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A blue tsunami wipes out Republicans
Jonathan Freedland and Shrai Popat run through the results of the US midterms, on a historic night for Democrats and a night to forget for Republicans
Morning Keys: In Uruguay, Leo urges health care for all
In his first address in Uruguay, Pope Leo XIV recalled his own recent illness and said health care must be accessible to everyone, regardless of their resources. He also called for days of prayer and fasting for vocations worldwide. This
Packers Could Land 28-Start OL in Trade Deadline Deal
The Green Bay Packers offensive line has been the biggest thing holding the team back through the first eight weeks of the NFL season. With the Philadelphia Eagles often having their offensive line as a strength, trading for Eagles right guard Tyler Steen makes sense, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Popper notes that […] The post Packers Could Land 28-Start OL in Trade Deadline Deal appeared first on HEAVY.
CPU-Z Data Shows 16 GB RAM Gaining Ground While 32 GB and 64 GB RAM Shares Shrink
PCs with 32 GB and 64 GB of RAM are becoming less common, at least in the latest CPU-Z Validator statistics. According to Doc TB, one of the developers behind CPU-Z, this is the first time RAM capacity on PCs has declined year over year. 32 GB is still the most popular configuration at 37.2% of...
Eurovision brings pop and politics to Asia
Eurovision is the world’s biggest televised live music event, launching the careers of artists such as ABBA and Celine Dion.
Leah Halton-Pope heads to Albany after uncontested election
Halton-Pope is replacing one of Western New York’s most influential state lawmakers.
Nithya Raman wins Los Angeles mayor over incumbent Karen Bass
The results mean America's two most populous cities - New York and Los Angeles - will be led by democratic socialists.
National Politics Will Never Be the Same: Juan González on How Latino Voters Remade the Political Map
The midterms saw a landslide of Latinos vote for Democrats. In Texas, California, Kansas and Colorado, Latinos who had voted for Republicans just two years ago voted for Democrats in large numbers, helping secure Democratic control of both the House and the Senate. Latino lawmakers will make up about a fifth of the Democratic majority in the House. And in an historic victory, the two most populous states in the country, California and Texas, will soon be led by Democratic Latino governors. “Texas has been suddenly transformed into a battleground state,” says Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez. “Texas has been the biggest and most important red state in the country for decades, and I’ve been predicting for years that it is the key link for achieving a realignment of national politics.”
'We don't take George Michael seriously enough'
Sathnam Sanghera, from Wolverhampton, says the Faith singer is one of the all-time pop music greats.
Avanlee Care, platform for family caregivers, raises $3.5M, targeting Medicare Advantage plans
Avanlee Care, a platform to engage family caregivers, has clinched $3.5 million in seed funding, Fierce Healthcare has learned. | Avanlee Care helps MA plans and other organizations engage caregivers within their member populations, enabling them to take action and measure what happens as a result.
K-Pop Label SM Entertainment Sees Revenue Decline on Lower Music Sales
K-pop label SM Entertainment saw a revenue decline for the quarter on lower music sales, with those sales coming primarily from NCT 127's "BLINGY."
Former OnlyFans Star Camilla Araújo Sets 'Plot Twist' Podcast Debut
Former OnlyFans creator Camilla Araújo is set to launch her first podcast, "Plot Twist," a weekly interview series featuring guests from pop culture and beyond.
Former Maryland Gov. Hogan calls midterms ‘complete and total rebuke of Trump’
On CNN, Republican Larry Hogan criticized the White House for doubling down on unpopular approaches while ignoring political independents.
Popular YouTuber charged with sex crimes after shocking documentary
Former YouTuber EDP445 has been arrested and charged with several felony sex crimes after statements he made in a documentary.
Whoa, I Missed It! Disney Starts Licensing the Household Silver, When IP Backfires, and More Big Content Moves
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Over these last few months, the entertainment business story landscape revolved around Skydance (and their merger) and Netflix (and their leadership shakeup). I don’t even want to scan my archives to see how many times I wrote about just those two companies over the last six months or so, let alone how many times they demanded their own article. Oh, how I long for June, when I could avoid them and write about other mergers and acquisitions (Comcast and NBCUniversal; Fox buying Roku). Well, not really, but you know what I mean. That focus on just two companies meant I ignored a lot of fun and, more importantly, important stories. So, it’s also time for another “Whoa, I Missed It” article. These are stories I wish I had written about, but aren’t exactly current events anymore. And there are a lot of them! Fifteen stories in all, including a very important merger that I didn’t write about, my word of warning about the IP deluge, how “genre” TV is making a big comeback, Netflix’s latest smart acquisition (and a licensing divorce), Disney and HBO’s recent TV show buys (and what they say about reboots on TV), a big cable merger, Amazon’s new bundle, social media censorship, and a lot more. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Buy, Sell or Hold the Latest Content Development and Licensing in 2026!!! Content is king. I’ve written that before, and I believe in it now more than ever. If I had to quantify it, and I have, I put it at about 50% of the fate of any given media company, be they streamer, network, bundler, studio or social platform. This is a hits-driven business, and, as I like to do about every so often, it’s time to check in on the latest content moves. These content shifts on their own aren’t usually enough to be the “most important story” of a week, but if you add them up, you can see the content landscape shifting. The stories also fell into two natural buckets: licensing deals and IP moves. Plus, I’ll offer my “buy, sell or hold” rating for whether I think the deal is smart for a given side. Let’s dive right in. Disney Starts Licensing the Household Silver Disney is starting to license their core brands to Netflix. Quietly, over the last couple of years, Disney had rented some 20th Century [Fox] shows and films to Netflix, but until now, the core brands had escaped that fate. Now? At least some Pixar films will make it to Disney (including Elio) and some Disney+ Originals (like Percy Jackson and the Olympians). Here’s my rating for each company: Disney: Sell. One is tempted to say Disney has started licensing the “crown jewels”, but I don’t think we see that yet. I’d call this the “family silver” instead, which isn’t quite as valuable. That said, Disney’s new CEO clearly is focused on shoring up the company’s profitability, and that means licensing deals, even at the expense of Disney+ exclusivity. This could also help bring eyeballs to Percy Jackson for the upcoming season, a similar benefit to “dual casting” this show, which I also think Disney should do. Still, in the long run, I’d protect the core brands more. Netflix: Buy. This is a smart move, assuming the price is right, and I’d bet it is. (Netflix’s content licensing teams are some of the best in the industry.) Of course, this is another data point that Netflix is moving away from making their own films and relying on licensing instead. That has downsides—they’ll always end up renting—but if you’re buying Disney content, that’s a good move. Prime Video Buys More Live Events Amazon’s Prime Video/MGM Studios keeps purchasing live events, including the Emmys (which I wrote about here) and some regional sporting rights. These bolster their NFL, NBA and Academy of Country Music Awards licensing deals. My theory here is that Prime Video knows that they can sell the advertising for more on live events than on their massive acquired/original inventory of shows and films. (As I’ve been showing with Reelgood’s data, they have a LOT more shows and films than other streamers.) Advertisers want live, engaged viewers, since they’re a lot more likely to be real. Prime Video: Hold. I like Amazon’s focus on live events, but it remains tough to evaluate this company, er, business unit, since we don’t know anything about their financials. Yes, Amazon’s CEO recently released a very carefully worded statement about Prime Video, claiming profitability, but we don’t know by how much by when. (It’s also not audited by third parties, so we have to take it with another grain of salt.) Plus, given that Amazon increased the price of the Emmys by about a third, they also likely overpaid. (Maybe that’s why they’re barely profitable, allegedly.) But also, I think they know they need to dominate live TV, and that’s a smart strategy! So I’m torn, but lean towards calling this a smart move. The Emmys: Definitely sell! I mentioned this in my “Streaming Bonus Content” article, but I really, really, really, really do NOT like this move for the Emmys. Chasing short term dollars over long term awareness is not a smart move. To reach the widest audience, the “dual-cast” format—meaning broadcast and streaming—just reaches more people. Skydance Takes Its Animation Back This is the story that made me want to write a “let’s catch up on content” column in the first place. Specifically, Skydance and Netflix have ended their animated film output deal. It’s not huge, since really, what film has Skydance Animation made that’s broken out? But strategically, it shows you how Skydance is positioning their company. Skydance Animation: Hold. Again, I still need to see Skydance Animation put out a hit or two before I can judge this as a smart move. The other worry for Skydance is they have a lot of overlapping animation houses now, and that’s going to end at some point. Still, if John Lasseter can regain his animation mojo—and his track record has been mixed at Skydance, ignoring his other issues—this could be a powerful point for Paramount. Netflix: Hold (put your films in theaters). Right now, with the Dan Lin upheaval and Peter Rice coming in, we don’t really know what Netflix’s plans for theaters versus straight-to-streaming films are. So I need to see what new films (if any) they buy/rent/produce to replace the Skydance flicks, but it will probably be a smarter investment of capital, since the straight-to-streaming films have just failed to break out, outside of one major example. Theaters: Buy! They do look like they’re gonna end up with more inventory based on the Skydance move, and now Netflix putting four to five films in theaters per year. For example, Netflix confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters, and that’s going to be a smash. Disney+’s Reboot Future So those were the major licensing news stories, and now we get to the IP-related updates. Obviously, I’m generally pro-IP in content development. But that’s not some iron law; not all IP hits equally. Get ready for Entertainment Nuance Guy. And let’s start with a big worry. Scanning the news stories, Disney has three reboots on their lineup between ABC, Hulu and Disney+: Coach (on ABC), The X-Files and Glee. So are reboots as immune to failure as IP? 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 about… Why I’m skeptical about some upcoming genre and IP plays… How Skydance’s merger closing unlocked Paramount and HBO… The focus on “genre” across the streamers and studios… Some big creators leave Netflix… Netflix’s horror TV show licensing play (and what they should have done instead)… A huge merger that I didn’t write about... Whether or not we’ll see a major film tax credit… Amazon’s new megabundle of streamers… And (somehow) more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Pope Leo in 'pretty good health' as he starts Latin America tour
Pope Leo travels to Uruguay just three weeks after having surgery for lung cancer.
Oh boy, all girls again: FAU research tracks sea turtle sex ratios
Forty young sea turtles are back in the ocean, but their future raises a troubling question: Where are the males? After more than two decades of monitoring, FAU researchers are finding increasingly female-biased hatchling populations, with some years producing virtually no males. As warming beach temperatures alter the conditions that determine sea turtle sex, scientists warn that today’s imbalance could threaten the next generation decades from now.
How to transcribe audio and video meetings on your laptop
Thanks in part to advances in AI, a ton of apps can recognize human speech and turn it into a transcription. Here are some of the best.
Daft Punk and KPop Demon Hunters Team Up in Unexpected Crossover
Daft Punk and Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters came together in an unexpected crossover as LEGO brought characters from different entertainment franchises together for its latest holiday commercial. The ...
25 years after ‘Britney,’ 5 new Britney Spears songs showcase a pop icon at a transformative moment
Britney Spears' 2001 self-titled album ‘Britney' marked a pivotal moment in her career.
Pope Leo XIV champions universal healthcare during speech in Uruguay weeks after lung cancer surgery
Inside Disney's Animal Nutrition Center, which doles out 10,000 pounds of food every day
To make nutritious ‘pies’ and celebratory ice cakes, a whole lot of science is mixed with a dash of creativity.
First Fat Bear Week winner remembered in short film
Beloved by millions, ‘Love Letters to Otis’ chronicles the life of this very zen brown bear.
America finally has the votes to end the Electoral College
After more than 200 years, the midterm results could change how we pick presidents.
Oldest evidence of cannabis use discovered in 2,700-year-old royal tomb
Horse and human sacrifices were also discovered in the Bronze Age burial complex.
Maine fisheries biologists study stocked salmon health in Albany
Songo Pond is a "put-and-take" winter salmon fishery, with most of the population expected to be harvested quickly.
The CPOP entertainment boom: Why we can't stop watching
The world is riding a CPOP wave. Original Chinese stories adapted for games, animation, TV dramas and movies are winning fans across borders. So what's the secret?
Art, philosophy, and science blend in beautiful wildlife photography
A relation between two living beings shaped by a shared evolutionary history.
Has politics popped the tech bubble?
Markets digest a Democratic sweep, AI-driven tech selloff and global rate hikes. See what it means for the US dollar, major currencies and next week's US CPI.
‘Trolls the Musical Jr.’ comes to the John Legend Theater
This is the weekend to enter a colorful, wonderous world populated by hilariously unforgettable characters. Add in music and you have one of the newest stage productions to hit the area.
How Mississippi became an unlikely Senate battleground
An unpopular president, a charismatic Democratic candidate and an incumbent who has underperformed other Republicans in recent elections have turned a US Senate race in Mississippi into the nail-biter of the midterms.
Hundreds receive free health care at Columbus pop-up clinic, highlighting gaps in access
More than 475 people received free health care Saturday as a two-day pop-up clinic returned to Columbus, offering dental, vision and medical services.
Artist pulls popular screensaver from Roku OS because of Fox acquisition
Developer: “I can’t be part of the Fox world.”...
The South flexes political power in midterms, sets regional influence in 2028 election
Tuesday's dramatic midterm results have transformed the electoral map, ensuring the path to future power for Democrats and Republicans must run through the South and its diverse voting population.
Democrats at Crooked Con reflect on a historic week
CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan talks to Democrats and progressive activists who have gathered in Washington, DC, this weekend for Crooked Con, a convention organized by the former Obama administration officials who host the popular “Pod Save America” podcast, which is produced by Crooked Media.
Now, the hard part: Jocelyn Benson has big plans. Michigan has big problems
From low reading scores and sagging wages and an aging population, Michigan faces a host of challenges identified by readers through Bridge Listens. What to expect from the governor-elect.
California has way more bugs than we thought
The Golden State is home to over 60,000 insect species.
'JD, habibi.' Arabs celebrate El-Sayed's use of a term of affection in his victory speech
“Habibi” literally translates to “my beloved” and is peppered through Arab pop songs. In everyday speech, it often means “buddy,” “pal,” or “bro.” El-Sayed's supporters have sported shirts reading “Habibi for Abdul.”
Catherine K. Ettman Receives the IAPHS Milbank Quarterly Early Career Award in Population Health
News article: The Milbank Quarterly was pleased to present its Early Career Award in Population Health to Catherine K. Ettman, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, at the 2026 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS) Conference in September.
Poised for breakout moment in Latin America, Pope Leo also faces test of health
Just weeks after his cancer surgery, Leo will navigate the tide of secularism, deep polarization — and high altitudes.
400,000-year-old teeth reveal a stunning twist in human evolution
A groundbreaking discovery is rewriting the story of human evolution, revealing that an ancient human species once thought to be an evolutionary dead end may have left genetic traces in people alive today. By extracting proteins from 400,000-year-old Homo erectus teeth discovered in China, scientists uncovered evidence suggesting that these early humans interbred with Denisovans, another mysterious ancient human group. That genetic connection may have eventually reached modern populations in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Nondairy creamer is more popular than ever. But is it healthy?
One researcher said some people are getting as much as 500 calories a day from their coffee.
Hera spacecraft photographs asteroid from 37 miles away
The ESA’s spacecraft is en route to study the aftermath of DART's collision with Diphamos in 2022.
Scientists detect ‘pregnant’ coral using ultrasound device
The high-tech method offers a non-invasive way to monitor endangered coral populations.
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Black Friday is now just a few weeks away, taking place on Friday, November 27 in 2026. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
NH office construction pipeline runs thin
The amount of available office space in New Hampshire is shrinking and becoming more expensive to lease due to a lack of new construction and higher demand that is still trying to find its footing post-COVID. The office vacancy rate statewide fell to 10.3% in the third quarter, down 3.1% from a year ago, and average asking rent rose to $22.28, up 1.7% from a year ago, according to a Colliers study.
What’s next for Caddo Parish sports complex after voters reject $60M bond?
Caddo Parish voters reject a $60M bond for a proposed $70M sports complex. Local leaders react, citing misinformation and urgency over regional population loss.
SWAN public datasets offer a deeper look at menopause and midlife health
SWAN offers something most menopause reporting lacks: population-based, multi-racial evidence that can fact-check viral claims, put local stories in context, and surface angles that a single news cycle misses.
Reno auto shop nears 80 years in business with Sparks expansion
When Roy Foster opened Roy Foster’s Automotive on South Virginia Street in 1947, Reno’s population was south of 32,000 people.
Hundreds receive free health care at Columbus pop-up clinic, highlighting gaps in access
More than 475 people received free health care Saturday as a two-day pop-up clinic returned to Columbus, offering dental, vision and medical services.
🧪 Science with Sarah: Balloon transportation & popsicle stick catapults 🎯
AP Entertainment SummaryBrief at 12:05 a.m. EST
25 years after 'Britney,' 5 new Britney Spears songs showcase a pop icon at a transformative moment
Inside Team Trump’s Historic Collapse in the 2026 Midterm Elections
How an unpopular president and an unpopular war provided an opening for Democrats to make sweeping gains in the midterms.
Human bodies produce 2 billion metric tons of CO2 a year just by staying alive
Humans collectively produce more than 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually just by turning food into energy, a 74% increase over three decades largely driven by population growth. Unlike fossil fuel emissions, however, the CO2 we exhale is part of the natural carbon cycle, and scientists say measuring it more accurately could improve climate models.
Pope warns economic inequality threatens peace, urges politicians to serve common good
The threat to world peace stems from economic imbalances linked to development that is
First Friday could return in January, mayor says
Mayor Shelley Berkley confirms the popular downtown event has been suspended for November and December.
‘Princess Diana’: Is Diana DiZoglio becoming Beacon Hill’s new royalty?
After her enormously successful reelection bid that saw nearly 84% of voters send her back to the Auditor’s Office, Diana DiZoglio is quickly becoming the most popular politician in Massachusetts.
Pope Leo's visit to Argentine disability home carries pastoral -- and political -- weight
The Claypole home is the largest residential center in a network of 14 Cottolengos serving approximately 1,300 people in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
What’s more powerful than the politics of division? Actually listening to people
US voters have shown there’s nothing inevitable about populism and big money politics. Australian leaders take note
Baby whale surprises scientists
The critically endangered North Atlantic right whale calf flew under the water during calving season.
Eastern Nebraska, including rural areas, favored online sports betting while the rest of the state said ‘no’
People in north-central Nebraska adamantly struck down two ballot measures that would have legalized online sports wagering.
Center City pop-up storefront showcases immigrant entrepreneurs
The Philadelphia shop features handmade goods from local immigrant-owned small businesses and a curated selection of books from Making Worlds Bookstore.
Things get bloody at ‘Evil Dead: The Musical’
The lights dim, the music starts and out comes a group of college students singing their hearts out as they travel to a secluded cabin in the woods. From Oct. 29 to Nov. 8, Columbia Entertainment Company dives into the popular horror franchise with their production of “Evil Dead: The Musical.” The musical, written by...
Mapping the hidden hazards beneath our feet | Investors Lab
From unstable slopes to former industrial sites to hurricane alleys, some places are not safe to live in. Yet circumstances often force low-income populations into these areas, where natural disasters can have devastating effects. Rebecca Dzombak fills in the details for SN. And we have intel on advanced imagery and subsurface mapping that aim to provide early warnings before disasters strike.
Why a pink potato-like robot is wheeling around Philadelphia
In a city where robots get kicked, graffitied, and decapitated, an artist built a friendlier alternative. Is it enough?
Paul Cipro to Perform at LI Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame on Nov. 22nd
Paul Cipro will perform LIVE music at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook Village (97 Main Street, Stony Brook, NY) on November 22nd from 3-4pm. The event is free for members or with general admission ticket purchase or $10 at the door concert ticket purchase.For details on this and upcoming events please visit https://www.limusichalloffame....About Paul CiproPopular Long Island songwriter and musician Paul Cipro will perform his original songs accompanied by Billy Hall (keyboard/harmonica) and Allie Richardson (backing vocals/guitar). Cipro has recently been featured on UK's Radio Wigwam, WLIW, and other radio programs. His recent release "Magic Way" boasts 27K streams on Spotify with other songs topping 20K. Don't miss this opportunity to see Paul on acoustic and electric guitar along with his musical friends.
It's Your Business | It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
The Venue CU is preparing for a bustling Christmas season; its plans include making more Vriner's candy canes for sale and offering a holiday pop-up bar.
Hydroxyapatite toothpaste promises to better protect your teeth. Here's what the science says.
The new, fluoride-free toothpaste could help remineralize teeth and reduce sensitivity.
Pope Leo talks health and voting en route to South America
The pontiff spoke with journalists accompanying him on his flight to Uruguay.
Extracellular vesicles in health, aging and disease
Figure 1. Stress-induced EV release by normal, stressed, aging, and cancer cells and their associated molecular cargo. Each EV type carries molecular cargo depending on the stressor and cell of origin. Senescence increases SA-EV output enriched with chromosomal DNA fragments and EphA2, promoting proliferation in Ephril-A1-positive cells via ceramide-dependent biogenesis [51]. Oxidative stress elevates intracellular Ca2+ and ROS, triggering microvesicle shedding and exosomes carrying mtDNA, oxidized proteins, and stress chaperones [15]. Hypoxia enhances exosome release with HIF-1a-driven cargo such as miR-210 and VEGF to promote angiogenesis [52]. Ionizing radiation activates p54 and TSAP6, producing EVs carrying altered miRNAs and gH2AX that induce bystander DNA-damage responses [53]. Apoptosis generates large ApoEVs containing DNA, histones, organelles, and cytosolic proteins, affecting immunity and tissue remodeling [54]. Chemotherapy and ER stress remodel EV cargo, including P-gp and PD-L1, promoting drug resistance and immune evasion [55].
This popular KC neighborhood has become a hub for women-owned businesses
It has a block that is 100% women-owned. But beside those seven, there are 25 other women-owned shops and eateries.
‘I’ve Gotten Death Threats for Covering Caitlin Clark’ – 5-Time All-Star Gets Brutally Honest on Dark Reality of WNBA’s Popularity Boom
Angel McCoughtry is asking the WNBA to look out for its former players, not only the ones still on its rosters. The former Atlanta Dream forward made the case on Thursday’s episode of the “Get TO the Point” podcast, pointing to threats she says have come with covering the league from the outside.
Climate Change Is Bringing Dengue Fever to the High Himalayas
As Nepal’s mountains warm, mosquitoes are spreading dengue, once strictly a lowland disease, to higher-elevation, densely-populated areas.
Panthers defender has reportedly come up in trade talks
Derrick Brown's name is popping up in regards to the NFL trade deadline. But another Panthers DL has reportedly been the subject of some talks.
Heisman Trophy enters a new era with fan access carrying an eye-popping price
Heisman Trophy gives fans unprecedented access, but wait until you see the price.
Why Blizzard Made ‘World of Warcraft: Forever’
World of Warcraft: Forever takes players to an alternate reality version of the popular online game
Watch a 90-second take on Goose kicking off Milwaukee residency
The most popular jam band of their generation played the first of three nights of concerts at the Miller High Life Theatre in Milwaukee Nov. 6.
Highly anticipated cholesterol drug fails to prevent heart attacks, strokes
The drug, Novartis’ pelacarsen, should have worked against lipoprotein(a), a genetic type of cholesterol that causes plaque to build up in arteries, researchers said. Why didn’t it?
Apple iMac M6 (2026) Review: The Best All-in-One I’ve Encountered, With a Fresh Pop of Performance
The design remains unchanged from 2021, but the updated chip certainly gives you a reason to upgrade.
Trump stands by Hegseth after election losses, but other Republicans want him out
The U.S. defense secretary is facing intense political backlash over the costly and unpopular war with Iran, which the president acknowledged was partly to blame for the drubbing that the GOP took in ...
Troublesome black bear Nugget wins the 2026 Annoying Sibling Award
Bears can annoy their brothers and sisters, too.
Help Burlington County families buy these popular holiday gifts
Explore some of 2026’s most sought-after holiday gifts and learn how you can help local families afford them.
Campbell hosts Harnett business leaders for economic update
Photo by Campbell University Harnett County has grown more than 27% over the last 15 years and is on the cusp of significant growth in the business sector as well. Campbell University recently hosted the 2026 Harnett County Economic Development Update; this was the university's third year in a row hosting the event. The annual event invites elected officials, business leaders and stakeholders from Harnett and its neighboring counties to share updates on new projects, economic trends and announcements from the previous year. Campbell’s continued involvement is part of its five-year Strategic Plan, launched earlier this year, which lists “community impact” as one of its four main objectives. “Every place I have ever worked, the university has been viewed by its surrounding community and region as an asset to economic development, as an inducement to business and industry and as a driver of innovation. It has been seen as the indispensable partner for growth,” Campbell President Dr. William M. Downs told the group of about 200 in attendance. “We ask that you save us a seat at your table when you are dreaming big about the future of this county and beyond. Campbell University is open for business, and we’d like to do business with you.”In addition to Campbell, Harnett is home to Harnett County Schools and its Career & Technical Education programs and a satellite campus of Central Carolina Community College, home of the Eugene Moore Manufacturing & Biotech Solutions Center (the largest training facility in the state). Stephen Barrington, Harnett County Economic Development director, shared the county’s latest initiatives, focus areas and opportunities in economic development. He lauded Campbell and the county’s strong educational and training infrastructure for training the area’s current and future workforce.“Workforce is at the top of the list when we talk about economic development,” Barrington said in a press release. “Work and skill-ready talent remains at the top of the list [of assets in Harnett County]. We’re extremely grateful for the education and training of our students for the next generation.”One big project landed in September when Harnett County was awarded a $500,000 Build Ready Sites grant from the North Carolina Railroad Company to advance a rail-served industrial site. The investment will help prepare the property for future development and strengthen Harnett County’s ability to compete for rail-served projects. The funding will support Byrd Industrial Site B, an 83-acre site with 58 developable acres within the Byrd Industrial Sites in Lillington.Harnett County is also actively working with Samet Corp. is actively working with Samet Corp. on the development of a 175,500-square-foot speculative industrial building to stimulate economic development.Featured speaker was Ted Abernathy, founding and managing partner of Economic Leadership, a small group of data, strategy and best-practice policy experts that work with companies, foundations and business organizations to analyze competitiveness, develop strategy, support leadership, tune communications and reimagine the future.Abernathy lauded Harnett County’s proximity to one of the fastest-growing and most business-friendly regions in the country — the Research Triangle and Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area — and said Harnett needs to attract more businesses that offer higher-paying jobs to compete. “The quality of the jobs you attract is one of the challenges for you as you go forward,” Abernathy said in a press release. “You need more high-paying jobs. A big chunk of the population here is making $25 to $50 an hour, which is good. But where you’re really weak is this high end. If you looked at Raleigh or Durham or Mecklenburg, that number would be a third of their jobs.”Learn more about Harnett County Economic Development and current projects happening at harnettedc.org.
Gaston County health official works to expand mental health resources for teens
Trey Sarter, mental health coordinator for Gaston County Public Health, is working to reach the county’s younger population, a group he said has become a top priority for local public health leaders.
This gen’s top 10 PlayStation Studios games
As we near the six-year anniversary of the PS5, we thought we’d dive into our estimates for the top-grossing PlayStation Studios games since the start of the gen. Together, the 10 games we’re covering today have generated over $6.5 billion across PlayStation (84.7%), Steam (14.1%), and Xbox (1.2% via just Helldivers 2). Let’s have a look at the top 10. Spidey and Kratos sequels take the top two spots God of War Ragnarok takes the top spot with $1.4B in revenue via 21.6M copies – 20.1M on PlayStation (75.2% via PS5) and the rest on Steam. Around 27.5% of the copies sold on PlayStation were physical. It’s another PlayStation evergreen seller, too. This year, Ragnarok has already sold 1.1M copies, generating $60M (68% on PlayStation), outperforming new 2026 titles like Gears of War E-Day and Saros. Overall, our estimates show that Ragnarok has been accessed by 6.7M PlayStation Plus players (it was added to the Extra tier about two years ago). So it’s performed that well this year despite subscription cannibalisation. That’s the pull of God of War IP. And that Bautista series on Amazon is going to be massive - bigger than Fallout, I reckon. Next up is Spider-Man 2 with $1.3B across PS5 (over $1.2B) and Steam (nearly $70M). Spider-Man 2 has sold over 19.1M copies overall, so it should pass 20M early next year. Spider-Man 2 is an evergreen title that always spikes around the holidays (mostly concentrated around Christmas week): In December 2023, it sold 2.1M copies, up 20% from November 2023 (the month after release) In December 2024, Spider-Man 2 sold 460K copies (natural decay), up 60% from November 2024. Despite the Steam version launching in January 2025, it still sold more copies – and made more revenue – the month before. In December 2025, it sold 328K copies, up 30% from November 2025. This year’s December and Christmas will be somewhat limited by Spidey’s February 2026 addition to PS+ Extra, where 6.3M people accessed it for the first time. While subscription inclusions always cannibalise premium revenues to some extent, Spider-Man 2 did manage to sell 578K copies in August 2026 – the most its sold since Q1 2024, following hype from the Spider-Man Brand New Day movie. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe God of War Ragnarok and Spider-Man 2 continue to be huge evergreen tentpoles for Sony. Together, both titles have sold 3.4M this year (2.3M for Spidey and 1.1M for Ragnarok), generating a combined $172.9M ($115.8M for Spidey and $57.1M for Ragnarok). Again, some premium games would take a leaf out of Kratos’ book (not Spidey’s!) and would kill for these numbers in year 1. And we can see why Sony wants to take a leaf from Steam’s book, killing physical to get higher margins from catalogue sales, ensuring they get their cut, and having more control over supply and demand (and pricing for their first-party titles). Hot rods, hellpods, and horizons Gran Turismo 7 takes #3 this generation with $841.9M in revenue via 12.7M copies sold. For more info on GT7, you can check out our write-up from earlier this week. Around 1.1M people have already played GT7 this month, less than six days in. Next up – at #4 – is the first second-party game on this list. Helldivers 2 has generated $786.3M via 23M copies sold across Steam (66.1% of the copies), PS5 (25.7%), and the 1.5-year-later Xbox port (8.3%). And there are plenty of players very dedicated to the Super Earth cause, as over 4M folks have played Helldivers 2 for over 100 hours, while 462K played for over 500 hours. That dedication to democracy is pretty topical… Anyway, Helldivers 2 still attracts about 700K players per day (more if there’s a significant update), and its August addition to PlayStation Plus Extra has led to 1.6M new players overall. This year, Helldivers 2 has sold over 2.5M copies, generating $81.1M in revenue. It’s another evergreen hit for Sony, and draws in engagement numbers similar to Arc Raiders. The Helldivers 2 model, in my opinion, should be the way PlayStation approaches its live-service and second-party releases. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Horizon Forbidden West rounds off the first half of the top 10, generating $485.8M. That said, PlayStation completely stifled Horizon Forbidden West’s revenue by adding it to PlayStation Plus way too early (one year after launch). You can see the revenue drop-off clearly in our platform: As you can see: Forbidden West was still a healthy catalogue earner right before it was added to PS+ Extra, making about $1.23M a week on PlayStation across late 2022 and into January 2023. After it was added to Extra_, Forbidden West_’s weekly revenue halved to around $610K, basically overnight. Excluding launch month, Horizon Forbidden West generated about $67.2M on PlayStation in the period before the PS Plus addition. In the same period after it joined the service, that fell to $28.1M, a 58% drop. So, PlayStation didn’t trade a little bit of premium revenue for subscriber value here. It gave up well over half of it, and it cut momentum instantly for one of its premier franchises. Could you imagine the kind of cannibalisation if it launched day in date on Extra? Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe And the cannibalisation wasn’t a temporary blip that bounced back once the game left the service in September 2024. By then, 19 months on PS Plus had already hoovered up most of the install base that would have bought it, so there was barely a premium audience left to monetise. PlayStation even added it back to PS Plus on October 21 this year, and sure enough, weekly revenue dropped again (by around a third); though, the numbers are small now that Forbidden West is nearly four years old. Worth the trade-off. The usual suspects, platformers, and an Asia-driven second-party hit As for the rest of the list: Ghost of Yotei has now generated $410.1M via 5.5M copies on PS5. Yotei popped off a bit a few weeks ago due to a content update, which we covered here. The Last of Part Us I, a remake that we covered here, has generated $341.3M in revenue (67.2% via PlayStation) via 6.4M copies. It was also added to PS+ Extra about two years after launch, where 7.8M people accessed it for the first time. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has made $334.9M (93.6% via PlayStation 5). It’s now passed 5M copies sold overall. It’s sold 250K copies this year, generating $13.5M in revenue. Time for another Ratchet? Stellar Blade has generated $316.9M via PS5 (59.7%) and Steam (40.3%). However, the share of Stellar Blade’s 5.4M copies sold is far closer (50.4% on PlayStation, 49.6% on Steam) – despite the Steam version releasing a year later. China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong account for 48% of Steam copies and 35% of PlayStation copies (about 41% overall). These markets are regionally priced lower than others, hence the difference. Astro Bot rounds out the top 10 with $292.6M in revenue via over 4.7M copies sold. We covered Astro’s recent performance here, covering how Astro Bot is another evergreen seller and has been a hit with families. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even these bottom five games have generated a combined $281.7M this year in catalogue sales. PlayStation wants those numbers to be bigger in the coming years, which is one of the reasons it’s killing the disc (alongside the better margins it and publishers get through digital). No more used discs means more D2C revenue for PlayStation. On that note, we recently chatted to the New York Times again about PlayStation’s digital future, so keep your eyes peeled for that! 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. Want to see why these companies (and many others) are subscribed to Alinea? Get a free platform trial! [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!]
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