RAIN Notes: March 26
Paul Riismandel highlighted a "new phase of maturity" for podcasting after the Podcast Evolutions and SXSW events, emphasizing authenticity as a measurable performance lever that builds trust and drives campaign results. Video is emerging as a complementary format, not a replacement for audio, while monetization options are diversifying. Conversely, Adam Dobbins (via Nikki Hilton) warned of hidden risks such as market saturation, shaky monetization models, quality dilution, and audience fragmentation, urging creators to treat podcasts as professional media products.
UFL 2026: Games, Schedule, Streaming Info, How to Watch & More
The United Football League (UFL) returns for its third season, adding three new franchises—Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm—while the defending champion DC Defenders remain a headline draw. The league’s 43‑game schedule runs from March 27 to June 13, with opening...
Core Brands Powering Expansion
Choice Hotels International’s core brands are powering a rapid expansion, driven by strong conversion rates in the midscale segment. The company’s development team, led by SVP Jason Cowan, highlighted a streamlined renovation process that shortens downtime for property owners. Brand...
At These Hotels, Turndown Service Is an Opportunity for Storytelling
Hotels are reinventing the traditional turndown ritual by adding hyper‑local storytelling and handcrafted gifts, from cowboy poems at Wyoming’s Rusty Parrot Lodge to Murano glass pieces in Venice. The trend, which gained momentum after the pandemic, sees properties partnering with...
BYD Launches the Song Ultra EV as Orders Reach over 21,500 in 20 Days
BYD launched the Song Ultra EV in China at a starting price of 151,900 yuan (about $22,000), far below earlier forecasts of $31,900. The compact electric SUV is equipped with the new Blade Battery 2.0 and flash‑charging technology that can replenish from...
Judges Are Talking. Will Anyone Listen?
Recent court actions highlight mounting political and commercial pressures on the U.S. judiciary. Trump‑appointed nominee Sheria Clarke faced fierce Democratic backlash after refusing to acknowledge the 2020 election winner during her South Carolina federal judgeship hearing. Meanwhile, a California judge...
HHS Announces Members of Healthcare Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the formation of a new Healthcare Advisory Committee. The panel, chaired by Bill Gassen of Sanford Health, includes Dennis Laraway of Cleveland Clinic...
Federal Reserve Board Announces It Has Made the Joint Findings with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Required...
The Federal Reserve Board announced it has completed the joint findings with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency required for the OCC to approve Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A.'s request for an exemption under Section 23A of the Federal Reserve...
Who Needs TSA When You Have ICE?
The latest Slate Political Gabfest episode spotlights three escalating crises: chaotic airport operations amplified by ICE agents disrupting TSA workflows, a looming Supreme Court decision that could overturn a state law extending mail‑in ballot deadlines, and landmark jury verdicts holding...
The Good, the Bad, and the Basic Rule Changes Affecting the 2026 Emmys
The Television Academy has unveiled a slate of 2026 Emmy rule changes, adding new professional titles such as Associate Casting Director and Key Costumer, and splitting sound‑mixing awards into nonfiction and reality categories. Main‑title themes become eligible if they appear...
AHA: Anthem Facility Administrative Policy Sets Providers up to Fail
The American Hospital Association (AHA) warns that Anthem’s new facility administrative policy forces hospitals in 12 states to guarantee every physician treating an Anthem enrollee is in‑network. Non‑compliance could cut hospital reimbursements by roughly 10% or result in removal from...
Study: Premature Placental Separation Could Increase Child’s Risk of Heart Disease by Age 28
An American Heart Association study of nearly three million pregnancies found that children born after placental abruption—affecting about 1 % of U.S. pregnancies—face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease by age 28. The analysis shows almost a three‑fold increase in hospitalizations for...
Hyundai CEO Says New Tucson and Elantra to Be Revealed This Year
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz announced that all‑new versions of the Tucson compact SUV and the Elantra sedan will be unveiled later this year, initially in South Korea. North American rollouts are expected in 2027, followed by a new plug‑in‑hybrid model...
An Older Relative Wants to Give My Daughter $19,000 when She Turns 18. I Said No. Who’s Right?
An older relative wants to give the parents' daughter $19,000 when she turns 18, prompting the parents to seek ways to limit her unsupervised access. The article explains that at 18 she attains legal majority, but the family can still...
Managing Material Cost Volatility in Building Supplies: Why Visibility Across Channel Layers Is the Real Advantage
Material cost volatility is reshaping pricing in the building‑supplies sector, but traditional portfolio‑level math often fails to capture the layered reality of distribution. Contract variations, regional distributor incentives, and complex rebate structures cause the intended price adjustments to dissipate before...
Apple’s AI Playlist Playground Is Bad at Music
Apple launched the Playlist Playground beta, an AI‑driven tool that creates Apple Music playlists from text prompts. Early testing shows the system repeatedly misinterprets genre cues, delivering tracks with vocals when instrumental black metal was requested. It also struggles with...
Chronilogix Announces Dr. Geoffrey Williams’ Appointment to Advisory Committee, Supporting Expansion Into AI-Driven Mental Health Coaching
Chronilogix, an AI-driven digital health firm, announced that Dr. Geoffrey Williams has joined its Advisory Committee as the company launches a new AI-powered mental health coaching module. The addition expands Chronilogix’s portfolio beyond chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity to...
First Circuit Rejects Per Se Rule that Performance Improvement Plans Automatically Qualify as Adverse Employment Actions
The First Circuit ruled that placing an employee on a performance improvement plan (PIP) does not automatically constitute an adverse employment action under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act or Title VII. The court emphasized that a fact‑intensive inquiry is required,...
Beckham Does Berlin: Exclusive In-Store Appearances to Launch Third Edition of Hugo Boss Collab
David Beckham attended an exclusive in‑store event in Berlin to launch the third edition of his 'Boss by Beckham' capsule with Hugo Boss. The brand staged the activation at its two‑story flagship on Kurfürstendamm and a pop‑up inside KaDeWe, which will...
US Insurance Program to Support Hormuz Shipping to Begin Soon
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. insurance and naval‑escort program for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz will launch imminently, aiming to revive oil and gas flows that account for roughly one‑fifth of global supply. The initiative, run...
Blocking The Internet Archive Won’t Stop AI, But It Will Erase The Web’s Historical Record
The New York Times has begun blocking the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from crawling its site, citing concerns that AI firms are scraping its content for training models. Other major publishers, including The Guardian, are following suit, threatening to cut off a vital...
Mastodon Is Making Its Decentralized Social Network Easier to Use with Its Latest Revamp
Mastodon announced a major redesign of user profiles aimed at simplifying the experience for mainstream users and organizations. The overhaul consolidates posts into a single Activity tab, adds hashtag filtering, and streamlines custom fields and editing controls. The changes debut...
Sen. Durbin, D-Ill., Reintroduces Credit Card Airline Bill
Sen. Dick Durbin has reintroduced legislation that would empower the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Trade Commission to regulate airline‑branded credit cards and rewards programs. The bill would force airlines to disclose the monetary...
Iraq Gas Field Project Disrupted by Regional Conflict
Progress on Iraq’s Akkas gas field development has stalled as security concerns tied to the US‑Israel war with Iran forced the evacuation of SLB’s foreign staff. The U.S.‑based contractor was hired in July 2025 to lift output to an initial...
Neom Terminates $5bn Trojena Dams Contract with Webuild
Saudi Arabia’s NEOM megaproject has terminated its $5 billion contract with Italian builder Webuild for three Trojena dams and the signature "Bow" structure. The works were roughly 30% complete, leaving Webuild with an estimated $3.2 billion backlog. The move follows a string...
Amazon MGM Studios’ ‘The Glass House’ Premiere Breaks New Ground as Series Mania Closing Gala (EXCLUSIVE)
Amazon MGM Studios’ limited series "The Glass House" debuted as the closing gala of Series Mania, marking the first French‑language scripted series produced by the studio’s Canadian unit and the first Canadian Prime Video Original to secure that slot. The...
Ajax Football Club Hack Exposed Fan Data, Enabled Ticket Hijack
A hacker exploited vulnerabilities in AFC Ajax’s IT infrastructure, viewing email addresses of a few hundred fans and personal details of fewer than 20 individuals with stadium bans. The breach also allowed the manipulation of up to 42,000 season tickets,...
Government Use of Commercial Procurement Models Has Limitations in Space
Government agencies are increasingly using commercial contracting models for space hardware, but most advanced capabilities still rely on the government as the sole customer. Executives from Impulse Space, Rendezvous Robotics, and Momentus argue that high‑performance, defense‑oriented technologies lack commercial demand....
New York City Proposes Bill That Sets Higher Minimum Wages and Eliminates Tip Credits
The New York City Council introduced Bill Int. No. 757, proposing a city‑wide minimum wage that outpaces the state level and climbs to $30 per hour for large employers by 2030, with smaller firms reaching $27‑$29 per hour. The plan phases in automatic cost‑of‑living adjustments...
Louisiana Judge Dismisses NAR 3-Way Agreement Lawsuit
A Louisiana federal judge dismissed the antitrust claims against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and local Realtor groups alleging a forced three‑way membership scheme, while allowing plaintiffs to amend claims against GBRAR executive Kenneth Damann. The federal claims were...
At Age 24, He Ditched Becoming a Lawyer to Open a Coffee Shop. Last Year It Brought In $40 Million.
Gregory Zamfotis left a budding law career at 24 to launch Gregorys Coffee on Park Avenue in 2006. The brand has expanded to 53 locations across the United States, with each store typically surpassing $1 million in annual sales. Revenue hit...
AM General Says JLTV A2 Fielding On Track For 2026, Program Is ‘Healthy’ Amid Army Pivot
AM General says its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) A2 program remains on schedule, targeting initial fielding in the second half of 2026. The company reports a multi‑year production backlog driven by Army, Marine Corps and international orders, even as...
Dissent Discontent: FCC’s Gomez Shares Anti-Nexstar Statement
Anna M. Gómez, the sole Democratic FCC commissioner, issued a public dissent on the Nexstar Media Group‑TEGNA merger after Media Bureau Chief Erin Boone approved the deal with rule waivers. Gómez criticized Chairman Brendan Carr and the Trump‑era leadership for politicizing...
Telstra to Add Flink to Its Event Streaming Capabilities
Telstra announced it will integrate the Apache Flink stream‑processing engine with its existing Kafka‑based event streaming platform, launching the project in the coming months. The pairing, delivered through Confluent’s managed services, aims to boost real‑time analytics across Telstra’s network observability...
The Simple Flying Podcast Episode 284: Air Canada Crash Latest, United Airlines Introduces Couches In Economy Class
The Simple Flying Podcast’s 284th episode reviews the latest Air Canada crash investigation, United Airlines’ bold move to add couches in economy and invest in three new aircraft types, easyJet’s launch of a Newcastle base with fresh seating, Delta’s continued...
Best Life Is Strange Reunion Graphics Settings for No Lag and Max FPS
Life is Strange Reunion launched globally on March 26, 2026 across PC and consoles. The article provides a detailed graphics‑settings guide aimed at lower‑end rigs, using a Ryzen 5600G and RTX 3060 as reference. Recommended tweaks include a 60 FPS cap, borderless...
NASA to Unveil Complete Roman Telescope, Host Media Briefing
NASA announced that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now fully assembled after integrating its two primary segments at Goddard’s largest clean room. The agency will host a media briefing on April 21, with a live‑streamed news conference, to...
Bridge and Kalibri Enter Strategic Partnership
Bridge Marketplace and Kalibri have formed a strategic partnership to embed Kalibri’s AI‑powered hotel market data into Bridge’s investment platform. The collaboration gives hotel owners, lenders, and brands direct access to real‑time performance metrics, RevPAR composition, and demand segmentation within...
MIA Unveils Concourse D Plans
Miami International Airport announced a $1 billion expansion of Concourse D60, adding 17 new gates, upgraded passenger amenities, and a modernized baggage system. The project is part of the broader $9 billion M.I.A. Plan and is slated to break ground in 2027...
AirWatch 365 Launches Globally From GatesAir
GatesAir has taken its AirWatch365 managed‑service platform global, adding the Edge Gateway appliance that links FM, DAB and TV transmitters to a 24/7 NOC. The service, delivered through the GatesAir Care program, aggregates telemetry, alarm data and analytics in a...
Strait of Hormuz Shutdown Raises Risks to Japan's Aluminum Supply
The Strait of Hormuz shutdown threatens Japan’s aluminum supply chain, as the country imports roughly 20% of its metal from the Middle East. The closure disrupts shipments of primary ingots that feed industries ranging from beverage cans to bullet‑train components....
Memory Maker Micron Weighs Buying Shuttered Japan Display Plant
Micron Technology is in talks to purchase Japan Display's shuttered LCD production plant in Chiba, Japan. The U.S. memory maker plans to repurpose the facility for semiconductor chip assembly and testing rather than display manufacturing. Acquiring the site would give...
Hanover Capital Refis Long Island City Retail Property With $26M Loan
Hanover Capital provided a $25.8 million refinancing loan for Vorea Group’s 52,578‑square‑foot retail development at 10‑04 Borden Avenue in Long Island City. The property, opened in 2024, is 100 percent leased to experiential anchors iFly and Vibe Fitness. Hanover highlighted the asset’s proximity to...
NASA Releases Artemis II Moon Mission Launch Countdown
NASA is initiating the final countdown for Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed lunar mission scheduled for Jan. 17, 2026. The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft are being moved to Launch Pad 39B, where a detailed L‑minus and T‑minus timeline will guide fueling, system...
YouGov Poll Shows Travel Reluctance Amid Disruptions
A YouGov poll reveals that only 40% of American travelers would keep a scheduled flight, while 34% plan to cancel or reschedule trips amid rising airfare and frequent airport disruptions. Stress levels are high, with 63% citing disruptions as a...
Trash(no)more: Reminder to Radio as April 1 Approaches
Attorney and digital‑media specialist David Oxenford issued his annual reminder to broadcasters as April Fools approaches, warning that the FCC’s Broadcast Hoax Rule (Section 73.1217) strictly prohibits false announcements of crimes or catastrophes. The rule demands a clear disclaimer for any fictional...
Everybody Loves Languages Corp. Shareholders Approve Amalgamation with ELL Ventures Ltd.
Everybody Loves Languages Corp. (ELL) announced that shareholders approved its amalgamation with ELL Ventures Ltd., creating a new entity called Amalco. The transaction is slated for completion around April 10 2026, subject to customary conditions. Upon closing, ELL common shares will be...
FINRA Had Fewer Cases, More Settlement Money in 2025
FINRA’s 2025 enforcement tally fell 22% to 431 disciplinary actions, yet total monetary sanctions surged 77% to $154 million, largely because of a $26 million penalty against Robinhood for supervisory and AML lapses. Excluding that case, fines would have been 15% lower...
Ophthalmologists Need to Identify Different Types of Ptosis
Ophthalmologists must differentiate among dermatochalasis, blepharoptosis, brow ptosis and mixed forms to select appropriate therapy. Dr. Jennifer Murdock highlighted that accurate diagnosis often requires moving the brow and eyelid to expose the underlying cause, whether traumatic, neurogenic or aponeurotic. Non‑surgical...
Macy’s Store Closures Update: Doomed Locations Will Shutter Over a Longer Timeline Than Previously Planned
Macy’s announced that its plan to shutter roughly 150 stores will now stretch through 2028, extending the original timeline. The retailer has already hit several sales milestones, reporting positive comparable sales and adjusted diluted EPS well above guidance. CFO Tom...