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The ’Gay’ Attacks on Lindsey Graham Are All About Politics
Was Lindsey Graham gay? As the author of a book about the history of gay Washington, D.C., it’s a question I’ve been asked frequently for years, and even more so since his sudden death last weekend. The South Carolina Republican’s lifelong confirmed bachelorhood, vocal intonation, and Southern dandy demeanor (if not sartorial choices) prompted many to conclude that he was, as they say in that part of the country, “light in his loafers.” Graham’s repeated attestations to the contrary had zero effect on those invested in the narrative that he was. Only about the matter of J. Edgar Hoover’s rumored cross-dressing (for which there is much circumstantial but no direct evidence) am I questioned more. Whenever I’ve been asked to speculate upon Graham’s sexuality—and speculate was all that I or anyone else could do—I always answered the question honestly. While my personal sense is that Graham was probably gay, as a journalist and a historian I cannot rely on my intuition to make factual assertions. (Gaydar hasn’t yet been scientifically perfected.) Given the absence of any known female or male romantic interests, Graham may very well have been a heterosexual unlucky in love. He might also have been asexual. Barring the highly unlikely postmortem emergence of a personal diary or some other unassailable evidence attesting to Graham’s innermost yearnings, we will never know the answer. As is depressingly the case these days when a public figure dies, a chorus of voices reveled in Graham’s passing, many of them making light of his presumed homosexuality.
Lubbock woman’s custom shoe business now selling internationally
Natalie Buxkemper, owner of The Sewing Studio on the South Loop, started Patchwork Kicks about a year ago.
Woman shot in leg inside South Shore business, CPD says
Chicago police said responding officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the leg inside the business.
Video: Woman, still wearing psychiatric bracelet, jailed by OKC officer during mental health crisis
An interaction between an Oklahoma City police officer and a woman in a mental health crisis is now under investigation after body camera video showed
47 revelatory hours with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
To review this month’s supposed remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, I must first correct the record. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced isn’t a game about pirates (and assassins) in the 18th century Caribbean. Sure, sure, that’s what the trailers would have you believe. They’ve go their clips of Edward Kenway swinging his swords and steering his pirate ship into cannon-blasting combat against British frigates. Is Resynced truly a pirate game? Of the 47 hours I spent playing Resynced over the past few weeks, I will admit I spent maybe 44 (?) of them collecting plunder with Blackbeard, drinking rum with Anne Bonny and debating the pros and cons of the lawless pirate-run settlement Nassau with Benjamin Hornigold. I may in fact have spent dozens of hours sailing to remote islands, reading treasure maps, opening messages left in bottles, sinking the odd Man o’ War with a well-timed broadside, collecting sea shanties for my crew, befriending a pet monkey, and hunting whales. I am nevertheless neither so Gullible nor so Narrow-Minded as to call the magnificent Resynced a “pirate remake.” Oh no. Forget any reviews of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced you may have read. Forget what you yourself may have played, if you’ve spent any time with the game since its launch. What Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is really about I’m here to give you the scoop (spoilers for Resynced’s Animus menu lore, which many players are probably not going to see): Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, the new game whose development was led by Ubisoft Singapore, is set in the year 2096. It’s about a societal split, about revolution, about an old Assassin’s Creed adventure repurposed in the series’ distant future as propaganda or samizdat. It’s about the overheated future of 2096, essentially conquered by the series’ well-established nefarious Templar-run company Abstergo. (In this future, Abstergo is, among other things, remaking a 2013 pirate movie called Devils of the Caribbean, but this time in VR. The VR version will be backed by a marketing plan that involves AI influencers, a 10,000-avatar “metaverse premiere event” and that manufacturing of memes aimed at “50 million VR nodes.” See what I mean about Abstergo being evil?) Resynced is about a late 21st-century population mollified by the widespread use of Abstergo’s Animus devices which let people experience the lives of historical figures culled from “genetic memories.” It’s about an insurgent faction of Assassins. And it’s about a plan to wake the population into revolutionary fervor by showing them the memories of 18th century pirate Edward Kenway, who—as depicted in the original Black Flag and again in Resynced—gradually comes to an understanding about the Assassins of his day and their centuries old fight for freedom. Resynced is also about an AI developed within the late 21st-century Animus, called Ego. It has found a way to alter genetic memories, to create and show Animus users false ones. The game is about Ego’s efforts to tell the people experiencing Edward Kenway’s memories that Kenway was wrong, that fighting against order is folly, that we should crave a world where “compliance is rewarded with power.” Who are we in this game? We’re an unnamed Animus user in 2096 who experiences Kenway’s journey virtually. At four moments during Kenway’s exploits in the Caribbean our virtual jaunt can be interrupted for 10-15 minutes, as we explore Animus “rifts” where Ego explicitly tries to tell us how wrong Kenway was. None of this is what 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was about, of course. That was a different game, even if you also spent dozens of hours pirating as Kenway in that game, across missions and a map that’s been faithfully reintroduced and rebuilt for Resynced. The 2013 Black Flag was about you playing as an unnamed researcher newly hired in 2013 by Abstergo Entertainment, the video game development wing of the Templars’ evil-corp. In that game, you were assigned to use the Animus to dive into the genetic memories of Desmond Miles, a man who died in Assassin’s Creed III and who was descended from a long line of Assassins (and at least one Templar) whose adventures were featured across the prior AC games. In 2013’s Black Flag, your mission was to plumb the Edward Kenway experience for material that Abstergo could use in productions such as the motion picture Devils of the Caribbean, though the Templars had some ulterior motives for the assignment. Resynced is therefore not a remake of 2013’s Black Flag. It’s a sequel. It is a new game about a new exploration of Edward Kenway’s pirate/assassin journey, set 83 years after the framing sequences of the original game. Resynced provides a new narrative framework that, thanks to the concept of an AI that wants to alter historical memories, arrives with creative justification to tweak a now-classic 13-year old game. That makes Resynced, already a hot seller, a tantalizing hint of where Ubisoft could go with a line of Assassin’s Creed remakes. They could remake the first game, the Ezio games, even the recent ones set in ancient Egypt and Greece. And for each, they could not just modernize the graphics and controls but expand and alter their sequences of events to use them as reference points for a conflict set in the late 21st century, as rival factions try to weaponize historical memories. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, even when that work consists of ravings about Assassin’s Creed’s modern day plot, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe A story most players will probably miss If you didn’t know any of this, I’m not surprised. If you played the game and still didn’t catch it, I’m not a bit shocked. If Ubisoft has no plans to do more of this, I won’t fall down. Almost all of what I’ve described is optional and missable in Black Flag Resynced. I nearly missed it myself, as I planned for a breezy playthrough of an old Assassin’s Creed favorite. Instead, I found myself in a 40+ hour hunt for the “real” story, buried deeper in Resynced than any gold-filled chest. The story of 2096 is Resynced’s meta-story, told in two remote pockets of the game: 1) four optional playable “rifts” that players may find as they proceed through Resynced’s pirate fantasy , 2) in dozens of text files tucked three menus deep in the game’s barely-interactive Animus hub. Assassin’s Creed games have almost always had a meta-story about people in the 21st century (usually matching the game’s release year) and their connections to the main history portions you play. Those meta-stories have always been squeezed into the margins, though seldom as severely and as, uh, graphiaclly simple, as in recent games. Back in 2013, the modern-day exploits of you as an Abstergo Entertainment employee were prominent. They were portrayed via first-person portions that occasionally interrupted the third-person Kenway experience and could be explored for hours, complete with their own missions, side quests and puzzles. Resynced’s 2096 story—of Assassin “Watchers” vs. Abstergo/Tempar goons, of rogue AIs, of panicking scientists, of a woman wondering why her Animus-addicted husband is muttering about Mary Read (“What does he mean by Assassins?”), of a fight for the population’s hearts and minds via varying interpretations of Edward Kenway’s life choices—is mostly told through unlockable text files. The files are interesting. Offered via diary entries, intercepted chats and news reports, they present varied perspectives of a world in crisis. One set works as a narrative puzzle as it reveals the Rashomonic interpretations of a massacre, or was that a successful Assassin hit? Another favorite reveals the rising bitterness of a person who, through Edward Kenway’s journey, now shakes at the ignored evil around him. One surmises that Ubisoft is averse to putting the Assassin’s Creed’s meta-story in the way of more marketable pirate playgrounds and ninja/samurai epics. Instead, we get a better-than-nothing text-in-menus approach introduced in 2025’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows. In Shadows, players unlocked the meta-story text files largely via time-gated missions that called on the user to kill X number of enemy type Y, clear three enemy castles, re-win a three-phase fighting tournament, and other grinds. Time restrictions on accessing these missions and unlocking the files meant it could take players months to access the full story in-game. But even in the most hardcore Assassin’s Creed hangouts, the fanbase instead seemed to throw up their hands rather than grind to keep up. In Resynced, Ubisoft has shown some mercy, diminishing the amount of new text files that are tied to timed grinds. Now, most of the text-based 2096 lore are associated with “data file” collectibles that players can find in the world. That includes a batch of written entries that explain a historical link between the feudal Japan era in Shadows and the piracy adventures in Black Flag. Players who explore a lot will find dozens of data files, though the game does not appear to offer any in-game tracker for finding each one. You just need to keep looking for them. As of this writing, I have most of them, but not all. I can’t find any full guide for them online. And even Ubisoft’s optional $5 microtransaction that reveals lots of items in-game does not appear to reveal the locations of the text files (at least the official description omits them from its collectibles list). That’s not a huge bother, because tracking the data files down compelled me to re-explore the waves and islands of Black Flag. That was a thoroughly pleasant task to do for the first time in a dozen years. I expect many players, though, will be content to wait for the files to be reproduced in an online AC wiki somewhere, the easier to read on a web page. It may not seem enticing to play a video game in order to gradually unlock pages of text to read. Why not, you may ask, just read a book, where they put the pages in order? For one, they’ve not tucked this latest installment of Assassin’s Creed’s meta saga in a book. I also enjoy the unordered delivery, the dawning comprehension of a story about 2096’s desperate people and questionable tech, which I glimpsed first at its middle, then the end, then the front, then other moments in between1. I am also enamored with the idea of the Assassin’s Creed games I’ve previously played, including Black Flag, being repurposed for an information war. The ideas in Resynced’s meta-story, which builds off characters and ideas in Shadows’ chunks of text, are strong. The potential of where they could go with it is exciting. As for the pirate stuff? Looks great, controls pretty well, is fun to play and oh so speedy in terms of how much of a good time you can have with each sit-down. It never gets old to chase a new shanty page across a rooftop, bombard a fort with upgraded mortars or use a diving bell to explore sunken wrecks (hats off to the team at Ubisoft Barcelona that worked on the underwater portions in Resynced; that team is now facing layoffs, such is the misery of modern gaming and oft-troubled Ubisoft). New pirate missions in Resynced involving new ally characters are brief, dramatic and add more to Edward’s story, even if the gameplay perks they provide barely enhance the gameplay. A new denouement for high-class pirate Stede Bonnet is affecting; a new hunt for Blackbeard’s treasure is a welcome extra moment. A new epilogue to hunt down a pirate killer, on the other hand, over-complicates Kenway’s character. The ending credits remain my favorite of any game I’ve ever played. Black Flag provides great source material. The revisit is well-made and a great sign of what could be. It is offered in a different wrapper that hints at an opportunity for more interesting remakes to come, should Ubisoft choose to pursue such treasures—and as we brace to resist or comply with an Abstergo future. 1 The messages that Edward Kenway finds in bottles tell another out-of-order story, one about a man reckoning with the strange memories and voices he’s heard in his head since he was a boy. That tale was also in the 2013 game and develops into one of Black Flag’s most compelling character arcs. In Resynced, it has lost its climax, because the bottle story previously paid off in the halls of the first-person Abstergo Entertainment, which is exclusive to the older game. An altered resolution, written by the 2013 game’s lead writer is fine, doesn’t invalidate the 2013 version, but makes for an inferior final note.
Majority of Fort Worth Council supports data center pause. Will it happen?
The majority of Fort Worth City Council wants a temporary moratorium on data centers. A supermajority is needed. This comes after the Fort Worth Zoning Commission voted not to recommend new rules for data centers within the city. Lone Star Politics speaks with Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck, one of the leaders of the effort.
The new currency of global health aid: data
As the U.S. reshapes its foreign assistance strategy, countries receiving health funding are sharing access to medical information.
Lindsey Graham, noble Roman
A lot of people want to be powerful. Very few people, as it turns out, are willing to do the things necessary to have power. This is, generally speaking, a good thing. Perhaps the greatest protecti…
Scientists discover why peach fuzz can suddenly make you itch
A newly discovered network of fine hairs and specialized nerve cells appears to form a dedicated system for sensing mechanical itch, offering fresh insight into why chronic itching occurs. Because humans show signs of having the same pathway, the research could pave the way for more effective treatments for conditions such as eczema.
When it’s really hot, mental health can suffer | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Extreme heat can take a major toll on mental health, according to Harvard Chan School’s Amruta Nori-Sarma.
What one of Emperor Hadrian's latrines is telling us about the durability of Roman concrete
One of the many marvels of the Roman world is that some of its buildings are still with us. But why have they lasted for so long when some relatively modern structures are in a state of decay after a ...
Super Yanoman Collection announced for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC
Edia has announced Super Yanoman Collection for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC (Steam). It will launch on December 10 in Japan for 8,580 yen. A special edition will also be available …
Hollywood icon Mamie Van Doren recalls the drunk MGM megastar who interrupted her first date with Vic Damone
In her new memoir, ‘You Thought I Was Dead,’ the legendary blonde bombshell Mamie Van Doren recalls a romantic night at big band star Vic Damone’s that was cut short by one of the brightest stars at MGM.
Mamie Van Doren recalls the drunk MGM megastar who interrupted her romantic first date with big band icon Vic Damone
The last of the blonde bombshells wrote in her new memoir that the “gods of Hollywood were smiling down on me” the night of the starry affair.
They're Building Half A Bridge to Save Science...
Today’s post is about science: what you can do now to protect it from unprecedented threats, and how your action is the first half of a long-term program that Congress must take up next. Let me start with describing the embryonic state of science advocacy. There are many well-meaning organizations: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Research!America, and subject-specific organizations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the American Physical Society. Their general approach is to emphasize the common good: the remarkable value that science and innovation have provided to all Americans. However, these organizations are offering an incomplete solution. Before I start, a preliminary: If you already know about the threat, go ahead and weigh in with OMB at this link. Ideas about what to say come from Research!America and the American Physical Society. You have until Monday, July 13 at 11:59pm Eastern. Then come back here and read the rest of this post. Finally, get in touch with whoever is likely to be your next member of Congress in 2027. The threat: An end to merit-based science… The onslaught of attacks on science is accelerating. It’s not just cuts to grants, which was the last battle. That battle is not done yet, but there is a new and worse threat. Now comes a proposed public rule from the Office of Management and Budget. The rule would take decision-making power over grants away from experts and put it into the hands of political appointees. Former NIH official Elizabeth Ginexi wrote an excellent summary of what OMB is trying to do, which is codify the executive branch’s ability to award or terminate grants, for arbitrary cause or no stated cause. Since World War II, a necessary step in scientific grant-making has been consideration of scientific merit. This approach has made America into a dominant scientific superpower, the envy of the world. Of course, political considerations do come into the mix. The proposed rule tilts the balance dramatically away from merit. …but why? Many people have difficulty comprehending why Russell Vought and OMB would want to damage science in this way. If you’re a working scientist, you are likely to be particularly uncomprehending. Who would hurt an activity so self-evidently good? The answer is: this is part of the program to replace the rule of law with a personalist regime. OMB Director Russell Vought, a Christian nationalist, would like to implement what legal scholars call a “unitary executive,” and what I would call a dictatorship. Or if you like, a personalist authoritarian regime. I am a working scientist. This rule will debilitate my research. It may chill the speech of scientists for speaking freely in the public sphere. It is a form of personalizing power and decision-making within the executive branch. In short, it sacrifices science in the service of tyranny. To Russell Vought, a decrease in the quality of science might be an acceptable cost. He might even consider it an added benefit to weaken a pillar of soft U.S. power based on knowledge and skepticism. The professional societies are building half a bridge The nonprofits are asking you to make public comment. Public comment is like building the first half of a bridge. Before implementation, OMB is compelled by law to have a period of public comment. Rules have to be consistent with the law and the Constitution. They express the federal government’s stance toward how those laws will be implemented. When a presidential administration works in good faith, these public comments are used to inform their eventual action, and sometimes mitigate it. The comment period reflects our First Amendment right to petition our government. The executive branch is then supposed to take those comments into account - completing the bridge between us, the people, and our government. Project 2025 seeks to take away the second half of the bridge. We have to replace it. The first half of the bridge Organizations like AAAS, Research!America, and SfN are partly right. You should certainly comment. Their core model is earnest: if enough of us make noise, then we will achieve change. This idealistic point of view is offered in good faith. That point of view is also currently bullshit. The fundamental reason is that the federal rulemaking process has two parts: There has to be a period of public comment. OMB makes the final rule…but is free to disregard public comment. Oops. That’s a loophole. However, not all is lost. Congress can complete the bridge Congress has enormous power. That power suggests a roadmap for how to proceed. This lawless administration is still going to issue that rule. Nonetheless, your comments still play an essential role. Here are two steps you can take. Step 1: Send your comment to your Representative and Senator. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans, many of them support science. Whatever you wrote as public comment in the Federal Register, also send it to your member of Congress. You can include information about jobs in your district or state by looking at Joshua Weitz’s ScienceMatters interactive map. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and give your town, zip code, or state, then deliver your message. Step 2: Politicize the hell out of science. You heard me, politicize it as an issue. We hear a lot from the old scientific establishment about science being nonpartisan. This is obsolete, sentimental thinking. Under normal conditions, it was true. But we can no longer make that assumption. We can keep on pretending, but we’re putting science at risk. There is a way forward. Rules are subordinate to the law…and Congress makes laws. Therefore Congress can step in. In this fall’s election, it is likely that Democrats will retake the House of Representatives. That puts at least one chamber of Congress in the hands of Democrats. They are far more inclined than the current Congress to investigate and legislate. This opens a path to undoing the damage. It also creates a permission structure for pro-science Republicans to find a way back from the brink. We have to encourage them. In the House, every district is up every two years. In your district, contact both of the major party candidates. If your state has a Senate race, contact those candidates too. Specifically mention the proposed OMB rule. Ask for two things: For this year’s appropriations process in August and September, ask that amendments be added to stop the implementation of the new rule. Those amendments should support peer-reviewed science and stop political interference. Looking ahead to next year, ask the Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator to work to hold hearings in 2027 on the importance and benefits of peer-reviewed science for health and prosperity. What hearings and amendments will accomplish Congress can use its investigatory power to summon heads of agencies and the director of the OMB. That will allow fact-finding regarding the consequences of this rule. Congress can override the rule through the appropriations process. They can write into statute a requirement to follow peer review and best scientific practices. In this way, Congress can stop the attacks on science. Postscript: Moving forward Now I have a request for you, to help me. As many of you know, I ran for Congress in order to save democracy and science. Although I did not win, that battle continues by other means. I met and heard from thousands of supporters both here in New Jersey and nationally. I learned that pro-science, pro-democracy activists have the potential to become a much greater force. In the weeks and months ahead, I will be building ways to harness that energy. I will be announcing those plans soon. In the meantime, an important step is to wind down the Congressional campaign, which has a few remaining bills to pay. Please help me retire that last debt.
Simple sitting change linked to lower risk of cancer death, study finds
Each additional hour of prolonged sedentary behavior was linked to a 10% higher cancer death risk, but brief movement breaks may significantly reduce it.
Woman Says Boyfriend Accidentally Revealed Dating Apps While Screen Sharing: “Tell Me Why Hinge Was There”
A Reddit user says she discovered dating apps on her boyfriend’s phone after he accidentally shared his screen during a FaceTime call. The woman shared on Reddit’s r/GirlDinnerDiaries that what began ...
Woman, 45, Underwent the First Robotic Single-Port Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Performed in the U.S by a Robot Named Carol
Vicky Pan, a mom of two, was diagnosed with aggressive, fast-growing triple-negative breast cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes
Conor McGregor’s return and the uncomfortable questions it poses for sport
The Irishman makes his return to the octagon 18 months after being found liable in a sexual assault case involving a woman in Dublin
Second pregnancy changes the brain in surprising new ways
Researchers found that every pregnancy rewires the brain in its own way, with a second pregnancy bringing a different pattern of changes than the first. The discoveries could lead to better ways to recognize and treat maternal mental health challenges, including peripartum depression.
Retired Iowa lawmaker Jean Lloyd-Jones reflects on her political life in memoir
At 96, Jean Lloyd-Jones has published ‘A Woman’s Place: My Life as a Public Servant.’ The book tracks her path from the League of Women Voters to the Iowa Legislature, as well as her work founding the Iowa Institute for Peace.
Kathy Griffin, 65, teases that she’s dating 22-year-old: ‘Have at it, internet’
Comedian Kathy Griffin, 65, teased a potential romantic relationship as she hinted that she’s dating a 22-year-old man: ‘Have at it, internet,’ she said.
Ann Widdecombe: strictly, politics and performance
Former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe has died aged 78.
Will Germie Bernard or Roman Wilson Be Steelers’ WR3?
The Steelers have not had great wide receiver cores over the last few seasons, but in 2026 they finally have some depth in the pass-catching room. The Steelers have a good problem on their hands: a battle for the No. 3 wide receiver spot. Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard are seemingly the third and fourth […] The post Will Germie Bernard or Roman Wilson Be Steelers’ WR3? appeared first on The Lead.
Coffee may have powerful effect on liver health, major study suggests
Heavy coffee drinkers showed a 47% lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and reduced liver fat, liver iron and fibroinflammation in a major study.
ASU's efforts to improve health outcomes for Arizonans lauded by US congresswoman
As the Arizona State University Congressional Dialogue Series with Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari began Wednesday morning, David Schwartz used three words to describe the health care system:Chaotic. Complex. Confusing.But then Schwartz, vice president of strategy and business development for ASU Health, explained in one sentence how those three Cs could turn into As, so to speak.
Last Day for Comanche Nation Entertainment’s school supply drive
The Comanche Nation Entertainment school supply drive is on its last day.
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2026 (So Far)
You'll find fantasy horror blends, samurai space opera, romantic retellings, and more in the best science fiction and fantasy of 2026 so far.
Graham Platner says he plans to withdraw from Maine Senate race
Democrat Graham Platner says he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after a woman who dated him said he drunkenly forced her to have sex despite her telling him to stop. Platner denies the allegation.
Atlanta businesswoman bets on Greenbriar Mall dream while helping fire victim rebuild
Karen Patten remembers spending time at Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall as a teenager. Years later, she's now investing in the same mall that helped shape some of her memories.
State officials highlight housing investments following deadly Knights Inn fire
State Sen. Lea Webb and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo on Wednesday discussed concerns with the housing issues in Broome County.
Sheila Lodge, Mother of Santa Barbara’s Political Matriarchy, Dies at Age 97
The city’s first woman in a succession of female mayors dedicated her life to public service.
I've studied human nature. It's true 'If mama ain't happy ...'
We can all learn from "front porch" wisdom from Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. They're often supported by scientific investigation.
See photos of Wayne Coyne talking with The Oklahoman's Gene Triplett in 2007
The former entertainment editor for The Oklahoman, Gene Triplett died in June in Oklahoma City. He was 77.
Lionel Messi is the ultimate summer romance: Why he's so beloved
I knew Lionel Messi would be the headliner of this World Cup, but I didn't expect to fall so hopelessly in love with him.
New weight loss pill beats oral Ozempic in major trial
A new once-daily weight-loss pill called orforglipron delivered better weight loss and blood sugar improvements than the leading oral semaglutide in a major clinical trial. The tablet could offer a more convenient alternative to injectable drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy because it doesn't require refrigeration or special timing with meals. It's also cheaper to manufacture, which could expand access globally.
Waffle House lawsuit: Employees seek refunds over alleged illegal tobacco health insurance surcharge
If you work at Waffle House and use tobacco products, you may have been paying an extra fee on your health insurance that a new federal lawsuit says was illegal. A Georgia woman wants that money back for herself and thousands of others.
After four hours playing The Blood of Dawnwalker, I've seen combat, romance, intrigue - it's got the makings of being 2026's breakout RPG
I've played four hours of the hugely promising The Blood of Dawnwalker now which, if you don't know yet, is the new vam…
The Right Thing: Why I buy books when I travel
Do we owe anything to the places we visit? Last month, I spent some time in Savannah, Georgia, with family. Like many travelers, the woman I’d eat bees for and
Platner Faces Growing Democratic Calls to Drop Out
Even supporters like Representative Ro Khanna of California called on the Democratic nominee to exit the Maine Senate race after a report that he had sexually assaulted a woman.
Democrats begin pulling Platner endorsements
Politico reports that a woman has accused Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexual assault.
Graham Platner says he's "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" as sexual assault allegation emerges
A Maine woman told Politico that Graham Platner entered her home in late 2021 and forced himself on her. Platner denies the allegation.
Maine Senate candidate Platner says campaign is deciding 'best path forward' after new sexual assault allegation
A woman who previously dated Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a new Politico report.
Woman accuses Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexual assault
Democratic candidate for Senate, who has faced series of scandals, denies allegation reported by Politico
Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her
The Maine Democrat denied the allegations and said, “Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue.”
Woman laid off from Meta moved to Mexico and reduced expenses
After her Meta layoff, Chikaraa Kennedy launched a coaching business and moved to Mexico — where she spends less and has a better quality of life.
Can citizen science save the world’s wildlife?
Can smartphones save the planet? Learn how citizen science and AI-powered apps are providing crucial data to protect global biodiversity.
What Does the Memorandum of Understanding Signed Between the US and Iran Mean?
Iran maintains that transit through the Strait of Hormuz should be under the control of both Oman and Iran with no international intervention.
Politics Unplugged (Full Episode) July 5, 2026
State Senator Analise Ortiz discusses No Safe Seats, an effort to raise money for progressive Democrats who are challenging establishment Democrats in the state. Plus, former Democratic lawmaker Reginald Bolding and Republican businesswoman Christine Jones discuss the Supreme Court ruling upholding birthright citizenship. Then, Reginald and Christine talk about the Department of Justice investigation into Senator Roben Gallego.
Woman, 28, Becomes Roommates with Man, 75, After Going Through ‘Major Life Change.' Now Says She's 'Never Moving Out' (Exclusive)
“Some of the most meaningful connections can come from the people you least expect,” Rylie Middaugh tells PEOPLE
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
Test your Taylor Swift knowledge with this quiz celebrating the pop superstar's headline-making romance with Travis Kelce. Featured this week: wedding details, memorable moments from their love story ...
It’s not clear how California’s education power shift will impact schools this year
After California lawmakers and the governor changed state law so the Department of Education is overseen by the governor instead of the state superintendent, it’s unclear how the move will impact the upcoming school year. "What we hope to see is a streamlining of the administration of public education in California," Assembly Education Chairwoman Assemblymember Darshana Patel, D-San Diego, said in an interview on California Politics 360.Patel helped carry the change through legislation at the state Capitol.
Poll finds most Americans willing to put politics aside on July Fourth
A new poll finds most Americans would celebrate July Fourth with political opponents, but many draw the line at romantic relationships.
Could We Have Been Wrong About Fish Oil and Brain Health? New Study Raises Major Questions
Fish oil supplements delivered omega-3s to the brain, but a new study found that was not enough to improve cognitive health in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s.
Comedy saved Teruko Nakajima. Her ‘Made in America’ is saving others
From Cedars-Sinai psych ward to Upright Citizens Brigade stage, Teruko Nakajima turns a doctor’s “prescription” for comedy into an one-woman show.
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
Love, science and resurrection collide in Christina Lauren’s ‘The Romance Revival’
Under the Radar speak with New York Times best-selling authors Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings about their latest novel
Israel's tech employees cost more than US counterparts
Tech workers in Israel are currently 2.4 times more expensive than their counterparts in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, and Ukraine
Why One Global Shipping Choke Point Isn’t a Blueprint for Another
The Strait of Malacca may be a model for how Oman and Iran could collect fees in the Strait of Hormuz, but the differences between the waterways are vast.
First human case of West Nile detected in Sacramento County, health officials say
A woman in her 60s tested positive for the disease and is still recovering, the county said Thursday.
How first-time candidate Melat Kiros upended Denver politics by defeating one of its biggest figures
“To overcome the millions of dollars in dark money, we were able to have real conversations with folks across the city, and I think that made a real difference,” Kiros spokeswoman Annie Orloff said.
Scientists discover a protein switch that burns fat and blocks new fat cells
A protein called “Mitch” may hold the key to a new generation of obesity treatments. Researchers found that disabling it in human cells boosts fat burning, increases energy use, and makes it harder for new fat cells to develop. The findings help explain why mice lacking Mitch were leaner, more athletic, and resistant to obesity.
Kitchen workshops stress dairy’s role in health
Learn more about Kitchen workshops stress dairy’s role in health, News and College of Health Sciences. Texas Woman's University (TWU) is the nation's largest un
7 events in Lancaster County this weekend, from an Afroman concert to patriotic events
Get your holiday weekend plans squared away a few days early.
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros poised to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress
Kiros, a political newcomer, topped 15-term-incumbent Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary in Colorado's 1st Congressional District, a reliably blue House seat.
A democratic socialist unseats a 15-term congresswoman in Colorado
With her victory over Rep. Diana DeGette, 29-year-old Melat Kiros is the second democratic socialist to beat an incumbent progressive Democratic House member this month.
Scranton woman charged with stealing funds from federal health care programs
A Scranton woman stole checks, some of which came from federal health insurance programs, and used them on herself, federal authorities say
Miller-Meeks: Girls Sports are for Girls
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling upheld laws protecting girls’ and women’s school sports teams.
Love and Deepspace dev cancels new love interest amid fan backlash
A little over a week of intense fan backlash has resulted in the romance gacha game rolling back the announcement of Valko
Louisville woman sentenced to federal prison after pool business fraud
Tracy Davenport was sentenced to federal prison after facing charges in connection with defrauding customers from her pool installation business.
I went to federal prison, now I'm a CEO: lessons on bouncing back
A businesswoman served time in federal prison nearly 20 years ago. This is how she rebuilt her life.
Woman says popular oil change business left her engine in the backseat
“What they pulled out of my car looks like something from a sci-fi movie.”
Cara Delevingne confirms she and Amber Heard were romantically involved amid actress' Johnny Depp divorce
Model-actress Cara Delevingne confirms she and 'London Fields' costar Amber Heard were romantically involved amid actress' divorce from Johnny Depp.
How 'masculinism' is reshaping American politics
Can the new faultline in American political tribalism be broken down along the masculine question? Republican attacks against Texas Democratic Candidate for Senate James Talarcio falsely claim he's vegan as a challenge to his masculinity. While others in the GOP say they want to repeal the Woman's right to vote. What is he overarching strategy here. Why testosterone matters in today's politics.
Atlanta Hawks celebrate graduating third cohort of women business leaders
The Georgia woman’s leadership empowerment program, which is celebrating the completion of its third cohort, brings in early-career women from typically male-dominated industries in Atlanta for mentorship and professional development.
A Diet and Workout Plan to Hit Weight-Loss Goals By the End of 2026
A dietitian and personal trainer share the simple plan they give clients who want to lose weight, build strength and feel more energized by the end of the year.
Liverpool transfer news: Bradley Barcola among alternative targets with PSG in talks to sign Yan Diomande
Liverpool target Yan Diomande has indicated his desire to join Paris Saint-Germain; PSG winger Bradley Barcola features highly among options Reds are considering as an alternative; Barcolas PSG future is uncertain due to frustrations about being overlooked for selection in big games
After months of unanswered pain, a Philly woman learned she had Stage 3 colon cancer. Now she’s pushing for equitable care
Medical advances mean that more people are surviving cancer. But not everyone is benefiting from those gains equally, a new report shows.
After her insurer denied coverage of medication, she ended up in the ER
After switching Medicare Advantage plans, a woman with a weakened immune system got tangled in the preapproval process, which the insurance industry has vowed to improve.
Accesa Hosts 5th Edition of Tech in Motion with the Theme Engineering in the Age of Uncertainty
CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania, June 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Accesa hosted the 5th edition of Tech in Motion, its annual tech conference, bringing to...
St. Mary’s woman doesn’t let brain injury stop her from business passion
Flourishing in Faith opened in a camper in 2020.
Reports: Diomande agrees PSG move from Leipzig
Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande has decided to leave RB Leipzig for Paris Saint-Germain, according to media reports. Broadcasters Sky and RMC, as well as transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, reported on Sunday that the 19-year-old has agreed a five-year contract with the French Champions League winners.
Running through challenges: Elite runner returns to Missoula Half Marathon after health complications
Abby Rodseth finished as the 11th woman in the Missoula Half Marathon, completing an emotional return to competitive running.
Yan Diomande chooses PSG as next destination if he leaves RB Leipzig
Diomande registered 12 goals and nine assists for Leipzig, who he only joined last summer from Spanish side Leganes.
How we became Broncomaniacs
Here’s how many of us became Broncomaniacs. Share your origin story!
Only one workout helped older adults lose fat without losing muscle
A six-month study of more than 120 adults in their 70s found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may offer a key advantage over other forms of exercise: it helped reduce body fat while preserving valuable muscle mass. While moderate and low-intensity workouts also led to some fat loss, only HIIT maintained lean muscle, which becomes increasingly important with age.
Only one workout helped older adults lose fat without losing muscle
A six-month study of more than 120 adults in their 70s found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may offer a key advantage over other forms of exercise: it helped reduce body fat while preserving valuable muscle mass. While moderate and low-intensity workouts also led to some fat loss, only HIIT maintained lean muscle, which becomes increasingly important with age.
Black Canyon City business defrauded by GM
A woman was arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing $40,000 from the Black Canyon City business for which she was the general manager.
Could 'humanmaxxing' actually help you live longer? Here's what experts say
Humanmaxxing is the latest wellness trend focused on maximizing human potential through biohacking, longevity science and advanced medical treatments.
Could 'humanmaxxing' actually help you live longer? Here's what experts say
Humanmaxxing is the latest wellness trend focused on maximizing human potential through biohacking, longevity science and advanced medical treatments.
Scientists discover what triggers belly fat as we age
Aging may trigger the appearance of specialized stem cells that supercharge the body's ability to create new belly fat. The discovery reveals a potential biological driver of middle-age weight gain and a promising target for future anti-obesity treatments.
As America fights over food, this woman speaks for the unheard
Vanessa Rissetto, a dietician and \
How to use AI in your dating life responsibly and effectively
Whether you love or loathe generative AI chatbots, they’re becoming increasingly involved in the business of romance.
How did the Romans build such straight roads?
The Romans have a reputation for building straight roads — but how did they do it?
This Week's 10 Must-Read Stories on Women in Politics: Title IX Anniversary, AI's Anti-Women Bias and Ranked-Choice Voting Victories
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a weekly compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment! Published every Friday. —This week marked the 54th anniversary of Title IX. —As the Taliban approaches the five-year mark of its return to power this August, a rare protest in western Afghanistan last week laid bare both the brutality of its rule and the resilience of those living under it. —A woman will replace Eric Swalwell in California … but for not two more months. —A study of 133 AI systems found that 44 percent demonstrated gender bias, and more than a quarter showed both gender and racial bias. ... and more.
Moncks Corner woman, 35, charged after running business without retail license
A Berkely County woman was charged after South Carolina Department of Revenue officals found that she was with operating a business without a Retail LicenseFrid
Sheriff’s office releases body-cam video after viral arrest at Augusta business
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office has issued a statement after a video has been circulating social media of a woman’s arrest.
Las Vegas group, school launch scholarship to expand access to skilled trades
The National Association of Women in Construction Las Vegas recently launched a new scholarship in partnership with trade school Quality Training Centers. The scholarship is intended to expose more...
Charles to join Circle Cinema Walk of Fame
Cherokee filmmaker Jeremy Charles will soon have his name set in concrete outside a storied movie theater with three other Oklahomans honored by the Circle Cinema for work in film
Chairman Guthrie, Health Vice Chair Harshbarger, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks Lead Site Visit to Iowa Hospitals to Highlight Benefits of the Rural Health Transformation Program
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.