Pancreatic Cancer, Home Shortage, & Tone-deaf Choir

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
April 14, 2026

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Revolution Medicines said its drug daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival in a Phase 3 trial, with patients living an average of 13.2 months versus 6.7 months on chemotherapy, cutting death risk by about 60%. The company called the results “unprecedented” for the disease.
The daily pill targets RAS mutations, which drive roughly 90% of pancreatic cancers, a disease with a five-year survival rate near 13% and no approved targeted therapy. The trial focused on patients whose cancer had already progressed after prior treatment, an especially hard-to-treat group. Former Sen. Ben Sasse, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer late last year and given months to live, reported his tumors shrunk 76% after taking the drug.
The company plans to seek fast-track FDA approval. Side effects like rashes were common but manageable, and researchers say the drug could serve as a backbone for combination therapies, potentially pushing survival even higher.

The Department of Homeland Security ordered thousands of furloughed employees back to work despite the agency remaining unfunded since Feb. 14. The directive covers FEMA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and other units. Workers were told to report as scheduled or face potential disciplinary action.
The move raises legal questions under the Antideficiency Act, which restricts agencies from spending unapproved funds, and breaks from the usual shutdown rule that legally bars most workers from reporting without congressional funding. DHS said it is using limited funds to cover pay but warned they may run out, with Secretary Markwayne Mullin noting future checks depend on Congress.
The timing is critical as FEMA ramps up ahead of hurricane season and ongoing spring flooding. But constraints remain: workers cannot log overtime, and a $26 billion replenishment of the Disaster Relief Fund is still stalled in Congress.

The White House estimates the US is short 10 million homes, according to a new economic report released Monday. Home prices have risen 82% since 2000, while incomes are up just 12%. The Iran war has pushed 30-year mortgage rates from under 6% to 6.37%, adding further pressure.
The shortage stems from a homebuilding collapse after the 2008 financial crisis that never recovered. The report argues regulations add more than $100,000 to the cost of building a home, which it calls a "bureaucrat tax." Cutting them could spur 13.2 million new homes and support 2 million jobs. Trump could make federal funding to states contingent on reducing those regulations, according to the report.
Housing affordability ranks as a top concern for voters under 40 heading into midterms.

Camp Mystic's director testified he missed federal and state flood warnings issued days before the July 4th disaster that killed 27 people, saying he relied on phone weather apps and believed that "was enough." (More)

The Trump administration agreed to restore a Pride flag at New York's Stonewall National Monument, settling a lawsuit filed by LGBTQ+ and preservation groups. (More)

A federal judge dismissed Trump's $20 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, ruling his team failed to show the paper acted with actual malice, but gave him until April 27 to refile. (More)

Pope Leo XIV pushed back on Trump's criticism, telling reporters the Vatican's calls for peace stem from the Gospel and he doesn't fear the administration, while stressing he wasn't personally attacking Trump. (More)

Super Typhoon Sinlaku, packing 173 mph winds, is set to hit the Northern Mariana Islands today and could threaten Guam. (More)

The US military killed five people Saturday while striking two boats it says were carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific, bringing the total death toll from such operations to 168 since September. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +1.02%, Nasdaq +1.23%, Dow +0.63%) as traders digested news that a ceasefire deal might be reached. (More)

US existing home sales dropped 3.6% in March to their slowest pace in nine months, as weak consumer confidence and soft job growth kept buyers on the sidelines. (More)

Software and cybersecurity stocks surged yesterday, led by Oracle's 11% jump, as shares beaten down by AI disruption fears clawed back some of their year-to-date losses. (More)

Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles, and Awa Fam Thiam went 1-2-3 in Monday's WNBA draft, with Fudd headed to Dallas to reunite with former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers. (More)

Actress Ruby Rose accused Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her at a Melbourne nightclub roughly two decades ago. Perry called the claims “reckless lies.” (More)

The Bucks fired Doc Rivers on Monday, ending his three-season run that included a 97-103 record, two first-round exits, and a missed playoff appearance this year. (More)

Researchers used AI to analyze 20,000 descriptions of social interactions and built the first comprehensive, data-driven map of how everyday situations shape human behavior. (More)

A new study found AI models correctly identify final diagnoses over 90% of the time but fail at early clinical reasoning, like narrowing down possibilities, suggesting they're not ready to work unsupervised. (More)

Berlin Zoo's Fatou, the world's oldest captive gorilla, turned 69 Monday and celebrated with tomatoes, beets, leeks, and lettuce. (More)

A choir for the tone-deaf.

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