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Holland & Knight Health Dose: September 29, 2026 | Insights
Senate returns for its final legislative session before recess, with FDA and HHS nominations pending and debate continuing over proposed HHS funding rescissions.
Newsom vetoes insurance-claim bills: Is it ‘petty’ politics?
California governor rejects legislation sponsored by LA fire victims, who had spoken out against his wildfire-liability effort.
Senate passes bipartisan Protect College Sports Act amid ‘chaos’ in industry
The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports amid athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers
Lesbian Bar Project Co-Founder: Purity Politics Could Destroy Our Remaining Spaces
Subscribe As a professional lesbian and Massachusetts native, I’ve recently been asked by a lot of folks what I think about the saga unfolding at Last Ditch. The now-viral story, first reported by The Boston Globe, centers on a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar that lifted its mask requirement for one night a week to help drum up business. The decision ignited an intra-queer controversy that has been feasted on by media outlets across the political spectrum—from the New York Post to LGBTQ Nation—and is even reportedly being eyed for a Hollywood adaptation. Apparently nothing is more entertaining than a bunch of lesbians and queers fighting with each other over KN-95s. What has been lost in all of the chatter and media coverage is the very real possibility that Last Ditch, which just opened in April 2025, will have to close its doors. The venue’s one remaining founder, Jackie Matellian, revealed in a community Zoom meeting that she’s working four jobs, is now solely responsible for the bar’s $50,000 business loan and is struggling to keep up with the bills. So as we laugh about the controversy’s similarity to a “Portlandia” skit and how one of the bar’s founders left to enroll in clown school, we forget that yet another lesbian bar is facing an existential crisis—and this time the call is coming from inside the house. In 2020, my friend Elina Street and I created The Lesbian Bar Project, an Emmy-, Webby- and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries and initiative that tells the stories of lesbian queer bars around the world. We were moved to act because at the time there were only an estimated 16 lesbian bars in the United States, and the pandemic threatened to bring that number down even further. There are now more sapphic bars than there were just before the pandemic—about 36 of them in total—but this is down from approximately 200 in 1980. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but for the millions of sapphics living in the U.S., this number is calamitous. As the world laughs at lesbians and sapphics, I want to take a second and tell you what I feel when I walk into one of these bars, which are all unique and irreplaceable in their own way: I feel seen. Sometimes I think Cubbyhole in New York City’s West Village neighborhood knew I was gay before I did. When I walked in there for the first time, before I was even out, I was transfixed by the colorful array of tchotchkes hanging from the ceiling and how the women standing next to me were completely unafraid to express their desire for one another. I knew the minute I was ready to come out, I had a home. I also felt the joy of a new couple falling in love at Seattle’s Wildrose, the quiet confidence of a short king lining up her shot at the pool table at Ginger’s in Brooklyn and the kick of cayenne pepper in Julie Mabry’s crawfish at Houston’s Pearl Bar. Subscribe Lesbian bars don’t just serve lesbians; they serve queer folks across the spectrum, including bisexual, pansexual and trans people. As Elina and I traveled across the U.S. and Europe and to parts of Latin America to document the bar owners, staff and patrons that make up the ecosystems of these spaces, we also became uniquely acquainted with the factors that threaten their existence: gentrification, wage gaps, sexism, environmental disasters, gun violence, rising insurance premiums and political administrations working to annihilate queer people and their families. Lesbian bar owners, like all leaders and entrepreneurs, are imperfect. There have been significant issues over the years at lesbian bars: employee harassment, racism, lack of accessibility, sexual assault and transphobia. All bar owners should be held accountable and should listen to their communities to evolve into safer and more equitable spaces. I also acknowledge my privilege: I am able-bodied, white, cis and from a family system that loves me for who I am. Not everyone has that. Queer people, especially trans and bisexual people, are suffering from disproportionately high levels of depression, and our mental health system isn’t equipped to support them. Immunocompromised people and long COVID are real, and many of my friends are suffering to this day. The people with the least safety net are often the ones for whom a bar closing costs the most. And yet, as we’re seeing with Last Ditch, the queer community often lashes out at each other. It’s also the mainstream media taking the internal conflict and making a mockery out of it, distracting from the real possibility that this bar could close due to financial pressures. A bar that many people loved and needed is facing extinction. Perhaps it’s safer to dissent with one another than with the larger forces trying to eradicate us, but in doing so, we risk destroying the few spaces we have left. Due to the constraints of purity politics—some in good faith, some not so much—lesbian bar owners, almost all of whom are queer women themselves, are forced to be everything for everyone, similarly to how women are forced to be everything for everyone. By asking these bars to uphold impossible standards—standards very few other third spaces are asked to consider—we all end up losing. I want to move as a community toward dialogue, compassionate dissent and collaboration to make our spaces better with the goal of keeping them OPEN and thriving, rather than destroying them from the inside with expectations that are arguably unattainable. Subscribe While I have your attention—for this fleeting second of the news cycle—may I urge us to spearhead a way to keep these small businesses afloat without attacking our own community along the way? Bar owners are left with an impasse: They want to be community-centered, but they also have to make money to keep their doors open. Sometimes they might make business decisions that don’t work for everyone—and that’s partly because different patrons have different priorities and want different things—but these owners deserve the opportunity for productive dialogue**.** We have to work with them and with each other to keep our spaces open, to keep them growing. Lesbian bars raised me into the queer woman I am today. One thing I think about as I reflect on the six years of work we’ve done to document these spaces is that shared, unspoken language I have with a stranger the moment we both walk into one of these bars: the nod, the ease, the not having to explain ourselves. I don’t want to lose that, and neither should you. If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button: Donate
Penn and Community College of Philadelphia launch an academy for West Philadelphia businesses
The program, aimed at businesses with a connection to West Philadelphia, is tuition-free and helps business owners make plans to grow.
34 video game Lego sets are retiring at the end of the year, including Animal Crossing, Horizon and Sonic sets
Here’s the full list of video game themed Lego sets retiring at the end of 2026…
Subpoena records offer clues about federal probe of L.A. County voters
Federal investigators have sent L.A. County election officials multiple grand jury subpoenas as part of a criminal investigation into illegal voting, according to records reviewed by The Times.
The NCAA used to be the villain. Now Congress wants it back in charge
Originally, politicians wanted college athletes to make money. As it turns out, just not that much money.
Miami (Ohio) has big MAC money, bigger ambitions. Can it climb the college sports ladder?
The RedHawks have been in the Mid-American Conference since 1947. Amid college sports changes, they goals of making a leap. Here's how.
Pochettino regrets lack of 'sporting justice' for his ex-Tottenham team amid Man City charges saga
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed sadness at an apparent failure of “sporting justice” in his response to reports that Manchester City has been found guilty of almost all of the 115 charges leveled against the club for alleged financial breaches. The alleged rule-breaking by City took place between 2009-18, during which period Pochettino was manager of Tottenham and turned the London team into a challenger for titles in English soccer despite operating on a relatively small budget. The Premier League has yet to officially confirm the verdict that, according to several media outlets, has been passed down by an independent commission following a long-running case.
Nebraska moves up in USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank
USA TODAY Sports released its college football NCAA re-ranking, 1-138, for week four. Once again, Nebraska moved up in the rankings.
After Failed Execution, Health Workers Say State’s Rules Flout Medical Ethics
The death penalty is legal in 27 states, and lethal injection is the primary method. That means involving medical professionals to store, test, and inject the drugs. After a botched execution in Tennessee, doctors and nurses there say medical professionals need to be removed from the process completely.
The Senate passes the Protect College Sports Act
The U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act Monday night, marking the most significant milestone to date in the attempt to legislate reform in college athletics.
Not the GPUs. This Overlooked Piece of Nvidia's Business Could Matter Most for the Stock's Next Leg Up.
Nvidia sees this area as a $200 billion opportunity.
Canada Goose Teams Up with Elixir Films and Lief Entertainment on Documentary Series Starring Ewan McGregor
The performance brand brings its legacy in exploration to the open ocean, setting sail with Ewan McGregor and his crew on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean
Meet the Minnesota legend in everything from ‘Chinatown’ to ‘Seinfeld’
MINNESOTA — James Hong isn’t ready to retire. The 97-year-old Minnesota native may not look as spry as he did in memorable moments from “Chinatown” and “Blade Runner,” but he
Not the GPUs. This Overlooked Piece of Nvidia's Business Could Matter Most for the Stock's Next Leg Up.
Nvidia sees this area as a $200 billion opportunity.
Trump government ads draw scrutiny weeks before midterm elections
Taxpayer-funded ads featuring Trump, including spots celebrating a "golden age of America" and one with a chorus singing "love me" on repeat, are drawing bipartisan criticism and legal questions.
Protect College Sports Act gains Senate approval in bipartisan vote
The Protect College Sports Act took its next step forward on Monday, with the Senate voting overwhelmingly 77-22 in favor of the proposed federal legislation reforming college athletics.
Senate passes college sports bill to rein in athlete payments and transfers
A 2025 lawsuit settlement uprooted the college sports landscape by allowing colleges to pay their players.
China’s Wang Yi delivers high-level warning to Japanese business delegation
The top diplomat urged Tokyo to learn from historical lessons, in highest-ranking official reception since bilateral relations soured in November.
Andi Jackson and Harper Murray lead Husker volleyball on and off the court
Nebraska volleyball has a special duo in their roster. Seniors Andi Jackson and Harper Murray have grown together through college and are showing their best volleyball.
Caribbean Diet: Traditional Foods, Nutrition, and Cardiometabolic Health
Traditional and neo-traditional Caribbean food patterns emphasize locally produced plant foods, roots, legumes, fruits, and seafood, with observational evidence linking these patterns to more favorable cardiometabolic profiles. Nutrition transition, import dependence, changing food practices, and structural pressures are reshaping these diets, highlighting the potential value of culturally relevant and locally resilient food systems.
Cam Lewis leaves MNF game with leg injury
Chicago Bears cornerback Cam Lewis left the Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to an apparent left leg injury, and he was unable to return
U.S. Senate passes Ted Cruz’s college sports bill that seeks to rein in NCAA “chaos”
The bill, which would regulate NIL deals and athlete revenue among other sweeping changes, now needs to clear the House. The lower chamber is out until after the midterms.
Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers
The overwhelming 77-22 vote to pass the legislation is the strongest effort yet by Congress to set national regulations governing payments to college athletes for their name, image and likeness and how often they can transfer.
Boardman bride, among others, allegedly scammed by bartending business
A Boardman woman says a mobile bartending business took nearly $500 from her on her wedding day. Now she wants her money back.
Senate passes Protect College Sports Act with decisive vote
The Protect College Sports Act, which would set national rules for NIL deals, the transfer portal and more, was passed by the Senate on Monday night.
Senate passes the Protect College Sports Act
Report says there's a "0.0 percent chance" the House passes it before election day in November.
Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers
The Senate has passed a sweeping bipartisan bill that would regulate college sports.
Senate passes college sports bill that would rein in athlete payments and transfers
The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports, an attempt to end “chaos” in an industry that has been upended by skyrocketing athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers between schools.
U.S. Senate votes, 77-22, to pass Protect College Sports Act
The Protect College Sports Act, a federal bill aimed at reshaping the industry, took a step toward becoming law on Monday when the U.S. Senate voted, 77-22, to pass it, with Ted Cruz saying "this bill puts an end to the chaos plaguing college athletics."
Protect College Sports Act passes Senate: Historic bill takes first step, but uncertainty awaits in House
The bipartisan bill aimed at stabilizing college sports passed its first test with Monday night's Senate vote, but more hurdles must be cleared in the House before it can be signed into law
The Senate passes the Protect College Sports Act, but the bill's future is unclear
The bill's supporters, which include the NCAA, say it will tame what they call a "Wild West" era of college sports as litigation chips away at long-held rules around eligibility, transfers and pay.
Senate approves sweeping bill to regulate college sports, despite opposition from some Democrats
Senate passes sweeping college sports package
It is a massive piece of legislation, setting national rules on everything from NIL compensation to conference realignment.
Senate passes major bill to overhaul college sports
The Senate on Monday passed a major bill to overhaul college athletics with a large bipartisan vote, 77-22.
Senate passes major bill to overhaul college sports
The Senate on Monday passed a major bill to overhaul college athletics with a large bipartisan vote, 77-22.
Senate Resoundingly Approves Sweeping College Sports Measure
The outlook for the legislation, which seeks to stabilize the unsettled collegiate sports landscape, is uncertain in the House. It was one of the last congressional actions before the midterms.
Senate passes bipartisan bill to overhaul college sports
President Donald Trump wants the House to clear the measure quickly.
The Senate just passed a historic bill to federally regulate college sports. What happens now?
Senate approval is a massive win for the NCAA and its conferences, but the Protect College Sports Act must pass the House, too.
Senate approves sweeping college sports bill on athlete pay, transfers and NCAA rules
WASHINGTON – The Senate approved a bipartisan college sports overhaul that would codify athlete revenue sharing, regulate NIL and transfers, and give the NCAA limited antitrust protection. Critics say it undercuts athletes’ leverage.
NY Times exec allegedly slain by in-laws in California was reportedly mired in bitter divorce dispute
Police in Northern California are investigating the circumstances around the killing of a 40-year-old New York Times executive who was fatally shot by his in-laws in a parking lot over
Ethics Watchdogs To Investigate Whether Troubled Multnomah County Health Board Got Dubious Legal Advice
A Washington state attorney has been advising a Portland-area governance board on Oregon Public Meetings Law.
Senate defeats proposal to limit ticket price increases for college sports
The Senate voted Monday evening to defeat an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) to cap ticket price increases for college sporting events to four percent a year, even as ticket prices…
Nancy Guthrie investigators reviewing possible new ransom note
Nearly eight months into Nancy Guthrie's alleged kidnapping case, law enforcement is assessing the credibility of an alleged new ransom note.
The Philosophy of Organizational Politics 2.0
Editor’s Note: This article is Part II of “The Philosophy of Organizational Politics: Power, Legitimacy, and the Integrity of Mission,” previously published in Oragark. We Are Not in Competition With Anyone: Conviction, Power, and the Purpose of Leadership By Dr. Prof. M. Mkhitar Moradian, PhD Bioanalyst In organizations some factions make
Utah football ‘whiteout' vs Kansas game time, TV announced
Morgan Scalley looks to maintain his historic undefeated streak under the lights as the Utes bring a legendary atmosphere to Rice-Eccles Stadium for this Big 12 clash.
Glenville State cuts ribbon on new College of Business
Glenville State University marked the creation of its College of Business with a ribbon cutting Wednesday. In recent years the university has added an MBA and moved two business degrees online.
After court ruling, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to hold Kalshi accountable for operating illegally
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is promising to hold prediction market platform Kalshi accountable for skirting state gambling regulations for years after a federal court ruling.
New York, Polymarket clash over who gets to regulate prediction markets
A legal fight between New York and prediction market Polymarket is raising a larger question over the rapidly growing industry.
MIT names David Siegel Innovation Fellow for AI and science | ETIH EdTech News
MIT has named David Siegel its Innovation Fellow for 2026-27, working with the Schwarzman College of Computing on AI and scientific discovery. ETIH covers the appointment, Siegel’s AI background and his work across research and education in the latest edtech news.
Battle over progressive politics pits blue vs blue in this Seattle legislative district
Incumbent Sen. Jamie Pedersen and challenger Hannah Sabio-Howell talked to "Soundside" about their campaigns to represent the city's progressive district.
Jeffries: 'Epstein cover-up in on the ballot'
New York state Sen. Zellnor Myrie says he’s planning on reintroducing legislation that would allow victims of Jeffrey Epstein and other abusers to seek punitive damages from deceased perpetrators’ estates.
Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker Discusses Roster Growth
The franchise icon honors his father’s legacy with a symbolic jersey swap while mentoring a rising seven-footer poised to become the next cornerstone of the Suns’ future.
Titan Business EDGE: Building career readiness from the first year to the first job
By Daniel Coats Career prep is most effective when it begins long before graduation. For Cal State Fullerton College of Business and Economics(opens in a new tab) students, knowing how to build professional skills, gain meaningful experience and ultimately launch a career requires intentional development over time. The new Titan Business EDGE program provides that pathway […]
Federal agency sues Ohio-based Catholic health system over alleged antisemitism
The EEOC lawsuit states Dr. Ian Walton is
How to get involved in research at Eckerd College
Research at Eckerd College is not a commodity limited to students with prior experience, but instead something that is available and should be taken advantage of by all students.
CSU Bakersfield announces new permanent athletics director following yearlong vacancy
BAKERFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — CSU Bakersfield’s Athletic Program — which has been at the center of numerous lawsuits, departures and allegations that drew national attention in recent years — is getting a full-time director after a vacancy that lasted for over a year. On Monday, the school announced in a press release that Andy Fiske […]
UCF’s Scott Frost Believes Caden Piening Has NFL Potential
Caden Piening is mirroring program legends as he emerges as a cornerstone of the Knights' high-powered offensive future.
Beshear creates new state office to amplify Kentucky’s musical legacy, entertainment economy
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the creation of the Governor’s Office of Music Friday during an appearance at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, one of the state’s marquee music festivals.
Collegiate sports reform bill is expected to pass in Senate, but House is unclear
The Senate is expected to pass the Protect College Sports Act to allow the NCAA to reinstate limits on athlete transfers and eligibility, opponents say it doesn't do enough to address rising spending.
Palmer Luckey says AI won't make a founder's job easy
The Anduril founder said AI can automate technical work, but founders will remain on the hook for legal issues, people, and key business decisions.
Iowa State Association of Counties brings on new government relations director
Emily Schwickerath has joined the Iowa State Association of Counties as the director of government relations. She comes to the team after working with U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, who represents Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District. She has also worked in the Iowa Legislature and hopes to bring her governmental experience to ISAC to strengthen relationships between…
Duke football earns respect in latest ESPN Power Rankings
Duke has jumped into the top 25 of ESPN's latest college football power rankings after a 4-0 start.
USA TODAY Sports CFB writer says Brent Venables seat 'warming up'
The Oklahoma Sooners are locked in with head coach Brent Venables but a USA TODAY Sports college football writer says Venables' seat is warming up.
Criminal allegations fly in OH-07 race
The campaign for Congress in northeast Ohio between embattled Rep. Max Miller and his Democratic challenger Brian Poindexter is getting nasty, with both sides accusing each other of engaging in criminal behavior.
Philly DEI panel endorses Parker’s contracting overhaul as Black business owners warn of consequences
Parker said new national legal precedent made the city’s practices vulnerable to court challenges. Council’s committee agreed.
LEARN Behavioral Entity Sues to Stop MassHealth Medicaid Recoupment
A Massachusetts autism therapy provider has sued 10 public officials and entities to stop a Medicaid recoupment effort that local providers have decried
LEARN Behavioral Entity Sues to Stop MassHealth Medicaid Recoupment
A Massachusetts autism therapy provider has sued 10 public officials and entities to stop a Medicaid recoupment effort that local providers have decried
CDC vaccine policy recommendations grind to a halt under Health Secretary Kennedy
Federal vaccine recommendations have stalled following Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismissal of the advisory committee and subsequent legal challenges to his attempts to overhaul immunization policy.
Bobby Kotick’s lawyers sent me a bad email (and later apologized)
The message I had received was unsettling—for a moment. Then it was just really confusing. Back on January 20 of this year, at 5:15pm ET, I received an email with the subject line “Legal Correspondence re Bobby Kotick.” It was from the law firm Clare Locke, a firm I’d heard had been emailing reporters in recent years about their coverage of Kotick, the former, longtime CEO of Activision Blizzard. The letter was threatening. A lawyer from the firm introduced themselves as “defamation counsel to Bobby Kotick.” They issued a “demand” that I “correct” a Game File article I’d published a week prior. The article that had irked them had been a scoop of sorts. I’d written about a a 2022 lawsuit brought by a Swedish pension fund, AP7, over Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit wasn’t news, but I was first to review and report about Kotick’s extensive pushback to the fund’s claims. The pension fund’s core contention was that the sale had been rushed by Kotick to avoid the consequences of sexual misconduct scandals swirling around the company in 2021. (He’d not been accused of misconduct himself in those suits, to be clear.) As I wrote at the time, Kotick had denied the allegations of the rushed sale. Beyond that, Kotick used a December 2025 reply to the Swedish fund’s lawsuit to assign blame for those workplace scandals, the bad press and even for the AP7 lawsuit. I’d found Kotick’s arguments novel and newsworthy. Across nearly 3,000 words, I explained Kotick’s take: that a Swedish gaming company was behind the Swedish fund’s lawsuit (the Embracer group; they denied it); that the Microsoft-Activision deal was not rushed and was secured at what Kotick felt history had proven to be an optimal price for shareholders; that he believed a conspiracy of people at unions government agencies, PR firms and the media had spun up claims of widespread workplace misconduct at Activision Blizzard in 2021. The article gave context for all of this, letting readers assess the claims and weigh their credibility. As I’d later write to Kotick’s lawyers: I would be surprised if you could point to any news article about Bobby Kotick in the last five years that has spent more of its wordcount articulating his point of view. He is welcome to do an interview with Game File any time. Nonetheless, there they were in my inbox that Tuesday evening: Clare Locke, the law firm that secured a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News over false statements about voting machines. They were emailing me, threatening that failure to comply with their demand could support a claim of “actual malice,” a legal standard for libel. Unless… Unless, they said, I added a key paragraph to my article. This was a paragraph that I already knew Kotick’s lawyers had been emailing reporters about for at least a year, and it was a paragraph that was already in my article. The paragraph they wanted is from a 2023 settlement that California’s Civil Rights Department struck with Activision Blizzard. The settlement had closed a two-year-old lawsuit over alleged sexual discrimination at the game maker. The paragraph basically said that claims of systemic or widespread sexual harassment—or of execs like Kotick tolerating such behavior—had never been proven. I’d already seen proof that Kotick’s lawyers had pushed for the settlement’s language to be added to reports about 2021 sexual discrimination and misconduct lawsuits brought against Activision Blizzard by California and, separately, by the U.S. federal government (both suits were since settled). I knew that Kotick and his lawyers felt that the California settlement language should be mentioned in the same breath as references to an article he hated and denied, a November 2021 Wall Street Journal article claiming Kotick knew “for years” of sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard. So, in the Game File article that Clare Locke emailed me about, in the interest of ensuring I was being fair and balanced regarding the person I was covering, I had already included the following excerpt from the California settlement [emphasis added in bold]: (Kotick has repeatedly pushed back against that November article in the Wall Street Journal, citing among other things, language from a court-approved consent decree as part of Activision’s 2023 $54 million settlement over the California suit. It states: “no court or any independent investigation has substantiated any allegations that: there has been systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard [or] that Activision Blizzard senior executives ignored, condoned, or tolerated a culture of systemic harassment, retaliation, or discrimination.”) On the evening of January 20, I was incredulous. How do you write a four page legal threat about a week-old article and miss this? While scrambling to also make my kids dinner, I wrote a lengthy reply to Clare Locke’s lawyers, basically asking them to cool it with the threats and to start making sense. In part, I wrote: I hope you can understand why I am having trouble understanding what you’re asking for, when the statement you’re demanding to see in Game File’s article already appears in Game File’s article. Actual malice, as you know, refers to a reckless disregard for the truth. I’m not sure what your argument is when my article already states your client’s position. Here is where I should remind you, the reader, that I am an independent journalist. I publish on Substack, and have availed myself of the Substack Defender program that provides writers on the platform with legal support. But I’m no Wall Street Journal or New York Times, nor even IGN or GameSpot when it comes to such things as, well, having a legal department. There are more fun things for me to do as an independent journalist than writing back to a powerful law firm representing a very rich person. On the evening of January 20th, I was just trying to cook some pasta, broccoli and chicken nuggets for hungry twins. Nevertheless, I wrote back to them. Two hours later, I got a reply. Summarizing: A lawyer for Clare Locke said they’d “reviewed an incomplete version” of my article and they “apologize for the confusion.” (My guess: Someone didn’t read past the piece’s paywall, even though they’d had a full week to scrounge up the funds to do so. What I’d published above the paywall was balanced, as was what came after.)1 That was almost that, but something about the situation bothered me. The letter had been marked “confidential.” I hadn’t agreed to that, and I disliked the idea that powerful people on the beat that I cover would act like they could unilaterally control what I might tell my readers about. On the morning of the 21st, having already gotten the powerful law firm to back off, I oh-so-wisely re-approached them with just one more thing. I thanked them for clearing things up the night before but noted that I’d never agreed to keep their letter confidential. I’m all for agreeing with a source to keep things off the record, but that’s the thing. We have to agree. You can’t just declare it. I’m not bound by that. I wrote to Clare Locke’s lawyer and said, in part: I trust the matter is resolved. It was disappointing to have to spend less time with my kids last night in order to address your legal letter. Family time’s precious. I will add, for clarity’s sake, that, while your letter stipulated that it was confidential, I did not agree to those terms. In the future, should you wish to communicate with me confidentially, I am happy to agree to classifying our communication as “off the record” prior to the actual communication—as is standard with any professional journalist. The firm’s lawyer replied, not directly addressing the confidentiality issue but asserting that the matter was resolved. Why I didn’t write about this until now In May, I told this story on an episode of Simon Parkin’s podcast My Perfect Console, but I held off on sharing it directly with Game File readers. I held off to avoid stepping on the toes of another reporter, the journalist Mikhail Klimentov. He’d interviewed me in the spring of 2025 about an investigation he was working on regarding Bobby Kotick lawyers pressing the media to add the California settlement language to stories referencing the 2021 lawsuits. And about how some outlets had changed their stories and how some simply deleted them. Initially, I was a third-party source for Klimentov’s reporting, providing on-the-record context about the state of the games media. I’d heard about the letters but hadn’t put the time into pursuing the story. I thought it was interesting, and I was glad he was covering it. When the outlet that Klimentov was going to run his reporting in dropped the story, I began talking to him about potentially publishing his reporting on Game File. This was tentative. Then, in January, when I got my own Clare Locke letter, I told Klimentov that I didn’t think it would make sense for me to publish him, not with me now being part of the story. I had my own version of this situation to tell. But I wished him well and said I’d refrain from telling my tale until he could get his reporting out there. Last Friday, Klimentov finally ran his investigation, in a nearly 48-minute video report for People Make Games. It covers various Clare Locke letters, how media outlets reacted to them and what to make of all this. His video weighs the merits of Kotick’s request and looks at some of the articles that were changed (one of which had a glaring error). I highly recommend watching it: (Note, I did some editorial consulting for a People Make Games video last year but nothing to do with this report.) While many outlets haven’t left any public evidence that they updated their Kotick coverage at Kotick’s counsel’s request, at least one has. Back in October 2025, the mainstream outlet Reuters applied the most transparent article update I’ve seen. On the 3rd of the month, they published an article about the state of the Swedish pension fund’s lawsuit. Days later, they added this: In an October 7 letter sent after publication of this article, Kotick’s defamation counsel disputed claims of widespread harassment at Activision. “Not a single investigation, court finding, verdict, or ruling ever concluded that there was any merit” to the allegations of widespread harassment at Activision, Tom Clare and Nick Brechbill of Clare Locke wrote. I’ve never added a statement to my article on Game File, because none was needed. Not for fairness’ sake, nor to meet any demands of Kotick’s lawyers. I’ve nevertheless wanted to be transparent with Game File readers. If someone powerful is questioning my reporting, is threatening a lawsuit over it… if that threat is part of a pattern involving other games media outlets and if, in my case, the whole thing ran into a ridiculous ditch, I want you to know about it. I also share this as a real example of how I handle threats to Game File. I stand up for my own reporting, even when it’s not comfortable to do so. (In that same category of standing up for the work I do, I’ll point to an incident in late August. Asocial media post I published to X/Twitter regarding reporting I did about Take Two and GTA VI was hit by bogus copyright claim by a firm working for the publisher. I pushed back and got it reversed; even while a bigger games media outlet let themselves be censored. This is the other reason I’m sharing this story: To emphasize that dealing with threats from powerful people is one of the costs of covering the video game industry independently and as fearlessly as possible. This is where you come in. Your support, through free and paid subscriptions (sign up here!), can help me keep doing that. It can ensure that I’ve got the back-up I need. And it can help make fiascoes like this even less of a worry, so I can spend my evenings dealing with more important things, such as making sure I steam the kids’ broccoli just right. 1 That pension fund lawsuit I wrote about in January has all but gone away. In May, the fund and Activision Blizzard owner Microsoft agreed to settle. Lawyers for the fund brokered a $250 million settlement for former Activision Blizzard shareholders. In the settlement, the fund’s lawyers changed their rhetoric. Where once they’d questioned the meaning of the California settlement language, they adopted a version of it for themselves. Several weeks ago, while seeking to get a court to sign off on the terms of the settlement, they proposed their fee for their work in the case: $60 million.
Hayden Panettiere's ex alleges missing items, raises alarm over her estate
Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, is taking his "urgent" concerns over the "Nashville" actress' estate to court.
Allegheny County’s paid parental leave approved by health board, moves to council
Allegheny County's Board of Health voted to approve a county-wide paid parental leave mandate Monday. The matter now heads back to County Council for deliberation.
Sigmund Weis School of Business recognized by Fiske Guide to Colleges
Susquehanna University has been spotlighted as a national leader in business education in the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
Women’s Health Innovation Summit
Learn more about the latest updates in legal, with expert commentary and insights from trusted attorneys from Foley Hoag LLP. Foley Hoag is a professional community of highly qualified attorneys from all over the US.
Eberly, Fox Graduate School to celebrate 100 years of the Penn State Ph.D. on Oct. 2
Join the Eberly College of Science, Department of Physics, and the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School from 3 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, in 117 Osmond Building or via webinar to celebrate 100 years of doctoral degrees at Penn State.
Potsdam man allegedly stole $2,100 worth of deisel from business
A St. Lawrence County man is accused of stealing more than $2,000 worth of diesel fuel from a Potsdam trucking company.
Senate is set to vote on a sweeping college sports bill. Here's what it would do
The bipartisan Protect Student College Sports Act would give the NCAA more power to govern national rules and regulations in college sports.
‘The Saturday Night Live of Arkansas politics’: A Q&A with Gridiron veteran Beth McAlpine
Gridiron, a biennial satirical musical production led by the Little Rock legal community, has been going on for more than 100 years. It returns to the Arkansas Repertory Theatre on Tuesday.
October Prime Day is a week away, and new early deals just dropped: iRobot, Lego, Ninja and more are up to 80% off
Before Prime Big Deal Days officially starts (and popular products sell out), Amazon loyalty members can add household basics, gifts and much-needed upgrades to their carts.
Turned down MIT for a little-known college. Not everyone understood.
Hannah Mitchell turned down MIT for a the Merchant Marine Academy. Three months in, she says it was the right decision.
Mahony named Huck Chair in Genomics and AI
Shaun Mahony, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Penn State Eberly College of Science, has been named the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Genomics and AI.
Is magnesium oil a 'miracle' for restless leg syndrome? Here's what science says
Can magnesium lotion help you fall asleep? It depends on who you ask.
Scientists Squeezed a Leg Bone and Somehow Helped the Brain Heal
Controlled shinbone compression triggered bone cells to release neuroprotective signals, improving brain injury recovery in animal studies, per Nature Neuroscience.
Paid parental leave clears health board, heads for Allegheny County Council
Allegheny County's Board of Health approved a scaled-back paid parental leave bill, cutting leave to 12 weeks and exempting employers with 15 or fewer workers.
UnitedHealthcare, Team Health settle $100M fraud suit in Tennessee
A 2021 legal battle between UnitedHealthcare and Team Health was dismissed after the parties reached a settlement, per court documents. | A 2021 legal battle between UnitedHealthcare and Team Health was dismissed after the parties reached a settlement, per court documents.
When Breaking the Law Becomes a Business Strategy, the Federal Trade Commission Should Step In
In a groundbreaking new legal paper, Sandeep Vaheesan argues that companies that systematically violate laws to undercut rivals are engaging in an unfair method of competition and that the FTC can and should take action. This includes Big AI copyright law violations.
Angel Reese Is Becoming a PROBLEM for the WNBA
Remember when people questioned whether Angel Reese could become a legitimate WNBA superstar? That conversation looks ridiculous right now. Reese has been dominant in her first season with the Atlanta Dream, averaging 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds while rewriting the record books. She became the first player in WNBA history to grab 500 rebounds in…
Allegheny County Health Board votes to approve paid parental leave policy
The Allegheny County Health Board voted Monday to approve County Executive Sara Innamorato’s proposed paid parental leave policy, advancing the legislation...
Allegheny County Board of Health passes paid parental leave program
The Allegheny County Board of Health on Monday approved an updated paid parental leave program that would require businesses with 15 or more eligible employees to provide at least 12 weeks of paid leave to new parents. The Board of Health approved the proposal in a unanimous vote. The board
Senate tees up college sports bill aimed at regulating NIL deals
The Senate is due to vote Monday on the bill, which would create a national framework for name, image and likeness deals in college athletics.
The 3 most disappointing college football teams this season
A month into the 2026 college football season, the preseason polls are already starting to look like works of fiction. For every team exceeding expectations, there’s another whose fan base is wondering what went wrong, and in some cases, whether the head coach will make it to November. Nearly every team entered the 2026 season…
Stanton Looks to Curb Crime Hot Spots With New Business License Rules
Stanton officials are amending their business license rules to prevent illegal activity from repeatedly popping up at commercial locations .
Ubisoft's calling its next push into gen-AI game development Motherbrain
Ubisoft has been quite enthusiastic about generative AI's use in game development, and a new trademark might sound familiar to Nintendo and Metroid fans.
Trump ignites outrage from political world by ‘stealing’ from taxpayers to fund ad campaign: ‘Completely illegal’
Experts rail against ‘corrupt’ use of public dollars for ‘political propaganda’ ahead of midterm elections
Local eighth graders bring girl power to science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Several Mid-Valley eighth-graders shared their experience at a collegiate science camp with local members of the American Association for University Women who helped fund the trip, on September 19.
University of New Haven Breaks Ground on New Donor-Funded Home for Pom
Martin Family Hall, a four-story, 50,000-square-foot $45 million facility will bring the Pompea College of Business back to the University’s West Haven campus and expand experiential learning opportun
Experts spotlight financial strategies to advance sustainability
Financial strategies can advance sustainability goals, but only if environmental trade-offs can be measured and incorporated into decisions, a panel of experts said at a Climate Week NYC 2026 event co-hosted by the SC Johnson College and Cornell Atkinson.