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Mousinho gives update on injury worry for Portsmouth star
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has eased concerns over Jayden Meghoma after the defender was forced off during his side’s win over Cardiff.The Brentford loanee impressed on his Pompey debut before be...
Poll: A polarized America unites behind deep concerns about AI
Worries about AI transcend age, race, education, partisanship and other typical dividing lines, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey.
The U.S. isn’t alone in racking up big debt
Climbing borrowing costs have become a headache for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. But the United States is not the only country grappling with the potentially destabilizing consequences of soaring government debt.
AfD is predicted to win 40% in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Should Jews be worried?
Here’s what you need to know about the rise of Germany’s far-right political party.
Student-loan forgiveness is now pushed back for these PSLF borrowers
The Trump administration removed some student-loan borrowers' payments toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness. It's throwing their futures into limbo.
Nurse sues Central Maine Healthcare alleging 6 years of incorrect wages
The nurse filed the lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of others who she claims were also not paid appropriately for working extra time.
Imagicaaworld Entertainment And 2 Indian Undervalued Stocks To Watch
Global food and commodity prices remain elevated, and that keeps investors focused on cash rich Indian businesses that can handle higher input costs. When markets worry about inflation staying sticky, dependable cash generation often matters more than headline earnings. This article looks at three Indian stocks where current market prices sit below an internally assessed cash flow value. You will see why cash focused value hunters are watching these opportunities now. The three stocks covered...
Today’s children could prosper in tomorrow’s shortage of young workers
Today’s children could be the first generation since the 1970s to do better than their parents as young workers become more sought after and well paid. They might even see
Seahawks AJ Barner Provides Health Update Ahead of Season Opener
The Seattle Seahawks release their first injury report of the season tomorrow ahead of the opener, but this player is telling us he won’t be on it.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VII major update ‘Arc of Tomorrow’ and paid expansion ‘Earthrise’ announced
Publisher 2K and developer Firaxis Games have announced the major update “Arc of Tomorrow,” paid expansion “Earthrise” and version 1.5.0 update for Sid Meier’s Civiliz…
Yankees at Risk of Losing Key Pitcher
The New York Yankees have plenty to worry about before considering this offseason’s free agent class. When it arrives, though, the Yanks will be at risk of losing at least one key pitcher from their current roster. It’s a reality that’s at least worth analyzing right now, because free agency will arrive, and it’s always […] The post Yankees at Risk of Losing Key Pitcher appeared first on HEAVY.
3 Not-Quite-Horror Movies On HBO Max To Pregame Halloween Season
It's never too soon to get ready for Halloween.
F1rst Friday ArtWalk brings art, music to downtown Myrtle Beach
Downtown Myrtle Beach came alive Friday evening, Sept. 4 as local artists, musicians and community members gathered for the F1rst Friday ArtWalk.
Squad list for Bologna vs. Sassuolo
Domenico Tedesco has named the following squad for tomorrow’s match:Goalkeepers: Happonen, Pessina, Skorupski.Defenders: De Silvestri, Heggem, Helland, Holm, Miranda, Rahim, Theate, Vitik, Zortea.Mi...
Trump’s PAC wades into midterms with $10 million ad buy to boost Ken Paxton
Republicans have been worried over whether and when President Donald Trump’s super PAC would spend its massive war chest on the midterms.
All 7 ‘Scream’ movies, ranked from worst to best
For nearly 30 years, ‘Scream’ has terrified, entertained, and satirized multiple generations of horror fans. See how all seven movies rank from worst to best.
Country music star’s fans praying after horrific wreck leaves him blinded in one eye
He was in the crash in early August.
Central Health considers raising Travis County taxes for mental health resources
New revenue may benefit care for those in crisis, but some local leaders worry about an impact on taxpayers.
Newport Beach college student has business in the bag with company
Newport Beach resident Brooks Orradre, a senior at Southern Methodist University, has found success with his Velantra handbags brand.
Durham offers $10K for Fayetteville Street businesses, but owners say corridor needs more investment
Durham's Bounce Back program is providing grants and business support to help small businesses along Fayetteville Street grow and preserve the historic corridor.
Durham offers $10K for Fayetteville Street businesses, but owners say corridor needs more investment
75th Street parking ban divides businesses, city over safety and survival
A temporary overnight parking ban stretching across several miles of 75th Street is pitting business owners worried about their survival against a city alderman who says the police-led strategy is helping keep guns off the street.
The 15 best witch movies, from “The Wizard of Oz” to “Weapons”
From horror to comedy to romance, witches have taken many forms throughout film history.
$2.4 Million Awarded To Help W.Va. Residents Stay Healthy, Working
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced nearly $2.4 million he said would help West Virginians stay healthy and able to work.
Morrisey: $2.4M of WV’s Rural Health funds will go to 3 organizations for employer-based health
The state of West Virginia will award $2.4 million of its federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding to three organizations to expand worksite and employer-based health services. It’s the first announced allocation of the state’s funding from the federal money. The five-year program awarded West Virginia nearly $199 million for the first year. It’s meant […]
Pa. city announces $600K investment to renovate business corridor
Three restaurants and a bakery have already committed to storefronts.
LSU fans worried about ramifications of Kiffin's decision to recruit, play former NFL players
The showdown between LSU and Clemson has been overshadowed by controversy
Blizzard’s StarCraft Site Breaks Itself Days Before BlizzCon, and Fans Already Decoded a Hidden 2575 Horror ARG
Amid various StarCraft rumors, the official website starts glitching suspiciously just one week ahead of BlizzCon 2026, and fans discover ARG.
Ali Landry turned down ‘DWTS’ because she worried being ‘intimate’ with other men would jeopardize her marriage
Ali Landry turned down ‘Dancing With the Stars’ because of her now-husband, after her first marriage ended in a cheating scandal.
Iowa State names Lonergan inaugural Topel Endowed Chair in Meat Science
Steven Lonergan, a Morrill Professor of animal science, was named the inaugural holder of the endowed chair during the Topel Medallion Ceremony on Monday, Aug. 31, on the Iowa State campus.
The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film 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… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.
Connor Wood says Derek Hough has him worried he’ll get a 3 from the ‘DWTS’ judges
Connor Wood shared his biggest worry ahead of the ‘DWTS’ season 35 premiere, admitting he’s worried about the judges’ scores.
Armor Health and the Stark County Sheriff's Office Partner in Launching PATH Program at Stark County Jail and Celebrate First Graduates
/PRNewswire/ -- Armor Health (ArmorHealthcare.com), a national provider of correctional healthcare, has launched the Prevention, Accountability, Treatment &...
Adria Arjona hints at “Man of Tomorrow” role in training video, talks ‘excitement’ of ‘playing the woman I’m playing’
Now that’s a workout fit for an Amazon princess if we’ve ever seen one.
Opinion: San Diego must reject the demonization of Jews in politics
Describing Jewish political participation as foreign, corrupt, or subversive is a clear attempt to normalize prejudice and hatred.
Netflix Just Added One Of The Best Horror Movies Of The Decade
Netflix has added what could be considered one of the best horror films of the 2020s, and its lead gives an all-timer performance.
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'Onslaught' in theaters, rent 'I Want Your Sex,' stream 'The Runner' on Prime Video
Adria Arjona's action horror flick "Onslaught" is the week's big movie release, while Mark Wahlberg and Gal Gadot helm new films of their own.
Only 19% Make It: The Hidden Barriers Women Face in Science Today - Futura-Sciences
From Lecture Hall Storms to Today’s Invisible Barriers Let’s rewind to 1867, when women first arrived at university lecture halls. Instead of applause, they were greeted by a storm—literally. Baked apples thrown, misogynistic heckling echoing in the corridors, and courses deliberately sabotaged by peers. Every dirty trick was used to...
Caltech and KAIST Establish Program to Co-Mentor Tomorrow's Chemists and Drive Future Discoveries
Chemists from the two institutions will work together to identify projects and then mentor postdocs and host graduate students, enabling researchers to experience multiple environments while seeding additional collaboration
‘The Cardinal Countdown: 2 Days Until Kickoff’
DEMECO KENNEDY #2 Height: 6’3” Weight: 305lb Position: DL Class: Junior Hometown: Lexington, KY Summary: The Cards needed some beef in the middle of the defensive line, but instead of calling Kroger’s Alex The Butcher, they rang ‘Kennedy, the Boilermaker’. Hailing from Lexington, Kennedy correctly averted the mess in the army of Stoops Troops and […]
What Trump’s new study says about support for trans rights — and why experts are worried
Researchers who study authoritarianism and political violence have major concerns about the study and how the administration plans to use it.
Two Reform UK officials step down after undercover report on party donations
Reform says Dan Jukes and James Orr have left their roles as it launches an investigation into the report.
China rare earth firms halt some US shipments over geopolitical worries, sources say
Some Chinese rare earth suppliers are declining to ship to the U.S. for fear of repercussions from Beijing, three sources said, underscoring how access to the materials remains an issue for the U.S. weeks before President Xi Jinping visits Washington.
Farage aides step down after undercover report on Reform UK donations
James Orr and Dan Jukes have stepped down from positions pending outcome of party investigation, says Reform UK
What's the 411?
We remember actor Tim Curry who died last week. He’s known for his rolls in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Clue,” Christmas classic “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,”
Senate Candidate: Money Corrupting SD Politics
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)– Independent candidate Brian Bengs says corporate money is corrupting politics, not only on a national level but now in South Dakota. Independent Brian Bengs held a p…
Olmsted County public health advisors hear from tobacco industry rep
The presentation from U.S. Businesses of Phillip Morris International comes months after the launch of a countywide youth tobacco prevention coalition.
Pablo Torre Sounds Off on the Clippers Ruling, Kawhi Leonard and ESPN — and Teases His Next Big Story
“Pablo Torre Finds Out” host on the NBA’s historic ruling against the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard’s slap on the wrist and ESPN undermining his reporting.
Labor Day Weekend Eve Chat and Discussion
All last weekend, my kid told me that it was going to be Labor Day that next Monday. I kept telling her no, it was next Monday. I mean, like 10 or 12 times. Then I told this to the wife. She was very quiet, then asked “it’s not Labor Day tomorrow?” Because she kept […]
With Academy of Natural Sciences closing, STEM professionals worry about impact on students
When Atiyah Harmon brought her group from Black Girls Love Math to the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum last year, the students got a chance to see the possibilities of
Goldman Sachs leader praises Texas as 'business-friendly’ state
FOX Business correspondent Lauren Simonetti speaks with Goldman Sachs Dallas head Aasem Khalil about the influx of businesses to Texas on ‘Mornings with Maria.’
Reading Palestinian Polls—and Misreading Palestinian Politics
While the polling data may be eye-catching, interpreting the numbers requires reading Palestinian public sentiment correctly at an unprecedented moment. Misreading that sentiment risks drawing the wrong conclusion from the PCPSR poll.
Native American Community Clinic to Open New Health Campus in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — The Native American Community Clinic (NACC) will open its new health campus to patients Tuesday, September 15th, marking a major expansion of culturally grounded health care and community services for Native families in the Twin Cities. Located along the American Indian Cultural Corridor in south Minneapolis, the new clinic is part of an […]
Connor Storrie's Managers Join Linden Entertainment
Nicholas Todisco and Brad Pence left Atlas Artists earlier this week.
Video: Why the N.B.A. Banned the Richest Owner in U.S. Sports
A yearlong league probe, sparked by Pablo Torre’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation, found that the billionaire Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer helped to secure endorsement deals for star Kawhi Leonard, breaking salary cap rules.
Gloria Steinem in Her Own Words on Women's Rights, Abortion Politics and Being Called the B-Word
In interviews and emails, Gloria Steinem shared with Associated Press reporters over the years her thoughts on social changes she had witnessed as a leading voice for women, the importance of abortion rights and the correct way to respond when being called the B-word. The author and feminist icon ...
Until Dawn 2's sun-kissed horror gets a PS5 release date - and the studio behind last year's brilliant Dispatch is involved
Sony has shared more details about the sequel to its acclaimed cinematic horror Until Dawn, which is due to arrive early next year.
‘Halloween: The Game’ Review – Stealth, Stalking, and Michael Myers Shine In An Uneven Horror Exp…
The latest from IllFonic, the studio that has carved out a niche for itself as the ultimate authority on multiplayer horror with Friday the 13th,
Halloween Cleverly Carves Its Own Path Through Horror Multiplayer
Michael Myers comes alive in IllFonic's latest asymmetrical haunting grounds.
Giants Take Down Pirates in Extra Innings
Rafael Devers continued his torrid home run streak as the San Francisco Giants edged past the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 10-inning thriller.
Entertainment briefs | ‘4 Cool Bands’ perform at Arcata Playhouse
“SoniX at the Graves,” an immersive sound experience, is slated for Sept. 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, 636 F St., Eureka.
Opinion: Did climate predictions hold up?
A retrospective analysis shows the 1990 IPCC report correctly predicted much of today's climate crisis due to lack of action.
Democrats vow aggressive investigations into Trump ‘corruption’ and ‘grift’ if they win the House
Rep. Robert Garcia would most likely chair the Oversight Committee, while Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., is in line to chair the Judiciary Committee. Here’s how they would use that power.
Republicans fear Trump will keep super PAC money and not spend on the midterms
President Donald Trump has kept most of his super PAC money on the sidelines and been reticent on his spending plans, worrying Republicans ahead of this fall’s elections.
As SU enrollment drops, international students say U.S. politics spark concern
Law, a political science professor, said it’s difficult to secure admission to a U.S. university as students worry about federal visa changes.
Nuclear power drive boosts southwestern uranium mills — and tribal health concerns
The Havasupai, Ute Mountain Ute tribes worry that a Utah uranium mill may foul groundwater as Trump administration boosts nuclear energy.
UK mortgage rates set to rise as bond sell-off drives up borrowing costs
Rolling coverage of the latet economic and financial news
The New York Times Hires STAT’s Eric Boodman as National Science Correspondent
The New York Times has hired STAT journalist Eric Boodman as its national science correspondent, a new position on the... Read More
Americans’ ‘government corruption’ problem is in a new league
It is not news, or surprising, that Americans are worried about government corruption.
Canal Science Symposium Addresses Water Quality Worries
The Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Initiative (C-HAWQ) held its long awaited symposium on canal science at the Collier County Public Library Marco Island Branch on Thursday afternoon, August 28.
GOP Senator, 73, Shows Worrying Health Condition She Covered Up
The issue, which Susan Collins revealed in May, was evident in a nearly hour-long interview Wednesday.
Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo
Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.
Senator Kim Visits Warren County to Talk Healthcare and Jobs
Yesterday, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) visited Warren County with focused visits on expanding affordable healthcare and improving New Jersey’s workforce development pipeline as part of his Einstein Corridor initiative. “I leave these visits inspired by the dedication I witnessed from those in Warren County who are training NJ’s next generation of workers and pushing to ensure access to quality healthcare in some of our most rural communities,” said Senator Kim. “There is so much unique potential in each corner of our state – I’m excited to bring the ideas discussed with[...]
Why wait? Business grads buying firms to install themselves as CEO
Impatient to be the boss of an established company they are borrowing money to fund their purchases.
What’s behind the wave of Water Street business closures?
BizTimes Milwaukee editor Andrew Weiland discusses the recent closures of Lowcountry and Silk on Water, the district’s public safety concerns and what it could take to revitalize the downtown entertainment corridor.
Matthew Morrison Signs With Echo Lake Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)
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South Carolina, Shane Beamer open critical season vs. Kent State
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iOS 27 Introduces New 'iPhone Handoff' Feature
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Tim Curry’s cause of death revealed
Tim Curry’s cause of death has been revealed after the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ star’s passing at age 80.
Phoenix Suns Are Being Slept on According to Former Rival
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Burnham pressed on economy at first PMQs as UK borrowing costs rise
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The politics of AI data centers
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‘Onslaught’ Review: They’re Next
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Nvidia's controversial, face-changing, gen-AI DLSS 5 tech releases tomorrow for one game, and seems to tank frame-rates
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8 questions GOP lawmakers face as the House returns
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Executive producer of 'Obsession' sues over her cut of the profits
LOS ANGELES — "Obsession," the indie horror movie written and directed by Curry Barker, has proved to be one of this year's most successful films. Made for a reported budget
'Toy Story 5' Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 remained No. 1 on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.K. home entertainment sales chart through, through Sept. 2. The rest of the top four remains unchanged this week, with Focus Features’ supernatural horror film Obsession holding at No. 2 in its ninth week on the chart, and Universal’s animated adventure … Continue reading "‘Toy Story 5’ Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2"
'Toy Story 5' Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 remained No. 1 on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.Sk. home entertainment sales chart through, through Sept. 2. The rest of the Top 4 remains unchanged this week, with Focus Features’ supernatural horror Obsession holding at No. 2 in its ninth week on the chart, and Universal’s animated adventure Minions … Continue reading "‘Toy Story 5’ Continues Reign Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Sept. 2"
Siri AI won't be your friend, and here's why that really matters
Elon University has partnered with The Washington Post to conduct what turned out to be a worrying survey about Americans...
Money problems may age your brain faster
Persistent financial hardship in early and middle adulthood was linked to poorer thinking skills by the 50s and more signs of brain aging later in life. Researchers say years of chronic stress and financial worry may gradually take a toll on the brain.
“Broken heart syndrome” can look just like a heart attack. This test can tell them apart
“Broken heart syndrome” can mimic a heart attack so closely that patients often need invasive testing to tell the difference. Researchers have now developed the BioTAK score, which combines biological sex with blood biomarkers to identify the condition before cardiac catheterization. In a validation study of nearly 1,800 patients, it correctly classified almost 90% of participants.
Myrtle Beach relaxes beach rules after Labor Day
Not only does the number of tourists in Myrtle Beach decrease after Labor Day, the rules for the beach are more lenient, too. Myrtle Beach’s rules for dogs, bicycles, and tents change.
What’s happening in Corridor? An adults-only circus and more
A Halloween-inspired take on the circus will arrive in Cedar Rapids this month, with Paranormal Cirque: Inferno promising a show in which “awe-inspiring aerial artistry and amazing acrobatics will set you ablaze.”
The science of emotional regulation — and how to do it better
Do you ever feel like your emotions control you instead of you controlling them? Maybe you lash out at someone after a long day at work or indulge to avoid a stressful situation. It’s called emotional dysregulation and don’t worry – we all experience it at some point. Luckily, there’s a better way of dealing with our feelings: building emotional intelligence. That may seem daunting, but Short Wave is here to guide you through everything from understanding the importance of emotions to how we can repair our relationship to them.Interested in learning more about your brain and your feelings? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org. We might cover it in a future episode!Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Poll shows nearly 90% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread
The belief increased by 10 percentage points compared with last year, a Gallup poll found.
Game 139: Tigers at Twins
First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com Know thine enemy: Bless You Boys Andrew Morris gets the start, presumably in an opener role, so expect just a couple innings from him tonight if all goes to plan. He’s looking to turn the page after […]
What Box Office Bomb Crushed Obsession on Streaming?
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get into this week’s issue, let me ask you for some suggestions. At the risk of coining too many names for too many things (hence my dictionary of terms...), I need a name for straight-to-streaming films that are too expensive to justify a straight-to-streaming release, but not big enough to justify a theatrical release. Like some of the films I highlighted in last week’s tally of the biggest film flops of 2026 so far: Hulu’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Pizza Movie or Never Change! They don’t feel like “made for TV movies” (think Hallmark and Lifetime movies, cheap Netflix romcoms, or Disney Channel Original movies, for example) but they don’t feel big enough for the big screen. They’re not “cinematic” enough, so to speak. As I wrote... “I still need a name for this middle zone of film that’s too expensive to go straight-to-streaming but too small to justify a theatrical release (with all the PR, distribution, marketing and whatnot costs that go along with it), the Goldilocks zone of streaming film death.” Friend of the newsletter Brandon Katz has suggested the “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”. I love that first one. I’d offer up the much wordier “The Streaming Budget Dead Zone” or “the Goldilocks Zone of streaming film death” but that last one isn’t accurate since, unlike Goldilocks’ porridge, these films are the opposite of “just right”. That’s the problem! Anyway, if you have any suggestions, let me know! On to today’s Streaming Ratings Report. As you can tell by today’s headline, things are going to be spicy! I’m looking at a box office bomb that did really, really well on streaming, somewhat challenging a few different narratives. And another Netflix series declined in its second season. All that, plus Wicked: For Good switching streamers, The Hawk continuing its strong run, _The Bear’_s finale season finally dropping off the charts, the WNBA posting a big viewership number, “shallow libraries”, a sitcom spinoff failing to launch, more big budget IP flopping on Paramount+, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 20th to July 26th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - The Latest Theatrical Success Story on Streaming In the latest edition of “Flops, Bombs and Misses of the First Half of 2026”, I made a crucial change: I started including theatrical films with the streaming misses. The streamers have collectively—including Netflix, but not to as big of an extent—stopped making a lot of straight-to-streaming films, and the ones they do make aren’t as expensive as in the heyday of the streaming bubble. After the following two films bombed in theaters, you’d guess that they’ll be included in my next collection of flops, bombs and misses six months from now: Masters of the Universe on Prime Video (only $64 million domestic box office) Mortal Kombat II on HBO Max ($79 million domestic) But you’d be wrong! Masters of the Universe, a reboot of the He-Man franchise, a toy from the 1980s, came to streaming on 22-July and did great! This long-gestating project—it’s been at every studio for years, and came close to getting a greenlight at Netflix—then finally came to theaters in June, and showed up on streaming less than two months later. (I don’t love this short theatrical window.) It surprisingly grabbed nearly 20 million hours on its debut: That means, wait for it, Masters of the Universe is currently the eighth biggest film on streaming through two weeks. My rough bar for “hit” is shows or films in the top 15%. Ergo…Masters of the Universe is a legit, streaming hit! (One quick caveat: if it falls out of the top ten next week, it will move to 13th overall, just on the edge of the top 15.) Of course, that’s the data for just 2026. Here’s how it stacks up to Prime Video’s theatrical films: That drop into its second week is typical for Amazon films, but also a worrying sign. I have a feeling interest in this film is front-loaded and we’ll see it drop off after this. As for Mortal Kombat II, in this case, the viewership numbers roughly match the theatrical outing, with only 4.1 million hours in its first week. Here’s how it stacks up to other HBO Max films: The best defense of this number is that, as a relatively violent rated-R film, Mortal Kombat II never had a good chance at breaking out. So now it’s time for a little big of “Entertainment Nuance Guy”: First, yeah, my headline is obviously facetious, since Masters of the Universe besting Obsession says more about horror as a genre than it does that film. Second, I read and listened to quite a few “nobody wanted this IP” takes about Masters of the Universe, and that’s not really true. At least enough people wanted it to power a 20 million+ hour debut! Third, both this film and Mortal Kombat II were considered “average” by viewers, but not great films, with a 6.4 and 6.3 respectively on IMDb. That’s just shy of the level needed to be a word-of-mouth hit. Fourth, in the olden days, strong word of mouth could transform a box office miss into a cable/DVD hit, like Austin Powers or The Shawshank Redemption. We haven’t seen a lot of examples of that on streaming, though. And there are far fewer ways to monetize the post-theatrical life of a film these days. Fifth, Prime Video has shown an ability to push their own titles well, likely because they control the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem. Add it all up, and here’s my nuanced take on Masters of the Universe: it was a box office bomb, but, shockingly, a streaming hit. Unfortunately, while being a theatrical hit saves your film financially, being a streaming hit does not. Both Masters of the Universe and Mortal Kombat II had big budgets and needed to make more money in theaters to justify them. So…Straight-to-Streaming or Theaters? We’ve hit a really fun point in the streaming calendar, since the films that came out in theaters in April, May, and June are now arriving on streaming. So the “Do theatrical releases help streaming performances?” question is gonna get a fresh round of updates nearly every week. No single week will answer the question, but we may get some insights. For example, so far in 2026, it looks like theatrical films are lasting longer on the weekly Nielsen film charts. Here’s a list of films that have made the charts in their fourth or fifth week of release, separated by “for kids” and “general entertainment”: It certainly seems like theatrical films are lasting just a pinch longer on the charts, with Project Hail Mary being the current five-week champion. One Battle After Another did well for HBO Max too, and even The Sheep Detectives made it four weeks. The only exception to this trend? Obsession, which only lasted two weeks on the charts. You might tempted to overreact to this news. Don’t. Obsession is a huge horror hit, but horror just doesn’t do as well on streaming. By the way, here’s the Google Trends for various theatrical and stremaing films: Plus, when it comes to Netflix in four months, Obsession may have another big boost. Quick Notes on Film Note that when I write, “the streamers have pulled back on straight-to-streaming films” that doesn’t mean “abandoned” because Netflix is gonna Netflix. On 24-July, they released 72 Hours, a Kevin Hart comedy. Along with Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, John Cena and Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart is a streaming film star now. Did this latest one work? Not really. It only garnered two weeks of 13.2 and 12.2 million hours on its debut, well below the 20-million-hour hit threshold. It also was poorly received critically—a 44 on Metacritic—and by customers—a 5.4 on IMDb on 21K IMDb reviews. 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… The latest Netflix true crime doc to pop on the charts… How The Bear finished its run… Netflix’s latest Western to return to streaming… What Paramount+ animated film flopped… And what sitcom also missed… All the flops, bombs and misses… And a whole lot more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! I’m behind by a week, so we’ve got two issues coming your way this week, including one in a couple of days or so, then we’ll be all caught up**.** Next issue, inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming to Peacock, I’m going to take a look at the workhouse of streaming TV: kids films. Plus The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues theatrical films’ big run on streaming. All that, plus another surprise hit on Hulu, Lioness on CBS, and a whole lot more. Long term, LeBron James is filming his own “Last Dance”-style docu-series, surprising no one. But as I’ve been writing about a lot this summer, this genre is really overrated, so whoever ends up buying it (reportedly ESPN) really shouldn’t pay too much for it.
Rising homecoming costs spur Pensacola business' free dress donation drive
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- For some girls, homecoming is a night they dream about, but for families worried about the cost, buying a dress can put that moment out of re