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The Streamers Tried To Conquer Labor Day…and Whiffed

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) What? Another Streaming Ratings Report already? You betcha. Nielsen has moved up the release of their Streaming Ratings data by two weeks, which means I’ve got two extra issues to get out. But I love this change because it will make this report more timely and easier to publish regularly. This week—with the viewership data for the week of 31-Aug—we’ve got some huge, huge topics to discuss. On the film side, two theatrical films (The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ and Scary Movie on Paramount+) contend with two non-Netflix straight-to-streaming films (Mayday on Apple TV and The Runner on Prime Video). The streamers went all in to win Labor Day weekend in America. And we have a bunch of TV shows to analyze, both new shows (Netflix’s The Gentleman, Hulu’s Chad Powers, and an Alix Earle reality show) and weekly shows like Reacher, Ted Lasso, House of the Dragon and Lioness. All that, plus nepotism in Hollywood, some eye-popping fantasy football stats, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of August 31st to September 6th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - A Slew of Labor Day Disappointments? A lot of streamers released big new films this week, why? My theory is that the streamers know that four-day weekends can propel streaming films to glory. But if you’ve been reading more over the last two years, you know that big holiday weekends aren’t driving big viewership numbers the way they did post-Covid. And interestingly enough, Netflix didn’t put out a big new film this week. But four other streamers did, trying to take advantage of the holiday with some (not cheap) swings, including… The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ (a Star Wars film that cost $165 million and made $177 million at the US domestic box office) Mayday on Apple TV (rumored $100 million budget, no theatrical release) The Runner on Prime Video (at least a $40 million budget, but likely $50 to $80 million, no theatrical release). Scary Movie on Paramount+ ($30 million budget, made $108 million domestically). (Paramount+ also released a made-for-streaming film based on the Thundermans IP, and I’ll discuss that later.) So…how’d they do? The Mandalorian and Grogu Leads The Way (But That Isn’t Enough) Let’s start with The Mandalorian and Grogu (which I’ll abbreviate to Mando for most of this article). We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… How Mando, Mayday, The Runner and Scary Movie performed on streaming... How the powerhouse weekly released shows (Reacher, Ted Lasso and Lioness) have accumulate a LOT of viewership… How House of the Dragon finished its run… The latest Netflix show to have a sophomore slump… Whether top creators can drive viewers to their shows… Nepotism in Hollywood and the music business... All the flops, bombs and misses for the week… And more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Since Nielsen has accelerated their streaming data release schedule, I’ve got a lot of Streaming Ratings Reports coming your way! Next issue, I’ll be looking at the second season of Peacock’s The Paper, the latest season of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and a very, very expensive Daily Wire fantasy series that’s now on Prime Video. Plus Crew Girl and Dang! on Netflix, a new Tyler Perry film, and one of the biggest bombs of the summer, Supergirl. In the next two issues, I’ll take a look at the return of the NFL to streaming, Toy Story 5 on Disney+, Backrooms on HBO Max, and The Breadwinner on Netflix. On the TV side, we’ve got Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Dancing with the Stars on Disney+, Apple TV’s Slow Horses, a Reacher spinoff on Prime Video, and Paramount+’s MobLand, a Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey comedy on Apple TV, a sequel to a Cosby Show spinoff on Netflix, The Great British Baking Show, and the Unabomber film. And while doing all that, I want to take a look at adult animated shows, Ride or Die’s cancellation, and Netflix’s summer films. So much great stuff! Long term, two bits of comic book news. The X-Men cast has been announced, and go ahead and color me bull-ish, if not very, very bull-ish on this bit of comic book IP. In weirder news, HBO Max ordered a “true crime” show by Jimmy Olsen about Gorilla Grodd being falsely convicted of murder. I mean, what? I don’t know, let’s see what happens.

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Upstate bridge death ruled suicide, prompts mental health discussions

A man’s death at a Greenville County bridge has been ruled a suicide, sparking conversations about mental health challenges and available resources.

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Sep 29 • 5:39 PM EDT • Health • wyff4.com
Mom says Vanderbilt Health employee accessed her baby’s medical records without permission

A Lewisburg mother requested an audit after a Vanderbilt Health employee appeared to know about her son's birth before it was public. The hospital later confirmed the employee accessed the child's electronic medical record without a legitimate business purpose.

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Sep 29 • 5:18 PM EDT • Health • wsmv.com
‘Dazzling’ globetrotting adventure in history of alchemy wins 2026 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize

The Age of Alchemy: How Early Innovators Shaped Modern Chemistry by self-proclaimed science adventurer Kit Chapman has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize.

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Sep 29 • 4:52 PM EDT • Science • royalsociety.org
Tom Watson to lead Cherokee Federal as president

Cherokee Federal, the federal contracting division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, announced that longtime industry executive Tom Watson has been named president, effective Oct. 1.

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Sep 29 • 4:00 PM EDT • Business • cherokeephoenix.org
The Family Business Advantage: Third Quarterly Power Breakfast of 2026 explores how family businesses balance legacy and innovation

Photo by GFBJAnother successful Power Breakfast is in the books. The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal hosted its third quarterly Power Breakfast of 2026 on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Local leaders and decision-makers gathered to network and learn from the panel about how established principles drive long-term stability while allowing for operational evolution. The panel featured Managing Partner of Luigi’s Italian Chophouse & Bar, Nate Ernst; Inside Sales at Hubbard Supplyhouse, Mary Grace Hurley; Chief Operations Officer for Copiers Plus, Drew Smith; and CEO of Holmes Security Systems, Stephen Wheeler. The panel was moderated by Lauren Willets, director of the Family Enterprise Center at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Throughout the discussion, the panelists returned to a common idea: family businesses thrive when they preserve the relationships and values at their core while remaining open to change.Each panelist shared personal stories that carried practical lessons. Stephen Wheeler emphasized the role of relationships with customers and employees, saying, “What makes a family business successful today is relationships.” Mary Grace Hurley echoed Wheeler’s sentiment, describing relationships as a lasting inheritance, including a customer connection that began when she was young and continued into her working life. “If something’s given to you, that’s going to cost you too,” added Nate Ernst. He explained this philosophy by sharing that, in his view, earning responsibility builds credibility and confidence.Another hot topic was the idea of tradition versus change. For these businesses that have been around for a century or even more, it can be difficult to escape the “we’ve always done it this way” caveat, but these speakers emphasized how change has been an integral part of their growth and longevity. A family business can honor its history without being bound by it.“Innovation and tradition–they don’t have to be competing with one another,” shared Hurley. She pointed to changes in how businesses operate, including the adoption of computers and new management practices. Ernst stressed that adaptation is essential, while Wheeler described how his family’s electrical contracting business had evolved into a security-focused company. The details of the work may change, but identifying and upholding core values is key to embracing change while maintaining the character of a business. “I think it’s just important to remember why you started in the first place. What was your mission? What are your core values? And to reevaluate those,” shared Drew Smith.In addition to the first-hand accounts and wisdom shared by panelists, Moderator Lauren Willets recommended two novels during the panel for those seeking additional educational resources. Those two novels are “Hug of War: How to Lead a Family Business with both Love and Logic”by Cathy Carroll and “In the Company of Family: How to Thrive When Business Is Personal” by Melissa Mitchell-Blitch. Preparing the next generation requires more than handing over a title or company. Wheeler argued that future leaders need genuine passion and a vested interest in the business. The panelists were in agreement that succession is a process, and there is not one clear answer for how to perfectly prepare for it. Leaders must cultivate readiness, keep communication open and make room for the next generation to earn responsibility while being sure not to neglect the business in the here and now. “Today’s Power Breakfast was one of our best events yet! Between the passion and in-depth knowledge of the panelists, the great audience questions and the guidance and expertise of Mrs. Willets, the conversation was both engaging and informative,” shared GFBJ Publisher Faith Hatton. “A lot of small businesses in Fayetteville are family-owned and grown, and it’s great to be able to spotlight some of the businesses that have stood the test of time by strengthening the next generation of leadership and preparing them for ownership. I hope everyone received some inspiration and ideas that they can bring back to their own businesses and organizations!”We thank everyone who attended this Power Breakfast and hope you’ll all join us for the next Power Breakfast on Dec. 8. Details about the event will be shared on our social media and in future email updates. To learn about becoming a Power Breakfast sponsor, contact the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal at 910.240.9697 or marketing@bizfayetteville.com.

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Sep 29 • 3:42 PM EDT • Business • bizfayetteville.com
Porsche Just Vanished Another Reason Not To Daily A Used Cayman Or 911

Infotainment retrofit option has been expanded to bring CarPlay and Android Auto to multiple Porsche models built between 2009-16

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Sep 29 • 3:30 PM EDT • Technology • carscoops.com
Final show of the season for Modesto’s Fruit Yard Amphitheater set. Who, when

The singer has toured with musicians George Strait, Miranda Lambert and others.

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Sep 29 • 3:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • modbee.com
Local business operator receives Hospitality Award

A Lincoln City business operator has been honored with an award from the Oregon Restaurant & Beverage Lodging Association.

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Sep 29 • 3:00 PM EDT • Business • newportnewstimes.com
Ukrainian Science Academy, Struck by Drone, Played Key Role in Research

Over 90 percent of Ukraine’s scientific discoveries have been attributed to Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, including advancements in astronomy and military technology.

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Sep 29 • 2:45 PM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
Explainer: Five things to know about the college sports bill that passed the US Senate

The US Senate passed legislation this week to regulate ‌college sports, a multibillion-dollar industry that has been upended in recent years by increased earning opportunities for student athletes.

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Sep 29 • 2:31 PM EDT • Sports • reuters.com
Explainer-Five Things to Know About the College Sports Bill That Passed the US Senate

By Nolan D. McCaskill WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The US Senate passed legislation ⁠this ⁠week to regulate college sports, a multibillion-dollar ⁠industry that has been upended in recent years by increased earning opportunities for student athletes. Here are five things to know about the bill's ...

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Sep 29 • 2:30 PM EDT • Sports • usnews.com
New “Science Stadium” exhibit opens at the Buffalo Museum of Science

Empire State Development celebrated the grand opening of the $3 million Science Stadium interactive exhibit at the Buffalo Museum of Science (BMS). Developed in partnership with the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo

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Sep 29 • 2:07 PM EDT • Science • beenews.com
'Chaos and uncertainty'

If you had the impression that the saga over Manchester City's 115 charges was almost over, think again. Two years since the hearing began, the Premier League has confirmed that City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of its financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. City have said they are "innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League" and would pursue "appeal avenues open to it, on the basis that the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact, and is unsafe."

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Sep 29 • 1:56 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Leaked photos reveal an unreleased Fire TV Stick 4K and all-new remote

Image Source: WinFuture There have been a few signs of a new Fire TV Stick 4K being released soon, but nothing concrete until now. Several leaked photos of an unreleased Fire TV Stick 4K and a completely new remote have been acquired by German site WinFuture from independent retailer sources.

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Sep 29 • 1:50 PM EDT • Technology • aftvnews.com
Calciopoli to Spygate – Previous heavy penalties to scare City fans

Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges related to breaches of Premier League financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18 by an independent commission. With the issue of sanctions being addressed separately in a further hearing, the Press Association recalls some of the heaviest penalties handed out in the history of sport.

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Sep 29 • 1:49 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Timeline of the Premier League vs. Manchester City

The verdict has been delivered in the seismic case between the Premier League and Manchester City. City was found guilty of nearly all of the 115 financial charges laid by the Premier League, the competition said Tuesday in an explosive statement. City faces a severe punishment, potentially even expulsion from the world's most popular league, but has vowed to appeal.

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Sep 29 • 1:29 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Women in Business: Kenzie Biggins, founder of Worxbee

An idea that began to percolate in grad school has grown into a thriving business which matches virtual executive assistants with business leaders.

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Sep 29 • 1:17 PM EDT • Business • yahoo.com
How Digital Entertainment Is Expanding the Modern Racing Fan Experience

Motorsports fandom has never been limited to what happens when the green flag drops. For decades, race fans have found

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Sep 29 • 12:57 PM EDT • Entertainment • speedwaydigest.com
Take a look inside the new Indiana Fever practice facility

Construction continues on the Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis. See photos.

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Sep 29 • 12:51 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Library Names Winners of 2026 Creek Week Art Contest

The winners of Goleta Valley Library’s 2026 Creek Week Art Contest have been announced. More than 50 artists of all ages participated, creating images

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Sep 29 • 12:47 PM EDT • Entertainment • noozhawk.com
Months After LA County Cut Clinical Services at Seven Public Health Sites, It Has Not Shown Whether Patients Found Replacement Care

Measure ER starts on October 1, and a county-affiliated nonprofit is soliciting pledges. However, the county still hasn’t publicly shown which services have been replaced or whether referred patients received them.

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Sep 29 • 12:00 PM EDT • Health • knock-la.com
2026 MLB Wild Card Series open thread

Come discuss the first round of the MLB playoffs

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Sep 29 • 12:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
AIM Institute selected as approved science of reading professional learning provider in Kentucky

(FRANKFORT, KY) – AIM Institute for Learning & Research has been selected by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) as one of three approved professional learning pathways to support the state’s new science of reading training requirements for K-5 educators. Through

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Sep 29 • 11:50 AM EDT • Science • kentuckyteacher.org
The smuggled resource funding Sudan's civil war

Sudan has historically been the top producer of gum arabic. Experts say smuggled gum arabic is funding the civil war.

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Sep 29 • 11:38 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Dylan Sprouse reveals name of baby with Barbara Palvin: ‘She’s very lovely’

The Disney Channel alum also revealed which traits his daughter inherited from him.

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Sep 29 • 11:20 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
More than 1 million Florida mail ballots were sent out. Votes are trickling in

Supervisors of elections reported that more than 2,200 ballots have already been returned, mostly from voters in the military and overseas.

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Sep 29 • 11:20 AM EDT • Politics • miamiherald.com
Queen Latifah Says Biopic May Need 3 People to Play Her

The hip-hop icon wants performers who can capture her journey from Dana Owens to Grammy winner, Oscar nominee, producer, and entrepreneur.

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Sep 29 • 11:13 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Sharks betting on Celebrini as franchise, business boom

San Jose Sharks F Macklin Celebrini is the new face of the NHL and has been named the team’s captain, leaving some waiting to see what he does to follow up on last year’s incredible season.

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Sep 29 • 11:05 AM EDT • Business • sportsbusinessjournal.com
Iowa attorney sentenced to federal prison for health care fraud

A 67-year-old Iowa attorney has been sentenced to six months in federal prison after pleading guilty in a health care fraud case. Timothy Mark Anderson of Garner worked with clients with nursing home expenses who hoped to qualify for Medicaid. According to the Department of Justice, Anderson is also “an avid collector of luxury vehicles” […]

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Sep 29 • 11:01 AM EDT • Health • radioiowa.com
Paik makes early return to Blues

South Korea midfielder Paik Seung-ho returning to Birmingham City early from international duty due to injury.

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Sep 29 • 10:59 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
NBC Sports Loses Star Draw With Aaron Judge Out for Wild Card Series

Judge had previously insisted he would be able to play.

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Sep 29 • 10:35 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
STC Awarded Highest Distinction for Veteran Education

South Texas College has been awarded a “Gold” Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award (VEERA) from the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC), the highest distinction available by the statewide program, for its commitment to veterans and their families.

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Sep 29 • 10:23 AM EDT • Business • texasborderbusiness.com
Geotab receives Business Intelligence Group's 2026 Sustainable Transportation Award

/PRNewswire/ -- Geotab Inc. ("Geotab"), a global leader in connected operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights, today announced it has been named a...

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Sep 29 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • prnewswire.com
Students Discover a 309-Million-Year-Old Creature Was Actually a New Species, and Name It After Their Moms

The ancient creature had been mistaken for another species for years — until two Field Museum interns took a closer look and gave it a very personal name

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Sep 29 • 8:59 AM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
Mets Morning News: Wild Card Round begins

Your Tuesday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.

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Sep 29 • 8:30 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Matt LaFleur addresses major Packers adjustment after Baker Mayfield injury

Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers were already facing plenty of questions after a rough Week 3 showing. Now, the coaching staff has another issue to navigate as the team gets ready for its trip to Tampa Bay. The Packers had been building their game plan around Baker Mayfield, but that preparation changed after [...]

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Sep 29 • 8:23 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Celtics spend Media Day highlighting newfound health

The Boston Celtics haven't been at full strength to start the last two seasons, but that should hopefully change this year.

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Sep 29 • 8:15 AM EDT • Health • sports.yahoo.com
Ukraine’s Academy of Sciences warns against Russian cooperation after attack

The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has urged the international scientific community not to “restore or legitimise institutional cooperation with Russian state scientific and educational structures,” after a Russian drone hit its Presidium building in central Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring several others. The drone strike took place in the early afternoon on September 28 while staff were working.The academy called the strike, one of several Russian attacks on Ukraine’s capital using jet-powered drones in recent days, an act of terrorism. “It is a strike [. . .] on the very idea that knowledge, research, and the search for truth should serve life, not its destruction,” it said in a statement.The academy thanked the global scientific community for its solidarity following the attack and warned against any temptation to normalise scientific relations with Russia.“Science cannot exist outside of moral responsibility. There can be no ‘ordinary scientific cooperation’ with a state that kills people and destroys scientific institutions of another country,” it said.“We urge not to create opportunities for Russian state institutions to return to the international scientific community as if nothing happened. There can be no ‘science beyond politics’ when science is attacked with weapons.”After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe almost entirely cut institutional ties and joint programmes with Russian science, although personal academic contacts are still ongoing.Related articlesRussia widens targeting of European research centresHow geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaborationThe European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), for instance, continues to exclude the Russian Academy of Sciences from its network.ALLEA condemned the latest attack as a “barbaric act” and part of a broader “systematic targeting of Ukraine’s scientific and cultural infrastructure.” This is a “deliberate attempt to erase the conditions under which free inquiry, knowledge, and democratic life are possible,” it said in a statement.Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 4,650 educational institutions across Ukraine have been damaged, and a further 423 have been destroyed, according to ALLEA.National academies across Europe joined ALLEA in condemning the attack. “Science is about the pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of humanity, so this is an attack on civilisation itself,” said Paul Nurse, president of the UK’s Royal Society.Attacks on scientific, university and cultural institutions “are attacks on the foundations of society and constitute a clear violation of international law,” wrote the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.The presidents of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine also released a joint statement condemning the attack and pledging to continue to support the Ukrainian research community.The targeting of the Ukrainian academy prompted outcry from European leaders. “Today, science became a target for Russia,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.“These strikes are the latest illustration of the Russian regime’s hostile contempt for science and truth,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.

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Sep 29 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net
Brisket is missing from Texas menus. A Democrat blames Republicans.

Vicente Gonzalez releases a new ad connecting high beef costs to the loss of an important South Texas tradition.

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Sep 29 • 7:45 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
b.well Connected Health Awarded on TIME's List of the World's Top HealthTech Companies 2026 List

/PRNewswire/ -- b.well Connected Health, the infrastructure powering AI-driven consumer health experiences, today announced it has been named to TIME's World's...

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Sep 29 • 7:30 AM EDT • Health • prnewswire.com
The Beclowning of Scott Bessent

One iron law of current politics is that nobody who associates themselves with Donald Trump emerges with a shred of credibility. For some, that’s not a big loss — it’s not as if anyone respected Pete Hegseth even before he decided that the key to military success in an age of drones and AI was more testosterone. For others, however, the costs are real. I’m old enough to remember when Marco Rubio was widely considered a reasonable, thoughtful politician. Right now, however, my candidate for the biggest loser is Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury. Bessent started out with significant reputation to lose: When Trump selected him, this was the headline in the Financial Times: Jason Furman, Barack Obama’s chief economist, described him as a “credible Treasury secretary who has a real understanding of the global economy”. But Bessent has now transformed himself into the Baghdad Bob of bonds. Three weeks ago, after intervening (for reasons that remain somewhat unclear) to support the Japanese yen, Bessent boasted about his ability to move markets and dared investors to bet against his, declaring “I am the house now.” He then tried to push long-term interest rates down, buying 30-year U.S. Treasuries in a move some have compared to paying down part of your mortgage by running up your credit card balance. Here’s how that’s going so far: To get some perspective on how high interest rates have gone, here’s a longer-term perspective: We haven’t seen interest rates this high since the fading days of the dotcom bubble. Why are interest rates hitting new records? The backdrop, as I argued in last Sunday’s primer, is the huge AI-driven investment boom; more on that next week. But the immediate cause of the latest interest rate spike was Trump’s rejection of an Iranian proposal to end the war. This rejection sent crude oil prices, which for a while had fallen considerably, shooting back up: It’s notable, by the way, that oil prices remain high even though a significant amount of oil is now being shuttled through the Strait of Hormuz by night, on smaller vessels. That’s an interesting story, which has a lot to do with the fact that oil from the Hormuz shuttle runs must be transferred to larger vessels before being shipped to markets in Europe and Asia; around 15 percent of the world’s large crude carriers are now parked off the coast of Oman, waiting to be tanked up. This is creating a shipping crunch: But that’s a topic for another day. For now, the point is that with oil still high and refined products, especially diesel, still close to record levels, inflation will remain elevated. And this in turn means that the Federal Reserve will keep short-term interest rates high, an expectation that is feeding into longer-term rates. Hence Bessent’s bond-market humiliation. The truth is that Bessent might not have been able to get interest rates down even in the best of circumstances. But he certainly won’t get anywhere as long as Trump keeps believing that he can somehow convert his Iran debacle into a triumphant victory. And Trump will keep believing that as long as he is surrounded by sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear. Sycophants like, for example, Scott Bessent, who is predicting the imminent collapse of the Iranian economy, possibly within two weeks. Bessent is right to say that the embargo on Iranian oil exports is placing the country under great economic strain. But his implicit prediction that this will quickly produce a deal that Trump can call victory looks no more plausible than his boasts about the bond market. The big question now is, why would anyone with a reputation to lose work for Donald Trump? As the beclowning of Bessent shows, joining the Trump team won’t just damage your reputation; it will utterly destroy it.

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Sep 29 • 7:10 AM EDT • Politics • paulkrugman.substack.com
Lesbian Bar Project Co-Founder: Purity Politics Could Destroy Our Remaining Spaces

Subscribe As a professional lesbian and Massachusetts native, I’ve recently been asked by a lot of folks what I think about the saga unfolding at Last Ditch. The now-viral story, first reported by The Boston Globe, centers on a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar that lifted its mask requirement for one night a week to help drum up business. The decision ignited an intra-queer controversy that has been feasted on by media outlets across the political spectrum—from the New York Post to LGBTQ Nation—and is even reportedly being eyed for a Hollywood adaptation. Apparently nothing is more entertaining than a bunch of lesbians and queers fighting with each other over KN-95s. What has been lost in all of the chatter and media coverage is the very real possibility that Last Ditch, which just opened in April 2025, will have to close its doors. The venue’s one remaining founder, Jackie Matellian, revealed in a community Zoom meeting that she’s working four jobs, is now solely responsible for the bar’s $50,000 business loan and is struggling to keep up with the bills. So as we laugh about the controversy’s similarity to a “Portlandia” skit and how one of the bar’s founders left to enroll in clown school, we forget that yet another lesbian bar is facing an existential crisis—and this time the call is coming from inside the house. In 2020, my friend Elina Street and I created The Lesbian Bar Project, an Emmy-, Webby- and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries and initiative that tells the stories of lesbian queer bars around the world. We were moved to act because at the time there were only an estimated 16 lesbian bars in the United States, and the pandemic threatened to bring that number down even further. There are now more sapphic bars than there were just before the pandemic—about 36 of them in total—but this is down from approximately 200 in 1980. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but for the millions of sapphics living in the U.S., this number is calamitous. As the world laughs at lesbians and sapphics, I want to take a second and tell you what I feel when I walk into one of these bars, which are all unique and irreplaceable in their own way: I feel seen. Sometimes I think Cubbyhole in New York City’s West Village neighborhood knew I was gay before I did. When I walked in there for the first time, before I was even out, I was transfixed by the colorful array of tchotchkes hanging from the ceiling and how the women standing next to me were completely unafraid to express their desire for one another. I knew the minute I was ready to come out, I had a home. I also felt the joy of a new couple falling in love at Seattle’s Wildrose, the quiet confidence of a short king lining up her shot at the pool table at Ginger’s in Brooklyn and the kick of cayenne pepper in Julie Mabry’s crawfish at Houston’s Pearl Bar. Subscribe Lesbian bars don’t just serve lesbians; they serve queer folks across the spectrum, including bisexual, pansexual and trans people. As Elina and I traveled across the U.S. and Europe and to parts of Latin America to document the bar owners, staff and patrons that make up the ecosystems of these spaces, we also became uniquely acquainted with the factors that threaten their existence: gentrification, wage gaps, sexism, environmental disasters, gun violence, rising insurance premiums and political administrations working to annihilate queer people and their families. Lesbian bar owners, like all leaders and entrepreneurs, are imperfect. There have been significant issues over the years at lesbian bars: employee harassment, racism, lack of accessibility, sexual assault and transphobia. All bar owners should be held accountable and should listen to their communities to evolve into safer and more equitable spaces. I also acknowledge my privilege: I am able-bodied, white, cis and from a family system that loves me for who I am. Not everyone has that. Queer people, especially trans and bisexual people, are suffering from disproportionately high levels of depression, and our mental health system isn’t equipped to support them. Immunocompromised people and long COVID are real, and many of my friends are suffering to this day. The people with the least safety net are often the ones for whom a bar closing costs the most. And yet, as we’re seeing with Last Ditch, the queer community often lashes out at each other. It’s also the mainstream media taking the internal conflict and making a mockery out of it, distracting from the real possibility that this bar could close due to financial pressures. A bar that many people loved and needed is facing extinction. Perhaps it’s safer to dissent with one another than with the larger forces trying to eradicate us, but in doing so, we risk destroying the few spaces we have left. Due to the constraints of purity politics—some in good faith, some not so much—lesbian bar owners, almost all of whom are queer women themselves, are forced to be everything for everyone, similarly to how women are forced to be everything for everyone. By asking these bars to uphold impossible standards—standards very few other third spaces are asked to consider—we all end up losing. I want to move as a community toward dialogue, compassionate dissent and collaboration to make our spaces better with the goal of keeping them OPEN and thriving, rather than destroying them from the inside with expectations that are arguably unattainable. Subscribe While I have your attention—for this fleeting second of the news cycle—may I urge us to spearhead a way to keep these small businesses afloat without attacking our own community along the way? Bar owners are left with an impasse: They want to be community-centered, but they also have to make money to keep their doors open. Sometimes they might make business decisions that don’t work for everyone—and that’s partly because different patrons have different priorities and want different things—but these owners deserve the opportunity for productive dialogue**.** We have to work with them and with each other to keep our spaces open, to keep them growing. Lesbian bars raised me into the queer woman I am today. One thing I think about as I reflect on the six years of work we’ve done to document these spaces is that shared, unspoken language I have with a stranger the moment we both walk into one of these bars: the nod, the ease, the not having to explain ourselves. I don’t want to lose that, and neither should you. If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button: Donate

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Sep 29 • 7:01 AM EDT • Politics • unclosetedmedia.com
Commentary: Universal public health insurance is the answer

Employer-sponsored health insurance is rapidly deteriorating. In 2027, premiums are expected to see their largest single-year increase in two decades, jumping 11% and closing in on a nearly five-fold increase

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Sep 29 • 6:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Ken Paxton calls for balancing border security, immigration reform to help labor-starved businesses

The Texas attorney general and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate blamed Democrats for standing in the way of a deal, arguing one could have been passed during the first Trump administration.

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Sep 29 • 6:21 AM EDT • Business • keranews.org
Roma ranked second in Serie A for roster value

Roma’s growth over the past year has been clear for all to see. After seven seasons of mediocre league finishes and qualification for the Conference or Europa League, the Roman club finally secured ...

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Sep 29 • 6:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
The Value Of Basic Science Celebrated With The 2026 “Golden Goose” Awards

The 2026 Golden Goose Awards, an honor spotlighting obscure, often trivial sounding basic research that ultimately yields significant social benefits have been announced.

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Sep 29 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • forbes.com
What Does Igor Show About Brighton's Recruitment?

Why did the big Brazilian ultimately fail at the AMEX?

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Sep 29 • 5:52 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Miami (Ohio) has big MAC money, bigger ambitions. Can it climb the college sports ladder?

The RedHawks have been in the Mid-American Conference since 1947. Amid college sports changes, they goals of making a leap. Here's how.

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Sep 29 • 5:30 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com
Pochettino regrets lack of 'sporting justice' for his ex-Tottenham team amid Man City charges saga

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed sadness at an apparent failure of “sporting justice” in his response to reports that Manchester City has been found guilty of almost all of the 115 charges leveled against the club for alleged financial breaches. The alleged rule-breaking by City took place between 2009-18, during which period Pochettino was manager of Tottenham and turned the London team into a challenger for titles in English soccer despite operating on a relatively small budget. The Premier League has yet to officially confirm the verdict that, according to several media outlets, has been passed down by an independent commission following a long-running case.

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Sep 29 • 5:25 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Pirates get first winning season since 2018

It was a winning season despite no playoffs for the Bucs.

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Sep 29 • 5:17 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
🙂 Positive (38%)
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The Right Thing: What do we owe a stranger?

What do we owe a stranger? For the past several decades, the weekend after Labor Day has been the neighborhood yard sale in the part of Boston where I live.

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Sep 29 • 4:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
OCT NIBJ: Women in business: Building success together in Sandpoint

Women have always been an important part of Sandpoint’s business community. From entrepreneurs and business owners to managers, professionals, employees, nonprofit leaders, and community volunteers, women contribute every day to the strength and character of our local economy.

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Sep 29 • 4:00 AM EDT • Business • cdapress.com
5 stats that tell the story of Ravens’ 34-31 win over the Cowboys

Baltimore’s 192 rushing yards and Lamar Jackson’s 136.7 passer rating highlighted five defining numbers from the win

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Sep 29 • 3:52 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Bears vs. Jets odds: Opening lines for Week 4 matchup

Let’s check out the early odds for Bears vs. Jets form @wiltfongjr.

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Sep 29 • 2:09 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (12%)
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Liverpool handed blow in chase for Premier League defender

One of Liverpool’s problem areas this season has been at left-back. Long-time first choice Andy Robertson left the club on a free transfer in the summer, and his presence is greatly missed.Milos Ker...

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Sep 29 • 2:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Wilson Isidor: Sunderland’s Mercurial Haitian Hero

From the Championship to promotion at Wembley and now the Europa League, it’s been a heck of a journey for Isidor!

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Sep 29 • 1:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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“I Was Struggling”: Myles Garrett’s GF Chloe Kim Reveals Health Diagnosis After Years of Suffering

Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett dominates on the field, but off it, his girlfriend Chloe Kim has been fighting a very quiet battle. The two-time Olympic snowboarding champion opened up about a condition she lived with for years without fully understanding it.

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Sep 29 • 12:11 AM EDT • Health • sports.yahoo.com
Shaken Baby Syndrome: Junk science or not? When lawyers set scientific standards

Shaken Baby Syndrome has increasingly been branded “junk science,” not because the medical consensus has disappeared, but because courts, some expert witnesses, and the media have created disputes over how these injuries occur. The real question is not whether every SBS prosecution is correct, but whether uncertainty in an individual case justifies discarding a diagnosis supported by a substantial body of medical evidence.

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Sep 29 • 12:00 AM EDT • Science • acsh.org
BRAHM celebrating 15th anniversary with Community Day on Oct. 1

BRAHM, the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, celebrates its 15th anniversary on October 1 with free public events including tours, art projects, live music, and a special anniversary beer brewed with Blowing Rock Brewing Company to honor the museum’s community and artistic growth.

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Sep 29 • 12:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • wataugademocrat.com
Pirates Are Looking Brilliant After Major Trade

Pittsburgh has often been sellers at the trade deadline due to a lack of relevance once July arrives. In these kinds of situations, the goal is always to dump off talent that may not be part of the future. In return, teams prefer to acquire young talent with loads of potential. Cherington did something in 2025 that is already looking like a home run. The post Pirates Are Looking Brilliant After Major Trade appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 28 • 10:43 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers

The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports, an attempt to end “chaos” in an industry that has been upended by skyrocketing athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers between schools.

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Sep 28 • 10:26 PM EDT • Sports • kcrg.com
East Colfax businesses in Denver hope to capitalize on improvements following Bus Rapid Transit project

It's been two long years of Bus Rapid Transit construction for many businesses along East Colfax.

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Sep 28 • 9:43 PM EDT • Business • cbsnews.com
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Kings’ Ben Simmons addresses critics, mental health; says he is in top form

The three-time All-Star is back after physical and mental health struggles nearly derailed his career.

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Sep 28 • 9:29 PM EDT • Health • sacbee.com
Christy Carlson Romano recalls trying cocaine for the first time and liking ‘the attention I got’

The Disney Channel alum admits she had been “aggressively clubbing” in her early 20s hoping the paparazzi would notice.

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Sep 28 • 9:22 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Ethics Watchdogs To Investigate Whether Troubled Multnomah County Health Board Got Dubious Legal Advice

A Washington state attorney has been advising a Portland-area governance board on Oregon Public Meetings Law.

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Sep 28 • 9:17 PM EDT • Health • wweek.com
The Science Behind Greener, Healthier Lawns

A healthy, green lawn can be the envy of any neighborhood, but how does someone cultivate a yard like that? Assistant Professor of Ecosystem Science Amber Churchill has been getting her hands dirty and digging into the science behind it.

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Sep 28 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • newswise.com
Gen. George Marshall's Leesburg home designated National Park Service affiliated area

The General George C. Marshall House in Leesburg, known as Dodona Manor, has been designated an affiliated area of the National Park Service.

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Sep 28 • 7:00 PM EDT • Politics • insidenova.com
Assembly pathway reveals how bacteria build protein coils that extend in acid

The assembly pathway behind refractile-body proteins may have finally been resolved, researchers from Science Tokyo report. Using genetic engineering and several techniques for analyzing protein structure, ...

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Sep 28 • 6:40 PM EDT • Science • phys.org
Zach Kleiman Makes Grizzlies' Goal Clear Entering New Build

Zach Kleiman says the Grizzlies are not easing into a rebuild and will try to win immediately around Cameron Boozer and their new-look roster.

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Sep 28 • 6:29 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Bear’s BBQ running for mental health awareness at Hartford Marathon

Bear’s BBQ is running in this year’s Hartford Marathon to support mental health causes.

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Sep 28 • 6:00 PM EDT • Health • wfsb.com
CSU Bakersfield announces new permanent athletics director following yearlong vacancy

BAKERFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — CSU Bakersfield’s Athletic Program — which has been at the center of numerous lawsuits, departures and allegations that drew national attention in recent years — is getting a full-time director after a vacancy that lasted for over a year. On Monday, the school announced in a press release that Andy Fiske […]

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Sep 28 • 5:58 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Ranking Member Markey: SBA Administrator Loeffler, Trump Administration are Refusing to Answer to America’s 36+ Million Small Businesses and Workers, Leaving Main Street Behind

Loeffler canceled her scheduled Sept. 30 appearance before the Senate Small Business Committee, has not appeared before SBC in more than a year (Washington, September 28) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released the following statement after Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler canceled her scheduled Wednesday appearance before the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Administrator Loeffler has not appeared before the committee in more than a year and has consistently refused to provide substantial answers to committee members in person, in writing, or via requested briefings. In June, Ranking Member Markey led every Democratic member of the committee in calling on Administrator Loeffler to appear before the committee to answer for the Trump administration’s cruel attacks on American small businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers. The Democratic lawmakers still have not received a response from Administrator Loeffler. “It is unacceptable that Administrator Loeffler chose to cancel her appearance before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. The Trump administration is once again ignoring the more than 36 million American small businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers who drive our economy and enrich our communities by refusing to answer questions about this administration’s reckless economic policies. It has been more than a year since Administrator Loeffler has appeared before our committee and answered questions from both Democrats and Republicans. Since then, the Trump administration’s attacks on Main Street have only worsened. “Small businesses are facing record high gas and diesel prices, skyrocketing healthcare costs, and never-ending uncertainty from Trump’s trade war with the world. Trump has terrorized Main Streets across the country with violent ICE raids, destroying families, communities, and local economies. Meanwhile, Administrator Loeffler and the Trump SBA have been in a Witness Protection Program, ignoring the Pain on Main Street that they have created. They have chosen to make drastic cuts to SBA funding and essential, bipartisan programs, including the closure of the SBA office in Springfield and removal of the SBA office from Boston; directly attacked immigrant small business owners and destroyed the promise of the American Dream; and proposed shortsighted small business size rules that would benefit billion-dollar businesses over actual small businesses. “It’s clear that Administrator Loeffler, President Trump, and their CEO billionaire buddies want to turn the Small Business Administration into the Big Business Administration, tear down our economy, and abandon Main Street. If that is indeed this administration’s goal, Administrator Loeffler must answer to the millions of small businesses, workers, and families in Massachusetts and across the country that this administration is leaving behind.” ###

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Sep 28 • 5:57 PM EDT • Business • sbc.senate.gov
Biggest Takeaways from Chad Tracy's Pre-Postseason Media Availability
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Sep 28 • 5:48 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Bills vs. Patriots Week 4 opening odds follow interesting narratives

The Buffalo Bills enter their Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots with interesting odds

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Sep 28 • 5:35 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (7%)
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Stormont future depends on Drumcree outcome

Divisions that had been dormant over Drumcree have flowed angrily again between Stormont parties.

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Sep 28 • 5:15 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
TTEC Digital Earns Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle Award for 2026-2027

TTEC Digital has earned the Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle award for 2026-2027 for sales achievements.Quiver AI SummaryTTEC Digital has been awarded the Microsoft AI Business Solutions Inner Circle award for the eleventh consecutive year, recognizing its position among the top Microsoft partners globally based on sales achievements. The Inner Circle designation highlights TTEC Digital's expertise in leveraging AI and customer experi

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Sep 28 • 5:10 PM EDT • Business • quiverquant.com
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Is Finally Making Double XP Tokens Only Active During Matches

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is making a major quality of life change that fans have been wanting to see for years.

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Sep 28 • 5:03 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
NRL backflip as entertainment act confirmed

The pickle has been put back into the burger with Peter V’landys revealing an unnamed act will perform at Sunday night’s grand final.

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Sep 28 • 5:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • news.com.au
MTA axes G train shutdowns planned for December after outcry from small businesses

The dreaded December G train shutdowns have been scrapped, to the relief of business owners and residents in North Brooklyn. Long-overdue repairs initially scheduled to stretch through the end of the year have been finished ahead of schedule, according to the MTA, and though the G still needs some work, it will run like…

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Sep 28 • 4:57 PM EDT • Business • amny.com
‘You’ll be entertained’: NRL boss Peter V’landys teases grand final entertainment

Just days after the game was left with no pre-kick off entertainment, a mystery performer has been locked in.

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Sep 28 • 4:36 PM EDT • Entertainment • nine.com.au
Zach Ertz called up for Week 3

Eagles TE Zach Ertz added to active roster for Week 3 via standard elevation

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Sep 28 • 4:22 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Ken Paxton calls for balancing border security with immigration reform to help labor-starved business sectors

The Texas attorney general and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate blamed Democrats for standing in the way of a deal, arguing one could have been passed during the first Trump administration.

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Sep 28 • 4:19 PM EDT • Business • houstonpublicmedia.org
Ken Paxton calls for balancing border security with immigration reform to help labor-starved business sectors

The Texas attorney general and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate blamed Democrats for standing in the way of a deal, arguing one could have been passed during the first Trump administration.

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Sep 28 • 4:19 PM EDT • Politics • houstonpublicmedia.org
Bobby Kotick’s lawyers sent me a bad email (and later apologized)

The message I had received was unsettling—for a moment. Then it was just really confusing. Back on January 20 of this year, at 5:15pm ET, I received an email with the subject line “Legal Correspondence re Bobby Kotick.” It was from the law firm Clare Locke, a firm I’d heard had been emailing reporters in recent years about their coverage of Kotick, the former, longtime CEO of Activision Blizzard. The letter was threatening. A lawyer from the firm introduced themselves as “defamation counsel to Bobby Kotick.” They issued a “demand” that I “correct” a Game File article I’d published a week prior. The article that had irked them had been a scoop of sorts. I’d written about a a 2022 lawsuit brought by a Swedish pension fund, AP7, over Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit wasn’t news, but I was first to review and report about Kotick’s extensive pushback to the fund’s claims. The pension fund’s core contention was that the sale had been rushed by Kotick to avoid the consequences of sexual misconduct scandals swirling around the company in 2021. (He’d not been accused of misconduct himself in those suits, to be clear.) As I wrote at the time, Kotick had denied the allegations of the rushed sale. Beyond that, Kotick used a December 2025 reply to the Swedish fund’s lawsuit to assign blame for those workplace scandals, the bad press and even for the AP7 lawsuit. I’d found Kotick’s arguments novel and newsworthy. Across nearly 3,000 words, I explained Kotick’s take: that a Swedish gaming company was behind the Swedish fund’s lawsuit (the Embracer group; they denied it); that the Microsoft-Activision deal was not rushed and was secured at what Kotick felt history had proven to be an optimal price for shareholders; that he believed a conspiracy of people at unions government agencies, PR firms and the media had spun up claims of widespread workplace misconduct at Activision Blizzard in 2021. The article gave context for all of this, letting readers assess the claims and weigh their credibility. As I’d later write to Kotick’s lawyers: I would be surprised if you could point to any news article about Bobby Kotick in the last five years that has spent more of its wordcount articulating his point of view. He is welcome to do an interview with Game File any time. Nonetheless, there they were in my inbox that Tuesday evening: Clare Locke, the law firm that secured a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News over false statements about voting machines. They were emailing me, threatening that failure to comply with their demand could support a claim of “actual malice,” a legal standard for libel. Unless… Unless, they said, I added a key paragraph to my article. This was a paragraph that I already knew Kotick’s lawyers had been emailing reporters about for at least a year, and it was a paragraph that was already in my article. The paragraph they wanted is from a 2023 settlement that California’s Civil Rights Department struck with Activision Blizzard. The settlement had closed a two-year-old lawsuit over alleged sexual discrimination at the game maker. The paragraph basically said that claims of systemic or widespread sexual harassment—or of execs like Kotick tolerating such behavior—had never been proven. I’d already seen proof that Kotick’s lawyers had pushed for the settlement’s language to be added to reports about 2021 sexual discrimination and misconduct lawsuits brought against Activision Blizzard by California and, separately, by the U.S. federal government (both suits were since settled). I knew that Kotick and his lawyers felt that the California settlement language should be mentioned in the same breath as references to an article he hated and denied, a November 2021 Wall Street Journal article claiming Kotick knew “for years” of sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard. So, in the Game File article that Clare Locke emailed me about, in the interest of ensuring I was being fair and balanced regarding the person I was covering, I had already included the following excerpt from the California settlement [emphasis added in bold]: (Kotick has repeatedly pushed back against that November article in the Wall Street Journal, citing among other things, language from a court-approved consent decree as part of Activision’s 2023 $54 million settlement over the California suit. It states: “no court or any independent investigation has substantiated any allegations that: there has been systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard [or] that Activision Blizzard senior executives ignored, condoned, or tolerated a culture of systemic harassment, retaliation, or discrimination.”) On the evening of January 20, I was incredulous. How do you write a four page legal threat about a week-old article and miss this? While scrambling to also make my kids dinner, I wrote a lengthy reply to Clare Locke’s lawyers, basically asking them to cool it with the threats and to start making sense. In part, I wrote: I hope you can understand why I am having trouble understanding what you’re asking for, when the statement you’re demanding to see in Game File’s article already appears in Game File’s article. Actual malice, as you know, refers to a reckless disregard for the truth. I’m not sure what your argument is when my article already states your client’s position. Here is where I should remind you, the reader, that I am an independent journalist. I publish on Substack, and have availed myself of the Substack Defender program that provides writers on the platform with legal support. But I’m no Wall Street Journal or New York Times, nor even IGN or GameSpot when it comes to such things as, well, having a legal department. There are more fun things for me to do as an independent journalist than writing back to a powerful law firm representing a very rich person. On the evening of January 20th, I was just trying to cook some pasta, broccoli and chicken nuggets for hungry twins. Nevertheless, I wrote back to them. Two hours later, I got a reply. Summarizing: A lawyer for Clare Locke said they’d “reviewed an incomplete version” of my article and they “apologize for the confusion.” (My guess: Someone didn’t read past the piece’s paywall, even though they’d had a full week to scrounge up the funds to do so. What I’d published above the paywall was balanced, as was what came after.)1 That was almost that, but something about the situation bothered me. The letter had been marked “confidential.” I hadn’t agreed to that, and I disliked the idea that powerful people on the beat that I cover would act like they could unilaterally control what I might tell my readers about. On the morning of the 21st, having already gotten the powerful law firm to back off, I oh-so-wisely re-approached them with just one more thing. I thanked them for clearing things up the night before but noted that I’d never agreed to keep their letter confidential. I’m all for agreeing with a source to keep things off the record, but that’s the thing. We have to agree. You can’t just declare it. I’m not bound by that. I wrote to Clare Locke’s lawyer and said, in part: I trust the matter is resolved. It was disappointing to have to spend less time with my kids last night in order to address your legal letter. Family time’s precious. I will add, for clarity’s sake, that, while your letter stipulated that it was confidential, I did not agree to those terms. In the future, should you wish to communicate with me confidentially, I am happy to agree to classifying our communication as “off the record” prior to the actual communication—as is standard with any professional journalist. The firm’s lawyer replied, not directly addressing the confidentiality issue but asserting that the matter was resolved. Why I didn’t write about this until now In May, I told this story on an episode of Simon Parkin’s podcast My Perfect Console, but I held off on sharing it directly with Game File readers. I held off to avoid stepping on the toes of another reporter, the journalist Mikhail Klimentov. He’d interviewed me in the spring of 2025 about an investigation he was working on regarding Bobby Kotick lawyers pressing the media to add the California settlement language to stories referencing the 2021 lawsuits. And about how some outlets had changed their stories and how some simply deleted them. Initially, I was a third-party source for Klimentov’s reporting, providing on-the-record context about the state of the games media. I’d heard about the letters but hadn’t put the time into pursuing the story. I thought it was interesting, and I was glad he was covering it. When the outlet that Klimentov was going to run his reporting in dropped the story, I began talking to him about potentially publishing his reporting on Game File. This was tentative. Then, in January, when I got my own Clare Locke letter, I told Klimentov that I didn’t think it would make sense for me to publish him, not with me now being part of the story. I had my own version of this situation to tell. But I wished him well and said I’d refrain from telling my tale until he could get his reporting out there. Last Friday, Klimentov finally ran his investigation, in a nearly 48-minute video report for People Make Games. It covers various Clare Locke letters, how media outlets reacted to them and what to make of all this. His video weighs the merits of Kotick’s request and looks at some of the articles that were changed (one of which had a glaring error). I highly recommend watching it: (Note, I did some editorial consulting for a People Make Games video last year but nothing to do with this report.) While many outlets haven’t left any public evidence that they updated their Kotick coverage at Kotick’s counsel’s request, at least one has. Back in October 2025, the mainstream outlet Reuters applied the most transparent article update I’ve seen. On the 3rd of the month, they published an article about the state of the Swedish pension fund’s lawsuit. Days later, they added this: In an October 7 letter sent after publication of this article, Kotick’s defamation counsel disputed claims of widespread harassment at Activision. “Not a single investigation, court finding, verdict, or ruling ever concluded that there was any merit” to the allegations of widespread harassment at Activision, Tom Clare and Nick Brechbill of Clare Locke wrote. I’ve never added a statement to my article on Game File, because none was needed. Not for fairness’ sake, nor to meet any demands of Kotick’s lawyers. I’ve nevertheless wanted to be transparent with Game File readers. If someone powerful is questioning my reporting, is threatening a lawsuit over it… if that threat is part of a pattern involving other games media outlets and if, in my case, the whole thing ran into a ridiculous ditch, I want you to know about it. I also share this as a real example of how I handle threats to Game File. I stand up for my own reporting, even when it’s not comfortable to do so. (In that same category of standing up for the work I do, I’ll point to an incident in late August. Asocial media post I published to X/Twitter regarding reporting I did about Take Two and GTA VI was hit by bogus copyright claim by a firm working for the publisher. I pushed back and got it reversed; even while a bigger games media outlet let themselves be censored. This is the other reason I’m sharing this story: To emphasize that dealing with threats from powerful people is one of the costs of covering the video game industry independently and as fearlessly as possible. This is where you come in. Your support, through free and paid subscriptions (sign up here!), can help me keep doing that. It can ensure that I’ve got the back-up I need. And it can help make fiascoes like this even less of a worry, so I can spend my evenings dealing with more important things, such as making sure I steam the kids’ broccoli just right. 1 That pension fund lawsuit I wrote about in January has all but gone away. In May, the fund and Activision Blizzard owner Microsoft agreed to settle. Lawyers for the fund brokered a $250 million settlement for former Activision Blizzard shareholders. In the settlement, the fund’s lawyers changed their rhetoric. Where once they’d questioned the meaning of the California settlement language, they adopted a version of it for themselves. Several weeks ago, while seeking to get a court to sign off on the terms of the settlement, they proposed their fee for their work in the case: $60 million.

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Sep 28 • 4:13 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
Sigmund Weis School of Business recognized by Fiske Guide to Colleges

Susquehanna University has been spotlighted as a national leader in business education in the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

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Sep 28 • 4:07 PM EDT • Business • susqu.edu
Man City CEO Ferran Soriano says fight against Premier League could take years to conclude amid reports of decision in 115 charges case

Reports on Friday claimed an independent tribunal has reached decisions in Manchester Citys 115 charges case – and that virtually all were found to have been proven; Man City deny all wrongdoing

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Sep 28 • 4:06 PM EDT • Sports • skysports.com
Rangers Manager Schumaker's Instant Reaction to Season's End

Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker reacted to his team's 2026 season coming to a close after failing to reach the postseason.

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Sep 28 • 4:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Jazz Fest hits all the right notes

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, in existence since 2007, has been a welcome repository of a wide variety of jazz sounds. This year was no exception.

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Sep 28 • 4:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • hpherald.com
Behind the Science with Paleontologist and Curator of Dinosauria Dr. Matthew Carrano

Is the 21st Century the real Age of Dinosaurs? Today, more paleontologists are discovering more dinosaur fossils from more places in the world than ever before. Our understanding of these amazing creatures has leapt forward while their popularity has surged. Museums sit at the junction of these phenomena. The Smithsonian has been a center for dinosaur research for more than a century, and its collections include many iconic and scientifically important specimens. Today, Smithsonian researchers continue to discover new dinosaurs, but they are also uncovering more information about the ones we already know and love. New techniques and approaches allow them to investigate aspects of dinosaur biology, ecology, and evolution in ways that would have been inconceivable to early paleontologists. The result is an ever-improving understanding of dinosaurs as living, breathing, and thriving animals. This month, go behind the science with paleontologist Dr. Matthew Carrano, Curator of Dinosauria at the National Museum of Natural History as he discusses new discoveries at home and abroad, in the field and in the museum. Registration is encouraged. Space is filled on a first come first served basis. ---------------- About the Series: Behind the Science A monthly after-hours series featuring NMNH scientists and researchers Each month, join the National Museum of Natural History for the new series, Behind the Science, where NMNH researchers share insights into their latest discoveries and explore the fascinating questions driving their work—from the origins of life to the future of our planet. Come learn what’s happening behind the scenes and how science shapes our understanding of the natural world. Programs take place in Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Topics and speakers announced on a rolling basis, but save the dates now!

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Sep 28 • 3:40 PM EDT • Science • naturalhistory.si.edu
🚨 A rout is on! Italy are tearing Turkey apart

Italy, thoroughly revamped by coach Roberto Mancini, is working to be seen again as “Bella Italia.” In the Nations League clash against Türkiye, the Azzurri are at least showing that the change i...

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Sep 28 • 3:36 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
‘The Saturday Night Live of Arkansas politics’: A Q&A with Gridiron veteran Beth McAlpine

Gridiron, a biennial satirical musical production led by the Little Rock legal community, has been going on for more than 100 years. It returns to the Arkansas Repertory Theatre on Tuesday.

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Sep 28 • 3:33 PM EDT • Politics • arktimes.com
Daniel Klein Receives 2027 APS Mentor Award for Psychology

Stony Brook University Distinguished Professor Daniel Klein has been awarded a 2027 Association for Psychological Science (APS) Mentor Award.

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Sep 28 • 3:32 PM EDT • Science • news.stonybrook.edu
iPhone 18 Pro First Impressions: What Do You Think So Far?

It's been a little over a week since the iPhone 18 Pro models launched, and we want to hear from MacRumors readers. What do you think of Apple's newest iPhones? If you upgraded from an older phone, was it worth it? What about upgrading from an iPhone 17 Pro? What problems are you running into? Anything you love so far? MacRumors readers have already been sharing early opinions on the MacRumors forums, and there are interesting discussion threads to read through.

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Sep 28 • 3:26 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Apple Patches CoreGraphics Flaw Possibly Exploited in Targeted Attacks

Apple patched CVE-2026-86950, a CoreGraphics flaw that may have been exploited in targeted attacks via maliciously crafted

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Sep 28 • 3:18 PM EDT • Technology • thehackernews.com
Mahony named Huck Chair in Genomics and AI

Shaun Mahony, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, has been named the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Genomics and AI.

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Sep 28 • 3:14 PM EDT • Science • psu.edu
Former Tennessee offensive coordinators will face Vols with Auburn

Former Tennessee offensive coordinators will return to Neyland Stadium in Week 5 with Auburn.

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Sep 28 • 3:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Man City CEO 'defiant' over Premier League charges

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano issues a "defiant" message to other club executives about the club being found guilty of a majority of Premier League charges, BBC Sport has been told.

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Sep 28 • 2:53 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Jalen Williams says he got "totally healthy" at around …

Jalen Williams says he got "totally healthy" at around …

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Sep 28 • 2:39 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Warriors Announce Concerning Kristaps Porzingis Update Before Season

Warriors' training camp is set to begin Tuesday, but roster depth issues are already arising, with Kristaps Porzingis set to miss time.

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Sep 28 • 2:35 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com