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iPhone Duo Reportedly Facing Production Problems Ahead of Launch
The iPhone Duo is reportedly facing production difficulties ahead of its October launch, with early output expected to be limited. A person said to be close to Foxconn's supply chain told China's Jiemian News that final assembly yields for Apple's first foldable iPhone were only slightly above 60% as of September 17. The source said that, under Apple's current quality standards, it could take another six months to a year for the assembly line to reach a mature yield.
Simone Biles Addresses Recent Health Issues, Opens Up About Eczema Journey
At first she felt “embarrassed and ashamed,” Biles tells TODAY.com, but learning more about her skin health built back her confidence.
Q&A: The legacy of 100 years of physics graduate studies at Penn State
In 2026, Penn State celebrates the centennial anniversary of awarding its first doctoral degree — in physics — to Marsh White. Recently, the Eberly College of Science spoke with several physics alumni from different decades about their experiences at Penn State and what it means to be celebrating 100 years of the doctoral degree, as well as White’s legacy impact on undergraduate education in the department.
Biggest Questions For Every MLB Wild-Card Series
The 2026 MLB postseason is here , and the path to the World Series is loaded with familiar contenders, unexpected arrivals, and a few teams carrying serious momentum into October. From the White Sox completing a remarkable turnaround to the Brewers chasing the first championship in franchise history, there is no shortage of intrigue .…
How ocean chemistry helped life keep breathing
Scientists have helped solve a longstanding mystery about how Earth remained habitable after oxygen first accumulated in its atmosphere more than 2 billion years ago.
Pleasant View rejects changes regarding data centers and adult-themed business, passes adoption of new roads and rules regarding decorative street signs
The Town of Pleasant View Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted not to approve two zoning amendments on first reading at their Sept. 14 meeting, sending proposals on data centers and adult-oriented businesses back to the drawing board for more work and consideration. Ordinance 26-08 would have restricted data centers to areas zoned C4, which
Long Lake, the World’s First AI Holding Company, Completes $6.3 Billion Acquisition of American Express Global Business Travel
Long Lake, the World’s First AI Holding Company, Completes $6.3 Billion Acquisition of American Express Global Business Travel
Control Resonant’s City Is A Slog Compared To The First Game's Unforgettable Office Building
Remedy's sequel to Control changes its venue, to diminishing returns
Swiss 'probably a league apart' from Scotland
Switzerland have "a ridiculously talented squad" who are "probably a league apart" from Scotland at present as the sides prepare to meet in the Nations League on Tuesday, according to football analyst John Walker. Following their 3-0 win in North Macedonia, Switzerland are the second test of Sebastien Pocognoli's reign as head coach after their 0-0 draw in Slovenia. "If Switzerland had faced the Scotland side in the first half, we wouldn't have had a second half we could have come back from," Walker said on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
💰 First Clásico tickets now on sale at extortionate prices
Barça has opened the exclusive presale for Clásico tickets against Real Madrid for its members, and the prices are prohibitive. Tickets range from 649 to 1,149 euros, according to the prices listed ...
Newcastle United duo nearing returns after rejoining team training
Nico Gonzalez and Joelinton have handed Newcastle United a boost after returning to first-team training.Gonzalez missed the win over Hull City before the international break after taking a knock, whil...
Florida seeks input for first science standards revamp since 2008
The big story: For the first time in years, Florida is revamping its science standards. The conversation about what’s proposed is coming to Hillsborough County this evening.
Florida seeks input for first science standards revamp since 2008
A roundup of Florida education news from around the state
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
Celtic Get Financial and Business Warning Amid Club Crisis
Celtic have received a warning about the club’s financial and business situation amid the sporting crisis they are going through.The Hoops have just lost their two most recent derbies against Rangers, falling 0-3 on September 13 in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup and falling 0-1 at Parkhead on September 20 on Matchday 7 […] The post Celtic Get Financial and Business Warning Amid Club Crisis appeared first on HEAVY.
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.
Sony to skip CES 2027 for first time since expo's inaugural event in 1967
Decision made as Sony shifts focus to "entertainment, intellectual property, and technology geared to support creators"
Jeopardy! Bar League is coming to Green Bay, and Ben Chan is hosting
For the first time since its national rollout last year, the weekly Jeopardy! Bar League is coming to Green Bay. You just might recognize the host.
Emirates unveils its new season inflight entertainment lineup
Emirates is launching a new season of programming on its ‘ice’ inflight entertainment (IFE) system in October, which includes the debut of classical performances and Dubai+, the first dedicated Em
Tuesday ‘Dawg Bites Knows Effort Counts Twice
Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog Fans! Your Bulldogs are 4-0, and undefeated in conference play. 40+ points in each win, each by 4 touchdowns, ranked #2 in the land, and yet (we know, we know). These are the first world problems UGA fans face in this golden era of Georgia football. A wise man once told […]
Pirates get first winning season since 2018
It was a winning season despite no playoffs for the Bucs.
Radio Waves Coming From an Alien Planet May Be a Cosmic First
Beta Pictoris b appears to have an aurora caused by a powerful magnetic field. If confirmed, it would be the first such field known outside our solar system.
Kayode impresses on Italy debut as duel with Palestra emerges
Most Italian newspapers named Brentford defender Michael Kayode their Man of the Match after Italy’s 4-1 victory over Türkiye, with the 22-year-old capping an impressive debut by scoring his first ...
Revisiting Rivalries: Crystal Palace October Preview Part 1
Crystal Palace fans will be looking forward to the return of competitive matches, with three tense fixtures in the first half of October.
Leaked: Roma’s possible third Centenary kit
Roma’s centenary is also starting to take shape through the jerseys. FootyHeadlines has published the first previews of the third kit the club is expected to wear in the 2027-2028 season, the centen...
Giants Get Blunt J.J. McCarthy Message After Trade With Vikings
The New York Giants decided to send a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for J.J. McCarthy, who found himself as QB3 after being a Top 10 pick in 2024. As a result, McCarthy will be looking for a fresh start in New York after it didn’t work out in Minnesota.While the 23-year-old will […] The post Giants Get Blunt J.J. McCarthy Message After Trade With Vikings appeared first on HEAVY.
Keenum stars for Bears on first start since 2023
Veteran quarterback Case Keenum throws for two touchdowns and rushes for another as the Chicago Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.
Chicago Bears 27-7 Philadelphia Eagles: Case Keenum drives Bears to three touchdowns in first NFL game since 2023
Case Keenum pushed Chicago Bears to 27-7 victory against Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, as the backup quarterback made his first appearance since 2023; watch Steelers @ Browns on Thursday Night Football live on Sky Sports from 12.05am on Friday
AB Science provides an update on its development plan and financial calendar following a sponsor Good Clinical Practice inspection
PRESS RELEASE AB SCIENCE PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON ITS DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND FINANCIAL CALENDAR FOLLOWING A SPONSOR GOOD CLINICAL PRACTICE INSPECTION Confirmation of the relevance of having, among the first decisions of the new management, given priority to the development of a new quality management system Expected resumption of the AB8939 phase 1 (acute myeloid leukemia) in the first quarter of 2027, followed by the masitinib phase 3 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in the last quarter of 2027, subj
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...
Landlocked Chungcheongbuk-do Welcomes First National Marine Science Museum
Landlocked Chungcheongbuk-do Welcomes First National Marine Science Museum Digital aquarium and experiential exhibits bring ocean science to inland residents after six-year development
Luther Burden III powers into the end zone on MNF
Luther Burden III scored the game's first touchdown versus the Eagles in Week 3 and finished with a 7-61-1 line.
Draymond Green Says Luka Doncic & Lakers Hurt LeBron James
The Los Angeles Lakers are still forced to witness the loss of LeBron James remaining a huge talking point. Any NBA team losing an iconic figure will see this level of attention, and it is far bigger than the Lakers. Draymond Green decided to bring this back into the news by addressing something head coach […] The post Draymond Green Says Luka Doncic & Lakers Hurt LeBron James appeared first on HEAVY.
Hawks Rookies Reveal Eye-Opening LeBron James Workout Experience
Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor trained with LeBron James, Jalen Johnson and DeMar DeRozan during their first NBA offseason with Atlanta.
4 Auburn Standouts Who Made the Difference Against Vanderbilt
Auburn football earned its first SEC home win in nearly two years with a 21-15 victory over Vanderbilt. Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod, Xavier Atkins and Omar Mabson delivered crucial plays as Alex Golesh's Tigers improved to 3-1 ahead of a road test at Tennessee.
Harvard and Yale miss top 10 for computer science in 2027 US university ranking
Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University tie for first in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 ranking of undergraduate computer science programs, released Sept. 22.
Cameron Boozer Sets Rookie of the Year Goal With Grizzlies
Cameron Boozer says winning comes first, but Rookie of the Year is among his goals as he begins his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
How FIBA 3x3 Basketball Went From A Business Case To An Olympic Sport
FIBA 3x3 basketball evolved from a Youth Olympic experiment into a global sport, driven by gender equity, digital engagement and a spectator-first approach ahead of LA28.
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.
Protect College Sports Act passes Senate: Historic bill takes first step, but uncertainty awaits in House
The bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing college sports passed its first test with Monday night's Senate vote, but more hurdles must be cleared in the House before it can be signed into law
Michael Kayode Scores 1st International Goal in Italy Debut
Michael Kayode scored on Italy debut, as the Azzurri defeated defeated Turkiye 4-1. He impressed Roberto Mancini and the Azzurri faithful. The post Michael Kayode Scores 1st International Goal in Italy Debut appeared first on HEAVY.
UK's Burnham to vow end of ‘politics as usual’ in conference address
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will pledge to tackle the issues politicians “usually avoid” in his first leader’s speech at the Labour Party conference amid mounting speculation the pensions trip...
Andy Dalton's first pass of 2026 season was an interception
Former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton entered the Eagles-Bears Monday Night Football game in relief of Jalen Hurts, and threw a pick in the end zone.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown Make NFL History
Detroit Lions stars Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown became the first teammates since 1962 to each score at least five touchdowns through three games.
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.
Steelers Take Shot at Browns Ahead of Primetime Clash
The Browns-Steelers rivalry is already heating up ahead of their primetime clash. The post Steelers Take Shot at Browns Ahead of Primetime Clash appeared first on HEAVY.
Former Patriots $54.5 Million Pro Bowler Heads to NFC West
A former New England Patriots defensive end has signed with a new team, almost three seasons after last playing for the Pats The post Former Patriots $54.5 Million Pro Bowler Heads to NFC West appeared first on HEAVY.
Luka Doncic Gets Honest About LeBron James Leaving Lakers
Luka Doncic opened up about LeBron James leaving the Lakers and what their time together meant to him as he takes on a bigger role. The post Luka Doncic Gets Honest About LeBron James Leaving Lakers appeared first on HEAVY.
Braves Postseason eve chat and discussion: September 28
Happy Wild Card eve to all who celebrate. How are we feeling? Firstly, a hype video for you. This year’s campaign theme and accompanying hashtag? LET IT FLY. Are you hype enough yet? Let us know the creative ways you’re playing hooky with work or school for tomorrow’s 2 pm ET contest. We can write […]
John Harbaugh: Giants Could Still Add Another QB Following Trade
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh says his team could still add another QB after JJ McCarthy trade. The post John Harbaugh: Giants Could Still Add Another QB Following Trade appeared first on HEAVY.
Former Five Year Yankees Utility Player Announces Retirement
Former Yankees utility player Tyler Wade announced his retirement from professional baseball this afternoon in a post on social media via his Instagram. Wade (age 32) spent nine years in the big leagues, making his Major League debut in 2017 for the New York Yankees and appearing in 30 games. Wade was drafted by the […] The post Former Five Year Yankees Utility Player Announces Retirement appeared first on HEAVY.
NFL Insider Raises Major Dan Campbell Question After Lions Win
The Lions moved to 2-1 with a win over the Jets, but NFL insider Jason La Canfora raised a major question about Dan Campbell following the departures of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. The post NFL Insider Raises Major Dan Campbell Question After Lions Win appeared first on HEAVY.
Kanza Education and Science Park hosts first Kanza Science Day of the year
14 elementary schools will get the chance to participate in Kanza Science Days, hosted at the Kanza Education and Science Park, over the next two weeks.
Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Sends Powerful Message About Jaylen Brown
If you thought we were going to get through the Boston Celtics‘ media day without a discussion about the Jaylen Brown trade, then you’d be wrong. Joe Mazzulla opened up his availability to the media by praising Brown and what he brought to the Celtics and the city of Boston during his 10-year tenure with […] The post Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Sends Powerful Message About Jaylen Brown appeared first on HEAVY.
Raoni Barcelos’s Team Provides Latest Health Update on Fighter
UFC bantamweight Raoni Barcelos’s team has provided the latest health update for their fighter after he was stopped at UFC Vegas 121.Barcelos suffered an unknown medical emergency in the main event of UFC Vegas 121, a five-round war against Raul Rosas Jr. that Barcelos was winning up until he went unconscious in the fifth round.We […] The post Raoni Barcelos’s Team Provides Latest Health Update on Fighter appeared first on HEAVY.
Titan Business EDGE: Building career readiness from the first year to the first job
By Daniel Coats Career prep is most effective when it begins long before graduation. For Cal State Fullerton College of Business and Economics(opens in a new tab) students, knowing how to build professional skills, gain meaningful experience and ultimately launch a career requires intentional development over time. The new Titan Business EDGE program provides that pathway […]
Monday practice report for Steelers
Steelers list three cornerbacks on first practice report of week
American Infrastructure Alliance Launches First Nationwide Partnership Between Labor & Business to Advance Responsible Data Center Infrastructure Growth
The American Infrastructure Alliance (AIA) today launched the first nationwide coalition of labor and business focused on establishing responsible, enforceable guardrails for data center development at the state and local level.
Key Raptors Players to Watch As NBA Preseason Approaches
Scottie Barnes and first-round pick Allen Graves are among a couple Raptors looking to take a step forward.
Here's How Much The Xbox Cost In 2001 Vs. 2026
Microsoft's original Xbox retailed for $299 in November 2001, when it first launched, but now the Xbox Series X goes for up to $899, while the Series S is $499.
Texas awards $51 million in first round of Rural Texas Strong funding
Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday that Texas is awarding $51 million in federal funding to rural hospital districts and authorities as part of the state’s Rural Texas Strong initiative.
Dodgers' Triple-A Franchise Win First Title
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Comets, take home the Pacific Coast League title.
Northwestern’s New Era Gets a Major Endorsement From David Braun
David Braun knows Friday night will mark more than just Northwestern’s first matchup with Penn State at the new Ryan Field. Before the Wildcats take the field, their head coach made a bold declaration about the new home of Northwestern football.
49ers Trade Pitch Brings Back History-Making Wide Receiver
Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn believes the 49ers should bring back history-making wide receiver. The post 49ers Trade Pitch Brings Back History-Making Wide Receiver appeared first on HEAVY.
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.
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.
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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