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Good Morning, Nashville! Talking Immigration Data Politics at Vanderbilt University
After a busy day on Capitol Hill yesterday, I landed in Nashville, Tennessee, last night for an exciting two days on campus at Vanderbilt University. Carwil Bjork-James, an anthropologist whose creative use of database construction to support critical scholarship resonates strongly with my own work, generously invited me to give a talk today about the politics of immigration data and to join a Wikipedia edit-a-thon tomorrow on the topic of immigrant detention. I encourage you to check out Carwil’s database project “Ultimate Consequences” about political deaths in Bolivia after 1982, and his book The Sovereign Street: Making Revolution in Urban Bolivia. My talk today is titled “Untangling the Messy Politics of Immigrant Detention Data.” I’ll focus on how immigrant detention data (not just detention centers themselves) become sites of controversy—from the collection and classification choices that shape what we can know, to the strategic withholding and distortion of data for political ends. Drawing on research spanning multiple administrations, I’ll trace how current data controversies in the second Trump administration connect to long-standing tensions in how we measure, interpret, and communicate about immigration. My goal is to move beyond simple partisan narratives and offer a practical guide for anyone working with immigration data to explore both the pitfalls to avoid and the creative opportunities for more transparent, rigorous public communication about immigration realities. If you are on campus, please stop by. Tomorrow I will join Carwil and Vanderbilt students for a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon to edit and update Wikipedia entries related to immigrant detention with the latest robust information and data. This event is designed to orient participants into how to edit on Wikipedia, provide them with data-driven starter templates on detention facilities, and allow each person to produce an initial article on one element of the network of ICE facilities or one death in custody this year. The workshop is also a demonstration of how to use open data sources to build public knowledge—something I am deeply passionate about. Thank you to Vanderbilt University, the Spatial Histories series, and Carwil for hosting me. I would love to be a part of conversations and workshops related to immigration data on your campus. Students are really eager these days to have informed, critical, and data-driven explorations of our current immigration system. Reach out anytime if you want to discuss the possibility of bringing me to your campus. Subscribe
Nearly 500 airport security staff quit as DHS shutdown hits nearly six weeks with no end in sight
Negotiations to end funding standoff sparked by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown fail to find a breakthrough
Trans kids in limbo as Trump takes ‘unprecedented’ actions to limit health care
The Trump administration is trying to strongarm hospitals into shutting down their gender-affirming care programs for minors.
Hurd joins Colorado Dems in urging authorization of Small Business Development Center funding
A group of six members of Colorado’s delegation in U.S. Congress wrote a joint letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) over its failure to provide prompt spend authority for
GOP lawmakers vent frustration over Trump administration’s lack of info on Iran war
A key group of House Republicans are growing increasingly wary of the US war with Iran after a briefing with Department of Defense officials on Wednesday left some unsatisfied with what they were told about the objectives and length of the war effort.
Mamdani administration identifies first budget cuts
New York City agencies found $1.7 billion in potential savings.
Top Trump housing official issues new criminal referral for New York AG Letitia James
President Donald Trump’s top housing official Bill Pulte issued two new criminal referrals for New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday, attempting to revive the administration’s ongoing legal pursuit of one of his political opponents.
Trump Draws Bipartisan Backlash for Easing Oil Sanctions on Russia and Iran
Republicans and Democrats alike have criticized the Trump administration’s moves, taken to stabilize oil markets rocked by the war with Iran, warning that it is benefiting two U.S. adversaries.
Obstacles to ending war come into focus as US and Iran outline starkly different demands
Almost exactly one month ago, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met indirectly with the Iranians in Geneva as the Trump administration continued to claim diplomacy was its preferred option. Two days later, the US and Israel launched their war against Iran.
RFK Jr. Is Losing His Grip on the CDC
The Trump administration seems to be putting MAHA on notice.
Offshore wind projects suffer blow under Trump administration
The Trump administration has agreed to pay a French company nearly $1 billion to drop its plans for wind farms.
Trump to Delay Nominating New C.D.C. Director
The administration has yet to find a candidate who aligns with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda while avoiding his unpopular stance on vaccines.
Record-high passenger wait times at airports, but no deal yet on the 40th day of the shutdown
The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration says air travelers are experiencing the highest airport wait times ever under her agency.
Iran dismisses Trump's peace plan as 'deceptive,' as U.S. deploys more troops to Mideast
The Trump administration reportedly presented a 15-point peace deal to Iranian leaders. Iran rejected the proposal, according to its state media.
Trump staffs science and technology panel with non-scientists
Appointee list is in keeping with the administration's hostility toward science.
A leadership vacuum adds to strains on the CDC
Low morale, staff turnover and budget issues have sapped the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The administration is expected to soon name a new director, who will have their hands full.
Business Titan Awarded Student Employee Scholarship
Business administration student Trisha Tran Truong was selected as the fall 2025 recipient of the Auxiliary Services Student Employee Scholarship, which recognizes a student employee who demonstrates academic dedication, leadership and a strong commitment to serving the campus community. Truong has been a member of the campus dining team since 2022, working at the on-campus […]
Biden political priorities impeded Iran negotiations, former secretary of state admits
Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted that midterm elections complicated the Biden administration's push for a stronger Iran nuclear deal.
What are the rules on cryptocurrency donations to parties?
Ministers to introduce temporary ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties after review
Deaths and Health Care Issues in ICE Detention Centers Under the Second Trump Administration
This brief provides an overview of deaths in ICE custody and detention centers under the Trump administration based on KFF analysis of ICE detainee death reporting and news releases and reviews recent reports of health care issues in detention centers.
Danish Foreign Minister Becomes Kingmaker After Trump Standoff
Denmark’s headstrong Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen holds the keys to deciding who becomes the Nordic nation’s next prime minister.
This Week in Politics: Developments in the U.S. and Iran War
The U.S. war with Iran rages on and continues to draw mounting public opposition and to induce harsh economic impacts. The conflict has prompted substantial blowback for the Trump administration. A recent poll from Quinnipiac University found that a majority (53%) of U.S. voters disapproved of U.S. military action against Iran, with a larger percentage...
Health care costs in Colorado will grow under federal policy, patient advocates say
Health care providers in Colorado expressed anxiety around high health care costs as a result of the Trump administration’s policies.
Review of foreign financial interference in UK politics to be published, with ban on crypto donations expected
Ministers will publish review by Philip Rycroft, which will make recommendations relevant to all the political parties, today
Grace Lutheran in Oak Ridge offers a night of entertainment and coffee
Grace Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge presents Coffeehouse on March 27. It's a night to featuring music from three groups, coffee and snacks.
Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition rated in Korea
The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea has rated the unannounced Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition.
Long lines persist at some U.S. airports despite ICE arrival
The Trump administration’s deployment of ICE officers to more than a dozen U.S. airports appeared to have a limited effect on reducing security lines.
Prominent Researcher Exits NASA, Citing US Attacks on Science
Climate expert Kate Marvel pointed to “upheavals” under the Trump administration as a reason for her departure.
Approximately 1,000 US soldiers preparing to deploy to the Middle East to be available for Iran operations
Approximately 1,000 US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are expecting to deploy in coming days to the Middle East, according to two sources familiar with the matter, adding to the growing military firepower in the region as the Trump administration says it is in talks with Iran to end the conflict
The real roadblock to government formation in Iraq isn’t Maliki—it’s Kurdish power politics
A dispute between Kurdish factions presents a significant structural obstacle to Iraq’s government formation regardless of who is nominated for prime minister.
Danish Social Democrat Premier Takes Lead in Parliamentary Vote
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s party is on track to win the most seats in an election shaped by Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, according to exit polls.
Shutdown becomes showdown as ICE takes on airports
As the Trump administration positions federal immigration troops at airports around the country, experts question the effectiveness of the presence of untrained agents
Newsom says he regrets earlier comments likening Israel to an ‘apartheid state’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he regretted using the word “apartheid” to describe the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians, though he warned “that’s a word you may hear others use” if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes for territorial gains.
Senators consider deal to fund Homeland Security but not ICE enforcement
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators raced Tuesday to clinch an emerging proposal to end the Homeland Security shutdown by funding much of the department, including the Transportation Security Administration airport workers going without pay, but excluding the ICE enforcement operations that have been core to the dispute. The sudden sense of urgency comes as U.S. airports […]
Charlie’s Beat: A healthy life, well lived
Today’s story comes from a personal perspective, about a person who’s been in my life for close to 50 years. Bryant Stamford was the Fitness & Nutrition columnist for the
Iranian IRGC’s ties to Hezbollah deepen tensions in Lebanese politics
Lebanon's prime minister said the IRGC is commanding Hezbollah and analysts agree the Iranian group is calling the shots
Covid Relief Loans Are Haunting Small Businesses
The Small Business Administration lent $378 billion to keep businesses afloat. Getting paid back is proving difficult.
US citizen imprisoned in Afghanistan is freed after more than a year
A US citizen imprisoned in Afghanistan for more than a year has been released, two US officials told CNN on Tuesday, weeks after the Trump administration declared the country a state sponsor of wrongful detention.
We’re Suing the Trump Administration for Removing Science, History from Our National Parks
We cannot fully understand our country and climate without publicly accessible and accurate historical and scientific information.
CDC dilemma: Nominee may need both MAHA and science chops
As a deadline arrives this week to nominate a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, some Republicans are skeptical the administration will find someone who can check all the boxes necessary for confirmation. The candidate will need the “Make America Healthy Again” mindset of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Health and Human Services Department, […]
No fuel shortage in Britain, says minister, as Reeves prepares to set out economic response to Iran war
Energy minister Michael Shanks reassures drivers ahead of chancellor’s statement to MPs
The Supreme Court’s conservatives could significantly alter the 2026 election
The Supreme Court on Monday appeared ready to limit mail-in ballots, a move that would reinforce the justices’ pattern of shrinking voter protections and that has, at bottom, favored Republican interests and the Trump administration.
What exactly makes you a public figure?
Well, once again, this non-lawyer columnist is going to jump in the deep end of legal scholarship and will explore a recent Colorado Court of Appeals decision. Buckle up. In yet another terrific Colorado Politics Court Crawl article, we learned about quite a few cases that the Appeals Court has ruled upon. Recall that only […]
Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame inducts 12 coaches, administrators in Class of 2026
Inductees selected from slate of 60 nominees.
Voice of America journalists allege Trump is making news outlet a propaganda source
Some journalists at Voice of America charged in a lawsuit Monday that the Trump administration — while largely shutting down the government-run outlet that provides news around the world — has turned what remains into a voice for propaganda.
Trump places replica Christopher Columbus statue near the White House
A statue of Christopher Columbus has been placed on the grounds of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to recognize the controversial explorer.
How Trump shifted from threatening Iran’s power plants to touting peace talks
President Donald Trump’s sudden turnabout and, according to him, rapidly advancing peace talks made for an abrupt shift in the administration’s approach to the Iran war.
Former political rivals take on Trump’s push to nationalize voting
GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg and former Obama White House counsel Bob Bauer aim to present a united front against the Trump administration’s efforts to oversee election administration
Federal judge sides with Wisconsin in transgender health care suit
A U.S. judge ruled in favor of Wisconsin and 20 other states challenging a Trump administration declaration that tried to limit care for trans youth.
Trump administration adds State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney to short list of nominees for CDC director
State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney is among the contenders to head the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Washington Post reported
Trump administration to pay French company $1B to walk away from US offshore wind leases
The Department of Interior says a French energy company has agreed to give up two U.S. offshore wind leases and invest in fossil fuel projects instead.
Voice of America Journalists Sue, Saying Trump Officials Interfered in Coverage
The journalists said in the complaint that the administration was trying to force them to be a “mouthpiece” and that one official demanded “loyalty” if reporters wanted to “keep their jobs.”
Exit polls suggest Italy's Meloni has narrowly lost justice referendum vote
Exit polls on Monday suggested Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had narrowly lost a referendum on her flagship reform of the judicial system, dealing a potential blow to the ruling coalition ahead of next year's general election.
Starmer says ‘every lever’ will be explored to ease rising costs of living from Iran conflict
PM will chair Cobra meeting with key ministers and Bank of England on Monday, as experts warn of economic shock
'A towering figure in French politics': reactions to Lionel Jospin's death pour in
Lionel Jospin, Socialist prime minister of France from 1997 to 2002, has died.
As mayoral election looms, D.C.’s business class worries about what’s next
A potential leftward shift in the wake of the pandemic and the Trump administration’s cutting of thousands of federal jobs has sparked unease in the city’s business community.
Statue of Christopher Columbus installed on White House grounds
A statue of Christopher Columbus has been erected outside of an ornate federal office building on the White House grounds — the latest sign of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape cultural and historical representations across the nation’s capital.
Slovenia liberals take narrow election lead over conservatives: exit poll
Exits polls suggest Prime Minister Robert Golob has blocked a fourth term for right-winger Janez Janša
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.
It’s time to take politics out of the Small Business Administration
The White House’s politicization of the agency will have a real-world impact on small business owners in the US
It’s time to take politics out of the Small Business Administration
The White House’s politicization of the agency will have a real-world impact on small business owners in the US
Tusk claims no surprise over alleged Hungarian leaks to Moscow
Polish Prime Minister said suspicions had long made him keep quiet during EU Council talks
A tribute to Scott Ostler, columnist, colleague, friend and sports wit
In Bruce Jenkins’ experience, there was never a teammate quite like fellow San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler, who retired last week.
White House navigates vaccine politics, midterm risks in CDC director search
The Trump administration faces complicated political dynamics as it seeks someone to helm the key public health agency suffering a prolonged leadership vacuum.
Burcum: UCare collapsed. The Legislature needs to ask why.
"How did UCare, one of Minnesota’s largest health insurers, go from posting record earnings for 2022 to collapsing in 2025?" columnist Jill Burcum writes.
White House navigates vaccine politics, midterm risks in CDC director search
The Trump administration faces complicated political dynamics as it seeks someone to helm the key public health agency suffering a prolonged leadership vacuum.
Federal employee retired, works at TJ Maxx; feels happy, less stress
Karime Masson thought she'd keep working for the Social Security Administration until she was at least 62. But after a tough 2025, she retired early.
IDF strikes on over 100 medical facilities in Lebanon kill 40 medical workers, Health Ministry says
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How do I share a mental health diagnosis? | The therapist is in
Is there a way to share a mental health diagnosis but shield myself from hurt or judgment? How can I do it without changing a relationship?
Hundreds of Thousands of Czechs Rally in Anti-Government Protest
Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in the Czech capital of Prague in a demonstration against the cabinet led by billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis.
For decades, no one listened to him… today his theory about the origin of life is intriguing scientists - Futura-Sciences
When Tibor Gánti passed away at the age of 75 on April 15, 2009, he remained largely unknown. Much of his career unfolded behind the Iron Curtain, which divided Europe for decades and limited the exchange of scientific knowledge. While his theories gained some attention during the communist era, today...
Health Ministry: 303 people hospitalized in war with Iran and Hezbollah in past 24 hours
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How the US Is Squandering Its Science and Technology Advantage
The Trump administration’s cuts to research and development (R&D) and opposition to international student visas will have disastrous effects on US technological competition with China.
Why the Trump administration is easing sanctions on certain Iranian oil stockpiles
Trump administration officials are making a desperate push to secure every available barrel of oil amid a worsening energy crisis — even if it means lifting sanctions on the very country that they’re fighting against.
Judge sides with New York Times in challenge to Pentagon policy limiting reporters’ access
A federal judge agreed Friday to block the Trump administration from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters’ access to the Pentagon, agreeing with The New York Times that key portions of the new rules are unlawful.
Senate Democrats wade into their party's most contentious primaries: From the Politics Desk
Plus, more mixed messaging from the Trump administration on Iran.
Brazil’s finance minister Haddad resigns to launch a high-stakes bid for Sao Paulo governor
Brazil’s finance minister Fernando Haddad has resigned to launch a bid for São Paulo governor
An alliance like no other? Inside President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s relationship
US furiously seeks to avert potential months-long closure of Strait of Hormuz
US officials are furiously trying to avert a potential months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz, privately acknowledging that reopening the key waterway is a problem without a clear solution and dependent at least in part on what lengths President Donald Trump is willing to go to force the Iranian regime’s hand, multiple administration and intelligence officials tell CNN.
Feds launch probe to unravel alleged nonprofit funding behind Antifa-linked violence
The DOJ, FBI and IRS are investigating nonprofit groups the Trump administration says are funding political violence, under a directive known as NSPM-7.
He's one reason why aid cuts weren't as dire for the HIV population as predicted
Harerimana Ismail of Uganda is a community health worker who checks on kids with HIV. He lost his salary after the Trump administration's aid cuts but he keeps doing his job.
Attorney general asks if Kemi Badenoch would object to Jewish public prayer
Exclusive: Richard Hermer, who is Jewish, says Tory leader and shadow minister seem ‘to only have an issue with Muslim events’
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.
Judge rules US government overreached with transgender health care declaration
Judge Mustafa Kasubhai’s ruling was centered on Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. not going through the proper administrative procedures when issuing the declaration in December.
Treasury Department to take over some federal student loans, as Trump administration works to dismantle Education Department
The Treasury Department will begin to manage federal student loans in default, taking on a key function of the Education Department as the Trump administration further pushes to dismantle it.
Trump administration probes states that mandate health insurance coverage for abortion
The Trump administration said Thursday that it has launched investigations into 13 states that require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover abortion.
Trump administration probes states that mandate health insurance coverage for abortion
The Trump administration said Thursday that it has launched investigations into 13 states that require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover abortion.
Trump’s Reaction to Israeli Strike on Gas Field Exposes Divergent Strategies
President Trump said he complained to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel about the attack, which sent energy markets reeling. But Israeli officials said the Americans were informed beforehand.
Trump administration launches investigation of states, including Mass., that mandate health insurance covers abortion
The probes are the latest in a long-running dispute between the political parties on how to interpret a provision, known as the Weldon Amendment, that's included in federal spending laws each year.
How the Trump administration could be hurting Israel’s already damaged brand
On two major occasions, the Trump administration has gestured at Israel being mostly responsible for major inflection points in the Iran war — even though the evidence on both counts isn’t totally clear.
Trump admin. launches investigation of states mandating health insurance covers abortion
The Trump administration said Thursday that it has launched investigations into 13 states - including Oregon and Washington - that require state-regulated healt
Cracks emerge in GOP over Iran war cost as administration floats more than $200B request to Congress
Cracks are emerging among congressional Republicans over the Iran war with key lawmakers skeptical about spending hundreds of billions of dollars to prolong the conflict and several refusing to support any money without a clear White House strategy.
Pence backs Trump’s Iran strikes, says president ‘ignored’ GOP isolationists
Exclusive: Mike Pence praises Trump's Iran strikes in new interview, says president ignored isolationist Republicans to launch Operation Epic Fury.
Joe Kent's resignation over Iran war reignites antisemitism fears and debate over Israeli influence
It was no surprise when Joe Kent showed up on Tucker Carlson’s podcast a day after quitting his counterterrorism job in President Donald Trump’s administration. But before long, the conversation moved in a different direction as Kent nodded to conspiracy theories that pro-Israel forces were behind the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump administration launches investigation of states that mandate health insurance covers abortion
The Trump administration said Thursday that it has launched investigations into 13 states that require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover abortion.
Trump Jokes About Pearl Harbor in Meeting With Japan’s Leader
Breaking a taboo, President Trump needled Japan’s prime minister about the World War II attack, as she widened her eyes and appeared to take a deep breath in the Oval Office.
Lawsuit Accuses Justice Dept. Leadership of ‘Political Retribution’
The suit filed by two fired F.B.I. agents aimed to hold the Trump administration accountable for the purge of personnel who had worked on the investigations of Mr. Trump or his allies.
Implementing the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy in Angola - United States Department of State
Today, the United States and the Republic of Angola signed a five-year bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), advancing the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy in Africa. Working with Congress, the Department of State intends to provide $71 million to support HIV, malaria, and global health security programming, while Angola will invest […]
The White House Is Lost in the ‘Weave’
The Trump administration has a coherence problem. This issue starts at the top with a fabulist president who is increasingly unfiltered and unfocused, offering up ping-ponging thoughts with little purpose or explanation. His approach to governing and to waging a war has itself become “the weave,” his term for the random asides that pepper his speeches. For much of his political life, Trump, 79, understood the importance of a simple and repetitive story, the need to keep the main thing the main t
Art in Public Places
Art in Public Places (AIPP) is the City of Austin’s public art program. Administered through Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment, AIPP commissions visual artists to create site-specific artworks that reflect Austin's communities.