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GOAL Medals Ceremony Celebrates Sports & Entertainment Venues’ Sustainability Impact
GOAL took part in Climate Week NYC by hosting two days of programming that included a behind-the-scenes tour of UBS Arena, a fireside chat featuring National
Gresham shuts down 7 illicit massage businesses with new license rules
Gresham closed seven illicit massage businesses through stricter licensing and enforcement, boosting community safety and supporting legitimate providers.
This US carrier doesn't want to let you use one phone number on two iPhones
It's an interesting strategy, holding off on supporting a new feature like this. iPhone Handoff is a new feature in the recently released iOS 27 which lets...
NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip steps back from public life for serious health concerns
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Darrell Waltrip, who parlayed a Hall of Fame driving career in NASCAR into a long-time broadcasting stint at Fox Sports, has stepped away
A planned 2029 debt redemption hinges on $3.97B in funding as AMC Entertainment (AMC) prices new borrowing.
AMC also priced $850M in new term loans. Proceeds and cash are intended to repay existing loans and redeem $903.4M of Muvico notes, subject to conditions.
Rep. Pocan joins bipartisan bill to end cat and dog testing funding
Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan is pushing a bill to end federal funding for cat and dog experiments after Ridglan Farms’ closure.
'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested for alleged public intoxication, resisting deputy
Jonathan Taylor Thomas was detained in Westlake Village after reportedly exiting a vehicle.
iOS 27.0.1 is Coming Soon
After releasing iOS 27 last week, Apple is already testing a follow-up iOS 27.0.1 update for iPhones, according to MacRumors logs. iOS 27.0.1 will likely be a minor update with bug fixes and/or security patches. Shortly after Apple launches new iPhone models, some software bugs are usually discovered as the devices get into the hands of millions of customers around the world.
Kasson-based non-profit to host mental health fair in Austin, documentary screenings
The non-profit organization Aidan’s Light will be hosting a mental health fair and screenings of the documentary My Ascension on Monday, Oct. 5.
Verizon is investing $70 million in free AI training for job seekers and small businesses
The telecom company is partnering with IBM, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI to offer no-cost AI courses through community nonprofits
Tampa General Hospital First Academic Health System in Southeast to Adopt Innovative Host-Response Technology to Advance Sepsis Care
MeMed BV provides results in 15 minutes to help clinicians distinguish bacterial from viral infections, building on Tampa General’s nationally recognized efforts to improve the early detection and treatment of sepsis. Sept. 22, 2026 – Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is advancing its longstanding commitment to improving sepsis care as the first academic health system in the Southeast to […]
CDC testing finds no confirmed hantavirus infection in Pine Ridge
CDC testing found no hantavirus infection in specimens from a recent Pine Ridge health evaluation, though IHS reminds residents to safely clean rodent areas.
'Mental flexibility' is science's best predictor of lasting willpower. Here's how to improve yours
Psychologists are now finding that mental flexibility, not pushing through at all costs, is the real key to perseverance.
DHS plans ‘large investments’ in biosurveillance as it ramps up capabilities
The agency’s Science and Technology Directorate wants to add testing and evaluation sites, forge partnerships with industry and create internal roles to lead the work.
St. Joseph County Department of Health hosting free Bicycle Safety Rodeo this Saturday
Free helmets, tune-ups, and safety courses are being offered for youth riders at Ironworks Plaza.
Siri AI Coming to HomePod
Apple's smarter, more capable version of Siri is expanding to the HomePod, according to details found by code sleuth pdfu. According to pdfu, HomePod Software 27 includes the system behind Siri AI, called "Linwood," along with new status lights in the Siri AI colors. Since HomePod Software 27 is out and Siri AI isn't available on existing HomePods, it's possible support will be limited to new HomePod models. Get ready for Siri AI on HomePod.
From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here's Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Science
Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What's more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others' perspectives
From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here's Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Science
Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What's more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others' perspectives
The NBA's 5 most interesting newcomers, starring LeBron James, LaMelo Ball and the Lakers' big swing
Mark Ballas subtly shuts down conspiracy theories about Whitney Leavitt’s “Traitors” casting
The “DWTS” pro, who was partnered with Leavitt last season, claims she’s been set to head to the Scottish Highlands “for a while.”
2026 Bowl Projections After Week Three
Hello everyone and welcome back to our latest bowl projections here at Last Word On College Football. This past weekend was certainly an interesting one of course headed by the big one down in Oxford. The Rebels won out over LSU, and that shook up our rankings a little. In addition, another playoff team stumbled …
Codie Sanchez Doesn't Want to Compete With Sam Altman. She Says Founders Should Buy a Business Instead
Codie Sanchez argues that buying a proven small business can offer better odds, existing demand, and greater control than starting one from scratch.
Why this version of Astros is the 'worst' since 2014
This has been a wildly interesting season for the Astros.
Costco investing in another city in D-FW with ‘business’ store
The massive retailer is adding shops in the region.
Nuclear power startup founded by SpaceX alums is building its headquarters in Bywater
The year-old private company, which plans to build and operate small modular reactor powerplants, will spend more than $8 million transforming an existing 18,500-square-foot industrial facility at 3333 Chartres Street into office space, a light fabrication shop and training center.
Jefferson County opens region play at Science Hill
Jefferson County begins a pivotal two-game stretch on Friday night, traveling to Region 1-6A top dogs Science Hill this week and hosting Dobyns-Bennett next week.
Matt LaFleur calls out Packers’ “Disgusting” third down struggles
The Green Bay Packers managed to even its record at 1-1 by escaping with a 20-17 overtime victory against the New York Jets in Week 2. Despite securing the win, the Packers offense has yet to fully click through the opening two games. Their struggles on third down have been particularly noticeable, and Matt LaFleur [...]
University Hospitals creates new role to expand venture investing
University Hospitals named Melissa Cohen to a new role overseeing venture investments and business development.
2 midterm elections that brought on new eras in US politics
Two 19th-century elections are a reminder that a sizable midterm shift, like the one expected in November, can signal long-lasting changes in American politics that set the country in a new direction.
Sphere Entertainment partners with Disguise on tech development
Sphere Entertainment partners with Disguise on tech development
Google could bring the Pixel 11's customized My Pixel colors to older Pixels
Looking at the latest My Pixel app, we have found evidence suggesting Google may expand the customized app icon colors to older Pixels.
The free-to-read Physics World Big Science Briefing 2026 is out now
Discover how big science is playing its part to tackle the climate crisis
Mikel Arteta agrees new Arsenal contract to extend stay
Mikel Arteta has agreed an improved new contract with Arsenal, committing his future to the Premier League champions after months of negotiations.The 44-year-old’s existing deal was due to expire at...
A look at the legacy and influence Nancy Pelosi will leave behind when she retires
Rep. Nancy Pelosi will retire following the 2026 midterm elections, ending her almost 40-year career in Congress, but leaving a lasting influence on U.S. politics.
Why is Six Flags Entertainment stock gaining today?
Why is Six Flags Entertainment stock gaining today?
PLA chiefs’ downfall eliminated ‘political danger’, military mouthpiece says
Ousting of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli was a ‘major victory’ in the Chinese military’s war on corruption: PLA Daily.
JD Sports keeps its nerve on guidance despite a bruising half
JD Sports Fashion PLC (LSE:JD., OTC:JDSPY) has kept its full-year profit forecast intact, even after a rough six months in which earnings slid by a fifth. The FTSE 100 trainers-and-tracksuits giant still expects profit before tax and adjusting items of £700 million to £800 million for the...
JD Sports keeps its nerve on guidance despite a bruising half
JD Sports Fashion PLC (LSE:JD., OTC:JDSPY) has kept its full-year profit forecast intact, even after a rough six months in which earnings slid by a fifth. The FTSE 100 trainers-and-tracksuits giant still expects profit before tax and adjusting items of £700 million to £800 million for the...
Form 4 Dolphin Entertainment Inc For: 23 September
Form 4 Dolphin Entertainment Inc For: 23 September
Dolphin entertainment CEO O’Dowd buys $4,850 in company stock
Dolphin entertainment CEO O’Dowd buys $4,850 in company stock
ESPN’s Direction Could Influence Their Decision On Troy Aikman
"ESPN is changing, and so is the audience it is trying to reach. The network is investing in younger voices, creators and personalities who can live beyond the traditional broadcast window. Aikman represents a different era of sports media." The post ESPN’s Direction Could Influence Their Decision On Troy Aikman appeared first on Barrett Media.
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Begins $3.97 Billion Debt Refinancing
AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC) launched a US$3.97b debt refinancing effort aimed at reshaping its capital structure. The package includes new secured note offerings designed to retire existing 2029 notes through a comprehensive tender offer. AMC is also pursuing new first and second lien term loans that are intended to replace upcoming debt maturities. This large refinancing of 2029 notes and new secured financing only captures part of what could reshape AMC’s risk profile. Check out...
Why is Six Flags Entertainment stock surging afterhours today?
Why is Six Flags Entertainment stock surging afterhours today?
Devin Booker's Possible Regression Isn’t Concern for Phoenix Suns
Skeptics question Devin Booker’s superstar trajectory as Phoenix faces looming roster uncertainties, testing whether the franchise cornerstone can overcome a lackluster national ranking to silence his doubters.
GOP senator calls for investigation into business dealings of Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden
A Republican senator is calling for an investigation into the business dealings of Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden following the revelation that a Russian oligarch paid for Trump Jr.’s post-wedding festivities in the Caribbean earlier this year. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, sent a letter Monday to the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee requesting that the panel subpoena the president’s eldest son as well as former President Joe Biden’s son for testimony. NBC News' Ryan Nobles reports.
Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 27.2 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2
Apple today seeded the first betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. The software comes a day after Apple provided the second betas to developers. To get the new betas, you can sign up on Apple's beta testing website. After you're signed up, the betas can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device. iOS 27.2 includes the redesigned Health app that Apple introduced at its September iPhone event.
Calls to sign infant formula testing bill into law in New York
The measure passed the state Legislature this past session. It’s now up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign into law.
Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition to host recovery fair at IX Park
The Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition is hosting its recovery fair Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Biological sciences professor earns national award for advancing diversity and inclusion in entomology
Dr. Chelsea Cook, assistant professor of biological sciences in Marquette University's Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, has received the 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award in the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion in the Field of Entomology from the Entomological Society of America.
Utica to Host International Curling Competition
The NBT Bank Arena will be hosting an international curling competition this coming January.
How Index Switches Will Impact Tencent Music Stock Investors
Tencent Music Entertainment Group was removed from the FTSE All-World Index on its NYSE listing and added on its SEHK listing in September 2026, while fresh research updates highlighted mixed views on its core music operations and broader platform trajectory. The index switch concentrates liquidity closer to Tencent Music Entertainment Group’s onshore business footprint. This may sharpen investor focus on how its streaming, social entertainment, and offline initiatives line up with...
Astroparticle physicist Matthew Szydagis on UAP science
Ross Coulthart and astroparticle physicist Matthew Szydagis talk about the UAP Science Advisory Council, declassification requests, testing of Art’s Parts samples and who has been harassing S…
Newport News ship repair business plans to add 400+ jobs
S23 Holdings is investing $180 million and adding 414 jobs to expand its ship repair and fabrication operations in Newport News.
Detroit Pistons reach streaming agreement with DAZN
In addition to broadcasting for free on local TV, the Detroit Pistons will also stream games with an exclusive partner next season.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Shadow of Mordor coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition and Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition are both coming to Nintendo Switch 2, it’s been revealed. A listing on the Nintendo eShop has them down for September 30, 2026. Middle-earth: Shadow of War Game of the Year Edition features season pass content – specifically the Guardians of the Flaming Eye Warband...
Billy Bush lands new Fox News gig. Here's what he'll be doing
Billy Bush is joining Fox News as a contributor after hosting “Extra” and his own show, “Hot Mics with Billy Bush". Here's what his new gig entails.
Sea turtle laying eggs at Huntington Beach is first known instance of nesting on West Coast
At least one olive ridley sea turtle has laid its eggs on the sand in Huntington Beach.
Free Speech Groups Say the FCC's Disney/ABC Investigation 'Reeks of Political Pretext'
FIRE, Cato, PEN America, and others take on the broadcasting police.
From paleo to intermittent fasting: are any diets actually good for us?
As diet trends proliferate on social media, it can be hard to work out which are backed by science and which should be ignored. From paleo to keto, raw food to intermittent fasting, each attracts a tribe of ardent followers. Now Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological sciences at Harvard University, has written a book to try to cut through the noise. In Fed Up, he uses his background as an evolutionary anthropologist to scrutinise the evidence, turning himself into a guinea pig in the process and trying various diets. In this podcast, he tells Ian Sample which one has remained part of his routine
In Memoriam: Dr. Lorenzo Morris, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Former NCOBPS President -
This obituary includes excerpts from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. APSA is saddened by the passing of Dr. Lorenzo Morris, a distinguished scholar, Professor Emeritus, and former Chair of the Department of Political [...]
In Memoriam: Dr. Lorenzo Morris, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Former NCOBPS President -
This obituary includes excerpts from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. APSA is saddened by the passing of Dr. Lorenzo Morris, a distinguished scholar, Professor Emeritus, and former Chair of the Department of Political [...]
Grand Theft Auto: players are voting, debating, protesting and making political decisions
It can become a way for gamers who haven’t previously shunned politics to engage.
Saudi Aramco plans reorganisation to create gas division, sources say
Saudi oil giant Aramco plans to reorganise its business to create a new gas division with an eye on possible listings of business units in the future to raise capital, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Earth Science Tech’s (ETST) Uplist to OTCQB Venture Market Continues Series of Milestones in Fiscal 2027
Austin, Texas, September 22nd, 2026, FinanceWireEarth Science Tech (OTCQB: ETST), a strategic holding company in the healthcare, pharmacy, and telemedicine sector, successfully uplisted to the OTCQB Venture Market effective September 17, 2026. The listing on OTCQB, an established public market for…
The Maker’s Toolbox: Bambu Lab R1 CO2 Laser Cutter Review
I’ve spent the past couple of weeks testing the new Bambu Lab R1 and have a lot of thoughts to share with you.
Ligue 1 Review | Is Le Classique still a classic?
Le Classique is supposed to be Ligue 1’s premier fixture. However, the contrasting realities of France’s two biggest teams, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille, meant that Sunday night...
New Report Warns AI Could Close a 70-Year Gap in Weather Forecasting for Health or Widen It Without Deliberate Action
A 10-day forecast now takes minutes to produce, on a single computer chip, putting life-saving warnings within reach of the world's most vulnerable
Testing the Waters
By studying how warming oceans affect coastal fish, senior Kate Blizzard is shaping a clearer vision for her future in marine science.
Sony appears to be testing PlayStation Store credit offers when you buy certain games
What looks to be an unannounced PlayStation loyalty programme of some kind has seemingly gone live for some, offering store credit.
iOS 27 adds convenient new iPhone feature you’ll use all the time
One of my favorite iOS 27 features is a convenient addition for quickly pasting items from the iPhone clipboard. Here’s how it works.
These discreet hearing aid glasses now have better voice boosting and battery life
A subtle alternative for those not wanting to wear hearing aids.
2026 CALS Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Honored
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences celebrated its alumni award winners on Sept. 18. From the field to the lab, find out how they're making an impact.
MIT’s tiny flying robot gets 450% faster with AI
A new AI control system lets MIT’s tiny flying robot move with insect-like agility, boosting its speed by about 450 percent and allowing it to pull off 10 somersaults in 11 seconds. The technology could eventually enable miniature robots to search earthquake rubble and navigate dangerous spaces that conventional drones cannot reach.
I quit my job and became a travel 'micro influencer.' Now I make money online and see the world for free.
Rhiannon Wood quit her minimum-wage job and learned to monetize her travels by leading tours all over the world and posting on social media.
McDonald's is hosting an investor day as its U.S. business struggles. Here are 4 things to expect
The presentation comes as McDonald's U.S. business disappointed in its most recent quarter.
Sports on TV/radio listings: Sept. 22
Where to watch and/or listen to today's sporting events that will be televised or broadcast on the radio.
Why Melinda French Gates is shifting her philanthropy on women’s health
The philanthropist is investing in care for women in their midlife.
Ruck hikes at Texas state parks aim to raise awareness about veterans' mental health struggles
State parks across Texas are hosting ruck hikes to help raise awareness about the mental health struggles many veterans face.
Is 50 the new 60?
Subscribe TL;DR: Younger generations are showing signs of worse health compared to earlier-born cohorts at the same age This backward “drift” is showing up both in mortality risk and chronic disease Worsening trends in obesity and diabetes are the most consistent signals Taking the long view, we’ve made astonishing gains in health and life expectancy in the last century. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled from 32 years in 1900 to 73 years in 2024. (But don’t forget, there were still old people when life expectancy was 32). As people lived longer, they also generally lived healthier along the way. It turns out that avoiding things that can kill you early, like malnutrition and lots of childhood infections, also keeps you healthier later in life. In a classic 2004 paper, Finch and Crimmins proposed that cohorts of children who benefited from fewer early life infections had less lifetime exposure to inflammation and cardiovascular disease later in life, accelerating mortality improvements at older ages. Poor nutrition in the womb has also been linked to a higher risk of later chronic disease. The upshot is that improvements in childhood health can pay dividends many decades later. The combination of better living conditions (nutrition, sanitation) and medical advances (antibiotics, vaccines, blood pressure meds, etc) meant that people’s healthy lifespan generally expanded, even as they lived longer. Aging researchers call this best-case scenario “compression of morbidity”—meaning we delay the onset of disease and disability even faster than the years of life we are adding. During my 20+ year research career, we could generally bank on the idea that younger generations would not only live longer but also keep getting healthier along the way. “60 is the new 50” as they say… Enter “Generational Health Drift” Sadly, this expectation of steady progress may be changing. You’ve probably heard that US life expectancy gains have slowed to a crawl in the past couple of decades. Mortality improvements are also slowing (though less dramatically) in many other high-income countries (you can read more about that in a review paper I wrote here). Mortality is a very blunt health measure, but it is often a good barometer for the broader population health trends happening underneath. And we are now seeing that younger generations may be in worse health at similar ages compared to earlier born cohorts. My collaborator Prof. George Ploubidis at University College London coined this worsening health in more recently born cohorts “generational health drift.” “Generational health drift” is bad news on multiple fronts. Most obviously, we don’t want our health progress to go backward. But the timing is also bad, since our populations are aging. In demographic terms, “population aging” means that the proportion of the population at older ages (i.e >65 years) is increasing. Fun demography fact: Current population aging is not due to the recent declines in the birth rates making the news, but declines in fertility decades ago, after the “baby boom.” As baby boomers reach older ages, the smaller cohorts behind them mean the percentage of older adults will increase. For example, the share of the population age 65 and older in the US increased from 12.4% in 2004 to 18.0% in 2024. This story of population aging was written long ago. Many worry that population aging will put pressure on health care and pension systems. But if people reach older ages in better health than in years past, those fiscal pressures would be less dire than projected. Healthy older people can also continue to contribute to society in many valuable ways, including paid work, caregiving, community service….even high political office 🤷. On the flip side, if younger generations reach retirement age in worse health and with more disabling conditions, this could magnify the societal challenge of population aging. Evidence for worsening generational health A recent paper that I LOVED in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Leah Abrams and colleagues examined which birth cohorts (aka generations) were behind worsening US mortality. Behold the Lexis diagram (cue swooning demographers). Calendar time is on the x-axis, age on the y-axis. Birth cohorts can be followed over time as they age on the diagonal lines moving up and to the right. This figure plots the year-on-year % change in all-cause mortality at a given age. Green shading indicates mortality improvements over time, white is stagnation, and gray shading indicates worsening mortality. Following the diagonal line for those born in 1950, you can see a noticeable shift from green to gray that follows this cohort for most of their lives. This gray shading shows generally worsening mortality for the 1950 to 1959 birth cohorts compared to their predecessors across all ages. Concerningly for my GenX and elder millennial peeps, there was also a deterioration in mortality for birth cohorts born in the 1970s and 1980s, visible as dark gray areas at ages 30 to 45 during the 2010s. While some of these mortality changes reflect specific shocks such as the opioid epidemic, most deaths still occur from major causes of death such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For cancer, the gray in the top left corner of the figure below reflects the legacies of smoking for older cohorts, followed by a period of green with improvements in cancer mortality as smoking rates declined. But the white/gray shading in the bottom right corner highlights a stagnation and reversal of the cancer trends, with cohorts born around 1970 to 1985 experiencing worsening cancer mortality. This deterioration was most noticeable for colon cancer mortality, possibly linked to obesity or dietary factors. Not just dying more, but less healthy along the way. A recent paper by Dr. Laura Gimeno of University College London (of which I am a co-author), found evidence that more recently born cohorts in Great Britain have stagnating or worsening health. A stylized picture of what“generational health drift” might look like: The review paper found: Rates of childhood overweight and obesity were highest among Gen Z. Rates of diabetes in the 40s almost doubled from 3.1% among the Baby Boomers to 5.9% in Generation X. Gen Z reported higher rates of poor mental health in adolescence compared to earlier-born groups. These UK results are consistent with studies showing worsening health across generations in the US as well. A 2021 US study found that more recently born cohorts had worse biological markers (like blood pressure and blood sugar) than earlier generations at the same age. A separate 2022 study of Americans aged 50 and over found that more recently born generations had a higher number of chronic diseases, with younger age of disease onset. A 2024 Lancet paper found that in the US, women born in 1945 had 33% obesity prevalence at age 50, rising to 48.2% for women born in 1970 turning 50. So what’s going on, and can we turn it around? We don’t have a definitive answer for what’s causing the deteriorating health of younger cohorts, but circumstantial evidence points to worsening trends in obesity and diabetes in both the US and UK. Remember that cohort trends reflect lagged effects of early environments, and younger generations have faced both earlier onset and more severe obesity across their lifetimes. Despite these very concerning trends, the future is not set in stone. We’ve reversed poor generational health trends before: drops in smoking are a major reason cancer and heart disease deaths fell so dramatically in recent decades. GLP-1 drugs may finally turn the tide against rising rates of obesity and diabetes, though it is still early days. But things could also get worse…for example from a return to higher levels of childhood infectious diseases that can have a lasting impact on health. See for example: [ ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) [ Don’t You Forget About Me(asles): The Virus That Erases Immune Memory ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Jenn Dowd, PhD · March 24, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Even as an optimist, emerging data on the “generational health drift” has my full attention. For most of my research career, we took it for granted that each generation would be healthier than the last. But if present trends continue, **50 could be the new 60….**and Gen Z celebrities will soon look older than Paul Rudd :). Stay well, Jenn Share the Health! If you found this post useful, please share it with a friend. Share
How lip-syncing to AI let Forced Entertainment ‘play the game of theatre’
Today we have a fascinating piece by long-time Forced Entertainment fan Ben Kulvichit, speaking to Tim Etchells about their latest show Cold Sweat, how they are integrating lip-sync and AI voices into their work, the question of ‘authenticity’ on stage, and how lip-sync has even opened the door for them to make “something a little bit like drama”. This piece is a paid partnership with the Southbank Centre, where you can see Cold Sweat next month – we’re very grateful to the Southbank Centre for their ongoing support for Exeunt. Holly Williams ‘It was immediately interesting and uncanny’ **By Ben Kulvichit** “Is the microphone on?” So goes one of the opening lines of Signal to Noise, delivered by a human performer lip-syncing to an AI-generated voice. The voice is American, cheery but sluggish, slowed down into a gelatinous drawl. It repeats ad infinitum in a farce of stuckness; an answer never materialises. I find myself asking the same question as I hop on a Google Meet call with Tim Etchells, the artistic director of Forced Entertainment. We spend five or ten minutes frowning at each other, muting and unmuting, me gesticulating in semaphore into my webcam, checking if I am coming through now, restarting the laptop. To Etchells, I appear exaggeratedly mouthing words, my voice missing. In this gloopy purgatory of broken communication, life imitates art imitates life imitates art. We try a Zoom instead. Forced Entertainment, the pioneering British theatre company who have been at the avant-garde of performance since the 1980s, turned an interesting artistic corner with Signal to Noise, created on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. The whole performance employed this lip-sync technique to AI voices; on the face of it a left-field move from a company whose identity has long been grounded in the earthy, immediate presences of its performers and its unassuming, low-tech approach to theatricality. The technique, however, turned out to provide the company with a “rich new seam” of artistic enquiry, and has now spawned a trilogy of works. The second instalment, Cold Sweat, plays at Sheffield Theatres, Southbank Centre, and Lancaster Arts in October, while the third part, Everything Must Go, has been touring in Europe and is slated to come to the UK in 2027. As is often the case with Forced Entertainment shows, the main conceit for this work didn’t arrive until quite late. They were “four or five weeks into rehearsals for Signal to Noise,” Etchells recalls, and getting nowhere. Away from rehearsals, he had been playing around with feeding “weird texts” to AI voices to see how they would cope with them – “basically for my own amusement” – and was compelled by the uniformly “serviceable, benign, good-natured” tone they would read in, no matter how poetic, fractured or experimental the writing. On a hunch, he brought some examples into rehearsals and the performers gave lip-syncing a go. “It was immediately interesting and uncanny,” he recalls, with the performers having to deal in the moment with the problem of mapping themselves onto another artificial ‘performer,’ which itself was dealing with the problem of a very human text. “Almost all the writing for these projects would be useless to us unless it was done in this way,” says Etchells. “We wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s too poetic. It’s too fictional. It’s too tangled.” But exploring lip-syncing along to the text has opened “an enormous reservoir of ways of thinking about writing and performing.” Subscribe to Exeunt, and get two in-depth pieces on theatre a week, direct to your inbox Subscribe Forced Entertainment have long been sifting through the detritus of popular culture, from daytime TV to end-of-the-pier vaudeville, magic acts and clown shows, to find frameworks for their own unusual entertainments. Lip-syncing, then, makes sense for them to experiment with. As a mode of performance, it’s wired into popular consciousness through pop stars trying to convince stadium audiences of their liveness, or those same voices as channeled through the made-up lips of contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or movie dialogue spreading virally through the host bodies of TikTok users. For Etchells, lip-syncing is often about “approaching real voices and trying to take on their aura,” subsuming that original human presence into yours. “There’s a very basic, elemental sort of theatre magic to it, produced in this very easy way.” This broad approach resonates with instances of lip-syncing within contemporary performance, too. In works like Re-Member Me and Showmanism, performance artist Dickie Beau acts as a kind of spirit medium for archival recordings (this process of re-membering – as in, giving corporeal form to voices – relies on his masterfully precise actor’s technique), while Frankie Thompson is similarly possessed by a host of characters ranging from a nine-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg to Cliff Richards, all of whom she finds compellingly nauseating, in the exorcism ritual that is her latest show, Horrible Things. What’s different about Forced Entertainment’s use of lip-syncing is that here, there is no original presence to be channeled. The performers are instead taking on what Etchells describes as “the voices of nobody,” or rather the “phantasmic, aggregated echoes” of the many many voices on whose data the AI has been trained, and which are now conjuring into existence words they never actually said. There is a sort of mournful, empty quality to these voices, having “washed up” far away from the people they originally belonged to, to find themselves in stranger’s mouths listing objects, wondering if anyone can hear them and glitching in interminable loops. There is a cold, sad anonymity to it all. Etchells remarks that occasionally the software company he used has notified him that particular people are withdrawing their voices from the platform, instructing him to cease use of those voices. Using these technologies in performance certainly brings up ethical questions around digital rights, consent, identity and ownership, although in the grand scheme of things, Etchells is fairly blasé about it: of all the purposes someone’s voice might be put to without their knowledge, “an avant-garde performance is probably the least of their worries.” [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) [ Frankie Thompson: How I manage my own ‘horrible things’ at the Edinburgh Fringe ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) Exeunt · Aug 25 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) For the performers, though, lip-syncing to these strange, artificial voices is an odd task, requiring them to bend their live, human presence into the shapes produced by machines. Politically, it mirrors processes that are already at play in the continued computational automation of human life. Etchells brings up James Bridle’s writings on new technologies as a reference point: one example Bridle gives is of “chaotic storage”, a logistics technique employed by Amazon fulfilment centres whereby items are stored not according to traditional methods of categorisation or alphabetisation, but in a way that an algorithm determines to produce the most efficient routes for ‘picking’ based on customer purchase patterns. This appears completely random and incomprehensible to humans, with paddling pools sitting next to USB sticks sitting next to blowtorches, and so for the warehouse workers, the process of picking items becomes completely reliant on technology which tells them where to go. Our world is increasingly being designed not with humans in mind, but rather machines. As Etchells puts it, “technology malforms the space, and then you end up having to live in it.” Initially, Forced Entertainment tried their best to live in the world of machines: “I was in the it’s-got-to-be-perfect school of lip-sync,” says Etchells. But with their aesthetic being so tied to the failing act, the slipping mask, the shoddy costume, “it’s no surprise really that that didn’t last.” Instead, the performers got to enjoy being late for a line, or playing games with each other, “stealing” each other’s voices. Etchells compares it to the principles of ventriloquism, in which a free-floating voice unattached to a body is fundamentally discomforting and “sort of traumatic”. That discomfort is equally as alluring to Forced Entertainment as the satisfaction of precision, the pretence of authenticity only interesting if shown to be a pretence. Lip-sync has also opened up new avenues for the company. Having been allergic all their lives to Plays-with-a-capital-P, with Cold Sweat Forced Entertainment find themselves approaching something a little bit like drama. Rather than the presentational arena of Signal to Noise’s open white stage, Cold Sweat places us more decisively in a “fictional locale”: what appears to be “the aftermath of some disastrous party or backyard drinking binge” where three figures – family members, or neighbours, perhaps – are the last ones standing. “It’s all quite acrimonious and accusatory, everyone’s talking over each other.” For Etchells, this more fictional mode is “a door that we’ve never been able to open. We’ve just never really gone there.” Perhaps it is the technique of lip-syncing, an extra buffer of mediation, that allows them to venture away from the here-and-now without feeling that they have to commit to the “psychological claptrap” that comes along with acting; to be able to “play the game of theatre, without getting one’s hands too dirty.” As I wonder how else the impulses behind Forced Entertainment’s work have changed over time, it occurs to me that over the last ten years of new creations, with the exception of If All Else Fails, the company’s performers haven’t ever spoken on stage: there were two shows without any language at all, Out of Order and Under Bright Light, and then this trilogy of lip-sync works. Etchells agrees it’s a shift away from earlier productions, that were so often about “the actual voices of the performers and their actual presences. We had a lot of money, in some ways, on an authentic approach to what it might mean to speak on the stage.” But this sense of authentic presence itself had a fakeness to it; these days, Etchells can’t stand that mode of being onstage where performers “are here to be cheeky and witty versions of themselves. I don’t want to be charmed.” Pulling back into a more anonymous space has resulted in works that feel slightly sharper-edged, more brutal in a way. “All of these shows are post-Brexit, post-Trump, post-truth, post-everything,” Etchells notes. Speech, charisma, authenticity – these things feel politically loaded, and perhaps warmth and openness just don’t feel like the right tools to reflect the world we’re living in. “It feels like the space is closing down, and we’re trying to deal with the fact that the system, the structure that you’re in, is more oppressive and more powerful. It probably always was, but I think we’re just more tuned to it now.” Yet even without their voices, the performers’ distinctive presences – ones that many audiences have followed around for years, if not decades – still, inevitably, shine through as they physically navigate whatever unending task the system of the piece has set for them. They’re still trying to keep up with the onslaught of text, still running about, changing costumes, moving stuff around. The human is always stuck in the teeth of the machine, jamming the smooth, frictionless cheeriness of the not-real, gesticulating silently, trying desperately to communicate. Cold Sweat is at Sheffield Theatres, 2 to 3 October; Southbank Centre, London, 9 to 10 October; Lancaster Arts, 14 October [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) [ Exeunt recommends... the best autumn theatre ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) Exeunt · Sep 16 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) This piece was paid for by the Southbank Centre. Such support helps Exeunt to keep publishing the most interesting writing, about the most exciting theatre. Interested in partnering with Exeunt? Visit our Advertise with Exeunt page, where you can get more information, download an advertising pack, and find our contact details.
Jiang Feng: The Unravelling of German & European Politics
A state election in eastern Germany has become a revealing test of the changing political landscapes of Germany and Europe, writes Jiang Feng, Professor and Chairman of the Council of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies (SAGGAS) at Shanghai International Studies University. His analysis follows the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) (which has been classified as right-wing extremist by German authorities)in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, in which it finished far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Jiang previously served as Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The following article was published on 8 September 2026 on huanqiu.com, the online platform of the Global Times. On 6 September, the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, were announced. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right by German authorities, made history by becoming the largest party in the state parliament, winning 43.8 per cent of the vote — twice its share in the previous election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had governed the state continuously for 24 years, won just 17.2 per cent, its worst result ever in Saxony-Anhalt. On the night the results were announced, the atmosphere at the CDU gathering was unusually calm. There was neither shock nor argument, as if the defeat had long been expected. Several veteran party members who had spent years working in the state government said: “Defeat is not a bad thing. It is time to make changes.” This state election has not only upended Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape, but also laid bare the deep tensions between Germany’s traditional party structure and model of governance, on the one hand, and an increasingly polarised society on the other. Its repercussions are already being felt at the federal level, making Saxony-Anhalt a useful case study of the broader trend towards political polarisation and realignment in Europe. Governing Difficulties after Electoral Victory The most immediate consequence of the election is a historic setback for the mainstream party order that took shape in post-war Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has leapt from a peripheral party to the largest political force in the state. Its electoral base has expanded beyond the traditional category of “marginal protest voters” to take on the characteristics of a cross-class coalition. The party has not only consolidated its support in rural areas, but also attracted many middle-class voters and even members of the social elite with stable jobs, their own homes, and substantial incomes. It has thus evolved from a “protest party” into one with the potential to govern. Despite its commanding lead in the vote, however, the AfD faces an institutional obstacle to governing the state: the mainstream parties’ long-standing “firewall” against it. Neither of the two potential routes to forming a government appears likely to break the current political deadlock. The first would be a coalition of establishment parties, led by the CDU and bringing together the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in a cross-camp government. In terms of parliamentary arithmetic, such a coalition could prevent the AfD from forming a government and preserve the outward stability of the traditional political order. Yet these parties are fundamentally divided over key issues including immigration, the energy transition, economic management, and cultural and education policy. Coalition negotiations would therefore be extremely difficult, and even if a government could be formed, it would most likely prove short-lived. More importantly, an alliance of establishment parties aimed at keeping the largest party out of government would play directly into the AfD’s narrative that “political elites are suppressing public opinion”. It could deepen perceptions of political unfairness, further strengthening the AfD’s political capital, and creating a dynamic in which “the more it is suppressed, the more people vote for it”. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for state premier, has said that if efforts to form a government fail because other parties refuse to cooperate, the AfD will push for a fresh election, which he believes could deliver the party an absolute majority of seats. This points to more intense political battles ahead. The second option would be a coalition between the AfD and the BSW. Together, the two parties would command a simple majority in parliament, making this, on paper, the quickest route to forming a government. The BSW is the only elected party that has not ruled out cooperation with the AfD, and the two parties share some common ground, including on policy towards Russia. There is therefore a degree of political basis for cooperation. Were such a coalition to materialise, Germany would see its first state government jointly formed by a party defined as far-right and one with a far-left background, creating what might be called a “bipolar anti-establishment alliance”. Such an outcome would fundamentally break with the ideological boundaries of post-war German party politics. It is worth noting that even if the AfD ultimately fails to enter the state government, its roughly 47 per cent share of parliamentary seats would give it a powerful blocking minority. Without its consent, major decisions requiring a two-thirds majority — including constitutional amendments, significant budgetary adjustments, and state-level institutional reforms — would be extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, whoever ultimately forms the government, the AfD will be an unavoidable force in Saxony-Anhalt politics, with a direct influence on the state’s legislative process. Systemic Failures in Germany’s Governance Model The Saxony-Anhalt election result reflects a systemic failure of Germany’s post-war mainstream-party model of governance to adapt to rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. It stems from multiple, mutually reinforcing structural tensions and highlights the existing political system’s difficulty in adapting to “an increasingly polarised society First, collective anxiety has replaced individual material hardship as a central driver of political mobilisation. The rise of the AfD can no longer be explained simply by poverty or social marginalisation. Its increasingly cross-class electoral base suggests that what is driving voters towards the party is, above all, concern about the broader direction of society. This anxiety about the future of the political community goes beyond individual gains and losses. In political discourse, economic anxiety has become closely intertwined with immigration, while immigration and refugee issues are, in essence, questions of social fairness. This perception turns conflicts over the distribution of social resources into negative assessments of governing parties, providing a broad social basis for far-right political narratives. Second, regional disparities and East German identity have undermined the strategy of addressing eastern Germany’s structural challenges at the regional level. More than three decades after German reunification, eastern states such as Saxony-Anhalt have experienced periods of economic growth, but their underlying economic structures remain weak, and household incomes and wealth remain significantly below those in western Germany. At the same time, they continue to face population outflow, an ageing population, labour shortages, and other structural challenges. At a deeper level, historical experiences — including the collapse of the former East German economic system, mass unemployment during the transition, and the westward shift of decision-making power over major issues — have left some residents with a sense of being “second-class citizens” and of being excluded. For years, the German government treated the “syndrome” of reunification as a regional problem to be gradually addressed at the local level. That approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable, as regional development disparities emerge as a core structural factor shaping national politics. Third, the erosion of institutional trust is perhaps the most decisive factor. AfD supporters tend to distrust establishment institutions, including parliament, government, and the mainstream media. Their concerns about economic security, pensions, and social fairness are significantly greater than the social average. Increasingly, their support for the AfD reflects not an expectation that the existing system can be improved, but a search for an alternative to the current political order. Such a systemic deficit of trust will be extremely difficult for the traditional parties to repair in the short term. Fourth, a generational shift in political mobilisation has amplified political polarisation. Unlike traditional parties, which rely heavily on offline rallies and mainstream media coverage, the AfD has developed a social-media mobilisation strategy built around “raising an issue — identifying who is responsible — offering a simplified solution — building a shared identity”. It turns complex social tensions into concise political narratives, rapidly channelling public sentiment into political support. The contrast on the eve of the election was particularly telling. The establishment parties, together with trade unions and churches, organised an offline march attended by more than 10,000 people, but its reach was largely confined to those present and to traditional media coverage. The AfD held a much smaller indoor event, yet livestreaming on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, combined with the involvement of online influencers, gave it a reach and mobilising capacity far beyond that of the march. The contrast illustrates how the traditional parties’ methods of political mobilisation are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a political environment transformed by changes in media technology. A Microcosm of Structural Political Change in Europe The shockwaves from the Saxony-Anhalt election quickly travelled beyond the state to the federal level. Calls for political accountability followed immediately after the results were announced. The governing CDU and SPD are now under enormous pressure, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil face an unprecedented test. Political polarisation in Germany is no longer simply a regional phenomenon. The post-war model of multiparty government by establishment parties is breaking down and being reshaped. Viewed in a broader European context, the Saxony-Anhalt election is part of a continent-wide wave of party polarisation, mainstream-party decline, and rising right-wing forces. Far from an isolated phenomenon, it is a microcosm of the structural political changes unfolding across Europe. Weak economic growth, cultural tensions over immigration, and declining trust in institutions are fuelling the rise of right-wing forces in several countries, challenging the liberal internationalist order established in post-war Europe. As a core member state of the European Union, Germany’s ability to adapt its political system and the direction of its politics will have profound implications for both European integration and the evolution of the international order. Subscribe [ Pekingnology China’s Germany watchers take stock of Berlin’s uneasy turn On 7 December 2025, nearly 50 Chinese scholars and policy researchers gathered in Beijing for the 2025年德国形势年终研讨会 “2025 Year-End Seminar on the Situation in Germany… Read more 9 months ago · 31 likes · 1 comment · YIRUI LI and Yuxuan JIA ](https://www.pekingnology.com/p/chinas-germany-watchers-take-stock?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1151841) [ Jiang Feng on Germany's 2025 and beyond: no easy exit ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond) Yirui LI and Yuxuan JIA · Jan 24 The following is an op-ed by Jiang Feng, published on 29 December 2025 at Shanghai Observer 上观新闻, the digital platform of Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [ Read full story ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond)
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