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New York lands in top five for most fun states
New York is the fifth most fun state in the US according to a new study that analyzed nightlife and recreation.
ICE gives detention centers high marks for health under Trump even as deaths climb, report finds
Immigrant detention centers are receiving high marks for health and safety under the Trump administration, according to a new investigation by the Project on Government Oversight.
How to be irresistible on dating apps, according to science
It’s not what you share, but how you share it.
Small Businesses Are Hiring Workers Hit By AI-Driven Layoffs
AI-driven staff reductions at big businesses are becoming a boon for smaller firms that are quick to hire laid-off talent, according to a new report.
Enterprise AI Is Scaling Fastest Where Businesses Can Measure the Results
For all the attention paid to enterprise artificial intelligence strategy, adoption is not spreading evenly across the organization. According to findings
42% of millennial radiologists surveyed say their pay has stagnated over past year
This included about 33% of rads polled, who said their year-over-year compensation has remained flat, while 9% reported a decrease, according to Medscape.
Rich Eisen shuts down talk of Steelers benching Aaron Rodgers
Strong preseason outings from rookies Drew Allar and Will Howard won't impact Aaron Rodgers' starting status, according to Rich Eisen.
Hayden Panettiere 'was struggling' on final movie, costar says
Hayden Panettiere was "struggling" and seemed to be "really lonely" as she was working on what turned out to be her final movie, according to a former costar.
Accused murderer leaves U.S. from Virginia mental health facility
An accused murderer who was committed to a Virginia mental health facility left the country on a flight while out on a weekend pass, according to court documents.
iOS 26.6.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 Fix Nearly 30 Security Vulnerabilities
The iOS 26.6.1, iPadOS 26.6.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 updates Apple released today fix almost 30 security vulnerabilities, according to Apple's security support document. This is Apple's third security release in three weeks as AI surfaces bugs faster than the company's typical release schedule can absorb. Apple says the software includes security fixes that were previously added to the iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate betas.
State health department confirms measles outbreak in Western Kentucky
According to the online measles dashboard, 10 of the newly-confirmed cases are in Christian County.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: New Details Leak as Apple Event Nears
"iPhone Ultra" supply will be very limited when the foldable device is first released later this year, according to Fixed Focus Digital, a known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account also claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro chip will be up to 18% faster and up to 30% more power efficient compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's A19 Pro chip.
Lancaster County restaurant awarded national small business grant
LITITZ, Pa. (WHTM) — A local restaurant in Lancaster County was just awarded a $30,000 Enhancement Grant through the Backing Small Business program. According to the nonprofit organization Ve…
Gen Z swaps retirement saving for sports betting
About 26% of Gen Z investors said they treat sports betting as a "deliberate, ongoing part of their long-term financial strategy," according to a Betterment survey.
Yale Health Center building reopens after fire
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A Yale Health Center building has reopened after a fire Monday morning, according to Yale University’s alert system. The fire happened at 55 Lock St., the buil…
Sony still hasn't chosen a PlayStation 6 release date, says CEO, as RAM crisis continues
There is still no internal release date for the PlayStation 5 successor, according to Sony's CEO.
Cooley’s Business Czar Navigates AI Deals ‘Unmoored’ to Numbers
Fast-moving artificial intelligence deals are changing the equation for buyers and their lawyers, according to veteran tech attorney Peter Werner.
Renaissance Technologies LLC Acquires New Shares in Starz Entertainment Corp. $STRZ
Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Starz Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ:STRZ - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 50,200 shares of the company's stoc
Amid scorching summer, heat-related health problems spike in New Mexico
About 14% of New Mexico households don't have air conditioning, according to census estimates published earlier this year.
Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo now deadliest in country’s history
At least 2,325 people have been killed, according to government data, surpassing the death toll from 2018-20 outbreak
Atlanta teen with autism uses basketball tournament to raise money for youth mental health
According to America’s Health Rankings, Georgia ranks 47th in the country for the percentage of children who receive needed mental health treatment or counseling.
Roma optimism grows over move for Porto talent Rodrigo Mora
Roma are increasingly optimistic about reaching an agreement with Porto for highly-rated youngster Rodrigo Mora after stepping up their efforts to sign the Portuguese talent.According to Corriere dell...
The Scientists Who Want to Steer Hurricanes
Over the weekend, Hawaii was lashed by Hurricane Lala, which has washed away homes, left more than 125,000 people without power, shut down two of the state’s busiest airports, threatened dangerous flash flooding and, at time of writing, has killed one person. What if we could’ve steered the storm away from Hawaii, into the vast expanse of the empty Pacific Ocean that lies all around the islands—where no one could get hurt? This scenario might sound like the stuff of science fiction. But earlier this year, a peer-reviewed study published by the Public Library of Science found that it might be possible, and sooner than we think. The study was titled: “Weather Jiu-Jitsu: Prospects for atmospheric nudging to defuse the impact of catastrophic weather extremes.” According to the paper, the controversial practice of cloud seeding could enable human beings to make hurricanes change direction. The potential results could be astounding: The authors suggested that Hurricane Sandy, which in New York City alone killed 44 people and caused $19 billion of damage in 2012, could’ve been diverted by 200 miles, missing the metropolis entirely. Cloud seeding, which first succeeded in the U.S. in 1946, is a practice whereby small particles—for example, dry ice, silver iodide, or salt—are dropped into clouds, causing moisture to condense into precipitation. In the 1960s, the U.S. government launched Project Stormfury, an experiment that saw Navy pilots flying into the heart of a hurricane, dodging winds over a hundred miles per hour, to cloud-seed inside it, in the hope of reducing the storm’s power. “The seeding,” the theory went, “would stimulate the formation of a new eyewall that would surround the existing eyewall. The new eyewall would contract, strangling the old eyewall and reducing the intensity of the hurricane.”
Armed suspect with machete, pickaxe detained by customers during Costco jewelry heist: reports
Costco customers and employees helped restrain a man accused of an armed jewelry robbery at a South Carolina warehouse store, according to local reports.
Best Entertainment Stocks To Keep An Eye On
Walt Disney, Verizon Communications, Spotify Technology, FOX, SEA, Roblox, and Autodesk are the seven Entertainment stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeat's stock screener tool. Entertainment stocks are shares of publicly traded companies involved in producing, distributing, or delivering e
Barcelona want Julián Álvarez to make his Atlético stance public
Barcelona are expecting Julián Álvarez to publicly declare his desire to leave Atlético Madrid now that the World Cup has concluded, according to SPORT. The report claims the Blaugrana have set Jul...
Age slower without dieting: this cultural habit stuns scientists worldwide - Futura-Sciences
Savoring Culture: A Surprising Health Ally Picture this: according to a British study involving more than 3,500 adults, a weekly dose of culture—be it through visiting museums, browsing in a library, humming along in a choir, or wielding a paintbrush—was linked to knocking one year off participants’ biological age, and...
Why Scientists Fear This Everyday Food Could Soon Be Poisoning Millions - Futura-Sciences
Why Might Rice Become Dangerous? The hotter it gets and the more carbon dioxide (CO2) there is in the air, the more rice absorbs inorganic arsenic, according to a new study. In short, as the climate heats up and CO2 concentrations increase, rice becomes more toxic—and could even cause deadly...
State of Wyoming Takes $1.32 Million Position in Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. $LYV
State of Wyoming purchased a new position in Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:LYV - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 7,215 shares of the company's stock, valued at appr
Casting call? Bengals rookie leaves team for acting opportunity
Ceyair Wright has left the Bengals to pursue an acting role, according to reports. Here's what to know.
Researchers Find That Waist Size Is a Powerful Indicator of Health Risks
Measuring waist size may be one of the simplest and most effective ways to detect obesity-related health risks, according to a study by Rutgers Health researchers. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that combining body mass index (BMI) with waist circumference, or using waist circumference alone, performed as well as a newly proposed obesity definition that incorporates multiple body measurements.
Lions UDFA Makes Surprise Push After Impressive NFL Debut
One of the biggest winners from the Detroit Lions’ preseason opening loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was the performance of rookie UDFA Eric O’Neill. O’Neil’s big-game help positions him to make a run at the 53-man roster, according to John Whiticar of Pride of Detroit.Whiticar pointed to O’Neil getting on the field early and being […] The post Lions UDFA Makes Surprise Push After Impressive NFL Debut appeared first on HEAVY.
Killing PlayStation discs could make PS Store games cheaper, according to a former Square Enix exec
A former Square Enix business development director explains why axing PlayStation discs could make PS Store games cheaper.
Report – Lazio Line Up Shock Move for Milan Center-Back
Lazio are reportedly weighing an unexpected summer swoop for out-of-favor Milan center-back Fikayo Tomori. According to Il Messaggero, via LaLazioSiamoNoi, the Biancocelesti have earmarked the English...
East Hawaiʻi business owners, families, state and county prepare for Tropical Storm Lala
Hawai’i County hasn’t taken a direct hit from a hurricane since 1871, according to Mayor Kimo Alameda, but Lala possibly could change that.
Scientists simulating ant swarms find a 'first mover' can set the colony in motion
In ant colonies, a single ant can be the catalyst for a wave of mob activity, launching brief bursts of coordinated movement involving hundreds or even thousands of swarming workers, according to new ...
Milan turn to El Mala as Amorim freezes Leão out
Rafael Leão has fallen further out of Rúben Amorim’s plans at Milan, with the Rossoneri now eyeing Cologne’s Said El Mala as they reshape their attack.According to Corriere dello Sport, Amorim h...
Measles case confirmed in Madison County, what health officials are saying
A case of measles has been confirmed in Madison County.The individual is currently recovering at home according to Madison County Public Health.Madison County
Brabus Bodo Cabriolet (2027)
Each Brabus Bodo Cabriolet will be individually manufactured in this limited series according to the wishes of its buyer. The base price is listed at 1,077,000 euros.
Lawsuit alleges Newaygo County Jail, prison health providers failed to treat inmate’s MS
When Shane Veltkamp, now 31, entered the Newaygo County Jail in July 2023, he was fully mobile, independent and able to care for himself, although he would be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, or MS, while detained, according to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the county […]
Luigi Mangione to appear in court for expected guilty plea in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
Luigi Mangione is scheduled to be in federal court Friday for a hearing at which he's expected to plead guilty in connection with the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Great Barrier Reef isn’t dead yet. According to News Corp that makes climate science a ‘pseudo-religion’
‘High coral cover is evidence of recovery and resilience, not evidence that the disturbances causing mortality didn’t happen’, scientist says
Same knee surgery, twice the price: Hospital monopolies push up healthcare costs
Last year alone, hospital and health systems announced 46 mergers and acquisitions, according to a healthcare business consulting firm. Five ranked as “mega-mergers,” meaning they were valued at more than $1 billion. One merged 28 hospi…
More Than Half of CEOs Say Local Governments Don't Support Business. That's a New Low
According to Inc. 5000 data, chief executives say local government isn't embodying a business-friendly mindset. Some experts attribute the shift to one key event.
States Take Uneven Approach to Convictions Built on ‘Junk Science,’ State Court Report Examines
States are implementing divergent legal frameworks regarding criminal convictions predicated on forensic evidence subsequently identified as 'junk science,' resulting in varied outcomes for incarcerated individuals seeking relief, according to a recent analysis by State Court Report.
Top Doctor Sounds the Alarm About Trump’s ‘Most Extraordinary’ Health Issue
Among the litany of issues, this is the most concerning, according to Dr. Jonathan Reiner.
Kingdom Hearts Is A "Billion-Dollar" Franchise, According To Disney
Square Enix is currently working on the fourth game
Lighthouse Guild Celebrates Blind Changemakers in Entertainment, Content Creation at Lincoln Center Event
NEW YORK—Lighthouse Guild, a New York-based nonprofit that empowers people who are blind or have vision loss to live independent lives, in partnership with Spectrum, the communications services company, held its 4th annual celebration that focused on the state of content and entertainment creators who are blind, according to an announcement from the organization. Titled Access in Focus: Blind Perspectives on Entertainment, the event brought together blind professionals and accessibility advocates for a timely conversation about inclusion across film, television, theater, music, social media and beyond, the nonprofit said.
Is This Air Safe to Breathe? How Wildfire Smoke Impacts Your Health
Hazy skies and irritated eyes are both hallmark indicators of wildfire smoke in the air. But even if skies are clear, can nearby wildfires still impact health? According to a recent advisory from the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), smoke...
Richmond science company to lay off 68 employees
Eurofins Professional Scientific Services South plans to lay off 68 Richmond employees Oct. 9, according to a state notice.
Santa Cruz could lower speed limits near schools, business areas
In 2023, Santa Cruz County ranked worst in the state in reported cyclist deaths and injuries according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local) 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17 Santa Cruz Council Chambers, 809
Hazmat incident at Hudson business sends 16 people to hospitals
Sixteen people were hospitalized at an industrial business in Hudson, Massachusetts, on Thursday, fire officials said. A chemical process is believed to have contributed to what happened, according to the Hudson Fire Department, which called in a Hazardous Materials team to help respond to the incident, reported about 8:47 a.m. on Parmenter Road. Employees at the business reported serious illnesses,…
Proposed data center at Battey Business Complex terminated
A proposed data center at the Battey Business Complex on North Division Street is dead according to Rome-Floyd County Development Authority Board Chair Jimmy Byars after Atlas Development ended it's
Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board votes a second time to close performing arts center for renovations
President Donald Trump’s handpicked John F. Kennedy Center board has voted a second time to close the performing arts institution for renovations, according to a person who was briefed on the decision.
Apple in talks to pay publishers to provide Siri with current news: report
The tech giant has considered a nine-figure budget for the payments, according to the WSJ.
'iPhone Ultra' Could Face Staggered Country Rollout Like Vision Pro
Apple's foldable "iPhone Ultra" may get a Vision Pro-style staggered country-by-country launch over several months, with initial availability limited to the U.S. market, according to an Australian publication. In a report labeled "exclusive," ChannelNews said today it has been told by local carriers and one major retailer that Apple's first foldable iPhone will be a "no show" when the iPhone 18 Pro models launch in September, despite being unveiled together.
Base iPhone 18 Tipped to Get These Two Pro-Level Upgrades
The base iPhone 18 model that Apple is expected to release by March 2027 will be equipped with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the iPhone 17, according to analyst Jeff Pu. Pu's latest assessment, if accurate, would see the iPhone 18 gaining the same amount of memory as the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Nepal maternal and infant mortality increases following loss of US aid, according to health officials
The Associated Press has found that the decision by the United States to slash its foreign aid funding last year has increased pregnancy complications and deaths in Nepal.
Sen. Carla Nelson Earns Perfect Score on Small Business Voting Record
State Senator Carla Nelson (Rochester) received a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a national organization representing small business owners, according to a scorecard the group released this month. Sen. Nelson was one of 26 Minnesota senators who voted to support local business priorities on every bill NFIB tracked during the...
Sen. John Jasinski Earns Perfect Score on Small Business Voting Record
State Senator John Jasinski (Faribault) received a 100% rating from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a national organization representing small business owners, according to a scorecard the group released this month. Sen. Jasinski was one of 26 Minnesota senators who voted to support local business priorities on every bill NFIB tracked during the...
Siena poll: Hochul leads GOP challenger Blakeman by 10 points
Gov. Kathy Hochul's advantage has now been cut in half, according to likely voters surveyed.
WIP not replacing Devan Kaney for Eagles broadcasts
WIP’s Philadelphia Eagles broadcasts will go into the 2026 NFL season without anyone specifically assigned to work the sidelines. Merrill Reese and Mike Quick, entering their 29th season calling games together, will lean on other WIP personalities for in-game updates instead of a dedicated reporter, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Rob Tornoe. Per Tornoe, Eliot…
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Is Officially in the Works, Confirms Warner Bros.
A sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is actively in development, according to Warner Bros.
New rumor tells us all about Apple's imminent iPhone price hike
How much and when. According to a new rumor from a tipster on X, Apple will be raising prices for all existing iPhone models, as well as those launching...
Vaping and cannabis hit record highs among young adults in 2025: Survey
Young adults’ use of vapes and cannabis hit all-time highs last year, according to a new survey.
Popular blood pressure drug recalled
Novartis recalled a single lot of valsartan, a blood pressure/heart failure drug the company sells under the brand name Diovan. According to the FDA, this is a Class II recall.
Exclusive: Former Southern Poverty Law Center CFO arrested on fraud charges
A former chief financial officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center has been arrested in California and for her alleged role in overseeing secret payments to informants inside of White supremacist groups, one of whom she was allegedly living with and had a romantic relationship with at the time, according to a person familiar with the arrest.
The Norfolk Department of Public Health to host Back to School Clinic event
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Norfolk Department of Public Health will host a Back to School Clinic event next Thursday so families can be prepared for the upcoming school year, according to a pr…
Two business-focused grants available in York County
HANOVER, Pa. (WHTM) — Main Street Hanover announced two grant opportunities that are currently open for application. According to Main Street Hanover, there are currently two grant funding op…
Rodri Chooses Barcelona as €60m City Deal Edges Closer
Barcelona are expected to pay around €60 million to Manchester City to sign Rodri, according to Diario AS, as reported by Barca Universal. The report also states that the Spain international is set ...
Barcelona defender’s agent visits club facilities amid growing Arsenal interest
With the transfer window entering its final stages Jules Kounde’s future at FC Barcelona is starting to become uncertain. Now, According to Jijantes (h/t SPORT), Jonathan Kebe, the French defender��...
NFL top 5 richest teams in 2026 according to Sportico
This proves that being worth a lot of money doesn't mean your football team wins games.
Apple Skipping iPhone 18 Launch This Year
Apple supplier Pegatron today indirectly confirmed that the standard iPhone 18 model will not be released until next year, according to a new report. Pegatron held an earnings call for the second quarter of 2026 today. On the call, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said Pegatron indicated that one of its customers will be changing its usual smartphone shipment schedule.
Shoulder-fired missile threat prompted Trump’s plane ruse, source says
A specific threat to Air Force One by a shoulder-fired missile emerged on the final day of last month’s NATO summit in Turkey, according to a person familiar with the matter, prompting the scramble among US officials to devise the furtive plan to sneak President Donald Trump out of the country on an alternate jet.
Storms leave over 729,000 homes and businesses without power in US Midwest
Over 729,000 homes and businesses were without power on Wednesday as severe storms battered the U.S. Midwest, according to data from PowerOutage.us.
Factors that make radiologists less likely to be fooled by large language models
Successful radiologist-LLM collaboration depends on confidence in the AI model, along with the reader possessing key clinical expertise, according to new research.
HSBC global insurance business head Moncreiffe to leave, sources say
HSBC's global chief executive for insurance business, Edward Moncreiffe, is set to leave the bank after two decades with the lender, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
State health officials report 906 cyclosporiasis cases since May, with 39 new since Aug. 4
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has reported 906 cases of cyclosporiasis since May, according to the latest data on their website.The
It’s Kyler Murray’s Team Now, for Better or Worse
The Vikings have finally announced the results of the team’s contentious quarterback competition, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Kyler Murray has been named the Week 1 starting quarterback for the 2026 season, putting an end to the much-talked-about position battle and handing the keys to the Vikings offense to the former Cardinals veteran. After an open battle to start camp got going, Murray put distance between himself and now-backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy over the past few weeks, and while there were some recent struggles that might have put into question Murray’s lead in the QB race, it ultimately didn’t matter to the Vikings brass, who felt they needed to make a decision before the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Giants this Saturday.
Joby to buy Resonant Sciences, establish defense business in $500 million deal
The acquisition will be funded by roughly $450 million in cash and $50 million in Joby common stock and is expected to close "in the first half of 2027," according to a press release.
OU adds 5th-year defensive tackle transfer Danny Saili
Fifth-year defensive tackle Danny Saili is expected to join OU, according to On3's Pete Nakos and Sooner Scoop's George Stoia.
iPhone Users Who Pay for Enough iCloud Storage Get New iOS 27 Perks
If you are subscribed to an iCloud+ plan with at least 2TB of storage, you will receive new perks in the Home app on iOS 27, according to Apple. Starting with iOS 27, Apple said iPhone users who are subscribed to an iCloud+ plan with at least 2TB of storage receive access to three new Apple Intelligence features in the Home app: generated video descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the ability to search for camera clips, and automatic surfacing of noteworthy clips.
Digital Twin in Entertainment Market to Reach USD 2,533.2 Million by 2032, Growing at 31.4% CAGR, Says MarketsandMarkets™
Delray Beach, FL, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Digital Twin in Entertainment Market is projected to grow from USD 492.4 million in 2026 to USD 2,533.2 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 31.4%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets™. Growth is being driven by increasing adoption of virtual production technologies, rising investments in immersive entertainment experiences, and expanding deployment of AI-powered digital twin platforms across film, television, gaming, live events
Why GameStop’s bold $56-billion play for eBay is suddenly in doubt
(Bloomberg) -- GameStop Corp., led by Chief Executive Officer Ryan Cohen, is considering withdrawing its $56 billion bid for eBay Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.
Colorado New Business Filings Show Growth in q2
New business filings in Colorado increased sharply in the second quarter of 2026, rising both from the previous quarter and a year earlier, according to a new report from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office.
Report: Trump used elaborate ruse to leave Turkey amid Iran threat
According to the report, he was secretly shuttled to a smaller plane — an Air Force C-32A — via an airport catering truck
The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized
Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, the outcome of this crucial race will depend mainly on two things: Whether Republicans succeed in demonizing El-Sayed because he’s brown and a Muslim, and whether they succeed in demonizing him as a left-wing radical. I will defer for the now the question of whether bigotry will be effective this year, although I will address it another day. What I want to address instead is El-Sayed’s signature issue — healthcare. Yes, El-Sayed advocates Medicare for All, a position the usual suspects denounce as “socialism.” I will get to the politics of his stance soon. Today, however, I want to talk about the substance. We should be clear that El-Sayed doesn’t even call himself a socialist. On the contrary, he explicitly disavows the label, saying “I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism”. In fact, as I explained in a previous post, the policies that El-Sayed advocates qualify him as a social democrat, not a socialist. Still, El-Sayed advocates a system under which the government would pay almost all medical expenses. Isn’t that socialism? Well, if that is the criterion then much of U.S. healthcare is already socialist. In fact, the government’s role is so large that U.S. healthcare is better described as partially privatized socialism than as anything resembling a free market. Let’s start with the raw numbers on health insurance, which pays the bulk of Americans’ medical expenses. Americans receive health insurance either from private companies or from public programs, overwhelmingly Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s what the breakdown of coverage and spending between private and public looked like in 2024: While a majority of Americans with health insurance get it from private companies, well over 100 million of us are covered by government programs instead. And these government programs pay more total dollars for medical bills than the private insurers do. Why do government programs that cover a minority of the population account for a majority of health insurers’ outlays? Mainly because Medicare covers seniors, and we’re expensive. Also, while Medicaid covers many younger Americans, disabled and elderly beneficiaries account for most of its spending. Even by the raw numbers, then, U.S. health insurance looks as much public as private. But that understates the government’s role: Private health insurance in the U.S. is both highly regulated and heavily subsidized. This is obviously true for the insurance coverage purchased by tens of millions of Americans through the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. But employment-based health insurance, which covers 161 million Americans, is far more of a government creation than most people realize. For employment-based insurance exists largely because of huge implicit government subsidies that come with major strings attached. Here’s how that works. If your employer pays you $10,000, that’s taxable income. But if your employer pays $10,000 toward a company health insurance plan that meets certain criteria, it isn’t taxable. That’s a huge effective subsidy, running at more than $300 billion a year. Take that subsidy into account, along with the more than $100 billion per year spent subsidizing policies purchased under the ACA, as well as the outlays on Medicare and Medicaid, and net effect is that the government pays for more than two-thirds of Americans’ health insurance. Granted, there are strings attached. Roughly speaking, employment-based health plans can’t discriminate based on medical history — that is, they can’t deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions — and they also can’t offer the plans only to highly compensated employees — a health plan that is only for the C-suite is considered taxable income. So given the restrictions of the federal tax code, employer-based health insurance is a lot like Obamacare, which also prohibits discrimination based on medical history and provides subsidies to make insurance affordable to lower-paid workers. The fact is that virtually all of private healthcare insurance is already well under some form of government control through regulation and tax subsidies. How should we think about this system? First of all, is Medicare socialist? Don’t tell anyone, but the way Medicare operates — it covers every senior’s medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be, while being funded by taxes that depend on one’s income — could be summarized by the old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And back in 1961, when Ronald Reagan was the face of a last-ditch effort by the American Medical Association to block the creation of Medicare, he denounced Medicare as “socialized medicine” and warned that it would destroy our freedom. In reality, American freedom survived until Jan. 20, 2025, while Medicare is immensely popular, with an 82 percent favorable rating in the most recent KFF survey. Medicaid, government health insurance for lower-income Americans, comes in at 73 percent. This is in sharp contrast to public views about private insurers, who are widely disliked if not hated and accused of denying essential care. Furthermore, if Medicare is socialism, then the whole U.S. health insurance system, with the government paying most of the bills and placing conditions on private insurers, is almost equally socialist. If you insist on calling any program the government pays for and regulates socialist, then U.S. healthcare would best be described as a partially privatized form of socialism. And one must ask, what is the point of the part that is privatized? Do private insurers add anything positive? Or are they simply parasites, skimming off money that could have been paying for care? The case for viewing insurers as parasites is strong. Many Medicare benefits are now delivered via Medicare Advantage, that is, plans paid for by the government but run through insurance companies. MedPAC, an independent advisory commission, estimates that last year Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $84 billion, thanks to practices such as “upcoding,” in which patients’ health problems are overstated to get larger sums from Medicare. Assessing the waste from employer-based insurance is harder, but most evidence suggests that private insurers have substantially higher administrative costs than Medicare does. Furthermore, the complexity of private insurance, with multiple payers all trying to deny care when they can, is a huge burden both on providers — doctors, nurses, and hospitals — and on patients. What do private insurers offer to compensate for these costs? One must go through intellectual contortions to avoid the conclusion that they are, in fact, parasites. Which brings me back to El-Sayed. In supporting Medicare for All, he’s basically calling for an end to the partial, parasitic privatization of a healthcare system that is already hugely dependent on public funding. When one looks at it that way, it’s not at all a radical proposal. Admittedly, the political lift requires overcoming the opposition to higher taxes to pay for Medicare for All. Political realism rather than economics was the reason I and many other progressives supported Obamacare, with all its complexities, rather than demanding an immediate move to Medicare for All. But the political calculus may very well have shifted since the 2000s, as Americans are fed up with a system of unaffordable premiums, rampant claim denials, and byzantine claim administration. Moreover, funding healthcare insurance through taxation would allow for a much more progressive distribution of the cost. That is, compared to the present system, middle-income households would pay less as high-income households would pay more. And the U.S. would stop wasting large sums on pointless administrative costs. So let’s be clear: El-Sayed’s healthcare platform is perfectly reasonable on the merits of cost, fairness and health efficacy. And with private insurers never more hated, while millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, 2026 may be its time. MUSICAL CODA
March of Dimes report highlights Arkansas’ gaps in maternity care
Upcoming Medicaid cuts “could lead to additional labor and delivery unit closures and put entire rural hospitals at risk,” according to Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
Barcelona-linked Premier League defender chooses to join Atletico Madrid
Cristian Romero has made a decision on his future The Argentine centre-back had interest from several clubs, most notably Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Arsenal, but according to reports ...
Trump secretly transferred planes in Turkey amid security concerns, reports say
President Donald Trump secretly flew out of Turkey last month on a smaller aircraft as part of an elaborate ruse prompted by an Iranian threat, according to news reports.
iOS 27 Hints at 'Apple Reference Image' Photo Authentication
Apple is working on "Apple Reference Image," a photo provenance system that will verify if an image was captured with an iPhone. References to the feature were found in a privacy disclosure included in iOS 27 beta 5, but it is not live yet. According to the text, there will be a "Reference" mode option in the Camera app that users can select. Using this mode will embed provenance data in the image's metadata.
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son arrested, faces charges of sexual exploitation of minor
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son Tyler Jay Boebert has been arrested and accused of recording and sharing a video depicting himself having intercourse with a minor, according to court records. The case originates in Garfield County in Western Colorado and was filed Thursday. Tyler Boebert, 21, is accused of five counts in total: three charges […]
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son arrested, charged with sexual exploitation of child
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son Tyler Jay Boebert has been arrested and accused of recording and sharing a video depicting himself having intercourse with a minor, according to court records. The case originates in Garfield County in Western Colorado and was filed Thursday. Tyler Boebert, 21, is accused of five counts in total: three charges […]
Flowers Foods seeks to divest Tastykake baked goods business, sources say
Packaged food company Flowers Foods is seeking to divest its baked goods business Tastykake, according to people familiar with the matter.
Saber's newest game trailer takes a shot at Gearbox's CEO, if you look closely
The first hint that something might be up with the recent debut trailer for Saber Interactive’s Rideshare Stimulator is an unusual choice of words—aside from that second one in the game’s title. “Don’t take your passengers too seriously,” the trailer’s narrator says, as he describes this upcoming game. It a car game about the gig work of driving eccentric people to their destinations, a riff on Crazy Taxi. And then, he says: “When I think I’ve met the randiest of passengers, someone even stranger gets in.” “Randiest”? That suggests “randy,” which usually means having strong sexual desire. Yet none of the oddball backseat occupants featured in the trailer seem particularly lustful. One is an old man who considers his grandson a failure, another shares the theory that birds might control traffic lights, another says he’s banned from an aquarium. A little later, there’s a license plate, shown 63 seconds into the trailer, on the front of an SUV: USB DRV It’s a Texas plate. The symbol between those letters is a cog wheel. If you know, you know. That’s a reference to Texas-based Borderlands game development studio Gearbox Software (their logo features a cog wheel). More specifically, it’s a reference to Gearbox’s CEO Randy Pitchford, who in 2018 found himself explaining the nature of video he’d saved on a USB drive that was found at a Medieval Times restaurant before being returned to the studio: “It was ‘barely legal’ porn. This girl’s handle was ‘Only 18.’” The “girl” in the video had committed a solo sex act that Pitchford, an avid practitioner of magic, found remarkable. “I realized, this is not a sex worker…This is a fucking magician.” Back then, the USB drive was central to competing lawsuits against Gearbox by the studio’s former lawyer and by Gearbox against him. A settlement in late 2019 “exonerated” Pitchford, per the Hollywood Reporter. The USB story has resurfaced at times, now in a trailer from a company that not long ago was corporate brethren with Gearbox. Saber vs. Gearbox The head of Saber told Game File that the reference is payback. “The dig is because Randy took shots at Embracer in Borderlands 4,” Saber CEO Matt Karch told me when I asked him about the license plate. “Without Embracer, Randy is performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living.” Having interviewed Karch during a cross-country flight in late 2024, I can confirm that Karch was unimpressed with Pitchford during their time both working in the Embracer group. I’d approached him not out of surprise that there was animosity but that it was manifesting publicly now. Gearbox was founded in 1999, worked on a port of Halo early on, and developed hit series such as the loot-based sci-fi shooter Borderlands before it was purchased by The Embracer Group in early 2021 for $363 million (with a possible earn-out of over $1 billion, if certain targets were hit by 2027). Saber was founded in 2001, worked on a remaster of Halo early on, had a big hit with zombie shooter World War Z and was purchased by Embracer in early 2020 for $150 million, with a potential earn-out of up to $375 million. For a few years, the Embracer group was a voracious acquirer of game studios. Then, as investment dried up, it choked. In March 2024, Embracer sold Saber to an investment company controlled by Saber CEO Matt Karch, and it sold Gearbox in an all-stock deal to long-time Borderlands publisher Take Two Interactive. Other studios were shut down. Hundreds of developers were laid off. Gearbox didn’t say much about their Embracer experience, nothing too direct, at least. In the summer 2024, Pitchford told reporter and occasional Game File contributor Nicole Carpenter that Borderlands 4’s story was in some way thematically connected to Gearbox’s experience at Embracer: “There’s this cultural and emotional shift in me, personally, and at the studio. What does it mean to trade some autonomy for organization?” When Borderlands 4 came out, there was something stranger: the matter of “Embracer’s Bluff,” a location in the game featuring an AI-powered toilet and a large trash dump, according to a detailed Kotaku account of the place. Gearbox never commented on it; Take Two never got back to me about it when I asked them last year. By contrast, since Saber exited Embracer, Karch has been one of Embracer’s biggest defenders, casting their management as well-meaning and supportive despite the layoffs and studio closures that resulted from their excessive expansion. Like others, Saber’s Karch saw Embracer’s as a shot. With Rideshare Stimulator’s trailer, he’s returned fire. “It’s amazing to me how fast people forget those who went above and beyond for them,” Karch told Game File. A rep for Gearbox did not comment by press time. Game File is a reader-supported publication. Your backing makes my reporting—including any coverage of trailer-based beefs—possible. Good news! I’m currently running Game File’s first big sale of 2026. You can get a one-year subscription for 23% off. Click here to take advantage of the limited-time offer. And thank you for your support! Item 2: In brief… 🚫 Wal-Mart has laid off the staff of Restart, a games media outlet launched in 2024, Aftermath reports. 🟥 A GTA VI preview is on the way, at last, via an “extended look” that will premiere, unusually, on Netflix at 3pm ET on August 27, then officially go live elsewhere six hours later. Last week, Game File noted that Take Two label Rockstar Games is overdue for showing off GTA VI, based on the timing of the initial hands-off previews of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. During a call with investors, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said pre-orders for GTA VI were “unprecedented and astonishing,” but added the company can’t predict how many of those pre-orders represent bonus sales vs. sales that otherwise would have been made at launch. During the same call, Zelnick was noticeably bullish on the future of playing games over streaming cloud connections (predicting wider adoption in three or so years). He sounded unbothered by Sony’s plans to stop making discs for new games (he said the business is 90% digital already and predicted that there could still be limited edition physical editions of games “in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business.”) 👀 Take Two wrote off $43 million in their spring quarter after deciding “not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third-party developer.” 🤔 Some rare age-demographics from a big publisher: Capcom recently told investors that “users in their 20s account for approximately half of the users of both Pragamata and Resident Evil Requiem.” Item 3: The week ahead Tuesday, August 11 Game releases: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Switch 2; already out for PC, PS5, Xbox) continues the Bethesda strategy of putting Elder Scrolls games on everything; Royalty Free-For-All is a Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring public domain characters such as Mother Goose brawling with Oliver Twist in a stage based on the original Little Shop of Horrors movie. Wednesday, August 12 Game release: Pro Jank Footy (PC, console) is an arcade-style Australian Rules Football game with increasingly ridiculous rules, the more you play (I enjoyed the Steam demo) Thursday, August 13 Game release: Super Mario Sunshine (Switch 2, originally released in 2002 on the GameCube) is released for Switch 2’s Nintendo Switch Online service. This game is the black sheep of 3D Mario games. It’s the successor to the breakthrough Super Mario 64 and the rare Mario game built around a single (vacation resort) theme. Mario’s got a water-spraying backpack, a Yoshi pal and a lot of blue coins to collect.
Second Academy Sports + Outdoors store planned in Tyler
The City of Tyler could be getting another Academy Sports and Outdoors store, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Trump set to sign executive order targeting childhood vaccines
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Monday focused on childhood vaccines, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
US Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son arrested, faces charges of sexual exploitation of child
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son Tyler Boebert has been arrested and faces charges of sexual exploitation of a child, according to court records. The case originates out of Garfield County in Western Colorado. Tyler Boebert, 21, faces five counts in total: three charges of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of contributing to […]
US Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son faces charges of sexual exploitation of child
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son Tyler Boebert faces charges of sexual exploitation of a child, according to court records. The case originates out of Garfield County in Western Colorado and was filed on Thursday. Tyler Boebert, 21, faces five counts in total: three charges of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of contributing […]
Colombia Earthquake: Direct Relief Mobilizing Medical Aid for Immediate Health Needs
A 7.4-magnitude earthquake reverberated through Colombia today, the largest earthquake to impact the country in a decade, according to the Associated Press. The earthquake shook the country at 7:34…