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This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. Four new AI tools caught my attention recently for solving specific problems well. They are free to try and quick to learn, and they point toward where AI is heading. 1. Lovart: Create a brand kit or marketing campaign with an AI design agent Lovarts conversational interface allows you to generate posters, social posts, branding kits, storyboardseven packaging. Unlike other image generation tools, you can generate dozens of images from a single prompt, then iterate on the results in a chat dialogue. You can also edit the images. I used an eraser to remove stray text in a promo poster. Pricing: Free (limited use), or $15 to $26/month billed annually for additional usage and pro models. 2. Little Language Lessons: Brush up on French, Spanish, or other languages Polish your linguistic skills in three different ways using Googles Little Language Lessons. Unlike Duolingo, Babbel, and other subscription language-learning systems, this is completely free. Its just for micro-learningpicking up some words, phrases, and grammarnot for developing full fluency. Tiny Lessons: Pick from a long list of languages and type in a scenariolike hosting a meeting or going to a concert. Learn related words and phrases. Slang Hang: Catch up on popular new chitchat by watching a conversation thread between native speakers. While listening, youll see the translation. Word Cam: Snap a picture to get translations of objects in the image, along with related phrases. Tip: Use this app on a mobile deviceit will be handier for capturing images than your computers webcam. 3. Gemini Scheduled Actions: Set up simple AI automations Scheduled actions are an emerging format where AI assistants send you personalized updates. You design the task and choose its frequency. ChatGPT Tasks, Perplexity Tasks, and Geminis Scheduled Actions are three Ive been testing. Get notified when a task is completed by email, push notification, or within the app. Here are a few examples. Generate a summary of headlines on your niche topic. I get positive news memos to counter the weight of news negativity. Ask for one-sentence takeaways, source links, specific subtopics, or whatever else interests you. Get weather-related wardrobe suggestions. Create morning weather updates with outfit ideas based on a list of wardrobe items you provide for personalized guidance. Plan a creative spark moment. Get a dailyor weeklyprompt for a creative activity: writing, drawing, journaling, cooking, or whatever you love. Catch up on your favorite teams, shows, or bands. Request updates on your favorite artists or athletes. Unlike services like Google Alerts, these AI actions let you use natural language to detail your personal interests. Explore new restaurants to try. Ask for a weekly summary of new nearby eateries, cafés, or dessert spots, with whatever criteria matters to you most. 4. MyLens: Create an infographic from a link, YouTube video, or text Creating infographics can be complicated and time-consuming. Ive been experimenting with MyLens to convert raw material into visuals. How it works: Paste in text or upload a PDF, image, or CSV/Excel file. Or add a link to a site, article, or YouTube video. What you can make: Generate timelines, flowcharts, tables, or quadrant diagrams. Or upload data to create line, bar, or doughnut charts. Watch MyLenss one-minute demo video to see it in action. Pricing: Free to create three non-editable, public infographics (stories) a day, or $9/month billed annually for 300 monthly editable creations. Alternatives: Ive covered Napkin.ai, Venngage, and apps for creating timelines. This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
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When we started Equal Research Day on June 10, 2022the anniversary of women finally being included in U.S. clinical research in 1993we intended it to be a celebration of progress and a call for more inclusive science. We wanted to mark how far wed come and how much opportunity still lay ahead. We never imagined that just three years later, wed be fighting to keep that progress from being undone. The Trump administrations ongoing federal actions targeting women, diversity, and equitysuch as budget cuts affecting critical research funding, and the sporadic erasure of critical data and educationhave already caused massive damage and hindered progress for health parity in only five short months. We’re just beginning to wrap our minds around the lost progress and bleak future that we’re facing if there is no change of course. And we don’t have time, let alone four years, to wait on continuing health parity workfor women and for all marginalized groups harmed by the administrations actions. If it feels like we are going back in time, it’s because we are. As founders building the future of womens health, we cant stay quiet. We are witnessing the erasure of womenagain. Medicines long history of leaving women behind While women weren’t required to be included in clinical research until 1993, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) didnt required researchers to account for sex as a biological variable until 2016. While some progress has been made, even in 2024 we were far from closing the research gapparticularly for marginalized and underrepresented groups. Because women have been left out of research for so long, many of the drugs, diagnostics, and standards of care we rely on today were never tested on womens bodies. As a result, women are diagnosed, on average, four years later than men across hundreds of diseases. Women are more likely to die in surgery if their surgeon is a man, and women are twice as likely to die after a heart attack, compared to men. Were more likely to be misdiagnosed, to experience severe medication side effects, and to be told our symptoms are all in our heads. Behind already, we’re taking massive steps backwards in closing the gender health gap and reaching health equity. In 2025, history is repeating itself This year alone, the NIH slashed $2.6 billion in contracts, plus an additional $9.5 billion for research grants, a devastating blow to women’s health research. The Womens Health Initiative (WHI)a decades-long study of 160,000 women, critical for better understanding chronic disease, hormone therapy, and morewas abruptly defunded in April (an apparent reversal to the cut was later confirmed in May), leaving the WHI in limbo for weeks. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) fired 18% of its staff, including entire teams dedicated to maternal health, contraceptive guidance, and drug-resistant sexually transmitted infection (STI) tracking. And the National Science Foundation (NSF) canceled over 1,400 grants, especially those tied to gender, equity, or health disparities. Federal agencies were given directives to reject funding for any research grants that include “banned words” such as “women, trans, or diversity,” at the NIH, and for the NSF, an even longer list, including: -“Female” and “women,” but not male or men -“Male dominated” -“Gender” -“Equity” -“Diversity” -“Minority” -“Underrepresented” -“Antiracist” -“Diversity” -“Trauma” -“Biases” -“Disability” -“Inclusion” -“Victims” -“Racially” This is targeted, strategic, and deeply dangerous for not only women, but for all underserved and under-researched groups that need the funding and research the most. Data and education are disappearing, too As if defunding wasnt enough, the federal government scrubbed over 8,000 public health web pages. These included critical health guidance on contraception, LGBTQ+ health, STIs, and maternal outcomes. Some of the pages were hastily scrubbed and restored while missing key facts, essentially erasing certain groups. The CDC removed or changed key datasets and web pages on the LGBTQ+ community and other underrepresented, marginalized groups. The CDC also pulled fact sheets on HIV prevention, HIV diagnosis, and transmission, and then republished some of the information, leaving out transgender people. The FDA also took down an entire website dedicated to minority health and health equity. This kind of censorship isnt just alarmingits life-threatening. If we cant see the data, we cant measure the problem. And if we cant measure the problem, we can’t fix it. This is more than a research crisis. Its a public health emergency, and it will hit the most vulnerable communities the hardest. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any wealthy nation. Erasing programs like PRAMSwhich monitors postpartum complications, means entire states are now totally unequipped to track what happens to postpartum women. Shuttering research labs and programs on STIs, HIV, and sexual health will hinder progress for women’s sexual health and disease prevention, particularly for women and LGBTQ communities. Finally, widespread government directives to cut research funding for anyone who focuses on gender threaten to uno all the progress we’ve made since 1993, and this in turn, hinders what we can change moving forward. We know that when women are under-researched, we pay the highest price. Women already spend 25% more of their lives in worse health than men. And, 64% of common medical interventions are less effective or less accessible for women, compared to only 10% for men. For every woman diagnosed with a womens health issue, approximately four are not diagnosed. (There are 97 similar statistics published in our book, 100 Effed Facts About The Gender Health Gap.) This will only get worse with the current federal actions. What can be done While some companies and researchers are stepping in to fill the void, in reality, no private innovation can replace the scale, accountability, and public good of federally funded research. As founders of a women’s health company, we believe more than anyone about the power of private, high-growth solutions for the world’s most pressing problems. We are doing our part at Evvy. But even we don’t see the path through without government investment. Alone, we simply can’t approach the scope and magnitude of what the government to help the more than 50% of the population who deserve better. Startups can pilot new tools, but they cant collect longitudinal data on maternal mortality across all 50 states. Academic labs can push science forward, but they cant maintain national health surveillance systems. The erosion of public health infrastructure means were losing the connective tissue that links discovery to care. And without it, even the best innovations risk being isolated solutions in a broken system. This isnt just about research; its about rights. Its about refusing to let an entire half of the population be sidelined under the excuse of cost cutting. We need to fund the science that sees us, protect the data that tells our stories, and build a healthcare system where womens bodies are studied, understood, and prioritized. We can fight for funding, for research, for truth. And, most importantly, we can fight to make sure women are never again an afterthought in the story of medicine. To help, join the Equal Research Day campaign to demand equal research funding for women, or donate to nonprofits funding critical research like Womens Health Access Matters and the Foundation for Womens Health.Priyanka Jain is CEO and cofounder of Evvy. Laine Bruzek and Pita Navarro are cofounders of Evvy.
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A sense of unease has settled over the countrya shared anxiety fueled by headlines, social media, and persistent uncertainty about the future. From escalating conflicts in the Middle East to disturbing incidents of political violence here at home, Americans across the spectrum are grappling with instability and disruption. This isnt just partisan fatigue or angstits a broader disorientation about who we are as a nation and where were headed.As an avid scuba diver, I (Craig) have learned that when seasickness strikes, the best remedy is to focus on the horizon. In times of uncertainty, we need that same kind of long-range perspective. America, while powerful, is relatively young. History is replete with examples of empires experiencing internal strife. Fareed Zakarias Age of Revolutions documents this phenomenon with precision. While historical parallels dont alleviate our present anxieties, they can offer a broader context.One reason this moment feels so disorienting is that theres often a gap between expectations and reality. Many of us grew up with a hopeful, sometimes idealized narrative of American progress and unity. Todays polarized discourse, political violence, and institutional tensions can challenge that view. But rather than disengage, we need to adaptand recommit.In moments of uncertainty, our instincts may be to fight, flee, or freeze. But when we try to do all three at once, we risk exhaustion and paralysis. Freezingtuning out or giving upfeels safe, but its unsustainable. Instead, we advocate for a balanced approach: fight and flight, both with intention. Fight: Civic engagement as a steadying force To fight is to stay constructively engaged. That means seeking out credible, fact-based news. It means voting and encouraging others to do the same. It means participating in civil dialogue and seeking to understand perspectives that differ from our ownempathy can bridge divides. Leaders in business, nonprofits, and communities all have a role to play. Upholding the rule of law, supporting fair elections, and defending the institutions that sustain our economy and civic life arent political actstheyre commitments to stability and shared progress. At Leadership Now Project[DA1] , weve mobilized business leaders from both parties to take action, supporting policies that protect democracy, engaging with policymakers, speaking out publicly, defending election officials, and recognizing courageous leadership. These efforts are grounded in principle, not partisanship, because a strong democracy is essential to a thriving economy. Flight: Protecting peace isnt escapismits strategic Flight doesnt mean tuning outit means stepping back to preserve focus and clarity. In an era of constant information overload, its easy to feel overwhelmed. But we cant let the noise drown out the signal. This means prioritizing what truly matters: health, relationships, and purpose. It means limiting the distractions that drain us and being intentional about how we spend our energy. Whether through mindfulness, service, or simple moments of joy, finding inner stability helps us stay grounded. Its what allows us to show up consistently, over the long term.Holocaust survivor and psychologist Viktor Frankl once wrote that while we cant always control our circumstances, we can choose our response. That mindsetanchoring in purpose and positivity even amid chaoscan help us move forward with clarity and resolve. Find purpose In short: Even in uncertainty, we can find purpose. Even amid division, we can choose to build. The storm may not pass quickly, but we are far from powerless. When we anchor ourselves in valuescuriosity, leadership, accountabilitywe become more resilient. And when we come together across differences, we remind ourselves that the story of this country has always been written by people who chose to engage, to hope, and to act. We are not alone. And the horizon is there to help us refocus. Daniella Ballou-Aares is the founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project. Craig Robinson is founding member of Leadership Now Project.
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