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‘Adults’ S2 Review: The Coming-of-Age Comedy Gen Z Deserves

​In its second outing, the FX show has become one of the best sitcoms of the 2020s.

Sep 1 • 10:31 AM EDT • Entertainment • them.us

gamescom 2026’s Steam wishlist winners

gamescom wrapped up last weekend, and it was bloody fantastic. It really felt like the industry had a spring in its step again. The show itself was BUZZING, with 368K attendees (+3% over last year), maxed-out exhibit space, and Opening Night Live pulling over 78M online views (+7.5%). Let’s have a look at the games at the event that brought in the most new Steam wishlists between August 23 and 30. One quick thing before we start, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but wishlists are NOT a barometer for launch sales (they’re bookmarks, not baskets is what we always say over here at Alinea). With that aside, wishlists are a nice gauge of hype, so let’s dive in. Witche(r)s and Warlocks take the top two spots The biggest game of the event (by new wishlists, anyways) wasn’t a game at all. It was an expansion. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s upcoming expansion, Songs of the Past, nabbed 451K Steam wishlists by the end of the weekend. It’s a big example of something we bang on about constantly: proven IP with built-in fandom is the most powerful force in this market. But said IP can also ripple into other external success stories (more on that later!). Anyway, Songs of the Past debuted at Opening Night Live, and it’s the first Witcher 3 expansion in over a decade, landing next year after a full Witcher 3 remaster (free for existing owners!) arrives next month. The Witcher 3 has sold around 66M copies, and I’ll be one of those owners jumping back in to refresh myself on the core game (like there isn’t enough to play!), then play the expansion next year. This is all part of CDPR’s plan. The studio is clearly whetting everyone’s appetite for The Witcher 4 in 2028 via a classic bridge strategy. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Releasing a free 4K remaster next month – followed by a proper expansion in 2027 – keeps IP top-of-mind across a huge gap between content (games-wise, anyway). It kind of echoes Capcom’s evergreen catalogue strategy. And outsourcing co-development to Fool’s Theory (a studio led by trusted Witcher 3 veterans) keeps CDPR’s internal headcount focused on The Witcher 4. #2 by wishlists between Aug 23 and 30 went to another giant IP: Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast and developed by Invoke Studios (a team of ex-Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell devs). It’s due to launch in 2027, and it looks brilliant so far. It’s a dark-fantasy open world with third-person spell-slinging. It’s a very Witcher-ish aesthetic. As you might expect, 48% of Warlock’s Steam wishlisters have played Baldur’s Gate 3, and 46% have played The Witcher 3. One to watch. For sure! Mash-ups: Anime GTA (!?) and a city-builder for kids (and adults) Ananta took #3 with 302K new wishlists. It’s an open-world game that looks like GTA and Persona had a baby. It was published by NetEase, developed by Naked Rain, and got a trailer at Opening Night Live. I got hands-on at the show, and it wears its influences openly; there’s literal web-slinging (very Spider-Man) and a LOAD of mini-games (Like a Dragon). It’s free-to-play and out in January. For Ananta, Naked Rain is taking the free-to-play, cosmetics-only route. That’s certainly a choice for a single-player open-world game. Without gacha mechanics driving high ARPU, Ananta is betting purely on top-of-funnel reach and long-term retention. This puts pressure on skin appeal when there’s no multiplayer lobby to flex in (although, co-op is reportedly coming later). Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Then there’s Lego Skylines (273K wishlists between Aug 23 and 30), which does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a cosy Lego twist on the city-builder genre, as shallow or as deep as you fancy (five min quick sesh or ten-hour no-lifer session; latter for me). There’s some family-friendly stuff in there like couch co-op, which is only really viable on console. Iceflake Studios, which Paradox acquired back in 2020 is developing this one. So Paradox is probably looking for a family-friendly onramp to its rad Cities: Skylines games. The overlap there is plain, with 33% of Lego Skylines wishlisters having played Cities: Skylines and 16% Skylines II. There’s no doubt plenty of parents here (and uncles, ahem) planning to indoctrinate the next gen of city-builders. I’ll definitely be playing with my youngest nephew. This one could be big and educational. I’m very curious to see more. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Mature IP, new and old, rounds out the list As for the rest of the list of gamescom games by new wishlists between Aug 23 and 30: Heroes of Might & Magic III Remake got 189K new wishlists. It remakes the iconic 1999 turn-based-strategy classic in full 3D and 4K. It follows this year’s Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era (~1.8M copies sold, as per our estimates), and around a quarter of the III Remake wishlisters have played Olden Era, including 7% of them this month. Wardogs – a $40 PvP shooter – added another 146K to an already massive pile (nearly 1.6M total). It’s published by Team17 and made by Bulkhead. It plays somewhere between the tactical squad stuff of … Squad and the all-out-chaos battlefield of … Battlefield. It’s up to 100 players, and it’s out in about 10 days. It’s already pre-sold over 500K copies on Steam ($16.6M), boosted by a pre-order-only beta. It sold another 70K copies during gamescom, too. Afterworld managed 121K new wishlists. It’s a Paradox-made post-apocalyptic grand-strategy game, and it was announced at the show. It’s a departure from Paradox’s usual historical stuff, and the studio’s first new setting in over a decade. The Paradox purists are into it, with over half its wishlisters having played Hearts of Iron IV (19% this month) and 41% Crusader Kings III (17% this month). Metro 2039 got 110K during the show, tunnelling its total past 1.3M. Nearly 40% of wishlisters have played 2020’s Metro Exodus, the previous mainline title in the series. The Metro novels are Russian, dev 4A Games is Ukrainian, and it’s set in Moscow, so it’s unsurprising that – after the US (17.3% of wishlisters) – the next two countries are Russia (12.7%) and Ukraine (10.0%). The Blood of the Dawnwalker drew in (the blood of) 108K new wishlisters, now totalling an impressive 1.7M (at a $70 price point, though). It’s an open-world dark-fantasy action-RPG set in 14th-century Europe (with vampires!), made by some former Witcher devs at Rebel Wolves. Again, it shows. Over half of Blood of the Dawnwalker’s wishlisters have played The Witcher 3, and its #2 market is Poland, home of Rebel Wolves. That’s that hometown-hero effect we keep banging on about again! And Blood of the Dawnwalker plays very well, by the way. While it looks like a Witcher clone on the surface, it actually brings a lot to the table mechanics-wise. I love the whole time-as-a-currency spin on RPG gameplay. It gives the game a different, refreshing pace. Essentially, you start Blood of the Dawnwalker with a pool of 480 action points spread across 30 days and 30 nights. As for how the game performs, we’ll be posting some numbers next week, so hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready. Subscribe The Witcher’s legacy ripples Make no mistake: on a high level, this was The Witcher‘s gamescom. The #1 game by wishlisters was a Witcher 3 DLC. Warlock is clearly Witcher-inspired – as is Blood of the Dawnwalker, which was made by ex-Witcher devs. There was a lot of other cool stuff on the floor that we’ll no doubt be covering in subsequent newsletters, though! As always, wishlists went through the roof for sequels, remakes, DLC, and licensed IP. As always, though, these wishlists will likely convert to about 5% to 10% of launch-day buyers, with the probable exception of The Witcher DLC – the exception that proves the rule. Either way, we’ve got a nice, diverse list here – one that is very Witcher-y, Paradox-y, and – if you’re a fan of great games on Steam – a bloody good list. We even got a bunch of new IP to get excited for. Great gamescom! Even if we are still processing that unfathomable number of mini Kölsch beers! One more thing: GTA 6 broke the internet (again) Move aside, Spider-Man and The Odyssey (I love you both, really). But the decade’s defining entertainment zeitgeist is round the corner. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Rockstar dropped an extended look at GTA 6 last week. It was INSANE, the most impressed I’ve ever been by a showcase like this. You can see the budget seeping through every second of the extended look, and this level of game is unobtainable for any other publisher. Everyone’s going nuts, and rightly so. GTA 6 is out in holiday 2026, and it’ll be the biggest entertainment release ever, full stop. For those without a PS5 or Xbox Series console, a $500-$900 console is a big ask in this economy, but GTA will pull a lot of last-generation-console fence sitters over the current-gen fence either way: The autumn timing puts GTA 6 on (digital) shelves for the holidays, meaning a PS5 or Xbox (let’s be honest, mostly the former) will be on many a Christmas and Hanukkah list. Demand will outweigh the struggling supply, though, and PS5 Pros are already sold out and being sold at a markup via scalpers. Every console that isn’t on a shelf is a sale deferred or lost, and worse, it hands scalpers the margin. GTA has cultural clout that reaches everyone. It’s been a mainstream fixture since 2001’s GTA III and its clout has only grown exponentially since then. There’s a touchpoint for every generation alive. The FOMO-word-of-mouth double punch does the rest. Loading... It’ll reactivate the lockdown cohort, the millions who picked up gaming in 2020-21 and churned. GTA 6 will bring them back. Remember when College Football 25 brought a bunch of US gamers to current-gen consoles? GTA will do that globally. Once they’re back (or upgraded), and all GTA’d out, the fresh current-gen-console folks will check out the rest of the current-gen catalogue they missed. GTA Online, if not free to play, will also lead to a boost for PS+ and Xbox Game Pass, another boost for the ecosystem players. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even some of the smug PCMR 60FPS crew won’t be able to resist their FOMO and will bite the bullet on a console to play this one early (then double dip). The consoles cost the same as a decent stick of RAM these days anyway lmao… Don’t get me wrong, though. GTA 6 is no silver bullet for the mature console market, but it does prime the current gen for a couple of strong swan-song years. And it’ll also give the consoles more users from which to maximise ARPU. ‘’We are in the latter half of the lifetime cycle of [the PS5],’’ said Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki in a Wall Street Journal interview. ‘’That means we do not need to aggressively sell the console today; rather than that, we are focusing on the current revenue from the current user base.’’ The biggest, best premium games always arrive late in a console cycle, so getting more players aboard now, ahead of that content storm (the new current-gen-only Call of Duty included), is a clear win for the platforms. On the Netflix thing, though: let’s all chill out a bit, like. Half my LinkedIn feed was going bonkers treating the reveal debuting on Netflix like it’s the future of entertainment. It wasn’t. It was a six-hour head start, and Netflix left that detail out of the “first-of-its-kind partnership” press release. The extended look hit Netflix at 3pm ET on 27 August, then went up on YouTube and Rockstar’s site for everyone six hours later. And it was all over social immediately, anyways. This reveal was going to reach an untold number of people whether it debuted on Netflix, YouTube, a Times Square screen, or a group chat. The last trailer did nearly half a billion views in a day with no gatekeeper at all. Netflix just stood next to that audience for six hours, borrowing it. It’s was a tidy deal for Netflix, sure. But every outlet on earth was breaking the thing down frame by frame by the evening anyway. Anyway. I’m hype. And we’ll be covering some GTA numbers on the newsletter soon. So hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready! Subscribe The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]

Sep 1 • 10:27 AM EDT • Technology • alineaanalytics.substack.com

LZ Sees Surprising Result in Search for Dark Matter

Key Takeaways Dark matter is the mysterious substance that accounts for the vast majority of matter in our universe. LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a world-leading dark matter detector and specializes in searching for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. A new LZ study found one particle interaction that is difficult to explain with known background processes and could potentially have been caused by a WIMP. LZ continues to run to see if additional data strengthens or weakens the hint of a dark matter interaction. For the better part of a century, people have been trying to understand dark matter. This invisible substance makes up roughly 85% of the mass in the universe but has never been directly detected. Determining exactly what it is remains one of the biggest questions about our world. Now, a new analysis from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment has recorded a single particle interaction that researchers have great difficulty explaining with known background signals from normal matter. The result does not yet meet the statistical threshold required to claim a discovery, but is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date. LZ is an international collaboration of 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions. The detector is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and operates nearly one mile below ground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. The experiment uses 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to search for dark matter and is optimized to look for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. The results were presented in a scientific talk at the 2026 TeV Particle Astrophysics conference in Japan. The paper will be released on the online repository arXiv and submitted to the journal Physical Review Letters. “We’re very intrigued to see this event in the data, in the region where we expect dark matter to show up and the competing backgrounds are very low,” said Rick Gaitskell, a professor at Brown University and the spokesperson for LZ. “With only one event, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We are not claiming to have seen dark matter. But we have seen something interesting that we want to share with the scientific community for their input.” The LZ collaboration studies experimental data in batches. In the new result, researchers analyzed 220 live days of data collected between March 2023 and April 2024. The collaboration had previously searched this dataset for faint signals from the simplest kinds of WIMP interactions. The new analysis searched for a broader range of possible WIMP interactions that could deposit more energy in the detector. LZ is particularly sensitive to such signals while also minimizing false positives. “This was a detailed study in a region we hadn’t explored within this dataset, and we spent months of additional effort to understand all the possible causes of background events,” said Sam Eriksen, a senior research associate at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and lead author of the study. “We understand our detector and the backgrounds so well that even a single outstanding event, like the one we found, is important. We expect dark matter events to be extremely rare, so only a handful could mark the first detection of WIMP dark matter.” If the anomalous event was caused by dark matter, the WIMP that generated it would likely have a mass of at least 200 GeV/c2 (gigaelectronvolts), or more than 200 times the mass of a proton. It would also suggest a specific type of interaction between WIMPs and ordinary matter beyond the simplest model. The LZ results have not reached “5-sigma” significance, the statistical threshold considered a discovery in physics. The new analysis is 2.6 sigma, meaning there is approximately a 0.5% chance that the event could be explained by known backgrounds. With additional data, researchers can test whether the finding continues to grow in significance or fades away. LZ has already accumulated the world’s largest dark matter dataset and will continue to accrue WIMP search data at SURF, substantially improving their search statistics. LZ searches for dark matter by looking for signature flashes of light from energy deposited in the detector. The collaboration leverages multiple methods to prevent or account for particle interactions caused by normal matter. This includes the mile of rock that shields the detector from cosmic rays from space, a water tank and outer detectors that protect the central detector from background neutrons, and a suite of computational tools that disentangle particle interactions and reject dark matter mimics. “Outlier events in the data are not unexpected, but they usually stand out as a background of some kind when you look at them deeper,” said Aaron Manalaysay, a physicist at Berkeley Lab and the chair of LZ’s Institutional Board. “This is the first example in any experiment I’ve worked on of an outlier that appears valid in every way. Of course, we’re still twisting our brains trying to think if there’s a rare background mechanism we could’ve missed, but it’s thrilling to wonder if this could be the first hint of a dark-matter observation.” LZ is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics, and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science user facility. LZ is also supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom; the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; the Swiss National Science Foundation; the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics; and the Institute for Basic Science, Korea. Thirty-nine institutions of higher education and advanced research provided support to LZ. The LZ collaboration acknowledges the assistance of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

Sep 1 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • newscenter.lbl.gov

Trump says US position on Falklands 'one of many' under review

The UK says Falkland islanders "are British with a right to determine their own future".

Sep 1 • 8:54 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Sony Bravia Theater Trio review: The three-piece soundbar alternative

The Bravia Theater Trio is a capable three-piece option for larger TVs, but you’ll need additional gear for truly immersive sound and adequate bass.

Sep 1 • 8:45 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com

ESA, NASA Astronauts Begin Spacewalk for Navigation, Science Maintenance

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot began a spacewalk at 8:40 a.m. EDT outside the International Space Station to replace a retroflector, install jumper cables, prepare the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future maintenance, and replace a high-definition camera.

Sep 1 • 8:44 AM EDT • Science • nasa.gov

Column: Learn more about Iowa’s environmental health risks

Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the nation. No single factor can be blamed. But scientists increasingly recognize that environmental exposures, including contaminants in our water, deserve serious scrutiny.

Sep 1 • 8:42 AM EDT • Health • thegazette.com

First Look: The new M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Jumping Hour

Vincent Calabrese's Baladin complication reinterpreted by M.A.D.Editions, with the new M.A.D.3 Wandering Jumping Hour.

Sep 1 • 8:01 AM EDT • Technology • monochrome-watches.com

Purdue Science Olympiad inspires future scientists through annual invitational

Purdue Science Olympiad spends all year planning one of the state’s largest invitationals for middle and high school students. Members of the club help inspire future generations of scientists.

Sep 1 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • purdueexponent.org

Here's A Look At 30 New GTA 6 Screenshots To Hype You Up After The Extended Preview

Such a beautiful iguana

Sep 1 • 7:08 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com

Entertainment News: Movies, Music, TV and Books

The latest news in entertainment from USA TODAY, including pop culture, celebrities, movies, music, books and TV reviews.

Sep 1 • 6:19 AM EDT • Entertainment • usatoday.com

Round Up: The Reviews For Orbitals On Switch 2 Are In

A new co-op king?

Sep 1 • 6:15 AM EDT • Technology • nintendolife.com

Book Review: ‘American Scoundrel,’ by Kai Bird

“American Scoundrel” traces the career of Roy Cohn, whose smash-mouth politics continue to shape our own.

Sep 1 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Health Sector Bulletin August 2026

in English on Syrian Arab Republic; published on 1 Sep 2026 by Health Cluster

Sep 1 • 4:52 AM EDT • Health • reliefweb.int

Scotland's papers: Health boards facing cuts and FM rules out Farage deal

A review of the front page stories from the daily newspapers in Scotland.

Sep 1 • 1:41 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com

CRC seawall science skeptics attempt 'political stand': Cahoon

The Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel's recently presented analysis and recommendations regarding proposed fixes for the Outer Banks' severe beach erosion were not the messages that commissioners opposed to the state ban on breakwaters and other hard structures on oceanfront wanted to hear, nor was the chair's sharp rebuke.

Sep 1 • 12:00 AM EDT • Science • coastalreview.org

2026-27 Season Preview: Semyon Varlamov

The 2026-27 season is on the horizon for the New York Islanders, so it's time to preview the season and highlight expectations for the team and each specific player.

Aug 31 • 11:19 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Round Up: The Reviews For Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Are In

Here's what the critics had to say

Aug 31 • 11:05 PM EDT • Technology • nintendolife.com

‘Most’ of Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor was furloughed ahead of launch

Last week was meant to be a moment of triumph for Bit Reactor, the Maryland-based game studio founded in 2021 with ambitions to create a great new tactical combat game. On Thursday, August 27, Bit Reactor’s debut title, Star Wars Zero Company, released to stellar reviews. And, from the Gamescom show in Cologne, Germany, studio co-founder Greg Foertsch was giving interviews discussing what the studio’s next game may be. But for many developers on the game, launch has been bittersweet. Fans love it. Critics prefer it to most recent Star Wars games. Zero Company, which is out for PS5, Xbox Series consoles and PC, is the top-selling game on Steam. Much of the team that made it, however, is currently going without pay. They were furloughed, just weeks ahead of the game’s launch. A rep for Bit Reactor confirmed to Game File today that the studio had furloughed many of its workers prior to the game’s release. They said it was a difficult decision and one that had been made before it was clear how launch would go. The rep emphasized that the call to do this was Bit Reactor’s alone (meaning not from publisher EA nor Star Wars license holder Disney). While the rep declined to comment on the scale of the furloughs, a previously unreported lawsuit brought by studio co-founder Alison Kelly in 2024 noted in a filing from August 12 of this year that Bit Reactor “has furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractors…” One source told Game File the furloughs impacted 80% of the team; another referred to there only being a skeleton crew left on Bit Reactor’s active payroll, ready to address any of Zero Company’s post-launch bugs. The issue is that Bit Reactor, a studio formed in 2021, had run out of most of its money just ahead of the launch of its first game. Over the weekend, Zachariah Scott, a senior technical artist who worked at Bit Reactor from early 2023 until an acrimonious exit this past May, said on LinkedIn that the studio was “concealing the fact that the team was Furloughed weeks ago.” Reached by phone today, Scott told Game File that he spoke to nearly a dozen Bit Reactor workers over the weekend. “Everybody has essentially the same story, which is, ‘Yeah, I got furloughed three weeks ago.” The Bit Reactor rep told Game File that the studio hoped to bring furloughed workers back, suggesting that a successful launch of the game could be impactful. Scott told Game File that workers he spoke to were less confident that even if there were returns, that all who were furloughed would get their old jobs again. A heated dispute Bit Reactor’s mid-2026 was almost even more tumultuous. The lawsuit by co-founder Alison Kelly that first revealed the furloughs was initially slated to go to trial in June. The suit is a she-said/he-said about whether Kelly, until 2024 the chief operating officer of Bit Reactor, was a co-owner of the studio or whether it was solely owned by Greg Foertsch. In July 2024, Kelly sued, saying she was pushed out by Foertsch. She first sued in federal court and later refiled in Maryland’s Baltimore County, alleging breach of contract and that Foertsch had unjustly enriched himself. Kelly cited damages of over $20 million, on the basis of Bit Reactor allegedly being worth more than double that. Foertsch’s side has said Kelly was never a co-owner and has countered with claims about her job performance (which she has denied). The June trial was postponed until early 2027, as both sides have been deposing witnesses and filing more claims and denials along the way. Amid all of that, filings in the lawsuit reviewed by Game File paint a picture about Bit Reactor’s origins, early aspirations around tactics games, the team’s breakthrough in drawing the attention of Electronic Arts with the help of a pitch tied to one of EA’s non-Star Wars franchises, and early fractures among its co-founders. The real story about the company behind Zero Company

Aug 31 • 10:23 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

2026-27 Season Preview: Simon Holmstrom

The 2026-27 season is on the horizon for the New York Islanders, so it's time to preview the season and highlight expectations for the team and each specific player.

Aug 31 • 10:18 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

PS5 Officially Has 5 GOTY Contenders Coming in September

Too many new games, too little time

Aug 31 • 9:00 PM EDT • Technology • polygon.com

What ECU Health learned 24 hours into a wearable safety rollout

Randall Walston has spent 35 years with ECU Health and now leads a single police department covering all nine of the system's hospitals in eastern North

Aug 31 • 5:13 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com

US health officials exclude measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania from counts

RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing them

Aug 31 • 4:06 PM EDT • Health • theguardian.com

Business Owner Charged with Tax Fraud, Wire Fraud Related to COVID Relief Funds

URBANA, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) - Hans Lee Grotelueschen, 56, of Mahomet has been charged with allegedly failing to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and fraud related to Economic

Aug 31 • 4:01 PM EDT • Business • newschannel20.com

Exclusive: DHS plans to launch voter fraud investigation surge Tuesday

The Department of Homeland Security is planning a surge in its efforts to investigate voter fraud in select states starting Tuesday, according to internal federal guidance reviewed by CNN.

Aug 31 • 2:22 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Arrow Sports Club closed in Weston; seller’s permit invalid

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review WESTON — Arrow Sports Club is closed, and Village of Weston officials say the business cannot operate

Aug 31 • 1:29 PM EDT • Sports • wausaupilotandreview.com

NYC Health + Hospitals and Maimonides Health Transaction Moves Forward to Next Step After Unanimous New York State Advisory Board Vote

In a unanimous vote on Thursday, August 27, the Establishment and Project Review Committee of the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council

Aug 31 • 1:07 PM EDT • Health • nychealthandhospitals.org

Streaming, Studio Entertainment Stock Prices Surged in August

It was a good month for entertainment stocks in August, led by Paramount, which saw its share price surge nearly 39% as Wall Street processed the long-term potential of its upcoming merger integration with Warner Bros. Discovery, despite some grinding regulatory reviews. At the same time, WBD saw its once-morbid (pre-asset sale) stock price increase … Continue reading "Streaming, Studio Entertainment Stock Prices Surged in August"

Aug 31 • 12:09 PM EDT • Entertainment • mediaplaynews.com

Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About The Blood Of Dawnwalker

It's reviewing very well!

Aug 31 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com

Expedition 75 is Go for Tuesday’s Navigation and Science Maintenance Spacewalk

Astronauts Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Jessica Meir of NASA will exit the International Space Station after setting their spacesuits to battery power at 7:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 1, signifying the beginning of their spacewalk. NASA+ and a variety of other platforms will stream live spacewalk coverage beginning at 6 a.m.

Aug 31 • 11:52 AM EDT • Science • nasa.gov

Garmin Cirqa review: A fine but utterly inessential smart band

Garmin's Cirqa band lacks the software and AI insights to make it a true Whoop rival.

Aug 31 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com

Green Bay Packers Kaleb Johnson trade gets strong review From ESPN

The Green Bay Packers have bolstered their backfield by bringing in Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers, sending Pittsburgh a future 2028 draft pick in return. ESPN viewed the transaction favorably, pointing to Green Bay’s decision as a savvy way to strengthen the position before the 2026 season gets underway. “The most likely outcome is still [...]

Aug 31 • 8:30 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Chicago Blackhawks

Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2026-27 …

Aug 31 • 7:49 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

ACC Preview #15

SMU did a near-total rebuild, but the Mustangs should be just fine.

Aug 31 • 6:53 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Microsoft says Windows 11 KB5120998 update resets mouse settings

Microsoft has confirmed that mouse settings are being reverted on Windows 11 systems after installing the KB5120998 August 2026 non-security preview update.

Aug 31 • 6:23 AM EDT • Technology • bleepingcomputer.com

Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review: Excellent Action With Some

Onimusha: Way of the Sword (PC) Review – 8/10: Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a challenging and complex action game, and a great start for this series return to

Aug 31 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com

The Blood of Dawnwalker Review: Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds

The Blood of Dawnwalker (PlayStation 5) Review – 7/10: Despite mechanical gripes, The Blood of Dawnwalker shows that curating a massive RPG rather than

Aug 31 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com

Seahawks GM addresses Terrion Arnold allegations after signing

Terrion Arnold cannot practice or play while his legal case and NFL review continue.

Aug 30 • 11:58 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

GTA VI Extended Gameplay Preview Attracted Over 4 Million Live Viewers

It's been known since Rockstar released the first trailer for GTA VI that the upcoming action game would have a massive impact on the gaming industry, and analysts have predicted week-one sales of $4.5 billion when the game launches in November. Following Rockstar's GTA VI showcase at Gamescom,...

Aug 30 • 6:02 PM EDT • Technology • techpowerup.com

Rutgers Football Special Teams Preview

Position-By-Position Preview of Rutgers’ Special Teams Unit

Aug 30 • 5:11 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

WATCH: Politics Today for the week of Aug. 30, 2026

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — On Aug. 30, during the Politics Today episode on KAMR Local 4 News, Jack Kessler reviews several recent political developments and topics of interest in the Amarillo a…

Aug 30 • 4:36 PM EDT • Politics • myhighplains.com

2026 Farm Science Review Agronomy College set for September 9

Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio AgriBusiness Association will again partner to hold the Farm Science Review Agronomy College on Wednesday, September 9. The event is designed to educate agronomists, Certified Crop Advisers, custom applicators and farmers on current agronomy issues. To re

Aug 30 • 3:15 PM EDT • Science • ocj.com

Why was Harry Maguire’s deflected shot not disallowed after handball?

The Man Utd defender handled the ball in the build-up to Man Utd’s crucial second goal against Ipswich in the Premier League but, after a VAR review, the goal stood

Aug 30 • 1:17 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Arsenal at Aston Villa Premier League Preview: Full Steam Ahead

Arsenal take to the road for their first big hurdle of the season as they face Aston Villa

Aug 30 • 12:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Ultra-thin aramid protection: Pitaka cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z8 Series review

In-depth hands-on review of the Pitaka Classic aramid fiber cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 & Flip: fit, build quality, 3D-Grip, and MagEZ in detail.

Aug 30 • 9:26 AM EDT • Technology • notebookcheck.net

Lego X-Files (21369) Review: Proof We Need More Fan-Made MOCs

You only have to be a passive fan of Lego to know its dedicated MOC community can always surprise you, and the X-Files set proves we need more from them.

Aug 30 • 9:20 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com

Orchestra Iowa to bring ‘Star Wars’ to Cedar Rapids ballpark

CEDAR RAPIDS — Orchestra Iowa’s return to Veterans Memorial Stadium next summer will feature a film selection that should be music to the ears of “Star Wars” fans.

Aug 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thegazette.com

OU football TV channel, kickoff times

This post will be updated throughout the 2026 season with kickoff times and TV details for all OU football games. All times listed are central.

Aug 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • oudaily.com

Business Bulletin: Delta Dental and ATB win; Sunset Hills Subaru helps

Catch up on local business awards, donations, certifications and openings.

Aug 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • stltoday.com

Cisco director of engineering: Managing AI agents has changed my job

Sergio Freitas said that using agents to do more work results in more code that need to be reviewed by engineers.

Aug 30 • 5:55 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

It's Your Business | National spotlight shining on longtime Danville pizza joint

America's Best Restaurants will be filming episodes about Jocko's and Smith Burger Co. on Sept. 2.

Aug 30 • 5:15 AM EDT • Business • news-gazette.com

State probing two grants to American Arab chamber after money goes missing

The State Budget Office is reviewing at least two state grants given to the American Arab Chamber of Commerce amid allegations of unaccounted funds.

Aug 30 • 12:02 AM EDT • Business • detroitnews.com

Review: OnStage Playhouse’s ‘Mensa’ a smart drama about politics and listening

Salomón Maya’s new play is a cautionary tale about finding common ground before it’s too late

Aug 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • sandiegouniontribune.com

Here's Every Game We Played At Gamescom 2026

These are the games we've previewed at Gamescom 2026, including Control Resonant and more. - Game Informer

Aug 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com

Lifestyle Medicine and the Science of Cholesterol Reduction: A Systematic Review of Non-medication Approaches Among Adults

Dyslipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and remains highly prevalent despite advances in lipid-lowering therapy. Lifestyle medicine has emerged as a comprehensi...

Aug 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • cureus.com

Dragon Boat Festival draws crowds, boosts business along Paducah riverfront

The 11th Annual Paducah Dragonboat Festival returned to Paducah on Saturday, with the event being emceed by WPSD’s own Drayton Charlton-Perrin, many businesses across Paducah also saw an uptick in

Aug 29 • 7:16 PM EDT • Business • wpsdlocal6.com

CAI Day lets homeowners, HOAs associate collegially

Plus, Barbara Holland answers a question on how long a ballot vote can be held open on the matter of changing a portion of an HOA’s CC&R’s.

Aug 29 • 5:00 PM EDT • Business • reviewjournal.com

Tim Steller’s column: Choosy Tucson governments seek ideal business fit

The Tucson area’s economy is in a malaise. Still, after last summer’s data-center debacle, elected officials are being choosy, maybe too choosy, about which industries to court.

Aug 29 • 1:00 PM EDT • Business • tucson.com

First look at Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay released on Netflix ahead of November launch

A 25-minute teaser previewing GTA 6 dropped on Netflix, offering the first look at the game ahead of its planned November release.

Aug 29 • 10:57 AM EDT • Entertainment • scrippsnews.com

Why Rockstar Has Said Nothing About ‘GTA 6 Online’ So Far

Rockstar has now opened the doors to "Grand Theft Auto 6" previews, but they have not and wil not talk about "GTA 6 Online" or its release date. Why?

Aug 29 • 10:18 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com

Engadget review recap: Google's Pixel 11 series and more

A roundup of recent reviews from Engadget.

Aug 29 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is at its best when there’s friction

Not every app suits the small screen.

Aug 29 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com

Welsh Gender Service surgical referrals paused for clinical review

Data suggests "significantly higher" rates of referral for gender-affirming surgery compared with English services, according to the health board.

Aug 29 • 7:38 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com

Hampton Bays Movie Theater Shopping Center Sold

The shopping center that for decades was home to the Hampton Bays UA movie theater has been sold, it’s longtime owner confirmed.

Aug 29 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • 27east.com

Business Roundup: New stores and restaurants arrive in downtown Columbia

Three new dining options and one decor store are planning to open soon in downtown Columbia.

Aug 29 • 6:54 AM EDT • Business • komu.com

Residents discuss the next steps for Columbia's Black business district

With the Shops at Sharp End closing next month, Columbia community members discuss how to best move forward in the area.

Aug 29 • 6:54 AM EDT • Business • komu.com

Fall movie preview: All the 2026 films you need to know about

From big budget cinema to indie gems and streaming must-sees...

Aug 29 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • mashable.com

Doctor Says: Staying up late? There could be health risks.

This is a column in a series from Dr. Olivia Ragusa, a primary care physician at Baton Rouge General, sharing insight on a variety of health topics for patients of

Aug 29 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • nola.com

TARAE: The Unbound Gamescom 2026 ‘Gameplay Preview’ trailer

Publisher KRAFTON and developer Boundary have announced released a five-minute gameplay preview trailer for newly announced Eastern fantasy top-down action RPG TARAE: The Unbound, a top-down action…

Aug 29 • 4:00 AM EDT • Technology • gematsu.com

California’s opposition is facing a political ‘machine,’ Christopher Rufo says

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo reviews California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure on ‘Life, Liberty & Levin.’

Aug 28 • 7:49 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Review: A lively if familiar ‘Buddy Holly Story’ at Drury Lane

CHICAGO — Truth be told, it was strange on Wednesday to be at a show that depicts the life and death of a great American music star not named Dolly

Aug 28 • 5:18 PM EDT • Entertainment • recorderonline.com

ABC7 Sports Overtime with Dionne Miller: Aug. 28, 2026

On the latest ABC7 Sports Overtime, Dionne Miller covered the latest with the Chicago Cubs and White Sox with the playoffs approaching, and previewed the Chicago Bears' final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.

Aug 28 • 4:49 PM EDT • Sports • abc7chicago.com

Inside one behavioral health CEO’s decision to automate revenue cycle operations

There was no single metric that told Dr. Mary Affee her practice had outgrown its operations, and that was the frustrating part. She had built Horizon

Aug 28 • 2:44 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com

New Official Nintendo 64 Game Launches to Strong 4.9/5 Reviews

A new game officially releases on original Nintendo 64 hardware and also receives strong reviews from players.

Aug 28 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • gamerant.com

Panasonic Lumix L10 review: A stylish and capable compact camera

The LX100 II successor offers good speed and image quality at a fairly high price.

Aug 28 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • engadget.com

These Poorly-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies Are Way Better Than You Heard

Aug 28 • 12:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Auto review: 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X offers function over flash

There is an arms race underway in the automotive industry. Blackened chrome, LED strips, giant grilles, screens the size of suburban kitchen islands, illuminated logos, animated turn signals, ambient lighting

Aug 28 • 11:40 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com

‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ $1.7M Previews, ‘Dog Stars’ $850K As Canines Rule Thursday

Ketchup Entertainment’s dog rescue of Warner Bros’ Animation’s Coyote vs. Acme was solid in previews with $1.7M. That includes not only Thursday money, but also $446K in sneaks last weekend from U.S. ...

Aug 28 • 11:16 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now

This month’s options include an adaptation of an early Stephen King novel, jungle dinosaur battles and atmospheric thrillers.

Aug 28 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com

Inside Jessica Chastain’s dual roles in ‘Other Mommy’

Jessica Chastain mixes ‘saccharine’ with ‘rageful tension’ for her two roles in the horror movie ‘Other Mommy.’ Director Rob Savage previews the Oscar winner’s ‘delicious’ performance.

Aug 28 • 11:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, NAMED A TOP RECESSION-RESISTANT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY BY 2026 FRANCHISE BUSINESS REVIEW

Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, the nation's premier children's swim school franchise opportunity, was recently named a Top Recession-Resistant Franchise for 2026 by Franchise Business Review, its third time receiving the honor (2023, 2025, 2026).

Aug 28 • 8:37 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com

Windows 26H2 Is Nearly Here: 7 Features Worth Knowing About

The new version has hit the Release Preview Channel.

Aug 28 • 7:07 AM EDT • Technology • digitalfoundry.net

GTA 6 extended look: What we know after Netflix preview

The official look at the blockbuster video game leaves fans and critics impressed.

Aug 28 • 7:04 AM EDT • Technology • bbc.com

Sony Bravia 9 II TV Review: The Best RGB LED TV I’ve Tested, but Here’s What to Buy Instead

It’s a great performer with excellent color reproduction — the next best thing to an OLED — but you’ll pay for it.

Aug 28 • 7:00 AM EDT • Technology • cnet.com

Rochester to inspect 14,500 homes and business properties

Rochester is launching a five-year property review program. Here is what owners need to know about upcoming inspections.

Aug 28 • 5:02 AM EDT • Business • fosters.com

2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about

What TV show will be your fall obsession?

Aug 28 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • mashable.com

Steelers’ Will Howard Undergoes Medical Evaluation After Bills Game: Report

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski reported Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard needed evaluation from the medical staff after facing the Buffalo Bills. The post Steelers’ Will Howard Undergoes Medical Evaluation After Bills Game: Report appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 28 • 2:02 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Politics Chat, August 27, 2026

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

Aug 27 • 7:28 PM EDT • Politics • heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science

“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 27 • 6:47 PM EDT • Science • wessiler.substack.com

Marshall only expensed Florida trips before hurricane damage, reports show

A review by The Star revealed that U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall stopped billing taxpayers for trips to his Florida shortly before it was hit by a hurricane.

Aug 27 • 5:17 PM EDT • Politics • kansascity.com

Rutgers Football 2026 Offensive Preview

Previewing the likely starters for the 2026 season.

Aug 27 • 5:07 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Florence Harding Photographed Taught Me About Women Partaking in Politics

What would Florence Kling Harding think now? A week or so ago when I cast my ballot at my designated polling place this thought crossed my mind. I imagine the former first lady would be pleased about how routine voting has become for women in the United States. But perhaps she would not be satisfied. Today, a published essay I wrote for In Pursuit spotlights a lesson in leadership demonstrated by First Lady Florence Harding. In my research, I discovered there’s a lot to be said about this strong female historic figure. But it was the blurry photograph capturing Mrs. Harding voting for her husband Warren G. Harding, one of two presidential candidates from Ohio, on Nov. 2, 1920—Election Day—that drew my attention. It was the first presidential election held in the United States after the ratification and certification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. Its 106th anniversary was marked on Wednesday. I remember thinking what a shame it was that her presence in the image was imperfect while the mostly men surrounding her were in sharp focus. Perhaps cynically I thought, “No surprise!” On further examination, though, the clear reaction of the people surrounding Mrs. Harding was equally important. In that snapshot of time, many of their expressions were serious. One man stood elevated above the rest with a slight smile as he caught a glimpse of history. Mr. Harding hovered over his wife’s shoulder closely observing the last seconds of her vote being cast. Their gazes were locked in on who would hours later become first lady. Subscribe The attention she drew is worth noting, mostly because, as I learned, Mrs. Harding understood the power her image could have on women across the country. She and I share in common a career in newspapers—hers the business side and mine on the editorial side. Nevertheless, it became clear to me as I write in the essay that she understood if she was seen voting, other women would follow suit. That wouldn’t necessarily be the case in that 1920 election, though, Karen Kedrowski, the director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, explained to me. Florence Harding was a suffrage advocate. But, suffrage was a contentious issue and women were far from united at the time of the election. In fact, a substantial number of women and active anti-suffrage organizations thought women participating in elections was a “bad idea and antithetical to their roles in the private sphere as mothers and homemakers,” Kedrowski said, adding that women were also viewed as the moral compass for their husbands and sons. If women got involved in politics they would become contaminated by it. Suffragists, on the other hand, wanted to bring that moral presence into politics to help clean things up. Only about 30% of women voted in that 1920 presidential election. That was a start. More than 100 years later in the 2024 presidential election, 66.9% of eligible women voted (91.3 million), compared to 63.7% of men who voted (82.6 million), according to the League of Women Voters. Yes, Florence Harding would be pleased. Subscribe That imperfect Election Day image was important symbolism about women’s potential during what was known as the “Modern Woman” era and the growing public role women were taking in the 1920s. I imagine Florence Harding might agree with other succeeding first ladies when it comes to gender equality and the importance of the vote. Like Michelle Obama when she said in her memoir Becoming, “We all play a role in this democracy. We need to remember the power of every vote.” Or Hillary Clinton during her unsuccessful run for president in 2016 when she remarked on International Women’s Day: “We celebrate the progress we’ve made to advance the full participation of women in economies and societies. And most importantly, we recommit to finishing the unfinished work that remains …” I hope if you are reading this, you will also read my essay on Florence Harding’s leadership lesson for In Pursuit. And perhaps that will move you to dig deeper and read more about Florence Harding’s life circumstances in biographies like First Lady Florence Harding: Behind the Tragedy and Controversy by Katherine A. S. Sibley. No, I do not think Florence Harding would be satisfied despite how far women have come from that day she first entered her polling place. She once wrote to the Camp Fire Girls, “The part that women play in the world has been greatly changed … It has been broadened and enlarged …” It has. And as women continue to engage in civics it continues to be. I imagine Florence Harding would want women to keep meeting the moment. Read the In Pursuit essay Watch on C-SPAN Share East Wing Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 27 • 5:01 PM EDT • Politics • eastwingmagazine.com

Business U.S. 24 work begins next week

WASHINGTON – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that pavement patching and resurfacing on Business U.S. 24 (McClugage Road...

Aug 27 • 4:26 PM EDT • Business • illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com

Microsoft finalizes Windows 11 version 26H2 for general availability: Next version of Windows 11 enters final preview phase before rollout begins

Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 version 26H2 is now available to test in the Windows Insider Release Preview Channel, which means general availability is imminent.

Aug 27 • 2:02 PM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com

Anthropic makes first move into physical AI with new way for scientists, manufacturers to bring equipment to life

The Model Hardware Standard (MHS) works with any AI model, not just Claude, but for now only a handful of companies can access the research preview.

Aug 27 • 2:00 PM EDT • Science • fortune.com

Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 26H2 as a release preview, shares how to download

Microsoft has published its latest build, 26300.9278, today, and with this, it has released Windows 11 version 26H2 to Release Preview.

Aug 27 • 1:26 PM EDT • Technology • neowin.net