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Truth and Politics in the Age of Post-Truth

Get E-International Relations delivered to your inbox, free of charge. As you sign up, consider becoming a paid subscriber, or make a donation, to support our work. Subscribe This is an excerpt from Global Politics in a Post-Truth Era. You can download the book free of charge from E-International Relations. The term post-truth is by now so ubiquitous in describing the state of politics in the Western world and even beyond that the most pressing issue of the day appears to be about making democracy work in the era of post-truth rather than questioning the normalisation of the term itself in the first place. The critical turning point appeared to have occurred in 2016 when the term was chosen by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘The Word of the Year.’ On its website, the Dictionary notes the transformation of post-truth from ‘being a peripheral term to being a mainstay in political commentary and connects ‘the spike in frequency’ directly with the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the election of Donald J. Trump in the United States – both occurring in 2016. Paired with the noun ‘politics,’ post-truth is defined as an adjective ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’ The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first use of the term to a 1992 essay in The Nation by the playwright Steve Tesich as he reflected on the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal and the 1990–91 Gulf War: We are rapidly becoming prototypes of a people that totalitarian monsters could only drool about in their dreams. All the dictators up to now have had to work hard at suppressing the truth. We, by our actions, are saying that this is no longer necessary, that we have acquired a spiritual mechanism that can denude truth of any significance. In a very fundamental way we, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world (Tesich 1992, 13; emphasis added). He then continued, The Gulf War is over but the war at home goes on. The gulf between rich and destitute widens – between those of us who live in a modern post-industrial nation and those of us who live in the Third World countries of our inner cities. The present administration’s response to this internal crisis has shifted from benign to malignant neglect. The current levels of misery and decomposition of our cities and the economic gulags of our ghettos are acceptable. Since there is only so much hope to go around, there is a freeze on hope. The have-nots have now been reclassified as never-will-haves (Tesich 1992, 13). In the context of Tesich’s essay, truth includes both facts, as in what happens, and ‘moral absolutes,’ as in the ‘self-evident truths mentioned in our Constitution’ (Tesich 1992, 14). Together, these two notions of truth entail the obligation to both act and react. The two passages cited above show that even in the early post-Cold War years, Tesich was already deeply concerned that the American people are neither prepared to act on truth nor react to truth that is disconcerting, or what he calls ‘bad news’ (Tesich 1992, 12). Accordingly, Tesich’s insight as captured by the term post-truth is not that truth is irrelevant to what we know, but rather it is irrelevant to how we act. In contrast, ‘post-truth politics,’ as defined by Oxford as a term that pitches ‘objective facts’ against ‘emotion and personal belief’ such that the latter appears to have overtaken the former in shaping ‘public opinion’ and thereby, democratic politics. When Tesich’s post-truth politics and its current usage are juxtaposed, the two are in fact not identical in terms of what truth is and how it relates to politics. Against such consideration, this chapter provides a critical survey of selected historical events and theoretical considerations for the purpose of gaining a more nuanced understanding of the relation between truth and politics. Truth and Language One notable impact of post-truth politics is that language is being overtly deployed as a political weapon not only by politicians and those in power, but among the general population. It seems that once facts are irrelevant to the validity of what is being said, language becomes the platform for an all-out political contest in which what is said is no more than an act of will expressed as an assertion of power and/or an exercise in defiance. As early as in the writings of Thucydides (460–400 BCE), the vulnerability of logos – which is the human capacity for rational discourse in tumultuous times – was already noted. Thucydides belonged to a school of Greek thought which maintained that language is conventional and that the association between name and things is a result of ‘human use and habit’ rather than ‘nature or divine dispensation’ (Connor 1984, 99). The conventional nature of language means that it is incapable of providing its users with any independent criteria for judgement. In Thucydides’ study of the Peloponnesian War (431–405 BCE), the subversion of logos as seen in the manipulation of language was introduced through his account of the civil war in Corcyra (Thucydides 1972, 236-245). The war first broke out in 427 BCE between the pro-Athenian democratic faction and the pro-Spartan oligarchic faction before it spread to the rest of the Greek world. There was a general breakdown of law and order, resulting in extreme violence and death. Language underwent changes that were reflective of the events of the time. The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) translated Thucydides’ description of the situation as follows: The received value of names imposed for signification of things, was changed into arbitrary. For inconsiderate boldness, was counted true-hearted manliness: provident deliberation, a handsome fear: modesty, the cloak of cowardice: to be wise in everything, to be lazy in everything... he that had been so provident as not to need to do the one or the other, was said to be a dissolver of society, and one that stood in fear of his adversary. In brief, he that could outstrip another in the doing of an evil act, or that could persuade another thereto that never meant it, was commended (Hobbes 1839–1845, 8: 348; Thucydides 1972, 242-243). What concerned Thucydides most was that the meanings of words are no more than linguistic conventions that require logos to support them. The Corcyrean civil war was a reminder that such capacity cannot be assumed. This is why history understood as an authentic account of what happens matters. Guided by logos, the historian’s task is ‘the search after truth’, which is established through ‘the absence of the fabulous,’ including ‘the rejection of myth and unverifiable stories’ (de Jonge 2017, 2). Thus, history plays an important role in facilitating the stability of language – without which distinctions and judgements cannot be rendered communicable. Just like Thucydides, Hobbes was a nominalist who subscribed to the view that there is no inherent meaning to words. Hobbes’ state of nature, where there is no common authority, is precisely one in which distinctions cannot be made. As Hobbes put it, there is ‘no Mine and Thine distinct’ nor is there distinction between ‘the notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice’ (1968, 188; emphasis in original). This is clearly an unsustainable condition for everyone. Behind Hobbes’ famous words that life in the state of nature is ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’ is his uncompromising argument for the ‘Leviathan’, which is described by the late American political theorist, Sheldon Wolin (1922–2015), as the ‘sovereign definer’ (Hobbes 1968, 186; Wolin 2004, 238–243). Accordingly, the social contract is importantly a ‘linguistic contract’ that binds all parties to ‘general names agreed upon’ (Peters 1979, 125; Hobbes 1968, 111). Through Thucydides and Hobbes, we can identify a line of thinking that sees politics as a contestation over the use of language, which is based on shared conventions and norms. Thus understood, politics is not a collective quest for the true nature of our being or an epistemological exercise in pursuit of true knowledge. Rather, politics is about humans living with one another by finding a shared language to communicate with one another on matters that affect them all. Truth is in that sense contingent on what is being said as opposed to setting the standard for it. In other words, truth is the embodiment of shareability among us. While truth as such ensures the viability of a political entity, truth by no means represents a normative standard to adjudicate among contesting actors in what they say, let alone in what they do. During Thucydides’ times, ancient China was also experiencing a tumultuous time as the ruling Zhou dynasty deteriorated into the period of the Warring States (481–221 BCE). This was when the rulers of Zhou no longer presided over the territories brought under its control through conquest. Instead of professing allegiance to the Zhou royalty, the lords of these territories became kings themselves to rule over their own land. The period was one marked by endless military campaigns as each of the seven major states aimed to conquer the rest (Lewis 1999). Yet, the period was also known for its intellectual vibrancy as different thinkers challenged the restoring of order among these warring states – including offering ideas and advice to rulers on good governance. Among these thinkers was Confucius (551–479 BCE). His thought, which came to be known as Confucianism, went on to become the state ideology of China from the Han dynasty (206 BCE–222 CE) until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911 when China became a republic. The founding text of Confucianism was the Analects, which is a collection of dialogues between Confucius and his students as recorded by them. One key concept Confucius advanced is the ‘rectification of names’. Though the term only appears in one exchange in the Analects, it is considered a major aspect of Confucius’ thought. Generations of Confucian scholars from past and present, including Western academics, have debated over its interpretation (Makeham 2003). The passage in question reads as follows: Zi Lu said: ‘The monarch of the state of Wei wants you to govern the country, what is the first thing you plan on doing?’ Confucius said: ‘First it is necessary to rectify the names.’Zi Lu said: ‘Is that really what has to be done? You are being too pedantic, aren’t you now? How will you rectify these names?’Confucius said: ‘Zhong You, you are too unrefined. A gentleman, faced with a matter that he does not understand, takes a skeptical attitude. If names are not correct, one cannot speak smoothly and reasonably, and if one cannot speak smoothly and reasonably, affairs cannot be managed successfully. If affairs cannot be managed successfully, rites and music will not be conducted. If rites and music are not conducted, punishments will not be suitable. And if punishments are not suitable, the common people will not know what to do. So, when the gentleman uses names, it is necessary to be able to speak so that people understand. If one can say it, one can definitely do it. A gentleman should not be careless with words’ (Analects 13:3 in Cao 2016, 148). This translation is offered by the contemporary philosopher Cao Feng. As Cao notes, the passage is what started the whole debate over ‘exactly what kind of names did Confucius... wish to rectify’ (Cao 2016, 148). Of the three major groups of interpretation examined by Cao, beginning with classical Confucian scholarship, one is arguably the most influential and certainly most pertinent to the issue of language and politics. This is the interpretation that was first associated with the Neo-Confucian master, Zhu Xi (1130–1200), who argued that the ‘rectification of names is simply the rectification of politics’ (Cao 2016, 149). Within this interpretive framework, rectification has the dual functions of correction and prescription by ensuring that predetermined hierarchical roles are strictly adhered to through following ‘the system of rites and propriety’ (Cao 2016, 151). In addition, the rectification of names entails ‘using names to rectify actuality’ (Cao 2016, 151). Yet Cao rejects this whole body of interpretive works by arguing that these were ideas developed later. Instead, Cao suggests the following: The original meaning of Confucius’ rectification of names may, then, be quite simple. Confucius did not mean to establish a concrete, normative system of “names”; rather, Confucius was simply the first person in history to realize or remark upon the importance of language in politics. As a politician, he noticed and foresaw the impact that the indeterminacy, ambiguity, and arbitrariness of names would have on politics. Confucius recognized the political consequences of language’s not accurately expressing meaning or not being accurately received by people. He realized the great role that names, as a means of distinguishing right and wrong and establishing norms, could play in society and politics (Cao 2016, 168). Scholarly debates aside, Cao’s view has the advantage of identifying an interpretation of this controversial exchange in the Analects that enables its readers to extrapolate from it the observation that the meaning of words depends as much on their users as on their interpreters; neither of which can be predetermined. Accordingly, a good ruler is someone who can speak without ambiguity to his subjects and make good his words through actions. Stated differently, Cao’s view on what concerned Confucius then, who was living through times of protracted political upheaval, is that language is an indispensable political tool for those in power and can be deployed by both good and bad rulers alike. To sum up, this historical survey shows that politics as a war of words is by no means a distinctive marker of contemporary politics nor the Western world. Be it ancient or current, east or west, language is subject to manipulation to serve political purposes and when there is an outright war of words that defies existing norms, it is indicative of a political situation in which people no longer share a language and truth becomes irrelevant. Accordingly, political order entails stability in language use. Truth and Politics As previously noted, current use of the term post-truth as an adjective to the term ‘politics’ suggests that once there was a time when politics aligned with truth. Indeed, if we start with Plato’s Republic as the key founding text of Western political thought, we see that the ideal polis (city-state of ancient Greece) is where truth and politics converge, and justice is achieved. Written around 380 BCE when Athens was still coping with its defeat by the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War, the Republic is a defence of the rule of the ‘philosopher king’, defined as someone who is ‘guided by the truth’ and is ‘always and in every way’ in pursuit of the truth (Plato 1974, 490a). For Plato, truth converges with virtues and hence, letting the philosopher take charge of politics is to let the wisest and the most virtuous lead the less wise and the less virtuous even if it requires compulsion (Plato 1974, 499b). In Plato’s words, ‘…until the philosophers attain power in a city there will be no respite from evil for either city or citizens…’ (Plato 1974, 501e). The uncompromising rule of philosopher-kings is made palatable by the claim that we are all ‘earth- born brothers’ with random mixtures of gold, silver, bronze and iron, but only the gold can rule (Plato 1974, 414–415). Understandably, academic debates over the interpretation of Plato’s Republic revolve around the question of whether truth as attained in philosophy can be realised in politics as action and whether such a connection is even desirable. Without getting into the details of these scholarly exchanges, I suggest that they all share the concern that truth acquired through the rigorous process of philosophical reasoning is not without problem when applied to the real world of living humans. This is because not all humans are philosophers – and indeed, in Plato’s view, not everyone is capable of becoming a philosopher given the protracted and arduous training that one needs to endure to become one. Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), a highly influential political philosopher of the twentieth century, notes that ‘Plato was the first to introduce the division between those who know and do not act and those who act and do not know’ and that such a separation has remained ‘at the root of all theories of domination’ (Arendt 1958, 223, 225). What Arendt points out in this remark is not the gap between theory and practice, but rather that Plato provides the normative ground for those who know the truth to tell those who do not know what to do. Arendt herself took on the challenge of understanding the relationship between truth and politics through her analysis of Nazism and Stalinism. Arendt’s insight, which was controversial when The Origins of Totalitarianism was published in 1951, was to identify Nazism and Stalinism as representative of a new form of political rule – totalitarianism – making it distinct from ‘other forms of political oppression... such as despotism, tyranny and dictatorship’ (Arendt 1973, 460). Arendt defines totalitarianism as a self- contained system of ideas driven by their ‘logic’ and marked by a mode of reasoning called ‘ideological thinking.’ Ideological thinking as such is a distinctive form of political reasoning defined by three characteristics. First, ideological thinking claims to provide a ‘total explanation’ of all historical happenings, encompassing the past, the present, and the future. Second, while ideological thinking is an attempt to account for ‘factual reality’ in its totality, this mode of thinking is paradoxically divorced from reality and experience. This is because experience, being rooted in specificity, is clearly limited in its claim to totality. It follows that as its third characteristic, ideological thinking aims to emancipate thought from the limitation imposed by experience through a ‘specific method of demonstration.’ The method involves arranging facts into an ‘absolutely logical procedure’ that starts from an ‘axiomatically accepted premise’. It is, in short, a ‘process of deduction from a premise’ – which is the only possible movement in the realm of logic that leads to one definitive conclusion. This is how the ‘logicality of ideological thinking’ provides the basis for total explanation and the ‘principle of action’ for totalitarian movement (Arendt 1973, 468–474). Stated differently, totalitarianism is a form of uncompromising idealism that exists in one’s head irrespective of shared reality as experienced. It is the perverse form of what Arendt later refers to as ‘rational truth’, which is the product of the ‘speculative mind’ that belongs to philosophy, mathematics and the sciences. The ‘speculative mind’ is the mind working on its way to generate axioms and theories by relying on the cognitive capacity of the human brain (Arendt 1977, 231). The presence of others has no bearing whatsoever on rational truth. In contrast, ‘factual truth’ is what happens when humans are ‘living and acting together’ (Arendt 1977, 231). Factual truth is therefore particular and temporal by definition. But more importantly, factual truth is ‘political by nature’ because it can only be validated in the context of the human community (Arendt 1977, 238). In other words, factual truth is about humans in their plurality rather than in their singularity. For factual truth to be sustainable, we need what Arendt calls ‘common sense’ – understood as ‘community sense’ (Arendt 1982, 72). There is also another distinction about truth that Arendt makes which is pertinent to understanding how totalitarianism works. The issue is whether the so-called totalitarian ideology is simply an unnecessarily cumbersome way of saying that it is an all-round and polished lie. Here, Arendt calls totalitarian ideology the ‘modern lie’ – in contrast to the ‘traditional lie’. The latter is restricted by two conditions: that it is a lie about the ‘particulars’ and that it deceives only the ‘enemy’ – which means that the liar is not engaged in self- deception. The modern lie, however, involves a ‘complete rearrangement of the whole factual texture’. It also intends to deceive everyone alike, to the extent that those who initiate the lie eventually ‘fall victims to their own falsehood’ (Arendt 1977, 249–254). This distinction between the traditional and modern lie is important. It indicates that not only is totalitarianism a lie, but the lie is in fact too big to fit into the standard meaning of the word. To tell a lie from truth, we need a common standard. In the case of a traditional lie, the common standard is precisely ‘the fabric of factuality’. As such, a lie always appears as a ‘tear’ to that fabric. Yet, modern lies require making a surrogate reality with a completely different context for facts to fit ‘without seam, crack, or fissure, exactly as the facts fitted into their original context’. Arendt notes that as long as those who concoct the surrogate reality are prepared to engage in self- deception to ‘create a semblance of truthfulness’, there is nothing to prevent ‘these new stories, images, and non-facts from becoming an adequate substitute for reality and factuality’ (Arendt 1977, 253–254). Totalitarianism therefore requires a person to stand outside of the system itself in order to make sense of it. Arendt points out that it is futile for us to argue with (for example) a Nazi or a Stalinist on race or class. To confront totalitarianism requires more than just a confrontation with specific facts. It is a more fundamental confrontation between reality as experienced and its total rejection. This means that Nazism and Stalinism are more than radical ways of conducting racial conflict or class struggle. Rather: Totalitarian politics – far from being simply antisemitic or racist or imperialist or communist – use and abuse their own ideological and political elements until the basis of factual reality, from which the ideologies originally derived their propaganda value– the value of struggle, for instance, or the interest conflicts between Jews and their neighbours – have all but disappeared (Arendt 1973, xv). Accordingly: The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (that is, the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (that is, the standards of thought) no longer exist (Arendt 1973, 474). Who then is the ‘ideal subject’ of totalitarianism? Although there is a revival of interest in Arendt’s observation on truth and politics since the onset of post- truth politics, not enough has been said about her reply to the question (Hyvönen 2018; Klinkler 2018; Lee 2019; Zerilli 2020). Yet if we take a look at Arendt’s portrait of this ideal subject, her view is even more pertinent to our current challenge. As a self-contained system of ideas that is detached from experience, totalitarian thinking offers consistency in ways that reality cannot. Arendt notes that this kind of consistency is especially appealing to those who have lost a sense of bearing in the world (Arendt 1973, 353). They constitute what she calls the ‘masses’. The ‘mass man’ is thus a highly isolated and atomised individual, who is ‘obsessed by a desire to escape from reality’ (Arendt 1973, 318, 352). In his ‘essential homelessness’ the mass man can ‘no longer bear its accidental, incomprehensible aspects’ (Arendt 1973, 352). This longing for escape from reality is a ‘verdict against the world’ in which one is ‘forced to live’ but ‘cannot exist’ (Arendt 1973, 352). Such a situation is ripe for the ‘revolt of the masses’ against ‘common sense,’ which is ‘the result of their atomisation, of their loss of social status’ and with it, the ‘whole sector of communal relationships in whose framework common sense makes sense’ (Arendt 1973, 352). In short, the masses are people who are considered to be ‘superfluous or can be spared … [who] cannot be integrated into any organisation based on common interest’ (Arendt 1973, 311). Whether one agrees with Arendt’s analysis of the social conditions in the interwar years that led to the formation of the ‘masses’, her portrait of the ‘mass man’ is a powerful account of what can happen to an individual who has become disposable to the society that they used to belong to. Hand in hand with this phenomenon is indeed the collapse of ‘common sense’ that leaves the dislodged individual scrambling for reconnection. By offering the masses a substitute reality validated by the ‘logic of an idea’ rather than by experience, totalitarianism makes it possible for them to live in a world where there is no condition of plurality. Between ‘facing the anarchic growth and total arbitrariness of decay’ and ‘bowing down before the most rigid, fantastically fictitious consistency of an ideology’, the masses will likely ‘choose the latter’ (Arendt 1973, 352). A world created by ideology, then, is more attractive to the masses not because ‘they are stupid and wicked, but because in the general disaster this escape grants them a minimum of self- respect’ by conjuring up ‘a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself’ (Arendt 1973, 353). Moreover, it is precisely this ability to guarantee consistency that makes it possible for the leaders of totalitarian movements to demand ‘total, unrestricted, unconditional and unalterable loyalty of the individual member’ (Arendt 1973, 323). While this chapter is not a study of the social factors that led to specific contemporary developments such as the result of the Brexit referendum or the election of Donald Trump in 2016, Arendt’s ‘mass man’ seem to have found their counterparts among the supporters of Brexit and Trumpism. Studies of voters’ profiles in both events point to a disproportionate share of supporters from white male lower income backgrounds without university educations. These are individuals who have either already lost their jobs to globalisation or who are at high risk of losing their job with very little capacity to be retrained for the twenty-first century market economy of advanced industrialised states (BBC 2016; Pew Research Center 2018). In short, these displaced workers are part of the tapestry forming the modern equivalent of Arendt’s ‘mass man’ – ready to be the recruits of totalitarianism. Conclusion If we step back to take a more comprehensive approach to the relationship between truth and politics, both historically and theoretically, it is not so obvious that 2016 is a defining moment. From ancient China and ancient Greece to our so-called post-truth age, the indeterminacy of language appears to be a persistent political challenge. Language is always open to manipulation by its users to serve power. Nonetheless, the tendency these days is to single out the ubiquity of social media and the proliferation of Internet platforms as the incubator for the countless cyberwars of words that in turn fuel the real world of politics. In this context, language is no longer the conveyor of objective facts and accurate information, but rather the medium for expressing subjective opinions and feelings, as captured by the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the term ‘post-truth politics’. In contrast, the historical approach used in this chapter shows that it is in fact too easy to point the figure at the Internet and digital communication for the political challenge that we face today. What is being suggested here is that with or without the Internet, language, be it used to convey facts or emotions, is simply a tool for communication that humans have invented. While language per se cannot adjudicate what is true or not true, what is right or wrong, it embodies such capacity when language is a shared norm. That shared norm cannot be sustained without some semblance of cohesion in any given community. Any war of words, irrespective of its platform, is indicative of the breakdown of such cohesiveness. Returning to the original context in which the term post-truth politics was first used by Steve Tesich helps to identify the important distinction between truth as the standard for knowledge and truth as the standard for action. The two do not necessarily coincide. Placed in the context of the history of political thought, this distinction is in fact at the heart of Plato’s Republic. Yet when the philosopher as the quintessential bearer of truth becomes king, the polis that he rules over is far from the ideal of a just state that it purports to be. Instead, it is one that is held together by lies and coercion. What Arendt reveals through her study of Nazism and Stalinism is that it is dangerous for the kind of truth that philosophy generates – ‘rational truth’ – to become the guide to politics. Politics guided by rational truth can only be uncompromising and follows a logic of its own that cannot afford the ambiguity and indeterminacy of reality as lived experiences of humans. A world of post-truth politics can be an opportunity for a new kind of politics if it is indeed about dismantling the idea that truth is the ideal that politics should strive for. But as it stands, the post-truth politics of today is more about invoking a past that never exists to judge the presence as a crisis in naming when the real crisis is about rebuilding a shared space that has room for all – be they of the left, right or centre; cosmopolitan or parochial; civic-minded or self-centred; liberal-minded or bigoted. Politics is and always will be about striving for that space, without which no human can thrive. References Arendt, Hannah. 1958. The Human Condition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Arendt, Hannah. 1973. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Rev. ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Arendt, Hannah. 1977. “Truth and Politics.” In Between Past and Future, 227–264. New York: Penguin Books. Arendt, Hannah. 1982. Lectures on Kant’s Political Philosophy, edited by Ronald Beiner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2016. “Brexit vote: The breakdown.” BBC News, December 7, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38227674 Cao, Feng. 2016. “A New Examination of Confucius’ Rectification of Names.” Journal of Chinese Humanities 2: 147–171. https://doi-org.subzero.lib. uoguelph.ca/ doi/ 10.1163/23521341-12340032. Connor, W. Robert. 1984. Thucydides. Princeton: Princeton University Press. de Jonge, Casper C. 2017. “Dionysius of Halicarnassus on Thucydides.” in The Oxford Handbook of Thucydides, edited by Sara Forsdyke, Edith Foster, and Ryan Balot. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/ oxfordhb/9780199340385.013.17 https://www-oxfordhandbooks-com.subzero. lib.uoguelph.ca/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199340385.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199340385 Hyvönen, Ari-Elmeri. 2018. “Careless Speech: Conceptualizing Post-Truth Politics.” New Perspectives 26 (3): 31–55. https://www.proquest.com/ scholarly-journals/careless-speech-conceptualizing-post-truth/ docview/2204515132/se-2?accountid=11233. Hobbes, Thomas. 1839–1845. The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, edited by Sir William Molesworth. London: John Bohn. Vol. 8. Klinkner, Melanie. 2018. “Reasonable Truth.” International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics 14 (3): 393–99. doi:10.1386/macp.14.3.393_7. Lee, Haiyan. 2019. “When Nothing Is True, Everything Is Possible: On Truth and Power by Way of Socialist Realism.” PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 134 (5). Cambridge University Press: 1157–64. https://doi.org/10.1632/pmla.2019.134.5.1157 Lewis, Mark E. 1999. “Warring States Political History.” In The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC, edited by Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy, 587–650. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Makeham, John. 2003. “Zheng ming (Rectification of names).” In RoutledgeCurzon Encyclopedia of Confucianism, edited by Xinzhong Yao. Vol. 2: 813-814. New York: Routledge. Oxford Languages, n. d. “Word of the Year 2016.” Accessed 19 August 2017. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2016/ Peters, Richard. 1979. Hobbes. Westport: Greenwood Press. Pew Research Center. 2018. “An examination of the 2016 electorate, based on validated voters.” Report, August 9, 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/ politics/2018/08/09/an-examination-of-the-2016-electorate-based-on- validated-voters/ Plato. 1974. Republic. Translated by G. M. A. Grube. Indianapolis: Hackett. Tesich, Steve. 1992. “Watergate Syndrome: A Government of Lies.” The Nation: 12-14. January 6/13, 1992. Thucydides. 1972. The Peloponnesian War. Translated by Rex Warner. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. Wolin, Sheldon. 2004. Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Westen Political Thought. Expanded Edition. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Zerilli, Linda M. G. 2020. ‘Fact-Checking and Truth-Telling in an Age of Alternative Facts.’ Le foucaldien 6, no. 1: 2, 1–22. Theresa Man Ling Lee is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph (Canada). Lee is a political theorist who specializes in contemporary political thought. Her research and teaching areas include continental philosophy, Marxism and critical theory, feminism, postmodernism, philosophy of social science, psychoanalysis, multiculturalism, human rights, disability studies, modern Chinese political thought and comparative political theory. Lee has published on a wide range of subjects in these areas, including intercultural pedagogy and the challenges of teaching as a person with multiple minority designations in a Canadian university classroom.

Sep 16 • 7:16 AM EDT • Politics • e-ir.org

The public health insurance option isn't the great choice you think it is

Moderate Democrats have frequently been returning to an old Obamacare debate-era proposal called the public option. They often label it “Medicare for all who want it” in order to piggyback off the better known single-payer proposal. Those who desire reform but get anxious about a universal and single-payer insurance system dubbed “Medicare for All” understandably […]

Sep 16 • 7:00 AM EDT • Health • minnesotareformer.com

Public invited to meet author at Oswego library

OSWEGO — Just in time for spooky season, author Savannah Stephens will visit the Oswego Public Library Oct. 3 from 1-2 p.m. to talk about her book, “Witch Queen Rising.”Step into gothic kingdoms, cursed forests, and haunted palaces where every bargain with magic demands blood, loyalty, or your soul. × This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. kAm$E6A96?D :D 2 52C< 72?E2DJ 2FE9@C H9@ AC@F5=J 4C62E6D E96 C6AC6D6?E2E:@? D96 =24A=6I AC@E28@?:DED 2C6 H2CC:@CD[ BF66?D[ 2DD2DD:?D[ H:E496D[ 2?5 >@?DE6CD H9@ 2== 6>3@5J q=24< v:C= |28:4] w6C 8@2= :D ?@E @?=J E@ 8:G6 C6256CD 72?E2DE:4 H@C=5D E@ 6D42A6 :?E@[ 3FE =6DD@?D 2?5 E@@=D E@ DFCG:G6 E96 C62= @?6 H96? E96 A286D DE@A EFC?:?8]k^AmkAmw6C $@FE96C? v@E9:4 72?E2DJ 563FE[ “(:E49 "F66? #:D:?8[” H2D 2? p>2K@? t5:E@CD’ !:4< 7@C q6DE $4:\u: U2>Aj u2?E2DJ WpAC:= a_aeX]k^Am#placement_726068_0_i{width:100%;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid726068 = window.pid726068 || rnd;var plc726068 = window.plc726068 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=726068;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid726068+';place='+(plc726068++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');kAmq@@>F?:EJ C@@> @? E96 =@H6C =6G6= @7 E96 =:3C2CJ[ =@42E65 2E `a_ t] $64@?5 $E][ ~DH68@] %9:D AC@8C2> :D 7C66 2?5 @A6? E@ E96 AF3=:4]k^AmkAmu@C 2?J BF6DE:@?D[ 42== b`d\bc`\dgef @C 6>2:= k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i@DH=:3o?4=D]@C8Qm@DH=:3o?4=D]@C8k^2m]k^Am googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-2978731'); });

Sep 16 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • oswegocountynewsnow.com

Property owners withdraw 601-acre annexation petition for Amazon's $5B data center

Property owners withdraw Amazon data center annexation petition ahead of Trenton's November referendum on banning such facilities.

Sep 16 • 6:39 AM EDT • Business • bizjournals.com

Watercolor artist shares how she does and doesn't use AI in her work

Artist Sara Wilczynska, who previously was a software engineer at Google, reflects on the strict boundaries she has for AI usage in her work.

Sep 16 • 5:15 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Big-money donations poison British politics. We can stop the mega-rich buying access and influence

I’ve seen how imbalances in campaign spending can distort democracy. The multi-million-pound gifts to Reform must act as a final wake-up call, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brown

Sep 16 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Why Trump is all-in on AI despite the warnings

The US president has pushed the issue to the forefront of American politics - even at the risk of losing supporters.

Sep 16 • 4:41 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

FM Scorns Notion of Iran Being Defenseless

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi refuted claims that Iran is defenseless, pointing to damage inflicted on US military sites and aircraft and saying further details will be disclosed in due course.

Sep 16 • 3:23 AM EDT • Politics • tasnimnews.ir

This Alexandria small business sells frights, thrills and imagination

The Long Dark House on King Street looks like an ordinary storefront, but inside it is filled with horror ... and horror books.

Sep 16 • 12:51 AM EDT • Business • wtop.com

Apple explains how the iPhone 18 Pro’s new Reference Image camera mode works

A new post on Apple’s Security Research blog details the fascinating tech, architecture, and thinking behind the iPhone 18 Pro’s new Reference Image camera mode.

Sep 15 • 10:25 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com

Denny Hamlin Recalls Story of NASCAR’s Most Caution-Filled Race

Denny Hamlin reflected on what led to the single most cautions in a NASCAR Cup Series race. The 2005 Coca-Cola 600 saw a record 22 caution flags, due in large part to a track surface adjustment prior to the race weekend.Last Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway saw 18 caution periods, coming […] The post Denny Hamlin Recalls Story of NASCAR’s Most Caution-Filled Race appeared first on HEAVY.

Sep 15 • 9:14 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Journal Would Empower Scientists to Rule on Income and Wealth

Reframing subjective policy issues as questions of objective “science” makes it easier to justify relying on “experts” for policy answers.

Sep 15 • 8:29 PM EDT • Science • scienceandculture.com

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Preferred Networks Form Capital and Business Alliance-- Accelerating joint development of cutting-edge AI technologies for the intelligence and autonomy of machinery and systems in mission-critical applications --

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Sep 15 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • mhi.com

Apple Details How Reference Image Proves a Photo is Real

The iPhone 18 Pro models support Apple Reference Image, a way to verify that a photo was taken with an iPhone and hasn't been edited. Apple says it's a method to prove that something actually happened and wasn't AI-generated, likening the feature to a digital film negative. Apple Reference Image offers a trustworthy, scalable guarantee that a reference image is what it claims to be: a real photograph, captured by a real sensor in an iPhone camera, at a specific time.

Sep 15 • 7:46 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Inside the automotive supply chain: Empirical evidence from Italian business-to-business trade data

Europe’s automotive industry is undergoing a significant transformation. This column uses firm-to-firm data to map the Italian automotive supply chain, covering both direct suppliers and firms connected through indirect linkages. Around 40% of the value added of the supply chain is generated by car manufacturers, with the remaining 60% split between direct suppliers and indirect suppliers. The supplier network is diverse across sectors and regions of Italy, reflecting both agglomeration forces and long-standing patterns of industrial specialisation. It estimates that demand shocks to the automotive sector would propagate through the supply chain and lead to large network multipliers.

Sep 15 • 7:27 PM EDT • Business • cepr.org

Pay to ghost your boss: Japan’s resignation business

Resignation agencies in Japan help employees leave their jobs seamlessly in just 15 minutes. Young people are especially eager to use their services.

Sep 15 • 6:51 PM EDT • Business • globalnation.inquirer.net

For Those Who Dreamed of Seeing Sunderland in Europe

As Sunderland finally return to European football, one supporter reflects on the people who dreamed of nights like this but never got the chance to see them.

Sep 15 • 6:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Mercy College of Health Sciences becomes Mercy Health Sciences University

Mercy College of Health Sciences today announced that it has officially become Mercy Health Sciences University. According to a news release, the new name reflects the institution’s continued growth into a university designed to meet the expanding healthcare workforce needs of Iowa. Founded in 1899 as the Mercy Des Moines School of Nursing, the institution joined…

Sep 15 • 5:26 PM EDT • Business • businessrecord.com

Maryland football’s Malik Washington shrugs off Virginia Tech criticism

COLLEGE PARK — Malik Washington refused to take the victory lap. After an uneven showing in Maryland’s season-opening 62-0 pasting of Hampton on Sept. 5, the sophomore quarterback reminded fans and opponents of what he is capable of by passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 38-14 victory over UConn at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. That performance was a ...

Sep 15 • 4:02 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Warcraft 3 Is 'The Best Storytelling Medium Warcraft Has Had

'An MMO can be challenging in terms of building up and conveying a connection to characters'

Sep 15 • 2:30 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

New Tech Resurrects End-Of-Life Lithium Batteries Back To 95% Capacity

Scientists have developed a way of refurbishing lithium batteries by removing accumulated deposits on electrodes, returning them to 95% capacity.

Sep 15 • 2:15 PM EDT • Technology • slashgear.com

Latin America Leaders and Elections: Regional Fact Sheet

Track Latin American political leadership and election schedules across 34 countries. Get the latest regional fact sheet on democratic transitions and...

Sep 15 • 1:58 PM EDT • Politics • legis1.com

Shultz named CFO at Preferred Behavioral Health Group

Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG) announced Sept. 14 the appointment of Stacey G. Shultz as chief financial officer.

Sep 15 • 1:45 PM EDT • Health • roi-nj.com

Karma TMS Marks 20,000 TMS Treatments, Transforming Mental Health Care Across the Coachella Valley and Riverside County

Palm Springs, California--(Newsfile Corp. - September 15, 2026) - Karma TMS PC, a leading provider of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy in Southern California, today announced it has delivered more than 20,000 TMS treatments to patients across the Coachella Valley and Riverside County. The milestone reflects nearly a decade of growth for the practice. It underscores the rising demand for effective, non-invasive, medication-free options for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety,..

Sep 15 • 1:32 PM EDT • Health • finance.yahoo.com

House Small Business Panel Weighs 10-Bill Policy Package

The House Small Business Committee will vote on five bills September 16, 2026. See which measures could shape small-business policy.

Sep 15 • 1:25 PM EDT • Business • legis1.com

"50X50: SCIENCE ACROSS AMERICA" GOES LIVE TODAY, UNITING THE BEST YOUTUBE CREATORS IN THE FIRST-EVER STATE-BY-STATE MEDIA INITIATIVE

/PRNewswire/ -- 50x50: Science Across America, the first-ever nationwide media initiative to spotlight a YouTube creator in every U.S. state, officially...

Sep 15 • 1:20 PM EDT • Science • prnewswire.com

Iowa Craft Meats refreshes brand as premium pork business grows

Company’s growing profile was visible this summer at the Iowa State Fair, where 8,700 Duroc pork burgers were served at the Iowa Pork Tent.

Sep 15 • 12:40 PM EDT • Business • nationalhogfarmer.com

New Britain holds business fair geared to help small businesses come to town

Hosted by Mayor Bobby Sanchez, the city says it hopes to “fill more storefronts” and breathe more life into its community.

Sep 15 • 12:38 PM EDT • Business • nbcconnecticut.com

Introducing: The Rolex Perpetual Padellone [Hands-On, Live Pics, Technical Brief, Competition, & Personal Thoughts]

Inspired by a vintage reference with a special nickname, this brand-new annual calendar is offered in Everose and platinum, and is based on the caliber found in the Land-Dweller.

Sep 15 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • hodinkee.com

Ranking Members Markey, Velázquez, American Small Businesses Fight Back Against Trump SBA’s Discriminatory Anti-Immigrant Lending Policies

More than 120 small businesses and organizations pen letter of support for Ranking Member Markey’s resolution striking down Trump’s ban on awarding SBA loans to green card holders Letter (PDF) (Washington, September 15) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today garnered additional support from Main Street small businesses for his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s discriminatory policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. In a letter of support, more than 120 American small businesses and community organizations, led by Small Business Majority, applauded Ranking Member Markey’s efforts to overturn the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant lending ban and advocated for the passage of Ranking Member Markey’s CRA resolution in the Senate. House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) is leading the resolution in the House of Representatives. The Trump administration’s green card holder ban is the most recent escalation of SBA’s draconian citizenship restrictions that are killing jobs and putting the American Dream further out of reach for entrepreneurs. In Fiscal Year 2025, Trump’s SBA made an estimated $5.5 billion in loans to green card holders, which supported more than 80,000 jobs nationwide. “The Trump administration’s continued attacks on American small businesses and jobs are anti-American, they’re discriminatory, and they’re dragging down our communities and our economy. Thanks to partners like Small Business Majority, countless small businesses, and community organizations, we are fighting back and holding them accountable,” said Ranking Member Markey. “I will not stop fighting to rescind this hateful policy that attacks American entrepreneurs and prevents them from pursuing the American Dream.” “Small businesses and organizations across the country are sending a clear message that the Trump administration's discriminatory lending rules are bad for business,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “I want to thank Small Business Majority for leading this effort and amplifying the voices of the entrepreneurs who create jobs and strengthen our local economies. As Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, I will keep pushing to stop these attacks on the American Dream and ensure that every eligible entrepreneur can access the capital they need to succeed.” In the letter, the small businesses write, “Congress must reaffirm its commitment to serving those who are rightfully and legally entitled to accessing key government guaranteed loan programs in pursuit of the American Dream. Restoring access to responsible, government-guaranteed loans for such a critical segment of our economy will allow thousands of small businesses to access the capital they require to grow and invest in American communities. If Congress does not act to protect access to the very ideals that our country was founded upon by rewarding those who adhere strictly to legal immigration pathways, local economies, communities and Main Street will pay the price.” Ranking Member Markey’s CRA resolution follows his introduction of the Investing in the American Dream Act alongside Ranking Member Velázquez earlier this year. The Investing in the American Dream Act would roll back the SBA’s draconian lending restrictions and restore previous SBA lending policies for immigrant entrepreneurs lawfully in the U.S., including green card holders, refugees, and asylees. More than 100 organizations have called for the passage of the legislation and more than 60 Massachusetts state legislators have raised concerns about the impact of the citizenship restrictions in their local communities. Ranking Member Markey is fighting for small business owners and immigrants that rely on SBA loans to start and run their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to their communities. In July, Ranking Member Markey and Ranking Member Velázquez introduced a bicameral resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential SBA loans to start and grow their businesses and invest in Main Streets nationwide. In May, Ranking Member Markey highlighted the significant contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs in Massachusetts and across the country and condemned the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on immigrant communities at a Small Business Committee hearing. MIRA’s Elizabeth Sweet, who participated in Ranking Member Markey’s listening session earlier in May, provided testimony at the hearing. Also in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a listening session at the Urban College of Boston to hear directly from several Massachusetts immigrant small business owners, lenders, and chambers of commerce how President Trump’s cruel and callous anti-immigrant policies are hurting Main Streets in the Bay State. Earlier in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a press conference alongside Ranking Member Velázquez, Democratic lawmakers, and stakeholders to condemn the Trump administration’s harmful anti-immigrant lending policies and to introduce the Investing in the American Dream Act. In March, Ranking Member Markey released a comprehensive report detailing the harms to small business owners, workers, and consumers caused by the Trump administration’s ICE raids in communities across the country. In February, Ranking Member Markey introduced the Small Business ICE Disruption Fund Act, which would provide grants to small businesses that have been impacted by the Trump administration’s violent immigration enforcement actions on Main Streets across the United States. Earlier in February, Ranking Member Markey, Ranking Member Velázquez, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) sent a letter urging the SBA to rescind their lending rule change that bars legal permanent residents from receiving SBA loans. Previously, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez released a statement condemning the actions of the SBA after it announced that small businesses with legal permanent residents will be barred from receiving SBA loans. In December 2025, Ranking Member Markey and all Democratic members of the Senate Small Business Committee sent a letter to the SBA reiterating concerns with the SBA’s citizenship requirements and highlighting a drop in SBA lending volume. In September 2025, Ranking Member Markey heard directly from SBA lenders about the issues with the citizenship verification requirements. In July 2025, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez sent a letter to the SBA expressing serious concerns with the agency’s new, draconian citizenship verification requirements that require small businesses seeking SBA loans to be 100% owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, and legal permanent residents. ###

Sep 15 • 11:58 AM EDT • Business • sbc.senate.gov

Is Meta Stock Still The Self-Funding Ad Business You Bought?

If you bought Meta Platforms (META) for its advertising engine, the engine still runs: revenue rose 28% year over year in the June 2026 quarter, and its Advantage+ automated campaigns keep growing. What has changed is where the cash goes afterward.

Sep 15 • 11:53 AM EDT • Business • trefis.com

JJ Gabriel asks to leave Manchester United

According to MEN, Manchester United are in a state of shock over JJ Gabriel’s decision to try and quit Old Trafford after the 15-year-old refused to train on Tuesday ahead of what could have been a first-team debut this week. United had planned to name Gabriel in their squad to face Brighton in the Carabao […]

Sep 15 • 11:52 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The sinister influence of crypto billionaires on our politics

Letters: Readers respond to the news that Christopher Harborne has given £36m to Reform UK, matching a donation from Ben Delo

Sep 15 • 11:52 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Should Scientists Decide Policies About Wealth Inequality?

Reframing policy issues as questions of objective “science” makes it easier to justify relying on “experts”, thereby enfeebling democratic institutions in favor of bureaucratic systems.

Sep 15 • 11:48 AM EDT • Science • mindmatters.ai

'Here For You' movement making conversations about mental health more open, more common

Sep 15 • 11:44 AM EDT • Health • komonews.com

Building the Capital Ecosystem Native Businesses Need

A Native-led CDFI is showing what happens when small-business lending receives relationship-based, culturally rooted support.

Sep 15 • 11:10 AM EDT • Business • shelterforce.org

Kenneth Walker III reflects on his impressive Chiefs debut performance

During his postgame press conference, Kenneth Walker III reflects on his impressive Kansas City Chiefs debut performance | @EdEastonJr

Sep 15 • 11:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

http://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-opening-remarks-health-subcommittee-legislative-hearing-0

Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following opening remarks today at a Health Subcommittee hearing on "Examining Legislative Proposals to Reform Medicare Provider Payment and Bolster Health Care Cybersecurity:”

Sep 15 • 10:57 AM EDT • Health • democrats-energycommerce.house.gov

“No demotion” – Luis Enrique’s changing preferences in attack

Desire Doue has been benched for two games in a row as the competition in PSG’s attack hots up – but nobody is worried.If you enjoy PSG Talk coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a prefer...

Sep 15 • 10:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Ke Huy Quan reflects on uncomfortable run-in with ‘well-known’ actor at 2023 SAG Awards

He took home an award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role during the event.

Sep 15 • 10:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Apple Cuts iPhone Trade-In Values While Raising Mac and iPad

Apple has updated its U.S. trade-in estimates, cutting values for every eligible iPhone while raising them across the iPad and Mac lineups. The refresh follows the announcement of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo. Their predecessors now appear on Apple's trade-in list for the first time, led by the iPhone 17 Pro Max at up to $885.

Sep 15 • 9:43 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Warcraft 3 Devs Say Definitive Graphics Coming To Old Campaign

Also, the Forsaken Kingdom campaign may get some dubbed languages added

Sep 15 • 9:19 AM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

Unions warn against 'out of control' political spending

In a joint statement, unions say donations totalling £72m to Reform UK threaten the "integrity of democracy".

Sep 15 • 8:31 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Polling turns politics into one big game. There are too many of them – and that does us no good

Surely that’s the lesson the Reform polling furore should teach us. Politics should be about actually helping people, not mastering the line on a graph, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew

Sep 15 • 8:27 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Sky Sports report on three Chelsea first team regulars who missed training – and two more who were present

A training ground report from Cobham has given us a good idea of who will play and not play against Brentford on Friday.If you enjoy Talk Chelsea coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a prefe...

Sep 15 • 8:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

UK trade unions warn against ‘Americanisation of our politics’ from big political donations

Bosses call union funding ‘cleanest money in politics’ as they stop short of backing cap after Reform UK given £72m

Sep 15 • 7:01 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Political donors could face tougher residency rules

It comes after Reform received donations totalling £72m from two British crypto-billionaires who have both recently lived abroad.

Sep 15 • 6:55 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Heckingbottom legacy 'one of frustration'

Fan writer and commentator Jack Bridge reflects on the best and the worst of Paul Heckingbottom's tenure at Preston.

Sep 15 • 6:23 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Best moments of the 2026 Emmy Awards

From Mariska Hargitay's carefree hosting style and musical numbers to an emotional moment with Michael J. Fox and surprises by presenters, the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards were a pleasant evening of distraction.

Sep 15 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • latimes.com

Temporary storefronts to open on Lahaina's Front Street this fall

Ulu o Lele temporary marketplace will host up to 25 Lahaina businesses impacted by the 2023 wildfires, with vendor applications open through Sept. 28.

Sep 15 • 4:20 AM EDT • Business • bizjournals.com

How to kick-start a farm succession conversation

Farm succession planning can get complicated, but avoiding the subject is a surefire ticket to trouble. Here’s how to start the conversation.

Sep 15 • 3:00 AM EDT • Business • farmprogress.com

50 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27

Apple released iOS 27 this week, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features to explore, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. Which iPhones Support Every iOS 27 Feature? This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list testifies.

Sep 15 • 1:48 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Gov. Green Neutral on One Health Hawaiʻi Plan But Says Reforms Needed

Gov. Josh Green held to a neutral stance on the proposed combination of Hawaiʻi’s largest medical insurer and the second-largest hospital system, but he

Sep 15 • 12:14 AM EDT • Health • hawaiibusiness.com

Tech CEOs call for AI regulation. Trump and Congress are not rushing to act

The technology industry is urgently warning about the potential harm of artificial intelligence, but political inaction in Washington poses a challenge.

Sep 15 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • wsls.com

The Boyz’s Eric opens up on future plans in first Grid Entertainment video

In his first video with Grid Entertainment, Eric reflects on hardship, his fans and the artist he hopes to become.

Sep 14 • 11:10 PM EDT • Entertainment • koreajoongangdaily.com

Downtown Idaho Falls businesses damaged in early morning vandalism spree

IDAHO FALLS — Business owners in downtown Idaho Falls are seeking answers after experiencing broken windows and other damage to their storefronts early Saturday morning. Shane Dial, president of the Downtown Merchants Association, says the incident happened around 5 a.m. Great Harvest Bakery Cafe, Medical Recovery Services and Idaho Mountain Trading were the businesses affected. […]

Sep 14 • 9:35 PM EDT • Business • eastidahonews.com

Kansas Republican gubernatorial candidate reflects on political journey

Ty Masterson, Kansas' senate president and Republican gubernatorial candidate, discusses with Kansas Reflector senior reporter Tim Carpenter his journey into politics. From the housing industry to local government to the highest ranking position in the state senate, Masterson says his experience equips him to be Kansas' next governor.

Sep 14 • 9:04 PM EDT • Politics • kansasreflector.com

How Far Can Applied Digital Stock Fall If The Business Keeps Growing?

Applied Digital (APLD) trades near $26, about 47% below its high of the past twelve months, after returning -36.3% over three months. Over twelve months, though, it is still up 55.6%. Nothing in the operation broke: it beat the quarter it reported in July 2026, and management says every project is on time and on budget.

Sep 14 • 8:04 PM EDT • Business • trefis.com

Michael J. Fox reflects on Parkinson's in emotional Emmys speech

Michael J. Fox accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 14, delivering an emotional speech marked by his signature optimism.

Sep 14 • 7:55 PM EDT • Entertainment • centraloregondaily.com

Row over Reform's mega donations has mileage in it yet

The £72m heading towards Reform UK's coffers is transforming the debate at Westminster about politics and money.

Sep 14 • 7:51 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Will Netflix’s Latest Horror Film Save Its Summer? And Introducing a New Data Source...

(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.) All month, I’ve been polling you, my readers, on how we think the summer’s biggest blockbusters will do when they eventually land on streaming, and I wanted to share the results. First up, how readers think The Odyssey will perform when it comes to Peacock... People are pretty bullish that The Odyssey will smash it for Peacock. I don’t know that it will have as much rewatchability as Wicked did for kids, but we’ll see. It is now Universal’s highest-grossing film of all time. One note: almost half of Christopher Nolan’s films weren’t available for streaming the week The Odyssey came to theaters, including some of his biggest films like Inception, Dunkirk, Tenet, Oppenheimer and Insomnia. If you did want to watch the others, Prime Video had Memento and The Dark Knight trilogy, HBO Max only had The Dark Knight trilogy (even though Warner Bros. produced most of Nolan’s films), Hulu had The Prestige and Interstellar, and Paramount+ had Interstellar. So you needed at least two streaming subscriptions to catch the rest. Warner Bros. whiffed right here. I know they have long term licensing deals, but they should have tried to get as many Nolan films on HBO Max for launch as possible. Here are the results for Spider-Man: Brand New Day: The audience is a bit more mixed on this one, with everyone agreeing Spider-Man will swing to a big opening, but not necessarily elite or best all time. On to this week’s issue. Netflix continues searching for a hit straight-to-streaming summer film and Lioness and Ted Lasso allow me to look at the difference between a “hit” and a ‘hit for them”. All that, plus new YA/teen melodramas on Prime Video and Netflix, the House of the Dragon finale, USA Network claims a big opening, more big NFL ratings, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. But we start with a fun new data announcement. 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 August 3rd to August 9th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe A New Data Source: Reelgood’s Data on Content Libraries Here’s a fun new treat for you. Reelgood—an online service and app that lets users track where shows or films are streaming—is providing data every month for the Streaming Ratings Report on the size of each streamer’s catalogue, along with the new shows and films for each streamer. Yay! Previously, I had pulled “new shows on streamers premiering on the first of the month”: While I liked that data cut, it was a big wonky since it didn’t show all of the new shows or movies that came to a streamer each month. Instead, I would have preferred something like this from Reelgood’s annual report: And now we have it! I’m going to feature Reelgood’s data monthly, showing both total catalogue size and new shows and films appearing on the charts. That’s going to make these two cool new charts. First, here’s the size of various streamers’ film catalogues… (By the way, Reelgood offered to make the charts for me, but I like doing that task by hand to understand the data better.) They also provided data back to last year. Here’s the number of films timeline: And here are the new films on each streamer for the month prior to Aug: As I get used to this data, I plan to keep tinkering with how I display it, but I’m excited to feature it monthly. Today, I’m sharing the film charts; next issue, I’m going to feature TV shows by streamer. Now, in full disclosure, Reelgood is a sponsor of this little-newsletter-that-could. But in my constant quest to figure out what streamer various shows and films are on, I was already a Reelgood user before this sponsorship. I go to their website all the time, and their data is very accurate on where shows are (or have been). Plus, I’ve been sharing their weekly top ten lists for years now, pre-sponsorship. For me, this is a great win-win, since I get to amplify a service I love, and I get a cool new data source to play with. Now, normally folks don’t usually mention their sponsors directly, but as I wrote before, as I start featuring ads in my newsletter, I plan to be extremely open about who is sponsoring my writing so you can trust what I write. Television - Two Big Returning Shows Look Set to Take Over The Charts One key question when it comes to judging streaming shows is whether a show is a “hit” or a “hit for them”. To be clear, the former means a show that’s one of the top shows on streaming, no questions asked. The latter means a show is one of the biggest, for a given streamer. That distinction makes a big difference! It’s really good to be one of the biggest shows on a streamer; it’s much better to be the biggest on streaming, despite the size of a streamer. Because, as we’ve seen now, nearly every streamer—while lacking the number of subscribers or usage of Netflix—can make hit TV shows: Paramount released Landman, whose first and second seasons were among the top two TV shows the year they came out. HBO Max’s The Pitt’s second season is the biggest show of the year so far. Love Island USA was the top show in 2025 for Peacock. And, crucially for today’s discussion: Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in 2023, Ted Lasso was actually the top streaming show of the year according to Nielsen! So even Apple TV (formerly +) can make hit shows. It just doesn’t make them that often. And looking at the Nielsen charts this week, we have two prime candidates for this discussion: That’s right: Ted Lasso returned to Apple TV for its fourth season. Did it return in all its expected glory? Sure, though right now it’s still just a “hit for Apple TV”, but we’ll see how long it lasts on the charts. Its ten episodes are coming out weekly. (Smart choice, Apple!) Ted Lasso started out strong, actually making the Nielsen charts the week before new episodes dropped, which is a rare feat. (Shows like Stranger Things or Bridgerton have pulled that off. That’s terrific company to join!) On Nielsen, it opened to 14.4 million hours in its first week, and 16.6 million the week of 10-Aug. Here’s how that compares to previous seasons: Apple put out that this is their biggest TV launch through two days ever, and looking at the chart and Apple TV’s viewership history, I’d believe it. Here’s Apple’s top shows for season two and beyond: Other data tells a (mostly) similar story. Ted Lasso made Samba TV and it has elite IMDb scores, an insane 8.7 on 465K reviews. The only outlier is Luminate, where the latest season only had 7.4 million hours, and no other seasons made the top ten. As you’ll see below, that’s well below some other solid, but not spectacular shows like Sterling Point, Ride or Die or Furious. I’d be surprised if Ted Lasso isn’t bigger than those other shows, but it’s fine for different data sources to occasionally disagree. And while it’s sucky to bring this up, given that Warner Bros. produced this show, I do wonder how the streaming wars may have been different if Ted Lasso landed on HBO Max initially instead of Apple. I don’t think one show can make or break a streamer, but given HBO’s brand, it could have helped bring people to that streamer much earlier in its lifespan. (Though yeah, I don’t love calling out executives for passing on hit shows, since that’s just the nature of the job. Even the absolute best execs will pass on lots of successful shows. The key is not greenlighting the under-performers/misses.) The other show I’m thinking about in the “hit or hit for them” category is Lioness from Paramount+. Like Ted Lasso, its first season missed the charts, but it’s grown its audience since then. Here’s how season three opened: 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… How Lioness did on streaming... Two new melodramas for Netflix and Prime Video... Whether Netflix’s latest horror film saved its summer... Hulu’s Furious and Prime Video’s Ride or Die continuing their strong runs... The latest high profile showrunner to flop on streaming... All the flops, bombs and misses... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Next week, we’ve got a double issue—since the week of 17-Aug had very few notable new shows or films—so I’ll look at HBO’s Lanterns, Prime Video’s Reacher, Netflix’s Tires, Outer Banks (which posted up huge numbers four years ago), an Aussie romance, and another baseball event (that didn’t resonate). And a bunch of movies like the latest dramedy from an Adam Sandler daughter, Don’t Say Good Luck, Camp Rock 3 on Disney Channel and Disney+, Michael on Starz, and more. Later this month, we’ve got a ton of shows and films to analyze! Movies will be the big story, featuring a box office bomb (Supergirl on HBO Max) and an “underperformer” (The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+) contending with a bunch of star-studded straight-to-streaming films like Netflix’s The Whisper Man (Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and De Niro!), Mayday on Apple TV+ (Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh!), The Runner (Gal Gadot) and The Last Sunrise (Eva Longoria and Maia Reficco) on Prime Video. Plus, a ton of TV shows have sophomore seasons coming out. Will The Gentleman put up big numbers on Netflix or suffer from a sophomore slump? Leanne and Beauty in Black on Netflix seem small, but they both might be bigger than you think. Hulu has a bunch of shows: a new season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (the first after all the controversy last year) and the second season of Chad Powers (from Peyton Manning’s production company and starring Glen Powell). This one flopped last year; can it score a touchdown this year? Same goes for FX’s Adults, which I didn’t track last year; will it hit this year? Peacock’s The Office spinoff, The Paper and Apple TV’s Dark Matter also return for second seasons. And Netflix has more Untold specials featuring Vince Young, Raygun (that horrible breakdancer) and Mr. T. Long term, Paramount+ is rebooting yet another franchise, Clueless, and I’m somewhat bullish on this new show. The talent attached (Alicia Silverstone) and creative Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (of The O.C. and Gossip Girl) also feel solid...if they make it funny like the original.

Sep 14 • 6:43 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

Amazon Business Expands Reconciliation Report with Line-Item Detail

The marketplace’s updated report adds 41 data fields to help finance teams match charges, track refunds and allocate spending, continuing its expansion beyond product purchasing into back-office support.

Sep 14 • 6:11 PM EDT • Business • mdm.com

Trump claims Russia-Ukraine energy truce; Kyiv says not yet

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Ukraine offered differing accounts of a supposed agreement with Russia to stop attacks on energy infrastructure, as strikes on oil refineries help drive diesel

Sep 14 • 5:38 PM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com

Marcus Freeman Pleased With The Development Of Notre Dame Underclassman

Freshman standout Jonaz Walton and a wave of emerging underclassmen are seizing their opportunities, blending elite speed with refined technique to bolster the Irish depth chart.

Sep 14 • 5:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Strip District says goodbye to one business as Isaly's prepares return

A longtime Strip District retailer is preparing to close while iconic Pittsburgh brand Isaly's works toward opening a new location nearby. The transition reflects the continued evolution of the Strip ...

Sep 14 • 4:48 PM EDT • Business • yahoo.com

Amateur sports the latest frontier in NJ independent contractor fight

Sports officials are pushing for a law declaring referees and umpires independent contractors amid a broader worker classification fight.

Sep 14 • 4:17 PM EDT • Sports • newjerseymonitor.com

NSF grant to explore whether AI can support students’ critical thinking

Cornell has received a $750,000 grant to study AI-powered reflection tools that build student critical thinking skills.

Sep 14 • 4:11 PM EDT • Science • news.cornell.edu

In a reversal, NC Health Plan moves some Atrium hospitals to mid-tier for 2027

A dozen Atrium hospitals will no longer be designated as “non-preferred” under the plan’s new tiered network, taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Sep 14 • 4:07 PM EDT • Health • newsobserver.com

Amendment to bill in Lords could test legality of £72m Reform donations

Plans to strengthen legislation already going through parliament might mean donors having to meet stricter UK residence requirements

Sep 14 • 4:01 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik refuses to lecture fans on politics

Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik said he won’t lecture fans about politics at concerts, arguing people from “every political stripe” can come together for the music.

Sep 14 • 3:43 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Fundraising effort launched after Hyde Fire destroys Sonoma family’s livelihood; 2 injured firefighters OK

The fire’s cause has not been determined but is being investigated.

Sep 14 • 3:38 PM EDT • Business • sonomanews.com

Samsung launches ‘Re-Newed’ Galaxy S26 series, $1,099 for Ultra

Samsung is now selling its Galaxy S26 series flagships at a discount with refurbished models available for around $200 off....

Sep 14 • 3:30 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com

Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27 with Siri AI and Liquid Glass refinements

This is also the last version of macOS to support Rosetta for Intel apps.

Sep 14 • 3:28 PM EDT • Technology • arstechnica.com

WuXi AppTec Hires Sander Lurie on Health Issues

WuXi AppTec switches lobbying representation to Sander Lurie Consulting after federal biosecurity concerns threaten contracts. Read the latest updates.

Sep 14 • 3:15 PM EDT • Health • legis1.com

Please Stop Conflating Sports Betting Handle With Spending On Entertainment

Editor’s note: The Cashout for paid subscribers will publish on Tuesday. Every September there’s a huge uptick in how much people bet on sports with the start of football season. Which means it’s time to get ahead of a ridiculous narrative before it picks up steam on social media or in mainstream media. Subscribe Every few months I see some version of this: [ Charlie Bilello@charliebilello Americans bet over $165 billion on sports last year, which is more than they spent on movies, books, concerts and sports tickets - combined. 1:00 PM · Jun 28, 2026 · 4.1M Views 258 Replies · 674 Reposts · 4.23K Likes ](https://x.com/charliebilello/status/2071217050328895935?s=20) Fortune published this in July. The headline and start of the story tell the same narrative (emphasis added): Gambling becomes America’s favorite pastime as Americans spend more on sports bets than movies, arts, museums, and music combined: The North American box office totaled $8.87 billion in 2025, which is still 22% below pre-pandemic levels. Recorded music revenue hit a record $11.5 billion. Live music like concerts and festivals brought in $18.51 billion. Meanwhile, book publishers tracked by the Association of American Publishers reported $14.6 billion for the year. And the U.S. museum industry generated an estimated $16.4 billion. Add it up and the total comes to roughly $70 billion, which is less than half what Americans wagered on sports. The story, to its credit, goes on to tell us why sports betting is entirely different, although people who only read headlines will miss that nuance. (The tweet above definitely skips over the nuance.) I will mostly be preaching to the choir here, but it’s worth saying out loud: Wagering money on sports is not the same thing as spending on entertainment from a financial perspective. When you spend money on a movie or concert ticket, that money is gone. You exchanged money for an experience. It’s a good trade! I get to have fun for “x” dollars. (Unless the movie sucks, I guess.) When you bet money on sports, the money is not necessarily gone every time you wager it. It could be gone, but sometimes it’s not and you actually get more money back! That’s not “spending” money or something you should try to compare directly to entertainment spend. A far better comp would be how much people lose at sports betting. That number was more like $17 billion in the US last year, at least for state-regulated sportsbooks. Why are we trying to equate handle and entertainment spending? I dunno. It makes for splashy headlines, I guess. Now, people should be betting for entertainment, and not because they expect to win in the long term; no doubt about it. Anyway, here’s hoping I don’t see people saying Americans “spent” hundreds of millions of dollars on sports betting this fall. Mindway AI and DraftKings Expand Responsible Gaming Drive with Launch of Gamalyze American Football In time for the NFL kickoff, Mindway AI has expanded its partnership with DraftKings to launch Gamalyze American Football the second title in the neuroscience-based Gamalyze Sports collection. Following the success of Gamalyze Football (soccer) during the FIFA World Cup, this gridiron-themed update replaces static questionnaires with immersive, stadium-inspired gameplay. Backed by 10+ years of Aarhus University research, Gamalyze evaluates real-time decision-making to deliver instant, unbiased player risk assessments. Integrated into DraftKings’ platform and nationwide activations, it engages fans when excitement peaks. Ready to upgrade your player protection? Contact Mindway AI to try Gamalyze Sports today. Gambling news roundup 🚨The important stuff 1st NFL Sunday of Season ‘Champagne-Popping Day for Bettors’ (Covers): “The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks,” Caesars’ head of football Joey Feazel said prior to the Sunday night game. “Caesars Sportsbook reported that Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson were among the top five most-bet players to reach the end zone, and all of them cashed tickets.” [ Ben Fawkes@BFawkes22 A @CaesarsSports oddsmaker on how Week 1 has gone so far: “The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks.” ➡️8 of 10 most popular anytime TD scorers cashed 1:31 AM · Sep 14, 2026 · 276K Views 16 Replies · 16 Reposts · 615 Likes ](https://x.com/BFawkes22/status/2099310001927995849?s=20) 🔍 Are we already getting a “customer-friendly results” narrative in Week 1? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with CNBC about the prediction markets industry: “We think that there needs to be stronger regulations into the predictive markets,” Goodell said. “We want to see that to protect the integrity of our game. We want to make sure we’re protecting the consumers that are on those platforms for the NFL. So, we’re continuing to have conversations with them and talk to them about the things that we think they need to do to strengthen that so that they could be potential partners at some point in the future.” More on the NFL + PMs: [ Straight to the Point Quid Pro Quo The NFL has asked Kalshi and other prediction markets to remove certain easy to manipulate markets. Does a potential partnership hang in the balance… Read more 6 hours ago · 19 likes · Steve Ruddock ](https://straighttothepoint.substack.com/p/quid-pro-quo?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1472492) Kalshi was on my podcast?: Kalshi was on my podcast [ The Event Horizon Episode 32: Talking Prediction Market Enforcement With Kalshi’s Robert DeNault Kalshi? On my podcast? Yep… Listen now 5 hours ago · 6 likes · 1 comment · Dustin Gouker ](https://nexteventhorizon.substack.com/p/episode-32-talking-prediction-market-enforcement-kalshi?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1472492) DraftKings Enhances Responsible Engagement Efforts With New Customer Initiatives, Tools and Education (press release): DraftKings Inc. today announced a series of new initiatives designed to promote responsible engagement and increase awareness and use of the tools and resources to help customers make informed decisions and engage responsibly. The efforts include a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that promotes responsible engagement, a PGA TOUR sweepstakes that promotes customer engagement with responsible engagement features, the launch of Gamalyze American Football in collaboration with Mindway AI, and new custom cool-off options that give customers enhanced flexibility when choosing a cool-off period. The initiatives build on DraftKings’ commitment to making responsible engagement an integral part of the customer experience and providing players with accessible tools and resources that help them make informed choices about their gaming experience. “At DraftKings, responsible engagement is embedded in how we operate and is essential to building trust with our customers and our long-term sustainability,” said Lori Kalani, Chief Responsible Gaming Officer at DraftKings. “We’ve continued to invest in tools and resources that give customers enhanced access to information about their play and more choices for managing how they engage. From My Budget Builder and My Stat Sheet to player-set limits and new custom cool-offs, we’re continuing to evolve our approach while promoting awareness and use of the tools and resources available to help customers play responsibly.” … DraftKings is launching a new digital advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas that continues the pair’s road trip and promotes responsible engagement and awareness of the tools and resources available to help customers make informed choices about their gaming experience and engage responsibly. The campaign was initially launched on Sep. 10th and will reach customers through digital channels, bringing responsible engagement messaging to fans in an engaging way. bet365 Launches “The Matchup,” a New Weekly Video Podcast Hosted by Super Bowl Champions Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders (press release): "bet365, a global leader in online sports betting and gaming, today announced the launch of “The Matchup,” a new weekly video podcast hosted by former Super Bowl Champions Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders. Featuring current and former NFL players, the original series marks a significant, intentional investment in football as bet365 works to become a go-to destination for U.S. bettors throughout the season. “The Matchup” premieres September 10, with new episodes released weekly in both video and audio formats. Full episodes will be available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever podcasts are available, with clips and additional content rolling out across YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok. The show is being produced by Last Row Digital Media. Each week, Harris and Sanders will be joined by guests from across the game to break down the biggest NFL matchups, unpack the latest league news and share perspectives that go beyond the box score. By bringing together two former players with distinct perspectives and firsthand experience, “The Matchup” will give audiences timely context and a deeper understanding of the teams, players and storylines shaping the week ahead. “Every great football conversation starts with a matchup—who has the edge, what everyone is overlooking and what could change the game,” said Chris Harris Jr. “Emmanuel and I have experienced the game from different perspectives, and we want the audience to feel like they are part of the conversation and leave every episode knowing more about the week ahead.” Today’s iGaming companies face new litigation threats as expansive consumer protection statutes spark lawsuits with sky’s-the-limit aspirations, sometimes backed by private funders. Clients of Ifrah Law have a staunch defender in Robert Ward – an agile litigator and case tactician who responds to the changing state of play with creative legal defenses and efficient case-closing strategies. Robert draws on federal clerkship experience and appellate defense work to advise iGaming clients on litigation exposure, white-collar risk, and regulatory defense across multiple jurisdictions. Read More: Robert Ward on Helping iGaming Clients Outmaneuver Lawsuit-Obsessed Adversaries 🔮 Prediction markets Update on legal action in Connecticut: [ Daniel Wallach@WALLACHLEGAL Connecticut says gaming service license holders which received subpoenas over sports prediction markets “are not under investigation” by the @CTDCP but may possess information that could assist the state “in evaluating the conduct of prediction market platforms.” 2:31 PM · Sep 13, 2026 · 844 Views 5 Likes ](https://x.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/2099143914271670576?s=20) American Gaming Association Opposes CFTC Bid to Block New York Prediction-Market Enforcement (DeFi Rate): “The brief points to the Ninth Circuit’s Aug. 28 decision in KalshiEX LLC v. Assad, which the AGA says supports New York’s authority to regulate sports contracts as gambling. It also cites Kalshi advertising, product comparisons and reporting on Kalshi’s sports volume to argue that the economic product resembles a sportsbook wager more than a conventional financial hedge.” [ Daniel Wallach@WALLACHLEGAL AGA intervenes in CFTC v. NY case to oppose CFTC request for preliminary injunction, says the CFTC’s arguments “obfuscate a simple truth: prediction markets offer sports betting.” Highlights CA9 decision, @DustinGouker (6x), and $1.32 billion in OSB taxes for NY (0 from PMs). Daniel Wallach @WALLACHLEGAL High stakes hearing on Monday in CFTC v. New York State. If SDNY judge Lorna Schofield denies the CFTC’s motion for preliminary injunction, the New York AG would have a clearer path for securing a state court geofencing order against Kalshi, Coinbase, and Gemini Titan. 2:08 AM · Sep 13, 2026 · 4.78K Views 1 Reply · 2 Reposts · 8 Likes ](https://x.com/WALLACHLEGAL/status/2098957043474280584?s=20) Gaming Commission remains member of gambling council after questions raised over ties to Kalshi (Mass Live): “The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will not follow the leads of gaming regulators in Ohio and Michigan and drop ties with the National Council on Problem Gambling over its new association with Kalshi.” Sponsor’s messageTrusted Voices: Conversations About Betting is designed to equip adults, including parents and coaches, with tools and resources to talk to young people about gambling, including information on warning signs, risks and proxy betting. The program is led by retired professional basketball player Randy Livingston and his wife, basketball agent Anita Smith, who share their personal stories related to problem gambling, with the hope of preventing others from experiencing similar harms. Learn more and join the conversation here. 📣 Industry news Gaming M&A: Latest Mergers, Acquisitions and Deals (SBC Americas): “But what else is happening in the world of gaming mergers, acquisitions, investments, and partnerships? Here, we round up some of the news you might have missed.” BetMGM Named Official Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner of the Minnesota Vikings in Canada (press release): BetMGM, a leading iGaming and sports betting operator, announced a multi-year partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, naming it the Official Sports Betting Partner and Online Casino Partner of the team in Canada. The agreement gives BetMGM rights to use Vikings marks across approved sports betting, online casino and marketing activities in Canada. In addition, Vikings Big Kick LuckyTap™, a casino game by Design Works Gaming, is available now exclusively at BetMGM Casino in Alberta and Ontario. “Vikings fans bring a level of passion and loyalty that extends well beyond game day,” said Matt Prevost, Chief Revenue Officer at BetMGM. “As the home of one of the largest collections of sports-themed casino content in North America, BetMGM is uniquely positioned to combine sports fandom with iGaming. We are eager to start football season off strong with another fantastic partnership especially as we expand our reach in Canada to Alberta.” Martin Nance, Minnesota Vikings Chief Marketing Officer, said, “As we continue to deepen our connection with Vikings fans across Canada, we’re proud to welcome BetMGM as the team’s official sports betting and online casino partner in Canada. Their commitment to innovation and fan engagement aligns well with our organization, and we’re excited to create memorable experiences that celebrate Vikings football and connect with Canadian fans in new and meaningful ways.” Caesars Entertainment Launches Ball Rush Jackpots™ in New Jersey,the Latest Proprietary Online Title from Empire Creative™ (press release): Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) (“Caesars”) today announced the launch of Ball Rush Jackpots™, a new ball-and-peg style online casino game developed by Empire Creative™, the Company’s in-house game development studio. Now live in New Jersey across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sportsbook & Casino and Horseshoe Online Casino, Ball Rush Jackpots is expected to become available in additional jurisdictions where Caesars offers online casino gaming following regulatory approval. The title expands Caesars’ growing portfolio of proprietary online casino titles, following the successful launch of Ca$hline™ earlier this year and further diversifying the Company’s lineup beyond traditional slots and table games. Ball Rush Jackpots follows the traditional ball-drop gameplay experience where players drop a ball down a board filled with pegs to land in a prize slot. As balls navigate independently through a field of pegs, every drop creates new opportunities to collect feature symbols, unlock bonuses and pursue jackpots, delivering a different experience with every round. “Ball Rush Jackpots delivers a different kind of casino experience for our players, combining easy-to-understand gameplay with meaningful customization, exciting bonus opportunities and jackpot potential,” said Matthew Sunderland, Senior Vice President and Chief iGaming Officer at Caesars Digital. “As we continue expanding our proprietary content portfolio, we’re focused on creating games that are simple to pick up, rewarding to revisit and designed around the features players enjoy most.” Bally’s Corporation Secures New Financing to Support the Development of the Bally’s Bronx Project (press release): Bally’s Corporation (NYSE: BALY) (“Bally’s” or the “Company”) announced today that it secured new financing led by WhiteHawk Capital Partners, LP to fund further development of the Bally’s Bronx project and general corporate purposes. The new financing comprises closing date term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $400 million and delayed draw term loan commitments in an aggregate principal amount of $160 million (together, the “Facilities”). … Bally’s Chairman of the Board, Soo Kim, commented, “This important financing allows us to progress the pre-construction planning process so that we are ready to complete the remainder of the capital raise and remain on schedule. Furthermore, the additional liquidity provides us greater flexibility for other capital opportunities.” WORLD JAI ALAI LEAGUE LAUNCHES CENTENNIAL SEASON AND ENTERS NEXT CHAPTER IN MIAMI (press release): The World Jai Alai League will open its 2026 fall season on Tuesday, September 15 at Miami’s JAM Arena, beginning a milestone season that marks 100 years since professional Jai Alai first arrived in Miami. Season X, the tenth season of the Battle Court team-based competition launched in 2022, will also be the first since entrepreneur and sports asset investor Rob Gough acquired the World Jai Alai League in August 2026. The acquisition marks the beginning of a new chapter for the league. World Jai Alai League will maintain the existing Battle Court competition and operating format, with Chief Operating Officer Scott Savin overseeing Season X. Gough and his team will use the coming months to listen to players and fans, evaluate opportunities across the league, and execute plans for a broader evolution of Jai Alai’s presentation, live experience, media, marketing and commercial strategy beginning in 2027. “This is a really unique moment for Jai Alai,” said Rob Gough, Owner of the World Jai Alai League. “We have a sport with more than 100 years of history in Miami, extraordinary athletes and incredible speed, but I also believe there is enormous untapped potential.” bet365 reveals most popular online slots in 3 US states in August (SBC Americas): “In its monthly Gaming Insights and Performance report, growing online casino operator bet365 tracks player trends and game performance in online slots across its North American online casino markets.” The Closing Line is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Sep 14 • 2:45 PM EDT • Entertainment • closingline.substack.com

Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream - Sustainability Science | The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

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Sep 14 • 2:17 PM EDT • Science • jbhe.com

‘Party for sale’? Reform’s £72m donation causes huge backlash

Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey discuss Reform UK’s £72m of political donations, and the backlash against them

Sep 14 • 1:18 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Richard Tice rallies to the defence of Reform’s crypto ‘patriots’

You can’t buy Dicky’s level of stupidity though it could be argued that Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo just have

Sep 14 • 1:05 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Vance says AI doom warnings from tech CEOs feel like a ‘Trojan horse’

Vice President JD Vance is skeptical of artificial intelligence CEOs calling for a development slowdown, comparing the calls to a “Trojan horse.” Vance told reporters on Monday that President Donald Trump‘s administration is concerned about the speed at which frontier model development is happening but would prefer to “regulate smartly,” considering the benefits and risks […]

Sep 14 • 12:21 PM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com

Cortez Masto cosponsors bill reforming banking for cannabis businesses

U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is cosponsoring a bill reforming banking for the cannabis industry.

Sep 14 • 12:15 PM EDT • Business • kolotv.com

US companies get creative as tariff refunds start flowing in

U.S. companies getting refunds after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s import tariffs are using the temporary windfall in a range of creative ways. The refunds are being

Sep 14 • 11:53 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com

Brewers Refuse to Celebrate Postseason Berth With Bigger Goal Ahead

After a record-breaking 20-0 shutout against the Reds to clinch their fourth straight postseason berth, the Milwaukee Brewers skipped the champagne, remaining laser-focused on a deep October run.

Sep 14 • 11:49 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Preferred Behavioral Health Group Names Stacey Shultz as Chief Financial Officer

Experienced nonprofit finance executive brings decades of financial leadership to growing behavioral health organization LAKEWOOD, N.J. — Preferred Behavioral Health Group (PBHG), a leading provider of behavioral health services throughout New Jersey, today announced the appointment of Stacey G. Shultz, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer. Shultz brings decades of financial management and leadership experience to PBHG, with[...]

Sep 14 • 11:48 AM EDT • Health • insidernj.com

How Much Money Have the Parties Spent on the Key Congressional Races in Pennsylvania?

We are just 50 days out from the November 3 general election and the political party money taps are flowing in an attempt to influence your vote for their preferred candidate(s). In just three Pennsylvania congressional districts alone (PA-07, PA-08 and PA-10), the Democrats and Republicans have combined to spend…

Sep 14 • 11:36 AM EDT • Politics • politicspa.com

Blackburn need level-raiser Carter to stay fit

BBC Radio Lancashire's Andy Bayes reflects on Hayden Carter's performance in the 3-1 win over Millwall and the presence of ownership group member Balaji Rao in the stands at Ewood Park.

Sep 14 • 10:36 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Get to know Beckman: Ngoc Nguyen, research engineer

Research engineer Ngoc Nguyen reflects on his career path, his new role at the Beckman Institute and the joys of life in central Illinois.

Sep 14 • 10:15 AM EDT • Science • beckman.illinois.edu

Missouri voters sue Denny Hoskins for $80 million over congressional map referendum

At the center of the case is a Missouri law that says the secretary of state must pay between $100 and $500 to an aggrieved person if the officeholder “neglect[s] or refuse[s] to perform any of the duties enjoined on him by law."

Sep 14 • 10:03 AM EDT • Politics • kcur.org

In Africa, Youth Aren't Disengaged; They're Withholding Consent

Lagging youth voter turnout in southern Africa should be understood not as apathy, but as a refusal to endorse existing political choices.

Sep 14 • 9:14 AM EDT • Politics • justsecurity.org

Testimony of Brian Blase before the United States House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust — "Examining Healthcare Markets: Fraud and Competition"

Government has created incentives to maximize subsidies while weakening incentives to improve productivity and compete for patients.

Sep 14 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • paragoninstitute.org

Scientists discover real “dragon” lizard

In the mountainous evergreen forests of the Tak-Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand, scientists discovered a new species of lizard. Researchers named the species Acanthosaura syrax, commonly called the Syrax mountain horned dragon, in reference to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s dragon Syrax in the “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “House of the Dragon.” A research team led by...

Sep 14 • 9:00 AM EDT • Science • theticker.org

VAR is not the problem, the people running it are

The shocking VAR mistake in the Manchester derby, allowing Erling Haaland’s winning goal, will renew calls for the system to be scrapped. After all, without it, the correct decision was effectively made – the assistant referee raised his flag for offside – and we would not have had the seemingly interminable wait while the incident was reviewed and reviewed and reviewed and the right call was inexplicably overturned.

Sep 14 • 8:47 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Arsenal want explanation over penalty awarded to Sunderland

Arsenal will seek an explanation from Pro Ref for the penalty awarded against them in their Premier League win at Sunderland. Manager Mikel Arteta described referee John Brooks’ decision to penalize Ezri Konsa for an adjudged foul on Dan Ballard, with VAR not intervening, as “unacceptable”.

Sep 14 • 8:33 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

UK unions split over party donations cap as TUC chief says ‘super-rich’ corrupting politics

Sources say there are ‘significant differences’ in opinion as debate inflamed by crypto billionaires’ £72m donations to Reform

Sep 14 • 8:07 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com