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Syncing Up for Science
Researchers capture how the rhythms of our brains and bodies allow us to connect with each other
Small Business Spotlight: Business blooms beyond bouquets
BUSINESS: The Busy Bloom OWNERS: Amanda and Walter Adkins ADDRESS: 708 S. 17th St., Wilmington EMAIL: thebusybloomco@gmail.com WEBSITE: thebusybloomco.com PHONE NUMBER: (910) 742-0790 YEAR FOUNDED: 2024 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 4 WHAT IS THE BUSY BLOOM? AMANDA ADKINS: “The Busy Bloom is a flower shop with a spin – a creative experience shop located in Wilmington’s Cargo District. Founded in 2024 by husband-and-wife team Amanda and Walter Adkins, we offer fresh flowers, botanical teas, a build-your-own bouquet bar, candle-making experiences, gifts, workshops, wedding florals and event services. Our mission is simple: to make flowers accessible, approachable and enjoyable for everyone – not just for special occasions.” WHY DID YOU START THE BUSINESS? AMANDA ADKINS: “The Busy Bloom was born from a lifelong connection to flowers and a desire to create meaningful experiences for people. After doing my own wedding florals and after years of working in healthcare management, I found myself returning to gardening and floral design as a creative outlet and source of healing. The loss of my mother-in-law, who always shared flowers from her garden, inspired me to pursue floristry full-time. My husband encouraged me and built a small flower cart for us to grow, and fast forward to now, two years later, it has grown into a community-centered business focused on bringing joy, connection and creativity through flowers.” WHAT KIND OF GROWTH ARE YOU HOPING FOR? AMANDA ADKINS: “We’re focused on sustainable growth that allows us to continue serving our community while expanding creative experiences. We hope to grow our wedding and event services, expand our educational workshops and creative programming and become a destination where people can gather, create and connect. We’re also passionate about creating opportunities that showcase floral design as an art form, such as our Fleur Couture fashion show and other community collaborations.” WHAT PAST EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD WITH STARTING/WORKING IN BUSINESS? AMANDA ADKINS: “Before opening The Busy Bloom, I worked as a clinical manager in healthcare and spent years building leadership, operations and customer service skills. I’ve also worked in education and nonprofit programming, teaching people about nature and local ecosystems. Along the way, I designed flowers for weddings and events on the side, gradually turning a passion into a business. Walter has years of welding and construction experience, combined with entrepreneurship and a drive to own his own company. …The Busy Bloom has been a journey of combining creativity with entrepreneurship alongside my husband ... learning every step of the way.”
Soap, Suds and Spectrum Business’ Seamless Connection in the Sunshine State
The combination of technology and Spectrum Business’ partnership keeps Splash Express Car Wash’s business humming along – and its customers coming back.
The Billion-Dollar Business Of Belonging
The experience economy is really the business of belonging. Discover why connection, community and everyday experiences are shaping the next decade of consumer behaviour.
The ‘leading ladies’ of Science — inside the Microbiology Girls Club
It’s part science club, part mentorship program and part launchpad for the next generation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). But what really connects the girls inside this microbiology lab is curiosity and a community built on asking (and answering) questions.
Hungary moves to overhaul university models banned from Horizon Europe
Hungary’s new government is aiming to overhaul the governance model of the institutions and universities that lost access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funds “in a short timeframe,” according to Péter Horváth, the new state secretary for science policy and innovation. “As of today, the two non-university foundation-controlled institutions under my remit have been transformed,” he told Science|Business. “We hope the universities will follow and that this will be enough to satisfy the EU’s demands.”Under the previous government, led by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, many academic and scientific institutions were restructured and made into special public trust foundations, with members strongly linked to the government given lifelong mandates and significant decision-making powers with little oversight. The European Commission deemed that this undermined academic freedom and transparency in the country, leading to a ban on 34 institutions in 2022, including 21 universities, which saw academics in Hungary lose access to Horizon Europe grants. The new Hungarian government, elected in May and led by Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party, has promised to dismantle this governance model and restore the institutions to EU programmes. As a result, the European Commission has promised to return access to the Erasmus+ education mobility programme, but so far no concrete agreement has been made on the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation. Hungary has already made legislative changes in June to allow the institutions to be reformed and set a timeline for the implementation.The non-university foundations, which are mainly cultural centres such as the Foundation for Hungarian Culture or the Makovecz Campus Foundation, will all be dissolved by August 31 this year, a date tied to EU-set milestones that Hungary must meet to unlock frozen funds, with control transferred to relevant ministries. Meanwhile, the universities will have until 31 August 2027. For each university foundation, the government will set the dissolution date and the body to take over operations. There is no final decision on a permanent new model for the universities, according to Hungarian MEP Eszter Lakos, who is shadow rapporteur for the Horizon Europe specific programme, a separate piece of legislation detailing implementation rules for the EU’s next research programme, due to start in 2028. “The aim of the transition year is to settle this with [the universities], not to impose a model, and not to put them under state control,” she told Science|Business. “The goal is to give academic independence back to universities.”There are three models that are most likely to be implemented. One would be a return to a traditional, state-run model. Another could be a newer, more self-standing public institution. A third option would be a reformed version of the foundation models that meet EU standards. According to Lakos, the dismantling of the system put in place by the Orbán government is well underway and if all goes according to plan, Hungary could regain access to EU research money by the start of the next academic year in 2027. “I believe that the Hungarian government is doing the necessary changes so the universities could return as beneficiaries to Horizon from the next school year,” she said. In the meantime, “the universities, institutes and cultural assets carry on under proper public stewardship rather than a handful of unaccountable trustees,” said Lakos. The laws passed in June impose new safeguards: board terms are capped at four years and renewable only once, appointments are made through open competitions and sitting politicians cannot join joining these boards.It remains unclear whether a domestic science funding programme set up as a back-up scheme by the former government following the EU funding ban, called HU-rizon, could be continued. “This programme should never have had to have been established in the first place, but it has proven to be quite popular,” he said. “I am considering continuing this programme with a refined focus on helping international collaborations.”Re-organising the research network One of the first priorities for Horváth and his cabinet is to resolve questions over the future of the Hungarian Research Network, Hun-Ren. The network of academic institutes was taken away from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2019 and turned into a quasi-private organisation, with similarities in its governance to the public trust foundations.Horváth and his team have consulted over 5,000 representatives from the network and the conclusion is broad unhappiness with the directors of all the institutes involved. “We have presented the results to the president and the chief executive of the network and this is currently being discussed,” Horváth said. The plan is to re-integrate the network back into the Academy of Sciences but in an improved way, “learning from mistakes of the past,” he added. The government also wants to reintegrate four humanities and social science research centres into the network that the previous government had transferred to Eötvös Loránd University. The transfer brought sharp criticism from the academic community, with a group of Hungarian research heads, including European Research Council grant recipients, sending an open letter to Orbán warning that the transfer would “cause historically significant harm to the entirety of Hungarian scientific life.” The transfer was “one of the biggest shames in Hungarian research in the past 20 years,” Horváth said. “We want to immediately re-integrate them back into the research network and to regain the trust of these institutions, because the way they were treated was really unfair.”Another pressing issue is the Élvonal Excellence Research and Talent Development Foundation, led by Nobel laureate Ferenc Krausz. The foundation signed a financing agreement with the former government earlier this year for a budget of over €730 million over the next five years. The goal is to create a world-class centre to attract top talent from abroad and to develop local researchers. But there was little transparency about this foundation, and news of its huge budget, which is nearly as much as Hungary’s entire research budget, caused a stir in the media following the recent elections. Another issue is that, as with the foundation boards of the institutes banned from Horizon Europe, there was little-to-no oversight of decisions led by Krausz. “It was an excellent idea but an unacceptable execution,” Horváth said of the foundation. “The fact that this is out of the Hungarian funding scheme, mostly concentrating on one person who decides on the budget is unacceptable for us.”The government plans to merge the centre with the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, the country’s R&D funding agency, with a reduced budget. Horváth is hopeful that Krausz will still be involved. The new government’s R&D goalsA phrase that crops up regularly during the discussion with Horváth is “democratic process.” The new state secretary is determined to involve Hungary’s research community in shaping future policies. This marks a departure from the previous government’s approach, and several people in Hungary’s research community have commented on the openness of the new government. In terms of concrete goals, Horváth and his team already have plans. He wants to create a new science fund in Hungary, based on the best practices of other European countries. The fund would not be tied to annual government budgets and would provide long-term, stable financing. “If we were to succeed in creating this fund, then I think it would be one of the biggest achievements for me in this period of government,” Horváth said. On the innovation side, he is looking into how best to bring in the private sector. “We want to make sure that we are working with the private sector to support innovation,” Horváth said. One of his big aims is to introduce entrepreneurship teaching into high schools. Hungary already has a reputable national academy offering research and innovation training in the field of natural sciences, and Horváth wants to expand this to all disciplines and across the whole country. “One of the main ways to elevate our innovative businesses is to teach our children to be innovative,” he said. “This will probably need ten years to pay off, but this is what we should do. Our aim is to make Hungary strong in our region, and this is what is needed.” Related articlesHungary’s Horizon Europe performance in numbersCommission unlocks Erasmus+ cash for Hungary, Horizon could be next‘Academic Huxit.’ Hungarian researchers speak out on impact of EU ban A more difficult task will be funding. The new government is aiming to increase research spending to 2% of the GDP by 2030, and then increase it to 3% in line with EU objectives. Currently, spending sits around 1.3%. But according to Horváth, the current budget, inherited from the previous government, is “heavily in the negative,” so any plans to increase research spending will have to start next year. Achieving 2% by 2030 already needs a big push, almost doubling the research budget. “This is something we’d definitely like to reach, and something I can see us achieving,” he said. “From the 2030s, I’d like to see an innovative generation growing up that can help us reach the 3% target.” Positivity in the new governmentDespite the many challenges facing Horváth and his team, the mood is positive. “It feels a bit like a start-up right now. Everyone is working 24/7, day and night, trying to do as much as they can. There is a lot of energy,” he said. It is a big change for the state secretary who, like many in his cabinet, is coming from a background in research or business, and not in politics. “Six weeks ago, I was sitting with my microscope and my research PhDs, so it’s been a big change for me,” said the computer scientist, who was previously the director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the Hun-Ren Biological Research Centre in Hungary and worked at the Institute for AI for Health at Helmholtz Munich. But he is relishing the task to transform the country’s R&D landscape. “We feel enormous support from the Hungarian people, but also from Europe,” he said. “We’ve received a lot of letters of support from around Europe. There is big trust there, and huge responsibility on our side. We want to get everything back on track, and there’s a lot to do.”
Attorney discusses FBI's investigation into teenage client's science experiment
A family attorney assures the public that there are no concerns necessary after the FBI investigated a teenager after a science experiment. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 8, 2026, puzzle No. 653
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
INCUBASE Studio Accelerates Collectible Entertainment with GochaGocha's 23-Location Asia Debut of a New Photo Card Experience
INCUBASE Studio is expanding its IP entertainment ecosystem with the launch of GochaGocha, a new smart photo card machine platform developed by subsidiary INCUTix. Following a rapid rollout across 23 locations in Hong Kong, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok in early June, GochaGocha introduces a new channel connecting fans with officially licensed content through discovery, collectability and convenience.
New Minecraft Update Finally Allows Players to Sit Down
Minecraft's new update is getting a lot of praise for adding the simple, but long-awaited feature that lets players sit down without using mods.
After Supreme Court Ruling, CT Republicans Renew Push For Ban On Transgender Athletes In School Sports
Legislative Republicans are preparing for another attempt to ban transgender athletes from girls sports in Connecticut, this time with the backing of the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled last week that states could regulate gender identity in sports and could ban transgender athletes from competing in girls sports.
Gillette Chamber of Commerce reflects on 70 years of business growth, community support
GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Gillette Chamber of Commerce is celebrating 70 years of helping local businesses connect, grow and succeed in the community. The Chamber was started in 1956 by a group of local business owners. Today, the organization works as a link between businesses and local, county and state leaders. CEO Gail Loafing said […]
Flighty update adds powerful new Connection Assistant feature
A big update to Flighty, the popular flight-tracking app, is available on the App Store today. The latest version of...
‘Love and Other Words’ Adaptation a Go From Magic Hour Entertainment
Max Siemers and Tanner Anderson are behind the new company, which will adapt Christina Lauren’s best-selling novel of the same of the name centered on childhood friends turned first loves who reconnect as adults.
‘Love and Other Words’ Adaptation Set With the Newly Formed Magic Hour Entertainment (Exclusive)
Max Siemers and Tanner Anderson are behind the new company, which will adapt Christina Lauren’s best-selling novel of the same of the name centered on childhood friends turned first loves who reconnec...
Alibaba entertainment arm Damai launches artist development label ORCA and a worldwide audition to build
The audition, run by ORCA in partnership with All My Anecdotes, will act as a talent pipeline for the label’s future projects, and runs from July 3 to August 3.
Is Israel Losing America?
Join Aaron David Miller as he engages S.E. Cupp and Ron Brownstein in conversation on Israel and domestic U.S. politics, on the next Carnegie Connects.
Trump told interesting stories about George Washington and the Panama Canal. They’re both fake
Last week, President Donald Trump’s annual financial disclosure showed he made more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency ventures in 2025. On Monday, after a reporter asked him a question related to crypto, he eventually pivoted to a colorful anecdote about the nation’s first president.
Oracle Named a Visionary in 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms
Oracle Named a Visionary in 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms. In our view, this reflects the progress we are making as analytics and AI become more connected.
Pittsburgh group joins national push to fight loneliness
Pittsburgh Social Health will become the Pittsburgh Chamber of Connection.
Connecticut Science Center expands early childhood learning space
The Connecticut Science Center has opened a new outdoor space in Hartford designed for children ages 6 and under.
Most Unnecessary Rematch Ever?
Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry was not a particularly competitive fight. The duo dueled a couple months ago at the inaugural MVP MMA event, which aired on Netflix and featured the return of Ronda Rousey among several other high-profile matchups. For many longtime fight fans, the most anticipated clash was the Diaz vs. Perry, two […]
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 7, 2026, puzzle No. 652
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Block Parties Are The New Business Meeting For Millennial Founders
Community based events are helping millennials foster real business connections.
The Hub at Nocatee plans to combine retail, dining and entertainment
Tampa-based Center Connect Development has two similar concepts in the state, but the Hub at Brooklyn is not one of them.
Political Connections Florida July 6 2026
Political Connections airs each weeknight at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News.
Molasky Family Gift Names Lee Business School's Department of Economics and Real Estate
UNLV’s first named academic department honors the Molasky family’s decades-long connection to the university; reflects investment in students, faculty, and region's future.
Listen to whales to improve connection, care & ocean health (commentary)
Seventy years ago, Le Monde du Silence, a film by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle, depicted the ocean as silent. Today, we know that the ocean is filled with the melodies of millions of vocalizing sea creatures, from the crisp snapping of shrimps to the complex singing and speaking of whales. In fact, the first […]
Lori Desautels Helps Transform Teaching Through Brain Science
Are you ready to transform the way you teach and connect with students? Reimagine classroom management, further empower your students and make a deeper impact through the “Wired for Connection”...
AI Is Changing How Customers Choose Your Business
As AI increasingly mediates how customers research, evaluate, and choose suppliers, competitive advantage is shifting from direct customer understanding to managing AI-shaped interactions. Drawing on the experiences of three small-to-medium sized businesses they worked with, the authors show how firms can adapt. A manufacturer improved sales efficiency by screening AI-generated inquiries before investing engineering time in quotations. A boutique hotel learned to monitor how AI tools described its business and revised public content to improve accuracy and differentiation. A B2B software company replaced periodic customer reviews with continuous monitoring of customer feedback and AI-generated market perceptions. Across all three cases, the lesson is that firms must treat AI as a new intermediary in the customer relationship. Winning companies will not necessarily spend the most on technology; they will build systems for continuously listening, interpreting signals, and adapting strategy in markets where both customers and the information they rely on are increasingly AI-mediated.
Take a walk through Georgia Southern's City Campus, home to the Business Innovation Group
The Business Innovation Group is home to resources for locals, students, and small businesses to grow. With places like the FabLab and the Business Incubator, there is plenty for businesses to benefit from.
Support well-being with these tools for connection and mental health
Emory University and Emory Healthcare employees have access to a variety of resources to support stronger connections and improve mental health and overall well-being. Summer is a great time to see what’s available.
Fast walkers in their 80s cut their risk of cognitive decline by half, study finds
A new study of people 80 and older with exceptional gaits finds fast walkers have about a 50% lower risk of cognitive decline, showing the connection between physical health and brain health.
CMS seeks to cut $260M in imaging spending through ‘site-neutral’ reforms
The agency said it hopes to control “unnecessary” increases in the volume of clinic visit services furnished at certain off-campus hospital departments.
Examining Algal Blooms in Blue Mesa
Using satellite data, researchers connected harmful algal blooms with warm water and low water levels at one of Colorado's largest reservoirs.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 6, 2026, puzzle No. 651
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Dartmouth Health launches virtual cancer support group for survivors
Online forum connects patients navigating life after diagnosis
Dartmouth Health launches virtual cancer support group for survivors
Online forum connects patients navigating life after diagnosis
Three Under-the-Radar Trade Targets for Philadelphia 76ers
To optimize a star-studded core, the Philadelphia 76ers must prioritize low-usage role players. These three players offer the chemistry and financial flexibility necessary for a deep postseason run.
Veteran family rebuilds after hurricane, fire and health setbacks
A mailbox can be a small thing, but for the Fields family, it’s a symbol of community, connection and a second chance.
Woman, 28, Becomes Roommates with Man, 75, After Going Through ‘Major Life Change.' Now Says She's 'Never Moving Out' (Exclusive)
“Some of the most meaningful connections can come from the people you least expect,” Rylie Middaugh tells PEOPLE
She navigated the US alone. Now, a UNT Health Fort Worth strategist guides others
Annabel Luna-Smith turned her own immigrant experience from Venezuela into work connecting residents to care and support.
Connections: Steve Toth appointed Thrilled Land company president
Cave Springs-based Thrilled Land Investments LLC, parent company of Leadership Properties and Thrilled Home Builders, recently named Fayetteville business leader Steve Toth as the company’s first president. Toth has more...
What's the fastest charging speed your iPad or iPhone port can handle?
If you're using the charger that came with your current device or a previous one, chances are good that you're charging more slowly than necessary.
Apple’s Strategy To Minimize iPhone 18 Pro Price Rise
As memory costs push the iPhone 18 Pro retail price upward, Apple can rely on services such as online backups and connected accessories to prevent premium users from moving to Android.
I visited Dataland, 'world's first' AI art museum in LA: photos
Dataland, "the world's first museum of AI arts," opened in Los Angeles. The art was often beautiful but hard to connect with.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 5, 2026, puzzle No. 650
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Bellingham’s Runs Behind: One Of England’s Dangerous Weapons
Thomas Tuchel arrived at the World Cup building his England side upon wide connections. The central midfielders, fullbacks, and wingers coordinate via wide rotations, position exchanges, and channel runs. The idea revolves around generating spaces for crosses and cutbacks. According to Opta, only Canada (82) played more crosses than England (75) until the round of […]
iPhone 18 Pro Strategy Tests Premium Brand Loyalty
As memory costs push the iPhone 18 Pro retail price upward, Apple can rely on services such as online backups and connected accessories to prevent premium users from moving to Android.
Sapp’s Diesel & Truck Center builds business on family, faith, and ‘Quality Without Compromise’
Sapps Diesel & Truck Center is not the kind of place owner Brock Sapp wants people to find only after they have been everywhere else. Located at 1955 Old Register Way in Statesboro, the family-owned truck repair shop specializes in light-duty diesel
New York Jets Flight Connections 07/04/26
Happy Independence Day, Jets fans! Below are your daily Jets links as we celebrate 250 years of our wonderful country. Bent – Jets 2026 Position Breakdown: Can the interior d-line still be a strength with Quinnen Williams gone? NY Jets – Which Young Jets Player Could Be Poised for a Breakthrough Season? Connor Long – […]
How the ‘Beautiful Game’ Is Deflecting America’s Political Turmoil
Amid protests and rancor, World Cup soccer proves a bright spot in the United States and around the world.
How the ‘Beautiful Game’ Is Deflecting America’s Political Turmoil
Amid protests and rancor, World Cup soccer proves a bright spot in the United States and around the world.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 4, 2026, puzzle No. 649
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Resigning Oregon Health Director Will Get No Severance Payout, State Says
Dr. Sejal Hathi is not set to receive any severance payout connected to her Aug. 1 resignation as leader of the Oregon Health Authority, state officials said Friday.
Millie Bobby Brown believes she was a closeted gay soldier killed with a sword in past life
Millie Bobby Brown thinks that she was a closeted gay soldier who was slain with a sword to the spine in a past life.
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
Clarity Narrative Introduces Service to Help Businesses Address the Hidden Cost of AI Misrepresentation
Photo Courtesy of Microsoft EdgeSOUTHINGTON, Conn., July 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Realized Solutions, Inc., the Connecticut technology firm ...
Trump heads to Mount Rushmore, where efforts to impose his likeness have stalled
President Donald Trump returns to Mount Rushmore on Friday, and though the president has openly mused about adding his likeness to the storied national monument, it’s unclear if he can move the mountains necessary to make it happen.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 3, 2026, puzzle No. 648
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
iOS 27 Public Beta Available This Month, Here's How to Get Your iPhone Ready Now
Apple previously announced that the first iOS 27 public beta would be released in July, meaning that it should be available at some point this month. Below, we have outlined how to get ready for the iOS 27 public beta, which will likely follow the third or fourth iOS 27 developer beta. Release Date History The first public betas of iOS 16 through iOS 26 came out between July 11 and July 24.
Pinecone releases Nexus into public preview to bring business knowledge to AI agents
Pinecone releases Nexus into public preview to bring business knowledge to AI agents - SiliconANGLE
How remote patient monitoring advances affordable healthcare
As global medical costs face double-digit spikes, remote care is a clinical tool and an economic necessity.
Bonus 236: A Term of Self-Inflicted Wounds
Within minutes of the Supreme Court handing down the birthright citizenship ruling on Tuesday and rising for its summer recess, its defenders were pointing to that decision (alongside the late-arriving mail-in ballots ruling on Monday and the tariffs ruling from February) as decisive proof that the Court really is “above politics,” and that criticisms of the justices for behaving more like politicians in robes than like judges are thus unfair. For a particularly thoughtful version of this claim, see Professor Will Baude’s opening response to the latest New York Times written roundtable about the Court with Baude, Professor Kate Shaw, and me. In that roundtable, I already offered one of the two major arguments against this thesis—that it’s an assessment of the numerator without regard to the denominator, and that a full account of the Court’s behavior throughout OT2025 suggests that the Court behaved even more politically during the current term than during even the previous (highly politicized) one. Just to take one of many data points, last term (OT2024), there were six rulings in argued cases in which all six Republican-appointed justices were in the majority and all three of the Democratic appointees were in dissent (along with a slew of such rulings on the emergency docket). This term, there were … 13. (Along with two 6-3 summary reversals and 10 rulings on the emergency docket from which the three Democratic appointees all dissented.) Today’s bonus issue addresses the flip side of that coin. In particular, below the fold, I identify four different moments in which the justices could have acted in ways to specifically defuse charges of political behavior—and opted instead to lean all the way in. As much as end-of-term narratives focus on what the Court did, and on the takeaways from individual rulings, consider today’s post an attempt to identify opportunities that the Court missed, as well. At least in the examples discussed below, by opting for the outcome that made the Court look more transparently political, the Court inflicted a series of (unnecessary) credibility wounds on itself. For those who aren’t paid subscribers, we’ll be back Monday with our regular coverage of the Court. For those who are, please read on.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 2, 2026, puzzle No. 647
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
New Costco approved in California, but some locals say location is 'unnecessary'
A proposed Costco warehouse and gas station in Downey, California, cleared a key approval, but many residents say another location isn't needed.
Dodgers Give Devastating Update on Will Smith
Dodgers catcher Will Smith's neck is not getting any better, according to manager Dave Roberts, and his return is looking longer overall.
Building connections across molecular life science
ASBMB President Ed Eisenstein reflects on how the society shaped his scientific career and outlines his vision for expanding connections across academia, industry and government to accelerate discovery, translation and community-building.
Lil Wayne a no-show for concert that was supposed to kick off his tour
Rapper Lil Wayne was scheduled to perform Tuesday in Bangor, Maine. But the show ended after opening act 2 Chainz and a DJ performed.
The World Cup is providing connection and inspiration Americans need
My family did not plan to make the World Cup the centerpiece of our summer, but once it began, we couldn't stop watching.
Marion County leaders blast 'unnecessary' OHA rules, demand rescission
Marion County leaders are asking the Oregon Health Authority to rescind recent rule changes they say endanger patients, staff and the community.
A New Leader for USC Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science - USC Viterbi
Professor Noah Malmstadt, newly appointed chair of the USC Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, discusses the energy and manufacturing challenges that connect the disciplines, and why the future of the department is built on firm foundations.
CMS proposes updates to home health payments for CY 2027, updates to provider enrollment and quality and value-based purchasing programs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 1 issued its calendar year 2027 proposed rule for the home health prospective payment system. The rule proposes a 2.4% update, which includes a 3.1% market basket update, reduced by a 1.0 percentage point cut for productivity, as well as an 0.3 percentage point increase related to outlier payments. In addition, the agency proposes a temporary cut of 3.0% that it states is necessary to achieve budget-neutral implementation of the Patient-driven Groupings Model.
'This Is Borderline Evil' - Minecraft Creator Speaks Out Against ESA Calling Private Servers 'Illegal'
Minecraft creator, Markus 'Notch' Persson, has spoken out against the Electronic Software Association for claiming that private servers are "illegal."
If we lose our coverage, we lose our lives
By Thomas Buckley My oncologist asked: “Polycythemia Vera. Do you know what that means?” Earlier, I lived in blissful ignorance, unaware I potentially carried a myeloproliferative neoplasm encoded within my DNA. “Yes,” I answered, “A rare form of blood cancer, incurable, not necessarily fatal, provided it’s treated.” At 31, I thought I had life figured […]
Anthropic launches Claude Science AI workbench for researchers
Claude Science connects more than 60 databases and tools in one environment, running on existing Claude models with no specialized biology training
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
Exploring STEM Futures through UConn 4-H’s Biotechnology Club
The Biotechnology Club is intentionally designed to complement classroom learning and prepare Connecticut students to enter the skilled, science-literate wo ...
ESA clarifies views on private servers after saying Minecraft servers are ‘illegal’ and ‘considered piracy’
The US trade association says it was referring to private servers…
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 1, 2026, puzzle No. 646
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Wilmington Small Business Coalition: Building Momentum in 2026 by Heather McWhorter
This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. North Carolina continues to be one of the best states to start a business and in 2025, Wilmington, North Carolina earned a spot on the GoDaddy list of the top 10 most entrepreneurial cities in the U.S. While many know Wilmington as small beach town with exceptional food, lots of coffee shops, and fun, vibrant summer activities, a closer look reveals a thriving innovation economy. You’ll find startups emerging across industries including software, healthtech, bluetech, and fintech. At the core of this entrepreneurial ecosystem is the Wilmington Small Business Coalition, with small business advocates and entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) dedicated to helping founders grow, thrive, and succeed. “No Wrong Door” Established in 2016, the Coalition was designed to make it easier for individuals and small businesses to access resources most suited to their particular needs. The Coalition is designed to have a “no wrong door” entryway into the regional startup ecosystem. Whether you are exploring a new idea sketched on the back of a napkin or leading a more established, growth-stage company, Coalition members can help connect you with the programs, funding opportunities, mentors, and resources best suited to your needs. No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, any Coalition organization can help point you in the right direction. Coalition Members and Leadership Coalition members include the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UNCW CIE), AARP, Brunswick Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Region SCORE, Genesis Block Foundation, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW), Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC), Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, YWCA Living the Dream Center for Entrepreneurship, Carolina Community Impact Fund (CCI Fund), Partner Community Capital, 717mkt Office Collaborative, NC Biotech, and Institute NC. In May 2026, the Coalition held its leadership elections, resulting in the selection of a new executive team. The following officers were elected to serve two-year terms: Chair: Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Vice Chair: Diane Lantz, CCI Fund Secretary: Aariene Hansley, Genesis Block Foundation Treasurer: Gloria Monroe, SBTDC Vision for the Wilmington Small Business Coalition In 2026, the Wilmington Small Business Coalition continues its work as a collaborative network of organizations. By connecting programs, expertise, and services across partner organizations, entrepreneurs can more easily find the right support at the right time. Rather than operating in silos, the Coalition aims to function as a unified, cohesive system of support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, ensuring that resources and expertise across partner organizations are visible and accessible. Through stronger collaboration and shared pathways, entrepreneurs can move more seamlessly from idea to startup to growth. Looking to dive into the Wilmington entrepreneurial ecosystem? Connect with any of the Coalition partners to get started! Connect with CIE To learn more about CIE and our services, programs, and events, join the CIE newsletter. You can also follow us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube. CIE’s website is uncw.edu/cie. Heather McWhorter is the director of the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). CIE supports innovation-forward start-ups and helps to build a vibrant innovation economy for all in southeast NC.
Google kills Tenor GIF API, forcing changes at X, Discord, and more
Tenor still connects to Google apps, but other platforms must look elsewhere for GIFs.
iPhone 18 Pro leaks: Qualcomm or Apple C2 model, A20 details, camera upgrades
After a closer look at some new data, Apple's iPhone 18 Pro modem situation may not be cut-and-dried. Here's what the latest leaks say is in store for cellular connectivity, the A20 chip, and possible camera improvements.
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for July 1 #646
Here's today's Connections: Sports Edition answer and hints for groups. These clues will help you solve The New York Times' popular puzzle game, Connections: Sports Edition, every day.
The End of Independent Federal Agencies Will Change Your Business
For executives, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Slaughter v. Trump will likely lead to less certainty and consistency for the regulated aspects of their businesses, with federal rules and their enforcement increasingly determined by political expediency rather than expert analysis. Specifically, there are five ways in which all U.S. businesses will be affected: regulation will become more informal and less transparent; consistency across administrations will disappear; oversight by Congress and the federal courts will be diminished; expert advice will be devalued; and politically-connected lobbyists will drive decision-making. In this environment, business leaders will need to plan accordingly, honing their ability to shift strategy, perhaps dramatically, after every election—and perhaps even during administrations.
Opinion | California Politics Is Bought With Donations
We won’t get true policy improvements until we break the connection between fundraising for campaigns and our electoral system.
Sony’s Cooling Neck Device Is Coming to the US, and I Got a First Look
I spent a few days testing the Reon Pocket Pro Plus ahead of its US launch. Here's how it went.
Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System
A "major overhaul" of the Apple Watch's design is due to arrive next year with a new system for connecting bands, according to a known Weibo leaker. In a set of recent posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" linked the new claim to older rumors about an "Apple Watch X" model, which was said to introduce a fresh design and break compatibility with the existing watch band system.
ESA Lobbyist Calls Private Minecraft Servers Illegal During Hearing
The Entertainment Software Association's VP also stated the ESA considers private servers to be "piracy" during the Protect Our Games California State Senate hearing
Community Health Workers Learn Perinatal Outreach Approaches at UAMS Training
LITTLE ROCK — Twenty community health workers (CHWs) from across Arkansas recently gathered in Springdale with a shared goal: to build connections and learn how to better support mothers across the state. Hosted by the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation, the three-day Perinatal CHW Upskill Training provided interactive, hands-on…
SCSU Athletics Features 21 Owls To Receive NE10 Presidents' Award for Sports Excellence
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Southern Connecticut State University Athletics featured 21 graduating student-athletes to receive the Northeast 10 Conference's Presidents' Award, as announced by the conference on June 30, 2026.
A milestone for Zooniverse
The University of Minnesota-connected citizen science platform logs its one billionth contribution to scientific knowledge.
Louisville woman sentenced to federal prison after pool business fraud
Tracy Davenport was sentenced to federal prison after facing charges in connection with defrauding customers from her pool installation business.
Brit married American, lives in US: 3 steps to rebuild identity
A man who met his wife in the UK shares how sport, work, and connecting with other Brits helped him rebuild his identity in the US.
America 250 road trip: The elemental power of sports in a desolate land
It's in the scent of a running stream and the feel of sandstone sashay. It's in the sound of a power-play goal and the taste of a ham sandwich. Connection is all around, even in the most unexpected places.
Minecraft servers are apparently "illegal," according to the Vice President of America's biggest gaming association
The Entertainment Software Association's Jennifer Gibbons claimed that Minecraft servers were "illegal" and "not affiliated with Microsoft."
Teen pregnancy prevention cuts hit Wisconsin program connecting health providers and teens
Federal officials have cut off more than $2.4 million in federal funds for 2026-27 and 2027-28 targeting teen pregnancy prevention that would have gone to the Wisconsin health department, according to federal records. The funds would have gone to a variety of nonprofits and agencies in counties with the highest rates of pregnancy and sexually […]
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 30, 2026, puzzle No. 645
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
The Taste Advantage: Inside The Vogue Business x Sparks Cannes Lions Breakfast
Vogue Business and Sparks convened a group of CMOs and other luxury leaders during Cannes Lions to discuss the future of meaningful connection.
ESPN Analyst Chiney Ogwumike Defends Alyssa Thomas' Behavior
ESPN WNBA analyst Chiney Ogwumike is coming to the defense of Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. Thomas was suspended for one game and fined for her hits on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark last week. Thomas was caught hitting Clark in the groin and the neck, though she wasn't called for a ...