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Funding restored for crucial behavioral health programs, leaving related services as is
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted to restore funding for two crucial behavioral health programs. Leaving other supplemental services on the table
How LuGus Studios Turned a Viral Prototype Into a Successful Business
LuGus Studios discusses building Liftoff, growing a niche drone sim audience, and sustaining a 15-year indie studio through community-driven development, iterative workflows, and a focus on impact over scale.
Bird‑like robots promise greater flexibility and control than drones
A bird banking in a crosswind doesn't rely on spinning blades. Its wings flex, twist and respond instantly to its environment. Engineers at Rutgers University have taken a major step toward building bird-like ...
Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Valuation Check After Recent Share Price Recovery
Caesars Entertainment stock overview Caesars Entertainment (CZR) has been drawing attention after recent share price moves, including a gain over the past month. This has prompted investors to reassess how its current valuation lines up with recent financial results. See our latest analysis for Caesars Entertainment. Recent trading has been choppy, with a 26.05% 1 month share price return contrasting with a 4.87% decline in 1 year total shareholder return. This signals momentum building in...
Nominate a Capital Region health care executive who’s making a difference
Who’s running the organizations shaping health care in the Capital Region — and doing it well? That’s the question at the heart of the Outstanding Health Care Executive category in Business Report‘s inaugural Excellence in Health Care Awards. This recognition is for the senior leaders who are making the hard calls, building strong teams and […]
Building a Culture of Health: BJACH Opens Armed Forces Wellness Center at Fort Polk
FORT POLK, La. — Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital marked a significant step forward in supporting warfighter readiness and community well-being with the grand opening of its new Armed Forces Wellness Center on March 23. The center, located on the first floor inside BJACH, provides Soldiers, Families, civilian employees and beneficiaries with access to personalized health assessments, education and coaching designed to improve overall health and performance.
Health care advisory Chartis brings AI development engine in-house to build tools for clients
With the acquisition of artificial intelligence incubator Leap AI, Chicago-based Chartis’ health care advisers will move from making suggestions about AI to rolling up their sleeves and building custom AI solutions.
2026 Best Business Schools | How Alumni Rate Their Undergraduate Business Degrees
Alumni rate their undergraduate business programs in Poets&Quants’ 2026 ranking, evaluating academic experience, career preparation, advising, and how well their degrees support long-term career goals.
Statue of Christopher Columbus installed on White House grounds
A statue of Christopher Columbus has been erected outside of an ornate federal office building on the White House grounds — the latest sign of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape cultural and historical representations across the nation’s capital.
Students compete in Virginia Science Olympiad State Tournament at UVA
The tournament’s events ranged from knowledge tests to building robots.
Students compete in Virginia Science Olympiad State Tournament at UVA
The tournament’s events ranged from knowledge tests to building robots.
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.
How my time at Goldman is giving me a leg up building a cake business
Allison Sheehan left Goldman Sachs to build her "cake empire," but said her time on Wall Street has taught her crucial skills.
Robert Mueller, ex-FBI director at center of political tempest, dies at 81
After building a reputation for quiet rectitude, he became a political target as special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Minecraft World Opening 2027, First Look at $70 Million Project
Theme park lovers who yearn for the mines will have their wish granted in 2027 with the debut of Minecraft World, based on the popular building video game.
Not all business owners: How Business for Good is building a new voice in San Diego
Business for Good, a network of San Diego business leaders, advocates for progressive causes in the region.
DNA building blocks on asteroid Ryugu, bacteria that eat plastic waste, and more science news
Catch up on some of the most interesting science stories from this week.
Fort Collins' former Sundance building has a new owner. What we know
After closing its doors on East Mulberry Street in July 2024, the longtime home of Sundance Steakhouse & Saloon officially has a new owner.
Community's Choice Awards spotlight: Cool R Us
Momentum is building for the Best of Bold City Community’s Choice Awards. Nominate before you forget.
Long-vacant city-owned lot on edge of French Quarter to become mixed-income apartment building
The design calls for three buildings with 50 apartments between Esplanade Avenue and Kerlerec Street.
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'); });
130-Year-Old Unity Hall Hosts Bluegrass Legend Tony Trischka
A 130-year-old building was filled with music fans as a bluegrass legend performed on stage.
Heavy smoke rises from commercial building in Providence
A fire broke out inside of a business in Providence Friday night.
Rivian and the danger of building a business on government largesse
The EV market is evolving to survive without public subsidies.
There Aren't a Lot of Reasons to Get Excited About a New Amazon Smartphone
The company is reportedly building a new AI-powered mobile device. If Amazon follows through on the plan, experts warn it would be next to impossible to break into a crowded market.
Walz unveils tech tax in budget; bipartisan support emerges at Capitol
MPR News host Clay Masters and the politics team recap a week in state politics.
Building Brighter Tomorrows: Advancing Community Health in 2026 and Beyond
The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, in partnership with the Institute for Child Success, is hosting the 2026 Building Brighter Tomorrows Conference on Thursday, April 16 at Furman […]
Building scientists in Charlottesville: Inside the UVA Innovation Hub
The award-winning partnership between the city schools and UVA’s School of Education expands learning into the community.
Overcoming Self-Doubt When Launching Your Own Business
Building a company will always test your confidence. Some days will stretch it; others will rattle it to the core. Self-doubt in those moments is not a sign you’re not cut out to lead. It’s what happens when you’re creating something new, the stakes are real, and you care deeply about the outcome. The founders who lead well over the long run aren’t the ones who never doubt themselves. They are the ones who have learned to work with it.
Saint Mary’s renames science building to Mathile Science Hall
Saint Mary’s held a renaming ceremony for the College’s Science Hall, which will now be known as Mathile Science Hall.
Splenda manufacturer eyes $91M in upgrades to Indianapolis operations
Carmel-based Heartland Food Products Group plans to construct a new building and add the newly acquired Splenda brand to its product manufacturing operations in Indianapolis.
Meet Mark Zuckerberg’s college roommate. He’s an Olympian-turned-VC exec who now invests in your favorite celebrity businesses
Building off his experience as an athlete, talent manager, and brand builder, Samyr Lainé has backed brands founded by Issa Rae, Kaley Cuoco, and Emma Watson.
Markiplier to Microdramas: The Ankler x NAB Show’s Future of Entertainment
Share Subscribe Vegas, baby! The Ankler is heading back to NAB Show for a second year in a row — and doubling down on conversations with the smartest people in the industry. From April 18–22, we’re partnering again with the industry’s biggest media and tech gathering to break down the Business of Media and Entertainment as it’s actually evolving: faster, riskier and increasingly driven by new formats, new audiences and new power players. This curated series will bring together top creators, executives and innovators to tackle the forces reshaping the industry — from the AI disruption of Hollywood’s creative ecosystem to the rise of the creator economy, shifting audience behavior and the changing economics of production. We’ll be rolling out more programming in the coming weeks — including top speakers from leading AI studios, prediction markets and beyond — so keep an eye on the Business of Media and Entertainment hub. But first up, we’re announcing two panels about what’s actually working in Hollywood: The Scary-Smart Business of Horror A good scare has become one of the entertainment economy’s most reliable engines. With disciplined budgets, built-in fandoms and global box office upside, horror consistently outperforms. From theatrical releases to streaming-first originals and creator-driven IP, the genre is artistically flexible and financially durable — and one of the last truly communal experiences for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. Join YouTube creator Mark Fischbach, aka Markiplier, whose independent feature Iron Lung earned more than $50 million at the global box office, Atomic Monster president Michael Clear and screenwriter Akela Cooper (M3GAN, Malignant) for a conversation moderated by Like & Subscribe’s Natalie Jarvey about why horror travels so effectively across platforms and borders, how studios and independents are building sustainable genre pipelines and why the next wave of breakout franchises may emerge from unexpected sources. Inside the Microdrama Boom Short-form serialized storytelling is having a major moment. Microdramas, social-native series and creator-led narratives are capturing massive audiences with low-cost, rapid production cycles and direct-to-fan distribution. What was once dismissed as niche or experimental is now attracting major platform investment. Moderated by Jarvey, this panel of microdrama creators and executives — including one of the format’s top stars and producers, Kasey Esser, and Dhar Mann Studios’ head of vertical content, Erin McFarlane — examines how format innovation, fandom dynamics and algorithmic discovery are reshaping the economics of scripted storytelling and what traditional studios can learn from these agile models. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Lynne@theankler.com Share
Large building fire seen in Greenspoint area, smoke billowing into the air, SkyEye images show
A building fire caused heavy smoke to billow into the air in the Greenspoint area on Thursday afternoon. SkyEye was over the scene as crews arrived to fight the flames.
Firefighters battling flames on roof of building housing row of businesses in Midwood
FDNY officials say a fire was reported in a restaurant at 1021 Avenue H between East 10th Street and Coney Island Avenue around 4:40 p.m.
High-speed combat drone production starts at new US Anduril plant in days
Anduril Industries will begin building its new FURY, "loyal wingman," high-speed combat drones in the coming days at a new facility in Ohio, as the U.S. military's interest in unmanned aircraft surges following battlefield successes in Ukraine and Iran.
'We're not out of the woods yet': JFAC reworks Health and Human Services budget
After failing on the senate floor, JFAC reworked the Health and Human Services maintenance budget for Fiscal Year 2027. Making it out of committee with an addit
Ypsilanti fire destroyed ‘sanctuary’ for many grieving business owners
The building will need demolished, officials said.
Maxx Crosby Trade Attempt Shows Ravens’ New Aggresive Strategy
The Baltimore Ravens rarely chase blockbuster trades, but their pursuit of Maxx Crosby suggested a different level of urgency. The trade suggested an “all in” motto from a franchise that is known for patience and draft-driven roster building. The deal ultimately fell apart before it could be finalized. Even so, the attempt revealed a willingness […] The post Maxx Crosby Trade Attempt Shows Ravens’ New Aggresive Strategy appeared first on The Lead.
Women in Medicine and Science Research Day Highlights Achievements and Opportunities
The 20th annual Women in Medicine & Science Research Day on March 11 offered opportunities for community-building, networking, mentoring and collaboration.
20th Annual Women in Medicine and Science Research Day
The 20th annual Women in Medicine & Science Research Day on March 11 offered opportunities for community-building, networking, mentoring and collaboration.
Building a digital ant gallery, from the ground up
How a particle accelerator, a robot, highspeed cameras, and 2,000 ants came together to paint a picture of biological diversity.
The rise of the AI knock-off McKinsey consultant
Developers are building AI agents modeled on the work of consultants. We asked a former McKinsey consultant to test it out.
Forum on harnessing Artificial Intelligence for health equity
Register to this forumOver the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly evolved in complexity, performance, and utility. Its integration across a wide range of industrial sectors has accelerated, with healthcare emerging as one of the most transformative sectors. In this sector, AI has enabled high-impact applications – from enhancing the speed and accuracy of disease diagnosis and supporting clinical decision-making, to strengthening public health initiatives such as disease surveillance and workforce optimization. Moreover, AI holds immense potential to empower individuals, enabling them to take greater control of their personal health and well-being. Yet the central question remains: Who benefits, who is at risk, and do these innovations close or widen health inequities? While the potential of AI-enabled applications is substantial, many countries have approached their adoption with caution. This hesitancy stems from concerns about risks and benefits, including model bias, data breaches, privacy violations, and the erosion of professional skills due to over-reliance on AI. Additional barriers include inadequate data infrastructure and a lack of robust evidence on the most effective forms and interfaces of AI to enhance service delivery and system performance. Moreover, the rapid rise of Generative AI has introduced a heightened urgency for the development of comprehensive governance and ethical frameworks. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Health Practice Team and Digital Sector, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific, are convening the Forum on Harnessing AI for Health Equity on 25–26 March at ADB Headquarters. Senior health officials from 16 developing member countries (DMCs), alongside leading researchers, innovators, and policymakers from across Asia and the Pacific, will engage in discussions on how AI can be governed, financed, and scaled to deliver healthier lives for all. The forum is funded through the High-Level Technology Fund with support from the Government of Japan. Objectives The two-day forum aims to:Identify high-impact, evidence-based health AI use cases suitable for resource-constrained settings and map out a pipeline for potential supportIntroduce and validate the WHO's policy guidance on minimum necessary ecosystem for countries and institutions to self-assess readiness for AI adoptionObtain initial commitment from participating stakeholders to join a pilot regional initiative focused on data/model sharing for a priority health challengeEndorse a prioritized set of actionable policy recommendations focusing on governance, regulation, and sustainable financing necessary to scale high-impact health AI use cases in resource-constrained settings Target participants The forum will convene participants from 16 ADB DMCs including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. In addition, health system leaders and practitioners, private sector technologists, academic experts, representatives from civil society organizations, development partners, and philanthropic institutions engaged in AI for Health from Australia, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea will also be invited. SessionsDay 1 (25 March)Session 1: AI Use Cases for the Care Continuum: Improving Access and QualitySession 2: Adopting a risk-based approach for AI use case prioritizationSession 3: Establishing the Minimum Ecosystem for Implementation Risk ManagementSession 4: Future-Ready Health Workforce: Building Competency for Human-AI CollaborationDay 2 (26 March)Session 5: The Political Economy of AI in Health: Understanding Stakeholder Interests and their Impact on EquitySession 6: AI and Health Financing: Supporting Fair Coverage and ProtectionSession 7: AI Regulation and Oversight: Pathways for Different RealitiesSession 8: The Way Forward – Building Alliances and Regional Partnership How to registerThe forum will be held in a hybrid format. In-person attendance is by invitation only, while livestreaming of the forum will be available to the public. To register, please complete this form on or before 24 March 2026.Event organizers / partnersAsian Development Bank (ADB)WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific High-Level Technology Fund (HLTF)ContactAkihito WatabeHealth Specialist, SD3-HSDawatabe@adb.org Jae Kyoun KimHealth Specialist, SD3-HSDjkkim@adb.org
Nvidia is quietly building a multibillion-dollar behemoth to rival its chips business
Nvidia's networking business raked in $11 billion last quarter despite getting significantly less fanfare than chips and gaming.
Chris Weidner: Climbing past the politics: the Iran I remember
Our first impression of Tehran was overwhelming. From the hillside beneath the Alborz Mountains we looked upon a sea of mostly white buildings — a metropolis home to more than 8 million people. Down there, thick pollution stung my eyes and …
Opinion: The Midwest is chasing the wrong innovation strategy
Rather than building capital density at home, Midwestern research universities have chosen physical proximity to the dominant ecosystem. Here's why that may be a mistake.
Youth Mental Health Action Lab: Leveraging First Spouses to Drive Change
First Spouses and state policy teams from across the country convened in Asheville, North Carolina on March 9–10 for NGA’s Youth Mental Health Action Lab, marking the kickoff of NGA’s 2026 Youth Mental Health initiative. Building on work NGA has supported since 2022, sessions explored the landscape of the youth mental health crisis, emerging best […]
Madison County considers rezoning along scenic byway near Marshall
Lonesome Mountain Market owner Johnny Moore purchased the building in 2022 with the purpose of operating a general/convenience store, he said.
The Road Less Considered: The Overlooked Connection Between Infrastructure, Nature And Public Health
Improving infrastructure with nature in mind, including building wildlife crossings that save animal and human lives.
‘Just really unique’: Williamsport business preserves history — and finds surprise in basement
“You hate to see history disappear,” said Adam Roskowski, owner of Rosko’s Brew House in Williamsport. That was his motivation for buying the building now housing his craft beer pub at 601 Pine Street. After being vacant for years, Adam was keen to buy the Victorian – not just because of its historic charm but […]
Why Colorado businesses should oppose SB26-134
By Liliana Soto My family has spent the last 30 years building a small piece of Colorado’s food culture. My father founded Las Dos Americas Tortilleria three decades ago with a simple idea to make authentic flour and corn tortillas from scratch and serve our community with pride. What started as a small tortilleria has […]
Merlin and Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. IV Announce Closing of Business Combination
Merlin's Cessna Caravan Merlin's aircraft flying overhead at the company's Quonset, RI hangar Merlin's Quonset, RI Hangar A C-130J flying overhead at Merlin’s Quonset, RI hangar Transaction provides more than $200M in gross proceeds to accelerate commercialization of AI-powered autonomous aviation Merlin to Begin Trading on March 17th on the NASDAQ Under Ticker Symbol “MRLN” BOSTON, March 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merlin, Inc., an aerospace and defense technology company building the operatin
Budget Breakdown: After Building an Ice Cream Business, They Built a Sweet Texas Home for $660K
A fluid indoor/outdoor plan makes it easy for a Fort Worth family to host and make memories with loved ones.
Integrated Crisis Stabilization Services supports individuals experiencing substance use and mental health crises at United Counseling Service’s Battelle House in Bennington, VT
As part of a State of Vermont request, United Counseling Service (UCS) created an Integrated Crisis Stabilization Program (ICSS) this year to expand its services for individuals experiencing mental health and substance use crises in Bennington County. ICSS provides therapeutic groups, skill-building, and a safe place to recover.
ECU Health seeks sustainable contract during UnitedHealthcare renewal, emphasizes commitment to protecting rural health care access
ECU Health remains steadfast in its mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.
Alibaba CEO takes helm of new AI-focused business group
Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu will head its newly formed Alibaba Token Hub business group, which will focus on building artificial intelligence work platforms for enterprises, the firm said in a statement on Monday.
Alibaba CEO takes helm of new AI-focused business group
Alibaba Group Chief Executive Eddie Wu will head the newly formed Alibaba Token Hub (ATH) Business Group, the firm said in a statement on Monday. The new group will comprise existing Alibaba units Tongyi Laboratory, MaaS Business Line, Qwen Business Unit, Wukong Business Unit, and AI Innovation Business Unit. Alibaba said its mission would be to "create, deliver, and apply tokens," and it would focus on building AI-native work platforms for enterprises.
What's being built on Route 13 south of Smyrna, near Garrisons Lake?
A 9,100-square-foot building is under construction between Economy Inn and the Spring Meadow neighborhood.
Chargers free agency: LA hosting offensive lineman on visit
The Los Angeles Chargers are looking to continue building out the interior part of the offensive line.
Scientists Reveal the Simplest Rule for Building Strength
New resistance-training guidelines show that any amount of strength training can significantly improve muscle, strength, and physical function.
Strengthening One Health Field Epidemiology Capacity in the WHO South-East Asia Region
Recent public health emergencies—including the COVID-19 pandemic, recurrent zoonotic disease outbreaks, and the high level of antimicrobial resistance—have underscored the urgent need for strong, multisectoral field epidemiology capacities. This reinforces the importance of a workforce equipped with One Health field epidemiology competencies. To address this need, WHO works with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as part of Quadripartite Alliance for One Health, to strengthen field epidemiology training programmes using a One Health approach.These efforts are aligned with WHO SEARO’s Strategic Framework for Action for Strengthening Surveillance, Risk Assessment and Field Epidemiology and the Regional Roadmap to Advance Field Epidemiology Capacities 2025–2029 emphasize workforce development, multisectoral collaboration, and enhanced preparedness for health emergencies. With funding from the Pandemic Fund, The Competency for One Health Field Epidemiology (COHFE) integration within Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs) or similar initiatives has been initiated in Bangladesh and India and is planned in Sri Lanka.BangladeshIn Bangladesh, COHFE is being adapted to strengthen the Field Epidemiology Training Programme, Bangladesh (FETP-B) Advanced programme. Initiated in July 2025 and led by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), the process brought together stakeholders from human, animal, and environmental health sectors, academia, and laboratories.A Multisectoral Working Group (MWG) was established to guide implementation, conduct readiness assessments, and identify opportunities to institutionalize One Health collaboration. Through national multisectoral consultations and a competency prioritization workshop held in Dhaka in November 2025, stakeholders identified priority technical competencies for surveillance, outbreak investigation, data analysis, and risk assessment, alongside functional competencies related to leadership, coordination, and the laboratory–epidemiology interface. The process also surfaced systemic barriers—such as challenges in data sharing and limited joint investigations—enabling targeted recommendations. These outcomes are guiding curriculum revision, the introduction of One Health simulations and joint field exercises, and the development of a national multisectoral mentorship pool, with updated training materials expected to be implemented in the upcoming cohort.Figure 1. Competency prioritization involving multisectoral stakeholders“COHFE represents a significant step forward in operationalizing the One Health approach. The collaboration between national institutions and the Quadripartite partners is critical for building resilient systems to address complex health challenges in the region.”, Prof. (Dr) Tahmina Sirin, Director, Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh.Aligning India’s One Health Training with COHFEIn India, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has strengthened One Health workforce development through its SectorConnect initiative. WHO supported a comprehensive competency mapping and curriculum review to align the Field Epidemiology Programme in One Health (FEP-OH) with all 14 COHFE domains. The review identified strong foundations while generating actionable recommendations to strengthen One Health learning outcomes, expand joint field-based learning, and enhance competency-based assessment. These improvements are informing programme refinement and phased scale-up across additional states.Figure 2. Strengthening learning outcomes for the SectorConnect FEP OH CurriculumThrough these efforts, WHO SEARO will continue to support countries to move from separate sector-based training toward an integrated, impact-driven One Health field epidemiology workforce capable of addressing complex health threats at human-animal-environment interface.ReferencesFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization, & World Organisation for Animal Health. (2024). Competencies for One Health field epidemiology (COHFE) framework. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240080058World Health Organization. (2023). Strategic framework for action for strengthening surveillance, risk assessment and field epidemiology for health security threats in the WHO South-East Asia Region. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290210030World Health Organization. (2024). Regional roadmap to advance field epidemiology capacities in the WHO South-East Asia Region 2025–2029. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290229544
This 18-year-old college student accidentally emailed thousands of classmates—it turned his pet-sitting business into a valuable side hustle
University of Alabama student Hector Gutierrez joins a growing number of Gen Zers building their own businesses before even finishing college.
This 18-year-old college student accidentally emailed thousands of classmates—it turned his pet-sitting business into a valuable side hustle
University of Alabama student Hector Gutierrez joins a growing number of Gen Zers building their own businesses before even finishing college.
Appointee wants to replace White House columns with the ones Trump prefers
The head of a federal arts commission is proposing the more ornate Corinthian style for the nearly 200-year-old columns at the building’s front entrance
How Paris Hilton turned a persona into a global business empire
Paris Hilton, often called the “original influencer,” takes Tania Bryer to a New York hotel steeped in history and shares how she turned personal pain into purpose — building a brand that has generated billions in sales.
Woman Sleeps in Closet for 2 Years While Building Jewelry Business Out of Studio Apartment (Exclusive)
Jessica Holiday has been living in her closet while building her business out of her studio apartment
'If it's our time, then that may have to be': Acadia Cafe launches effort to stay in business
The cafe and music venue says "rent and utilities have had to fall by the wayside" amid struggles during Operation Metro Surge.
Family-owned real estate firm made Detroit investments at key moments
The Farbman Group once owned the Fisher Building and now manages over 35 million square feet and is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Woman Sleeps in Closet for 2 Years While Building Jewelry Business Out of Studio Apartment (Exclusive)
Jessica Holiday shares that she's been living in her closet while building her jewelry business. The 25-year-old tells PEOPLE she used to live in her van before moving into a studio apartment, which also functions as her office.
Chapel Hill's South Creek Neighborhood Celebrates Construction Milestone, Announces First Business Tenant
The South Creek neighborhood's development team gathered for a ceremony recognizing the completion of its first full building structure.
Secret to USA sled hockey's dynasty at Paralympics? This pyramid approach
Dan Brennan, GM of USA sled hockey, revolutionized the way the the program develops talent in the sport, by building a robust grassroots program.
The Trump White House's Vision of War As Nihilist Entertainment
In a new X post building on an earlier Hollywood action-clip montage, the White House tries to render the horrors of war as a Wii game.
Judge quashes Justice Department subpoena of Federal Reserve
Judge James Boasberg said that a "mountain of evidence suggests" that the purpose of the subpoenas was simply to pressure the Fed to cut its key interest rate
The New CEO Of Acquisition.com: From Goldman To Building The ‘Disney Of Business’
Most Goldman Sachs bankers leave with a set of deal-structuring skills and a polished LinkedIn profile. Sharran Srivatsaa left with a lesson he learned at a closing dinner.
Drake University’s Zimpleman College of Business Announces 2026 Social Impact Award Winners
Drake University’s Zimpleman College of Business today announced the recipients of the 2026 Social Impact Awards for Research and Outreach. These annual awards, valued at $5,000, recognize faculty and staff who model positive societal impact through work that aligns with the College’s “North Star” mission: ensuring business education serves as a force for good. To...
Washington’s Jedd Fisch Considered Among CFB's Most Underrated Coaches
At 15-11 overall through his first 26 games at Washington, third-year coach Jedd Fisch is quietly building a contender in the Big Ten Conference.
Freak accident blamed for fire that heavily damaged Bucks County business
Fire tore through an industrial building in Bucks County after what investigators are calling a freak accident.
Eleven business students named Spears Distinguished Seniors for 2025-26 academic year
Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business has named 11 students Spears Distinguished Seniors for the 2025-26 academic year.
U.S. is in the dark on Mojtaba Khamenei's views on the bomb
Khamenei's deep alliance with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has raised concern that Iran's new leader will depart from his father's long-standing position against building a bomb.
Cinemark bringing new Gamescape entertainment center to Corpus Christi
Cinemark is building a stand-alone Gamescape FEC in Corpus Christi with bowling, laser tag, arcade games, and dining. Opening targeted for December 2026.
Power outage stalls business at Mass. State House
A State House electrical outage ended around noon Thursday after the Legislature’s website and internet connectivity within the building were knocked out of commission Wednesday evening. Legislative Information Services sent an email to legislative members and staff on Wednesday around 9 p.m., stating that an electrical outage in the State House caused a service disruption. Portions of the building were running…
New NH Liquor & Wine Outlet opens in Manchester
The newest New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet is now open in the former Rite Aid building on Elm Street in Manchester.
The Politics Hour: Montgomery County Executive Democratic Forum
We are live from the Silver Spring Civic Building with Democratic candidates for Montgomery County Executive.
Mike Johnson, in a split from Trump, says US shouldn't nation-build in Iran
When asked if he supports nation-building in Iran, the House GOP leader said "I don't," in contrast to the president's recent comments.
'Tool Sprawl' Is Holding Your Business Back. Here's What It's Costing You — and How to Fix It.
Stop buying tools. Start building systems.
Suazo Business Center reps name building to honor Gladys Gonzalez, key in its formation
Suazo Business Center reps named the building housing the organization in honor of Gladys Gonzalez, who was key in its formation.
Microsoft says you should build next-gen Xbox games by building them for PC.
We’re in line for Microsoft’s keynote, but look what we spotted at its booth at GDC! “Cross-platform is the future of the Xbox ecosystem,” it writes. “Build for Xbox on PC.” Again, the future of Xbox is W. [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/20260311_085610.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/slack-upload-1773247555310.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/slack-upload-1773247563110.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]
Suazo Business Center reps name building to honor Gladys Gonzalez, key in its formation
Suazo Business Center reps named the building housing the organization in honor of Gladys Gonzalez, who was key in its formation.
Laying the Foundations for an Americas Mental Health Policy Innovation Hub | Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health
The project “Laying the Foundations for an Americas Mental Health Policy Innovation Hub,” led by Dr. María Cecilia Dedios and colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health, aims to establish a regional platform that connects academics, policymakers, and civil society to advance collaborative mental health policymaking across the Americas. The initiative focuses on strengthening intersectoral approaches to population mental health and embedding meaningful community participation and lived experience into policy processes. Through a pilot consensus-building effort with decision-makers in Bogotá, Colombia, the project has begun testing methods for cross-sector collaboration to address shared priorities such as loneliness and underage substance use. Ultimately, the Hub seeks to foster regional learning and develop more participatory, coordinated, and socially responsive mental health policies.
Wirral carbon capture pipeline plan 'threatens businesses'
Small business owners voice their fears about the impact of building a 200km (124 mile) pipeline.
‘A nightmare;’ Business owner speaks out after city shuts down building that houses salon
City inspectors closed the E 1st Street parking garage several weeks ago due to structural concerns.
Family-run Kelly’s Seafood to close after 68 years in business in Northeast Philly
The owners say the will keep the restaurant open until they sell their building on Old Bustleton Avenue.
Little Rock bookstore grows with events, partnerships, and e-commerce
WoodsWorth focused on growing its online shop, adding more in-store events, and building partnerships. The bookstore has grown 7% a year since 2022.
A Message from Fenway Health's CEO
Dear Fenway Community, Spring is nearly here — and with it comes that familiar shift in the air, a quiet reminder that renewal is always possible. I find my ...
Market to elevate Black-owned vendors at NFL Draft
The Cocoapreneur Market is set for April 23-25 at the Pitt Building in Downtown.
5 ways brands can turn entertainment thinking into a winning growth strategy
A shift in mindset can evolve your approach from driving attention to building long-term loyalty and brand love.
Opinion: Colorado health care system should include food as medicine
Building a sustainable approach to chronic disease requires collaboration among health providers, nonprofits, policymakers, community partners.
Community chips in to help business damaged by building collapse
The building has sat empty since the 1980's, but over the weekend, part of the for 5 and 10 in Wellsville collapsed onto a neighboring business in the 400 block