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Aviva launches fronting unit amid rising reinsurer demand for MGA business
Aviva believes demand from reinsurers for MGA business and heightened scrutiny of some specialist fronting carriers will support growth at its newly created hybrid fronting unit, chief commercial director Matthew Gordon and head of global hybrid fronting John Andrews told The Insurer.
Fuel prices at record Labor Day high in US thanks to Iran War, refinery issues
The average price of regular gas was $4.14 a gallon heading into the holiday, according to AAA motor club.
Kane County regional education office gets new business director from Sycamore schools
The Kane County Regional Office of Education named a longtime Sycamore schools' official as its next director of business and operations.
Armed individual ‘lunged’ at Democrat nominee for Ohio governor, campaign says
Amy Acton’s campaign said multiple people were injured at the event at a county fair in Canfield, Ohio.
The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers
Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??
Renovated McKeesport public health office to consolidate various services
Allegheny County officials marked the completion of renovations at the Allegheny County Health Department office located at 339 Fifth Avenue in McKeesport.
Orlando Science Center announces Cosmic Concerts laser show series
Cosmic Concerts return to the Orlando Science Center this fall starting Sept. 12. Get tickets now for laser light shows.
Verisk: One atmosphere, one framework – how science and AI connect views of global risk
A single-system approach to catastrophe modelling is required to capture the interconnected atmospheric drivers that shape risk across regions and perils, argues Verisk’s Jay Guin.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sits down with The Political Beat after G20 meetings
The Political Beat’s Joe Bruno sat down with Bessent to discuss the G20 meetings, the economy, and Charlotte’s role.
Halloween: The Game Devs Quickly Patch Out Sex Mini-Game
Halloween: The Game's sex minigame has been swiftly removed in under 24 hours, after players realised that a character with the likeness of deceased actor Donald Pleasence could sleep with 17-year-old teens
Munich Re: Cyber growth has flattened, industry must find new business
Growth in cyber insurance has flattened over the past 24 to 36 months and rates have softened, Munich Re board member Stefan Golling said at the group's media briefing at the Monte Carlo Rendez-Vous on Sunday.
Rabies advisory issued in St. Johns County after infected raccoon found
The Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County has issued a rabies advisory following a confirmed case of rabies in a raccoon in St. Augustine.
Real estate consultant Taidgh McClory joins Massport board
McClory has been appointed by Governor Maura Healey to be the port authority’s newest board member.
The T’s unreliability is outrageous. Why do we put up with it?
The quality of MBTA service has real bearing on Massachusetts’ competitiveness and its ability to retain workers.
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina
California made Gavin Newsom famous. Will it drag down his 2028 presidential ambitions?
Gavin Newsom’s secret is no secret here in South Carolina
Health Impact Of Fast Fashion & Toxic Knockoffs
They look like luxury. They cost a fraction of the price. And on social media, knockoff culture is having a moment.
Parents of San Diego mosque gunman say a mental health facility failed to heed FBI warning
Federal law enforcement warned the parents of Caleb Vazquez, one of two teenagers involved in a San Diego mosque shooting, about his concerning online comments days before the attack
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.
Early morning shooting near a sports bar sparks safety and business concerns
Local business owners express concern over safety and economic impacts following a shooting on Cesery Boulevard.
10 easy, healthy snacks that kids will love
These recipes for muffins, snack mix, energy balls and more are proof that eating better doesn’t have to be boring, regardless of age.
Turning Point is laying the groundwork to shape Republican presidential primary in 2028
Turning Point Action activists made waves at the Iowa State Fair by heckling Democratic politicians
Health care, potholes, rats: D.C.’s presumptive mayor gets an earful from her city
Lewis George’s self-styled “listening tour,” with events planned in each of D.C.’s eight wards, echoes a familiar variety of political stagecraft.
Health care, potholes, rats: D.C.’s presumptive mayor gets an earful from her city
Lewis George’s self-styled “listening tour,” with events planned in each of D.C.’s eight wards, echoes a familiar variety of political stagecraft.
ChatGPT bans campaigns from using AI to make ads. They’re doing it anyway.
A Washington Post review found 39 campaigns that disclosed payments to AI companies, but consultants say many more do it and don’t disclose it.
In boost to GOP, Supreme Court says parties should get lower TV ad rates
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that political parties should get discounted TV ad rates when they coordinate spending with candidates.
Trump moves to allow ranchers and hunters to kill gray wolves
The president ordered his administration to lift Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves, again wading into a fraught debate between ranchers and conservationists.
Health Brief: Pentagon-NIH pact raises questions
Plus: Congress has little time to move health care policy, as Democrats formulate ambitious 2027 agenda
Lindsay Clancy mistrial: 7 postpartum mental health takeaways
From extra privacy restrictions to medication trial and error, the case offered a rare window into coping with mental illness.
Don’t blame free markets for populist failures
American economic struggles are driven by government spending and intervention.
Oregon small businesses deserve a break from steep credit card fees
Credit card companies charge businesses swipe fees, and businesses often pass them on to consumers.
Sony's PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90
Sony’s PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90 Sony won’t license disc pressing to anyone else, Microsoft does, and a former PlayStation boss thinks that’s the whole problem. When Sony DADC chief Dietmar Tanzer spoke with an Austrian broadcaster in July about PlayStation disc production at the Thalgau plant, a number of press outlets misunderstood the report, writing that production would fall to a tenth of current levels. It won’t. Sony DADC confirmed to Game this week that the figure is a 10 percent decline, not a decline to 10 percent. “To clarify and avoid any misleading information: in that statement Dietmar anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent,” a spokesperson with Sony DADC told Game. That figure covers 2028. Tanzer didn’t put a number on the years after, and the spokesperson declined to comment further. What we do know is that on July 1, PlayStation announced that physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028 and that the transition has no impact on games that have already released in disc format or will be releasing in disc format prior to that month. “So, there will be reorders going to the market after January 2028,” the Sony DADC spokesperson said. “For details around that I would ask you to liaise with the PR team from PlayStation, as we can’t speak or comment on their behalf.” PlayStation officials did not respond to questions about reorders or other disc-related matters. But I did recently speak with Shawn Layden, Game Industry Strategic Advisor and former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, who called a future without physical PlayStation discs “depressing, but solvable.” then added, “I think.” The chief hurdle to third-party manufacturing of collector’s editions or any other version of a PlayStation game disc is that Sony owns the proprietary process to press those discs, Layden said. “And unless they decide or determine a way to license that to some of these bespoke disc manufacturers, there’s no way to make it happen,” he said. Layden was careful to add that he understands the concept but doesn’t have “line of sight on the particulars.” “Depressing but solvable, I think.” — Shawn Layden Microsoft already licenses replication to outside plants. Xbox discs are pressed by manufacturers Microsoft certifies as Authorized Replicators, a term defined in its publisher agreements, with the approved list set at the company’s sole discretion and Microsoft retaining the right to halt manufacture. The structure is still in place today: publishers select an Authorized Replicator in Partner Center and submit a bill of materials created with a Microsoft representative. Sony, by contrast, presses PlayStation discs through Sony DADC, its own manufacturing subsidiary. No one I spoke with said they were in discussions with Sony about doing that, and PlayStation hasn’t responded to questions about whether it would be open to a licensing deal. There is an obvious reason Sony might not want to. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed it out on the day of the announcement: it’s a platform-led decision, he wrote, designed to cut costs, eliminate the resale market, and drive all revenue through the PlayStation Store. The math is not subtle. On a $70 third-party game sold through the PlayStation Store, Sony keeps $21. Sold at retail, Ahmad says, it earns about half that. Licensing disc replication to an outside manufacturer might not be worth it. And even if it were, it seems unlikely that such a deal would come from boutique companies like iam8bit, which sells collector’s editions of video games. “We would absolutely love to find a way forward to continue making physical PlayStation games,” said Jon Gibson, co-owner and co-creative director of the company. “We are big believers in giving humans the option to truly own media. If we can play a role in helping make that a reality for the future of PlayStation games, count iam8bit in!” If it were to happen, it would most likely be with a company like Conectiv Supply Chain Solutions, a Memphis-based manufacturer of optical discs and vinyl records that also runs third-party logistics, fulfillment and distribution for packaged media. The company, which was formed in 2025 when Los Angeles private equity firm Variant Equity Advisors purchased Vantiva’s Supply Chain Solutions division, traces its lineage back to Technicolor. When it sold the division, Vantiva described the business as having served video game creators for more than 25 years. Conectiv is also buying, not shrinking. Last month it acquired SDS, the distributor for Universal and Warner Bros. home entertainment, consolidating those studios’ packaged-media pipeline from pressing plant to retail shelf. I reached out to Conectiv and its CEO, but haven’t heard back. Layden pointed to music and books in our discussion about the ongoing value of physical media. “No one ever saw the comeback of cassette tape,” he said. “And vinyl didn’t so much come back. The flame went down, the fire’s dying, but the ember was always there, and it just kind of came back. Much like the book business. We thought we’d all be on Kindles right now. “I believe that physical media is crucial and important. One of the things that makes us gamers, one of the core game mechanics, going back to the beginning of time, is collecting stuff. “Did you get all the diamonds in Crash Bandicoot? Did you get all the stars in Mario? And we like to collect our games. And we have a game shelf. And we put all our boxes up there. And if you’re super hardcore, when you buy a game, you buy two copies, right? One stays in the shrink wrap, and you play the other one. What happens to that important cultural part of the gaming world? You know, we buy the steelbook and the three-disc Final Fantasy set and the figurine and, you know, you can’t download any of that. “What happens to that?” And Layden believes it shouldn’t have been a revenue question for PlayStation. “This was a core thing to the experience of our most devoted fans,” he said. “Yeah, it’s fan service. Why would we take that away? Well, we can’t afford to. It’s already 120 bucks, you know, limited edition special purchase onyx box version of whatever, and those sell at a higher rate than the box selling at $69.99 does. So yeah, the market has said they will continue to buy them. You’re just saying you just don’t want to make them anymore.” Layden said he was recently talking with someone about these sorts of business decisions and how they’re made. Too often, he said, it’s all about the financials and nothing else. “OK, we can do this and save this much money, or we can invest this to look at that outcome, or we can do this and have this happen over there, or move this team to Sri Lanka,” he said. “But each one of those, someone also has to have a ledger there saying, ‘OK, what is the brand impact from that move?’ “Iif you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” — Shawn Layden “If we do that, dollars and cents work out. I get it. That’s just math. But what’s the brand impact? Are people going to say, ‘Good move, you guys?’ Or are they going to say, ‘We hate you guys. Quit doing that.’ And sometimes they say, ‘We hate you.’ Then you take a note and say, OK, how much of that can we live with? How much ‘we hate you’ is OK. And when does it go over the line? “I see a lot of companies making decisions which, objectively speaking, I don’t know what the dollar end of that was for you, Mr. Company, but your brand value just dropped 30 percent. So I hope it was worth it.” Of course, shifting to a digital-only model for games raises other issues beyond simply wanting to collect. The biggest is ownership. Layden pointed out that once you go to a streaming-only or download-only model, it’s just a digital footprint on a hard drive. “What does ownership mean anymore?” he said. “It’s a genuine question. Well, in fact, it’s not even a question anymore. It’s like you are shifting the model from ownership to accessibility. “And what’s always been true, which people forget, is you’ve never been able to sell your iTunes library. And you can’t sell your PlayStation download library. So if you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” The touching tribute found in the credits for Star Wars Zero Company. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Interview and Hands-On with a Minoan Masterpiece Star Wars Zero Company hands-on: Attack Astromechs, permadeath, and delightfully fatal Rube Goldberg tactics Control Resonant opens up as you get stronger — and as characters start trusting you
Chaucer targets further global growth as business approaches $4 billion
Chaucer is targeting further growth through its overseas offices under a five-year strategy designed to build on its expansion from roughly $1 billion of insurance and reinsurance business in 2019-20 to about $3.7 billion to $3.8 billion today.
Some area business owners seeing more break-ins since World Cup left Seattle
“We love Seattle. We’ve seen what it can be. There’s no reason why it cannot grow into what it was during the World Cup, an event that was only a month ago. We’re not giving up," one business owner said.
Court throws out Missouri congressional map, helping Democrats keep seat
In addition, Maryland’s high court cleared the way for voters to decide in November whether to back a plan to eliminate a GOP-held seat in 2028.
‘I didn’t get into healthcare to watch it disappear’: Tensions boil over Eastern Oregon hospital cutbacks
With steep Medicaid cuts coming, austerity measures are already well underway at Blue Mountain Health District.
Kettering Health begins $15 million renovation at Greene Memorial Hospital
Kettering Health has previously told News Center 7 this $25 million health center will provide primary care, on-demand walk-in care, lab services, and imaging.
Health Brief: The remote monitoring squeeze
Plus: Health tech dealmaking spree is spilling into digital health, with buyers targeting virtual care, diagnostics, wearables and AI.
Coins, cards and buildings: Where the government has Trump’s name and face
President Donald Trump’s administration has put his name on more than a dozen buildings, documents, government items and programs during his second term.
Mass. R&D Tax change hits small businesses with big bills
Potentially thousands of Massachusetts businesses may be facing large tax bills as a result of the state’s decision to “decouple” from the R&D deduction provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Judge blocks Trump’s latest attempt to limit birthright citizenship
The judge said the issue raised in Trump’s August executive order was settled by the Supreme Court, and “no Presidential Executive Order can undo what the Supreme Court has done.”
My book was a financial failure but it led to career opportunities
Melissa Petro discusses her journey from landing a six-figure book deal to navigating the challenges of publishing and sustainability as an author.
We asked nutrition experts what they eat for dessert. Here’s their list.
The occasional treat can actually be good for you.
Palm Bay plans new business park in mostly undeveloped compound
Palm Bay's Phoenix Business Park gets $4.5M for infrastructure, aiming for 960K sq ft of industrial/aerospace space.
Health insurance costs projected to spike next year by most in two decades
Employers predict an average 8.2% increase in the cost of their insurance plans. Workers will shoulder some of the cost.
Oregon to launch new Explore Health state health insurance marketplace in coming months
Oregonians who buy their health insurance on a federal website will soon be able to turn to a new state-backed platform to shop for coverage.
Fall vaccine guide: What to know about covid, flu and RSV shots this year
Influenza, covid-19 and RSV are expected to send hundreds of thousands of Americans to the hospital this fall.
‘Feels like coming home’: Seven writers pick the best sports stadiums
Sometimes, the venue is just as special as the players.
Pangram Has Emerged as the Gold Standard of AI Detection. Should You Trust It?
Meet the AI police who can make or break careers—in publishing and beyond.
Rhode Island could see a political wipeout next week
If Governor Dan McKee, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, and Mayor Brett Smiley all were to fall, it would amount to an unprecedented upending of Rhode Island’s political establishment, and a massive rebuke that could signal a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
Analysis | Democrats’ battle over establishment figures heads to New Hampshire
After Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey triumphed in the Democratic Senate primary, it's off to the Granite State.
27% of U.S. adults turn to AI for personal, emotional, social queries
More than a quarter of U.S. adults turn to chatbots for personal or emotional discussions, including for entertainment or social advice, a new survey found.
Jumpgate signs fully funded SEK 26.7 million publishing agreement with Daedalic Entertainment for new major strategy game
Jumpgate AB has entered into a publishing agreement with German publisher Daedalic Entertainment for the development of a new major strategy game for PC and consoles, based on a well-known IP with the project name “Galactic Exploration”. The game has a total development budget of approximately SEK…
Poll shows nearly 90% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread
The belief increased by 10 percentage points compared with last year, a Gallup poll found.
Senate races: Collins victorious, Brownsberger race too close to call
The contests drew attention for their potential to upset the status quo on Beacon Hill, and demonstrate just how far Mayor Michelle Wu’s influence extends in Boston politics.
20-year-old Haitian student dies; family says loss of TPS led to mental health challenges
Bel was an honors student at Wright State University and was recruited for Wittenberg soccer.
University of Dayton receives anonymous $15 million gift for business school
The planned four-story, 153,000-square-foot facility will serve as the central hub for business education at the university.
Kalshi, Polymarket, growing as political platforms
How election pollsters think about about the rise of prediction markets.
Nearly 1 in 3 Rhode Islanders delay medical care over costs, survey finds
“The data show us that unaffordable healthcare costs serve as barriers to care,” said Julie Keller, lead researcher for the Rhode Island Survey Initiative.
Ig Nobel Prizes leave U.S. amid concerns about Trump policies
This year's Ig Nobel Prizes will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, Sept. 3.
minogue healey campaign event picture
Tara Healey, Governor Maura Healey’s younger sister, confidante, and longtime political adviser, attended GOP candidate for governor Michael Minogue’s campaign event on Plum Island on Sunday.
Health Brief: More drugmakers cut pricing deals
Plus: Nonprofits break down foreign aid cuts amid Trump administration shift to global health strategy
Trump says U.S. might ‘smack’ Iran but that fighting is likely to remain limited
The president downplays the possibility of escalating military action against Tehran, despite recent tit-for-tat attacks.
Some Jewish Republicans bashed JD Vance. Now he’ll speak to them in person.
The vice president is set to appear at a Republican Jewish Coalition summit at a time when many prominent donors and activists oppose his potential presidential bid.
Novant is making it easier for health plan members to get ready for 2027 benefits
Novant and UNC Health will become preferred providers starting Jan. 1.
The Plaza brings new businesses, community space to downtown Corvallis
Businesses, restaurants, art studios and more have moved into the former JCPenney building in Corvallis.
Man hits Atlanta police with bottle containing feces during mental health crisis
The was charged with aggravated assault.
Chatbots got safer but will still role-play self-harm with users
A study that staged more than 50,000 conversations with AI chatbots found that they will help users role-play or write stories about their suicide or death.
Trump’s deals in Africa could cut U.S. health aid by more than half, analysis shows
The planned reductions — targeting programs that combat the spread of deadly diseases — coincide with an administration push to make developing nations spend more.
Analysis | The politics of the company you keep
The Senate race in Michigan is critical to Democrats, but associations may matter.
Hotlines can’t aid maternity-care capacity
For women here, “accessing care” can mean driving an hour or more for routine prenatal appointments
Trump says he will report NBC host to FCC for ‘rebuke or punishment’
The president’s latest in a string of threats against broadcasters followed a comment by Kristen Welker about “some mixed results” from his midterm endorsements.
Washington to receive $227M in Meta settlement to protect children’s mental health
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said the harm done by platforms like Instagram and Facebook has taken away things that used to be normal for kids.
St. Charles Park District: Building confidence, one Science experiment at a time
Column: Making soft, stretchy slime or dabbling in crafting Halloween-themed science experiences, there’s always a secret ingredient that instructor Lisa Lombardi brings to the table: Positivity, writes Melissa Rubalcaba Riske for the St. Charles Park District
Research projects in the Pacific Northwest’s experimental forests face funding uncertainty
A reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service and threats to federal funding could affect ongoing research in the Pacific Northwest.
The screenings and other habits doctors recommend as early-onset cancers rise
Some cancers can’t be screened for or are hard to detect, but there are many factors that can help manage risk.
Progressive candidate is gaining on top two rivals in N.H. congressional race
While the establishment-backed top contenders, Stefany Shaheen and Maura Sullivan, are locked in a close contest, a progressive push by Carleigh Beriont may be gaining momentum.
I’m a mental health expert. Here’s how I would search for an online therapist.
Online treatment can be just as effective as traditional in-person visits, but certain strategies can help ensure the best outcome.
Asking Eric: Mandatory mental health days stress this employee out
Letter writer’s company encourages taking an annual day off to hang out with co-workers outside of the office.
Gov. Abbott blocks funding in Texas for Flock cameras as bipartisan fury brews
The automated license plate readers aren’t popular with the public. Politicians are catching on.
Dolly Parton once turned down a song request from Elvis Presley. That was just one business decision that helped build her $650 million empire
Parton established her own publishing company in 1966, which helped her hold on to nearly all of her publishing rights.
Michael Minogue, a GOP candidate, is leaning into the blues
Experts in political branding said Michael Minogue's blue color scheme could be an intentional play to make him more appealing to voters in a state that largely elects Democrats to its highest offices
In the Lindsay Clancy case, the mental health system is also on trial
On trial alongside the broken defendant in the Clancy case: Our broken mental health system.
Opinion | The little-understood roots of our health care catastrophe
We need to understand where it went wrong if we’re going to fix it.
Lindsay Clancy trial: Psychiatrist resigns after testimony
Dr. Avram Mack, a psychiatrist who worked in the behavioral health department with Nemours Children’s Health in Delaware, resigned Monday,
High levels of lead found in Interbay, Public Health urges all to avoid affected area
Public Health recommends you stay away from the block unless necessary.
LGBTQ people struggle to get needed health care and pay for it, study finds
LGBTQ+ people spend much more on health insurance than the rest of the population, according to a new study.
Trump announces creation of U.S. Space Academy
The school will serve the Space Force, the sixth and newest branch of the military President Donald Trump created during his first term, as well as NASA and the growing civilian spaceflight industry.
Novant Health, Hornets unveil progress on new Uptown practice facility
Channel 9’s Miana Massey got a first look of the facility on Friday, where crews are building the spaces that will become practice courts, training and recovery areas for the Hornets.
Neronha urges R.I. regulators to reject proposed health insurance premium hikes
Neronha’s office has formally submitted a brief objecting to Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island’s request for a rate increase of 22.4 percent.
Cyclospora lettuce outbreak now tied to 20 states
The best-by dates for these recalled products have passed, and the lettuce should no longer be available in stores or restaurants, or available for purchase.
Fitchburg bookseller tries to revitalize downtown
The old mill city has long battled a shaky economy and business closures. Now, it is undergoing its largest makeover yet in the hopes of becoming a destination.
To match Denmark’s public health, we need more than its vaccine model
There are plenty of lessons the U.S. should take from countries such as Denmark, but vaccine policy is not one of them.
Calcium testing for heart health may have limited value for many, study finds
The increasingly popular test, known as a CAC scan, checks for arterial plaque. It can help those at intermediate risk of heart disease but may provide little insight for others.
‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ finally looks like the future
A first look at "GTA VI" gameplay finally looked like a leap in technology, visuals and storytelling.
FDA just approved updated covid shots. Here’s what to know as cases rise.
Questions remain over formal federal recommendations for which Americans should get a vaccine, which could complicate availability of the shots in a handful of states.
The long afterlife of QAnon conspiracy theories haunting American politics
Ideas from QAnon’s conspiracy theory have appeared on government social media sites during Trump’s second term and continue to divide America amid social and economic crises.
Oregon health officials warn of possible measles exposure at crowded Canby Rodeo
Oregon health officials say large crowds, tight seating and the difficulty of pinpointing who might have been at risk led to their exposure notice about the outdoor event.
Orlando Health and fire department train for football spine injuries
Orlando Health & OFD partner for spine injury training, preparing physicians for football sideline care.