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Trump administration freezes Medicare enrollments for new home health care, hospice providers
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is placing a moratorium on new Medicare enrollments from home health care and hospice providers, as part of the Trump administration’s effort…
CMS announces 6-month enrollment moratorium on home health and hospice providers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced a six-month nationwide moratorium preventing enrollment of new home health agencies and hospice providers, effective immediately. CMS said that the moratorium is part of Vice President JD Vance’s Anti-Fraud Task Force and that the agency will use this time to intensify anti-fraud efforts within the sector.
Trump administration pauses new hospice and home health providers’ enrollment in Medicare
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Wednesday that it is placing a six-month moratorium on new enrollment of health providers in Medicare — its latest effort to combat what it says is widespread fraud among hospice and home health providers.
Trump administration pauses new hospice and home health providers’ enrollment in Medicare
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Wednesday that it is placing a six-month moratorium on new enrollment of health providers in Medicare — its latest effort to combat what it says is widespread fraud among hospice and home health providers.
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies
Initiative was spurred by Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force.
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies
The Trump administration is expanding its fraud-busting initiative with a nationwide six-month freeze on some new Medicare enrollments. Here's what to know.
Medicare halts enrollment of new hospice, home health providers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it will pause the enrollment of new hospice and home health providers.
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice, home health agencies
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Wednesday pursued new efforts in a sweeping initiative to root out fraud in federal health programs, including ...
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration said Wednesday it is expanding its sweeping fraud-busting initiative in federal health programs with a nationwide six-month freeze on any new Medicare enrollments by hospice and home health agencies.
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies
The Trump administration is expanding its fraud-busting initiative in federal health programs.
Trump administration freezes new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies
The Trump administration is expanding its fraud-busting initiative in federal health programs. On Wednesday, it announced a nationwide six-month freeze on new Medicare enrollments by hospice and home health agencies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says the moratorium will help prevent fraud and protect vulnerable patients. The initiative was spurred by Vice President JD Vance's anti-fraud task force. Several alleged fraud schemes have been prosecuted in the hospice and home health care categories, and states have acknowledged it's a legitimate concern. But some have pushed back on the administration’s aggressive tactics and raised concerns about punishing law-abiding providers that are trying to serve patients.
What’s the Best Way to Brainwash an LLM?
I spent a weekend trying to convince a language model it was C-3PO. Here's what actually worked.
Introducing Northwood Insights, a New Blog for the Next Generation of Business Leaders
New content platform strengthens the university’s digital presence, broadens its reach among prospective students, and establishes Northwood as a thought leader in business, free enterprise, and entrepreneurial education. Northwood University has launched Northwood Insights, a new blog designed to position the university as a leading voice in business education, free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and career development. The platform delivers expert, research-informed content to prospective students, current students, and the broader professional community, meeting audiences where they already are online and searching for answers. “Northwood has always been about preparing people to move forward with clarity and confidence,” said Marketing and Communications Officer Rachel Valdiserri. “With Northwood Insights, we’re meeting students where they are with content that’s relevant, direct, and built for how they discover and learn today. It’s not about adding more noise; it’s about delivering ideas, perspectives, and insights that help them make more informed decisions earlier in their journey.” The blog features a growing library of articles spanning Northwood’s core academic strengths, including business administration, automotive and mobility studies, sports management, and entrepreneurship. Each piece is written to inform and guide, answering the real questions students are asking while organically connecting readers to the academic programs, faculty expertise, and career outcomes that define a Northwood education. Each article is crafted to reflect Northwood’s institutional voice while being optimized for the search behaviors of today’s prospective students, a generation that begins researching universities long before they apply. By appearing in those early search results, Northwood establishes credibility, builds familiarity, and creates a meaningful connection with students the moment they are most open to influence. “This platform is a natural extension of our enrollment strategy,” said Dr. Matthew Bennett, vice president of enrollment and strategic alliances. “When a prospective student searches for career paths, we want Northwood to be the source they trust. Northwood Insights makes that possible at a global scale.” Beyond enrollment, Northwood Insights serves the university’s broader advancement mission. As a platform built to demonstrate expertise and institutional relevance, it reinforces Northwood’s standing as a thought leader in free enterprise education and entrepreneurial leadership, directly supporting alumni engagement, donor confidence, and community partnerships. The content signals that Northwood is not only preparing students for the careers of today but actively shaping the conversations defining the industries of tomorrow. “Attention isn’t given anymore; it’s earned,” said Milada Dzevitski, Northwood’s digital content and technical writer who manages the Northwood Insights blog. “This platform is built to meet that standard, with content that’s relevant, direct, and worth engaging with.” Northwood Insights is live now and will continue to grow with new content published regularly. Share this page
Exclusive: US halting Medicare enrollments for new home healthcare and hospice providers
The Trump administration will temporarily block new home health and hospice providers on Wednesday from enrolling in Medicare, a senior administration official said, citing concerns about widespread fraud.
Exclusive-US Halting Medicare Enrollments for New Home Healthcare and Hospice Providers
By Jody Godoy May 13 (Reuters) - The Trump administration will temporarily block new home health and hospice providers on Wednesday from enrolling in Medicare, a senior administration official said, citing concerns about widespread fraud. The nationwide moratorium is the latest move by Vice ...
Language Lessons: How LLMs Are Transforming Research
Stanford GSB faculty are using AI to analyze text at unprecedented speed and scale.
NVIDIA’s V100, An 8-Year Old GPU, Now Sells for $100 and Crushes Modern Consumer Cards in AI LLM Workloads
The 8-year-old NVIDIA V100 outperformed the RTX 3060 and RX 7800 XT in AI LLMs, achieving 130 Tokens/s at only $200 total cost with mods.
Thousands drop Medi-Cal in Ventura County. Here's what it means
Enrollment in the Medi-Cal insurance program is falling in Ventura County and the decline is expected to continue.
$200 NVIDIA V100 server GPU mod beats RTX 3060 in local LLM test
Used NVIDIA V100 server GPU becomes low-cost local LLM accelerator Hardware Haven has tested one of the stranger GPU setups we have seen recently. The
A common sports injury turned dangerous — how University of Missouri Health Care saved an athlete’s leg
A routine sports injury for a Missouri college athlete escalated into a medical crisis, leading to a complex, leg-saving effort at MU Health Care.
A common sports injury turned dangerous — how University of Missouri Health Care saved an athlete’s leg
A routine sports injury for a Missouri college athlete escalated into a medical crisis, leading to a complex, leg-saving effort at MU Health Care.
Chinese buyer plans partial residential conversion at Wacker Drive office building
The deal is part of two major trends: A wave of downtown office buildings trading at fractions of their pre-pandemic values and office-to-residential conversions.
Business Office Leader Improved Financial Systems and Oversight at Chico State
Over 35 years in Chico State’s business office, George Wellman transformed how the University manages its finances through a steadfast commitment to accuracy and efficiency.
Hartnell College nursing program expands with $1.5 million Salinas Valley Health grant
Hartnell College and Salinas Valley Health are partnering to address a nursing shortage on the Central Coast by increasing nursing program enrollment by 50% through a $1.5 million grant.
More Consumers on Arkansas Marketplace Shopped Around for Health Plans This Year, Data Show
Among consumers who selected health plans on the Arkansas marketplace for 2026, there was a substantial increase from the previous year in the number of consumers who shopped around for the best deals, data show. We look at the reasons for that increase in the second installment of our blog series examining marketplace enrollment data.
Fulfillment centers benefit as Miami sees boom in e-commerce business
Miami has seen an ecommerce boom as small businesses rely more heavily on fulfillment centers to handle online orders.
Digital archive reveals how NIH built the field of genomics
Study details how taxpayer-funded agencies choose what science to support, previously a ‘black box’
Thousands in WA drop health insurance coverage. Here’s why
For nearly a year, policymakers have warned that ACA enrollment could fall off a cliff. Now we know exactly how many people in Washington dropped out.
Oscar Health Reports Record Profit As Obamacare Enrollment Jumps
Oscar Health swung to a $679 million first quarter profit – the highest in company history – as its health plan membership jumped more than 50% and medical costs eased.
Arts-Entertainment: Source Alvon Johnson set for Mother’s Day shows
To purchase advanced tickets for Johnson’s performance at The 4th Corner Speakeasy, visit 4thcornerspeakeasy.com/alvon-johnson-2/
Final faculty senate session addressed enrollment, Neyland entertainment district
As university enrollment declines nationwide, University of Tennessee administrators boast sturdy enrollment numbers for the fall 2026 semester. UT Provost John Zomchick provided an overview of the university’s fall 2026 enrollment at Monday’s faculty senate meeting, days after UT’s first-year student enrollment confirmation deadline. “I’m happy to announce that we have had a very strong...
NYU Langone Health plans to build new $1B teaching hospital, research center in Melville
The hospital would provide medical services to the Route 110 corridor, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said.
Amazon turns its logistics empire into a new business, taking on UPS and FedEx in freight and shipping
Amazon launched Amazon Supply Chain Services, bundling freight, distribution, fulfillment, and parcel shipping into a single offering for any business. Shares of UPS dropped nearly 10% and FedEx fell more than 9%.
This simple amino acid supplement greatly reduces Alzheimer’s damage
A new study suggests a surprisingly simple compound could help fight Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that arginine—an inexpensive amino acid already considered safe—can reduce the buildup of toxic amyloid proteins in the brain, a hallmark of the disease. In animal models, oral arginine not only lowered harmful protein deposits but also improved behavior and reduced brain inflammation.
Amazon opens logistics network to all businesses
Amazon launches Supply Chain Services for all businesses—freight, distribution, fulfillment & shipping.
Anthropic Nears $1.5 Billion Joint Venture With Wall Street Firms
Anthropic, Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman each expected to invest around $300 million; Goldman Sachs also an investor.
"Severance" star and Jackson State alum gives commencement speech. See photos
Jackson State University alum and "Severance" actor Tramell Tillman gives the graduation speech at Lee E. Williams AAC in Jackson, MS, on May 2, 2026.
Washington coalition attempts universal health care as exchange enrollment declines
GameThread: Tigers vs. Rangers, 7:15 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (16-17) vs. Texas Rangers (16-16) Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Comerica ParkSB Nation Site: Lone Star BallMedia: Detroit Sportsnet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio NetworkPitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (1-2, 4.00 ERA) vs. RHP Kumar Rocker (1-2, 3.38 ERA)
School of Public Health lays off lecturers, staff amid budget shortfall
Citing reduced federal research funding and declining international enrollment, the Public Health School laid off four lecturers and 15 staff
AJ Allmendinger joins impressive NASCAR Truck field for Watkins Glen
Allmendinger will face fellow road course aces Zilisch and SVG at The Glen
Obamacare Enrollment Drops Sharply as Costs Rise
Americans can’t afford the higher health insurance premiums that resulted from Congress’s refusal to extend federal tax credits.
Instagram disables account of decade-old Native Hawaiian business
Kakou Collective had used the social media platform to reach its 50,000 followers/
FAMU president asks for support from Tallahassee's business leaders
FAMU President Marva Johnson urged Tallahassee business leaders to invest in the university and its students, aiming for enrollment growth.
Intermountain Health Fillmore Community Hospital Breaks Ground on Emergency Department Expansion to Enhance Access to Care for Residents
Community leaders, hospital caregivers, and project partners celebrated a major milestone for local healthcare as Intermountain Health Fillmore Community Hospital officially broke ground on a long‑awaited Emergency Department expansion that will improve access to care for residents.The ceremony on April 22 marked the beginning of a project des...
Apple Business and the Illusion of Simplicity
Apple Business Manager simplifies device enrollment, but true security demands continuous governance and integrated endpoint management with BlackBerry UEM.
Fine chandeliers are a specialty for New Orleans business | Home/Garden
Michael Melesurgo and Ricardo “Rico” Mencia purchased Classic Chandelier from the business’s founder, Peter Sather, in 2023, when he decided to retire. The business partners rebranded the company as Vintage Chandelier and relocated it to 455 Philip St. in the Irish Channel in December 2025.The company offers a variety of services including cleaning, moving, restoration, installation, pick-up, delivery and general maintenance of light fixtures, with a specialty in fine antique chandeliers.Additional specialties include the installation and restoration of mirrors and artwork, with pick-up and delivery included. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-mobile-1'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-tablet-1'); }); “We mainly focus on older fixtures, but we have also worked on newer ones, especially with installation,” Melesurgo said. “We aim to be able to work on almost anything within reason. But chandeliers are the meat and potatoes of the business.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-sticky-rail-1'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-desktop-1'); }); The team at Vintage Chandelier has worked on some of the best-known chandeliers in New Orleans, at hotels including the Ritz-Carlton and the Hyatt Regency, the Milton H. Latter Memorial branch of the New Orleans Public Library and several prominent homes.Inside Out sat down with the duo to discuss the identification and care of fine chandeliers. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-mobile-2'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-tablet-2'); }); What are some of the hallmarks of a fine chandelier?Melesurgo: Some of the finer points of elegant chandeliers are pristine crystal, clean craftsmanship, original pieces and parts and stamped pieces to ensure authenticity. Everything should be clean and working.How should you clean a fine chandelier?Melesurgo: The material in question determines the methodology for cleaning. Crystal chandeliers should be cleaned by hand, crystal by crystal, to ensure the best outcome, and to avoid deterioration of metal wiring typically used in connecting pieces together. Spraying cleaners can, over time, sit on the metal and end up rusting connections that compromise the connections. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-mobile-3'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-tablet-3'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-sticky-rail-2'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-desktop-2'); }); What in your backgrounds led you to this business?Melesurgo: I have an electrical background. I started as an electrical apprentice in the local union (IBEW 130) in 2005. Then Katrina hit. I ended up going back to school and getting a degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism and graduating in 2011. I started working for Peter (Sather) at Classic Chandelier & Mirror in 2012, which was supposed to only be temporary, but I ended up staying for a lot longer. I have always enjoyed working with my hands and being creative. This allows me to be creative and keep a lot of beautiful history alive. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-mobile-4'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-tablet-4'); }); Rico, you worked as a draftsman alongside an engineer at YKM Consulting. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-sticky-rail-3'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-breakout-desktop-3'); }); Mencia: The job was interesting, especially working on the Ochsner expansion, but staring at two monitors all day became unbearable. I went to work for Peter (Sather), which opened a new world to antiques and chandeliers that I find fascinating. Vintage Chandelier, 455 Philip St., (504) 309-8983, @vintagechandelier.504 on Instagram googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('fixed-sticky-rail-4'); });
SF to get a pair of new outdoor booze zones
Entertainment zones popping up in the upper Fillmore and Glen Park.
AI could help human scientists pick promising research topics
Large language models flag up novel combinations of concepts in materials science
Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace Data Show Changes in Enrollment, Plan Selection, Premiums
New data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that marketplace plan enrollment in Arkansas decreased by 3.8% in the 2026 open enrollment period compared to 2025, but there was a shift in the types of plans selected and a notable increase in average plan premiums.
Colorado lawmakers limit health care enrollment for immigrant children, but raise cap on dental benefits as budget talks conclude
After weeks of wrestling with how to rein in spending on a program providing health coverage to immigrants, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday, April 28, to a proposal to limit enrollment and end certain...
Colorado lawmakers limit health care enrollment for immigrant children, but raise cap on dental benefits as budget talks conclude
After weeks of wrestling with how to rein in spending on a program providing health coverage to immigrants, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday, April 28, to a proposal to limit enrollment and end certain...
Lawmakers pile on Colorado taxpayers — even more
By Mark Hillman That our two political parties have such different philosophies regarding business and taxes is exasperating because prosperity would serve even the very different interests of Democrats and Republicans. Democrats want more revenue for government to spend it on social welfare, health care and schools. Republicans want to stimulate the economy, leading to more […]
Thousands of Marylanders downgraded health plans on ACA marketplace amid rising premiums
As fewer Marylanders qualify for federal tax breaks that used to keep health care costs down, state officials report that higher monthly premiums have led thousands to opt for lower-coverage healthcare plans than in previous years.
Medical debt vs. Medicaid expansion: One state has a clear winner
Researchers found enrollment correlated with big reductions in medical debt as signaled by collections activity and subprime credit scores.
Horizon Science Academy to open school in Cedar Rapids
The new campus is scheduled to open in August and enrollment is now open on the school’s website.
Concrete Rose 773 held "She's Got Next" sports camp for more than 200 girls in Pullman
Vermont sees drop in health insurance enrollment after subsidy cuts
Learn about the impact of the federal budget bill HR.1 on Vermont's healthcare system, including loss of subsidies and changes to Medicaid eligibility.
The New Linux Kernel AI Bot Uncovering Bugs Is A Local LLM On Framework Desktop + AMD Ryzen AI Max
Earlier this month on Phoronix we were the first to draw attention to a new fuzzing tool / AI bot uncovering kernel bugs by Greg Kroah-Hartman, the 'second in command' for Linux kernel development and stable maintainer
Friend, not foe: The health threat from spiders is low in W. Pa., experts say
This is the latest installment of Pittsburgh Pests, an occasional series examining the insects and other creatures that pose health risks in our region. Spiders...
MAXDropshipping Launches Enhanced Fulfillment Solution for Scaling E-commerce Brands
NEW YORK, April 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAXDropshipping, a global dropshipping fulfillment partner, has announced the enhancement of its fu...
Why colleges are going out of business
Debt and an enrollment crisis sunk Hampshire College. Is it a canary in the coal mine for higher ed?
Why colleges are going out of business
Debt and an enrollment crisis sunk Hampshire College. Is it a canary in the coal mine for higher ed?
Linux 7.1 Removes Drivers For Long Obsolete Input Hardware: Bye Bus Mouse Support
Beyond Linux looking to remove old drivers due to the surge of AI/LLM bug reports, the Linux 7.1 kernel is also removing some old hardware drivers simply on the basis of long obsolete hardware
Bipartisan-cited science is powerful but rare
New analysis explores how policymakers engage with science
UW Student from Gillette Finds Hands-On Learning, Community in Environ
Alexandria Shinkle credits her hometown of Gillette with giving her a head start on her college education. The dual enrollment program with Gillette College allowed her to take college courses during
Paging Dr. Google … Dr. GPT is in the house
These are the primary platforms currently battling for dominance in the $36 billion clinical AI market
Paging Dr. Google … Dr. GPT is in the house
These are the primary platforms currently battling for dominance in the $36 billion clinical AI market
Brain to behavior to belief: Stanford Veritas Forum advocates role of science and faith in a fulfilled life
Arthur Brooks and Andrew Huberman shared the science behind fulfillment and how their Christian faith has played a role in their pursuit of happiness.
Health Secy. Robert F. Kennedy Testifies on 2027 Budget Request
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on President Trump's 2027 budget request for the department.
Kansas City Royals announce new stadium plans with help from Hallmark Cards
The Royals have been playing at the 40,000-seat Kauffman Stadium, formerly known as Royals Stadium, since the 1973 season.
The Comeback of the Physical Store—and What It Means for Your Business
Brick-and-mortar retail is not declining but evolving, as stores take on new roles as logistics hubs, experiential destinations, and powerful drivers of demand and brand equity. Rising digital acquisition costs and operational challenges are pushing companies to integrate physical and online channels, using stores to improve fulfillment, customer engagement, and marketing effectiveness. The broader lesson for leaders: assets once viewed as liabilities can become competitive advantages when their role is reimagined and aligned with changing economics and customer behavior.
This “quantum” material fooled scientists and revealed something new
A mysterious magnetic material once thought to host an exotic “quantum spin liquid” has turned out to be something entirely different—and possibly just as intriguing. Scientists studying cerium magnesium hexalluminate found it showed the hallmark signs of this elusive quantum state, like a lack of magnetic order and a spread of energy states. But after closer inspection using neutron experiments, they discovered the behavior came from a delicate tug-of-war between two opposing magnetic forces.
69,000 drop NJ marketplace health plans after enrolling
Nearly 14% of enrollees dropped marketplace health plans since open enrollment closed on Jan. 31, and others downgraded coverage.
What Is Borderline Personality Disorder?
Volatile relationships, reckless impulsivity and an unstable identity are hallmarks of this misunderstood mental health condition.
Cher was 'speechless' after discovering her son fathered child with Julie Andrews' step-granddaughter
Cher was 'speechless' after discovering her son, Elijah Blue Allman, fathered child with Julie Andrews' step-granddaughter.
Computer science was once a 'golden ticket' — now it's seeing the biggest enrollment drop of any major in 6 years
Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Johnson said AI has "substantially wiped out" coding as a reliable source of opportunity.
Computer science was once a 'golden ticket' — now it's seeing the biggest enrollment drop of any major in 6 years. What students are choosing instead
Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Johnson said AI has "substantially wiped out" coding as a reliable source of opportunity.
Can Claude Write Z80 Assembly Code?
Betteridge’s law applies, but with help and guidance by a human who knows his stuff, [Ready Z80] was able to get a functioning game of Wordle out of the French-named LLM, which is more than w…
11 missing or dead scientists draw federal scrutiny, including 4 tied to LA County
The Trump administration is reviewing 11 cases of missing or deceased scientists, including Southern California researchers Monica Jacinto Reza, Carl Grillmair, Frank Maiwald, and Michael David Hicks.
Cher files for conservatorship of son Elijah Blue Allman again after arrests: 'His drug dependency is at its worst'
Cher has filed to place her 'gravely disabled' son Elijah Blue Allman under a temporary conservatorship after he was arrested in New Hampshire: 'His drug dependency is at its worst.'
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist to speak at ETSU
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist is the featured speaker for the latest installment of ETSU’s Leading Voices in Public Health lecture series.
Valley Health changes staffing contracts, trims service citing ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Mark Nantz, president and CEO of Valley Health, attributed the changes as a response to how health care is evolving nationally. A rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late last year reduced reimbursements while the H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” is expected to spur drops in Medicaid enrollment nationwide.
Hot ticket: Rodeo kicks off and Fleet Week takes flight
Pretty Fly for a Smart Guy: Dexter Holland, lead singer of The Offspring and a molecular biologist, will headline an upcoming installment of Space Center Houston‘s Thought Leader Series.
OpenAI starts offering a biology-tuned LLM
GPT-Rosalind is an LLM trained on biology workflows, available in closed access.
WTC Health Programs aims to fill vacant jobs after pressure from NY delegation
The WTCHP serves about 140,000 people dealing with a variety of health issues tied to the 9/11 attacks.
'Spaceballs' sequel, 'Thomas Crown Affair' previewed at CinemaCon, but no Bond updates
The cast and filmmakers behind the “Spaceballs” sequel, including Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis, brought humor to CinemaCon in Las Vegas | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
'Spaceballs' sequel, 'Thomas Crown Affair' previewed at CinemaCon, but no Bond updates
The cast and filmmakers behind the “Spaceballs” sequel, including Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis, brought humor to CinemaCon in Las Vegas | KNSS Radio
Skild AI Acquires Zebra Technologies' Robotics Automation Business
Skild AI today announced the acquisition of Zebra Technologies' Robotics Automation business, including its Symmetry Fulfillment orchestration platform. This...
New Willmar entertainment venue teaming up with Rendezvous Axe Throwing
(Willmar MN-) Shining Light Entertainment at The Uptown Willmar Mall is getting closer to opening. Co-Owner Jason Miller says in addition to laser tag and mini-golf, they will be teaming up with Rendezvous Axe Throwing......Victoria Hibma of Rendezvous Axe Throwing says their location on West Litchfield Avenue is now closed and the building, which also houses an operating laundry mat, is for sale. They are in the process of moving their throwing lanes and kitchen equipment to the Shining Light location, across from Golden Ticket Cinema, in the former Chen Garden Restaurant space. Shining Light had hoped to open this past winter, but Miller now hopes to be in operation in less than 2 months......
Business owner calls for community support after fire destroys historic Cullman building
In the heart of downtown Cullman, the destruction of the historic Stiefelmeyer Building is more than a devastating fire — it is a loss deeply rooted in history, memory and community identity.
Sony Pictures offers sneak peek of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' at CinemaCon
Sony Pictures Entertainment kicked off CinemaCon on Monday with a sneak peek of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and a new installment of "Jumanji".Sony Pictures Entertainment also unveiled a first glimpse...
2026 All-Juice Team: One play from Fernando Mendoza earned him instant entry to this squad
On a team and in a process that has always sought QBs who could lead and elevate players around them, Mendoza's inclusion became a no-brainer. With that in mind, we give you the 12th installment of the All-Juice Team.
Samsung One UI 8.5 beta now arriving for these older Galaxy phones
Samsung expands the One UI 8.5 beta to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, S23 FE, and A-series, bringing AirDrop support and LLM-powered Bixby to more users.
Column | Where have all the computer science majors gone?
Computer science has been one of the hottest college majors for 15 years. Enrollment data suddenly shows a big drop.
UCLA Gets $33M Grant for Youth Mental Health Training
UCLA received $33 million from Ballmer Group to expand youth mental health workforce training in Los Angeles County, aiming to produce 2,600 new graduates by 2031.
From LLMs to hallucinations, here's a simple guide to common AI terms
The rise of AI has brought an avalanche of new terms and slang. Here is a glossary with definitions of some of the most important words and phrases you might encounter.
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
“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.
Alamo Drafthouse showing 'The Pitt' finale free for health care workers
Ten Alamo Drafthouse locations are hosting free screenings of "The Pitt" Season 2 finale on Monday, April 13. Limited tickets are available online.