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Anna Kendrick Is “Over the Moon” About Directing ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’

The 'Babies' actress covered George Clooney, 'Twilight' ("what the f*** am I doing here?") and 'Pitch Perfect's "revisionist history" in a career-spanning conversation at the Zurich Film Festival.

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Sep 27 • 11:39 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
How Trump Became Mob Boss of the United States

Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in United States history. He's been preparing to use the government for self-enrichment his entire life.

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Sep 27 • 10:00 AM EDT • Politics • rollingstone.com
FilmNation CEO Glen Basner Talks Art Of Film Sales, Financing

FilmNation CEO Glen Basner Talks Art Of Film Sales & Financing: “It's Really Just About Sitting & Listening To The Filmmaking Team” - Zurich Summit

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Sep 27 • 9:59 AM EDT • Entertainment • deadline.com
Martin McDonagh Says ‘Wild Horse Nine’ Is His Most Political Film

Martin McDonagh revisits his past at Zurich Film Festival and explains why John Malkovich starrer 'Wild Horse Nine’ is his most political film yet.

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Sep 27 • 7:54 AM EDT • Politics • variety.com
Was Dolly Parton country music’s richest singer? The answer might surprise you

The richest singer in country music has a net worth of more than $1 billion.

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Sep 27 • 5:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • pennlive.com
Washington Taxed Its Millionaires. Now the Rich Want It Repealed.

Washington State voters will get a chance to accept or reject the 9.9 percent income tax on millionaires approved by the Legislature, which broke the state’s taboo against levying income taxes.

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Sep 27 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Tottenham's maximum possible Richarlison fee in January revealed

Richarlison in training for Tottenham, with Roberto De Zerbi in a circular inset

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Sep 27 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Julian Ward already making plans for first Liverpool signing

On Saturday Julian Ward was announced as Liverpool’s new sporting director, the replacement for Richard Hughes. It is a role that Ward knows well, having held the position for a year before stepping...

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Sep 27 • 2:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Julian Ward needs to recreate his biggest success at Anfield

Julian Ward has been officially announced as Liverpool’s new sporting director. The Englishman will replace Richard Hughes, who departed at the end of the summer, and is returning to a role he held ...

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Sep 26 • 4:10 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Jim Ukrop, who helped grow grocery store into Richmond institution, dies at 89

He was a "lifelong innovator" with a strong passion for his community and Richmond's growth.

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Sep 26 • 3:46 PM EDT • Business • vpm.org
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Glen Basner Says FilmNation Will Ramp Up Slate in 2027, Is Ready to ‘Raise His Fist’ for ‘I Play Rocky’ and Celebrate ‘Thoughtful’ and ‘Entertaining’ ‘Bunker’

CEO of FilmNation Entertainment Glen Basner was feted by “Conclave” director Edward Berger as he received this year’s Game Changer Award at the Zurich Summit. During the hour-long talk that celebrated...

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Sep 26 • 12:35 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Man found dead in business in Richmond’s North Side, police investigating

A man was found dead early Saturday morning in a business in Richmond’s North Side.

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Sep 26 • 11:50 AM EDT • Business • wric.com
Column: The price of price controls in Oregon healthcare

Oregonians want their politicians to do something about healthcare costs. The politicians have tried. One response from the state Legislature: Price controls. Limit prices and Oregonians may pay less. But […]

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Sep 26 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • bendbulletin.com
AI Actress Tilly Norwood Marks One Year Since Zurich Debut With Talk of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman

A year after her debut, AI actress Tilly Norwood addressed backlash and named Tom Holland and Olivia Colman as dream collaborators.

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Sep 26 • 8:33 AM EDT • Entertainment • northeasttimes.com
4 Science-Backed Reasons to Love Physical Media

Discover why physical media offers a richer experience than digital options.

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Sep 26 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • pocket-lint.com
Scientists may have misread a 2-billion-year-old clue about Earth

Scientists have found that a famous 2-billion-year-old chemical signature, once thought to record a massive global change in Earth’s carbon cycle, may instead have been produced by local magma, hydrocarbons, and methane-eating microbes. The discovery raises new questions about what was really happening as oxygen transformed the young planet.

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Sep 26 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Lionel Richie shares a 'secret' amid health woes as he announces decision about his future
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Sep 26 • 7:06 AM EDT • Health • currently.att.yahoo.com
Lionel Richie shares a 'secret' amid health woes as he announces decision about his future
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Sep 26 • 7:06 AM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Opinion: Prop. 40 is the key to preserving health care access and saving lives

Passing this ballot measure forces the super-rich to fund emergency rooms, preventing disastrous statewide closures.

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Sep 26 • 6:45 AM EDT • Health • mercurynews.com
Lionel Richie Returning As American Idol Judge Amid Health Battle
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Sep 26 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Ward appointed Liverpool's sporting director

Julian Ward becomes Liverpool's sporting director for the second time following the departure of Richard Hughes.

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Sep 26 • 5:08 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Liverpool news: Julian Ward succeeds Richard Hughes as Liverpool sporting director

Julian Ward becomes Liverpool's sporting director for the second time following the departure of Richard Hughes.

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Sep 26 • 5:08 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Liverpool announce new sporting director after Richard Hughes exit

Richard Hughes left the role of sporting director at Anfield earlier this month

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Sep 26 • 4:27 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Liverpool rehire Julian Ward as sporting director to replace Richard Hughes

Liverpool have appointed Julian Ward as their sporting director for a second time following the departure of Richard Hughes to Al-Hilal

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Sep 26 • 4:20 AM EDT • Sports • theguardian.com
U.S. Rejects U.N. Declaration on Preparing for Future Pandemics

Most member nations spoke in support of the declaration, but some rich countries had strong objections.

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Sep 25 • 6:15 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Dan Dickman’s legacy takes center stage at 2026 Business Appreciation Luncheon

Dan Dickman's influence was unmistakeable at the 2026 Business Appreciation Luncheon. Many remembered Dickman as a mentor, advocate and community leader who helped people see a path forward when they could not see one themselves.

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Sep 25 • 5:00 PM EDT • Business • richlandsource.com
What to watch for when Arizona football visits Washington State

Though Arizona has already played a conference game, Saturday’s trip to Washington State feels like the end of the warmup portion of the 2026 season. Starting next week the rest of the opponents are in Big 12 play. The Wildcats (2-1) are seeking their fourth consecutive 3-1 start, which last happened during Rich Rodriguez’s first […]

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Sep 25 • 4:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
University of Richmond receives record $150M gift

The University of Richmond received a record $150 million gift as it launches a $600 million fundraising campaign.

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Sep 25 • 3:27 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com
Lionel Richie Has Big ‘American Idol’ News Amid Recent Health Issues

Lionel Richie has given fans a major update about his future on American Idol. The singer recently faced health problems that forced him to step away from some work. Now, he has confirmed that he plan...

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Sep 25 • 2:45 PM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Lionel Richie confirms ‘American Idol’ return amid health issues

Lionel Richie will return as a judge on ‘American Idol’ following a recent heart procedure to address atrial fibrillation.

ew.com logo
Sep 25 • 12:36 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Lionel Richie confirms ‘American Idol’ return amid health issues

Lionel Richie will return as a judge on ‘American Idol’ following a recent heart procedure to address atrial fibrillation.

ew.com logo
Sep 25 • 12:36 PM EDT • Health • ew.com
Louise Erdrich wins the Gish Prize, a top arts honor

Louise Erdrich has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the arts. The award honors those who enhance the world's beauty and enrich human understanding.

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Sep 25 • 10:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • lancasteronline.com
Louise Erdrich wins the Gish Prize, a top arts honor

Louise Erdrich has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the arts | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM

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Sep 25 • 10:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Louise Erdrich wins the Gish Prize, a top arts honor

Louise Erdrich has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the arts | Talk Radio 1210 WPHT

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Sep 25 • 10:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Louise Erdrich wins the Gish Prize, a top arts honor

Louise Erdrich has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the arts | KNSS Radio

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Sep 25 • 10:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Louise Erdrich wins the Gish Prize, a top arts honor

Louise Erdrich has received the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the arts. The award honors those who enhance the world's beauty and enrich human understanding.

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Sep 25 • 10:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • tdtnews.com
The Best Way to Eat Avocados for Better Heart Health

Avocados are packed with fiber, healthy fats and micronutrients. Learn how replacing saturated fats with this fiber-rich fruit can support your heart health.

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Sep 25 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • eatingwell.com
Arsenal's scouting and failure to strengthen up front

Richard asked: Are the reports of the sporting director not using the club scouts true? Alex: It is true that Andrea Berta is not as outgoing or as open as Edu, but he still involves others in the work he is doing. It might not be as much as his predecessors, but Berta does still lean on the scouts for some of the work he needs done.

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Sep 25 • 7:21 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Rick Kriseman endorsement completes Charlie Crist’s sweep of St. Pete’s living former Mayors

Kriseman joins Rick Baker, Bill Foster and Bob Ulrich in backing Crist’s bid to return to elected office.

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Sep 25 • 6:01 AM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com
Couple owes $1 million after vending machine venture goes wrong — beware of viral get-rich-quick passive income schemes

Dave Ramsey shares his blunt advice for an Ohio couple that's buried in debt.

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Sep 25 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
American Idol confirms Lionel Richie’s return for season 25 amid health issues
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Sep 25 • 4:26 AM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
New Business Licenses: 9.25.26

Chesterfield and Henrico report restaurants, janitorial services, two dental practices and more. (BizSense Pro required)

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Sep 25 • 2:00 AM EDT • Business • richmondbizsense.com
'Big Brother 28' spoilers: See which houseguests made the final 3

"Big Brother" summer is almost over, and one of the three remaining houseguests is about to become $750,000 richer.

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Sep 24 • 10:05 PM EDT • Entertainment • centraloregondaily.com
3 Reasons to Watch the Cardinals’ Final Series

For the fourth straight season, the St. Louis Cardinals will not make the playoffs. For the third time in those four seasons, they will have a losing record. While the team has made major progress this season, it is still disappointing given the organization's rich tradition of winning. As a result, it's easy for members …

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Sep 24 • 8:15 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Tiffani Thiessen says she ‘got nothing’ for “Saved by the Bell”, didn’t make ‘real money’ until “90210”

Playing Kelly Kapowski made Thiessen famous but not rich.

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Sep 24 • 8:01 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Scientists Say Antarctica's Lost 'Supermountains' May Have Fueled an Explosion of Life on Earth

Millions of years ago, continental collisions created enormous mountains in what's now Antarctica. As they eroded, Earth's life thrived from their nutrient-rich deposits.

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Sep 24 • 5:05 PM EDT • Science • gizmodo.com
How Ryan Richter sparked Philadelphia Union's stunning turnaround

By Charles Boehm“Richter’s at the wheel, at the wheel. Richter’s at the wheel!”Sports Illustrated Stadium emptied quickly after the Philadelphia Union’s 3-1 win over Red Bull New York on Aug...

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Sep 24 • 4:10 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Harvard Business School announces 2026 Goldsmith Fellows

Harvard Business School (HBS) has announced the 2026 recipients of its Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowships. Established in 1988 by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and Ronay and Richard L. Menschel (MBA 1959), a former director of the foundation and a limited partner at Goldman Sachs, to encourage students from the nonprofit and public sectors to attend HBS, these fellowships enable the School to award $10,000 to a select number of incoming MBA students for each of the two years of the MBA Program.

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Sep 24 • 9:58 AM EDT • Business • news.harvard.edu
Regenerative fields, animal science and new markets

What does the future of farming in the Western Balkans look like? The LAN Belgrade team went looking for answers at three recent events. We visited a regenerative farm near Subotica that works with Dutch machinery, joined an animal science...

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Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
Crystal Palace's International Break Schedule

In Part Two, we're covering the international breaks for Khalaili, Kamada, Timber, Richards and Gozo!

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Sep 24 • 7:45 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
'What happened on Saturday will not happen to us again'

Rachel: Arsenal seemed to start the season with intent and they delighted us with their slick passing game. Richard: We've handed out and been given one tonking (Coventry and Brighton, respectively). A good start overall but the Brighton game showed what can and will happen if we're not at the races.

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Sep 24 • 7:01 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
A teacher spotted two unusually large footprints. They turned out to be a first for science - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) — Kent Hups set out one morning on a research expedition in the famed Hell Creek Formation, a series of fossil-rich sedimentary rock layersRead More

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Sep 23 • 6:28 PM EDT • Science • wsvn.com
Trump SBA to Extend Comment Period After Ranking Member Markey Leads Effort to Rescind SBA Policy that Reclassifies Billion-Dollar Businesses as “Small Businesses”

Trump admin policy would reclassify 114,000 larger businesses as “small” to access small business resources and win federal contracts meant for small businesses Letter (PDF) (Washington, September 23) – This week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced its plans to extend the deadline to submit comments on its controversial proposed rule regarding small business size standards until November 20. The Trump SBA’s announcement came shortly after Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), alongside 12 of his Senate colleagues, sent a letter to Administrator Kelly Loeffler demanding that the Trump SBA rescind a harmful policy that would dramatically redefine what a small business is. The Administration’s proposed policy would change the small business size standard to designate 114,000 larger companies some with annual revenue above $1 billion—as small businesses, giving these businesses access to small business resources and federal contracts typically set aside for actual small businesses. In the letter, Ranking Member Markey and the lawmakers emphasized that small businesses will be shut out of the federal contracting space as government agencies award contracts to larger businesses, causing small businesses to lose revenue, lay off workers, or close their businesses entirely. “For more than 70 years, SBA’s mission has been clear: promote and protect the interests and viability of small businesses. By proceeding with this proposed methodology and rule, SBA moves further away from its mission of facilitating healthy small business participation in the U.S. economy. We urge SBA to rescind these proposals, meet in earnest with small businesses across the country, and discuss the proposal and methodology with congressional committees of jurisdiction. SBA must be committed to developing measured increases to the size standards that do not reward large, billion-dollar companies but instead helps our small businesses survive, grow, and thrive.” The lawmakers highlighted the following points in their letter: Under the Trump SBA’s new size standards, the highest receipts-based standard would exceed $1 billion in annual revenue—more than 20 times the current $47 million maximum—and the highest employee-based standard would reach 3,600 employees—more than twice the current 1,500 employee maximum. Specific increases include an increase in size of nearly 492% for banks, 1,500% for law firms, and more than 2,051% for private equity firms. Of the 114,000 businesses that would be newly classified as small, more than 37,000 of these businesses have collectively won more than 100,000 federal contracts worth approximately $71 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 alone without a small business designation. If SBA included the awards won by these 37,000 businesses in its Fiscal Year 2025 analysis, small business contracts would have accounted for 38% of all federal contracts, instead of the 27% that SBA announced this summer. The letter was co-signed by Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Christopher Coons (D-Dela.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). Ranking Member Markey is fighting to protect small businesses in Massachusetts and across the country from the Trump SBA’s harmful policies that put big businesses and billionaires over American small businesses, workers, and families. In August, Ranking Member Markey slammed the Trump SBA’s proposal to overhaul its small business size standards to benefit big businesses over small businesses. In July, Ranking Member Markey and House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to start and grow their businesses. Also in July, Ranking Member Markey and Senator Hirono submitted a comment letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) opposing a proposed rule change by Trump’s SBA to the 8(a) Business Development Program that would harm underserved small business owners and entrepreneurs. In June, Ranking Member Markey released a new report highlighting Trump’s drastic reduction in federal contracting dollars awarded to American small businesses. ###

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Sep 23 • 6:23 PM EDT • Business • sbc.senate.gov
Newcastle United defender Richardson signs first professional deal

Newcastle United defender Abbie Richardson has signed her first professional contract with the club.WSL Full-Time were informed of the news via an official club press release from The Magpies earlier ...

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Sep 23 • 3:35 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
16 industries that have made America's richest people

Some of America's richest billionaires have made their fortunes in not-so-glamorous sectors such as trucking and pest control.

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Sep 23 • 2:52 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Harry Shum Jr. says it ‘means the world’ to see “iCarly” costar Miranda Cosgrove support him on ‘DWTS’

The season 35 competitor also celebrated the presence of his “Shadowhunters” and “Crazy Rich Asians” costars.

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Sep 23 • 1:59 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
RIC business opportunity forum planned Nov. 12 in Richmond

Richmond International Airport will host its sixth annual POWER Forum Thursday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The free event is designed for businesses interested in airport contracting and procurement opportunities. Sessions will address potential business partnerships, technical assistance, access

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Sep 23 • 12:44 PM EDT • Business • henricocitizen.com
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Winona Brass Band announces new season

Founded in 1993, the Winona Brass Band is a British-style, traditional brass band unique in the region. With only brass and percussion, the sound has been described as rich, vibrant,

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Sep 23 • 12:28 PM EDT • Entertainment • winonapost.com
Billionaire's political contributions make the Epstein files a focus of Ohio's US Senate race

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's relationship to the rich and powerful has surfaced in congressional contests across the country. In Ohio, it’s an issue that has figured prominently in the...

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Sep 23 • 12:20 PM EDT • Politics • nhregister.com
Billionaire's political contributions make the Epstein files a focus of Ohio's US Senate race

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's relationship to the rich and powerful has surfaced in congressional contests across the country. In Ohio, it’s an issue that has figured prominently in the

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Sep 23 • 12:20 PM EDT • Politics • kdhnews.com
Billionaire's political contributions make the Epstein files a focus of Ohio's US Senate race

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's relationship to the rich and powerful has surfaced in congressional contests across the country

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Sep 23 • 12:20 PM EDT • Politics • abcnews.com
Billionaire's political contributions make the Epstein files a focus of Ohio's US Senate race

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's relationship to the rich and powerful has surfaced in congressional contests across the country.

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Sep 23 • 12:20 PM EDT • Politics • click2houston.com
Sphere and Disguise partner to advance immersive entertainment

Sphere Entertainment and Disguise have announced a new multi-year partnership to develop advanced technologies custom-made for Sphere’s immersive entertainment venue. Since Sphere opened in 2023, Disguise has served as a key technology partner supporting the delivery of Sphere’s groundbreaking live residency productions and corporate events. For these events, Sphere uses Disguise media servers and software

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Sep 23 • 9:46 AM EDT • Entertainment • tpimagazine.com
Community Health Planning Meeting coming up in Town of Richwood on Sept. 24

Town of Richwood Mayor Gerald Brown and Early Detection and Education Regional Manager at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Myra Gatling-Akers joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to invite community members and organizations to their Community Health Planning Meeting.

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Sep 23 • 9:36 AM EDT • Health • fox10tv.com
Community Health Planning Meeting coming up in Town of Richwood on Sept. 24

Town of Richwood Mayor Gerald Brown and Early Detection and Education Regional Manager at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Myra Gatling-Akers joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to invite community members and organizations to their Community Health Planning Meeting.

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Sep 23 • 9:36 AM EDT • Health • kcrg.com
Community Health Planning Meeting coming up in Town of Richwood on Sept. 24

Town of Richwood Mayor Gerald Brown and Early Detection and Education Regional Manager at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Myra Gatling-Akers joined Good Morning ArkLaMiss to invite community members and organizations to their Community Health Planning Meeting.

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Sep 23 • 9:36 AM EDT • Health • 1011now.com
Lionel Richie is taking a break from performing following a heart procedure

Lionel Richie is taking a break from touring as he recovers from a heart procedure | WBEN

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Sep 23 • 9:07 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Lionel Richie is taking a break from performing following a heart procedure

Lionel Richie is taking a break from touring as he recovers from a heart procedure | WWL

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Sep 23 • 9:07 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Reform and the UAE – a threat to British politics

By Alex Carlen The United Arab Emirates likes to present itself as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The oil-rich Gulf state has committed to Net Zero by 2050, hosted COP 28, and even declared “championing climate action” as one of three strategic objectives for this week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly. But behind the scenes the UAE has quietly built one of its closest political relationships in Europe with the party most hostile to climate action in Britain: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. There is no evidence that the UAE is funding Reform. But a new FairSquare report, Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat, published today, documents a growing political relationship that should concern anyone interested in the integrity of British democracy. Reform’s leaders have embraced the UAE’s political model and promoted positions that align closely with the Emirati government’s priorities, while the UAE has given Farage and his party unusually warm access and public backing. What is emerging is not simply a relationship between British politicians and a wealthy Gulf state, but a channel through which an authoritarian government can cultivate political influence here, and abroad. Democracy for Sale relies on its readers. If you already support us, thanks so much. If you don’t, sign up to support fearless independent investigative journalism. Subscribe Back in January, Nigel Farage appeared at a GB News event in Dubai. On the 50th floor of a tower overlooking the luxury resorts and upscale residences of Palm Jumeirah, the Reform leader declared: “I want Clacton to look like this.” At the event – which Farage never declared on his official register of interests – senior Emirati officials mixed with British expats. Farage was keen to flatter. “We recognise you are our friends”, he said, assuring them that “a Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.” Controversy surrounding Reform’s finances and its susceptibility to foreign influence have centred around high-profile donations from billionaire crypto donors, and the jailing of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, for accepting bribes to give pro-Russia speeches. Far less attention has been paid to Reform’s blossoming new alliance with the UAE, an oil-rich authoritarian state with a track record of ruinous anti-democratic interventions. Farage wasn’t always so fond of the UAE. Back in 2023 he called it an “absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record.” Now Reform’s hierarchy calls the UAE home. Deputy leader Richard Tice splits his time between his constituency and Dubai and has called on the UK to learn from the UAE. The party’s treasurer Nick Candy runs a firm which has been in partnership with a UAE-state linked firm since 2024. Nadhim Zahawi sits on the board of an Abu Dhabi think tank alongside an array of the most senior UAE officials and is reportedly close to three brothers of the country’s despotic ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed. Reform’s leading lights have effusively praised the UAE’s governance model, defended it from criticism, and advanced its political agenda in the UK. GB News, whose two major shareholders – the Legatum Foundation and Paul Marshall – have strong links to the UAE, has been more than happy to broadcast UAE propaganda and was forced to pay damages in 2025 after airing a false claim about a UK charity by the UAE “disinfluencer” Amjad Taha. The UAE has responded in kind. When the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs conducted an official visit to the UK in May, Farage was the only non-government figure granted an audience. UAE state media publicised the meeting, and said that they discussed “the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests.” For the UAE these ‘mutual interests’ largely concern its paranoia over political Islam, and in this regard the UAE-Reform alliance is part of a broad and troubling pattern. Following a crackdown on dissent at home in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the UAE has offered material and political support to a range of violent and authoritarian actors willing to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood with no regard for the consequences. Its meddling in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and most notably Sudan, have been devastating. The UAE’s strategy of seeking out partners on the political fringes who it believes will advance its interests is not unique to Britain – it extends beyond the Middle East to Europe and the US. In France, it has offered clandestine support to Marine Le Pen through secret meetings, as well allegedly funding trips to the region after which Le Pen returned with a renewed focus on the UAE’s perceived enemies – Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Left-wing opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the UAE of smearing him and of “encouraging discrimination, hatred or violence”. In the US, the UAE actively supported the rise of Donald Trump, establishing itself as a key ally during both his first and second terms. Around these relationships sits a wider ecosystem of figures willing to amplify UAE narratives, that even extends to Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. Subscribe In Britain, the UAE has used a combination of aggressive diplomacy and illicit, disruptive tactics to achieve its policy goal of eliminating any perceived threat from political Islam. In 2012, for instance, it threatened to block billion-pound arms deals with the UK and stop inward investment if David Cameron did not act against the Muslim Brotherhood and rein in the BBC’s coverage of the group – going so far as to suggest, with no supporting evidence, that the group had infiltrated the BBC. It has financed smear campaigns against a high-profile UK charity and funded a mercenary to secretly surveil, and possibly assassinate, a British national on British soil. In Reform UK, the UAE has finally found an ally willing to not only ban the Muslim Brotherhood, but to publicly vilify the group and repeat the UAE’s claims that dangerous Muslims are a fifth column in British society, a narrative that aligns with the Islamophobia and anti-immigration sentiments that underpin Reform’s populist politics. The Rycroft review into foreign interference concluded that “hostile states and non-state actors have a clear incentive to attempt to undermine UK democracy.” The UAE’s network and alliance with Reform must be understood within that framework. It is a powerful, disruptive and deeply authoritarian actor with the resources and networks to intervene in our politics, and a track-record of doing so in a multitude of other countries. The evidence of the threat the UAE poses is overwhelming. The question is whether parliamentarians are willing to call the UAE out and demand action using the tools that the government has to respond. Placing the UAE on the “Enhanced Tier” of the Foreign Registration scheme alongside Russia and Iran would send a powerful signal to the UAE that its meddling will no longer be tolerated, and would place Farage’s next trips to the UAE under the scrutiny they deserve. Alex Carlen is research and advocacy manager at London based human rights organisation FairSquare and author of its new report Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat. Subscribe

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Sep 23 • 6:50 AM EDT • Politics • democracyforsale.substack.com
BizTrip AI Brings Business Travel Booking Directly Into Claude and ChatGPT

SAN FRANCISCO, September 23, 2026--BizTrip AI, makers of agentic AI for corporate travel management, today announced that its core trip-planning and booking experience is now available natively inside both Claude and ChatGPT. The integration uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — specifically MCP "apps," which support rich, interactive rendering directly in a chat conversation — allowing travelers to search, compare, and book business travel without switching to a separate app or website.

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Sep 23 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Trump call for supporters to cheat undermines fraud claims

Richard M. Nixon famously declared, 'I am not a crook.' Donald J. Trump, his approval rating slumping toward Nixonian levels, is urging his backers to act like crooks in November's election.

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Sep 23 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • latimes.com
Germany's great divide: Is Friedrich Merz losing the center?

In this Berlin Briefing, Nina Haase, Michaela Küfner and Max Hofmann discuss the far-right AfD party's ambitions, why Berlin's Left Party win is no Mamdani moment, and what's next for Germany's embattled chancellor.

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Sep 23 • 5:45 AM EDT • Politics • dw.com
Could we be about to see the end of northern English dialects? My experience – and the science

When I moved to York I thought everyone sounded like a cross between Sean Bean and Mel B. But now the north’s linguistic richness really is being flattened, says author Zahaan Bharmal

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Sep 23 • 5:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
Hospitals are conveners, not dividers

In this climate, it has become too easy to point fingers without offering meaningful solutions to the country’s healthcare affordability crisis. To make matters worse, there is a tendency to turn our back on complex problems that don’t have easy answers in favor of oversimplified rhetoric that ignores reality. As chief executive of a rural […]

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Sep 23 • 2:45 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
'We're excited.' Xavier Musketeers basketball begins fall practice

Xavier head coach Richard Pitino discusses his team as the Musketeers begin fall practice at Cintas Center.

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Sep 23 • 12:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Lionel Richie, 77, hospitalized with heart issues in 3rd health emergency in as many months

Lionel Richie has been hospitalized for the third time in three months amid his recent health woes, and underwent a procedure on his heart to correct an irregular heartbeat. See details.

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Sep 22 • 10:36 PM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Ten STEM organisations awarded new Royal Society grant to bring science enrichment to students most in need

The Royal Society has announced ten Science Community Grants to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) organisations across the UK. The organisations will work to inspire students in areas of greatest need, encouraging them to take an interest in science., , , , The Science Community Grants are a new three-year scheme aiming to foster long-term partnerships between STEM organisations and local schools and colleges in areas with low access to science engagement. The grant is...

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Sep 22 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • webwire.com
Lionel Richie cancels Chicago concert again for health concerns
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Sep 22 • 5:22 PM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
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Festival of Science: Rare Plant Field Trip

Botanists from the Utah Native Plant Society and the BLM lead a morning among Utah's rare native plants, with a drive to a rare-plant-rich site and short walks. Free; registration required.

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Sep 22 • 5:16 PM EDT • Science • moabsunnews.com
Liverpool's transfer strategy facing biggest change in years

Liverpool are in a period of transition as a club, and more big changes are coming. Since last season ended, Arne Slot, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have all moved on from Anfield.As well as th...

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Sep 22 • 5:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
FBI seized $18.8M from Quality Behavioral Health in forced labor probe

New court records reveal the scope, focus and riches involved in a high-profile investigation targeting drug rehab center Quality Behavioral Health.

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Sep 22 • 4:43 PM EDT • Health • detroitnews.com
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Lionel Richie undergoes heart procedure, cancels shows

Lionel Richie is taking some time away to recover from a medical procedure.

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Sep 22 • 3:45 PM EDT • Entertainment • centraloregondaily.com
Lionel Richie tour interrupted by his third hospitalization

Singer Lionel Richie is hospitalized with heart problems. The 77-year-old “All Night Long” singer is being treated for an irregular heartbeat, according to TMZ. He’s reportedly undergoing a minimally invasive

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Sep 22 • 3:31 PM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Lionel Richie hospitalized again, drops some Earth, Wind & Fire shows

Lionel Richie and his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire hit yet another health-related roadblock this week. He was hospitalized to receive treatment for an irregular heartbeat.

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Sep 22 • 3:29 PM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com
Sunlight and study sessions

Chipego Nkolola, a third-year data science and health sciences major, studies in Richardson Plaza on the Boston campus.

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Sep 22 • 2:36 PM EDT • Science • news.northeastern.edu
Julian Ward expected to be named Liverpool sporting director

Richard Hughes officially left the role at the beginning of September ahead of joining Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

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Sep 22 • 1:29 PM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com
Lionel Richie Undergoes Heart Procedure After Series of Health Scares

Lionel Richie is 'doing great' after undergoing a heart procedure following a series of health scares during his most recent tour.

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Sep 22 • 12:33 PM EDT • Health • rollingstone.com
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Lionel Richie pausing touring due to heart procedure, rep says
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Sep 22 • 11:16 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Liverpool's Search For A New Sporting Director Continues as Top Candidates Emerge

Liverpool are stepping up their hunt for a new sporting director following the departure of Richard Hughes at the start of the month, with two names in particular being linked with the high-profile role.

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Sep 22 • 7:40 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
2026 Farm Science Review to showcase the latest ag technology and innovation for farmers

This year’s Farm Science Review is giving farmers a firsthand look at the newest innovations in agriculture. Show manager Nick Zachrich says attendees will have an opportunity to discuss how to make their farm more profitable in 2027. “Crop prices have rebounded a little bit,” he says. “There are still a lot of challenges going […]

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Sep 22 • 7:30 AM EDT • Science • brownfieldagnews.com
How lip-syncing to AI let Forced Entertainment ‘play the game of theatre’

Today we have a fascinating piece by long-time Forced Entertainment fan Ben Kulvichit, speaking to Tim Etchells about their latest show Cold Sweat, how they are integrating lip-sync and AI voices into their work, the question of ‘authenticity’ on stage, and how lip-sync has even opened the door for them to make “something a little bit like drama”. This piece is a paid partnership with the Southbank Centre, where you can see Cold Sweat next month – we’re very grateful to the Southbank Centre for their ongoing support for Exeunt. Holly Williams ‘It was immediately interesting and uncanny’ **By Ben Kulvichit** “Is the microphone on?” So goes one of the opening lines of Signal to Noise, delivered by a human performer lip-syncing to an AI-generated voice. The voice is American, cheery but sluggish, slowed down into a gelatinous drawl. It repeats ad infinitum in a farce of stuckness; an answer never materialises. I find myself asking the same question as I hop on a Google Meet call with Tim Etchells, the artistic director of Forced Entertainment. We spend five or ten minutes frowning at each other, muting and unmuting, me gesticulating in semaphore into my webcam, checking if I am coming through now, restarting the laptop. To Etchells, I appear exaggeratedly mouthing words, my voice missing. In this gloopy purgatory of broken communication, life imitates art imitates life imitates art. We try a Zoom instead. Forced Entertainment, the pioneering British theatre company who have been at the avant-garde of performance since the 1980s, turned an interesting artistic corner with Signal to Noise, created on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. The whole performance employed this lip-sync technique to AI voices; on the face of it a left-field move from a company whose identity has long been grounded in the earthy, immediate presences of its performers and its unassuming, low-tech approach to theatricality. The technique, however, turned out to provide the company with a “rich new seam” of artistic enquiry, and has now spawned a trilogy of works. The second instalment, Cold Sweat, plays at Sheffield Theatres, Southbank Centre, and Lancaster Arts in October, while the third part, Everything Must Go, has been touring in Europe and is slated to come to the UK in 2027. As is often the case with Forced Entertainment shows, the main conceit for this work didn’t arrive until quite late. They were “four or five weeks into rehearsals for Signal to Noise,” Etchells recalls, and getting nowhere. Away from rehearsals, he had been playing around with feeding “weird texts” to AI voices to see how they would cope with them – “basically for my own amusement” – and was compelled by the uniformly “serviceable, benign, good-natured” tone they would read in, no matter how poetic, fractured or experimental the writing. On a hunch, he brought some examples into rehearsals and the performers gave lip-syncing a go. “It was immediately interesting and uncanny,” he recalls, with the performers having to deal in the moment with the problem of mapping themselves onto another artificial ‘performer,’ which itself was dealing with the problem of a very human text. “Almost all the writing for these projects would be useless to us unless it was done in this way,” says Etchells. “We wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s too poetic. It’s too fictional. It’s too tangled.” But exploring lip-syncing along to the text has opened “an enormous reservoir of ways of thinking about writing and performing.” Subscribe to Exeunt, and get two in-depth pieces on theatre a week, direct to your inbox Subscribe Forced Entertainment have long been sifting through the detritus of popular culture, from daytime TV to end-of-the-pier vaudeville, magic acts and clown shows, to find frameworks for their own unusual entertainments. Lip-syncing, then, makes sense for them to experiment with. As a mode of performance, it’s wired into popular consciousness through pop stars trying to convince stadium audiences of their liveness, or those same voices as channeled through the made-up lips of contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or movie dialogue spreading virally through the host bodies of TikTok users. For Etchells, lip-syncing is often about “approaching real voices and trying to take on their aura,” subsuming that original human presence into yours. “There’s a very basic, elemental sort of theatre magic to it, produced in this very easy way.” This broad approach resonates with instances of lip-syncing within contemporary performance, too. In works like Re-Member Me and Showmanism, performance artist Dickie Beau acts as a kind of spirit medium for archival recordings (this process of re-membering – as in, giving corporeal form to voices – relies on his masterfully precise actor’s technique), while Frankie Thompson is similarly possessed by a host of characters ranging from a nine-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg to Cliff Richards, all of whom she finds compellingly nauseating, in the exorcism ritual that is her latest show, Horrible Things. What’s different about Forced Entertainment’s use of lip-syncing is that here, there is no original presence to be channeled. The performers are instead taking on what Etchells describes as “the voices of nobody,” or rather the “phantasmic, aggregated echoes” of the many many voices on whose data the AI has been trained, and which are now conjuring into existence words they never actually said. There is a sort of mournful, empty quality to these voices, having “washed up” far away from the people they originally belonged to, to find themselves in stranger’s mouths listing objects, wondering if anyone can hear them and glitching in interminable loops. There is a cold, sad anonymity to it all. Etchells remarks that occasionally the software company he used has notified him that particular people are withdrawing their voices from the platform, instructing him to cease use of those voices. Using these technologies in performance certainly brings up ethical questions around digital rights, consent, identity and ownership, although in the grand scheme of things, Etchells is fairly blasé about it: of all the purposes someone’s voice might be put to without their knowledge, “an avant-garde performance is probably the least of their worries.” [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) [ Frankie Thompson: How I manage my own ‘horrible things’ at the Edinburgh Fringe ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) Exeunt · Aug 25 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) For the performers, though, lip-syncing to these strange, artificial voices is an odd task, requiring them to bend their live, human presence into the shapes produced by machines. Politically, it mirrors processes that are already at play in the continued computational automation of human life. Etchells brings up James Bridle’s writings on new technologies as a reference point: one example Bridle gives is of “chaotic storage”, a logistics technique employed by Amazon fulfilment centres whereby items are stored not according to traditional methods of categorisation or alphabetisation, but in a way that an algorithm determines to produce the most efficient routes for ‘picking’ based on customer purchase patterns. This appears completely random and incomprehensible to humans, with paddling pools sitting next to USB sticks sitting next to blowtorches, and so for the warehouse workers, the process of picking items becomes completely reliant on technology which tells them where to go. Our world is increasingly being designed not with humans in mind, but rather machines. As Etchells puts it, “technology malforms the space, and then you end up having to live in it.” Initially, Forced Entertainment tried their best to live in the world of machines: “I was in the it’s-got-to-be-perfect school of lip-sync,” says Etchells. But with their aesthetic being so tied to the failing act, the slipping mask, the shoddy costume, “it’s no surprise really that that didn’t last.” Instead, the performers got to enjoy being late for a line, or playing games with each other, “stealing” each other’s voices. Etchells compares it to the principles of ventriloquism, in which a free-floating voice unattached to a body is fundamentally discomforting and “sort of traumatic”. That discomfort is equally as alluring to Forced Entertainment as the satisfaction of precision, the pretence of authenticity only interesting if shown to be a pretence. Lip-sync has also opened up new avenues for the company. Having been allergic all their lives to Plays-with-a-capital-P, with Cold Sweat Forced Entertainment find themselves approaching something a little bit like drama. Rather than the presentational arena of Signal to Noise’s open white stage, Cold Sweat places us more decisively in a “fictional locale”: what appears to be “the aftermath of some disastrous party or backyard drinking binge” where three figures – family members, or neighbours, perhaps – are the last ones standing. “It’s all quite acrimonious and accusatory, everyone’s talking over each other.” For Etchells, this more fictional mode is “a door that we’ve never been able to open. We’ve just never really gone there.” Perhaps it is the technique of lip-syncing, an extra buffer of mediation, that allows them to venture away from the here-and-now without feeling that they have to commit to the “psychological claptrap” that comes along with acting; to be able to “play the game of theatre, without getting one’s hands too dirty.” As I wonder how else the impulses behind Forced Entertainment’s work have changed over time, it occurs to me that over the last ten years of new creations, with the exception of If All Else Fails, the company’s performers haven’t ever spoken on stage: there were two shows without any language at all, Out of Order and Under Bright Light, and then this trilogy of lip-sync works. Etchells agrees it’s a shift away from earlier productions, that were so often about “the actual voices of the performers and their actual presences. We had a lot of money, in some ways, on an authentic approach to what it might mean to speak on the stage.” But this sense of authentic presence itself had a fakeness to it; these days, Etchells can’t stand that mode of being onstage where performers “are here to be cheeky and witty versions of themselves. I don’t want to be charmed.” Pulling back into a more anonymous space has resulted in works that feel slightly sharper-edged, more brutal in a way. “All of these shows are post-Brexit, post-Trump, post-truth, post-everything,” Etchells notes. Speech, charisma, authenticity – these things feel politically loaded, and perhaps warmth and openness just don’t feel like the right tools to reflect the world we’re living in. “It feels like the space is closing down, and we’re trying to deal with the fact that the system, the structure that you’re in, is more oppressive and more powerful. It probably always was, but I think we’re just more tuned to it now.” Yet even without their voices, the performers’ distinctive presences – ones that many audiences have followed around for years, if not decades – still, inevitably, shine through as they physically navigate whatever unending task the system of the piece has set for them. They’re still trying to keep up with the onslaught of text, still running about, changing costumes, moving stuff around. The human is always stuck in the teeth of the machine, jamming the smooth, frictionless cheeriness of the not-real, gesticulating silently, trying desperately to communicate. Cold Sweat is at Sheffield Theatres, 2 to 3 October; Southbank Centre, London, 9 to 10 October; Lancaster Arts, 14 October [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) [ Exeunt recommends... the best autumn theatre ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) Exeunt · Sep 16 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) This piece was paid for by the Southbank Centre. Such support helps Exeunt to keep publishing the most interesting writing, about the most exciting theatre. Interested in partnering with Exeunt? Visit our Advertise with Exeunt page, where you can get more information, download an advertising pack, and find our contact details.

Jiang Feng: The Unravelling of German & European Politics

A state election in eastern Germany has become a revealing test of the changing political landscapes of Germany and Europe, writes Jiang Feng, Professor and Chairman of the Council of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies (SAGGAS) at Shanghai International Studies University. His analysis follows the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) (which has been classified as right-wing extremist by German authorities)in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, in which it finished far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Jiang previously served as Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The following article was published on 8 September 2026 on huanqiu.com, the online platform of the Global Times. On 6 September, the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, were announced. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right by German authorities, made history by becoming the largest party in the state parliament, winning 43.8 per cent of the vote — twice its share in the previous election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had governed the state continuously for 24 years, won just 17.2 per cent, its worst result ever in Saxony-Anhalt. On the night the results were announced, the atmosphere at the CDU gathering was unusually calm. There was neither shock nor argument, as if the defeat had long been expected. Several veteran party members who had spent years working in the state government said: “Defeat is not a bad thing. It is time to make changes.” This state election has not only upended Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape, but also laid bare the deep tensions between Germany’s traditional party structure and model of governance, on the one hand, and an increasingly polarised society on the other. Its repercussions are already being felt at the federal level, making Saxony-Anhalt a useful case study of the broader trend towards political polarisation and realignment in Europe. Governing Difficulties after Electoral Victory The most immediate consequence of the election is a historic setback for the mainstream party order that took shape in post-war Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has leapt from a peripheral party to the largest political force in the state. Its electoral base has expanded beyond the traditional category of “marginal protest voters” to take on the characteristics of a cross-class coalition. The party has not only consolidated its support in rural areas, but also attracted many middle-class voters and even members of the social elite with stable jobs, their own homes, and substantial incomes. It has thus evolved from a “protest party” into one with the potential to govern. Despite its commanding lead in the vote, however, the AfD faces an institutional obstacle to governing the state: the mainstream parties’ long-standing “firewall” against it. Neither of the two potential routes to forming a government appears likely to break the current political deadlock. The first would be a coalition of establishment parties, led by the CDU and bringing together the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in a cross-camp government. In terms of parliamentary arithmetic, such a coalition could prevent the AfD from forming a government and preserve the outward stability of the traditional political order. Yet these parties are fundamentally divided over key issues including immigration, the energy transition, economic management, and cultural and education policy. Coalition negotiations would therefore be extremely difficult, and even if a government could be formed, it would most likely prove short-lived. More importantly, an alliance of establishment parties aimed at keeping the largest party out of government would play directly into the AfD’s narrative that “political elites are suppressing public opinion”. It could deepen perceptions of political unfairness, further strengthening the AfD’s political capital, and creating a dynamic in which “the more it is suppressed, the more people vote for it”. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for state premier, has said that if efforts to form a government fail because other parties refuse to cooperate, the AfD will push for a fresh election, which he believes could deliver the party an absolute majority of seats. This points to more intense political battles ahead. The second option would be a coalition between the AfD and the BSW. Together, the two parties would command a simple majority in parliament, making this, on paper, the quickest route to forming a government. The BSW is the only elected party that has not ruled out cooperation with the AfD, and the two parties share some common ground, including on policy towards Russia. There is therefore a degree of political basis for cooperation. Were such a coalition to materialise, Germany would see its first state government jointly formed by a party defined as far-right and one with a far-left background, creating what might be called a “bipolar anti-establishment alliance”. Such an outcome would fundamentally break with the ideological boundaries of post-war German party politics. It is worth noting that even if the AfD ultimately fails to enter the state government, its roughly 47 per cent share of parliamentary seats would give it a powerful blocking minority. Without its consent, major decisions requiring a two-thirds majority — including constitutional amendments, significant budgetary adjustments, and state-level institutional reforms — would be extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, whoever ultimately forms the government, the AfD will be an unavoidable force in Saxony-Anhalt politics, with a direct influence on the state’s legislative process. Systemic Failures in Germany’s Governance Model The Saxony-Anhalt election result reflects a systemic failure of Germany’s post-war mainstream-party model of governance to adapt to rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. It stems from multiple, mutually reinforcing structural tensions and highlights the existing political system’s difficulty in adapting to “an increasingly polarised society First, collective anxiety has replaced individual material hardship as a central driver of political mobilisation. The rise of the AfD can no longer be explained simply by poverty or social marginalisation. Its increasingly cross-class electoral base suggests that what is driving voters towards the party is, above all, concern about the broader direction of society. This anxiety about the future of the political community goes beyond individual gains and losses. In political discourse, economic anxiety has become closely intertwined with immigration, while immigration and refugee issues are, in essence, questions of social fairness. This perception turns conflicts over the distribution of social resources into negative assessments of governing parties, providing a broad social basis for far-right political narratives. Second, regional disparities and East German identity have undermined the strategy of addressing eastern Germany’s structural challenges at the regional level. More than three decades after German reunification, eastern states such as Saxony-Anhalt have experienced periods of economic growth, but their underlying economic structures remain weak, and household incomes and wealth remain significantly below those in western Germany. At the same time, they continue to face population outflow, an ageing population, labour shortages, and other structural challenges. At a deeper level, historical experiences — including the collapse of the former East German economic system, mass unemployment during the transition, and the westward shift of decision-making power over major issues — have left some residents with a sense of being “second-class citizens” and of being excluded. For years, the German government treated the “syndrome” of reunification as a regional problem to be gradually addressed at the local level. That approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable, as regional development disparities emerge as a core structural factor shaping national politics. Third, the erosion of institutional trust is perhaps the most decisive factor. AfD supporters tend to distrust establishment institutions, including parliament, government, and the mainstream media. Their concerns about economic security, pensions, and social fairness are significantly greater than the social average. Increasingly, their support for the AfD reflects not an expectation that the existing system can be improved, but a search for an alternative to the current political order. Such a systemic deficit of trust will be extremely difficult for the traditional parties to repair in the short term. Fourth, a generational shift in political mobilisation has amplified political polarisation. Unlike traditional parties, which rely heavily on offline rallies and mainstream media coverage, the AfD has developed a social-media mobilisation strategy built around “raising an issue — identifying who is responsible — offering a simplified solution — building a shared identity”. It turns complex social tensions into concise political narratives, rapidly channelling public sentiment into political support. The contrast on the eve of the election was particularly telling. The establishment parties, together with trade unions and churches, organised an offline march attended by more than 10,000 people, but its reach was largely confined to those present and to traditional media coverage. The AfD held a much smaller indoor event, yet livestreaming on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, combined with the involvement of online influencers, gave it a reach and mobilising capacity far beyond that of the march. The contrast illustrates how the traditional parties’ methods of political mobilisation are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a political environment transformed by changes in media technology. A Microcosm of Structural Political Change in Europe The shockwaves from the Saxony-Anhalt election quickly travelled beyond the state to the federal level. Calls for political accountability followed immediately after the results were announced. The governing CDU and SPD are now under enormous pressure, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil face an unprecedented test. Political polarisation in Germany is no longer simply a regional phenomenon. The post-war model of multiparty government by establishment parties is breaking down and being reshaped. Viewed in a broader European context, the Saxony-Anhalt election is part of a continent-wide wave of party polarisation, mainstream-party decline, and rising right-wing forces. Far from an isolated phenomenon, it is a microcosm of the structural political changes unfolding across Europe. Weak economic growth, cultural tensions over immigration, and declining trust in institutions are fuelling the rise of right-wing forces in several countries, challenging the liberal internationalist order established in post-war Europe. As a core member state of the European Union, Germany’s ability to adapt its political system and the direction of its politics will have profound implications for both European integration and the evolution of the international order. Subscribe [ Pekingnology China’s Germany watchers take stock of Berlin’s uneasy turn On 7 December 2025, nearly 50 Chinese scholars and policy researchers gathered in Beijing for the 2025年德国形势年终研讨会 “2025 Year-End Seminar on the Situation in Germany… Read more 9 months ago · 31 likes · 1 comment · YIRUI LI and Yuxuan JIA ](https://www.pekingnology.com/p/chinas-germany-watchers-take-stock?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1151841) [ Jiang Feng on Germany's 2025 and beyond: no easy exit ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond) Yirui LI and Yuxuan JIA · Jan 24 The following is an op-ed by Jiang Feng, published on 29 December 2025 at Shanghai Observer 上观新闻, the digital platform of Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [ Read full story ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond)

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Sep 22 • 3:04 AM EDT • Politics • eastisread.com
Air district report links Richmond Chevron refinery emissions to elevated health risks

Residents in Richmond hope to learn more about the state of their air quality during a public meeting focused on the Chevron Richmond Refinery.

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Sep 21 • 8:14 PM EDT • Health • nbcbayarea.com
Air district to detail Chevron Richmond Refinery health risk assessment

Residents in Richmond hope to learn more about the state of their air quality during a public meeting focused on the Chevron Richmond Refinery.

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Sep 21 • 8:14 PM EDT • Health • nbcbayarea.com
Friedrich Merz fights for political survival after CDU debacle: 'Federal politics played a major role, and so did I'

Refusing to take sole responsibility for his party's defeats in the regional elections of September 6 and 20, the German chancellor has insisted he will not step down and has promised to reopen talks on reforms with his coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

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Sep 21 • 6:05 PM EDT • Politics • lemonde.fr
Germany’s political center suffers historic blow, Turkey weighs coming to Saudi Arabia’s aid, Major TV networks support outlets banned from White House

Two weeks ago, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was “shocked” when his conservative CDU party got creamed by the hard right AfD in local elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. That was just the start.

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Sep 21 • 12:06 PM EDT • Politics • gzeromedia.com
This Week: Phone Bank for Transit, SF Politics, Transit Tales

Here is a list of events this week. Monday/today! Phone bank with SFBike to Save Transit. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is phone banking and connecting with voters, explaining how vital it is to pass the Regional Transit Measure this November. Join them to help make sure our regional transit survives and thrives. Monday/today, September 21, 5-7 p.m. San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Office, 1720 Market Street, S.F. Tuesday Historic Photo Exhibit Tour. Moving San Francisco is a collaboration between the SFMTA and San Francisco Arts Commission and is on view at City Hall through November 25. During this informal tour, they will take an in-depth look at selected photos from San Francisco transit history and learn more about the stories and people behind them. Tuesday, September 22, 5-7:45 p.m. North Light Court inside City Hall, One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, S.F. Tuesday San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Board Meeting. SF Bicycle Coalition members are invited to attend all board meetings. Tuesday, September 22, 6-8 p.m. Register for Zoom link. Tuesday SF Politics 101 with Joel Engardio. ​SF Politics 101 is a look at how local politics work and the history that shaped San Francisco—brought to life with visuals and narrative storytelling. Tuesday, September 22, 6-7:15 p.m. SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, S.F. Register to attend. Wednesday Transit Tales: A Storytelling Night. Join SPUR and Muni Diaries at Local Economy for an evening of true stories inspired by riding transit. From unexpected encounters and meet-cutes to funny mishaps and heartfelt moments, Transit Tales celebrates the experiences that make public transportation unforgettable. Wednesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Local Economy, 6028 College Ave, Oakland. Saturday Group Ride: Richmond BART to Point Pinole. Join Bike East Bay for a family-friendly, no-drop group ride to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. Saturday, September 26, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Starts at Richmond BART Plaza, 1600 Nevin Plaza, Richmond. Saturday Shipwreck Cove Opening. Come see Sunset Dunes’s newest playground. Saturday, September 26, 3 p.m., Sunset Dunes and Kirkham, S.F. Saturday 55 Wine Line Progressive. Ride between Horsies Market & Saloon, Bar Part Time and Ruby Wine on the 55 Dogpatch bus. Saturday, September 26. Three locations in Dogpatch. See SFMTA site for more details on locations and times. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

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Sep 21 • 11:14 AM EDT • Politics • sf.streetsblog.org
Democrats differ over campaign funding flap - Illinois Times, the capital city's source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture

My associate Isabel Miller and I told subscribers earlier this month that Democrats for the Illinois House had been suddenly cut off from the Democratic Party of Illinois’ lucrative postage discount program, which can save as much as a third to a half of campaign postage costs. Afterward, an extraordinary interaction occurred between the executive […]

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Sep 21 • 9:50 AM EDT • Politics • illinoistimes.com
Friedrich Merz's political crisis threatens Germany's obsession with stability

Political shifts in Germany are being watched closely in Europe and beyond, Katya Adler writes.

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Sep 21 • 9:30 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (5%)
wow
63%
ahah
37%
CMU makes progress on Hall of Sciences, campus improvements

Construction of the Richard King Mellon (RKM) Hall of Sciences progressed over the summer. Carnegie Mellon broke ground on the new building in June 2024 and expects expected to finish on schedule.

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Sep 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • the-tartan.org