SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Ray " 8,467 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Business recovery center opens after fire
The city says the federal small business administration has approved low-interest disaster loans for businesses impacted by the fire
Green Bay highlights sustainable business initiative
The program, funded by a local grant from the “Daybreak Fund”, helps business owners find ways to make their company more sustainable.
Green Bay highlights sustainable business initiative
The City of Green Bay is celebrating the success of its “Sustainable Business Accelerator” program.
You’re Not Gonna Like the List of Donors Fronting the Bill for Trump’s Big, Ugly Ballroom
A White House spokesperson called them “a wide array of great American companies and generous individuals.” I call them a bunch of influence-buying grifters.
Small Business Administration offering loans to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the Aspen Acres Fire
The Small Business Administration will be offering low-interest loans to those impacted by the Aspen Acres fire this summer.
Prichard finance committee meeting raise questions about employee health insurance and potential pay
During Thursday’s finance committee meeting, a committee member questioned Mayor Carletta Davis about confusion surrounding the city’s health insurance plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Prichard finance committee meeting raise questions about employee health insurance and potential pay increases
Prichard finance committee meets as city budget runs more than two weeks overdue
Eau Claire simplifies business loan programs
The city of Eau Claire is simplifying its business loan programs to make them easier to understand.
HOMETOWN ENTERTAINMENT: Roanoke-area events this week include outdoor festival, ghost tour and ‘The Wiz’
"The Wiz," Go Fest and other live music events happening in our hometowns over the next several days
Martini Corner businesses react to new Royals ballpark renderings
Shop owners near the new stadium site say the renderings show opportunity
Beacon Health Systems to consolidate, centralize behavioral health services
Beacon Health Systems said they are consolidating behavioral health services in order to better serve patients and offer them a wider range of services.
Lawsuit alleges mental health failures before Montpelier couple allegedly slain by son
The lawsuit says WCMHS workers were notified multiple times that Matthew Gomes was in a mental health crisis.
Illinois Wesleyan mourns loss of assistant business and marketing professor
Details surrounding her death were not immediately available.
Med Center Health mammographer stresses yearly screenings after 40
Mammographer of 23 years breaks down comfort, compression and digital technology.
Independent candidate for governor accuses Sen. Marsha Blackburn of favoring political self-interest over the people
Independent candidate for governor Lauren Pinkston made claims against frontrunner Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee. Pinkston claims that Blackburn’s office is more worried about political gain that the people.
Laredo Health Promotores hosts third annual Halloween Health Fair
The Laredo Health Promotores will host its third annual Halloween Health Fair at El Eden Park on Oct. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Lexington Walmart pilots new rural health care program
A Walmart in our area is one of just five rural communities in the country testing a new “Health Ambassador” role aimed at making healthcare easier to navigate.
Nebraska 2nd Congressional District debate: Political rhetoric
Nebraska 2nd Congressional District debate: Political rhetoric
Suspect in fatal Mason business shooting not competent for trial
He is accused of shooting and killing 29-year-old Vincent "Vinny" Stoetzel.
Casino Del Sol donates $20,000 to El Rio Health to bring medical care to Tucson’s unhoused
Casino Del Sol commits $20,000 to El Rio Health’s Street Medicine program, which brings medical care to shelters, parks, encampments and washes across Tucson.
Binghamton’s fall Restaurant Week to support local health program
The event spans over the course of 10 days, starting Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Thursday, Oct. 29.
Coral Academy of Science hosts open houses at all Reno campuses
The open houses takes place Saturday, Oct. 17 at the elementary, middle and high schools.
Let's Do Lunch!: Episode 12: Dr. Regan Bailey from ICON Health talks nutrition, makes healthy snack
Tune in to today's episode of Let's Do Lunch!, featuring Dr. Regan Bailey from ICON Health! She discussed food as medicine and whipped up a healthy snack!
Blackburn defender Wharton added to squad
Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray tells BBC Radio Lancashire defender Scott Wharton is fit and ready to play a part in the first team.
HOMETOWN HEALTH: What is pneumonic plague? UVA health expert discusses concerns after Siberia lab death
The death has raised questions about what happened and how, and whether the disease poses a risk to the United States.
How Murray and Washington experts plan to ‘politics-proof’ public health
Three of the five experts on Sen. Patty Murray's new public health advisory group are from Washington state.
Henrico Business Watch: Business license filings Oct. 8–14, 2026
Henrico County reported the following business license filings with start dates during the week. The filings are listed alphabetically by business or trade name, followed by a registered address and business industry classification. ANT.ON LLC, 2405 Raymond Avenue, Henrico – Artists, literary, and craft services. Chutes International, various addresses – General
SpaceX Dragon Docks with Science, Supplies, and Roll-Out Solar Arrays
At 11 a.m. EDT, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, delivering more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies, and equipment for the Expedition 75 crew.
State lawmakers react to IDHS decision to preserve some beds at Choate Mental Health Center
Illinois State Senators Terri Bryant (R-Murpysboro) and Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) say a new plan for Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna does not go far enough.
Aspirus Health sees trend of younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer
“We’re seeing more breast cancer cases in younger women than we did in the past, and there isn’t one simple reason why,” Dr. Huang said.
Wisconsin Science Festival returns with free STEAM events
Wisconsin Science Festival returns with free STEAM events
Samsung just released Android 17 updates for Galaxy S23 and several more devices
Samsung’s Android 17-based One UI 9 update continues to pick up steam, with several more Galaxy devices joining the fray....
How This Zombie Foot is Helping Scientists Fight Stingray Strikes
Warm El Niño waters are driving an increase in stingray injuries. These labs are devoted to understanding what’s going on under the surface.
Nutritionist shares health benefits of pumpkins, pumpkin seeds
Nutritionist Jen Avis joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to talk about the health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds.
Nutritionist shares health benefits of pumpkins, pumpkin seeds
Nutritionist Jen Avis joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to talk about the health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds.
Nutritionist shares health benefits of pumpkins, pumpkin seeds
Nutritionist Jen Avis joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to talk about the health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds.
Nutritionist shares health benefits of pumpkins, pumpkin seeds
Nutritionist Jen Avis joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to talk about the health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds.
How Murray and WA experts plan to ‘politics-proof’ public health
Three of the five experts on Sen. Patty Murray's new public health advisory group are from Washington state.
How Murray and WA experts plan to ‘politics-proof’ public health
Three of the five experts on Sen. Patty Murray's new public health advisory group are from Washington state.
The Yankees Roster May Look Completely Different in 2027
The New York Yankees are, once again, out of the MLB postseason much earlier than they (and their fans) would have anticipated. New York not only got swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series, they were flat-out embarrassed. The Rays outplayed them at the plate, in the field, and even …
MLB playoffs schedule: ALCS shifts to Cleveland
Thursday brings us two games on the postseason schedule, both of which had their start times altered due to bad weather in Cleveland. Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians was originally slated for a 6 p.m. local start at Progressive Field in Cleveland (3 p.m. […]
Carle Health encourages moderation during holiday season
With the holiday season approaching, enjoying your favorite treats may be challenging, but practicing moderation and portion control can help manage those cravings.
Councillors quit Reform UK after suspensions
David Dresser and Paula-Jane Thackray launch a new political group called Leeds First Independents.
Vermont seasonal businesses try to make ends meet in a short window
From apple picking to finding the perfect pumpkin, business owners rely on customers to make their year-round work worthwhile.
Wisconsin Science Festival returns with free STEAM events
The 16th Wisconsin Science Festival returns with more than 800 events planned throughout the state through Oct. 25 at venues such as museums, libraries and schools.
MORNING BUSINESS REPORT: Record high diesel, Social Security adjustment, more moving money out of savings
Diesel comes down but is still high, the Social Security cost of living adjustment, and more move money out of their savings accounts. Here's the Morning Business Report for Oct. 15.
Democrat Charly Ray seeks open northwest Wisconsin Senate seat with focus on schools, healthcare
Charly Ray of Bayview, a member of the Bayfield County Board, is the Democratic candidate for the open 25th District Senate seat in November's 2026 election.
Guardians-Rays predictions. Who wins Game 3 of ALCS?
With the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven ALCS, here are our predictions for Game 3 at Progressive Field.
Business taxes explained: City of Savannah to host resource event
The City of Savannah’s Revenue Department is hosting Business Tax 101 on Thursday, a resource event for current business owners and anyone thinking of becoming one.
Hasan Piker isn't worried about being a political boogeyman this midterms season
President Donald Trump recently called Hasan Piker a “terrible liability” and a “communist.”The California-based streamer — who describes himself as a socialist — has become the GOP’s political bogeyman ahead of the midterm elections. Piker argues those attacks will backfire, but also says he has played a role in being portrayed as a 'figurehead of the insurgent left.'“The way that I'm portrayed in the media is an America-hating communist Islamist fundamentalist who wants to secretly do jihad, and then also, at the same time, very woke and gay, so there's this weird inconsistency in their messaging,” Piker says. “Who I am is very simple. I'm a socialist. I'm an anti-imperialist. I want what's best for Americans, and I want what's best for everyone from all around the world.”In this episode from NPR’s Newsmakers, Piker sits down with host Leila Fadel and argues Republicans are using him to distract from policies that made life less affordable. He also addresses his seven Twitch bans, defends his rhetoric against right-wing reactionaries, and reflects on the crisis of loneliness among young men — and the limits of his influence.“At the end of the day, I'm a Twitch streamer,” Piker says. “I hold no political office. I have no real political power. So getting people to be upset at a Twitch streamer and their affiliation as a, if you want to call it a surrogate, in the primary is going to be very difficult.”Newsmakers is where you'll find NPR's biggest interviews. We post new episodes as soon as they're available -- any day of the week. Follow or subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to get new episodes as soon as possible. You can also find Newsmakers on the NPR app. Newsmakers relies on supporters who value independent journalism and a free press. Join NPR+ today to support our work and get perks from the podcasts you trust. Go to plus.npr.org.
Las Vegas Arts District businesses form coalition to help at-risk youth
Following a deadly shooting, downtown Arts District businesses formed a coalition to connect at-risk youth with jobs and mentorship.
Ceuta and the Politics of Not Naming
The Ceuta gray-zone crisis reveals how migration pressure, political ambiguity, and delayed attribution shaped Spain’s response to Morocco.
North Phoenix sports bar, 2 Mesa restaurants cited for health violations
Did your favorite restaurant make this week's Dirty Dining report?
North Phoenix sports bar, 2 Mesa restaurants cited for health violations
Did your favorite restaurant make this week's Dirty Dining report?
North Phoenix sports bar, 2 Mesa restaurants cited for health violations
Did your favorite restaurant make this week's Dirty Dining report?
North Phoenix sports bar, 2 Mesa restaurants cited for health violations
Did your favorite restaurant make this week's Dirty Dining report?
North Phoenix sports bar, 2 Mesa restaurants cited for health violations
Several Valley restaurants were cited by health inspectors this week for handling food without washing hands and for keeping food at dangerous temperatures.
Vikings, Chargers Floated in Realistic Justin Herbert Trade Idea
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have any commitment to a quarterback beyond this season after the trade of J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants. Both Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz are on one-year contracts, and new general manager Nolan Teasley could look to go in a different direction if neither impresses. Heading into the bye […] The post Vikings, Chargers Floated in Realistic Justin Herbert Trade Idea appeared first on HEAVY.
College Station business owner calls for wider input on Harvey District plan
A College Station business owner says the Harvey District plan needs every one to participate to succeed.
Senator Murray launches working group to shield US public health from political influence
Kauai residents hope reopening of state park will boost business after hurricane
Community partners consider the reopening of Ha'ena State Park a milestone that could add momentum to the island’s long road to recovery.
Minnesota Vikings Star Provides Big Announcement Before Week 6
Undefeated quarterback Kyler Murray officially closed his Arizona chapter, finalized a multi-million dollar estate sale to focus entirely on leading Minnesota’s offense through a dominant breakout season.
Warriors Could Trade For Draymond Green’s Longtime Rival
The Golden State Warriors will be looking for ways to improve via the trade market, and Rudy Gobert could emerge as an option. A new report claims that the Minnesota Timberwolves will look to trade Gobert due to his contract ending soon. Paying big money to an aging NBA player can hurt the franchise, especially […] The post Warriors Could Trade For Draymond Green’s Longtime Rival appeared first on HEAVY.
Endeavor Health, Rush University System announce plans to merge
Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health announced plans to merge into a singular integrated academic health system in a Wednesday news release. The merger will create a unified network of 12 hospitals and more than 400 care sites across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana that will employ more than 46,000 people and serve...
‘Politics for profit’ or ‘pure fiction’: Opening statements aired in corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao
Ex-Mayor Sheng Thao betrayed Oakland by making herself “open for business” to illegal bribes before stepping foot into the mayor’s office, federal prosecutors declared Wednesday at the start of a federal corruption trial…
Your Business Probably Has More Data Than Insight by Nathan Tayloe
Most businesses know more about themselves than they ever have. Leaders have access to financial reports, sales pipelines, customer data, employee metrics, website analytics, and dashboards for almost every part of the organization. CRMs track every stage of the sales process. Marketing platforms report results in real time. AI can analyze and summarize enormous amounts of information in seconds. Yet I've sat in plenty of meetings where all of that information is available, and some of the most important questions are still surprisingly difficult to answer. What's actually working? Why are customers choosing us? Where are we losing opportunities? What should we do differently? Having the data and understanding what it means are two very different things. More Information Doesn't Always Create More Clarity Over the past decade, businesses have invested heavily in visibility, and that's a good thing. We can understand performance with a level of detail that would have been unimaginable not long ago. But there's an unintended consequence. The easier something becomes to measure, the easier it is to assume it must be important. Website traffic goes up, so that looks positive. Leads increase, so marketing appears to be working. Sales activity climbs, so the pipeline looks healthy. Maybe. The numbers tell us what happened. Understanding why it happened, whether it matters, and what we should do next still requires judgment. Not Everything That Matters Fits on a Dashboard Consider a customer who ultimately contacts your company through Google. The data may attribute that lead to search. What it may not show is that the customer heard about you from a colleague six months earlier, saw your company mentioned in an industry publication, followed one of your employees on LinkedIn, and read several reviews before finally searching for your company. Google may have produced the click. It didn't necessarily create the decision. This happens throughout a business. Some of the things that matter most are difficult to reduce to a single metric: Why your best customers stay Why talented employees choose your company Why a prospect trusts one provider over another Why one service is gaining momentum while another isn't Why the market perceives your business the way it does Data can help answer those questions, but it needs context. Better Decisions Start With Better Questions One of the easiest traps for leaders is starting with the information in front of them rather than the decision they're trying to make. Instead of opening a dashboard and asking, "What does the data show?" it can be more useful to start with a different set of questions: What are we trying to understand? What decision are we trying to make? What would we need to know to make that decision confidently? That changes the role of data. Instead of looking at every number available and searching for meaning, you're using information to understand something specific about the business. Information Still Requires Judgment More sophisticated analytics and AI will continue to give leaders access to better information, faster. That's valuable, but I don't think it reduces the importance of experience and judgment. If anything, it increases it. Someone still has to decide which numbers deserve attention, which patterns matter, what context might be missing, and when the data isn't telling the whole story. The goal isn't to know more about your business simply because you can. It's to understand your business well enough to make better decisions. Good data can tell you what happened. Good leadership has to decide what it means. — Learn more about how we help organizations turn business, customer, and marketing insights into smarter strategies at tayloegray.com, or reach out directly at nathan@tayloegray.com.
Recruitment and retention take center stage at UPHS-Marquette Rural Health Showcase
About 50 future doctors and healthcare providers displayed their quality improvement projects they've worked on as residents on Wednesday
Political science professor breaks down how redistricting changes Memphis’ representation in Washington
Memphis was once entirely contained in one congressional district, District 9. US Rep. Steve Cohen attracted funding, resources, and federal representation specific to Memphis.
WNC SCIENCE EXPERIMENT ON SPACE X
THE SPACE-X ROCKET THAT WE SAW STREAK ACROSS THE UPSTATE SKY YESTERDAY MORNING HAD A LOCAL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT ON BOARD.
Prichard Senior Center, Housing Authority host senior health fair
Wednesday's event offered flu shots and wellness information for seniors.
Surry training business helps ‘salty’ pups build skills for 10 years
With a decade under its belt, Thurston and her four other trainers have worked with more than 7,000 dogs.
Kansas business owner sentenced for spending employee’s tax withholdings on cars, mansions and gambling
A Kansas business owner has been sentenced to prison for employment tax crimes.
Nebraska holds first public hearings on ballot initiatives, including school sports measure
The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office held the first of several public hearings Wednesday on proposed ballot measures that voters will decide on in the Nov. 3 general election.
City of Davenport adopts new occupational health contract
Davenport City Council approved a resolution to provide full on-site occupational health services for city workers.
Science behind frost and when the metro typically sees its first frost
First Alert 6 Meteorologist Bo Fogal describes the science behind frost and the first chance of frost this weekend.
South County police business group honors officers, awards scholarships
The South County Police Business Association recognized officers of the year and awarded scholarships to children of officers during its annual police awards and scholarship lunch.
Delta County students immerse themselves in the sciences for Mind Trekkers
Students turned the U.P. State Fairgrounds into a hands-on science lab on Wednesday with an interactive learning experience.
Widespread power outage hits Central City, prompting several business closures
A widespread power outage in Central City has forced multiple local businesses to close their doors for the day.
Mayoral candidate Jim Schmitt hosts roundtable with Green Bay business owners
The discussion focused on what business owners say is making it harder to run their businesses downtown.
Applications open for Hurricane Lowell business recovery grants
The Kauai Hurricane Lowell program will offer one-time grants of $5K or $10K to eligible non-agricultural small businesses and nonprofits.
Mayoral candidate Jim Schmitt hosts roundtable with Green Bay business owners
Jim Schmitt, former Green Bay mayor and current mayoral candidate, hosted a roundtable with downtown Green Bay business owners on Wednesday morning.
Longtime Nashville entertainment reporter, Montgomery native Jimmy Carter dies
Longtime Nashville Entertainment Reporter and Montgomery native Jimmy Carter has died. He was 73.
Jimmy Carter, entertainment personality dies
Former Nashville Entertainment reporter and Montgomery native Jimmy Carter has died.
Gainesville businesses propose opening new courthouse parking garage during off-hours
Business owners want Alachua County to open the garage on nights and weekends
Dodgers’ Game 4 Matchup Moved Up Following ALCS Reschedule
MLB moved the Los Angeles Dodgers’ NLCS Game 4 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers up, with the new start time at 5:00 p.m. PT on Thursday. The change came following a change in the start time for the Game 3 in the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays’ ALCS matchup due to forecasted inclement weather. […] The post Dodgers’ Game 4 Matchup Moved Up Following ALCS Reschedule appeared first on LA Sports Report.
‘Good versus evil’: How La Derecha Diario portrays politics in the United States and Latin America
By Samedi AguirreWhat do former Colombian senator Iván Cepeda and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have in common? According…
At WSU in Pullman, Murray Launches Public Health for America Working Group, Delivers Address to Chart What Comes Next After Trump & RFK Jr., and Discusses Key Public Health Challenges with Local Leaders and Experts
READ MORE: Senator Murray announces members of new public health initiative NYT: A Public Health-Minded Senator Asks: What Comes After Trump and Kennedy? ***LIVESTREAM OF DISCUSSION FROM KHQ HERE*** Pullman, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate […]
Lake County health district issues warning of ‘possible exposure to measles’
The Lake County General Health District is warning the public Wednesday of a “possible exposure to measles” in the county.
Ubisoft plans cuts at German studios, adding to wave of workforce reductions
Ubisoft is planning to reduce its workforce in Germany, where it operates a trio of studios, by about 100 workers, Game File has learned. The company wants to offer employees buyouts to, should enough people accept, avoid having to lay anyone off. “In Germany, we initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across Ubisoft Dusseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin & Ubisoft Mainz,” a company rep told Game File. A “works council” is a union-like group representing employees. “The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organizational changes,” the Ubisoft rep added. The company declined to confirm the scale of the potential headcount cut. Of the impacted studios, Mainz might be the best known to the public. It leads development of the Anno series and shipped the well-reviewed strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana in November 2025. Berlin and Dusseldorf operate as support studios within Ubisoft’s creative network. Berlin recently supported the development of Rainbow Six Siege and the Rayman Legends Retold remake. Dusseldorf also contributed to those projects, as well as The Settlers and Ubisoft-branded escape rooms. Dusseldorf is the biggest of the three studios, with some 400+ workers, compared to just over 100 at the other two, a source familiar with the reductions and the teams told Game File. More than half of these new reductions of about 100 people are expected to happen at Dusseldorf. The planned cuts were announced at a town hall for the German studios on Tuesday of last week. In an email follow-up, the studio group’s managing director, Benedikt Grindel, said the cuts were intended to “best position our German studios for the future... with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities and organizational setup needed for the work ahead.” The email was an echo of the past. In January 2025, Grindel had emailed the Ubisoft developers in his region (or studio “zone”) to explain that a round of 185 cuts at the time, including about 65 at Dusseldorf, were “essential to improve our operational efficiency and ensure the long-term sustainability of our studios, the zone and the company.” A half-decade of continued job cuts Ubisoft has been aggressively cutting its headcount for years. At the end of September 2022, it had 20,729 workers. By the end of March 2026, that total was down to 16,590. Studio management is trying to trim costs as it grapples with a changing industry and a drought of releases, let alone hits. The company announced earlier this year that it had reduced its costs since 2022 by “nearly €325 million” ($362m) and planned to lower them through 2028 by another €180 million ($200m). In June the company said it was closing down its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and cutting roles in its Barcelona team. Even commercial and creative success hasn’t spared studios from this ongoing company-wide contraction. As Game File was nailing down details around the proposed cuts in Germany, Ubisoft management was informing workers of cuts in its Singapore studio, which shipped a hit remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag this past July. Some 70 positions in Singapore are being eliminated “to align the studio with upcoming production needs,” per a company rep’s statement to Game File. In early 2024, a large team in the Singapore studio launched the multiplayer pirate game Skull & Bones. It performed poorly but has been supported with regular content updates since. Many of Ubisoft’s studios around the world are heavily subsidized via regional grants and tax breaks. Singapore had been among them for years, but received no such local assistance in the 12 months ending this past March. News of the Singapore cuts broke today alongside word that Ubisoft is also proposing the closure of RedLynx, pending negotiations with officials. The Finnish studio behind the motorbike series Trials was founded in 2000 and sold to Ubisoft in 2011. As reported by VGC (and corroborated by Game File), Ubisoft management told employees it could not come up with a new, sustainable assignment for RedLynx. The 2025 workforce at Ubisoft Dusseldorf were straight-up cuts. This time, Ubisoft is hoping the reductions at its trio of German studios will largely come from workers taking a payout to leave. The company offered such voluntary dismissals at its Massive Entertainment studio (The Division) a year ago. For the German studios’ buyouts this time around, Ubisoft and the Works Council had discussed a formula that’d pay a worker’s monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by the number of years they’ve worked at the company, according to Game File sources. The formula is still subject to negotiations with the Works Council and has not yet been part of an official offer to workers. It could be adjusted up or down, and it could be supplemented with additional bonuses. Asked about the floated payout formula, a Ubisoft rep told Game File, “The terms of a potential voluntary departure program remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives. No final agreement has been reached, and we won’t comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing.” 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: Epic’s AI adventures Epic Games (Fortnite, the Unreal engine) is all-in on using AI to try to transform the way it makes video games and game-making tools. It’s leaders appear to be undeterred by any resistance among gamers and some game developers around generative AI—and instead emboldened by advances, particularly in AI-assisted programming. A recap of the last three days: On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Epic management told workers last week that development of an upcoming game combining Star Wars and Marvel characters would be “AI first.” Employees would be expected to use AI models such as Claude to code the game. A manager told Epic’s developers there would be “[n]o more hand-written code” and that art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows,” per the outlet. Just ahead of that story running, Epic founder Tim Sweeney tweeted: “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.” In a follow-up, Sweeney predicted that most game development processes would be at least three times faster a year from now than they were in January 2026, thanks to AI. To a person on X who told him he was failing to read the room, Sweeney said: “Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it’s not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be.” On Wednesday, Epic announced it was releasing a faster launcher for its Epic Games Store marketplace. It did so by stating in a blog post as clear as could be that the launcher is an AI-enabled, vibe-coded project: Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look. Programming is hard? That was unexpected phrasing from a company founded by a legendarily great programmer. Back in 2011, Sweeney told me that he’d picked up programming quickly as a kid and rejoiced at the power it gave him. “I could look at any program that anybody else had written and, with enough effort, build something cooler.” Item 3: The Xbox Labs experiment (and one of the people behind it) Microsoft’s Xbox division, which is flooding the zone with announcements lately, yesterday revealed a new internal tech-tinkering team called Xbox Labs. In the words of Xbox boss Asha Sharma Labs is “a small group of game makers, engineers and scientists whose job is to turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience.” Conventional wisdom coming out of the announcement is that Labs is a team that’ll focus on ideas driven by generative AI. In her announcement, Sharma cited some of the dizzying achievements in tech and gaming over the past month as AI agents and other AI tools have been deployed to swiftly figure out how popular games work, then rebuild them and mix them up. She mentioned seeing ”games rapidly decompiled and rebuilt to run on hardware they were never originally designed to support” and said “[p]erhaps more surprisingly, we’ve seen many of the biggest games in the world have been remixed into the source code of another.” (Minecraft plus Elden Ring, for example, or Fortnite + Super Monkey Ball + Overwatch + Diablo + others.) Sharma also cited the work of Windows PC games being ported to run in browsers, a seeming reference to a recent AI-assisted fan port of Halo. Or perhaps Call of Duty or GTA. Sharma didn’t use the specific term “AI” in her memo, but she came close, citing AI “agents” and their potential for game-making tools that Labs could help craft: I think XBOX has an important role to play here. Coding became the first major workload for agents because they can write, run, and test software. Games share many of those same properties, and people spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing XBOX games, roughly five times the estimated time spent writing code worldwide. We’ve spent 25 years learning how to make great games, and I want our game makers to help shape what these new technologies make possible. As we learn, we’ll share the tools we build with developers across the industry, just as we always have. When I asked an Xbox rep if Labs was an AI-centric team, they said genAI was not the focus, describing it as having a broader mandate for using new tech in new ways in gaming. As an example, they pointed to Xbox’s recently launched disc-to-digital gaming usage rights program. Microsoft didn’t specifically name anyone involved full-time in Xbox Labs yesterday, but on social media and LinkedIn, I spotted Adrian Mato IDing himself as leading the creatio of tools at Labs and talking up the launch. Mato first caught my attention in late September, when he said on X that he was “starting to build a new team at Xbox focused on products and tools for how games get built and distributed as agentic tools become more capable.” At the time, he framed AI-based tools as a supplement to traditional game dev tools. “I don’t think we need to replace them,” he said. Since then, he’s publicly shown interest in AI and in games. He’s recently spent some of his X feed marveling at the power of AI agents and praising the lighting in the latest Gears of War. Following the Labs announcement yesterday, he enthused about the Xbox Labs’ stylish landing page. He wrote: “We built some fun tools to art-direct shaders in real time, experimented with interactive ASCII art, and sprinkled in lots of tiny details. “Move your mouse to leave a colorful trail that reveals the original footage, or interact with the video to trigger bursts of particles. “A lot of love went into making it all feel just right. “More to come”
Commentary: New Hampshire sure is beautiful this time of year, apolitically speaking
It’s mid-October, and New Hampshire has never been more stunning. How stunning? The autumn reds and golds are barely muted by the pall of another election season. Not that this campaign cycle hasn’t tried its soulless best to drape the landscape in gray.
Lucas Raymond Demoted to Third Line Amid Goal Drought
Todd McLellan dropped Lucas Raymond to the third line Wednesday after 13 straight games without a goal. #RedWings
Online requests now available for GCHD COMPASS mobile health unit
Visits from the Genesee County Health Department’s COMPASS mobile health unit can now be requested online.
MIDDAY GUEST: Jackson Area Business and Professional Women and Excelsior Theatre Company
Mary Jo Middlebrooks, with the Jackson Area Business and Professional Women and Excelsior Theatre Company, joined our show to talk about to upcoming Ghost A-Walkin Tour and Dinner.
Bishop Espaillat Calls for Prayers for the Health of Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Joseph Espaillat reflects on the importance of praying for Pope Leo XIV’s health and invites the faithful to unite spiritually in praying for his recovery.
Juice bar closed until further notice after car slams into building
A juice bar announced that it will remain closed until further notice after a car rammed into the business on Wednesday.
Open for Business: Osteria Sierra, Tahoe Provisions inside Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
Osteria Sierra offers a modern take on Italian cuisine.
Longtime Panthers player returns after battling serious health condition
Right tackle Taylor Moton experienced a “multitude” of blood clots in one lung.
NASA’s SpaceX resupply mission delivers science experiments and solar arrays to space station
NASA’s latest resupply mission has successfully launched towards the ISS, carrying thousands of pounds of supplies, scientific equipment and new technology
NASA’s Chandra Breaks Down ‘Treble Clef’s’ Galaxy Cluster Collision
Astronomers have used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory to break down the cause of a remarkable formation of radio waves they have nicknamed the “Treble Clef”