SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " API " 73,089 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Paddleboarders make debut in 125-mile canoe race
The Devizes-to-Westminster International Canoe Race has a stand-up paddleboard category this year.
U.S.-Iran war 'tax' begins to hit American businesses and consumers
A U.S.-Iran war 'tax' is beginning to hit consumers as diesel and jet fuel prices rise and stress business profitability, and there is no relief in sight.
Astros New Approach Is Sustainable
For the first couple of games, the Astros offense looked like it was trying to force everything. The swings came early, the contact was weak, and too many innings ended before the opposing starter ever felt uncomfortable. It had that familiar early-season look of a lineup still searching for rhythm. But the last few games […]
23 Things That Used To Be "Good"...Until They Became Way, Way, Way, Wayyy Too Popular
"National parks are ruined. I remember when the entrance was free... Now, there are permits, reservations, waiting lines, fast food, crowds, and trash everywhere."
Album Review: 6WA by BigXthaPlug & 600 Entertainment
BigXthaPlug spent eight months in Nashville making a country-rap album that debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, put “All the Way” with Bailey Zimmerman at No. 4 on the Hot 100, got him a Rolling Stone cover, and filled arenas with Jelly Roll. And then he came back to Dallas, rounded up four of his signees, and made a gangsta-rap record with N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton on the cover. 6WA is the second group release from 600 Entertainment, named after the 600 block of Meadowridge Street in Ferris, Texas, where BigX and his people grew up. The whole thing is loaded with West Coast samples. From N.W.A.’s “8Ball,” Eazy-E’s “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” and “Boyz-N-The-Hood,” Ice-T’s “6 in the Mornin’,” Snoop Dogg’s “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” and more. BigX is staking his name on the lineup he built—Rosama, MurdaGang PB, Yung Hood, KevanGotBandz, KaineMusic—and claiming a lineage from 1,400 miles away while insisting Dallas is its own thing. A million dollars in cash, split and handed straight to his mother. That’s the first place BigX goes on “From the Bottom.” He’d probably still be in the streets if he didn’t have his son and daughter. He only started rapping to make life better for Carter. Couldn’t start his car back then, now people get starstruck at Starbucks, and he throws the whole field away in one sentence: “How you think we competin’? You on the same bag, I just made me some millions off country.” Goyard bags off a Nashville payday, and he wants you to know exactly how far he’s come from everybody else. “Safe to Say” does something similar but looser. It’s a straight Ice Cube “It Was a Good Day” flip, and BigX nails it. Wakes up, checks both phones, nobody’s locked up, kid accounts look good. Gets pulled over, only catches a warning. Pulls up on the squad to liquor, ladies, and haze. Rosama takes the second verse and matches him. Wakes up to his girl cleaning his cuticles, twins playing peekaboo, pays off his car, calls a cousin, sees the opps and they don’t trip. Lawyer calls, he beat his case. Rosama is the strongest voice in the 600 camp after BigX, and “Life of a Gangster” is why. Third person, riding low, blacked-out windows, snub-nose revolver. A character who chose sticking people up over selling dope. “Quick eraser like a number-two pencil.” He never breaks character, and his delivery drops lower and slower than anything he does on the group cuts, like he’s telling you something at a cookout that he probably shouldn’t. Then on “Long Live Fre$h” he’s a completely different rapper. “Short-bus diamonds, these bitches retarded,” wide-body Durango he can’t even park. That kind of range matters on a group record. MurdaGang PB’s best verse is on the title track. Feds at his door at 6 AM, cameras busted, flushing dope, ram truck putting everybody on the floor. Yung Hood on “The Hottest” just lays out four reasons to keep hustling. Who wants to be broke, women cost money, you need bail, and home has to be straight. It’s funnier and more honest than most rappers get when they’re trying to explain why they sell drugs. KevanGotBandz on “Ain’t Never Slowin’ Down” talks about his father getting caught on the dope while he’s sitting on $300K somewhere in the hills, which is a specific kind of guilt that doesn’t usually make it onto crew tapes. KaineMusic, the newest signee, takes the back half of “Who Dunnit” and introduces herself in third person—“Took flight just to show these hoes how to perform”—but it’s too short to know if she can hold a full song. The flex tracks fill the middle of the LP and mostly run together. “I Go” is Rosama and PB trading brands, guns, and food punchlines. Rosama’s “anemic, my iron tucked low in this shirt” is a slick gun bar, PB fires back with “.223 with a clip ‘bout as big as a toddler” and “I go Burger King, stay with that whopper.” Quick, funny sometimes, but it’s all shopping lists. “Dopeman” is a chant. “6ixer Party” brings Snoop Dogg, who does exactly what you’d expect Snoop Dogg to do. BigX contributes the night’s wildest overshare: “She say she brought a friend too, well, I’m tryna put sausage on her dental.” These songs move fast and don’t overstay, but three or four of them could trade verses and nobody would catch it. Midway through, The D.O.C. shows up for a spoken-word interlude. Tracy Curry. West Dallas native, former N.W.A affiliate, co-writer on a lot of the records getting sampled on this very album. He thanks BigX for the tribute and then gets direct: “This your time, this DFW time. You need to do it like we do it down here.” Leave bread crumbs so everybody behind you can eat. Keep God in your life. It’s fatherly and generous, and it does raise the question of whether 6WA follows that advice. The album borrows heavy. The cover art, the Eazy-E samples, “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted” opening with a direct “Boyz-N-The-Hood” lift, Yung Hood rapping “Flag on my left side, Crip until I die.” But the stuff that actually stays with you is Dallas. BigX talking about Pleasant Grove, Rosama calling himself a country boy, PB recounting a raid that could’ve been last Tuesday. The record smells most like itself when it smells like Ferris, Texas, and least like Compton. BigX on “The Hottest” says his father was the first person he knew who had chickens. Not the way rappers usually wave at the drug trade. He means his actual father, his actual family. On “600 Degrees,” Rosama compares his chopper’s stutter to a speech disorder, PB claims he still has the block on his back even after leaving the city. BigX closes that one saying he used to spin and smack, and now the plaques are platinum. Thirty-two minutes was right for this. Nobody overstays, Tony Coles and Rance and Charley Cooks keep the production punchy, and BigX gives his signees real room instead of crowding every song. 6WA doesn’t reinvent anything. Five rappers, good beats, short clock. Most of what they say you’ve heard before. Some of it—the million to his mother, the cuticles and peekaboo, the four reasons to hustle—you won’t forget. Solid (★★★½☆) Favorite Track(s): “Safe to Say,” “From the Bottom,” “The Hottest” Subscribe
A massive arctic thaw is unleashing carbon frozen for thousands of years
A sweeping new study reveals that as Arctic permafrost thaws, it is dramatically reshaping rivers and releasing vast amounts of ancient carbon that had been locked away for thousands of years. By analyzing decades of high-resolution data across northern Alaska, scientists found that runoff is increasing, rivers are carrying more dissolved carbon, and the thawing season is stretching further into the fall. This carbon eventually reaches the ocean, where some of it turns into carbon dioxide, intensifying global warming.
Reducing friction in ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure, set in a lethal future earth, ravaged by a mysterious mechanized threat known as ARC.
68 days to the World Cup: The youngest players to find the back of the net
Mets Morning News for April 4, 2026
Your Saturday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.
Fossils from China show complex life evolved millions of years earlier than once thought
Newfound fossils from China suggest that complex animals were around millions of years earlier than thought, among them possibly our vertebrate ancestors.
Arizona Final Four appearances: Wildcats' deepest March Madness runs
How many Final Four appearances does Arizona men's basketball have? Here's a look at the Wildcats' March Madness history:
Trump voter regret is clearly registering now
As President Donald Trump’s poll numbers have hit new lows amid the Iran war, there’s now the firmest evidence yet of a long-anticipated dynamic: the regretful Trump voter.
Commanders' Leo Chenal describes where he fits best
Washington Commanders linebacker Leo Chenal opens up about what his role will look like with his new team.
It's Your Business has Dené Mosier, Jennifer Sourk, Christina Noland
News about the latest hires, retirements and more in the Topeka area.
Pokémon cards are igniting an international crime spree
Pokémon cards have skyrocketed in value since the pandemic, making them an attractive target for smash-and-grab robberies. Small businesses around the world have been targeted.
How Pam Bondi lost her job
Her time in office showed her willingness to go where previous attorneys general wouldn’t and mold the Justice Department to a president’s political vision.
Golden Nuggets: 16 days until 49ers OTAs begin
Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Saturday, April 4th, 2026
Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg: Team news and predicted line-up
Relegation-threatened Wolfsburg travel to the BayArena to face top-four candidates Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen sit comfortably in sixth place, having an eight-point gap between them and seventh-plac...
The Daily Hilario: Saturday
Your daily dose of off-topic shenanigans
Final Four 2026: Low-scoring semifinals were 'not pretty in any way, shape or form.' Will NCAA championship be any different?
NCAA championship game: How to watch South Carolina vs. UCLA, start time, TV channel and more
Virginia Tech football: Hokies land commitment from DL Brock Frisby
The good vibes surrounding the Virginia Tech Hokies and head coach James Franklin continued on Friday when 2027 defensive lineman Brock Frisby went public with his commitment. Frisby, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound prospect from Severn, Maryland, plays at Archbishop Spalding High School and is the 19th-ranked player in Maryland’s 2027 class, per 247Sports. Archbishop Spalding is […]
NBA approaching all-time levels of ugly after blowout-filled Friday
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Cincinnati Bengals boost offensive line
With the 10th overall pick in the 2026 Bleeding Green Nation community mock draft, Cincinnati Bengals GM chuckelberryfinn selects ...
Final Four 2026: Lauren Betts, UCLA shut down Texas in 'ugly' game to reach national championship
Follow along with the latest as the Texas Longhorns and UCLA Bruins face off in the Final Four for a bid to the championship.
The global oil crisis is turning into an everything crisis
One month into the war in Iran, a growing shortage of crude oil is threatening to morph into something worse: a shortage of nearly everything.
Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré rips Hegseth’s rhetoric: could lead to ‘torture or death’ for U.S. troops
NBA investigating Bucks over handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo
The NBA is investigating the Milwaukee Bucks and their handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets recap and final score
The Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets played and we will now forget it happened
Sixers' Joel Embiid explains missing Wizards game, pending B2B, health
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid opens up on missing the matchup with the Washington Wizards, the pending back-to-back, and his health.
Cooper Flagg becomes youngest player in NBA history to post 50-point game
A 19-year-old just dropped 51 points in a game.
Former political prisoner: Iran thinks time is on their side
Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona, La Liga: Preview
Barça begin a trio of giant games against Atleti, looking for a big win in the first one to stay in control of the title race
NBA opens investigation into Bucks’, Giannis’ contradicting stories on health status
Things have gotten ugly, once again.
Final Four 2026: South Carolina stifles, stuns UConn to end Huskies' undefeated season short of a championship; tensions boil over late
NCAA Tournament expected to expand to 76 teams
The proposed format would add opening-round games and reshape March Madness as soon as 2027.
Vikings Announce Key Dates for Offseason Program
It’s almost offseason program time, yes
Giannis Antetokounmpo questions relationship with Bucks as NBA investigates team's statements about his health
Texas vs. UCLA score, live updates: Final Four 2026 continues with a trip to the NCAA championship on the line
Arizona Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #8: 4/3 vs. Braves
Today’s Lineups BRAVES DIAMONDBACKS Ronald Acuna – RF Ketel Marte – 2B Drake Baldwin – DH Corbin Carroll – RF Ozzie Albies – 2B Geraldo Perdomo – SS Matt Olson – 1B Gabriel Moreno – DH Austin Riley – 3B Nolan Arenado – 3B Eli White – LF Alek Thomas – CF Mauricio Dubon – […]
Black Stripe Alert: Alabama transfer sheds black stripe
An Alabama Crimson Tide transfer becomes the fifth player to lose his black stripe this spring.
Trump threatens schools’ federal funding in new order aimed at stabilizing college sports
President Donald Trump tried to put some teeth into his latest attempt to save college sports. The threat of cutting funding to cash-starved schools that don’t comply is real, even if the stricter rules that come out of the executive order he signed Friday could take a while to figure out.
Trump threatens schools’ federal funding in new order aimed at stabilizing college sports
President Donald Trump tried to put some teeth into his latest attempt to save college sports. The threat of cutting funding to cash-starved schools that don’t comply is real, even if the stricter rules that come out of the executive order he signed Friday could take a while to figure out.
Phillies 10, Rockies 1: Rox offense MIA on Opening Day
Lorenzen got rocked as Rockies hitters whiffed their way to lopsided loss in Home Opener
Oregon gave millions in erroneous benefits for state health plan, audit says
By Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle SALEM, Ore. -- A free Oregon health care program for adults who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid could have improperly given out $15 million in payments related to benefits for recipients, according to a recent audit of state-managed federal programs. The “questioned” funds surfaced in an 124-page
Konnor Griffin highlights: Top prospect makes MLB debut with Pirates
Oregon rallies late to take down Michigan, snap losing skid
After a pair of shutout losses, Oregon bounced back to tie the series on the diamond in Ann Arbor against Michigan.
Teen Science Cafe/ AI in Everyday Life and Healthcare
We are excited to invite you to the Alexandria Teen Science Café on April 16, where we’ll explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the future of health. This month’s café will show you how the data behind everyday apps is being transformed into powerful tools that help solve medical challenges once considered impossible, even predicting
Flavor Flav, a longtime supporter of women's sports, is courtside at Final Four
Flavor Flav was among the celebrities in attendance at the women's Final Four on Friday night, sitting courtside for the UConn-South Carolina game with former Gamecocks player Aliyah Boston. Flav, a founding member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, is also friends with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley. The 67-year-old Flav is a longtime supporter of women's sports and attended various Olympic competitions this winter.
Pope Leo's political voice and how much influence he holds
Pope Leo XIV is the first American to lead the Catholic Church, and after nearly a year of advocating for the poor and cautiously opposing controversial U.S. policies, Leo is offering a more public contrast with Trump. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses the pope's first year and what his recent criticism says with Joseph Capizzi, Father Thomas Reese, Annie Selak and Stephen White.
From Policy to Practice: Shaping the Future of Health Care
Join us for a panel discussion exploring how policy decisions are shaping the future of health care.
March Madness Expansion? NCAA Eyes Shocking 76-Team Field
The NCAA is looking to expand March Madness, and a decision is coming soon. NCAA leadership and members of the […]
Oklahoma Sooners beat Kentucky 9-1 for fourth-straight win
Kendall Wells homers again, Lexi McDaniel a home run and 5 RBIs in Oklahoma's 9-1 win over the Kentucky Wildcats.
President Trump delivers new executive order attempting to regulate college sports
‘This is a recalibration’: Trump Cabinet worries no one is safe after Bondi and Noem firings
When President Donald Trump ousted his attorney general, Pam Bondi, it sent a clear message to his remaining Cabinet members: The job security they’ve enjoyed until now is no longer guaranteed.
Charlie Day shares awkward moment disrobing for Jennifer Aniston: 'Never felt less attractive'
The actor recalled his first day on set of the 2011 comedy 'Horrible Bosses,' also starring Aniston, Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis.
Clint Eastwood Turns 96 Next Month and Is Reportedly Done With Hollywood for Good
A source close to Clint Eastwood says the legendary director has quietly walked away from Hollywood.
MassLive: Boston, Springfield land on top 10 list of best cities for STEM professionals
Boston and Springfield were among the "Top 10 best metro areas for STEM professionals" in 2018, according to statistics compiled by WalletHub, a personal finance website. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Boston was ranked second and Springfield eighth on the list. Worcester came in at 18th. The full results can be found here. "We made another good list," Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said. "Glad to see our educational and workforce development are starting to pay off - this is all about a good four-letter word - jobs!" The 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country were ranked in 17 key metrics, WalletHub said. The evaluation ranged from "per-capita job openings for STEM graduates to annual median growth for STEM jobs, to projected demand for STEM workers by 2020," according to the summary. Seattle was top-rated, followed in order by Boston; Pittsburgh; Austin, Texas; Minneapolis; Madison, Wisconsin; Salt Lake City; Springfield; Chicago; and Atlanta. Original article: https://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/11/springfield_makes_top_10_natio.html
Wisconsin, Minnesota volleyball cancel spring match due to 'health and safety'
The Wisconsin-Minnesota spring volleyball match was canceled as a 'precaution for the team's health and safety.'
Trump’s DOJ tells Trump he can hold onto government docs when he leaves office, contrary to Watergate-era law
A new memo from the Justice Department says President Donald Trump no longer has to follow a Watergate-era law barring him from holding on to presidential records when he leaves office.
Tiger at Blank Park Zoo euthanized after decline in health
Bronevik, a 16-year-old Amur tiger at Blank Park Zoo, was euthanized after a rapid decline in health, zoo officials said.
Downed fighter jet punctures Trump’s and Hegseth’s claims of air invulnerability
An Iran war that was already proving quite unpopular with the American people has entered a new, more problematic phase for President Donald Trump.
NFL execs have ‘conflicting’ thoughts on 49ers offseason
How did others around the NFL view the 49ers offseason?
Ozzie Guillén, who led White Sox to World Series win, brought to tears after hearing team will retire his number
Season on the brink: State of Luka Dončić's hamstring holds fate of Lakers' hopes, NBA honors
Business moves from mall to across the street
Kay Jewelers is on the move from White Oaks Mall.
Game #76: Ducks vs. Blues Gameday Preview (04/03/26)
Take-Two laid off the head its AI division and an undisclosed number of staff
A former head of AI at game publisher Take-Two has announced that he and several members of his staff have been laid off.
Patriots’ full 2026 spring schedule released
The Patriots released their 2026 spring schedule, which includes dates for their voluntary program, OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
Nets retain 28th spot in NBA.com's power rankings
The Brooklyn Nets remain 28th in NBA.com's power rankings heading into the second-to-last week of the regular season.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans an April rally to mark his first 100 days in office
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will host a rally next month to mark 100 days since his inauguration.
Steelers could face competition for Aaron Rodgers, per report
The Pittsburgh Steelers may face stiff competition from the Denver Broncos for Aaron Rodgers, according to a new report from Mike Florio.
49ers 2026 offseason workout dates revealed
The 49ers' path to the playoffs and the Super Bowl is beginning to take shape.
New CNN poll shows Democrats up big heading into midterm election season. Can Republicans claw back to avoid a blue wave?
Chiefs’ offseason workout dates announced
Kansas City’s offseason training program consists of three phases.
Scientists Witnessed the Formation of a Mysterious Particle for the First Time
Theories long predicted how polarons form, but now there’s proof.
Angie Stocklin: Bootstrapping forces you to develop discipline
When Randy and I started One Click, we didn’t have a strategy around venture capital.
Cavaliers Deep Dive, Lakers Lose Luka + Sky Trade Thoughts
OpenAI isn’t just buying a podcast
OpenAI’s out-of-the-blue acquisition of TBPN, the buzzy online talk show, stunned the worlds of media and technology. But it’s a continuation of a pattern that dates back a hundred years, to 1926, when RCA created NBC in part to sell radios.
President Trump expected to deliver new executive order attempting to regulate college sports: Sources
Sources: President Trump expected to deliver new executive order attempting to regulate college sports
Oregon sees drop in largest foreign tourist group following Trump political tensions
Before Oregon could rebound to its pre-pandemic international tourism levels, the state experienced another setback in 2025.
Cowboys should target this high speed edge rusher
Who is your favorite edge rush prospect to wind up with the Cowboys?
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:
White House proposes 23% cut to NASA budget, slashing science funding and prioritizing moon missions
The White House is proposing $18.8 billion for NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget, reducing science funding while prioritizing moon missions.
Why Justice Alito was taken to a hospital last month
NHL Playoff Race: What the Penguins need to do
The Penguins lost to Tampa last night but still remain incredibly well-positioned to secure a playoff spot this season. Here’s the relevant standings for them as of now. While there could be other avenues with a Wild Card spot, for now we’ll keep it simple on the most straight-forward path available to Pittsburgh: finishing in […]
49ers have shown ‘extensive interest’ in top kicker prospect
The Niners are showing interest in one of the top kickers in the draft.
Guardians score, lineups vs. Chicago Cubs in Cleveland home opener
Follow along here for live updates as the Guardians take on the Chicago Cubs in Cleveland's home opener for the 2026 MLB season.
Football: 2027 4-star EDGE Drake Carroll commits to TCU
The Horned Frogs nab their biggest prospect of the 2027 class.
Why is Konnor Griffin's debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates such a big deal?
Women’s Final Four teams reflect on the transfer portal’s impact
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a black hole of entertainment
Somehow, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is even less of a film than the first.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a black hole of entertainment
Somehow, the Super Mario Galaxy Movie is even less of a film than the first.