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Trump administration claims healthcare fraud crackdown has saved taxpayers $5.56B in six months
A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General shows most of the money comes from a small number of huge cases, where the federal government was able to reclaim hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid funds being abused by criminal defendants.
CBO is looking at how fighting health care fraud could help GOP boost defense spending - Live Updates
House GOP lawmakers are searching for savings to help fund their latest spending package, and want CBO to examine the Trump administration's fraud crackdown.
Madonna’s Knockdown Center Set Was Sexy, Latex-Clad History in the Making
A report from the century’s most consequential confluence of gay guys and plus ones.
Survey says...
A half-century ago — July 12, 1976 — the TV game show “Family Feud” debuted on ABC.
ServiceTitan (TTAN) Wins TrussPoint Business, Is The Stock Still Below Fair Value?
ServiceTitan (TTAN) is back in focus after TrussPoint Roofing & Exterior Renovations chose its cloud platform as the operational backbone for an expanding portfolio of roofing brands, highlighting the software’s role in multi-brand growth. See our latest analysis for ServiceTitan. ServiceTitan’s recent customer wins, including TrussPoint and the June rollout data for its Max software, come against a mixed backdrop where the share price closed at US$77.69 and is up 35.47% over 90 days, but the...
Mental health agency in Lansing out of brief lockdown after stabbing
A mental health agency in Lansing was briefly on lockdown Thursday after a person was stabbed with a plastic sharp object, its CEO says.
‘Sony essentially destroys its own defense’: How its disc-free PS5 plan triggered a $457M lawsuit and undercut its antitrust defense
Sony’s move enraged thousands of gamers and brought on a lawsuit with the backdrop of rival Xbox’s restructuring amid video game industry challenges.
International Business Machines (IBM) Unveils New AI Infrastructure, Is The Stock Fully Priced?
International Business Machines (IBM) stock has been in focus after a cluster of technology announcements, including quantum computing work on fusion energy, new z17 and LinuxONE 5 rack mount systems, and expanded cybersecurity partnerships. See our latest analysis for International Business Machines. Against this backdrop of quantum computing progress, new z17 and LinuxONE systems, and expanded cybersecurity partnerships, International Business Machines’ share price has moved sharply, with a...
Pixel Watch 5 price increase expected as configs and release date leaked ahead of Made by Google event
Google's annual Made by Google event is confirmed for next month, and the new Pixel Watch 5 has been leaked ahead of the presentation.
DuckDuckGo browser now blocks YouTube video ads
DuckDuckGo announced that its browser can now block most video ads on YouTube, including those shown before the video starts playing and during playback.
Another big premium hike on the horizon
FDA's crackdown on online ketamine retailers, unprecedented health care premium hikes, and more health news from Morning Rounds
Can USMNT World Cup run ‘change American soccer forever’ as special Seattle return looms?
Seattle has served as the backdrop for many big U.S. soccer moments. With a last-16 game on tap, how important could Monday wind up being?
Local fireworks stand sees business surge amid firework crackdown in parts of the region
As we get closer to the Fourth of July, officials are sending a message about firework laws across the region. But for local fireworks stands, they're still seeing more customers getting ready to celebrate.
Local fireworks stand sees business surge amid firework crackdown in parts of the region
The Fourth of July is just hours away, and for people celebrating across the region, setting off fireworks is a tradition.
Western Wisconsin health clinic in lockdown amid 'active situation'
A health clinic in western Wisconsin is in lockdown Thursday afternoon as law enforcement responds to an "active situation."
Accel Entertainment (ACEL) After Russell 2000 Exit Has Undervaluation Back In Focus
Index removal puts Accel Entertainment back in focus Accel Entertainment (ACEL) was recently removed from the Russell 2000 Dynamic Index, an event that can influence institutional ownership patterns, index tracking fund flows, and short term trading activity around the stock. See our latest analysis for Accel Entertainment. Against that backdrop, Accel Entertainment’s recent share price moves have been mixed, with a 1-day share price return of 1.27% but a 7-day share price return that...
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
Exclusive: GOP think tank pushes heavy health spending cuts
The Paragon worldview is likely to remain highly relevant for the remainder of the Trump administration.
About 3 million people have dropped Obamacare health coverage after subsidies expire and costs rise
The Department of Health and Human Services suggests the 13% drop is due to a federal crackdown on fraudulent enrollmentut, but health analysts believe it's more likely related to the Jan. 1 expiration of federal subsidies.
Iraq detains politicians, officials in anti-corruption crackdown
Iraqi security forces arrested politicians and senior officials early on Sunday as part of a broader anti-corruption campaign ordered by Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi, a government spokesperson said.
Washington Nationals vs Baltimore Orioles Game Thread
Follow along as the Nats look to snap their 4 game losing streak and get back to .500
Platner, Collins’ campaign spar over federal contracts
Platner released a multi-point plan he calls “a corruption crackdown,” which covers issues such as big money in politics, lobbying activities by former members of Congress, and making it more difficult for presidents to cash in on their position while in office.
Louisville doctor, nurse and nonprofit founder charged in federal health care fraud crackdown
Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Kentucky announced charges in four separate cases involving alleged schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid, misuse medical credentials and controlled substances, and submit
Las Vegas woman accused of running illegal multi-million-dollar healthcare scheme in Pearland, prosecutors say
Marizel Yukee is accused of providing medically unnecessary allografts to patients while receiving kickbacks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Her case is one prosecutors are citing as part of a national crackdown on health care fraud.
Louisville pediatrician, nurse also federally charged in 'healthcare fraud takedown'
More Louisville health professionals have been criminally charged as a part of a federal healthcare fraud crackdown.
Dozens in Florida among hundreds charged in a DOJ crackdown on healthcare fraud
The two-week operation uncovered more than $6.5 billion in false claims submitted to insurers, according to the Department of Justice. Nearly two dozen arrests were made by state authorities.
Two in Hawaii charged in nationwide health care fraud, opioid crackdown
The Department of Justice charged 455 health care professionals nationwide — including two in Hawaiʻi — in alleged fraud and opioid schemes totaling $6.5 billion.
Capital Region individuals arrested in connection to nationwide healthcare fraud crackdown
Clarksville former doctor charged in nationwide DOJ healthcare fraud crackdown
A Clarksville former doctor is part of a nationwide healthcare fraud crackdown by the federal government.
Massachusetts man among 455 charged in nationwide crackdown on health care fraud
A Massachusetts man is among 455 people charged in a nationwide crackdown on health care fraud, with the Stoughton man allegedly carrying out an over $5 million Medicare fraud scheme.
FBI adds 2 fugitives to 'Most Wanted Fraudsters' list amid historic $6.5B healthcare takedown: Patel
FBI adds Khalid Ahmed Satary and Emylee Thai to Most Wanted Fraudsters list as historic healthcare fraud crackdown charges 455 suspects for $6.5B.
Texas doctor charged in $89M fraud case as administration pushes health care crackdown
The Justice Department has charged a Texas doctor in an $89 million health care fraud scheme, accusing him of billing insurers for medically unnecessary cardiovascular screening tests.
Supreme Court sides with Trump administration in green card case
The decision comes as the court considers a series of immigration issues against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown
Texas doctor charged in $89M fraud case as administration pushes healthcare crackdown
The Justice Department says it has charged a Texas doctor in an $89 million healthcare fraud scheme, accusing him of billing insurers for medically unnecessary cardiovascular screening tests for college student-athletes and then rubber-stamping the res...
Exclusive | Justice Department Unveils $6.5 Billion Healthcare Fraud Crackdown
Prosecutors are expected to charge around 450 defendants in alleged fraud spanning Medicaid and hospice care.
Judge says Trump DOJ subpoenas of Tim Walz and other Democrats are unconstitutional
A federal judge on Monday blocked the Justice Department from forcing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials to turn over records in its probe of Democratic resistance to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, calling the move retaliatory.
Colombia election: Right-wing outsider backed by Trump wins
Lawyer and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella has promised a military crackdown on armed groups.
Why some Russians are breaking with Putin as Ukraine war drags on
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s iron grip on power is being challenged by the war in Ukraine and his government’s authoritarian crackdowns. He finds himself in unfamiliar political territory, questioned by some of the country’s elite and embarrassed by Ukraine’s strikes into Russian cities. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses the state of Russian politics with Arkady Ostrovsky.
'Political stunt' prosecution of ICE agent for 'road rage' provokes heated DHS response
DHS accuses Minnesota officials of a political stunt over ICE agent Gregory Morgan Jr., charged with assault for allegedly pointing a gun at motorists.
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Stock Might Be 31.1% Overvalued After Record May Attendance
Interest in AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) stock has picked up after the company completed a US$150 million at the market equity offering, alongside reporting record May attendance and expanding higher margin concession offerings. See our latest analysis for AMC Entertainment Holdings. Against this backdrop, AMC Entertainment Holdings has seen strong short term momentum, with a 30 day share price return of 108.09% and a 90 day share price return of 188.57%. However, the 1 year total...
How Trump’s immigration crackdown puts Americans’ healthcare at risk
‘Ali’, from Afghanistan, is a ‘stellar’ doctor caring for patients in under-served West Virginia – but like many other foreign medics, his US future is now in peril
A far-right backlash is surging in Latin America as crime fears fuel Bukele-style crackdowns
At the start of this decade, Latin America leaned left as progressive politicians gained power amid public outrage over inequities worsened by the pandemic
Trump just found the worst way to regulate AI
The real danger in Trump’s crackdown on Anthropic’s newest AI model.
Dave & Buster's Entertainment Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
Dave & Buster's Entertainment (NASDAQ:PLAY) reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter results for fiscal 2026, with management pointing to macroeconomic pressure in April, a softer consumer backdrop and promotional missteps as contributors to a 5.4% decline in comparable store sales. Chief Ex
Just Do GOOD Entertainment selects Lexington, Kentucky region as next filming location for hit series "Finding Kindness"
Winchester, KY — Award-winning content creation company Just Do GOOD Entertainment has selected the Lexington, Kentucky area as the backdrop for its next inspiring production. Co-founders and executive producers Monty […]
Supreme Court to decide if migrants detained for months must receive bond hearings
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide if the government may hold noncitizens in detention for prolonged periods without a bond hearing, a case that could have significant implications for the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
Where ‘democracy met science,’ 50 years ago
State Medicaid crackdowns strain home care, WHO leader on Ebola outbreak, and more health news
Vance’s fraud task force is sweeping up legitimate small businesses
The vice president and other officials have downplayed evidence of collateral damage in their crackdown on fraudulent hospices.
New Zealand brush aside politics ahead of World Cup opener against Iran
New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley brushed aside the political backdrop to his side's World Cup opener against Iran on Monday, saying his players were focused solely on football despite heightened attention surrounding the match.
Forza Horizon 6 Signals A New Peak For Open World Driving Games
Japan provides the backdrop for Horizon's most ambitious world yet
How Iran's 'Stolen Revolution' failed to live up to its promise
Many supporters of Iran's revolution believed some form of democracy should govern the country. But over the decades, the Islamic Republic's radical religious rulers have launched brutal crackdowns on social justice and political freedom. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses how the 1979 revolution failed to live up to its promise with Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin.
Unearthed DOJ emails expose turmoil over Biden-era memo urging crackdown on parents
Internal DOJ emails reveal officials allegedly called Garland's 2021 school board memo "stupid" and warned it would look like an "Anti-MAGA Task Force."
How small-business loans got caught in Trump's immigration crackdown
For decades, immigrants who are legal permanent residents in the U.S. could get loans through the Small Business Administration, a core pillar of small-business lending. Not anymore.
Spotify's opioid podcast crackdown removes 57,000 episodes globally
After a Business Insider investigation exposed opioid-promoting podcasts on Spotify, a US senator found the company removed more than 57,000 episodes.
China says 'illegal' outbound investment crackdown won't lead to forced liquidation
China's crackdown on "illegal" cross-border investment won't lead to mainlanders' offshore accounts being closed and assets liquidated forcibly, the securities regulator said, amid investor concerns over the fate of $54 billion worth of assets.
New ChatGPT Lockdown Mode Limits Tools That Could Enable Data Exfiltration
OpenAI Lockdown Mode limits outbound ChatGPT requests to reduce prompt injection data exfiltration risk for eligible accounts.
OpenAI is now rolling out Lockdown Mode to more ChatGPT users
Originally restricted to enterprise executives and security teams, OpenAI is now expanding its Lockdown Mode to all ChatGPT users worldwide.
Ohio Medicaid Program Suspends 49 Home Health Providers Amid National Fraud Crackdown
As federal officials intensify scrutiny of Medicaid-funded home-based care, Ohio has become the latest state to take aggressive enforcement action against
Jordan: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule
Jordan make their FIFA World Cup debut this summer, joining Cape Verde, Curaçao and Uzbekistan as the four tournament newcomers.The Al-Nashama qualified by finishing second in AFC third-round Group B...
Weakened public health powers raise outbreak risks
Some jurisdictions have weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.
How Ukraine-Russia tension hangs over French Open semi-finals
Russia's war in Ukraine will provide an unavoidable backdrop to the French Open women's semi-finals - and possibly the final.
Rethinking Political Change in Iran from Protest to War
One month before the United States and Israel began the current war against Iran on February 28, 2026, mass uprisings within the country resulted in the severest government crackdown in its modern history. Protests and repression were accompanied by calls for outside intervention. US President Donald Trump declared on January
Macquarie Sees World Cup Boost Driving Betting Growth, Favors Flutter Entertainment (FLUT)
Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLUT) stands out as one of the biggest potential beneficiaries of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Macquarie, which expects the expanded tournament to generate a substantial increase in global sports betting activity and provide a meaningful earnings tailwind for leading operators. The investment bank estimates that betting volumes tied to the competition could exceed $50 billion worldwide, creating a favorable backdrop for major sportsbook and online gaming comp
A Look At AMC Entertainment (AMC) Valuation After Recent Share Price Surge
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) has been drawing investor attention after a sharp move in its share price, with the stock up 22.5% over the past day and 40.4% over the past week. See our latest analysis for AMC Entertainment Holdings. Those sharp moves in the share price sit against a mixed backdrop, with strong recent momentum, including an 87.6% 3 month share price return, but a 1 year total shareholder return that is still down 38.4%. If fast moving stocks like AMC have your attention,...
Wisconsin Dem touts endorsement from union pushing back against CDL crackdowns on illegal alien truckers
Wisconsin Democrat Rebecca Cooke promotes ties to AFSCME, which published a toolkit on circumventing CDL restrictions for undocumented immigrants.
Samsung’s One UI 9 update forces Android’s lockdown mode when you open the power menu
Samsung has removed the “lockdown” option from One UI 9’s power menu. The security feature now activates automatically, whether you...
DuckDuckGo makes its 'no-AI' search engine easier to access as its traffic booms
Alternative search engine DuckDuckGo launches 'no AI' web extensions for Chrome and Firefox users.
Jerome Powell uses award speech to warn against political pressure on Fed, courts and schools
The award also honored residents of Minnesota's Twin Cities for their actions during a federal immigration crackdown that led to thousands of arrests and two deaths.
Right-Wing Firebrand Surges Into Colombia Runoff, Shaking Political Establishment
Abelardo de la Espriella, a rich lawyer who promises an iron-fisted crackdown on drug thugs, finishes ahead of ruling movement’s leftist hopeful.
DuckDuckGo's 'No AI' Search Traffic Climbs as Users Reject Google's AI Overhaul
Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has seen a surge in demand for its "No AI" search option in the wake of Google's May 19th I/O announcements. Google debuted a new "intelligent" search box reimagined with AI. It features AI suggestions as an upgrade to autocomplete, support for follow-up questions, expanded Personal Intelligence for connecting Gmail and Google Photos, and Search agents.
SBA Clarifies And Narrows Its Crackdown On Small Business Investors
The agency had stopped approving loans to businesses with an investor who had previously backed any business that defaulted on an SBA loan. Now it's set up a waiver process.
DuckDuckGo Installs Spike as Google Moves to Replace Search With AI
Many netizens are looking for an alternative to Google's recently announced AI Search redesign, with installs of DuckDuckGo soaring.
DuckDuckGo US app installs surge after Google’s AI force-feed
Long favoured by privacy advocates, the search engine DuckDuckGo successfully rebrands as the ultimate refuge from chatbot-led web answers.
Trump's DOJ sues Maine over denying undercover license plates for federal agents
President Donald Trump's administration is suing four states over their refusal to issue undercover license plates to federal agents, the latest front in the wider struggle between the White House and Democratic-led states over the Republican president's immigration crackdown.
DuckDuckGo is growing thanks to Google users frustrated by AI features
Many Search users still want an AI-free experience.
Sanctions fears as Krygyzstan shutters companies suspected of aiding Russia
Crackdown on 50 firms is rooted in Bishkek's own worries of being sanctioned, say analysts.
'Business as usual': Fakes, piracy thrive in Vietnam as US tariff deadline nears
At a sprawling bazaar on the outskirts of Vietnam's capital, the trade in counterfeit goods is bustling despite government crackdowns and the threat of U.S. tariffs over the issue, two visits by Reuters journalists to the market found.
DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search
Google overhauled Search at I/O 2026, replacing blue links with AI agents. The backlash has been swift. DuckDuckGo app installs spiked 30% as users seek a way out.
Trump administration proposes non-disclosure agreements for federal employees to stop leaks
The Trump administration wants all current and future federal employees to sign non-disclosure agreements, part of a continuing crackdown on leaks to the media.
Portland clinic helps Asian immigrants navigate life and mental health amid immigration enforcement fears
Founded in 1983, the Asian Health and Service Center in Southeast Portland provides mental health counseling and other support services, as providers say immigration crackdowns have heightened fear and worsened mental health challenges among some immigrant patients.
Trump’s crackdown on trans healthcare extends into adulthood
Conservatives have long argued they want to end transition care for minors, but federal policies have increasingly limited adult access. More restrictions are on the way.
How integrating tradition and self-care has strengthened public health in the Americas
On 13 May 2026, a regional dialogue for the Americas titled, Innovative Experiences to Strengthen Health and Self-Care through Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine, was hosted by EsSalud, the government agency responsible for social security and health care in Peru.The event brought together representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), WHO collaborating centres, the health sector and academia. It presented regional perspectives from BrBolivia, Brazil, Mexico and Peru to explore how self-care and traditional medicine can strengthen public health, empower communities and support more inclusive models of care. Across all four countries, a clear message emerged: traditional medicine is not being positioned as an alternative to formal systems, but as a way to strengthen them. In the Americas region, the challenge is to consolidate intercultural and holistic care, with the aim of strengthening the healthcare system – making care more preventive, culturally relevant and community-based.Peru: institutionalizing complementary care over 28 years Dr Martha Villar López from EsSalud Peru demonstrated how integration can be institutionalized over time. With nearly three decades of investment, including a research programme dating back to 1998, traditional medicine is now embedded within public health infrastructure. EsSalud’s flagship programme, Reforma de Vida, operating as Prevenir, takes multidisciplinary teams into workplaces to reduce and detect risk factors for chronic noncommunicable diseases. Education cycles are structured around three pillars: celestial nourishment, focused on life purpose and movement; terrestrial nourishment, centred on regional food and healthy diets; and human nourishment, addressing identity, relationships, stress and spirituality. Grounded in Andean cosmovision and the principle of the ayllu, the programme aligns with local cultural values. Since 2007, it has trained over 6600 health leaders, certified more than 3100 health-friendly organizations and built alliances with nearly 11 000 employers.Bolivia: legal recognition and medical pluralism Adelino Pau Carpacheco, an 82-year-old Callawaya healer, described working with more than 220 medicinal plants, supported by deep generational knowledge. Traditional healers and plant medicine are highly respected in the country. Bolivia’s contribution also highlighted the role of policy in enabling integration. Through Law 459, traditional medicine has been formally recognized within a legal framework and led the country to medical pluralism where traditional medicine coexists with biomedicine, and both are now offered free of charge through the public health system. Mexico: preserving Indigenous knowledge and reinventing food culture Mexico presented two complementary approaches focused on knowledge preservation and food systems. In Veracruz, communities partnered with a university to safeguard Totonac traditional medicine through a diploma programme launched in 2019. This collaboration has already produced practical outputs, including manuals and a dictionary, helping to sustain knowledge at risk due to migration and generational change. Alongside this, Dr Hernán García, Directorate of Traditional Medicine and Intercultural Development – Mexico, explained how the Dieta de la Milpa programme addresses Mexico’s dual burden of malnutrition and rising noncommunicable diseases. Rooted in traditional Mayan cultivation systems and ingredients, it promotes healthier diets through community-led, intercultural approaches involving local authorities, Indigenous leaders and cooks. By reconnecting food, culture and health, it offers a practical pathway to prevention. Brazil: community therapy as a public health tool Brazil’s experience centred on Integrative Community Therapy, a methodology developed over 40 years ago by Dr Adalberto Barreto and now used in more than 47 countries. Therapy circles create spaces where participants share experiences and coping strategies, building social support networks at very low cost. Within Brazil’s Unified Health System, the approach has expanded rapidly since its inclusion in national policy in 2017. By 2025, more than five million integrative practice procedures were delivered annually in primary care, with registrations for this therapy increasing by over 500% in eight years. The main challenge now is equity, with access still concentrated in urban areas such as São Paulo. A shared regional direction against a global backdrop Drawing these experiences together, Dr Natalia Aldana of the TCIM Network of the Americas highlighted the shared outcomes of the interventions discussed. Such approaches strengthen healthy behaviours, social networks and community resilience; they are low-cost, adaptable and enable active participation in care, while showing potential to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases.The regional momentum mirrors a broader global shift. Dr João Paulo Souz, Director of BIREME (Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information), the specialized center of PAHO/WHO, emphasized that the Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 promotes a vision centred on people, evidence and integrated use. He noted that health should be understood through the relationships between people, community, nature and spirituality. Self-care interventions as a critical pathway towards universal health coverage Dr Manjulaa Narasimhan, Unit Head for Sexual Health and Well-being across the Life-course at WHO, delivered a presentation titled Advancing Self-Care in Traditional Medicine: Aligning the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 with the WHO Self-Care Framework, co-authored by Dr Geetha Krishnan Gopalakrishna Pillai, Unit Head for Research, Data and Innovation at the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre. WHO recommends self-care interventions for every country and economic setting as a critical path to reach universal health coverage – and traditional medicine acts as a bridge for self-care. Dr Narasimhan explained that traditional medicine contributes most effectively to self-care when embedded directly into primary health care, not operating in parallel, siloed systems. This, she stated, “is possibly the only sustainable way to deliver continuity of care that meets the needs, rights and priorities of communities and individuals”. The Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 is a move towards a more people-centred approach to health care that champions holistic approaches to health equity and patient autonomy.The integration of traditional medicine and self-care requires collaboration across disciplines, clear referral pathways, trained health and care workers, and strong leadership that supports integration. The WHO self-care competency framework defines 10 key competencies for health and care workers to support self-care in their clinical practice, supported by the WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being. These documents help health-care workers safeguard their own well-being and ensure that care is consistent, safe and grounded in shared standards and values.Together, the discussion through this dialogue points to a fundamental shift in how health systems are designed in the region, and globally, towards models that are more inclusive, culturally-grounded and responsive to the needs of the communities they serve. It is a move towards a system where traditional medicine is respected and responsibly integrated, where self-care provides empowerment and evidence-based care, and where health systems are supportive rather than being distant from these systems.Traditional medicine perspectives from Bolivia, Mexico and Peru - WHO's "Restoring Balance" seriesInnovative Experiences to Strengthen Health and Self-Care through Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine was streamed in Spanish, with Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Recordings are available through the CABSIN YouTube channel with Portuguese subtitles and on the BVS MTCI Americas YouTube channel with Spanish subtitles. Dr Narasimhan’s session can be watched in English on both channels.
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(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Here’s a funny thing about the debate over whether streamers should release their movies in theaters first: Both sides think the other side represents the “conventional wisdom”. If you’ve been reading me for any amount of time, or even just scanned my front page, you know I think movies make more money by having a robust theatrical window compared to going straight-to-streaming. I’ve published thousands of words on this topic. And for years, I felt like I was standing up to a wave of opposition. See, while the “put your films in theaters to make money” take was obvious at any point before 2019, post-streaming revolution, most of the trendy thinkers took the opposite point of view. Big names argued that Netflix putting their film straight-to-streaming (“S-to-S” from here on out) actually made more money. Netflix was “disrupting” theaters, just as they disrupted Blockbuster Video, and since innovation is always good, this too was a great idea. This thinking then leaked into the mainstream business outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. I read many articles whose take boiled down to “Netflix makes tons of money from S-to-S releases” and “theaters were in structural decline” anyways. Covid-19 shutting down theaters and the 2023 strikes shutting down film production seemingly justified this point of view, as the box office struggled to return to 2017-2019 heights. Yet I’ve also read folks arguing the opposite point: the conventional wisdom says to put films in theaters! From some writers’ points of view, “everyone” actually agrees/agreed with my “send your films to theaters” take—especially the stodgy traditional studios—and folks still didn’t understand Netflix’s genius. I feel like, for the last two years, many people have argued this point as if it’s conventional wisdom. You know what? I may have been wrong. At this point, the “S-to-S strategy makes money” might be the minority viewpoint. Especially with the news this month that Netflix will put at least one film—Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film The Magician’s Nephew—in theaters in 2027 for a full 49-day run is big news. So that’s the story of the week, but I’ll also explain why they’re making this move now and why Netflix may not completely embrace theaters, along with other topics, like how I don’t buy Disney’s “super app” strategy, the latest good news out of the unions, my take on the latest attacks against free speech, and a whole lot more. Let’s get started. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Netflix Goes to Theaters! Listen, I promise not to victory lap too hard today. As I just wrote, I’ve argued against sending films straight-to-streaming for—checks calendar—eight years now. Since 2018. Yikes. That’s a long time. And for years, others painted my thinking as “conventional” in that I was standing up for the status quo against trendy, cool disruption. And that’s not cool! But math is math, and I never could make the S-to-S numbers work. The only thing that ever enabled that model was Wall Street’s brief exuberance for it. It seems like the heads of Netflix now agree with me. (There were always rumors that former head of film for Netflix Scott Stuber argued internally for theatrical releases as well.) As they announced: “The Magician’s Nephew_—the first film in a Narnia series of films—will open on 12-Feb-2027, with a 49 day theatrical exclusive run.”_ I’m a little surprised at how little coverage this big change actually got. Credit to Bloomberg for leading with it and Matt Belloni’s The Town for highlighting it with the provocatively titled podcast “Hell Hath Frozen Over”. But after that? Instead of getting as much coverage as, say, the FCC’s latest egregious crackdown on free speech, this news story got crickets. But it’s massively more important for the future business of entertainment. So let’s start with the obvious question… Why Put Your Movies in Theaters? So…why should Netflix put (some!) of their movies in theaters? Well, I’ve already written that in a very, very, very long article from 2022: [ ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) [ The Data Is In: Theatrical Films Massively Outperform Straight-To-Streaming Films ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) Entertainment Strategy Guy · April 5, 2023 [ Read full story ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) To summarize, theatrical runs make much more money, especially blockbusters, because they earn more money per viewing,1 and that helps boost home entertainment sales. Theatrical films also perform as well or better than the streaming-only films. Now, partially this is driven by increased marketing for said films, but said marketing ultimately boosts the awareness of the movies and drives improved streaming and library performance as well. Again, I’ve made this case after reviewing the economic models and streaming data for years. Just last week, Emily Horgan also made the case for kids films! Yes, it is probably conventional wisdom, but that’s also because it’s true! I’d also argue we’ve seen a lot of data in the various studios’ behavior. As I’ve noted before, the more a studio needs to make money, the likelier they are to put films in theaters. As such, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount and Sony all send their major films to theaters. Even if they once made a big S-to-S push (*cough* Disney *cough*), they’ve since relented and returned to theaters. The tech companies don’t need to make money, per se, so it took them years to embrace theaters. Apple doesn’t need to make money because it doesn’t disclose their (likely) Quibi-sized losses each year. (They fear bad press more than losing money.) Amazon announced two years ago that they planned to make Amazon-MGM Studios/Prime Video profitable on its own, and guess what? Now they’re putting films in theaters. That leaves Netflix. They’re in between the “no need to make money at all” and the “desperately need to make money to offset linear TV declines”, so they had less pressure to put some films in theaters. Plus, for years, they were the sexy disruptor, and Wall Street rewarded them for that. (Honestly, they still do.) Yet, even Netflix likely saw the money they were leaving on the table (I’ve estimated it at an easy billion dollars before) so they changed their course. I heard one pundit argue that, because Netflix already makes so much money, they don’t need to make more money, which sort of goes against everything I’ve ever learned about business and economics. Again, to be super-nuanced, sending “films to theaters” does not mean EVERY film. TV movies have been a thing for decades. Lifetime films, Hallmark holiday films, Disney Channel Original Movies, and so on, don’t need theatrical runs. But films above a certain budget level (say $25 to 50 million) almost certainly need theaters to maximize their revenue. The Scenarios (with a Dose of Skepticism) Now time for some skepticism: it won’t surprise me at all if Netflix re-changes course. Specifically, Netflix announced that their Narnia film will go to theaters. And I’d bet anything we see KPop Demon Hunters 2: The Huntering2 also goes to theaters, cause it’s the surest hit outside of a Disney animated sequel right now. But how much does Netflix truly commit to theaters? They’ve already tried to emphasize that this is a one-off move. I see three broad scenarios:
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