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Toronto Blue Jays Announce Trey Yesavage Update Amid Playoff Push

The Toronto Blue Jays welcomed back Jameson Taillon from the IL on Friday night against the Kansas City Royals, but they’re still awaiting the potential return of Trey Yesavage.Yesavage played a pivotal role as a rookie last year during the Blue Jays’ World Series run, and before his injury this season, he quickly became Toronto’s […] The post Toronto Blue Jays Announce Trey Yesavage Update Amid Playoff Push appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 4 • 11:27 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
15 discouraging hours with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and 10 brilliant ones with He Who Watches

In the last few weeks, while playing some video games that I might review, I emailed two cries for help. I sent the first to a rep for Capcom, confessing that the company’s samurai game Onimusha Way of the Sword (out today for PC and console) was crushing me. “Feels like I’m playing ‘hard’ mode, not ‘normal,’” I wrote. “And I don’t want to have to knock it down to “story”. I’m exploring, trying to level my gear, but these two-phase boss fights with no mid-fight checkpoints are brutal.” I wagered I was only about halfway through the game, if that. I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the steepening difficulty curve. Was I missing something? Then, on Monday, I took some photos of some puzzles that were baffling me in the mind-bending He Who Watches (out now on PC), wrote out lengthy descriptions of how I’d been trying to solve them and asked Bobby Vanden, the game’s solo developer, for a nudge in the right direction. I told Vanden I’d spent hours on these puzzles. “I’m stuck in triplicate,” I told him. Could he tell me if the solutions I was attempting were even on the right track? I didn’t mention that the puzzles—coupled with major time pressures from other work—were stressing me out so much that playing the game was giving me headaches. This double dose of panic was unusual. I’m used to managing a workload full of reporting and reviewing, used to a crowded schedule and the need to stay calm amid the bustle. But I was stressed about these games. No one was forcing me to review them, nor even play them. I’d simply found them interesting enough to start, hoped they’d be interesting enough to write about and I’d sunk hours into them assuming I’d made the right call. Suddenly, however, I felt trapped. I was emailing for a way out. Above: This guy took me about an hour to beat. The feedback I got from Capcom confirmed my fears. They didn’t say it, but I will: Onimusha Way of the Sword is not for me. It’s a brutally hard game in need of a normal difficulty level. It’s a game that spikes so severely during its abundant boss fights—yet offers such flawed ways to improve when outside of them—that it feels like a bait-and-switch. In the new Onimusha, you play as famed samurai Musashi Miyamoto, aided by a magical soul-absorbing gauntlet that is possessed by a lady who offers advice. (Way of the Sword is a continuation of Capcom’s long-dormant Onimusha series, but that set-up had me wondering if the company was cribbing from their ill-fated Bionic Commando reboot; read about “wife-arm” when you get a chance). Way of the Sword is partially set in 17th century Kyoto, an explorable city where Miyamoto can fight demons, help civilians and eventually rescue ghostly dogs. The city evolves over time, with new mini adventures and obtainable loot on offer, all feeding into systems that promise to upgrade your gear and sword-fighting skills. Upgrades, however, are so incremental as to be imperceptible, causing the exploration of Kyoto to feel like inconsequential busywork. From that hub, players can go on linear missions into forests and old temples, where they will encounter many of the game’s tough bosses. Combat in Way of the Sword is akin to many modern melee games. Players are asked to mix attacks with dodges and parries. They’re encouraged to deplete an enemy’s stamina bar in order to do greater damage to its health bar. The old Onimusha games’ signature move was the issen, a counter-attack so sudden it’s all but pre-emptive. You strike just as they begin to strike toward you, beating them to the cut. By definition, the issen is a high risk move, leaving you wide open to pain. It feels risky in the game, especially against bosses, who can maul you in just a few blows. A game might train you to perform an issen well by offering a variety of lesser enemies who are not as tough as the boss but get close. Or it might offer a toehold against bosses by saving or checkpointing the player’s progress when a boss’ first health bar has been destroyed and before the second health bar appears. It might offer the less skilled player a chance to over-level their character, should the player simply commit to playing through its optional sidequests. Way of the Sword does none of this. Fighting its trivially easy grunt enemies and then its ferociously adept bosses is like playing a game of chess where I’ve got a rook, while the opposing side is all pawns and five queens. Bosses simply don’t checkpoint. You may be able to clear a boss’ first phase without taking much damage. Good for you. Do it again, every time you fail the second phase. As for the the central Kyoto hub, I kept pace with all of its added side activities and never felt like I was overpowered. Bosses could still easily buckle me. The new Onimusha, I concluded, is just too discouraging to keep playing. The advice I got from Capcom had been well-intentioned. They reminded me of the game’s various systems. They alerted me to an optional assist that flashes recommended button inputs (basically: counter this move; dodge that move). It was a little helpful. So was dropping down to “story mode,” which I tried last night. Story mode turns on those button prompts by default. It makes countering and dodging way too easy, nearly automatic. I don’t consider myself a master of action games like these, but I’ve cleared the likes of God of War, Stellar Blade, Star Wars Jedi and others of sub-Sekiro difficulty and had a fun time doing so. Not here. Not yet. Unless they patch Onimusha: Way of the Sword and add a middle difficulty or just checkpoint the damn bosses when they’re between health bars, my streak of loving Capcom games released in 2026 will likely end at two. It’s a shame, because I was having a good time finding those ghostly dogs. And then there’s He Who Watches, a phenomenal first person puzzle game with Portal vibes, except instead of a portal gun you’ve got a magical bow that shoots one arrow that can activate switches or be used to drag blocks. The twist is an actual twist: you can also walk on walls and the ceiling, reorienting gravity as you do, thereby placing blocks onto those other surfaces. Walking on walls and ceilings to solve problems is really the best thing. Would that I could in reality. He Who Watches consists of locked-room challenges, each brief enough to only require about a minute to actually solving, though it will take five, 10, eventually 30 minutes to figure out said solutions. They are not obvious! It’s a game of layered mechanics and shocking solutions. For example, see if you can follow this: You can drag a block to a wall. Then you can walk on the wall, which now feels like the floor, and drag that block across the wall. Later, back on the floor, you might realize you can look up. The block is still on the wall, stuck to it. You can shoot your magic arrow to its underside. Doing so creates a tether, so that you can yank the block off the wall and carry it, as if it were a balloon, into the spot where you need it to be to solve the puzzle. Here, watch Vanden explain some of the game’s basics in this launch trailer: As with any great puzzle game, the solutions to He Who Watches’ puzzles elicit relief and amazement. Oh my god, that worked! I didn’t even think that could be possible! Learning to solve the game’s puzzles feels like learning magic. But, oh, does the game get hard. Its Steam reviews, mostly glowing, are full of players remarking how quickly He Who Watches made them sweat. Wrote one: “loving this one already although my brain is hurting!” Wrote another: “As you get further in the game it feels like you need an IQ level of at least 120+.” Vanden has shown some mercy. Each locked room puzzle includes an optional junior version of the puzzle, meant to teach you. Difficulty nevertheless ramps severely. By the time I was emailing Vanden for help, I was struggling to even clear one of the hint puzzles. When I messaged him, my stress was exacerbated by strange things I’d found in the game’s various hubs: suspicious passageways, odd blocks and some intriguing locked doors. These were hints of secrets, I realized, yet I sensed I needed to play further into the game to understand them. I was stuck, but I wanted to see the rest. Vanden offered to give me the exact solutions, to solve those three puzzles for me, but first he gave four nudges. Three were for the specific puzzles, but his best hint was for all and ultimately proved to be a terrific life lesson: go back a bit, he suggested. Do the puzzles right before those. They were teaching you something. Focus on what their lesson was. Don’t rush, in other words. Recognize what you’ve accomplished. Build off of that. I did so. I absorbed the lessons. I saw those three tough puzzles in a new light. I solved one the night after he wrote back, another the morning after. I left a third for another time. I didn’t need it and I wanted to plunge deeper into the game, closer to the moment when I was sure I could start unlocking those secret doors. My head stopped hurting, too. He Who Watches feels special. It’s got more challenges, and I’m undeterred. It’s also nice that its puzzles don’t have a surprise second health bar. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: In brief… 🎮 Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder of Helsinki-based Housemarque (Super Stardust HD, Resogun, Returnal) has stepped down from his studio, after a 31-year run, saying he’s “ taking a rare and well-deserved breather.” Sony purchased Housemarque in 2021, and the studio released its newest game, Saros, earlier this year. Trend-watch: Sony-owned Insomniac saw its founder Ted Price retire in early 2025, after a 30-year run. Sony-owned Sucker Punch saw its co-founder Brian Fleming step down in late 2025, after a 28-year run. 👀 Savvy Games Group chief Brian Ward is stepping down from the Saudi-government-backed games conglomerate, Bloomberg reports. No word on a long-term successor yet, nor if this augurs any closer integration between Savvy and Electronic Arts. EA was purchased by a consortium led by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, in early August. 💿 Square Enix has denied a Japanese media report that the company was planning to go private. In very different Square Enix news, the company revealed that the physical version of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the April 2027 finale of its radical remakes of FFVII, will include just one disc in its case, requiring a download for the rest. The first two FFVII remakes in the trilogy shipped on two discs apiece. While Square hasn’t commented on the reason why, a feature here in Game File last month broke down the processes and costs for physical games. The expense of a second disc comes out of the game publisher’s cut of each copy. Square could be saving in excess of a dollar a copy with this move. 🟥 Grand Theft Auto IV’s 26-minute ’‘extended look” gameplay showcase that premiered on Netflix last week—and was exclusive to the platform for six hours—drew 31.1 million views in its first four days, the streamer announced. (Netflix calculates views as total viewed hours divided by runtime; excludes replays). Compared to YouTube: The version that later premiered on Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel is sitting at 22.6 million views after seven days (YouTube’s more liberal counting system tallies anyone who viewed even just the first few second.) Compared to other Netflix mega-events: Last year, Stranger Things season 5’s first four episodes, which debuted together, drew a record 59.6 million views in their first few days on Netflix. For more of a live event type of comparison, in 2024, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match drew 65 million concurrent streams as it happened; Netflix didn’t release live numbers for the GTA premiere. ☁️ Microsoft is changing the way it charges for cloud gaming, from an all-you-can-play offer for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, to caps for the subscription’s tiers (15 hours per month at the Ultimate tier), with the option to buy more hours in bulk beyond that. The company also said it will sell batches of cloud gaming time to non-Game Pass subscribers, details TBA. Microsoft does not release figures for cloud game usage, but said its changes would impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. That implies a small portion of its subscribers exceed the 15-hour monthly mark. Cloud gaming offers the promise of playing games without the need for console or PC hardware, as the graphics, sound and controls are all transmitted via a streaming connection. Microsoft notes that its cloud gaming service can be used for a range of things, including Xbox One players using it to play newer-gen Xbox Series games via streaming; and people playing games via streaming, sans any console, “in markets where consoles are less available or affordable.” (That latter use case could even be relevant in Xbox’s home market soon, as console prices keep rising.) Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick recently told investors he expects game-streaming tech, which has been only lightly adopted by gamers for over a decade, to be widely used within three years. 🇺🇸 The Trump administration has published multiple agenda-driven web video games to the White House’s website. One called Build The Wall partially clones Tetris as it asks players to build a wall to stop a “zombie border siege.” While actual Tetris involves clearing lines and basically not building a wall, the Trump-backed game omits the line-clearing aspect (and omits the fun as well). On Instagram, Tetris’ official license holders reacted by stating: “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community. P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall.’ P.P.S.: We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Item 3: The week ahead: Tuesday, September 8 Game releases: Mewgenics (consoles; already out on PC) is an engrossing tactical combat game (with cats). It is getting its console port right after the release of a Star Wars tactics game and ahead of the late September launch of a Fire Emblem–a bumper crop for the genre. Wanderburg (PC) is an auto-shooting game like Vampire Survivors, but you’re a castle on wheels Event: Nintendo airs a 30-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. A full unveiling of the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is expected. Will they also show footage from next year’s live action movie? Tease the next big 3D Zelda? Add Link to Mario Kart World? Shadow-drop a new Tingle game? Wednesday, September 9 Event: Nintendo again! On this day, they’re planning to air a 45-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on games heading to Switch 2 this winter. Followed by about an hour of gameplay demoed by the company’s Treehouse team. The September Nintendo Directs are always some of the year’s biggest. The 2025 edition included announcements of several major 2026 Switch/Switch 2 games: Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave. Plus the return of the Virtual Boy. Friday, September 11 Game release: EA Sports NHL 27 (PlayStation, Xbox) is a hockey game. There are so few that an indie studio that had been making wacky sci-fi first-person shooters just announced that, hey, we’re going to fill a void and make a hockey game for PC.

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Sep 4 • 6:23 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
A record fiscal year for business, job growth in Georgia

The economic boom continued in Georgia last year, with a second record-topping year of business investment and job growth.

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Sep 4 • 5:16 PM EDT • Business • statesboroherald.com
Labor unions are growing, but where depends on state politics

Labor union membership continues to climb in the United States, though the increase remains sharply divided by the politics of individual states. Last year, the nation added more than 411,000 union members — the largest annual growth since 2008, according to a study published just ahead of the Labor Day holiday by the Illinois Economic […]

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Sep 4 • 3:12 PM EDT • Politics • stateline.org
US Football Hall of Fame revamps selection process

The American Pro Football Hall of Fame announced revisions to its selection process on Friday, including trimming the selection committee from 50 to 28, to combat "unintended biases."Porter said previous selection process bylaws left room for "unintended biases", including in the way individuals presented nominees, how selectors were assigned to each of the NFL's 32 clubs and issues related to players reaching the last year of eligibility in the Modern-Era Players category.

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Sep 4 • 3:11 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
One year after its founder's death, Armani faces challenge of 'inevitable evolution'

One year after the death of founder Giorgio Armani, the Italian fashion house is entering ​a pivotal period as the clock starts ticking on plans for an initial stake sale, after the group spent the last year focused on governance.

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Sep 4 • 2:02 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Shawnee Heights football embracing their physicality this season

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Thunderbirds are ready to prove themselves under the Friday Night Lights. Shawnee Heights football is coming off a 4-5 season and has lost key offensive playmakers from last year. “Last year we didn’t perform as well as we should have,” senior Javon Williams told 27 Sports. “Last year I feel like we could […]

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Sep 4 • 1:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
With Academy of Natural Sciences closing, STEM professionals worry about impact on students

When Atiyah Harmon brought her group from Black Girls Love Math to the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum last year, the students got a chance to see the possibilities of

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Sep 3 • 7:00 PM EDT • Science • phillytrib.com
Baptist Health scoops up Coconut Creek Kohl’s store for $54M

Baptist Health South Florida dropped $53.5 million on a Kohl’s department store in Coconut Creek. The retailer, led by CEO Michael Bender, sold the 92,700-square-foot stand-alone store at 6950 North State Road 7 for $577 per square foot. Kohl’s acquired the 8.2-acre property for $14.8 million in 2008, soon after the store was built. Last year, the company announced plans to shutter 27 stores in underperforming locations, though no additional closure announcements have been made since then. The store is still open, and plans for the site are being evaluated, a Baptist Health spokesperson told the South Florida Business Journal. […]

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Sep 3 • 5:30 PM EDT • Health • therealdeal.com
Pete Hegseth’s problems are getting harder to ignore

When GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell voted against Pete Hegseth for defense secretary last year, he bypassed the big-ticket controversies over Hegseth’s personal life and instead focused on his lack of experience.

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Sep 3 • 1:16 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Maryland looks to unleash Malik Washington in opener vs. Hampton

Mike Locksley plans to open up the offense for sophomore Malik Washington as the Terrapins aim to rebound from last year's eight-game slide against a Pirates squad facing its first Power Four test.

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Sep 3 • 12:31 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Until Dawn 2's sun-kissed horror gets a PS5 release date - and the studio behind last year's brilliant Dispatch is involved

Sony has shared more details about the sequel to its acclaimed cinematic horror Until Dawn, which is due to arrive early next year.

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Sep 3 • 10:10 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
CT Legislature, United Way Join Forces On Youth Mental Health Campaigns

According to Department of Children and Families Commissioner Susan Hamilton, more than 3,100 youth have been seen in the crisis centers since they opened, with over 700 seen in the last year alone. Youth overwhelmingly report improvements in their condition after discharge from the centers.

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Sep 3 • 9:42 AM EDT • Health • ctnewsjunkie.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (7%)
wow
76%
ahah
24%
Texas Tech vs Abilene Christian Prediction: Red Raider Restart

After a rough end to last year and a trying offseason, Texas Tech fires it back up against a good Abilene Christian team. Here's the CFN preview and prediction.

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Sep 3 • 2:22 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
Duke, Tulane clash in season opener following championship runs

Transfer quarterbacks Zeon Chriss-Gremillion and Walker Eget clash in Durham as the reigning ACC champions host the Green Wave in a rematch of last year's 34-27 thriller.

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Sep 3 • 1:14 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
😐 Neutral (7%)
wow
57%
ahah
43%
Data shows 94,000 Virginians have dropped their ACA insurance since last year

Of an estimated 100,000 people whom Virginia health leaders predicted were vulnerable to losing their Affordable Care Act insurance, 94,000 have dropped it.

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Sep 2 • 11:45 PM EDT • Health • wtop.com
UConn Football 2026 season preview: The RB Room

Like most position groups, every major contributor at running back from last year is gone. Cam Edwards, Mel brown, Victor Rosa, Oliver Lundberg Coleman and MJ Flowers transferred out. Those five backs accumulated 1,870 rushing yards and 21 of the team’s 26 rushing touchdowns, with Edwards leading the way, racking up 1,240 yards and hitting […]

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Sep 2 • 9:43 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Federal judge blocks Trump’s newest attempt to crack down on birthright citizenship

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s renewed attempt to limit birthright citizenship, partially halting an executive order the president issued after the Supreme Court struck down his more sweeping effort last year.

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Sep 2 • 6:32 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Mount Nittany Health profited over $96M last year, union claims amid contract disputes

CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — New quarterly disclosures for Mount Nittany Health reveal the health system has amassed $96 million in total profits over the last 12 months, according to SEIU Healthcare P...

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Sep 2 • 6:05 PM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Katy Perry gives rare insight into Orlando Bloom split, calls Justin Trudeau ‘love of my life’

Katy Perry says she struggled after splitting with Orlando Bloom last year but ‘things shifted’ when she met boyfriend Justin Trudeau on her ‘Lifetimes’ tour.

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Sep 2 • 5:59 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Labor Day deals take up to 50% off last year’s LG, Samsung, Sony and Hisense TVs

Labor Day is one of the best times of the year to upgrade your TV, as top brands like LG, Sony and Samsung begin to clear out older models for new stock. That means you can save hundreds on a home theater upgrade.

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Sep 2 • 3:00 PM EDT • Technology • cnn.com
Man sentenced to five years in prison for planning business arsons

A man arrested last year with four Molotov cocktails was sentenced Tuesday before a district judge in Grand Rapids and will be facing 5 years in prison.

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Sep 2 • 2:13 PM EDT • Business • woodtv.com
US judge rejects bid to break up Google's ad business

A US federal judge on Wednesday refused to force Google to sell a division of its digital advertising business, rejecting the government's push to break up part of the company's ad empire.The decision is the second time in recent years that a federal judge has declined to dismantle a piece of Google's business, after a judge last year refused to force the sale of its Chrome browser in a separate monopoly case over online search.

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Sep 2 • 12:15 PM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Judge rules Google does not have to break up ad tech business

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Google does not have to break up its advertising technology business after finding last year that the search giant held an illegal monopoly over the industry. U…

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Sep 2 • 11:52 AM EDT • Business • thehill.com
Legacy of Atlantis isn't even out yet, but already this Tomb Raider remake feels like an old relic - in all the wrong ways

Last year, on a bit of a whim, I ended up playing Tomb Raider 1's superb remaster and Crystal Dynamics' 2007 remake Tom…

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Sep 2 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Poll shows nearly 90% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread

The belief increased by 10 percentage points compared with last year, a Gallup poll found.

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Sep 2 • 2:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Should California Backfill Science Funding After Trump Cuts? Voters Could Decide in 2028

Last year the White House suspended or cancelled more than 1,000 California science grants. This bond measure would restore some of that funding.

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Sep 1 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • kqed.org
Hochul calls on federal government to restore counterterrorism funds

Last year, Hochul the federal government cut about $187 million in counterterrorism and homeland security funding.

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Sep 1 • 5:09 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Should California backfill science funding Trump cut? Voters could decide in 2028

Last year the Trump administration cut more than 1,000 California science research grants. A bond measure would restore some of that funding.

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Sep 1 • 1:30 PM EDT • Science • calmatters.org
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!]

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Sep 1 • 10:27 AM EDT • Technology • alineaanalytics.substack.com
Almost half of terrorism arrests in Great Britain since 9/11 have been in past year

Increase coincides with proscription of Palestine Action last year which has led to thousands of arrests for allegedly supporting the protest group

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Sep 1 • 3:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Know Your Sabres Enemy: Boston Bruins

As part of an ongoing series on TheHockeyNews.com, we're breaking down each of the Buffalo Sabres' Eastern Confererence rivals in 2026-27. And in this file, we're looking at the Boston Bruins. The Sabres beat the Bruins in the regular-season and post-season last year, but can Buffalo do it again?

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Aug 31 • 7:33 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Hanover volleyball looks to build defense after losing key seniors

Hanover Coach: Avery Kretschmar (1) League: NHIAA Division II Last Year: 12-5; loss in the quarterfinals Top Returners: Seniors — Sage Fargher (Setter), Bella Poisson (Outside), Casey Wilkinson (Libero), Esther Skogerboe (Middle) Newcomers: Juniors — Nour Tannous (Outside), Laila Sundred (Defensive Specialist), Amelia McGinnis (Right Side) Coach’s Analysis: “With the matriculation of seasoned front row […]

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Aug 31 • 11:05 AM EDT • Sports • vnews.com
OpenClaw that Sam Altman spent billions on and claims to have beaten GTA 6 gets 'largest update in its history'

OpenClaw has rolled out OpenClaw 2.0, marking the most extensive software upgrade in the open-source artificial intelligence (AI) agent platform’s history since its debut last year. Announcing the release, the development team playfully referenced Rockstar Games’ upcoming November title launch with the social post, “HA!

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Aug 31 • 6:57 AM EDT • Technology • timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Louisiana takes a step toward adopting Medicaid work requirements

Louisiana’s proposed work requirements for Medicaid enrollment largely adhere to the new guidelines Congress and President Donald Trump laid out last year. The new state regulations are expected to go into effect for Medicaid recipients in January.

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Aug 31 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • lailluminator.com
Kelley Wolf publicly apologizes to estranged husband Scott Wolf for ‘all of the chaos’

Kelley Wolf is apologizing to estranged husband Scott Wolf for ‘all of the chaos’ she caused during a mental health crisis last year.

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Aug 30 • 6:55 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry hosting 'Escape the Museum' through October

"Escape the Museum" is back after a sold-out run last year.

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Aug 30 • 12:30 PM EDT • Science • abc7chicago.com
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Broderick Jones trade grades for Cowboys, Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked at Broderick Jones as a powerful offensive lineman who could solidify their offensive line when they moved up in the 2023 NFL Draft to select the Georgia product. However, a neck injury sustained against the Chicago Bears last year have led the Steelers to move on from the former first-round pick. The Steelers traded […] The post Broderick Jones trade grades for Cowboys, Steelers appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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Aug 29 • 9:35 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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North Carolina opens Belichick's second season with 15-10 win over TCU

Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach, was 4-8 in his college debut with the Tar Heels last year.

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Aug 29 • 3:53 PM EDT • Sports • spectrumlocalnews.com
Updated George Pickens Fantasy Outlook 2026: Can the Cowboys Star Replicate Last Year’s Success?

George Pickens saw his fantasy football stock get unlocked during his first season in Big D, and the 25-year-old carries lofty expectations into 2026 as a result. The big question is about the type of stat line he can provide if CeeDee Lamb stays on the field, a worry that drafters don’t seem to have.

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Aug 29 • 7:52 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Judge rules Trump unlawfully targeted foreign students who criticized Israel

The ruling was a win for Stanford’s student newspaper, The Stanford Daily, and it followed another court victory for students targeted by the Trump administration last year.

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Aug 28 • 11:41 PM EDT • Politics • seattletimes.com
President Trump to attend Pentagon's 9/11 ceremony

Trump attended the Pentagon ceremony last year, as well.

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Aug 28 • 7:00 PM EDT • Politics • ny1.com
House will vote to denounce socialism

The House of Representatives is set to vote next week when lawmakers return to condemn and denounce “socialism in all its forms,” specifically pointing to the growing Democratic Socialists of America organization. The House voted to condemn socialism last year, but did not specifically call out the DSA. The resolution includes calling for the enactment […]

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Aug 28 • 11:23 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
RFK Jr.’s Health Department empowers political appointees like never before

Political roles are way up. Career staffing is way down, despite a push to hire after last year’s downsizing.

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Aug 28 • 10:00 AM EDT • Health • politico.com
RFK Jr.’s Health Department empowers political appointees like never before

Political roles are way up. Career staffing is way down, despite a push to hire after last year’s downsizing.

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Aug 28 • 10:00 AM EDT • Politics • politico.com
Rock legend says 2026 is his last year after more than 5 decades performing

Time is running out to see this legendary performer in person.

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Aug 28 • 7:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • pennlive.com
How did Trump get so rich?

Jonathan Freedland speaks to Dan Alexander of Forbes about how Donald Trump made so much money last year at the same time trade wars, military wars and a rising national debt hurt the US economy

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Aug 28 • 7:15 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Jonny Kim, Navy astronaut, doctor and former SEAL, departs from NASA

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jonny Kim was selected as an astronaut in 2017 and went on to spend eight months in space last year.

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Aug 27 • 5:03 PM EDT • Technology • taskandpurpose.com
Once Seen as a Sure Thing, Computer Science Has Lost 53,000 Majors

But engineering and health professions saw big enrollment gains last year, according to new data.

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Aug 27 • 5:02 PM EDT • Science • chronicle.com
RFK Jr. said a Samoa trip had nothing to do with vaccines. New documents refute that

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeatedly told lawmakers who held the key to his confirmation last year that a 2019 visit to Samoa before a deadly measles outbreak had ” nothing to do with vaccines.” New documents obtained by The Associated Press and The Guardian refute that testimony.

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Aug 27 • 4:00 PM EDT • Health • cnn.com
Is Germany benefitting yet from the crisis in US research?

Science|Business - Table.Media partnershipScience|Business has partnered with Table.Media, a leading source of news about higher education and research in Germany. Each week, we are publishing one of each other’s stories to give readers an even broader range of insight into R&D policy across Europe.Drawing over 500 participants, the German Academic International Network conference in San Francisco brings together researchers, universities, scientific organisations and policymakers in the US as part of an attempt to recruit international talent for Germany. It also serves as an annual barometer for the uncertainty triggered by the Trump administration’s science policies. As was the case last year, Germany’s political presence was unusually strong: federal lawmakers, nine state ministers of science and research, and federal research state secretary Marcus Pleyer all attended. Joybrato Mukherjee, president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has observed a marked shift at US universities a year after the Trump administration began sweeping interventions: the initial state of "shock and paralysis" has given way to a strategic approach to the situation. Universities are seeking new funding sources, mounting legal challenges against interventions and opening themselves up more to international collaborations, including with Germany, he said. Early-career international researchers with expiring visas are considered particularly vulnerable. Germany is benefiting from increased demand among this pool of young talent; the country’s 1,000 Minds Plus programme, designed in part to lure German academics back home, has already filled up around one-third of its capacity. Meanwhile, Markus Blume, Bavaria’s science minister and current chair of the federal Conference of Science Ministers, sees an "enormous outflow of talent from the US." An increasing number of international researchers want to leave. Applications to Canada have risen by 42% January, and those to Europe by 32%. Meanwhile, the number of people drawn to the US is plummeting. "In this context, Germany must position itself as a prime destination offering reliable conditions, institutional stability and academic freedom, including through smart collaborations," Blume told Table.Briefings.“Darkest hour”At the get-together in San Francisco, the former president of the US National Academy of Sciences, Marcia McNutt, highlighted the gravity of the situation on the ground in a keynote address. She described the present moment as the "darkest hour for the US scientific system." At the same time, she said that cooperation should be maintained, especially during a crisis. Established researchers in the US are less likely to leave. Ulrike Malmendier, a former member of the German Council of Economic Experts and an economist at Berkeley, explained why established researchers are not packing their bags and leaving the US in droves: working conditions and the concentration of talent at places like Berkeley and Stanford remain unparalleled. According to Peter-André Alt, managing director of the Wübben Foundation, which helps Germany attract international academics, political restrictions are not the only grievance voiced by US-based researchers. "There are evidently still many areas where, fortunately, unfettered research is possible," Alt told Table.Briefings. Instead, the primary complaint concerns the cost of living, which has "skyrocketed” to absurd levels. "Runaway inflation, like that currently seen in the US, is certainly no draw for young scientific talent,” he said. Return homeA growing number of early-career researchers from Germany appear to be considering a return home. Jörn Benzinger, who is responsible for recruiting early-career researchers from abroad at Ruhr University Bochum, reports numerous conversations with researchers who are taking a closer look at the German academic landscape."Germany has definitely moved more into the spotlight,” he said. States, university alliances and research organisations joined forces to recruit talent. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia were prominently represented, as were alliances such as the Berlin University Alliance and the University Alliance Ruhr. Benzinger sums up Germany’s approach with a new formula: "collaboration is the new competition." He notes that it is becoming increasingly difficult for individual universities to gain international visibility, while regional research ecosystems and collaborations are growing in importance. Afraid to leaveThe crisis in the US academic sector is also straining transatlantic research relations. Benzinger reports that some US-based researchers had to decline brief invitations to Germany because they could not be certain of being allowed to re-enter the US afterward.He considers the simple poaching of researchers to be the wrong approach; what is needed, he says, are "reliable offers and long-term partnerships."However, Green Party politician Ayşe Asar, who also attended the conference, sees a significant need for improvement, particularly regarding career paths in Germany.While lifetime professorships and academic freedom certainly make Germany attractive, young researchers also require predictable career paths, tenure-track positions and flatter hierarchies.

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Aug 27 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net
Video: Elden Ring Nintendo Switch 2 vs. PS5 graphics comparison

Elden Ring is launching imminently on Nintendo Switch 2, and we’re now able to get a better look at how it compares to the PS5 release with a graphics comparison video. Much has been made of the Nintendo Switch 2 version going back to last year. Out of the gate, the title seemed to struggle with performance. FromSoftware definitely made...

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Aug 26 • 6:04 PM EDT • Technology • nintendoeverything.com
Falcons' Za'Darius Smith retired last year due to mother's health

Falcons defensive end Za'Darius Smith opened up Wednesday for the first time about why he suddenly retired during last season with the Eagles.

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Aug 26 • 4:40 PM EDT • Health • espn.com
Sales tax revenue falls flat in August reports

Sales tax revenue reported in August for Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale totaled $10.001 million, down 0.12% from the same month last year. For the first eight reporting months of...

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Aug 26 • 4:31 PM EDT • Business • talkbusiness.net
Sales tax revenue falls flat in August reports

Sales tax revenue reported in August for Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale totaled $10.001 million, down 0.12% from the same month last year. For the first eight reporting months of...

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Aug 26 • 4:31 PM EDT • Politics • talkbusiness.net
White House withholding $289 million of small business loans

The Trump administration is withholding $289 million appropriated by Congress for loans to small businesses. The elimination came through an executive order last year, with President Trump saying the program was "woke" and promoted "gender extremism" and "climate radicalism." NBC News senior financial reporter Gretchen Morgenson details the reasons for the pause and how damaging the move could be for Main Street.

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Aug 26 • 12:21 PM EDT • Business • nbcnews.com
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Nebraska opens season in USA TODAY Sports preseason top 50

The preseason USA TODAY Sports rankings gave Nebraska a significant drop from last year's list.

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Aug 26 • 5:09 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Business owners squeezed as costs rise, profits fall, Minneapolis Fed survey finds

Most businesses in the Upper Midwest report that their profits are down from last year, according to a new survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

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Aug 25 • 5:18 PM EDT • Business • mprnews.org
As states tighten oversight, private equity’s healthcare deals decline

New state oversight laws are pumping the brakes on private equity’s push into health care, according to new data. The number of private equity-involved healthcare deals has declined since last year, and the value of those deals in the first half of 2026 is lower than it was for the same time in 2025, according to […]

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Aug 25 • 5:05 PM EDT • Health • stateline.org
IndyStar's politics team will embark on another statewide reporting tour. Here's where

Last year, IndyStar's politics team went on a statewide reporting tour to hear from Hoosiers about their top issues. We're back for a second year.

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Aug 25 • 6:06 AM EDT • Politics • indystar.com
Fishy business: who really profits when sardines go viral?

Once a cheap store-cupboard staple, sardines are fast becoming a luxury food item. Last year, #SardineGirlSummer saw influencers promoting the health benefits of sardinemaxxing, while sardinecore became the must-have fashion trend. Now, demand is accelerating just as Morocco’s sardine stock has collapsed, causing shortages on supermarket shelves. The Guardian travels to Matosinhos in Portugal, the cultural home of the sardine industry, to investigate who is profiting from the boom, how it has affected local fishermen, and what sustainability looks like in an era of global heating

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Aug 25 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
Will a ‘reset’ reignite investment in women’s health startups?

After peaking in 2024, venture investments in startups involved in the space declined last year. But a broader adoption of AI and a widening definition of what constitutes women’s health could spur a rebound, some say.

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Aug 25 • 4:00 AM EDT • Health • biopharmadive.com
ESPN calls their shot on 2026 Celebration Bowl matchup

ESPN projected all the playoff and bowl games happening at the end of 2026 and weighed in on the potential Celebration Bowl matchup . Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach produced the projections, and both believe this year’s Celebration Bowl will be a rematch of last year. Last year’s Celebration Bowl matchup was historic, as South Carolina State made […] The post ESPN calls their shot on 2026 Celebration Bowl matchup appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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Aug 24 • 9:08 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
What's Going on with Georgia's State-wide Business Court?

The Peach State's business court is designed to handle the same types of cases as the business courts in other states, and lawyers told Law.com they've had positive experiences litigating there. However, while other courts report new filings in the triple digits, Georgia's State-Wide Business Court only had 25 new cases filed in the last year.

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Aug 24 • 2:07 PM EDT • Business • law.com
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Fentanyl investigations and seizures dropped during Trump’s immigration crackdown, federal watchdog says

The Department of Homeland Security’s decision last year to pull additional federal agents for immigration enforcement resulted in a dramatic drop in fentanyl investigations and seizures by the department’s investigations division, according to a federal watchdog report.

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Aug 24 • 1:46 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
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Why politicians are punchlines at the Edinburgh Fringe

There was a time when satire had an easier gig. Politicians said something ridiculous, comedians made fun of them, audiences laughed, and everyone went home. Subscribe Now the joke is often the headline. In a world where the unbelievable regularly makes the news, where politics can veer into parody before the comedians have had time to write the punchline, you might reasonably wonder: is satire running out of material? Not in Edinburgh. At the Fringe, I can confirm satire has a pulse, even in a relentless and rapid news cycle. Politicians as punchlines Take NewsRevue, the world’s longest-running live sketch show, where politicians are turned into punchlines at industrial speed. Its latest target? Andy Burnham - or, more accurately, his doppelganger, pictured below in the middle. The joke, he tells us, is that there have been so many politicians coming and going that even satire risks suffering from political fatigue. But perhaps that revolving door is precisely why comedy matters. When the news cycle moves faster than our ability to process it, comedians can hold up a mirror - and make us think twice. Small talk Take Ayoade Bamgboye, the Saturday Night Live UK star who won the Best Newcomer prize at last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Her Fringe debut was critically acclaimed; this year she is turning her attention to one of Britain’s most baffling social rituals: small talk. Share It’s a reminder that satire doesn’t always need a politician in its sights. Sometimes the target is simply us civilians - the strange little rules and rituals we have collectively agreed to pretend are normal. Politics and Palestinian identity For British-Palestinian comedian Sami Abu Wardeh, pictured below, comedy has a more urgent job. His new show, Sami Abu Wardeh Hates You, asks who gets to hate, and whether anger belongs to everyone, not just the far right. His comedy confronts politics and Palestinian identity while refusing to surrender the simple business of making people laugh. Shakespeare meets climate crisis And then there is HAM: an “eco-hijacking” of Hamlet, which its creators describe as “a sordid wrestle between a vegan and a sausage-lover”. Shakespeare meets the climate crisis. Meat meets moral panic. The end result? You’ll leave promising to become vegan and swiftly bulk buying Linda McCartney sausages. HAM was created by theatre company Hotter Project, aka Ell Potter and Mary Higgins, pictured below. They say comedy helped them avoid the preachiness sometimes associated with climate activism - using Shakespeare as a vessel for uncomfortable questions about the planet, politics and the way we live. Perhaps that is satire’s secret weapon. It doesn’t necessarily make the world less absurd. It makes the absurdity crystal clear. And at a moment when reality increasingly feels like it has been written by a sketch writer, the Fringe is proving there is still plenty to laugh and cry at. Satire isn’t dead. It’s alive, subletting and having the time of its life at the Fringe. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment

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Aug 24 • 12:02 PM EDT • Politics • channel4news.substack.com
Michigan Football: Game-by-game predictions for the 2026 season

Even with an upgraded roster and coaching staff, it’ll be a challenge for Michigan Football to match its win total from last year. We predict the results of each game to see how the Wolverines fare in 2026:

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Aug 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Dan Osborn staffers infiltrated rival political party, tried to dissolve it

Two paid staffers of Dan Osborn’s 2024 campaign joined an effort to dissolve a rival political party last year, according to records obtained by the Flatwater Free Press. The records reveal the lengths Osborn’s allies have gone to clear the field for the nonpartisan U.S. Senate candidate as he attempts to unseat Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts.

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Aug 24 • 6:45 AM EDT • Politics • nebraskaexaminer.com
Denver Museum of Nature and Science to open new wing next month thanks to record-breaking donation

A new wing and renovated giant-screen theater is coming to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in September, thanks to the largest private donation in its history. The $20 million donation from the Sturm Family Foundation, which was made in March of last year, has gone toward an overall renovation of the East Wing, including […]

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Aug 23 • 7:21 PM EDT • Science • denvergazette.com
Swiss forward Embolo joins Atlanta United

Swiss striker Breel Embolo has signed for Atlanta United, the Major League Soccer club announced Sunday, in a deal reportedly worth $18 million.Last year the club splashed $22 million on Ivory Coast striker Emmanuel Latte Lath from English Championship side Middlesbrough.

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Aug 23 • 4:14 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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My family spent thousands on extracurricular activities last year

Between basketball, Scouts, and piano, my kids' activities cost us thousands. I'm using a few strategies to help keep costs down.

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Aug 22 • 10:03 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Possible next entrants for the Penguins’ Hall of Fame

One of the latest drives for the Penguins has been to restart and put an emphasis on their Hall of Fame. Last year, a three-year class of inductees was announced for 2025-27. In 2025 the Pens inducted Francis, Kevin Stevens, Scotty Bowman, and Eddie Johnston. This year, it’s been announced that Marc-Andre Fleury, Larry Murphy, […]

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Aug 22 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Montana wildlife commission overhauls recommended wolf quota, questioning state-backed science

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission set a quota of 300 wolves for the 2026-2027 hunting and trapping season, eschewing the recommendation of state biologists while also significantly lowering the number of tags available from last year.

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Aug 22 • 3:00 AM EDT • Science • dailyinterlake.com
Families face higher back-to-school costs this year, report finds

A new study by two progressive think tanks estimates that a typical basket of school supplies costs nearly 8% more this year than last year.

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Aug 21 • 5:00 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Calvin University Launches New School of Computer Science

After consolidating several programs last year, a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Mich., is launching a new school to enhance offerings in fields like AI, advanced computing and cybersecurity.

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Aug 21 • 11:28 AM EDT • Science • govtech.com
Keystone Cooperative ag business invests in Indianapolis-based One Health Studio

Indianapolis-based agriculture and energy business Keystone Cooperative has become a corporate partner and investor in One Health Studio, an Indianapolis venture studio that launched late last year.

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Aug 21 • 9:30 AM EDT • Business • ibj.com
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Tricolor Fallout Fuels Boom in Business for Collateral Checkers

The fallout from last year’s collapse of subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings has spurred a boom for businesses that verify whether collateral exists and try to make sure it’s not double pledged.

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Aug 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • bloomberg.com
2 Sisters Started a Business That Soothes Babies. It Went Viral and Made $5.3 Million Last Year: ‘Living the American Dream.’

Jane Molina and Joy Williams were running another company when they began to build Ninni Co.

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Aug 20 • 5:06 PM EDT • Business • entrepreneur.com
Record cyclosporiasis outbreak tests the response of a 'weakened' health system

From state and local food-safety response to the federal health agencies that fund that work, a record-breaking year for cyclosporiasis cases runs up against the Trump administration's cuts last year.

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Aug 20 • 3:54 PM EDT • Health • npr.org
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Cowboys Coach is Already on Hot Seat After One Game

Well, it didn’t take very long for a Dallas Cowboys coach to be put on the hot seat after just one game.Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer had a decent first year in the role last year. The team finished 7-9-1 and missed out on the postseason.Big changes came after the season, though, as Schottenheimer fired […] The post Cowboys Coach is Already on Hot Seat After One Game appeared first on HEAVY.

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Aug 20 • 11:44 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Task force keeps Wyoming-run catastrophic health insurance talks alive

Though lawmakers frowned on "BearCare" plan last year, the idea reemerged at meeting focused on improving health insurance affordability.

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Aug 20 • 6:23 AM EDT • Health • wyofile.com
Modern Warfare 4 Beta Reveals Multiplayer Matchmaking Plans, Will Continue to Use Divisive New Matchmaking System

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's beta will utilize a divisive new matchmaking system in addition to the open matchmaking introduced last year.

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Aug 19 • 5:47 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Most Americans believe Trump has inappropriately profited since returning to power, poll finds

He earned more than $1.4 billion last year from his family's cryptocurrency ventures.

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Aug 19 • 8:36 AM EDT • Politics • detroitnews.com
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The four unsolved problems threatening to derail Liverpool’s season

SEASON PREVIEW : Taking over an unfinished squad and an injury prone defence while tasked with fitting in last year’s expensive signings and replacing Mohamed Salah means Andoni Iraola inherits many of the issues that plagued Arne Slot’s second season, writes Richard Jolly

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Aug 19 • 1:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Seminoles Losing Season a Teaching Moment for LB LaVallee

Florida State linebacker Caleb LaVallee has the desire to improve his game, and the losing season suffered by the Seminoles last year was a teaching moment to help LaVallee make those improvements.

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Aug 18 • 10:51 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
ICE hasn’t paid UCHealth hospital since last year for immigrant health care

The hospital that has provided the majority of the emergency health care to immigrants detained at the GEO detention facility in Aurora hasn’t been paid since October 2025.

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Aug 18 • 12:00 AM EDT • Health • cpr.org
Ford Motor Co. donates vehicles to help veterans access health care

DAV (Disabled American Veterans) has announced a generous $200,000 donation from Ford Motor Co. to help support free transportation to medical appointments for America’s ill and injured veterans. A special check presentation took place Aug. 1 at the 2026 DAV and Auxiliary National Convention in Orlando, Florida. The gift will fund the purchase of five new vehicles for the DAV Transportation Network, which operates a nationwide fleet through which volunteers provide disabled veterans with free transportation to and from Department of Veterans Affairs medical appointments. Ford Motor Co.’s support of America’s veterans began in 1922 when Henry Ford provided 50 Model Ts to help disabled World War I veterans attend the second DAV National Convention, held in San Francisco. “Ford Motor Co.’s generosity allows us to continue ensuring veterans can get reliable transportation to their medical appointments,” said DAV National Commander Coleman Nee. “We are grateful for their continued support that allows us to provide hundreds of thousands of rides each year.” Since 1987, Ford Motor Co. has donated 279 vehicles to DAV’s fleet. Last year, the DAV Transportation Network provided more than 230,000 rides to help veterans get to their medical appointments. Volunteer drivers covered over 9.6 million miles and invested more than 614,000 volunteer hours.

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Aug 17 • 1:03 PM EDT • Health • dav.org
The most important NFL QB this season, plus questions on the Lakers sale

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning. RIP, Tommy John. Coming up: 🫪 Jones’ incredible recovery 😶‍🌫️ Questions on Lakers sale 🏅 Taurasi’s big day So many things happen during the course of an NFL season that it’s easy to forget specifics. A lot can happen in 272 regular-season games. So forgive me if I read this story and immediately thought: Remember when Philip Rivers came out of retirement last year? After four years away? That was wild. It’s...

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Aug 17 • 7:15 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com
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Google Pixel 11 Pro XL benchmarks leak ahead of release day, here’s how it compares to last year’s model

Google Pixel 11 benchmarks, starting with the flagship Pro XL model. You can expect similar performance from the non-XL Pro, too.

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Aug 17 • 6:14 AM EDT • Technology • pcguide.com
Kirkland's Alternative Fee Structures Help Fuel Litigation Business

Roughly 30% of its litigation revenue is through AFA structures, amounting to more than $1 billion through these arrangements last year.

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Aug 17 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • law.com
Cristiano Ronaldo hints at ‘last year of football’

Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that this could be his last year playing professional soccer, after what’s been a record-breaking career.

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Aug 17 • 5:48 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Cristiano Ronaldo hints at ‘last year of football’

Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that this could be his last year playing professional soccer, after what’s been a record-breaking career.

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Aug 17 • 5:48 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Countdown to Kickoff: Friendship Collegiate

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Each year, Friendship Collegiate is one of the top teams in the District of Columbia. Last year, for the fourth straight season, Friendship posted at least nine wins. After winning the DCSAA title in 2022 and 2023, the Knights fell short in the playoffs in 2024 and 2025. As Friendship […]

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Aug 17 • 1:13 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Republicans won the redistricting competition. Don't tell that to this California congressman

President Donald Trump last year told GOP-controlled states to redraw their maps before this year's midterm elections to increase the number of winnable seats for Republicans in order to help the party hold onto the U.S. House.

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Aug 16 • 1:37 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
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Ronaldo: This is probably my last year of football

Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has given his strongest hint yet of when he will retire. "This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy," the Al-Nassr striker told Vogue magazine in an interview on Sunday to mark his wedding to Georgina Rodríguez.

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Aug 16 • 1:33 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
'Probably my last year'

Cristiano Ronaldo says this season will probably be his last as a player after a glittering football career.

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Aug 16 • 12:40 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
How Cyclospora Evaded the U.S. Food Safety System to Sicken Thousands

The Trump administration delayed a rule last year that could have sped up the effort to pinpoint the source of the contamination. Critics charge that food safety oversight has eroded overall.

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Aug 15 • 5:01 AM EDT • Health • nytimes.com
'Real Turning Point': How Last Year's NLCS Loss Shaped Jacob Misiorowski

Jacob Misiorowski considers last year's NLCS loss to the Dodgers "the real turning point" leading into his dominant 2026 campaign.

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Aug 15 • 12:34 AM EDT • Sports • foxsports.com
Helaine Cohen

With a background in marketing and technology, Helaine Cohen founded ChicagoCondoFinder.com, a website for people searching for condos in Chicago. Last year, the site had 290,000 visitors who drove more than $40 million in buyer business. In 2018, Cohen announced a partnership to expand the brand and team with real estate veteran Sam Tarara. As a broker, Cohen represents sellers in a wide range of prices, but her expertise is primarily in the luxury condo market.

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Aug 14 • 8:41 PM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
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…

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Aug 14 • 8:27 AM EDT • Health • baltimoresun.com
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