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Branch Basics, A Homegrown Small Business, Shares Its Target Playbook
Branch Basics, the clean home care brand, spent over a decade building a loyal online following. Then landed on Target shelves last year and sold out of product. Here's how.
We Don’t Need to End Citizens United to Rein in Super PACs
A different court decision is to blame for the corrupting impact of super PACs, argues Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig.
The 10 Most Influential Entertainment Companies of 2026
Presenting the inaugural TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders list of the world's most influential entertainment businesses of the year
The 10 Most Influential Health and Life Science Companies of 2026
Presenting the inaugural TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders list of the world's most influential health and life science businesses of the year
The 10 Most Influential Health and Life Science Companies of 2026
Presenting the inaugural TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders list of the world's most influential health and life science businesses of the year
35 Years Ago, Queen Elizabeth Charmed Congress. King Charles Will Face a Harder Room
King Charles’s address to Congress on Tuesday will unfold in a more polarized Washington than the one that greeted Queen Elizabeth at the end of the Cold War.
Lions give optimistic injury updates on Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph
Lions GM Brad Holmes was optimistic about Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, but warned not to overthink their draft moves.
Why He Fits: From business trip to breakout, Zachariah Branch brings juice to Atlanta
After elevating his game at Georgia, Branch arrives as the kind of dynamic playmaker the Falcons covet.
Pokemon Z development build found, footage released
Brand new footage of Pokemon Z – which was never released – has now been shared. It goes without saying, but this was an extremely early development build. MDTravisYT posted about the discovery on social media. It’s noted that the source code has an “upper_fake” branch that compiles as VERSION_Z. This has a “unique” title screen alongside some “new” mega...
Orange County libraries offering business help, cooking classes and live performances
Orange County Library System will offer free business workshops, cultural programs, family activities and heritage month events across its branches throughout May.
Business Briefs: April 24, 2026
Greenfield Cooperative Bank welcomes new employees GREENFIELD — Greenfield Cooperative Bank has announced the addition of two new employees. Abby LaValley has been named the assistant vice president and branch manager of the Amherst branch office located at 390 College St. in Amherst, and Jimmy Rosario has been named assistant branch manager of the South Hadley […]
How Businesses Can Build Trust as Institutional Confidence Erodes
Business leaders discussed the significance of authenticity, action, and building common ground at the TIME100 Summit in New York City.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Defends Spending Cuts to Health Agencies
Kennedy appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the President’s 2027 budget.
New York sues Coinbase and Gemini, seeking to halt unlicensed prediction market businesses
Both companies began as cryptocurrency trading platforms before branching into the prediction space.
AMC Entertainment Closes $425MM Term Loan with Deutsche Bank
Odeon Finco, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Odeon Cinemas Group and AMC Entertainment, entered into a credit agreement with Deutsche Bank AG (New York branch)
Midland business roundup highlights credit union wins
Wildfire Credit Union, which has a branch in Midland, celebrated the addition of David Satek as its new Vice President of Business Services on March 16.
How Businesses Can Apply for Tariff Refunds Through New Portal
The CBP’s tariff refund portal is set to launch on April 20. Here’s what to know.
The political power of Latin America's first ladies
First ladies in Latin America are more than ceremonial figures. They influence public policy, advance political careers, and build power within the core of the executive branch – without a formal mandate, or accountability. Carolina Guerrero Valencia shows why ignoring them means misreading presidential power itself
From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature
It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk, or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged and can't help ...
From curiosity to conservation: How citizen science is teaching children and adults to see, experience nature
It often starts with something small, such as a new bird in a branch, a vibrant butterfly in a yard, a colorful plant growing through a crack in the sidewalk, or as part of a lawn. Suddenly, you are engaged ...
SCORE Offers Free Business Mentoring Sessions
Local entrepreneurs and small business owners in Pasadena have a valuable resource at their fingertips with the ongoing SCORE One-on-One Mentoring Sessions. These free and confidential appointments provide individuals with expert guidance on starting, running, or growing a small business, courtesy of SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors. The sessions are designed to offer personalized advice and strategic insights from experienced professionals. SCORE, which stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives, is a non-profit organization and a key resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Its mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through dedicated mentoring and education. The organization comprises a network of seasoned business owners and executives who generously volunteer their time to support the next generation of entrepreneurs. As SCORE states, their mentoring is a “free, confidential service for anyone starting, running, or growing a U.S.-based small business.” These one-hour mentoring sessions are held every other Tuesday from 1 to 5 p.m. at two branches of the Pasadena Public Library: the Lamanda Park Branch Library and the Santa Catalina Branch Library. Appointments can be conveniently reserved up to 14 days in advance, ensuring that individuals can schedule a time that best suits their needs. This recurring service underscores SCORE’s commitment to continuous support for the local business community, helping them to plan, launch, and grow successfully. Need to Know: The SCORE One-on-One Mentoring Session offers free business guidance. These one-hour appointments are available every other Tuesday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Pasadena Public Library’s Lamanda Park Branch (140 S Altadena Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107) and Santa Catalina Branch (999 E Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104). The service is free. For more information or to book an appointment, visit [https://www.score.org/].
Medicaid Cuts Could Force More Kids to Become Caregivers
Trump’s Medicaid cuts are expected to limit access to home care services—potentially forcing many kids to become caregivers, warns Lisa McCarty.
Calls to Impeach Trump Collide With Reluctant Democratic Leadership
Democratic leaders are urging against efforts within the party to impeach Trump before the midterms, say those involved in the debate
Women’s Brains Are a $1 Trillion Opportunity
Women’s health is a macroeconomic opportunity we have ignored, write Lisa Mosconi and George Vradenburg.
A smarter way to build vaccines: Scientists harness AI to target emerging alphaviruses
A team of scientists at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), led by Nikos Vasilakis, Ph.D., and Peter McCaffrey, MD, has developed a new computational pipeline that could dramatically accelerate ...
Why Talking Behind Someone's Back Isn't Always Bad
We're actually born to do it.
U.S., Georgia partnership strengthens military mental health, resilie
As part of a comprehensive mental health engagement from March 2-6, experts from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Europe-Middle East (WRAIR-EME) and Global Health Engagements (GHE) Branch
The Danger of a Political Pentagon
Sen. King issues a grave warning about converting the military "into an armed force with greater loyalty to the President than to the Constitution."
Why You Should Stop and Smell a Flower For Just 30 Seconds
The scents around you can slow your heart rate, shift your mood, and trigger vivid memories—often in seconds.
Ella Duggan Promoted to Branch & Business Development Manager at The Merrimack
Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) congratulates Ella Duggan on her promotion to Branch & Business Development Manager. In this role, Duggan will oversee branch operations while continuing to serve Contoocook and its small business community. “Ella’s promotion is well-earned and reflects her consistent growth over the years,” said Michelle Olivier, RVP Branch Manager at The Merrimack. “I’m […]
Meet Steve Hilton, the Former U.K. Political Strategist Trump Is Endorsing for California Governor
Hilton is one of two Republican candidates in a highly competitive race to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Linux 7.1 Expected To Begin Removing i486 CPU Support
It's finally time: a patch queued into one of the development branches ahead of the upcoming Linux 7.1 merge window is set to finally begin the process of phasing out and ultimately removing Intel 486 CPU support from the Linux kernel
Slay the Spire 2 nerfs card removal, buffs shivs, and adds a new reward system
New Slay the Spire 2 patch notes include a rework for Borrowed Time, a replacement for the Gloom Ascension, and a system called Badges.
Is Brain Health the Next Healthcare Frontier?
Arianna Huffington breaks down the impact of daily behaviors on brain health.
Kids Need Rec Sports To Make a Comeback
America’s system of youth sports fails kids and families, writes Gail Cornwall.
Branching out: Farmers and scientists team up to see how trees can reshape the future
Nate Lawrence is an ecosystem scientist at the Savanna Institute. “If we can robustly quantify how trees are improving something – let's say maybe improving water quality – then there's probably a way that we can plant more trees as a result of that finding,” he explained.
Who Is Lee Zeldin? Possibly Trump’s Next Attorney General
The current EPA administrator has been floated as a possible replacement for Pam Bondi who reportedly may soon be dismissed.
What to Eat for Better Heart Health, According to New Guidelines
The American Heart Association updates its advice for what to eat to maintain a healthy heart.
One Small Step: Overcoming divisions in politics and faith
PR Frank of Dayton and Mary McKnight of Trotwood met at the Huber Heights Branch of the Dayton Metro Library and talked about their faith journeys.
Apple Offers Rare Olive Branch to Liquid Glass Haters
Wednesday’s security update for iOS 18 users is an unusual move by Apple
America Needs Reproductive Health Leave
Too often, "women have to choose between working through unbearable pain, losing income they can’t afford to go without, or tapping into a limited number of sick days," writes Congresswoman Ansari.
Decapodiform evolutionary tree
The researchers employed multiple decapodiformes genomes along with a robust model of evolution and fossil evidence. Their evolutionary tree branches into 4 sections in the Cretaceous period, then sees no further branching until after the K-Pg extinction event, when rapid diversification occurred. Each final line end marks a different species. Of the major orders of decapodiformes, just oegopsida and spirulida remain in the deep ocean habitats of their ancestors.
From strength training to crepes, check out these new NJ businesses
Mr. Waffles is open in Hackensack. Discover Strength is in Parsippany. Columbia Bank has a new branch in Rutherford.
Iran University of Science and Technology building reduced to rubble by Israeli airstrike
The country's Revolutionary Guard warned that Iran would consider Israeli universities and branches of U.S. universities in the region “legitimate targets” unless offered safety assurances for Iranian universities, state media reported.
Science Stories in the Park
Kids and youth ages 5 to 12 will learn at Science Stories in the Park from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026, starting from the McKinley Park branch of the Chicago Public Library, 1915 W. 35th St., Chicago. Led by educators from the [...]
African Content Moderators Have Worse Mental Health than Global Peers, Study Finds
A new study finds African content moderators report worse mental health than global peers, amid low pay, precarious work, and exposure to traumatic content.
Scientists Discover a New Branch of Life in the Deep Sea
Researchers identified 24 new creatures and an entire superfamily of species in the Pacific, all while NOAA moves to fast-track deep-sea mining permits there.
Mike Pence To Speak At UChicago’s Institute Of Politics In April
Pence will participate in a student-moderated panel and is expected to speak about the role of the executive branch, populism and more.
Jaguars Cut Ribbon on New Business Headquarters at One Tower Court
Downtown’s Newest Class-A Office Building Also Celebrates Opening for Downtown YMCA Branch, Announces Timucuan Asset Management and Foley & Lardner LLP as Tenants
24 new deep-sea species found including a rare new branch of life
In a remarkable deep-sea breakthrough, researchers have discovered 24 new species of amphipods in the Pacific’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone—including a rare, entirely new superfamily. The findings reveal previously unknown branches of life and push the boundaries of how deep these creatures are known to live.
Trump Poised to Skip CPAC For First Time in a Decade
President Donald Trump is poised to skip the Conservative Political Action Conference this week, breaking with an annual tradition that has helped define his political rise and shaped the conservative movement.
Steelers showing strong interest in talented WR draft prospect
The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch for a pre-draft dinner ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mamdani extends olive branch to Catholic New Yorkers
Mamdani attended mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Orange Bank & Trust Company Celebrates Women’s Leadership at Annual Bronx Women in Business Event
MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orange Bank & Trust Company proudly hosted its second annual Bronx Women in Business event recently, an initiative created to celebrate the achievements, resilience, and leadership of women throughout the Bronx business community. Founded by Vanessa Baijnauth, Branch Manager of the Bank’s Williamsbridge Road office, along with the dedicated Bronx Women in Business Committee, the event continues to serve as a dynamic platform for empowering wom
CBA Launches Small Business Curriculum as Part of Advanced Education Programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) recently launched the newest addition to its banking education curriculum, Talking Business with Small Business (TBWSB) – a curriculum focused on small business lending – as part of its Advanced Education programs. The curriculum leverages a tabletop simulation for branch managers to better understand…
State Announces Intent to Award $20 Million to Santa Barbara County for New Behavioral Health Residential Facilities in Santa Maria
Funding Through California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program Will Support Two 16-bed Community Residential Treatment Facilities Focused on Diversion and Recovery
How many women hold elected office in Wisconsin? Here are the stats
In 2025, women held 27% of elected offices, a new state report finds. Wisconsin has made strides in the judicial branch and state Legislature.
In Trump’s Washington, Congress matters less than ever
Trump’s second presidency has accelerated the growth of executive power at the expense of the legislative branch, raising concerns about the balance of powers.
Health agency in Three Rivers relocates services after tornadoes
The Branch-Hillsdale St. Joseph Community Health Agency in Three Rivers is relocating some of its services after Friday’s tornadoes caused widespread damage through the area.
Sign installed at huge Pinstack entertainment center in Loudoun
We recently told you about the construction of the eye-catching tower at the new Pinstack bowling and entertainment venue in Loudoun – and now the Pinstack sign has gone as well. At least passers-by on Russell Branch Parkway and State Road 28 won't think it's a data center any longer. As regular readers know, The
David and Victoria Beckham send birthday messages to estranged son Brooklyn
David and Victoria Beckham have both posted birthday messages to their estranged son, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, extending what appears to be an olive branch amid a very public feud.
Red-state auditor's report flags Democratic gov's 'concerning' spending on 'luxury' expenditures
Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is facing heat from the state's Republican auditor, who released a report outlining questionable spending from the executive branch.
Science & Medicine: An over-the-counter supplement could boost the results of exercise in older adults
A study of two groups of 70-year-olds found that branched-chain amino acids combined with exercise improve physical function and quality of life. Exercise alone did not.
APEX Content Market 2026: Monster Entertainment Branches Out into Musicals
Monster Entertainment is showcasing a host of new content at APEX Content Market , including musicals, a new genre for the company.
These 773,000-year-old fossils may reveal our shared human ancestor
Fossils from a Moroccan cave have been dated with remarkable accuracy to about 773,000 years ago, thanks to a magnetic signature locked into the surrounding sediments. The hominin remains show a blend of ancient and more modern features, placing them near a pivotal branching point in human evolution. These individuals likely represent an African population close to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neandertals, and Denisovans.
Biospheric Science Branch Page
The Biospheric Science Branch contributes to several NASA satellite missions with the goal to better understanding Earth’s terrestrial and marine biospheres
Atmospheric Science Branch Page
The Atmospheric Science Branch (SGG) leads and contributes to a range of NASA missions, field campaigns, and technology development efforts that support
United Rentals Empowers Frontline Decision-Making with Business Intelligence Agent Built on Snowflake
No-Headquarters/BOZEMAN, Mont. & STAMFORD, Conn., February 04, 2026--Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW), the AI Data Cloud company, today announced that United Rentals, widely recognized as the world’s largest equipment rental provider, has rolled out a new AI agent built on Snowflake Intelligence to operational teams working across 1,600+ branches. The Business Intelligence Agent allows branch managers, sales leaders, and regional teams to ask questions of their company data in plain language, drill down,
U.S. Bank Business Shield™ Visa® Card Offers Intro 0% APR for up to 18 Billing Cycles
New business credit card offers rewards and access to Spend Management platform to monitor, track, and control spending U.S. Bank, a leading provider of payment services and solutions, today announced a new business credit card designed to help small business owners navigate fluctuations in finances and resources: the U.S. Bank Business Shield™ Visa® Card . The U.S. Bank Business Shield™ Visa® Card offers small business owners a new solution for navigating expected and unexpected expenses. This new business credit card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 billing cycles when applying at any U.S. Bank branch and 12 billing cycles when applying in digital channels – all with no annual fee. Plus, cardholders can enjoy a suite of benefits to help navigate the foreseen - and the unforeseen - needs of their small business. “The Business Shield Visa card is designed to help business owners navigate the unpredictable financial and resource challenges that
Davis' 24 help Hofstra knock off Monmouth 73-57
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) Cruz Davis had 24 points in Hofstra's 73-57 victory against Monmouth on Saturday.
Powering Business Growth: Regions Bank Selects Worldpay to Transform Business Payments
Regions Bank joins Worldpay, a Global Payments company, as one of its largest branch-banking collaborators to deliver cutting-edge payments technology for businesses of all sizes. Regions Bank on Wednesday announced a major collaboration with payments technology company Worldpay® , a Global Payments company. This new collaboration is designed to enhance how Regions’ business clients, ranging from small businesses to major enterprises, accept payments and manage cash flow operations. Regions Bank is announcing a major collaboration with payments technology company Worldpay®, a Global Payments company, to enhance how Regions’ business clients, ranging from small businesses to major enterprises, accept payments and manage cash flow operations. Through Regions Merchant Services , the bank delivers intuitive, convenient financial services to a wide range of companies that sell goods or services in-store, online or through a mobile or tablet device. How does the new Regions-Worldpay
Introducing the 2026 CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows - California Council on Science & Technology (CCST)
We are excited to introduce the 2026 Class of CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows. The program places PhD scientists in Legislative and Executive Branch offices.
Wells Fargo becomes first major bank to relocate wealth operations headquarters to Florida
Wells Fargo tells Fox News Digital that its relocation to West Palm Beach is a "strategic commitment" to serving high-net-worth clients by increasing the wealth branch's reach in Florida.
Business of the Week: BCS Facilities
BINGHAMTON (WIVT/WBGH) – BCS Facilities is the Greater Binghamton Chamber Business of the Week. The commercial janitorial service company is based out of Newtown, Pennsylvania and opened a Binghamton branch in 2024. A second-generation, family-owned business, two brothers are the managing partners at BCS. Some of its local clients include Visions Federal Credit Union, Guthrie, […]
Arvest Bank opens branch at Walmart home office - Talk Business & Politics
Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank recently opened a branch at the new Walmart Home Office in Bentonville. The 1,865-square-foot branch at 1702 S.E. Eighth St., Suite 6, is the company’s eighth Bentonville...
Why is flu season so bad this year?
Flu season in the U.S. is particularly bad this year, and a new branch of the flu family tree may be to blame.
Police search for Bulverde business break-in bandit
The burglar broke into two businesses within hours on Sunday. Surveillance video caught them walking around the Bourbon and Branch bar just before 5 a.m.
Entertainment and more in the Mid-Ohio Valley
PARKERSBURG — Artsbridge released the following calendar of community events: TODAY * Hygge Club, adults, 11 a.m.-noon, South Parkersburg Public Library * Hyperfixation Book Club, ages 12-19, 4-6 p.m., Parkersburg Library, Emerson Avenue * Evening Story Time, ages 3-6, 5-6 p.m., Marietta Public Library WEDNESDAY * Walking Through the Books, 9-10 a.m., Barlow Branch Library […]
What happens when the US decides to seize an oil ship?
Since early December the US Coast Guard and other military branches have boarded and taken control of five oil ships that had previously been sanctioned, all either accused of being in the process of transporting Venezuelan oil or on their way to take on oil that has been subject to US sanctions since President Donald Trump began a pressure campaign against the leadership of the country during his first term.
I wrote a book on the politics of war powers, and Trump’s attack on Venezuela reflects Congress surrendering its decision-making powers
Congress has a legal, constitutional and even moral responsibility to assert itself as a branch when it comes to military actions by the US, says an expert on war powers.
Florida Politics’ 2025 Politician of the Year: Daniel Perez
The legislative branch exerted itself as a coequal branch of government this year, though not one without its own internal conflict.
7-year-old donates her business proceeds to Angels for Animals
CANFIELD — Ellie Kaley, a 7-year-old student at West Branch Elementary School, marked her first six months in business by celebrating with a few dozen kittens at Angels For Animals. The Mahoning County-based animal adoption nonprofit is in the midst of a campaign to upgrade its facility. While Ellie didn’t walk away this week with […]
Entertainment and more in the Mid-Ohio Valley
PARKERSBURG — Artsbridge calendar of events for the week. TODAY * Belpre Holiday Lights, Civitan Park * Christine Rhodes multi-medium artwork display, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., WesBanco, Market Street, Parkersburg * Here the Pioneers Landed, exhibit, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Campus Martius Museum and Ohio River Museum, Marietta * Storytime, newborn-preschool, 10:15-11:15 a.m., Barlow Branch Library WEDNESDAY, […]
Best Of: What Beards Tell Us About Power, Politics And How We See Each Other : 1A
Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to sport a beard. For the next 50 years, whiskers were commonplace in the White House. But then, they went out of style.Now, Vice President JD Vance is the first executive branch leader in more than a century with a furry face.And others are following suit. From the Senate to the campaign trail, more and more men in politics are letting their facial hair grow free. But what does that tell us about masculinity, power, and how we see each other?Why did our politicians remain bare faced for so long? And what does the reemergence of whiskers in the White House represent?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
12 Christmas movies with Syracuse & CNY ties you can watch right now
Branch out beyond the typical "Home Alone" and "A Christmas Story" films.
Monmouth wins 76-62 over Lehigh
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) Justin Ray's 17 points helped Monmouth defeat Lehigh 76-62 on Sunday.
FAU Harbor Branch Announces 2026 Ocean Science Lecture Series
Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute announced the lineup for its annual “John & Barbara Ferrera Ocean Science Lecture Series.”
"MicroProse and Geoff Crammond Reunite to Revive a Racing Legend"
MicroProse is excited to announce its renewed partnership with legendary game developer Geoff Crammond, creator of some of the most influential racing simulation games of the 1990s and early 2000s. Together, we are bringing back his groundbreaking racing game engine in a re-release of the original game technology, enhanced with updates, new tools, and Steam Workshop support, through the upcoming Geoff Crammond Racing series: GCR1, GCR2, GCR3, and GCR4, scheduled to release in 2026. These titles are being reintroduced under new names to reflect our independent direction and to ensure full separation from any official motorsport licensing. While the names are new, the core simulation engine, physics systems, and pioneering gameplay features developed by Geoff Crammond remain at the heart of each release. Geoff Crammond’s original work helped define the foundations of modern racing games, introducing innovations such as advanced real-time physics, highly configurable driving assists (including the ideal racing line, steering help and auto braking), realistic AI driver behaviour, deep telemetry analysis, comprehensive car setup systems, extensive wet weather system, and the list goes on. The GCR series proudly carries this legacy forward. Steam Workshop support will enable the community to create and share custom tracks, cars, liveries, teams, drivers and more. This reunion marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between MicroProse and Geoff Crammond, with further announcements in the series to come. MicroProse is officially back on the track at full speed. GCR1 Steam Page GCR2 Steam Page GCR3 Steam Page GCR4 Steam Page -- MicroProse, founded in 1982, is a world-famous simulation software company known for developing groundbreaking classics and new blockbuster titles such as Falcon, HighFleet, B-17 The Mighty Eighth, Ground Branch, Gunship and many more! Today, MicroProse is not only remaking select classics from its past but also paving the road to next-generation, state of the art games that will create the memories and experiences of new generations of gamers.
FBI official says antifa is top domestic concern. He couldn’t say why.
Michael Glasheen, operations director of the National Security Branch at the FBI, called antifa the agency’s 'primary concern right now.'
Galleries - Ames Earth Science
Earth Science (SG) Landing – Menu BarHomeWho We AreWho We AreEarth Science Division (SG)Biospheric Science Branch (SGE)Atmospheric Science Branch (SGG)Project Management Branch (SGP)Airborne Science Branch (ASP)What We DoResearch TopicsMissionsStoriesFeaturesHighlights & NuggetsAwards & RecognitionVisiting ScienceContact Us Ames Earth Science Galleries Researchers from Ames’ Earth Science division travel all over the country – and the globe – to study the planet and the processes within. Take a look through the galleries below to get a peak into the aircraft and labs our scientists study in, and the oceans, fires, and volcanoes they are looking at. Complete Ames Earth Science Story/Gallery Repository about Ames Earth Science Galleries Galleries Calibration at the Airborne Sensor Facility Gallery13 ImagesFireSense Fort Stewart Prescribed Burn Campaign Gallery131 ImagesCRATER Gallery112 ImagesSARP East 2025 Gallery30 ImagesSARP West 2025 Gallery33 ImagesOCEANOS 2024 Gallery92 ImagesCoral Reef Gallery53 ImagesFireSense Missoula Deployment Gallery78 Images2023 SARP West Gallery67 Images
Pallone Welcomes Health Board Move To Defer Decision That Would Close Long Branch’s Hospital
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-6) today welcomed the decision by the State Health Planning Board last night to defer their decision to issue a recommendation on the closure of Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) hospital in Long Branch. The decision by the Board to postpone issuing their final recommendation comes after the State’s final hearing[...]
Is Costa Rica in a political crisis?
The country finds itself in an exceptional—yet constitutionally permitted—confrontation between its executive branch and its independent electoral authority.
Science must move from materialism to mystery
Theoretical physicist and neuroscientist Àlex Gómez-Marín argues that modern science has become trapped in a framework that mistakes matter for the whole of reality. In this wide-ranging interview, Gómez-Marín challenges the foundations of materialism, defends the scientific study of near-death experiences, and calls for a new type of science grounded in mystery and a renewed sense of the sacred. He suggests that abandoning materialism could open the door to a deeper understanding of consciousness, death, and the purpose of human existence. Simon Custer: You are both a theoretical physicist and a neuroscientist, and you have also been fiercely critical of materialist theories of mind and consciousness. What do you think the ultimate nature of reality is?Àlex Gómez-Marín: I don't know what the ultimate nature of reality is, but what I try to first assess is whether the stories that they [mainstream science] have told us about it are right, or maybe whether there are other alternatives. That's why I've been a fierce critic of materialism. As a scientist, I realized that they had sold us this idea that to be a good scientist you also had to subscribe to many other -isms, like materialism, reductionism, and even secularism. And so first I think one needs to unmount these -isms, and then, as is happening today in consciousness studies, we have a huge landscape where there isn't only one game in town, the idea that matter is the only thing that really exists. But because we are studying the hard problem of consciousness, it may be the case that other views of reality, like idealism, or even dualism, or other theories like dual aspect monism... these are philosophical ideas that now, I think, have room in science to be taken seriously. How does something like materialism relate to dualism or idealism? What is materialism in the first place?Well, materialism is the philosophical position that matter is the only really ‘real’ thing in the universe. And I think that worked kind of well because science started 400 years ago and Galileo made that split, I call it the foundational wound. It was a great business move.He said, let's start doing science on that portion of reality that lends itself more easily to mathematization and measurement. So, for some reason, the solidity of this table or the movement of planets lend themselves very well to this foundational idea of science. But as time went on, 400 years later, we realized that we had forgotten the other side, which is what really matters.What really matters is pain, is love, is feelings, sensation, consciousness, which is very hard to define, but very intimate. We all know what it is. It's that thing that disappears when we go into deep sleep and comes back in the morning. SUGGESTED VIEWING On the edges of knowledge With Michael Shermer, Rupert Sheldrake, Güneş Taylor It's what it is like to be, as Nagel said. It's the feeling of being alive. So, materialism is good to study certain things, but then when it ossifies into this ideology and then is dressed like science, now it's preventing us from understanding these key questions that are really that everybody wants to know.Why are we here? Why do we feel reality? Where do we go when we die? And so we need other ways. We need pluralism. I'm only asking for having more options on the table and taking them seriously. Why does materialism fail to explain consciousness? For example, if you were to lobotomize me, I would not be a functional human being. What do you say to someone who might think that materialism adequately explains the mind?Well, here we could speak about different things. We could talk about physics or about neuroscience. I happen to have training with both.For instance, for neuroscientists, 99% of them, I'm not included in that portion, believe that the brain can only be a productive organ. It's an organ that somehow, somewhere, consciousness emerges. It's like a lamp. And then something happens, magic happens, and then consciousness emerges.That's the position you need to be if you're a materialist because if the only really ‘real’ thing is matter, then you need to say, just give us some more time and money and we'll figure out how mind emerges or is produced from matter. There are many philosophically sophisticated ways of criticizing this.Now there's another option, which is the brain as a permissive organ. This was said by William James more than 100 years ago.Now then the brain wouldn't be like this machine, like for instance, a heat engine whose smoke is consciousness, which is what we would have in the first big model, the productive model. But in the permissive model, the brain would be a kind of a filter. And so the brain would still have a very important role in consciousness, but it wouldn't be a productive role.It would be permissive, much like a filter or much like a prism which would receive light. And - I'm speaking metaphorically - it would receive the light of the mind and then it could reflect it and refract it.Now, with these two big options on the table, I think we can make progress into what I call the edges of consciousness, which are all these experiences, weird experiences that many people have, but we don't talk about enough, like near-death experiences, precognitive dreams, synchronicities. These experiences are very important for humans and they have a place in the permissive hypothesis and they are literally impossible in the productive hypothesis. So that's yet one more reason to explore alternatives to materialism. There may be anecdotal evidence for near-death experiences, but is there robust evidence that would be accepted by the majority of scientists who subscribe to the scientific method?Sure. And the plural of anecdotes, someone said, is data.And there's a lot of data. Actually, this year is the 50th anniversary, half a century, since Dr. Raymond Moody realized that we have two ears and one mouth and started listening to what his patients had to say about their experiences while they were clinically dead.The heart had stopped, breathing had stopped in these patients. These patients would come back and tell him these amazing stories that some people may say are hallucinations, but for the patients were hyper-real, like seeing light at the end of the tunnels, seeing deceased family members waiting for them, feeling bliss.___I would say the evidence suggests that the mind can survive the death of activity of the brain.___And so he and others started taking them seriously and writing their accounts down. And then you can do a science based on that material of experience that people have. Now, on the more objective side, more recently people have started to measure what's going on in the brain when people are clinically dead and brought back. This has opened a proper field of study, which is near-death studies.Evidence is a difficult word, because sometimes people think that when you say evidence, this is just the final proof. Evidence is like in a jury. You bring testimony, you bring pieces of data that point in one direction or another.I would say the evidence suggests that the mind can survive the death of activity of the brain. When brains are broken or shut off, there can still be mind going on. And that's revolutionary.That would entail that when we die, it's not game over, which, by the way, is the thesis of materialism. If consciousness survives, materialism dies. It's game over for materialism if something of us continues after we die. Do you think that there is mental continuity after death?Well, I think so, and I believe so, and I could also say I may have experienced it myself, because four years ago I had a near-death experience. I was in the hospital, I lost a lot of blood, and I saw those beings at the end of the tunnel, three beings, and there was yellow light. I was in a well, I was looking upwards, and I hadn't read about NDEs by then, but when I came back from this experience, I decided I would try to integrate this also in my professional life. Not just my personal life, of course, but my professional life as a physicist and as a neuroscientist. So I may have had the experience of glimpses of what an afterlife would be, and I'm not ashamed to say it in this way, and then one can do science of it, and then one can do philosophy of it.One can think about what -isms we were discussing, what views on reality would allow those experiences to be really ‘real,’ as opposed to, well, poor guy, the brain was kind of broken, it must have been a hallucination. Do you have a view about whether individuality or “the ego” persists after death, or whether we sort of merge into some sort of cosmic consciousness instead?I don't know, but my view would be along those lines you're suggesting. I think we could speak about a kind of universal mind, and then the problem is not how we emerge from matter, but how we fragment from a more holistic consciousness into these individual eddies and then when we die, this kind of dissipates.But I'm not sure. For instance, idealism would promote that view, but then what would survive of us after these eddies just vanish and become again the big Consciousness, I'm not sure what that would be. I don't know for sure, but I would tell you I believe something of us survives.And there are other lines of research, not just near-death experience, that can address this really hard question of survival. For instance, there are children who remember previous lives. This was studied by Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia for more than 50 years.___Research takes place within a selection mechanism that also sometimes reinforces things that are not very scientific.___It's amazing research. He went all over the world, especially in the East, and collected all these case studies, all these stories. In plural, these were data of kids, very young age, who would describe up to 40 items that then he could go and verify.There was no internet. There was really no way the kid could know. Why would the kid say that when I was living in this other body and I was a woman and that's how my house would look like or that's how I would die, right? Again, there is evidence, not proof, but there's evidence not only that something weird and interesting is happening as we cross the threshold, but also when we come back to this life.Scientists should not be afraid of studying this, but they are because there's stigma. There's usually stigma upon the enigma, and this is so unfortunate. And one of the reasons is because of the ideology of materialism, because those things cannot be possible. What is wrong with the politics of science such that they have generated this stigma?So many things. Science is a human activity to begin with.So it falls prey to all our passions and ego and greed. That's one thing. Science is a job for the good and for the bad.You need to get a salary. You need to get grants. Research takes place within a selection mechanism that also sometimes reinforces things that are not very scientific.And then, we didn't have time to unpack this, but science for many years become entangled, as I was suggesting before, to other -isms, materialism, secularism. So anything that smells like the afterlife, people may think has to do with God, and then they freak out.Anything that suggests that there's something about the mind that may not need a physical material substrate to exist, it smells like non-materialism. So, all these -isms are ideologically blocking that kind of research, and then there are all these sociopolitical constraints as to what should be studied and what shouldn't be studied.I call it the backstage of science. Sometimes we scientists or science communicators seem to speak as if the data is the only thing that matters. We say, well, data and theory.But then there's a third leg of this stool, which is all the politics that goes behind the scenes. And we often don't speak about this, and it's quite vicious and petty, and it's very real. Why is materialism so attractive to most scientists?Well, an easy answer is because we've grown up with it.It's what the educational system promotes, and that's what you hear when you go to university. So it's like growing in a culture. It feels like the air in which you breathe.So it's very hard to begin with to detect, well, maybe there's another alternative. Maybe there are other ways of doing science, other environments in which one could do science. That's one reason.And other reasons maybe are more profound, and I'm not qualified to explain them, but I could say, looking at this 400-year history of science, since it started around 1623 with Galileo's book The Assayer, that science went and coupled with all what's going on in the West.And so the fall of religion, you could say, and science presented us this new alternative that then could be coupled very well with other -isms, and this idea of growth, and then science losing its good twin brother, which was philosophy. There's a whole natural history of science starting as philosophy, kind of emancipating or breaking out from philosophy, and then marrying technology, and then marrying other social systems.From that point of view, materialism is a very convenient idea to propose. There were attempts, like the German idealists tried to do a more romantic science. But no, the idea prevailed, like Francis Bacon said: You should pursue nature through all her corners, he said, and make her spill her secrets.Our attitude towards nature in the science that dominates is very much reflecting how we treat nature in our society, in our culture, like a resource to extract secrets by force and then dominate it. How is materialism related to the notions of growth and progress? What's wrong with having a productive citizenry?This is another very interesting and very difficult question to answer.But there's this recent book coming out by Paul Kingsnorth. In it, he explains this idea of the machine and this idea of progress. And this, again, this conflation of more is better, of we need to go forward always, and convincing us that the way to do that is to continually extract more from nature. But because we don't have the religious context anymore, because God is dead, then what do we have? We have what we can do as humans with our own gadgets.It's kind of the story of the Promethean fire. We will just build anything to make ourselves God.A good example today is transhumanism. Transhumanism is this pseudo-religion dressed in technoscientific language whose goal is very religious. They promise immortality, they promise redemption, they promise transformation of the entire natural world, but it's done by human means through technology. Are you suggesting that we can't have ethics without religion?Well, we should have ethics with or without religion. That's another pruning that has happened in science. We say, forget about aesthetics, although some physicists still think that beautiful means probably true, and forget about politics. We pretend there's no backstage of science, and even let's forget about ethics.___Science needs to be in the service of mankind.___Scientists, when they become more like engineers, they're just thinking how to make things work so that they can go to the moon, go to Mars, make machines that think, but they don't think whether that's a good idea.And also consider metaphysics. Many scientists for a long time pretended, and maybe that comes from the stream of positivisms, that really one doesn't need metaphysics at all, except that materialism is always the metaphysics running the system.You see, it's not just ethics. It's the pruning of all of these, you could say, five main legs of philosophy that just makes a kind of unconscious science, a science that doesn't really know what it's doing. It's doing it very well locally, but it just doesn't know what it's doing globally. Do you think science has to have an ultimate vision and purpose behind it for it to be effective or for it to be meaningful and transformative?Yes, a way I would say that is that science needs to be in the service of mankind. And it hasn't been that. And we can see it through, you know, when we discovered the secrets of the atom, and all of a sudden, the Manhattan Project, and then we create nuclear weapons.And now we're trying to crack how machines may think, and now we're creating this mess, right? So science needs to be in service of mankind, not in service of a few ideas that maybe want to make more money or just dominate upon nature. What about planes, trains, automobiles, and modern medicine? Hasn't science served mankind by helping us develop those technologies?Yes and no. I see where you're going, and it's fair.I came here by plane, and it's a blessing. When I almost died, the surgeons did their job, and they saved my life. But these two forced choices between Luddites and Silicon Valley types, I think, of course, it's a false dichotomy.Progress, in a way, it's good, but we often don't speak about the dark side of the moon. We say the great things that progress has brought, and we don't speak about the disasters, the side effects that it has come with, and the same when we promise new technologies. We tend to think that any technology is great, that email is going to save us so much time because we don't need to write letters and send them anymore.Is that true? I spend so many hours a week writing emails. Let's just say there are great things about it and bad things about it. People like Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, for example, argue that we've made moral progress over time because of the Enlightenment. Do you think that's totally wrong-headed?I think he's emphasizing a side of the moon, and he does that very well, and you can find tons of plots where there's a slope going up and say it's great. But I think he should also tell the not-so-friendly story.But if your ideology is just to resist and continue to explain that the Enlightenment is the best thing ever and reason is the best thing ever… this feels to me like you're worshipping these abstractions.I'm very critical of it and also of these, again, science communicators and scientists that say, Oh, science says, in the name of science, experts say. It's like, come on, let's be careful because we can shoot ourselves in the foot by putting forth to the people an image of science that we know is not really true. Recently there's been a resurgence of spirituality and of people who say that they're spiritual but not religious, especially in the United States. If materialism is going away, what is going to fill that gap? Are we going to return to traditional religion? Do you see that being connected with the rise of the political right?I'm not a fortune teller, so I don't know what's going to happen. But, yeah, we could say we're in this post-materialist age and even post-secular age. One cannot come back to the past, but maybe just to contact with the roots is a good idea.What do I mean by that? I think we need to do a science 2.0, a science that says thank you to Galileo and thank you to materialism, but we need to reinvent even a new kind of scientific method. We need to do so in a culture where we realize humans cannot thrive in a vacuum where there's this idea that the sacred has to be removed.Now, how do we do that without bringing in back all the vices of religion? I don't know. I'm from a Catholic country.Here we are in England, so there are differences and interreligious dialogue has always been a challenge. But I think maybe a way of putting it is: after all these conflicts and branchings I was quickly alluding to, science from philosophy and then also from religion, now there's a time of reconciliation perhaps and maybe debates in the proper sense, like exchange of ideas in service of learning and getting into something higher than both poles. We need science to talk to religious people and it's interesting when people say they're spiritual and not religious.I think this is just a way of saying, no, I don't want to go back, I want to go forward. But at the end of the day, religions have offered us practices and grounding that we now desperately need. Everybody can and should just meditate or pray or do whatever they want, but we're in a crisis and it's time for reconciliation. What do you say to critics that say you are merely projecting our need for meaning onto a fundamentally indifferent universe?Yeah, I know that the typical science communicator says something like this. But we're not projecting. Human beings feed on meaning.It's the other way around. If you're a materialist, because the only thing that there is is matter, all that comes next, free will, consciousness, meaning, this is a kind of illusion that we need to explain.They're just craving for meaning, but there isn't really for them. I would also like to remind my materialist friends that for decades, if not centuries, they've said in the name of science, we know that this and this and this doesn't really exist. I think now they sense they're forced to say, well, actually, we don't know. We've been saying, for instance, that there's nothing after you die, and now probably they need to admit that they don't know the answer.___We need to do a science 2.0, a science that says thank you to Galileo and thank you to materialism, but we need to reinvent even a new kind of scientific method.___So it's a moment to open up possibilities and also to gently but fiercely critique these claims that I think harm society. If you say in the name of science, get on with it, when your father dies, you'll never see him again. Well, what the F do you know about it? You haven't studied the literature, you haven't had any of those experiences, and basically what you're doing is you're just doing marketing on ideology. This needs to stop. Do you think that it's scarier for some people to entertain the thought that there might be life after death, compared to a materialist worldview where you just die, given that there might be consequences for unsavory behaviour?Well, death and dying is scary. It's maybe the ultimate ending. It's a limit on life, and when we're in this conquest mode, we don't like limits.And it also has, there's a shockwave backwards, so I think if you change your notion of what death is or may be, you live differently. It also has consequences, as you're saying, for the future because this is not our only goal here and we come back in whatever form. And again, different religions would say different things. I the East, they are more happy with the idea of reincarnation, and here in the West, there are other preferences. But in any case, it changes how we live, and that's really what matters.It's not about just projecting or imagining what we'll be after, but how we live now and also how we treat those who are dying. So it goes from the individual to the families, to the hospitals.Now in the near-death research I do, this has ramifications at all these levels, all the way to society.But our society is thanatophobic. It has a phobia of death. We don't want to hear about death, and this is another thing we need to put on the table and be willing to talk about it. Do you think that we might get closer to answering ultimate questions like why is there anything at all if we jettison materialism?That’s an excellent question, Simon. Two things: we should stop treating reality, I believe, as a great sudoku, as an enigma, as something that with intelligence, money, and time that we will crack and instead treat reality more like a mystery. And what you do for in front of a mystery is not to be the clever guy in a class and say “I’ll solve you” but more like “I will bow and you will transform me.”I know this sounds a bit like a scientist speaking like a mystic. But I think this reorientation is needed. In the end, we won’t crack the big questions, but they will transform us. If we free ourselves from this prison of materialism, the way we will explore these questions will be freer, more creative, and in service of mankind. Do you think exploring mystery is the reason why we are here?I think we are here because, and this pseudo-theological argument I’m making off the cuff, But the One, the Absolute, if there is such a thing, had everything except limitation. We are that absolute experiencing that contingency. It’s like an act of divine proprioception. It’s a wonderful adventure, it’s just incredible to be alive. Perhaps we have forgotten why we are here and the whole point is to experience the flesh.Let me end by saying this. I criticize materialism harshly. I bang on this dead horse, because I think it’s dead. But matter is a great mystery. So maybe my invitation is as follows: hey materialist friends, come here, let’s work on materialism 2.0! Consciousness is a mystery, but matter is also a mystery. The fact that we can have an intersubjective experience consensus, the fact that we can apply mathematics, that we can measure things... the physical world we take for granted, but it is a great mystery too.Maybe that’s related to your last question: why are we here? Why did spirit decide to incarnate? Being in the flesh may be a great thing if spirit decided to do so.Àlex Gómez-Marín, thank you very much.My pleasure.