(Unedited) Podcast Transcript 569: The Annual Prediction Show with Yonah Freemark
In the annual prediction show, Jeff Wood and Yonah Freemark reviewed last year’s forecasts on congestion pricing, high‑speed rail, and transportation funding, noting mixed outcomes. They predicted a new U.S. mayor will announce a congestion‑pricing plan, a new tax source for New York’s MTA capital program, and California securing fresh financing for its high‑speed rail. They also discussed Canada’s accelerating high‑speed rail project, the limited use of flex‑funding by blue‑state governors, and the likely elimination of competitive grant programs in future infrastructure legislation.
New Broker Search CDI Will Facilitate Shareholder Approval of Deals
The SEC’s Corporate Finance Division issued a new Compliance Disclosure Interpretation (CDI) that relaxes the 20‑business‑day rule for broker searches ahead of shareholder meetings. The guidance lets companies set record dates earlier, giving them more flexibility when seeking shareholder approval...
The Pros and Cons of IPOs and SPAC Mergers
The article examines whether fast‑growing firms should go public via a traditional IPO or a SPAC merger, emphasizing the role of forward‑looking statements. SPAC deals historically allow more detailed projections, which can attract both sophisticated and unsophisticated investors. The SEC’s...
‘Stupendous Potential’: Pay-Per-Mile Auto Insurance Would Cut Costs And Traffic Violence
Governor Kathy Hochul is pursuing auto‑insurance reforms that would curb lawsuit payouts for crash victims, while experts argue a simpler solution—pay‑per‑mile (usage‑based) insurance—could lower premiums and improve safety. Pay‑as‑you‑drive policies tie rates to actual mileage, potentially reducing high‑risk driving by...
How Barnes & Noble Made a Comeback
Barnes & Noble, once threatened by Amazon, has staged a notable turnaround under CEO James Daunt. Daunt imported the Waterstones formula, giving individual stores autonomy to curate selections and add lifestyle amenities. The chain opened more than 60 new stores...
Of Microchips and Mud: Repelling Drones in the Donbas
Ukrainian forces on the Donbas front line are confronting a relentless wave of Russian attack drones that patrol the open terrain. Soldiers rely on handheld drone detectors and small‑arms fire to knock out the buzzing threats, while command posts fuse...
Group Benefits Enters Decisive Phase
Group benefits platforms are entering a decisive phase as consolidation creates complex, hybrid "frankenstacks" that increase rigidity. The industry’s rapid shift toward flexible benefit design, digital enrollment, and AI‑driven services demands architectures that can be reconfigured quickly. Mergers often prioritize...
Ethanol Production Profits in 2025
U.S. ethanol producers posted a sixth consecutive year of profitability in 2025, with a representative Iowa dry‑mill plant earning an average of $0.21 per gallon. Net nominal profit reached $23.2 million, well above the long‑run average. The rise was driven by...
FEX 2603 Released With A Partial Fix For The Steam GUI Crashing On AArch64
FEX 2603, Valve’s open‑source emulator for running x86/x86_64 Linux binaries on AArch64, has been released with a partial fix for the Steam GUI crash. The update addresses the steamwebhelper process instability caused by a Chromium CEF change, reducing crash frequency when...
Watch the Lean Hospitals Coach in Action — Live, Unscripted, With Your Questions
The author will host a LinkedIn Live demo on March 10 to showcase the Lean Hospitals Coach, an AI‑powered tool built around the *Lean Hospitals* book. The coach offers two query modes—Book Search with citations and Book Plus with broader Lean insights—and...
“Justice In Balance: The Courts, Civil Rights, and Our Democracy.”
The federal judiciary is confronting a wave of politically charged cases, from the Justice Department’s stalled autopen investigation into President Biden under Trump pressure to a judge ordering over $130 billion in tariff refunds from the previous administration. Simultaneously, the Supreme...
Tandem Mobi Now Compatible with Android Smartphones
Tandem Diabetes Care announced that its Tandem Mobi insulin pump is now compatible with Android smartphones in the United States via a newly released mobile app. The Android version received FDA clearance in November 2025 and entered a limited rollout in...
Monday TV Ratings: The Voice, The Rookie, DMV, Wild Cards, Extracted
Monday, March 2, 2026, saw a full slate of new episodes across major broadcast and cable networks, including American Idol, The Rookie, The Voice, and the sci‑fi drama Wild Cards. Ratings were compiled using Fast Affiliate Numbers, showing percentage changes...
Menopause Hormone Therapy: The Myths, the Medicine, and the “Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me?” Moment
The article debunks long‑standing myths about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) by highlighting how the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial was misapplied to all women. It explains that the WHI tested an older cohort using a specific estrogen‑progestin combo, leading...
American Security First
American Security First argues that U.S. policymakers have repeatedly mishandled Iran, from Carter’s missed opportunities to Obama’s covert cash transfers and Biden’s JCPOA revival. The author warns that the Trump administration’s hard‑line stance should not translate into regime‑change wars, emphasizing...
Caesars Rewards Spending Offers: 10% Chase Offer & $25 Citi Offer (Stack with Targeted Capital One Shopping Promo)
Caesars Rewards is running two targeted card‑linked offers: a Chase promotion that returns 10% of spend up to $500, and a Citi deal that credits $25 on purchases of $250 or more. Both offers apply only to Caesars properties in...
Is Digital Content The Key To Local Media's Future?
In the inaugural episode of "In The Vicinity," Tim Hanlon interviews Madhive CEO Jim Wilson about the future of local media. Wilson argues that broadcasters must reinvest linear TV cash flow into digital and streaming capabilities to stay competitive. He...
![Rest Is a Holy Practice: Reclaiming the Soul of Medicine [PODCAST]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://kevinmd.com/wp-content/uploads/Design-1-1-scaled.jpg)
Rest Is a Holy Practice: Reclaiming the Soul of Medicine [PODCAST]
Dr. Roxanne Almas, a developmental‑behavioral pediatrician, discusses how chronic burnout stems from medicine’s nonstop, transactional culture and shares her personal journey through grief and caregiving. She advocates for deep rest practices—such as Yoga Nidra, narrative medicine, and mindful pauses—to restore empathy,...
Microsoft Dynamics Partner Roundup: Telematics Integration for D365BC; Rental AI Agents; Order Management; CE Packaged Offering
RUX Software introduced RUX Telemetics, a new integration that links Samsara and Azuga telematics platforms directly with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central for U.S. and Canadian customers. The solution consolidates equipment location, usage, and financial data within Business Central, enabling...
Reclaiming Distribution: A Modern Indie Release Strategy
Gille Klabin, after a traditional distributor release of his debut, chose self‑distribution for his $296,000 horror‑comedy “Weekend at the End of the World.” He partnered with aggregator Bitmax for technical delivery, kept full rights, and used data‑driven micro‑ads, tiered pricing,...
Psychology of Unboxing: Why Customers Remember the Delivery More than the Product
The unboxing moment begins with a delivery notification and culminates when the customer lifts the box, shaping brand perception before the product is seen. Research shows first impressions form in just 0.2 seconds, with 94% of judgments based on packaging...
Chicago PD: Season 13 Ratings + Viewer Votes
Chicago PD’s thirteenth season has not been officially renewed or cancelled, but industry indicators suggest a renewal is probable. Season 12 averaged a 0.35 rating in the 18‑49 demographic and attracted 4.63 million live + same‑day viewers, making it the lowest‑rated series in NBC’s Chicago...
Open Hidden Open Thread 423.5
OpenAI has signed a new contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, expanding its involvement in Pentagon projects. The agreement’s surveillance language contains numerous ambiguities that could allow broad data collection. Critics on LessWrong highlight potential loopholes that may undermine...
Xanadu Highlights Path to Public Listing, Scalable Quantum Computing
Xanadu Quantum Technologies announced its plan to go public via a business combination with Crane Harbor Acquisition Corp, valuing the company at roughly $3.1 billion and leaving it with about $455 million in net cash. The firm showcased Aurora, its first networked,...
Jumping the Shark (Cables)
The historic TAT-8 transatlantic fiber‑optic cable, installed in 1988, is being dismantled, marking the end of an era for the original global internet backbone. At the same time, the U.S. Pentagon deployed Anthropic’s Claude AI model to support a strike...
Back to Normal? For How Long?
The latest Energy Information Administration data show U.S. crude inventories increasing by 3.2 million barrels in March, while exports rose to 5.1 million barrels, approaching record levels. Imports declined by 1.8 million barrels, indicating stronger domestic demand. Refinery utilization climbed...
David Ellison’s $18 Billion Question
David Ellison’s Skydance is set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a $111 billion transaction priced at $31 per share, representing roughly a five‑times multiple to the pre‑deal market price. The deal awards CEO David Zaslav about $800 million in proceeds and...
Tennis Channel Streaming Service Joins Amazon Prime Video Channels
Tennis Channel’s direct‑to‑consumer streaming service, launched in 2024, is now available through Amazon Prime Video Channels at $11.99 per month. The partnership expands the network’s reach beyond its own platform and follows similar moves by smaller streamers like Fox One....
Canadian Coliving Market and Why Canada's Empty Offices Are the Next Coliving Opportunity
Canada faces a 25% vacancy rate in B‑ and C‑class office buildings, prompting Toboggan Flats to convert these spaces into affordable coliving units in just nine months. The model leverages existing structures to cut capital costs, offering rents at roughly...
Southwest Is Testing Cleaning Only Premium Seats Between Flights — A Flight Attendants Union Leader Says It’s ‘Titanic’ Class Service
Southwest Airlines is trialing a new cleaning protocol that brings contract cleaners aboard between flights but limits their work to the premium extra‑legroom seats. Union safety chair Chris Click likened the move to "Titanic" class service, arguing it creates a...
One Year of The Red Letter
The Red Letter marks its one‑year anniversary as a subscription‑based newsletter delivering independent, unbiased reporting. Backed by community contributions, it has pursued stories hidden from mainstream outlets, including closed‑door negotiations and private communications. The platform’s editorial freedom enables deep‑dive investigations...
The Health System Opportunity Stack: A Builder’s Guide to the Most Underserved Enterprise in America
Health systems are drowning in operational blind spots, especially in financial operations, while existing software focuses on clinical documentation. The essay maps a high‑value opportunity stack—from payer‑contract intelligence and AP automation to workforce forecasting, OR utilization, and prior‑authorization automation—highlighting quantifiable...
Harvey to Integrate with Microsoft 365 Copilot
Harvey announced a deep integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot, embedding its legal intelligence directly into the Copilot environment. The new feature lets lawyers invoke the Harvey Assistant from within Copilot to analyze contracts, research market terms, and pull precedent without...
Bomb Threat on Newark Flight Triggers Temporary Ground Stop at New York LaGuardia Airport
The FAA temporarily halted all arriving flights at New York LaGuardia Airport after a bomb threat was reported on Scandinavian Airlines flight SK 907, which had just landed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Authorities quickly determined the threat was unfounded, allowing...
Our Top Tips – Social Media for Event Marketing
The article offers a step‑by‑step playbook for event marketers, stressing that the “during” and “after” phases of social media promotion are frequently neglected. It recommends assigning a dedicated digital helper to post live updates, answer attendee questions, and curate user‑generated...
Sydney’s “Pretty Sh!t” Auction Market
Sydney’s property auction market experiences a sharp surge in clearance rates during February and March, marking the highest seasonal performance in recent years. Historical data shows 2022 and 2024 achieved the peak clearance percentages for this period. As the year...
Ukrainian Strike Devastates Russian Navy in Novorossiysk
On the night of March 2, 2026, Ukrainian drones launched a strike on the Russian port of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai, inflicting heavy damage on multiple Russian naval vessels. The attack ignited a fire that burned throughout the night, fueled...
Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: Pharma Industry's AI Adoption
Pharmaceutical companies are striking major deals while accelerating AI integration. Antengene and UCB signed a global licensing agreement worth roughly $1 billion to develop a bispecific T‑cell engager for cancer therapy. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries secured a $400 million strategic growth capital partnership...
What Makes Good Public Transport? Three Qualities Every City Needs
Public transport is a cornerstone of urban sustainability, and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) outlines three essential qualities—Good Service, Zero Emissions, and Accessibility—that distinguish high‑performing systems. Reliable, clean, and inclusive transit not only moves people but also...
FactChecking Claims in Casey Means’ Surgeon General Confirmation Hearing
During her March 2026 Senate confirmation, Dr. Casey Means faced intense questioning on vaccine policy, her professional credentials, and potential conflicts of interest. FactCheck.org examined the back‑and‑forth, verifying that her statements on vaccine safety aligned with CDC data and that...
Wyndham Rewards Is Now a Transfer Partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards
Wyndham Rewards has joined Chase Ultimate Rewards as a transfer partner, allowing eligible Chase cardmembers to move points at a 1:1 ratio into Wyndham accounts. The transfer typically completes by the next business day, though it can take up to...
DOE Advances Domestic Capabilities for Producing Quantum Materials
The Department of Energy announced that Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has built systems to turn commercially sourced isotopically enriched silicon and germanium into high‑purity silane (SiH₄) and germane (GeH₄) gases. These precursor gases are essential for quantum information science and...
Eton Pharmaceuticals Expands Rare Disease Portfolio with Acquisition of US Hemangeol Rights
Eton Pharmaceuticals has in‑licensed the U.S. commercialization rights to Hemangeol®, the sole FDA‑approved oral propranolol solution for infantile hemangioma, marking its tenth rare‑disease product. The hand‑off from Pierre Fabre is slated for May 1 2026, after which Eton will drive sales through its...
Talking Health Care Costs in Youngstown
Democratic lieutenant‑governor candidate David Pepper condemned Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy’s claim that Medicare and Medicaid are "mistakes" during a Youngstown news conference. Pepper highlighted that over 2.5 million Ohioans depend on Medicare and more than 3 million on Medicaid, arguing that...
The RAG Reality Check for Ecommerce
Retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) systems dazzle in demos but stumble when faced with live ecommerce catalogs of tens of thousands of SKUs, exposing a "retrieval gap" between curated data and noisy production environments. The article identifies five recurring failure modes—chunking chaos,...
Jersey Shore Franchise to End After 300+ Episodes and 17 Years / Abbott Elementary Renewed for Season 6 / Kaley...
MTV announced the final season of Jersey Shore Family Vacation, wrapping up a 17‑year reality franchise with an 18‑episode ninth season. ABC gave Abbott Elementary an early renewal for a sixth season, continuing its comedy dominance. HBO Max introduced a...
XPENG: Autonomous Driving in Crazy Traffic Conditions
XPENG unveiled a video of its new in‑house autonomous‑driving system navigating a densely packed Chinese city street. The footage demonstrates the AI’s ability to maintain situational awareness amid erratic lane changes, sudden pedestrian crossings, and unpredictable driver behavior. By showcasing...
Section 117 Is Not a Disclosure Problem
The Department of Education launched a public Section 117 transparency dashboard in February 2026, publishing over $60 billion in cumulative foreign‑funding disclosures from U.S. universities. By making gift and contract data searchable, flagging country‑of‑concern entities, and allowing direct institutional comparisons, the...
Your Blended Combined Ratio Is Lying to You
The CIAB Q4 2025 survey shows the first large‑commercial premium decline since 2017, with nine lines down 2.1% overall. Commercial auto’s 6.6% growth is now the sole driver of a seemingly healthy blended combined ratio, while property, GL, and workers’ comp...
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.2.5 Might Be the Most Confusing Release Ever
Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) version 14.2.2.5 arrived on February 14 and quickly proved the most confusing update yet for a long‑time user. The release delivers mixed results: speed‑profile behavior feels steadier, yet turn‑signal logic, parking automation, and navigation remain erratic....