Preserving the Academy of Natural Sciences' Legacy and Collections for the Future The Academy of Natural Sciences, a historic institution founded in 1812 by seven naturalists, announced plans to close its museum by September 30. The decision, made after extensive deliberation, aims to reallocate resources to sustain the Academy’s scientific mission and ensure the long-term preservation of its vast collections. The museum, which opened in 1828, has served as a cornerstone of public engagement and education in Philadelphia for over two centuries. Despite its cultural and scientific significance, leadership determined that continued operation in its current form would strain financial and operational resources, jeopardizing the Academy’s broader goals. The closure follows years of efforts to adapt to shifting visitor patterns and rising operational costs. Post-pandemic, the Academy invested in new exhibitions, galleries, and programming to attract audiences, but these initiatives faced persistent challenges. Visitor behavior evolved, and the financial burden of maintaining the museum’s physical space became unsustainable. Leadership emphasized that these changes were not temporary but indicative of a fundamental shift in the economics of the institution. Closing the Parkway museum was deemed necessary to prioritize the Academy’s core mission: safeguarding its collections and advancing scientific research. The Academy’s collections, comprising over 19 million biological specimens, fossils, archives, and other resources, remain central to its mission. These materials, including more than 73,000 type specimens, are critical for global biodiversity research and serve as a foundation for scientific discovery.#philly #academy_of_natural_sciences #drexel_university #parkway_museum #scott_cooper
Jill Biden Shares Concerns Over Husband's Nighttime Bathroom Trips Linked to Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Former first lady Jill Biden revealed during an interview on August 5 that she had noticed troubling patterns in her husband’s behavior before his prostate cancer diagnosis, describing how he would use the bathroom up to seven times during the night. She shared these details on SiriusXM’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa,” recounting how she had previously raised concerns about his frequent nighttime trips to the White House physicians. “I thought it was addressed,” she said, recalling her belief that the issue had been evaluated while her husband was in the presidency. However, after Biden left the White House in January 2025 and the behavior persisted, Jill urged him to seek further medical attention. “When it continued when we got out of the White House, I said, ‘Joe, we’ve got to go up to Jeff in Philly – something’s wrong,’” she explained. Biden, 83, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025 after experiencing urinary symptoms. Doctors discovered a nodule on his prostate, and by the time the condition was detected, the cancer had already spread to his bones, according to a statement from his office. Jill Biden emphasized that the cancer’s progression was a significant challenge, noting that treatment is ongoing and requires constant monitoring. “We have to be mindful of it every three months, testing and medicines,” she told Ripa. She described the experience as “constant. It’s daily. And I think it’s challenging,” drawing on her own history of battling cancer with family members, including her late son Beau Biden, who died in 2015 at age 46 after a battle with brain cancer.#jill_biden #american_cancer_society #joe_biden #philly #jeff
YouTube TV’s Fully Customizable Multiview Feature Begins Limited Rollout YouTube TV has initiated a limited rollout of its long-awaited “Add to multiview” feature, which allows users to fully customize their live stream selections. This update marks a significant shift from the previous system, which restricted users to preset channel bundles. The new functionality enables viewers to choose up to four streams from categories such as sports, news, and movies, offering greater flexibility in how they consume content. The feature is currently available on a per-account basis and has started appearing for a small subset of users in the United States across both TV and mobile platforms. YouTube TV, a live streaming service provided by Google, has emphasized that its multiview feature—previously limited to preset combinations—now allows users to tailor their viewing experience. This customization is particularly notable because the streams are processed and delivered as a single livestream by YouTube’s servers, rather than being handled by the user’s device. The rollout has been met with enthusiasm, especially among users in sports-centric markets like Philadelphia. Reddit users have highlighted the ability to pair local sports networks with national broadcasts, a capability that was previously unattainable under the old system. For example, fans can now simultaneously watch their local team’s game alongside a national sports channel, enhancing their viewing options. To check if the feature is available, users can open a livestream and press the down button on their remote (or tap the player on mobile). This action will open the multiview selection menu, where the “Add to multiview” option will appear if the feature is active. Users can then select up to three additional channels to fill their grid.#google #reddit #youtube_tv #philly #multiview
