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Andy Burnham and the rise of ‘aura farming’ in politics
Is “aura farming” the new political superpower? There are some days in TV news when you find yourself standing in the middle of a farm, surrounded by baby goats, trying to explain internet slang. Subscribe This was one of those days. There I was, in wellies, trying to unpack aura farming - a Gen Z term for carefully cultivating your image online so that you look effortlessly cool, authentic and charismatic. The trick, apparently, is that it can’t look like you’re trying too hard. Which, I’ll admit, felt slightly ironic as we filmed an entire report on a farm purely because the word farming is in the title. ‘Shaped by algorithms’ Whether you like it or not, politics increasingly feels like it’s being shaped by algorithms as much as manifestos. Take Andy Burnham. Since arriving at Number 10, he’s been impossible to miss online. One minute he’s out for a casual jog with Mo Farah. Next he’s announcing policy alongside TikTok high priestess Bus Aunty. His social media paints a very deliberate picture: less polished Westminster operator, more bloke from the North who just happens to be running the country. It’s not accidental. Burnham’s “King of the North”, New Order-loving persona has become part of a carefully constructed political brand. Authenticity is now something politicians work incredibly hard to make look effortless. But Burnham isn’t inventing this playbook. Like so many of us doomscrolling on an evening, he’s been influenced online. The digital strategy of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pictured above right, has become a case study in viral political communication, and some of the people behind that campaign have recently been advising the Labour Party in Britain. Their message is simple: if you want to reach younger voters, you need to show up where they already spend their time. Embracing content creators And increasingly, that doesn’t mean traditional news interviews (awkward). It means speaking to content creators like Max from The Career Ladder, whose channels reach around 20 million followers worldwide. His interview with Burnham, pictured below, was posted almost immediately after he became Prime Minister. What struck me wasn’t just the audience size, but something Max told me afterwards: many people in the comments said they’d discovered Britain had a new Prime Minister through his interview. Think about that for a moment. Not through rolling news. Not through newspapers. Through a creator they were already following while scrolling. Share That’s a profound shift in how political information reaches people, one that’s been gathering momentum for some time. It also explains why politicians are embracing content creators and spending millions on digital marketing. Of course, this isn’t unique to one party. ‘Personality before policy’ In many ways, the right were quicker off the mark in building their aura online. Donald Trump built much of his political identity on social media. Nigel Farage remains one of Britain’s strongest political performers on TikTok. Politicians across the spectrum now understand that personality often reaches people before policy does. During a six-week UK general election campaign alone, overall digital ad spending routinely tops £11m. Share Channel 4 News Former Number 10 social media adviser Andrew Wong put it well when he told me that “vibes” can help someone get noticed, but they only work if they’re rooted in a genuine personality. Force it, and audiences spot it instantly. The bigger question is whether internet charisma can backfire on you - especially when you’re Prime Minister. Because behind Burnham’s carefully curated videos is a veteran politician with decades of Westminster experience. The spontaneity is produced. While the authenticity may be genuine, it’s managed. That’s not necessarily a criticism. It’s simply the reality of modern political communication. Aura farming alone is not enough to harvest change. But in the age of algorithms, winning attention may be the first battle. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment
Health officials urge precautions as two West Nile cases reported in New Mexico
State health officials are urging residents to take measures against mosquitoes after two New Mexicans recently tested positive for West Nile virus.
Ciokajlo: Resilient restaurateurs point the way in Detroit
Crain's Detroit Business Executive Editor Mickey Ciokajlo reflects on the role resilient restaurant owners have played in Detroit's comeback story. Three of them recently spoke at a Crain's Power Breakfast event.
NFL insider offers optimistic update on health of Giants owner John Mara
A long-time NFL reporter recently sat down with New York Giants co-owner John Mara and shared an optimistic update on his health.
Is Recently Released Pitcher an Option for Washington nNationals?
Could the Washington Nationals provide a fresh start for a possible bullpen addition at a low cost?
Knives are out for Vance in the GOP. His allies say it’s a coordinated ‘op.’
The vice president has faced a barrage of attacks recently that are unusual for their intensity and how early in the political calendar they are taking place.
Rutgers Athletics Unveils Annual Award Winners
Rutgers Athletics recently unveiled its annual awards to honor the athletes who have distinguished themselves in a variety of areas. The awards included the Big Ten Medal of Honor, Bauer Athlete of the Year, the Freshman of the Year Award, the Sophomore of the Year Award, the Junior of the Year Award, the Senior of […]
Maine Democrats call on Bennett to denounce GOP funds
Specifically, Democrats say a political action committee called Maine Wins Together, which is supporting Bennett, recently received $100,000 from donors who have also given to former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is now running for the 2nd Congressional District.
Wilmington announces business and economic development chief
The city of Wilmington announced on Thursday the hiring of Louis Starks as its new business and economic development manager. According to a news release, the role focuses on strengthening Wilmington's business ecosystem, supporting entrepreneurship and advancing strategic economic growth. "In this role, Starks will collaborate with residents, local businesses, community groups, educational institutions and regional partners to promote investment, workforce development, and innovation for businesses of all sizes," the release stated. "He will also help connect small businesses with City procurement opportunities, cultivate public-private partnerships, and lead initiatives that promote long-term economic vitality." Starks has more than 20 years of experience in economic development, urban planning, housing finance, workforce development and public policy, according to the release. Most recently, he served as manager of business development for Oakland County, Michigan, "where he led teams focused on business retention and expansion and financial services for one of the nation's most economically diverse regions. During his tenure, his teams supported billions of dollars in business investment initiatives while helping create thousands of jobs," the release stated. He holds a law degree and master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Iowa, as well as a bachelor's degree from Duke University. He is also a Certified Economic Development Professional. Starks is expected to begin his Wilmington position on July 27. “Louis has built his career around helping individuals, organizations and communities reach their full potential,” stated city manager Becky Hawke in the release. “Whether supporting entrepreneurs, managing complex redevelopment projects, or bringing together public and private partners, he has consistently focused on creating opportunity and delivering results. He understands that a strong economy creates opportunities for everyone. By supporting local businesses and fostering innovation, his work will help ensure the benefits of Wilmington’s growth are felt throughout the community, creating jobs, strengthening neighborhoods, and improving quality of life for residents.”
When you have advanced prostate cancer: What living with the disease looks like
President Joe Biden recently gave an update on his treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. A urologist explains ways to manage this advanced prostate cancer.
For Yukon River residents, salmon shortages have health consequences
A dietary staple, salmon had — until recently — been the main source of protein for Indigenous people who live along the Interior Alaska river systems.
Wake Forest names Norma Montague interim dean of the School of Business
Norma Montague, the Dale K. Cline Associate Professor of Accountancy, has been named interim dean of the School of Business effective August 1. She recently served as senior associate dean of academic affairs and innovation and brings broad experience and a deep understanding of the [...]
Jacqueline Travisano named as one of Triad Business Journal’s 2026 C-Suite Award winners
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jackie Travisano was recently named to the Triad Business Journal’s 2026 C-Suite Award winners. Presented annually, the Triad Business Journal’s C-Suite Awards recognize outstanding chief executives and C-level leaders in the Greater Greensboro and Winston-Salem regions who [...]
Michigan Tech Atmospheric Scientists Linked to Three Research Projects Selected for DOE Genesis Mission
Michigan Technological University researchers are involved in three proposals tapped by the U.S. Department of Energy for consideration under its recently launched Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI. The mission’s goal is to address national science and technology challenges using artificial intelligence.
Press Release: Rowan County Public Health Shares Results from Community Substance Use Survey
Rowan County Public Health Shares Results from Community Substance Use SurveyFor Immediate ReleaseSalisbury, NC--Rowan County Public Health recently conducted a countywide survey to better understand
Anaheim’s newest district, OCVibe, is cultivating community through art, entertainment
OCVibe plans to debut more than 70 original artworks as part of a long-term commitment to champion publicly accessible art in the Anaheim district and recently unveiled its plan for a public art program that is expected to include one of…
Letter | Tom Tiffany is the pro-business candidate we need
Dear Editor: I recently read the letter to the editor titled, "Tom Tiffany's anti-worker, anti-business owner agenda," and as a Wisconsin small business owner, I felt compelled to respond.
British robo-wingmen are "very much today's business"
The U.K. recently revealed the Storm Fighter, Storm Fire and Storm Chrome projects.
Caitlin Clark Comments on Her Appearance in Indiana Fever Announcement
The Indiana Fever recently honored Caitlin Clark after she was named Player of the Week.
Ate lettuce recently? Here's how to tell if you have cyclosporiasis
Worried after eating lettuce? Here's how to recognize cyclosporiasis symptoms, when they appear, and when to seek medical care.
Nintendo explains why it's coming out with Splatoon Raiders instead of Splatoon 4
Rather than releasing Splatoon 4, the next entry in the series is Splatoon Raiders. Nintendo recently explained why it chose to release that title now. After more than a decade or core Splatoon gameplay, producer Seita Inoue explained in a new interview that the team “thought it might be interesting to create something with a slightly different approach to gameplay,...
Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to Spray for Mosquitoes Early Thursday Morning, July 23, in ZIP code 40505
Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to Spray for Mosquitoes Early Thursday Morning, July 23, in ZIP code 40505Lexington, KY – July 21, 2026 The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department (LFCHD) will spray for mosquitoes early Thursday morning, July 23. A mosquito trap deployed by LFCHD at Johnsdale Drive recently caught a large number of mosquitoes, prompting the
Freedom, trust and the future of science: Nobel laureates reflect on the ideas shaping tomorrow
Behind every scientific discovery are years, sometimes decades, of fundamental research, failed experiments, uncertain funding, international collaboration and the freedom to pursue questions without knowing where they might lead. The Nobel laureates recently gathered at the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany argued that scientific breakthroughs depend on far more than brilliant ideas alone. Those conversations unfolded against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and growing geopolitical competition. The question running through the discussions was therefore broader than science itself: what conditions make discovery possible? ‘Europe is a space of freedom’
Senate Democrats’ push to end Medicare prior authorization pilot fails
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, had recently introduced a resolution to overturn the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction.
The Bull Case For Accel Entertainment (ACEL) Could Change Following Guidroz’s Promotion To COO
Accel Entertainment, Inc. recently reshuffled its leadership, promoting Toucan Gaming CEO Stan Guidroz to Chief Operating Officer effective July 14, 2026, while President Mark Phelan relinquished the COO title and Chief Compliance Officer Derek Harmer prepared to transition into a compliance committee role in 2027. This move elevates an executive with deep Louisiana gaming and acquisition experience to oversee day-to-day operations across Accel’s markets, potentially influencing how the...
UFC Freedom 250 Fails to Knock Out The Ratings
(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.) If UFC fans wanted one image to say, “Hey, Paramount+ is crushing it with their UFC rights deal,” I could provide that image. Here it is: (Reminder: this is my creation of the Nielsen Top 30, since Nielsen doesn’t combine the lists or include sports. I take all three lists and combine them. Some streaming TV shows probably have higher ratings than many of the films on this list.) Look at that! UFC Freedom 250 is number one! It topped the Nielsen “Top 30” list for shows and films that made the top ten the week of 15-June. So if you’re a UFC fan or supporter of Paramount+, that’s the good news for you this week. This program topped the ratings charts for one week. Everything else is bad news, or at least a huge caveat to that story, which I’ll explain today in the first part of this week’s Streaming Ratings Report—for the weeks of 8-June and 15-June—which is a double issue since I’ve been writing on a bunch of topics recently. UFC Freedom 250 is one of the biggest streaming events of the year, and super relevant to Paramount+’s strategy, so it merited its own article. Let’s dive 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 June 8th to June 21st 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Check Out My Interview on UFC 250 at MMA Draw After you read this article, if you want even more thoughts on UFC and Paramount-Skydance/Paramount+, I did a written interview with MMA Draw. They asked me to answer some questions about UFC Freedom 250, and I was happy to chat with them. Find it here: [ The MMA Draw Newsletter Did Paramount really overpay for the UFC? What the data tells us so far If you know the history of American television, you also know that combat sports is often a leading indicator of the future… Read more a day ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · Nate Wilcox and Zach Arnold ](https://www.themmadraw.com/p/did-paramount-really-overpay-for?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) I never thought I’d need a combat sports newsletter in my life, but the good folks at MMA Draw publish an excellent one on UFC, MMA, pro wrestling, boxing and more, analyzing both the sports themselves and the politics, economics and antitrust issues that impact them. Check the article and their newsletter out! Paramount+ Has Its Best Sporting Event of All Time…But Was It Worth It? Before we look at the UFC Freedom 250 data in particular, let’s talk about what we can’t say. Namely, let’s start with the lack of comparisons. First off, I’d love to put a chart out comparing this fight to past UFC fights on Paramount+…but we don’t have the data. This is the first time we’ve gotten Nielsen data about a Paramount+ UFC fight. As far as I can tell, Paramount provided data for the first fight, but it was a proprietary datecdote (saying it had “an average minute audience” of 5 million “views”) and then, for two fights, we got the linear viewership numbers when they aired on CBS, but no streaming data. Everything else was crickets. We also can’t compare this fight to other fights/combat sports on streaming, in particular the MMA and boxing, because Netflix also didn’t use Nielsen to track those events, opting for TVision and VideoAmp, respectively. (This isn’t Paramount’s fault, but does still suck.) We also can’t compare to UFC’s fights that used to be on ESPN+, since we don’t have any data for that, plus Disney+ didn’t have marquee fights. The comparisons would not be apples-to-apples. Can we compare to past Pay-Per-View fights? Absolutely not. The comparisons would absolutely NOT be apples-to-apples. That didn’t stop Paramount+, though, who bragged that their UFC events have reached drastically more people than past PPV fights. Duh. Sorry, but I gotta make this point again. A basic tenet of economics is that the cheaper something becomes, the more people consume or buy it. That’s Econ 101. (Sometimes pundits call things “Econ 101” that are actually like Econ 210 or even PhD-level economics, but no, this is really like first or second class basic economics.) Yet I still see one analytics firm consistently say that more people watch films on streaming than PVOD proves streaming which means that the streaming window is more valuable than the PVOD window. No, it’s not! Same thing here. Pay-Per-View events back in the day could be really, really, really expensive! So whole groups of people pitched in to buy them. That increased the perceived value of, say, the Mike Tyson fight. Or a UFC numbered event. So yes, the fact that Paramount+ makes numbered UFC fights essentially “free” if you’re already a Paramount+ member means consumption will go up. Obviously. Same for Netflix and their boxing matches. They’re talking about fights that used to cost consumers, in some cases, $50 in 1996…which is over $100 in today’s dollars. Over 1.6 million people paid that to watch the Tyson-Holyfield fight! Again, streaming is essentially “free”. Or $10 to $20, depending on what streamer we’re talking about and what tier you’re on. No wonder more people are “watching”. (Plus, Nielsen’s out-of-home viewing also helps these numbers.) UFC Freedom 250 Did Well…But I Have A Lot of Worries So what can we compare the fights to? Well, the good news is Nielsen put out that the fight averaged 7.0 million viewers for UFC Freedom 250, which is a solid number for a fight. We also know the length, at roughly 4 and a half hours. (I saw different run times, but this seems to be the consensus considering it started at 8 pm, had a delay and then finished after midnight on the East Coast. If you assume a shorter run time, then yes, the total hours viewed would go down.) That means I have the two numbers needed to add this to my Nielsen database. And then…I can compare this viewership to the NFL: And, uh, not great. But also within striking distance, mainly because the runtime for this event was so long. I’d also add that this event had viewership equal to a regular season NFL game on streaming, but if anything, it was more comparable to an NFL playoff or Super Bowl-esque event. And you can compare viewership to the top football games on broadcast, cable and streaming, and it’s not impressive at all: We can also compare it to other sports that week, including the NBA Finals and start of the World Cup: Again, not great. The NBA generated roughly four times as many average viewers each game for its NBA Finals. The World Cup has similarly big numbers. Also, that’s just a tiny fraction of the 25 most watched sporting events each week. The NBA, NHL and FIFA World Cup had many, many more games racking up hours. We could also compare this to other streaming programs to get an idea of “is this a good investment?” and here is how it ranks compared to other top Paramount+ programs: The worry here? Well, unlike scripted programming, which has rewatchability, older fights/sporting events have very little library value. Very, very few people are rewatching these fights, especially years from now. Paramount has also released datecdotes bragging about their subscriber numbers. Earlier this year, they claimed that the first UFC fight on Paramount+ brought in 1 million subscribers. Then, in their quarterly earnings report, they only ended up with 700K subs. Not great! They claimed they dropped lower-value international subscribers, but that’s why I tend to discount subscriber additions when they’re leaked to the press.1 I expect we may see a bump again for UFC Freedom 250, but I’d caution using subscriber growth so soon after these events to judge the success, since new subs with high churn (see Peacock) aren’t great either. Also, analysts often want to attribute all subscriber growth to their favorite/pet show, and that just doesn’t make sense. The biggest caveat for UFC Freedom 250 and Paramount’s very first UFC marquee event is that these could be high watermarks for the sport. UFC Freedom 250 had an incredible amount of earned media coverage compared to most UFC fights. I mean, it had wall-to-wall national news coverage in the lead up to the event. (The first fight also had a lot of promotion from Paramount since it was first.) Other fights could reach this bar—say the Conor McGregor return to the Octagon—but they’ll be fewer and far between. Was This Deal Worth It? All to ask: is this Paramount deal worth it? In this case, I think the UFC Freedom 250 numbers are more distracting than helpful. This fight did well and compares well to other top sporting events. But we know that the first marquee event was at least a third smaller, if Paramount’s own data is to be believed. And it’s likely the other fights are much, much, much smaller. And then you get to the paycheck that Paramount-Skydance paid. FIFA’s World Cup cost about the same for Fox, but clearly generated multiples more total viewership. (Though it’s only every four years.) The NBA is much more expensive, but until the playoffs, they likely didn’t pay for itself. Even still, Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video likely overpaid. So, in that context, the NBA may be an overpay that makes the UFC look not so bad. But two overpays don’t make an underpay, to paraphrase the old cliché about wrongs and rights. And looking at UFC Freedom 250 as the likely ceiling of MMA on Paramount+, Paramount-Skydance likely paid too much. Share 1 I would love regular reports on subscriber additions by programs, but as is, it’s mostly leaked or rumored in haphazard ways.
The One Thing I Hate About Almost Every Jeep Since 1941
I’m so obsessed with Jeeps that I studied engineering to become a Jeep engineer, then I became a car journalist who has basically been writing about his Jeep projects for over a decade; recently, I assembled a WWII Jeep from scratch. It’s a deep, deep obsession, but it’s not a blind one; I know Jeeps […]
Penguins Interested in Using Connections to Land 44-Point Center
The Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in landing one of the top trade candidates in the market. It was recently revealed that the Seattle Kraken are moving on from Shane Wright this summer. Seattle previously drafted the center with the fourth-overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Despite lofty expectations, he regressed during the most recent […] The post Penguins Interested in Using Connections to Land 44-Point Center appeared first on HEAVY.
Hackers are exploiting recently patched WordPress bugs, putting millions of websites at risk
Two critical security flaws in WordPress’ software have given hackers the chance to remotely take over tens of millions of websites, according to an estimate by a cybersecurity researcher.
Is Thailand’s PM More Concerned About Sound Cannabis Policy or Political Optics?
Amid a rise in smuggling, Anutin Charnvirakul has recently come out against the policy he once championed: the decriminalization of marijuana.
Wisconsin Health Executive Thomas Westrick to join Morgridge board
Thomas Westrick, a Milwaukee-based veteran executive who most recently led GE Healthcare’s Patient Care Solutions segment, has been elected to the Morgridge Institute for Research Board of Trustees.
Switch 2 modding scene makes new breakthrough, but Nintendo safe from piracy
A new breakthrough was recently made within the Switch 2 modding scene, but Nintendo can rest easy knowing that piracy still isn’t an issue at the moment. You may remember that with the original Nintendo Switch, piracy became a major problem pretty early on. Significant vulnerabilities were discovered less than a year after the console launch. Nintendo was unfortunately unable...
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) Opens Record Coaster As Investors Ask If The Stock Is A Bargain
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) just opened Tormenta: Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas, a record-setting giga dive coaster that could influence how investors think about the company’s park assets and guest appeal. See our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment. Despite the buzz around Tormenta: Rampaging Run, Six Flags Entertainment’s share price has softened recently, with the 30-day share price return down 29.71%, while the 1-year total shareholder return has declined 43.38%,...
Singapore minister resigns over ‘interactions with a woman’, PM says
The People's Action Party, which prides itself on a clean reputation, has been rocked by a series of scandals recently.
San Francisco proposal would let small businesses unionize to negotiate rents with landlords
San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan recently introduced two proposals aiming to protect small business owners against skyrocketing costs.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 phones compared: Which one is right for you?
Motorola recently introduced the Motorola Edge 70 Max, a phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. In terms of compute metrics, this system-on-chip represents the absolute pinnacle of high-end value engineering, serving as the next best sub-flagship silicon right after the ultra-premium Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It delivers sustained frame rates and high […]
Report: LeBron James had conversation with Philadelphia 76ers owner
Free agent forward LeBron James recently ran into Josh Harris, the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers.
At World Cup Final, Trump Seeks to Bask in Another Sports Championship
The president flew in Marine One over MetLife Stadium on Sunday ahead of his arrival. It was the second time recently that he sought to seize the spotlight at a major sporting event.
Connections: Medical school, Washington Regional announce new hires
Several new hires in the Northwest Arkansas medical field were recently announced, including a new associate dean at the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, and advanced practice registered nurses...
Business People: Daniel Farley promoted at U.S. Bank Wealth Management
FINANCIAL SERVICES U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, announced the promotion of Daniel Farley to chief investment officer for the Wealth Management Asset Management Group. Farley has worked for U.S. Bank since 2010, most recently as Private Wealth…
5 Lifestyle Changes I Made After Learning I Have a High Alzheimer’s Risk
A mom of three, Elena Castellanos recently learned just how much power over her health she really has.
Small business employment growing faster in New England than nationwide
It is no surprise that small businesses are extremely important when it comes to job growth, and a recently released Federal Reserve Bank of Boston report not only confirms that but says that small business job growth in New England is outpacing the rest of the country. In New England, the report says small businesses […]
New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone Provides New Aaron Judge Update
The New York Yankees have been navigating their schedule without the help of slugger Aaron Judge.As recently announced, Judge has been transferred to the 60-day IL as of July 18 due to a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side.Manager Aaron Boone has now provided an additional statement on Judge’s status.Yankees’ Aaron […] The post New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone Provides New Aaron Judge Update appeared first on HEAVY.
Thoughts on the Eastern Conference and the Orlando Magic
I recently joined my colleagues on the Heat Wave Podcast to discuss the changing Eastern Conference landscape and the Orlando Magic's future in it.
ESPN announces NHL opening night tripleheader
The 2026-27 NHL season begins on Tuesday, September 29, and ESPN will celebrate the festivities with an opening night tripleheader. ESPN recently announced that the network will televise three NHL games on opening night, beginning with the banner-raising ceremony for the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will host the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m.…
Tom Brady Smacks WWE Champion at Fanatics Fest
Longtime NFL quarterback Tom Brady recently told Cody Rhodes that he is interested in competing in “at least one” WWE match at some point. Apparently, the 7-time Super Bowl champion isn’t waiting for Paul “Triple H” Leveque to book the match before getting physical with WWE talent.During their appearance at Fanatics Fest 2026 in New […] The post Tom Brady Smacks WWE Champion at Fanatics Fest appeared first on HEAVY.
In new documentary, Mario Cuomo is a stark contrast to today's Catholic politicians
In the forthcoming documentary "Mario," which recently debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Catholic faith of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo takes center stage.
Army gets commitment from athletic Florida QB Onrique Archie
Winter Park (Fla.) quarterback Onrique Archie recently gave a verbal commitment to Army. The Black Knights get a 6-foot-2, 185-lb prospect who reports a 4.67 forty and had over 1,400 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. He had an offer from Navy along with several other programs, but had a good relationship with […]
The Bull Case For Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) Could Change Following Its TMElive Awards Push Into Hong Kong
CTF Life recently announced a long-term partnership with Tencent Music Entertainment Group to bring the TMElive International Music Awards to Hong Kong for the first time in August 2026, with CTF Life as exclusive title sponsor. This collaboration positions Tencent Music to extend its brand beyond online platforms into a large-scale international live festival, deepening its presence in the fan-driven music ecosystem. We’ll now examine how hosting the TMElive International Music Awards in...
A new kind of chill: Cryo Lab business open in Kenosha
A business recently opened in Kenosha offers the benefits of the cold without winter weather or having to jump into Lake Michigan. CryoLabs opened its doors in Kenosha in May.
“AI Science at Scale” Summit Showcases Advances in AI-Enabled Research and Innovation
Recently, the University of California (UC), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) convened researchers and leaders from across the UC system in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the first annual AI Science at Scale summit.
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
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The States Try to Topple WarnerMount…Thus Begins the Local Antitrust Era
(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.) Well, it looks like it’s time for another strategy column. Can I finally avoid writing about M&A? No, it seems I cannot. Admittedly, I’m a week early with this column, since I usually put it out every other week. But this news couldn’t wait. This will make three “Most Important Stories” in a row with a merger or acquisition as its centerpiece. First, Roku-Fox (an acquisition), then Comcast-NBCUniversal (a divestment!), and now the State AGs and the WGA’s lawsuits against Paramount’s pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery (antitrust). M&A is usually the “most important” topic any given week, simply because a giant company merging or breaking up (or preventing those outcomes) can have the biggest impact on the streaming board. If you think about these companies as players in a game, changing the number of players is one of the biggest changes you can make. I shouldn’t really complain, either, since this lawsuit is very good news for customers and suppliers (econ speak for talent, workers and indie studios in Hollywood). So let me answer some questions about this potential trial, along with (shudder) making some heavily caveated predictions. I’ll also look at whether Hollywood must consolidate, whether or not the states can win, trouble at X-Box, Netflix’s YouTube binge, and more. Plus, I have five images that visualize this merger and the harm, including three brand new data looks you’ve never seen before. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Can The States and the WGA Stop Hollywood’s Consolidation (Crisis)? If every other newsletter and news outlet is writing about the same story, I try to avoid writing about it as well, but I can’t ignore a story this consequential. The story of the last year was the fate of Warner Bros. Discovery, and this development potentially extends that saga into 2027. As I tried to figure out my angle, I realized, like my last column, I’m again faced with a series of questions. These questions, though, are much more forward-looking. Will the states win? Will the WGA win? If so, what happens to Warner Bros. Discovery? Either way, will this chill the market for future mergers? So you know what that means: predictions. About the future, no less, the hardest thing to predict.1 Just remember: nothing here comes with a guarantee. And the more confident someone is in their predictions, the less you should trust them. This situation is incredibly fluid, nuanced, uncertain and tenuous. So let’s try to explain what may happen. Question: Why File this Lawsuit? I’ll admit, a few months back, I was fairly pessimistic about the fate of this lawsuit. Rumors had started bubbling up that the state Attorneys General (in particular California) wanted to settle with either some minor divestments (usually CNN) or behavioral remedies. And that tracked for me: the states usually settle lawsuits, like the recent John Deere right-to-repair suit. Yet, they plan to fight this. (As they did the LiveNation-Ticketmaster monopolization trial and the Nexstar-Tegna merger.) Honestly, that also makes a ton of sense. Frankly, this move is just good politics for these State AGs. Most are still running for higher and higher office in blue states—some folks have emphasized that only Democratic AGs joined this suit, but given the Ellison/Trump ties, and fears of retribution, that tracks—and a high profile case like this will help them move up the electoral ladder, especially since Paramount and its leadership (the Ellisons, father and heir) have sided with the other side of the political aisle. That makes them unsympathetic to Democratic voters and Hollywood workers in particular. Why did this lawsuit happen? In addition to the very real concerns about industry consolidation, this is why. That said, I don’t think we would have seen this lawsuit for Netflix and Warner Bros., simply because they’re more sympathetic and aligned with Democrats. But those consolidation concerns are real. The “town”—meaning Hollywood and such—really is seeing the damage of mergers on this industry. That’s why the WGA also filed its own lawsuit in defense of workers as well. (Wildcard: What about Europe? Will they try to stop the deal, too? There have been some rumors out of the UK they may try to fight the deal, and UK enforcers just stopped a Getty Images-Shutterstock tie up, so there is precedence. This argument could go either way, though. On one hand, the EU doesn’t need to step in, cause they states are handling it. On the other hand, this could make the EU’s case easier. Just imagine if both sides coordinated. I’ll simply say, “We’ll see!”) Question: Will The State AGs or the WGA Win? Can the state AGs play David to Paramount-Skydance’s Goliath here? That’s really the whole thing, isn’t it? If you know this result, you could make a lot of money. When things are uncertain, it’s tempting to shrug and say, “Eh” meaning it’s a 50/50 proposition. I wouldn’t, though. When in doubt, you should expect that the merging parties succeed. AT&T did successfully buy Warner Bros., after all, and Disney bought Fox without any challenges. Many judges are extremely sympathetic to mergers, and I’d bet the state AGs get a judge who will allow the merger. (Even Obama-appointed judges often allow mergers.) As I understand it, we’ll see two main attacks. First, theatrical films. The AGs are arguing that, when it comes to share of box office and the number of both “wide releases” and blockbuster (or “tentpole”) films, the merging parties will have over 27% market share. Now, the Supreme Court once ruled from on high that any merger that exceeds 30% is presumptively illegal, but that’s guidance, not an ironclad bar. Still, the states will have to argue that this is close to having too much power, and with that power, this will likely further worsen the theater/studio splits in particular. Indeed, as Matthew Stoller pointed out, “just five studios are responsible for 95% of all blockbusters; if this merger goes through, then Paramount and Disney will control 60% of that.” So yes, movie studios will be very concentrated after this merger. Want me to visualize some of that? Well, here’s the share of films that grossed over $200 million at the domestic box office since 2022. (Note: this isn’t all films released in over 3,000 screens, but it is a good look at market power.) First, here are the 43 films by studio: Notice all the blue (Disney), orange (Universal), and purple (Warner Bros)? Yeah, those studios are powerful, and this combines Paramount with one of them. Here’s the look by studio and share of the films that grossed over $200 million: Now, if you look at that and also think, “Huh, should we break up Disney?” I’m with you. I’ve seen some folks poo-poo this idea that this is a real category, but it is! For an upcoming article, I’ve been pulling data on the share of top 100 films at the box office as a share of total box office, and it’s massive. Here’s the chart: (This analysis looks at The-Number’s top 100 films and total domestic box office each year.) To be clear, tentpoles make up 80.7% of the box office each year, so I do think it’s a genuine market. (To be clear, films grossing over $50 million make up 80% of the domestic box office, and films grossing over $100 million make up 64.1%.) I mean, the top 100 films at the box office make up 95% of each year’s grosses. Worse, the combined studios will likely cut output to flex that market power. Everyone can just look at what happened to Disney and Fox to see the precedent. (With fewer films, the remaining theaters have to give more for those few films that remain.) Here’s an image I’ve used a lot, the share of wide-release films from Disney and Fox over time: The AGs will also argue that this consolidation will also impact the cable industry. In this case, the consolidation is actually worse, but that environment is…complicated. Paramount will argue that the cable industry is shrinking. That said, predictions that cable will “go to zero” also don’t look very well supported by the data, as the declines are shrinking, meaning “cable” or “vMVPDs” will likely stabilize at some point. Can the state Attorneys General win on those two main arguments? I honestly don’t know. Again, I’d bet no, since history in general supports that, but it depends on the judge/jury and how they interpret the arguments. Notably, Paramount won’t face accusations about monopoly power in other areas, like streaming, news, sports rights, or vertical integration. I tend to disagree with leaving out sports rights, but I also see the appeal for a simpler case. The states also aren’t really pushing novel theories about labor harm either, which should help. (By the way, Sean McNulty at The Ankler wrote a great run through of potential options, and Capitol Forum also wrote a great paper on theatrical consolidation. Both these pieces predated the lawsuit. Matthew Stoller is also out with his analysis of the pros and cons of the case too.) In some ways, the WGA’s case is even stronger. Quoting Sean McNulty’s summary: “The WGA is citing WARNAMOUNT as crossing a 30% market share in multiple sectors, a number that the Supreme Court has precedent for deeming “presumptively anticompetitive” in a market. According to the WGA numbers, WARNAMOUNT would have represented: - 35% of film writing jobs between 2021 and 2024 - 36% of TV writing projects between 2022 and 2025 - 38% of overall deals between 2021 and 2024” Notably, antitrust enforcers did win recently in the Penguin-Simon & Schuster merger by focusing on labor impact, so don’t count this thinking out. (Wildcard: Will the states try to get a jury trial? Most likely no, they’ll let a judge handle it. If I’m them, though, I’d try to put this in front of a jury. Juries tend to understand monopoly power in a more realistic way than judges faced with legions of economists.) Question: What if They Win? What if They Lose?
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The First Test of Bar Harbor's New Entertainment Rules.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Historical Society. BAR HARBOR—The Finback Alehouse was the first real test of the town’s new special amusement permit process, July 7 while eight other permits sailed through the process last week. The permit allows music in places where liquor is served. The town’s ordinance which was recently tweaked for a new process allows for the regulation of noise and hours of activity. The only discussion at the July Town Council meeting was about the Finback Alehouse on Cottage Street, in the heart of Bar Harbor’s downtown district. The Finback’s distinctive design—a front wall that is like a garage door that can be opened and closed—was a key to that discussion. The restaurant, which often hosts live bands, singers, and karaoke, at night, has had one substantiated noise complaint this season, which is documented on its application. According to Bar Harbor Police Chief David Kerns, most complaints about noise happen after 10 p.m., and if the Finback had two more violations within a year, they’d have to stop having music. One town councilor said that he’d have no problem reissuing the permit if the door was down. The permit passed through the process with no conditions. Vice Chair Earl Brechlin moved the motion with two time changes for two holiday weekend dates. It passed unanimously. The council asked the Finback why they’d chosen an indoor license with a wall that can be opened to the street. Dale Stockburger, representing the Finback, said he’d applied for an indoor permit rather than an outdoor structure or partial structure (which is usually applied to tents or pavilions). The restaurant has traditionally had an indoor license. Stockburger said that whether the door is open or closed is immaterial because he now stands outside with a decibel reader to make sure that the music isn’t too loud. OTHER SPECIAL AMUSEMENT PERMITS New Councilor Deborah Vickers worried that she had potential conflicts of interests on two other renewals due to the location of her employee housing. Vickers co-owns the Black Friar Inn. They have employee housing directly behind the Finback, which is also 300 yards from the Bar Harbor Inn, she explained. The Bar Harbor Inn also had a permit up for renewal. The councilors unanimously voted she did not have a conflict of interest. The councilors approved permits at The Bluenose Inn, 90 Eden St, Class A; Acadia Hotel Downtown, 20 Mount Desert St, Class A and C; the Bar Harbor Inn, 8 Newport Dr, Class A, B, C and D; C-Ray Lobster, 882 State Hwy 3, Class D; Holiday Inn Bar Harbor Regency, 123 Eden Street, Class B; Finback Alehouse, 30 Cottage St, Class B; Project Social, 278 Main St, Class C and D; Bar Harbor Beer Works, 119 Main St, Class B and D; and Mainely Meat BBQ Dreamwood Hill, 369 State Hwy 3, Class D. That process is laid out in the Special Amusement Ordinance of the Bar Harbor Town Code which is Chapter 14 of the town code. Special amusement permits have class codes. These are the meanings: Number - how many musicians are allowed by the permit. Class A - Indoor non-amplified entertainment. Class B - Indoor amplified entertainment or dancing. Class C - Outdoor non-amplified entertainment. Class D - Outdoor amplified entertainment. RESIDENCE LICENSES RENEWED AND A TAXI LICENSE The councilors also renewed the licenses for three specific sorts of residences that require that yearly renewal per the town code. The employee living quarters at Atlantic Oceanside Hotel, 119 Eden St and another at 278 Main Street were renewed. The shared accommodations license renewal at 39 Kebo Street also occurred. These are annual renewals. Bernard Taxi Services’ license was also renewed. This license had been added to the agenda at the meeting. Bar Harbor Update on Leaf and Grass Clipping Disposal BAR HARBOR — Bar Harbor residents will still have a place to throw away their leaf and grass clippings this summer. The town’s agreement with EMR in Southwest Harbor for disposing of those items will continue through November 30. The agreement, according to a town press release, will continue “while the Town continues evaluating long term composting solutions and the required state permitting process.” As of July 1, residents bringing their grass and leaves across the island to the facility in Southwest Harbor will have to fill out a property registration card. Each property can throw out up to 85 pounds of the grass and leaves. “Any disposal exceeding the 85 pound allowance during this period will be the responsibility of the property owner at the applicable disposal rate,” the press release explains. LINKS TO LEARN MORE Watch the meeting Meeting agenda QUICK NOTE: We’d released the Bar Harbor Leaf information as a brief, but wanted to make sure that people saw it, so we’ve included it here, too. HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment
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• Urologic recently added two Certified Urologic Nurse Practitioners: Marley Rumbarger and Carley Herndon.
Recently Cut Chicago Cubs Pitcher Lands with Kansas City Royals
The Chicago Cubs are set to begin their final MLB series before the All-Star break against the Cincinnati Reds in an NL Central showdown. Before the Reds series, the Chicago Cubs received some news adjacent to their organization regarding a former pitcher who recently suited up for the Cubbies. More MLB on Heavy: Recently Cut […] The post Recently Cut Chicago Cubs Pitcher Lands with Kansas City Royals appeared first on HEAVY.
Open For Business: Sales include $1.2M Bemus Point restaurant
A popular restaurant in Bemus Point has been sold and is now an Italian restaurant. The Post-Journal and OBSERVER have been analyzing real estate sales in Chautauqua County and recently looked at the transactions from April 27-30. The county does not provide transaction information, but real estate documents are available for review at the clerk’s […]
Pettit Reservoir in Silverton under health warning due to algae bloom
A health warning was issued for the Pettit Reservoir in Silverton on July 10 due to a toxic algae bloom that recently appeared.
Joe Klein: At 80, Here’s What I’ve Learned About Politics—and Life
I am 80 years old, this year of our 250th anniversary, and I find myself a cliché. My life has been a common political journey, from left to center. I recently took the Pew Research Center’s “political typology” test and found that I was a “pragmatic and polite conservative,” which seemed a rather abstruse basket: A politically mixed (though Republican-tilting) group, they lean conservative on economics and the role of government, while tilting more liberal on issues related to race and foreign policy. They prize civility and cooperation in politics. Well, that sounds pretty mushy—and I find it hard to square with the strong opinions I have on many issues. I’ve voted for Democrats in federal elections, but I grow more Republican the closer I get to local politics. Democrats, I’ve found, simply aren’t very good at running things, especially school systems, where they are in the thrall of the teachers unions. My friends joke about my obsession with the unions. They know all my lines. If industrial unions are organized against the power of capital, who are the public employees organized against? But enough of that. I’ve ranted that rant too often, and my political journey has been more complicated than that one issue. It has been empirical, based on actual experience—on a lifetime of reporting and a lot of reading. An early example: I was a journalist with the underground press in Boston at the turn of the 1970s and considered myself a member of the antiwar and civil rights movements. The first big issue I covered was busing to achieve school integration. Yes, the white bigots were disgusting. But I couldn’t find any black parents who favored the plan to bus their children to schools outside their neighborhoods either. Black activists and politicians—and white liberals—were gung ho, but not actual parents of black kids in school. Busing was a form of social engineering imposed from on high, by a judge—W. Arthur Garrity—who lived in a wealthy liberal suburb. Wealthy liberal suburbs were not affected by his plan, of course. I began to see that there were limits to what government could do, especially when it came to changing a society’s culture.
Death of Console Discs Pushes Gamers to PC
The reception of PlayStation's recent decision to stop producing physical games media in early 2028 has been heard far and wide across the internet, with fans even going as far as to start the "Don't Kill the Disc" petition on Change.org. More recently, a survey on Push Square, a publication that...
CMS Releases Medicare Home Health Payment Proposed Rule for 2027
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule updating the Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for calendar year (CY) 2027.
After 200 Years, Darwin’s Mysterious Jars Reveal a Startling Hidden Truth - Futura-Sciences
Darwin’s Jars: A Sealed Mystery for Centuries For nearly two centuries, jars dating back to Darwin’s time have jealously guarded their secrets. Until recently, unveiling what’s inside came at a major risk: opening them. Now, for the first time, scientists have managed to explore the contents of these precious containers—without...
Israel shared intelligence with US of Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, sources say
Israel shared intelligence with the United States that Iran had recently devised a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, two sources familiar with matter told CNN.
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Among Our Best Penny Stocks According to Billionaires
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) is one of the Best Penny Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaires. Recently, on June 25, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AMC) announced the closing of a registered direct stock offering by selling 95,250,000 shares at $2.00 each. The company raised approximately $200 million in gross proceeds. Management noted that […]
Fort Bend County Fair Announces 2026 Entertainment Lineup Featuring Sawyer Brown, Pat Green
ROSENBERG, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Fort Bend County Fair has announced its entertainment lineup for its 90th annual celebration, featuring a mix of Texas country stars, Tejano favorites and nationally recognized performers during Championship BBQ Weekend and the fair's 10-day run. The 2026 Fort Bend County Fair begins with Championship BBQ Weekend on Sept. 18-19, followed by the fair Sept. 25 through Oct. 4. The entertainment schedule opens Friday, Sept. 18, with Tejano group Los Morales, followed by Texas country artist Cole Phillips on Saturday, Sept. 19. Phillips has gained attention for his traditional country sound influenced by classic honky-tonk music. The fair officially opens Friday, Sept. 25, with Tyce Delk, a New Mexico native whose touring schedule has expanded across the country. Country music veterans Sawyer Brown will headline Saturday, Sept. 26. The band, whose career spans more than four decades, remains known for hits including "Some Girls Do," "The Race Is On" and "Thank God for You." Go Tejano Day on Sunday, Sept. 27, will feature Prófugos de Nuevo León, along with performances by Los Rinches and Grupo Zenio. The second week of the fair begins Wednesday, Sept. 30, with Bellville singer-songwriter David Lewis, a recent Texas Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year nominee. Oklahoma Red Dirt artist Josh Meloy will perform Thursday, Oct. 1. Texas country star Pat Green returns to the Fort Bend County Fair stage Friday, Oct. 2. Green, whose career includes three Grammy Award nominations, has sold more than 2 million albums and amassed more than 200 million career streams. He is best known for songs including "Wave on Wave" and "Carry On." Country newcomer Vincent Mason will perform Saturday, Oct. 3. Mason has accumulated more than 500 million career streams and was recently nominated for Academy of Country Music New Male Artist of the Year. The fair concludes Sunday, Oct. 4, with Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn, whose "London Homesick Blues" remains one of the state's most recognizable songs. Weekend visitors also can enjoy performances on Music Row by J Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nubreeds, Southern County Line, Los Rangerz and Horizon. The Fort Bend County Fair Association, a nonprofit organization, supports youth, agriculture and education. According to the association, it has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships during the past decade and generated $1.4 million through its 2025 youth auctions. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, July 10. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and select the specific day they plan to attend, as tickets are valid only for the date purchased. Admission includes entry to the fairgrounds, access to the carnival, shopping, exhibits, food vendors and, when scheduled, admission to the rodeo and that day's concert. Season passes and single-day tickets will be available. For tickets and additional information, visit fortbendcountyfair.com or call the Fair Office at 281-342-6171. The address of the Fairgrounds is 4310 Texas 36 S in Rosenberg. 2026 Fort Bend County Fair Entertainment Schedule Championship BBQ Weekend Friday, Sept. 18: Los Morales Saturday, Sept. 19: Cole Phillips Fair Entertainment Friday, Sept. 25: Tyce Delk Saturday, Sept. 26: Sawyer Brown Sunday, Sept. 27 (Go Tejano Day): Prófugos de Nuevo León, Los Rinches and Grupo Zenio Wednesday, Sept. 30: David Lewis Thursday, Oct. 1: Josh Meloy Friday, Oct. 2: Pat Green Saturday, Oct. 3: Vincent Mason Sunday, Oct. 4: Gary P. Nunn × Expand FBCF Fort Bend County Fair 2026 Artist Lineup
Troy University SBDC strengthens Alabama–Mexico business connections through international networking initiative
Building on Alabama's growing efforts to strengthen economic ties with Mexico, the Troy University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) recently partnered with Tecnológico de Monterrey's Centro PyME to host a first-of-its-kind international networking initiative connecting entrepreneurs and small businesses from Alabama, Mexico and across the southern United States.
Basketball standout Carr signs with Western Oklahoma
Richardson High School standout and Cherokee Nation citizen Ma'Kayla Carr recently signed to continue her basketball career at Western Oklahoma State College, closing a four-year run that included two Texas
Science on Target: Q2 Grants & Funding Opportunities Update
Smarter Grants, Greater Impact: Target ALS Moves to SmartSimple Target ALS has recently transitioned from Blackbaud to SmartSimple as its grants management platform, marking a significant step forward in how we support and engage with our research community. SmartSimple’s robust, purpose-built grants management capabilities offer a more streamlined and intuitive experience for both applicants and […]
Khosla-Backed Startup Claims Breakthrough With Largest-Ever AI Model on an iPhone
Apple is on a quest to shrink powerful AI models to run on iPhones, which could cut down on cloud computing costs and enhance user privacy. But a small startup that emerged from stealth mode earlier this year says it recently got an AI model running on an iPhone bigger than any previous mobile ...