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All North Carolina student IDs will have mental health resources printed on them as part of the Student Helpline Act
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Today is 988 Day, a nationwide event dedicated to promoting mental health support and suicide prevention through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and now, in North Caro…
Harrisburg Senators unveil 2027 schedule
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Harrisburg Senators unveiled their 2027 season Tuesday. The Senators’ home opener is Friday, April 2, against the Chesapeake Baysox. The team will host 69 games at FNB Field. Other notable home games include Mother’s Day on May 9 vs. the Richmond Flying Squirrels, as well as Memorial Day weekend through […]
Vallejo’s Empress Theatre amps up entertainment offerings, dining
“The idea is simple: there should be something happening often enough that people throughout Vallejo, Solano County, and the greater Bay Area can make the Empress part of their regular week,” says the Empress Threatre.
Youth sports become big business, putting stress on families and leaving some behind
Roughly 5 million kids are competing for travel or club sports teams that have cropped up across the country. Many benefit from that participation, including some who get college scholarships, but youth travel sports also come with increasing costs and challenges. As Stephanie Sy reports, those trade-offs and concerns are a part of the story that's getting more and more attention.
Broncos host 2 linebackers and 2 safeties for tryouts
The Broncos brought in four free agent defenders for tryouts on Tuesday.
These new resources can help you vet digital mental health tools
Journalists can use guides from professional psychological and psychiatric associations to sort through thousands of mental health apps.
Detroit businesses face costly repairs after tornado tears through east side
New Mobile Crisis vehicle expands behavioral health response in Broome County
The expanded program took effect April 1 and includes increased staffing and response capacity for community-based behavioral health crisis services throughout Broome County.
Local businesses brace for gigantic cargo moves starting next week
Locals anxiously waiting for superloads of heavy equipment — weighing up to 380 tons — to travel through their towns will have to hold on until next week. The first trip, on a giant, specialized truck, is expected to leave a dock in Gilpin’s Schenley section on Monday morning. Officials
Driver crashes through Bradenton business on Cortez Road, police say
Bradenton police said the crash happened Sunday afternoon.
Crossland Construction Lab opens at Bentonville High School
Area schools are working with construction companies to introduce students to industry jobs through construction programs as demand for workers rises. A construction company executive hopes the programs will lead...
Cowboys’ $113 Million Edge Rusher Predicted for Career Breakthrough
The Athletic's Jon Machota predicts $113 million Dallas Cowboys edge rusher on verge of career breakthrough. The post Cowboys’ $113 Million Edge Rusher Predicted for Career Breakthrough appeared first on HEAVY.
Pamplin+ transforms undergraduate business curriculum into four-year experiential internship
Launching in fall 2026, Pamplin+ transforms the Pamplin College of Business undergraduate experience through hands-on learning, required internships, mandatory agentic AI coursework, and cross-disciplinary corporate projects.
Rogers mixed-income community opens after $13 million investment
Three-story, 60-unit Olive Street Apartments recently opened at 700 N. 24th St. in Rogers. Roughly $13 million was invested in the attainable housing project, supported by the Walton Family Foundation....
Exclusive: Two of gaming’s biggest names are making a big investment in gaming’s future
The first thing to know about the Nova Games Foundation is that it isn’t about The Game Awards. And it’s not about PlayStation. The ambitious new grant program is the brainchild of Geoff Keighley and Mark Cerny. Keighley is the host of The Game Awards, Summer Game Fest and Opening Night Live. Cerny is a game designer of some 45 years and the lead architect for the PlayStation 4 and 5. But this new thing, which they’re revealing through Game File, isn’t about their day jobs. It’s an unaffiliated, standalone philanthropic project. It’s a bet on the artistic future of video games and a way, they tell me, to give back. “I’m nearing the end of my career,” Cerny recently told me over email. “I’m not done yet, but paying it forward—in the best way possible—is very much on my mind these days,” The Nova Games Foundation is a university-affiliated fellowship program, intended to offer six-figure grants to 20 young game designers each year, potentially for decades to come. It will offer no-strings-attached funding along with mentorship from games industry leaders, a combination intended to aid the development of groundbreaking new games, Cerny and Keighley told me. Nova will begin accepting applications in December, from class of 2026 and 2027 students from 13 affiliated gaming programs at universities in eight countries. The schools working with Nova include the New York University and the University of Southern California in the U.S., along with Abertay University in Scotland, Cnam-Enjmin in France, TH Köln in Germany, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, Cerny and Keighley said. The plan: $100,000 per recipient, with about a quarter of Nova fellows eligible for up to $500,000 more for projects that are shaping up particularly well. Payments will be delivered based on development milestones, and recipients will own their games. Nova will help promote the work, and developers will be free to pursue the publishers and platforms of their choice. Nova can help introduce fellows to publishers, but won’t take a cut. “I’ve always wanted to give back, but given my role in the industry, I’ve never felt it appropriate to commercially invest in games,” Keighley told Game File. “I’ve never owned stock in a game company or taken a financial stake in a game. Nova is philanthropy: we aren’t taking equity or looking to recoup the grants. The return we’re hoping for is creative—helping new voices make games and find their footing. “Mark and I have each made multi-million-dollar donations to establish the foundation, and we intend to keep contributing. We hope others will join us.” Cerny and Keighley have already hired an executive director, John Maconga, and a head of grants, recent Game Developers Conference director Ashley Corrigan, to help launch the effort. They’re working to recruit game industry leaders to join the effort. Keighley says “dozens of leading game directors have already expressed interest in contributing their time.” To name one, they’ve already gotten Josef Fares, lead designer from It Takes Two and Spit Fiction studio Hazelight on board with a donation and pledge to help out. “I’m proud to support Nova because it gives the next generation of creators the freedom to explore their creativity and hopefully bring their unique visions to life,” Fares told Game File. A plan forged from a friendship Keighley and Cerny have known each other a long time. It’s been so long, Cerny isn’t even sure exactly when they met. “We travel in much the same circles and I’m sure first intersected in the 90s or early 2000s,“ Cerny said. Keighley thinks it might have been during his stint writing a column about the mid-’90s console 3DO for a gaming magazine while Cerny was working on games with Crystal Dynamics or on Way of the Warrior with Naughty Dog. They became genuine friends about a 10 years ago, Keighley said, as they bonded over a shared love of games and a hope to improve the industry. “About a decade ago, we started having dinner a few times a year in LA,” Keighley said. “Just to catch up on life and the industry. Those conversations continued over Zoom during COVID. Nova grew out of that friendship and a question we kept coming back to: ‘What could we do to help the next generation of game directors get started?’” Keighley credits Cerny with the idea to figure out a way to put their money and time back into the industry. At one of those dinners, Keighley proposed the idea of a fellowship program. He’d recalled applying for a Rhodes Scholarship when he was younger. “Spoiler: I didn’t get it,” he said. He’d admired the MacArthur Foundation’s so-called “genius grants.” He liked these kinds of programs that recognized people’s talents and gave them the financial boost and the freedom to realize their potential. With Cerny, he had pondered what a game industry version of that could be. Keighley liked the idea of centering the fellowship on students, drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of Jenova Chen, the USC game design graduate who went on to lead the creation of gently moving, ambitious games such as Flower and Journey. Keighley also thought it could be useful to help promising graduates bridge the transition from student to professional. “Joining an established studio isn’t always possible—especially in today’s market—and even then, it isn’t the right path for everyone,” Keighley said. A fellowship, he realized, could give “graduates the time, resources and guidance to pursue a game of their own and not worry about the commercial viability.” As the idea took shape, Cerny also saw an opportunity to enable more games of a certain type: “The target with the grants is games as an artistic medium,” Cerny told me. “We like to say games with ‘artistic, literary and societal value.’” He added: “I’m a pretty big gamer myself, though I tend to gravitate towards the smaller and more unique or artistic titles, games like Neva, Abzu, Gorogoa, Stray or Outer Wilds. I was just playing and Roger on a flight to Japan, and was getting misty eyed to a degree that I was concerned that a flight attendant would ask me if I was OK. “So one fun benefit here is the games that will come out of the Nova Games Foundation – I can’t wait to play them myself.” Cerny believes it will also be useful for Nova fellows to hone their craft and team leadership skills. “We are looking for the next generation of visionaries,” he said. “The trick is that they will also need to have the executive function necessary to drive a small project to completion.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Going big with this Keighley and Cerny may have started Nova and may be the ones primarily backing it right now, but they’re dreaming of something that goes beyond them. “Mark and I may have helped get it started, but one of our measures of success is that Nova grows into something the entire games industry feels a sense of ownership in,” Keighley said. “Our ambition is to build a lasting endowment supported by people and companies across the industry, and an equally broad community of creators willing to give their time and experience to the next generation.” The industry has a lot of knowledge that it can pass to the next generation, Keighley said: “Nova can hopefully become a way to connect that generosity with talented young creators at the moment when it can make the biggest difference.” Cerny, who told me he believes Nova can mature “over the next 10 or 20 years,” sees an opportunity to give generations of game makers momentum. “The industry has changed immeasurably since I started in games in 1982,” he said. “These graduates have talent, training and tools that outclass what we had back in the day by an astonishing amount. But they face a tough road ahead getting traction in the industry, and many could benefit from our support. We want to be there to give it to them.” “There’s a personal side to this, too,” Keighley said. “I don’t have children, and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I can do for future generations. Games have been my entire career. I’ve been incredibly fortunate, and helping someone else build a life in this industry feels like a meaningful way to give back.” Cerny’s oeuvre dates back to Marble Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He has stood on stage multiple times to reveal the future of PlayStation hardware. He’s been an executive producer for a string of modern PlayStation classics such as The Last Guardian and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Nevertheless, of Nova, he said, “It’s certainly not like anything I’ve done before.” Nova Foundation applications will be due in December and the first wave of fellows will be announced in March 2027. A full list of participating universities and steps students and recent graduates can take to apply to become a Nova Fellow is forthcoming.
OpenAI's big math breakthrough claim sparks drama
The math community is heated over questions about credit and AI training data after a mathematician's allegations against OpenAI went viral.
Trinity Health in Livonia to lay off 557 employees starting in October, primarily in IT support
Trinity Health’s Livonia location will permanently lay off 557 employees, largely in its technology and information services division, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity announced recently. Layoffs are scheduled to begin Oct. 25 and continue through Nov. 29, according to a notice published by the department. The layoffs come months after Trinity Health […]
HHS Awards More Than $380 Million to Strengthen America’s Behavioral Health System on 988 Day
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, announced on 988 Day that the agency has awarded $383.4 million in grants.
Nurses throughout Jefferson Health System announce plan to unionize
More than 200 nurses throughout the Jefferson Health System plan to file to unionize, organizers said during an event on Tuesday.
Arkansas mothers deserve a seat at the table
There are roughly 85 million moms in America, and together we control between $11 trillion and $15 trillion in annual spending power. We make more than 80% of household spending...
Mississippi teen overcomes health challenges to harvest 12-foot alligator
Teen credits hunting for keeping her active through rare illnesses
What Trump’s new study says about support for trans rights — and why experts are worried
This story was originally reported by Orion Rummler and Jasmine Mithani of The 19th. Meet Orion and Jasmine and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. A new study from the Trump administration is sending alarm bells through pro-democracy groups for its potential to fuel a crackdown on Americans who support LGBTQ+ […]
TN health department rolls out grants through new rural healthcare program
The Rural Health Transformation Program awards grant money to innovative projects that strengthen healthcare access in remote parts of Tennessee.
Reshuffled college football rankings see Oregon tumble, LSU rise in US LBM Coaches Poll
The results of Week 1 of the college football season brought major changes to the US LBM Coaches Poll. Here's how the Top 25 rankings look:
Carole Radziwill says ‘the emotions all came back’ when “Love Story” aired while she filmed her return to “RHONY”
Radziwill is related to John F. Kennedy Jr. through marriage; her late husband, Anthony Radziwill, and JFK Jr. were first cousins.
From California to the Moon: Daniel Rivers and Sally Ashton Explore the Intersections of Art and Science NewsCenter | SJSU
Two new books from San José State faculty take on that question through explorations of environmental justice, space, California history and the possibilities of more just futures.
Baptist Health Paducah to offer 'Monday Night Mammograms' during Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Baptist Health Paducah will recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month by providing Monday Night Mammograms throughout the month of October.
Scientists Discover the 7 Stages a Meteoroid Goes Through Before Hitting Earth
An analysis of 75 meteorite falls identified seven distinct processes that occur as space rocks melt, break apart, and slow down before reaching the ground. A space rock entering Earth’s atmosphere does far more than simply “burn up.” By examining 75 meteorite falls recorded in videos and photographs, researchers identified seven distinct stages that shape
Amazon Is Taking Preorder Requests for Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETBs Well Below Market Price, Marking a Rare First for US Collectors
Amazon US is accepting invite requests for Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETBs at $89.99—roughly $90 below market resale value on TCGplayer.
HHS Awards Over $225 Million to Improve Head Start Nutrition, Facilities and Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families, announced over $225 million in Head Start supplemental awards.
Politics Threaten Medical Innovation at NIH
Santa Monica rheumatologist warns that political interference in NIH funding threatens scientific breakthroughs and patient care. Taxpayer dollars should support rigorous peer review, not politics.
Current events: Scientists keep close eye on Atlantic Ocean changes
The year is 2060. London shudders through months of Nordic winter freezes. Across northern Europe, oak and beech forests wither under severe frost and drought, while cereal yields collapse from temperatures ...
From 'Love Hypothesis' to 'Fourth Wing,' 60 BookTok favorites coming to screens
Hollywood is finally catching up to BookTok. The well-read corner of the internet brought decade-old titles back to bestseller lists and new life to bookish communities.
Foster Swift Welcome Hahn and Serra, Strengthens Business Law and General Counsel Services in Southeast Michigan
Attorney Marcy Hahn Attorney Lisa Serra SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC is pleased to announce that attorneys Marcy Hahn and Lisa M. Serra have joined the firm's Southfield office, further strengthening its business law, corporate counseling, and general counsel capabilities throughout Southeast Michigan. Marcy and Lisa bring a unique blend of practices including fractional general counsel to business owners along with family law representat
Is Cardinal Health Building a New Tech-Enabled Healthcare Platform?
Technology is becoming a bigger part of CAH's strategy, linking distribution, specialty services and logistics through digital workflows.
‘Science at the Fifty-Third Degree’ humanizes research advancements through conversation
Episodes highlight the collaborative nature of science, and expand accessibility of discoveries happening at the university.
Rogers and OEG Sports & Entertainment Extend Strategic Partnership for 10 More Years
Rogers is giving away more than 1,500 tickets to customers throughout season, including 300 for Home OpenerEDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers and OEG Sports & Entertainment (OEGSE), today announced a 10-year extension of their strategic partnership, keeping Rogers Place as the home of the Edmonton Oilers through 2036. This extension comes as the iconic Rogers Place is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. To mark the occasion, Rogers is awarding more than 1,500 Oilers ti
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Week 1
Through week one, we are already starting to have some clarity as to who the top teams in the Group of Six are. North Dakota State has looked dominant through two games, Boise State almost pulled off a massive upset against a National Championship contender, and the Air Force defense looks improved. It is certainly […]
Kamin Science Center and Science of Speed shut down for four-day refresh in Pittsburgh
Planning a trip to the Kamin Science Center this week? The museum will be closed through Friday for exhibit maintenance and updates.
Roundup: Energy employment / Small business confidence / Maritime woes
Jobs in transition: Energy sector employment fell about 1% nationwide and in Louisiana from 2024 to 2025, with Louisiana losing 1,131 jobs to reach roughly 160,000 workers. The decline was driven largely by automation, policy changes affecting renewable energy, and shifting economics, while traditional energy industries such as coal and nuclear saw job growth. Despite […]
AZ's R&D chief Barr touts internal 'science success story' after IL-33 antibody's stellar showing in COPD
With a detailed data drop that AstraZeneca’s R&D chief described as an internal “science success story,” the British Big Pharma has secured an FDA priority review for what it believes could become a flagship biologic in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In detailed results from the late-stage Oberon and Titania trials—first teased in March and detailed in full at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona this week—the drugmaker laid out the extent of its IL-33 inhibitor’s potential to reduce moderate and severe exacerbations in a wide range of COPD patients still struggling with those “lung attacks,” as AstraZeneca’s Sharon Barr, Ph.D., called them, despite using standard-care inhaled therapy. In the headline results, a 300 mg dose of tozorakimab given once every four weeks curbed those moderate and severe exacerbations in the studies’ primary population of former smokers by 29% in the Oberon study and 34% in Titania. In the overall population of both current and former smokers, these reductions were 30% and 29%, respectively, versus placebo and inhaled standard of care. The benefits also extended to clinically meaningful exacerbation reductions in all prespecified patient subgroups and specifically turned up promising signals in patients across a range of blood eosinophil counts, with Barr telling Fierce that “it’s the details that make this even more exciting than the high-level results that we’ve already shared.” In fact, during AZ’s tozorakimab poster presentation at the ERS 2026 Congress this past weekend, attendees were so enamored by the data that event organizers had to encourage people to clear the room and look at the other presentations on offer, Barr said in an interview. “I think it really speaks to the fact that there is a lot of buzz around these data because the entire respiratory community has been so desperate for new therapies for these patients,” she explained. The respiratory disease continues to represent a “staggering unmet medical need,” Barr said, highlighting the COPD exacerbations that the Oberon and Titania studies homed in on, which she added carry a greater mortality risk than a heart attack. “When a patient has a severe exacerbation, only about half of them are still alive within three and a half years,” she pointed out. As for tozorakimab specifically, Barr christened the molecule “an AstraZeneca science success story,” harkening several years back to the point at which researchers began to explore IL-33 as a driver of respiratory disease, and COPD in particular. At the same time, “there was still so much that wasn’t understood,” she admitted, highlighting the insight that IL-33 signals through both ST2 and EGFR through the RAGE pathway, a discovery Barr attributed to AstraZeneca's own scientists. Understanding the need to tackle both pathways in COPD—and aware of competitor candidates in the hopper, including one that bound ST2—the company ultimately had to make some “courageous decisions,” Barr said. These included taking a prior COPD molecule offline and going back to the drawing board to reinvent its potential IL-33 label “to make sure that we had a molecule that could block signaling through both arms of the pathway, through both the reduced form and the oxidized form, knowing that we wouldn’t be first, but striving to be best.” “When we put [tozorakimab] into the clinic, we firmly believed that we had a differentiated molecule, and we saw the other molecules blocking just ST2 or partially blocking IL-33, unable to deliver two positive pivotal studies in COPD,” Barr explained. “We kept marching forward because we believed our molecule was differentiated, and now I think we have the clinical validation that supports that.” Ultimately, AstraZeneca finds itself on much better footing these days when it comes to potential biologic rivals to tozorakimab in COPD. Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent, for instance, is approved to treat COPD exacerbations in patients with high eosinophil counts, but not low ones. Meanwhile, the future has become cloudier for other next-gen IL-33 candidates from Sanofi and Regeneron, as well as Roche, which have suffered trial flops in recent years. One other potential ingredient for AstraZeneca’s success in its duo of studies was that the company was “ambitious in the trial design, willing to look at an all-comers population,” Barr said, “and willing to enroll the most severe patients.” Prior studies for would-be biologics rivals in COPD “avoided enrolling” those patients, she pointed out. She also highlighted the Big Pharma’s painstaking design of exacerbations in its trial, which “gave us a very rigorous readout,” and pointed to “the extra effort and investment” the company put in to understand the effect of mucus plugs in patients. Barr described mucus production as a “key feature in disease diversity,” noting that mucus plugs—obstructing clumps of mucus that block patients’ airways—are associated with worse outcomes in COPD. In its data announcement, AstraZeneca noted that an integrated analysis of Oberon and Titania found tozorakimab “demonstrated a reduction in patients’ mucus plug score,” with the pharma claiming its biologic is the first to deliver such results in a broad COPD population. “So being able to reduce those mucus plugs, we expect, is an important part of driving benefit for patients who are living with COPD,” Barr said. Again touching on the breadth of the study populations, Barr added that tozorakimab “worked across all eosinophil levels in both current and former smokers across all levels of lung function,” which she suggested “really simplifies decision-making for clinicians, and it allows them to offer therapy to the broadest possible patient population.” In the highest patient eosinophil count group, tozorakimab helped chart a 43% reduction in exacerbation risk, which Barr stressed were “unprecedented data.” In the mid-level group, AZ’s drug delivered a 23% reduction and, in the lowest group, a 34% reduction in eosinophils, which Barr said suggests efficacy “in all patient subgroups.” As for AZ’s recent guidance upgrade on the medicine’s sales opportunity, the lift from a $3 billion to $5 billion range to $5 billion plus was informed by multiple factors, Barr said, including the fact that “in 2024, there were multiple competitors, and there aren’t anymore.” Additionally, “we know that this is a massive unmet medical need, and this is a really incredible set of data that we think will be very convincing to the clinical community,” Barr said. Looking ahead to a potential evolution of the COPD treatment landscape, Barr noted that most patients start treatment in the community with an option like a triple therapy, and for them, having an option like AstraZeneca’s inhaler Breztri will remain a “really important part” of that journey. But of the patients uncontrolled on triple therapy, which Barr described as “about half of them today,” just a “small fraction” are currently eligible for biologic therapy, which she emphasized AstraZeneca is working to change. Understanding that COPD is not a “one-size-fits-all” disease, AstraZeneca is also looking at its antibody drug Tezspire for patients with T2-driven disease, and the company continues to think about new mechanisms for tackling COPD through both systemic and inhaled drugs, Barr said.
Apple Acquires Startup Working on 'Breakthrough Sensing Technology'
Earlier this year, Apple acquired California-based startup Sonera, according to a notice published today on the European Commission's website. Sonera previously announced that it had developed "breakthrough sensing technology" that "non-invasively measures magnetic fields" generated by the brain and body. The company said its technology can analyze neural data without direct skin contact, giving it an advantage over traditional electrical sensing techniques.
Winchester Health Department to provide School Flu Clinics for students
The following was submitted by the town of Winchester: Parents can register their children for School Flu Clinics now through Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 11:59 p.m.. You may select any open appointment time, but note that appointment times are not the actual time your student will be vaccinated.
Texas Sunset Review offers chance to address the mental health crisis-to-prison pipeline
Updates in policy for people with developmental disabilities and serious mental illness could reduce repeated cycling through the carceral system, advocates say
Crystal Palace vs Middlesbrough
Ahead of Palace's third round Carabao Cup game this evening, we spoke with
Sinclair's Criminally Obsessed to Present "Maternal Mental Health: How the Lindsay Clancy Trial Could Change Treatment" National Town Hall to Air on September 9
BALTIMORE – September 8, 2026 – Sinclair today announced a national town hall examining maternal mental health and the questions surrounding diagnosis, treatment and intervention that have been brought into focus by the Lindsay Clancy trial. Maternal Mental Health: How the Lindsay Clancy Trial Could Change Treatment will stream September 9 across Sinclair’s television station...
Trust in Jackson crucial for Emery
Ollie Watkins' departure to Al-Hilal - which lurched between acrimonious and emotional - has left Aston Villa without their best attacking outlet. Despite just one goal in his first 13 top-flight games last season, he ended up netting 16, leaving him on 91 Premier League goals - a club record. Nicolas Jackson was brought in as Watkins' direct replacement and was a priority signing for Unai Emery, having worked together at Villarreal.
Six decades of politics (but little government)
The first aired episode of “Star Trek,” entitled “The Man Trap,” premiered on September 8, 1966 — 60 years ago today. I’m actually editing a political science fiction issue of The Forum right now, and it’s prompted to me think a lot about the ways that Trek deals with politics and government and what it’s offered us as commentary. The @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe The original TV series ran from 1966 to 1969. It had a loyal but modest following, but the audience grew substantially with the series in syndication for years after that. The franchise developed its first motion picture in 1979, followed by five sequels, and then a whole other series of films built around the “Next Generation” series that first aired in 1987. In recent decades, several more TV series have built up around it, including the current “Strange New Worlds,” now in its fourth season. Throughout the past six decades, the franchise has offered us a good many insights into US politics and international relations, although often disguised as science fiction yarns. The original series was largely a Cold War fable, with the United Federation of Planets (a stand-in for the US) perpetually at odds with the Klingon Empire (a stand-in for the USSR). The “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” episode (1969) posited a planet divided into two races, largely indistinguishable to outsiders, but nonetheless constituting a brutal racial hierarchy. “Patterns of Force” (1968) showed a struggling planet where the leader had attempted to construct a benevolent dictatorship — literally Nazism without bigotry — and found that authoritarianism could not exist apart from hierarchy and oppression. (Relatedly, I’d put “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” high on a list of dad films about the end of the Cold War, near “The Hunt for Red October.”) Get 20% off for 1 year Indeed, the original series itself was something of a political statement, with a multi-racial crew running the Enterprise, a diverse and largely peaceful Federation mostly free from want and oppression, and protected by Starfleet, an armed force whose scientific mission was at least as important as its military one. Famously, when Nichelle Nichols wanted to walk away from the role of Uhura on the original series, none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. met with her and urged her to remain on the show, discussing the importance of viewers seeing an intelligent Black woman as part of the command team three centuries hence. Later series in the Trek franchise offered a good deal of political commentary on their own, but probably none as explicitly and incisively as “Deep Space Nine,” which ran from 1993 to 1999. The episodes surrounding the Dominion War, especially the “In The Pale Moonlight” (1998), showed the compromises, sacrifices, and moral rot associated with winning even a just war — probably better than any series would until “Andor” (2022-25). In “Far Beyond The Stars” (1998), Captain Benjamin Sisko is somehow transplanted to the role of a science fiction writer in 1950s New York. The writer is frequently sidelined and his ideas stolen because publishers don’t want to credit a Black writer. Several series have depicted the secretive Section 31 — an unacknowledged black ops security force operating within Starfleet. These episodes often end up using Section 31 as a foil to show the dangers of a lawless group within a lawful society, even (especially) when that group posits itself as essential for everyone else’s freedom to continue. The current “Strange New Worlds” has played with a few political themes. I found the first two seasons of this show among the best that the Trek franchise has produced in decades, but this season and the last have really been struggling for ideas. Yet one interesting thread is the idea that the diplomatic and enlightened leadership style of Captain Christopher Pike will not work in all situations. “A Quality of Mercy” (2022), which I wrote about here, puts Pike in the middle of a battle with a Romulan vessel in an alternate timeline, and finds that Pike’s conciliatory style would actually make a lengthy and deadly war more likely, while a quick and more violent approach might have prevented the war. This season’s opener, “Valles Marineris,” shows a pre-lightspeed civilization locked in a war to the death with a neighboring planet. The idea of an alliance or a federation hasn’t even occurred to them — their ship’s commander is curious but doesn’t see it as an option. For a franchise as political as “Star Trek,” one thing we almost never see is the government. We get occasional glimpses of Starfleet’s council — mostly uniformed people at a rectangular table — but almost no sense of how the Federation is governed. Are there elections? Who is in the legislature? How much power does the president have? What kind of factional divisions do they wrestle with and how? The shows and films are pretty silent on this. We’ve seen a few military tribunals within Starfleet, but little about how civilians deal with crime and injustice. With recent years seeing some of the franchise’s more interesting plot lines and casts, it seems clear that Star Trek is still full of energy and ideas. Given the erosion of American democracy and the reshuffling of the international order, there’s no shortage of material for future shows to comment on. I’m not sure we should toast to 60 more years, but cheers to a show that continues to teach us about ourselves. Share
Midterm elections shaping up as big business for gamblers in the rough and rowdy world of prediction markets
“This is a troubling trend that election administrators across the nation must deal with,” said Jared DeMarinis of the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Study Identifies Blind Spot In How Science Measures Breakthroughs
A new tool exposes how science's go-to metric misses breakthroughs made by two teams at once, from Darwin to particle physics.
APPLEGATE SHARES NEW FINDINGS ON OMEGA FATTY ACIDS THROUGH REGENERATIVE HEALTH INITIATIVE
/PRNewswire/ -- Applegate Farms, LLC, the maker of the nation's leading natural and organic meat brand, today shared new omega fatty acid findings from its...
Tesla Sales In China Continue Negative Streak; Exports Reach Key Level
Tesla China is offering new cash incentives through Sept. 30.
Students gain experience and confidence through an industry-focused summer research program
The Summer Research InCUbator program used teaching labs as an on-campus contract research organization to give students a taste of working as researchers in industry would be like.
Cherng Summer Scholars explore interests through individual projects
With the support of Mizzou faculty mentors, 14 students participated in research or creative scholarship projects.
Yakima County's second large-scale solar facility is online
Roughly 3 1/2 years after his predecessor approved it, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson was among 50 people celebrating in a remote corner of Yakima County as the Ostrea Solar project
(BPRW) ProcuraFind® and Ally Financial Announce Strategic Initiative to Advance Small Business Growth Through Education, Readiness, and Opportunity
(Black PR Wire) Charlotte, N.C. — ProcuraFind® and Ally Financial announced a strategic, multi-year agreement focused on helping small businesses build stronger companies through education, financial empowerment, supplie...
Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Minnesota Wild
Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2026-27 Minnesota Wild. …
WeChat Zero-Click Worm Took Over Accounts on iPhone and Android via Incoming Calls
A WeChat worm demo took over iPhone and Android accounts through incoming calls from existing contacts; Calif says Tencent blocked the exploit.
Dynamic Creatures Emerges from Stealth to Launch New Category of Mobile, Interactive Character Robots for Hospitality and Entertainment
Founded by former Boston Dynamics, Google, and Robotics and AI Institute leaders, company launches with an official Boston Dynamics partnership and major theme park engagementBOSTON, Sept. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dynamic Creatures, a robotics company designing and building interactive character robots for entertainment and hospitality brands, today emerged from stealth. The company is creating a new category of mobile characters that move naturally through guest environments, understand the
Daniel Farke: We want to go through
Daniel Farke will take his side away from home on Wednesday evening, facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in Round Three of the EFL Cup.The Whites have been a familiar opponent of the Blues in cup compet...
Cardinals’ 3rd-base Picture Coming Into Focus for 2027
After the offseason exits of Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals organization, it opened up a pathway for Nolan Gorman to take advantage of everyday opportunities. However, that hasn’t quite come to fruition. The Cardinals optioned Gorman to Triple-A Memphis in June and put him through a vigorous rework of his swing and […]
'The aim is to keep evolving'
Fan writer Paul Sullivan says Charlton Athletic fans should keep their feet on the ground after fast start brought to shuddering halt.
‘Kick In The Face’: Hawaiʻi’s $2M Business Registration System Slammed
The Commerce Department has brought on additional staff and is working to find and fix bugs in the system.
GOP’s Trump-led midterm convention comes to Dallas this week
The two-day gathering, informally dubbed “Trumpapalooza,” will put Texas at the center of the political world as it hits the homestretch of its most competitive election cycle in years.
Michael Vaughan highlights ‘issue’ with England hiring Kevin Pietersen
Pietersen has been brought in as a specialist mentor for England’s white-ball teams but Vaughan has highlighted a potential pitfall
Judging leadership is not a science
Jared Diamond's survey of leaders through history underrates the degree to which evaluating leadership is a subjective art.
Haste ye back to full health, gaffer
This column is usually filled with bad takes, daft footballing opinion and poor attempts at humour, but today I want to be a little more serious. The gaffer, Jim Goodwin, is going through a health issue at present. As a player, Goodwin was never my favourite, in fact, he likely wasn't anyone's favourite.
Haste ye back to full health, gaffer
This column is usually filled with bad takes, daft footballing opinion and poor attempts at humour, but today I want to be a little more serious. The gaffer, Jim Goodwin, is going through a health issue at present. As a player, Goodwin was never my favourite, in fact, he likely wasn't anyone's favourite.
In 1942, scientists stacked roughly 45,000 graphite blocks beneath the stands of a Chicago football stadium and started the world’s first nuclear reactor — while one physicist waited nearby with an axe, ready to cut a rope and drop an emergency rod if the reaction ran out of control
The architect of the atomic age had no emergency button, no computer failsafe—just a physicist with an axe and steady nerves standing between Chicago and catastrophe.
Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees to be revealed
Stay tuned throughout the day as we bring you all the latest news and reaction as the 2026 Ballon d'Or nominees are revealed.2026-09-08T09:04:51ZWe're starting off with the nominees for Women's Club o...
Six Real Madrid absences put Mourinho’s options under pressure
Real Madrid will be without Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Bernardo Silva for Tuesday’s Champions League league-phase opener against Inter Milan, with all three ruled out through suspension, acc...
Lecxe Consulting Debuts to Help Indian Businesses Turn AI into Business Outcomes
Lecxe Consulting is an AI consulting and implementation company helping Indian businesses build custom AI powered business systems. Since inception, Lecxe has helped clients reduce costs up to 80% every month through AI-powered business systems, while simplifying the way organisations operate.
Chinese Ship Takes Arctic Shortcut: Smart Business? Or a Political Flex?
Melting ice is opening a trade route through the Arctic. China has begun the first regular service, part of its polar ambitions.
Chinese Ship Takes Arctic Shortcut: Smart Business? Or a Political Flex?
Melting ice is opening a trade route through the Arctic. China has begun the first regular service, part of its polar ambitions.
Health experts, lawmakers push for Pa. kratom regulation; proponents warn they'll fight a ban
In Pennsylvania, kratom and more potent, related products remain legal. There are multiple bills moving through the statehouse that would ban or regulate them. But researchers warn there’s still a lot we don’t know.
FIBS publishes Finland country report on business perspectives on the climate transition
Helsinki, Finland, August 2026: WBCSD Global Network partner FIBS (Finnish Business & Society) has published the Finland edition of the Business Breakthrough Barometer 2026, providing insights into how medium-sized and large companies in Finland view the climate transition compared with businesses globally. The report is based on responses from 49 companies operating in Finland and
Teladoc Health (TDOC) Could Be 58% Undervalued As A New CFO Takes Over
Why Teladoc Health Brought In A New CFO Teladoc Health (TDOC) has appointed Michael Grasher as Chief Financial Officer, effective 31 August 2026, giving investors a fresh focal point for assessing the company’s financial leadership and capital allocation plans. The Teladoc Health share price has eased in the past day and is down about 11% over the past month, while the 1 year total shareholder return has fallen roughly 19% and the 5 year total shareholder return has declined about 95%, so...
Galaxy S25 gets four new features with the new One UI 9 beta update
Today, Samsung released the second One UI 9.0 beta update for the Galaxy S25 series. Besides bug fixes and stability improvements, the update has brought four n
Why the Buffalo Bills are Sporting News' pick to win Super Bowl 61
Sporting News' latest annual Super Bowl prediction says the Bills will win their first ring post-NFL merger after breaking through to end their 33-season AFC championship drought.
Scientists sent a robot two miles below California and found a bigfin squid; it was the first live Northeast Pacific sighting
Two miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, in a world of near total darkness and crushing pressure, a remotely operated vehicle glided silently through the water. Its cameras were scanning the deep for the strange and the seldom-seen when something extraordinary appeared on its screen.
Jays Lose To A’s
Blue Jays 5 A’s 6 I wanted to title this ‘Bad Pitching, Defense and Hitting Leads to a Loss’ but that’s too many words. A bad moment on defense, in the first inning, turned out to be very costly. Dylan Cease was having a rough time in the first. A walk to Henry Bolte, who […]
Anthropic drops plans to acquire Israeli AI startup Decart
The companies had discussed a transaction worth roughly $6 billion, but the Claude maker ultimately decided against buying the company after reviewing its business and technology.
Nepal endured months of political upheaval. Devastating floods are now testing its new government
NEW DELHI (AP) — The flash floods two weeks ago swallowed settlements and swept away roads and bridges in Nepal's mountains and river valleys. Roughly 7,500 homes were destroyed, another 20,000 need rebuilding and at least 12 hydropower projects were damaged. The damage estimate so far of $2.56 b...
Nepal endured months of political upheaval. Devastating floods are now testing its new government
NEW DELHI (AP) — The flash floods two weeks ago swallowed settlements and swept away roads and bridges in Nepal’s mountains and river valleys. Roughly 7,500 homes were destroyed, another 20,0…
Adventist Health Launches Epic System with Expanded AI Integration
ROSEVILLE, CA — Adventist Health has announced that they have completed the largest technology implementation in its history, connecting all 27 hospitals and more than 440 clinics across California, Oregon, and Hawaii through a single electronic health record system. The health system went live with Epic on August 30, marking what Adventist Health describes as […]
Browns Eye QB Addition Amid Shedeur Sanders News
The Cleveland Browns brought in another quarterback for a workout as Shedeur Sanders faces fresh uncertainty ahead of the season opener. The post Browns Eye QB Addition Amid Shedeur Sanders News appeared first on HEAVY.
Acton attack suspect not registered with political party, voted in 2016 GOP primary
Amy Acton was eating a sandwich, taking pictures and talking with people at the Canfield Fair when Tra Eley says she stopped at his food truck Sunday.For roughl
Leading Public Health Through Uncertainty: Insights from the PH WINS Pulse Check
State and local public health workers report growing strain amid recent sociopolitical changes that affect their day-to-day. At de Beaumont’s recent webinar, speakers shared and discussed data from the PH WINS Pulse Check, a 2026 survey designed to gather the perspectives of individual public health workers, including how workforce conditions have shifted since the Public […]
Politics on parade: Candidates join Buena Vista Labor Day celebration
With the midterm elections fast approaching, the annual Labor Day Parade brought candidates for the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives to Buena Vista on Monday.
The war on Iran’s energy infrastructure creates rising political risk
When Israel targeted Tehran’s oil storage facilities in the initial days of the war launched on Feb. 28, black smoke blanketed the capital and plunged parts of the city into darkness. Roughly ten days later, strikes hit natural gas facilities at the giant South Pars field, key oil refineries, major steel plants, and petrochemical complexes, impacting thousands of workers. These attacks on vital energy and industrial assets revealed a critical dimension of the conflict: compounding an already acute domestic energy...
Mental Health Minute: Bonding with your children through social media
Setting screen-time limits with your kids can be a tall task, but parents are finding ways to bond with their teens using social media.
Giants release their longest-tenured player, wide receiver Darius Slayton
The New York Giants released wide receiver Darius Slayton on Monday, moving on from the organization’s longest-tenured player in a transaction roughly a week before the season opener. Slayton was a fifth-round pick in 2019. Coming off core muscle surgery that slowed him during training camp, the 29-year-old had been relegated to second- and third-string duties during training camp.
North Portland businesses brace for I-5 Rose Quarter closure starting Sept. 11
Portland small business owners along North Williams Avenue are preparing for the Interstate 5 southbound closure through the Rose Quarter.
Ohio Democrat Amy Acton reflects on a ‘rough day’ as witnesses recall ‘frightening’ confrontation
The Democratic nominee for governor in Ohio was back on the campaign trail Monday, a day after law enforcement officials said an armed man charged toward her at a public event.
Will this be year Dolphins get good guard play? And personnel chatter
Dolphins hoping for breakthrough at guard. And news and notes.
Bills' Greg Rousseau Predicted To Have Career Year In 2026
Greg Rousseau has never reached double-digit sacks, but I think 2026 will finally be the year he breaks through for the Buffalo Bills.
Mets Beat Marlins 9-4 as Eury Pérez Struggles Again
New York’s offense rallies after Miami’s four-run second inning, while Pérez gets roughed up for the third straight start.
The AfD Is Rising. Germany’s Political Center Is Failing.
"The Alternative for Germany built its nationwide constituency through relentless opposition to immigration, nativist appeal, and efforts to relativize Germany’s Nazi past," write Sudha David Wilp and Jackson Janes.