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Pluto TV Bows 'Double Feature Fridays' Weekly Movie Promotion With 'Entertainment Tonight'
Pluto TV is rolling out a weekly classic movie promotion, “Double Feature Fridays,” with “Entertainment Tonight” beginning Aug 21. The free ad-supported streaming television (Fast) platform will pair a studio classic with a new indie title, streaming 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Each pairing is connected by shared talent, genre, or theme, and introduced through original … Continue reading "Pluto TV Bows ‘Double Feature Fridays’ Weekly Movie Promotion With ‘Entertainment Tonight’"
Eric Jones Calls for a New Politics to Fight Corruption, Corporate Power and Rising Costs
Democratic challenger Eric Jones has initiated a campaign for Congress against longtime incumbent Representative Mike Thompson, with his platform emphasizing political reform, the mitigation of corporate influence, and the amelioration of economic inequality.
Whisker’s AI-powered litter robot thinks my cats swapped bodies
$900 for an AI-powered litter box and I can’t even watch my cat poop?
I’m hooked on Peak Design’s new City bags
Integrated BagLev hooks make my old bags feel dirty and dumb.
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition: Release Date, Pre-Order And Platform
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition arrives August 28, 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2 at $79.99 with Shadow of the Erdtree, two new classes, new armor and Torrent customization.
Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal crafted a hip hop breakup masterpiece
DOOMED! pairs Eagle’s deeply personal lyrics with some of Segal’s most commanding beats.
'In every moment I saw one team'
Watford head coach Alessio Dionisi speaks to BBC Three Counties Radio after his side's 2-1 win over Southampton.
Should You Buy Meta Platforms Stock Below $600 Before Mark Zuckerberg Unveils Its AI Cloud Business? Here's My Honest Take
The company is making risky bets on artificial intelligence, but that may be undervaluing the stock.
California could soon limit social media for kids
California lawmakers are moving forward with proposed laws that address the harmful effects of social media on children, including restrictions on addictive features and the ability for parents and children to sue platforms for damages.
ChatGPT’s Computer History tracks your clicks and keystrokes
It’s like Windows Recall, but without all the creepy screenshots.
Rogue AI aren’t science fiction anymore
For years, fears about AI systems slipping human control were dismissed as speculative.
This platform gives you ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and 17+ other AI models for life for $54.97
20+ AI models for a one-time fee
Polaroid’s tiny instant camera is $72 and includes a free pack of film
This tiny instant camera produces tiny photos.
Don’t overlook Elektron’s budget electronic music instruments
I keep coming back to the criminally slept-on Model:Samples and Model:Cycles.
How to tell if your AI platforms’ accounts have been hacked
A guide on how to check if hackers have broken into your accounts on the most popular AI platforms.
The Bluey Movie teaser shows Keepy Uppy in Disneyfied CG.
The good news: The beloved children’s series is coming to the big screen! The bad news: The charming 2D animation has been replaced with some bland 3D computer animation. And knowing Disney, we’ll probably get a soulless “live action” remake in about a decade. [Media: https://youtu.be/zZqTUZGMzpw]
Nestory Irankunda leaves Watford for Portuguese giants Sporting CP
Australia international Nestory Irankunda will feature in the UEFA Champions League this season after joining Portuguese giants Sporting CP.
Xteink’s tiny e-readers are getting access to free books through Libby
It’s getting a lot easier to source ebooks for Xteink’s tiny e-readers.
‘Business critical’: why even Andy Burnham is taking his social media game seriously
The Guardian’s deputy editor of social platforms on why high-profile people and brands are deploying the power of TikTok to woo new followers
What to Watch: 7 best movies and TV shows to stream this week
Read our weekly round-up of the best movies and TV shows streaming across platforms.
Three takeaways from Joe Mitchell at the Register Political Soapbox
Republican Iowa 2nd Congressional District candidate Joe Mitchell laid out his anti-corruption platform during the Register's political Soapbox.
Samsung has new Galaxy headphones in the works
The “Galaxy H1” could be Samsung’s first over-ear headphones since 2015.
Selena Gomez Is Sued for Defrauding Investors in Mental Health Site
The actor, singer and beauty mogul founded Wondermind, a mental health platform, with her mother. Investors put in more than $1 million in the venture, which “quietly collapsed,” the suit said.
Lamborghini’s flagship Revuelto levels up with SV trim
I can already hear the crypto bros frantically checking their wallets.
The X-Files creator Chris Carter wanted to make a more horrific movie
He also believes Ryan Coogler is bringing something original to the franchise.
Google’s best new camera feature is only for the Pixel 11 series
Camera Looks are an exclusive feature.
You can now turn off Google Gemini’s visible watermarks
A new “Media watermark” setting is coming to Gemini and Flow.
Choose The Right Platform To Expand Your Real Estate Brokerage Business
Learn how to choose the right commercial real estate brokerage platform to expand your business, serve clients and support long-term growth.
Pick of the stats: Watford v Southampton
Here are the key stats for Watford v Southampton.
CMF hit the balance between cheap and good clip earbuds
They’re great if you don’t want to jam something into your ear.
Hoto’s new cordless soldering iron heats up in three seconds
The latest addition to Hoto’s modular Snapbloq toolkit line can also be plugged in when you need more power.
What American Jews want from the midterms
Though a small electorate, Jewish voters are being pushed to the center of political debates this midterm cycle.
The $500+ Million Digital Twin in Entertainment Market 2026: Industry to Quintuple in Size, Exceeding $2.5 Billion by 2032
Growth is driven by AI-powered platforms, real-time 3D visualization, virtual production, digital humans, cloud collaboration and immersive experiences...
The Deals: Influence Media Invests in MENA-Focused Catalog Buyer; Live Nation Makes Moves in Prague
Also: Singapore live entertainment company Triangle Group raises $15 million, Ticketmaster acquires a Uruguayan ticketing platform and more.
Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions Acquires flexPATH’s 3(38) Business
The transaction will deepen the company’s custom portfolio and investment lineup service capabilities.
‘That is not acceptable’: Judge orders Google to make rival app store installs easier
Judge Donato was not having Google’s “anticompetitive friction.”
Kalshi ordered to shut down sports and election prediction markets in Washington state by Sept. 2
A Seattle judge ordered Kalshi to geofence Washington users out of its sports, elections and entertainment markets by Sept. 2, and threatened the prediction market platform with $120,000-a-day penalties for missing the deadline. Kalshi's motion to pause the order while it appeals was denied at both the trial court and the Washington Court of Appeals.
Triangle Group Raises $15 Million To Scale Asia-Pacific Live Entertainment Platform
Triangle Group has raised $15 million in equity and venture debt to expand its live touring and festival infrastructure across Asia-Pacific. The financing consists of a $10 million equity seed round led by DSG Consumer Partners, with participation from Golden Gate Ventures, the Oberoi Family Office, and angel investors, along with a $5 million venture debt facility from Genesis Alternative Ventures.
Suno is trying to look more like a real music production tool
The latest version of Suno Studio adds MIDI, a chatbot, and custom AI effects.
A Bulldog in Business: How Moving into the Booth Opened Other Doors for Dodger Great Orel Hershiser
Orel Hershiser knows that he is a bona fide Los Angeles icon. But he has no illusions — he wouldn’t have the business opportunities he enjoys today without the platform provided by his broadcasting gig with the team. “You have a resume, but the resume slowly dies,” Hershiser says. “You have to be active. You …
I looked inside an AI generated movie, and the best parts were all human
A deep dive into Higgsfield’s new AI-generated movie.
Apple TV Just Added These 'Classic' Movies to Its Catalog for Free
Apple just added 19 classic movies to its Apple TV platform for free, including E.T., Titanic, and Arrival.
Apple TV Just Added These 'Classic' Movies to Its Catalog for Free
Apple just added 19 classic movies to its Apple TV platform for free, including E.T., Titanic, and Arrival.
Samsung’s $1,900 Z Fold 8 is still vulnerable to pocket lint
iFixit’s teardown of the Galaxy foldable scrutinizes its IP48 rating.
Nintendo’s next Fire Emblem has a bold new structure
Fortune’s Weave launches on September 17th.
Wooree Green Science Introduces LipoPrime™ Liposomal Ingredients to the U.S. Market with a Data-Driven Approach to Performance and Quality
Wooree Green Science Co., Ltd., a leader in advanced liposomal delivery technologies, announced that its LipoPrime™ liposomal ingredient platform is now available to U.S. dietary supplement and functional nutrition brands.
How money actually works in American elections
The midterms are flooded with cash, but donors don’t always get what they want. A political scientist explains where the money matters most.
Twitch faces backlash over Amazon using content to train AI
Users of the popular streaming platform criticised allowing Amazon to use their data by dafault.
The election deniers coming to a swing state near you
Tom Tiffany said 2020 was stolen. Now he’s the GOP pick for Wisconsin governor. And there are others like him.
Twitch is training AI on livestreams, says it's an opt out feature as "nobody would opt in"
The chief product officer offered the cold hard truth behind a controversial new addition to the live stream platform.
Asia-Pacific parliamentarians urge bolder action for universal health coverage, climate resilience and responsible AI
Parliamentarians representing 16 countries from across the Asia-Pacific region concluded the Ninth Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (APPFGH) today, reaffirming their key role in advancing universal health coverage (UHC) amid the risks and opportunities posed by AI and climate change. In adopting the Phnom Penh Communiqué, parliamentarians urged fellow legislators regionwide to strengthen sustainable financing for UHC to widen access to health for all, including the most vulnerable populations; promote responsible governance of AI amid ethical concerns over this fast-evolving technology; and build climate-resilient health systems to anticipate and respond to mounting pressures ranging from rising sea levels in coastal areas to air pollution and other environmental degradation.The National Assembly of Cambodia, with support from Cambodia’s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), hosted the Forum in Phnom Penh from 11 to 13 August 2026 – the first time the Forum has convened in a Mekong country.Parliamentarians urge action to close gaps in accessIn the Communiqué, parliamentarians recognized that at-risk and marginalized groups are the ones most severely affected by gaps in access to health services. These groups include people living in poverty, women and children, persons with disabilities, older people, migrants, refugees, and those in rural, remote or island communities. The Communiqué urges fellow parliamentarians and policy-makers to advocate for laws and policies that support sustainable financing to protect people from financial hardship, with a focus on primary health care, prevention and equity. "The Communiqué is a call to action. It sets out ambitious, concrete measures that deliver meaningful impact on the ground. We are all accountable for advancing universal health coverage and translating our commitments into tangible results. Cambodia is fully committed to advancing UHC, including the promotion of ‘healthy people, prosperous country’ campaign,” said Samdech Maha Rathsapheathika Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia.His Excellency Professor Chheang Ra, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia, highlighted the need for collaboration beyond the health sector. “Universal health coverage cannot be achieved by the Ministry of Health alone. It requires support, particularly from parliamentarians, across political, legislative, financial, social protection, education, infrastructure, and environmental domains. While each country follows its own path, one factor is universally critical for success: strong governance and leadership. We all believe in this principle, and in our respective political roles, we remain committed to strengthening these key success factors to ensure that no one is left behind.”Promoting responsible AI adoption Parliamentarians acknowledged that, while AI has already demonstrated its ability to improve access to health services and support delivery, careful and ethical governance is necessary to safeguard quality, safety, privacy and public trust. This underscores the importance of parliamentarians in promoting legal and regulatory frameworks addressing liability, records ownership and data governance, while embracing innovation that protects ethical practice.“Without strong governance, safeguards for privacy and data security, sustainable financing, and attention to those most at risk of exclusion, new technologies may widen existing gaps instead of closing them. This is why parliamentarians matter. We pass laws. We approve budgets. We scrutinize government action. We represent communities. We can ask whether health services are reaching rural, remote, ageing, poor, and marginalized populations. We can ask whether innovation is being guided by equity, evidence, and ethics,” said Hon. Man Hee Lee, President of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health.Building climate-resilient health systemsParliamentarians also reiterated that the climate crisis is a direct threat to people’s health and to achieving UHC more broadly, deepening the same gaps in access already faced by at-risk and marginalized communities. They recognized the need for WHO Member States to ensure sufficient national appropriations and oversight, and for parliamentarians to raise awareness in their constituencies and mobilize local action in building climate-resilient and sustainable health systems.“Universal health coverage, climate change and AI cannot be addressed in isolation. The same communities struggling to access health services today are often the ones most exposed to climate shocks, and most in need of the opportunities AI can offer if this technology is governed responsibly,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “Having served previously in this Forum myself as a parliamentarian from Tonga, I recognize how the Phnom Penh Communiqué reflects the shared resolve of legislators across the Asia-Pacific region: the laws parliamentarians pass and the budgets they approve help ensure this progress reaches the people who need it most.”As the Forum drew to a close, delegates reflected on what they would carry back to their own parliaments and constituencies.“I wish to share three points here worth carrying home from Phnom Penh: we need to invest in primary health care as the foundation of coverage; we need to remove the barriers that keep people from care, whether financial, geographic or social; and we need to build systems that are inclusive by design, protecting those most at risk of being left behind,” added Hon. Ouch Borith, First Vice-President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia.###Notes for editors:The Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (APPFGH) is a platform for parliamentarians to exchange ideas, build political will, strengthen capacity and foster collaboration towards sustainable health action. This was the ninth meeting of the APPFGH, with the theme “Universal Health Coverage in the era of Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence”. Target 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls on countries to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health services, and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. In the Western Pacific, UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1) rose from 63 in 2000 to 81 in 2023 (figures include Indonesia), and roughly one in four people in the Western Pacific have experienced financial hardship (SDG 3.8.2). Progress towards UHC in the Asia-Pacific region remains uneven, with hundreds of millions of people still lacking access to essential health services or facing financial hardship due to health-related expenses. Strengthening the role of parliaments – through legislation, financing and oversight – is central to closing this gap and accelerating progress towards UHC across the region.Parliamentarians participating in APPFGH in Cambodia this week include: Hon. Pehin Dato Adanan YUSOF, Brunei Darussalam; Hon. Rosmawatty ABDUL MUMIN, Brunei Darussalam; Hon. LORK Kheng, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. YOS Phanita, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. KHOUN Khundy, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. HENG Halim, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. KHOENG Noupheap, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. SENG Nhak, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. LY Sukry, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. NHOEURN Raden, Kingdom of Cambodia; Hon. Dr Ratu Atonio LALABALAVU, Republic of Fiji; Hon. Vijay NATH, Republic of Fiji; Hon. Man Hee LEE, Republic of Korea; Hon. Dr Jiho CHA, Republic of Korea; Hon. Jonghun BAEK, Republic of Korea; Hon. Youngsuk SEO, Republic of Korea; Hon. Dr Phayvanh KEOPASEUTH, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Hon. Suhaizan Bin KAIAT, Malaysia; Hon. Dr Perpetua KONMAN, Federated States of Micronesia; Hon. Ganmaa DAVAASAMBUU, Mongolia; Hon. Charmaine SCOTTY, Republic of Naoero; Hon. Vincent Ambance KUMURA, Papua New Guinea; Hon. Dr Edwin CRUZADO, Republic of the Philippines; Hon. AUUAPAAU Mulipola Aloitafua Mulipola, Samoa; Hon. ASIATA TAVUI Tafu Salevao, Samoa; Hon. Dr Alani Petelo TANGITAU, Tonga; Hon. Paul PAOLO, Republic of Vanuatu; Hon. Franklyn Ezra WILLIAM, Republic of Vanuatu.For more information, contact: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific: wprocom@who.int National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia (International Relations Department): ir.nacambodia@gmail.com
Tom Pagliarulo takes up men’s mental health platform after UFC contract win at DWCS 87
Tom Pagliarulo already has a secondary goal now that he's in the UFC.
Twitch content has trained Amazon AI for years, but users can opt out now
Streaming platform says user-generated content "may be used for future Gen AI model improvements."
It looks like Apple’s iPhone 18 really will skip the fall launch this year
Will you wait?
Shopify Inc. (SHOP) Soars as Jim Cramer Applauds AI-Driven Business Formation
Software platforms faced selling pressure due to concerns that generative AI tools would replace traditional software architectures. However, Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) broke away from sector headwinds after second-quarter financial results showed AI tools driving business formation rather than displacing its e-commerce infrastructure. Because Shopify serves small and medium-sized businesses requiring turnkey checkout, payment processing, and […]
Google’s Pixel 11 phone preorders come with up to $350 in gift cards
We’ve got the details on how to preorder the new phones.
Wrapbook Launches New Entertainment Production Finance Series: WRAPPED
/PRNewswire/ -- Wrapbook, the AI platform with an all-in-one solution for production finance, today announced the launch of WRAPPED, a short-form original...
Wrapbook Launches New Entertainment Production Finance Series: WRAPPED
Wrapbook, the AI platform with an all-in-one solution for production finance, today announced the launch of WRAPPED, a short-form original video series exploring the business and financial mechanics behind film, television, and digital production. The inaugural episode explores the legacy and the future of federal film production incentives, diving deep to explain the recently expired and often misunderstood tax provision, Section 181.
Android now has a tap-to-share feature
The Quick Share update makes it easier to share contact info and files between Pixel devices, and soon, Samsung phones.
The Pixel Tag is Google’s answer to the AirTag
But not every phone will support its best features.
Google’s Pixel 11 series pairs a little new hardware with a lot of new software
More helpful features, less AI slop.
Boaty McBoatface and pals’ perilous mission | Investors Lab
Operating within a global underwater robotics market valued at over $5 billion, the market is rich with manufacturers
Insta360’s next 360-degree action cam puts bigger sensors in a smaller design
The new X6 is a smaller but more capable 360-degree action cam.
Saber denies replacing Rideshare Stimulator’s writers with ChatGPT
Stella Sacco says Saber is “trying to have it both ways” on AI.
Xbox Elite 3 prototype pad leaks with tiny built-in screen
Not a screen for your games, though.
An FCC filing points to new Sonos headphones coming soon
An FCC filing detailed new wireless headphones are coming.
Google’s free streaming service now lets you pick shows and movies to watch
More free stuff to watch.
More Lord of the Rings Remasters Are in the Works Following War in the North Re-Release, Confirms Aspyr
Aspyr has plans to re-release more Lord of the Rings games following its shadow drop of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North on modern platforms.
Lord Of The Rings Xbox 360 Game Gets Surprise Shadow Drop For Modern Platforms
"Step into a darker, grittier Middle-earth."
Bethesda Acknowledges Demand for Oblivion Remastered Patch, Calls for Calm
"We are looking into bringing [Switch 2 optimisations] to other platforms."
Google’s upcoming Pixel phones are for the fans, even if its launch event isn’t
Notification lights are back back back.
As Trump Media scraps some businesses, it’s doubling down on Truth Social and the president
The platform is offering a new service that grants fast access to Trump’s posts for a fee.
‘Zoomsday’ hack uncovered using fewer than 20 AI prompts
The Zoom vulnerability allowed hackers to take over everyone’s device on a call, security researchers say.
Digital Twin in Entertainment Market to Reach USD 2,533.2 Million by 2032, Growing at 31.4% CAGR, Says MarketsandMarkets™
Delray Beach, FL, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Digital Twin in Entertainment Market is projected to grow from USD 492.4 million in 2026 to USD 2,533.2 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 31.4%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets™. Growth is being driven by increasing adoption of virtual production technologies, rising investments in immersive entertainment experiences, and expanding deployment of AI-powered digital twin platforms across film, television, gaming, live events
Why your Amazon order confirmation emails have become so unhelpful
Why you’re getting emails about “Your Beauty and Electronics items”
WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN) (“WEBTOON Entertainment” or “the Company”), a leading global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, today announced it will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences: Deutsche Bank 2026 Technology ConferenceAugust 26, 2026Location: Dana Point, CA Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology ConferenceSeptember 10, 2026Presentation Time: 4:25 PM PTLoc
The AI takeover of mathematics has begun
OpenAI showed that AI can tackle long-standing problems in mathematics. Experts are excited about the possibilities — and worried about what comes next for their field.
The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized
Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, the outcome of this crucial race will depend mainly on two things: Whether Republicans succeed in demonizing El-Sayed because he’s brown and a Muslim, and whether they succeed in demonizing him as a left-wing radical. I will defer for the now the question of whether bigotry will be effective this year, although I will address it another day. What I want to address instead is El-Sayed’s signature issue — healthcare. Yes, El-Sayed advocates Medicare for All, a position the usual suspects denounce as “socialism.” I will get to the politics of his stance soon. Today, however, I want to talk about the substance. We should be clear that El-Sayed doesn’t even call himself a socialist. On the contrary, he explicitly disavows the label, saying “I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism”. In fact, as I explained in a previous post, the policies that El-Sayed advocates qualify him as a social democrat, not a socialist. Still, El-Sayed advocates a system under which the government would pay almost all medical expenses. Isn’t that socialism? Well, if that is the criterion then much of U.S. healthcare is already socialist. In fact, the government’s role is so large that U.S. healthcare is better described as partially privatized socialism than as anything resembling a free market. Let’s start with the raw numbers on health insurance, which pays the bulk of Americans’ medical expenses. Americans receive health insurance either from private companies or from public programs, overwhelmingly Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s what the breakdown of coverage and spending between private and public looked like in 2024: While a majority of Americans with health insurance get it from private companies, well over 100 million of us are covered by government programs instead. And these government programs pay more total dollars for medical bills than the private insurers do. Why do government programs that cover a minority of the population account for a majority of health insurers’ outlays? Mainly because Medicare covers seniors, and we’re expensive. Also, while Medicaid covers many younger Americans, disabled and elderly beneficiaries account for most of its spending. Even by the raw numbers, then, U.S. health insurance looks as much public as private. But that understates the government’s role: Private health insurance in the U.S. is both highly regulated and heavily subsidized. This is obviously true for the insurance coverage purchased by tens of millions of Americans through the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. But employment-based health insurance, which covers 161 million Americans, is far more of a government creation than most people realize. For employment-based insurance exists largely because of huge implicit government subsidies that come with major strings attached. Here’s how that works. If your employer pays you $10,000, that’s taxable income. But if your employer pays $10,000 toward a company health insurance plan that meets certain criteria, it isn’t taxable. That’s a huge effective subsidy, running at more than $300 billion a year. Take that subsidy into account, along with the more than $100 billion per year spent subsidizing policies purchased under the ACA, as well as the outlays on Medicare and Medicaid, and net effect is that the government pays for more than two-thirds of Americans’ health insurance. Granted, there are strings attached. Roughly speaking, employment-based health plans can’t discriminate based on medical history — that is, they can’t deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions — and they also can’t offer the plans only to highly compensated employees — a health plan that is only for the C-suite is considered taxable income. So given the restrictions of the federal tax code, employer-based health insurance is a lot like Obamacare, which also prohibits discrimination based on medical history and provides subsidies to make insurance affordable to lower-paid workers. The fact is that virtually all of private healthcare insurance is already well under some form of government control through regulation and tax subsidies. How should we think about this system? First of all, is Medicare socialist? Don’t tell anyone, but the way Medicare operates — it covers every senior’s medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be, while being funded by taxes that depend on one’s income — could be summarized by the old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And back in 1961, when Ronald Reagan was the face of a last-ditch effort by the American Medical Association to block the creation of Medicare, he denounced Medicare as “socialized medicine” and warned that it would destroy our freedom. In reality, American freedom survived until Jan. 20, 2025, while Medicare is immensely popular, with an 82 percent favorable rating in the most recent KFF survey. Medicaid, government health insurance for lower-income Americans, comes in at 73 percent. This is in sharp contrast to public views about private insurers, who are widely disliked if not hated and accused of denying essential care. Furthermore, if Medicare is socialism, then the whole U.S. health insurance system, with the government paying most of the bills and placing conditions on private insurers, is almost equally socialist. If you insist on calling any program the government pays for and regulates socialist, then U.S. healthcare would best be described as a partially privatized form of socialism. And one must ask, what is the point of the part that is privatized? Do private insurers add anything positive? Or are they simply parasites, skimming off money that could have been paying for care? The case for viewing insurers as parasites is strong. Many Medicare benefits are now delivered via Medicare Advantage, that is, plans paid for by the government but run through insurance companies. MedPAC, an independent advisory commission, estimates that last year Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $84 billion, thanks to practices such as “upcoding,” in which patients’ health problems are overstated to get larger sums from Medicare. Assessing the waste from employer-based insurance is harder, but most evidence suggests that private insurers have substantially higher administrative costs than Medicare does. Furthermore, the complexity of private insurance, with multiple payers all trying to deny care when they can, is a huge burden both on providers — doctors, nurses, and hospitals — and on patients. What do private insurers offer to compensate for these costs? One must go through intellectual contortions to avoid the conclusion that they are, in fact, parasites. Which brings me back to El-Sayed. In supporting Medicare for All, he’s basically calling for an end to the partial, parasitic privatization of a healthcare system that is already hugely dependent on public funding. When one looks at it that way, it’s not at all a radical proposal. Admittedly, the political lift requires overcoming the opposition to higher taxes to pay for Medicare for All. Political realism rather than economics was the reason I and many other progressives supported Obamacare, with all its complexities, rather than demanding an immediate move to Medicare for All. But the political calculus may very well have shifted since the 2000s, as Americans are fed up with a system of unaffordable premiums, rampant claim denials, and byzantine claim administration. Moreover, funding healthcare insurance through taxation would allow for a much more progressive distribution of the cost. That is, compared to the present system, middle-income households would pay less as high-income households would pay more. And the U.S. would stop wasting large sums on pointless administrative costs. So let’s be clear: El-Sayed’s healthcare platform is perfectly reasonable on the merits of cost, fairness and health efficacy. And with private insurers never more hated, while millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, 2026 may be its time. MUSICAL CODA
Tencent Music Entertainment Group Announces Second Quarter 2026 Unaudited Financial Results
Tencent Music Entertainment Group ("TME," or the "Company") (NYSE: TME and HKEX: 1698), the leading all-in-one music and audio entertainment platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026.
NCSOFT profit beats forecasts as Lineage W drives sales to record
Webtoon Entertainment Inc., South Korean online giant Naver Corp.'s online comics platform, is betting on gaming with its first developer acquisition to t
Millennium Hotels and Resorts Partners with HXE to Strengthen Global MICE Business Through Digital Innovation
Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR), a global hospitality leader with a portfolio spanning key destinations worldwide, has entered into a Strategic Partnership Program agreement with HXE in Singapore. The partnership combines MHR's global hospitality network with HXE's digital MICE platform to create new opportunities for corporate meetings and events while supporting the growing demand for seamless, technology-enabled event planning.
City Vault: The Keegan era begins in winning style
On this day 25 years ago, Kevin Keegan took charge of his first competitive game for Manchester City.Keegan was in the Maine Road dugout for a clash with Watford, managed by another new boss in Gianlu...
Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t understand how to live
An AI future of sleek, streamlined, and totally empty relationships.
Anker’s travel charger works in almost any country and is down to $20
It can fit in your palm.
Spotify's New Ad-Skipping Feature Is Not Scaring Off Podcast Advertisers Yet
The platform is testing out a feature that allows paid users to skip ads on podcasts, but experts say this will likely not have any immediate impact.
Watch Disney Entertainment Television's Multiplatform Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001
Disney Entertainment Television unveils powerful multiplatform commemoration of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Someone Made a Terrific Deal in the Peacock/YouTube Premium Partnership…But Who?
(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.) I hope everyone around the world suffering from record heat waves is doing okay. The temperature is already up in Southern California, but obviously not nearly as bad as parts of Europe. With a super El Nińo coming this year, I worry it will get even worse. Yes, we know what’s causing this heat—it’s the carbon, duh—but we really aren’t making enough progress. I’m not “environmental strategy guy”, but if I were, I’d have some ideas of what I’d try. Honestly, for years I’ve been intrigued by the work of the folks at MEER—whose plan, super simply, is to put up mirrors to reflect heat (while continuing the important work of decarbonization)—but I’m frustrated this idea hasn’t made more progress. (Other geo-engineering groups seem to get better press.) With heat like this—cancelling events, hurting economies and, most importantly, killing people—it seems like the time to push solutions! The “mirrors on the ground” solution has barely been tried.1 While entertainment companies may not “feel the heat”, lots of outdoors/experiential industries—concerts, theme parks and so on—will. Even movie theaters could benefit, since mirrors could help lower AC costs, which I imagine is not an insignificant expense, especially in the hotter areas of the country. So I do think the entertainment industry should prioritize this issue. Anyways, let’s get back into the entertainment strategy. I was about to write, “Hey, this week we don’t have any mergers and entertainment news to dive into,” but that’s not really true, since we had more updates on Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. But the big story of the week involves a streamer and a Big Tech platform bundling their respective streamers. So I’ll write about the updates on Paramount buying Warner Bros., Versant making some moves, and a whole lot more. But we start with a surprising deal: Peacock licensing their content to YouTube Premium. Let’s dive in! Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Peacock’s Pricey Premium Partnership The story of the week is Comcast’s2 NBC-Universal’s Peacock making a deal with Google’s YouTube’s YouTube Premium subscription product to embed their content. And I’ll say this up front: Someone made a terrific deal. The question is who. And I’ll be honest: I don’t know. Let me explain why, including why this deal exists, the pros and cons for each side, the biggest unknown, and what that says about the streaming wars. Customers Love Bundles (But YouTube Has Its Own Issues) 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… Why customers love bundles… But why I’m worried about YouTube’s integration... How Peacock is trading scale for control… And the reason they likely made this deal... The odd budget math for this deal... Whether or not I think the Paramount-Skydance/WBD deal is more likely after the latest settlement... Versant making moves and why that’s good for Hollywood… Another distributor going out of business… ...and a whole lot more! ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Bluesky now lets you hide reposts from that annoying person you follow
You can also turn on post numbers for threads.
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Delaware Implements Collaborative Communication Platform for Heart Health
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