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6 AI Side Hustle Businesses Anyone Can Start
Looking to earn extra income? You don't need technical expertise to start one of these side hustle businesses using AI.
Luka Dončić again facing 1-game suspension with 16th technical foul of season
The Lakers star has already had two techs rescinded this season.
NBA fines Timberwolves' Naz Reid $50,000 for questioning officials' integrity
The NBA fined Timberwolves big man Naz Reid $50,000 "for questioning the integrity of game officials" in Minnesota's 110-108 victory over the Houston Rockets 110-108 on Wednesday. Reid was hit with a technical foul and ejected with 4:13 left in overtime.
Arkansas falls apart late in Sweet 16 loss to Arizona with ejection, bad fouls and a John Calipari technical
The Razorbacks unraveled fast on Thursday night in San Jose.
Ten Pieces of Non-Technical Career Advice for Engineering and Computer Science Students
At a new event focused on student success and career readiness at the Jacobs School of Engineering, alumni and faculty shared non-technical career advice with current students.
Midland ISD CTE Animal Science Program: Career Success for Students
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Midland ISD Career and Technical Education is opening doors for students to become career-ready. Animal Science is one of the four-year plan programs within CTE that high s...
Marathon has sold 1.2M copies across Steam, PS5, and Xbox
Alinea Analytics estimates show that Marathon has generated gross revenues of $55M via 1.2M copies sold on Steam, PS5, and Xbox: Looking at the split between Steam, PS5, and Xbox, Steam is clearly the main platform for Marathon, accounting for a little under 70% of the audience (800K copies sold). Meanwhile, PS5 takes about 19% (217K) and Xbox (including console, PC, and cloud) accounts for a bit over 11% or 133K. Marathon is technically a first-party Sony title, so seeing the home console struggle to break 20% of the volume is a notable data point for the ongoing platform-agnostic debate. PlayStation Studios online games will almost certainly continue being multiplatform (despite Sony reportedly pulling back on PC releases). Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe As for Marathon, the consensus among hardcore players who pushed through the awkward onboarding phase – myself included – is that it’s fantastic. The gunplay, aesthetic, and presentation are among the best in the shooter genre. A great game doesn’t always equal an immediate hit, though, as shown by our estimates. Things are looking lukewarm right now. But this might be one of those marathon-not-a-sprint situations. Had to, didn’t I? Why wasn’t Marathon a hit on the same level as Arc Raiders? One topic that came up in a lot of conversations at GDC this year was why Marathon hasn’t hit the same stratosphere as Arc Raiders. On paper, they’re both extraction shooters, and Marathon has the Bungie pedigree – the house that built the gold standard for gunplay in Halo and Destiny. Marathon’s neon-futuristic aesthetic also distinguishes itself from the gritty realism of Tarkov or the post-apocalyptic hope of ARC Raiders. But vibes can only get you so far for first impressions if the onboarding feels like a brick wall. Marathon is a sweaty PvP-focused experience with a first-time user experience and UI that I can only describe as dreadful. Players are dropped into a complex ecosystem where the UI, though visually striking, is functionally uninformative, forcing users to manually hover over nondescript, identical icons just to identify basic gear or weapon mods. This lack of clarity is compounded by punishing mechanics like a severe heat gauge for movement and a scarcity of vital resources, all without a clear tutorial or a low-stakes mode to learn the ropes. Most people – even top streamers and veteran shooter players – have no idea what’s going on in Marathon at first. Arc is on the complete other end of the spectrum. As we covered here and here, Arc Raiders offers a more collaborative, approachable loop where players often work together toward shared goals. And the objectives are instantly clear. To many players, this contrast only emphasised Marathon’s issues, especially during the testing period. Players understand the Arc Raiders loop within 30 minutes, while Marathon acts as a massive filter, chewing up newcomers and spitting them out before they can experience the depth of Bungie’s signature gunplay. What I’m getting at here is that the poor first-time user experience of Marathon’s Server Slam likely stifled launch sales, while the opposite was true for Arc. Let’s look at the pre-launch copies sold for each game during their respective Server Slams (launch-aligned) : Looking at the trajectory: Arc Raiders saw a massive 80% jump in copies sold during its three-day Server Slam (day -13 to -11). Players jumped in, realised the water was fine, and immediately opened their wallets. Marathon, meanwhile, saw a 49% increase in the four days following its Slam (Day -7 to -3). At the time of each game’s respective launch, Arc Raiders had nearly double the Steam footprint of Marathon – and word of mouth only continued to grow. Bungie could have had more time to fix the onboarding process had the beta happened earlier. But Marathon launched three days after the beta finished. These factors limited the launch sales quite a bit, I reckon. Marathon has found a niche audience, though Despite the friction-heavy start, the data suggests that those who survived Marathon’s onboarding are loving life. We’ve been tracking cross-platform DAUs, and while there’s the expected post-launch leakage, many players are sticking with it. After peaking at 478K total DAUs on its first Saturday, Marathon has settled into a respectable rhythm, holding 345K DAUs as of yesterday and averaging 380K DAUs across the weekend. Steam continues to do the heavy lifting here, consistently accounting for the lion’s share of the daily players. Players have been putting in the hours, too: On Steam, Marathon’s average playtime has climbed to 27.8 hours, significantly outpacing the console averages on PS5 (16.5h) and Xbox (17.3h). Even more telling than the averages: 22% of the Steam audience has surged past the 50-hour mark, and nearly 7% have already logged over 100 hours. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe This data suggests that once the Bungie magic clicks, it hooks players deeper than the average extraction shooter. There’s also started to be a shift in the game’s discourse. Marathon launched as one of those games that’s cool to hate. But as Marathon’s 100-hour club grows, we’re seeing conversations around its mechanical merit outweigh the negativity. Several high-profile creators, who were initially vocal critics, have spent the last week coming around on the mechanical depth of the endgame. It’s a subtle but positive signal; the hate train is losing steam, and a new narrative about the game is emerging. Bungie faithfuls unite Another interesting metric in Marathon’s first few weeks is who, exactly, is playing. Bungie leans heavily on its prestige as the “makers of Halo and Destiny,” in its marketing, and that message has clearly hit the mark. On Steam, the gravity (hammer) of Bungie’s previous work is unavoidable. A staggering 78.2% of Marathon players also played Destiny 2. The trend carries across other platforms, with 74.2% of PS5 players and 82.7% of Xbox players also having played Destiny 2. The Halo legacy lives on, it seems. More on that in a bit. While Destiny 2 went free to play, these numbers still represent a high-intent migration of a fanbase that trusts Bungie’s specific brand of kinetic gunplay and cryptic world-building. The Xbox data adds another layer of legacy. About 85.7% of Marathon players on Xbox have played Halo Infinite, while over half of the Steam audience has spent time in Halo Infinite and 36.1% in the Master Chief Collection (a paid collection of the old Bungie-made legacy games). Interestingly, we see a 55.9% overlap with ARC Raiders on Steam. Overlap is even higher there on PlayStation (60.5%) and Xbox (66.5%). And there’s also significant crossover with Helldivers 2 on all platforms, too. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe Bungie has found some of its fans with Marathon, and the challenge now is keeping this engaged in a high-stakes PvP environment when they’ve spent the last decade primarily enjoying the power fantasies of PvE. On that note… Go the full 26 miles? Or cut and run? Time for some could’ve, should’ve, would’ve. These things would have improved Marathon’s performance at launch: A more robust onboarding process, perhaps in the form of a short single-player/PvE campaign. We know Bungie fans love this stuff. A traditional arena-based mode akin to Destiny’s Crucible could have been a bridge for the cautious players who’d have been otherwise deterred by the Server Slam. It’s also a great palate cleanser after getting merked. Introducing a dedicated PvE environment would have similarly diversified the conversation and lowered the barrier for the Bungie faithful who found the pure PvP extraction loop too abrasive. PvE is safer than PvP these days. There’s an argument that a thin PvE mode would have just felt like a budget Destiny, potentially hurting the brand more. But given how dire the FTUE is, I think it would have been a net positive. Any kind of tutorialised loop that demystifies the stakes, really. While there is merit in a studio sticking firmly to a singular creative vision, and going all in on the hardcore extraction loop. Less forgiving is the technical reality is that the user interface and first-time user experience (FTUE) were not at a commercial standard for launch. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe In a landscape where player time is oversaturated and the most contested currency, a flawed FTUE is a critical failure point. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as Marathon has an incredible, unique gameplay loop, suggesting that financial success is still attainable if Bungie can pivot effectively. Bungie and PlayStation now face a difficult strategic crossroads, though – one within a challenging games market. They could: Double down on Marathon with a long-term Rainbow Six Siege- or No Man’s Sky-style recovery plan, which is something I heard Last Stand Media’s Chris Maldonado mention last week. While this could be a sunk-cost fallacy in action, it could eventually yield the audience the game’s mechanical depth deserves. Shift focus toward the inevitable Destiny 3 or another project, mitigating the escalating opportunity cost and cutting their losses, so to speak. Doing both is an expensive proposition, given the high overhead and burn rate of operating out of Bellevue, Washington. With Sony recently demonstrating a lower threshold for underperforming studios and projects, the margin for error has vanished. Whatever happens, the next six months will determine whether Marathon becomes a cornerstone of Sony’s live-service portfolio or a cautionary tale of vision exceeding accessibility. I’m hoping it’s the former, because Marathon rocks. As always, hit subscribe to get updates on Marathon and other relevant games. Subscribe Want to get your hands on our data for yourself – for free? We’re offering a free trial of our platform for games companies. Send us a message here, or reply to this email, and we’ll set you up. The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]
Paranovus Entertainment Technology (PAVS) surges 125.9% as low-float dynamics amplify trading volatility
Paranovus Entertainment Technology Ltd. (PAVS) is up 125.9% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.Analysis: The most likely driver looks technical rather than fundamental: PAVS has been prone to sharp, liquidity-driven swings after its recent reverse split reduced share count and tightened the tradable float. This could also be because traders are positioning around potential changes in the company’s at-the-ma
Alliant Private Client Strengthens Entertainment Practice with Addition of Michelle Quintero
IRVINE, Calif., March 24, 2026--Michelle Quintero has joined Alliant Insurance Services as Executive Vice President with Alliant Private Client. Based on the West Coast and recognized by Risk & Insurance® as a 2026 Entertainment, Hospitality & Gaming Power Broker®, Quintero brings more than 25 years of technical acumen and delivers tailored solutions to high-profile and celebrated individuals in music, film, and live events.
Women’s health innovation is a huge opportunity Philadelphia is in danger of missing
A booming medical market is creating jobs, research and startup funding, and the region has the talent and institutions to become a national leader, a local entrepreneur writes.
NBA's Final Decision on Luka Doncic Suspension Causes a Stir
Luka Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season, which warrants an automatic suspension.
Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved limiting money in politics. Then politicians had their say.
Oregon’s Democratic-controlled Legislature approved a bill that supporters described as containing little more than technical fixes to what they’d written two years ago.
SK pharmteco Reaffirms Three-Business-Unit Strategy, Strengthens Global Gene Therapy Business Unit with Funding Commitment
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SK pharmteco today announced a significant funding commitment to support strategic initiatives within its viral vector business, while reaffirming its long-term growth strategy across three business units: small molecule, peptides, and viral vectors. SK pharmteco is sharpening its strategy to provide pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners with the financial strength, technical rigor, and operational infrastructure needed for long-term
5 lessons from a weekend vibe coding class as a non-technical person
I joined a weekend vibe coding class and built apps in two mornings. As a non-technical builder, I learned five lessons.
Thunder's Alex Caruso receives technical foul for using shoe to block shot in win over Magic
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
Empire of Slop: Mass Entertainment Has Never Been Worse
Our technical capacity to render fantasy has never been greater. Mass entertainment has never been worse.
Xbox unveils first tech details of its next generation console, codenamed Project Helix
Xbox has revealed limited technical details about its next console, codenamed Project Helix.
High schoolers are using AI to tackle cancer and build robotic surgeons
Finalists in the Society for Science and Regeneron $1.8 million science competition are increasingly turning to machine learning, and organizers are balancing innovation with misuse.
The “Last Mile” Problem Slowing AI Transformation
Few companies have been able to fundamentally change their operating and business models around AI. The primary obstacle to progress is rarely model quality or data availability, but rather the “last mile” of transformation where technical capability must meet organizational design. There are seven frictions that contribute to this problem: proliferation of pilots, the productivity gap, process debt, the identity problem of tribal knowledge, agentic governance, architectural complexity, and the efficiency trap. To overcome these, companies need to focus on clean-sheet process redesign, strategically capturing knowledge, and managing their new digital workforce.
Travis Kelce technically hits free agency tomorrow
The first question for veteran tight end Travis Kelce is whether he'll play in 2026.
Global webinar on core public health capacities to conduct ship inspections and issue ship sanitation certificates
Ships cross borders every day, connecting countries and serving as a backbone of the global economy. However, outbreaks onboard can disrupt maritime traffic, leading to significant economic and operational negative consequences. Without strong public health capacities to detect, prevent, and respond to public health risks on board ships, maritime travel can also become a pathway for the spread of infectious diseases. To support countries in strengthening these capacities, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a two-day webinar on 11–12 February, bringing together more than 700 ship inspectors, port health officers, and public health authorities, primarily from the African, Eastern Mediterranean, and European Regions. The webinar came at a pivotal time. With the amended International Health Regulations entering into force on 19 September 2025, the need to focus on public health preparedness has never been greater. Strengthening public health capacities at borders, including onboard conveyances, is a cornerstone of global health security and central to the amended IHR.“The high level of attendance and active participation throughout the two days of the webinar highlighted the growing demand for technical guidance and capacity-building support in ship inspection and issuance of ship sanitation certificates”, said Dr Ninglan Wang, Head of the Borders, Mass Gatherings and Health Protection Measures (BMM) Unit at the Health Emergency Preparedness Department at WHO headquarters. “The dynamic interactions among experts and countries underscored the value of continued cross-border collaboration in the maritime sector and knowledge exchange in this area”. Conducting regular public health inspections on board ships for the issuance of ship sanitation certificates (SSCs) in accordance with the IHR requirements is crucial for ensuring that ships meet specific health standards, thereby minimizing the risk of the international spread of diseases via maritime traffic. These certificates, mandated by the IHR, require ports to have trained personnel who can identify and control public health risks on board vessels and apply recommended control measures. This standardized global procedure not only ensures compliance with the IHR but also promotes consistency in health practices across ports worldwide. SSCs are the globally-recognized tool used to prevent and control known public health risks on ships, providing a common way to register and communicate public health events and measures taken on board between all stakeholders involved in this process, including public health authorities in ports and ship operators. Only SSCs issued by ports authorized by national authorities to issue such certificates are considered valid. As per the IHR, all States Parties are required to send to WHO their list of authorized ports (available here) and to keep it updated. However, many Member States continue to face practical challenges, such as limited resources, high staff turnover, and competing priorities. These realities underscore the value of platforms such as this webinar, which foster collective learning, peer-to-peer exchange, and practical solutions to help countries build and sustain the capacities required under the IHR.Over the two days, participants engaged in presentations and discussions covering a wide range of technical and operational topics, such as the overarching international legal framework governing ship sanitation; considerations for pre-inspection planning; risk assessment factors by type of vessel; the completion and issuance of SSCs and evidence report forms; or practical insights on the inspection of various technical areas, such as food safety, medical facilities, water systems, or vector control, among others. In addition, public health authorities from the Netherlands, Morocco, and Tanzania shared case studies to showcase their practical application of these IHR requirements in their respective countries. Given its success, WHO plans to replicate similar sessions in the future to reach additional time zones and regions and cover other pressing border health-related topics, ensuring that Member States can continue benefiting from these opportunities to share knowledge and expertise.
Nikola Jokić angrily confronts Lu Dort for tripping him as tempers flare in Nuggets-Thunder
Dort was ejected with a Flagrant 2, while Jokić and Jaylin Williams were both hit with technical fouls.
🔎 Valencia look to Germany to strengthen their technical department
The Valencia CF continues to shape its sports organization for the upcoming season. As reported by Plaza Deportiva, the name of José Viñas is strongly featured on the list of candidates to join the ...
Morehead State alum inducted into Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame
A Morehead State University alum who went on to soar in sports broadcasting has received one of the field's highest honors. Marc Herklotz (Class of 1981) was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in December 2025. Herklotz worked on the technical side of broadcasting for over 30 years and had a special interest in sports broadcasting. Under ESPN's umbrella of sporting events, Herklotz worked directly with Sunday Night Baseball and Football, Monday Night Football and Home Run Derbies. For more information about Herklotz's career and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, visit their website. To learn more about the Department of Communication, Media, Art & Design programs, please email cmad@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2766.
McClure Health Science High School student named Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education Student of the Year
Jasmine Osorio-Antonio of McClure Health Science High School has been named the Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) 2026 Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Student of the Year.
Technical meeting on the Operational Guidance for banks on Business Reorganisation Plan Analysis Reports (BRP AR) and the BRP AR quantitative template
Technical meeting on the Operational Guidance for banks on Business Reorganisation Plan Analysis Reports (BRP AR) and the BRP AR quantitative template
NJ technical high schools foster innovative science research
Bergen County and Passaic County technical schools in NJ empower students with advanced science research and biotechnology programs.
PRET for impact: Advancing pandemic preparedness in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
IN THE SPOTLIGHT PRET for impact: Advancing pandemic preparedness in the Democratic People’s Republic of KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) is making significant progress in strengthening pandemic preparedness, with dedicated support from the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC).Aligned with the WHO Global Influenza Strategy and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution High‑Level Implementation Plan III (2024–2030), the country is strengthening its capacity to prepare for and respond to influenza and other respiratory threats. In early 2025, a core team from the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) participated in a two‑day virtual workshop, which included a mini‑simulation exercise. The workshop was organized by WHO SEARO in collaboration with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Secretariat at WHO headquarters and the WHO Country Office for the DPRK. Read more A REGIONAL CONSULTATION GUIDES WHO SEARO IN DEVELOPING A ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PREPPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE FOR EMERGING THREATS (PRET) INITIATIVE BASED RESPIRATORY PATHOGEN PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESSInfluenza and other respiratory pathogens with pandemic potential continue to pose major public health risks globally. To strengthen regional preparedness and response, Member States of the WHO South‑East Asia Region (SEAR) convened in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to review and provide input on the draft Roadmap and Action Framework for Broad Respiratory Pathogen Pandemic Planning (2026–2031). Supported through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) funds, the proposed roadmap aims to advance robust, integrated preparedness and response capacities for influenza and other respiratory threats across SEAR. This work is aligned with the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative and the SEAR Strategic Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies Read moreSRI LANKA’S USE OF ANTIVIRALS TO REDUCE THE SEASONAL INFLUENZA BURDEN Sri Lanka is strengthening its influenza response by placing greater emphasis on rapid testing, timely treatment, and integration with maternal health services. With support from WHO, the country is building a stronger evidence base on the burden of influenza and the value of vaccination, advancing a holistic approach to protect vulnerable populations and enhance pandemic preparedness. To reduce hospitalizations and deaths from seasonal influenza, Sri Lanka is taking proactive steps to expand access to rapid diagnostic testing and ensure prompt initiation of treatment. National clinical guidelines recommend the use of oseltamivir for individuals at high risk of complications, helping prevent severe illness and shorten the duration of infection. This strategy not only saves lives but also supports local pharmaceutical production, contributing to a reliable supply of antivirals for both seasonal outbreaks and future pandemics.Read moreBHUTAN BOOSTS PANDEMIC INFLUENZA READINESS WITH PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORK PARTNERSHIP CONTRIBUTION SUPPORTED TRAINING AND SIMULATIONSOriginally developed in 2012, the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NIPPRP) has long served as Bhutan’s central framework for managing influenza threats. In 2024, the plan underwent a comprehensive update to reflect evolving global and regional guidance, lessons learned from the COVID‑19 pandemic, and new capacities developed under the PIP Framework. The revised NIPPRP is now more clearly aligned with Bhutan’s broader emergency and disaster risk management structures, ensuring a coordinated, whole‑of‑government approach to pandemic response. As part of efforts to strengthen national pandemic preparedness, Bhutan conducted three national‑level training sessions followed by simulation exercises on influenza pandemic preparedness and response at five sentinel hospitals between April and May 2025, with support from the PIP Partnership Contribution (PC). These activities brought together more than 140 health professionals and key partners from across the country, with a focus on operationalizing the updated NIPPRP and enhancing readiness at key frontline facilities. Read moreSTRENGTHENING INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE: WHO BRINGS TOGETHER INFLUENZA EXPERTS FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONSThe World Health Organization (WHO) convened the 18th Bi‑regional Meeting of National Influenza Centres (NICs) and Influenza Surveillance for the WHO South‑East Asia and Western Pacific Regions from 9–11 September 2025. Hosted by the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), the meeting brought together representatives from Member States, Territories, and Areas across both regions, alongside experts from the WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research on Influenza in Australia and Japan, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals in the United States, quadripartite partners (WOAH and FAO), and other technical counterparts. The consultation provided a platform to review progress, share experiences, and outline priorities for strengthening influenza and respiratory pathogen surveillance across the two WHO regions.Read moreNETWORKS AND TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIPSSTRENGTHENING PANDEMIC READINES: SOUTH-EAST ASIA ADVANCES UNITY STUDIES UNDER THE PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVEThe WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Investigations & Studies initiative, also known as Unity Studies, provides a standardized, globally coordinated framework to support these efforts. Originally developed for influenza and adapted during COVID-19, Unity Studies enable countries to conduct rapid, nationally led investigations and studies to assess transmissibility, severity, susceptibility, and intervention effectiveness. To better prepare for future influenza pandemics, WHO has recently launched a network of sites which will be ready to conduct these investigations and studies rapidly in the event of a pandemic, or epidemic of an emerging or re-emerging respiratory pathogen. The WHO South-East Asia Region now hosts six sites of WHO GISRS Unity Studies across the five countries including Sri Lanka, strengthening regional capacity for early pandemic investigations. From 13–16 July 2025 in Colombo, the Global Public Health Summit offered an opportunity to advance this agenda. Read moreSTRENGTHENING PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS THROUGH UNITY STUDIES: REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS FROM INDIA IN WHO’S SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION As countries continue to strengthen their pandemic preparedness through investments in resilient health systems during the interpandemic period, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) Investigations & Studies Global Initiative, Global Initiative, commonly known as Unity Studies, remains a vital framework for respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness. These standardized epidemiological protocols enable countries to rapidly generate high‑quality data on transmissibility, infection severity, population immunity, and the effectiveness of public health interventions. To highlight how Unity Studies protocols are being adapted and applied in national settings, WHO Headquarters, together with WHO Regional Offices, including the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Office (SEARO), hosted a global webinar. The session showcased case studies from India and the United Kingdom (UK), demonstrating innovative approaches to respiratory virus surveillance and pandemic readiness. Read moreSTRENGTHENING REGIONAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND PREPAREDNESS: WHO SEARO HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL WEBINAR AMID RISING H5 THREATS In response to the increasing detection of avian influenza A(H5) cases in humans globally and within the WHO South‑East Asia Region, the WHO Regional Office for South‑East Asia (SEARO) convened a regional webinar on 25 July 2025 to review preparedness mechanisms, strengthen surveillance pathways, and promote timely reporting of unusual respiratory events. The virtual session brought together more than 50 participants from Ministries of Health, National Influenza Centres (NICs), National IHR Focal Points (NFPs), WHO Headquarters, WHO Country Offices across the Region, and WHO Collaborating Centres (CCs) for influenza. The webinar provided an opportunity to share situational updates, discuss surveillance gaps, and reinforce coordination mechanisms critical for early detection and rapid response to avian influenza threats. Read moreOther Key PIP Updates (July-December 2025)MEMBER STATES:Bangladesh drafted and conducted a series of Core Group Meetings in 2025 to review and update the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan for Respiratory Pathogens. In addition, the country carried out Rapid Response Team (RRT) trainings on seasonal and avian influenza and other re‑emerging infectious diseases. Bangladesh also updated its epidemiological data‑training programme for physicians at sentinel surveillance sites, using a revised epidemiological data‑collection tool.Bhutan revised and updated its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NIPPRP) in 2025 and developed a national Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for influenza outbreak management. DPR Korea conducted a nationwide simulation exercise in July 2025 to support the update of its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (2019). This followed a PRET‑based virtual orientation and mini‑simulation exercise held in May 2025 by SEARO and the WHO PRET Secretariat. The comprehensive exercise, conducted across central and provincial levels, assessed strengths and gaps in pandemic influenza preparedness and response. The feedback gathered has been incorporated into the revised draft plan to address identified weaknesses and strengthen overall readiness.India conducted a targeted nationwide online re‑orientation training on review and updates to the influenza portal for all State Surveillance Officers (SSOs) and relevant officials using the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). The training emphasized correct marking and reporting of influenza samples as “unsubtypable” or “not subtyped” where applicable, to ensure accurate national surveillance.Maldives conducted simulation exercises in three atolls based on its existing National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP). The country plans to conduct similar exercises in three additional atolls after updating the NPPRP in 2026. In addition, Maldives conducted training on FluID and FluMart as part of a broader data‑management training package for Ministry of Health and Health Protection Agency officials, aimed at improving routine reporting to WHO platforms and the DHIS2 system.In Myanmar, technical support was provided to the National Influenza Centre (NIC) through dedicated human‑resource support (January–December 2025) to sustain data management and laboratory detection capacity for influenza and other emerging and re‑emerging respiratory viruses. This support also included strengthening genomic sequencing capacity.Nepal conducted a consultative workshop on the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (NPPRP) in July 2025. The workshop engaged key stakeholders from multiple sectors to review lessons from past pandemic responses, assess current mechanisms, and gather critical inputs for strengthening national preparedness. Key recommendations included revising the 2019 NPPRP and developing an updated Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan aligned with emerging risks, national priorities, and relevant international frameworks. Nepal also held a two day workshop dedicated to advancing the National Action Plan for Genomic Surveillance, aimed at reinforcing the country’s capacities for early detection and monitoring of emerging respiratory pathogens.Sri Lanka received the final report from WHO on the feasibility assessment for conducting an Influenza Burden of Disease (BoD) study in the country. The assessment, conducted from 28 April to 9 May 2025, included a desk review of existing data sources, document review, visits to sentinel surveillance sites, and key informant interviews. The study identified critical data sources required for a future BoD assessment, as well as their availability and quality. Officials from the Epidemiology Unit, the National Influenza Centre (NIC), and SARI/ILI sentinel hospitals across the country participated in the assessment.Timor Leste conducted on‑the‑job training and monitoring activities at two sentinel surveillance sites to strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacity for the detection of SARI, ILI, ARI, and other respiratory infections. REGIONAL OFFICE:SEARO conducted a Member States Consultation on the first draft of the Regional Roadmap and Strategic Action Framework for implementing WHO’s PRET‑based broad respiratory pathogen pandemic planning for 2026–2031. The consultation took place on 29–30 October 2025 during the final two days of the Regional PIP PC Annual Review and PRET Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Participants included representatives from Member States, WHO Country Offices, WHO SEARO, WHO Headquarters, partner agencies, and invited multidisciplinary technical experts. They reviewed the draft and provided detailed feedback, which has since been incorporated into a revised version. The consultation helped shape a shared regional vision for robust, PRET‑aligned pandemic preparedness, building on country‑level progress, addressing existing gaps and challenges, and aligning with global and regional health security frameworks. The publication is planned for release during the SEAR regional committee in 2026.SEARO documented the evolution of the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Planning process in the Region, tracing its development from its origins as a planning tool for responding to avian influenza outbreaks in 2006, through the experiences of the 2009 and 2019 pandemics, to the current status. The document outlines the way forward for respiratory pathogen pandemic planning across all 10 SEAR countries, aligning future national plans with WHO’s PRET Framework for broad respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness.The Infectious Hazard Management (IHM) Unit has drafted the WHO South‑East Asia Regional Guidance on Influenza Prevention and Control, aligned with the Global Influenza Strategy and other regional initiatives. The draft is currently under review. Although this technical product was developed in response to a request from the Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (MoPH‑DPRK), SEARO is finalizing it for use not only in DPRK but also across all Member States in the Region.The Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Unit, in collaboration with WHE/SEARO, completed a regional landscape analysis on key barriers, challenges, and opportunities for the introduction of seasonal influenza vaccination in WHO South‑East Asia Regional (SEAR) countries.Additionally, the Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Unit has completed a regional landscape analysis of influenza vaccine procurement systems across the WHO South‑East Asia Region (SEAR).KEY MEETINGS AND PUBLICATIONSMEETINGS:Six-month progress review of the implementation of the PIP-PC workplans in SEAR, focusing on Outputs 1 and 2 for the period January to June 2025, and held virtually across three sessions on 4, 8, and 10 July 2025. Read moreAnnual Regional Meeting (Hybrid) on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PC) and WHO’s Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Implementation in SEAR in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 27 to 30 October 2025. Read more18th Bi-regional Meeting (Virtual) of National Influenza Centres (NICs) and influenza surveillance in WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions from 9 to 11 September 2025. Read morePUBLICATIONSImplications of influenza A virus surveillance in Southeast Asian Region countries: a scoping review of approaches for the surveillance of swine influenza viruses at human-swine interfaces. Read moreAnnual South-East Asia regional meeting on operational planning for implementation of global influenza strategy and preparedness for respiratory viruses in 2025 Report on annual review meeting of implementation of pandemic influenza preparedness (PIP) partnership Contribution (PC) Fund in South-East Asia Region and the simulation exercise on PRET Status of influenza in who south-East Asia Region
Dutch high school science hours to drop up to 30% under new curriculum
Dutch secondary school students are set to face a significant reduction in science class hours as a new national curriculum takes effect in August 2027, raising concerns among educators about the future of technically skilled graduates, Trouw reports.
The chart on this generator stock signals more gains ahead, says Carter Worth
Carter Worth breaks down the technicals on this generator maker.
According to science, the most efficient and economical heating system is… - Futura-Sciences
In 2015, the Paris Agreement set a goal to reduce global temperatures by 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels. This called for a reevaluation of fossil fuel combustion and its environmental impact. A thorough comparative study Researchers from the Technical University of Munich conducted a comparative analysis of 13 heating systems,...
Google shares how Android 17 is making everything run smoother
Google shares the technical details behind its new system to reduce missed frames in Android 17, now in beta testing.
Wardley vs. Dubois Title Fight Set For May 9
Fabio Wardley is set to defend his WBO Heavyweight title for the first time against Daniel Dubois on May 9, 2026 inside Co-op Live in Manchester, England in a bout between two hard-hitting, knockout producing British big men. Wardley (20-0-1) won the interim strap in Oct. 2025 with a technical knockout (TKO) win over Joseph […]
Olympians, scientists marvel at the wonder of snow. Here's why.
As snow powers the winter Olympic games, you probably underestimate the simple snowflake. For starters, snow isn't technically white.
Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute welcomes three new academic institutions
The institute’s newest partners will include the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Engineering and Waukesha County Technical College.
NASA Moon Mission Spacesuit Nears Milestone
The next-generation spacesuit for NASA’s Artemis III mission continues to advance by passing a contractor-led technical review, as the agency prepares to send
Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute Welcomes Three New Academic Institutions: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Waukesha County Technical College
The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute (NMDSI) – a first-of-its-kind partnership between Northwestern Mutual, Marquette University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) –...
Google releases preview of WebMCP - how AI agents interact with websites
Is this the new technical SEO frontier?
Celebrating Women in Science Day 2026 at CERN
Every year, on 11 February, CERN celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In an effort to amplify diverse voices in STEM, six women scientists from CERN open up about their careers and the lessons they hope to pass on to the next generation. Francesca is an Italian biomedical engineer pursuing her PhD at CERN, working in the robotics team of the Beams Department. She’s currently working on the MARCHESE project, in affiliation with Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, focusing on contactless monitoring of physiological parameters. Despite choosing a scientific career and often volunteering in scientific outreach initiatives, Francesca continues to nurture her passion for the humanities and arts. “I firmly believe that collaboration and inclusion are the right paths to improve the world together. I’m driven by a strong curiosity about everything around me.” Berare is a Turkish experimental physicist who worked with the ATLAS experiment during her MSc and PhD on searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. During her PhD, she became a Support Scientist for the Beamline for Schools (BL4S) competition, which marked the beginning of her journey combining research with science communication. She now works for both BL4S and ELISA, the mini proton accelerator at CERN’s Science Gateway. She fondly remembers the moment when the BL4S 2022 winners arrived at the experimental zone: “I felt incredibly lucky to share my passion with young, curious and really passionate people. We spent two weeks of beam time together watching their ideas turn into reality. All the intricate details of running an experiment, we accomplished them as a team.” Mia is a Canadian research fellow in the Accelerator Systems Department, working on beam developments for fundamental physics with radioactive molecules. Mia pursued a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering before moving to Vancouver for a master’s degree in engineering physics. Her interest in radioactive ion beam production brought her to CERN, where she studied actinide beams for three years as a PhD student in the Marie Curie European Training network “LISA” (Laser Ionisation and Spectroscopy of Actinides) at ISOLDE – a facility at CERN where scientists study the properties of atomic nuclei, with further applications in fundamental studies, astrophysics, and material and life sciences. Laura is a German mechanical engineer at CERN working on research and development to produce cavities for future accelerators. She studied mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Technical University of Munich. She joined CERN four years ago as a technical student for her master’s thesis and continued as a fellow working on collimators. Laura says that “as a child, I took part in girls’ day initiatives, which sparked my fascination for astrophysics and engineering. Later, it felt natural for me to give something back by organising workshops for young students to make STEM seem less intimidating and more accessible.” She particularly enjoys being close to the CERN Main Workshop and understanding how design ideas become real components. Paraskevi is a Greek physicist working at CERN’s HiRadMat (High-Radiation to Materials) facility, designed to deliver high-intensity beams to an irradiation area where material samples, as well as accelerator component assemblies, can be tested. She studied physics at NKUA, specialising in nuclear and particle physics, and is now pursuing her PhD at HiRadMat in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, studying novel materials for high-intensity beam diagnostics. “Continuous learning is one of my biggest motivators, and I am looking forward to exploring the limits of our knowledge on beam-material interactions,” says Paraskevi. Silvia is a Spanish physicist and deputy project manager for the Muon Drift Tube of the CMS detector, a general-purpose detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). She started her career at CERN more than 20 years ago as a technical student, working on prototypes of the first dipoles for the LHC. “My first motivation came in high school, from my teacher,” says Silvia about what made her pursue a career in STEM. “My favourite part about my job is learning. You can learn something new every day.” In parallel to this initiative, like every year since 2017, from 2 to 6 February 66 women scientists and engineers visited schools in Geneva, Switzerland, and in the Haute-Savoie and Ain regions of France to meet with students. Organised in collaboration with CERN, the University of Geneva, EPFL, LAPP and LAPTh, this event allowed more than 4200 students between 6 and 17 years old to meet a woman scientist, discuss their profession and career path, ask questions and participate in classroom activities.
The technical reason behind Nelly Korda's surprising driver switch
Korda's latest win came with a new driver in the bag. Only this wasn't a simple plug-and-play.
Energy Department Announces Members of the Office of Science Advisory Committee, Strengthening Gold Standard Science in America
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the chair and members of the newly established Office of Science Advisory Committee (SCAC), a unified advisory body that will provide independent advice on complex scientific and technical challenges across the Department’s Office of Science.
ENTERTAINMENT: Singer pays tribute to ‘Divas’; conductor comes ‘home’
Singer CeCe Teneal takes audiences on a musical journey through 50 years of chart-topping hits, “from the powerhouse anthems of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner to the disco grooves of Donna Summer and the pop perfection of Whitney Houston,” in “Divas of Soul,” 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Center for Humanities and Arts Theatre, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College.
Student scientists share findings at 25th High School Science & Engineering Fair
Three hundred students from Westfield HIgh School and Westfield Technical Academy presented their science and engineering projects in the WHS auditorium to over 100 judges; scientists, industry professionals and educators with backgrounds in science and engineering at the 25th annual High School Science and Engineering Fair on Jan. 29.
Virginia Democrats' redistricting resolution illegal due to technicality, judge finds
The judge also said the Democratic-led legislature failed to follow its own rules in adding the redistricting amendment to a special session, calling that “a blatant abuse of power.”
Beyond the Box: How West Entertainment is Re-Engineering the IFEC Ecosystem
As the IFE industry pivots toward a dynamic, data-driven, and rights-aware content ecosystem, West Entertainment is positioning itself as a technical bridge between airlines and the latest technology.
In downtown Wilmington, Live Oak shutting down inclusive small business center
Live Oak Bank is turning Channel off. Described by Live Oak as an inclusive small business center, Channel opened in November 2021 to serve as a free resource for small business owners, helping numerous minority-owned and other small businesses from its headquarters downtown at 106 Market St. "After careful consideration, we’ve decided to bring Channel ... to a close at the end of this month. Live Oak determined that the needs of Wilmington’s small business community have evolved. Since Channel opened, the local small business ecosystem has grown significantly, with many strong organizations now offering education, technical assistance and community programming for entrepreneurs," stated Claire Parker, managing director of corporate communications for Live Oak Bank, in an email Monday. "With those resources firmly in place, Live Oak is refocusing on what we do best – providing banking and financing solutions that help small businesses grow and thrive." Channel's demise also resulted in the elimination of two positions – those of Channel's director, Chakema Clinton-Quintana, and Atiba Johnson, the certified professional business advisor (CPBA) at Channel. On Monday, Clinton-Quintana, who was elected to the Wilmington City Council in November, said of her immediate plans after Channel: "I will continue my work serving the public while I look for other full-time opportunities." She said Channel "served over 1,000 small business owners in the greater Wilmington area, as well as some of the surrounding areas, such as Brunswick and Pender. A lot of folks had reached out to us needing those resources because they were free, and we were able to assist them in that capacity." Johnson said he will be devoting his time to the Wilmington Minority Chamber of Commerce, which is not affiliated with the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The minority chamber is celebrating its launch from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Wilmington Sportsman Club, 1111 Castle St., Wilmington. Johnson, the founder and executive director of the new chamber, said about 50 businesses are on board to join the Wilmington Minority Chamber of Commerce. According to a news release, the new chamber "was established to foster growth, networking, and advocacy for underrepresented business owners. By providing essential resources and community engagement, the chamber aims to build a more inclusive and prosperous local economy." Johnson said the creation of the new chamber is in response to "lapses in funding, education, advocacy for minority businesses...Some of the things that are going on now just don't reach all the way down to those businesses." For Lynne Jones, owner of LJ Design Studio LLC, the loss of Channel also means a reduction in income. She had contracted with Channel to run the center's social media and to provide some marketing for small business owners. "It's pretty disappointing to hear that it is closing...it was a place to connect with other small business owners and collaborate. It was like a family for those of us who were there. If you had issues or things that you needed to talk through concerning your business, there was always someone there that you could sit down with and talk things through, recalibrate, and they set you off on your way to make that pivot and move in a different direction," Jones said Monday. She said she worked with many Channel participants creating their websites and will miss seeing the joy on their faces when those websites were up and running. Dawn McDowell, owner of Creatively Covered Co. LLC, credits Channel with helping her business grow and regrow after her social media pages were hacked and shut down in 2023. "Channel was a great resource for small businesses, for women-owned businesses, for minority-owned businesses; they provided a lot of assistance, especially when you needed it," McDowell said. "If it wasn't for Channel, I don't know if I'd be where I am now, in my business, and regrowing my business and even finding out about some of the certifications and things that were out there for small businesses that I just didn't know about ... because there was no one really sharing that information for small businesses, for minority- and women-owned businesses in particular." Parker said shutting down Channel was not part of an overall cost-cutting plan. She stated in the email, "Live Oak’s commitment to Wilmington remains strong. We are continuing to support entrepreneurs by focusing our efforts where we deliver the greatest value – through specialized banking and financing solutions aligned with our mission to be America’s small business bank." As for Channel's downtown office, Live Oak had leased the 5,000-square-foot space above Seabird restaurant in 2021. The bank’s lease for the office is up in March, Parker said.
12 Data Science Skills (+10 Hard-Won Career Lessons)
Master the data science skills employers are looking for. Our guide covers 12 key technical and soft skills, plus 10 real-world expert lessons.
OCCC opens applications for Nursing and Aquarium Science programs
Oregon Coast Community College (OCCC) is now accepting applications for two of its signature career and technical education (CTE) programs: Nursing and Aquarium Science.
New UC Merced major teaches how to tackle questions of ethics in science, tech
In a world where artificial intelligence, climate change, epidemics and more compete for our concern, the need for people who can weigh the technical and humanistic sides of an argument is crucial. A new UC Merced major addresses this need.
FBI Search Journalist's Home, U.S. Greenland Talks, Mental Health Funding : Up First from NPR
The FBI searches the home of a Washington Post reporter as part of a leak investigation, raising concerns among press advocates about an escalation against press freedom.U.S. talks with Denmark and Greenland end without a deal on Greenland’s future, but a new working group forms as allies push back on President Trump’s security-driven claims.And after widespread confusion and backlash, the Trump administration reverses course and restores roughly $2 billion in funding for mental health and addiction programs nationwide.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Emily Kopp, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Kaity Kline, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.
Synopsys Enters Definitive Agreement with GlobalFoundries For Sale of Processor IP Solutions Business
Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS ) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its Processor IP Solutions business to GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF). Synopsys' extensive investment in IP quality, comprehensive technical support and robust IP development methodology enables designers to reduce integration risk and accelerate time-to-market. This transaction enhances the focus of Synopsys' IP business on strengthening its leadership position in interface and foundation IP while pursuing the highest-value, AI-driven opportunities from the cloud to the edge for customers spanning HPC, mobile, automotive and consumer. "We are focusing our IP resources and roadmap to further our leadership in essential interface and foundation IP while winning new, high-value opportunities that advance our position as the leading provider of engineering solutions from silicon to systems," said Sassine Ghazi, president and CEO of Synopsys. "GF will be an excellent future
Roman For Scientists
Listed below are several resources which provide the mission and instrument parameters, technical performance models, and laboratory measurements.
Anthropic launches Cowork, a file-managing AI agent that could threaten dozens of startups
The new tool brings Claude Code's capabilities to non-technical users, positioning Anthropic to compete with productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot.
Former Navy sailor sentenced to 16 years for selling information about ships to Chinese intelligence
A former US Navy sailor convicted of selling technical and operating manuals for ships and operating systems to an intelligence officer working for China was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Conservation’s unfinished business
Conservation often presents itself as a technical enterprise: how much land to protect, which species to prioritize, what policies deliver results. A recent paper in Nature argues that this framing misses something fundamental. Many of the field’s most persistent failures, the authors contend, cannot be understood without confronting how race, power, and historical exclusion continue […]
Western Pacific Region achieves milestone: 19 countries complete comprehensive health information system assessments
The Health Information and Digital Health (HID) unit in the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has successfully supported 19 countries, covering 99% of the Region’s population, to conduct comprehensive health information system (HIS) assessments, surpassing the regional target of 15 set for 2025 and advancing efforts toward universal health coverage. Using SCORE, a technical package of essential interventions, recommended actions, tool and resources developed by WHO and partners to address challenges in meeting HIS needs, these assessments systematically assess health data availability and quality, enabling countries to monitor trends, identify and respond to emerging health challenges, and improve policies and programmes for healthier families, communities and societies. The first round of SCORE assessments were conducted between 2019-2021 in 14 countries in the Region and over 130 countries globally. The second round of SCORE assessments were conducted between 2024-2025.SCORE assessments are a key priority identified by Member States and WHO at all levels, including within WHO-Country/Multi-Country Cooperation Strategies, the Regional Vision Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025–2029), and the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14, 2025–2028). Within the Regional Vision, implementing SCORE assessments is a key action for technology and innovation to advance health equity (strand 5).The SCORE for Health Data technical package is based on five key interventions, represented by the acronym SCORE. Interventions S, C and O focus on strengthening core data sources. Survey (S) covers population-based health surveys, surveillance systems and censuses, including their capacity to monitor health-related SDGs. Count (C) focuses on birth, death and cause of death registration as parts of a functional CRVS system. Optimize (O) addresses routine health service data and key health service inputs such as health financing and health workforce.Interventions R and E focus on data use for action. Review (R) examines regular analytical reviews of health sector progress and performance, together with national analytical capacity. Enable (E) looks at the policy, governance, and digital foundations needed to support effective data use.The Western Pacific Region shows relatively strong performance in the Review (R) and Count (C) interventions. Most countries in the Region demonstrate good analytical reporting and institutional capacity for analysis and learning. More than two-thirds of countries show more mature CRVS systems, driven by improvements in birth and death registration. However, medical certification of cause-of-death remains a key gap, with limited or low coverage in over half of countries in the Region.Performance under the Survey (S) intervention is mixed. While surveillance systems are generally strong, several countries in the Region continue to face challenges in implementing their surveys and censuses. Monitoring health-related SDGs is still a challenge for more than a third of countries in the Region.The greatest challenges are observed in the Optimize (O) and Enable (E) interventions. More than half of countries have lower maturity levels in routine health service and resource systems. Two-thirds of countries also face challenges with effective use of data and evidence for policy and action, largely due to gaps in digital infrastructure, governance and legislation for health data systems, and especially in data and sharing.  As part of the SCORE methodology, multi-stakeholder consultations and validation workshops were conducted in many countries to review findings and plan strategies for HIS strengthening. The HID unit continues to provide targeted support to facilitate dialogue and assist countries in developing HIS improvement plans. These plans guide governments and partners to align investments and coordinate efforts for maximum impact.WHO also assists countries with tailored technical support to address key gaps as requested by countries/national health authorities. SCORE assessments should be conducted periodically to monitor progress in HIS strengthening, although progress across addressing gaps identified in SCORE should be continually tracked as countries implement improvements.Additional countries will be supported to implement SCORE in 2026. The Regional Vision delivery-for-impact target, endorsed by Member States, is for all countries and areas to have implemented SCORE assessments and have an increased SCORE index by 2029 while WHO is aiming for 80% of Member States in the Region to conduct round two assessments. Countries yet to complete assessments are therefore encouraged to contact the HID unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific for tailored support.The implementation of SCORE HIS assessments in the Western Pacific Region was supported by The Gates Family Foundation.
Highlights! ‘Chaos’ Slices Through Rockhold, Calls Out GSP
Colby Covington lived up to his billing with a dominant Real American Freestyle (RAF) debut earlier tonight (Sat., Jan. 10, 2026) at RAF 05 LIVE on FOXNation from inside Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., stopping former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold via technical fall. This was an important matchup for Covington for more than […]
Building the future of separation science
Jennifer Kingston was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry's Technical Excellence Prize, which honours the vital role of technical staff in the chemical sciences community
KKR to invest $1.5bn into European data centre business
US private capital group’s investment into Global Technical Realty comes alongside $400mn from Oak Hill Capital
Judges needed for Westfield HS science and engineering fair
Judges are needed for the Science and Engineering Fair at Westfield High School on Jan. 29 that features student projects from Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy. In past years, many of the students and their projects have gone on to successfully compete at regional, state and international science fairs.
Has Amorim created a 'him or me' situation?
There were some eyebrows raised when Jason Wilcox landed the technical director's job at Manchester United in April 2024, given he had only done the job for a short period at Southampton, having previously been academy director at Manchester City. Wilcox had his role beefed up even more when Dan Ashworth left United just five months after arriving from Newcastle. Wilcox did speak to United's in-house media but perhaps his most revealing comments came at a gala dinner for the Association of Manchester United players in September, which the club did not know was going to be recorded and posted online.
Maldives Health Financing Progress Matrix Assessment Report
The WHO Health Financing Progress Matrix (HFPM) is the standardized qualitative assessment of the health financing system of a country. The assessment builds on an extensive body of conceptual and empirical work, and summarizes “what matters in health financing for universal health coverage (UHC)” into a set of desirable attributes, which form the basis of the assessment. By identifying areas of strength and weakness in the current health financing system, along with priority policy directions, HFPM assessments complement monitoring of key quantitative indicators on service coverage and financial protection, now enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. HFPM assessments can be implemented within a short period and provide close-to-real-time information for policy-makers. Findings support the development of health financing strategies and technical alignment across government and external technical assistance agencies, while also providing the basis for monitoring progress over time. This allows for systematic tracking of the development and implementation of health financing policies that matter for UHC. HFPM assessments have been conducted in several countries, including in the South-East (SE) Asia Region; some have been published (Bangladesh and the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India) while others have remained unpublished (Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka)
Scientists Finally Know What’s Actually Happening When Your Mind Goes Blank
You know the feeling. Someone asks a question, your eyes are open, you’re technically awake, but there’s just nothing there.
Student Voices: Learning To Judge: Rediscovering Finance, Wisdom & Community At Harvard Business School
What begins as technical training in finance becomes an education in values, writes Harvard MS/MBA student Abhi Gunasekar.
Macaulay Culkin explains his perpetual retirement from acting: 'Technically, I'm retired right now'
Retirement is a perpetual state of mind for Macaulay Culkin, who explains his views on that, and why he took a lengthy hiatus from Hollywood at age 14.
Local sports teams triumphed in 2025 - The Chestnut Hill Local
So they aren’t from Northwest Philly -- surely just a technicality -- but we would be remiss in not starting this annual review without noting that the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX in February.
Ready for delivery a second time: Carrera GT, now in Salzburg Design
A 20-year-old Carrera GT was technically restored to new condition and given a Salzburg design.
High school students learn about exercise science during Ohio State visit
High school juniors from the Tolles Career and Technical Center in Plain City recently visited The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus to learn about health science courses of study and careers. The College of Education and Human Ecology’s (EHE) exercise science program hosted the visit.The students, who study exercise science at Tolles,...
Active aero and overtake mode
Formula 1 reveals the terminology the sport will use to refer to the technical complexities of the new 2026 rules.
Westfield Education to Business Alliance to meet Dec. 16 at Tiger’s Pride
One of the topics at the Westfield Education to Business Alliance meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 8 to 9 a.m. in Tiger’s Pride at the Westfield Technical Academy, 33 Smith Ave. will be on how businesses or individuals may “adopt” a classroom
RedFESP advances its 2026 regional agenda to strengthen the Essential Public Health Functions
Washington, D.C., December 3, 2025 — The Network on Essential Public Health Functions for strengthening stewardship and governance (RedFESP), established in September 2025 with the technical support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), held its second virtual meeting to advance the development of the 2026 work plan. Institutions from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay participated.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition Out Now on Nintendo Switch 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available now on Nintendo Switch 2, bringing the epic adventure to the next generation of portable systems with new technical enhancements!
Pebble's founder introduces a $75 AI smart ring for recording brief notes with a press of a button
After rebooting the Pebble smartwatch, founder Eric Migicovsky is expanding his company's device lineup with a new smart wearable: an AI-powered smart ring known as Index 01. Named for the finger where the ring is meant to be worn, the new $75 ring is not meant to be a competitor to the always-on, always-listening AI devices, like the AI pendant Friend, but instead offers a way to record quick notes and reminders with a press of a button on the ring's side. AI only comes into play via the open source, speech-to-text, and AI models that run locally on your smartphone, via the open source Pebble mobile app. That is, if the Ring's button is not being pressed, it's not recording. (And this is a press-and-hold gesture, too, which means you can't start the ring's recording and then let go to surreptitiously record a conversation.) You can wear the stainless steel ring while in the shower, washing hands, doing dishes, or in the rain, but you would have to take it off for other water-related activities, like swimming. At launch, it's water-resistant to 1 meter. The ring is also not a fitness tracker or sleep monitor. It doesn't record details about your heart rate or health. And it's not there to be your AI friend. "I'm not trying to build some AI assistant thing," Migicovsky told TechCrunch in an interview. "I build things that solve one main problem, and they solve it really well," he explains. "I think of as external memory for my brain...that's what this is. It's always with you." Plus, the ring has been designed to be highly reliable and privacy-preserving, he says, as all your thoughts are stored on your phone, not in the cloud. There is no subscription. Migicovsky has been wearing the ring for three months now and says he cannot imagine going back to a world where he doesn't always have a memory device with him. "The problem is that, during the day, I get ideas or I remember something, and if I don't write it down that second, I forget it," he says. The ring solves this problem, he adds, without becoming another device you need to charge. "The battery lasts for years," Migicovsky claims. Technically, the ring is said to support roughly 12 to 14 hours of recording. On average, the founder says he uses it 10-20 times per day to record 3-6 second thoughts. At that rate, he'll get about two years of usage. When the ring's battery dies, you can ship it back to the company for recycling. When using Index, you can record up to five minutes of audio, which can be saved to the ring and synced to your phone later. This makes sense for recording briefer, personal thoughts and notes, even when you don't have your phone handy, but it wouldn't work for recording a longer chat, like a presentation, meeting, or in-person interview of some kind. The ring also supports 99+ languages and has a bit of on-device memory, in case you're not in Bluetooth range of your device, where the recording is ultimately saved and transcribed. (The raw audio is retained, too, in case the speech-to-text is garbled due to loud background noise). If you own a Pebble smartwatch or one from another brand, your recorded thought can even appear on the watch's screen so you can verify it's correct. The ring works with Pebble's mobile app, which offers notes and reminders, but can optionally integrate with your phone's calendaring system, too, or other apps, like Notion. And the ring's software is open source, which makes it hackable by the community, the founder points out. Because of its open nature, the ring's button is already programmable. In addition to the press-and-hold gesture, you can program the ring to do other things with a single or double press, like play or pause your music or control the shutter on your phone's camera. You could use it to send a message through the universal chat app Beeper, which Migicovsky also created, or you could add your own voice actions via MCP. A new approach to hardware Migicovsky acknowledges that hardware can be difficult to get right -- as the previous exit of Pebble to Fitbit showed. (Fitbit, too, was later acquired by Google in 2021). "I didn't earn any money during Pebble -- we exited, but it was not a great exit," Migicovsky admits. This year, however, he decided to reboot the Pebble project after Google open sourced the PebbleOS, which opened up the door to new hardware. With his new company, Core Devices, Migicovsky plans to do things differently. Still, the founder doesn't regret his previous choices, he clarifies. "I wouldn't have gone back and changed anything. I loved what we built. I loved what we did. I love the company that we built, but it's not the only way to build a company," he told TechCrunch. " And, speaking as an ex-YC partner, there are -- there's a time and a place for building a venture-backed startup. Some companies are phenomenal when they raise money and build a big team, and I tried that...I think what I'm doing now is trying an alternative path, which is start from profitability," he says. The new company is a small team of five, self-funded, and focused on sustainability. So far, Core Devices has shipped the Pebble 2 Duo smartwatch with a black-and-white display. Its first run sold out, and the company is now preparing to ship the upgraded version, the Pebble Time 2. The newer device, which has seen 25,000 pre-orders, is a stainless steel watch with a larger, color e-ink screen. As for the Index 01, the ring's pre-order offer ends in March 2026. After that, the price increases to $99. It currently comes in silver, polished gold, and matte black and works with iOS and Android devices. Customers can select from eight ring sizes and three colors.
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