Happy Tuesday, NoC! Glad to be back with you after long weekend. 🫶

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, high of 88.

🎧 Sounds like: "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian.

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Today’s newsletter is 1,000 words — a 4-minute read.

Miami University is exploring where artificial intelligence can make our lives better — and where it might do more harm than good.

Why it matters: AI isn't going back in the box, campus officials say. And today's students will help decide how it's used tomorrow.

Driving the news: Miami's Board of Trustees recently approved a new Center for AI, tapping experience design professor Dennis Cheatham to lead it.

• The center aims to make an impact through research and partnerships with the region's major corporations and tech companies.

The intrigue: "I'm still a skeptic," Cheatham tells Axios.

• He's spent decades studying how people use technology. Despite leading an AI center and understanding the technology's potential, he still has reservations.
• "A skeptic hasn't made up their mind like a cynic and given up, but we still need to test out what we're examining and what we're using."

The big picture: Other Southwest Ohio universities are finding their own ways to teach AI.

• Xavier University opened The Loop in August to help students and faculty build AI skills.
• University of Cincinnati offers BearcatGPT, a secure platform with Claude and more than 200 user-built AI agents, UC vice president Bharath Prabhakaran tells Axios.
• University of Dayton now requires freshmen to study AI fundamentals and human dignity.

Miami is doing that too. Its AI in the Majors initiative will bring AI education into at least one major in every department by May 2027, with plans to eventually reach all majors.

• Its center will also study the technology through 14 lenses, including security, the arts and public discourse.

Zoom out: The center aims to tackle real-world problems and ethical questions.

• Cheatham points to potential partnerships with the likes of Procter & Gamble and any number of local aviation companies.
• The hope is to turn research into products and patents, give students hands-on experience and attract outside funding.

Inside the center

It may still feel like summer outside, but flu season isn't waiting for sweater weather.

Why it matters: The shots take about two weeks to build protection, making October a good time to get vaccinated before holiday gatherings.

State of play: Greater Cincinnati recorded nearly twice as many flu-related hospitalizations last season as in 2024-25, per the Cincinnati Health Department, underscoring what's at stake as another flu season approaches.

• Severe flu cases remain relatively low across Ohio, but that'll likely change as cooler weather drives people indoors and kids settle into the school year.
• Flu vaccination reduces children's risk of dying from the flu by 80%.

The big picture: Flu vaccine distribution has declined nationally for years.

• About 102 million doses had been distributed by this point last season, down from 116 million two years earlier, federal data show.

What they're saying: Shanna Wentz, a CVS pharmacist and district leader in the Cincinnati-Dayton region, tells Axios she's seeing some "vaccine fatigue," including people who assume last year's shot is enough.

Reality check: Flu vaccines are updated annually to keep up with changing strains.

How to get one: Flu shots are recommended annually for nearly everyone 6 months and older and are available at most pharmacies, usually at no cost with insurance.

• You can typically schedule ahead and get a COVID-19 or RSV vaccine at the same visit if eligible.
• Local health departments also offer flu shots, typically with sliding-scale fees for uninsured patients.

Go deeper: Flu is showing up earlier this year

Cincinnati ranks 28th in the nation for walking, according to a new report. But the northern part of the region fares much worse.

The big picture: Our Queen City neighbors walked more than residents and visitors in 72 other large metros, according to StreetLight, a transportation data firm.

• Orlando topped the rankings. Perhaps waiting in line at Disney counts?

Closer to home: Warren County's suburbs aren't quite so pedestrian-friendly.

• Mason and Springboro each score just 18 out of 100 on Walk Score, which considers both cities "car-dependent," meaning most errands require a vehicle.

💭 Casey's thought bubble: Feels accurate. Since moving to the 'burbs, I hardly walk anywhere. Sidewalks are scarce, and the ones that exist seem to end at the most inconvenient places.

• There are thankfully plenty of great parks with walking trails, but it'd be nice to walk around my own neighborhood, too.

🤔 Tell us: How do you get your steps in? Hit reply.

🏛️ Mason's Lindner Center of Hope denied online rumors that U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D-Texas) received treatment at the mental health facility. (X)

• Talarico attributed his campaign absence to the flu, adding he "has never been to Ohio." (CNN)

👩‍🏫 The University of Dayton named provost Darlene Weaver its next president, the first woman to lead the university in its 176-year history. (UD)

🏓 West Chester Township will open eight new pickleball courts Wednesday at Beckett Park East as part of a $6.5 million in improvements. (Press release)

Reds fans, we want to hear from you.

State of play: After making the playoffs in 2025, Cincinnati finished 75-87 and last in the NL Central this season.

• The current ownership group has controlled the Reds since 2006, and CEO Phil Castellini recently said the group plans to continue owning the team, noting there's still work to be done.

Where do you stand: Is it time for the Castellinis to sell the Reds, or was 2026 just a bad season for a young team?

Vote in our poll.

🤗 Swilley is soaking up this walking weather while it lasts.

📚 Casey remembers having to go to the library in college.

Thanks to our editor, Tyler Buchanan.