Evil's 30th anniversary by promising "even more wonderful experiences" are coming, but doesn't confirm when
Resident Evil series executive producer, Jun Takeuchi, has written to Resident Evil players across the world, thanking …
Comedians react to GOP senator’s comment during Mullin’s confirmation hearing
Microsoft says it'll make Windows 11 a calmer OS with fewer upsells or ads, as it tries to win back users
Microsoft has now confirmed it’s scaling back “upsells” (or ads/recommendations) in Windows 11, as it tries to win back users.
Fourth suspected measles case reported in Washtenaw County
Measles has not yet been confirmed with laboratory testing, according to a health department press release.
One arrested, another cited in shoplifting incident at business on East Avenue in Chico
CHICO, Calif. - A Paradise man was arrested and a Forbestown woman was cited by Chico Police in connection to a shoplifting incident at a business in Chico.The Chico Police Department says that at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, a loss prevention employee observed two suspects stealing several items from a retail business on the 700 block of East Avenue in Chico.Upon exiting the building, the two suspects, a man and a woman, were contacted by the loss prevention employee regarding the stolen items. The employee was able to persuade both suspects to return to the store and hand over the items they had stolen.Authorities say the business expressed their desire to press charges against the suspects and contacted Chico Police to report the crime.Officers reviewed video surveillance that confirmed the employee's account of what happened. Officers then made arraignment for both suspects to turn themselves in the following day.When the suspects, identified as 51-year-old Jamie Leal of Forbestown and 62-year-old Melvin Royal of Paradise, arrived the next day to turn themselves in, authorities say both admitted to their involvement in the incident and elected to write handwritten apology letters to the business.Leal was cited by Chico Police on a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.Royal was taken into custody and transported to the Butte County Jail, where he was booked on the following charges:Shoplifting with 2+ priors (felony)Shoplifting (misdemeanor) googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1514992'); });
Nvidia Confirms DLSS 5 Is Re-Drawing Games, and That Sucks
Nvidia has confirmed that the new DLSS 5 algorithm is redrawing games based on a 2D image input and motion data. That's not great!
Microsoft confirms a major Windows 11 update with faster Explorer, reduced Copilot, and more
Windows 11 in 2026 will bring taskbar fixes, better performance, lower RAM usage, and fewer updates as Microsoft responds to user feedback.
Mark Cerny Confirms Frame Generation "Should Be Seen At Some Point On PlayStation Platforms"
"I look forward to discussing this more in the future!"
Google confirms AI headline rewrites test in Search results
Publishers face new risk as Google tests AI-written titles in Search, rewriting tone and intent to better match queries and boost engagement.
Chuck Norris, action legend, dead at 86
Action legend and "Walker, Texas Ranger" star Chuck Norris has died, his family confirmed in a statement.
Samsung confirms Galaxy S26 will get AirDrop support via Quick Share ‘soon’
As expected, Samsung has just confirmed plans to launching AirDrop support via Google’s Quick Share on its Galaxy S26 series...
Michigan confirms measles outbreak in Washtenaw County: What to know
An initial case was identified in an unvaccinated adult who visited sites in Ypsilanti and Canton earlier this month. Since then, two more related cases have been reported.
Samsung is bringing AirDrop to Galaxy phones soon
Starting with the Galaxy S26, AirDrop compatibility is coming to Samsung phones, rolling out through software updates. Samsung’s mobile boss Choi Won-joon just confirmed it publicly at a press briefing in Japan. AirDrop has always been the ecosystem glue that people actually feel. People stick with iPhones because their friends all tap a button for […]
Unilever Confirms Talks on McCormick Offer for Food Business
Unilever Plc said it’s in discussions to sell its food business to McCormick & Co. in a major shift for the maker of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
New dispute emerges around Subnautica 2’s early access release
Lawyers for the ousted—and now partially reinstated—leadership team of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica 2, are crying foul over news that the game will be released into early access in May. The release announcement earlier this week was made improperly, potentially “damaging the game and sowing additional confusion among the Subnautica community,” the lawyers said in a letter sent on Tuesday to Vice Chancellor Lori Will of Delaware’s Court of Chancery. In their letter, the lawyers also floated the idea of asking Will to find Krafton in contempt of the court’s ruling. The letter was sent just one day after Will’s bombshell ruling that publisher Krafton had breached its contract with Unknown Worlds’ executive team, when it fired them last June. The new issue isn’t necessarily the May early access timeframe, but how the news was announced. The letter and Krafton’s response have not been previously reported. A quick recap of prior events: Subnautica 2 is an unreleased, underwater survival adventure and the most-wishlisted game on Steam. Last year, longtime Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill, along with studio co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, were fired by Krafton. They swiftly sued, saying the publisher had terminated them to avoid paying out up to $250 million in potential performance-based bonuses. The studio leaders had hoped to earn that with an early access release of the game, which Krafton had blocked. The publisher argued in court that Subnautica 2 wasn’t ready, which the ousted execs disputed. On Monday, Will ruled that Krafton had violated its contract, firing the execs to avoid the performance payouts, and that it had to reinstate Gill and give him full authority over any early access release for Subnautica 2. On Tuesday, IGN reported on a new memo issued that day to Unknown Worlds staff by Steve Papoutsis, the executive Krafton had put in charge of Unknown Worlds after the 2025 firings. In the note, Papoutsis said that Subnautica 2 had passed a key development milestone “last week” and that he and Krafton had determined the game “is ready for Early Access release in May.” This news appeared to catch the lawyers for Gill, Cleveland and McGuire by surprise. On Tuesday night, they sent a letter to Will expressing “serious concerns” about whether it would be possible to forge an agreement with Krafton consistent with the judge’s order. Papoutsis’ memo was a problem, they wrote. He didn’t have the authority to declare anything about Subnautica 2’s release. As of 9am ET on Monday, March 16, the effective date of Will’s order, Papoutsis wasn’t CEO of Unknown Worlds. Gill was. And, per Will’s order, only Gill could make Subnautica 2 release decisions. They continued: Krafton self-servingly announced the launch without any regard to its impact on the game, the team, or the community—let alone this Court’s Opinion. Announcing the release of a game is momentous, and it is typically accompanied by significant marketing activity, fanfare, and community coordination. And most importantly, the announcement is carefully designed to maximize excitement for the game. That entire process was supposed to be driven by Mr. Gill. However, in defiance of the Court’s Opinion, Krafton has now taken that away, further damaging the game and sowing additional confusion among the Subnautica community. The lawyers speculated that Krafton had “intentionally leaked” Papoutsis’ memo and then issued an official statement to confirm the leak. Game File is a reader-supported publication. My reporting is only possible through support from readers like you. To support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe On Wednesday, lawyers for Krafton defended their client in their own letter to vice chancellor Will, saying nothing they did violated her order nor showed contempt: Papoutsis’s message was simply celebrating the UW employees’ efforts toward a past event: Krafton’s pre-Opinion determination that Subnautica 2 was ready for Early Access release. There was nothing improper about conveying the results of the milestone review or thanking the development team for their dedication and talent. They added that Gill could still make his own call about Subnautica 2’s release: In his role as CEO, Gill will be able to assess independently his views on the state of Subnautica 2 and the appropriate release schedule; nothing in Papoutsis’s message alters Gill’s authority or discretion. Vice chancellor Will has not responded to the letters and doesn’t necessarily have to. Both parties were previously ordered by Will to confer this week and submit a proposed judgment consistent with her ruling. The letter from Gill’s attorney’s this week doesn’t indicate whether he would or would not support a May release for Subnautica 2. But it could limit his options. And, if Gill’s lawyers are right, the lack of marketing fanfare around the leak of the May date could dull the launch of the game. Any harm to Subnautica 2’s launch is an extra sensitive issue given the context of the legal dispute: millions of dollars of payouts are on the line, tethered to the scale of the game’s initial performance. In her ruling on Monday, Will noted that there was obvious “bad blood” between Gill’s side and Krafton but that the two would need to work together: “They can—and must—act in good faith to navigate their remaining contractual relationship.” Item 2: A new kind of couch co-op game A highlight of GDC each year is the Alt.Ctrl showcase that features games played with extremely experimental controllers. Perusing this year’s offerings last Friday, I found a game controlled with giant scissors, another with big toothbrushes and one that amounted to dumpster diving. My favorite was Pivot, a co-op game about collectively maneuvering a couch. It was developed by students at the University of Utah’s masters of arts and engineering games program. Players lift and tilt the physical couch in order to control the position of a virtual one. That virtual one is moving through an obstacle course on-screen, while being pursued by a giant skull. Developer Nishant Verma told me at GDC that the couch is made of styrofoam (this became more evident as I watched!) and that the name was a riff on an episode of the sitcom Friends. Item 3: In brief… 🚫 Ubisoft is laying off more than 100 workers at its Red Storm studio, as the North Carolina location known for decades for its Tom Clancy games, ceases in-house game development, VGC reports. 👀 On Monday, Nvidia’s revealed its DLSS 5 AI-driven graphics technology that purports to improve game graphics… and it has been roasted about it by the media and the online gaming public for the remainder of the week. The tech changed the faces of characters in footage from Resident Evil Requiem, Hogwarts Legacy and EA Sports FC, drawing accusations of giving carefully art-directed games the generic look of AI “slop.” Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had said on Monday that “DLSS 5 is the GPT moment for graphics—blending handcrafted rendering with generative AI to deliver a dramatic leap in visual realism while preserving the control artists need for creative expression.” By mid-week, Huang was telling Tom’s Hardware that the new tech’s critics were “completely wrong” because game-makers could still “fine-tune the generative AI” to suit their game’s aesthetics.
Mullin addresses temper, ‘secret’ trip at DHS hearing
The confirmation hearing became combative between Mullin and Sen. Rand Paul
German Health Minister Nina Warken and WHO Hub in Berlin highlight 2025 achievements
Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, Nina Warken, visited the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin today to review progress and launch its 2025 Annual Report. The report highlights advances in using artificial intelligence, data science and pathogen genomics to strengthen global preparedness for future pandemics.In 2025, the WHO Hub in Berlin worked with more than 160 Member States and over 190 partners to help countries and organizations develop new systems and tools to detect and understand new public health threats as quickly as possible, whenever and wherever they occur.BMG to confirm whether they wish to contribute a quote. “Detecting outbreaks early is one of the most effective ways to save lives and prevent epidemics from becoming global crises,” said Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken. “Germany is proud to host and support the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. Its work strengthens our safety at home and helps protect people worldwide.”Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming the detection of outbreaks. In 2025, the Hub launched an upgraded version of the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system, which uses enhanced AI functions to scan global online information in real time and help experts quickly identify unusual health events. The system is now used by 120 countries.To better anticipate health threats, countries need information beyond traditional health data. The Hub supports countries in implementing Collaborative Surveillance, which integrates data on climate, animals, travel, and population movement to provide a more comprehensive and real-time understanding of health threats.The Hub also expanded global access to pathogen genomics, which helps scientists detect new pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, understand how they spread and how dangerous they may become. Through the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), the WHO Hub in Berlin worked with 309 partners in 101 countries to expand access to these technologies.“We are in a new era of global health threats, and we need new tools to face tomorrow’s challenges,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. “The WHO Hub in Berlin helps countries use data and technology more effectively so they can identify risks earlier and respond faster. No country can address these threats alone. Strong cooperation remains our best defence.”“Berlin offers an ideal environment for our work. We collaborate closely with world-leading institutions such as the Robert Koch Institute and the Charité Center for Global Health,” said Dr Oliver Morgan, Head of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. “Germany has supported the WHO Hub since its establishment, and we are pleased to welcome Federal Minister Nina Warken to the Hub today. This strong partnership helps us advance innovation in pandemic and epidemic intelligence and better support countries to prepare for future health threats.”The Hub is expanding the use of advanced analytics and mathematical modelling to forecast how outbreaks may develop and to assess which response measures are most effective. Through its Collaboratory, the Hub connects modelers and analysts with governments to ensure their work addresses real public health needs. In 2025, the community grew to 1300 members from 50 countries and 200 institutions. An AI-powered pandemic simulator, currently in the prototyping phase, will help decision-makers compare outbreak scenarios and help identify effective disease control measures.
Stalled train blocks Brazos County business, homes for nearly a week
Union Pacific confirms mechanical issues caused the delay; train expected to move soon
Sen Markwayne Mullin is ‘in politics for all the right reasons,’ former NSC chief of staff
Former White House NSC chief of staff Alex Gray and Axiom Strategies’ Erin Maguire discuss the confirmation hearing for DHS Secretary hopeful Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on ‘Fox News @ Night.’
Health officials confirm measles case in Weld County adult
Colorado health officials have confirmed a case of measles in an adult residing in Weld County.
Grant County reports 2 confirmed measles cases in unvaccinated children, tracking exposure
Two unvaccinated children in Grant County from the same household have confirmed measles infections, prompting health officials to warn residents who may have b
Houston Health Department temporarily shuts down ‘Mama Tina’s Gumbo’ at RodeoHouston
The Houston Health Department (HHD) has confirmed that ‘Mama Tina’s Gumbo’ was temporarily shut down at the Houston rodeo.
Mullin under microscope by Senate colleagues over temperament, stolen valor and ICE in tense DHS confirmation hearing
A typically friendly setting for one of their own turned tense on Capitol Hill Wednesday with senators grilling Markwayne Mullin for roughly three hours as he vies to become President Donald Trump’s next Department of Homeland Security chief.
iOS 26.4 fixes iPhone keyboard accuracy, here's how
Apple confirms iOS 26.4 improves keyboard accuracy by fixing a bug that caused missed keystrokes during fast typing.
Tim Scott says he will run for reelection in 2028, breaking promise that ‘22 would be his last run
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott confirmed he will run for a third term, despite the South Carolinian’s previous pledge to term-limit himself.
Trump nominee Mullin expected to get quick confirmation to replace Noem at DHS
Republicans almost certain to push through appointment following the ousting of Noem amid public backlash to her aggressive immigration approach
Five new cases of meningitis in Kent, UK Health Security Agency confirms
Two people have died in the outbreak - a 21-year-old university student and Juliette, a sixth form pupil at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham.
Science is finally confirming the most mysterious symptoms of endometriosis
Studies are showing that the inflammatory condition can impact organs across the body, not just those involved in reproduction.
Kiki Shepard dead: Longtime 'Showtime at the Apollo' co-host was 74
Kiki Shepard, best known for co-hosting the variety show 'Showtime at the Apollo,' has died, her representative confirmed. The Harlem theater remembered Shepard as a 'true Apollo legend.'
WATCH LIVE: Sen. Markwayne Mullin testifies in confirmation hearing for DHS secretary
New DHS nominee, same Trump agenda? What to expect from Markwayne Mullin
Sen. Markwayne Mullin faces a confirmation hearing for DHS secretary amid controversies over immigration, a partial shutdown, and disaster relief.
Trump’s Nominee to Run NSF is Unqualified, Conflicted, and a Threat to Science
If O’Neill is confirmed as NSF’s director, the Trump administration will further tighten its control over an agency created by Congress to be independent in its work to advance science.
Jasmine Crockett confirms member of her security team killed by Dallas police
She said the man, Diamon Robinson, had gone by a different name during his employment. Police said he had "multiple felony warrants" and a parole violation warrant.
McKee nominates Beacon Bank president to chair R.I. Life Science Hub
If confirmed by Senate, William Tsonos would replace Neil Steinberg, who stepped down in July 2025.
Samsung admits 'some variation' will be seen on the Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen brightness due to Privacy Display — but it should be 'negligible'
A confirmation and reality check
Sony Confirms PlayStation 5 Pro PSSR Upgrades for Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Even Former Xbox Console Exclusive Hellblade 2
Sony has confirmed an array of games set to benefit from PlayStation 5 Pro's upgraded PSSR visual boost, which launches more broadly via a new system software update available later today.
Two dead, 11 others infected in meningitis outbreak linked to English university
Two young people have died amid an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease in southern England, with 11 other cases also confirmed.
Howie figures it out and Eagles lock up Dallas Goedert for a ninth season
Dallas Goedert is returning to the Eagles on a one-year deal, a league source confirms to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Google Zero-Day Alert For 3.5 Billion Chrome Users—Attacks Underway
Google has confirmed an emergency Chrome security update amid reports that attackers are exploiting two zero-day vulnerabilities.
Bill Cassidy faces another MAHA fight with his reelection on the line
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy in February weighed possible political peril against a long career in medicine, ultimately casting the critical vote to confirm known vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy as the president’s Health and Human Services secretary.
Google Zero-Day Alert For 3.5 Billion Chrome Users—Attacks Underway
Google has confirmed an emergency Chrome security update amid reports that attackers are exploiting two zero-day vulnerabilities.
Indigenous knowledge confirms what scientists observe: Large birds are disappearing
Many Indigenous peoples and local communities live in close contact with nature and learn to identify the wildlife around them from an early age. New research published in the International Journal of Conservation draws on that knowledge to better understand a scientifically documented trend: large bird populations are shrinking. Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, an ethnobotanist with the […]
Carter's relationship included dinner with OSU leaders, business lobbying
Former Ohio State President Ted Carter tried to leverage his leadership roles to help a woman he was involved with romantically, sources confirmed.
Health officials confirm measles case in Las Vegas convention attendee
Health officials say they have a confirmed case of measles in a recent Las Vegas convention attendee.
Scientists confirm existence of molecule long believed to occur in oxidation
In the journal Science Advances, scientists in Sweden and the U.S. report the first-ever direct observation of a type of short-lived molecule that has shaped decades of thinking in atmospheric chemistry, ...
Google Zero-Day Alert For 3.5 Billion Chrome Users—Attacks Underway
Google has confirmed an emergency Chrome security update amid reports that attackers are exploiting two zero-day vulnerabilities.
Xbox Gaming Copilot Coming to Consoles This Year
Microsoft has confirmed that the Gaming Copilot AI assistant is coming to current-gen Xbox consoles this year.
NVIDIA, Intel join Microsoft for Advanced Shader Delivery, confirmed for Lunar/Panther Lake and GeForce RTX 50
Intel and NVIDIA promote Advanced Shader Delivery Advanced Shader Delivery is currently supported through the Xbox PC app, while Intel and NVIDIA say they
Parallels Confirms MacBook Neo Can Run Windows in a Virtual Machine
Parallels Desktop virtualization software is compatible with the new MacBook Neo, according to an update from the company – but Windows VM performance will depend on your intended use case. From Parallels' updated knowledge base article: Parallels Desktop runs on MacBook Neo in basic usability testing. The Parallels Engineering team has completed initial testing and confirmed that Parallels Desktop installs and virtual machines operate stably on MacBook Neo.
8 first responders hospitalized after West Bloomfield temple attack
Henry Ford Health confirmed that eight first responders are being cared for at two of its hospitals after an attack at a West Bloomfield temple.
2 additional cases of measles, possible 3rd case confirmed in Colorado outbreak in Broomfield
Colorado health officials have identified two additional cases of measles, bringing the total number to nine in the Broomfield outbreak.
Eagles re-signing free agent punter Braden Mann
The Eagles are re-signing punter Braden Mann to a four-year deal, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
📸 Mexico’s national team send message to Malagón
This afternoon, the severity of Luis Ángel Malagón's injury was confirmed: a ruptured Achilles tendon, which will keep him off the field for at least six months. With the imminent absence of the Am...
Whooping Cough Continues Wyoming Spread - Wyoming Department of Health
Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) officials are concerned about the ongoing, active spread of pertussis (whooping cough) across the state. Kaylyn Friesen, vaccine-preventable disease epidemiologist with WDH, said there have been 26 confirmed pertussis cases in Wyoming so far this year. “While roughly two-thirds of the reported cases have been among Fremont County residents, pertussis […]
Virginia Department of Health confirms three rabid animals in Bedford, Campbell counties
The Virginia Department of Health confirmed on Wednesday that three rabid animals had been located in the Central Virginia Health District.
WHO confirms 18 attacks on healthcare sites in Iran
March 11 () - The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that it has verified 18 attacks on healthcare centers in Iran since the start of the U. and Israel war on Iran on February 28, which has...
Microsoft Confirms SQL Zero-Day Security Vulnerability—Here’s The Fix
Microsoft has confirmed that a hacker who successfully exploits a zero-day SQL vulnerability could gain system administrator privileges. Here’s how to fix it.
‘The moon is safe’: asteroid is not on collision course, scientists confirm
ESA’s Planetary Defence team allay fears 100-metre-wide object could hit Earth’s moon and disrupt satellites
Golden Nugget owner in talks to buy out Caesars Entertainment
Reports emerged today confirming that billionaire Tilman Fertitta is in exclusive negotiations to acquire Caesars Entertainment for around $7 billion, outbidding a rival proposal from investor Carl Icahn’s firm ...
Apple Just Transformed the CarPlay Experience in iOS 26.4 Beta 4
iOS 26.4 beta 4 adds a CarPlay Music privacy confirmation screen; new emojis like Bigfoot arrive, with small heat reports on some devices.
Minerva Neurosciences Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results and Business Updates
Initiation of confirmatory Phase 3 trial with roluperidone for negative symptoms of schizophrenia is planned for Q2 2026, with topline data anticipated in 2H 2027BURLINGTON, Mass., March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NERV), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today provided business updates and reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended Decembe
Xbox hardware teased at GDC, just one week after PC/console hybrid Project Helix was first confirmed
Microsoft has posted a set of photos giving us a small teaser for some unspecified work-in-progress Xbox hardware.
A massive asteroid hit the North Sea and triggered a 330-foot tsunami
A long-running debate about the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea has finally been resolved. Scientists now confirm it formed when a roughly 160-meter asteroid struck the seabed about 43–46 million years ago. New seismic imaging and rare shocked minerals in rock samples provided the crucial proof. The impact would have sent a massive plume skyward and unleashed a tsunami over 100 meters (330 feet) high.
Apple reveals MacBook Neo battery cycle limit
Apple has updated its support documentation to confirm the maximum battery cycle count for the new MacBook Neo. Here are the details.
Hours After Announcing Donald Glover as Yoshi in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo Has Now Revealed Its New Yoshi Game Release Date
It's been a busy 24 hours for Yoshi fans. Following confirmation that Donald Glover will voice the elastic-tongued dinosaur in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, we now know the release date for Yoshi's next game.
Source: Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe, 49ers agree to two-year contract
Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe agreed to a two-year free-agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area.
California warns public to avoid sick seals after bird flu
California health officials are warning people to avoid sick or dead marine mammals along the coast after bird flu was confirmed in northern elephant seal pups.
GDC confirms return to San Francisco in 2027
Festival of Gaming is remaining in California despite enduring cost concerns and anxiety from overseas visitors
Valve Confirms Steam Frame is Still Coming This Year, Now Marked as "coming soon"
Valve’s upcoming standalone VR headset Steam Frame is still shipping sometime this year, the company says, as it is now marked as “coming soon” on the Steam backend. In a hardware news update last month, Valve announced that Steam Frame, Steam Machine, and Steam Controller are all being affected by the wider RAM and storage component shortage. […]
Shocked: Senators play politics with judicial appointment
A Knoxville lawyer has walked away from an appointment by Gov. Bill Lee to serve on the state Court of Appeals. Rachel Park Hurt said conversations with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee led her to believe that her nomination would not be confirmed. Writing in the March 2026 edition of DICTA, a publication of […]
Galaxy S25 just got more interesting after Samsung confirmed this S26 camera feature
Samsung just confirmed it’s bringing the next-gen Virtual Aperture camera feature from the Galaxy S26 series to last year’s Galaxy S25 phones. Last month, Samsung unveiled the latest Camera and Gallery features that arrived in the new flagship smartphones. At that time, the camera in charge didn’t reveal which new features were being planned for […]
OnePlus 15T: Official first look at new compact flagship phone revealed
The successor to last year's OnePlus 13T is confirmed to launch soon in China. The OnePlus 15T has been officially revealed in two colorways, with a design language that closely resembles the standard OnePlus 15 and the 13T.
Shots fired at Rihanna's Beverly Hills home, suspect taken into custody
Multiple shots were fired toward Rihanna's Beverly Hills home on Sunday afternoon, LAPD confirms. The "Umbrella" singer was home at the time of the shooting, according to news reports, but no one at the residence was harmed, the LAPD confirmed.
'LOTR' star Elijah Wood doesn't want anybody else to play Frodo as long as he's 'alive and able'
Elijah Wood won't confirm whether or not he will appear in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,' but he has made it clear that he won't let go of his beloved hobbit without a fight: 'I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo.'
Tesla's 'Haha, Yes' Hedgehog: What It Means and Where It Came From
Tesla isn't your typical car company, and here's why it chooses to celebrate your multi-thousand-dollar purchase with a low-resolution meme of a hedgehog
Julian Brandt to leave Borussia Dortmund in the summer after seven years at the club
Dortmund CEO for sport Lars Ricken confirmed that the player and club have been unable to agree on an extension.
Department of Health confirms measles case in Oahu visitor, issues exposure alert
Officials say the visitor had recently arrived in Hawaii from a region of the continental United States with known measles transmission.
Maxx Crosby's heavy heart farewell by Raiders teammates: "Legend!! Leader!!”
Maxx Crosby confirmed the blockbuster deal with a definitive Instagram farewell.
FDA’s controversial vaccine chief will exit agency next month
The US Food and Drug Administration’s head of vaccines and biologic medicines will leave the agency at the end of April, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Friday.
Trump's college sports roundtable to include Nick Saban, Tiger Woods. Who else?
Who is all attending President Donald Trump's Saving College Sports Roundtable? Here's a look at some confirmed attendees and invitees:
Kalshi and Polymarket are skirting laws on sports betting, states say
Online prediction markets allow users to put money on the outcome of almost anything — this weekend’s NBA game between the Warriors and the Thunder, the next supreme leader of Iran, whether the government will confirm the existence of aliens. But those markets have no state oversight and operate even in states that ban gambling. […]
Health department alerts public to possible measles exposure in Lynchburg
Officials are warning of a possible measles exposure after a confirmed case moved through the area.