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Columbia football continues hot start with overwhelming win against Amsterdam
The Blue Devils got four touchdown passes and 301 yards through the air from senior quarterback Tyler Connolly in a 42-8 victory over Amsterdam.
Business roundup: Tacos y Mas grand opening and record store relocates
Three businesses — spanning tacos, hotpot, and records — are opening new storefronts in Columbia.
Columbia Distributing and Hayden Beverage Complete Strategic Partnership Investment
Alignment between two established beverage distributors strengthens a growing Pacific Northwest total beverage platform.
PHOTOS: Tennessee Entertainment Commission announces Tennessee Music Advisory Council
Fox 17 provides local news, weather, sports, traffic and entertainment for Nashville and nearby towns and communities in Middle Tennessee, including Forest Hills, Brentwood, Franklin, Fairview, Dickson, Clarksville, White House, Greenbrier, Springfield, Gallatin, Hartsville, Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Smyrna, College Grove, Thompson’s Station, Centerville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Manchester, McMinnville, Smithville, Sparta, Cookeville, Hohenwald, Waverly, Camden, Paris, Lafayette, Portland, and in Kentucky, Russelville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Alvaton, Scottsville, Hopkinsville, Glasgow.
Digital twins stumble on surveys but may pay off in the field: Here’s why
Columbia Business School research explains the effectiveness gap in digital twins and what it takes to make them work.
Vheda Health plans targeted acquisitions and national growth following a $47M raise
The Columbia, Maryland, startup will use its first institutional investment from Agora to expand its chronic and maternity care platform beyond 18 states.
No Land to Stand On by Mahmoud Khalil review – a searing account of political imprisonment
The Palestinian Columbia student snatched by ICE writes about his Kafkaesque ordeal with a quiet fury
Paul Walter Hauser has bizarre explanation for pin he wore to recent premiere
Paul Walter Hauser explains the meaning behind the pin he wore to the ‘Resident Evil’ premiere in Los Angeles earlier this week.
Microserve Ranks No. 4 Among B.C.'s Top Grossing Science and Technology Companies
Microserve is proud to be ranked No. 4 among British Columbia's top revenue producing science and technology companies in BCBusiness magazine's 2026 Top 100 rankings.
What Does the Science of Climate Change Really Look Like?
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series on how the Right should think about environmental and climate policy. Read Chris Barnard on Reclaiming Environmental Policy from the Left. More than a decade ago, the world’s governments negotiated and signed the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to hold global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. In the following years, climate had immense cultural power. Greta Thunberg emerged. Fortune 500 companies established net-zero plans. The U.S. got the Inflation Reduction Act. Then the pendulum swung back. President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, speaking of green energy as a “scam” and carbon footprints as a “hoax” and on all matters of international policy emphasizing bilateral engagement and power over globalism and cooperation. The technology companies that had been at the forefront of net-zero pledges and green leadership discovered the importance of all-of-the-above power to their visions for artificial intelligence and began quietly postponing or removing their targets. On the left side of the political spectrum, rising concerns about inflation and cost pushed climate lower down in the stated priorities of voters and stump speeches of politicians. The moment is ripe for a reset on the politics of climate change and for conservatives especially to chart a course that acknowledges and addresses the real challenges in plausible ways. So what should we think about climate change as we enter a post-peak climate era? If it is neither an apocalypse nor a hoax, what will hold up as a durable view of climate change? And how does it project onto the concerns and priorities of the right-of-center’s emerging coalition? New to Commonplace_? Subscribe below to get the magazine in your inbox._ Subscribe A Solid Foundation As the politics and economics of climate careened over the past ten years, the physics carried on regardless. In 2015, the year the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted, the world emitted 41.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. By 2025, emissions had risen only 2.4%, to 42.2 gigatonnes, because falling emissions from land use offset increasing emissions from fossil fuels. But slow growth in annual emissions is not rapid decline, let alone net-zero, so carbon dioxide kept accumulating in the atmosphere, going from 399 to 426 parts per million. Global temperature kept rising too, from about 1.1 degrees Celsius above the 1850–1900 average in 2015, to 1.4 degrees above it in 2025. None of this should surprise anyone. Even most prominent skeptics, like the authors of the 2025 report commissioned by the Trump administration’s Department of Energy, accept the basic physics. Carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere at industrial volumes accumulates and traps heat that would otherwise escape to space. That heat warms the upper ocean and increases temperatures at the surface. Increased ocean heat and melting of land ice cause sea levels to rise. Changes in the climate become noticeable to us as subtle shifts in temperature and precipitation, seasons arriving early or late, changes in the surrounding ecosystem, and weather extremes. The much more meaningful debate is not about whether these things are happening, but about what it all means for human societies. (While it is a proxy measure of overall risk, no one experiences global surface temperature.) This debate invokes at least three interesting questions: how much today’s warming is showing up in regional climate trends, how much more warming we should anticipate, and how extreme weather events can be understood in the context of climate change. Recent scientific advances give us new insights into each of these, but there is still much to learn. This is the context in which the next generation of conservative leaders will be the first to deal with significant climate change as a fact, not a forecast. It will be with them for their entire careers. Our evolving scientific picture of climate change will come from weather and climate records stretching further into the past, new kinds of observations in the present, better modeling tools for the future, and simply more time to observe the emergence of climate signals and their tangible effects on ecosystems and communities in the United States and around the world. The policy landscape will be shaped by not only the impacts of changes in the climate, but also by the ways in which societies respond and by the emergence of new technologies for both altering the trajectory of emissions and adapting to new climate realities. Global climate records now show the fingerprints of warming in different phenomena around much of the world. The IPCC, in its most recent assessment report, documents warming trends over all land regions, even as natural variability adds substantial variance to local trends. And the highest temperature extremes have become more intense and frequent, almost everywhere, since the 1950s. Scientists are highly confident that these changes are attributable to human influence. But confidence in detecting trends and attributing them to human influence degrades across heavy precipitation events; drought trends are heterogeneous and not attributable to human activity with great confidence. For hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe storms there is even less confidence in trends or their relationship to climate change. In general, a fair summary of the evidence is that for well-observed phenomena, like surface temperature or heavy rainfall, with a clear relationship to warming, our multidecadal observations are consistent with human influence overcoming natural variability over long time periods and extremes increasing. For regions that are sampled more sparsely, or phenomena with a higher noise-to-signal ratio, we will need to observe them longer to understand the magnitude of the climate signal or improve dynamical understanding using models and observations together. But for Climate For those who can’t wait, we also have new techniques that attempt to understand the role climate change has in influencing particular extreme events. When the climate is changing and disaster strikes, it is natural to ask whether that disaster was somehow “caused” by climate change. For scientists and policymakers acting in good faith, answering that question helps develop a more accurate picture of the problem, how it may be getting worse, and what preparations we should be making to respond to it. It may, at some point, give some weight to how liability is assigned by courts or adaptation funding is distributed by society. But how we ask this question is extremely important. It is easy to get the analysis wrong by discounting the role that meteorology plays. As meteorologist Theodore Shepherd explained in a clear 2016 review of climate attribution methods, “if a weather or climate event is truly extreme in the present climate, then perforce it requires unusual meteorological conditions, which means that climate change is at most a contributing factor.” Share Scientists have two ways to probe climate as a contributing factor, both of which have entered media coverage of extreme weather events. One asks a probabilistic question: How much more likely is a particular event (e.g., a temperature record over a particular area) amid global warming? The answer involves using historical records and computer simulations to estimate the likelihood of such an event in both a changed and a preindustrial climate. The findings are less about the specific event, and more about events of that nature. The other question is: How has the changed climate affected the specific event in question? Here, scientists try to understand what a similar event would have looked like in the preindustrial climate. This is sometimes called the storyline approach, where the story is the specific meteorological details of the event. These methods offer ways to test the intuition of scientists about real weather extremes. In late June and early July of 2021, a persistent high-pressure ridge, or heat dome, set up over the Pacific Northwest and an extraordinary heat wave affected the area from Oregon to British Columbia. For six days, it shattered temperature records across the region and hundreds died from heat-related causes, in an area where such high, and persistently high, temperatures were well outside of experience and many live without air conditioning. Scientists have studied its connection to climate change using multiple approaches. This specific event was created by a rare combination of meteorological factors, a strong high-pressure ridge created the conditions for extreme heat, which occurred on top of higher average temperatures in the region from global warming. Probabilistic analyses showed that climate change increased the likelihood of such an event by at least 8-fold to more than 100-fold. One standout example found that such an event had effectively zero probability of occurring in the preindustrial climate. The enormous range in these assessments reflects how hard it is to estimate probabilities of events at the tail of the historical record. Estimates of the effect on the temperature of the event are more clustered. A recent review paper documents how multiple methodologies have found a positive influence, roughly 1-2 degrees Celsius of an anomaly that exceeded 15 degrees, of climate change on the temperature magnitude of the event. Multiple studies have investigated and found some positive influence of climate change in other extreme events. Attribution studies found climate likely increased the heavy rainfall that accompanied Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and surrounding regions in 2024. The extensive fires that struck Los Angeles in 2025 illustrate how the causal chain can become messy, though. Studies do detect a positive influence of climate on the event’s likelihood, but while climate change likely contributed to underlying aridity, it would not have played a role in the heavy winds or land practices that preceded disaster. These event attribution studies will become more common for extreme, or damaging, weather events. They can be produced quickly, and often are reported before peer review. As the Pacific Northwest heatwave example shows, when multiple methods converge on a positive attribution, the finding should probably carry some weight even if you have to be careful about accepting the results from a single study. I expect that as climate change proceeds and the climate thus departs further from a preindustrial counterfactual, the influence will become more detectable across a variety of extreme events and more easily identified. This will be used to cast blame, but can also be used to inform how communities and society adapt to ongoing change. We May Still Be Surprised One positive development, insofar as less climate change is better, has been that our central estimates for future climate change should probably be revised downward. Mostly, that is because the high-end warmings that scientists regularly analyzed about ten to 20 years ago, driven by high emissions throughout the twenty-first century, now appear to be somewhere between unlikely and impossible. At one time, the upper end of mainstream climate projections extended well into 4 to 6 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of this century, which, models suggest, would have wrought enormous real-world damage. Current energy and policy trends now point toward 2.5 or 3 degrees. Damages and risks are commonly modeled as increasing steeply with more warming, so this is already a better-than-previously-expected outcome for the climate (which is independent of the physical response to emissions). But we should maintain a wide range for plausible outcomes and prepare for the possibility of being surprised. Emissions trajectories are subject to deep uncertainty, the physical climate response is still developing, and whatever change occurs in the climate will then be mediated through unpredictable economic, social, and political institutions. Over the past decade, the pace of warming surprised some keen observers and appeared to accelerate, though not yet outside the range of expectation provided by climate models. The reasons for that apparent acceleration are being actively studied (as was the apparent pause in warming from 1998 to 2012), but no single driver has emerged. Some blame it on the El Niño, variability which would have no bearing on climate. Some think it is a result of factories in East Asia and global shipping fleets cutting aerosol emissions, which in the strongest version of the argument would indicate higher climate sensitivity to carbon-dioxide emissions. Others are more measured, not yet ready to draw solid conclusions as to whether climate projections require revision. We will have to see. Long-Term Thinking Climate change asks us to think over long time scales. But the pace of human-driven warming is compressing a large global change into a century. Changing weather patterns and extreme events are already causing adjustment costs and damages and will do more. Adaptation will help, but it is not free. For some communities, these costs will erode livelihoods and well-being, and may force migration. Are we prepared for large-scale managed retreats in the United States? Thankfully, American wealth, geographical diversity, and moderate climates may leave us better prepared than many around the world. But wealthy countries can still suffer serious disruption from narrowly concentrated costs, even if they appear entirely manageable in aggregate. Readers of Commonplace are familiar with the challenges of rapidly adapting to economic forces. The displacement that came from the China Shock is barely perceptible in aggregate GDP and employment data, but it affected millions of people and those people were far less mobile than economic models tended to assume. Deindustrialization rippled through the nation with enormous effects for not only our economic vitality, but also our national security. The forces surrounding climate change may not be so different; the world gets richer and must accept some diffuse costs. Those may be modest overall, but cause all manner of unpredictable effects with which policymakers must cope. In the case of the China Shock, our faith in a growing pie served us poorly. We’ll need to do better on climate. Leave a comment
House votes to hold Epstein associate Leon Black in contempt of Congress
The resolution says the billionaire’s refusal to comply with subpoenas “warrants referral to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution as prescribed by law.”
Deep in Trump country, a revolt against corporate money could reshape political spending
By Brad Brooks COLUMBIA FALLS, Montana, Sept 16 (Reuters) - More than 15 years after the U.S. Supreme Court reshaped American politics with its Citizens United campaign finance ruling, Montana voters will decide this November whether to make their stat...
Deep in Trump Country, a Revolt Against Corporate Money Could Reshape Political Spending
By Brad Brooks COLUMBIA FALLS, Montana, Sept 16 (Reuters) - More than 15 years after the U.S. Supreme Court reshaped American politics with its Citizens United campaign finance ruling, Montana voters will decide this November whether to make their state the first in the nation to bar corporations ...
Encompass Health provides free health screenings to Columbia residents
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Columbia provided free health screenings in honor of National Rehab Awareness Week.
MU hires Angie Jabir as Deputy Athletic Director
Angie Jabir will be joining Mizzou Athletics as the Deputy Athletics Director for Olympic Sport Leadership and Senior Woman Administrator.
Opposition grows to redevelopment set to force closure of Columbia business
Former Boone County commissioner is leading local opposition to plans to redevelop the property where Shiloh has operated for 28 years.
Columbia bakery announces closure, retirement after almost 50 years of business
Tiffany’s Bakery went to social media to formally announce the business's closure.
Sleeping too Little (or too Much) Linked to Faster Aging, and Other Science News
The latest findings from Columbia researchers.
Scientists Reveal Malaria’s Method of Attack
A major new discovery by Columbia scientists is raising hopes that more-effective drugs could be developed.
Boone Health EMS earns Pediatric Ready recognition in Missouri
Boone Health EMS earned Pediatric Ready recognition after completing equipment, training and preparedness reviews for pediatric emergencies.
Mizzou indoor track to be named after Tom Botts
The Tigers announced that they are renaming their indoor track Monday.
Health Department reports end of Boone County cyclosporiasis cases
Following 114 reported cases of cyclosporiasis in Boone County this summer, there have been no reported cases in September.
Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists
Khalil spent 104 days in a Louisiana immigration jail.
PRC approves Welcome Hall at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
The Permit Review Committee has approved plans for a new Welcome Hall and entrance to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry at 5700 S. Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Located on the Chicago Park District-owned lakefront site, the museum occupies the last surviving building from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The building has undergone several major changes since the fair, including a 1990s renovation that added underground parking and new visitor facilities in front of the historic structure.
Vincent Kompany discusses Luis Díaz’s poor form as of late
The Columbian forward has struggled to convert his chances this season.
Business Roundup: New wellness studio, pet treat truck, hair tinsel bar land in Columbia
Vessel Club, Lizzi and Rocco's Treat Truck and Reloved by Pea are among several businesses new to Columbia.
Highlights: Columbiana vs. United high school football
Columbiana (3-1) will host Woodmore in week five. United (3-1) will play host to Lisbon.
Community Connections
WBFF Fox45 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Baltimore and nearby towns and communities in Maryland, including Annapolis, Crofton, Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Pasadena, Severn, Cockeysville, Dundalk, Essex, Parkville, Owings Mills, Towson, White Marsh, Woodlawn, Hampstead, Sykesville, Taneytown, Westminster, Elkton, Perryville, Pt. Deposit, Rising Sun, Aberdeen, Abingdon, Bel Air, Edgewood, Fallston, Havre De Grace, Columbia, Elkridge, Ellicott City, Fulton, and Ocean City.
Columbia Board of Health continues to discuss changes to four-pet limit ordinance
Columbia’s Board of Health discussed pet permit fees and fostering rules but made no decision on changing the city’s four-pet limit.
Justice Department directs states to hold on to 2024 election records
The Justice Department sent letters to 29 states and the District of Columbia
Justice Department directs states to hold on to 2024 election records
The Justice Department sent letters to 29 states and the District of Columbia
Justice Department directs states to hold on to 2024 election records
The Justice Department sent letters to 29 states and the District of Columbia
Justice Department directs states to hold on to 2024 election records
The Justice Department sent letters to 29 states and the District of Columbia
Entertainment, Food & Artisans Announced for Saturday’s Hispanic Heritage Festival
Airdate: September 10th, 2026 George Lyons, Candidate for 12th District Court JudgeSeptember 10, 2026JATA Seeks Partners & Sponsors for Try Transit Week Next MonthSeptember 10, 2026Marnie Hade, Northwest Schools, Highlights Student Service ProjectsSeptember 10, 2026WellWise Fall Prevention Workshop Schedule AnnouncedSeptember 10, 2026Entertainment, Food & Artisans Announced for Saturday’s Hispanic Heritage FestivalSeptember 10, 2026Leslie vs Columbia…
Morpholio Trace for Business Brings a New Way for Firms to Buy and Deploy at Scale
New Enterprise Offering Connects Trace to the Vectorworks Customer Portal, Enabling Centralized Purchasing, Licensing, and Managed Deployment, With Early Access to Upcoming Trace Ultra Tier. Morpholio Trace for Business Now Available Morpholio Trace for Business Brings Firms a New Way to Centralize Purchasing, Licensing, and Manage Deployment Columbia, MD, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Morpholio from Vectorworks launches Trace for Business, a new enterprise tier that gives organizations str
MU Health Care offers flu and COVID-19 vaccination events across mid-Missouri
MU Health Care is offering drive-thru vaccinations, walk-in appointments and extended hours at its locations in cities including Columbia, Jefferson City and Fulton.
Wonders of science: Prof. Greene talks about Big Bang to AI
Could AI help solve mysteries that have challenged physicists for generations? CGTN's Tian Wei sits down with Brian Greene to explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and fundamental science. A Columbia University professor of
ASL Environmental Sciences Brings ADCP Training To PRODIGY Field School
ASL Environmental Sciences equipped graduate students with hands-on ADCP mooring experience at the 2026 PRODIGY field school in Bamfield, British Columbia, covering the full cycle from mooring design and deployment to data analysis. The company plans continued involvement through 2028.
Columbia women’s basketball reveals 2026-27 non-conference schedule
NEW YORK (PIX11) — The Lions’ den will be full of tough competition this winter. Columbia women’s basketball has revealed its 2026-27 non-conference schedule. In an exclusive reveal with PIX11 Sports, Columbia’s opponents leading into Ivy League play are now written in stone for the new season. Head coach Megan Griffith joined PIX11’s Perry Sook […]
Optimi Health to Participate in the H.C. Wainwright 28th Annual Global Investment Conference
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Optimi Health Corp. (Nasdaq: OPTH) (CSE: OPTI) (“Optimi” or the “Company”), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical manufacturer of regulated psychedelic drug products, today announced that it will participate in the H.C. Wainwright 28th Annual Global Investment Conference. The conference will be held September 14-16, 2026, at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. A Company presentation will be available on demand here beginning Friday, Septem
Columbia and JED partner on teen mental health and AI safety | ETIH EdTech News
Columbia University’s Technology & Democracy Initiative and The Jed Foundation have partnered on teen mental health and AI safety. ETIH covers the edtech news project, including an expert roundtable, working paper and planned guidance for AI developers, policymakers and youth mental health speci
Port of Grandview works to attract new businesses with active marketing and land development
The BriefThe Port of Grandview is actively marketing the community to attract new business development, with efforts including attendance at trade shows and conventions like Food Northwest in Portland.The Port reports strong demand for business property, with several prospective clients currently seeking space to build in Grandview.The Port recently acquired 45 acres for its new Woodworth Road Business Park, with planning underway to support the community's continued growth.GRANDVIEW — The Port of Grandview is capitalizing on strong interest in the community by actively marketing Grandview to businesses seeking locations for expansion and growth. The Port's efforts are paying off, with increased development activity and growing demand for available business property.Grandview's appeal stems from multiple factors. The community's available land and central location between the Tri-Cities and Yakima make it an attractive option for businesses looking to establish or expand operations. The Port has recognized these advantages and is taking a proactive approach to market the community directly to potential clients.Port Executive Director Randy Tucker says the Port has been actively attending trade shows and conventions to promote Grandview as a business destination. These events, including Food Northwest in Portland, provide opportunities to connect with companies actively seeking new locations."Say, hey, locate your business here and bring your customers here. And it's worked out pretty good for us," Tucker said.The Port's marketing strategy is generating results. The Port reports strong demand for business property, with several prospective clients currently looking for space to build in Grandview. This interest reflects the effectiveness of the Port's outreach efforts and the community's appeal to businesses in various industries.To support this growth, the Port recently acquired 45 acres for its new Woodworth Road Business Park. Planning is underway to determine how the property can best support Grandview's continued development and attract additional businesses to the area.The combination of available land, strategic location, and active marketing positions Grandview as an increasingly attractive option for businesses seeking to relocate or expand. As the Port continues its efforts to promote the community, Grandview appears poised for continued economic growth and development. News Three Queens Fire approaching 10,000 acres, now 11% contained Robert Desaulniers, Josh Culbreth News Two injured after rear-end crash leads to rollover near Grandview Robert Desaulniers News Grandview High School temporarily enters secure and teach for possible altercation between students Robert Desaulniers News Port of Grandview pursues economic growth with new business park development William Albert, Apple Valley News Now News Driver dies in fiery crash in Columbia Park Friday Erin Wencl COPYRIGHT 2026 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Labor unions are growing, but where depends on state politics
Last year, the nation added more than 411,000 union members — the largest annual growth since 2008.
Commissioner calls for delay ahead of Williamson Health sale vote
Fox 17 provides local news, weather, sports, traffic and entertainment for Nashville and nearby towns and communities in Middle Tennessee, including Forest Hills, Brentwood, Franklin, Fairview, Dickson, Clarksville, White House, Greenbrier, Springfield, Gallatin, Hartsville, Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Smyrna, College Grove, Thompson’s Station, Centerville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Manchester, McMinnville, Smithville, Sparta, Cookeville, Hohenwald, Waverly, Camden, Paris, Lafayette, Portland, and in Kentucky, Russelville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Alvaton, Scottsville, Hopkinsville, Glasgow.
Columbia makes early-season statement, thumps Queensbury 48-27
A 48-27 statement win caps a big opening night for the Blue Devils, plus highlights from CBA, Averill Park, and Glens Falls.
Second warning may cost this Evans business its licenses
Columbia County officials are moving to revoke the licenses of an Evans massage business after repeated violations.
Trump looms over WA’s 3rd District race for U.S. House control
ILWACO, Pacific County — Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez stood inside a brewery in this sleepy town where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, explaining to a crowd of supporters
In 1996, Columbia scientists shifted Biosphere 2’s 2.6-million-gallon Arizona ocean between ice age, modern and future CO₂ every 3 months; future chemistry cut coral calcification by about 40%
For years, scientists argued about whether it would be safe for the ocean to absorb the carbon dioxide that people release into the atmosphere. When Biosphere 2 began, it was a widely reported experiment in which people lived in confinement to test whether a closed biosphere could support them.
Public health planner answers questions on homelessness strategic plan
City staff has planned focus groups, stakeholder input meetings and one-on-one interviews to develop a strategic plan.
Business roundup: Three up-and-coming businesses reach Columbia
Marcos Pizza, The Fifth Season and The Plant Shop are now open in Columbia.
Comcast Completes Fiber Network Expansion in Allen County
Comcast’s Xfinity announced that more than 1,100 additional homes and businesses across Allen County, including communities in Churubusco, Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Huntertown, …
Health officials issue strong warning to stay out of river water in Tri-Cities
Signs are being posted.
Former SC governor launching effort to mend political divide in U.S.
A former South Carolina governor says he is launching an effort to mend the political divide in the U.S.
More Georgia jobs as business investment tops record for second year
Georgia reports a record $35.2 billion in business investments and thousands of new jobs for the past fiscal year.
Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo
Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.
MNPD: Mental health team not on scene before North Nashville officer-involved shooting
Fox 17 provides local news, weather, sports, traffic and entertainment for Nashville and nearby towns and communities in Middle Tennessee, including Forest Hills, Brentwood, Franklin, Fairview, Dickson, Clarksville, White House, Greenbrier, Springfield, Gallatin, Hartsville, Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Smyrna, College Grove, Thompson’s Station, Centerville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Manchester, McMinnville, Smithville, Sparta, Cookeville, Hohenwald, Waverly, Camden, Paris, Lafayette, Portland, and in Kentucky, Russelville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Alvaton, Scottsville, Hopkinsville, Glasgow.
Dozens of Nashville businesses appeal property value as state leaders prioritize tax cap
Fox 17 provides local news, weather, sports, traffic and entertainment for Nashville and nearby towns and communities in Middle Tennessee, including Forest Hills, Brentwood, Franklin, Fairview, Dickson, Clarksville, White House, Greenbrier, Springfield, Gallatin, Hartsville, Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Smyrna, College Grove, Thompson’s Station, Centerville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Manchester, McMinnville, Smithville, Sparta, Cookeville, Hohenwald, Waverly, Camden, Paris, Lafayette, Portland, and in Kentucky, Russelville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Alvaton, Scottsville, Hopkinsville, Glasgow.
Another one: New Chick-fil-A planned for growing Columbia neighborhood
The new restaurant would join nearly two dozen locations of the ubiquitous fast food chain in the Columbia area.
Digital safety, mental health and communication key themes in this year's Resilient Teens summit
Resilient Communities of East Georgia (RCEG), the youth-focused organization behind teen mental health initiative Resilient Teens, hosted its third annual Resilient Teens Summit, Saturday, at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown. The nearly eight-hour event, beginning at 9:30 a.m., drew some 200 attendees including vendors and volunteers. Like each year, the day-long series of […]
Business roundup: New stores and restaurants land in Columbia
Four businesses have plans to open new locations in Downtown Columbia.
Business Roundup: New stores and restaurants arrive in downtown Columbia
Three new dining options and one decor store are planning to open soon in downtown Columbia.
Residents discuss the next steps for Columbia's Black business district
With the Shops at Sharp End closing next month, Columbia community members discuss how to best move forward in the area.
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry to open original south entrance from 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
Canada recruits dozens of foreign scientists and researchers, many from U.S.
The researchers are being hired by universities across the country, including the University of British Columbia, McGill and the University of Toronto.
When AI takes over coding, everyone gets promoted to manager
Leaders no longer need a team to ship software — but they still have to manage one.
2026 Flathead Valley Fall Sports Preview
After a 2025 fall season filled with individual and team state championships, several Flathead Valley athletes will be on the title defense, while others will make a push to reach the mountain top of Montana high school sports after falling one win short a season ago. The Glacier Wolfpack and Columbia Falls Wildkats saw their […]
Midlands business leaders gather for first Columbia Area Development Partnership Breakfast
The first annual Columbia Area Development Partnership Breakfast was held on Wednesday.
Canadian premier has 2 ideas to hit back at Trump: F-35s and coal
British Columbia Premier David Eby wants Canada to target US fighter jets and coal as it looks beyond tariffs in its trade war with Trump.
Mizzou Meat Market opens at new meat science lab, expands retail offerings
The Mizzou Meat Market on the University of Missouri campus opened in mid-August. Bryon Weigand, the director of the Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Lab, tells Brownfield the new market is larger than the previous location in Columbia. “It’s located South of the Trowbridge Livestock Center, a pretty big footprint, but it […]
Maryland Zoo's remaining male cheetah euthanized following health complications
WBFF Fox45 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Baltimore and nearby towns and communities in Maryland, including Annapolis, Crofton, Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Pasadena, Severn, Cockeysville, Dundalk, Essex, Parkville, Owings Mills, Towson, White Marsh, Woodlawn, Hampstead, Sykesville, Taneytown, Westminster, Elkton, Perryville, Pt. Deposit, Rising Sun, Aberdeen, Abingdon, Bel Air, Edgewood, Fallston, Havre De Grace, Columbia, Elkridge, Ellicott City, Fulton, and Ocean City.
Discerning film fans flock to The Beacon’s tiny Seattle theater
A Columbia City cinema's offerings range from heady art-house pieces to obscure cult favorites to independent gems. You can even rent the theater for a screening.
Mizzou soccer falls to Missouri State on the road
Mizzou dropped its second game of the year in a 1-0 loss to Missouri State on Sunday.
‘We’ll be OK’: Business owner optimistic after tornado damages her shop
Columbia residents continue to pick up the pieces after an EF-1 tornado tore through the borough’s downtown on Thursday.
Ear to the Ground: What's your dream business combination in Columbia?
Semi-regularly, Free Times will ask a question of you, dear readers, about an important facet of life in the Columbia area. Then we’ll share your anonymous responses, as well as the next question for ...
Schmitt feels optimistic on upcoming vote for Protect College Sports Act
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., spoke to reporters at Memorial Stadium on Thursday regarding the Protect College Sports Act, which he is a co-sponsor of. He met with Missouri coach
Part of Keystone Building collapses onto Columbia ceramics business during storm
Emergency crews responded to storm damage in Columbia, Lancaster County, after severe weather swept through the Susquehanna Valley.
AI is widening the gap between high and low performers
New research on small business owners in Kenya finds that getting value from AI depends not just on access, but on how users evaluate and apply its advice.
New business to bring piece of the South of France to the Midlands
A new business is hoping to bring a little bit of the South of France to the Midlands.
Columbia House — yes, it still exists — is going out of business
New York (CNN) — Columbia House, a pioneer of subscription music before streaming, is shutting down after seven decades in business.
Columbia House — yes, it still exists — is going out of business
Columbia House, a pioneer of subscription music before streaming, is shutting down after seven decades in business.
Columbia event to focus on Medicare and mental health coverage
The community was invited to a free conversation about Medicare and mental health Tuesday at the Trinity Educational Community Center.
Matthew Yglesias on Abundance and the Politics of Energy - Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA
Hear in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society.
How to Make Connections Uptown, From the Founder of Ms. Steph’s Science Club in Harlem
Stephanie Farmer, the founder of Ms. Steph’s Science Club and longtime Harlem resident and Columbia Community Service grantee, shares her advice for tapping into the local community for those new to the area.
Boone County health assessment sets priorities for families
A new Boone County maternal and child health assessment identifies family support and child development as key priorities.
Countdown to Kickoff: Friendship Collegiate
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Each year, Friendship Collegiate is one of the top teams in the District of Columbia. Last year, for the fourth straight season, Friendship posted at least nine wins. After winning the DCSAA title in 2022 and 2023, the Knights fell short in the playoffs in 2024 and 2025. As Friendship […]
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ villain Tramell Tillman reveals what was ‘frustrating’ about his role
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ villain Tramell Tillman says this one thing about the Marvel movie was ‘frustrating.’
South Carolina animal health officials urge horse owners to vaccinate against mosquito-borne diseases
COLUMBIA, S.C. — With recent rain and humid conditions creating favorable environments for mosquitoes, Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health is
2026 APSA Theme Panel: Multinational Firms and National Politics -
Multinational Firms and National Politics Sunday, September 6, 10:00 am to 11:30 am 2026 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition — Boston, MA | Register here In-person | Full Paper Panel Participants: (Chair) Calvin Thrall, Columbia University (Discussant) [...]
Back-To-School Bargains Or Scams? Better Business Bureau Helps Missouri Families Spot The Difference (LISTEN)
Back-to-school shopping can put a strain on family budgets, and scammers know it. Matt Pilger talked with Khesha Duncan of the Better Business Bureau in Columbia about finding real deals and avoiding costly scams. Share this:
Tennessee to execute Anthony Hines as attorneys raise concerns over health, execution team
Fox 17 provides local news, weather, sports, traffic and entertainment for Nashville and nearby towns and communities in Middle Tennessee, including Forest Hills, Brentwood, Franklin, Fairview, Dickson, Clarksville, White House, Greenbrier, Springfield, Gallatin, Hartsville, Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Smyrna, College Grove, Thompson’s Station, Centerville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, Lewisburg, Shelbyville, Manchester, McMinnville, Smithville, Sparta, Cookeville, Hohenwald, Waverly, Camden, Paris, Lafayette, Portland, and in Kentucky, Russelville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Alvaton, Scottsville, Hopkinsville, Glasgow.
Columbia man arrested after Paris Road business burglary, police say
CPD has arrested a suspect in connection with a Sunday morning burglary where about $50,000 of merchandise was stolen.
Columbia man arrested after $50,000 merchandise stolen in business burglary
A Columbia man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing $50,000 worth of merchandise from a business during a burglary on Sunday.
Columbia man arrested in Paris Road business burglary, police say
CPD has arrested a suspect in connection with a Sunday morning burglary where about $50,000 of merchandise was stolen.
Columbia man arrested after allegedly using fire extinguisher to break into business
A Columbia man was arrested Sunday after police say he used a stolen fire extinguisher to break into a local business.Columbia Police responded to a reported bu
Columbia police arrest man accused of breaking into business with fire extinguisher
Police said a Columbia man used a stolen fire extinguisher from one business to break into another business before his arrest.
Boone Health sues cardiologists, Pulsepoint over alleged noncompete violations
The lawsuit seeks to stop two Columbia cardiologists from offering competing services in the area until May 2027.
Ten Years In: How the Columbia Center for Community Health’s InTOuCH Program Became a National Model
A conversation with Dr. Janhavi Mallaiah, who has led Columbia's community health worker training program since its founding in 2016.
Seattle’s apolitical fish fry still satisfies politicians after 30 years
If you wanna run this city, you have to show up to a backyard fish fry in Columbia City.