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Macaulay Culkin emotionally honors Catherine O'Hara at 2026 Emmys

Catherine O'Hara is getting the tribute she deserves at the 2026 Emmys.

Sep 14 • 7:55 PM EDT • Entertainment • centraloregondaily.com

Persona5: The Phantom X Adds Kotone Shiomi of Persona 3 Portable

Persona5: The Phantom X has added a new character to the game in a special crossover, as we're getting Kotone Shiomi of Persona 3 Portable

Sep 14 • 7:42 PM EDT • Technology • bleedingcool.com

Reading for pleasure boosts memory, empathy and mental health

Fewer people are reading for pleasure, but getting lost in a good book has repeatedly been linked to substantial cognitive benefits

Sep 14 • 7:01 PM EDT • Health • newscientist.com

Will Netflix’s Latest Horror Film Save Its Summer? And Introducing a New Data Source...

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) All month, I’ve been polling you, my readers, on how we think the summer’s biggest blockbusters will do when they eventually land on streaming, and I wanted to share the results. First up, how readers think The Odyssey will perform when it comes to Peacock... People are pretty bullish that The Odyssey will smash it for Peacock. I don’t know that it will have as much rewatchability as Wicked did for kids, but we’ll see. It is now Universal’s highest-grossing film of all time. One note: almost half of Christopher Nolan’s films weren’t available for streaming the week The Odyssey came to theaters, including some of his biggest films like Inception, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer and Insomnia. If you did want to watch the others, Prime Video had Memento and The Dark Knight trilogy, HBO Max only had The Dark Knight trilogy (even though Warner Bros. produced most of Nolan’s films), Hulu had The Prestige and Interstellar, and Paramount+ had Interstellar. So you needed at least two streaming subscriptions to catch the rest. Warner Bros. whiffed right here. I know they have long term licensing deals, but they should have tried to get as many Nolan films on HBO Max for launch as possible. Here are the results for Spider-Man: Brand New Day: The audience is a bit more mixed on this one, with everyone agreeing Spider-Man will swing to a big opening, but not necessarily elite or best all time. On to this week’s issue. Netflix continues searching for a hit straight-to-streaming summer film and Lioness and Ted Lasso allow me to look at the difference between a “hit” and a ‘hit for them”. All that, plus new YA/teen melodramas on Prime Video and Netflix, the House of the Dragon finale, USA Network claims a big opening, more big NFL ratings, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. But we start with a fun new data announcement. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of August 3rd to August 9th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe A New Data Source: Reelgood’s Data on Content Libraries Here’s a fun new treat for you. Reelgood—an online service and app that lets users track where shows or films are streaming—is providing data every month for the Streaming Ratings Report on the size of each streamer’s catalogue, along with the new shows and films for each streamer. Yay! Previously, I had pulled “new shows on streamers premiering on the first of the month”: While I liked that data cut, it was a big wonky since it didn’t show all of the new shows or movies that came to a streamer each month. Instead, I would have preferred something like this from Reelgood’s annual report: And now we have it! I’m going to feature Reelgood’s data monthly, showing both total catalogue size and new shows and films appearing on the charts. That’s going to make these two cool new charts. First, here’s the size of various streamers’ film catalogues… (By the way, Reelgood offered to make the charts for me, but I like doing that task by hand to understand the data better.) They also provided data back to last year. Here’s the number of films timeline: And here are the new films on each streamer for the month prior to Aug: As I get used to this data, I plan to keep tinkering with how I display it, but I’m excited to feature it monthly. Today, I’m sharing the film charts; next issue, I’m going to feature TV shows by streamer. Now, in full disclosure, Reelgood is a sponsor of this little-newsletter-that-could. But in my constant quest to figure out what streamer various shows and films are on, I was already a Reelgood user before this sponsorship. I go to their website all the time, and their data is very accurate on where shows are (or have been). Plus, I’ve been sharing their weekly top ten lists for years now, pre-sponsorship. For me, this is a great win-win, since I get to amplify a service I love, and I get a cool new data source to play with. Now, normally folks don’t usually mention their sponsors directly, but as I wrote before, as I start featuring ads in my newsletter, I plan to be extremely open about who is sponsoring my writing so you can trust what I write. Television - Two Big Returning Shows Look Set to Take Over The Charts One key question when it comes to judging streaming shows is whether a show is a “hit” or a “hit for them”. To be clear, the former means a show that’s one of the top shows on streaming, no questions asked. The latter means a show is one of the biggest, for a given streamer. That distinction makes a big difference! It’s really good to be one of the biggest shows on a streamer; it’s much better to be the biggest on streaming, despite the size of a streamer. Because, as we’ve seen now, nearly every streamer—while lacking the number of subscribers or usage of Netflix—can make hit TV shows: Paramount released Landman, whose first and second seasons were among the top two TV shows the year they came out. HBO Max’s The Pitt’s second season is the biggest show of the year so far. Love Island USA was the top show in 2025 for Peacock. And, crucially for today’s discussion: Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in 2023, Ted Lasso was actually the top streaming show of the year according to Nielsen! So even Apple TV (formerly +) can make hit shows. It just doesn’t make them that often. And looking at the Nielsen charts this week, we have two prime candidates for this discussion: That’s right: Ted Lasso returned to Apple TV for its fourth season. Did it return in all its expected glory? Sure, though right now it’s still just a “hit for Apple TV”, but we’ll see how long it lasts on the charts. Its ten episodes are coming out weekly. (Smart choice, Apple!) Ted Lasso started out strong, actually making the Nielsen charts the week before new episodes dropped, which is a rare feat. (Shows like Stranger Things or Bridgerton have pulled that off. That’s terrific company to join!) On Nielsen, it opened to 14.4 million hours in its first week, and 16.6 million the week of 10-Aug. Here’s how that compares to previous seasons: Apple put out that this is their biggest TV launch through two days ever, and looking at the chart and Apple TV’s viewership history, I’d believe it. Here’s Apple’s top shows for season two and beyond: Other data tells a (mostly) similar story. Ted Lasso made Samba TV and it has elite IMDb scores, an insane 8.7 on 465K reviews. The only outlier is Luminate, where the latest season only had 7.4 million hours, and no other seasons made the top ten. As you’ll see below, that’s well below some other solid, but not spectacular shows like Sterling Point, Ride or Die or Furious. I’d be surprised if Ted Lasso isn’t bigger than those other shows, but it’s fine for different data sources to occasionally disagree. And while it’s sucky to bring this up, given that Warner Bros. produced this show, I do wonder how the streaming wars may have been different if Ted Lasso landed on HBO Max initially instead of Apple. I don’t think one show can make or break a streamer, but given HBO’s brand, it could have helped bring people to that streamer much earlier in its lifespan. (Though yeah, I don’t love calling out executives for passing on hit shows, since that’s just the nature of the job. Even the absolute best execs will pass on lots of successful shows. The key is not greenlighting the under-performers/misses.) The other show I’m thinking about in the “hit or hit for them” category is Lioness from Paramount+. Like Ted Lasso, its first season missed the charts, but it’s grown its audience since then. Here’s how season three opened: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… How Lioness did on streaming... Two new melodramas for Netflix and Prime Video... Whether Netflix’s latest horror film saved its summer... Hulu’s Furious and Prime Video’s Ride or Die continuing their strong runs... The latest high profile showrunner to flop on streaming... All the flops, bombs and misses... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Next week, we’ve got a double issue—since the week of 17-Aug had very few notable new shows or films—so I’ll look at HBO’s Lanterns, Prime Video’s Reacher, Netflix’s Tires, Outer Banks (which posted up huge numbers four years ago), an Aussie romance, and another baseball event (that didn’t resonate). And a bunch of movies like the latest dramedy from an Adam Sandler daughter, Don’t Say Good Luck, Camp Rock 3 on Disney Channel and Disney+, Michael on Starz, and more. Later this month, we’ve got a ton of shows and films to analyze! Movies will be the big story, featuring a box office bomb (Supergirl on HBO Max) and an “underperformer” (The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+) contending with a bunch of star-studded straight-to-streaming films like Netflix’s The Whisper Man (Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and De Niro!), Mayday on Apple TV+ (Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh!), The Runner (Gal Gadot) and The Last Sunrise (Eva Longoria and Maia Reficco) on Prime Video. Plus, a ton of TV shows have sophomore seasons coming out. Will The Gentleman put up big numbers on Netflix or suffer from a sophomore slump? Leanne and Beauty in Black on Netflix seem small, but they both might be bigger than you think. Hulu has a bunch of shows: a new season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (the first after all the controversy last year) and the second season of Chad Powers (from Peyton Manning’s production company and starring Glen Powell). This one flopped last year; can it score a touchdown this year? Same goes for FX’s Adults, which I didn’t track last year; will it hit this year? Peacock’s The Office spinoff, The Paper and Apple TV’s Dark Matter also return for second seasons. And Netflix has more Untold specials featuring Vince Young, Raygun (that horrible breakdancer) and Mr. T. Long term, Paramount+ is rebooting yet another franchise, Clueless, and I’m somewhat bullish on this new show. The talent attached (Alicia Silverstone) and creative Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (of The O.C. and Gossip Girl) also feel solid...if they make it funny like the original.

Sep 14 • 6:43 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

St. Tammany Parish president shares health update

“I look forward to getting back to my normal pace soon," Mike Cooper said.

Sep 14 • 4:48 PM EDT • Health • fox8live.com

Google finally sets a date for Googlebook pre-orders

Planning on getting a Googlebook? Google has officially revealed when you'll be able to place your pre-order.

Sep 14 • 4:23 PM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com

Google Maps on Android Auto is finally getting a speedometer that’s always on

Last week's bug was actually a feature

Sep 14 • 3:53 PM EDT • Technology • androidpolice.com

Inflation impacts small business in Tampa: 'Our profit margin is getting smaller and smaller'

A long-time burger restaurant in Tampa is fighting surging food costs and inflation.

Sep 14 • 3:08 PM EDT • Business • fox13news.com

Please Stop Conflating Sports Betting Handle With Spending On Entertainment

Editor’s note: The Cashout for paid subscribers will publish on Tuesday. Every September there’s a huge uptick in how much people bet on sports with the start of football season. Which means it’s time to get ahead of a ridiculous narrative before it picks up steam on social media or in mainstream media. Subscribe Every few months I see some version of this: [ Charlie Bilello@charliebilello Americans bet over $165 billion on sports last year, which is more than they spent on movies, books, concerts and sports tickets - combined. 1:00 PM · Jun 28, 2026 · 4.1M Views 258 Replies · 674 Reposts · 4.23K Likes ](https://x.com/charliebilello/status/2071217050328895935?s=20) Fortune published this in July. The headline and start of the story tell the same narrative (emphasis added): Gambling becomes America’s favorite pastime as Americans spend more on sports bets than movies, arts, museums, and music combined: The North American box office totaled $8.87 billion in 2025, which is still 22% below pre-pandemic levels. Recorded music revenue hit a record $11.5 billion. Live music like concerts and festivals brought in $18.51 billion. Meanwhile, book publishers tracked by the Association of American Publishers reported $14.6 billion for the year. And the U.S. museum industry generated an estimated $16.4 billion. Add it up and the total comes to roughly $70 billion, which is less than half what Americans wagered on sports. The story, to its credit, goes on to tell us why sports betting is entirely different, although people who only read headlines will miss that nuance. (The tweet above definitely skips over the nuance.) I will mostly be preaching to the choir here, but it’s worth saying out loud: Wagering money on sports is not the same thing as spending on entertainment from a financial perspective. When you spend money on a movie or concert ticket, that money is gone. You exchanged money for an experience. It’s a good trade! I get to have fun for “x” dollars. (Unless the movie sucks, I guess.) When you bet money on sports, the money is not necessarily gone every time you wager it. It could be gone, but sometimes it’s not and you actually get more money back! That’s not “spending” money or something you should try to compare directly to entertainment spend. A far better comp would be how much people lose at sports betting. That number was more like $17 billion in the US last year, at least for state-regulated sportsbooks. Why are we trying to equate handle and entertainment spending? I dunno. It makes for splashy headlines, I guess. Now, people should be betting for entertainment, and not because they expect to win in the long term; no doubt about it. Anyway, here’s hoping I don’t see people saying Americans “spent” hundreds of millions of dollars on sports betting this fall. Mindway AI and DraftKings Expand Responsible Gaming Drive with Launch of Gamalyze American Football In time for the NFL kickoff, Mindway AI has expanded its partnership with DraftKings to launch Gamalyze American Football the second title in the neuroscience-based Gamalyze Sports collection. Following the success of Gamalyze Football (soccer) during the FIFA World Cup, this gridiron-themed update replaces static questionnaires with immersive, stadium-inspired gameplay. Backed by 10+ years of Aarhus University research, Gamalyze evaluates real-time decision-making to deliver instant, unbiased player risk assessments. Integrated into DraftKings’ platform and nationwide activations, it engages fans when excitement peaks. Ready to upgrade your player protection? Contact Mindway AI to try Gamalyze Sports today. Gambling news roundup 🚨The important stuff 1st NFL Sunday of Season ‘Champagne-Popping Day for Bettors’ (Covers): “The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks,” Caesars’ head of football Joey Feazel said prior to the Sunday night game. “Caesars Sportsbook reported that Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson were among the top five most-bet players to reach the end zone, and all of them cashed tickets.” [ Ben Fawkes@BFawkes22 A @CaesarsSports oddsmaker on how Week 1 has gone so far: “The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks.” ➡️8 of 10 most popular anytime TD scorers cashed 1:31 AM · Sep 14, 2026 · 276K Views 16 Replies · 16 Reposts · 615 Likes ](https://x.com/BFawkes22/status/2099310001927995849?s=20) 🔍 Are we already getting a “customer-friendly results” narrative in Week 1? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with CNBC about the prediction markets industry: “We think that there needs to be stronger regulations into the predictive markets,” Goodell said. “We want to see that to protect the integrity of our game. We want to make sure we’re protecting the consumers that are on those platforms for the NFL. So, we’re continuing to have conversations with them and talk to them about the things that we think they need to do to strengthen that so that they could be potential partners at some point in the future.” More on the NFL + PMs: [ Straight to the Point Quid Pro Quo The NFL has asked Kalshi and other prediction markets to remove certain easy to manipulate markets. Does a potential partnership hang in the balance… Read more 6 hours ago · 19 likes · Steve Ruddock ](https://straighttothepoint.substack.com/p/quid-pro-quo?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1472492) Kalshi was on my podcast?: Kalshi was on my podcast [ The Event Horizon Episode 32: Talking Prediction Market Enforcement With Kalshi’s Robert DeNault Kalshi? On my podcast? Yep… Listen now 5 hours ago · 6 likes · 1 comment · Dustin Gouker ](https://nexteventhorizon.substack.com/p/episode-32-talking-prediction-market-enforcement-kalshi?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1472492) DraftKings Enhances Responsible Engagement Efforts With New Customer Initiatives, Tools and Education (press release): DraftKings Inc. today announced a series of new initiatives designed to promote responsible engagement and increase awareness and use of the tools and resources to help customers make informed decisions and engage responsibly. The efforts include a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that promotes responsible engagement, a PGA TOUR sweepstakes that promotes customer engagement with responsible engagement features, the launch of Gamalyze American Football in collaboration with Mindway AI, and new custom cool-off options that give customers enhanced flexibility when choosing a cool-off period. The initiatives build on DraftKings’ commitment to making responsible engagement an integral part of the customer experience and providing players with accessible tools and resources that help them make informed choices about their gaming experience. “At DraftKings, responsible engagement is embedded in how we operate and is essential to building trust with our customers and our long-term sustainability,” said Lori Kalani, Chief Responsible Gaming Officer at DraftKings. “We’ve continued to invest in tools and resources that give customers enhanced access to information about their play and more choices for managing how they engage. From My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet to player-set limits and new custom cool-offs, we’re continuing to evolve our approach while promoting awareness and use of the tools and resources available to help customers play responsibly.” … DraftKings is launching a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that continues the pair’s road trip and promotes responsible engagement and awareness of the tools and resources available to help customers make informed choices about their gaming experience and engage responsibly. The campaign was initially launched on Sep. 10th and will reach customers through digital channels, bringing responsible engagement messaging to fans in an engaging way. bet365 Launches “The Matchup,” a New Weekly Video Podcast Hosted by Super Bowl Champions Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders (press release): "bet365, a global leader in online sports betting and gaming, today announced the launch of “The Matchup,” a new weekly video podcast hosted by former Super Bowl Champions Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders. Featuring current and former NFL players, the original series marks a significant, intentional investment in football as bet365 works to become a go-to destination for U.S. bettors throughout the season. “The Matchup” premieres September 10, with new episodes released weekly in both video and audio formats. Full episodes will be available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever podcasts are available, with clips and additional content rolling out across YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok. The show is being produced by Last Row Digital Media. Each week, Harris and Sanders will be joined by guests from across the game to break down the biggest NFL matchups, unpack the latest league news and share perspectives that go beyond the box score. By bringing together two former players with distinct perspectives and firsthand experience, “The Matchup” will give audiences timely context and a deeper understanding of the teams, players and storylines shaping the week ahead. “Every great football conversation starts with a matchup—who has the edge, what everyone is overlooking and what could change the game,” said Chris Harris Jr. “Emmanuel and I have experienced the game from different perspectives, and we want the audience to feel like they are part of the conversation and leave every episode knowing more about the week ahead.” Today’s iGaming companies face new litigation threats as expansive consumer protection statutes spark lawsuits with sky’s-the-limit aspirations, sometimes backed by private funders. Clients of Ifrah Law have a staunch defender in Robert Ward – an agile litigator and case tactician who responds to the changing state of play with creative legal defenses and efficient case-closing strategies. Robert draws on federal clerkship experience and appellate defense work to advise iGaming clients on litigation exposure, white-collar risk, and regulatory defense across multiple jurisdictions. Read More: Robert Ward on Helping iGaming Clients Outmaneuver Lawsuit-Obsessed Adversaries 🔮 Prediction markets Update on legal action in Connecticut: [ Daniel Wallach@WALLACHLEGAL Connecticut says gaming service license holders which received subpoenas over sports prediction markets “are not under investigation” by the @CTDCP but may possess information that could assist the state “in evaluating the conduct of prediction market platforms.” 2:31 PM · Sep 13, 2026 · 844 Views 5 Likes ](https://x.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/2099143914271670576?s=20) American Gaming Association Opposes CFTC Bid to Block New York Prediction-Market Enforcement (DeFi Rate): “The brief points to the Ninth Circuit’s Aug. 28 decision in KalshiEX LLC v. Assad, which the AGA says supports New York’s authority to regulate sports contracts as gambling. It also cites Kalshi advertising, product comparisons and reporting on Kalshi’s sports volume to argue that the economic product resembles a sportsbook wager more than a conventional financial hedge.” [ Daniel Wallach@WALLACHLEGAL AGA intervenes in CFTC v. NY case to oppose CFTC request for preliminary injunction, says the CFTC’s arguments “obfuscate a simple truth: prediction markets offer sports betting.” Highlights CA9 decision, @DustinGouker (6x), and $1.32 billion in OSB taxes for NY (0 from PMs). Daniel Wallach @WALLACHLEGAL High stakes hearing on Monday in CFTC v. New York State. If SDNY judge Lorna Schofield denies the CFTC’s motion for preliminary injunction, the New York AG would have a clearer path for securing a state court geofencing order against Kalshi, Coinbase, and Gemini Titan. 2:08 AM · Sep 13, 2026 · 4.78K Views 1 Reply · 2 Reposts · 8 Likes ](https://x.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/2098957043474280584?s=20) Gaming Commission remains member of gambling council after questions raised over ties to Kalshi (Mass Live): “The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will not follow the leads of gaming regulators in Ohio and Michigan and drop ties with the National Council on Problem Gambling over its new association with Kalshi.” Sponsor’s messageTrusted Voices: Conversations About Betting is designed to equip adults, including parents and coaches, with tools and resources to talk to young people about gambling, including information on warning signs, risks and proxy betting. The program is led by retired professional basketball player Randy Livingston and his wife, basketball agent Anita Smith, who share their personal stories related to problem gambling, with the hope of preventing others from experiencing similar harms. Learn more and join the conversation here. 📣 Industry news Gaming M&A: Latest Mergers, Acquisitions and Deals (SBC Americas): “But what else is happening in the world of gaming mergers, acquisitions, investments, and partnerships? Here, we round up some of the news you might have missed.” BetMGM Named Official Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner of the Minnesota Vikings in Canada (press release): BetMGM, a leading iGaming and sports betting operator, announced a multi-year partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, naming it the Official Sports Betting Partner and Online Casino Partner of the team in Canada. The agreement gives BetMGM rights to use Vikings marks across approved sports betting, online casino and marketing activities in Canada. In addition, Vikings Big Kick LuckyTap™, a casino game by Design Works Gaming, is available now exclusively at BetMGM Casino in Alberta and Ontario. “Vikings fans bring a level of passion and loyalty that extends well beyond game day,” said Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer at BetMGM. “As the home of one of the largest collections of sports-themed casino content in North America, BetMGM is uniquely positioned to combine sports fandom with iGaming. We are eager to start football season off strong with another fantastic partnership especially as we expand our reach in Canada to Alberta.” Martin Nance, Minnesota Vikings Chief Marketing Officer, said, “As we continue to deepen our connection with Vikings fans across Canada, we’re proud to welcome BetMGM as the team’s official sports betting and online casino partner in Canada. Their commitment to innovation and fan engagement aligns well with our organization, and we’re excited to create memorable experiences that celebrate Vikings football and connect with Canadian fans in new and meaningful ways.” Caesars Entertainment Launches Ball Rush Jackpots™ in New Jersey,the Latest Proprietary Online Title from Empire Creative™ (press release): Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) (“Caesars”) today announced the launch of Ball Rush Jackpots™, a new ball-and-peg style online casino game developed by Empire Creative™, the Company’s in-house game development studio. Now live in New Jersey across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino and Horseshoe Online Casino, Ball Rush Jackpots is expected to become available in additional jurisdictions where Caesars offers online casino gaming following regulatory approval. The title expands Caesars’ growing portfolio of proprietary online casino titles, following the successful launch of Ca$hline™ earlier this year and further diversifying the Company’s lineup beyond traditional slots and table games. Ball Rush Jackpots follows the traditional ball-drop gameplay experience where players drop a ball down a board filled with pegs to land in a prize slot. As balls navigate independently through a field of pegs, every drop creates new opportunities to collect feature symbols, unlock bonuses and pursue jackpots, delivering a different experience with every round. “Ball Rush Jackpots delivers a different kind of casino experience for our players, combining easy-to-understand gameplay with meaningful customization, exciting bonus opportunities and jackpot potential,” said Matthew Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital. “As we continue expanding our proprietary content portfolio, we’re focused on creating games that are simple to pick up, rewarding to revisit and designed around the features players enjoy most.” Bally’s Corporation Secures New Financing to Support the Development of the Bally’s Bronx Project (press release): Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY) (“Bally’s” or the “Company”) announced today that it secured new financing led by WhiteHawk Capital Partners, LP to fund further development of the Bally’s Bronx project and general corporate purposes. The new financing comprises closing date term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $400 million and delayed draw term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $160 million (together, the “Facilities”). … Bally’s Chairman of the Board, Soo Kim, commented, “This important financing allows us to progress the pre-construction planning process so that we are ready to complete the remainder of the capital raise and remain on schedule. Furthermore, the additional liquidity provides us greater flexibility for other capital opportunities.” WORLD JAI ALAI LEAGUE LAUNCHES CENTENNIAL SEASON AND ENTERS NEXT CHAPTER IN MIAMI (press release): The World Jai Alai League will open its 2026 fall season on Tuesday, September 15 at Miami’s JAM Arena, beginning a milestone season that marks 100 years since professional Jai Alai first arrived in Miami. Season X, the tenth season of the Battle Court team-based competition launched in 2022, will also be the first since entrepreneur and sports asset investor Rob Gough acquired the World Jai Alai League in August 2026. The acquisition marks the beginning of a new chapter for the league. World Jai Alai League will maintain the existing Battle Court competition and operating format, with Chief Operating Officer Scott Savin overseeing Season X. Gough and his team will use the coming months to listen to players and fans, evaluate opportunities across the league, and execute plans for a broader evolution of Jai Alai’s presentation, live experience, media, marketing and commercial strategy beginning in 2027. “This is a really unique moment for Jai Alai,” said Rob Gough, Owner of the World Jai Alai League. “We have a sport with more than 100 years of history in Miami, extraordinary athletes and incredible speed, but I also believe there is enormous untapped potential.” bet365 reveals most popular online slots in 3 US states in August (SBC Americas): “In its monthly Gaming Insights and Performance report, growing online casino operator bet365 tracks player trends and game performance in online slots across its North American online casino markets.” The Closing Line is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Sep 14 • 2:45 PM EDT • Entertainment • closingline.substack.com

Samsung pokes fun at iPhone to Android switching drama in reality star-packed ad [Video]

Switching from iPhone to Android is a process that’s getting continually better and, in a new ad, Samsung pokes fun...

Sep 14 • 2:45 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com

In Gen Z Romance Shows Like Crew Girl, Sports Are the New Sex

A new generation of hit romance shows set among sweaty athletes suggests that for younger viewers, getting physical is no longer just about sex

Sep 14 • 1:52 PM EDT • Sports • time.com

US companies get creative as tariff refunds start flowing in

U.S. companies getting refunds after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s import tariffs are using the temporary windfall in a range of creative ways. The refunds are being

Sep 14 • 11:53 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com

Michael J. Fox: “The disease has become more difficult, but science shows that we are getting closer”

The actor, diagnosed with Parkinson's at age 29, became a leading figure in the search for treatments and a cure through the foundation that bears his name.

Sep 14 • 10:06 AM EDT • Science • marca.com

Google Wallet for Android getting vertically stacked card list

Following the homepage redesign and fullscreen passes revamp this year, Google Wallet is trialing a vertically stacked card list.

Sep 14 • 8:30 AM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com

Chemistry textbooks have been getting this wrong for nearly 100 years

A foundational chemistry concept found in textbooks for almost 100 years may have been taught incorrectly. Researchers say the inductive effect in neutral molecules appears to extend only across one chemical bond, rather than gradually weakening over three or four bonds as traditionally taught. The team argues that updating this explanation could make organic chemistry easier to understand and provide a stronger foundation for future research and innovation.

Sep 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

What supplement formulators can borrow from pharmaceutical delivery science

Poor absorption is a problem the pharmaceutical industry solved decades before most supplement formulators had to think about it. Compounds that show real biological activity in a lab often perform far worse once they're inside the body, because getting a molecule to dissolve, cross the gut wall and reach circulation is a separate engineering problem from proving the molecule does something useful

Sep 14 • 5:39 AM EDT • Science • nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com

How University Core Curriculums Are Getting Political

Politics and other factors are causing universities to reconsider what classes are core requirements. In some places, civics and classics are replacing climate change and sociology.

Sep 14 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Is Louisiana getting a fresh look from site selectors in light of SpaceX, Meta announcements?

In light of the recent announcements, we reached out to national site selectors — high-priced brokers who scour the globe in search of the perfect location for their corporate clients — to see what they think about the state and whether the megadeals have made them look at Louisiana in new and different ways.

Sep 14 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • nola.com

Zelda Art Director Receives Backlash For AI Prototype Test

Takaya Imamura was surprised that he was 'getting slammed this hard' for sharing a prototype made with the help of AI

Sep 13 • 4:57 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

The A.I. Freakout Is Getting Political

The people building artificial intelligence are increasingly frightened of their own creation. Two Democratic operatives want to turn that anxiety into a political weapon before Republicans figure out how to harness it.

Sep 13 • 4:48 PM EDT • Politics • puck.news

CBS News leaders sell staff on return of '60 Minutes' under Bari Weiss

CBS News is getting employees excited about the first full season of "60 Minutes" under Bari Weiss, months after a string of high-profile exits.

Sep 13 • 1:16 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Nighttime bathroom trips could reveal hidden health issues

Getting out of bed once during the night to use the bathroom is common, but repeated trips could signal underlying issues, health experts warn.

Sep 13 • 1:08 PM EDT • Health • fox5ny.com

Nighttime bathroom trips could reveal hidden health issues

Getting out of bed once during the night to use the bathroom is common, but repeated trips could signal underlying issues, health experts warn.

Sep 13 • 1:08 PM EDT • Health • fox5atlanta.com

Partial kratom ban signed by Dutchess County executive

Sue Serino released a statement, saying this was an important first step toward getting kratom off the shelves.

Sep 13 • 12:27 PM EDT • Health • spectrumlocalnews.com

Yankees news: Gerrit Cole seeking answers after getting booed during latest start

With the New York Yankees on the verge of clinching a postseason spot , the time has yet to come after the team lost 12-2 to the New York Mets on Saturday, which included another disappointing outing from pitcher Gerrit Cole. As the Yankees and Cole gear up for the playoffs, the star pitcher would get real about his recent outings and what needs to […] The post Yankees news: Gerrit Cole seeking answers after getting booed during latest start appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Sep 13 • 11:34 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Legendary Canadian boxer George Chuvalo dies aged 89

The heavyweight champion took on the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and was known for never once getting knocked out or knocked down.

Sep 13 • 10:01 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Getting to the bottom of copper’s rise to the top

Kennecott has been spruced up quite a bit since my last visit there nearly 30 years ago.

Sep 13 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • newsminer.com

Report: Macomb mental health-substance abuse efforts rise with need

“We use full geo-location technology. If you’re physically in Macomb County and dial 988, or our 586-307-9100 phone number, you’re getting the same group of people, which is local individuals.” — Macomb County Community M…

Sep 13 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • macombdaily.com

Dodgers notes: Tyler Glasnow, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy

The Dodgers’ season-high eight game win streak came to a crashing halt on Saturday, as they fell to the Miami Marlins 4-3. Saturday turned out to be a rough outing for right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who completed just four full innings of work through 91 pitches while getting charged for four earned runs, resulting in his […]

Sep 13 • 8:03 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Chimpanzees once used for vaccine research get health checks as part of long-term care

Chimpanzees once used in hepatitis B vaccine experiments are getting health checks at their new home in Liberia. The West African chimpanzees receive care such as teeth cleanings and X-rays

Sep 13 • 7:55 AM EDT • Health • yoursun.com

Orioles news: Bradish struggles, wild card odds

Things aren’t getting any easier with Dylan Cease awaiting today.

Sep 13 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Prep Spotlight: Getting to know Chickasha football player Javier Nieto

The Oklahoman asked each athlete who attended a media day to answer their favorite music and more as part of its Prep Spotlight series.

Sep 13 • 6:17 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Provinces are turning to U.S. health-care workers to help with shortages. And it’s working

With shortages of nurses, physicians and other health workers, some provinces are actively recruiting U.S. health-care professionals — and they’re getting results.

Sep 13 • 4:00 AM EDT • Health • cbc.ca

This Is Why Ohio State Should’ve Let Texas Score

The Ohio State Buckeyes had no business losing to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night, not after the way OSU had dominated much of the game. But down the stretch, Arch Manning and the Longhorns started scoring, and the Texas defense began getting stops. All of a sudden, Texas was on the doorstep with less […] The post This Is Why Ohio State Should’ve Let Texas Score appeared first on HEAVY.

Sep 13 • 2:35 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Steelers Drop Week 1 Hype Video Amid Concerning Field Conditions

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting fans excited ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Fans are expecting a home win now that Cooper Rush is starting for the Falcons.The team has dropped several hype videos Saturday, including one captioned: “See yinz soon.”The “yinzers” are pumped and Sunday should be a party in the […] The post Steelers Drop Week 1 Hype Video Amid Concerning Field Conditions appeared first on HEAVY.

Sep 13 • 12:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

4 keys to victory for the Broncos against the Chiefs

The Denver Broncos will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Here are 4 keys to the team getting a big victory.

Sep 12 • 7:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Getting granular about the rules of the Wild Card Challenge

Help us refine the rules of the 2026 Wild Card challenge by sharing your questions about the rules of the game here!

Sep 12 • 6:45 PM EDT • Technology • frequentmiler.com

Solar system's smallest planet is getting even smaller — shrinking 30% faster than astronomers thought

Sep 12 • 4:00 PM EDT • Science • nypost.com

Reaction: “Satisfied with my team’s display!”

Ole Book (in the mixed zone): “After the Champions League match, we had a few problems getting into the game. Paderborn was very aggressive, especially in the opening phase, and had a good plan for ...

Sep 12 • 2:36 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

US: Target lists some of first party games in Customer Appreciation Sale

Customers in North America will be getting ready to spend in the upcoming Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale. While Nintendo hasn’t announced which first party games will be including in the sale…

Sep 12 • 2:29 PM EDT • Technology • mynintendonews.com

Heroes of the Storm Gets First New Character in Six Years

Announced at Blizzcon 2026, Heroes of the Storm is getting its first new character since Hogger was released in 2020, as well as a new PTR.

Sep 12 • 1:43 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com

Blizzard revives 'Heroes of the Storm,' starting with new hero Xal'atath

Blizzard's "maintenance mode" MOBA is getting its first new hero in years in the form of Warcraft's big current antagonist.

Sep 12 • 1:42 PM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com

Giants Fans Seem to Be Forgetting About One Key Player

New York Giants fans seem to have forgotten about how important this player actually is.

Sep 12 • 12:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Getting creative with book binding at the Orlando Science Center

The Science of It: How storytelling has evolved and how you can do it at home. This is the perfect rainy-day activity.

Sep 12 • 7:26 AM EDT • Science • wesh.com

Apple Watch Audio Intelligence: 4 New Features Available On The Series 12 And Ultra 4

Apple Watch's Audio Intelligence is getting a significant number of new features for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 aimed at making your life easier.

Sep 12 • 5:17 AM EDT • Technology • bgr.com

Mario Kart World isn't Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's replacement

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still getting updates from Nintendo, so they definitely want it to co-exist alongside Mario Kart World - here's why.

Sep 12 • 12:00 AM EDT • Technology • nintendoeverything.com

NC State smokes Richmond, 73-0

NC State spent almost two weeks getting angry about football, and it showed, as the Wolfpack jumped on Richmond for 21 points in the first quarter and never had anything to worry about after that. The work wasn’t difficult for the offense in that first quarter, and Richmond was DOA, and the rest was just […]

Sep 11 • 11:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Max Eberl on Jonas Urbig becoming Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper

The FC Bayern goalkeeper is getting top praise at the moment.

Sep 11 • 10:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Why Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) Is Getting Attention Today

Melco Resorts & Entertainment (NasdaqGS:MLCO) has drawn attention after recent trading left the share price at $5.05. Investors are weighing this casino operator’s global footprint against a series of weak recent return figures. Recent trading tells a mixed story for Melco Resorts & Entertainment. The 1-day share price return of 0.8% contrasts with a 30-day share price return down 8.5% and a 1-year total shareholder return down 47.4%. This points to fading momentum as investors reassess both...

Sep 11 • 7:29 PM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st

Dan Campbell Provides Encouraging Injury Updates Before Lions-Saints

The Detroit Lions are getting healthier just in time for Week 1, with several key roster and injury updates that could impact Sunday’s matchup against the Saints.

Sep 11 • 3:34 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

SD Urban Indian Health launches Monday walk-in clinic in Sioux Falls

Getting care just got more flexible for patients at South Dakota Urban Indian Health.

Sep 11 • 3:11 PM EDT • Health • dakotanewsnow.com

Arkansas Department of Health getting rid of 71 positions in new restructuring plan

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) said Friday that they are implementing a reduction of work force effective Nov. 1.

Sep 11 • 2:03 PM EDT • Health • katv.com

Liberty Science Center Breaks Ground On $40M Expansion With New Exhibits

Liberty Science Center in Jersey City is getting a $40 million expansion with new exhibits, a goat playground, river otter habitat, and more.

Sep 11 • 1:59 PM EDT • Science • hobokengirl.com

Apple sets cutoff time for getting faster iPhone 18 Pro pre-order

Here’s the deadline for when iPhone 18 Pro purchase decisions need to be locked in with Apple for a faster pre-order experience.

Sep 11 • 1:05 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com

Routine Reset: How to Prioritize Your Mental Health This Fall

School is back in session and life is getting back to normal, so psychotherapist Niro Feliciano stops by TODAY to share tips for resetting your routine. See her advice for dealing with shorter daylight hours and packed schedules, which includes “progress over perfection,” limiting phone use, going for walks, and more.

Sep 11 • 12:46 PM EDT • Health • today.com

Pirates Roster Moves: O’Hearn Back From Injury

The Pirates are getting a key piece of their lineup back on Friday as first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn has been […]

Sep 11 • 11:22 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

London Theatre Drops Duke of York Name After More Than 130 Years

A historic theater in London’s West End is getting a new name after more than a century as the Duke of York’s Theatre. Owners ATG Entertainment said renaming the playhouse as the Tom Stoppard Theatre ...

Sep 11 • 11:06 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

This Fan-Favorite Netflix Show Was Canceled, But Now It’s Getting a Spin-Off

Though the fan-favorite show will end after its fifth season airs in 2027, "The Lincoln Lawyer" is getting a spinoff starring an unexpected character.

Sep 11 • 11:01 AM EDT • Entertainment • purewow.com

Meet the 27-year-old democratic socialist on track to lead Providence

There are few surer signs you’ve made it as a progressive Democrat than getting a call from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after winning your primary. A story in The Washington Post doesn’t hurt either.

Sep 11 • 10:40 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com

Cancer Is Now The Leading Health Threat For 9/11 Survivors 25 Years On

By Ellyn Vohnoutka HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Twenty-five years after the World Trade Center attacks, cancer has become the defining health problem among survivors who breathed the toxic dust. The number who are getting help paying for cancer treatment has roughly ...

Sep 11 • 10:30 AM EDT • Health • usnews.com

ClickFix attacks infecting PCs and Macs are going viral

Simplicity—combined with the difficulty of getting stuff done—makes ClickFix ideal.

Sep 11 • 7:30 AM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com

Just across the Hudson, the Western Hemisphere’s largest planetarium is getting a massive $40M upgrade—adding a 90-foot upside-down balloon, river otters, and a touching 9/11 Memorial Garden

Liberty Science Center's massive $40M expansion brings a 90-foot upside-down balloon, a touching 9/11 Memorial Garden, and epic planetarium upgrades.

Sep 11 • 6:40 AM EDT • Science • secretnyc.co

Cocktail Thursday: Western Kentucky Edition.

Are your Georgia Bulldogs getting ready to kick off in Sanford Stadium and looking to avoid a letdown after a sterling week one performance? Then you could probably use a drink. I can help you with that. It occurred to me earlier this week that I was in Sanford Stadium the last time the Western […]

Sep 10 • 10:26 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Fact check: Trump, RFK Jr. and others make false claims on night 2 of GOP convention

(CNN) — President Donald Trump delivered another rapid-fire series of false claims on the second night of Republicans’ midterm convention on Thursday. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did his own barrage of wrongness. And various other speakers uttered statements that were untrue, misleading or missing critical context.Here is a fact check of some of the assertions from the final day of the convention. This is not intended as a comprehensive list of Thursday’s falsehoods.Trump’s many false claimsTrump made numerous false claims, some of which he also made in his longer speech Wednesday.Trump claimed that there were “no empty seats” in the Dallas arena as he spoke Thursday, which was visibly untrue. CNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene, who was there, wrote in a live chat right after Trump made the claim that “I’m looking at rows of empty seats” and that “the idea that there are ‘no empty seats’ is just laughably untrue,” though she also said the room was mostly full. Trump has for years made false claims about supposedly never having had an empty seat.Trump further inflated one of his favorite fictional figures, claiming Thursday that “$22 trillion” in investment has come into the US; on Wednesday, he had put it at “over $20 trillion,” and even that lower figure has no apparent basis in reality. As of the time he spoke Thursday, the White House’s own website claimed there had been “$11.2 trillion” in “major investment announcements” this term, not “over $20 trillion,” and the White House figure was itself a major exaggeration of actual investment.Trump, talking about elections, lied that “there’s never been bigger cheaters” than Democrats; there is no basis for broadly describing Democrats as election cheaters. For the second straight night, Trump falsely claimed that the Biden administration allowed “25 million people” to pour into the country, though that number is nowhere close to correct. Trump again falsely claimed that former President Joe Biden and other Democrats “created the worst inflation in American history,” though even peak Biden-era inflation, 9.1% in June 2022, was far from the all-time record of 23.7%; it was a 40-year high, but the rate then fell sharply before Trump returned to office.Trump also baselessly claimed that Democrats would “defund the police” and give “voting rights and welfare to 25 million illegal aliens” if they won the midterms. Republicans will still control the White House in 2027 and 2028 and the president would be in position to veto any such changes if a Democratic-controlled Congress sought to make them, but there is no indication that Democrats want to do so. Also, even groups favoring strict immigration policies estimate that the total undocumented population is far less than “25 million” or even 20 million.As he did Wednesday, Trump claimed the US now has the world’s lowest prescription drug prices. The assertion is so broad that it is unclear what exactly Trump is referencing. But experts told CNN they highly doubt that the prices for brand-name drugs in the US are generally less than they are in other countries, and the Trump administration has not provided details to prove the claim.“It’s tough to claim that you’re getting the lowest prices anywhere in the world and then also not have any evidence to support that,” said Andrew Mulcahy, a senior health economist at RAND, while Diederik Stadig, senior healthcare economist at financial institution ING, said, “To say that the US now has the lowest drug prices in the world is at this moment not true.”And as he did Wednesday, Trump said “more Americans are working today than ever before” – which is true but nearly meaningless, since the number of people working in the US generally rises over time simply because the population rises over time.“There are more Americans working because there are more Americans. That’s the entire analysis,” Justin Wolfers, a University of Michigan professor of public policy and economics, wrote in his newsletter in August.RFK Jr.’s false claims on the pandemic, Trump’s record and moreFalse claim about Democrats and the 2024 electionKennedy unsuccessfully ran for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination before withdrawing to run as an independent and then eventually endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump. In Kennedy’s Thursday convention speech, he complained of how the Democrats handled the nomination race.At one point, he said, “For the first time in history, they cancelled their own convention. No voter ever cast a primary ballot for Kamala Harris, no elected delegate was ever consulted; the party of ‘No Kings’ simply anointed a queen.”Kennedy is entitled to express unhappiness about how quickly Democratic leaders coalesced around then-Vice President Harris after Biden unexpectedly dropped out of the race in July 2024, after the primaries were over and less than four months from Election Day. But it’s not true that the party canceled its convention or that delegates didn’t get any say.The convention was held; it was a four-day event in Chicago in August 2024. Democratic convention delegates officially nominated Harris in a virtual roll call vote in advance of the convention. It’s true that Harris was the only candidate on the roll call ballot, but that’s because she was the only candidate who gathered enough delegate signatures to appear on the ballot.It’s clear that party elites’ backing of Harris played a key role in the unusual nomination process. But Kennedy’s specific allegations that the convention was abandoned and delegates were cut out of the process are not true.False claim that Democrats closed ‘every church’ during the Covid-19 pandemicWhile attacking Democrats, Kennedy claimed that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, “They closed every church in our country for a year.”It’s not true that every church in the country was closed for a year, nor even that every church in a Democratic state was closed for a year.Every state issued some type of guidance or order about social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic, but many states – including some led by Democrats and some led by Republicans – incorporated religious exemptions into those limitations on social interactions.According to a Pew Research Center analysis from April 2020, 15 states allowed religious gatherings to continue without a limit on their size. That set of states included Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which all had Democratic governors. And at least two states with Republican governors, Alaska and Idaho, were among the states that prohibited religious gatherings at least briefly.False claim that Trump ‘ended nine wars’Trump has repeatedly claimed that he has ended “eight wars.” Kennedy went one higher on Thursday, declaring, “President Trump has ended nine wars.”That’s false. Trump hasn’t even ended eight wars.Trump’s list of eight includes two situations that were never actually wars during his tenure: a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia and a mysterious supposed situation between Serbia and Kosovo. The list also includes a war, involving Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, that hasn’t actually ended despite a peace agreement brokered by the Trump administration.In addition, the list includes the war between Israel and Hamas, but Israel continues to conduct frequent attacks in Gaza despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. And it includes the brief 2025 conflict between Israel and Iran, though Israel proceeded to join the US in starting another war against Iran in 2026.Claim about reversing a decline in longevityKennedy speaking of the Trump administration, claimed Thursday: “We have now reversed a 30-year decline in longevity. “Kennedy referenced preliminary data that he said he had received from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, but it’s unclear what metric of longevity he’s referring to.CDC data shows that US life expectancy had been steadily increasing for decades before a sharp drop during the Covid-19 pandemic. Life expectancy had already started to rebound in 2022, under the Biden administration, and reached a new record high in 2024 before Trump’s second term began.Preliminary data shared by the CDC in July suggests that life expectancy probably hit another record high in 2025.CNN has reached out to HHS for clarification on Kennedy’s comments.Claim that Democrats ‘lost 360,000 children’Speaking about Democrats, Kennedy said: “They somehow lost 360,000 children and they turned our federal government into the biggest child trafficking operation in world history.”Trump and other Republicans have made similar claims. But there’s no basis for the assertion that Democrats “lost” so many children or that the federal government was engaged in human trafficking.A 2024 report from the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement had reported that more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children failed to appear as scheduled for immigration court hearings after being released or transferred out of custody between fiscal years 2019 and 2023 – a period that, notably, includes two years and four months under the first Trump administration. The report also said that 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children during this period were not given notices to appear in court.The report said that ICE had “no assurances” these children “are safe from trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor.” But it did not say all the children were actually “lost” and did not definitively assert that any of them were trafficked – let alone that the government was somehow involved in a trafficking operation. And, again, the report spanned parts of both a Republican administration and a Democratic administration.Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, told CNN in 2024: “Long story short, no, there are not 320,000 kids missing. 32,000 kids missed court. That doesn’t mean they’re missing, it means they missed court (either because their sponsor didn’t bring them or they are teenagers who didn’t want to show up). The remaining 291,000 cases mentioned by the (Office of the Inspector General) are cases where ICE hasn’t filed the paperwork to start their immigration court cases.”Vance on inflation, crime and taxes on Social SecurityA false claim about the media and Biden-era inflationVice President JD Vance mocked the media during part of his speech on Thursday. But he made a false claim about Biden-era inflation while lampooning how the media supposedly challenged him over another false claim on that subject.Vance said: “The president and I would go during a campaign, we’d say, ‘You know, inflation is as high as it’s been in 100 years,’ and the fake news would say, ‘No, no, no, it’s as high as it’s been in 68 years.’ That ain’t good, ladies and gentlemen.”Mainstream journalists, at least, wouldn’t say that inflation under Biden was as high as it had been “in 68 years.” Rather, CNN and others noted that peak inflation under the Biden administration, 9.1% in June 2022, was the highest in about 40 years.Vance is entitled to make his general point that this correction still doesn’t make Biden-era inflation sound good, but his specific number was, again, wrong. And he didn’t acknowledge that inflation fell sharply under Biden after hitting the 40-year high, declining to 2.9% in Biden’s last full month in office, December 2024, and 3.0% in January 2025, when Trump and Vance were inaugurated.The rate was 3.4% in July 2026, the most recent month for which data is available.Trump didn’t end taxes on Social SecurityVance claimed, “We’ve ended taxes on Social Security.” Several other convention speakers, including Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania and Ohio House candidate Derek Merrin, similarly said the administration has achieved “no tax on Social Security.”It hasn’t. The big domestic policy bill Trump signed in 2025 did create an additional, temporary $6,000-per-year tax deduction for individuals age 65 and older (which phases out for individuals earning $75,000 per year or more), but as the White House has implicitly acknowledged, millions of Social Security recipients will continue to pay taxes on their benefits even before the temporary new deduction expires after 2028.The Social Security Administration said in 2025 that “the bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits.Claim about violent crime rate under BidenWhile criticizing the Biden administration, Vice President JD Vance claimed Thursday that the US “became a country where violent crime exploded, unless, of course, you could afford private security.”But violent crime did not explode under Biden. In fact, as FactCheck.org reported last month, data collected and published by the FBI shows that the national violent crime rate was at a lower level in 2023 and 2024, the last two full calendar years of Biden’s term, than it was in 2020, the last full calendar year of Trump’s first term. The year 2020 was highly unusual in many ways – violent crime jumped amid the Covid-19 pandemic – but Biden nonetheless left office with violent crime lower than it was when he took over. In fact, the 2024 violent crime rate was even lower than the 2019 rate under Trump before the pandemic.There was an increase in violent crime during the earlier part of Biden’s term. But given the subsequent decline, it’s misleading at best to claim violent crime “exploded” with no further context.Asked earlier this month about Trump’s similar previous claims to have reversed a Biden-era upswing in violence, crime data expert Jeff Asher said in an email: “No, crime began dropping significantly in 2023 during the Biden administration. Murder fell at record rates in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and, while 2026 may not feature a record decline nationally, it is still on track to see a sizable double-digit decline this year. Violent crime similarly fell nationally in 2023 and 2024, though the drops were more muted than the decline that was recorded by the FBI in 2025.”Other GOP speakersMike Johnson’s false claim about the inflation Republicans inherited from BidenSome other speakers at the convention took aim at inflation under Biden. House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed that “Republicans inherited from the Biden administration record-high inflation.”That’s not true. The inflation rate was 2.9% in Biden’s last full month in office, December 2024, and 3.0% in January 2025, when Trump took over. That’s lower than the most recent rate, 3.4% in July 2026, and nowhere close to the all-time record of 23.7%, which was reached in 1920, or the highest point of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, 14.8%, which was reached in 1980.Johnson correctly said moments later that inflation reached “a 40-year high of 9.1% inflation” under Biden. But a 40-year high is not an all-time record. More importantly, Johnson didn’t explain that 9.1% was much higher than the rate Trump inherited or that the 9.1% rate occurred in June 2022, with roughly two-and-a-half years left in Biden’s term.The cumulative increase in prices from the beginning of the Biden administration to the end was also not the highest in US history. Federal figures show that beginning-to-end inflation under Biden was less than half of that during Carter’s term.What Johnson left out of his claim about a congressional resolutionWhile attacking Democrats as extreme, Johnson said: “Just last week, nearly every Democrat in the House of Representatives voted against condemning socialism and Marxism. They voted against it.”But the resolution didn’t use the word “Marxism.” And Johnson didn’t mention that the resolution wasn’t only about condemning socialism. Rather, it contained other language that Democratic leadership said was the focus of the party’s opposition to the resolution.The resolution’s first provision said it “condemns and denounces socialism in all its forms, including the Democratic Socialists of America, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.” But its fifth provision said it “calls for enactment of the SAVE America Act,” Trump’s favored elections bill, which contains various provisions opposed by many Democrats.So while it’s very possible many Democrats would have opposed the resolution even without its expression of support for the SAVE America Act, the call to pass this elections bill served as a poison pill that ensured most Democrats wouldn’t support it.“House Resolution 1490 explicitly calls for enactment of the so-called SAVE America Act, which is the top legislative priority of far-right extremists,” Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement last week.A New Mexico candidate left out key context in an attack on his opponentGreg Cunningham, a Republican House candidate in New Mexico, used some of his Thursday speech to criticize his Democratic opponent, Rep. Gabe Vasquez. Cunningham said of Vasquez: “He even voted against a resolution honoring the sacrifices and service of the brave men and women in law enforcement who protect, every day, our communities.”But Cunningham left out important context about the resolution. While its focus was expressing support for law enforcement, its preamble contained statements praising the Trump administration and criticizing “leftist activists,” “progressive politicians” and “sanctuary city policies” for allegedly making law enforcement less safe.In other words, a House member might vote against such a resolution, as the vast majority of Democrats did, because they disagreed with conservative components of it, not the general expressions of support for law enforcement. (CNN has reached out to Vasquez’s campaign and House office for comment on his vote.) It’s common for parties to write resolutions in a way that would make it difficult for opponents to support but would open those opponents to campaign attacks if they voted “no.”An Ohio candidate’s misleading attack about Democrats and votingMerrin, the Republican candidate running against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur for a House seat in Ohio, claimed in his speech, “While Democrats talk about letting illegal immigrants vote in our election, Republicans fight for proof of citizenship, photo ID and fair elections.”It’s a big country, so it’s possible some Democrat somewhere is talking about letting undocumented people vote in some election. But Merrin’s claim is misleading at best. There is no proposal from Democrats in Congress to let undocumented people vote in the 2026 midterms – the election Merrin appeared to be referring to when he said “our election” – or vote in future federal elections.CNN has reached out to Merrin’s campaign for an explanation of his claim.House Majority Leader Steve Scalise invoked a similar theme in his speech Wednesday, claiming that Democrats had voted last week “to allow illegals to vote in our federal elections.” But there was no congressional vote on letting undocumented immigrants vote in any elections.Rather, there was a vote on the non-binding Republican resolution that included multiple provisions, including one that “reiterates the notion that American elections are for American citizens only,” one supporting Trump’s favored elections bill and one denouncing socialism.Opposing that multi-clause resolution doesn’t necessarily mean someone supports voting by any non-citizens, let alone non-citizens in the country illegally.This article has been updated with additional items.CNN’s Deja Oliver contributed to this report.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Sep 10 • 9:46 PM EDT • Politics • applevalleynewsnow.com

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is getting a facelift. See renderings

A plan to overhaul the front entrance to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry gained approval on Thursday.

Sep 10 • 8:44 PM EDT • Science • nbcchicago.com

Fall fun returns to the Greensboro Science Center with second annual Fall Fest | What 2 See At The GSC

Fall is creeping closer, and the Greensboro Science Center is getting ready to celebrate with games, crafts, animals and plenty of seasonal fun. The family-friendly event serves as a conservation fun...

Sep 10 • 5:40 PM EDT • Science • yahoo.com

ETSU releases complete 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — East Tennessee State University released the complete 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule on Thursday. According to the university, the Bucs will play 19 preseason and regular season games at Freedom Hall, the most since the 2013-14 season. “We are looking forward to getting the season started and are pleased with the […]

Sep 10 • 5:35 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The Not-So-Secret Winner in Netflix and YouTube’s Streaming Wars Battle

(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Here’s a good piece of advice: when someone tells you a company has “won” the streaming wars, just assume they haven’t. Remember the narratives about the streaming media over the last few years: 2024 - Netflix has won the streaming wars! 2025 - YouTube has won the streaming wars! Yet…in 2026, I’d categorize it as… 2026 - Netflix and YouTube are battling for talent! Netflix and YouTube are aggressively fighting for top creators, marking a fierce new battle in the streaming wars. For two companies that “won”, that certainly doesn’t seem like winning behavior. If you win, you don’t have to fight for talent, because talent has to come to you. This is a good reminder that, if the streaming wars are a war—and I think they are—we should know what type of war they are. So it’s worth revisiting one of my big theories of the streaming wars, that the war these battles most represent is… The Thirty Years’ War1 I prefer this war to other, simpler wars, because, while it featured two “sides”—based on religion—and the current war has two main sides—tech versus entertainment—it also featured a lot of smaller players battling it out, sometimes switching sides. And that’s still the case for entertainment and media, despite the above headlines. I’d recommend this truism: if someone has to tell you they won the streaming wars, they probably haven’t. To wit, if someone told you they were fighting in the Thirty Years’ War—and no, they didn’t call it that at the time—and in year five, they told you they won, well, obviously they had 25 more years to go. That’s a lot of preamble to say, the story of the week is the latest battles between YouTube and Netflix. Their battle for talent says a lot about how hard this war will be to win. All that, plus The Curse of the Mogul in action, Netflix providing more (theatrical) data, whether Apple TV is in trouble, AMC getting in on distribution, and a whole lot more. Subscribe Today’s article is sponsored by… Substack is hosting a live Emmys watch party, starting at 5PM on the East Coast (2PM on the West Coast) on Monday, 14-Sep. Check it out! Tune In Most Important Story of the Week - Who’s the Big Winner in the Netflix vs YouTube Showdown? Netflix spent a lot in 2025, and then even more in 2026 adding a host of “creators”—both podcasters and YouTube stars—to their TV lineup. Frankly, for years, I’ve thought that more major studios/streamers/channels should look to YouTube as the launching pad for future stars and IP. Either by poaching proven talent—albeit at good prices—or by treating YouTube as an arena for your “A&R” reps to scout new talent and emerging voices. Netflix started executing the former strategy—which I thought was smart—while Focus Features did the latter with Obsession. So what changed? YouTube finally responded! Yikes. That’s a strong response, and stronger than I’d argue most narratives about YouTube suggest. People often describe YouTube as a self-reinforcing flywheel of success. Get on YouTube or perish. So why did YouTube have to respond? Because other folks poaching their top talent could really damage their business, implying their flywheel is a pinch more rickety than most analysis suggests. Clearly, creators can envision a life off YouTube and potentially a much more lucrative one. The Curse of the Media Mogul is Playing Out In Real Time We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Who is the big winner in the Netflix versus YouTube battle… The biggest question about YouTube… Plus why YouTube’s saber rattling should worry talent… Why I’m skeptical that a U.S. federal tax credit for film will happen… What key change could pull Apple from the streaming business. AMC getting in on distribution… Some great reads on the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.

Sep 10 • 5:34 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

Billy Joel assures fans he’s much better after brain surgery

NEW YORK — Billy Joel says that he’s doing better after getting a shunt in his brain. The 77-year-old New Yorker worried fans last year when he canceled a string

Sep 10 • 4:16 PM EDT • Entertainment • recorderonline.com

iOS 27 Apple Health App Redesign: Every New Feature Coming in 2026

Apple is planning a major redesign of the Health app on iPhone and iPad, with a long list of new features set to be added. Apple announced the Health app changes at yesterday's iPhone event. The Health app is getting an update because Apple overhauled the sensors in the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Sep 10 • 2:46 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

DKMS backs $1.08m push on transplant science

New $1.08m grant aimed at the immune biology behind stem cell transplants, a research problem getting more urgent as more people live longer.

Sep 10 • 12:40 PM EDT • Science • longevity.technology

Yankees Signal New Role for Pitcher Returning From Injury

The New York Yankees are heading toward the stretch run of September, and they’re getting some reinforcements.Aaron Judge returned from injury earlier this week, a huge boost to the Yanks’ chances this season.A key pitcher isn’t far behind.Clarke Schmidt continues his rehab assignment in the minor leagues, and he’s probably getting closer, but it comes […] The post Yankees Signal New Role for Pitcher Returning From Injury appeared first on HEAVY.

Sep 10 • 11:27 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Businesses across Cincinnati preparing for Bengals' season opener Sunday

Joe Burrow isn't the only one getting ready for Sunday. For businesses in Cincinnati, the surge of fans is their most important time of the year.

Sep 9 • 11:23 PM EDT • Business • wlwt.com

Oregon Already Getting Disrespected by ESPN After Week 1 Win

Oregon had a very strange opening game on Saturday against Boise State. I think some are forgetting that Boise State is one of the better teams in the country, and while Oregon could have and should have played better, there's a very good scenario in which Boise State is a playoff team. We have to remember that at the end of the day, especially with Oregon still winning this game, the defense stepped up when needed.

Sep 9 • 8:01 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Bald Head Island Conservancy lands $424K grant for coastal science training

A Brunswick County conservation group is getting nearly half a million dollars in federal funding to expand hands-on coastal conservation training for dozens of local students.

Sep 9 • 5:43 PM EDT • Science • wect.com

Celebration of Healthy Aging for seniors held in Branford

BRANFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Pushing back against the stigma of getting older, the Shoreline Eldercare Alliance Group hosted a Celebration of Healthy Aging in Branford on Wednesday. The group brings to…

Sep 9 • 4:24 PM EDT • Health • wtnh.com

Okay, WVU Women’s Soccer Really Is This Good.

Photos by Emma Lentz Well, I guess we can keep overreacting. Last week, I asked if WVU women’s soccer was really THIS good. The Mountaineers responded by beating Marshall 1-0, moving to 5-0 and giving me absolutely no reason to stop getting excited about this team. So, thanks for making my job easy. WVU is […]

Sep 9 • 4:12 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Americans prefer getting bitten by a mosquito or stubbing their toe than today’s politics

Respondents still prefer today’s politics over billionaires, telemarketers, health insurance companies, artificial intelligence, Elon Musk and root canals.

Sep 9 • 1:29 PM EDT • Politics • 13abc.com

Getting Lost In Blood Of Dawnwalker Is Part Of The Fun, But Getting Un-Lost Is A Serious Pain

I'm begging for the developers to add some kind of map shortcut

Sep 9 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

The Switch 2 is getting a 2D Metroid called Ravenous

Samus is back.

Sep 9 • 10:46 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com

Small Business Spotlight: Guitar shop aims to strike a chord

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN STRING THEORY GUITARS INC.? ALLISON & LEE WILLIAMS: “We are lifelong musicians with a passion for playing. We love Wilmington and the live music scene here, and we wanted a way to be a part of the music community without having to start work at 9 p.m. We also want to be a destination for residents and musicians performing in and around the downtown area.” WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDE, AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT HELPS CUSTOMERS? We love Wilmington and the live music scene here, and we wanted a way to be a part of the music community without having to start work at 9 p.m. We also want to be a destination for residents and musicians performing in and around the downtown areaTHE WILLIAMSES: “We’re a true basics-to-boutique destination. If you’re someone who’s just starting out, we can set you up with high-quality, brand-new equipment at a great entry-level price point. When you’re ready for your dream guitar, we can help you design and create a fully custom electric or acoustic guitar to your specifications. We have a broad selection of both guitars and amplifiers for players of every level. We also have a community board in the store to connect bands, students, instructors, repair technicians, and anyone providing a service to the local music community.” WHAT PAST EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE THAT LED YOU TO CREATE STRING THEORY GUITARS? THE WILLIAMSES: “Lee has played guitar for almost 40 years, from middle school band to gigging rock bands. Allison has a background in orchestra and musical theater, as well as retail management. We worked together as a husband-and-wife team in manufacturing for many years prior to moving to Wilmington. Having shopped in countless music stores over the years, we set up our shop with the goal of being welcoming and inviting. Our philosophy is ‘if it’s on display, it’s for play.’ No instrument or amplifier is out of reach in our store.” WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR GROWTH? THE WILLIAMSES: “We would love to grow the bluegrass and folk instrument segment of our business. We carry banjos, mandolins, resonator guitars, ukuleles and related accessories. We’ve seen and heard plenty of talented bluegrass and folk musicians around Wilmington, and we look forward to expanding our selections to support this growing segment of the local music scene.” WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING RIGHT NOW IN YOUR BUSINESS? THE WILLIAMSES: “Getting the word out about our brand and some of the unique brands we represent is a challenge for any new business. Online exposure through the Cargo District, Wilmington Downtown Inc. … and our online following is steadily growing. Our other challenge is the logistics of our streets. Our neighborhood is amazing, and you could spend the entire day walking around the Cargo District. As the District continues to grow, we’re seeing more pedestrian traffic, particularly in crossing 16th and 17th streets. We’ve seen some improvements in traffic calming, but the sooner we can improve safety with crosswalks and pedestrian signals, the more welcoming our neighborhood will be.”

Sep 9 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • wilmingtonbiz.com

Grand Theft Auto VI: can playing a video game count as cheating on your partner?

Historically a new Grand Theft Auto game inspired controversy around violence – but this time people are getting exercised about its romance

Sep 9 • 5:30 AM EDT • Technology • theguardian.com

Angel Reese Is Getting Way Too Good to Ignore

At some point, we have to stop calling Angel Reese a “future star.” She is already a star. Reese has taken her game to another level with the Atlanta Dream, averaging 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season. And somehow, she still feels like one of the most underrated…

Sep 9 • 3:14 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Youth sports become big business, putting stress on families and leaving some behind

Roughly 5 million kids are competing for travel or club sports teams that have cropped up across the country. Many benefit from that participation, including some who get college scholarships, but youth travel sports also come with increasing costs and challenges. As Stephanie Sy reports, those trade-offs and concerns are a part of the story that's getting more and more attention.

Sep 8 • 6:30 PM EDT • Business • artscanvas.org

The 98 Biggest TV Show Flops, Bombs and Misses in the First Half of 2026

(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) In July, I updated my look at how the “streaming bubble” popped since 2023, showing the decline in streaming TV shows over time. But after compiling and analyzing and writing about over one hundred TV show flops in the first half of 2026—I counted 99 “nominees” and there are even more honorable mentions—I couldn’t have told you that the number of shows is going down. When it comes to scripted, English-language TV shows, it feels like we have as many bombs as ever. I don’t keep a specific count, but some streamers probably had as many flops as they’ve ever had.1 That’s right, it’s time for part two of my analysis of the biggest flops, bombs and misses on streaming in the first half of 2026. Two weeks ago, I took a look at films. Today, TV shows. If you want to read the full methodology for how I assemble this list, you can find it at the bottom of this article. In short, this list is… ...scripted and unscripted TV shows,...from the nine major streamers,...in the US (using US-only ratings),...excluding true crime, kids and foreign-language shows,...that got no/poor ratings,...from Jan-2026 to the end of June-2026. Reminder: this article does not represent my personal opinion—many of these shows are great!—but I follow the data, and a miss is a miss and a bomb is a bomb. Also, price matters. If a TV show costs north of $100 million, it needs to get lots and lots of streaming viewership to justify that budget. As with past editions, I ordered this list by streamer, going from best (fewest flops) to worst (the most misses)—taking the size of the flops into consideration—and like the last edition, three or four streamers vied to take the win/loss of having the most flops. (But the actual winner is no surprise.) I try to avoid tooting my own horn too much, but seriously, in just under 5,000 words (including the methodology section) I provide a mostly comprehensive overview of the eight major streamers (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, and Apple TV) for the first half of the year, mentioning most of their hits and all their misses. It summarizes the entire first half of 2026! If you want to support this work, please subscribe. Subscribe Tubi Big Mood Boarders The Freak Brothers Twenty Twenty Six Honorable Mentions: Busted on Bodycam, Deestroying the Pitch, Destination World Cup 2026 I don’t think that Tubi spends all that much making or (mostly) licensing these original TV shows—Big Mood, Boarders and Twenty Twenty Six all come from the UK—but they’re not free and they didn’t chart anywhere. Winner: The Freak Brothers Have you even heard of this show? It’s an animated comedy...that’s on its third season! And Pete Davidson, Woody Harrelson, John Goodman and Tiffany Haddish all provide voice talent for it. Yes, animated shows don’t cost as much as live action shows, but cheap isn’t free! So a show with this level of talent needs to perform better. Disney+ Daredevil: Born Again Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Honorable Mentions: Behind the Attraction, Donna Hay Coastal Celebrations, We Call It Imagineering Disney+ doesn’t make all that many original shows anymore. They had two flops, and one was animated. Their one not-a-miss show, Wonder Man, got just good enough viewership to not be considered a “miss”...but it’s since been cancelled. At this point, Disney has pivoted entirely away from making big budget TV shows for Disney+ to making...almost nothing for Disney+? Sure, Disney’s spending circa 2019-2022 was unsustainable, but now they’re pivoting too far in the other direction. At some point, Disney needs to stop shifting strategies so wildly. Really, Disney should have made fewer shows for Disney+ at launch and the shows they did make at that time needed to be made at more reasonable budgets. And they should adopt that strategy now. Winner: Daredevil: Born Again Daredevil, the Marvel Comics character, is on my personal Mount Rushmore of favorite superheroes, so it pains me to give him the win/loss today, but this show deserves it. I’ll repeat my hot take from last spring: “Based on his popularity, Daredevil should be in movies, and probably ones that cost a lot less than the MCU’s usual price tag. Disney/Bob Iger/Ike Perlmutter (who, based on reporting, made the decision) made a huge mistake selling TV shows to Netflix in the 2010s, thus limiting this character to the small screen. Daredevil could have anchored Marvel’s post-Infinity War plans, and if he did, the MCU would probably be in a better place than it is now.” HBO Max We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… What four streamers had the most misses... HBO’s strong start to 2026… The caveat to Peacock’s turnaround this year... Paramount+’s key man problem… What country isn’t delivering hits for Netflix or Hulu... The cavalcade of stars on a streamer where no one is watching their shows... Across nearly 5,000 words of analysis… And a lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you’d like to read more about why you should subscribe, please read this article about the Streaming Ratings Report, why it matters, why you need it, and why we cover streaming ratings best.

Sep 8 • 6:29 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

Travel information for the Champions League opener v Villarreal

Rail servicesGetting thereThe RE 57 from Sauerland will make unscheduled stops at Signal Iduna Park station at 6:15 pm, 7:15 pm and 8:15 pm, and at Dortmund Central Station five minutes later each tim...

Sep 8 • 5:16 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs gets good news from NFL experts

Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs is already getting praise.

Sep 8 • 5:12 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Georgia getting new pro football team

The ownership group said Rome is a great market for arena football.

Sep 8 • 4:48 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Exclusive: Two of gaming’s biggest names are making a big investment in gaming’s future

The first thing to know about the Nova Games Foundation is that it isn’t about The Game Awards. And it’s not about PlayStation. The ambitious new grant program is the brainchild of Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny. Keighley is the host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest and Opening Night Live. Cerny is a game designer of some 45 years and the lead architect for the PlayStation 4 and 5. But this new thing, which they’re revealing through Game File, isn’t about their day jobs. It’s an unaffiliated, standalone philanthropic project. It’s a bet on the artistic future of video games and a way, they tell me, to give back. “I’m nearing the end of my career,” Cerny recently told me over email. “I’m not done yet, but paying it forward—in the best way possible—is very much on my mind these days,” The Nova Games Foundation is a university-affiliated fellowship program, intended to offer six-figure grants to 20 young game designers each year, potentially for decades to come. It will offer no-strings-attached funding along with mentorship from games industry leaders, a combination intended to aid the development of groundbreaking new games, Cerny and Keighley told me. Nova will begin accepting applications in December, from class of 2026 and 2027 students from 13 affiliated gaming programs at universities in eight countries. The schools working with Nova include the New York University and the University of Southern California in the U.S., along with Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, Cerny and Keighley said. The plan: $100,000 per recipient, with about a quarter of Nova fellows eligible for up to $500,000 more for projects that are shaping up particularly well. Payments will be delivered based on development milestones, and recipients will own their games. Nova will help promote the work, and developers will be free to pursue the publishers and platforms of their choice. Nova can help introduce fellows to publishers, but won’t take a cut. “I’ve always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I’ve never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games,” Keighley told Game File. “I’ve never owned stock in a game company or taken a financial stake in a game. Nova is philanthropy: we aren’t taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we’re hoping for is creative—helping new voices make games and find their footing. “Mark and I have each made multi-million-dollar donations to establish the foundation, and we intend to keep contributing. We hope others will join us.” Cerny and Keighley have already hired an executive director, John Maconga, and a head of grants, recent Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan, to help launch the effort. They’re working to recruit game industry leaders to join the effort. Keighley says “dozens of leading game directors have already expressed interest in contributing their time.” To name one, they’ve already gotten Josef Fares, lead designer from It Takes Two and Spit Fiction studio Hazelight on board with a donation and pledge to help out. “I’m proud to support Nova because it gives the next generation of creators the freedom to explore their creativity and hopefully bring their unique visions to life,” Fares told Game File. A plan forged from a friendship Keighley and Cerny have known each other a long time. It’s been so long, Cerny isn’t even sure exactly when they met. “We travel in much the same circles and I’m sure first intersected in the 90s or early 2000s,“ Cerny said. Keighley thinks it might have been during his stint writing a column about the mid-’90s console 3DO for a gaming magazine while Cerny was working on games with Crystal Dynamics or on Way of the Warrior with Naughty Dog. They became genuine friends about a 10 years ago, Keighley said, as they bonded over a shared love of games and a hope to improve the industry. “About a decade ago, we started having dinner a few times a year in LA,” Keighley said. “Just to catch up on life and the industry. Those conversations continued over Zoom during COVID. Nova grew out of that friendship and a question we kept coming back to: ‘What could we do to help the next generation of game directors get started?’” Keighley credits Cerny with the idea to figure out a way to put their money and time back into the industry. At one of those dinners, Keighley proposed the idea of a fellowship program. He’d recalled applying for a Rhodes Scholarship when he was younger. “Spoiler: I didn’t get it,” he said. He’d admired the MacArthur Foundation’s so-called “genius grants.” He liked these kinds of programs that recognized people’s talents and gave them the financial boost and the freedom to realize their potential. With Cerny, he had pondered what a game industry version of that could be. Keighley liked the idea of centering the fellowship on students, drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of Jenova Chen, the USC game design graduate who went on to lead the creation of gently moving, ambitious games such as Flower and Journey. Keighley also thought it could be useful to help promising graduates bridge the transition from student to professional. “Joining an established studio isn’t always possible—especially in today’s market—and even then, it isn’t the right path for everyone,” Keighley said. A fellowship, he realized, could give “graduates the time, resources and guidance to pursue a game of their own and not worry about the commercial viability.” As the idea took shape, Cerny also saw an opportunity to enable more games of a certain type: “The target with the grants is games as an artistic medium,” Cerny told me. “We like to say games with ‘artistic, literary and societal value.’” He added: “I’m a pretty big gamer myself, though I tend to gravitate towards the smaller and more unique or artistic titles, games like Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray or Outer Wilds. I was just playing and Roger on a flight to Japan, and was getting misty eyed to a degree that I was concerned that a flight attendant would ask me if I was OK. “So one fun benefit here is the games that will come out of the Nova Games Foundation – I can’t wait to play them myself.” Cerny believes it will also be useful for Nova fellows to hone their craft and team leadership skills. “We are looking for the next generation of visionaries,” he said. “The trick is that they will also need to have the executive function necessary to drive a small project to completion.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Going big with this Keighley and Cerny may have started Nova and may be the ones primarily backing it right now, but they’re dreaming of something that goes beyond them. “Mark and I may have helped get it started, but one of our measures of success is that Nova grows into something the entire games industry feels a sense of ownership in,” Keighley said. “Our ambition is to build a lasting endowment supported by people and companies across the industry, and an equally broad community of creators willing to give their time and experience to the next generation.” The industry has a lot of knowledge that it can pass to the next generation, Keighley said: “Nova can hopefully become a way to connect that generosity with talented young creators at the moment when it can make the biggest difference.” Cerny, who told me he believes Nova can mature “over the next 10 or 20 years,” sees an opportunity to give generations of game makers momentum. “The industry has changed immeasurably since I started in games in 1982,” he said. “These graduates have talent, training and tools that outclass what we had back in the day by an astonishing amount. But they face a tough road ahead getting traction in the industry, and many could benefit from our support. We want to be there to give it to them.” “There’s a personal side to this, too,” Keighley said. “I don’t have children, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I can do for future generations. Games have been my entire career. I’ve been incredibly fortunate, and helping someone else build a life in this industry feels like a meaningful way to give back.” Cerny’s oeuvre dates back to Marble Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He has stood on stage multiple times to reveal the future of PlayStation hardware. He’s been an executive producer for a string of modern PlayStation classics such as The Last Guardian and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Nevertheless, of Nova, he said, “It’s certainly not like anything I’ve done before.” Nova Foundation applications will be due in December and the first wave of fellows will be announced in March 2027. A full list of participating universities and steps students and recent graduates can take to apply to become a Nova Fellow is forthcoming.

Sep 8 • 3:12 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Ham: Kings Rejected LaVine-Young Swap

As the Sacramento Kings continue to rebuild, the front office has clearly put a focus on getting younger. Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis are two players to monitor as the season progresses to see if the team is looking to deal one of their former NBA All-Stars.

Sep 8 • 2:59 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

🚨XIs ready: City visit Porto in their European opener

Estádio do Dragão is getting ready to host an electrifying UEFA Champions League opener. Francesco Farioli’s FC Porto come into it on fire after putting together seven straight wins and opening th...

Sep 8 • 1:57 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Florida State's Mike Norvell getting booed is nasty business

Things aren’t going well right now for Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell . Not only did his team lose a game on Monday to SMU, but Norvell is also getting booed by fans . “They just played a video of Mike Norvell announcing that the Marching Chiefs would be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. The crowd booed Norvell. (It did cheer for […] The post Florida State's Mike Norvell getting booed is nasty business appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Sep 8 • 1:33 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Florida State's Mike Norvell getting booed is nasty business

Things aren’t going well right now for Florida State football head coach Mike Norvell . Not only did his team lose a game on Monday to SMU, but Norvell is also getting booed by fans . “They just played a video of Mike Norvell announcing that the Marching Chiefs would be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. The crowd booed Norvell. (It did cheer for […] The post Florida State's Mike Norvell getting booed is nasty business appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Sep 8 • 1:33 PM EDT • Business • sports.yahoo.com

Dbrand already has iPhone Ultra cases, spoiling Apple's surprise

Dbrand is getting the jump on the worst-kept secret in the smartphone world.

Sep 8 • 1:30 PM EDT • Technology • engadget.com

My National Championship Contenders After Week 1

It’s only Week 1. I’m not eliminating anybody from the College Football Playoff conversation yet, but after finally getting to watch these teams play, nine programs stand above the rest as my national championship contenders. This isn’t a ranking. There is no particular order. Ohio State Ohio State looked exactly like the No. 1 team…

Sep 8 • 12:01 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com