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Binge drinking just once a month may triple your risk of liver scarring
Many people think that occasional binge drinking is harmless if they otherwise drink in moderation, but new research suggests that assumption may be dangerously wrong. A large U.S. study found that people with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition affecting about one in three adults, face a much higher risk of serious liver scarring if they engage in heavy drinking even just once a month.
President Trump signs executive order intended to stabilize college sports
In the order signed hours before the women's Final Four tipped off one of the biggest weekends in college sports, President Donald Trump went after eligibility rules, transfers and the spiraling costs associated with an industry that now pays its players millions of dollars per year.
TheBodyPro: HIV-associated lipodystrophy persists as a health concern in the modern ART era
Lipodystrophy remains a real and present issue among HIV patients today — both as a legacy matter and as a still-emerging concern with a significant impact.
Restroom Revolutions: A history of bathroom politics presentation April 11
Edmonds SnoKing AAUW is hosting Sara Chatfield, associate professor in gender and women’s studies, for a thought-provoking Zoom presentation Saturday, April 11 on how America’s bathrooms have long reflected battles […]
Whitney Cummings says Ghislaine Maxwell 'probably trying to not hang herself' in prison
Whitney Cummings shocked 'The View' by saying that Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell is 'probably trying to not hang herself' in prison.
Longtime Friend of Eric Adams Is Indicted on Health Care Fraud Charges
U.S. prosecutors charged that Zhan Petrosyants, known as Johnny, submitted millions of dollars in false health care claims. He and his twin brother are close associates of Mr. Adams.
Student entrepreneurs compete for $67,500 at annual Business Plan Competition
$67,500 is at stake in the The University of Miami Herbert Business Schools’ annual Business Plan Competition. For 24 years, this experience has been a chance for students to gain real advice and mentorship, and pitch their business idea to a panel of experienced judges. Dr. Susan Amat, an associate professor of professional practice in
Extreme wildfires, droughts and storms could happen even under moderate global warming, study finds
New research suggests devastating climate outcomes that are typically associated with extreme global warming could hit even we limit heating to 3.6 F above preindustrial levels.
SFA business students, alumnus and associate professor earn awards at international management conference
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– The Stephen F. Austin State University chapter of the Society for Advancement of Management received several awards at the SAM International Business Conference in March in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. In addition, Dr. Gina Harden, SAM faculty advisor and associate professor of management information systems in SFA’s Nelson Rusche College of Business, and SFA alumnus Corey Johnson ’17 and ’22, senior culture shaping specialist at Pilot Company, received prestigious national awards from SAM at the event.
Shakira says she feels like she's just getting started. A Rock Hall nomination begs to differ
Shakira says her new world tour is turning lifelong dreams into reality as she sets attendance records and earns major recognition. The boundary-breaking Colombian performer told The Associated Press she
Data Breaches Announced by Corewell Health & Rocky Mountain Care
Rocky Mountain Care in Utah has announced a January 2026 data breach, and Corewell Health in Michigan has confirmed that more than 19,000 patients have Rocky Mountain Care in Utah has announced a January 2026 data breach, and Corewell Health in Michigan has confirmed that more than 19,000 patients have been affected by a data breach at business associate Pinnacle Holdings.
Barton outlines how politicians exploit voter information fatigue
Dona-Gene Barton, associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, was interviewed for a March 26 HuffPost article on how politicians on both sides of the aisle have taken advantage of Americans’ shortened attention spans to sway public opinion in their favor.
Star Entertainment Group receives binding commitment letter from WhiteHawk to refinance group debt in full
Australia’s Star Entertainment Group has entered into a binding commitment letter with funds associated with US-based WhiteHawk Capital Partners to refinance the group’s debt. In a Monday mo...
UCLA's first dean for Health AI Strategy and Innovation takes office
“The creation of an associate dean in AI speaks to the fact that AI has become central to research, education and clinical operations in the health care system."
UCLA's first dean for Health AI Strategy and Innovation takes office
“The creation of an associate dean in AI speaks to the fact that AI has become central to research, education and clinical operations in the health care system."
Health Policy Watch: Available cervical cancer vaccines fail to cover the HPV 35 genotype common in Africa
HPV 35, globally associated with only 2% of invasive cervical cancers, has a disproportionately higher prevalence in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Star Entertainment Group receives binding commitment letter from WhiteHawk to refinance group debt in full
Australia’s Star Entertainment Group has entered into a binding commitment letter with funds associated with US-based WhiteHawk Capital Partners to
Australia's Star Entertainment inks $390 million refinancing deal with WhiteHawk
Australia's Star Entertainment said on Monday it had secured a binding commitment for $390 million in refinancing with funds associated with private credit investment manager WhiteHawk Capital Partners as the firm moves to refinance its existing debt.
Connections: UA dean receives Champion of Construction award - Talk Business & Politics
Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, has received the 2026 Champion of Construction Award from the Associated General Contractors...
Connections: UA dean receives Champion of Construction award - Talk Business & Politics
Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, has received the 2026 Champion of Construction Award from the Associated General Contractors...
FMOL Health physicians lead collaborative, innovative approaches to care across the Gulf South
While many people associate doctors primarily with exam rooms, procedures or hospital visits, physicians today play a much broader role in modern healthcare. At FMOL Health, doctors are not only
UFC brings cage-match bout to the White House, home of a president who favors cage-match politics
UFC brings cage-match bout to the White House, home of a president who favors cage-match politicsBy WILL WEISSERTAssociated PressThe Associated PressWASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump is hosting a UFC fight on White House grounds to celebrate his 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump has long supported UFC and during his
The Politics Behind 'No Kings' Protests
Protests are amping up in Central Florida amid the third 'No Kings' protest. Many say this could be the largest in U.S. history. UCF Associate Professor Larry Walker joined FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live via Zoom to examine the political aspect of the protests, and what demonstrators want to see change.
Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program sets new record
The Vanderbilt Transplant Center is now the second largest lung transplant center in the United States by volume, with 149 lung transplants in 2025, the most ever in one year at Vanderbilt Health. The Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program leads the nation in organ preservation and regeneration and is among the best in long-term outcomes, demonstrating the success of the interdisciplinary team in caring for these complex patients. Several features make the program unique in the United States, said Konrad Hoetzenecker, MD, PhD, professor of Thoracic Surgery and surgical director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program. Vanderbilt serves as a “second opinion center” and accepts most complex candidates that are turned down by other centers due to increased perioperative risk. This includes patients over 70 years old, patients requiring combined procedures with their transplant, multiorgan transplantations and sensitized patients (individuals who have pre-formed anti-HLA antibodies who are at higher risk for complications). The expertise and excellent outcomes have attracted patients far beyond the borders of Tennessee; almost half of Vanderbilt Health’s lung transplant recipients come from out of state. “Another unique feature is our minimally invasive transplant program,” Hoetzenecker said. “By using distinct surgical instruments and techniques, the incisions can be kept as small as 7 to 8 centimeters, which results in better healing, less pain and faster recovery. “This minimally invasive approach is embedded in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol, a multimodal, evidence-based perioperative care pathway designed to reduce surgical stress, minimize complications and speed up recovery. Our unique ERAS protocol, by a dedicated interdisciplinary approach, aims to improve recovery after lung transplant and reduce ICU and hospital stay.” The lung transplant program recently celebrated a milestone — 1,000 lung transplants since the program began in 1990. “This significant achievement reflects the concerted effort of a multidisciplinary collaboration by the Departments of Thoracic Surgery, Medicine, Anesthesiology and Critical Care,” said David Erasmus, MD, associate professor of Medicine and medical director of Vanderbilt Lung Transplant. Lung transplants have been attempted since the 1960s, but they were largely unsuccessful until the 1980s, when surgical techniques were refined and new antirejection drugs proved effective. Patient outcomes steadily improved from the 1990s to the present. Vanderbilt’s fourth lung transplant recipient in 1990, Pam Everett, is the longest-living, single-lung transplant known in the world, recently celebrating 35 years since her transplant. The Vanderbilt Lung Transplant surgical team is led by Hoetzenecker and Caitlin Demarest, MD, PhD, the surgical director and associate surgical director of the Vanderbilt Lung Transplant program. Erasmus is the medical director of Vanderbilt Lung Transplant along with Anil Trindade, MD, associate medical director and associate professor of Medicine.
Ability to remain positive during conflict associated with better overall mental health in young children
Staying positive in stressful situations is a sign of resilience in young children — and it protects against mental health problems.An examination of how young children reacted to challenging and stressful situations by the Arizona State University Department of Psychology has found that those who were able to maintain positive emotions during an argument with their parents experienced fewer mental health problems, such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, behavioral outbursts and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder behaviors.
City Council holds entertainment zone study session
Music lovers at this year’s CreekWalk Concert Series may find more options to quench their thirst, as the Vacaville City Council held a study session regarding Entertainment Zones on Tuesday. Associate Planner Damiere Powell provided the…
Faculty voice: Why I'm a community-centered health psychologist
Kaston Anderson Jr. is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. Here, he explains how his professional training and lived experience built his belief that a community approach is the best way to solve complex social issues.
Nintendo Switch 2 digital games to cost less than physical versions in US
Platform holder says change "simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format"
Michael Matt Named as Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations
MEDFORD, MA (March 25, 2026) – Director of Athletics Ryan Pisarri announced that Michael Matt has joined the Tufts University athletics department as the Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations.
The brain's cleaning system can be boosted to rid Alzheimer's proteins
A duo of drugs that boosts our glympathic system, which clears waste from our brain, also improves the removal of proteins associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease
Democrat gets upset win in Trump’s backyard in Florida state house race
Emily Gregory won the special election to represent a district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home on Tuesday, the Associated Press projected.
Democrat flips Republican-held Florida state House district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Democrat Emily Gregory narrowly won the special election for the district on Tuesday night, The Associated Press projects. Trump carried the area in 2024.
Verdict on chatbots in mental health screenings? Too judgmental
Chatbots used in mental health screenings aim to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help and to expand access to needed services. Because they cannot cast personal judgment, chatbots are considered ...
Broadview mayor demands closure of ICE facility, reimbursement of village, business losses
The suburban mayor asked the feds to pay back $700,000 in costs to the villlage associated with Operation Midway Blitz and for economic losses suffered by nearby businesses.
Broadview mayor demands closure of ICE facility, reimbursement of village, business losses
The suburban mayor asked the feds to pay back $700,000 in costs to the villlage associated with Operation Midway Blitz and for economic losses suffered by nearby businesses.
Brookdale Student Leana Vitale Turns Passion for Science into Research Success
Leana Vitale is proving that curiosity, determination, and hard work can open remarkable doors. A Brookdale student graduating this spring with two associate degrees in biology and chemistry, she has already distinguished herself as an
Android Auto is breaking for Pixel and Samsung users, and no one knows why
Users are reporting connection issues associated with a recent update and an Android 16 security feature.
STC HVACR student turns childhood lessons into vision for future business
Currently pursuing an associate degree in Heating, Ventilation, AC and Refrigeration (HVACR) at South Texas College, Cesar Bernal III said he was just 12 years old when he began watching his father turn determination and hard work into a small but thriving air-conditioning business in Weslaco.
Marquette Law School adds Aaron Hernandez to National Sports Law Institute leadership
Aaron Hernandez, currently at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, will be joining the faculty at Marquette University Law School as associate professor of practice and director of the National Sports Law Institute. Marquette is led in the area of sports law by Matt Mitten, professor of law, and Paul Anderson, associate…
How the term ‘neurodivergent’ moved from activists to pop culture
Nick Minaj is one of the most recent Trump supporters to identify herself as “neurodivergent,” embracing a narrow definition of a once-niche term commonly associated with autism and ADHD.
Science should guide Florida’s pesticide conversations
The science on glyphosate exposure is extensive, and the levels reported in bread testing fall well below thresholds associated with harm.
Emmanuel Grégoire, a Socialist long involved in local politics, becomes Paris' new mayor
Emmanuel Grégoire, a Socialist long involved in local politics, becomes Paris' new mayor
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
‘The best course I've taught’: Duquesne business students, faculty volunteer to help with taxes
After hearing in 2018 about a way to help low- to middle-income individuals and families with preparing their tax returns, Amy Yurko, now an associate...
Eating More Ultra-Processed Foods Could Damage Your Bones. Here's Why
Eating higher amounts of ultra-processed foods is associated with lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of hip fractures, even in younger adults under 65.
Bridging medical realities in the study of technology and health
Anthropologist and MIT Associate Professor Amy Moran-Thomas studies medical technologies and how they fail to reach some communities. “What anthropology has to offer the world, and other knowledge systems, is the insights of people that might be missing from many accounts,” she says.
Chuck Norris's Second Highest-Rated Movie Is One He Spent About 30 Seconds In
The second highest-rated movie associated with Chuck Norris is one he didn't even have a starring role in.
Robert Mueller, former FBI director and special counsel in Trump-Russia probe, dies
Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led the historic probe into alleged collusion between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government, has died, according to a family statement obtained by The New York Times and the Associated Press. He was 81.
Wine vs beer vs spirits: Which is the least bad for your health?
A study of 340,000 adults suggests not all alcohol carries the same risk - even at low to moderate levels, beer, cider and spirits were linked to higher mortality, while wine was associated with a lower risk.
Umberto Bossi, the League's populist founder and a pivotal figure in Italian politics, dies aged 84
Political tug of war over Iranian women's soccer team prompts criticism in Australia
Verdict on Chatbots in Mental Health Screenings? Too Judgmental
Chatbots used in mental health screenings aim to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help and to expand access to needed services. Because they cannot cast personal judgment, chatbots are considered a neutral option for sharing mental health concerns. In a recent test of these common assumptions, however, a University of Texas at Dallas researcher […]
Interventional radiology breakthrough in portal vein thrombosis treatment
A UCLA Health interventional radiologist has successfully performed the first pediatric percutaneous spleno-renal shunt procedure to treat severe portal hypertension in a 6-year-old patient. This minimally invasive procedure aims to relieve complications associated with portal vein thrombosis, showing promising long-term outcomes.
Thymic health and immunotherapy outcomes in patients with cancer
Nature - A deep-learning approach applied to routine CT scans is used to quantify the health of the thymus in a cohort of patients with cancer, and shows that thymic function is associated with...
Extra Belly Fat, Not BMI, Is a Better Predictor of Heart Problems, Study Finds
Extra belly fat and waist size may be more strongly associated with heart failure risk than BMI, new research finds.
What’s behind the injectable peptide craze?
Madeleine Finlay hears from journalist Adrienne Matei and from Dr Anna Barnard, an associate professor at Imperial College London who researches peptides
Primary care consultation modality and acute mental health service use in adults
Nature Mental Health - Using retrospective health-record analyses, Hidalgo-Padilla et al. evaluated whether differences in remote versus in-person primary care consultations were associated with...
CEO Matt Upshaw Takes Ownership of Major Entertainment Marketing Agency Serino Coyne
The CEO of Serino Coyne, Matt Upshaw, has acquired ownership of the agency from its parent company. The agency will retain 100% of its executives, staff, and associates — and move into a new midtown office space.
Public Health: Gastrointestinal illness outbreak associated with 13 Coins
King County Public Health says they investigated a gastrointestinal illness outbreak associated with the 13 Coins restaurant in SeaTac.
Oregon QB Dante Moore reveals struggles with mental health
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has revealed he struggled with mental health issues associated with the pressures of major college football.
Sara Hamideh Named 2026 NAS Frontiers of Science Fellow
SoMAs associate professor Sara Hamideh has been selected as a 2026 Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences.
Bartlett Tree Experts expands with acquisition of Lee Gilman & Associates
Bartlett Tree Experts, the family-owned global leader in scientific tree and shrub care since 1907, has expanded its presence in southern New Hampshire with the acquisition of Lee Gilman &
Sources: Atlantic 10 set to hire Dan Leibovitz as commissioner
The Atlantic 10 Conference is set to hire Big East senior associate commissioner Dan Leibovitz as its next commissioner, sources told ESPN.
IPC president disappointed with Ukraine for shifting focus to politics at Milan Cortina Paralympics
Entertainment
Discover breaking entertainment news from The Associated Press. AP News has the latest entertainment news including celebrity, music, TV & more.
MPCC Business student earns perfect score
Gracie Hock, an MPCC general business freshman, scored 100% in the Microsoft Word Associate certification exam required for Angela Chittick’s Business Computer Systems class. “In all my years…
Maine’s wild blueberries deliver more than tradition. Research proves they support health.
Wild blueberries — the iconic Maine crop dotting hillsides, decorating sweatshirts and adding personality to local menus — is more than a cultural symbol. Over 20 years of preclinical and clinical studies suggest that regularly consuming wild blueberries supports gut and heart health and may reduce risk factors associated with…
Australian jury convicts Sydney business consultant over deals with suspected Chinese spies
Medical Debt Associated with Deferring Dental, Medical, and Mental Health Care | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Deferred care due to medical debt consistently high across all types of insurance, with dental care the most sensitive to medical debt.
Inspired Entertainment: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (INSE) on Tuesday reported a loss of $7.2 million in its fourth quarter.
NC lawmakers eye concerns over child care availability, health care costs
State legislative committees meeting Tuesday are set to debate issues ranging from the availability of child care and maternal care in North Carolina, to costs associated with autism therapies and more.
Commercial Appeal wins APSE awards for Jason Munz's sports writing, Chris Day's photography
Sports writer Jason Munz and photographer Chris Day were honored for their work by the Associated Press Sports Editors in its annual contest.
Businesses owned by minorities, women lobby to reauthorize federal program
Minority- and women-owned businesses are urging Congress to reauthorize the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, which helps them compete for federal contracts. Recent regulatory changes and legal challenges have raised concerns about the program’s future and effectiveness.
Difficult people in your life might make you age faster, study suggests
New research suggests that difficult people, aka hasslers, contribute to chronic stress and elevate epigenetic biomarkers associated with aging.
Knox News wins APSE awards for sports writing from Adam Sparks, Cora Hall
Knox News' Adam Sparks earned three top-10 honors from the Associated Press Sports Editors for his Tennessee football coverage.
Social Determinants of Health and Access to Orthopedic Care Among Seniors in Little Havana
Introduction: Little Havana, Miami, Florida, is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with many adults and seniors aged 65 and older at risk for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and associated frac...
Top FDA drug official is trying to hire a friend who’s seeking a warning about unproven side effects of antidepressants
The Food and Drug Administration’s top drug regulator, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, is working to hire a researcher and friend who wants the agency to add new warnings to antidepressants about unproven pregnancy risks, The Associated Press has learned.
Community's Choice Awards spotlight: Ophthalmology Associates, SC
It's time again to celebrate the best local businesses around with Milwaukee Top Choice Community’s Choice Awards. Ready to nominate your favorites?
Reaccreditation process on track for public health programs
New associate dean Ela Austin said Virginia Tech received a ‘very, very strong’ preliminary report in seeking a seven-year renewal of accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health.
SBU Launches APSE Chapter for Student Sports Journalists
Stony Brook University students pursuing careers in sports journalism will be part of a new student chapter of the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).
Rep. Dan Crenshaw loses to GOP primary challenger Steve Toth in Texas
Texas state Rep. Steve Toth won the Republican congressional primary over U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, NBC News and the Associated Press reported.
NBA player Luke Kornet calls on Hawks to cancel promotion with Magic City adult entertainment club
By The Associated Press (AP) — Luke Kornet called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming collaboration with Magic City, saying he and other NBA players were surprised by the team'
Scientists unveil universal aging mechanism in glassy materials
"Glass" has a unique and distinct meaning in physics—one that refers not just to the transparent material we associate with window glass. Instead, it refers to any system that looks solid but is not ...
Israeli officials say Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei is dead. No word from US or Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has died in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States, Israeli officials told The Associated Press on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. or Iran on his status. The assassination of the second leader of the […]
Post-Gazette sports department wins 2nd consecutive Triple Crown at APSE awards
For the second year in a row, the Post-Gazette sports department was recognized as one of the country’s best at the annual Associated Press Sports...
What happened when this scientist lived 100 days underwater will surprise you - Futura-Sciences
Dituri, a 55 year old biomedical engineer and associate professor at the University of South Florida, had spent those 100 days living and working in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, a 100 square foot steel and glass habitat sitting 22 feet below the surface of the Emerald Lagoon. He entered on March...
GW Research Associate Selected for Digital Science Communication Fellowship | GW Today | The George Washington University
Aline Maybank will help expand public understanding of environmental health through her work.
The Trump EPA’s Endangerment Finding Repeal: Wrong on Statute, Deceptive on Science, Reckless on Impacts
On February 12, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its repeal of the Endangerment Finding, which establishes EPA’s statutory obligation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Alongside, EPA also repealed the associated vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards. This action
Popular brain supplement linked to shorter lifespan in men
A massive study of more than 270,000 people has uncovered a surprising link between a common amino acid and how long men live. Researchers found that higher levels of tyrosine—an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and often marketed as a focus-boosting supplement—were associated with shorter life expectancy in men, potentially trimming nearly a year off lifespan.
Armed man shot and killed at Mar-a-Lago was never interested in politics or guns, cousin says
The 21-year-old North Carolina man who entered a gate at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort with a shotgun before he was shot and killed worked as a golf course groundskeeper and sold illustrations of golf courses. Braeden Fields, a cousin who grew up with Austin Tucker Martin, says he never talked about politics and seemed afraid of guns. Fields told The Associated Press that he has no idea why his cousin would do this. Authorities say Martin walked through a gate at Mar-a-Lago in Florida early Sunday and raised a shotgun when confronted by law enforcement, who opened fire. Trump was at the White House at the time.
Armed man killed at Mar-a-Lago never interested in politics or guns: Cousin
The 21-year-old North Carolina man who drove onto President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort with a shotgun before he was shot and killed worked as a golf course groundskeeper and sold illustrations of golf courses. Braeden Fields, a cousin who grew up with Austin Tucker Martin says he never talked about politics and seemed afraid of guns. Fields told The Associated Press that he has no idea why his cousin would do this. Authorities say Martin drove through a gate at Mar-a-Lago in Florida early Sunday and raised a shotgun when confronted by law enforcement, who opened fire. Trump was at the White House at the time.
Serena Williams brings athlete discipline to business leadership in ‘The CEO Club’ series
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Serena Williams may have traded match points for meetings, but the hustle doesn’t stop — even during interviews. When Williams logged onto Zoom for an interview with The Associated…
A Woman Started Losing Her Sight Because of a Tattoo She Got Years Ago on Her Back. She's Not Alone
A rare inflammatory condition linked to tattoos is appearing more often in Australia.
A new era for Dutch politics with Rob Jetten set to be sworn in as prime minister
UNM Researchers Link Heavy Wildfire Smoke Exposure to Poorer Mental Health Measures
University of New Mexico researchers report that acute exposure to wildfire smoke filled with ultrafine PM 2.5 particles is associated with poorer outcomes on mental health measures.
Plasma proteomic profiles linked to suicidal behaviors
Nature Mental Health - Using plasma proteome profiles from over 53,000 UK Biobank participants, Zhang et al. examined proteins associated with suicidal behavior and investigated pathways that could...
Cuba's health care system pushed to the brink by US fuel blockade, Cuban minister says
Client Relationship Retention and Steady Sales Momentum Make Jack Henry & Associates (JKHY) a Resilient Business
Conestoga Capital Advisors, an asset management company, released its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter. As many believe, US equities experienced solid returns in 2025, with double-digit gains across all major indices, yet underlying conditions revealed extreme volatility and market leadership. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In Q4 2025, Conestoga Capital Advisors SMid Cap Strategy […]
The science that saved Briar
How a U cardiologist's research into genes associated with sudden death in young people saved the life of a girl from rural Utah.