SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " NEC " 4,765 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
‘Showing the upside to Down syndrome’: Columbia woman’s business giving back and inspiring others
Jewelry can hold meaning far beyond what meets the eye. For Columbia creator Lucy Graham, each bracelet and necklace is made with a purpose: showing “the upside to Down Syndrome.”
Indiana Fever Unveil First Look Inside $78M Populous-Designed Sports Performance Center
The 108,000 sq. ft. facility will be the largest in the WNBA and represents a new standard for holistic player experience, performance and investment in women’s sports.——–These renderings bring our vision into focus. Every element of this facility has been intentionally designed around our players including how they train, recover, connect and live day to […]
Apple is Permanently Closing Three Stores in U.S. Today
Apple today announced that it is permanently closing three retail stores in the U.S., including Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut, Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland, and Apple North County in Escondido, California. Apple issued the following statement to MacRumors: At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service and great experiences for our customers.
UConn names interim business dean as university relaunches search for permanent leader
The University of Connecticut has tapped operations and information management professor Robert “Bob” Day to serve as interim dean of its School of Business, as the university restarts its search […]
Computer science graduate maintains Carolina Gaming Arena
As the first Digital Services and Gaming Arena coordinator, Alex Ho ’22 helps gamers connect in the Craig Residence Hall space.
A more transparent, connected experience in Web of Science Research Assistant
The latest Web of Science Research Assistant update introduces a unified entry point, greater AI transparency, and new author and visualization tools that enhance the user experience.
Experts set 2030 nutrition science goals for resilient food systems
As the second quarter of the 21st century unfolds, experts are examining the state of nutrition as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) deadline looms with five years remaining. To achieve these targets, a new paper outlines key goals for nutrition science from 2025 to 2030. The Frontiers in Nutrition publication discusses the interconnectedness between nutrition, food security, and sustainability in complex food systems affected by shocks, policies, and environmental limits. The researchers reveal how these modern factors impact nutrition science and shape research agendas.
Age-Friendly Kansas: Three-Year Action Plan
Age-Friendly Kansas Three-Year Action Plan: Promoting connection, reducing isolation and integrating healthy aging across sectors through practical strategies developed with state and national partners.
Don’t dismantle the Office of Health Strategy
Connecticut’s citizens – including those in the more rural areas – deserve a system that protects them from the excesses of corporate medicine.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 9, 2026, puzzle No. 563
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Lawmakers connect with business owners to address issues weighing on them in GTP forum
Topeka business leaders brought business owners together with policymakers.
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for April 9 #563
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.
Scientists discover hidden gut trigger behind ALS and dementia
A new study reveals that gut bacteria may play a key role in triggering ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Harmful sugars produced by these microbes can spark immune responses that damage the brain. This breakthrough explains why some genetically at-risk people develop the diseases while others don’t. Even more promising, reducing these sugars improved brain health in experiments, hinting at new treatment possibilities.
Apple MacBooks slow down after 49 days due to "macOS time bomb"
The Apple MacBook, iMac and Mac mini suffer from a macOS bug that effectively acts like a time bomb. After a timer reaches a certain value, new TCP connections can effectively no longer be established, causing many apps and websites to stop working.
Oregonians tell Governor Kotek high costs, taxes are holding back business growth
A new statewide survey of Oregonians sends a clear and message: high costs, taxes and regulations are making it harder for businesses.
Oregonians tell Governor Kotek high costs, taxes are holding back business growth
A new statewide survey of Oregonians sends a clear and message: high costs, taxes and regulations are making it harder for businesses.
Social support, sleep and pain management linked to mental health in later life
Older Canadians who are socially connected, physically healthy, and spiritually engaged are significantly more likely to experience complete mental health, according to a new nationally representative ...
Science Communications with Natasha Kassulke
Are you interested in learning how to turn complex ideas into messages people actually understand? Then Science Communication is the perfect class for you! This fall 2026 semester, Science Communication (Hybrid) will be taught by instructor Natasha Kassulke. WHY TAKE THIS COURSE? ● Earn college credit in high school ● Explain ideas clearly and confidentlyStory...
Bicycle bell designed to defeat noise-cancelling headphones
Škoda's DuoBell is designed to be heard by people wearing high-end headphones, inexpensively blowing through active noise cancellation without being ridiculously loud or unnecessarily "smart." It's a "simple analog solution"…
Marshawn Lynch talks ‘Euphoria,’ football and the connections between them
The former Seattle Seahawks running back has two upcoming acting projects: “Euphoria” Season 3 (premiering April 12 on HBO Max) and the film “He Bled Neon.”
Forza Horizon 6 Preview: Collectibles, Seamless Races and Open World Design Make for the Most Explorable Adventure Yet
Forza Horizon 6 takes interconnectivity to a new level with seamless races and events, collectibles, and much more, all accessible from the game's stunning open world.
Fanatics and AT&T announce exclusive multi-year partnership to connect more fans to sports moments
AT&T and Fanatics announced an exclusive multi-year partnership to bring fans closer to sports through rewards, events and enhanced digital experiences.
Strengthening One Health through coordinated action on implementation, science, policy and financing - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health
Today, the Fourth Quadripartite Executive Annual Meeting will convene in Lyon, France, from 8-9 April 2026. The meeting will focus on preventing future health crises through more integrated systems for managing the health of animals, humans, plants and ecosystems. Preventing future health crises requires urgent, coordinated action that recognizes the deep interconnections between the health of […]
Strengthening One Health through coordinated action on implementation, science, policy and financing - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health
Today, the Fourth Quadripartite Executive Annual Meeting will convene in Lyon, France, from 8-9 April 2026. The meeting will focus on preventing future health crises through more integrated systems for managing the health of animals, humans, plants and ecosystems. Preventing future health crises requires urgent, coordinated action that recognizes the deep interconnections between the health of […]
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 8, 2026, puzzle No. 562
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray Stevens recovering after breaking neck
i a e n celebrity country-music music grammy-awards entertainment u-s-news general-news | Talk Radio 1210 WPHT
Viewpoint: FP10 should remain open, excellent and secure
Europe is right to worry about research security. Foreign interference is real. So is the misuse of sensitive knowledge. Universities working in sensitive areas such as AI, quantum, semiconductors and advanced materials cannot afford to ignore the geopolitical environment around them.But Europe is in danger of drawing the wrong conclusion, one that would increase, not reduce, its strategic vulnerabilities.If the EU applies an “EU preference” logic to the next Framework Programme for research and innovation (FP10), it will weaken one of its greatest strategic assets: a research system built on openness, excellence and international collaboration. In the name of security, Europe could end up advancing science more slowly, innovating less effectively and making itself less attractive to global talent and partners in advanced science and technology.That would be a serious mistake.The EU preference included in Article 10 of the proposed European Competitiveness Fund may make sense in some industrial or deployment contexts, but is far harder to justify when applied to collaborative research in advanced science and technology, where excellence and global connectivity are crucial. Research is not procurement. It does not thrive when isolated. It advances through access to the best ideas, the best people, the best facilities and the best data, wherever they are found. This is why FP10 should not simply absorb industrial policy logic by default. Doing so would risk importing instruments that are ill-suited to research and that ultimately increase vulnerability rather than resilience.For universities of science and technology, the issue is especially acute. These institutions sit at the frontier of knowledge and technology creation in the very fields Europe sees as critical for its future competitiveness and resilience. They know better than most that security risks are real. But they also know that openness and security are not opposites. In practice, they have to be made to work together. Research security is not about closing doors. It is about building resilience through collective responsibility, trust, proportionate safeguards and better governance. That is a fundamentally different approach from default restriction.The risks of non-collaborationThe real danger in the current debate is that Europe talks too much about the risks of collaboration and not enough about the risks of non-collaboration. Those risks are strategic too. Cut researchers off from international networks and Europe loses access to knowledge, data, infrastructures and talent. Slow down global collaboration in critical technologies and Europe slows down its own progress on cutting-edge science. Make participation rules unpredictable and Europe weakens its attractiveness to researchers and investors alike.In other words, over-restricting collaboration will create strategic vulnerabilities, particularly in advanced science and technologies.This point is often underestimated in policy discussions that frame openness mainly as a value to be defended. Europe’s scientific strength, technological development and long-term competitiveness depend on remaining connected to the best research ecosystems in the world. For a continent that wants to accelerate deep tech, strengthen industrial capacity and reduce strategic dependencies, weakening the excellence base would be self-defeating. That does not mean ignoring risk. Quite the opposite. Universities are already strengthening due diligence, internal governance, awareness-raising, screening procedures and compliance support. Across Europe, institutions are working to manage risks linked to foreign interference, sanctions, export controls and the misuse of research. The right response is not complacency. It is better risk management. But that means targeted, evidence-based and proportionate measures, not blunt top-down restrictions with wide spillover effects. In the daily reality of universities, openness and restriction often coexist. The real challenge is how to apply safeguards without sliding into securitisation that damages academic freedom, open science and international cooperation. Restrict partners, not nationsMore restrictive treatment of collaborators from European Economic Area members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, or from Switzerland and the UK, is strategically very difficult to justify. These are deeply embedded partners in Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem. Beyond that, Europe should still resist default exclusion and instead rely on case-by-case assessment. The relevant question is not nationality in the abstract. It is the actual risk profile of a collaboration: the institution, the affiliations, the field, the knowledge involved, the intended use and the safeguards available. Screening should focus on institutions and affiliations rather than nationality alone. Related articlesParliament ‘misreads’ link between Horizon Europe and ECF, Commission official saysFrustration grows at governance gap in next Horizon EuropeIf EU preference logic is imported into research without careful calibration, the likely result is a chilling effect. Researchers may step back from legitimate and beneficial collaboration, even where risks are manageable. International partners may see Europe as less predictable. And Europe may end up undermining the very excellence base it needs to compete, scale up and lead in strategic technologies, thereby increasing its dependence on others.FP10 should do the opposite. It should remain open by default, with restrictions used only exceptionally, and then on the basis of clear evidence. It should integrate research security into open science and research integrity frameworks, not set them against each other. And it should recognise that academic freedom, scientific excellence and responsible international collaboration are not obstacles to Europe’s security, they are part of it. Europe needs stronger tools to protect itself. But it also needs the discipline to avoid measures that would weaken it and increase its strategic vulnerabilities in the process. In FP10, that means staying open, excellent and secure.Louise Drogoul is senior advisor for innovation and sustainability at the Cesaer university association.
The Boundless Deep: Young Tennyson, Science, and the Crisis of Belief by Richard Holmes
Pantheon Review by Walter Cummins The image of Alfred Tennyson I’ve carried for decades goes back to the childhood card game of Authors that depicts him with a stately continence sharpened by a jutting black beard. He’s formidable, his aura superior. Holmes opens his biography of the youthful Tennyson by describing the similar formality of the imposing Tennyson statue at Trinty College Cambridge, sharing the honor with other Trinity greats, including Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon, and Thomas Babington Macaulay. Holmes doesn’t want to chip away at that statue but rather reveal its inner youthful core of the man—tall, handsome, and talented but unformed, emerging from a disturbed family of addicted or insane male siblings and four unusual sisters struggling under a violent alcoholic clergyman father. Alfred was certainly statuesque, but would he end up a block of unformed stone like his equally promising brothers? He was youngest of three equally regarded Tennyson brothers at Cambridge, all bright, handsome, and talented, in fact Alfred regarded by some as less promising than his elders who also wrote poetry. Yet Alfred wrote one of his major poems, “The Kraken,” at twenty, revealing both his talent, his interest in geological forces, and the haunting creature that embodied his anxieties. While Holmes focuses on Tennyson of the 1830s and 1840s, he can’t tell his story without exploring his involvement with the Victorian intellectual upheaval. Tennyson was fascinated by new scientific perspectives, following the latest findings as soon as books and articles were published. He was especially taken with Charles Lyell’s deep studies of geology and the discovery of fossils and a timeline of the planet’s development that did much to question fundamental religious assumptions. The impact of these discoveries is reflected in Tennyson’s poetry and led to the crisis in belief he shared with so many contemporaries. He was especially taken by the cycles of destruction and renewal that informed the struggles he confronted in In Memoriam, Maud, and Idylls of the King. Tennyson was only one of the eventual major figures at Cambridge at the same time, young men just beginning to realize their potential. Charles Darwin was at Christ College, although there is no evidence that he and Tennyson even met as students or later in life. Yet evolution became significant in Tennyson’s thinking and the issues of his poetry. One of Tennyson’s best and most important Cambridge friends was Edward FitzGerald, who became the translator of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám and in their on and off relationship served as Tennyson’s harshest critic. FitzGerald was also a friend of the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, the two of them partying in Paris as undergraduates. That connection led to a friendship between Thackeray and Tennyson. Others who came to play significant roles in Tennyson’s life were Thomas Carlyle, the Brownings, and the Pre-Raphaelites. Tennyson’s deepest friend at college was Arthur Hallam, who at twenty wrote a glowing review of Tennyson’s first poetry collection, travelled on European adventures with him, and fell in love with his sister Emily. Hallam was also regarded as one more very promising Cambridge student. His sudden death at twenty-two in Vienna from a stroke while travelling with his father devastated many friends, but perhaps Tennyson most of all. He did not write immediate poems of grief but took years to compile those collected in In Memoriam A.H.H., published in 1850, almost twenty years after Hallam’s death For all of Tennyson’s early poetic successes and successes, Holmes reveals him as an often troubled young man suffering periods of depression, fearing planetary upheaval, concerned about supporting himself, disappointed in romances, and worried that he would inherit the family’s mental illness tendencies. Yet despite his seeming withdrawals, he was always writing poetry that he kept private and would not let go, constantly revising. 1850 became a transformative year for Tennyson. He finally consented to publishing In Memoriam with a last-minute prologue that acknowledged God and perhaps convinced the religious Emily Sellwood to marry him after years of pursuit.. He opened up to Emily, revealing his struggles with fears of depression and “weird seizures.” The devastating event of that time was the stillborn death of his unnamed first son. It shook him, but Emily’s faith brought them closer and convinced him to believe in an afterlife. Two later sons survived. With the death of William Wordworth in April of 1950, Tennyson was named poet laureate at age forty-one, reluctantly accepting. It’s as if Tennyson’s life split in half in that year. He lived another forty years, now a recognized success, with the prestige of being an official poet writing patriotic verse, wealthy and revered, no longer the insecure young man seeking an outlet for his immense talent. He earned a place in the Authors deck, now dignified and in 1884 elevated to the peerage as Arthur, Lord Tennyson. Richard Holmes is the author of twenty previous books on the Romantics and Victorians, several of which received awards. The Boundless Deep was shortlisted for the 2025 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. He captures the complex vicissitudes of Tennyson’s youth, illustrated by frequent excerpts from the poetry, placing that life in the full context of the shattering discoveries that led to an upheaval of thought in the Victorian age.
Florida Chamber case study spotlights aviation workforce challenges
‘Florida’s aviation industry is essential to our state’s economic strength and global connectivity.’
Business in Brief: New Van Ness businesses; Intelsat auction canceled; Whale Tea rebrands; I’m Eddie Cano bankruptcy update | Forest Hills Connection | News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood
Some Forest Hills Connection reporting involves poking our heads through open doors. Doing so recently yielded the news that the last remaining vacant retail space at Park Van Ness (4455 Connecticut Avenue) has been leased to an IV hydration spa. A contractor getting the space ready told us Hydralive Therapy is moving in. Similarly, we […]
New Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 leak reveals something unexpected
According a new report about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, it may also be available in 4G/LTE connectivity option, alongside the 5G variant.
Scientists map the brain’s hidden wiring using RNA barcodes in major breakthrough
Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique that uses RNA “barcodes” to map how neurons connect, capturing thousands of links with single-synapse precision. The method transforms brain mapping into a sequencing task, making it faster and more scalable than traditional approaches. In mice, it revealed surprising new connections between brain cells that were previously unknown. This could open the door to earlier detection and targeted treatment of neurological diseases.
UNE and Maine Public Health Association announce innovative workforce training partnership
Starting in spring 2026, students across multiple programs, including public health, nutrition, marine science, climate change leadership, medicine, and business, will work together with MPHA to solve real-world problems, learn how to advocate for change, and connect with mentors already working in the field. With UNE's Institute of Public and Planetary Health now MPHA’s largest academic member, the partnership will leverage UNE’s new Institute of Public and Planetary Health to provide critical transdisciplinary public health workforce training for UNE students.
Social Science Has a Replication Problem
And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if it inspires self-correction.
The Michigan Wolverines won a title by mastering college basketball’s new world. It might change the sport
Michigan, a team that has performed like a freight train in this NCAA tournament, won the national title – the Big Ten’s first in 26 years – by playing more like a bulldozer.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 7, 2026, puzzle No. 561
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Upcoming Tech and Sourcing Webinar on Digital Health
Join partner Ben Klaber and of counsels Ariel Seeley and Eric Pennesi on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm ET for a discussion on innovations and trends in digital health. Topics will include artificial intelligence and connected devices, as well as data governance and regulatory developments.
The Intersection Between Gut and Spine Health
Emerging research is showing more and more connection between the two.
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for April 7 #561
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.
Tiny Takeover challenges
The Tiny Takeover challenge is officially completed, and we have one team that triumphed. Find out which and claim your rewards!
International maritime officers connect with science at W&M’s Batten School & VIMS
W&M's Batten School & VIMS recently hosted the U.S. Coast Guard’s International Maritime Officer’s Course.
Join our Twitch Tiny Takeover
We are about to launch a Tiny Takeover campaign on Twitch! This special event has something for everyone, whether you’re streaming or watching!
CT Business Blend: April 6, 2026
Hartford Business Journal’s Greg Bordonaro and WTIC’s Brian Shactman explore the people, companies and trends shaping Connecticut’s business scene every Monday at 8:30 a.m. on WTIC 1080 AM.
Embedded mental health clinical interns quickly connect people to support
Counseling Service of Addison County’s embedded master’s-level clinical internship program connects people to services, offering support from a familiar face within a trusted agency. Interns gain close supervision and guidance from expert staff in an established Community Mental Health Agency.
Finding my footing at We Mean Business Day
Jessicka Alvarado Morales '26 reflects on building confidence, making connections and navigating the path from uncertainty to opportunity at Salve Regina University’s annual student-produced expo.
Software from tech startup Leto helps caseworkers connect clients with community resources
Leto Tech PBC has launched software developed by Purdue researchers that helps social service agencies and other organizations more efficiently connect their clients with community resources.
Facing Michigan’s ‘Monstars,’ UConn finds itself in the unlikely position of underdog
UConn is one of the most storied programs in college basketball. They’re facing a test in Michigan unlike anything they’ve seen in years.
Breaking a sweat isn’t easy: Mental health barriers to physical activity
Exercise has long been referenced as a way to clear the mind, take away stress or combat mental health disorders, according to postdoctoral scholar and research associate in the University of Wisconsin Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory Madeleine Connolly. Practices such as yoga in India and tai chi in China have connected the mind and body through...
Lawmakers seek permanent funding for referral hotlines connecting families to mental health care
A bill heard by a Rhode Island Senate panel last week would fold funding for telephone hotlines used by pediatricians and family doctors to connect kids and parents to mental health treatment hotlines into a health department program funded by insurer contributions.
Bordonaro: Legislature’s labor agenda risks hurting business competitiveness
With the Labor Committee approving 48 bills in six weeks, the cumulative weight of new scheduling rules, striking worker benefits and operational mandates risks making Connecticut a harder place to do business at exactly the wrong time.
Neff College of Business Honors Local Leadership Scholar with 2026 Pacemaker Award
Clinton “Clint” Longenecker, a Distinguished University Professor of Leadership Excellence Emeritus in the John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation, is an executive educator, consultant, leadership coach and motivational speaker, and a former Rocket football player.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 6, 2026, puzzle No. 560
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
The inside scoop of UWW-TV sports
Sports coverage has never been limited to one format. It varies from written recaps to watching highlights or listening on the radio. Providing these services is important for engagement within a community, and it has been proven with Whitewater being an example of growth and connection through sports. Students and locals can tune into media...
On plant health and embracing new plant-breeding techniques in South Africa
The major challenge currently confronting South Africa’s agriculture is the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. For many farmers across the country, the most urgent tasks are both securing sufficient vaccines and rolling them out quickly in the coming months, particularly as the beef and dairy industries continue to suffer big losses. There is also pressure on sheep, goats, and other livestock to prevent the disease from spreading. As efforts to get the country through this monumental challenge continue, I believe it is important to sharpen our focus on the broader task at hand: strengthening biosecurity. This covers both animal and plant health. In recent years, we haven’t focused much on plant health, except a few times, such as when we had a goss’s wilt scare in the maize industry, a few cases of citrus black spot, or cases of sclerotinia in sunflower seeds. But the fact that South Africa managed to control the outbreaks of these particular diseases when they occurred a few years ago was due to organized agricultural and government scientific capabilities, and, most importantly, the availability of crop protection or agrochemicals necessary to address some of them. Therefore, as the animal health division in the Department of Agriculture focuses on the pressing challenge of the day, the foot-and-mouth disease, there is an opportunity for the plant health division to assess if they have all the requirements to tackle any outbreak that may occur on fruits, vegetables or crops in future. The challenge with crop diseases is that they can spread quickly and cause much more rapid damage in the field than we typically see with livestock. Therefore, speed is everything in ensuring the appropriate controls are available. I raise this as an important area, particularly given the drastic climate variation we observe across the country. The production conditions in some areas have changed noticeably over time, which may introduce new risks. The other essential part is ensuring that South Africa has access to the best crop protection technology available in the market. Many technology developers worldwide have operations in South Africa. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture, along with the Agricultural Research Council, must continuously interact with technology developers to assess the various crop protection technologies they are releasing globally and determine their suitability and need in South Africa. This will require a proactive approach from the government, unlike the current approach, in which technology developers typically approach regulators with new technologies. The government, recognising the food security risks, must take a proactive approach to ensure that South African farmers have access to the latest crop protection technologies, thereby safeguarding the country’s food security. Beyond crop protection, we must never forget that South Africa’s agriculture is key to ensuring that the country is the most food-secure country at the national level in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa is also the only African country in the top-40 global agricultural exporters, having more than doubled since 1994 on the back of the adoption of high-yielding seed cultivars. South Africa has been the only African country to adopt a bold approach to embracing science and adopting genetically engineered seeds for grains and oilseeds in the early 2000s. Since then, we have seen crop yields improve noticeably, contributing to the gains we mentioned above. But ensuring that South Africa improves further is not a given. The key lies in South African regulators’ attitudes towards new technologies. We have to maintain a progressive approach and not give in to the politics of non-food and non-scientific voices that shout on the sidelines. Food security is national security, and the government must ensure we progress, leaning on science. Therefore, the registration of high-yielding new genomic techniques is required. South Africa cannot afford to fall behind the EU, the USA, South America, and many of its competitors in global agriculture. The Department of Agriculture’s crop science division must adopt a progress-and-science-embracing approach for the good of the country. Thanks for reading AgriView! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe Share
Connecticut bars getting business boost from UConn basketball tournament runs
The UConn men’s basketball team run to the national championship is also bringing a lot of customers to local bars across Connecticut for watch parties. “We had the audio running and everything and as soon as the final buzzer hit, everyone was going crazy. We had a nice little UConn chant going at the end,” Yash Ramchandani, whose family owns…
WHO commends Indonesia’s leadership in One Health action to reduce risks from priority zoonotic diseases
On World Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights Indonesia’s progress in reducing health risks from zoonotic diseases through a strengthened One Health approach. One Health recognizes that the health of people, animals and the environment are closely connected and must be addressed together. Led by the Government of Indonesia and supported by WHO and partners, the country has expanded joint prevention, surveillance and response efforts across sectors.
Train transfer hub linked to reduced healthcare spending
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University and Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. evaluated the 2019 Osaka-Higashi Line station openings using a natural experiment and health insurance claims. While the overall rail-line effect was not significant, Shigino Station, a well-connected transfer hub, showed an estimated cumulative reduction of about JPY 62,500 per medically treated person over four years, highlighting that station connectivity and local context may determinewhether new stations deliver healthcare cost benefits.
Art and politics … intersecting again
The stunning ”Resistance” Mexican art exhibit at the New Bedford Art Museum is unpredictable and necessary.
Suffrage & Science Week to explore connections between women’s rights and science
Seneca Falls, N.Y. — The Women’s Rights National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman National Historical Park are hosting Suffrage & Science Week.This program wi
A new way to deliver faster, greener wireless connections indoors
Modern life depends on fast and reliable wireless connections. Video calls, streaming services, virtual reality, and smart devices all place growing demands on networks that already serve billions of ...
New York Jets Flight Connections 04/05/26
Happy Easter Sunday, Jets fans! Below are your links for the day. Brian Costello – What Jets might do at quarterback in 2026 NFL Draft Rich Cimini – With Sabres playoff berth, Jets own longest active playoff drought Andrew Crane – Jets now by themselves for longest-active playoff drought with Sabres clinching berth after 14 […]
Rangers track forward Gelhardt
Rangers could use 49ers connections to land Leeds striker and Hearts star on Portugal radar...
What the Muppets can teach us about Maine politics
For dreamers like me, the Rainbow Connection seems distant. Our political climate has abandoned what I consider the Muppet spirit: a celebration of wistfulness, a collective made strong by diversity and humble and transparent leadership. Contemporary politics has been like shadow puppets: projections designed to obscure the causes of our dysfunctional society. The Muppets offer […]
What the Muppets can teach us about Maine politics
For dreamers like me, the Rainbow Connection seems distant. Our political climate has abandoned what I consider the Muppet spirit: a celebration of wistfulness, a collective made strong by diversity and humble and transparent leadership. Contemporary politics has been like shadow puppets: projections designed to obscure the causes of our dysfunctional society. The Muppets offer […]
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 5, 2026, puzzle No. 559
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Scientists found a protein that drives brain aging — and how to stop it
Scientists have uncovered a powerful new clue in the mystery of brain aging: a single protein called FTL1. In aging mice, higher levels of this protein weakened connections between brain cells and led to memory decline. But when researchers reduced FTL1, something remarkable happened — the brain began to recover, rebuilding lost connections and restoring memory performance.
AMD or Nvidia eGPUs can work on Apple Silicon Macs, but not for graphic acceleration
Apple has signed a driver for AMD or Nvidia eGPUs connected to Apple Silicon but there are some big caveats, and it won't improve your graphics. Here's what they're for.
US revokes green cards and visas of several Iranian nationals connected to Tehran government
The Trump administration has revoked the green cards or U.S. visas of at least four Iranian nationals connected to the current or former Iranian government, including two who have been detained by immigration authorities and are to be deported
New Purdue center looks to grow cognitive science across campus
Faculty speakers at Purdue’s Interdisciplinary Conference in Cognitive Science said the university’s new Cognition, Agency, and Intelligence Center aims to connect philosophy, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary research.
Times Opinion: Big money in politics makes progress in Tennessee impossible
Take a look at governmental policy and the public's broad position on any given issue, and you'll see a glaring disconnect.
Scientists discover hidden gut signals that could detect cancer early
A new study reveals that gut bacteria and metabolites may hold the key to detecting serious digestive diseases earlier and more easily. Using AI, scientists found that biomarkers linked to one condition can often predict others, showing these diseases are more interconnected than previously thought. This cross-disease insight could lead to faster diagnoses without invasive procedures.
We live in a time where we are constantly connected but rarely seen. Here's how to fix that.
Something quieter is happening underneath all the noise — people are wondering if they matter.
Democrats rebounding without learning necessary lessons
“When we fight, we win!” That, reportedly, was the chant heard over and over again at the Colorado Democratic Assembly a week ago. It suggests that pugilism has been the piece missing from the Democratic toolkit. Perhaps it was just me, but I seem to recall Democrats exhibiting plenty of fight back in 2024. The […]
A Meat Plant Closed in Nebraska. Then Politics Became a Focus for These Latinos
Politically disconnected young men, especially Latinos, helped fuel President Trump’s victory, but in this economy, they could move to unconventional candidates like Dan Osborn in Nebraska.
Column: The future is now
In the sci-fi of 2026, the future isn’t bright, necessarily. But there is a tiny light of optimism burning in the darkness. We’re still here, against all odds. And if
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 4, 2026, puzzle No. 558
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Gemma 4 and what makes an open model succeed
Having written a lot of model release blog posts, there’s something much harder about reviewing open models when they drop relative to closed models, especially in 2026. In recent years, there were so few open models, so when Llama 3 was released most people were still doing research on Llama 2 and super happy to get an update. When Qwen 3 was released, the Llama 4 fiasco had just gone down, and a whole research community was emerging to study RL on Qwen 2.5 — it was a no brainer to upgrade. Today, when an open model releases, it’s competing with Qwen 3.5, Kimi K2.5, GLM 5, MiniMax M2.5, GPT-OSS, Arcee Large, Nemotron 3, Olmo 3, and others. The space is populated, but still feels full of hidden opportunity. The potential of open models feels like a dark matter, a potential we know is huge, but few clear recipes and examples for how to unlock it are out there. Agentic AI, OpenClaw, and everything brewing in that space is going to spur mass experimentation in open models to complement the likes of Claude and Codex, not replace them. Especially with open models, the benchmarks at release are an extremely incomplete story. In some ways this is exciting, as new open models have a much higher variance and ability to surprise, but it also points at some structural reasons that make building businesses and great AI experiences around open models harder than the closed alternatives. When a new Claude Opus or GPT drops, spending a few hours with them in my agentic workflows is genuinely a good vibe test. For open models, putting them through this test is a category error. Something else to be said about open models in the era of agents is that they get out of the debate of integration, harnesses, and tools and let us see close to the ground on what exactly is the ability of just a model. Of course, we can’t test some things like search abilities without some tool, but being able to measure exactly the pace of progress of the model alone is a welcome simplification to a systematically opaque AI space. Share The list of factors I’d use to assess a new open-weight model I’m considering investing in includes: Model performance (and size) — how this model performs on benchmarks I care about and how it compares to other models of a similar size. Country of origin — some businesses care deeply about provenance, and if a model was built in China or not. Model license — if a model needs legal approval for use, uptake will be slower at mid-sized and large companies. Tooling at release — many models release with half-broken, or at least substantially slower, implementations in popular software like vLLM, Transformers, SGLANG, etc due to pushing the envelope of architectures or tools. Model fine-tunability — how easy or hard it is to modify the given model to your use-case when you actually try and use it. The core problem is that some of these are immediately available at release, e.g. general performance, license, origin, etc. but others such as tooling take day(s) to week(s) to stabilize, and others are open research questions — with no group systematically monitoring fine-tunability. In the early era of open models, the days of Llama 2 or 3 and Qwen pre v3.5, the architectures were fairly simple and the models tended to work out of the box. Some of this was due to the extremely hard work of the Llama, Qwen, Mistral, etc. developer teams. Some is due to the new models being genuinely harder to work with. When it comes to something like Qwen 3.5 or Nemotron 3, with hybrid models (either gated delta net or mamba layers), the tooling is very rough at release. Things you would expect to “just work” often don’t. I’ve been following this area closely since we released Olmo Hybrid with a similar architecture, and Qwen 3.5 is just starting to work well in the various open-source tools that need to all play nice together for RL research. That’s 1.5 months after the release date! This is just to start really investing more into understanding the behavior of the models. Of course, others started working on these models sooner by investing more engineering resources or relying on partially closed software. The fully open and distributed ecosystem takes a long time to get going on some new models. All of this is lead-in for the most important question for open models — how easy is it to adapt to specific use-cases? This is a different problem for different model sizes. Large MoE open-weight models may be used by entities like Cursor who need complex capabilities in their domain, e.g. Composer 2 trained on Kimi K2.5. Other applications can be built on much smaller models, such as Chroma’s Context-1 model for agentic search, built on GPT-OSS 20B. The question of “which models are fine-tunable” is largely background knowledge known by engineers across the industry. There should be a thriving research area here to support the open ecosystem model. The first step is to understand characteristics of different base and post-trained models to understand what they look like. The second step is to tune pretraining recipes for open models so they’re more flexible. Interconnects AI is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe For The ATOM Project and other Interconnects endeavors, we’ve put in substantial effort to measuring adoption trends in the open ecosystem. Everything takes a long time to unfold after a model is first publicly available — and adaptability is why. What we know for sure now, when Qwen has been going from strength to strength with its releases, is that technical staff across the industry has gotten comfortable working with Qwen models. Countless research methods and datasets were made to work with Qwen. It’ll take patience for any other model family to get to this point — a patience I’m not sure many open model builders have. This takes us to Gemma 4, Google’s latest open models. Gemma 3 was released more than a year ago, in March of 2025, and is a bit underrated. Gemma 4 comes in 4 sizes for now, with a bigger, MoE model of over 100B total parameters rumored but not released yet. The models we have today come in sizes of ~5B dense, 8B dense, 26B total 4B active MoE, and 31B dense. I’m most excited that they’re finally adopting a standard Apache 2.0 open source license. This’ll massively boost adoption. The standard of better licenses for strong open-weight LLMs was set by mostly Chinese open model labs in the last 1-2 years, and now U.S. companies are following suit. I will personally be so happy if the horrible Llama licenses and Gemma terms of service were an ~18-month transient dynamic of the industry being nervous about releasing strong open models. The Gemma 4 scores look very solid, the small models have incredible benchmark scores (especially in general domains like LMArena) and the 31B model rivals the recent Qwen 3.5 27B, which is the leading member of that class. The ~30B size range is an important one, as it’s accessible both to researchers and to enterprises looking to deploy the model in real use-cases. Where the 7B model scale is the default for tinkering and research, a 30B model is the default for seeing if an open model can unlock substantial value in your specific workflow — a good mix of intelligence, low price, tractability for downstream training, etc. This takes us back to the above adoption criteria I mentioned for open models and the bigger question — do I think Gemma 4 will be an overwhelming success? Previous Gemma models have been plagued by tooling issues and poorer performance when being finetuned. Gemma 4’s success is going to be entirely determined by ease of use, to a point where a 5-10% swing on benchmarks wouldn’t matter at all. It’s strong enough, small enough, with the right license, and from the U.S., so many companies are going to slot it in. I’m cautiously optimistic that Gemma 4 is going to work better here. Winds are shifting for open models built in America. We saw GPT-OSS go through a bumpy launch to become an overwhelming success. There’s a collective energy around the likes of Reflection, Arcee, Nemotron, Gemma, Olmo, and peers that show substantial demand for building new stacks around open models. There’s capital to be spent on AI stacks across the economy by those who want more ownership of everything, including the model. After launching The ATOM Project 240 days ago, the conversation is shifting into the next stage. Summer of 2025 was a crisis moment where the U.S. AI scene realized it can’t wait and figure out open models after building AGI. The two markets will capture different areas and proceed in parallel. Now that more companies in the U.S. are releasing strong models, we need to improve the ecosystem so that these models are easy to use, understand, and build value around. It’s the hard work to build another inflection point in these adoption plots I’ve been updating consistently, but that’s the work to be done. Join me in it. More data coming soon! Here’s a sneak peek:
Big Month for Small Business in Macon-Bibb
Macon-Bibb County’s Office of Small Business Affairs (OSBA) hosted and co-hosted five workshops and panels throughout March, reaching nearly 800 participants across the community. “These workshops and panels are about making sure our small businesses have access to the information, connections, and opportunities they need to grow,” said OSBA Director Charise Stephens. “When we invest […]
An Art-Science Partnership Offering New Views of Dynamic Landscapes
The immersive and interactive WILDLAND exhibition allowed the public—and the exhibition’s creators—to explore connections among water, trees, fire, and other natural and human-made materials expressed…
Palumbo family business secrets revealed in settlement agreement with IDOT
It turns out there were more connections than previously known between Sebastian "Sam" Palumbo, his construction firms and a road-building group overseen by relatives known as Builders Companies. But the firms insist those ties didn't violate Palumbo's agreement not to participate in state or federal contracts following a 1999 guilty plea in a racketeering case.
From sidewalks to systems: UK celebrates Public Health Week
Public health is all around us — from the sidewalks we walk on to the food we eat and the care we can access. National Public Health Week at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health celebrates that work while highlighting the students and faculty shaping it every day. Running April 5-11, this year’s events focus on community and connection.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 3, 2026, puzzle No. 557
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Top 5: Fighters on the Rise at UFC Vegas 115
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev seems to possess all the tools necessary to blossom into a full-bloom star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight division.
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for April 3 #557
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.
Found: Most pristine star in the universe
A record-setting pristine star provides a window into the dawn of stars and galaxies in the universe. This groundbreaking find connects the work of two telescopes at Carnegie Science's Las Campanas Observatory—the du Pont, where spectra for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V are taken, and the state-of-the-art Magellan Clay.
Geno Auriemma's UConn women bring elite defense into Final Four
PHOENIX — When the shots weren’t falling for the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team last weekend during NCAA tournament regional play, and its All-Americans weren’t as offensively impressive as
Emplify Health, Titletown announce exciting new partnership for community health & connection
New partnership will be highlighted by ‘Emplify Health Field’ at Titletown
Spectrum Connectivity, Entertainment Are Move-In Ready at Florida Apartments
Residents of West Point Park Apartments have access to high-speed Internet and streaming services as soon as they move in, made possible by Spectrum Community Solutions.
Connecticut’s Health Equity Week Calls Residents to Action
UConn Health Disparities Institute Leads a Statewide Push for Affordability to Advance Equity.
Lamont, Democrats split on Connecticut Option health plan
House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said establishing any new health insurance plan “would be a tall order.”
Personnel note: The Southern Group adds seasoned public, private-sector leader to Georgia team
'Denise has a rare ability to connect the dots across markets, stakeholders, and opportunities.'
Strengthen CT’s mental health crisis response
Every person experiencing a psychiatric crisis deserves care that preserves dignity, prioritizes safety, and connects them with the treatment they need.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 2, 2026, puzzle No. 556
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Europe has the resources to contain Russia but lacks the political will
Europe unquestionably possesses the industrial and economic base to outmatch Russia but has yet to demonstrate the unity and political will necessary to contain the Kremlin and stop Putin in Ukraine, writes Oleksiy Zagorodnyuk.
Madison Police Department introduces peer support officer to address mental health
MADISON, Wis. — The Madison Police Department is tackling an often invisible crisis within its ranks by creating a new peer support officer position designed to connect officers with mental
Boehringer Partners on Connecticut Science Center STEM Lab » CBIA
Boehringer Ingelheim and the Connecticut Science Center launched an Innovation Lab to advance STEM education in Connecticut.
Mental Health, Resilience, and Self Care in April
This April, we want to take a moment to focus on mental health wellness and resilience. By many accounts, this has been a difficult winter for mental health, and the shift into spring is a natural opportunity to pause, check in, and take stock of how we are doing. The beginning of the warmer months is often linked to improved mood for many, more daylight, more time outdoors, and more social connection. At the same time, there are some who actually report increases in depression and anxiety symptoms at the end of winter.
Business Women's Forum Event
The Business Women's Forum provides a professional setting for women in the workforce to connect and share ideas.
Your Windows 11 PC is slower than it should be. Here's what to check
Everything running on your PC uses system resources, so why tax it with unnecessary processes and programs you no longer need? There are tools available to help you tidy up your Windows system.