SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY

Search headlines

Find the stories shaping the conversation.

Search mode
Refine results
Active filters Keyword All time

Results for " Review " 7,619 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle

What Box Office Bomb Crushed Obsession on Streaming?

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get into this week’s issue, let me ask you for some suggestions. At the risk of coining too many names for too many things (hence my dictionary of terms...), I need a name for straight-to-streaming films that are too expensive to justify a straight-to-streaming release, but not big enough to justify a theatrical release. Like some of the films I highlighted in last week’s tally of the biggest film flops of 2026 so far: Hulu’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Pizza Movie or Never Change! They don’t feel like “made for TV movies” (think Hallmark and Lifetime movies, cheap Netflix romcoms, or Disney Channel Original movies, for example) but they don’t feel big enough for the big screen. They’re not “cinematic” enough, so to speak. As I wrote... “I still need a name for this middle zone of film that’s too expensive to go straight-to-streaming but too small to justify a theatrical release (with all the PR, distribution, marketing and whatnot costs that go along with it), the Goldilocks zone of streaming film death.” Friend of the newsletter Brandon Katz has suggested the “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”. I love that first one. I’d offer up the much wordier “The Streaming Budget Dead Zone” or “the Goldilocks Zone of streaming film death” but that last one isn’t accurate since, unlike Goldilocks’ porridge, these films are the opposite of “just right”. That’s the problem! Anyway, if you have any suggestions, let me know! On to today’s Streaming Ratings Report. As you can tell by today’s headline, things are going to be spicy! I’m looking at a box office bomb that did really, really well on streaming, somewhat challenging a few different narratives. And another Netflix series declined in its second season. All that, plus Wicked: For Good switching streamers, The Hawk continuing its strong run, _The Bear’_s finale season finally dropping off the charts, the WNBA posting a big viewership number, “shallow libraries”, a sitcom spinoff failing to launch, more big budget IP flopping on Paramount+, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 20th to July 26th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - The Latest Theatrical Success Story on Streaming In the latest edition of “Flops, Bombs and Misses of the First Half of 2026”, I made a crucial change: I started including theatrical films with the streaming misses. The streamers have collectively—including Netflix, but not to as big of an extent—stopped making a lot of straight-to-streaming films, and the ones they do make aren’t as expensive as in the heyday of the streaming bubble. After the following two films bombed in theaters, you’d guess that they’ll be included in my next collection of flops, bombs and misses six months from now: Masters of the Universe on Prime Video (only $64 million domestic box office) Mortal Kombat II on HBO Max ($79 million domestic) But you’d be wrong! Masters of the Universe, a reboot of the He-Man franchise, a toy from the 1980s, came to streaming on 22-July and did great! This long-gestating project—it’s been at every studio for years, and came close to getting a greenlight at Netflix—then finally came to theaters in June, and showed up on streaming less than two months later. (I don’t love this short theatrical window.) It surprisingly grabbed nearly 20 million hours on its debut: That means, wait for it, Masters of the Universe is currently the eighth biggest film on streaming through two weeks. My rough bar for “hit” is shows or films in the top 15%. Ergo…Masters of the Universe is a legit, streaming hit! (One quick caveat: if it falls out of the top ten next week, it will move to 13th overall, just on the edge of the top 15.) Of course, that’s the data for just 2026. Here’s how it stacks up to Prime Video’s theatrical films: That drop into its second week is typical for Amazon films, but also a worrying sign. I have a feeling interest in this film is front-loaded and we’ll see it drop off after this. As for Mortal Kombat II, in this case, the viewership numbers roughly match the theatrical outing, with only 4.1 million hours in its first week. Here’s how it stacks up to other HBO Max films: The best defense of this number is that, as a relatively violent rated-R film, Mortal Kombat II never had a good chance at breaking out. So now it’s time for a little big of “Entertainment Nuance Guy”: First, yeah, my headline is obviously facetious, since Masters of the Universe besting Obsession says more about horror as a genre than it does that film. Second, I read and listened to quite a few “nobody wanted this IP” takes about Masters of the Universe, and that’s not really true. At least enough people wanted it to power a 20 million+ hour debut! Third, both this film and Mortal Kombat II were considered “average” by viewers, but not great films, with a 6.4 and 6.3 respectively on IMDb. That’s just shy of the level needed to be a word-of-mouth hit. Fourth, in the olden days, strong word of mouth could transform a box office miss into a cable/DVD hit, like Austin Powers or The Shawshank Redemption. We haven’t seen a lot of examples of that on streaming, though. And there are far fewer ways to monetize the post-theatrical life of a film these days. Fifth, Prime Video has shown an ability to push their own titles well, likely because they control the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem. Add it all up, and here’s my nuanced take on Masters of the Universe: it was a box office bomb, but, shockingly, a streaming hit. Unfortunately, while being a theatrical hit saves your film financially, being a streaming hit does not. Both Masters of the Universe and Mortal Kombat II had big budgets and needed to make more money in theaters to justify them. So…Straight-to-Streaming or Theaters? We’ve hit a really fun point in the streaming calendar, since the films that came out in theaters in April, May, and June are now arriving on streaming. So the “Do theatrical releases help streaming performances?” question is gonna get a fresh round of updates nearly every week. No single week will answer the question, but we may get some insights. For example, so far in 2026, it looks like theatrical films are lasting longer on the weekly Nielsen film charts. Here’s a list of films that have made the charts in their fourth or fifth week of release, separated by “for kids” and “general entertainment”: It certainly seems like theatrical films are lasting just a pinch longer on the charts, with Project Hail Mary being the current five-week champion. One Battle After Another did well for HBO Max too, and even The Sheep Detectives made it four weeks. The only exception to this trend? Obsession, which only lasted two weeks on the charts. You might tempted to overreact to this news. Don’t. Obsession is a huge horror hit, but horror just doesn’t do as well on streaming. By the way, here’s the Google Trends for various theatrical and stremaing films: Plus, when it comes to Netflix in four months, Obsession may have another big boost. Quick Notes on Film Note that when I write, “the streamers have pulled back on straight-to-streaming films” that doesn’t mean “abandoned” because Netflix is gonna Netflix. On 24-July, they released 72 Hours, a Kevin Hart comedy. Along with Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, John Cena and Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart is a streaming film star now. Did this latest one work? Not really. It only garnered two weeks of 13.2 and 12.2 million hours on its debut, well below the 20-million-hour hit threshold. It also was poorly received critically—a 44 on Metacritic—and by customers—a 5.4 on IMDb on 21K IMDb reviews. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… The latest Netflix true crime doc to pop on the charts… How The Bear finished its run… Netflix’s latest Western to return to streaming… What Paramount+ animated film flopped… And what sitcom also missed… All the flops, bombs and misses… And a whole lot more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! I’m behind by a week, so we’ve got two issues coming your way this week, including one in a couple of days or so, then we’ll be all caught up**.** Next issue, inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming to Peacock, I’m going to take a look at the workhouse of streaming TV: kids films. Plus The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues theatrical films’ big run on streaming. All that, plus another surprise hit on Hulu, Lioness on CBS, and a whole lot more. Long term, LeBron James is filming his own “Last Dance”-style docu-series, surprising no one. But as I’ve been writing about a lot this summer, this genre is really overrated, so whoever ends up buying it (reportedly ESPN) really shouldn’t pay too much for it.

entertainment.substack.com logo
Sep 1 • 6:15 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com
Samsung’s Android 17-based One UI 9 beta expands to these Galaxy phones this month

Samsung is expanding its Android 17 / One UI 9 beta program to several new Galaxy smartphones this month, signaling...

9to5google.com logo
Sep 1 • 5:50 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com
'Grand Theft Auto VI' Preview Is Netflix's Most-Watched Weekly Title

A 27-minute extended look at 'Grand Theft Auto VI' landed on Netflix on August 27, raking in 31.1 million views globally over the weekend.

deadline.com logo
Sep 1 • 4:36 PM EDT • Technology • deadline.com
Farm Science Review connects agriculture's past and future

Walk the grounds of Farm Science Review (FSR) this September, and you can move through generations of agriculture in a matter of minutes. Combines work the fields, researchers turn plots into living laboratories, and farmers gather around new equipment to see what might make a difference back hom

ocj.com logo
Sep 1 • 3:03 PM EDT • Science • ocj.com
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of Sept. 1

Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.

lookout.co logo
Sep 1 • 2:14 PM EDT • Business • lookout.co
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (4%)
love
55%
wow
45%
6 Big September Games We've Already Played if You Want to Know What We Think of Them So Far

September is here, which means the Fall is here, which means some of the biggest games of the year drop this month. We've already played some of the biggest ones, so check out our previews of Marvel's Wolverine, Control Resonant, and more on this page.

ign.com logo
Sep 1 • 1:44 PM EDT • Technology • ign.com
Small Business Administration to provide relief in Randolph, Saline County following severe weather

Low-interest federal disaster loans will be available to those affected by severe weather in Randolph and Saline Counties last spring.

komu.com logo
Sep 1 • 1:25 PM EDT • Business • komu.com
Review | ‘Les Miz’ takes to the hills at Hudson Valley Shakespeare

For a show so preoccupied with God, death and redemption, there is something fitting about seeing “Les Miz” played against the actual landscape as daylight

amny.com logo
Sep 1 • 11:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • amny.com
NVIDIA DLSS 5 Technical Preview Review

NVIDIA DLSS 5 is the first technology that adds to a scene rather than reconstructing it—a generative model running locally that magically improves things. In our DLSS 5 Technical Preview we look at how the model works, what it costs in performance, and how much control developers really have.

techpowerup.com logo
Sep 1 • 10:34 AM EDT • Technology • techpowerup.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
‘Adults’ S2 Review: The Coming-of-Age Comedy Gen Z Deserves

​In its second outing, the FX show has become one of the best sitcoms of the 2020s.

them.us logo
Sep 1 • 10:31 AM EDT • Entertainment • them.us
😐 Neutral (0%)
love
100%
gamescom 2026’s Steam wishlist winners

gamescom wrapped up last weekend, and it was bloody fantastic. It really felt like the industry had a spring in its step again. The show itself was BUZZING, with 368K attendees (+3% over last year), maxed-out exhibit space, and Opening Night Live pulling over 78M online views (+7.5%). Let’s have a look at the games at the event that brought in the most new Steam wishlists between August 23 and 30. One quick thing before we start, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but wishlists are NOT a barometer for launch sales (they’re bookmarks, not baskets is what we always say over here at Alinea). With that aside, wishlists are a nice gauge of hype, so let’s dive in. Witche(r)s and Warlocks take the top two spots The biggest game of the event (by new wishlists, anyways) wasn’t a game at all. It was an expansion. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s upcoming expansion, Songs of the Past, nabbed 451K Steam wishlists by the end of the weekend. It’s a big example of something we bang on about constantly: proven IP with built-in fandom is the most powerful force in this market. But said IP can also ripple into other external success stories (more on that later!). Anyway, Songs of the Past debuted at Opening Night Live, and it’s the first Witcher 3 expansion in over a decade, landing next year after a full Witcher 3 remaster (free for existing owners!) arrives next month. The Witcher 3 has sold around 66M copies, and I’ll be one of those owners jumping back in to refresh myself on the core game (like there isn’t enough to play!), then play the expansion next year. This is all part of CDPR’s plan. The studio is clearly whetting everyone’s appetite for The Witcher 4 in 2028 via a classic bridge strategy. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Releasing a free 4K remaster next month – followed by a proper expansion in 2027 – keeps IP top-of-mind across a huge gap between content (games-wise, anyway). It kind of echoes Capcom’s evergreen catalogue strategy. And outsourcing co-development to Fool’s Theory (a studio led by trusted Witcher 3 veterans) keeps CDPR’s internal headcount focused on The Witcher 4. #2 by wishlists between Aug 23 and 30 went to another giant IP: Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast and developed by Invoke Studios (a team of ex-Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell devs). It’s due to launch in 2027, and it looks brilliant so far. It’s a dark-fantasy open world with third-person spell-slinging. It’s a very Witcher-ish aesthetic. As you might expect, 48% of Warlock’s Steam wishlisters have played Baldur’s Gate 3, and 46% have played The Witcher 3. One to watch. For sure! Mash-ups: Anime GTA (!?) and a city-builder for kids (and adults) Ananta took #3 with 302K new wishlists. It’s an open-world game that looks like GTA and Persona had a baby. It was published by NetEase, developed by Naked Rain, and got a trailer at Opening Night Live. I got hands-on at the show, and it wears its influences openly; there’s literal web-slinging (very Spider-Man) and a LOAD of mini-games (Like a Dragon). It’s free-to-play and out in January. For Ananta, Naked Rain is taking the free-to-play, cosmetics-only route. That’s certainly a choice for a single-player open-world game. Without gacha mechanics driving high ARPU, Ananta is betting purely on top-of-funnel reach and long-term retention. This puts pressure on skin appeal when there’s no multiplayer lobby to flex in (although, co-op is reportedly coming later). Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Then there’s Lego Skylines (273K wishlists between Aug 23 and 30), which does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a cosy Lego twist on the city-builder genre, as shallow or as deep as you fancy (five min quick sesh or ten-hour no-lifer session; latter for me). There’s some family-friendly stuff in there like couch co-op, which is only really viable on console. Iceflake Studios, which Paradox acquired back in 2020 is developing this one. So Paradox is probably looking for a family-friendly onramp to its rad Cities: Skylines games. The overlap there is plain, with 33% of Lego Skylines wishlisters having played Cities: Skylines and 16% Skylines II. There’s no doubt plenty of parents here (and uncles, ahem) planning to indoctrinate the next gen of city-builders. I’ll definitely be playing with my youngest nephew. This one could be big and educational. I’m very curious to see more. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Mature IP, new and old, rounds out the list As for the rest of the list of gamescom games by new wishlists between Aug 23 and 30: Heroes of Might & Magic III Remake got 189K new wishlists. It remakes the iconic 1999 turn-based-strategy classic in full 3D and 4K. It follows this year’s Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era (~1.8M copies sold, as per our estimates), and around a quarter of the III Remake wishlisters have played Olden Era, including 7% of them this month. Wardogs – a $40 PvP shooter – added another 146K to an already massive pile (nearly 1.6M total). It’s published by Team17 and made by Bulkhead. It plays somewhere between the tactical squad stuff of … Squad and the all-out-chaos battlefield of … Battlefield. It’s up to 100 players, and it’s out in about 10 days. It’s already pre-sold over 500K copies on Steam ($16.6M), boosted by a pre-order-only beta. It sold another 70K copies during gamescom, too. Afterworld managed 121K new wishlists. It’s a Paradox-made post-apocalyptic grand-strategy game, and it was announced at the show. It’s a departure from Paradox’s usual historical stuff, and the studio’s first new setting in over a decade. The Paradox purists are into it, with over half its wishlisters having played Hearts of Iron IV (19% this month) and 41% Crusader Kings III (17% this month). Metro 2039 got 110K during the show, tunnelling its total past 1.3M. Nearly 40% of wishlisters have played 2020’s Metro Exodus, the previous mainline title in the series. The Metro novels are Russian, dev 4A Games is Ukrainian, and it’s set in Moscow, so it’s unsurprising that – after the US (17.3% of wishlisters) – the next two countries are Russia (12.7%) and Ukraine (10.0%). The Blood of the Dawnwalker drew in (the blood of) 108K new wishlisters, now totalling an impressive 1.7M (at a $70 price point, though). It’s an open-world dark-fantasy action-RPG set in 14th-century Europe (with vampires!), made by some former Witcher devs at Rebel Wolves. Again, it shows. Over half of Blood of the Dawnwalker’s wishlisters have played The Witcher 3, and its #2 market is Poland, home of Rebel Wolves. That’s that hometown-hero effect we keep banging on about again! And Blood of the Dawnwalker plays very well, by the way. While it looks like a Witcher clone on the surface, it actually brings a lot to the table mechanics-wise. I love the whole time-as-a-currency spin on RPG gameplay. It gives the game a different, refreshing pace. Essentially, you start Blood of the Dawnwalker with a pool of 480 action points spread across 30 days and 30 nights. As for how the game performs, we’ll be posting some numbers next week, so hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready. Subscribe The Witcher’s legacy ripples Make no mistake: on a high level, this was The Witcher‘s gamescom. The #1 game by wishlisters was a Witcher 3 DLC. Warlock is clearly Witcher-inspired – as is Blood of the Dawnwalker, which was made by ex-Witcher devs. There was a lot of other cool stuff on the floor that we’ll no doubt be covering in subsequent newsletters, though! As always, wishlists went through the roof for sequels, remakes, DLC, and licensed IP. As always, though, these wishlists will likely convert to about 5% to 10% of launch-day buyers, with the probable exception of The Witcher DLC – the exception that proves the rule. Either way, we’ve got a nice, diverse list here – one that is very Witcher-y, Paradox-y, and – if you’re a fan of great games on Steam – a bloody good list. We even got a bunch of new IP to get excited for. Great gamescom! Even if we are still processing that unfathomable number of mini Kölsch beers! One more thing: GTA 6 broke the internet (again) Move aside, Spider-Man and The Odyssey (I love you both, really). But the decade’s defining entertainment zeitgeist is round the corner. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Rockstar dropped an extended look at GTA 6 last week. It was INSANE, the most impressed I’ve ever been by a showcase like this. You can see the budget seeping through every second of the extended look, and this level of game is unobtainable for any other publisher. Everyone’s going nuts, and rightly so. GTA 6 is out in holiday 2026, and it’ll be the biggest entertainment release ever, full stop. For those without a PS5 or Xbox Series console, a $500-$900 console is a big ask in this economy, but GTA will pull a lot of last-generation-console fence sitters over the current-gen fence either way: The autumn timing puts GTA 6 on (digital) shelves for the holidays, meaning a PS5 or Xbox (let’s be honest, mostly the former) will be on many a Christmas and Hanukkah list. Demand will outweigh the struggling supply, though, and PS5 Pros are already sold out and being sold at a markup via scalpers. Every console that isn’t on a shelf is a sale deferred or lost, and worse, it hands scalpers the margin. GTA has cultural clout that reaches everyone. It’s been a mainstream fixture since 2001’s GTA III and its clout has only grown exponentially since then. There’s a touchpoint for every generation alive. The FOMO-word-of-mouth double punch does the rest. Loading... It’ll reactivate the lockdown cohort, the millions who picked up gaming in 2020-21 and churned. GTA 6 will bring them back. Remember when College Football 25 brought a bunch of US gamers to current-gen consoles? GTA will do that globally. Once they’re back (or upgraded), and all GTA’d out, the fresh current-gen-console folks will check out the rest of the current-gen catalogue they missed. GTA Online, if not free to play, will also lead to a boost for PS+ and Xbox Game Pass, another boost for the ecosystem players. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even some of the smug PCMR 60FPS crew won’t be able to resist their FOMO and will bite the bullet on a console to play this one early (then double dip). The consoles cost the same as a decent stick of RAM these days anyway lmao… Don’t get me wrong, though. GTA 6 is no silver bullet for the mature console market, but it does prime the current gen for a couple of strong swan-song years. And it’ll also give the consoles more users from which to maximise ARPU. ‘’We are in the latter half of the lifetime cycle of [the PS5],’’ said Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki in a Wall Street Journal interview. ‘’That means we do not need to aggressively sell the console today; rather than that, we are focusing on the current revenue from the current user base.’’ The biggest, best premium games always arrive late in a console cycle, so getting more players aboard now, ahead of that content storm (the new current-gen-only Call of Duty included), is a clear win for the platforms. On the Netflix thing, though: let’s all chill out a bit, like. Half my LinkedIn feed was going bonkers treating the reveal debuting on Netflix like it’s the future of entertainment. It wasn’t. It was a six-hour head start, and Netflix left that detail out of the “first-of-its-kind partnership” press release. The extended look hit Netflix at 3pm ET on 27 August, then went up on YouTube and Rockstar’s site for everyone six hours later. And it was all over social immediately, anyways. This reveal was going to reach an untold number of people whether it debuted on Netflix, YouTube, a Times Square screen, or a group chat. The last trailer did nearly half a billion views in a day with no gatekeeper at all. Netflix just stood next to that audience for six hours, borrowing it. It’s was a tidy deal for Netflix, sure. But every outlet on earth was breaking the thing down frame by frame by the evening anyway. Anyway. I’m hype. And we’ll be covering some GTA numbers on the newsletter soon. So hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready! Subscribe The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]

alineaanalytics.substack.com logo
Sep 1 • 10:27 AM EDT • Technology • alineaanalytics.substack.com
LZ Sees Surprising Result in Search for Dark Matter

Key Takeaways Dark matter is the mysterious substance that accounts for the vast majority of matter in our universe. LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a world-leading dark matter detector and specializes in searching for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. A new LZ study found one particle interaction that is difficult to explain with known background processes and could potentially have been caused by a WIMP. LZ continues to run to see if additional data strengthens or weakens the hint of a dark matter interaction. For the better part of a century, people have been trying to understand dark matter. This invisible substance makes up roughly 85% of the mass in the universe but has never been directly detected. Determining exactly what it is remains one of the biggest questions about our world. Now, a new analysis from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment has recorded a single particle interaction that researchers have great difficulty explaining with known background signals from normal matter. The result does not yet meet the statistical threshold required to claim a discovery, but is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date. LZ is an international collaboration of 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions. The detector is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and operates nearly one mile below ground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. The experiment uses 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to search for dark matter and is optimized to look for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. The results were presented in a scientific talk at the 2026 TeV Particle Astrophysics conference in Japan. The paper will be released on the online repository arXiv and submitted to the journal Physical Review Letters. “We’re very intrigued to see this event in the data, in the region where we expect dark matter to show up and the competing backgrounds are very low,” said Rick Gaitskell, a professor at Brown University and the spokesperson for LZ. “With only one event, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We are not claiming to have seen dark matter. But we have seen something interesting that we want to share with the scientific community for their input.” The LZ collaboration studies experimental data in batches. In the new result, researchers analyzed 220 live days of data collected between March 2023 and April 2024. The collaboration had previously searched this dataset for faint signals from the simplest kinds of WIMP interactions. The new analysis searched for a broader range of possible WIMP interactions that could deposit more energy in the detector. LZ is particularly sensitive to such signals while also minimizing false positives. “This was a detailed study in a region we hadn’t explored within this dataset, and we spent months of additional effort to understand all the possible causes of background events,” said Sam Eriksen, a senior research associate at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and lead author of the study. “We understand our detector and the backgrounds so well that even a single outstanding event, like the one we found, is important. We expect dark matter events to be extremely rare, so only a handful could mark the first detection of WIMP dark matter.” If the anomalous event was caused by dark matter, the WIMP that generated it would likely have a mass of at least 200 GeV/c2 (gigaelectronvolts), or more than 200 times the mass of a proton. It would also suggest a specific type of interaction between WIMPs and ordinary matter beyond the simplest model. The LZ results have not reached “5-sigma” significance, the statistical threshold considered a discovery in physics. The new analysis is 2.6 sigma, meaning there is approximately a 0.5% chance that the event could be explained by known backgrounds. With additional data, researchers can test whether the finding continues to grow in significance or fades away. LZ has already accumulated the world’s largest dark matter dataset and will continue to accrue WIMP search data at SURF, substantially improving their search statistics. LZ searches for dark matter by looking for signature flashes of light from energy deposited in the detector. The collaboration leverages multiple methods to prevent or account for particle interactions caused by normal matter. This includes the mile of rock that shields the detector from cosmic rays from space, a water tank and outer detectors that protect the central detector from background neutrons, and a suite of computational tools that disentangle particle interactions and reject dark matter mimics. “Outlier events in the data are not unexpected, but they usually stand out as a background of some kind when you look at them deeper,” said Aaron Manalaysay, a physicist at Berkeley Lab and the chair of LZ’s Institutional Board. “This is the first example in any experiment I’ve worked on of an outlier that appears valid in every way. Of course, we’re still twisting our brains trying to think if there’s a rare background mechanism we could’ve missed, but it’s thrilling to wonder if this could be the first hint of a dark-matter observation.” LZ is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics, and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science user facility. LZ is also supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom; the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; the Swiss National Science Foundation; the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics; and the Institute for Basic Science, Korea. Thirty-nine institutions of higher education and advanced research provided support to LZ. The LZ collaboration acknowledges the assistance of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

newscenter.lbl.gov logo
Sep 1 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • newscenter.lbl.gov
Trump says US position on Falklands 'one of many' under review

The UK says Falkland islanders "are British with a right to determine their own future".

bbc.com logo
Sep 1 • 8:54 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Sony Bravia Theater Trio review: The three-piece soundbar alternative

The Bravia Theater Trio is a capable three-piece option for larger TVs, but you’ll need additional gear for truly immersive sound and adequate bass.

engadget.com logo
Sep 1 • 8:45 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
ESA, NASA Astronauts Begin Spacewalk for Navigation, Science Maintenance

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot began a spacewalk at 8:40 a.m. EDT outside the International Space Station to replace a retroflector, install jumper cables, prepare the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for future maintenance, and replace a high-definition camera.

nasa.gov logo
Sep 1 • 8:44 AM EDT • Science • nasa.gov
Column: Learn more about Iowa’s environmental health risks

Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the nation. No single factor can be blamed. But scientists increasingly recognize that environmental exposures, including contaminants in our water, deserve serious scrutiny.

thegazette.com logo
Sep 1 • 8:42 AM EDT • Health • thegazette.com
First Look: The new M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Jumping Hour

Vincent Calabrese's Baladin complication reinterpreted by M.A.D.Editions, with the new M.A.D.3 Wandering Jumping Hour.

monochrome-watches.com logo
Sep 1 • 8:01 AM EDT • Technology • monochrome-watches.com
Purdue Science Olympiad inspires future scientists through annual invitational

Purdue Science Olympiad spends all year planning one of the state’s largest invitationals for middle and high school students. Members of the club help inspire future generations of scientists.

purdueexponent.org logo
Sep 1 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • purdueexponent.org
Here's A Look At 30 New GTA 6 Screenshots To Hype You Up After The Extended Preview

Such a beautiful iguana

purexbox.com logo
Sep 1 • 7:08 AM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Entertainment News: Movies, Music, TV and Books

The latest news in entertainment from USA TODAY, including pop culture, celebrities, movies, music, books and TV reviews.

usatoday.com logo
Sep 1 • 6:19 AM EDT • Entertainment • usatoday.com
Round Up: The Reviews For Orbitals On Switch 2 Are In

A new co-op king?

nintendolife.com logo
Sep 1 • 6:15 AM EDT • Technology • nintendolife.com
Book Review: ‘American Scoundrel,’ by Kai Bird

“American Scoundrel” traces the career of Roy Cohn, whose smash-mouth politics continue to shape our own.

nytimes.com logo
Sep 1 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Health Sector Bulletin August 2026

in English on Syrian Arab Republic; published on 1 Sep 2026 by Health Cluster

reliefweb.int logo
Sep 1 • 4:52 AM EDT • Health • reliefweb.int
Scotland's papers: Health boards facing cuts and FM rules out Farage deal

A review of the front page stories from the daily newspapers in Scotland.

bbc.com logo
Sep 1 • 1:41 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com
😐 Neutral (13%)
CRC seawall science skeptics attempt 'political stand': Cahoon

The Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel's recently presented analysis and recommendations regarding proposed fixes for the Outer Banks' severe beach erosion were not the messages that commissioners opposed to the state ban on breakwaters and other hard structures on oceanfront wanted to hear, nor was the chair's sharp rebuke.

coastalreview.org logo
Sep 1 • 12:00 AM EDT • Science • coastalreview.org
😐 Neutral (0%)
2026-27 Season Preview: Semyon Varlamov

The 2026-27 season is on the horizon for the New York Islanders, so it's time to preview the season and highlight expectations for the team and each specific player.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 31 • 11:19 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Round Up: The Reviews For Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Are In

Here's what the critics had to say

nintendolife.com logo
Aug 31 • 11:05 PM EDT • Technology • nintendolife.com
‘Most’ of Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor was furloughed ahead of launch

Last week was meant to be a moment of triumph for Bit Reactor, the Maryland-based game studio founded in 2021 with ambitions to create a great new tactical combat game. On Thursday, August 27, Bit Reactor’s debut title, Star Wars Zero Company, released to stellar reviews. And, from the Gamescom show in Cologne, Germany, studio co-founder Greg Foertsch was giving interviews discussing what the studio’s next game may be. But for many developers on the game, launch has been bittersweet. Fans love it. Critics prefer it to most recent Star Wars games. Zero Company, which is out for PS5, Xbox Series consoles and PC, is the top-selling game on Steam. Much of the team that made it, however, is currently going without pay. They were furloughed, just weeks ahead of the game’s launch. A rep for Bit Reactor confirmed to Game File today that the studio had furloughed many of its workers prior to the game’s release. They said it was a difficult decision and one that had been made before it was clear how launch would go. The rep emphasized that the call to do this was Bit Reactor’s alone (meaning not from publisher EA nor Star Wars license holder Disney). While the rep declined to comment on the scale of the furloughs, a previously unreported lawsuit brought by studio co-founder Alison Kelly in 2024 noted in a filing from August 12 of this year that Bit Reactor “has furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractors…” One source told Game File the furloughs impacted 80% of the team; another referred to there only being a skeleton crew left on Bit Reactor’s active payroll, ready to address any of Zero Company’s post-launch bugs. The issue is that Bit Reactor, a studio formed in 2021, had run out of most of its money just ahead of the launch of its first game. Over the weekend, Zachariah Scott, a senior technical artist who worked at Bit Reactor from early 2023 until an acrimonious exit this past May, said on LinkedIn that the studio was “concealing the fact that the team was Furloughed weeks ago.” Reached by phone today, Scott told Game File that he spoke to nearly a dozen Bit Reactor workers over the weekend. “Everybody has essentially the same story, which is, ‘Yeah, I got furloughed three weeks ago.” The Bit Reactor rep told Game File that the studio hoped to bring furloughed workers back, suggesting that a successful launch of the game could be impactful. Scott told Game File that workers he spoke to were less confident that even if there were returns, that all who were furloughed would get their old jobs again. A heated dispute Bit Reactor’s mid-2026 was almost even more tumultuous. The lawsuit by co-founder Alison Kelly that first revealed the furloughs was initially slated to go to trial in June. The suit is a she-said/he-said about whether Kelly, until 2024 the chief operating officer of Bit Reactor, was a co-owner of the studio or whether it was solely owned by Greg Foertsch. In July 2024, Kelly sued, saying she was pushed out by Foertsch. She first sued in federal court and later refiled in Maryland’s Baltimore County, alleging breach of contract and that Foertsch had unjustly enriched himself. Kelly cited damages of over $20 million, on the basis of Bit Reactor allegedly being worth more than double that. Foertsch’s side has said Kelly was never a co-owner and has countered with claims about her job performance (which she has denied). The June trial was postponed until early 2027, as both sides have been deposing witnesses and filing more claims and denials along the way. Amid all of that, filings in the lawsuit reviewed by Game File paint a picture about Bit Reactor’s origins, early aspirations around tactics games, the team’s breakthrough in drawing the attention of Electronic Arts with the help of a pitch tied to one of EA’s non-Star Wars franchises, and early fractures among its co-founders. The real story about the company behind Zero Company

gamefile.news logo
Aug 31 • 10:23 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
2026-27 Season Preview: Simon Holmstrom

The 2026-27 season is on the horizon for the New York Islanders, so it's time to preview the season and highlight expectations for the team and each specific player.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 31 • 10:18 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
PS5 Officially Has 5 GOTY Contenders Coming in September

Too many new games, too little time

polygon.com logo
Aug 31 • 9:00 PM EDT • Technology • polygon.com
What ECU Health learned 24 hours into a wearable safety rollout

Randall Walston has spent 35 years with ECU Health and now leads a single police department covering all nine of the system's hospitals in eastern North

beckersbehavioralhealth.com logo
Aug 31 • 5:13 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com
US health officials exclude measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania from counts

RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing them

theguardian.com logo
Aug 31 • 4:06 PM EDT • Health • theguardian.com
Business Owner Charged with Tax Fraud, Wire Fraud Related to COVID Relief Funds

URBANA, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) - Hans Lee Grotelueschen, 56, of Mahomet has been charged with allegedly failing to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and fraud related to Economic

newschannel20.com logo
Aug 31 • 4:01 PM EDT • Business • newschannel20.com
Exclusive: DHS plans to launch voter fraud investigation surge Tuesday

The Department of Homeland Security is planning a surge in its efforts to investigate voter fraud in select states starting Tuesday, according to internal federal guidance reviewed by CNN.

cnn.com logo
Aug 31 • 2:22 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Arrow Sports Club closed in Weston; seller’s permit invalid

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review WESTON — Arrow Sports Club is closed, and Village of Weston officials say the business cannot operate

wausaupilotandreview.com logo
Aug 31 • 1:29 PM EDT • Sports • wausaupilotandreview.com
NYC Health + Hospitals and Maimonides Health Transaction Moves Forward to Next Step After Unanimous New York State Advisory Board Vote

In a unanimous vote on Thursday, August 27, the Establishment and Project Review Committee of the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council

nychealthandhospitals.org logo
Aug 31 • 1:07 PM EDT • Health • nychealthandhospitals.org
Streaming, Studio Entertainment Stock Prices Surged in August

It was a good month for entertainment stocks in August, led by Paramount, which saw its share price surge nearly 39% as Wall Street processed the long-term potential of its upcoming merger integration with Warner Bros. Discovery, despite some grinding regulatory reviews. At the same time, WBD saw its once-morbid (pre-asset sale) stock price increase … Continue reading "Streaming, Studio Entertainment Stock Prices Surged in August"

mediaplaynews.com logo
Aug 31 • 12:09 PM EDT • Entertainment • mediaplaynews.com
Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About The Blood Of Dawnwalker

It's reviewing very well!

purexbox.com logo
Aug 31 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Expedition 75 is Go for Tuesday’s Navigation and Science Maintenance Spacewalk

Astronauts Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) and Jessica Meir of NASA will exit the International Space Station after setting their spacesuits to battery power at 7:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 1, signifying the beginning of their spacewalk. NASA+ and a variety of other platforms will stream live spacewalk coverage beginning at 6 a.m.

nasa.gov logo
Aug 31 • 11:52 AM EDT • Science • nasa.gov
Garmin Cirqa review: A fine but utterly inessential smart band

Garmin's Cirqa band lacks the software and AI insights to make it a true Whoop rival.

engadget.com logo
Aug 31 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
Green Bay Packers Kaleb Johnson trade gets strong review From ESPN

The Green Bay Packers have bolstered their backfield by bringing in Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers, sending Pittsburgh a future 2028 draft pick in return. ESPN viewed the transaction favorably, pointing to Green Bay’s decision as a savvy way to strengthen the position before the 2026 season gets underway. “The most likely outcome is still [...]

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 31 • 8:30 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Chicago Blackhawks

Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2026-27 …

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 31 • 7:49 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (-1%)
ACC Preview #15

SMU did a near-total rebuild, but the Mustangs should be just fine.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 31 • 6:53 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Microsoft says Windows 11 KB5120998 update resets mouse settings

Microsoft has confirmed that mouse settings are being reverted on Windows 11 systems after installing the KB5120998 August 2026 non-security preview update.

bleepingcomputer.com logo
Aug 31 • 6:23 AM EDT • Technology • bleepingcomputer.com
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review: Excellent Action With Some

Onimusha: Way of the Sword (PC) Review – 8/10: Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a challenging and complex action game, and a great start for this series return to

gameinformer.com logo
Aug 31 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com
The Blood of Dawnwalker Review: Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds

The Blood of Dawnwalker (PlayStation 5) Review – 7/10: Despite mechanical gripes, The Blood of Dawnwalker shows that curating a massive RPG rather than

gameinformer.com logo
Aug 31 • 6:00 AM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com
Seahawks GM addresses Terrion Arnold allegations after signing

Terrion Arnold cannot practice or play while his legal case and NFL review continue.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 30 • 11:58 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
GTA VI Extended Gameplay Preview Attracted Over 4 Million Live Viewers

It's been known since Rockstar released the first trailer for GTA VI that the upcoming action game would have a massive impact on the gaming industry, and analysts have predicted week-one sales of $4.5 billion when the game launches in November. Following Rockstar's GTA VI showcase at Gamescom,...

techpowerup.com logo
Aug 30 • 6:02 PM EDT • Technology • techpowerup.com
Rutgers Football Special Teams Preview

Position-By-Position Preview of Rutgers’ Special Teams Unit

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 30 • 5:11 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
WATCH: Politics Today for the week of Aug. 30, 2026

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — On Aug. 30, during the Politics Today episode on KAMR Local 4 News, Jack Kessler reviews several recent political developments and topics of interest in the Amarillo a…

myhighplains.com logo
Aug 30 • 4:36 PM EDT • Politics • myhighplains.com
2026 Farm Science Review Agronomy College set for September 9

Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio AgriBusiness Association will again partner to hold the Farm Science Review Agronomy College on Wednesday, September 9. The event is designed to educate agronomists, Certified Crop Advisers, custom applicators and farmers on current agronomy issues. To re

ocj.com logo
Aug 30 • 3:15 PM EDT • Science • ocj.com
Why was Harry Maguire’s deflected shot not disallowed after handball?

The Man Utd defender handled the ball in the build-up to Man Utd’s crucial second goal against Ipswich in the Premier League but, after a VAR review, the goal stood

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 30 • 1:17 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Arsenal at Aston Villa Premier League Preview: Full Steam Ahead

Arsenal take to the road for their first big hurdle of the season as they face Aston Villa

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 30 • 12:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (23%)
ahah
100%
Ultra-thin aramid protection: Pitaka cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z8 Series review

In-depth hands-on review of the Pitaka Classic aramid fiber cases for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 & Flip: fit, build quality, 3D-Grip, and MagEZ in detail.

notebookcheck.net logo
Aug 30 • 9:26 AM EDT • Technology • notebookcheck.net
Lego X-Files (21369) Review: Proof We Need More Fan-Made MOCs

You only have to be a passive fan of Lego to know its dedicated MOC community can always surprise you, and the X-Files set proves we need more from them.

forbes.com logo
Aug 30 • 9:20 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices

Hey all, Jason here. When this hits your inbox, I should be en route to the airport — not to go anywhere myself, just to pick up my better half. I must admit, it’s been strange to be home alone (well, with two dogs) for two weeks! Really lets me “optimize” to spending more time on reading/writing/working, whether that’s healthy or not! Looking forward to getting back into a (somewhat) more balance routine. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading Compare Notes With the People Who Built Modern Fintech Partner content: Remitly CEO Sebastian Gunningham. Increase founder Darragh Buckley. Linda Du, Co-founder & President at Valon. They’ll unpack the decisions behind building and scaling major financial products: what they got right, what broke, what they would do differently, and how AI and new infrastructure are changing the operator playbook. Most events tell you where fintech is going. NerdCon puts the people who built the present in the room and asks them what comes next. Expect an operator-led conversation grounded in real products, real trade-offs and lessons earned the hard way. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% on Regular tickets with code FBW20 before standard pricing ends September 11. Meet the Builders Things To Know & Other Good Reads Advent and Stripe Abandon $50 Billion Pursuit of PayPal (Bloomberg) Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh (Wall Street Journal) The multiplying risks of financing data centres (FT) Let the Bond Market Speak (Wall Street Journal) Did we waste a crisis? Modest proposals to reform deposit insurance. (Fintech Takes Banking) Untangling Guggenheim: How Private Credit Built Its Own Universe (Net Interest) The Hater’s Guide To Circular Financing — Part One (Ed Zitron) Fiat Ventures Rebrands to FGV Capital, Announces $35M Oversubscribed Fund II (BusinessWire) Socure Announces Strategic Growth Investment at $5.2B Valuation and Acquires Agentic Operations Platform Fravity (Socure) Listen: When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well (Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast) Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices When Andreessen Horowitz led EarnIn’s $39 million Series B in 2017, Alex Rampell, a partner at the storied venture capital firm, described EarnIn’s small-dollar advance product as “free,” relying on “entirely on voluntary contributions instead of fees.” Rampell favorably compared EarnIn’s approach to typical payday loans, writing, “Payday loans historically have had the potential to be a slippery slope for consumers into financial distress: opaque systems and steep fees that are hard to repay and set individuals back further than where they started. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, that kind of slide into debt can be extremely difficult to recover from.” But EarnIn’s product — which, the company says, isn’t a “loan,” legally speaking — ends up being anything but free for most users. While it is technically possible to take a no-fee advance from the company, most users incur “Lightning Speed” (instant funding) fees and/or ostensibly optional tips that combined can equate to annualized percent rates that can reach over 1,000%. With an average term of 9.77 days, even fees and tips that are small on an absolute dollar basis are equivalent to high APRs on an annualized basis. A lawsuit filed last week by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against EarnIn describes the company and its product and business practices quite differently than Andreessen’s Rampell; “EarnIn’s business practices are unfair because they are immoral, unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous,” the complaint, filed in District Court in Denver, Colorado, says. EarnIn’s marquee product, Cash Out, isn’t a loan, the company says, as Cash Out is not “[f]orward [l]ooking” because “[t]he money is transferred based on earnings to date,” does not carry a mandatory fee to access funds, and is “non-recourse,” meaning EarnIn cannot pursue recovery from users who don’t repay advanced funds. EarnIn is sometimes referred to as an “Earned Wage Advance” service. Though, unlike some others in the broader category, EarnIn does not integrate with employers’ payroll or time and attendance systems. Rather, EarnIn attempts to verify a user’s income and employment, by examining direct deposit transaction data in their linked external bank account, by using GPS location and Bluetooth data to estimate a user’s time spent at work, if they work in a fixed location, and/or by having a user provided a work email address. While repayment is theoretically optional, as EarnIn would have no recourse, such as reporting non-payment to the credit bureaus or a collections agency, this is anything but clear to users of the EarnIn app, Colorado’s complaint argues. During the process of taking a Cash Out, users must agree to a preauthorized debit of the amount advanced, plus any expedited funding fee and/or tips. Though users technically can revoke this ACH authorization, the fact that they have this right isn’t presented to users during the Cash Out process, but rather is included in linked terms and conditions few users are likely to actually read. And users who do wish to revoke their ACH authorization must do so three or more days before the scheduled transaction date by emailing EarnIn’s customer support. Similarly, EarnIn’s marketing claims that it carries “no interest” and “no mandatory fees” is technically true, but is not the reality for many of the app’s users, the Colorado complaint argues. Further, EarnIn has extensively marketed to users the ability to “access your pay today,” to get “instant” funds, and to get funds “the same day you work” — when, in reality, this speed of access was only possible by paying the additional, undisclosed Lightning Speed fee. The Colorado complaint highlights this contradiction specifically, noting: EarnIn tells consumers that they can ‘Make any day payday with EarnIn’ and that there no ‘hidden’ or ‘mandatory fees.’ For a consumer to access their pay on the same day requested, they would have to pay the Lightning Speed fee. In the fine print of the advertisement EarnIn discloses that ‘[f]ees apply to use Lightning Speed,’ a direct contradiction to the larger text of the advertisement, and a fact that would not be immediately understood by a consumer as ‘Lightning Speed’ is not defined nor explained. Like other small-dollar lending services, rather than explicitly charge interest, EarnIn collects a markup on the optional Lighting Speed fee, which, given the nature of the transactions, many users opt for, as well as offering users the option to leave “tips.” EarnIn leverages either Real-Time Payments (RTP) rails or push-to-card via debit rails if a user opts for the optional Lightning Speed. But while these capabilities cost EarnIn, on average, $0.075 or $0.20 per transaction, respectively, EarnIn charges users significantly more. Initially, EarnIn charged as little as $1.99 for Cash Outs up to $24. But EarnIn has hiked these fees multiple times, and now charges $4.99 for Cash Outs up to $75 and $6.99 for those over $75. According to the Colorado complaint, EarnIn leverages “dark patterns” to manipulate users and to make it more difficult to avoid tipping. Examples of these “road blocks” highlighted in the complaint include: As of 2023, in the EarnIn app, a consumer attempting to get a loan under the default settings had to make at least eighteen separate taps to complete the transaction and reduce the tip to $0. There is an alternative method to leave a $0 tip, via the “Custom tip” feature, but EarnIn made this option difficult to access by visually deemphasizing it and positioning it near devices’ “home” button. Using language and imagery such as “Tip to pay it forward,” “Your generosity supports the service + helps,” “Your tips make a difference,” and “[t]he APR for this cash out is 0%. Your tips help support us.” While Lightning Speed and tipping are, in theory, both optional, in practice, users nearly always ended up paying something. According to the Colorado suit, users were charged either a tip or an expedite fee for more than 92% of transactions, with an average APR of nearly 388%. And, although the advances are “non-recourse,” EarnIn successfully collects on nearly all transactions — 99.18%, according to the complaint, which, Colorado argues, “demonstrat[es] that EarnIn’s advances function as high cost loans, not voluntary payments.” The share of EarnIn users incurring fees — despite the product being marketed as 0% APR — is hard to reconcile with Andreessen investor Rampell’s favorable description of EarnIn vs. “opaque systems and steep fees” associated with payday loans, which, Rampell says, can be “extremely difficult” for borrowers to extricate themselves from. According to Colorado’s suit, EarnIn’s Cash Out product “trapped many consumers in extreme cycles of high-cost reborrowing.” The suit gives an example of one consumer in the state, who took out a whopping 1,151 loans, paying a total of $4,038.50 in Lightning Speed expedited funding fees on loans that averaged the equivalent of 1,421% APR. Another Colorado user, the suit says, took out 1,033 loans, paying $8,561.22 in tips and fees at an average APR of 1,539% . These types of usage patterns demonstrate “the severe and repeated financial harm caused by EarnIn’s illegal lending model,” the Colorado complaint argues. In aggregate, from January 2023 through July 2025, EarnIn extended 3.1 million loans to 56,778 users in Colorado — an average of nearly 55 transactions per person during the time period. EarnIn lent more than $300 million and collected more than $16 million from Colorado users in Lightning Speed fees and in tips. Ultimately, the Colorado complaint argues that “EarnIn’s Cash Outs are loans under Colorado law, and EarnIn’s contention that its product is not a loan based on its disclaimer of any legal repayment obligation lacks any real-world significance given how the Cash Out transactions actually operate in practice.” Colorado further argues that “EarnIn was not working with companies here in providing consumers with funds but acted as a third-party lender and charged illegally high rates, used deceptive design strategies to extract some charges, and trapped consumers in repeat borrowing. Colorado will continue to stand up for consumers and hold companies accountable when they violate our credit laws or attempt to evade them through misleading practices.” Colorado’s suit alleges EarnIn assesses finance charge in excess of that permitted by Colorado law, that EarnIn failed to make legally required disclosures to Colorado borrowers, that EarnIn made supervised loans to consumers without obtaining the requisite license, that EarnIn violated the state’s Deferred Deposit Loan Act, that EarnIn engage in unfair and deceptive trade practices, and that EarnIn made false or misleading statements concerning price. The suit seeks a court order enjoining EarnIn from violating relevant Colorado laws, for EarnIn to refund amounts charged in excess of state law, fees, costs, and penalties, and other relief the court deems to be just. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Q2 Quarterly Banking Profile: Five Quick Takeaways The FDIC released its quarterly banking profile, which is always worth a read, for the second quarter. The profile provides an aggregate snapshot about the overall health of the 4,238 institutions whose deposits are insured by the FDIC, who, collectively, hold more than $26 trillion in assets and saw a total net income of more than $90 billion in the second quarter. Net income was up 12% vs. Q1 2026, with lower provisions and realized gains on securities helping to drive the improvement, somewhat offset by increases in non-interest expense and applicable income taxes. Overall net interest margin was basically flat quarter over quarter (up 1 basis point vs. Q1 2026), though community banks saw NIM grow by 10 basis points, to 3.81%. Unsurprisingly, given that interest rates haven’t changed, unrealized losses on securities changed little, edging up slightly to $326.7 billion vs. $325.1 billion in Q1 2026. Aggregate credit quality has remained benign, with asset quality actually improving slightly in Q2. Overall, institutions reported a 9 basis point decline in their past-due and non-accrual rate, to 1.44%. Net charge off rate also declined by 2 basis points, to 0.57%. And finally, the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund stands at $161.1 billion, making the DIF reserve ratio 1.48% — above the statutory minimum of 1.35%, but still below the designated target reserve ratio of 2%. [Paid Subscriber Exclusive] Nissan Withdraws ILC App, State Associations Plan BankChain Alliance, FDIC Defines “Unsafe or Unsound Practice” For First Time Automaker Nissan withdrew its application to charter a Utah industrial loan company and its corresponding application to the FDIC for deposit insurance last week, on August 19th. Nissan’s application had been outstanding for more than a year, as it originally applied in June 2025. Recent applications to the OCC to form national banks have been decisioned, one way or the other, substantially more quickly than has historically been the case.

fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com logo
Aug 30 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (6%)
wow
43%
love
35%
ahah
22%
Orchestra Iowa to bring ‘Star Wars’ to Cedar Rapids ballpark

CEDAR RAPIDS — Orchestra Iowa’s return to Veterans Memorial Stadium next summer will feature a film selection that should be music to the ears of “Star Wars” fans.

thegazette.com logo
Aug 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thegazette.com
OU football TV channel, kickoff times

This post will be updated throughout the 2026 season with kickoff times and TV details for all OU football games. All times listed are central.

oudaily.com logo
Aug 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • oudaily.com
Business Bulletin: Delta Dental and ATB win; Sunset Hills Subaru helps

Catch up on local business awards, donations, certifications and openings.

stltoday.com logo
Aug 30 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • stltoday.com
Cisco director of engineering: Managing AI agents has changed my job

Sergio Freitas said that using agents to do more work results in more code that need to be reviewed by engineers.

businessinsider.com logo
Aug 30 • 5:55 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
It's Your Business | National spotlight shining on longtime Danville pizza joint

America's Best Restaurants will be filming episodes about Jocko's and Smith Burger Co. on Sept. 2.

news-gazette.com logo
Aug 30 • 5:15 AM EDT • Business • news-gazette.com
State probing two grants to American Arab chamber after money goes missing

The State Budget Office is reviewing at least two state grants given to the American Arab Chamber of Commerce amid allegations of unaccounted funds.

detroitnews.com logo
Aug 30 • 12:02 AM EDT • Business • detroitnews.com
☹️ Negative (-3%)
wow
100%
Review: OnStage Playhouse’s ‘Mensa’ a smart drama about politics and listening

Salomón Maya’s new play is a cautionary tale about finding common ground before it’s too late

sandiegouniontribune.com logo
Aug 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • sandiegouniontribune.com
Here's Every Game We Played At Gamescom 2026

These are the games we've previewed at Gamescom 2026, including Control Resonant and more. - Game Informer

gameinformer.com logo
Aug 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Technology • gameinformer.com
Lifestyle Medicine and the Science of Cholesterol Reduction: A Systematic Review of Non-medication Approaches Among Adults

Dyslipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and remains highly prevalent despite advances in lipid-lowering therapy. Lifestyle medicine has emerged as a comprehensi...

cureus.com logo
Aug 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • cureus.com
Dragon Boat Festival draws crowds, boosts business along Paducah riverfront

The 11th Annual Paducah Dragonboat Festival returned to Paducah on Saturday, with the event being emceed by WPSD’s own Drayton Charlton-Perrin, many businesses across Paducah also saw an uptick in

wpsdlocal6.com logo
Aug 29 • 7:16 PM EDT • Business • wpsdlocal6.com
New cake-shake chain opens first store in Henderson

New milkshake chain in Las Vegas area opens first store.

reviewjournal.com logo
Aug 29 • 6:13 PM EDT • Business • reviewjournal.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (27%)
wow
100%
CAI Day lets homeowners, HOAs associate collegially

Plus, Barbara Holland answers a question on how long a ballot vote can be held open on the matter of changing a portion of an HOA’s CC&R’s.

reviewjournal.com logo
Aug 29 • 5:00 PM EDT • Business • reviewjournal.com
😐 Neutral (12%)
wow
60%
ahah
40%
Tim Steller’s column: Choosy Tucson governments seek ideal business fit

The Tucson area’s economy is in a malaise. Still, after last summer’s data-center debacle, elected officials are being choosy, maybe too choosy, about which industries to court.

tucson.com logo
Aug 29 • 1:00 PM EDT • Business • tucson.com
First look at Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay released on Netflix ahead of November launch

A 25-minute teaser previewing GTA 6 dropped on Netflix, offering the first look at the game ahead of its planned November release.

scrippsnews.com logo
Aug 29 • 10:57 AM EDT • Entertainment • scrippsnews.com
Why Rockstar Has Said Nothing About ‘GTA 6 Online’ So Far

Rockstar has now opened the doors to "Grand Theft Auto 6" previews, but they have not and wil not talk about "GTA 6 Online" or its release date. Why?

forbes.com logo
Aug 29 • 10:18 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Engadget review recap: Google's Pixel 11 series and more

A roundup of recent reviews from Engadget.

engadget.com logo
Aug 29 • 10:00 AM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is at its best when there’s friction

Not every app suits the small screen.

theverge.com logo
Aug 29 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Welsh Gender Service surgical referrals paused for clinical review

Data suggests "significantly higher" rates of referral for gender-affirming surgery compared with English services, according to the health board.

bbc.com logo
Aug 29 • 7:38 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com
Hampton Bays Movie Theater Shopping Center Sold

The shopping center that for decades was home to the Hampton Bays UA movie theater has been sold, it’s longtime owner confirmed.

27east.com logo
Aug 29 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • 27east.com
Business Roundup: New stores and restaurants arrive in downtown Columbia

Three new dining options and one decor store are planning to open soon in downtown Columbia.

komu.com logo
Aug 29 • 6:54 AM EDT • Business • komu.com
Residents discuss the next steps for Columbia's Black business district

With the Shops at Sharp End closing next month, Columbia community members discuss how to best move forward in the area.

komu.com logo
Aug 29 • 6:54 AM EDT • Business • komu.com
Fall movie preview: All the 2026 films you need to know about

From big budget cinema to indie gems and streaming must-sees...

mashable.com logo
Aug 29 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • mashable.com
Doctor Says: Staying up late? There could be health risks.

This is a column in a series from Dr. Olivia Ragusa, a primary care physician at Baton Rouge General, sharing insight on a variety of health topics for patients of

nola.com logo
Aug 29 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • nola.com
TARAE: The Unbound Gamescom 2026 ‘Gameplay Preview’ trailer

Publisher KRAFTON and developer Boundary have announced released a five-minute gameplay preview trailer for newly announced Eastern fantasy top-down action RPG TARAE: The Unbound, a top-down action…

gematsu.com logo
Aug 29 • 4:00 AM EDT • Technology • gematsu.com
Movie Review: What's up, flop? The toon-human hybrid 'Coyote vs. Acme' should've stayed on shelf

Some Hollywood decisions defy logic. Like, who looked at the world of Looney Tunes, those unhinged cartoons of our youth, and thought: Let’s add a bunch of personal injury lawyers.

indianagazette.com logo
Aug 29 • 12:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • indianagazette.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (30%)
ahah
100%
California’s opposition is facing a political ‘machine,’ Christopher Rufo says

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo reviews California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tenure on ‘Life, Liberty & Levin.’

foxnews.com logo
Aug 28 • 7:49 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
Review: A lively if familiar ‘Buddy Holly Story’ at Drury Lane

CHICAGO — Truth be told, it was strange on Wednesday to be at a show that depicts the life and death of a great American music star not named Dolly

recorderonline.com logo
Aug 28 • 5:18 PM EDT • Entertainment • recorderonline.com
ABC7 Sports Overtime with Dionne Miller: Aug. 28, 2026

On the latest ABC7 Sports Overtime, Dionne Miller covered the latest with the Chicago Cubs and White Sox with the playoffs approaching, and previewed the Chicago Bears' final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.

abc7chicago.com logo
Aug 28 • 4:49 PM EDT • Sports • abc7chicago.com
😐 Neutral (7%)
Inside one behavioral health CEO’s decision to automate revenue cycle operations

There was no single metric that told Dr. Mary Affee her practice had outgrown its operations, and that was the frustrating part. She had built Horizon

beckersbehavioralhealth.com logo
Aug 28 • 2:44 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com
New Official Nintendo 64 Game Launches to Strong 4.9/5 Reviews

A new game officially releases on original Nintendo 64 hardware and also receives strong reviews from players.

gamerant.com logo
Aug 28 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • gamerant.com
Panasonic Lumix L10 review: A stylish and capable compact camera

The LX100 II successor offers good speed and image quality at a fairly high price.

engadget.com logo
Aug 28 • 12:30 PM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
These Poorly-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies Are Way Better Than You Heard
yahoo.com logo
Aug 28 • 12:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Auto review: 2026 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X offers function over flash

There is an arms race underway in the automotive industry. Blackened chrome, LED strips, giant grilles, screens the size of suburban kitchen islands, illuminated logos, animated turn signals, ambient lighting

thederrick.com logo
Aug 28 • 11:40 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ $1.7M Previews, ‘Dog Stars’ $850K As Canines Rule Thursday

Ketchup Entertainment’s dog rescue of Warner Bros’ Animation’s Coyote vs. Acme was solid in previews with $1.7M. That includes not only Thursday money, but also $446K in sneaks last weekend from U.S. ...

yahoo.com logo
Aug 28 • 11:16 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now

This month’s options include an adaptation of an early Stephen King novel, jungle dinosaur battles and atmospheric thrillers.

nytimes.com logo
Aug 28 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
Inside Jessica Chastain’s dual roles in ‘Other Mommy’

Jessica Chastain mixes ‘saccharine’ with ‘rageful tension’ for her two roles in the horror movie ‘Other Mommy.’ Director Rob Savage previews the Oscar winner’s ‘delicious’ performance.

ew.com logo
Aug 28 • 11:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL FRANCHISING, LLC, NAMED A TOP RECESSION-RESISTANT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY BY 2026 FRANCHISE BUSINESS REVIEW

Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, the nation's premier children's swim school franchise opportunity, was recently named a Top Recession-Resistant Franchise for 2026 by Franchise Business Review, its third time receiving the honor (2023, 2025, 2026).

finance.yahoo.com logo
Aug 28 • 8:37 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Windows 26H2 Is Nearly Here: 7 Features Worth Knowing About

The new version has hit the Release Preview Channel.

digitalfoundry.net logo
Aug 28 • 7:07 AM EDT • Technology • digitalfoundry.net
GTA 6 extended look: What we know after Netflix preview

The official look at the blockbuster video game leaves fans and critics impressed.

bbc.com logo
Aug 28 • 7:04 AM EDT • Technology • bbc.com
Sony Bravia 9 II TV Review: The Best RGB LED TV I’ve Tested, but Here’s What to Buy Instead

It’s a great performer with excellent color reproduction — the next best thing to an OLED — but you’ll pay for it.

cnet.com logo
Aug 28 • 7:00 AM EDT • Technology • cnet.com
Rochester to inspect 14,500 homes and business properties

Rochester is launching a five-year property review program. Here is what owners need to know about upcoming inspections.

fosters.com logo
Aug 28 • 5:02 AM EDT • Business • fosters.com
2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about

What TV show will be your fall obsession?

mashable.com logo
Aug 28 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • mashable.com
Photos: Partial lunar Eclipse over St. Louis delights at Science Center

Hundreds of people showed up at the St. Louis Science Center James S. McDonnell Planetarium to watch a partial eclipse unfold under clear skies on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. Members

stltoday.com logo
Aug 28 • 2:54 AM EDT • Science • stltoday.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (0%)
love
100%
Steelers’ Will Howard Undergoes Medical Evaluation After Bills Game: Report

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski reported Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard needed evaluation from the medical staff after facing the Buffalo Bills. The post Steelers’ Will Howard Undergoes Medical Evaluation After Bills Game: Report appeared first on HEAVY.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 28 • 2:02 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
☹️ Negative (-16%)