SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " fun " 9,036 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Building Custom Atomistic Simulation Workflows for Chemistry and Materials Science with NVIDIA ALCHEMI Toolkit
For decades, computational chemistry has faced a tug-of-war between accuracy and speed. Ab initio methods like density functional theory (DFT) provide high fidelity but are computationally expensive…
House Republicans Step Up Scrutiny of ActBlue Over Foreign Donations
Three Republican-led committees, responding to a New York Times report this month, accused the Democratic fund-raising organization of withholding documents from a subpoena request.
Balloons Over Bend Brings Family Fun, Night Glows & High-Flying Entertainment to Central Oregon
The REMAX Key Properties Balloons Over Bend is set to return July 24–26, 2026, bringing a weekend of hot air balloon launches, live entertainment, and community celebration to Central Oregon. This signature summer event will feature free sunrise balloon launches each morning, vibrant Night Glow celebrations, and activities for all ages. “Bend is more than a […]
Community Routes: Access to Mental Health Care Program Bolsters Services Across Three States
Direct Relief, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, or NAFC, today announced a second round of grant funding in the amount of $75,000 to each of 11 fre…
You can order your own bloodwork now. Interpreting the results is another story
Firms like Function Health and Oura market regular blood tests to people wanting to take their health into their own hands. The process often raises more questions for patients than it can answer.
Here’s Why JDP Capital Management Exited Its Position in Caesars Entertainment (CZR)
JDP Capital Management, an investment management company, released its “Survivor & Thriver Fund” first-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the first quarter, the fund declined 15.1% net to investors compared to the S&P 500’s -4.3% return. Concerns about AI destruction fears and consumer softness impacted market sentiment in […]
“Hiding science in really fun things”: Kids gets hands-on with real research in Denver
Squishy Science Sunday, part of APS’ Global Physics Summit, welcomed 1,500 visitors to a local museum.
Holland & Knight Health Dose: April 14, 2026 | Insights
President Donald Trump released his budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2027, laying out his vision for how federal funding will be spent over the next year.
Tim Wilkerson to be inducted into Illinois Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026
The Illinois Sports Hall of Fame will induct NHRA Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson into its Class of 2026, honoring his outstanding career and lasting impact on the sport of drag racing.
Prides Corner Farms Establishes Scholarships for Plant Science Students
The donation will establish the Prides Corner Farms Graduate Scholarship and the Prides Corner Farms Student Success Fund. The funds will support students p ...
Column: As ‘Soccer Dad’ can tell you, today’s youth sports are no simple fun and games
“Soccer Dad” is an enjoyable, enlightening and charming new book about David Murray’s journey into the youth sports world with his daughter Scout.
Millions of Floridians Will Bear the Brunt of Trump’s Health Cuts
(Bloomberg) -- Millions of people in the US are expected to lose their health coverage in coming years because of shrinking funding for federal programs. Few states would suffer a bigger blow than Florida.Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expired in December. More than $900 billion in cuts to Medicaid safety-net programs are on the horizon. Across the US, in excess of 14 million people are expected to lose health insurance through 2034, according to health-policy research nonprofit KFF.Flor
Bill Galvano’s annual golf classic honoring his father marks 30 years of fundraising for local classrooms
'This annual golf tournament benefiting the Manatee Education Foundation has been such a special and fitting tribute to his legacy.'
Longtime Mayo's customers share fond memories as closing looms
In the final weeks for the family-owned business, the 'fun' continues amid close-out sales.
The Armory brings big-city fun and elevated dining to Maryville
It's a multimillion dollar project that has taken nearly a decade of development. The entertainment venue is also a full-scale restaurant and bar.
How Trump’s ultimatum on DEI divided a Texas city
The debate in Fort Worth echoes a dilemma that local leaders are grappling with around the country: End diversity programs or risk losing all federal funding.
Personnel note: Ivan Rodriguez-Seda joins Continental Strategy’s Jax office
'He has a proven record of delivering results on complex issues, securing hundreds of millions in funding, and building coalitions internationally.'
Hegseth right to mock Royal Navy, says ex-army chief as he backs claims over military underfunding
Richard Barrons backs George Robertson and says UK forces ‘too small and undernourished for the world that we now live in’
Assessing Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) Valuation After Its Recent Name Change And Share Price Rebound
Why Six Flags Entertainment Is Back On Investors’ Radar Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) has been reshaped by its July 2024 name change from Cedar Fair, putting fresh attention on a business that runs amusement parks, water parks, and resorts across North America. See our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment. Recent trading has been lively, with a 30 day share price return of 22.89% and a 90 day gain of 25.00%. However, the 1 year total shareholder return of 38.98% and 5 year total...
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for a low-key, privately funded visit
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have begun their first Australian visit since their official royal tour in 2018 | KYW Newsradio
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Australia for a low-key, privately funded visit
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have begun their first Australian visit since their official royal tour in 2018 | 1010 WINS
TPG Agrees to Buy Learfield in Deal Worth Roughly $2 Billion
Learfield’s majority owners—Charlesbank Capital Partners and funds managed by Fortress Investment Group—hired two banks in the fall to explore a sale.
Rick Roth stays self-reliant, David Silvers taps Disney dollars in Q1 fundraising for SD 26 seat
Silvers’ donor list reflects broad corporate and political committee backing, while Roth’s gains depended significantly on agricultural sources.
Owner of Kevin's Seafood in New Haven fundraises to reopen business
The organizer of the fundraiser, Cheryl Heyward, said Kevin Heyward has "a long history" of supporting local churches, community events, schools, shelters and feeding the homeless.
Spain to launch $200 million investment fund here.
Spanish government to launch a $200 million life science investment fund in Massachusetts.
Fluoride in drinking water has no effect on IQ or brain function, major study shows
The new research is the first to measure community water fluoridation exposure during childhood in the U.S. and any potential impact on cognition up to age 80.
Trump, 79, Raises Fresh Health Concerns After Unbelievable Mix-Up
The president’s feeble reasoning sparked questions about his cognitive function.
How Orban Lost His Touch, and Hungary’s Election
The election defeat for Prime Minister Viktor Orban is less the result of an ideological shift in Hungary, and more the playing out of a fundamental rule of politics.
Pirates Vs. Cancer rallies against pediatric cancer for 10th year
Medical students at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University marked a decade of raising funds, awareness and hair for pediatric cancer patients during the Pirates Vs. Cancer spring event at the ECU Health Sciences Campus Student Center on April 10.
Baker Adventist Christian School reports a successful Science Fair
BAKER CITY — Experiments were done, ideas were heard, and fun was had at the ...Read More
Assessing Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) Valuation After Rebrand And Recent Share Price Momentum
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) has drawn investor attention after its recent rebranding from Cedar Fair, L.P. The newly named operator of amusement and water parks now reflects a unified identity across its North American properties. See our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment. The share price has climbed to US$19.94, with a 7 day share price return of 11.52% and a 30 day share price return of 24.70%. However, the 1 year total shareholder return of 38.07% and 5 year total shareholder...
Business Notes: NSU raises $147M; McDonald’s to open in Virginia Beach
Norfolk State University’s Now Is Our Time campaign raised $147 million, exceeding its original $90 million goal. View the latest business news in Hampton Roads.
Create a multicolor MacBook Neo with Apple parts for just $39
The MacBook Neo is already available in a fun choice of colors, but some people like to go further by...
How the AI and crypto industries are pouring tens of millions of dollars into elections
An analysis of campaign finance reports shows the web of super PACs backing — and going negative — on candidates with funds from big-name executives and companies.
Erectile dysfunction is more than a sexual issue
Erectile dysfunction is more than a sexual issue.
JAXA's 22-Year Bet on Frozen Comet Samples: What a Multi-Decade Mission Timeline Means for Planetary Science Funding
In the world of planetary science, a decade-long mission is considered ambitious. JAXA, Japan’s space agency, is now weighing something far more audacious: a sample return mission that wouldn’t deliver its cargo until the late 2040s, more than 22 years from the earliest planning stages. The proposed Next Generation Small-Body Return (NGSR) mission to comet […]
Ska Brewing sale breathes new life into 30-year-old business
Ska Brewing Co. in Durango has survived more than 30 years of shifting economic landscapes, a pandemic, a multiyear decline for craft breweries on the whole and a recent change of ownership after deca...
Business Briefs April 13, 2025: Business news in the Berkshires and beyond
In light of current events, Greylock’s leadership recognized the importance of awarding funds to organizations dedicated to providing human services.
Oregon gets $200M to improve rural health care access
Oregon will receive nearly $200 million in federal funding this year to improve rural health care, with specific allocations for hospitals, clinics and public health, with additional project funding to
Women in Business Fund supports NNY professionals; grant applications due May 1
WATERTOWN — Professional women across the Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties are invited to apply by Friday, May 1 for 2026 grant support from the Maxine Quigg Women in
Memorial Health Foundation fashion show raises over $142K
The Memorial Health Foundation 21st annual Fashion Show, this year with a Masquerade Ball theme, drew a large crowd and raised more than $142,000, with proceeds supporting local cancer patients and related health initiatives. The annual fundraiser supports the foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund and breast health initiatives, helping individuals undergoing treatment with expenses such […]
Memorial Health Foundation fashion show raises over $142K
The Memorial Health Foundation 21st annual Fashion Show, this year with a Masquerade Ball theme, drew a large crowd and raised more than $142,000, with proceeds supporting local cancer patients and related health initiatives. The annual fundraiser supports the foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund and breast health initiatives, helping individuals undergoing treatment with expenses such […]
The business of having fun
WARREN — Offering a nod to Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 worldwide hit single and subsequent feminist anthem, “Girls Just Want To Have ...
Here are 5 federal fundraising reports that already turned our heads days from the Q1 deadline
A number of non-incumbents have already posted numbers to let the world know they are serious.
KFF: US: Global health funding in the FY 2027 President’s budget request
The proposed budget includes significant reductions in and restructuring of global health funding, including the elimination of some programs and activities.
EL PAÍS: US aid cuts collapse Malawi’s LGBTQ+ health services as volunteers scramble to fill the void
The lack of funding has left some 15,000 users of NGO programs scrambling for care in a public system that many fear to enter.
Spark! Imagination and Science Center hosts Earth Fest for families
Spark hosts a Spark! Sunday event each month to encourage fun while exploring the basics of STEM concepts.
LA Leaders Create Foundation to Fight $50M Health Cuts
Los Angeles community leaders launched The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA to offset $50 million in LA County public health budget cuts affecting clinics.
Politics Now: April 11, 2026
This week on Politics Now with host John Langeler: Rep. Susie Lee (D) on the War in Iran, DHS funding and her recent profanity laced social media post targeting President Donald Trump. The debate o…
It's music festival season. How to stay safe and healthy while enjoying the show
Music festival season is here, bringing outdoor fun, music and dancing | Talk 1370
It's music festival season. How to stay safe and healthy while enjoying the show
Music festival season is here, bringing outdoor fun, music and dancing | WWL
It's music festival season. How to stay safe and healthy while enjoying the show
Music festival season is here, bringing outdoor fun, music and dancing | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
Health expert explains link between women's hormones, stress
Functional medicine practitioner Jennifer Gularson highlights how physiological shifts like menopause can trigger significant stress and hormone imbalances.
Shropshire sports charity's £510k award to get people moving
The funding will be used to support people who "face the greatest barriers to being active".
FULL SHOW: Inside INdiana Business 4/12/26
.video-js, .video-js .vjs-tech { position: relative; width: 100%; height: auto; z-index: 0; } var player = videojs('player_block_43d59ed240e49efe2fe7651ae8a70894'); player.nuevo({ contextMenu: false }); var vast = { started: false, paused: false, resumed: false, ended: false, }; var video = { started: false, paused: false, resumed: false, ended: false, } var event_label = 'Video: 200642 - Article: FULL SHOW: Inside INdiana Business 4/12/26'; var post_id = 200640; var post_url = "https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/videos/full-show-inside-indiana-business-4-12-26"; player.vastAds({ tagURL: "https://servedbyadbutler.com/vast.spark?setID=13487&ID=177008&pid=117129", id: "PreRoll" }); player.on('vast.adStart', function() { vast.started = true; }); player.on('vast.adError', function() { vast = { started: true, ended: true }; }); player.on('play', function() { if (vast.ended && !video.paused) { video.started = true; window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Played", eventLabel: event_label }); var audio_insight_data = { event_type: "video_played", data: { video_id: post_id, video_url: post_url }, ...insight_data, }; insight.track(audio_insight_data); } if (video.started && video.paused) { video.resumed = true; window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Resumed", eventLabel: event_label }); var audio_insight_data = { event_type: "video_resumed", data: { video_id: post_id, video_url: post_url }, ...insight_data, }; insight.track(audio_insight_data); } }); player.on('pause', function() { if (vast.ended) { video.paused = true; window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Paused", eventLabel: event_label }); var audio_insight_data = { event_type: "video_paused", data: { video_id: post_id, video_url: post_url }, ...insight_data, }; insight.track(audio_insight_data); } }); player.on('ended', function() { //vast.adEnd fires after ended, pointless to use. vast.ended = true; if (video.started && !video.ended) { video.ended = true; window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Ended", eventLabel: event_label }); } var audio_insight_data = { event_type: "video_completed", data: { video_id: post_id, video_url: post_url, percentage: 100, }, ...insight_data, }; insight.track(audio_insight_data); }); player.on('fullscreenchange', function() { window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Fullscreen Toggled", eventLabel: event_label }); }); player.on('enterpictureinpicture', function() { window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Picture-in-Picture Opened", eventLabel: event_label }); }); player.on('leavepictureinpicture', function() { window.dataLayer.push({ event: "Videos", eventCategory: 'Video', eventAction: "Video Picture-in-Picture Closed", eventLabel: event_label }); }); let lastReportedPercentage = 0; player.on('timeupdate', function() { const currentTime = player.currentTime(); const duration = player.duration(); if (duration) { const progressPercentage = Math.floor((currentTime / duration) * 100); if (progressPercentage % 5 === 0 && progressPercentage !== lastReportedPercentage) { lastReportedPercentage = progressPercentage; var audio_insight_data = { event_type: "video_completed", data: { video_id: post_id, video_url: post_url, percentage: progressPercentage, }, ...insight_data, }; insight.track(audio_insight_data); } } });
Science & Medicine: Pain researchers have their eyes on ending chronic pain
A UT Health San Antonio researcher is working to map the nerves involved in jaw pain as part of a federally funded consortium aimed at developing the first targeted, non-opioid treatment for chronic pain, research he hopes will give millions of suffering Americans their lives back and ultimately reverse or even prevent pain in the first place.
Mental Health Awareness of Michiana holds cake fundraiser
Mental Health Awareness of Michiana offers a bite of comfort food — cake. The fundraiser at Howard Park will feature professional and amateur bakers.
Christmas Vacation and Congress: 'We're all in misery' amid the ongoing DHS shutdown
Fox News' Chad Pergram discusses Congress' prolonged DHS shutdown and the risky tactics associated with it as political divisions threaten deeper government funding crises.
New clinic brings at-home health care to La Plata, San Juan counties
HERMOSA – The practice of a doctor traveling to a patient’s home to deliver care – as opposed to the patient traveling to a medical campus or visiting a doctor in an office – is largely bygone. Accord...
How to get a refund on the Nintendo eShop
Here's what you can and can't get refunds for on the Nintendo eShop on Switch and Switch 2 with information on how to actually get one.
Life on Mars? Tiny cells just survived shock waves and toxic soil
Mars may be hostile, but it might not be entirely unlivable. In lab experiments, yeast cells survived simulated Martian shock waves and toxic perchlorate salts—two major environmental threats on the Red Planet. Their secret weapon was forming protective molecular clusters that shield critical cellular functions under stress. Without these defenses, survival plummeted, pointing to a potential universal strategy life could use beyond Earth.
Bridging Oral Health and Integrated Care: A Scientometric Study of Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) and Removable Prosthodontics in Older Adults
Population aging has shifted healthcare priorities from disease-centered models towards functional ability and quality of life. The WHO Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework operati...
ON THE JOB: “What is the Best Business Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Sound advice can contribute to your success. We recently asked area business leaders, what was their best advice they’d ever received. Here’s what they said: “The best advice I ever received was from my then –boss, Gerry Church, Fulton plant manager at Miller Brewing Co. He told me that whenever I wanted to discuss a business problem or issue with him, I should also be prepared to offer possible solutions. It’s the difference between being proactive or reactive. It’s also the difference between being a leader or follower. That has served me well in any business relationship I have had since then.” — Stephen Chirello, Owner, Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton “Someone will always do it for less; they will also take the most effort to service or satisfy and leave you for the next lower price.” — John M. Henry, Owner, Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing, Phoenix Press, Oswego “I’m going to answer this question by turning it around and giving my own advice that is, ‘Always treat every customer as if they were your only customer!’ We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in business this year. We started our business on March 25, 1976. My advice works.”” — Nick Chervinsky, President, Brewerton Pharmacy, Brewerton “’You need to toot your own horn, my grandfather, Howard D. Dice, told me.” — Beth Ann Dice, Women’s active aging and cancer recovery coach, Mission Movement Wellness Studio & Breast Cancer Recovery Studio, Fulton “In the micro enterprise class, they taught, ‘Get a good lawyer, accountant and bank.’ That was over 30 years ago and I still have those three today. I chose good people I could grow with.” — Tony Pauldine, Owner, Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractors Inc., Oswego “From my grandfather; ‘Listen to everyone! You never know where you will get the solution you need.’” — Kevin Dean, Executive director, Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton “‘Preparation is the mother of success.’ My dad always drilled that into my head growing up, and it has helped me avoid a lot of snags in both my personal and professional life. Thanks, Dad!” — Bekkah Frisch, Owner and president, iHeart Holdings, Inc., Fulton “If you don’t take a risk and try, you will never know.” — Justin Taber, Owner, Torbitt’s Service Center, Oswego “Be ready to take a loss.” — Cody Seymour, Manager, Damiano’s Eatery, Mexico “I’ve received so much good business advice over the years. When people are giving you advice, always be curious rather than judgmental. Follow your gut. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.” — Dana Decker, Principal owner/broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Oswego ’Do it and figure it out later.’ It hasn’t failed me yet. Too many people take time to think about doing this and this and this and then the opportunity is over with. If it’s somewhat reasonable — if it’s not something outrageous — do it and figure it out later.” — Jeremy Allen, Licensed real estate salesperson, Acropolis Realty Group, Syracuse “’Try to meet the needs of the customer. Treat them like you’d like to be treated.’ It’s like the Golden Rule says.” — Douglas Dickson, Physician and associate at CNY Foot Surgery and Podiatry Care, East Syracuse “The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received applies to life in general: always be honest. Never overstate your capabilities and always be willing to ask questions. The more specific you can be in any given topic will always lead to a better outcome.” — Tom Fernandez, President, Woodbine Hospitality, Syracuse “As a business owner, the advice would be ‘Don’t overextend yourself. Especially in agriculture, expect issues to come up.’ If something is going right, it’s not true agriculture. This last season, we scaled very hard to field another crew. We got more drones, crew and generators based on projections. This last season hit the ag community hard with a very wet spring. We did 15,000 to 20,000 acres for fungicide and the same for cover crop seeding in 2024. We scaled to 25,000 to 30,000 for 2025. We ended up doing 2,000 for fungicide and 3,000 for cover crop seeding. That’s why that advice was good.” — Rick Jordan, Operations manager, CNY Drove Services, Clinton “’Keep your head down, mind your own business and do the best for your clients that you can do.’ It has a lot to do with my success in working for Galloway Century 21.” — Ed Fayette, New York state licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Galloway, Oswego “’Expand in all ways, always.’ It just keeps you going and keeps you growing.” — Stephen Baier, Licensed real estate person, The Real Estate Agency & Bouck Commercial, Auburn “The best advice is, ‘Your biggest asset you won’t see on the books because it comes from your employees.’” — David Flickinger, Owner, Edible Arrangements, Syracuse “Don’t take things personally when you’re working with the public.” — Leeann Desimone, Manager, Annie’s Hallmark Shop, Auburn “‘Follow up.’ The customer knows that you care about what you are doing and that their opinion counts. Sometimes they might be on the fence about whether they want to use your company. If they’re asking your opinion on things, they feel you are concerned about what you’re doing. They like to be kept in the loop if they’re spending money with you.” — Dorothy Casper, Saslesperson, SweetWoods Memorials, Phoenix “The best business advice I received is ‘Never be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.’ That’s how you learn.” — Debbie Bilello, Owner, Virtual Office Solutions, Central Square “’You need to grow your business but you can’t grow too big too fast.’ That’s what we’ve done at Pinnacle Maintenance. We’ve tried to grow but not too fast. Along those same lines, there’s another good piece of advice, ‘Don’t take on more than you can handle because it only leads to a bad name for your business and a bad experience for your customers.’ It goes along the same lines as growing your business slowly and carefully.” — David Wines, Owner, Pinnacle Maintenance, Central Square “Always be on time and do what you say you are going to do.’ I’ve done very well following that advice. Most of my work is referral and I don’t really do any advertising so I have a pretty good customer base. It’s mostly word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.” — Robert J. Fleming, Owner, Bob Fleming Windows & Doors, Brewerton “’Concentrate on your finances, always pay your taxes, and form a team you can depend on. Try to help the community you’re in as much as you can.’ We do all of these all the time here. We give and give and give to the community and the community gives back to us always.” — Susan Bonnet, Co-owner, Bonnet Sales and Service, Central Square “Keep smiling. It brings a positive attitude to the workplace.” — Karin Lindsley, Vice president, DTS Truck Service, Syracuse “‘Customer service above all.’ Following this advice has served us very well.’ — Guy Fox, Owner, Fox’s Discount Parts, West Monroe “The best thing to do is to make sure you’re taking in more money than you’re spending. I wish I could say I’m a good businessman but I have been in business since 1981. I’m not a bean counter but work well with my hands and its’s served me well all these years and I am still in business.” — Matt McGill, Owner, Matt McGill Collision, Brewerton
State floats major mental health funding shift that could jeopardize North Bay mobile crisis teams
The proposed shift would shoulder counties with as much as $130 million annually to sustain the programs. For many, it would open a gap they can’t fill.
Jerry Demings continues to lag behind David Jolly in fundraising race for Democratic gubernatorial nomination
The former Republican has a five-to-one financial edge over the Central Florida political veteran.
Sun ’n Fun returns, boosting local businesses and adding shuttle service
The vice president of the Aerospace Center for Excellence says the airshow generates more than $60 million for Central Florida.
Science Museum of Minnesota to host their biggest annual fundraising event
$10,000 bounty on the implementation of rollback netcode for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 placed by Maximilian Dood
It's been nearly 15 years since Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was released on November 15, 2011. Funnily enough, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was released about nine months after Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (February 15, 2011), which spawned ...
Boom Ball blends baseball, high-energy entertainment for night of family fun in Birmingham
The touring baseball show announced Friday that they’re brining their one-of-a-kind family entertainment to Regions Field.
“AI polls” are fake polls
A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.
Radical Rob demonstrates fun science experiments on 'Fox & Friends Weekend'
Mad Science NYC & Westchester's chief mad scientist Rob Diaz demonstrates home experiments with the hosts of 'Fox & Friends Weekend.'
Paul Renner fundraising falls off, with roughly $800k raised to kick off 2026, as burn rate escalates
The conservative is at the crossroads as big donors steer clear.
Arts & Entertainment Calendar
Events coming up in the Greenville area offer music, arts, theater and family fun. Here is a sampling.
New metal with triple copper’s heat conduction challenges fundamental physics
With performance three times better than copper’s, this new material could substantially improve heat management of electronics, data centers and energy systems
Akron Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory
We’re in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Akron Community’s Choice Awards today.
Insights from CLI: Tracking AI's Impact on Offices and Business Parks in APAC
April 11, 2026 -- Artificial intelligence (AI) will be one of the most consequential technological shifts of the current era. It will fundamenta...
$600K grant expands school-based mental health support across Wisconsin
The funding, from the Roots & Wings Foundation, will support a school-based mental health initiative led by the WEA Member Benefits Foundation.
Political analysts break down Trump's visit to Charlottesville
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) — President Donald Trump made a brief and tightly controlled visit to Charlottesville on Friday, attending a private fundraiser at Trump Winery as he works to
Memorial Health Foundation fashion show raises over $142K
The Memorial Health Foundation 21st annual Fashion Show, this year with a Masquerade Ball theme, drew a large crowd and raised more than $142,000, with proceeds supporting local cancer patients and related health initiatives. The annual fundraiser supports the foundation’s cancer patient emergency fund and breast health initiatives, helping individuals undergoing treatment with expenses such […]
Dems compete to carry on Nydia Velázquez's progressive fight
The top Democrats running to succeed Rep. Nydia Velázquez in the House are fundraising and building their campaigns.
No refund top customer complaint BBB helps with process of complaints and reviews
For many shoppers in Washington, getting a refund is becoming a bigger headache than the original problem.New data from the Better Business Bureau shows complai
Your Next Breach Will Look Like Business as Usual
These are the fundamental detection model shifts cybersecurity teams need to make to keep up with the rising number of credential-based attacks.
Homeland Security Workers Get Paid, but the Next Check Is Uncertain
The lack of clarity has frustrated employees as Congress battles over how to fund the department.
Al Roker stops 'Today' interview with 'Laguna Beach' star over wardrobe malfunction: 'Guys, on live television?'
'Laguna Beach' star handled a wardrobe malfunction that occurred on live TV like a pro Friday on 'Today.'
Nebraska DHHS will pay health care providers to live and work in rural areas
Providers are eligible for up to $75,000 a year and must commit to work in a rural community for five years in a facility that accepts Medicaid. Federal grant money from the One Big Beautiful Bill will fund the initiative.
Looking for weekend plans? Book fair, Open Streets: West Walnut offer entertainment for all
There are two fun events happening this weekend that we want to tell you about! First, Books and Brews Philly and South Philly bookstore A Novel idea are teaming up for a “Grown-Up Book Fair and Swap” on Sunday afternoon. Then, also on Sunday, we have “Open Streets: West Walnut” which just opened for the spring season. NBC10’s Sheila Watko tells us more about the upcoming events!
Businesses discuss winter water failures with Ofwat
Businesses meet the water regulator as a compensation fund opens following a water plant failure.
Trump's 2027 Budget Deepens Cuts To Global And Domestic Health
US President Donald Trump wants to eliminate $4.3 billion from the US government’s global health budget, including all funding for the Pan-American Health
Ken Welch brings in just under $220K in Q1, but still falls further behind Charlie Crist in fundraising
Considering $85K of the Q1 funds came from a fund transfer, Welch raised just about $135K in new money.
What's in Wisconsin's plan for latest round of opioid settlement funds?
The state health department released the plan April 9. State lawmakers have the ultimate say in how opioid settlement funds are spent.
Record ODA Cuts: Top Donors Slash Aid As Global Health Risks Grow
Preliminary data from the OECD reveals historic ODA cuts, setting international aid back a decade. Civil society groups warn that the reductions will devastate funding for global health, education and social protection.
Weekend Pulse 4/10-4/12
Live music, circus performances, film screenings and fundraisers highlight a busy April weekend across southwestern New Hampshire and southern Vermont.
Six Flags Entertainment Corp (FUN): Leadership Changes Increase Operating Agency
Six Flags Entertainment Corp (NYSE:FUN) is one of the small cap stocks that make up 0.28% of George Soros stock portfolio. On April 1, Oppenheimer maintained its Outperform rating on Six Flags Entertainment Corp (NYSE:FUN) stock but lowered the price target to $26 from $40. According to the equity research firm, a new chief executive […]
Amazon Luna Removing Paid Games And Offering No Refunds
You have until June 10 to enjoy the games you purchased on the cloud streaming service
(LETTERS) Letter to Barrasso, Hell’s Half Acre science and funding question
Oil City News publishes letters, cartoons and opinions as a public service. The content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Oil City News or its
Neuroscientist To Lead Engineering-Driven Brain Health Research
Dr. Matthew Walker joined UT Dallas in January to build the future of sleep science. His research spans fundamental neuroscience and the development of innovative engineering tools to improve the quality of life. Dr. Matthew Walker is helping to transform sleep research from an observational field into one in which engineered solutions can measure and […]
Neuroscientist To Lead Engineering-Driven Brain Health Research
Dr. Matthew Walker joined UT Dallas in January to build the future of sleep science. His research spans fundamental neuroscience and the development of innovative engineering tools to improve the quality of life. Dr. Matthew Walker is helping to transform sleep research from an observational field into one in which engineered solutions can measure and […]
Title X Funding Restored, but New Rules Raise Concerns
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, April 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Federal funding for reproductive health clinics is back on track, but some new rules appear to stray from the original goals. Clinics that rely on the Title X program have now received their funding after the Trump ...
Picture this: A raffle offers a Picasso for 100 euros to fund Alzheimer’s research
A raffle in France offers the chance to win a Picasso portrait for a 100-euro ticket | 1010 WINS