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Delaware launches $4.5M initiative to help small businesses improve commercial corridors
Delaware has launched a new $4.5 million grant program to help small businesses improve their properties and revitalize commercial corridors through a partnership with private lenders.
Orange County Partnership launches Business Pulse initiative
ORANGE COUNTY - The Orange County Partnership has launched Orange County Business Pulse, a new Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) initiative designed
Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 with a suite of 10 science instruments — as of 2026, only two remain switched on, and the spacecraft's nuclear power source loses roughly 4 watts every year, a slow drain that is now deciding what humanity still gets to learn from interstellar space
Voyager 1 is still doing science in interstellar space, but the mission has entered a stage where every watt has become a decision. The spacecraft left
Both ‘Palworld’ And ‘Palworld 1.0’ Are In Steam’s Best-Ever Playercount List
Palworld has now launched its 1.0 version, the “true” release of the game that collects a number of updates over the past few years. Its numbers are incredible.
Need to ID a plant? The University of Michigan launched a free app to help.
The app does not require an internet connection and users can learn about a plant's nativity to a region, growing conditions and habitat.
Palworld Exits Early Access With 72 New Pals and Pages of Update Notes
As promised previously, Palworld 1.0 has officially launched on Steam, bringing with it an absolutely gargantuan list of updates, features, and fixes. The update officially launches the game out of Early Access and adds 72 new pals to the game, bringing the total to 287—over 50 more than in the...
Viking: 50 Years on Mars
Only 10 years before the Viking mission launched, Mars was still just a mottled orange ball when viewed through even the best Earthbound telescopes, with few
‘Palworld 1.0’ Is Putting Up Enormous Steam Player Numbers At Launch
Palworld, the former viral sensation, has just launched its 1.0 version, and it has shown it still has a huge audience eager to play.
As he runs for governor, Kendall Qualls faces questions about his nonprofit’s political activity
Qualls, the Minnesota GOP’s endorsed candidate for governor, launched the nonprofit after George Floyd’s killing to push back against diversity programs. At times, its work has overlapped with his political campaign.
EA SPORTS™ College Football 27 Launches Worldwide, Bringing New Era of College Football to Life
Do it For U with 138 Ways to Play in Dynasty Mode, Experience NIL and Build Your Legacy In Road to Glory Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today launched EA SPORTS™ College Football 27 worldwide on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and, for the first time ever, PC and mobile. Following the record-breaking return of the franchise, College Football 27 raises the bar once again, delivering the most authentic college football experience yet. College Football 27 captures real world elements that impact gameday like never before. College Football 27 is the definitive modern college football experience. Every major change happening in the sport — from NIL and coaching movement to recruiting, player development and game day — is now reflected in the game at unprecedented scale. Built around the current college football landscape, College Football 27 introduces the biggest changes to Dynasty Mode since the game's introduction, including all-new dynamic weather, expanded Road to Glory positions
Monumint founders pivot from OmniAI to banking AI solutions
Founders Tyler Maran and Anna Pojawis scrapped their startup OmniAI and launched Monumint, which builds AI agents for banks. Here's their pitch deck.
OpenAI launches GPT-Live voice models that listen and speak simultaneously
OpenAI on Wednesday launched GPT-Live, a new family of voice models capable of listening and speaking simultaneously in real time.
Secretary Kennedy, Administrator Oz Launch ‘Make Hospital Food Healthier’ Pledge
HHS launched the Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge, a nationwide initiative inviting hospitals to serve healthier, more nutritious meals.
News | Blackstone reviews £6 billion UK logistics business sale
Indurent launched in 2024 after merger of Industrials REIT and St Modwen
Oil prices jump after US strikes on Iran, while shares in Asia are mixed
Asian shares are mixed and oil prices have surged more than 2% after the U.S. launched strikes on Iran.
Keeping PACE with Ocean Change
The primary goal of this collaboration was to support and validate science data products from NASA's recently launched Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission
SpaceX just launched the 1st-ever nuclear-powered commercial satellite
Who needs solar power anyway?
HSBC reviews Turkish banking business for possible sale
HSBC said on Tuesday it had launched a review of its Turkish retail and corporate banking business and was considering all options, as part of its global drive to simplify its business and exit markets where it considers itself too small.
Newly Launched Initiative Strengthens Delaware’s Health Information Technology Infrastructure
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Delaware Health Care Commission today announced a new Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) initiative that will support real-time insurance verification and prior authorization across the state.
Woman laid off from Meta moved to Mexico and reduced expenses
After her Meta layoff, Chikaraa Kennedy launched a coaching business and moved to Mexico — where she spends less and has a better quality of life.
The Lawyers Behind Australia’s Biggest Music Stars Launch New Entertainment Firm
Two of Australia's leading entertainment lawyers have launched Hewitt Glass, a specialist Sydney firm representing major music artists, festivals, media personalities and entertainment businesses.
Donald Trump attempts to troll Taylor Swift during wedding weekend with 'America's Eras Tour' posts
The official White House launched a bizarre AI-powered campaign over the weekend during Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce, which ripped off her record-breaking 'Eras Tour' to tell the story of America.
Parham Doctors' Hospital's new intensive outpatient program expands behavioral health continuum of care
Parham Doctors’ Hospital recently launched a new adult intensive outpatient program, expanding access to behavioral health services for people who need more support than traditional outpatient care but do not require an inpatient hospital stay. The new program is designed to serve adults experiencing mental health challenges such as depression,
SoFi (SOFI) Launches AI Investing And Small Business Loans In Product Push
SoFi Technologies (NasdaqGS:SOFI) has launched Composer by SoFi, an AI-powered investing platform designed to help members build and automate customized investment strategies. The company has also introduced SoFi Small Business Loans, a digital-first lending product aimed at giving entrepreneurs faster access to capital with no fees. These product rollouts expand SoFi's presence in AI-driven investing tools and small business lending within its broader financial services platform. SoFi...
Two new food benefits available to Oregon Health Plan members with complex health needs
The Oregon Health Authority has launched new nutrition benefits for Oregon Health Plan members with chronic conditions to help improve food security.
3 features that Google still hasn’t launched
This is a list of features that Google has shown off but not yet launched. It goes a bit beyond...
Entrepreneur behind Matthew's Mattress reflects on over three decades in business
Kevin Matthews launched his first Matthew’s Mattress store over three decades years ago in the Bay Area. At his peak, he developed his own mattress brand and managed a total of 12 stores. Now he’s ready to retire, he says.
For one small business, AI was key to a quick start and expansion
Here Now Health isn't an AI-based company, but its quick path from an idea in founder Michelle Turner's mind to an operating mental health platform for foster children relied deeply on the technology now restructuring the U.S. economy. Working from her Virginia Beach home, she used AI tools to school herself in startup culture, create a business plan and fine-tune a presentation for early-stage investors. Funding began to flow, and the company, launched in January 2025, now has 16 employees and is certified in three states to provide Medicaid-funded mental health counseling for children entering the foster system, a gap in care she identified through her own experience as a foster parent.
The World Cup is just now discovering Middle America’s big heart. These Irish bingo kingpins built a $24 million business knowing it all along
Craig Reynolds and Will Meara launched Bingo Loco in a Dublin basement in 2017. Nine years later, Locomotive sells a million tickets a year in 300 cities.
Apple has reportedly suspended the development of the AirPods Ultra
Even so, they could still presumably be launched late next year. For quite a while now we’ve been hearing rumors about an upcoming pair of AirPods that...
Rescue mission launches to save NASA telescope that's falling back to Earth thanks to solar storms
Launched in 2004, Swift is sinking faster than ever because of recent solar storms.
This satellite constellation transformed earth science by creatively tuning in to GPS signals
When NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, launched into orbit in 2016, none of the University of Michigan Engineering researchers who developed the system expected it to transform ...
Meta quietly launches vibe-coded gaming app Pocket
Meta has quietly launched Pocket, an experimental AI app that lets users generate and share interactive mini games using text prompts.
New mobile health clinic launches in Boyle Heights for residents affected by warehouse fire
A new mobile health clinic has launched in Boyle Heights to provide medical services to residents affected by the warehouse fire, as some community members continue to report health concerns tied to the incident.
HHSC Announces Upgraded WIC Cards for Families | Texas Health and Human Services
HHSC launched upgraded WIC EBT cards integrated with the myWIC app to help Texas families manage, track and secure their benefits more easily.
Tufts University and Bigelow Laboratory Partner to Expand Marine Science Training
Tufts University and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have launched a partnership offering graduate students a Marine Science specialization through the Sea Change Semester, combining coursework with hands-on research voyages and laboratory training in Maine.
The Rockefeller University » "Jumpstart" provides a path into science
Avid readers at Rockefeller University have launched a book club that gathers every month to discuss a work of sci-fi.
How an interior designer started an eco-friendly product side hustle
An interior designer launched an eco-friendly online marketplace for household products to expand his creativity and make more money.
Buncombe County Detention Facility partners with Wellpath to expand mental health care
The Buncombe County Detention Facility has launched a new partnership with correctional healthcare provider Wellpath.
Anthropic Goes Deeper Into Drug Development With Claude Science
The company launched an app designed as an AI workbench that brings together the vast array of tools used in scientific research and also said it is getting into drug development.
Google Gemini Spark Comes to Mac With Local File Automation
Google today launched Gemini Spark for its macOS desktop app, allowing the AI agent to automate tasks involving local files and desktop workflows. Google announced the update today, adding a dedicated Spark tab to the sidebar of the Gemini app for macOS. The feature allows the AI agent to take action on files stored locally on a user's computer rather than just responding to questions in a chat window.
PAHO launches US$24 million appeal to support health response following devastating earthquakes in Venezuela
Washington, D.C., 1 July 2026 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a US$24 million emergency appeal to support the first six months of the health response and early recovery following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June.
This satellite constellation transformed earth science by creatively tuning in to GPS signals
Governments and companies have launched similar constellations to use the method, called GNSS-R, to monitor and forecast wildfires, flooding and more.
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
Newsom Vowed To Transform Kids’ Mental Health. Many California Schools Are Still Waiting.
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched an ambitious initiative to make public schools the epicenter of mental health services for young people. Five years after he promised transformation, many schools have struggled to get the program up and running, and hundreds more have yet to try.
STARTO ENTERTAINMENT Launches the “STARTO NEWS ARCHIVES” Newsletter Service
Japanese talent agency STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, Inc. has launched the “STARTO NEWS ARCHIVES,” a free digital newsletter service for fans across Asia and beyond ...
Anthropic just released a brand-new Claude Science app for Mac
Anthropic just launched a brand-new desktop app called Claude Science. The new app joins the main Claude app on the...
Anthropic unveils 'Claude Science' AI platform for scientific research
Anthropic on Tuesday launched Claude Science, an AI platform designed to help scientists streamline research, analyze data and manage complex computing workflows.
Business Owner with Down Syndrome Expresses 'Gratitude' as He Celebrates First Retail Store Opening
John’s Crazy Socks launched online in 2016, and has shipped half a million to date
Arena, the AI leaderboard everyone uses, is now a $100M business
The startup, which runs a popular free AI leaderboard, launched its commercial service just last September.
Cursor now has a mobile app for guiding your coding agent on the go
Cursor has launched a new mobile app for remote oversight over coding agents.
Blake Duncan & Scott Hendricks Launch TAYCAN Entertainment
Blake Duncan and Scott Hendricks have launched TAYCAN Entertainment, a Nashville-based independent [...]
Belkin launches new 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 dock with 140W charging and triple 4K display support
Belkin has launched a 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock in China priced at 2,299 yuan (approximately $338). The Belkin dock ships with a 180W adapter and 1m cable and delivers 140W USB Power Delivery over a single Thunderbolt 5 connection, with bandwidth scaling from 80Gbps to 120Gbps for high-resolution display use. Belkin briefly listed the dock on its global website at $350 before removing the page, hinting at a global launch.
Scientists in Synagogues grant program to name finalists in July - Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology
Sinai and Synapses has launched a $5,000 Scientists in Synagogues grant program promoting Judaism and science. Finalists will be named in July.
Gen Z traders launched a trading platform to fight bad 'finfluencer' advice
Ivan Patriki and Carson Hein founded QuantMap to counter the bad info they say is all over social media and to give traders better tools to succeed.
Nintendo’s Summer Sale Is Now Live and Not Only Includes Discounts on Digital Titles, but Also the Switch 2 Upgrade Pack for Breath of the Wild
Nintendo has launched a new Summer Sale until July 8. Save on select digital titles across Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, alongside a Switch 2 upgrade pack for Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Las Vegas group, school launch scholarship to expand access to skilled trades
The National Association of Women in Construction Las Vegas recently launched a new scholarship in partnership with trade school Quality Training Centers. The scholarship is intended to expose more...
Starlink veterans launch startup to broaden megaconstellation ownership
Former SpaceX engineers who helped build and scale Starlink have launched a startup aiming to deliver megaconstellations for governments and companies seeking more control over space-based infrastructure.
Sweden and WHO launch new long-term initiative to transform Ukraine’s health system
WHO and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have launched a new multi-year cooperation project to support the long-term recovery and transformation of Ukraine’s health system. The new project, “Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative: Strengthening Health Governance, Health Financing and Service Delivery for Long-Term Recovery”, was launched at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdansk, Poland on 26 June, and will run from June 2026 to 2029. Sweden will contribute approximately US$ 26 million (240 million Swedish krona) to support this project. This contribution forms part of Sweden’s broader support to Ukraine through the Team Europe approach, which brings together the European Union, its Member States, and key partners such as the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood and Enabel, and WHO as lead health agency, to support Ukraine’s recovery, reform agenda and European integration.“Ukraine’s health recovery cannot be measured only by what is rebuilt, but by whether people can count on the health system when they need it most. The scale of the task is immense, with health reconstruction and modernization needs estimated at US$ 19.4 billion over the next decade. Sweden’s US$ 26 million contribution to Ukraine’s Health System Transformation Initiative is a timely investment in the institutions, financing and services that will support Ukraine’s long-term recovery and European integration. WHO remains a trusted partner of the Government of Ukraine in advancing this process. I am deeply grateful to Sweden for its consistent support and partnership,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. More than 4 years of war have placed unprecedented pressure on Ukraine’s health system, creating 3 interconnected challenges. The first is responding to the immediate consequences of the war and the urgent health needs of the population. The second is recovering and modernizing health services today. The third is continuing reforms and aligning the health system with European standards in the context of Ukraine’s future accession to the European Union. The war has led to large-scale population displacement, an increasing need for trauma care and rehabilitation, and shortages of health workers. High out-of-pocket payments in Ukraine make access to health services more difficult. Around 46% of total health expenditure is paid directly by individuals, placing a significant financial burden on many households and underscoring the need for reforms in health financing. Older people, persons with disabilities, women, children and veterans continue to face the greatest difficulties in accessing health services. “Ukraine is demonstrating that health system transformation can continue even during war. Ukraine is also continuing to align its health system with European norms and standards. WHO is committed to supporting Ukraine on this journey. We provide technical support, help coordinate partners’ efforts and support the institutional changes needed to strengthen the system. We are grateful to Sweden for its support. Through this partnership, we can help Ukraine build a more resilient, accessible and people-centred health system,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. About the Health System Transformation InitiativeThe new initiative will support Ukraine through 3 interconnected areas: strengthening governance and coordination of health sector reforms through more inclusive coordination platforms and structured policy dialogue; transforming service delivery by reinforcing a primary health care-centred model that integrates family medicine, nursing and midwifery; and improving financial sustainability by supporting reforms that ensure the long-term viability of the national health system and reduce out-of-pocket payments for households. Overall, these reforms are expected to make the health system more coherent and easier to navigate, improve the quality and continuity of care, and ensure more equitable access to services, particularly for those who need them most. They will also support Ukraine’s progress towards a more modern health system aligned with European standards. “We are convinced that long-term recovery is not possible without strong, high-quality, person-centred health services that are accessible to everyone. Our partnership with WHO is designed to support deep and lasting systemic changes. Investments in human capital especially autonomous midwives, whose role for maternal, newborn and adolescent sexual and reproductive health cannot be understated, stronger governance, digital transformation and the financial sustainability of the health system are investments in Ukraine’s future. We are proud to support this process,” said Malin Perhult, the Head of the Ukraine Unit at Sida. Focus throughout implementation will be given to the most vulnerable population groups, including older people, women and children, and persons with disabilities, who have been affected by the war and face greater health-care needs. The initiative will be implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the National Health Service of Ukraine, the Public Health Centre of Ukraine, regional authorities and international partners. This project will help Ukraine move towards a system where everyone can access the health care they need. It will strengthen primary care, make the health finance system more stable and predictable, and reduce the out-of-pocket costs that Ukrainians face when using health services. As a result, the Ukrainian health system will become more aligned with European standards and more sustainable in the long run.
It's Xbox's turn (again), as console prices keep going up
Microsoft announced a price hike for the Xbox Series consoles today, the third in little over a year. Effective August 1, the Xbox Series S, which launched in 2020 for $300, will cost $500 in the U.S. The Xbox Series X, which launched in 2020 at $500, will go for $800. This follows a round of PlayStation 5 price increases from Sony this spring, and a slow-motion increase for Nintendo’s Switch 2, which will kick in in the U.S. in September. (Mind you, there were also eight video game industry price hikes in six months of 2025). The chart up top shows the sudden ascent of console prices over the past year, a sudden surge in an already unusual hardware generation. Prices had been flat for years, now “up” is the new “flat.” Game console prices used to go down across the length of a console generation, but not this time around. Microsoft’s explanation for the new price hike today: We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make. This is an issue well beyond game consoles. Apple announced price hikes on its computers and tablets today as well. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: Brutal Bungie cuts Bungie laid off “most” of its Destiny development team and some developers who worked on Marathon, the newest game from the struggling Sony-owned studio. A WARN notice issued by Sony to Washington State, where Bungie is based, tallied cuts impacting 292 workers, effective next month. That’s strictly for Bungie/Sony jobs in Washington and wouldn’t account for any elsewhere. The video I clipped below shows the redacted list of Bungie cuts filed to Washington State officials. As you’ll see, I had to scroll for a while… In a note emailed to PlayStation workers and published online, PlayStation game studios chief Hermen Hulst offered the following explanation for these latest cuts at Bungie: This is painful news, especially for talented colleagues whose roles have been eliminated. This decision was made only after extensive discussion and careful consideration, and I want to provide some context on how we arrived here. Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy. We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals. In 2022, Sony bought Bungie for $3.7 billion. The studio’s marquee game, the multiplayer live service shooter Destiny 2 was losing popularity at the time. Its next game Marathon, released earlier this year, has been well-reviewed but had a slow start. Bungie is renowned for making great shooter games, and Destiny fans have mourned the wind-down of Destiny 2. They’ve also expressed bewilderment over reports that Destiny 3 is not, per Bloomberg, immediately in the cards.
Trump will present the World Cup trophy. It could be VERY awkward
The president has launched a war with nation in the tournament, and a war of words with many others.
Wilmer Valderrama Launches Social Media Marketing Company
Wilmer Valderrama‘s WV Entertainment has launched a social media marketing company WV Social House.
Pinky’s restaurant owner inks distribution deal for startup cheesecake business
“It’s a new challenge. I’m learning a whole new industry with something I’m familiar with, which is food,” said Steve DeRaffele, who launched Rio Cheesecakes earlier this year.
Department of Education investigates Maryland schools over boys access to girls sports and facilities
The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into Maryland's Department of Education and three public School districts, claiming that boys are joining girls athletic teams and accessing girls facilities.
Caitlin Clark Fans Outraged By WNBA 30th Anniversary Poster Snubbing
The WNBA is turning 30 years old this year. The women's basketball league, which launched 30 years ago, is celebrating three decades of ball in several different ways. One of them is a special WNBA 30th Anniversary poster, which went on-sale this week. "Bring a piece of WNBA history home. 🏀 ...
'Marcus Alert' begins in Danville and Pittsylvania County for mental health crises
Danville and Pittsylvania County officials have launched the Marcus Alert Program.
Facebook rolls out an AI companion app for creators
The new app, which is currently being tested with select creators, will have Facebook's recently-launched AI creator assistant built into it.
'Supergirl' review: Better than the comic, but not DC's best
Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa bring big attitude to James Gunn's relaunched DC Universe.
QED Science Launches AI Infrastructure for Scientific Validation
Recognizes The 1% After Blind Evaluation of 57,455 Scientific PreprintsTEL AVIV, Israel, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QED Science, a science validity engine and modern infrastructure for researchers, funders, institutions and life science organizations today launched The 1%, the top 574 life science preprints. The company anonymously scored 57,455 bioRxiv preprints submitted between May 2025 and April 2026 for originality and validity. The ranking is powered by QED Score, QED Science’s vali
10 SoCal residents arrested in health care fraud takedown
The U.S. Department of Justice launched its massive 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging 455 individuals nationwide over $6.5 billion in fraudulent claims.
The Rockefeller University » Campus book club examines the intersection of science and imagination
Avid readers at Rockefeller University have launched a book club that gathers every month to discuss a work of sci-fi.
Penn LDI and Monogram Health Announce Second Research Partnership
The University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Monogram Health have launched a second research initiative, backed by a $600,000 gift, to improve care for patients…
NYC Health + Hospitals Announces New Season of Farmers Markets Near Patient Care Sites
New York, NY – NYC Health + Hospitals today launched a new season of farmers markets hosted at public hospitals and community health centers across the
TIME Launches The CEO Moment with Sam Jacobs, Expanding Its Coverage of Business Leadership with a New Video Interview Series
TIME launched The CEO Moment with Sam Jacobs, a new monthly video interview series hosted by TIME's Editor in Chief that expands TIME's coverage of business leadership through in-depth conversations with the executives shaping today's business landscape.
Sportico Studio’s New Video Experience Debuts at Cannes Lions
Sportico this week launched Sportico Studio, a dedicated content and creative solutions offering for brands looking to engage the sports business community. The studio, featured on a new video page on Sportico’s homepage, will leverage Sportico‘s unique position at the center of the sports business ecosystem, connecting brands with influential decision-makers across leagues, teams, media, …
Books for Better Health: Can Parent Beliefs About Reading Affect Health Outcomes?
A new research study looking at shifts in parental beliefs about books, reading frequency, and health outcomes was launched at a free Scholastic book at Yale
Brunch Con Familia celebrates creativity, entrepreneurship and family with new entertainment partnership
Brunch Con Familia launched an entertainment partnership centered on Soccer Gods, artist opportunities, entrepreneurship and family-led creativity.
Sporticast: Why Netflix, EA Have Their Own World Cup Games
On the 563rd Sporticast episode, hosts Jacob Feldman and Justin Birnbaum discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a detailed breakdown of Netflix’s FIFA World Cup video game. Following Electronic Arts and FIFA’s split in 2022, both parties now have World Cup-related offerings on the market. Electronic Arts recently launched …
Health officials launch clinical trial reforms to counter China threat
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday launched a new initiative to speed up early-stage clinical trials as part of an effort to reduce development timelines and reverse a growing trend o…
Citizen science is the key to F&G’s hugely successful program, Turkey Tracker
Idaho Fish and Game’s hugely successful project — dubbed Turkey Tracker — launched in the summer of 2024. During its inaugural two years, the project has racked up 2,157 reports of over 15,000 turkeys, all thanks to the public.
Inspired Entertainment Launches NBA Re-Play Virtual Sports in Turkey
Inspired has launched NBA Re-Play in Turkey...
SpaceX launches notes offering, discloses $100.8 billion cash balance
SpaceX said on Monday it launched an offering of senior unsecured notes and disclosed that it held about $100.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of June 19.
ESPN Fan House Opening As Engagement Hub For College Sports Fanatics
ESPN is bringing the fans home. The Disney-owned sports network has launched ESPN Fan House, a “fan-centric engagement hub” that will “connect fans more deeply with ESPN’s coverage of college sports, brands and moments” ahead of the 2026 season. The hub, powered by Flowcode, is being framed as an interactive space existing across live and …
Orioles take series with dominant 12-1 win over Dodgers
The Orioles launched four home runs in a lopsided 12-1 win at Dodger Stadium.
Ann Arbor seeks business input for plan to reduce waste, boost sustainability
The city’s Office of Sustainability and Innovations has launched a digital survey to gather feedback on its emerging Circular Economy Action Plan.
This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition - Jax Chamber outlines a playbook for business adoption
Kent Justice talks with Dr. Carlton Robinson, Chief Innovation Officer at the Jax Chamber, about how Jacksonville can stay competitive as AI shifts from buzzword to workplace reality. Robinson explains why the Chamber launched its new Center for Applied Infrastructure—framing “human-centered AI” as the next kind of public infrastructure—and why the goal is augmentation, not replacement: identifying what must remain human-led and using AI to remove friction in everyday work.
Community Challenge Chaos Sparks
The Chaos Cubed game drop might’ve launched, but the mayhem is just beginning with our Chaos Sparks Community Challenge! Your mission is simple: pick your team, cause a ridiculous amount of chaos, and help the entire community earn some extra-special rewards, including a surprising add-on from Blockception!
TGH Behavioral Health Hospital Launches Partial Hospitalization Program, Expanding Access to Outpatient Mental Health Care
/PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Behavioral Health Hospital has launched its Partial Hospitalization Program, a structured daytime treatment...
Battle ramps up over WA ballot measure to bar transgender students from girls’ sports
Opponents of conservative-backed initiatives officially launched their campaign to defeat the Washington ballot measures this week.
L.A. Just Launched a Business Tax Fraud Unit. Its First Arrest? A Famous TV Comedian
The case gives Los Angeles County prosecutors a high-profile opening act for a new unit focused on business tax fraud.
City launched $2.4M small business loan program in partnership with Business Impact NW -
Fourth Plain Commons The City has launched a new citywide $2.4 million Revolving Loan Fund designed to expand access to capital for small businesses.
Heritage Home Health Care, Legacy Hospice, Advanced Home Health and Hospice Form Ohio Joint Venture
Three Ohio-based home health and hospice providers have launched a joint venture branded as Heritage Home Health and Hospice. The JV — involving Heritage
Middleton-based meal delivery service caters to moms after birth
Vipasha Kumar Chakravarty launched JOIASS last fall with a focus on nutrients and care moms need but struggle to provide for themselves.
Tennessee's new quantum computer could reshape science: Meet Pathfinder
Oak Ridge National Laboratory just launched Pathfinder, a quantum computer built to tackle complex global challenges.
OnePlus just launched an unexpected upgrade to its best flagship killer phone
OnePlus 15R is getting a new edition that saves it from its only performance limitation.
Sandisk 8TB PS5 SSD launches for $2,959.99, almost five times the PS5 price
Officially licensed Optimus GX PRO 850P tops out at 8TB. Sandisk has launched the Optimus GX PRO 850P NVMe SSD for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro consoles.
Building Scientists in the AI Era
Stevens Institute of Technology’s newly launched AI in Biology and Chemistry Community helps students explore AI’s role in health care, biotech and ed-tech careers.
OpenAI Just Started Selling What Your Consulting Business Sells
OpenAI and Anthropic just launched their own AI consulting firms. Here is what independent advisors and small firms should do to keep their clients.
Dolphin Entertainment, Kynetic Media Ventures Launch Graviteur Studios
Dolphin Entertainment and Kynetic Media Ventures have launched Graviteur Studios to produce modestly budgeted movie and TV projects from creators.
Kynetic Media Ventures and Dolphin Entertainment Launch Graviteur Studios for Creator-Led Projects
Dolphin Entertainment and Kynetic Media Ventures have launched Graviteur Studios, a production venture designed to tap into the creator economy to produce modestly budgeted movies and TV projects. Dol...