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Former DNC chair praises South Carolina Republican for refusing to redraw the maps at Trump’s urging
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May 12 • 11:39 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Android Auto's big 2026 makeover brings immersive maps and FHD YouTube

The perfect UI for ever screen, regardless of the shape and size

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May 12 • 5:13 PM EDT • Technology • androidpolice.com
iOS 26.5’s Apple Maps app has two notable changes, here’s what’s new

Apple Maps is one of several apps with new features in iOS 26.5, the latest iPhone update. Here’s what’s new for Maps users.

9to5mac.com logo
May 12 • 1:37 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com
Android Auto gets a fresh take on Google Maps navigation, teases more Gemini at the Android Show

The Show revealed everything you can expect from Android Auto.

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May 12 • 1:00 PM EDT • Technology • androidcentral.com
Why Republicans Are Still Drawing House Maps, While Democrats Are Stuck

The G.O.P. has seized an edge on redistricting thanks to two court rulings, and it has more room to maneuver for extra seats before the midterms.

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May 11 • 4:36 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Apple Releases iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 With End-to-End Encrypted RCS, New Wallpaper, and Maps Updates

Apple today released iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, the newest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems. The software comes nearly two months after Apple released iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 16.7.16 and iOS 18.7.9 for older devices unable to run iOS 26.

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May 11 • 1:06 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
6 Android apps I keep on my phone specifically because they ignore AI

Android apps that do their jobs without AI getting in the way

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May 10 • 9:30 AM EDT • Technology • androidpolice.com
Black voters are ‘prepared to make noise’ after Republicans quickly pass ‘Jim Crow’ voting maps

Voting rights advocates are scrambling to respond to rapidly gerrymandered congressional maps that dilute Black political power

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May 9 • 9:09 AM EDT • Politics • independent.co.uk
Redistricting Ruling in Virginia Adds to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s Headaches

Gov. Abigail Spanberger had initially been skeptical of the push for new maps, but as the state’s leading Democrat she had a political stake in its fate.

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May 9 • 5:02 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Two Court Decisions Have Unleashed an Era of Perpetual Redistricting

Four states are considering drawing new maps in the coming weeks. Another dozen or more could join the fray next year.

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May 9 • 5:01 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Fiery hearing over Louisiana redistricting shows historic stakes: ‘The country is watching’

Over the course of more than eight hours, dozens of speakers urged legislators not to redraw maps to eliminate two majority-Black districts.

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May 8 • 7:25 PM EDT • Politics • nola.com
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Huge crowd presses for Louisiana to keep two majority-Black districts in pointed hearing

As the Louisiana Legislature races to redraw its voting maps for Congress, voters and advocates blasted lawmakers for pushing to eliminate majority-Black seats.

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May 8 • 12:50 PM EDT • Politics • nola.com
In Huge Blow to Democrats, Virginia Court Strikes Down House Map

The decision by the state’s top court is a major victory for Republicans, wiping away a measure approved by voters to allow Democrats to gain as many as four House seats in the midterms.

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May 8 • 10:23 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Anger mounts after Tennessee Republicans redraw maps

Legislature has eliminated the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional district

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May 8 • 6:39 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
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TN State Rep.: New maps are ‘racist tools of white supremacy’
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May 7 • 11:06 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
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Is the FDA Really Suppressing Science? Plus. . .

It’s Thursday, May 7. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Aaron MacLean says Trump is poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the Iran war. Joe Klein on the life of CNN founder Ted Turner. Jillian Lederman on why cruise ships are here to stay. And much more. But first: Is the FDA suppressing science? On Tuesday, The New York Times published a story with an alarming takeaway. “FDA Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe,” read the headline. It is the latest in a string of stories that all have the same message: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies, are engaged in a cover-up—and silencing scientists trying to get the word out about the Covid vaccine. What all these stories suggest—some more subtly than others—is that the outsiders now running the public health establishment, officials such as Marty Makary at the FDA and Jay Bhattacharya at the National Institutes of Health, are on a revenge tour. That they are doing harm to the country to get back at the scientists and bureaucrats who ostracized them for deviating from the public-health consensus during the pandemic. It’s a seductive narrative. But is it true? That’s the question we address in our latest editorial. —The Editors Read [ Marty Makary's FDA Has All the Right Enemies ](https://www.thefp.com/p/marty-makary-vaccine-study-fda) [ Trump Blinks First ](https://www.thefp.com/p/iran-peace-deal-pakistan-trump-strait-of-hormuz) Aaron MacLean In return for no detectable concessions, President Trump this week gave up on forcing open the Strait of Hormuz. Now, the Trump administration looks desperate for a deal to end the war with Iran. It’s easy to understand the desire to end the war, but are they blowing the chance at victory? Aaron MacLean makes sense of the administration’s latest moves—and Iran’s response—in his column today. Read full story Aaron MacLean and Niall Ferguson: Live in New York City Join Aaron MacLean and Niall Ferguson on May 19 for a live recording of School of War at the iconic New York Historical. In a conversation as timely as it is wide-ranging, Aaron and Niall will explore the strategic stakes of the moment, including the Middle East, China, and the future of American leadership on the global stage. Get Tickets Now [ Ted Turner, the Optimist Who Built CNN ](https://www.thefp.com/p/ted-turner-cnn-tribute) Joe Klein The man who gave us CNN and the 24-hour news cycle, Ted Turner, died Wednesday at the age of 87. Today, political writer Joe Klein—who almost ghostwrote Turner’s autobiography—remembers his friend, the American media mogul who stood out for his idealism and lack of a filter—something that got Turner in trouble more than once. “His was not a traditional intelligence, but one of horizon: Ted saw things before other people did,” Joe writes. Read full story [ Nothing Can Sink the Cruise Ship ](https://www.thefp.com/p/cruise-ship-hantavirus) Jillian Lederman A viral outbreak on a cruise ship that left three passengers dead has left some people wondering: Are cruise ships on the way out? Not so fast, says Jillian Lederman, who has been on many a cruise herself. Read her piece on why 38 million people a year take a cruise—and aren’t about to stop. Read full story [ The Great Writers Who Were Terrible People ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-great-writers-who-were-terrible) Shilo Brooks Throughout history, some of the greatest literary geniuses have also been immoral bigots. In the latest episode of Old School, Shilo Brooks is joined by Eli Lake for a conversation about those geniuses, from Voltaire to Norman Mailer and Roald Dahl—and why we should read their work despite their odious prejudices. Listen on MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS [ Inside the Digital Intifada ](https://www.thefp.com/p/digital-intifada-social-media-hamas-terror) Warren Kinsella Read full story [ This Week in American History: Trump’s Over-Arching Problem ](https://www.thefp.com/p/this-week-in-american-history-trumps-over-arching-problem) Jonathan Horn Read full story [ Humanity Is Still Evolving—and Fast ](https://www.thefp.com/p/humanity-is-still-evolvingand-fast) Razib Khan Read full story THE NEWS Thirteen D.C. Metropolitan Police officers have been placed on administrative leave and could face termination after an internal investigation found evidence that crime statistics were manipulated to make the city look safer. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee previously alleged that former D.C. police chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to skew data. Tennessee Republicans unveiled a redrawn U.S. House map yesterday that would split up Memphis’s black-majority Democratic district, the latest move in a nationwide push to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the midterms. The effort follows a Supreme Court ruling last week on Louisiana’s districts, which Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said gave states the green light to redraw maps along partisan lines. Israel struck Beirut for the first time since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect last month, saying it targeted a commander of the militant group’s elite Radwan force in the city’s southern suburbs. The strikes risk destabilizing that truce at a delicate moment, as Iran and the U.S. report progress toward a deal to resolve their own standoff. The U.S. Air Force is aiming for a Fourth of July delivery of a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, hoping to add it to the Air Force One fleet in time for the U.S.’s 250th anniversary, Reuters reported. (For more on the controversy surrounding the aircraft, read Jed Rubenfeld’s piece “It’s a Terrible Idea, but Trump Probably Can Accept a Free Jet from Qatar.”) Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified privately before Congress that he has no memory of why he and his family dined on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012, according to Reuters. The admission contradicts Lutnick’s earlier claim that he had cut ties with the convicted sex offender well before that visit. Weeks before a former JPMorgan investment banker filed a lawsuit packed with explosive allegations, the bank reportedly offered him $1 million to settle his sexual assault and harassment claims, according to The Wall Street Journal. The suit, filed by Chirayu Rana, alleges he was sexually assaulted by a female colleague, subjected to racial discrimination, and forced into a degrading dynamic at work. JPMorgan says the claims lack merit, and the female colleague’s lawyers call the accusations fabricated. A new report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research shows that, for the first time in roughly 20 years, church attendance is trending upward, with more people volunteering and clergy expressing renewed optimism. The study’s authors described the findings, based on a survey of more than 7,400 congregations, as showing signs of widespread recovery from low attendance numbers.

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May 7 • 6:20 AM EDT • Science • thefp.com
California under pressure — again — as redistricting wars escalate

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling limiting the Voting Rights Act has some Democrats asking whether California could go further in redrawing maps to target GOP districts.

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May 7 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • latimes.com
Efforts to game the 2026 election intensify as Republicans draw new maps

While the national mood seems to be veering away from President Donald Trump as his popularity drops, Republicans are trying to squeeze every possible advantage out of a recent Supreme Court decision.

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May 7 • 4:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Map passed by North Texas Senator upheld by U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld controversial Texas Congressional maps, ruled there there can be nearly limitless gerrymandering in the states for partisan reasons, and took a chunk out of the Voting Rights Act. Lone Star Politics speaks with Senator Phil King, R-Weatherford, chair of the redistricting committee in the Texas Senate.

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May 6 • 3:53 PM EDT • Politics • nbcdfw.com
FBI searches business, other locations associated with Democratic Virginia state senator

Lucas, the president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, has recently focused her attention on redrawing the state’s congressional maps

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May 6 • 3:30 PM EDT • Business • cnn.com
Lone Star Politics: May 3, 2026

This week, the Supreme Court made a ruling on new congressional maps and voting rights. We take a look at how it will impact an already intense battle for Congress. Plus, we spoke to a Google representative about the concerns from voters over new data centers in Ellis County.

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May 6 • 2:45 PM EDT • Politics • nbcdfw.com
Trump Makes Indiana Republicans Pay for Opposing Redistricting

A slate of candidates backed by Trump won several state Senate races in Indiana after GOP incumbents opposed the President’s push to redraw the state’s maps.

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May 6 • 9:20 AM EDT • Politics • time.com
Trump gets revenge, and other takeaways from Tuesday’s Indiana and Ohio primaries

President Donald Trump vowed revenge when the Republican supermajority in the Indiana state Senate embarrassed him in December, voting down Trump’s demands to redraw the state’s congressional maps to help the party win two more seats.

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May 5 • 11:18 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
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Trump Gets Payback on Indiana Republicans: 5 Takeaways

The president helped unseat most of the state lawmakers he targeted after they rebuffed his call to draw new House maps to help Republicans.

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May 5 • 9:48 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
New Tool Maps Native Serving Healthcare

Healthcare systems serving Native American patients can now be searched in a single database developed by Indigenous Healthcare Advancements, a Nevada-based tribal healthcare management service. IHA a...

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May 5 • 12:19 PM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Politics & Power: Supreme Court guts Voting Rights Act, reshaping redistricting battles ahead of midterms

A 60-year-old civil rights law, effectively gutted. Now, Republicans across the South are racing to redraw congressional maps — and Florida just became the first state to act, passing new lines that could flip four seats. Democrats are promising to fight back. Sean Freeder, a political scientist and analyst, joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton to discuss the pushback and the legal fights ahead.

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May 5 • 9:42 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com
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Students use GIS to compete in ‘the science of where’

Students competing for the U-Spatial Prize use maps, data and more to tell highly engaging stories about their research.

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May 5 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • twin-cities.umn.edu
Redistricting battles back on midterm political map as Ohio, Indiana vote in primaries

Alabama and Tennessee move into redistricting fights while midterm voters in Indiana and Ohio head to the polls, spotlighting election maps, primaries and 2026 political stakes.

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May 5 • 6:25 AM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
iOS 26.5 Coming Soon With These New Features

iOS 26.5 is expected to be released this May, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor so far, which is not too surprising given that Apple is starting to shift its focus towards iOS 27. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a few other changes. Below, we outline all of the notable additions in iOS 26.5.

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May 4 • 11:40 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
I stopped using Google Maps on Android Auto and switched to an app that actually works

Google Maps isn't the only fish in the pond.

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May 3 • 4:00 PM EDT • Technology • makeuseof.com
Austin Democrats brace for more redistricting efforts next year

Recent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court could spur a third effort to redraw Texas' congressional maps since the 2020 census.

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May 3 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • kut.org
Want a say in Central Ohio elections? Better vote in the primary

Gerrymandered maps put Ohio’s real election on May 5. Low turnout is expected, but the primary may decide who holds power in many districts.

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May 3 • 6:01 AM EDT • Politics • dispatch.com
Google Maps has a big problem, and it's getting worse in 2026

Local discovery feels more like advertising, making it difficult to find trustworthy results

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May 2 • 9:30 AM EDT • Technology • androidpolice.com
Takeaways from Tallahassee

Florida’s roads and leadership move forward, even as maps change.

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May 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com
Kemp rejects calls to redraw this year’s political maps, early voting surge and other news

In this week’s political roundup, we spotlight a revealing moment from this week’s debates, along with the governor’s decision to hold off on calling lawmakers back to redraw the state’s political maps and the latest on early voting and endorsement news.

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May 2 • 4:00 AM EDT • Politics • georgiarecorder.com
Two more Southern states move toward adding Republican House seats

GOP-led states are rushing to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s decision to curtail the Voting Rights Act with new maps that could end the careers of several Black Democratic House members.

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May 1 • 8:09 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Tennesse to redistrict in effort to flip Memphis congressional seat

At the behest of President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s Republican supermajority is returning to Nashville to redraw the state’s congressional maps.

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May 1 • 5:52 PM EDT • Politics • tennessean.com
Alabama becomes second state to move to redraw maps after Supreme Court ruling

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced the Republican-controlled state legislature will hold a special session next week to pave the way for redistricting – becoming the second state to take action following the Supreme Court’s decision further weakening the Voting Rights Act.

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May 1 • 4:49 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Alabama governor calls special session to move primaries for redistricting, while Georgia passes

Following a seismic Supreme Court ruling on race and redistricting, Alabama lawmakers are planning to reschedule their primary to redraw state maps, if the court allows.

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May 1 • 3:09 PM EDT • Politics • nbcnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Devs Reveal Huge Battle Maps, Planets, and Region Scale

Creative Assembly has revealed more on its hotly anticipated strategy game, Total War: Warhammer 40,000, touching on the sheer scale of its battle maps and planets.

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May 1 • 11:38 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Ruling Could Fuel New Gerrymandering Era

The expected flood of new congressional maps is likely to produce fewer competitive districts, fewer ways for voters to hold elected officials accountable and more polarized politics.

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Apr 30 • 3:39 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
After Supreme Court Decision, Louisiana Weighs Redrawing House Maps

It was not immediately clear whether Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, would postpone the May 16 primary election for House races after the court ruled the state’s congressional districts unconstitutional.

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Apr 30 • 10:44 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
GOP urges Kemp to call a special session to redraw maps after court ruling

Georgia Republicans are pressuring the governor to call a special session after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act.

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Apr 30 • 8:49 AM EDT • Politics • ajc.com
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Supreme Court decision weakening Voting Rights Act could impact future political maps in Georgia

Republicans are calling for Georgia lawmakers to redraw political maps hours after a Supreme Court ruling diluted the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

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Apr 29 • 6:18 PM EDT • Politics • georgiarecorder.com
Supreme Court Shakes Up U.S. Political Maps With Voting Rights Act Decision

Both parties are now scrambling to adjust to a new voting rights landscape.

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Apr 29 • 5:21 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Supreme Court ruling not expected to affect House maps this year: experts

Supreme Court overturning Louisiana's congressional map shouldn't mean redrawing maps in other states this year because primaries have already passed.

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Apr 29 • 3:26 PM EDT • Politics • usatoday.com
What’s next for Louisiana’s Congressional maps after the Supreme Court’s Callais ruling?

With early voting set to begin Saturday, it was not immediately clear whether or how the ruling would affect the current election cycle.

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Apr 29 • 1:15 PM EDT • Politics • nola.com
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Alabama Republicans push for new congressional map after seismic Supreme Court ruling: ‘It’s time to act’

Republicans are calling on Gov. Kay Ivey to convene a special session to redraw the congressional maps.

al.com logo
Apr 29 • 12:58 PM EDT • Politics • al.com
Supreme Court rules Louisiana’s Congressional maps are ‘unconstitutional racial gerrymander’

The ruling will have huge implications for elections not just in Louisiana but across the country.

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Apr 29 • 10:20 AM EDT • Politics • nola.com
Public Safety Partnership hosts Mental Health Info Session May 12

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the community is invited to a free Mental Health Info Session at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at Mick and Terri Cornett Maps 3 Health and Wellness Center, 11501 N. Rockwell.

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Apr 28 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • okc.gov
DeSantis, Florida GOP plowing ahead with new congressional maps despite risks

Remaking Florida’s congressional map is dicey for Republicans, who face strict redistricting rules and risk making safe GOP seats competitive.

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Apr 27 • 9:00 AM EDT • Politics • miamiherald.com
Visualizing the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting incident in maps

A suspected gunman was apprehended Saturday after blowing past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton just as events were getting underway for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

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Apr 26 • 12:51 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
New panel of climate scientists calls for fossil fuel transition roadmaps

The Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition, launched in Santa Marta, will provide evidence and insights to help governments plot a path away from oil, gas and coal

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Apr 25 • 7:09 AM EDT • Science • climatechangenews.com
Mississippi governor says he will call special session to redraw district maps after SCOTUS ruling

Mississippi's governor announces a special session to redraw district lines, saying the Supreme Court's ruling in a key case could change electoral maps.

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Apr 25 • 4:04 AM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
Tim Cook Calls Apple Maps Launch His 'First Really Big Mistake' as CEO

Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook has named the botched 2012 launch of Apple Maps as his "first really big mistake" in the role, according to a Bloomberg report covering the town hall meeting that was held Tuesday with his recently announced successor, John Ternus. The Maps app launched with mislabeled landmarks, faulty directions, and a user experience that fell well short of Google Maps at the time.

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Apr 23 • 8:29 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Apple Maps was Tim Cook's biggest mistake

Speaking to employees, outgoing CEO Tim Cook talked about his time leading Apple, citing both the successes he is most proud of, and admitting to the one main failure.

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Apr 23 • 7:36 AM EDT • Technology • appleinsider.com
Republicans pressure Ron DeSantis to redistrict in Florida after Virginia Democrats’ win

Senior Republicans in Washington are ramping up the pressure on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to lead a redrawing of his state’s US House map after Virginia Democrats triumphed in potentially flipping four seats in their favor. A special session to consider redistricting in Florida is slated to start Tuesday, but no map has been publicly released. A DeSantis spokesperson did not respond to a CNN inquiry about its status. Key Republicans involved in redistricting say they’ve been kept largely in the dark on DeSantis’ plans. There’s no coordination on the state level because of strict state rules around partisan gerrymandering, and no maps have been officially circulated within Florida’s congressional delegation either.

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Apr 23 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
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Tim Cook Regrets Maps Flub, Sees Apple Watch as His Proudest Work

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who plans to step down in a few months, cited the launch of Apple Maps on the iPhone in 2012 as his “first really big mistake” as the company’s boss.

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Apr 22 • 5:21 PM EDT • Technology • bloomberg.com
Kiln Spring 2026 Roadmap Revealed

Kiln launches tomorrow, but the team a Double Fine can’t wait to give you more to look forward to in this post-launch roadmap. See what maps and decor Spring 2026 has in store!

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Apr 22 • 11:00 AM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com
Google Maps is about to get a big dose of AI

Generative AI is being infused into Google's popular feature within Maps.

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Apr 22 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com
Virginia approves redistricting, giving Democrats edge in midterms

The new maps in Virginia could make it easier for Democrats to take control of the US House of Representatives in November.

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Apr 21 • 9:08 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Here's What's New in iOS 26.5 So Far

iOS 26.5 has been in beta since late March, with a third beta released this week. The update is relatively minor so far, which is not too surprising given that Apple is starting to shift its focus towards iOS 27. Apple will unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and the update should be released in September. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for two changes, including end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app.

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Apr 21 • 4:30 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Virginia election: Live updates and results on major redistricting vote

A high-stakes battle over congressional maps takes place in Virginia. Follow live updates.

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Apr 21 • 4:01 PM EDT • Politics • usatoday.com
Virginia voters to decide on new House map with major midterm implications

Virginia is the latest front in an unprecedented coast-to-coast redistricting war, with voters on Tuesday set to determine whether to accept or reject a Democratic plan to dramatically redraw the state’s congressional maps and help shape the midterm elections.

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Apr 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Democrats Once Loathed Gerrymandering. Now They’re Pushing for It.

The party is seeking an extra edge in Virginia at a time when its thinking has changed on the partisan drawing of political maps — in large part, leaders say, because of President Trump’s tactics.

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Apr 20 • 5:26 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
The Odds: Congressional maps & House power
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Apr 20 • 9:48 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Explore maps of downtown Royals stadium: See size, entertainment district & more

These maps show where key elements could fall, including home plate, the outfield and a potential entertainment district modeled after developments like Wrigleyville in Chicago.

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Apr 19 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • kansascity.com
With navigating nematodes, scientists map out how brains implement behaviors

An MIT Picower Institute study provides maps out exactly what happens in the brains of C. elegans worms when they “follow their nose” to savor attractive odors or avoid unappealing ones.

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Apr 16 • 6:30 PM EDT • Science • news.mit.edu
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Battlefield 6 Getting 7 New Maps This Year, Plus A Server Browser And More

Classics Battlefield map Wake Island and Grand Bazaar will arrive later this year alongside a server browser, prox chat, and more

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Apr 16 • 11:04 AM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
Battlefield 6 2026 Roadmap Confirmed

Bigger maps and naval warfare are just two of the additions coming to Battlefield 6 in 2026, as its developers have promised to finally, directly address community feedback with a series of major updates.

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Apr 16 • 11:00 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com
NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Maps Water Ice Throughout Cygnus X

An observation made by NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) shows the chemical

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Apr 15 • 11:04 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov
Pokémon Go Fans Use Government Maps to Hunt Snakes

Pokémon Go fans are wrestling with U.S. government geographic data to find a newly-released creature: Silicobra, the sand snake Pokémon.

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Apr 15 • 10:49 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com
New maps assess health of sagebrush ecosystems across the West

Conservation groups, state and federal agencies and local leaders partnered to create digital maps that provide a broad view of where sagebrush ecosystems are thriving and where they hang in the balance.

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Apr 15 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • opb.org
Apple gets serious about its advertising business

Ads are coming to Apple Maps. An Apple Business suite of tools launched this week. Could ads on Apple TV be the next step?

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Apr 15 • 7:40 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
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Worried about the midterms, Republicans mobilize rural Virginia voters against redistricting

Republican groups are mounting an intensifying, 11th-hour campaign to mobilize rural voters ahead of Virginia’s April 21 referendum to redraw its US House maps. At stake are as many as four US House seats Democrats want to redraw in their favor for the midterms. To maximize Democratic advantage, the map would put wealthy Washington, DC, suburbs in the same districts as farm communities 90 miles away, including in one misshapen district nicknamed the “lobster claw.”

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Apr 15 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
iOS 26.5 beta 2 gives Apple Maps a new ads popup

iOS 26.5 beta 2 arrived today, and it lays the groundwork for ads coming to Apple Maps via a new popup. Here are the details.

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Apr 13 • 2:21 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com
NASA Night-light Imagery Tracks US Energy Transition, Global Volatility

New nighttime maps based on NASA satellite imagery are upending assumptions, revealing a world where artificial brightening and dimming have intensified over

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Apr 13 • 10:31 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov
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Exclusive: Intel Core Ultra 400 "Nova Lake-S" preliminary SKU list leaked: 6 to 52 cores, DDR5-8000 and forward socket compatibility

Intel Nova Lake-S leak confirms DDR5-8000, NPU6 and 175W desktop SKUs Recently we got a chance to look at updated Nova Lake-S roadmaps. You have already

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Apr 12 • 2:29 PM EDT • Technology • videocardz.com
DAVID MARCUS: Virginia's battle over gerrymandering betrays our broken politics

A Virginia referendum on redistricting could redraw U.S. House maps from 6-5 to 10-1 for Democrats, raising fears of disenfranchising Republicans.

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Apr 10 • 5:14 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
Google Maps can now write captions for your photos using AI

Gemini can now create captions when users are looking to share a photo or video.

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Apr 7 • 11:30 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com
I let Gemini in Google Maps plan my day and it went surprisingly well

Tired: tokens. Wired: tacos.

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Apr 5 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Poll: Virginia voters narrowly support redistricting to favor Democrats

A slight majority of Virginia voters supports giving Democrats a temporary edge in congressional maps, but opponents are more motivated in new Post-Schar School poll.

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Apr 3 • 5:06 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
AI maps science papers to predict research trends two to three years ahead

The number of scientific papers is growing so rapidly that scientists are no longer able to keep track of all of them, even in their own research area. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ...

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Apr 1 • 3:20 PM EDT • Science • techxplore.com
Eureka! Scientists develop new way to detect breakthroughs in science

The history of science and technology is marked by major breakthroughs — the theory of evolution, the splitting of the atom, the development of antibiotics — and a research team including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has developed a method to help pinpoint discoveries that reshaped the course of science. A study publishing in Science Advances on April 1 maps the landscape of innovation to identify disruptive studies and patents that challenge existing paradigms and inspire waves of follow-up research. The measure was developed by a team including Sadamori Kojaku, assistant professor of systems science and industrial engineering at Binghamton University, along with his colleagues Munjung Kim and Yong-­Yeol Ahn at the University of Virginia.

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Apr 1 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org
Wisconsin judicial panel dismisses Democratic attempt to redraw congressional maps

MADISON, Wis. — A three-judge panel in Wisconsin on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic voters that sought to redraw the battleground state’s Republican-friendly congressional boundary lines ahead of

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Apr 1 • 1:30 AM EDT • Politics • telegraphherald.com
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iOS 26.5 adds new Apple Maps feature for trending places

iOS 26.5 beta 1 arrived today, and with it a new Apple Maps feature for discovering where to go next—dubbed simply ‘Suggested Places.’

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Mar 30 • 3:01 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com
Glyphosate: A story of science, risk, and nuance

In the summer of 2014, a California groundskeeper named Dewayne Johnson started noticing patches of raw, weeping skin spreading across his body. He had spent years applying Roundup, Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide, for a school district, sometimes drenched in it when equipment malfunctioned. By 2014, he had a diagnosis: non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2018, a jury awarded him $289 million in damages, later reduced on appeal. Tens of thousands of lawsuits followed. The story hasn’t quieted down. It’s all over the internet, swinging between “this will kill you, buy organic” and “relax, you’re fear-mongering.” Some of that recent chatter stems from an Executive Order protecting glyphosate and its production, which set off intense infighting within the MAHA movement. Some of it reflects a deeper truth: Americans genuinely care about harmful chemicals in their environment (see poll below). And the conversation isn’t going anywhere, with a Supreme Court case involving Monsanto set for this April. Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. But does glyphosate cause cancer? And how much exposure is actually risky? With so much mistrust in institutions and corporations (and some genuine conflicts of interest), making sense of the actual scientific evidence is genuinely hard. Here is a translation of what the scientific evidence actually says. Does glyphosate cause harm? Glyphosate is an herbicide that kills most plants it contacts rather than targeting specific species. It works by blocking an enzyme pathway (EPSPS) that plants and many microorganisms need to produce essential amino acids. Without those amino acids, the plant can’t grow and dies. Glyphosate was first developed by Monsanto in the 1970s and became ubiquitous after the company introduced “Roundup Ready” crops in the 1990s. In 2024, Bayer removed glyphosate from residential Roundup-branded products due to litigation pressure. But today it is still the most widely used herbicide in the world. Farmers also discovered they could spray it directly on crops like oats, lentils, beans, and peas just before harvest to dry them out faster and make harvesting easier. Because of its widespread use, it’s obviously really important to understand if it’s harmful to humans. The key principle: The dose makes the poison The most important concept in toxicology is that “the dose makes the poison.” Sixteenth-century physician Paracelsus articulated what remains the foundational principle of toxicology: sola dosis facit venenum. Water will kill you if you drink enough of it. Aspirin saves lives at 81 milligrams and causes internal bleeding at higher chronic doses. So, at what dose is glyphosate poisonous? The LD50 in rats (the dose that kills half the test animals) is around 5,600 mg/kg body weight. Table salt is roughly 3,000 mg/kg. By that classic measure, glyphosate is less acutely toxic than salt. But some people are exposed to a lot of glyphosate through their work. And among the general public, there are many questions about low-dose, cumulative exposure from multiple sources over long periods. Does glyphosate cause health problems? Cancer Correlation maps are striking, with one analysis finding that 60% of counties that spray the most glyphosate have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma rates above the national average. But correlation alone doesn’t establish cause, which is why animal and human studies matter. In animals: Rat studies are typically what most fear is rooted in, but most people don’t know the study details on the dosage given to rats. A pooled analysis of the 13 most rigorous rat studies found evidence that very high doses, around 55,000 times greater than typical food residue exposure, can cause certain cancers. In humans: One of the strongest studies followed 55,000 herbicide users over 20 years and found no overall increased cancer risk. There was one signal: among those with the highest use, rates of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) appeared elevated. A broader meta-analysis of 18 human studies also found no overall cancer risk, though a separate meta-analysis focused specifically on non-Hodgkin lymphoma found that people with high cumulative glyphosate exposure faced a 41% higher relative risk compared to those with low or no exposure. These human studies are observational studies (randomized controlled trials would be unethical), and meta-analyses are only as reliable as the studies they pool. But the story seems consistent: at very high exposure levels, there may be some cancer risk. But that’s about as far as the science currently takes us. Emerging research: gut and reproductive health Gut: Because glyphosate targets a pathway that exists in some gut bacteria, scientists have questioned whether it could affect the microbiome. In mice, a 2023 University of Iowa study found that glyphosate altered gut bacterial composition and raised markers of intestinal inflammation. A 2024 systematic review found similar patterns: disrupted gut bacteria and problems with the mucus layer that protects the intestinal wall in mice. Whether this translates to humans is an open question. The human gut is highly variable and resistant, and we don't yet have strong studies confirming the same effects in people. Reproductive health: Animal studies have found that glyphosate-based herbicides can interfere with reproductive hormones, including disrupting egg cell development in mice and reducing the number of eggs available in sheep’s ovaries. However, the doses used in these experiments were high, so it’s not yet clear whether the same effects would occur in humans. On the human side, a 2021 pilot study led by Mount Sinai researchers tested urine samples from pregnant women across the U.S. and found glyphosate in 95% of them. The study also found a possible connection between higher glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and a subtle physical difference measured in female newborns. That said, some connections weren’t statistically reliable and this was a small study. The researchers themselves said more and larger studies are needed before drawing firm conclusions. What do regulators say about glyphosate safety? In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A). The classification is worth taking seriously. But, there’s an important distinction: IARC classifies hazard, meaning the potential to cause harm under some conditions. It does not assess risk, which accounts for actual exposure levels and the real-world probability of harm. The U.S. EPA, the European Food Safety Authority, Health Canada, and regulatory agencies in Australia and Japan have all concluded that glyphosate is “unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans” at realistic exposure levels. They’re asking a different question: given how much of this people actually encounter, what is the probability of harm? Your actual exposure is what determines your actual risk. What does glyphosate mean for your daily life? At the grocery store: Food residues are small. The EPA’s acceptable daily intake is 1.75 mg/kg of body weight per day. To hit that threshold from oatmeal alone, a 150-pound adult would need to eat roughly 50 pounds of oats every day. But this calculation addresses only one pathway (food), and we don’t yet have robust tools to measure people’s actual total exposure. If reducing exposure matters to you, organic certification prohibits synthetic herbicides, and organic oat products generally test at lower or undetectable levels. Either way, a diet rich in whole grains, conventional or organic, is far better for your health than one that omits them out of fear of residues. On the farm: Occupational exposure is orders of magnitude higher than consumer exposure. Farmers and farm workers who mix, load, and apply glyphosate-based herbicides, especially without protective equipment, face meaningfully different risk profiles. Proper PPE isn’t optional. Integrated weed management strategies that rotate chemical modes of action are also worth taking seriously, both for health and for long-term effectiveness. If you live near a farm: Spray drift is real. Concentrations near field edges can spike during and after application, particularly on windy days. This is an area where I think public health could really step up and empower rural communities with buffer zones, rather than placing the onus on individuals. But for now, knowing your local agricultural calendar and keeping windows closed during application are the first steps. Bottom line Dewayne Johnson was exposed to glyphosate at levels most people will never encounter, and a jury decided he deserved compensation. That outcome is not evidence that the oatmeal in your pantry is dangerous. But it is a reminder that the dose, the context, and the person doing the exposing all matter enormously. Glyphosate is a chemical tool with benefits, trade-offs, and genuine open scientific questions. Learning to hold that complexity without collapsing into panic or dismissal is, honestly, one of the most useful and hardest things to do in navigating modern health science. Love, YLE Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is founded and operated by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD—an epidemiologist, wife, and mom of two little girls. Hannah Totte, MPH, is an epidemiologist and YLE Community Manager. YLE reaches more than 425,000 people in over 132 countries with one goal: “Translate” the ever-evolving public health science so that people will be well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe

Apple to bring paid ads to maps to US, Canada this summer

Apple on Tuesday said it plans to introduce paid ads to ‌its maps service in the U.S. and Canada this summer, marking its entry into a business long dominated by Alphabet's Google.

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Mar 24 • 11:01 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
The Morning After: WWDC 2026 is happening June 8th

The biggest news stories this morning: Wing expands its drone delivery service to the Bay Area, Billionaire OnlyFans owner Leonid Radvinsky has died from cancer at 43, Apple will reportedly start stuffing ads into the Maps app.

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Mar 24 • 8:15 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
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.

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Mar 22 • 2:18 PM EDT • Health • erictopol.substack.com
Small Business Tech News: Google Maps Gets A Big AI Upgrade

AI takes over Google Maps, TikTok is helping small businesses advertise, AI hacking is better than humans.

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Mar 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • forbes.com
Google Maps could soon get a long-overdue upgrade that replaces WhatsApp and Google Messages for location ...

Sharing your location has never felt this simple and fast.

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Mar 19 • 7:55 AM EDT • Technology • phonearena.com
Olivia Walton: States should lead on maternal health crisis

Heartland Forward is rolling out state-level roadmaps.

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Mar 19 • 6:31 AM EDT • Health • axios.com
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This Google Maps update could change how you share your location

The new method is simpler and more obvious.

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Mar 19 • 4:18 AM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com
Illinois primary elections

See Illinois election results and maps for the 2026 primaries.

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Mar 17 • 1:44 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Illinois House District 10 Primary Election Live Results 2026

Illinois House Election Results for the 2026 Primary Election. See Live Illinois House Election results and maps by state, county and district from NBC News.

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Mar 17 • 12:16 PM EDT • Politics • nbcnews.com
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Linux Finally Catches Up to Windows with a Game-Changing Performance Feature

For years, the Linux kernel’s scheduler has been world‑class at balancing loads, yet it missed a crucial, cache‑aware instinct. In modern multi‑core systems, that gap can turn into measurable latency, especially when threads bounce between cores that don’t share the same cache. A new upstream feature, often called Cache Aware Scheduling, is now set to change that equation. A cache‑savvy scheduler arrives At the heart of any OS, the scheduler decides which thread runs where and for how long. In modern CPUs, small private caches (L1 and L2) sit beside each core, while a larger Last Level Cache (LLC, typically L3) is shared among groups of cores. When a task migrates across LLC boundaries, its warm data may vanish from the cache, forcing slower trips to main memory. Cache Aware Scheduling keeps related tasks close to their shared LLC, reducing destructive migrations. By respecting cache topology, the kernel minimizes cold‑start penalties and preserves locality that many workloads desperately need. The result is less thrashing, fewer memory stalls, and more consistent throughput. "Keep tasks close to their data, and the system will keep performance close to its peak." Why this narrows the Windows gap Windows has long leaned on topology‑aware, cache‑sensitive heuristics, especially since the Windows 10 era. That advantage helped Microsoft handle hybrid designs with P‑cores and E‑cores, plus complex cluster and NUMA layouts. With cache awareness integrated upstream, Linux brings parity to this vital dimension, without sacrificing its trademark flexibility. The Linux approach remains deeply configurable, reflecting the ecosystem’s breadth across servers, desktops, and embedded devices. It layers atop existing NUMA‑balancing and energy‑aware logic, refining placement rather than reinventing the wheel. Crucially, it aligns scheduling with the hardware’s real shape, not just with abstract CPU counts. Real‑world gains and who benefits Early tests on Intel Sapphire Rapids platforms point to gains in the 30–45% range for select workloads. Those wins appear in cache‑sensitive tasks like in‑memory analytics, high‑thread compilation, and microservices with tight working‑sets. Games and latency‑bound engines can also feel steadier frame‑times, especially when threads share hot assets. The benefits extend to AMD’s 3D V‑Cache parts, where keeping threads near enlarged cache slices prevents needless misses. Hybrid x86 designs with performance and efficiency cores further profit when cache and core roles are scheduled in concert. Even handhelds running SteamOS can squeeze more out of limited power, translating cache locality into smoother play. Key advantages include: Lower end‑to‑end latency Fewer expensive misses to RAM Better multi‑socket and NUMA behavior Improved energy efficiency More predictable QoS under mixed loads Stronger scaling on dense servers Caveats, tuning, and rollout No scheduler change is purely free, and trade‑offs still exist. Favoring locality can reduce cross‑cluster balance if limits are set too tight. Likewise, fairness and utilization must remain healthy, especially under heterogeneous, bursty workloads. Linux’s implementation is designed to be measured and tunable, not a blunt instrument. It cooperates with energy‑aware scheduling for mobile efficiency, and with NUMA‑balancers on big iron. Expect architecture‑specific refinements as vendors surface richer topology hints and cache‑sharing maps. Upstream integration has begun, with broad distribution adoption likely over the next cycles. Many users will encounter the change through standard kernel updates in 2025–2026, depending on distro cadence. Server‑class kernels may enable or tune it sooner for targeted fleets where cache locality is money in the bank. How to think about performance impact Cache Aware Scheduling amplifies gains when your workload is both CPU‑bound and cache‑sensitive. Think tight inner loops, hot code paths, and datasets that fit snugly in shared LLC. It’s less dramatic for I/O‑bound services or memory‑hungry tasks that blow past cache capacity. Still, even modest locality improvements often translate into smoother tail‑latency, which is where user experience and SLAs typically break. Developers can further help by pinning related threads, batching work, and aligning data to reduce cross‑cluster chatter. The scheduler’s new awareness works best when applications expose good hints. The bottom line By understanding and honoring cache topology, Linux removes a subtle yet costly bottleneck. The kernel’s smarter placement keeps hot data hot and work near where it belongs. That narrows a long‑standing gap with Windows, while preserving the openness and tunability Linux champions. For gamers, creators, and operators, the payoff is practical: more consistent frames, faster builds, and snappier services. For the ecosystem, it’s another step toward hardware‑savvy scheduling that turns transistor complexity into real‑world speed. And for Linux itself, it’s a timely upgrade that matches today’s silicon with tomorrow’s expectations.

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Mar 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • iowaparkleader.com
Google Maps Is Getting A Huge Update With Immersive 3D Maps And AI

The new “Immersive Navigation” mode is billed as the most significant update to driving directions in Maps in over a decade.

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Mar 13 • 5:11 AM EDT • Technology • insideevs.com
Google Maps receives major upgrade with 'Ask Maps' AI feature and 3D redesign

Google says this is its biggest Maps update in over a decade.

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Mar 12 • 5:49 PM EDT • Technology • mashable.com
Gemini Is Now Your Permanent Passenger in Google Maps

Hopefully it doesn't hallucinate directions.

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Mar 12 • 2:20 PM EDT • Technology • gizmodo.com