Boston Scientific Knew of Pacemaker Battery Problems for Years
Boston Scientific's Accolade pacemaker battery defect, known internally for years, has caused multiple patient deaths, including 93‑year‑old Gladys Knepper in 2024. Internal records and FDA inspections reveal that failing batteries were identified as early as 2018, with test units from 2019‑2023 also malfunctioning. The company recalled the devices in December 2024, affecting roughly 200,000 units produced before September 2018. The revelations raise concerns over corporate transparency and regulatory oversight of implantable medical devices.
Belly Fat Linked to Heart Failure Risk Even in People with Normal Weight
New research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026 shows that waist‑circumference and other measures of central obesity are stronger predictors of heart failure than body‑mass index, even among individuals with normal BMI. In a cohort of...
NASA's Artemis Missions Promise a Return to the Moon—But When?
NASA’s Artemis II crewed lunar flyby is slated for April 2026, marking the first human deep‑space mission in over five decades. The program’s flagship landing mission, Artemis III, has been pushed back, with a crewed touchdown now expected in 2028 under the Artemis IV...
US-Iran War: Latest News
The Argus roundup highlights how the escalating US‑Iran conflict is reshaping energy markets. The International Energy Agency is boosting oil stock releases, while a temporary Jones Act waiver is prompting US crude cargoes to sail under foreign flags. WTI premiums...
TikTok Expands #BookTok Bestseller Lists Across Europe and the UK
TikTok is extending its #BookTok bestseller rankings to six additional European markets, including Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The new lists will combine TikTok’s engagement data with NielsenIQ BookData sales figures to produce monthly trend reports. The...
ASTA Sets Vienna Expo Dates, Legislative Day Forecast
The American Society of Travel Advisors announced its 2027 River Cruise Expo will take place in Vienna from March 10‑14, featuring a record‑size ship inspection with at least 13 cruise brands and 17 vessels. Registration opened after a sold‑out Amsterdam...
Pinterest Shares Tips on How to Utilize Its AI-Powered Ad Options
Pinterest has released new guidance for its AI‑driven Performance+ campaigns, which automate creative, targeting and budgeting. Launched in October 2024, the fully automated solution leverages Pinterest’s engagement data to optimize ad delivery. Internal tests show advertisers achieve more than 10%...
‘Audience There for the Taking’: Matthew O’Reilly on SCA’s Sydney Push
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) attributes its strong Survey 1 2026 ratings to a steady programming lineup and a laser focus on the 25‑54 demographic. Minimal changes from 2025 to 2026 allowed the network to double‑down on local breakfast shows and locally‑led...
Smooth Surges to Record Highs as Nova Builds Momentum
smoothfm recorded a historic 13.5% share in Sydney, cementing its position as the city’s top FM station. Nova Entertainment saw audience lifts in both Sydney and Melbourne, with Nova 96.9 adding 141,000 listeners and its breakfast slot rising to 8.4%...
Dollar General, Five Below Each Seek to Enhance Omnichannel Experiences
Discount retailers Dollar General and Five Below used their Q4 earnings calls to outline new digital initiatives aimed at strengthening omnichannel experiences. Dollar General reported a 4.3% same‑store sales increase and highlighted its expanded delivery network, upgraded search, and a...
Island Commissioning to Battery Oversizing: Key Lessons From AGL’s 1GWh Grid-Forming Liddell BESS in Australia
AGL and Fluence commissioned Australia’s first 500 MW/1 GWh grid‑forming battery at Liddell, backed by a AU$35 million ARENA grant. The project highlighted regulatory uncertainty around inverter standards and the need to oversize batteries for synthetic inertia and fault‑current support. Island‑mode commissioning was...
Detainees Urge Minnesota Judge to Extend Order Protecting Attorney Access
Immigration detainees in Minnesota asked a federal judge to extend the February restraining order that guarantees attorney access at the Bishop Henry Whipple detention center. Advocates report that the order has halved average detention times and cut stays longer than...
Amelia Van Camp: Preparing for Agentic Commerce Now and for the Future
At the Mirakl Summit in London, Head of Agentic Commerce Amelia Van Camp highlighted how AI is reshaping marketplace ecosystems. She explained Mirakl’s strategy for embedding large‑language models into category mapping, customer experience, product sourcing and retail media. The discussion...
This Is when Trump Will Need an Iran-Conflict Offramp if Oil Prices Aren’...
President Donald Trump’s team is scrambling for measures to curb soaring crude prices as the Iran‑Israel war enters its third week. Options on the table include a U.S. Navy escort for tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and a rapid...
Ethanol Output Cranked up to Meet E20 Demand
Ethanol producers in Thailand are ramping up output to satisfy rising demand for gasohol E20, a 20 % ethanol‑blended fuel promoted to curb oil import reliance. The government aims to keep E20 priced at least five baht per litre below gasoline...
Legend Jason Bennett on His ABC Move, Seven & a Rookie Ricciardo
Veteran Australian sports commentator Jason Bennett has been ousted from Seven Network after a corporate rights reshuffle and is now leading the ABC’s new VFL broadcast. Bennett’s career spans two decades, three continents, and stints at Fox Footy, ESPN, and...
Tougher Penalties for Gay Hate Crimes
The New South Wales government introduced legislation to increase penalties for hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people. The reforms raise the maximum imprisonment for publicly threatening or inciting violence from three to five years, and create an aggravated offence carrying up...
China Considers Volcanic Site For Its First Moon Landing
China is targeting a crewed lunar landing in 2030 and has identified the volcanic Rimae Bode region as the preferred site after evaluating 106 candidates and narrowing them to 14. The area’s mix of dark pyroclastic deposits, mare basalts, rille...
“Concerning Practices” Found During Surprise Gold Coast Compliance Inspections
Australian regulators conducted surprise inspections of about 25 Gold Coast eateries under Operation Crimson. The Fair Work Ombudsman and the Australian Taxation Office targeted venues based on employee complaints, prior non‑compliance and the employment of vulnerable visa workers. Inspectors found...
Last Epoch Previews New Set Items, Uniques, Animations, and More in Season 4 Next Week
Eleventh Hour Games announced the March 26 launch of Last Epoch Season 4, "Shattered Omens," featuring new set and unique items, animation overhauls, and quality‑of‑life tweaks. The update reintroduces set items—Doppelganger, Apiarist’s, and Abandoned—allowing players to reforge them into Affix Shards. Rogue‑focused...
Rights Group Criticizes New China Cybercrime Bill as Threat to Free Expression and Information Access
Human Rights Watch has condemned China’s draft Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law, saying it threatens privacy, free expression, and access to information. While the bill targets illegal activities such as fraud and child pornography, it expands real‑name registration and includes...
‘Releasable Youths’ Sue Colorado for a Path to Pretrial Freedom
A class‑action lawsuit filed by Colorado youths deemed "releasable" alleges the state continues to confine them in juvenile detention facilities despite court orders for release. Between 2024 and 2025, 693 minors were held after being found eligible for release, with...
Amyl and the Sniffers’ Amy Taylor and US Photographer Urged to Explore Settlement in Copyright Dispute
An LA court has ordered Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers and U.S. photographer Jamie Nelson to explore a settlement in their ongoing copyright dispute. Nelson asserts she holds sole rights to the "Champagne Problems" photo series published in...
Magnetic Fields Guide Lab-Grown Blood Vessels Into Precise Patterns for Drug Testing
Researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry (IPC PAS) and the University of Warsaw have created a magnetic‑field‑driven system that arranges endothelial‑cell‑coated microparticles into predefined lattices, prompting the growth of microvascular networks with precise architecture. By using super‑paramagnetic beads and micromagnets,...
DVB World 2026 Explores Shift to IP and DVB-I Rollout
DVB World 2026 in Amsterdam highlighted the broadcast sector’s shift toward IP‑centric delivery, with DVB‑I positioned as the key standard linking traditional broadcast, broadband and OTT services. The event announced concrete rollout plans, including a nationwide deployment in New Zealand, a...
2,400 Kaiser Mental Health Professionals Strike in California Over AI Concerns
Around 2,400 Kaiser Permanente mental‑health clinicians walked off the job in Northern California, protesting what they describe as a looming shift toward artificial‑intelligence‑driven therapy. The strike coincided with a one‑day walkout by more than 23,000 Kaiser nurses, highlighting broader workforce...
Qatar Sees Long Outage at Shell's Pearl GTL Plant
Shell’s Pearl gas‑to‑liquids (GTL) plant in Qatar will keep one of its two processing trains offline for at least a year after an Iranian strike earlier this week. The affected train represents roughly half of the plant’s output, cutting Shell’s...
Inside One VC’s Litmus Test for Investable Healthcare AI Startups
Katie Jacobs Stanton, former Yahoo, Google and Twitter executive, transitioned into healthcare investing after a stint as CMO at Color Genomics. In 2019 she founded Moxxie Ventures, focusing on early‑stage AI‑driven health companies such as Dandelion Health, Pharos Health, Luminai...
Apache Helicopter Shoots Down Drones in Europe for First Time in Combat Exercise
The U.S. Army’s 2-159th Attack Battalion employed AH‑64E Apache helicopters to shoot down unmanned aircraft during Operation Skyfall at Germany’s Grafenwoehr Training Area, marking the first European air‑to‑air drone engagement. The Apaches used 30mm APEX proximity rounds, a capability previously demonstrated...
How PreSeed Is Tackling the Sperm Donor Shortage
PreSeed Fertility launched a recruitment and matching platform to address the stark gap between the over 100,000 U.S. families searching for sperm donors and the roughly 1,500 donors currently registered. The service pairs families with a concierge specialist and provides...
AI Legal Tech Startup MiAI Law Raised $2 Million
Australian legal‑tech startup MiAI Law, founded by barrister Laina Chan, announced a $2 million seed round raised in five days from family, staff and angel investors. The platform differentiates itself by linking case law and statutes through a transparent reasoning engine...
Las Vegas Newspaper Demands County Release Records of Official’s Investigation
The Las Vegas Review‑Journal filed a lawsuit against Clark County to obtain records of an investigation into former Construction Management Division manager Jimmy Floyd, who is accused of steering $442,200 of county road‑construction funds to his wife’s subcontractor. The county...
Russia Eyes Export Bonanza Amid Global Energy Crisis
Russia is leveraging a U.S. waiver and global oil shortages to boost its crude and product exports. Seaborne product shipments jumped 25% to 2.6 million barrels per day, while crude exports rose about 10% in March. Production gaps caused by OPEC‑plus...
Sen. Scott Says U.S. Should Balance Budget but Also 'Demolish' Iran's Nuclear Ability
Senator Rick Scott warned that the United States must both demolish Iran’s nuclear and ballistic‑missile capabilities and keep a tight lid on federal spending. He noted the Pentagon’s likely request for $200 billion to sustain the three‑week‑old conflict, insisting any funding...
Recursion’s Khan: AI Will Be Judged by the Medicines It Makes
Recursion Pharmaceuticals CEO Najat Khan says AI’s worth will be judged by the medicines it helps create, not by the sophistication of the tools. She emphasizes deploying AI selectively in chemistry, trial execution, and out‑of‑domain predictions to generate clinical proof...
Opella Healthcare Launches Manufacturing Electrification Project Backed by $1.94M in Federal Funding
Opella Healthcare has launched a manufacturing electrification project at its North Brisbane plant, backed by a $1.94 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The initiative replaces gas‑fired dehumidification with heat‑pump technology, aiming to cut roughly 1,200 tonnes of CO₂ each...
US Crude Being Shipped to Asia Via Panama Canal
Asian refiners are increasingly routing U.S. Gulf Coast crude through the Panama Canal as the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran disrupts Middle‑East supplies. Medium‑sized Aframax and partially‑loaded Suezmax vessels have been booked for shipments to South Korea and Japan, the first...
Donkey Kong Bananza Dev Suggests "Mindlessly Destroying" Your Way Through the Game to Clear Your Head
At GDC 2026 Nintendo presented Donkey Kong Bananza, with producer Kenta Motokura and programmer Tatsuya Kurihara leading the discussion. Kurihara explained that the game was built to feel satisfying when players smash through obstacles. He suggested that mindlessly destroying the environment...
IKM Gruppen Acquires Hendrik Veder Group
Norway’s IKM Gruppen announced the acquisition of Rotterdam‑based Hendrik Veder Group, creating the new entity IKM Hendrik Veder. The deal adds a 225‑year‑old rope and wire specialist with 79 employees to IKM’s 4,000‑strong, 15‑country operation. The combined company will broaden...
Kuky Adventure Now Available on Switch
Branium Games has launched Kuky Adventure on Nintendo Switch, delivering a candy‑themed precision platformer that emphasizes double‑jump mechanics and rhythmic action. The title showcases vibrant, colorful visuals and a lively soundtrack, aiming to provide an addictive experience from start to...
NO-SKIN Now Available on Switch
Indie horror roguelike NO‑SKIN has arrived on Nintendo Switch, released today by developer NoEye‑Soft and publisher Feardemic. The game combines hand‑drawn pixel characters with photographic backgrounds, delivering a distinctive visual style. Players navigate a procedurally generated haunted house, unlocking new...
Morning Headlines 3/20/26
A lawsuit alleges Google disseminated inaccurate crowdsourced medical advice at scale, prompting scrutiny from Texas officials and raising potential political fallout. Concurrently, the Fischman v. Epic Systems case highlights concerns over electronic health‑record (EHR) data handling and possible discovery tactics...
Steel Mountains Abyss Cresset Puzzle Solution in Crimson Desert
The guide details how to locate and solve the Steel Mountains music puzzle in Crimson Desert to obtain an Abyss Cresset upgrade. Players must travel southeast of Hernand, bypass enemy zones, and reach the spire base where the Cresset resides....
Cyprus Orders Mandatory Acceptance of Digital Citizen App Credentials
Cyprus has issued a legal order that obliges all organizations to treat identity documents presented through the Digital Citizen mobile app as equivalent to their physical counterparts in face‑to‑face transactions. The decree, signed by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation...
Duskwood Abyss Cresset Puzzle Solution in Crimson Desert
The Abyss Cresset puzzle in Crimson Desert is found northwest of Hernand after fixing the kiln in Chapter 4. The board resembles a Go grid, with black and white stones arranged in a specific pattern. Players must clear two green hermit‑crab...
Halssisus Conflux Abyss Cresset Puzzle Solution in Crimson Desert
The article provides a step‑by‑step guide for solving the Halssisus Conflux Abyss Cresset puzzle in Crimson Desert. It explains that the puzzle is found near the House of Healing during Chapter 3 and involves aligning a gold‑coin beam, clearing columns with Nature’s...
How to Take in the Dog in Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert’s main quest includes a side mission where players can adopt a stray dog. By placing three pieces of lean meat on the ground and petting the animal, players quickly build enough trust to claim the dog as a...
How to Beat Tenebrum in Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert’s Tenebrum boss requires solving a 3×3 button puzzle and placing four batteries before the encounter. The fight cannot be won with conventional weapons; only the Force Palm ability deals damage. Players must climb a column and strike Tenebrum...
How to Beat the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert
The guide outlines how to defeat the Reed Devil boss in Crimson Desert, starting with navigating Glenbright Manor and clearing ambushes by destroying scarecrow effigies. It breaks the encounter into three phases, emphasizing parrying, timed attacks, and the importance of...
Senator Launches Investigation Into Methane Pollution in the Permian Basin
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse announced a Senate Environment Committee probe into the Permian Basin after MethaneSAT satellite data revealed methane emissions four times higher than EPA estimates. The inquiry targets eight major oil and gas producers, demanding details on monitoring practices...