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Diamondbacks to call up Tyler Locklear, per report

Nick Piecoro added that Tyler Locklear will be taking the roster spot previously occupied by Tommy Troy.

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Jul 16 • 3:27 PM EDT • Sports • arizonasports.com
5 Micro Center Finds With Deep Discounts In July 2026

Micro Center is holding a back-to-school sale along with regular monthly discounts that let you get laptops, computer monitors, and components on the cheap.

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Jul 16 • 2:47 PM EDT • Technology • bgr.com
Community, business leaders back Hochul's pause on hyperscale data centers

Gov. Kathy Hochul held a roundtable Thursday morning, defending her decision to put a moratorium on new hyperscale data centers.

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Jul 16 • 1:38 PM EDT • Business • cbs6albany.com
'This was one of the most arduous expeditions I've ever done': Scientists confirm that 15-mile-wide pit found on Google Maps is ancient meteor crater

Joël Lapointe was using Google Maps to plan a camping trail through Quebec's Côte-Nord region when he stumbled across a large indentation. Now, scientists have confirmed that the pit was indeed a meteor impact crater that dates back roughly 390 million years.

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Jul 16 • 12:54 PM EDT • Science • livescience.com
Tim Scott says he'd 'love to see' Fox News host replace Lindsey Graham

Tim Scott says he's been calling Trey Gowdy to gauge interest in the South Carolina Senate special election, citing his prosecutor background.

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Jul 16 • 12:45 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
Altitude Sports & Entertainment’s Tim De Lay on New SkyCam Digital Feed, Upgraded Studio Space

Along with a new studio at Ball Arena, the Colorado-based RSN is working with XR workflows to enhance coverage Altitude Sports & Entertainment has been fortunate to cover back-to-back championship...

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Jul 16 • 12:09 PM EDT • Entertainment • sportsvideo.org
Brantley Gilbert slams artists who back out of patriotic shows under heat

Brantley Gilbert calls out artists who sign up for events then back out under pressure, sharing why the Turning Point USA halftime show was an easy yes.

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Jul 16 • 11:49 AM EDT • Entertainment • foxnews.com
Introducing: The Swatch Mission To The Moon 1969 Moonswatch

Eleven grams of gold offered in this limited edition of 1,969 pieces, priced as if we were back in 1969.

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Jul 16 • 11:07 AM EDT • Technology • hodinkee.com
White House Faces Stiff Pushback on Subjecting Grants to Political Review

Academics, city leaders and congressional lawmakers number among the thousands to urge the Trump administration to reconsider a plan to assert more control over grants.

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Jul 16 • 11:01 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
National Academies Report Backs Climate Change Attribution Science

Attribution science is advancing quickly, researchers said. That could support lawsuits seeking damages for severe events worsened by global warming.

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Jul 16 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
From The Sports Desk: Lionel Messi leads another late comeback win for Argentina

Messi and Argentina will now face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, hoping to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup titles.

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Jul 16 • 10:30 AM EDT • Sports • nbcnews.com
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Julie Chen Moonves blasts Rick Devens: ‘This ain’t ‘Survivor,’ honey. This here ‘Big Brother’’

‘Big Brother’ host Julie Chen Moonves blasts Rick Devens’ gameplay: ‘This ain’t ‘Survivor,’ honey. This here ‘Big Brother.’ Go back to the island, dude.’

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Jul 16 • 10:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
How Sport Will Change on a Hotter Planet (We Might Have to Move the Olympics) | Climate & Energy for July 16

Plus: The Strait of Hormuz isn’t going back to normal, and the Chinese EV wave threatens Volkswagen’s vast, well-paid workforce

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Jul 16 • 9:30 AM EDT • Business • wsj.com
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes shares health update ahead of 2026 NFL season

Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes said his "goal" is to be ready to play Week 1 when the Chiefs host the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football on Sept. 14.

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Jul 16 • 9:14 AM EDT • Health • cleveland.com
Matthew Stafford's 2025 pocket efficiency put him in rare company

Matthew Stafford was one of three quarterbacks in 2025 who rated efficiently inside and outside the pocket.

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Jul 16 • 8:02 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Policy Backgrounder: Geopolitics and the World Cup: Why It Matters for Business

The World Cup is estimated to bring up to $6.4 billion in economic impact for the US, with additional sums for Canada and Mexico.

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Jul 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • conference-board.org
San Util Design gears up for move to Washington, announces business model changes

This article ran in the June issue of Bicycle Retailer & Industry NewsWINTER PARK, Colo. — San Util Design, a company that handcrafts bags and gear for backcountry travel, bikepacking, and mountain biking, is moving operations from Colorado to Bellingham, Washington. The move, which was planned for the end of June, coincides with changes to San Util’s business model.

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Jul 16 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • bicycleretailer.com
Move over, GPS: Navigation satellites in low Earth orbit are making a comeback

Xona aims to deploy 258 satellites into low Earth orbit as a GPS alternative.

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Jul 16 • 7:00 AM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com
Samsung backs down on threat to delete health data

Samsung threatened to delete users' health data if they refused AI training. After a backlash, it quickly backed down.

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Jul 16 • 5:25 AM EDT • Health • malwarebytes.com
EU Top Court Backs Amnesty for Catalan Independence Leaders

The European Union’s top court ruled in favor of a Spanish law granting amnesty to Catalan politicians who held a referendum for the region’s independence in 2017, handing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a political boost.

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Jul 16 • 4:53 AM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Exchanges Words With Myles Garrett

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders ran into his former teammate Myles Garrett at the ESPYS. The post Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Exchanges Words With Myles Garrett appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 16 • 4:43 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Buffalo Bills quarterback is considered 'greatest of his generation'

Three names are locked into the Bills QB Mount Rushmore: Jim Kelly, Josh Allen and Joe Ferguson. This Bills backup should be the fourth.

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Jul 16 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Get to know: Arkansas '29 RB target Sadiq Goji

Little Rock Parkview 2029 running back Sadiq Goji, a Nigeria native, has adjusted well to the United States and found his favorite American meal.

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Jul 16 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • wholehogsports.com
49ers’ Christian McCaffrey Reacts to Former Teammate’s NFL Retirement

The NFL world received somewhat unexpected news on Wednesday just weeks before training camps begin.Carolina Panthers backup quarterback and seven-year veteran Will Grier, a former West Virginia star, announced his retirement from football at age 31.The Panthers selected Grier in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He later spent time with the Dallas […] The post 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey Reacts to Former Teammate’s NFL Retirement appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 16 • 2:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Asian shares mostly decline with South Korea’s Kospi down 6.6%, while oil prices slip

Asian shares are mostly lower and oil prices have fallen despite back-and-forth strikes between the U.S. and Iran.

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Jul 16 • 1:17 AM EDT • Business • seattletimes.com
At the Podium: Duce Robinson’s Comments from ACC Kickoff

The 6-foot-6 All-ACC receiver details passing on the NFL to refine his route tree, embrace a fourth starting quarterback, and cement a lasting legacy in Tallahassee.

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Jul 16 • 12:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Avalanche’s Opening-Night Record Stands Among NHL’s Best

With every team’s opening-night matchup for the 2026-27 season now official, it’s a good time to look back at the […] The post Avalanche’s Opening-Night Record Stands Among NHL’s Best appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

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Jul 15 • 11:47 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Bucs suggested to try and trade away an underperforming linebacker

After the moves made this offseason, the time is now for the Bucs to move on from SirVocea Dennis.

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Jul 15 • 10:50 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
NFL Coach Drops Honest Admission on Chargers' Justin Herbert

Despite prolific playmaking and elite physical tools, rival coordinators question the star quarterback’s maturity and operational mastery as he fights to secure his first playoff victory.

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Jul 15 • 10:31 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Debate over horse-drawn carriages in NYC goes back decades

An outright ban was first proposed by Council Member Tony Avella in 2007.

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Jul 15 • 8:48 PM EDT • Politics • ny1.com
Tuchel retains FA backing despite England defeat

Thomas Tuchel retains the backing of the Football Association despite England failing to reach the World Cup final.

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Jul 15 • 8:15 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
ZeniMax Online Studios leadership to exit as part of Xbox cuts

There are major changes happening atop Maryland-based ZeniMax Online Studios, developer of the Elder Scrolls Online, Game File has learned. Joe Burba, a 14-year veteran of the studio who was appointed to run it last July, is departing, along with ESO executive producer Susan Kath, studio game director Rich Lambert and production director Ala Diaz. Their roles were listed among hundreds of others cut last week from the Maryland offices of ZeniMax, in a WARN letter sent to the state by ZeniMax and obtained today by Game File. Tonight, BUrbam Kath, Lambert and Diaz notified Zenimax Online Studios workers of plans to “transition” to a new leadership team consisting of promoted ZOS veterans. That transition will occur “over the next few months,” they told workers, according to a copy of the notice reviewed by Game File. “We will remain in place during the transition period to help ensure a smooth handoff.” Last week, Microsoft laid off of 1,600 workers across its vast gaming teams in locations around the U.S. and abroad. Just who has been impacted and how hard various studios have been hit has been emerging day by day. Game File reported last week that Microsoft/ZeniMax notified officials in Maryland that 379 gaming jobs were being cut across the state. They tallied cuts in two locations: one for ZeniMax Media Inc. (covering Elder Scrolls/Starfield/Fallout-maker Bethesda Game Studios and central Bethesda game publishing) and one for ZeniMax Online Studios (Elder Scrolls Online). More than 200 jobs were cut at the latter. Last week’s totals did not reveal job titles, nor did Microsoft announce any leadership changes in the ZeniMax group. That has now happened. Earlier today, Game File obtained from Maryland officials a breakdown of the 379 impacted roles, which, extraordinarily, included “studio head.” Microsoft later confirmed to Game File which studio head that referred to: ZeniMax Online Studios’. Microsoft has since has notified studio employees and internally announced new leadership. ZOS will now be run by Josh Henderson, previously head of business operations at the studio, and Nick Giacomini, who was promoted to game director for ESO last August. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my journalism, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Last week’s news of 200+ cuts at ZeniMax Online Studios generated public sympathy for those workers and questions about the long-term viability of the Elder Scrolls Online. ESO is a massively multiplayer online game that inherently persists on the strength of new content being developed for it. Earlier today, fans and workers in Maryland protested the cuts at the ZeniMax teams in a rally organized by the Communication Workers of America, the union that represents many of the impacted employees. Regarding concerns around the game, a community manager stated on Saturday: “The plan is still to deliver great content, and we will hopefully have an update soon.” In their note to the studio today, the outgoing leaders of ZeniMax Online Studios predicted “growth” for the game: We have tremendous confidence in Josh and Nick, the future of this studio, and the continued growth of ESO. With exciting experiences still ahead for our players as we wrap up work for Update 51 and beyond, we believe that your passion, creativity, and commitment to each other and the community will continue serving as the heartbeat of ESO. The list of jobs cut in the ZeniMax WARN notice in Maryland includes several very senior roles, including: Studio Head Studio Operations Director Studio Game Director Studio Audio Director Studio Art Manager Vice President and Controller VP, Global Sales & Business Development While some of those job descriptions match the exiting ZOS leadership team, Game File couldn’t verify if all were from that studio. The full list of cut roles shared by Maryland officials also covers workers at Bethesda Game Studios and its central publishing office. The following is an excerpt: The list of 379 eliminated ZeniMax jobs in Maryland also includes: four animators three bilingual CS (community service) leads for Chinese, Italian, and Japanese a creative director for the Elder Scrolls Online Player Life Cycle two food service workers seven producers more than 60 senior QA testers. and many others The WARN notice states that almost all of the 379 workers were notified of their layoff on July 6. In fine print, it states: “Approximately 9 employees were notified of the elimination of their position prior to July 6, 2026.” A 2021 mega-merger scaled back Microsoft announced in 2020 that it intended to buy ZeniMax and its network of game studios in 2020, and closed the $7.5 billion deal in March 2021. The purchase, which preceded Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, added several award-winning studios to Microsoft’s portfolio, including Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout), Arkane (Dishonored), and id Software (Doom). The studios’ output since then included a 2024 Game of the Year contented from MachineGames in the form of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle along with Starfield from Bethesda and the poorly-received Redfall from Arkane Austin. In recent years, a Microsoft repeatedly in cutback mode closed ZeniMax’s Tango Gameworks (which was reconstituted by Krafton) and closed Arkane Austin. The Xbox cuts last week have hit the ZeniMax group hard, with 158 jobs eliminated in Texas, many of them at id, and 379 from the ZeniMax teams in Maryland. Xbox also said last week that it would be entering a consultation process around Arkane Lyon, a process expected to end in a sale, shutdown or other form of divestment. The Lyon team has been working on a game tied to Marvel’s Blade vampire-hunting super-hero.

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Jul 15 • 7:42 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
Chico City Council approves entertainment zones for downtown and Meriam Park

CHICO, Calif. - Chico City Council voted 6 to 0 to approve an ordinance creating entertainment zones in downtown Chico and Meriam Park.The ordinance, taking effect September 18, 2026, will allow customers to carry approved alcoholic beverages and walk around outside within those designated areas."I feel like the downtown could use all the help it could get right now," said Celeste Cramer, general manager of Downtown Chico Business Association. "In the other areas where they have been doing the entertainment zones and throughout California, it has increased their sales. They haven't seen an increase in violence, or tickets, or anything like that. It's a good thing to try out."Numerous other cities around California such as Redding, Sacramento and San Francisco have put their own entertainment zones into effect and have had success.Action News Now stopped by both designated locations and spoke with organizers and bar owners."I'm super excited, I think this is an opportunity for us," said Scott Baldwin, owner of Argus. "We can get a booth at the farmers market. You can order a cocktail from that booth and then we'll have it ready for you at the door as you walk through. Think of it as a picnic situation. You can grab some tacos, you can get a Kentucky Buck. You can sit down anywhere in the entertainment zone and enjoy Argus outside of Argus."Chico's Chamber of Commerce hosted community stakeholder meetings and community engagement sessions to tailor the ordinance to the city's needs as a university town and rural area.The ordinance will allow people 21 and older to walk around with open containers of alcohol within the entertainment zones as long as they have a wristband, stamp or another visible marker showing they're allowed to do so."To us it's more than an ordinance," said Jen Rothenwander, marketing manager at Meriam Park. "It's an opportunity to invest back into the community, and to continue to do what Chico does well – which is to create the spaces for people to stick around and gather, and shop and spend."The Meriam Park entertainment zone will be enclosed by Springfield Drive, Alcott Avenue, Notre Dame Boulevard and E. 20th Street.The Downtown Chico entertainment zone will span mostly from Highway 32 to Lost Park.Chico Chief of Police Billy Aldridge spoke with Redding Police and was informed they had zero problems with their entertainment zone.Chief Aldridge endorses the ordinance in Chico. freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "actionnewsnow-com_blox_yup-rectangle-one", slotId: "actionnewsnow-com_blox_yup-rectangle-one", targeting: { "pos": "yup-rectangle-one" } });

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Jul 15 • 7:37 PM EDT • Entertainment • actionnewsnow.com
Team Welch demanded ‘misleading’ ad’s removal. Crist’s camp replaced it

A political committee backing Charlie Crist uploaded a new ad calling out City Hall spending with tweaked language.

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Jul 15 • 7:25 PM EDT • Politics • tampabay.com
Sports World Reacts To Argentina's Comeback Win vs. England In World Cup Semis

The sports world was sent into a frenzy over another stunning Argentina comeback at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this time over England in the semifinals.

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Jul 15 • 7:14 PM EDT • Sports • foxsports.com
Sarasota parking hours backlash: Residents, business owners push city to reconsider

Residents say new downtown hours are a threat to livelihoods.

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Jul 15 • 6:50 PM EDT • Business • mysuncoast.com
Hundreds rally at Bethesda HQ to protest Xbox layoffs, and Ars was there

Union wants to halt a "perpetual cycle" of layoffs, get back to contract bargaining.

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Jul 15 • 6:36 PM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com
Giants Rivals Feature 2 of NFL's top-10 Wide Receivers

The New York Giants are ecstatic to see A.J. Brown leave the NFC East. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens each landed on the list of the top-10 wide receivers, which was voted on by 70-plus scouts, coaches and executives and compiled by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The Giants went 1-1 against Dallas last year, and nearly swept the the Cowboys if not for the Cowboys' furious, last-minute comeback.

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Jul 15 • 6:08 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
📸 Tuchel gets torn apart after England’s elimination 🥶

Coaching that didn’t pay off.He may well be having nightmares about it for a very long time. After England had opened the scoring against Argentina, Thomas Tuchel immediately chose to sit back and d...

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Jul 15 • 5:23 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Biden will publish 'Promise Me, America' memoir after the November midterm elections

The timing of the book — two weeks after midterm elections in which Democrats seek to regain control of Congress — could raise concerns within Biden's party by putting him back into the spotlight.

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Jul 15 • 5:19 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
NFL Skill Guys Back From Major Injury To Monitor

Injuries are a brutal reality of the NFL, and usually it’s not a massive hit that derails a player’s season, but a misstep on wet grass or turf that puts them on the shelf. During the 2025 NFL season, several standout offensive players – some of whom were likely on your fantasy team – were either ...

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Jul 15 • 5:04 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Trump endorses 'Pillow Man' Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor

Trump praised Lindell as “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots” and gave formal backing to a fellow election denier a day before the Republican president delivers a national address he says will focus on election security.

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Jul 15 • 5:03 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Almost Half of House Democrats Vote to End Aid to Israel

The measure failed, but the level of support among Democrats exposed a stark shift in the party away from backing the Jewish state.

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Jul 15 • 4:57 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
The opioid offensive: Fighting fentanyl | Investors Lab

As the clinical-stage biotech sector tackles this multibillion dollar public health imperative, a mix of established players and venture-backed innovators are making strides:

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Jul 15 • 4:52 PM EDT • Science • sciencenews.org
Former Gators QB Retires From NFL Career

The former Florida Gators quarterback had been signed with the Carolina Panthers before retiring

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Jul 15 • 4:52 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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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Jul 15 • 4:48 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com
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Purdue-backed consortium wins National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines competition

A Purdue-backed consortium won a $160 million grant award from the National Science Foundation that will fuel the creation of a major musculoskeletal research hub in the state of Indiana.

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Jul 15 • 4:48 PM EDT • Science • purdue.edu
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NFL QB courted for Cowboys coaching staff announces sudden retirement

Former Florida and West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, 31, retired from the NFL. He appeared in 2 games, both in 2019.

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Jul 15 • 4:34 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Backlash against Sony over PlayStation's all-digital future gets louder — here's how things could play out in court

By eliminating physical game discs in 2028, Sony may be setting itself up for antitrust battles reminiscent of Epic's monopoly claims against mobile app stores.

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Jul 15 • 4:18 PM EDT • Technology • tech.yahoo.com
Veteran NFL Quarterback Will Grier Announces His Retirement at 31

Former West Virginia quarterback Will Grier is officially retiring from the NFL. The Carolina Panthers placed Grier on the reserve/retired list this Wednesday afternoon, much to the surprise of NFL fans. The 31-year-old quarterback was gearing up for his second stint with the Panthers (they ...

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Jul 15 • 3:57 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
CDC nominee says she won't betray science — and also backs Kennedy's actions

Dr. Erica Schwartz told the Senate health committee she "will never betray the science” and pledged to use “radical transparency” in a bid to rebuild public trust in the Centers for Disease Control.

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Jul 15 • 3:32 PM EDT • Science • scrippsnews.com
Health emergency preparedness nominee walks back comments skeptical of vaccine safety - Live Updates

Sean Kaufman, the White House nominee for the health department's assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said the shots were safe after expressing vaccine skepticism online.

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Jul 15 • 3:21 PM EDT • Health • politico.com
Cook County Public Health Offers Back-to-School Vaccinations at Suburban Cook County Community Events  - Cook County Department of Public Health

Parents can get their children vaccinated for the upcoming school year, right on time for National Immunization Awareness Month in August. Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is providing back-to-school immunizations at no cost for the 2026-27 school year to children ages 6 months to 18 years old, regardless of immigration or insurance status, now through mid-October.

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Jul 15 • 3:07 PM EDT • Health • cookcountypublichealth.org
CDC nominee says she won’t betray science — and also backs Kennedy’s actions

Several senators questioned how Dr. Erica Schwartz might handle pressure from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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Jul 15 • 2:51 PM EDT • Science • adn.com
Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer Just Went Live in Select Countries

Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in select countries in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The offer provides college students and educational staff with a free item with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model. The exact offer varies by country, with options including a four pack of AirTags, AirPods 4, an Apple Pencil Pro, or an Apple gift card.

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Jul 15 • 2:48 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Top US science body readies climate report as Republicans push back

The United States' leading scientific body is set Thursday to launch a major report on the link between climate change and extreme weather, a growing research field now underpinning lawsuits seeking b...

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Jul 15 • 1:23 PM EDT • Science • yahoo.com
Employer, Business Groups Back Northrop Grumman in 4th Circuit 401(k) Forfeiture Appeal

The use of forfeitures to offset contributions continues to draw industry support.

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Jul 15 • 12:58 PM EDT • Business • plansponsor.com
AHA comments on health bills considered during House committee markup

The AHA provided a statement to the House Ways and Means Committee for a markup July 15 on various pieces of health legislation. The AHA offered feedback on the Health Care Price Certainty for All Americans Act, which would codify and expand hospital price transparency requirements.

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Jul 15 • 11:42 AM EDT • Health • aha.org
Essentia Health encourages parents to schedule well-child/teen visits during slow summer months

As families settle into summer routines, Essentia Health is encouraging parents to take advantage of the season’s added flexibility by scheduling well-child/teen visits before school, sports and activities pick back up.

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Jul 15 • 11:32 AM EDT • Health • essentiahealth.org
Top 10 Mountain West Football Games of the Divisional Era

With the Mountain West changing, I thought it would be fun to go back and highlight the best players, games, and teams since the last phase of conference realignment 13 years ago. Previously, I’ve covered Top 10 football players, Top 10 basketball players, Top 10 Football Teams, and Top 10 Basketball Teams. Today’s list covers […]

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Jul 15 • 11:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Baker Mayfield addresses epic trash talking on Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’

Baker Mayfield addresses epic trash talking on Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’: ‘None of that is for the camera’

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Jul 15 • 9:08 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com
Opinion | Can Democrats Harness the Data Center Backlash?

David Wallace-Wells and Robinson Meyer discuss whether the gathering coalition of Americans against data centers could be the next Occupy Wall Street movement or Tea Party.

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Jul 15 • 5:03 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Trump administration scales back immigration crackdown after ICE shootings

The administration is again retreating from some aggressive actions, but Republicans expect Democrats to expand calls to “abolish ICE.”

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Jul 15 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Yankees news: The top trade deadline targets

Miller, Jeffers top the wish list; Bellinger back at the All-Star Game; CC’s kid starts his journey; what just kills ya

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Jul 15 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Battlefield 6 is bringing back a feature we've not seen since Battlefield 2, and teasing a fitting Top Gun collab alongside it

Battlefield 6's upcoming season may be bringing more to the game than we initially thought, and some of it was entirely unexpected.

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Jul 15 • 4:33 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net
Minerals at the Negotiating Table: Resource Politics and Peace in Eastern DRC

The United States brokered a strategic partnership deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in December 2025, co-signing a DRC–Rwanda peace agreement on the same day. Whether a mediator with a strategic interest can also be neutral is a question the Washington Peace Accords have yet to answer. Critical minerals are no longer a backdrop to negotiations in eastern DRC but they are increasingly the point of concern. Yet understanding their role requires looking beyond the well-worn "conflict minerals" narrative and asking a harder question: whose resource interests are actually shaping the path to a negotiated settlement?

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Jul 15 • 4:23 AM EDT • Politics • blog.prif.org
The Mac Speaks: ‘We’ll Be Back!‘

Don’t give up hope on Conor McGregor just yet. For the first time since his disastrous UFC 329 leg injury (not the broken leg from five years ago) suffered versus Max Holloway, McGregor has gotten in front of a camera and addressed fans directly. On his 38th birthday, McGregor shares a sip of his energy […]

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Jul 15 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Giants Trade Pitch Deals Disappointing Former 1st-Round Pick

Bleacher Report's Moe Moton predicts the New York Giants will trade cornerback and former 1st-round pick Deonte Banks. The post Giants Trade Pitch Deals Disappointing Former 1st-Round Pick appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 15 • 2:44 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Daniel Cormier Explains Why Brock Lesnar Fight Didn’t Happen

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier explained why a fight against Brock Lesnar inside the Octagon never happened.Cormier and Lesnar came close to fighting back in 2019. After Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 226 in July 2018, Lesnar entered the Octagon and challenged Cormier for the heavyweight […] The post Daniel Cormier Explains Why Brock Lesnar Fight Didn’t Happen appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 15 • 2:14 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Texas Makes Announcement Featuring Arch Manning

The college football season is approaching quickly, and the Texas Longhorns are one of the most intriguing teams entering 2026.Head coach Steve Sarkisian has assembled a roster loaded with talent. However, quarterback Arch Manning remains the team’s biggest storyline as he enters his fourth season with the program.This will be just Manning’s second year as […] The post Texas Makes Announcement Featuring Arch Manning appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 15 • 1:51 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (12%)
love
50%
ahah
25%
wow
25%
Wednesday briefing: ​Do MPs have the will to stop mega-donors interfering in UK politics?

In today’s newsletter: The representation of the people bill has become a test of whether ​Britain can curb the surge in billionaire‑backed ​donations trying to influence how we run the country

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Jul 15 • 1:47 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Israel Adesanya Plays Matchmaker for Conor McGregor’s Return

UFC Hall of Famer Israel Adesanya played matchmaker for Conor McGregor’s return fight when he recovers from his knee injury.McGregor’s comeback to the UFC after five years away from the Octagon lasted just 69 seconds when he lost via injury TKO due to a knee injury in his UFC 329 main event bout against Max […] The post Israel Adesanya Plays Matchmaker for Conor McGregor’s Return appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 15 • 1:01 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (13%)
angry
37%
wow
37%
ahah
26%
Tech Investors and Longevity Influencers Back Neko Health’s Mega Round

The health tech start-up co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek is worth billions more after a new $700 million funding round.

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Jul 15 • 12:00 AM EDT • Health • nytimes.com
David Gabriel Georges provides update, refutes recruiting rumors

High priority Ohio State target, 5-star running back David Gabriel Georges provide an update on his recruitment and refuted the rumors out there.

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Jul 14 • 10:02 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Shane Ryan defends Rory McIlroy ‘legacy’ question after internet blowback

The final of golf’s four major championships begins later this week at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, and players are fulfilling their pre-tournament media obligations. As one would expect before an Open Championship, golf fans were hanging on every word six-time major winner Rory McIlroy gave to the press. But it was one…

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Jul 14 • 9:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Browns young cornerstone already in elite company after rookie season

He may only be entering his second season in the NFL, but Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger already finds himself in elite conversations

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Jul 14 • 8:20 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Watch Eternal Founder Goyal Bets on Health Tech, Aerospace

India's quick commerce billionaire Deepinder Goyal is planning to launch his first product after stepping back from the empire he led for 18 years. Goyal says Temple, a wearable device worn on the side of the forehead, will retail for about one-thousand U-S dollars. The founder of Eternal Limited, which counts quick delivery apps Zomato and Blinkit under its umbrella, spoke with Bloomberg's Haslinda Amin in an exclusive interview at his private residence in New Delhi.

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Jul 14 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • bloomberg.com
House passes bill to make daylight saving time permanent

Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, is among those backing a bill to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.

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Jul 14 • 7:41 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com
Samsung's new foldables will debut new Flex Titanium display on July 22

Ahead of Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung is pulling back the curtains on a new foldable phone feature that will debut at the event.

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Jul 14 • 7:00 PM EDT • Technology • mashable.com
Georgia political leaders push back on upcoming Trump address

Speculation is rampant that the president will use the speech to air allegations of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, reportedly taking direct aim at the legitimacy of sitting Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

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Jul 14 • 5:52 PM EDT • Politics • fox5atlanta.com
Moderate San Francisco mayor's 'political machine' indicate the city's shift to the center: report

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie holds a 74% approval rating as moderate Democrats and tech-backed groups spend millions to lock progressives out of power.

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Jul 14 • 5:06 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
Global misinformation takes center stage at Emory conference

Emory College brought together leading scholars to study propaganda and information manipulation, emphasizing feedback and collaboration over traditional presentations to better address the growing global impact of disinformation.

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Jul 14 • 3:37 PM EDT • Science • news.emory.edu
From NBA Summer League back to college basketball? NCAA coaches bracing for more roster chaos

As the NCAA's new age-based eligibility rule comes under legal attacks, some agents see a pathway from the NBA back to college

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Jul 14 • 3:36 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Apple looks to shrink AI models for iPhones

Apple is reportedly in very early discussions with PrismML, a Silicon Valley startup spun out of the California Institute of Technology and backed by Khosla Ventures, about technology that could dramatically reduce the size of powerful AI models so they can run directly on iPhones, CNBC reports. PrismML recently announced that it compressed Alibaba’s open-source […]

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Jul 14 • 3:29 PM EDT • Technology • businessreport.com
County business park to get first infrastructure, new name

New Hanover County’s Holly Shelter Business Park could be getting its first infrastructure and a new name in the coming months. The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $6.5 million infrastructure construction contract and renaming on Monday. Once developed, the approximately 300-acre master-planned industrial park is expected to accommodate more than 2 million square feet of industrial space. The construction contract was awarded to Carolina Civilworks, which submitted the lowest responsive bid for the construction of the infrastructure, Akin Akinola, the county’s engineer, told commissioners on Monday. In May 2023, the county approved a development agreement with Sidbury Land & Property Company to establish the business park. The firm then conveyed approximately 52 acres to the county, giving officials the option to purchase another 200 acres, Akinola said. “The county’s role is to construct the initial public infrastructure that will make the site ready for future development,” he said. “Today’s contract award represents the first major construction phase of that project.” The first phase of development will include approximately 2,750 linear feet of business park roadway, a water main and fire hydrants, along with a sanitary sewer pump station, sewer force main and gravity sewer. Other infrastructure will include a right-turn lane on Holly Shelter Road, along with associated drainage, utilities and traffic control improvements. “Completing this work establishes the backbone infrastructure necessary to serve future development and positions the site for future economic investment,” Akinola said on Monday. County staff, in consultation with Wilmington Business Development officials, are also recommending renaming the park as the I-40 Coastal Commerce Park, said Jennifer Rigby, the county’s chief strategy officer. The new name would emphasize the park’s proximity to I-40 and its location on the coast, she said. Several county commissioners also asked to add New Hanover County's name to the business park's name to commemorate the county's contributions. “We are hoping to achieve space for our businesses to grow and expand here in New Hanover County,” Rigby said. “We’ve had great success with out Blue Clay Business Park and this is another opportunity to really provide locations for our businesses to grow and expand.”

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Jul 14 • 3:24 PM EDT • Business • wilmingtonbiz.com
Green Bay Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper Receives Bold Ranking

Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has earned a strong ranking ahead of the 2026 season.

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Jul 14 • 3:19 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
47 revelatory hours with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

To review this month’s supposed remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, I must first correct the record. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced isn’t a game about pirates (and assassins) in the 18th century Caribbean. Sure, sure, that’s what the trailers would have you believe. They’ve go their clips of Edward Kenway swinging his swords and steering his pirate ship into cannon-blasting combat against British frigates. Is Resynced truly a pirate game? Of the 47 hours I spent playing Resynced over the past few weeks, I will admit I spent maybe 44 (?) of them collecting plunder with Blackbeard, drinking rum with Anne Bonny and debating the pros and cons of the lawless pirate-run settlement Nassau with Benjamin Hornigold. I may in fact have spent dozens of hours sailing to remote islands, reading treasure maps, opening messages left in bottles, sinking the odd Man o’ War with a well-timed broadside, collecting sea shanties for my crew, befriending a pet monkey, and hunting whales. I am nevertheless neither so Gullible nor so Narrow-Minded as to call the magnificent Resynced a “pirate remake.” Oh no. Forget any reviews of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced you may have read. Forget what you yourself may have played, if you’ve spent any time with the game since its launch. What Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is really about I’m here to give you the scoop (spoilers for Resynced’s Animus menu lore, which many players are probably not going to see): Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, the new game whose development was led by Ubisoft Singapore, is set in the year 2096. It’s about a societal split, about revolution, about an old Assassin’s Creed adventure repurposed in the series’ distant future as propaganda or samizdat. It’s about the overheated future of 2096, essentially conquered by the series’ well-established nefarious Templar-run company Abstergo. (In this future, Abstergo is, among other things, remaking a 2013 pirate movie called Devils of the Caribbean, but this time in VR. The VR version will be backed by a marketing plan that involves AI influencers, a 10,000-avatar “metaverse premiere event” and that manufacturing of memes aimed at “50 million VR nodes.” See what I mean about Abstergo being evil?) Resynced is about a late 21st-century population mollified by the widespread use of Abstergo’s Animus devices which let people experience the lives of historical figures culled from “genetic memories.” It’s about an insurgent faction of Assassins. And it’s about a plan to wake the population into revolutionary fervor by showing them the memories of 18th century pirate Edward Kenway, who—as depicted in the original Black Flag and again in Resynced—gradually comes to an understanding about the Assassins of his day and their centuries old fight for freedom. Resynced is also about an AI developed within the late 21st-century Animus, called Ego. It has found a way to alter genetic memories, to create and show Animus users false ones. The game is about Ego’s efforts to tell the people experiencing Edward Kenway’s memories that Kenway was wrong, that fighting against order is folly, that we should crave a world where “compliance is rewarded with power.” Who are we in this game? We’re an unnamed Animus user in 2096 who experiences Kenway’s journey virtually. At four moments during Kenway’s exploits in the Caribbean our virtual jaunt can be interrupted for 10-15 minutes, as we explore Animus “rifts” where Ego explicitly tries to tell us how wrong Kenway was. None of this is what 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was about, of course. That was a different game, even if you also spent dozens of hours pirating as Kenway in that game, across missions and a map that’s been faithfully reintroduced and rebuilt for Resynced. The 2013 Black Flag was about you playing as an unnamed researcher newly hired in 2013 by Abstergo Entertainment, the video game development wing of the Templars’ evil-corp. In that game, you were assigned to use the Animus to dive into the genetic memories of Desmond Miles, a man who died in Assassin’s Creed III and who was descended from a long line of Assassins (and at least one Templar) whose adventures were featured across the prior AC games. In 2013’s Black Flag, your mission was to plumb the Edward Kenway experience for material that Abstergo could use in productions such as the motion picture Devils of the Caribbean, though the Templars had some ulterior motives for the assignment. Resynced is therefore not a remake of 2013’s Black Flag. It’s a sequel. It is a new game about a new exploration of Edward Kenway’s pirate/assassin journey, set 83 years after the framing sequences of the original game. Resynced provides a new narrative framework that, thanks to the concept of an AI that wants to alter historical memories, arrives with creative justification to tweak a now-classic 13-year old game. That makes Resynced, already a hot seller, a tantalizing hint of where Ubisoft could go with a line of Assassin’s Creed remakes. They could remake the first game, the Ezio games, even the recent ones set in ancient Egypt and Greece. And for each, they could not just modernize the graphics and controls but expand and alter their sequences of events to use them as reference points for a conflict set in the late 21st century, as rival factions try to weaponize historical memories. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, even when that work consists of ravings about Assassin’s Creed’s modern day plot, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe A story most players will probably miss If you didn’t know any of this, I’m not surprised. If you played the game and still didn’t catch it, I’m not a bit shocked. If Ubisoft has no plans to do more of this, I won’t fall down. Almost all of what I’ve described is optional and missable in Black Flag Resynced. I nearly missed it myself, as I planned for a breezy playthrough of an old Assassin’s Creed favorite. Instead, I found myself in a 40+ hour hunt for the “real” story, buried deeper in Resynced than any gold-filled chest. The story of 2096 is Resynced’s meta-story, told in two remote pockets of the game: 1) four optional playable “rifts” that players may find as they proceed through Resynced’s pirate fantasy , 2) in dozens of text files tucked three menus deep in the game’s barely-interactive Animus hub. Assassin’s Creed games have almost always had a meta-story about people in the 21st century (usually matching the game’s release year) and their connections to the main history portions you play. Those meta-stories have always been squeezed into the margins, though seldom as severely and as, uh, graphiaclly simple, as in recent games. Back in 2013, the modern-day exploits of you as an Abstergo Entertainment employee were prominent. They were portrayed via first-person portions that occasionally interrupted the third-person Kenway experience and could be explored for hours, complete with their own missions, side quests and puzzles. Resynced’s 2096 story—of Assassin “Watchers” vs. Abstergo/Tempar goons, of rogue AIs, of panicking scientists, of a woman wondering why her Animus-addicted husband is muttering about Mary Read (“What does he mean by Assassins?”), of a fight for the population’s hearts and minds via varying interpretations of Edward Kenway’s life choices—is mostly told through unlockable text files. The files are interesting. Offered via diary entries, intercepted chats and news reports, they present varied perspectives of a world in crisis. One set works as a narrative puzzle as it reveals the Rashomonic interpretations of a massacre, or was that a successful Assassin hit? Another favorite reveals the rising bitterness of a person who, through Edward Kenway’s journey, now shakes at the ignored evil around him. One surmises that Ubisoft is averse to putting the Assassin’s Creed’s meta-story in the way of more marketable pirate playgrounds and ninja/samurai epics. Instead, we get a better-than-nothing text-in-menus approach introduced in 2025’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows. In Shadows, players unlocked the meta-story text files largely via time-gated missions that called on the user to kill X number of enemy type Y, clear three enemy castles, re-win a three-phase fighting tournament, and other grinds. Time restrictions on accessing these missions and unlocking the files meant it could take players months to access the full story in-game. But even in the most hardcore Assassin’s Creed hangouts, the fanbase instead seemed to throw up their hands rather than grind to keep up. In Resynced, Ubisoft has shown some mercy, diminishing the amount of new text files that are tied to timed grinds. Now, most of the text-based 2096 lore are associated with “data file” collectibles that players can find in the world. That includes a batch of written entries that explain a historical link between the feudal Japan era in Shadows and the piracy adventures in Black Flag. Players who explore a lot will find dozens of data files, though the game does not appear to offer any in-game tracker for finding each one. You just need to keep looking for them. As of this writing, I have most of them, but not all. I can’t find any full guide for them online. And even Ubisoft’s optional $5 microtransaction that reveals lots of items in-game does not appear to reveal the locations of the text files (at least the official description omits them from its collectibles list). That’s not a huge bother, because tracking the data files down compelled me to re-explore the waves and islands of Black Flag. That was a thoroughly pleasant task to do for the first time in a dozen years. I expect many players, though, will be content to wait for the files to be reproduced in an online AC wiki somewhere, the easier to read on a web page. It may not seem enticing to play a video game in order to gradually unlock pages of text to read. Why not, you may ask, just read a book, where they put the pages in order? For one, they’ve not tucked this latest installment of Assassin’s Creed’s meta saga in a book. I also enjoy the unordered delivery, the dawning comprehension of a story about 2096’s desperate people and questionable tech, which I glimpsed first at its middle, then the end, then the front, then other moments in between1. I am also enamored with the idea of the Assassin’s Creed games I’ve previously played, including Black Flag, being repurposed for an information war. The ideas in Resynced’s meta-story, which builds off characters and ideas in Shadows’ chunks of text, are strong. The potential of where they could go with it is exciting. As for the pirate stuff? Looks great, controls pretty well, is fun to play and oh so speedy in terms of how much of a good time you can have with each sit-down. It never gets old to chase a new shanty page across a rooftop, bombard a fort with upgraded mortars or use a diving bell to explore sunken wrecks (hats off to the team at Ubisoft Barcelona that worked on the underwater portions in Resynced; that team is now facing layoffs, such is the misery of modern gaming and oft-troubled Ubisoft). New pirate missions in Resynced involving new ally characters are brief, dramatic and add more to Edward’s story, even if the gameplay perks they provide barely enhance the gameplay. A new denouement for high-class pirate Stede Bonnet is affecting; a new hunt for Blackbeard’s treasure is a welcome extra moment. A new epilogue to hunt down a pirate killer, on the other hand, over-complicates Kenway’s character. The ending credits remain my favorite of any game I’ve ever played. Black Flag provides great source material. The revisit is well-made and a great sign of what could be. It is offered in a different wrapper that hints at an opportunity for more interesting remakes to come, should Ubisoft choose to pursue such treasures—and as we brace to resist or comply with an Abstergo future. 1 The messages that Edward Kenway finds in bottles tell another out-of-order story, one about a man reckoning with the strange memories and voices he’s heard in his head since he was a boy. That tale was also in the 2013 game and develops into one of Black Flag’s most compelling character arcs. In Resynced, it has lost its climax, because the bottle story previously paid off in the halls of the first-person Abstergo Entertainment, which is exclusive to the older game. An altered resolution, written by the 2013 game’s lead writer is fine, doesn’t invalidate the 2013 version, but makes for an inferior final note.

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Jul 14 • 3:17 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
At a health clinic built ‘for women,’ patients say their pregnancies went undetected

Tia, the $100 million venture-backed healthcare company, faces sharp criticism from dozens of patients for failing to deliver on its promise of comprehensive and compassionate care.

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Jul 14 • 2:33 PM EDT • Health • 19thnews.org
Christopher Nolan sparks fresh backlash after calling 'The Odyssey' criticism 'irrelevant'

Critics slammed Nolan's response to "The Odyssey" casting backlash involving Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, and the film's modern language choices.

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Jul 14 • 2:17 PM EDT • Entertainment • foxnews.com
How can ASU's Cutter Boley lock down QB1?

Cutter Boley is the clear favorite to be named ASU's starting quarterback, so what does he still need to do to end the competition?

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Jul 14 • 2:13 PM EDT • Sports • arizonasports.com
Packers’ Edgerrin Cooper named top-10 linebacker by ESPN

Edgerrin Cooper was the second-youngest linebacker in the top-10, only behind Carson Schwesinger

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Jul 14 • 1:47 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
James Cook Highlights "New Energy" In Buffalo Bills Locker Room

As Joe Brady takes the reins, star running back James Cook details the revitalized atmosphere fueling Buffalo's high-stakes pursuit of a Super Bowl title following major coaching changes.

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Jul 14 • 1:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) Faces Fresh Regulatory Focus, Is It Still 31% Below Fair Value?

Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLUT) is back in focus after two separate regulatory storylines put sports betting on investors’ radar, including a potential UK legal challenge to new affordability checks and fresh interest from investor Michael Burry. See our latest analysis for Flutter Entertainment. After a difficult stretch in which the year to date share price return is down 48.5% and the 1 year total shareholder return declined 61.91%, Flutter Entertainment has recently shown improving...

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Jul 14 • 1:12 PM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com
Netflix Bounces Back With Home Run Derby Debut

After its panned coverage of Opening Night, Netflix focused on the field.

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Jul 14 • 12:44 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Who's the Best QB from the 2024 NFL Draft Class?

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye headlined a rare quarterback class in the 2024 NFL Draft, but which one is the better player after two seasons?

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Jul 14 • 12:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
LeBron James Connected to Cleveland Cavaliers Homecoming

While LeBron James is still making his decision about where he wants to play next year, don't be surprised if he ultimately winds up back where it all started, with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After eight strong seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, James is a free agent at the age of 41, and he has ...

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Jul 14 • 12:17 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
New England Patriots Dealt Harsh Linebacker Verdict in NFL Rankings

The New England Patriots spent the past two seasons rebuilding a defense capable of carrying a contender.NFL evaluators still see a weakness right in the middle of it.No Patriots player appeared in ESPN’s ranking of the NFL’s top 10 off-ball linebackers for 2026. New England also failed to place anyone among the honorable mentions or […] The post New England Patriots Dealt Harsh Linebacker Verdict in NFL Rankings appeared first on HEAVY.

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Jul 14 • 12:01 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Xbox Helix May Only Sell 2 Million Consoles In Its Launch Year, Says Analyst

Microsoft has given out perilously few details about Xbox’s Project Helix, its next-generation console which will arrive on the back of a truly dismal period for the brand.

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Jul 14 • 11:58 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
Google Maps appears to be rolling out ‘Immersive Navigation’ redesign – do you have it yet? [Poll]

Following its announcement back in March, Google Maps appears to be rolling out its “Immersive Navigation” redesign more broadly, but...

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Jul 14 • 11:55 AM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com
John Mateer, Taylor Wein, Eddy Pierre-Louis to represent OU football at SEC Media Days

Redshirt senior quarterback John Mateer, redshirt junior defensive lineman Taylor Wein and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis will represent OU at SEC Media Days.

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Jul 14 • 11:53 AM EDT • Sports • oudaily.com