Author: Barbara T. Palmer

The NFL Draft Rounds 2 and 3 Recap: Defensive Players Shine, Quarterbacks Disappoint In the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft, defensive players took center stage, with a total of 20 coming off the board in the second round alone. This trend continued with a total of 25 offensive linemen being selected through three rounds. The Washington Commanders had a successful draft day, selecting Michigan nickelback Mike Sainristil and Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott as franchise cornerstones. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills addressed their needs at wide receiver and safety with the selections of Keon Coleman and Cole…

Stocks took a hit on Thursday as lower-than-expected US GDP growth in the first quarter sparked concerns about the state of the economy. Tech stocks, including Meta, led the decline as investors were rattled by revenue forecasts. The Nasdaq Composite fell around 1.3%, the S&P 500 lost 0.9%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped over 400 points in response to the disappointing GDP numbers. US GDP growth came in at 1.6%, below expectations of 2.5%, causing Treasury yields to rise, with the 10-year yield reaching its highest levels of the year at 4.73%. Meta shares took a big hit,…

Apple Empowers Open Research Community with Release of OpenELM Models Tech giant Apple has made a significant move in the world of artificial intelligence by releasing several open-source large language models (LLMs) called OpenELM. These models are designed to run on-device, rather than through cloud servers, marking a shift towards greater privacy and efficiency. There are a total of eight OpenELM models, with four pre-trained using the CoreNet library and four instruction-tuned models. Apple has implemented a layer-wise scaling strategy to improve the accuracy and efficiency of these models, providing code, training logs, multiple versions, and a complete framework for…

Iranian Court Sentences Rapper Toomaj Salehi to Death for Supporting Protests Popular Iranian rapper, Toomaj Salehi, has been sentenced to death by an Iranian court for his involvement in supporting protests following the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, a young woman, died in custody in October 2022, sparking widespread demonstrations across the country. Salehi was arrested last year for his participation in the protests, which were fueled by anger over Amini’s death. His lawyer has stated that Salehi was charged with corruption on Earth by the Isfahan Revolutionary Court. Initially, Salehi was sentenced to six years in prison, but the…

A recent study has revealed that the phenomenon of bioluminescence in octocorals is far older than previously believed, dating back at least 540 million years. Octocorals, a group of marine invertebrates, have been lighting up the seas for centuries thanks to an enzyme called luciferase that catalyzes a reaction to produce light. According to the researchers, bioluminescence has evolved independently at least 94 times, with octocorals now holding the title for the oldest known example. By using an evolutionary tree and ancestral state reconstruction, the scientists were able to pinpoint the approximate time in deep history when bioluminescence first appeared…

Apple is set to make a big splash in the tech world with their upcoming special event scheduled for Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time. The event, which will be live streamed on Apple.com and YouTube, carries the tagline “Let Loose” and is rumored to have a strong focus on iPads. The event invitation has sparked excitement in the tech community as it hints at the unveiling of new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, as well as updated Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard accessories. This comes after the last new iPads released by Apple in late 2022,…

On Monday, April 22, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to potentially launch Starlink internet satellites into space. This exciting event will be visible in the night sky above Volusia County, Florida. FLORIDA TODAY, a trusted source for space news, will be providing interactive launch coverage and updates on rocket launches. The upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch is highly anticipated, with detailed information available on FLORIDA TODAY’s website. For those looking to watch the SpaceX rocket launches online, FLORIDA TODAY provides recommendations on where to view the live stream. Additionally, residents of Volusia County can head to beaches…

Taylor Swift’s Boyfriend Travis Kelce Hinted to be the Subject of New Song In a recent podcast appearance, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce hinted that Taylor Swift’s new song “So High School” may be about him. The track is featured on Swift’s latest double album, “The Tortured Poets Department: Anthology.” Fans of the pop star, known as Swifties, noted a possible reference to Kelce and his father, Ed Kelce, in the lyrics. Kelce is known for mimicking his father on his own podcast, “New Heights.” The couple, who have been dating since September, has been inseparable lately, with Kelce…

Swerd Media Introduces NHL Projections and Probabilities Page Swerd Media is excited to announce the launch of a new NHL projections and probabilities page that will provide fans with a unique insight into each team’s chances of advancing through the playoffs and ultimately winning the Stanley Cup. The projections on the page are based on an impressive 50,000 simulations of the remainder of the playoffs. These simulations take into account various factors such as the team’s strength, current health, and playoff path. Team strength is determined by the players’ Offensive and Defensive ratings, providing a comprehensive analysis of each team’s…

Vanguard Issues Warning About Treasury Market Tipping Point In a recent statement, Vanguard has issued a warning that the Treasury market is approaching levels that could potentially lead to a significant selloff. According to Ales Koutny, the head of international rates at Vanguard, the market is currently in a “danger zone” where even a minor increase in yields could prompt investors to abandon their hopes for a rally. Vanguard predicts that yields on 10-year bonds could reach 5%, a level that hasn’t been seen in years. Koutny also noted that if yields surpass the critical threshold of 4.75%, a wave…