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Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it

From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.

Jul 16 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • iai.tv

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Jul 16 • 1:52 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Steph Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award

Steph Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award

Jul 15 • 8:44 PM EDT • Sports • espn.com

ZeniMax Online Studios leadership to exit as part of Xbox cuts

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

Jul 15 • 7:42 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

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Jul 15 • 5:04 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Stephen Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for 'Eat, Learn, Play' foundation

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Jul 15 • 4:24 PM EDT • Sports • abc7news.com

Stephen Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for 'Eat, Learn, Play' foundation

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Jul 15 • 4:24 PM EDT • Sports • abc7ny.com

Stephen Curry receives Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for 'Eat, Learn, Play' foundation

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Jul 15 • 4:24 PM EDT • Sports • abc7.com

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Jul 15 • 3:07 PM EDT • Sports • nba.com

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Jul 15 • 1:55 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

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Jul 15 • 12:13 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com

The 2026 Sports Humanitarian Awards honored Stephen Curry, Jeffrey Lurie, Laurie Tisch, the Baltimore Ravens & more

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Jul 15 • 8:29 AM EDT • Sports • espnpressroom.com

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Jul 14 • 11:36 PM EDT • Sports • 6abc.com

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Jul 14 • 11:36 PM EDT • Sports • abc30.com

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Jul 14 • 11:36 PM EDT • Sports • abc7chicago.com

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Jul 14 • 11:36 PM EDT • Sports • abc7.com

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Jul 14 • 11:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

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Jul 14 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • bloomberg.com

47 revelatory hours with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

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

Jul 14 • 3:17 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Fenway Health Welcomes Governor Healey’s Signing of the FY27 Budget, Advancing LGBTQIA+ Health and HIV Prevention

Governor Healey’s signing of the FY27 budget marks an important step forward for LGBTQIA+ health, HIV prevention, and health equity in Massachusetts. At a t ...

Jul 14 • 2:29 PM EDT • Health • fenwayhealth.org

Lone Star Politics: July 12, 2026

This week on Lone Star Politics, Fort Worth City Council is taking the next steps after the zoning commission voted not to recommend new rules for data centers within the city. Plus, a lawsuit at Texas Tech is looking to clarify the line between censorship and academic freedom.

Jul 14 • 2:11 PM EDT • Politics • nbcdfw.com

Britons urged to take ‘small steps’ to prepare for potential national crises

Government to launch campaign to help people cope with events such as weather emergencies or cyber-attacks

Jul 14 • 2:05 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Extreme heat and health | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Extreme heat can be deadly. Experts discuss steps to stay cool and safe.

Jul 14 • 2:00 PM EDT • Health • hsph.harvard.edu

Warsh: Fed Doesn’t Want to Be in Bailout Business

Asked about whether the Federal Reserve would step in with a bailout in the event of a financial crisis involving cryptocurrencies, Chairman Kevin Warsh says the central bank does “not want to be in the bailout business.” The Fed is going to “do everything we can to mitigate those sort of extra ris

Jul 14 • 11:04 AM EDT • Business • wsj.com

'This was the easy part for Alonso'

The Drake Suite at Stamford Bridge is adorned with pictures of Chelsea managers holding trophies. Many of these pictures are of Jose Mourinho, but fellow Premier League winner Antonio Conte also features. Xabi Alonso motioned to these as he answered a question on his illustrious predecessors during his unveiling news conference on Monday, saying he is "really honoured and privileged" to follow in their footsteps.

Jul 14 • 8:04 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Before you connect another smart TV, tablet or phone, lock it down

Smart TVs ship with ACR enabled by default, tracking everything you watch. A 10-step checklist covers privacy settings, VPN setup and guest wifi.

Jul 14 • 7:49 AM EDT • Technology • foxnews.com

12 ideas for tackling the U.S. alcohol epidemic

The U.S. can save lives from excess alcohol use without taking drastic measures. Here are 12 steps that can help.

Jul 14 • 4:30 AM EDT • Health • statnews.com

Millennials are financially supporting retired baby boomer parents

Baby boomers are realizing their 401(k)s and Social Security are falling short. Their Gen X and millennial kids now have to step in and support them.

Jul 14 • 4:18 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Steph Curry’s Brother Still Unsigned Amid Warriors’ LeBron James Wait

Steph Curry wants to play with LeBron James, but his own brother remains unsigned as the Warriors hold off on smaller roster moves. The post Steph Curry’s Brother Still Unsigned Amid Warriors’ LeBron James Wait appeared first on HEAVY.

Jul 13 • 8:45 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Stephen Miller remembers Lindsey Graham's vibrant political career and dedication to service

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller reflects on Sen. Lindsey Graham's, R-S.C., political journey, highlighting his transformation into a steadfast Trump supporter and his passion for public service on 'The Will Cain Show.'

Jul 13 • 6:57 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra display crease missing in latest hands-on leak [Video]

Rumors have suggested the Galaxy Z Fold series would take a big step in removing the inner display crease left...

Jul 13 • 1:33 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com

NC Rep. Chuck Edwards sells McDonald’s business to focus on public service

According to Congressman Edwards, selling the business is a natural next step as his responsibilities representing western North Carolina continue to grow.

Jul 13 • 1:31 PM EDT • Business • foxcarolina.com

A heart for health

Albany High retiree Mary Kelly has a heart for health that expands beyond her professional responsibilities. Not only did she serve the City School District of Albany for over 23 years as a nurse, she also has been a faithful supporter of our food pantry here at Albany High! Since June 2022, Kelly has given a monthly donation to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York specifically designated for Albany High. Thanks to Kelly and other individual donors and partner organizations, our students and their families can have access to nutritious food, free of cost at the Falcon Market. As someone who raised three boys, she knows how hard it can be to keep one’s shelves stocked at home. “I remember when they would sit down, three teenagers, eating a box of cereal a piece as a snack,” Kelly reminisced with a laugh. “Who can afford that nowadays?” Known affectionately as Nurse Kelly throughout her career in the district, she served our students at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and was stationed at Albany High from 2019 until her retirement. By caring for students day in and day out, Kelly was keenly aware of the negative impact of food insecurity on the lives of young people. This is what motivated her to take a proactive step towards improving access to nutritious food for our students and families. Kelly’s generosity is a way to carry on the memory of her youngest son, who passed away in 2019. “The kindnesses that I do are always in his memory,” Kelly shared. On behalf of our Albany High staff, students and families, we thank Nurse Kelly for her incredible support and wish her all the best during her retirement. For more information about how to support the Falcon Market with in-kind or financial donations, please contact Joey DiPiazza at jdipiazza@albany.k12.ny.us.

Jul 13 • 11:32 AM EDT • Health • albanyschools.org

A first look at Mike Flanagan's ‘Carrie,’ a Stephen King adaptation coming to Prime Video this fall

Showrunner Mike Flanagan's bold reinvention of Stephen King's classic novel arrives on Prime Video this fall.

Jul 13 • 11:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • aboutamazon.com

‘Carrie’ TV series first look reveals Mike Flanagan’s modern twist (exclusive)

‘Carrie’ exclusive first look: Mike Flanagan discusses how the Flana-fam gives the Stephen King classic a modern TV twist.

Jul 13 • 10:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

Who could replace Lindsey Graham? South Carolina’s next steps after senator’s death.

Senator Lindsey Graham’s death has sparked a political scramble in South Carolina.

Jul 13 • 12:15 AM EDT • Politics • bostonglobe.com

Who could replace Lindsey Graham? South Carolina's next steps after senator's death

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death has sparked a political scramble in South Carolina

Jul 13 • 12:12 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Generations of Health: Lisa Boyd, PA, Discusses the Power of Family Medical History

Your family shares more than memories; they pass down a genetic blueprint that can shape your health for years to come. Lisa Boyd, PA-C, with CaroMont Family Medicine in Dallas, explains why knowing your family medical history is one of the most powerful tools in preventive healthcare. From predicting risk before symptoms appear to guiding smarter screening schedules, this information helps you and your care team make more informed decisions. Learn how to start the conversation, what conditions have hereditary links and when genetic testing may be the right next step for you.

Jul 12 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • caromonthealth.org

Street therapists struggle to meet growing need for homeless mental health services

LIKE MANY PEOPLE who are or have been homeless, Jessica Scott struggles with debilitating anxiety. When she finally moved from her stepfather’s car into a

Jul 12 • 7:00 PM EDT • Health • localnewsmatters.org

Blackhawks Trade Pitch Lands Flames Former First-Round Pick

The Chicago Blackhawks have made it clear that they want to take a step forward next season. Their most notable move so far this offseason was when they traded this year’s 4th overall pick, 45th overall pick, and defenseman Louis Crevier to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for star blueliner Bowen Byram and winger Jordan […] The post Blackhawks Trade Pitch Lands Flames Former First-Round Pick appeared first on HEAVY.

Jul 12 • 6:48 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Magnitude Returns To Work Tab Ahead Of Whitney Bid

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Magnitude returned to the work tab on Sunday morning for trainer Steven Asmussen for his first workout since winning the June 27 Stephen Foster (G1), breezing a half-mile in :50.40 on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga, Daily Racing Form reports. The Gun Runner colt ...

Jul 12 • 6:12 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Ukraine’s prime minister steps down as country ‘is changing its political strategy’

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stepped down on Sunday, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reshapes his cabinet amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of the eastern European country. In a…

Jul 12 • 5:08 PM EDT • Politics • thehill.com

Christian Barmore Trusts Patriots' Retooled Defensive Front to Deliver

In 2025 -- albeit playing against a schedule that on paper at least appears to have been much weaker than the one that lies dead ahead – the New England Patriots found ways to overcome some serious injuries up front defensively. With journeymen types like Christian Elliss and Jack Gibbens stepping in and stepping up, the Patriots won three playoff games without leading tackler Robert Spillane at inside linebacker. When defensive tackle Milton Williams was sidelined, Khyiris Tonga, on his fourth team in five NFL seasons, raised his game, earning eight regular-season starts.

Jul 12 • 2:47 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Can Rashawn Slater Return to His Elite Form?

Can Rashawn Slater regain his place among the NFL’s elite left tackles? If he stays healthy in 2026, his return to All-Pro form could be one of the biggest reasons the Chargers take the next step as a legitimate AFC contender.

Jul 12 • 12:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Draymond Green says the problem he has with Stephen A …

Draymond Green says the problem he has with Stephen A …

Jul 12 • 11:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

They're Building Half A Bridge to Save Science...

Today’s post is about science: what you can do now to protect it from unprecedented threats, and how your action is the first half of a long-term program that Congress must take up next. Let me start with describing the embryonic state of science advocacy. There are many well-meaning organizations: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Research!America, and subject-specific organizations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the American Physical Society. Their general approach is to emphasize the common good: the remarkable value that science and innovation have provided to all Americans. However, these organizations are offering an incomplete solution. Before I start, a preliminary: If you already know about the threat, go ahead and weigh in with OMB at this link. Ideas about what to say come from Research!America and the American Physical Society. You have until Monday, July 13 at 11:59pm Eastern. Then come back here and read the rest of this post. Finally, get in touch with whoever is likely to be your next member of Congress in 2027. The threat: An end to merit-based science… The onslaught of attacks on science is accelerating. It’s not just cuts to grants, which was the last battle. That battle is not done yet, but there is a new and worse threat. Now comes a proposed public rule from the Office of Management and Budget. The rule would take decision-making power over grants away from experts and put it into the hands of political appointees. Former NIH official Elizabeth Ginexi wrote an excellent summary of what OMB is trying to do, which is codify the executive branch’s ability to award or terminate grants, for arbitrary cause or no stated cause. Since World War II, a necessary step in scientific grant-making has been consideration of scientific merit. This approach has made America into a dominant scientific superpower, the envy of the world. Of course, political considerations do come into the mix. The proposed rule tilts the balance dramatically away from merit. …but why? Many people have difficulty comprehending why Russell Vought and OMB would want to damage science in this way. If you’re a working scientist, you are likely to be particularly uncomprehending. Who would hurt an activity so self-evidently good? The answer is: this is part of the program to replace the rule of law with a personalist regime. OMB Director Russell Vought, a Christian nationalist, would like to implement what legal scholars call a “unitary executive,” and what I would call a dictatorship. Or if you like, a personalist authoritarian regime. I am a working scientist. This rule will debilitate my research. It may chill the speech of scientists for speaking freely in the public sphere. It is a form of personalizing power and decision-making within the executive branch. In short, it sacrifices science in the service of tyranny. To Russell Vought, a decrease in the quality of science might be an acceptable cost. He might even consider it an added benefit to weaken a pillar of soft U.S. power based on knowledge and skepticism. The professional societies are building half a bridge The nonprofits are asking you to make public comment. Public comment is like building the first half of a bridge. Before implementation, OMB is compelled by law to have a period of public comment. Rules have to be consistent with the law and the Constitution. They express the federal government’s stance toward how those laws will be implemented. When a presidential administration works in good faith, these public comments are used to inform their eventual action, and sometimes mitigate it. The comment period reflects our First Amendment right to petition our government. The executive branch is then supposed to take those comments into account - completing the bridge between us, the people, and our government. Project 2025 seeks to take away the second half of the bridge. We have to replace it. The first half of the bridge Organizations like AAAS, Research!America, and SfN are partly right. You should certainly comment. Their core model is earnest: if enough of us make noise, then we will achieve change. This idealistic point of view is offered in good faith. That point of view is also currently bullshit. The fundamental reason is that the federal rulemaking process has two parts: There has to be a period of public comment. OMB makes the final rule…but is free to disregard public comment. Oops. That’s a loophole. However, not all is lost. Congress can complete the bridge Congress has enormous power. That power suggests a roadmap for how to proceed. This lawless administration is still going to issue that rule. Nonetheless, your comments still play an essential role. Here are two steps you can take. Step 1: Send your comment to your Representative and Senator. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans, many of them support science. Whatever you wrote as public comment in the Federal Register, also send it to your member of Congress. You can include information about jobs in your district or state by looking at Joshua Weitz’s ScienceMatters interactive map. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and give your town, zip code, or state, then deliver your message. Step 2: Politicize the hell out of science. You heard me, politicize it as an issue. We hear a lot from the old scientific establishment about science being nonpartisan. This is obsolete, sentimental thinking. Under normal conditions, it was true. But we can no longer make that assumption. We can keep on pretending, but we’re putting science at risk. There is a way forward. Rules are subordinate to the law…and Congress makes laws. Therefore Congress can step in. In this fall’s election, it is likely that Democrats will retake the House of Representatives. That puts at least one chamber of Congress in the hands of Democrats. They are far more inclined than the current Congress to investigate and legislate. This opens a path to undoing the damage. It also creates a permission structure for pro-science Republicans to find a way back from the brink. We have to encourage them. In the House, every district is up every two years. In your district, contact both of the major party candidates. If your state has a Senate race, contact those candidates too. Specifically mention the proposed OMB rule. Ask for two things: For this year’s appropriations process in August and September, ask that amendments be added to stop the implementation of the new rule. Those amendments should support peer-reviewed science and stop political interference. Looking ahead to next year, ask the Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator to work to hold hearings in 2027 on the importance and benefits of peer-reviewed science for health and prosperity. What hearings and amendments will accomplish Congress can use its investigatory power to summon heads of agencies and the director of the OMB. That will allow fact-finding regarding the consequences of this rule. Congress can override the rule through the appropriations process. They can write into statute a requirement to follow peer review and best scientific practices. In this way, Congress can stop the attacks on science. Postscript: Moving forward Now I have a request for you, to help me. As many of you know, I ran for Congress in order to save democracy and science. Although I did not win, that battle continues by other means. I met and heard from thousands of supporters both here in New Jersey and nationally. I learned that pro-science, pro-democracy activists have the potential to become a much greater force. In the weeks and months ahead, I will be building ways to harness that energy. I will be announcing those plans soon. In the meantime, an important step is to wind down the Congressional campaign, which has a few remaining bills to pay. Please help me retire that last debt.

Jul 12 • 2:14 AM EDT • Science • samwang.substack.com

A niche MacBook idea. Five minutes. One Codex app.

Business Insider's Stephen Council used OpenAI Codex to build a custom Mac clipboard app in minutes—no coding required.

Jul 11 • 8:02 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Pokémon Go 'Genetic Mastery' choose a path quest steps — Mega Mewtwo X or Y?

Should you pick Mega Mewtwo X or Mega Mewtwo Y?

Jul 11 • 2:00 AM EDT • Technology • polygon.com

Great players want to play with Steph Curry. Could LeBron James be next?

Jul 11 • 1:53 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Several names floating around for next N.Y. majority leader

Current Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes from Buffalo is stepping down at the end of her term.

Jul 10 • 7:07 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

From Vision to Joint Health: A Full-Body Guide to Staying Well

When you think of wellness, what comes to mind? Is it eating healthy? Exercising regularly? Or going to the doctor when you’re feeling under the weather? Wellness can mean many different things depending on who you ask, but to the healthcare providers at The Baton Rouge Clinic and Affinity Health Group, true wellness comes from […]

Jul 10 • 11:59 AM EDT • Health • batonrougeclinic.com

MAGA's attack on science is even worse than it looks

In my post on America’s 250-year anniversary, I argued that respect for the individual was the “secret sauce” in the U.S.’ long-lasting preeminence among nations. But it was certainly not the only factor. There were plenty of institutional innovations that helped the U.S. stay on top — economically, militarily, and in terms of the attractiveness of its society. One of these was American science. Today we take things like the modern research university, government grants for science, public-to-private research spinoffs, etc. for granted, but a lot of that infrastructure wasn’t there before World War 2. It was either invented or scaled up massively by the U.S. government in the postwar period, led by far-sighted scientist-bureaucrats like Vannevar Bush (pictured above). If you want to read about this history, a good place to start would be Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson’s excellent book Jump-Starting America. Those scientific institutions didn’t exist in a vacuum, however. They were backed by the U.S. government’s abiding faith in the power of science — and, even more fundamentally, by deep popular trust in the scientific enterprise. Science gave us radar and the atom bomb in wartime, and in peacetime it gave us plastics, vaccines, cheap food, and a thousand other things that made our lives easier. Science was also the driver behind American industry — chemicals, aerospace, telecommunications, computers, electronics, and so on. We owed science our jobs, our livelihoods, our comfortable living standards, and our greatness and power as a nation. It’s little wonder that both political parties, even as they fought viciously over other issues, were steadfast in their support of science. For a long time, the only people who distrusted science were a hippie fringe on the left who disliked modernity (or thought they did, anyway), who also disliked American industry and American power, and who subscribed to an early version of degrowth environmentalism. America’s scientific enterprise is still strong, especially compared to the systems in Europe, Japan, Korea, and other developed countries. It has lost a lot of ground to China in a relative sense, but a lot of that is because of China’s incredible growth; as China has poured untold amounts of money and talent into its research labs, spending and output have overtaken the U.S. by some measures. There are a few ways in which China’s rise creates problems for American science — for example, top scientists can choose to work in China instead of in the U.S. — and of course there’s the concern that China’s technological strength will help its military to reign supreme. But overall, China’s rise in science should be good for American science, since American scientists can use Chinese discoveries for free and build on them. The much bigger problem is that the scientific enterprise America built during and after World War 2 is now being threatened with absolute decline. The biggest problem, of course, is that much of the country — the Republican half — has basically lost faith in the scientific enterprise. To what degree this loss of faith is justified is an open question, and deserves to be discussed openly. But the larger point — that the system that powered American dominance is under threat — is true either way. Most Americans still trust science, but MAGA Republicans don’t There’s a myth, popular in right-wing circles, that scientists have lost the trust of regular Americans — either due to the increasingly left-wing composition of academic departments, or to misbehavior during Covid, or to DEI-related research taking over science, etc. This also fits with a wider narrative that Americans are losing trust in all of our institutions. But it just isn’t true. Poll after poll shows that on the whole, Americans still trust scientists and want to spend more on science. For example, here’s a Pew poll from late 2025 showing that although about a fifth of Republicans did lose confidence in science in 2020, two thirds still have at least “a fair amount” of confidence: That same poll found that scientists are among America’s most trusted groups — even better trusted than the military! In fact, Americans trust scientists more than people in most other countries do. Other polls show that although Republican trust in science has dropped somewhat, Republican support for spending more on science remains very strong: A Pew poll in 2023 found the exact same thing: So when MAGA types tell you about scientists losing their credibility, or a drop in trust in science, they’re only talking about themselves. Whatever left-wing politicization of science happened during the Biden administration — and there was definitely some of that — it was not enough to make most Republicans lose faith in the scientific enterprise, or favor research cuts in order to purge unwanted ideology from the system. That doesn’t mean I think progressives should continue down the path of politicizing scientific research. They should not, and Biden made real missteps in this area. Objectivity clearly matters for public trust of science in the long term. But as of right now, there’s no crisis of trust in science, except among the smallish minority of people who are running around screaming that there’s a crisis of trust in science. But despite science’s overwhelming popularity and public trust, Trump and his administration are launching an unprecedented and devastating attack on American science — cutting funding, and forcing science projects to undergo ideological review by government commissars. Trump’s comprehensive attack on science

Jul 10 • 11:23 AM EDT • Science • noahpinion.blog

Michael Edwards quits as football chief for Liverpool’s owner Fenway Sports Group

Michael Edwards has stepped down with a year on his contract and Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, could leave after the transfer window shuts

Jul 10 • 9:27 AM EDT • Sports • theguardian.com

Michael Edwards steps down as Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football

The former Liverpool sporting director leaves with one year remaining on the contract he signed in 2024.

Jul 10 • 9:04 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

Step Into The Business Hall At Black Hat USA 2026

This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine

Jul 10 • 8:18 AM EDT • Business • cybersecurityventures.com

Ferris State College of Health Professions leaders say building renovation, expansion will help meet demand, grow healthcare workforce

Ferris State University leaders are taking the first steps to plan for extensive renovations to the Victor F. Spathelf Center for Allied Health, modernizing and expanding programs that train the next generations of health professionals and address statewide shortages.

Jul 10 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • ferris.edu

Lung transplant recipient stays active climbing stadium steps and more post-transplant

Doug Wright stayed active until his lung transplant. Now, he is continuing to participate in rigorous physical activity with his donor lungs.

Jul 9 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • uofmhealth.org

Top OpenAI executive Fidji Simo is stepping down

Fidji Simo, a top OpenAI exec, steps down amid a chronic illness. She is shifting to an advisor role after medical leave.

Jul 9 • 7:20 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Scrimmage Recap: Sporting KC plays to 3-2 defeat at Atlanta United

Sporting Kansas City fell to a 3-2 defeat against Atlanta United in a 90-minute tune-up scrimmage at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground on Thursday morning. Sporting started brightly and took the lead in the 14th minute when Dejan Joveljic was brought down inside the penalty area before stepping up

Jul 9 • 11:41 AM EDT • Sports • sportingkc.com

Resuscitated human retinas respond to light 10 hours after death

Perfusing donor human retinas with blood and oxygen meant they continued to respond to light for up to 10 hours after death, marking a significant step towards eye transplants that restore vision

Jul 9 • 11:00 AM EDT • Health • newscientist.com

Science on Target: Q2 Grants & Funding Opportunities Update

Smarter Grants, Greater Impact: Target ALS Moves to SmartSimple Target ALS has recently transitioned from Blackbaud to SmartSimple as its grants management platform, marking a significant step forward in how we support and engage with our research community. SmartSimple’s robust, purpose-built grants management capabilities offer a more streamlined and intuitive experience for both applicants and […]

Jul 9 • 9:08 AM EDT • Science • targetals.org

Beloved computer science professor who brought internet to University of Calgary retires after 6 decades

Sixty-two years after Jon Rokne stepped foot on campus, the computer science professor who brought the internet to the University of Calgary has retired — on paper. There isn’t a chance the 85-year-old will stop working.

Jul 9 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • cbc.ca

Russia heads to sports court to overturn its ban from international track and field

Russia's track and field federation says it has gone to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a World Athletics ruling suspending its athletes from international events due to the war in Ukraine. World Athletics excluded all athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus from its international events in March 2022, days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has eased its restrictions on Russia ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — something the Kremlin hailed as an “important step” — and recommended other sports bodies do the same.

Jul 9 • 7:15 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

‘A special place to be’: Fussell’s in Dickson celebrates 90 years in business

On North Main Street in Dickson, it may look like a men’s clothing store, but you’re stepping into nearly 90 years of local history.

Jul 9 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • wkrn.com

Country music star announces return to touring: ‘See y’all on the road’

The 42-year-old singer stepped away in June.

Jul 9 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • pennlive.com

Warriors Top Backup Plan For LeBron James Falling Apart

The Golden State Warriors are running out of options with difficult paths towards acquiring their ideal names. LeBron James remains the dream scenario to join them in free agency and unite with rival Stephen Curry for the first time in their NBA careers. Unfortunately for Golden State, it appears that LeBron is prioritizing the Cleveland […] The post Warriors Top Backup Plan For LeBron James Falling Apart appeared first on HEAVY.

Jul 8 • 8:22 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Athlon Sports Golf Is Building a Bigger Daily Home for Golf Fans

Athlon Sports is expanding its golf footprint, and the next step is built for the way fans follow the game now. The new social channels will extend the growing Athlon Sports golf platform beyond written stories, creating a more immediate home for news, analysis, reactions, player storylines, tournament coverage, instruction, equipment talk and the moments that make golf feel bigger than a scorecard. Athlon Sports Golf is building a bigger daily home for golf fans.

Jul 8 • 8:16 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

SKF eyes role in humanoid robotics business

SKF is looking to work its way into the expanding Chinese robotics market with a recently announced agreement with Leaderdrive (LD), a global manufacturer specializing in precision robotic components. The companies are working together on a venture in China focused on high-precision transmission components for robot joints. SKF officials said the investment is a step […]

Jul 8 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • post-journal.com

Downtown Bend Business Association leader resigns

Rachel O’Rourke, the leader of a prominent downtown Bend business group, announced plans this month to step away from her role amid a period of major upheaval for the organization. Days before the resignation went public, the Downtown Bend Business Association also announced it would redo the process for a recent board of directors election. The turmoil comes after discussions over the prospect of paid parking were met with fierce pushback from […]

Jul 8 • 7:18 PM EDT • Business • bendsource.com

Carville blasts Dems amid Platner scandal, warning they ignored a classic rule of politics and paid the price

James Carville blasted Maine Democrats for failing to vet Platner, saying opposition research on your own candidate is the most important step.

Jul 8 • 6:11 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Acquisition of Caesars takes a step forward as Fertitta Entertainment execs approved

Two leaders of Tilman Fertitta’s company received unanimous approvals from Nevada regulators on Wednesday, a step forward in acquiring Caesars Entertainment in a nearly $18 billion transactio…

Jul 8 • 3:59 PM EDT • Entertainment • 8newsnow.com

Trump envoy warns China's power move at sea is threat 'we cannot afford to ignore'

US Ambassador to UK Warren Stephens warned that China is weaponizing port infrastructure and supply chains as tools of political coercion against nations.

Jul 8 • 2:55 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Step forward for long-planned entertainment venue

Wolverhampton council’s cabinet agrees to appoint an operator for the "box space"-style site.

Jul 8 • 1:05 PM EDT • Entertainment • nz.news.yahoo.com

Terri’s Treasures: Lapidary artist turns lifelong passion into business

Sarasota jeweler handles every step of the process, from raw stone to finished piece

Jul 8 • 10:27 AM EDT • Business • mysuncoast.com

Small Business Spotlight: Business blooms beyond bouquets

BUSINESS: The Busy Bloom OWNERS: Amanda and Walter Adkins ADDRESS: 708 S. 17th St., Wilmington EMAIL: thebusybloomco@gmail.com WEBSITE: thebusybloomco.com PHONE NUMBER: (910) 742-0790 YEAR FOUNDED: 2024 NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 4 WHAT IS THE BUSY BLOOM? AMANDA ADKINS: “The Busy Bloom is a flower shop with a spin – a creative experience shop located in Wilmington’s Cargo District. Founded in 2024 by husband-and-wife team Amanda and Walter Adkins, we offer fresh flowers, botanical teas, a build-your-own bouquet bar, candle-making experiences, gifts, workshops, wedding florals and event services. Our mission is simple: to make flowers accessible, approachable and enjoyable for everyone – not just for special occasions.” WHY DID YOU START THE BUSINESS? AMANDA ADKINS: “The Busy Bloom was born from a lifelong connection to flowers and a desire to create meaningful experiences for people. After doing my own wedding florals and after years of working in healthcare management, I found myself returning to gardening and floral design as a creative outlet and source of healing. The loss of my mother-in-law, who always shared flowers from her garden, inspired me to pursue floristry full-time. My husband encouraged me and built a small flower cart for us to grow, and fast forward to now, two years later, it has grown into a community-centered business focused on bringing joy, connection and creativity through flowers.” WHAT KIND OF GROWTH ARE YOU HOPING FOR? AMANDA ADKINS: “We’re focused on sustainable growth that allows us to continue serving our community while expanding creative experiences. We hope to grow our wedding and event services, expand our educational workshops and creative programming and become a destination where people can gather, create and connect. We’re also passionate about creating opportunities that showcase floral design as an art form, such as our Fleur Couture fashion show and other community collaborations.” WHAT PAST EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD WITH STARTING/WORKING IN BUSINESS? AMANDA ADKINS: “Before opening The Busy Bloom, I worked as a clinical manager in healthcare and spent years building leadership, operations and customer service skills. I’ve also worked in education and nonprofit programming, teaching people about nature and local ecosystems. Along the way, I designed flowers for weddings and events on the side, gradually turning a passion into a business. Walter has years of welding and construction experience, combined with entrepreneurship and a drive to own his own company. …The Busy Bloom has been a journey of combining creativity with entrepreneurship alongside my husband ... learning every step of the way.”

Jul 8 • 9:28 AM EDT • Business • wilmingtonbiz.com

Venus Williams-backed WeWard can now lock your apps until you hit your steps

With funding from tennis star and angel investor Venus Williams, the French app WeWard says that it increases walking time by almost 25%.

Jul 8 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com

Kremlin hails 'important step' as IOC eases Russia restrictions

The Kremlin has welcomed as an "important step" the International Olympic Committee's decision to remove many of its restrictions on Russia, a big step closer to letting it field a full team when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Games.

Jul 8 • 7:03 AM EDT • Sports • espn.com

Teton Science School, Indian Springs Ranch to get county funding to design tunnel

Teton County commissioners reserved $65,000 in their budget to take early steps to ease harrowing left turns out of the Teton Science School and gated Indian Springs Ranch subdivision on to Highway 22.

Jul 8 • 6:30 AM EDT • Science • jhnewsandguide.com

Tesla Science Center to dedicate new visitor center after Wardenclyffe fire

Nikola Tesla’s historic Shoreham lab will mark a major step in its recovery Saturday with the dedication of a new visitor center nearly three years after a devastating fire.

Jul 8 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com

Succession fight under way as Bernie Sanders calls for Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race

Vermont senator is latest figure to call for Democratic nominee to step down after sexual assault allegations

Jul 8 • 5:56 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Stop Shaming Yourself Into Better Habits. Science Says This Emotion Works Better

New research says joy, not shame, is what makes better habits stick. Here's the 5-step method two UBC psychologists use to build them.

Jul 8 • 5:20 AM EDT • Science • forbes.com

I vibe coded a 7-figure tool for my startup; the 4 steps I followed

John Hu left a banking career and his MBA program to build Stan. He and his cofounder went on to vibe code Stanley, an AI tool, in just 14 days.

Jul 8 • 5:10 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Period poverty in NC schools: The Diaper Bank is stepping in to help

The nonprofit becomes official provider for N.C.'s Feminine Hygiene Products program, shifting from school grants to statewide distribution.

Jul 8 • 4:19 AM EDT • Health • northcarolinahealthnews.org

How Spartans and citizen scientists team up to protect Michigan’s natural spaces

Through MSU Extension and community science initiatives, Michiganders across the state are stepping up to contribute directly to scientific research that helps protect Michigan’s lakes, waterways, forests, wildlife and biodiversity.

Jul 8 • 3:02 AM EDT • Science • msutoday.msu.edu

Maine Democrats have begun to plan for how to replace Senate nominee Graham Platner if he steps aside

Jul 7 • 9:51 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

District attorneys, lawmakers celebrate changes to mental health diversion law

The newly signed law expands courts’ ability to deny mental health diversion to defendants in criminal cases.

Jul 7 • 7:53 PM EDT • Health • sacbee.com

ECU Health, Martin County tout progress after state budget funding

Martin County and ECU Health say new funding included in the state budget marks a significant step toward restoring essential health care services in Martin Cou

Jul 7 • 3:16 PM EDT • Health • wcti12.com

Lionel Messi Is Inevitable.

Lionel Messi stepped up for Argentina when it needed help the most. And has his team still in the World Cup.

Jul 7 • 2:30 PM EDT • Sports • foxsports.com