SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " picture " 2,217 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
After years of teasing, Michael Adams makes surprising decision in 2027 KY governor’s race
Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams has long hinted at his interest in running for governor. So what led to this unexpected decision?
Massive shopping/entertainment zone planned for Fresno corner
The 27-acre development is expected to feature restaurants, stores, a brewery and an entertainment venue.
Federal judge’s NCAA eligibility ruling sends shockwaves through college sports
Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney ruling would allow athletes from the Class of 2022, who have not redshirted, a fifth year of eligibility. How that impacts N.C. State, UNC, Duke and the rest of the ACC.
The Thorny Politics of Protest Photography
A new documentary follows the work of activist and photographer Misan Harriman, but risks aestheticizing the movements he captures.
Jonesboro man charged with forgery after using movie prop money at business
A Jonesboro man was held on a $10,000 cash or surety bond before being released after police say he used motion picture money at a business.
Voter guide: Everything South Florida needs to know about voting in August
You don’t have to be a Democrat or Republican to participate
Chris Fleming & Irina Shayk Join Universal Rom-Com ‘The Catch’
EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Chris Fleming (HBO’s Live at the Palace) and Irina Shayk (Hercules) have inked deals to join The Catch, Universal Pictures’ new baseball-themed romantic comedy starring Emma Stone ...
The Streaming Bubble Keeps Popping
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) One of my rules is “never bet against PE [private equity]”. This isn’t to say that I agree with their methods or tactics or strategies or financial innovations (aka shenanigans). Just that in the long arc of financial history, they’ve tended to return very good returns to their shareholders. That said, their forays into entertainment have left me...skeptical. I’ve written before about PE’s production company/celebrity production company roll ups, and those haven’t really worked out. Some PE groups tried to “roll up” an industry that isn’t “roll-up-able” for lack of a better term—since the barrier to entry for starting a production company is very low—often paying top dollar for celebrity production companies at the height of streaming valuations. So yeah maybe we can bet against PE when they venture into filmed entertainment. I’ve also noted that studio lots seemed to be a bubble back in 2022. Sure enough… Yikes! That sure sounds like some private equity guys lost some money. The only caveat being that holding a lot of land in Los Angeles is always valuable. But that wasn’t the pitch and likely real estate investment companies overpaid for said land. I mean, Goldman Sachs had to repossess it after all. (Technically, I’m not sure these buyers were traditional private equity, but PE was buying LA studio lots earlier this decade.) All to say: I call out bubbles when I see them, and they often pop. Anywho, my most famous bubble call was the “streaming bubble”, specifically that the major streamers were making too many shows and films. And that it could all come crashing down. Notably, I made this call before the strikes of 2023, but those strikes potentially accelerated the popping. And now it has indeed popped. One of my most popular articles of last year made that exact case. A year later, it’s time to update that analysis. The bottom line is that the streaming contraction continues. Credit where credit is due, Luminate—an analytics company whose data I use weekly in my streaming ratings report—called this out in a recent report I saw highlighted in both Bloomberg and The Hollywood Reporter. But I’m adding my data to their look, including streaming films and kids TV shows. I’ll also provide some other data that all tells the same picture. Let’s dive in! Subscribe The Number of Streaming TV Shows, Films and Specials Is Declining AGAIN in 2026 Let’s get right to the data, starting with my dataset. Specifically, each week I track every “notable” title to come out on streaming. I try to grab every title on every major streamer, meaning if it’s a first run or original or exclusive, I track it. This helps me call out the “dogs not barking” and the misses/flops each week. So that will be our first series of charts, my weekly collection data. Let’s start with the raw TV show, film and special data, by week. Note: As the years have gone by, I have actually added more sources (going from just one source to five sources) to find new titles, meaning that this data collection is, likely, more accurate now than in the past. Which means my team and I are more likely to have undercounted titles in the past rather than today. I like to cut the data several different ways. Here’s that same look, by quarter, to more sharply show the trends: And here’s the data just looking at the first half of each year. That’s the same data, just cut three different ways with three different time periods. Note that films, TV shows, and specials are all down by 25%, 42% and 17%, respectively, from 2022. The good news is that the number of films and specials actually increased year-over-year from 2025 to 2026, but not enough to offset the 25% decline in TV shows. Now, I also look at kids shows, and here they are pulled out on their own: And here’s that by quarter: This really seems to be a notable area of pullback by the streamers. Kids shows are down 80% from 2022. This reflects some formerly Disney+ shows going to cable TV first, but also pullbacks from HBO Max, Prime Video and Netflix. I also categorize the TV shows by English language and non-English language, and that also reveals a lot of where the drop comes from: And here is by the half-year: In this look, the good news is the drop for English language shows seems to have stabilized in the last year. But the bad news is the long term decline from the 2022 peak. Other Data So I wasn’t the only person to notice this decline in the number of shows. I have a few other data sources for this, though most only go through the end of 2025. As I said, Luminate beat me to the punch, so let’s look at their data. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… What TV loss streaming didn’t make up for... How Netflix has changed their programming slate over time… Ten more images charting the decline of production... What type of films aren’t being made anymore... The good news (for movie theaters)… And more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Consuming less protein could have greater health benefits and extend lifespan
Protein-fortified foods are popping up everywhere, from cereal and coffee to even protein water. But a new review covering over 350 papers on protein restriction and aging-publishing July 31 in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue-suggests that consuming less protein could have greater health benefits and could, in some cases, extend lifespan.
WHO Health Emergencies EPI-WIN webinar: Preparing for El Niño and climate-related health risks: global insights and country experiences
This EPI-WIN webinar will help communities by increasing awareness of the health risks associated with El Niño and providing practical, evidence-based actions that individuals, communities, health workers and local authorities can take to prepare for and reduce these risks.
Have questions about Penn State sports? Submit them here for our monthly mailbag
This month’s mailbag comes on the heels of Penn State football’s fall camp starting and amid ongoing consternation over Penn State men’s basketball’s finances.
Does public health *need* MAHA?
Last week, our friend Dr. Craig Spencer sparked an ongoing volatile discussion with his Atlantic article “Public Health Needs MAHA.” Some have come out in strong dissent, others are cheering, and others are simply lamenting that we find ourselves in such a divided world to begin with. We will dare to dip our toes in these controversial waters, too. Does public health need MAHA? We think in some ways yes, and in other ways, no. MAHA leaders versus the everyday MAHA supporter The vitriol in this debate mostly comes from one collapsed distinction: the leadership of MAHA is not necessarily the same as the people who support it. Say “MAHA” and most people picture RFK Jr. Fair enough, as he coined the term and holds most of the power. And, yes, some MAHA followers treat Kennedy as something close to a saint. But talk to the grassroots, and it’s not a monolith. They’re Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. People who distrust vaccines and vaccine supporters. It’s a wide, eclectic coalition. The data backs this too: 4 in 10 Americans support the movement—that’s a lot of people! But according to polls, vaccines and medical choice (the issues most tied to Kennedy personally) are cited by only 4% as their reason for supporting the movement. For many, the motivations are much broader. Many MAHA supporters are signing up for the idea that “something needs to change” with health in this country. They’re asking good-faith questions about corporate influence on our health systems, health care costs, nutrition, chemicals, and clean air and water. These are all questions that plenty of public health professionals recognize as legitimate and also care about very deeply. Blurring the lines between the leadership and grassroots does real damage in two important ways: It hands the 4 in 10 exactly the narrative already fed—that the health ecosystem doesn’t listen, doesn’t care, and paints every critic with the same brush. It gives the actual bad actor more power. RFK Jr. has done irreparable damage and can’t be trusted. What the MAHA movement gets right A healthy population is something the public health field was literally built on, and many of these topics are things we have dedicated our lives to. Yet the MAHA movement has captivated nearly half the country in a way the public health establishment has failed to achieve. So that means MAHA is doing something right. Some of it may be timing (after a Covid-19 pandemic and deep frustration and mistrust with institutions). The movement also does three other things really well: 1. It gives a new, louder voice to system failures. While MAHA is not a monolith, one theme stays consistent across their stories: the system failed them. For some, it was the system that flooded their communities with opioids and then walked away. For others, it was the system that let their business collapse during Covid with no safety net in sight. For others still, it was the system that failed to help them manage a complex chronic illness, bouncing them from physician to physician without any real answers. And in many ways, our health ecosystems are failing Americans. Why are medical bills so incomprehensible? Why do some kids get a healthy school lunch and others don’t? Why do an epidemiologist and a MD/PhD student have to start newsletters in the middle of the biggest public health emergency in a century, just so people can get straight information? Because the systems failed. This deep-seated frustration driving many Americans to search for solutions elsewhere needs to be recognized. 2. MAHA has brilliant comms central to their efforts. MAHA figured out something most health institutions still have not: the information landscape changed. It’s participatory now, not top-down; influence runs through many nodes in a community, not one institution; and storytelling and telling audiences “what you really think” moves people more than data dumps do. MAHA goes where audiences are listening, using podcasts, social media, and memes in ways most health institutions would scoff at—but it works. 3. They are very good at organizing. A MAHA meeting feels like a rally: energy, speakers, music, and most importantly, an action for everyone. Someone’s writing the next policy brief, someone’s seeding a narrative, someone knows the next legislative deadline, someone’s sending the text messages for a campaign. None of this is new (ask the civil rights movement), but MAHA knows it works and has capitalized on it. What MAHA gets wrong This list could be much longer, and this newsletter has spent a lot of time covering it, but here are a few things: Poor use of scientific evidence. This is the fundamental problem with many MAHA policies: the hype outpaces the science, and experts are often villainized for pointing this out. MAHA leadership has traded real solutions for cheap wins. For example, instead of taking on the powerful food industry and passing real reforms, it has celebrated french fries made of beef tallow and taken out artificial dyes from still very sugary children’s cereal. These changes won’t move the needle on America’s diet. MAHA leadership has tried to dismantle vaccine access in the U.S. While many MAHA supporters emphasize other issues, the effort to change vaccine policy has become MAHA’s signature effort. This is not surprising given RFK Jr.’s extensive track record campaigning against vaccines. It has rallied behind the wrong leader. RFK Jr. has a decades-long track record of villifying doctors, scientists, and public health workers, well before he became HHS secretary. He is known for his decades-long work sowing distrust in vaccines as well as life-saving treatments like antiretroviral therapy for HIV. This is not a serious person who can move the needle on health in the U.S, and he has already done serious damage. Public health needs more than defense Defending the evidence is absolutely necessary so health in the U.S. doesn’t move further backward. The public health establishment is very good at defense. The problem is this defense often sounds like defending the status quo, which has failed many people. Public health needs to offer an alternative to RFK Jr.’s MAHA—one that is rooted in evidence, truly listens to and addresses people’s frustrations, and has innovative solutions and the courage to change the systems. How do we get there? Find common ground. Do you know what most people care most about? The abysmal cost of healthcare. Start there. Fight for the human loudly. Too often, communications and engagement center on science with a capital S, funding mechanisms, or the CDC/FDA/NIH. Not the person. So the public doesn’t see themselves in it. Instead, they see people fighting for the very powerful systems that they feel negatively impact their health and well-being. Let the public feel and hear that you see their frustrations, you get it, and you’re fighting for them within the system. Recognize when pro-science messages are alienating people. Facts absolutely matter, but angrily venting only alienates people further. Our friend Elisabeth Marnik recently wrote a New York Times article about her experience growing up unvaccinated and how listening and empathetic conversation are the only ways to reach people that really work (a position backed by communication science). Her comments section was full of hateful comments from pro-vaccine individuals attacking her for daring to suggest we approach vaccine-hesitant individuals with empathy. It is possible to both stand firm behind scientific evidence and empathize with people who don’t trust it. Lean into politics smartly. Often, public health has shied away from politics: Don’t touch it, lest you get burned. But this fails to recognize that the third rail is what fuels the train: who is elected determines our budgets, our priorities, and our authority. Being political means being very savvy in strategy on both sides of the aisle, knowing your audience, and recognizing that political capital is as scarce as financial resources and needs to be allocated accordingly. Bottom line So does public health need MAHA? That’s not really the right question. Public health has a responsibility not to dismiss 40% of the country who feel heard by this movement and are frustrated that the system has failed them. And it has a responsibility to stick to the evidence and recognize MAHA leadership for what it is: a danger to our nation’s health. Both can, and should, be done. Love, YLE and KP A big thanks to Craig Spencer, who had the courage to put his neck out there to start a much-needed discussion at such a critical moment—one that is determining the identity of an entire field. Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD is completing an emergency medicine residency and research fellowship focusing on health literacy and communication. In her free time, she writes the newsletters You Can Know Things debunking health myths and rumors and The Public Health Roundup. Views expressed belong to KP, not her employer. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. The YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe
Sony Pictures Entertainment Sees Revenue Drop 13% In Latest Quarter; Big Gains In Music
Crunchyroll continues to grow paid subscriber numbers, but lower revenues from motion pictures was due to the studio only releasing one theatrical film in North America in the period. SPE’s TV unit saw Q1 revenue reach $571 million, down 32% from $841 million in the same period a year earlier.
Island Packet’s former building in Bluffton to be redeveloped into entertainment venue. Here’s how
The former home of the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette will become The Press Room, an entertainment venue.
Hope Florida Foundation hires political firm linked to pro-Moody Super PAC
The Hope Florida Foundation moved its records into the same Alabama building that houses the super PAC backing Senator Ashley Moody’s campaign.
Sony Up Quarterly Home Entertainment Revenue 4% to $110 Million
Sony Pictures Entertainment July 31 reported $110 million in home entertainment revenue for the first quarter ended June 30, up 4% from revenue of $106 million during the previous year period. Top-selling titles in the quarter included Avatar: Fire and Ash, Hoppers, Ready of Not 2: Here I Come, Avatar: 3 Movie Collection, 28 Years … Continue reading "Sony Up Quarterly Home Entertainment Revenue 4% to $110 Million"
Coastal residents more likely to have worse midlife health
People who live by the coast in midlife are more likely to have worse health, finds a new study in England and Wales led by UCL researchers.
Pictures: Orlando Health Children’s Pavilion ribbon cutting
Scenes from the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Orlando Health Children’s Pavilion, Thursday, July 30, 2028. The 189,000 square-foot, $160 million outpatient pediatric care facility brings more than 30 specialties together under one roof…
With no Democrat on the ballot, does Idaho’s Jim Risch become vulnerable?
“I think we stand a real chance now at shocking the country and defeating Risch,” the chair of the Ada County Democrats said.
Jalen Carter’s teammates celebrate his new contract
Jalen Hurts had jokes, Jordan Davis saw the bigger picture, and Saquon Barkley reflected on how the Eagles pay players.
Nano Banana Image Generation Comes To Google Earth
Google Earth users can "visualize the past" via AI-created pictures.
3 in 4 small business owners recently used their own credit card for business expenses
Bluevine reports that 75% of small business owners have used personal credit for expenses, highlighting gaps in financial knowledge that affect loan approvals.
Your body vs. wildfire smoke. As Boise breathes bad air, it’s a fight for good health
The negative health effects of inhaled wildfire smoke can be many, as people’s lungs and oxygen delivery in the blood can suffer.
Hackers invaded the social site of a Miami business. Could yours be next?
How to protect your firm from online hackers.
Business owner criticized over picture with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson
People are calling for a boycott, but the owner says it's not an endorsement.
Business owner criticized over picture with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson
'Tormented Souls': ZQ, Prime Universe & Longevity Acquire Film Rights
'Tormented Souls': ZQ Entertainment, Prime Universe & Longevity Pictures Acquire Film & TV Rights To Horror Video Game
Heat, Giannis to open preseason in Quebec City. A look at the full preseason schedule
The Heat will open its preseason schedule in Quebec City.
Patients face a thicket of red tape trying to maintain consistent health coverage
Moving to a new plan can ensnare patients in a thicket of red tape, keeping them from care.
Astronomy Picture of the Day’s Educational Links
Resources for astronomy research for learners of all ages!
Astronomy Picture of the Day Calendar
Click on a picture and discover the cosmos!
Submit an image to APOD
Images can be submitted to Astronomy Picture of the Day by email to the editors Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell. To submit an image, please use this mailto
Legal Analysis Offers Insights for Improved Data Sharing, Better Health
State public health and Medicaid agencies each collect large amounts of data, and sharing that data across agencies could offer a more complete picture of residents’ health and the factors that shape it. To support expanded data sharing, The Pew Charitable Trusts commissioned a first-of-its-kind legal analysis of federal and state laws governing how such critical information is shared.
MLB’s Upside-Down Playoff Picture Undercuts Owners’ CBA Messaging
The Tampa Bay Rays are providing an inconvenient counterweight to MLB owners’ framing of modern baseball. Owners have long held up the financial disparities in the sport, and their subsequent impact on competitive balance, as a reason to overhaul its cost structure and implement a salary cap. Yet the low-spending Rays have the best record …
Schiff proposes federal bill requiring influencers to disclose paid political ads
“California’s primary this year made a clear case that our current guardrails around campaign advertisements are not keeping up with the changing landscape of political speech.”
Florida gets a reality check with new business-friendly rankings
See what the survey says about the state.
The Science Behind the AI Panic Is Shakier Than You Think
A column by Sascha Lobo Is AI making us dumb? So asked DER SPIEGEL on its cover a while ago. After a few weeks of recovery and a therapeutic intervention with the help of my AI, I feel able to respond. That’s a bit unfair, of course; the article itself is more nuanced than the loud cover, the image of a schoolkid with dull prompt questions, or the subtitle: “AI is conquering the schools, and educators fear a disaster.” The short answer to “Is AI making us dumb?” is: no. The long answer is more interesting, and even carries a preliminary glimmer of the spectacular. Unfortunately, it requires a detour into the sphere of artificial intelligence, into the mogul-field terrain of technology assessment, the attention economy, and the destructive virus of cultural pessimism. Along with narrowing the scope to AI’s effects on education and work rather than on intelligence. Because the honest version of the question would be: Does AI help us learn and work, or not? Generative AI, which set off the still-ongoing hype with ChatGPT, has only existed in relevant distribution since late 2022, early 2023. For a technology-driven transformation of people and society, that is extremely short. For that reason alone, research is still in its infancy. And technology assessment is not a fast discipline anyway. Prominent voices from Elizabeth Eisenstein to RAND to Tom Wheeler say we still cannot conclusively judge the consequences of the printing press. Its invention is a mere 580 years back, and some scholars would rather not circulate assessments that might have to be retracted in two or three hundred years. We’re Going Through Growing Pains A phenomenon that already caused upheaval in social media research makes serious assessment of AI’s consequences even harder: the “moving target” problem of LLM-ology, as the linguist Sean Trott called it in 2025. AI develops so quickly and so unpredictably that researchers often end up studying snapshots of the past. There are concepts, from morphological analysis to anticipatory governance, for keeping research, planning, and regulation halfway meaningful anyway. But even with those, universally valid statements are rare. DER SPIEGEL - The German View is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe We should therefore treat findings about the interplay between humans and AI as far more procedural and situational. Unfortunately, this challenge comes at the worst possible time. We are going through growing pains: AI’s everyday impact has grown very large very fast, and with it the longing for guidance. Annoyingly, the body of solid knowledge has not exploded along with it. Experts cannot be moved to broad consensus on even banal statements about AI. Sascha Lobo, born in 1975, is an author and strategy consultant focusing on the internet and digital technologies. Together with Jule Lobo, he explores the debates of the day in the podcast “Feel the News – Was Deutschland bewegt” (”What Moves Germany”). Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says software developers are dying out. Bill Gates considers coders one of only three professions that will survive the AI tsunami. Top tech economists find virtually irrefutable arguments both for and against an AI bubble. The same naturally applies to the structurally youth-hostile debate over whether AI is good or bad for young people. The gap between the demand for insight and the supply of solid knowledge creates an orientation vacuum. This vacuum of AI cluelessness is filled, as the attention economy described by Georg Franck in 1998 would have it, with half-knowledge (funnily enough, often AI-generated), marketing, and self-marketing. After all, infinite money is at stake, along with academia’s best current shot at global fame. But this iridescent froth of interpretation operates more by the algorithmic principles of the digital public sphere than by seriously earned insight. That is why dramatized, fear-feeding claims about AI are so promising. It tempts parts of academia into distorted drivel, and parts of the media then sensationalize the published drivel once more. Was the Research Aimed at a Desired Result? How badly this can influence academia and public perception is demonstrated by one of the most-discussed studies on AI’s effects: “Your Brain on ChatGPT.” The MIT study by Nataliya Kosmyna also gets plenty of space in the SPIEGEL cover story. What was measured and interpreted: lower brain activity in people who write with AI assistance, compared to people who only google or write without any tools. As is common with preprints, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, and it contains substantial weaknesses that experts have sharply criticized. The first round had 54 participants in three groups, the second only 18, who reportedly also came from MIT’s own orbit. There was no preregistration (committing in advance to what you want to find out with which data). In their analysis, Stanković et al. even discovered an opposite effect that the study does not further explain. Some measurement data has not (yet) been published. And the EEG analysis method used is considered too imprecise to support such far-reaching conclusions. The biggest criticism, though, is the suspicion of an activism-driven study. In an interview with Time, lead author Kosmyna said she published the study immediately, rather than after full peer review, because she feared politicians might otherwise decide to put ChatGPT in kindergartens. She considers that absolutely harmful. It is legitimate to hold such a view. It just seems unscientific to approach a study with it, and then to design the setup so that the chance of a fitting desired result remains as high as possible. Ideologies Collide It is not easy to separate genuine AI insights from studies that trivialize and weaken well-founded AI criticism. The same goes for the opposing, AI-enthusiastic narratives, because the pro-AI side works against it with billions in resources. Ideologies collide, fed by egos, PR strategies, moral posturing, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Doomsday marketing makes the search even harder: AI companies can profit from warnings about the dangers of AI, whether through the notoriety of apocalypse narratives or because, in some target groups, danger translates into power. Some seemingly negative findings are therefore quite welcome in the AI industry. If you try to get at the findings presumably less influenced by interest groups, the picture in education seems relatively clear: AI can improve educational outcomes when the right AI is used the right way, namely pedagogically. Simply dumping an AI chatbot into a classroom, by contrast, accomplishes little. Huge surprise. But something else is also obvious: whether they are allowed to or not, kids use AI for school, which is why the controlled integration of AI tools into education is, in the medium term, entirely without alternative. In the world of work, the landscape of findings is more complex and requires more differentiation. A series of serious studies points to an AI effect that suits neither the alarmists, regulation fetishists, and AI opponents, nor the trillion-dollar corporations with their armada of paid scientists, PR professionals, and ecosystems: working with AI helps the inexperienced (at least for now) considerably more than it helps the pros, in certain fields of work, and provided they know how to use it correctly. Missing Domain Knowledge Among the experienced, the professionals, and the high flyers, by contrast, despite frequent time savings, partially negative effects and new problems are emerging. Take the jagged frontier problem: AI solves task A brilliantly and fails completely at task B, even though both look similar even to professionals. Or the verification-cost problem, in which AI’s greater productivity gets eaten up by the enormous effort of checking its output. Or the illusion of competence, because AI makes new domains seem easily penetrable, until you painfully discover that deep domain knowledge is missing. Taken as a whole, the effects of working with AI do lean positive. But the promise that AI works as a turbocharger for everyone and boosts practically everything simply refuses to materialize. The AI magic the world has been feeling since ChatGPT arrived in late 2022 has so far barely shown up in most companies’ numbers. The consulting firm McKinsey has coined a term for this, the “gen AI paradox,” and believes that work processes and corporate structures would have to be rebuilt quite fundamentally to realize AI’s benefits at scale. Reuters just reported that only 3.3 percent of Microsoft’s customers have subscribed to the AI package Copilot. That may be down to the product; in other areas we continue to see soaring successes and new AI triumphs. But after the first quarter of 2026, disillusionment is the word for all too many AI projects at traditional companies: because the promised revolution of AI agents has so far failed to arrive or been postponed, and because of the leveling effect that many of the studies cited here suggest. Against Inequality The societal effects, on the other hand, appear rather encouraging. Many previous technologies operated on the Matthew principle, named for the Gospel verse about giving to those who already have: they tended to reward the more competent and more privileged. AI, however, seems more often to have an equalizing effect once a threshold of access and education is crossed. Some anecdotal insights point in this direction, for example, how an unemployed man in Leipzig successfully defended himself in court in 2025 against fraud accusations from Germany’s federal employment agency — without a lawyer, armed only with ChatGPT. The AI made mistakes and cited invented court rulings, but in the end the man walked away unpunished. And a key capability of artificial intelligence is its capacity to learn: set up correctly and fed with data, it can keep getting better. It is a question of time, or more precisely of AI innovations and training data, until even free AI chatbots write better legal briefs than law graduates with perfect exam scores. Whether that will make anyone dumb is something the world’s press will surely inform us of in due time. Subscribe Leave a comment
Chemical engineer Chris McDonald appointed as UK’s science minister
Former head of Materials Processing Institute given responsibility for science in hybrid role
NC Senate passes elections bill cutting primary early voting days, more tweaks
The North Carolina Senate passed a sweeping elections bill on Tuesday that was months in the making.
Costco midtown store nears business center switch amid concerns, may keep pharmacy
Councilman Crispin Rea said keeping the pharmacy would be “a big win” for the neighborhood’s most vulnerable residents.
NC lawmakers already proposing changes in power, cuts and funding in new budget
There’s a new budget bill — yes, already — that makes some changes in policy and funding in the 2026 state budget.
US National Science Foundation putting $380 million into building ...
North Carolina State is one of the institutes receiving a $20 million grant aims to advance an autonomous chemistry lab
Police make inquiries after Farage reports Polanski post for ‘inciting murder’
Green party leader shared picture of man wearing T-shirt with words ‘we’re only making plans for Nigel’ alongside a guillotine
What England's local councils tell us about fragmenting politics
Even the most ardent advocate for local democracy would concede that council chambers are not always the most exciting places. Subscribe Whether it’s planning meetings, motions or resolutions, you’d be forgiven for switching off. Unless it’s lockdown and we’re talking about standing orders, of course. Remember Jackie Weaver, who infamously “had no authority here” at a chaotic parish council Zoom call in 2021? Yet, as a general rule since then, council meetings rarely make the headlines beyond local papers and news websites. Reform’s success After Reform’s stunning success at the local elections in May though, the leader of the party’s group on Kirklees Council suddenly found she’d gone viral online for admitting that she didn’t actually understand council procedures. “I don’t understand the constitution”, Councillor Sarah Wood, pictured above, told the council chamber. “I have not had sufficient time to read that as yet. I don’t understand what standing orders are, what they’re made up of, nor do I understand what an amendment is.” Share Channel 4 News Councillor Wood later defended her comments to the BBC, and said that “new councillors and not just us, are coming from jobs”. She claimed that the sharing of the clip mocking her online was an example of “Reform-bashing”. She added: “Yes, we need to know procedures. Yes we need to do the homework. And we have addressed that now and we have put that right.” So, with standing orders getting another moment in the spotlight, not to mention the fracturing and fragmentation from May’s results, we set out to find out how new councillors are doing across England in this new political landscape. New political landscape Where better to start then than Kirklees, in West Yorkshire. Reform is the largest party, the council is under no overall control and has chosen a new leader - Sarah Wood - after two failed attempts to elect one. It is difficult to secure interviews with new Reform councillors, but John Hardie, pictured below, told us it’s been a “whirlwind” since being elected in May. He represents the Dalton ward and told us the party’s lack of political experience hasn’t been a hindrance. “We’ve come with lots of experience, lots of business experience and life experience, and it’s been good, actually, too. And to mix with other councillors who have been in the political world, and we can learn from each other.” Indeed, more parties are now having a say than ever before. In Manchester, the Green Party followed up their victory in the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton by gaining 17 seats on the city council. That makes them the official opposition to Labour, who have long dominated Manchester City Council. [ ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-landmark-green-by-election-win) [ How landmark Green by-election win could change British politics ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-landmark-green-by-election-win) Krishnan Guru-Murthy · Feb 27 [ Read full story ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-landmark-green-by-election-win) Thirza Amina Asanga-Rae, pictured below, is one of those new councillors, representing Moss Side. We asked her how being the official opposition can make a difference. She said: “I think even the fact that we’ve made history in what we’ve done, it’s been a 50-year stronghold of Labour in Manchester, and now that we’ve broken that and chipped in that, there’s real hope that we can not only run the council in the future, but currently hold them to account. So, I think that’s powerful. It’s just going to help shape and build what I call the green wave.” The reality, though, is that several newly elected councillors across the country have already left their roles through resignations, suspensions or defections. ‘It’s a slog’ Asanga-Rae adds: “It’s a job, it’s a slog. Obviously, we’re going through hard times. Austerity is real. We’re talking about food, child poverty, furniture poverty. The list is endless, and I think people who come into a councillor role need to be willing to help, really roll the sleeves up and get involved and help, and I think a lot of the career politicians, who think it’s the ‘la-di-da’ position, get in and realise I’m not going to do this work and bounce.” Share Although Manchester still has a clear majority, many councils, including Kirklees, are now under no overall control. That is perhaps the strongest sign of the political fragmentation we are seeing. Burnley is another example of this. Reform is now the largest party, yet they’re not part of the power-sharing coalition on this council - the Liberal Democrats and a local group of independents. Zulkernehn Hayat, pictured below, is part of The Independent Group. He represents Queensgate ward and told us all councils can benefit from having more independent councillors. ‘This is where I was brought up’ He said: “This is my home. This is Burnley. This is where I was brought up. Why do I need to get approval from somebody in a head office down south somewhere, you know? “This is my biggest argument. If okay, my neighbour comes to me with an issue, I can then take that straight to the council, because I don’t need to get approval from anywhere else. And this is the benefit of being independent.” So, while voters will always inevitably want quick results, perhaps spare a thought for the newly-elected councillors who are still navigating local government - one standing order at a time. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment
Gloucester armoured combat tournament in pictures
The women's teams came first and second in their category, while the men came third in theirs.
Eating oily fish may have a shocking health benefit for your muscles and grip strength
A study found positive associations between grip strength and intake of oily fish, retinol and magnesium in both sexes.
AI devices that see, listen and record: Are we ready for the post-smartphone world?
Picture this: On a normal workday, you and your coworkers walk around the office with tiny recorders clipped to your clothes. The glasses on your face instantly identify what you see. Your bracelet records and analyzes all your conversations.
Kansas City dessert shop with family mission draws big crowds at new location
The family business has partnered with a famous KC barbecue joint to serve a treat not often seen in the area.
Photos: Noah Kahan brings his “Great Divide Tour” to Raleigh
The powerhouse that is Noah Kahan packed Raleigh’s Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday night
Where things stand with Heat’s free agent pursuit a day after James picks 76ers
Where things stand with Heat’s free agent pursuit a day after LeBron James chose to sign with Philadelphia.
KC contractor says KCI project showed value of city minority business program
Kansas City's minority and women-owned program helped Structure Incorporated secure work at KCI, but it was a long road to get there.
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
The Best Pictures From The Inner Circle 23
Relive the greatest moments from The Inner Circle 23 through the lenses of our ringside photographers.
Four types of thinker have been identified. Which one are you?
Investigation finds evidence of distinct groups, from big-picture thinkers to those who sweat the small stuff
Charlotte-based technologies supplier buys Canadian HVAC company
The Montreal-based company is now a part of SPX Technologies’ HVAC segment, according to a statement.
Plan for Costco business center in midtown Kansas City heads to City Council
City staff and the City Plan Commission have recommended approval of the zoning changes to allow for a truck storage area.
Rich Paul offers insight on LeBron James’ decision, what worked against Heat
Agent Rich Paul offers insight on LeBron James’ decision.
Byron Donalds gets his biggest contribution yet: $10M from Ken Griffin
Donalds has also received $7.5 million from Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass, bringing his total war chest to $92 million.
Bank of America Stadium renovation plans don’t include a dome. Here’s why
The newly unveiled, $1.3 billion Bank of America Stadium renovation plans didn’t include a dome. Tepper Sports’ CEO explains.
Is SC a good state to own a business in 2026? See where it ranks in latest CNBC study
How does SC treat business owners compared to other states? See where the Palmetto State ranked in CNBC’s latest study.
Frog Tinder. Sweet potato milk. N&O science reporter takes you into the wild
Remember when reading about science was fun? Luke Bowles, the N&O’s summer science writer, takes you behind the scenes and into the labs.
HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME CLASS OF 2027 ANNOUNCED BY WALK OF FAMERS MING-NA WEN AND SHEILA E.
A new group of entertainment professionals in the categories of Motion Pictures, Television, Live Theatre/Live Performance, Radio, Recording and Sports Entertainment have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Walk of Fame Selection Committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
USA Games Attracts Media Coverage for its Health Work at USA Games
Thank you to the media outlets that elevated Special Olympics Health across earned media, partner content, and owned channels while capturing compelling athlete and volunteer stories during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Mayor Lucas says lawsuit over Kansas City contracts is political stunt, frivolous
Quinton Lucas accused Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway of engaging in a “culture war issue” and a “political stunt.”
Healthy stars? Productive WRs? 5 questions to ponder as 49ers open training camp
The 49ers will hit the practice field in Santa Clara for the first time on Sunday. Here are the big questions to keep an eye on.
1.3K views · 16 reactions | Sony Pictures Entertainment said that it...
Sony Pictures Entertainment said that it would reopen the Cinerama Dome, a Hollywood landmark, in 2028 after a renovation. Read more: https://nyti.ms/4x35CMZ
Missouri sues Kansas City, alleging discrimination against white people and men
Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced a lawsuit against Kansas City, claiming a program discriminate against white people.
Two Frisco restaurants closed for health violations during latest inspections
Two Frisco restaurants were temporarily closed after inspections found no water at one kiosk and no manager at another.
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla reintroduces Health Equity and Accountability Act
Along with other federal Democratic lawmakers, Padilla said the proposal to reduce health disparities has become more urgent after funding cuts
Is the California State Fair affordable? What to expect to pay for food, rides
Sacramento Bee reporter Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado visited the California Sate Fair on opening day to find affordable food and fun.
The New York Times
Sony Pictures Entertainment will reopen Hollywood's iconic Cinerama Dome theater in 2028 after a renovation. The venue closed in 2020 because of the pandemic. https://nyti.ms/4gSfAvH
HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME CLASS OF 2027 TO BE ANNOUNCED BY WALK OF FAMERS MING-NA WEN AND SHEILA E. AND HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT & CEO RON FRIERSON DURING LIVE PRESS CONFERENCE AT FUNKO HOLLYWOOD
A new group of 32 entertainment professionals in the categories of Motion Pictures, Television, Live Theatre/Live Performance, Radio, Recording, and Sports Entertainment have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sony and Alamo Drafthouse are reopening Hollywood's Cinerama Dome
After a six-year closure and an uncertain future, the Cinerama Dome is back. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Alamo Drafthouse are restoring the historic theater and plan to reopen it in early 2028.
Top retail stories: DiCicco empire expands, Yosemite ‘chaos,’ Fresno’s best fries, and more
Top Fresno entertainment and retail stories for July. Here's what to know
Professor Chet Udell builds instruments that measure the environment and bring science to life
OSU artist-in-residence Chet Udell will blend marine science, custom instruments, and soundscapes in a free live performance at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport this Thursday.
AMD’s Zen 6 EPYC Venice Pictured as a 256-Core Monster, Massive Twin I/O Dies & First 2nm HPC Chip To Enter Volume Ramp
AMD has showcased its next-generation EPYC Venice CPU at the Advancing AI event, featuring a phenomenal core count of 256 based on Zen 6.
NC legislators target Kannapolis in latest batch of partisan election changes
The change, which also includes Albemarle and a collection of municipalities in Moore County, follows a trend of similar bills in recent years.
Merced County entertainment in August: Cover bands, a Broadway musical and more
The month kicks off with a night of beer, barbecue and blues music.
It’s time for consensus on science’s place in government
The latest shake-up of UK science policy oversight brings uncertainty to a sector that needs stability to succeed
Moebius Entertainment boards ‘Happily Ever After’ ahead of ...
The cast includes Shuhua, the Taiwanese singer from K-pop group i-dle, in her feature debut.
SEC gymnasts return to Nashville to start business, The Balance Group
In the meantime, the Price sisters have been hosting the “Bound by Balance” camps in Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, Fayetteville and Dallas on Aug. 1.
Science department abolished as UK’s new prime minister Andy ...
New business secretary Jonathan Reynolds given responsibility for science and innovation portfolio
Sales Data Paints a Very Grim Picture for Physical PS5 Games in the USA, UK
Just 7 PS5 games sell over 100k boxed copies
Sales Data Paints a Very Grim Picture for Physical PS5 Games in the USA
Just 7 PS5 games sell over 100K boxed copies
Kovert Creative Adds Mallory Morehead Pritzl To Entertainment PR Team
Sony Pictures TV's Mallory Morehead Pritzl Joins Kovert Creative Entertainment PR Team.
Why Spain cropped Donald Trump out of World Cup celebration photos
While the U.S. president was initially on stage for Spain's celebrations, the team used a picture without Trump on social media.
School program trains future business leaders — with help from SLO’s Junkgirls
The program is looking to expand, but funding has been an obstacle.
NC House shuts down plans for liquor warehouse after construction dispute goes public
A House spokesperson says there’s not enough money to build. Critics say the House is trying to distance itself from the majority leader’s controversial actions on the project.
'Shrimad Bhagavatam' Leads Sagar Pictures Global Studio Push
India's Sagar Pictures Entertainment launches a global studio business, unveiling 'Shrimad Bhagavatam,' its seven-part franchise.
‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’ Anchors Sagar Pictures Entertainment’s Global Push, Indian Studio Confirms (EXCLUSIVE)
Sagar Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has confirmed the launch of a global studio business, moving beyond film and television production into an intellectual property-led growth strategy spanning gaming,...
AI may predict harmful chemical exposures affecting human health
Artificial intelligence is rapidly improving scientists' ability to detect chemicals in the environment and human body.
Los Alamos Faith And Science Forum 2026 Summer Series: ‘The Genetics Of Vice’ By Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden July 22
Cover of ‘Original Sin’ by Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden. Courtesy/LAF&S LAF&S News: The Los Alamos Faith and Science (LAF&S) Forum 2026 Summer Series continues Wednesday, July 22, with a presentation on “The Genetics of Vice” by Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Harden will present her talk via Zoom […]
How’s business at Happy Valley Casino? Latest financials show significant decrease
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released June’s financials Friday, and the numbers didn’t look favorably on the new casino at the Nittany Mall.
New Instagram directory aims to connect KC customers with Black-owned businesses
It’s a project from an organization that has spent years uplifting Black businesses in KC.
Where Shane Beamer, Dabo Swinney stand in CBS Sports’ 2026 hot seat rankings
The seat is a bit warmer for both coaches, CBS says.
YouTube picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is broken on iPhone, Android
YouTube is aware of an issue on Android and iPhone where picture-in-picture (PiP) mode does not activate when closing the app.
Honeywell Technologies completes first acquisition after spin-offs for $1.8B
The automation company bought a business based in a world capital.
Here’s where MS ranks among worst states for business in 2026. Did it get better from last year?
See how Mississippi’s ranking compares to previous year and other states across the country.
What should we take away from Hornets’ NBA Las Vegas Summer League run?
Charlotte concluded 2026 stay in the desert with a 92-90 loss to Memphis Grizzlies.