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How to watch Alabama State football vs Troy?
Where to watch or stream Alabama State football's game against Troy in Week 2.
What's NEXT: adjoe’s Eileen Keng on why entertainment apps are turning to gaming for retention and revenue
Behind this model sits a straightforward funding mechanism, according to Eileen: premium mobile game advertisers cover the cost of both user rewards and publisher revenue through performance-based campaigns.
Editorial: Use fed funds to narrow health care gap
Rural health care needs “transformation,” in Hawaii and throughout the U.S. That’s something Democrats, Republicans and the officials they elect agree on, though significant differences exist over how much public money should be deployed to get it right.
Kokua Line: Why can’t new business register with state?
Question: Can you check what is going on with the slow approval times at the State of Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Office? Historically, if you paid the expedited review fee, your registration documents for a new entity would be approved within a week or sooner. Now, even paying the expedited review fee, I have been patiently waiting for months. My filing to form a new business submitted in June still has not been approved. Without the state’s approval, I cannot open a bank account, sign a lease, hire employees, or start my business. This has resulted in damages due to the delays. My emails to the DCCA have not been responded to. I heard that there is an issue with a new vendor of their supposed updated system, but forming a new business or other business registration tasks seem to have come to a standstill. I heard that they are working on May submissions now. I cannot believe that this unacceptable delay has not been publicized, complaints from the public more prevalent, and the elected officials not having been told by their constituents to immediately address this problem.
Alex Golesh addresses Auburn football injuries after Baylor win
Here's what Alex Golesh said regarding Auburn football's health, and more than one in-game injury, following the Tigers' win against Baylor.
Trump’s first major midterm money move: A $10M Texas Senate ad blitz
BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey — The political group associated with President Donald Trump is spending $10 million on television and digital advertisements...
Trump’s First Major Midterm Money Move: A $10M Texas Senate Ad Blitz
BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey (AP) — The political group associated with President Donald Trump is spending $10 million on television and digital advertisements in the Texas Senate race, according to a Saturday filing with the Federal Election Commission. This is the first significant spending in a ...
Hawaii to get 34 ambulances from rural health fund
Hawaii is set to get 34 new ambulances, thanks to federal funds from the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Health department shuts down Big Island restaurant due to rats
State health officials have issued the Waikoloa Restaurant & Bar a red placard, shutting it down, due to a rodent infestation.
AHSAA fines high school football team for violating transfer rule
Jacksonville High School faces probation and must forfeit win after self reporting an ineligible player violation.
Alabama State football vs Lane College predictions, what to watch
Here's our breakdown of Alabama State football's matchup against Lane College in the Labor Day Classic, including a scouting report and a score prediction.
Nick Saban stars in new TV ad advocating for Cruz, Cantwell NCAA bill
Former college football coach Nick Saban is staring in a new advertisement advocating for the Protect College Sports Act, the bipartisan bill that would regulate college sports backed by Sens. Ted …
PlayStation And Xbox Hit Back At Gamer Lawsuits Demanding Tariff Refunds: 'There Is Nothing Unjust About Plaintiff Purchasing An Xbox At An Advertised Price And Getting Exactly What He Paid For'
The companies say there's no proof anyone was harmed
Good Good Golf leadership collapses following viral Callaway ad backlash
Good Good Golf CEO Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery have stepped down from the media company following intense public condemnation over a promotional advertisement for a new Callaway driver, according to multiple reports. The commercial depicted a man pushing a woman to the ground and warning her not to touch the golf club. Good Good co-founder Nahid Giga has been named interim CEO, according to details from an internal memo first reported by Business Insider.
The reality entertainment audience is changing. What does that mean for festive advertisers?
As reality entertainment audiences become younger, more affluent and multi-screen, advertisers are using integrations, participation and cultural relevance to drive festive impact.
Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo
Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.
NC father at center of US Senate ad says he was ‘swindled’ by GOP political operatives
Ronald Hayes was cautious when he talked to a reporter this week about the political TV advertisement he appears in, talking about the death of his son Shemar, a college football player who was murdered in Charlotte in March 2024 at age 23.
FTC sues Amazon, alleging it overcharged advertisers
The Federal Trade Commission and 22 states on Monday accused retail giant Amazon of deceiving businesses by overcharging prices to advertise on its massive retail platform, pocketing billions for the company.
FTC sues Amazon for allegedly overcharging advertisers on its platform
The Federal Trade Commission on Monday accused retail giant Amazon of deceiving businesses by overcharging prices to advertise on its massive retail platform, pocketing billions for the company.
Data centers \'exploded\' in Pa. politics this year. How will it impact Lancaster County\'s 36th Senate District race?
Voters across the country are being inundated with campaign advertisements about data centers and artificial intelligence ahead of the November midterm election, including in Lancaster County’s highly competitive 36th Senate
Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices
Hey all, Jason here. When this hits your inbox, I should be en route to the airport — not to go anywhere myself, just to pick up my better half. I must admit, it’s been strange to be home alone (well, with two dogs) for two weeks! Really lets me “optimize” to spending more time on reading/writing/working, whether that’s healthy or not! Looking forward to getting back into a (somewhat) more balance routine. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading Compare Notes With the People Who Built Modern Fintech Partner content: Remitly CEO Sebastian Gunningham. Increase founder Darragh Buckley. Linda Du, Co-founder & President at Valon. They’ll unpack the decisions behind building and scaling major financial products: what they got right, what broke, what they would do differently, and how AI and new infrastructure are changing the operator playbook. Most events tell you where fintech is going. NerdCon puts the people who built the present in the room and asks them what comes next. Expect an operator-led conversation grounded in real products, real trade-offs and lessons earned the hard way. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% on Regular tickets with code FBW20 before standard pricing ends September 11. Meet the Builders Things To Know & Other Good Reads Advent and Stripe Abandon $50 Billion Pursuit of PayPal (Bloomberg) Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh (Wall Street Journal) The multiplying risks of financing data centres (FT) Let the Bond Market Speak (Wall Street Journal) Did we waste a crisis? Modest proposals to reform deposit insurance. (Fintech Takes Banking) Untangling Guggenheim: How Private Credit Built Its Own Universe (Net Interest) The Hater’s Guide To Circular Financing — Part One (Ed Zitron) Fiat Ventures Rebrands to FGV Capital, Announces $35M Oversubscribed Fund II (BusinessWire) Socure Announces Strategic Growth Investment at $5.2B Valuation and Acquires Agentic Operations Platform Fravity (Socure) Listen: When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well (Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast) Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices When Andreessen Horowitz led EarnIn’s $39 million Series B in 2017, Alex Rampell, a partner at the storied venture capital firm, described EarnIn’s small-dollar advance product as “free,” relying on “entirely on voluntary contributions instead of fees.” Rampell favorably compared EarnIn’s approach to typical payday loans, writing, “Payday loans historically have had the potential to be a slippery slope for consumers into financial distress: opaque systems and steep fees that are hard to repay and set individuals back further than where they started. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, that kind of slide into debt can be extremely difficult to recover from.” But EarnIn’s product — which, the company says, isn’t a “loan,” legally speaking — ends up being anything but free for most users. While it is technically possible to take a no-fee advance from the company, most users incur “Lightning Speed” (instant funding) fees and/or ostensibly optional tips that combined can equate to annualized percent rates that can reach over 1,000%. With an average term of 9.77 days, even fees and tips that are small on an absolute dollar basis are equivalent to high APRs on an annualized basis. A lawsuit filed last week by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against EarnIn describes the company and its product and business practices quite differently than Andreessen’s Rampell; “EarnIn’s business practices are unfair because they are immoral, unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous,” the complaint, filed in District Court in Denver, Colorado, says. EarnIn’s marquee product, Cash Out, isn’t a loan, the company says, as Cash Out is not “[f]orward [l]ooking” because “[t]he money is transferred based on earnings to date,” does not carry a mandatory fee to access funds, and is “non-recourse,” meaning EarnIn cannot pursue recovery from users who don’t repay advanced funds. EarnIn is sometimes referred to as an “Earned Wage Advance” service. Though, unlike some others in the broader category, EarnIn does not integrate with employers’ payroll or time and attendance systems. Rather, EarnIn attempts to verify a user’s income and employment, by examining direct deposit transaction data in their linked external bank account, by using GPS location and Bluetooth data to estimate a user’s time spent at work, if they work in a fixed location, and/or by having a user provided a work email address. While repayment is theoretically optional, as EarnIn would have no recourse, such as reporting non-payment to the credit bureaus or a collections agency, this is anything but clear to users of the EarnIn app, Colorado’s complaint argues. During the process of taking a Cash Out, users must agree to a preauthorized debit of the amount advanced, plus any expedited funding fee and/or tips. Though users technically can revoke this ACH authorization, the fact that they have this right isn’t presented to users during the Cash Out process, but rather is included in linked terms and conditions few users are likely to actually read. And users who do wish to revoke their ACH authorization must do so three or more days before the scheduled transaction date by emailing EarnIn’s customer support. Similarly, EarnIn’s marketing claims that it carries “no interest” and “no mandatory fees” is technically true, but is not the reality for many of the app’s users, the Colorado complaint argues. Further, EarnIn has extensively marketed to users the ability to “access your pay today,” to get “instant” funds, and to get funds “the same day you work” — when, in reality, this speed of access was only possible by paying the additional, undisclosed Lightning Speed fee. The Colorado complaint highlights this contradiction specifically, noting: EarnIn tells consumers that they can ‘Make any day payday with EarnIn’ and that there no ‘hidden’ or ‘mandatory fees.’ For a consumer to access their pay on the same day requested, they would have to pay the Lightning Speed fee. In the fine print of the advertisement EarnIn discloses that ‘[f]ees apply to use Lightning Speed,’ a direct contradiction to the larger text of the advertisement, and a fact that would not be immediately understood by a consumer as ‘Lightning Speed’ is not defined nor explained. Like other small-dollar lending services, rather than explicitly charge interest, EarnIn collects a markup on the optional Lighting Speed fee, which, given the nature of the transactions, many users opt for, as well as offering users the option to leave “tips.” EarnIn leverages either Real-Time Payments (RTP) rails or push-to-card via debit rails if a user opts for the optional Lightning Speed. But while these capabilities cost EarnIn, on average, $0.075 or $0.20 per transaction, respectively, EarnIn charges users significantly more. Initially, EarnIn charged as little as $1.99 for Cash Outs up to $24. But EarnIn has hiked these fees multiple times, and now charges $4.99 for Cash Outs up to $75 and $6.99 for those over $75. According to the Colorado complaint, EarnIn leverages “dark patterns” to manipulate users and to make it more difficult to avoid tipping. Examples of these “road blocks” highlighted in the complaint include: As of 2023, in the EarnIn app, a consumer attempting to get a loan under the default settings had to make at least eighteen separate taps to complete the transaction and reduce the tip to $0. There is an alternative method to leave a $0 tip, via the “Custom tip” feature, but EarnIn made this option difficult to access by visually deemphasizing it and positioning it near devices’ “home” button. Using language and imagery such as “Tip to pay it forward,” “Your generosity supports the service + helps,” “Your tips make a difference,” and “[t]he APR for this cash out is 0%. Your tips help support us.” While Lightning Speed and tipping are, in theory, both optional, in practice, users nearly always ended up paying something. According to the Colorado suit, users were charged either a tip or an expedite fee for more than 92% of transactions, with an average APR of nearly 388%. And, although the advances are “non-recourse,” EarnIn successfully collects on nearly all transactions — 99.18%, according to the complaint, which, Colorado argues, “demonstrat[es] that EarnIn’s advances function as high cost loans, not voluntary payments.” The share of EarnIn users incurring fees — despite the product being marketed as 0% APR — is hard to reconcile with Andreessen investor Rampell’s favorable description of EarnIn vs. “opaque systems and steep fees” associated with payday loans, which, Rampell says, can be “extremely difficult” for borrowers to extricate themselves from. According to Colorado’s suit, EarnIn’s Cash Out product “trapped many consumers in extreme cycles of high-cost reborrowing.” The suit gives an example of one consumer in the state, who took out a whopping 1,151 loans, paying a total of $4,038.50 in Lightning Speed expedited funding fees on loans that averaged the equivalent of 1,421% APR. Another Colorado user, the suit says, took out 1,033 loans, paying $8,561.22 in tips and fees at an average APR of 1,539% . These types of usage patterns demonstrate “the severe and repeated financial harm caused by EarnIn’s illegal lending model,” the Colorado complaint argues. In aggregate, from January 2023 through July 2025, EarnIn extended 3.1 million loans to 56,778 users in Colorado — an average of nearly 55 transactions per person during the time period. EarnIn lent more than $300 million and collected more than $16 million from Colorado users in Lightning Speed fees and in tips. Ultimately, the Colorado complaint argues that “EarnIn’s Cash Outs are loans under Colorado law, and EarnIn’s contention that its product is not a loan based on its disclaimer of any legal repayment obligation lacks any real-world significance given how the Cash Out transactions actually operate in practice.” Colorado further argues that “EarnIn was not working with companies here in providing consumers with funds but acted as a third-party lender and charged illegally high rates, used deceptive design strategies to extract some charges, and trapped consumers in repeat borrowing. Colorado will continue to stand up for consumers and hold companies accountable when they violate our credit laws or attempt to evade them through misleading practices.” Colorado’s suit alleges EarnIn assesses finance charge in excess of that permitted by Colorado law, that EarnIn failed to make legally required disclosures to Colorado borrowers, that EarnIn made supervised loans to consumers without obtaining the requisite license, that EarnIn violated the state’s Deferred Deposit Loan Act, that EarnIn engage in unfair and deceptive trade practices, and that EarnIn made false or misleading statements concerning price. The suit seeks a court order enjoining EarnIn from violating relevant Colorado laws, for EarnIn to refund amounts charged in excess of state law, fees, costs, and penalties, and other relief the court deems to be just. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Q2 Quarterly Banking Profile: Five Quick Takeaways The FDIC released its quarterly banking profile, which is always worth a read, for the second quarter. The profile provides an aggregate snapshot about the overall health of the 4,238 institutions whose deposits are insured by the FDIC, who, collectively, hold more than $26 trillion in assets and saw a total net income of more than $90 billion in the second quarter. Net income was up 12% vs. Q1 2026, with lower provisions and realized gains on securities helping to drive the improvement, somewhat offset by increases in non-interest expense and applicable income taxes. Overall net interest margin was basically flat quarter over quarter (up 1 basis point vs. Q1 2026), though community banks saw NIM grow by 10 basis points, to 3.81%. Unsurprisingly, given that interest rates haven’t changed, unrealized losses on securities changed little, edging up slightly to $326.7 billion vs. $325.1 billion in Q1 2026. Aggregate credit quality has remained benign, with asset quality actually improving slightly in Q2. Overall, institutions reported a 9 basis point decline in their past-due and non-accrual rate, to 1.44%. Net charge off rate also declined by 2 basis points, to 0.57%. And finally, the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund stands at $161.1 billion, making the DIF reserve ratio 1.48% — above the statutory minimum of 1.35%, but still below the designated target reserve ratio of 2%. [Paid Subscriber Exclusive] Nissan Withdraws ILC App, State Associations Plan BankChain Alliance, FDIC Defines “Unsafe or Unsound Practice” For First Time Automaker Nissan withdrew its application to charter a Utah industrial loan company and its corresponding application to the FDIC for deposit insurance last week, on August 19th. Nissan’s application had been outstanding for more than a year, as it originally applied in June 2025. Recent applications to the OCC to form national banks have been decisioned, one way or the other, substantially more quickly than has historically been the case.
Highlights from the entertainment career of Dolly Parton
The irrepressible country music singer, songwriter and actress whose charisma, heartfelt lyrics and business acumen captured the public's imagination for nearly six decades, died on Tuesday aged 80, her family said in a statement.
Letter: Apply science, aloha to solve cat problem
Hawaii must address the impact of free-roaming cats on native wildlife, but it must be done humanely and based on science. Simply restricting feeding is not a viable solution; it risks increasing predation on endangered species and ignores the root causes of the problem. Hungry cats do not disappear — they might hunt more, further threatening native wildlife (“Enact law to curb feral cat colonies,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Aug. 19). That is not a responsible outcome.
Entertainment Listing: Aug. 19
Wednesday August 19 Hangar 9 • Carbondale Jazz in the Park – Ramp Station Jazz Band, 6 p.m. Karaoke, 8 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Advertisement Trivia, 6 p.m. Thursday August 20 Booby’s • Carbondale Open Mic Karaoke, 8:30 p.m. Hangar 9 • Carbondale Stick Gilbert, 4 p.m. Loose...
Meta Ran Ads for an App That Promised to Nudify Female Politicians
One advertisement featured a pornographic video with a deepfake closely resembling a prominent US politician. Apple removed the app from the App Store after an inquiry from WIRED.
The surprising truth about some of the most nostalgic videos on Instagram
The Instagram account advertises itself as resurfacing lost dating service videotapes from the 1980s. Social media users have been genuinely touched.
Health Department detects another cyclosporiasis case in Hawaii
The Hawaii Department of Health today confirmed another case of cyclosporiasis in a U.S. military member based in the state.
Entertainment Listing: Aug. 12
Wednesday August 12 Students Move In! Little Nashville • Marion Wing Night, 4 – 8 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Advertisement Trivia, 8 – 11 p.m. Thursday August 13 SIU Campus Lake/Becker Pavilion Light up the Lake, 7 – 9 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Chris and Deanna, 6 – 9 p.m. Booby’s • Carbondale ...
How's the health of Auburn football's safeties? Latest injury updates
With as many as four of Auburn football's safeties impacted by injury in fall camp, how's the position group holding up? Here's the latest.
Spotify's New Ad-Skipping Feature Is Not Scaring Off Podcast Advertisers Yet
The platform is testing out a feature that allows paid users to skip ads on podcasts, but experts say this will likely not have any immediate impact.
California may fine content creators who don't disclose they were paid to post about politics
States are debating whether to crack down on social media influencers making political advertisements without disclosing that they were paid.
California may fine content creators who don't disclose they were paid to post about politics
States are debating whether to crack down on social media influencers making political advertisements without disclosing that they were paid.
4 Reasons Why People Ditch Their Alexa Devices
Why do people ditch their Alexa devices? We explore the top 4 reasons, including privacy concerns, intrusive advertisements, and performance quirks.
Weekly poll: do you use a feature phone? Why?
Most feature phones are advertised as distraction-free devices that will cure your digital addiction. Did you get one? And is that why you got one?
California may fine content creators who don't disclose they were paid to post about politics
California and other states are debating whether to crack down on social media influencers making political advertisements without disclosing that they were paid.
What are Zyn nicotine pouches and are they safe?
The Food and Drug Administration is allowing the company Zyn to advertise some of its nicotine pouches as safer in some ways than smoking cigarettes.
American Airlines ends free business upgrades on select Hawaii routes
American Airlines is ending free economy-to-business-class upgrades for its most loyal customers on select long-haul domestic routes where the carrier offers three classes of service.
Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying That '10,000 Lumen' Flashlight
There are loads of flashlights out there that advertise very high lumen counts, like 10,000. They do usually hit this mark, but there's a very big catch.
California may fine content creators who don't disclose they were paid to post about politics
States are debating whether to crack down on social media influencers making political advertisements without disclosing that they were paid
States respond to paid political posts by social media content creators
States are debating whether to crack down on social media influencers making political advertisements without disclosing that they were paid.
Man living inside 'The Last House' billboard in daring Netflix stunt
With Hollywood billboards everywhere you look, Angelenos know it takes a lot for an advertisement to leave an impression, and so Netflix got to work.
Hello Local Business, Your AI Ads Are Costing You Customers
'Even if this was a genre popularised by human artists, it would still look like shit'
Science|Business summer reads of 2026
As most people in the European research and innovation policy bubble are going on a well-deserved summer break, we have come up with a list of our favourite books, podcasts and essays from the past year that ask deeper questions about science, technology and politics.BooksPasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, by Donald StokesIf you haven’t read Pasteur’s Quadrant yet, now is the time. In the EU and elsewhere, we’re living through a period of dwindling faith that curiosity-driven research automatically leads to economic growth and technological progress. Pasteur’s Quadrant, published in 1997 by the Princeton academic Donald Stokes, is the most influential critique of the standard “linear model” of R&D: the idea that new discoveries made in ivory-tower labs get neatly passed on for commercialisation by start-ups. In reality, Stokes argues, practical applications often inspire more theorical lines of inquiry. Of course, we have long known that things are more complex than the linear model, but even today, it’s still often assumed in Brussels discourse. The book is a useful corrective, and is being used now to argue for new types of scientific institutions. David MatthewsThe Weaponization of Expertise: How Elites Fuel Populism, by Jacob Hale Russel and Dennis PattersonAre society’s problems solvable by technical expertise alone? “If only the benighted would listen,” say Jacob Hale Russel and Dennis Patterson, two professors at Rutgers Law School who got frustrated with how scientists and politicians handled public health communication during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the book, they argue that clichéd mantras about scientific evidence and expertise perpetrated by academics, journalists and politicians have harmed public trust in the very institutions they were trying to defend. Paradoxically, slogans such as “we believe in science,” “follow the science” and “defer to the experts” can fuel mistrust in science, experts and democratic institutions. The authors criticise “condescension” and “technocratic paternalism” in the public discourse and make the case for a more nuanced approach to scientific and expert policy advice that rests on humility, doubt, scepticism and open dialogue. “Most complex social questions in fact revolve around values, not the recitation of unambiguous facts,” they say. Florin ZubascuBreakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan WangIn this book, Dan Wang compares the structural differences between the US and Chinese industrial policies, but raises a very timely question for innovation policy wonks: how can advanced manufacturing know-how contribute to technology-intensive economic growth? Wang says technology has three components: the tools, the blueprints and patents, and the process knowledge. The third component represents the “proficiency gained from practical experience, which isn’t easily communicated and requires years of implementation.” According to Wang, rather than seeing tools and blueprints as the ultimate ends of technological progress, policymakers should see them as milestones in the training of better scientists and manufacturers. Over the past decades, China has amassed “process knowledge” because capital flowed to complex fabrication facilities, while investors in the West have parked their money in capital-light businesses such as digital platforms or chip companies that focus on design. As it turns out, thanks to its oversized focus on manufacturing, China has gained remarkable advantages in the global technology race. Florin ZubascuBaltic: The Future of Europe, by Oliver MoodyWhat can Europe learn from the nine countries surrounding the Baltic Sea? Alongside the familiar stories about Estonia's digital transformation, the book examines how the region has used technology, resilience, education, governance and long-term thinking to respond to geopolitical, economic and security challenges. Innovation policy wonks might find fresh perspectives on how innovation can strengthen defence, societal resilience and Europe's capacity to adapt in an uncertain world. Whether or not you agree with all of Oliver Moody's conclusions, the book is a useful guide to a region that is increasingly shaping European debates on security, competitiveness and technology. Goda NaujokaityteThe Invention of Nature, by Andrea Wulf This book chronicles the wild and adventurous life of natural science pioneer Alexander von Humboldt who at some point in the 19th century seems to have been just about the most famous person in the world. Through scientific expeditions to the Andes Mountains and to the depths of Siberia, von Humboldt contributed a host of discoveries and concepts. During his life he met and formed relationships with historical figures as different as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Simon Bolivar, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte and Charles Darwin. He is also claimed to be the person in the world with most things named after him, a list that includes an ocean current, a penguin and a region of the Moon. Still venerated in Germany, with numerous scientific institutions named after him, von Humboldt has slipped out of public consciousness in most of the rest of the world. For anyone not familiar with him, this book does a good job of describing his fascinating life. Ole EllekrogCareless People, by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsYou may have heard this referred to as the book Meta doesn’t want you to read. The 2025 memoir from Sarah Wynn-Williams, former director of global public policy at Meta, then just called Facebook, includes explosive claims about everything from a toxic workplace culture to how the company worked with advertisers to target vulnerable teens, and the lengths it was prepared to go to in order to break into China. It’s a fascinating insight into how and why the tech company gradually shifted its approach to policy, whether in the US, Europe or Asia. Meta has denied the allegations in the book, and last year won an emergency ruling to prevent Wynn-Williams from promoting it. In response, the author is now suing her former employer. If that doesn’t make you want to read it. Martin GreenacrePodcastsThe Europeans: Europe’s anti-ElonThis podcast is a great choice for a light-hearted dose of European policy and culture news. Most of it has little to do with research, innovation and technology, but this particular podcast features an interview with Mastadon’s founder Eugen Rochko. He talks about his experience running an open-source, federated, European-made social media platform, and leaving it all behind. The conversation, which starts 14 minutes in, gently encourages us to reflect on what kind of technology we, as Europeans, want to make. Goda NaujokaityteSolarpunk and how we escape dystopiaNew technologies are very often taken from science fiction. Alberto Santos-Dumont, inventor the airship, was inspired as a child by the adventure stories of Jules Verne. OpenAI’s attempt to build a personal assistant with the voice of Scarlett Johansson was lifted from the 2013 film Her, completely ignoring the movie’s cautionary message. So if we want better tech, we need to imagine it first. Unfortunately, the state of current sci-fi is relentlessly dystopian, giving inventors precious few ideas or hope. However, a new genre, Solarpunk, which envisages a technologically advanced but ecologically harmonious future, is now taking off. The actual tech the genre imagines, such as permaculture, renewable energy or community repair workshops, while nice, isn’t all that inspiring or ambitious. But it’s a first step towards rescuing sci-fi from its pessimistic Blade Runner rut. David MatthewsEveryday AbundanceLaunched in June, Everyday Abundance is a podcast that tells the stories of the inventions we now take so for granted that we barely given them a second thought. For example, the washing machine, which liberated women from a lifetime “bent over washtubs and washboards.” Or modern dentistry, which ended the reality that “tooth pain was simply part of human life.” Historians of technology, Virginia Postrel and Charles C Mann are very much on the optimistic end of the spectrum when it comes to the capacity of invention to improve human life. Here, they set out their case: if it wasn’t for progress, you might be hunched over a washtub with toothache rather than reading these words. David Matthews‘We will not know what we lost’: Conservation fallout a year after USAID shutdownSince his return to the White House, Donald Trump has been on a mission to undermine science. He slashed jobs at federal agencies, terminated grants in some research areas, took unprecedented control over university affairs and, within hours of his inauguration, suspended the US Agency for International Development. While its initial focus was to administer health and food aid around the world, it had since expanded to conservation projects. The result? Some of these projects were stopped abruptly. In this Mongabay podcast, environmental reporter Michelle Nijhuis tells the story of the EcoGuard conservation programme in Liberia, whose local patrols had helped protect rainforests, monitor endangered wildlife and track illegal threats. From one day to the next, these were left without salaries. Luckily, she notes, the initiative was able to get emergency funding from international NGOs, but its future remains “incredibly uncertain.” Juliette PortalaEssaysThe Mars Delusion, by Henry WismayerWhy is humankind so fixated on establishing a colony on Mars? asks London-based writer Henry Wismayer. From space evangelists promoting Martian settlement as an insurance policy, to billionaire Jeff Bezos, who said humans should settle on Mars “because it’s cool,” the mission is not running short of advocates. However, in this essay, Wismayer reminds us that some critics expect any future Mars pioneer to end up “irradiated, sick, mad and dead.” Scientists have already looked into the possible effects of prolonged exposure to Martian gravity, and it’s not pretty: muscle shrinking, bones weakening, changes to the central nervous system and other biological modifications to make us all reconsider the journey. “Some researchers have forecast that the future settler, after generations of evolutionary conditioning, will look less like an Übermensch and more like ET,” Wismayer writes. Juliette Portala
Viagra could do more than advertised as study reveals surprising health superpower
Sildenafil, Viagra's active ingredient, may restrict cancer metastasis by limiting cancer cells' cholesterol access, a new study has found.
Samsung insists the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is ‘perfect’ for ‘full-screen’ video
As Samsung’s pre-order perks for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 come to an end, the company continues to advertise its...
Why CT voters are seeing so much political advertising this year
Candidates for governor and Congress in Connecticut have advertised aggressively in recent weeks, leading up to the primary.
OpenAI to pay $3.2 million to settle DOJ allegations it favored foreign workers over Americans
OpenAI allegedly failed to advertise PERM jobs on its careers website and required paper applications to discourage U.S. workers from applying
We Just Got Our First Real Look At How Small X's Ad Business Is
Advertisers seem to be spending a whole lot less than they used to on the platform.
I couldn't advertise vibrators on the subway. So I sued.
I founded Dame, a vibrator and sexual wellness company, to improve women's health. But I had to fight to be treated the same as ED pill makers.
Hims & Hers sued over sending users health info to social media platforms
Digital telehealth platform Hims & Hers is facing a civil lawsuit over accusations of sending users’ health information to online advertisers after promising privacy.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT reaches the coupon stage of building an ad business
The company is preparing to offer promotional ad credits to advertisers to encourage more marketers to test its ChatGPT ads offering.
US FTC suing Hims & Hers for sending user health info to Meta, Snap
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is suing Hims & Hers alleging the telehealth platform shared users' health data with online advertisers despite promising privacy and engaged in deceptive billing and cancellation practices, an FTC spokesperson said.
Schiff proposes federal bill requiring influencers to disclose paid political ads
“California’s primary this year made a clear case that our current guardrails around campaign advertisements are not keeping up with the changing landscape of political speech.”
Entertainment Listing: July 29
Wednesday July 29 Little Nashville • Marion Music Bingo, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Advertisement Thursday July 30 PK’s • Carbondale The Whiskey Chicks, 9 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Josh and Dan/Atlas May, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday July 31 Little Nashville...
What your internet provider, websites and advertisers see
Your internet provider, websites and advertisers can track your browsing activity even without you posting online. Here's how to limit what they see.
Felony Theft Charges Filed Against Landscaping Business Owner, Investigators Seek Additional Information - Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office
GOLDEN, Colo. (July 27, 2026) --The First Judicial District Attorney's Office has filed two felony theft charges against Ulises Tajonar Diaz, 32, alleging he received more than $32,000 in deposits from two Jefferson County homeowners for landscaping projects that were never started. Diaz advertised and operated landscaping businesses across the metro area under the names My Son’s Landscape and My Son’s Landscape Group LLC.
PlayStation makes a mockery of Xbox's multi-plat push by dropping God of War one day before Fable — Microsoft is helping advertise the fact PS5 has more content.
Microsoft's lack of faith in its own platforms gets a shiny new spotlight in February 2027, as Sony confirms a tentpole exclusive will go head to head with Xbox's own contribution to PS5.
Political turmoil, lower pay yield small candidate pool for HTA’s top job
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has attracted about 60 applicants in its search for a new president and CEO, a significantly smaller candidate pool than past searches as the agency tries to recruit a leader after years of political turmoil and uncertainty about its future.
Timeline: Key dates from Hawaii’s political bribery case
In a 30-page indictment handed down Friday by an Oahu grand jury, the state Department of the Attorney General alleged a wide-ranging conspiracy involving Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and four others: Tobi Solidum, Ryan Yamane, Ford Fuchigami and Leo Asuncion Jr.
Oahu grand jury hears evidence in state’s political corruption probe
Hawaii Department of the Attorney General investigators and prosecutors are presenting evidence to an Oahu grand jury today in their criminal public corruption investigation that has ensnared Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and some of her supporters.
Hawaii health officials warn of keiki fruit pouch recall
The Hawaii Department of Health is alerting residents to a recall for select Pumpkin Tree Peter Rabbit Organics Banana & Strawberry pouches for kids sold at Target.
Alaska Air says business strengthened despite fuel price surge
CHICAGO >> Alaska Air Group returned to profitability in June with a double-digit pretax margin despite fuel prices running nearly 70% higher than a year earlier, CEO Ben Minicucci said on the carrier’s quarterly earnings call today.
Entertainment Listing: July 22
Wednesday July 22 PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Thursday July 23 PK’s • Carbondale Advertisement Eastwood & the Prairie Wolves, 9 p.m. Sunset Concert • Shryock Steps Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, 7 p.m. Friday July 24 Booby’s • Carbondale Supsuesenesa & Lobotomytes, 10 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale ...
Peacock is getting a lift from World Cup, Spanish-language content
Peacock attracted new subscribers with the Spanish-language telecast of the World Cup, and executives say advertisers are taking notice.
Novo Nordisk sues GLP-1 rival Eli Lilly over claims of false advertising
Novo Nordisk filed a lawsuit claiming Eli Lilly ran “false and materially misleading” advertisements that ignore recent data. According to Lilly, though, its message is "truthful" and "grounded in the most direct scientific evidence available."
Is that food really made with 100% avocado oil? Likely not
A new study finds that consumers who are paying a premium for foods advertised as made with avocado oil are probably not getting what they think they're buying.
Where does Auburn football's health stand entering preseason camp?
Where does Auburn football's health stand? Alex Golesh provided the latest injury updates. Here's what to know.
Nintendo files motion to dismiss consumer lawsuit over tariff refunds
"If a consumer did not want to pay the advertised price, they were free to abstain from purchasing the product or seek out competing products"
How presidential travel is the ultimate expression of political power
President Donald Trump's luxury plane donated by Qatar is just the latest in a line of aircraft and vehicles that advertise the power of the office.
Volcanic Ash: Politics set on the extremes bring only extreme tensions
One of the most personally disturbing stories I’ve read lately was about a California state senator with a long record of supporting transgender people being run out of San Francisco’s annual Trans March by a small group of agitators who falsely accused him of endorsing genocide in Gaza.
Apple Sued Over Reported 'Hide My Email' Flaw
Apple this week was sued over a reported "Hide My Email" flaw that could expose a user's real email address. The proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Apple violated California's false advertising law and other consumer protection statutes by knowingly offering a feature that does not work as advertised.
Entertainment Listing: July 15
Wednesday July 15 Little Nashville • Marion Trivia, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Thursday July 16 Advertisement PK’s • Carbondale Tawl Paul & Slappin Henry Blue, 3 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion John and Mila, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sunset Concert, Turley Park Goldpine, 7...
Entertainment Listing: July 8
Wednesday July 8 Little Nashville • Marion Wing Night Encore, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Advertisement Thursday July 9 PK’s • Carbondale Tim Crosby/ Rachel & Griffin, 9 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Chris Chamness, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sunset Concert, New Era Events...
Images of JES Health Services opening their Welding Training course
JES Health Services holds a ribbon cutting for their new welding training facility in Montgomery.
Cost-Free Entertainment Platforms Propel Growth in the Ad-Supported Streaming TV Sector
The FAST market is driven by increasing consumer adoption of cost-free streaming, expanding ad-supported content, and enhanced personal advertising technologies. This growth is further accelerated by smart TV integration, diverse content offerings, and rising digital video libraries, notably in Asia-Pacific. Free Advertisement (Ad)-Supported Streaming Television (TV) (FAST) Market Free Advertisement (Ad)-Supported Streaming Television (TV) (FAST) Market Dublin, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Entertainment Listing: July 1
Wednesday July 1 Lost Forest Coffehouse & Pub • Carbondale Bingo night, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Carbondale Public Library • Carbondale Family concert with Babaloo, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Advertisement Thursday July 2 Booby’s • Carbondale Open mic karaoke, 8:30 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Lucas Wayne & The Cottonmouths, 6 p.m....
Ben Wood, longtime three-dot columnist known as ‘Mr. Show Business,’ dies at 94
Ben Wood, a multifaceted copy editor, food and entertainment writer, and three-dot columnist for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Star-Advertiser for almost 50 years, died June 19 after several years of declining health. He was 94.
Phoebe Gates' startup advertises Series A on bodega in NYC
There's a Coachella-like ad in NYC for the Series A round raised by Phoebe Gates' startup, Phia. It's a wall of celeb-investor names.
Entertainment Listing: June 24
Wednesday June 24 Little Nashville • Marion Bingo, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Advertisement Thursday June 25 PK’s • Carbondale Ethan Stephenson Band, 9 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Chris Chamness, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sunset Concert, New Era Events Plaza The Way Down...
Disney Opens ESPN Fan House to Help Advertisers Reach Sports Fans
Disney Plans to Open ESPN Fan House to Help Advertisers Reach Sports Fans in New Ways
Early Hamilton County business focused on agriculture, survival
When the Frigidaire plant closed its operation in Webster City in 2011, it was feared this was the demise of the county seat of Hamilton County. But the early years of prosperity were not built on an operation like Frigidaire. The earliest advertisers in the Daily Freeman Journal in 1857 were land agents, mercantile stores […]
Juneteenth Cultural Festival celebrates community but also highlights Black-owned businesses
The event, at the LIRR station, is advertised as "Long Island's biggest Juneteenth cultural celebration," drew hundreds of attendees and about 60 businesses.
Edenville General Store looks to expand entertainment offerings
Edenville General Store is looking to increase live music and other entertainment offerings with the addition of a new mobile outdoor stage. The approximately 2...
Little Rock business owner warns others after alleged vendor event scam
A small business owner says she lost $305 after applying to what she now believes was a fake food truck festival advertised in an Arkansas Facebook group.
Letter: Love of country should trump personal politics
I was disheartened to see that Donald Trump was booed by fans at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York City on June 8. The next day, I had an amazing discussion with a neighbor about whether Trump would be met with a standing ovation or booed by an audience here in Hawaii. I argued that we have more aloha for America than disdain to boo a president.
Entertainment Listing: June 17
Wednesday June 17 Little Nashville • Marion Trivia, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. PK’s • Carbondale Trivia, 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Advertisement Thursday June 18 PK’s • Carbondale South of 70, 9 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Jobie Grant, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Booby’s • Carbondale DJ Night, 9 p.m. Sunset Concert,...
Electronic Arts launches EA Advertising, a new way for brands to advertise 'directly into gameplay'
Electronic Arts announced EA Advertising, a new way for brands to connect with fans through its portfolio of games, from stadium signs to custom content.
HPD: 2 injured in shooting at business on Hopaka Street
Honolulu police are investigating an apparent shooting in the Ala Moana area after two people were sent to the hospital earlier this morning with gunshot wounds.
How 2026 campaigns are deploying creators to spread their message
With a growing number of adults using social media for political engagement, campaigns work with influencers on the platforms to advertise to new audiences. But are influencers profiting at the expense of voter transparency?
What Genres and Streamers Won 2025? And Who Lost? Plus Six Strategy Thoughts
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Okay, time for the tenth and final article in my ten-part series recapping 2025. As I wrote two articles ago, my barometer for whether these articles are worth writing/publishing is whether they yield strategic insights, and once again, every subsection in this article has a strategic takeaway (or two). Honestly, these are the most important takeaways, since I step back and look holistically at the streaming wars in 2025. After I declare which streamers won and lost the year and which genres won and lost the year, I have six bonus thoughts. If you’d like to review the whole series... You can find the film flops here and here. You can find the TV shows flops here and here. You can find the top films here. You can find the top TV shows here, here and here. Then I declared my winners and losers in various categories here. You can find my 2024 recaps here. You can find the 2023 recaps here and here. And my 2022, 2021 and 2020 are all stored here. Yeah, it’s halfway through the year, and I’m just finishing this series up now. This year, I tried to space things out to not clog up my writing calendar, plus I had to wait for Fallout to (finally) drop off the charts. Well, that ended up pushing this series wayyyyy too far back on the calendar. Oh well. Next year, the goal will be to finish this series in March, but frankly, I just need more staff to make that happen. So please subscribe. Or, if you’re an advertiser (movie studio, FYC firm, or other), please reach out. Subscribe Streamer of the Year: Netflix Honorable Mention: Paramount (and CBS) So, just last week, I wrote about how Netflix has lost seven of its top twelve scripted shows in the last year. And I shared two very dour looks at Netflix’s potential slowdown this year and last. Guess what? They’re still the number one streamer in America. In 2025, they dominated new streaming shows (even if most of those new hit shows aren’t coming back for future seasons), they had the two biggest films, and they had the top returning TV show by a mile. The world is complicated, nuanced and messy. There may be warning signs of a future Netflix slowdown, but in 2025, Netflix was still the number one streamer. Note what I didn’t say? That Netflix has “won” the streaming wars, because obviously the streaming wars are still ongoing and, more importantly, YouTube is still growing—so now YouTube has “won” the streaming wars?—while Netflix’s share of TV consumption has stalled out. Avoid simplistic talking points, especially if they’re constantly repeated and could fit on a bumper sticker. I had trouble picking the second-place streamer this year, because all of the candidates for second place—Prime Video, HBO Max, and Paramount+—had some hits, but no one stood out. Then I saw this update from Nielsen on the top shows on TV in the 2025-206 season. Sure enough, Netflix had five of the top ten shows! And they had ten of the top 31 shows and fifteen of the top fifty. But CBS/Paramount+ actually had more shows in the top thirty and the top fifty. Paramount+/CBS had twelve of the top thirty shows and nineteen of the top fifty. Let me emphasize that: CBS/Paramount+ had more top shows in the 2025-2026 season than Netflix. And this look was just for TV shows, not live sports, an arena Netflix barely plays in. Meanwhile, Paramount-Skydance’s market cap is a fraction of Netflix’s. That’s weird, right? Streaming Loser of the Year, TV… We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… ...what streamer lost the year in TV... …whether Netflix could win the title for “film” streamer too… …who won the Disney vs Warner Bros. battle for theaters… ...what TV genres won and lost the year... ...what film genres won and lost the year... ...what film genre people think is thriving on streaming but isn’t… …why F-BOSSS TV shows don’t hold the same sway in the 2020s… …what it means to “flop” as a film on streaming… …UK shows underperforming on streaming… And a lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you’d like to read more about why you should subscribe, please read this article about the Streaming Ratings Report, why it matters, why you need it, and why we cover streaming ratings best.
LinkedIn launches new effort in push to capture business advertisers
LinkedIn is aiming to burnish its position as a go-to platform for business advertisers with a new team of marketing experts that it expects to generate an annualized run rate of $100 million next fiscal year, a source familiar with the matter said.
Entertainment Listing: June 10
Wednesday June 10 Little Nashville • Marion Wing Night Encore, 6 p.m. Thursday June 11 PK’s • Carbondale Advertisement King Juba, 9 p.m. Little Nashville • Marion Justin Grant, 6 p.m. Brews Brothers • Murphysboro Trivia, 8 p.m. Carbondale Public Library Pride Button Making, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sunset Concert, Schryock Lawn Shane...
Political group launches anti-Trump ad campaign in Nebraska
“Home of the Brave” launched the ad campaign Monday, featuring video and billboard advertisements on how President Donald Trump’s policies hurt affordability.
Health officials take notice as bake stands pop up throughout Hilo
Colorful roadside food stands have been popping up around Hilo in recent months.
A political split in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge
Visit Hood River, as so many people do, and you’ll see on the front windows of many downtown businesses a sign saying: “We are immigrants,” and sometimes next to them signs saying, “No trespassing — no federal agents — agents lacking judicial warrants will be turned away.” Many took care to advertise an April 23 […]
Biscuits players share thoughts about Montgomery in new MLB docuseries
"Grass Routes," and MLB docuseries, spotlighted the city, the team and how team interacts with the unique city culture.
Kona-low storm fallout continues to hit North Shore business
Visitor traffic to Waimea Valley has fallen sharply this spring, forcing staff to stretch resources and scale back hiring as fewer travelers make the trip past ongoing traffic restrictions triggered by March’s Kona-low storms.
Senator calls out ESPN over Victor Wembanyama gambling post
Gambling has has taken over the sports world to an extent that it’s hard to imagine what life was like before the proliferation of advertisements and props. But an ESPN post about Victor Wembanyama drew the ire of United States senator Chris Murphy. The Democratic senator from Connecticut has been outspoken about a number of…
French Open: Zeynep Sönmez forced to retire from match after tripping over court-side advertisement
Zeynep Sönmez needed two stitches following the incident.
Gamification and memes lure young people to sports wagering apps, prediction markets
The companies often use memes to advertise their platforms, then keep users hooked with what they market as low-stakes, casual opportunities to make an easy buck.