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Republican National Committee announces lottery for midterm convention tickets
Organizers expect 20,000 attendees at the event.
Packers coaches talk injuries, preseason opener
Anthony Campbell and Darian Kinnard did not suffer long-term injuries on Thursday night
President Trump Takes Credit for Steep Crime Rate Declines
Violent crime rates, including murder, have dropped precipitously. The trend began before the president’s current term.
'Yesteryear' and the tradwife trend hold a message
It turns out keeping chickens and growing vegetables don’t just drive social-media clicks: They’re also habits associated with better long-term health.
Google Opens the Gates of AI Slop Hell
A new Gemini update will let AI slop artists skip cropping out a visible watermark.
DeSantis says he doesn’t support Republican Rep. Cory Mills in Tuesday’s primary
The congressman is running for a third term under a cloud of controversy.
Google Will Now Allow Users To Remove Visible Watermarks From AI Content
The invisible SynthID will remain.
Google now lets you remove the watermark from Gemini's creations
Google has introduced a new setting in Gemini that allows the user to remove visible watermarks from media.
Trump’s Kennedy Center and ballroom fixations are political malpractice for the GOP
Republicans are facing a potentially ugly 2026 midterm election in less than three months. And nobody seems to be able — or perhaps even cares to try — to prevail upon President Donald Trump to mitigate the damage.
You can now turn off Google Gemini’s visible watermarks
A new “Media watermark” setting is coming to Gemini and Flow.
'The consortium shared our long-term philosophy'
"Liverpool has always been built by thinking beyond one season," Fenway Sports Group (FSG) president Mike Gordon has said after agreeing to sell around a third of the club to a consortium including billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. In a statement, FSG confirmed it had "entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of a minority equity stake in Liverpool FC to 1892 Holdings".
Google will now allow users to remove visible watermark from its AI generations
Turning off this setting won't affect invisible benchmarks used to identify an AI generated file
Trump visiting Long Island to boost Bruce Blakeman’s gubernatorial run with speech on crime
Trump is also hoping to bolster GOP chances of holding onto the House of Representatives in the fall midterm elections, although analysts say he could weigh down candidates in suburbs where he is deeply unpopular.
Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief
Abdul El-Sayed announced that he had been endorsed by the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus in his run for U.S. Senate, alongside the entire Michigan Democratic slate for the 2026 midterm elections. El-Sayed was also endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. The Michigan Education Association has recommended Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s Democratic candidacy for […]
Collins vows to push for ICE reforms
In recent weeks, Democrats and Democrat-aligned groups have been critical of Collins, a Republican running for her sixth term, for supporting increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gemini app gets 3.7 Flash & setting to turn off corner media watermarks
When Gemini 3.7 Flash launched yesterday morning, Google said it was just powering the Spark agent in the Gemini app. The updated model...
Choose The Right Platform To Expand Your Real Estate Brokerage Business
Learn how to choose the right commercial real estate brokerage platform to expand your business, serve clients and support long-term growth.
World Humanitarian Day 2026: honouring fallen humanitarians and calling for greater protection of health care
As we mark World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, WHO pays tribute to humanitarian and health workers who put their duty of care above their own safety and, too often, their own lives as they serve communities affected by conflict and crises.World Humanitarian Day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to commemorate the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad and honour aid workers worldwide.
5 Core Principles To Master Before You Sell Your Business
Learn the five core principles that determine whether your business is truly sellable, from owner independence to knowing your real valuation number.
Here’s what that big hospital at the old Sears site in SLC would look like
New renderings of the planned Intermountain Health hospital at the old Sears site in Salt Lake City are here. What do you think of them?
Flutter Entertainment’s Q2 Earnings Call: Our Top 5 Analyst Questions
Flutter Entertainment’s second quarter results were met with a significant negative market reaction, reflecting investor concerns about profitability despite solid revenue growth. Management pointed to deliberate investments in the U.S. business—especially increased customer promotions and the rollout of an expanded loyalty program—as factors that weighed on near-term earnings. CEO Peter Jackson acknowledged, “We recognize that this weighs on near-term earnings, but we're convinced it's the righ
Prediction markets are turning politics into a game, says Frank Luntz
Frank Luntz, FIL Inc. pollster and political strategist, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the 2026 midterm elections, takeaways from primary elections, when polls miss the mark, future of the Democratic Party, and more.
Donald Trump to give speech on crime and safety during New York visit
President visiting police academy in Long Island as he looks to boost Republicans in battleground races ahead of November midterms
Health advocacy group sues AMA to make billing codes public
PatientRightsAdvocate.org is challenging the doctor’s association’s copyright of the current procedural terminology, or CPT, system. Use of the codes is required by law, and that means they should be freely available, per the suit.
What American Jews want from the midterms
Though a small electorate, Jewish voters are being pushed to the center of political debates this midterm cycle.
US long-term borrowing costs hit 25-year high, as inflation fears hit bond sale
Rolling coverage of the latest and economic news, as US sells 30-year bonds at highest borrowing costs since 2001
Llewellyn King: 'New weather' will define life, politics (Opinion)
I have never done political consulting. So it was novel to me when a candidate in the midterms asked me what he should be worried about in 2027. I repeated
Could Trump actually run for a third term as president?
Fort Smith water leak repairs up almost 57% in July
The number of water leaks the city of Fort Smith repaired in July rose 56.6% compared with June leak repairs, but the number of active leaks rose to 45 at...
Scientists Overfed a Tiny Worm… And It Started Growing a Chain of Clones
This gives new meaning to the term 'food baby'.
As John Whitmire turns 77, the ‘spry’ and ‘vigorous’ Houston mayor wants to stay in office into his 80s
After 50 years in the Texas Legislature and nearly three at City Hall, Whitmire says he will seek a second term as mayor.
BREAKING: Netflix to shut down two more game studios
Netflix is sticking with video games but once again reducing the number of studios it owns making games. The streaming giant is closing Los Angeles-based Night School studio, which it acquired in 2021 and plans to close Helsinki-based Moonloot, which was founded in 2022. Just six weeks ago, Night School had released Unhinged, a novel 30-minute first-person horror game, streamable on TVs to Netflix users. The game was hailed by Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters in a call with investors. Six weeks later, Night School is closing. Prior to its Netflix tenure, Night School had developed the award-winning supernatural thriller Oxenfree. A second Oxenfree game followed after the purchase, as well as a mobile game designed to tie in to an episode of the Netflix show Black Mirror. Netflix attributed the studio closures to a prioritization around kids gaming, party games, story-driven fare and games with mainstream hooks, such as a recently released FIFA game. “We see an opportunity to be more focused in our execution, so we are making organizational changes to the business to match those priorities,” a Netflix spokesperson told Game File. Netflix is also cutting jobs from its internal games team. A rep declined to say how many jobs were being lost by these cutbacks. “We are incredibly grateful to the talented colleagues we’re saying goodbye to today. We thank them for all their contributions to Netflix, and wish them the best,” the rep said. Netflix started releasing video games, initially on mobile as a free bonus to subscribers, in 2021. By 2023, Mike Verdu, then the head of Netflix’s game operations, was telling me that the company was committed to growing carefully, as it offered more games and built up internal game studios. At the time, it hadn’t made any gaming job cuts. Since then, Netflix has altered its approach. In 2024, it shut down Team Blue, a start-up studio led by ex-Call of Duty and Halo developers that was exploring making a high-end first-person game for the service. Last October, Netflix shut down another studio, Boss Fight, shortly after Peters praised the team’s Squid Game game to investors. (One of Boss Fight’s main developers now works on the Netflix FIFA game for outside studio Delphi.) And in December, Netflix sold cozy game studio Spry Fox back to its founders. Amid all of this, Netflix has shifted from emphasizing mobile games to offering games through TVs and PCs, via streamed connections, with phones used as controllers. That’s how Night School’s Unhinged worked, along with games such as Boggle and Party Crashers that have collectively helped the Netflix game controller app chart well on mobile app stores. The studio cuts leave Netflix with a central gaming team that works with external developers, and a dedicated first party studio in, Helsinki-based Next Games, which produced many of the company’s couch-centric party games. The move away from having a roster of internal game studios aligns with Netflix’s own approach to shows and movies, which are largely produced externally. The company owns few TV/film production studios of its own. The gaming industry overall is seeing large holders of multiple studios cut back, with Sony, Ubisoft, Embracer, Microsoft and other giants closing or selling off studios. Cuts in California-based studios, where costs often run relatively high, have been particularly acute. Netflix has faced skepticism about its gaming plans for years. The moves today are likely to fuel them, and the company has few upcoming projects to counter the narrative. Among the few hinted, acclaimed independent studio Don’t Nod said last year it was working on a game tied to a major Netflix franchise.
Proposed data center at Battey Business Complex terminated
A proposed data center at the Battey Business Complex on North Division Street is dead according to Rome-Floyd County Development Authority Board Chair Jimmy Byars after Atlas Development ended it's
UF Health doctor, professor facing child porn charges found dead in jail
A UF Health doctor charged in July with child porn possession was found dead at the Alachua County Jail on Aug. 13. Cause of death not yet determined.
Jennifer Aniston’s Surprising Response to Brad Pitt Breaking His Sobriety Finally Revealed: ‘What Happened to Jen Was Painful’
Are they on good terms?
McMahon retains counsel in legal fight over term limits
The Onondaga County executive obtained legal representation in the board of elections battle.
Dick Cheney cardiologist: Trump ‘has not looked well’
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former Vice President Cheney’s cardiologist, on Wednesday wrote that President Trump “has not looked well” during his second term. Reiner, who is also a profe…
The Science Behind Equine Separation Anxiety
Changes in management and education can transform how horses experience short-term separation.
Intermountain Health Brings Perimeter's Claire™ to the Operating Room, a Landmark in Breast Cancer Surgery Using AI
/PRNewswire/ -- Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. ("Perimeter" or the "Company") (TSXV: PINK) (OTCQX: PYNKF), a commercial-stage medical technology company,...
Why Trust, Not Tech, Will Determine AI Adoption In Business Travel
Trust will drive AI adoption. In this interview AMEX GBT exec talks about how trust impacts usage.
Questions over Karoline Leavitt’s replacement as she steps down as White House press secretary
Leavitt’s departure three months before midterms raises questions over who will communicate Trump’s messages as his approval rating falls to record low, says YouGov polling
How money actually works in American elections
The midterms are flooded with cash, but donors don’t always get what they want. A political scientist explains where the money matters most.
Jayden Daniels Takes Legal Action Against Louisiana State
The Louisiana State Tigers are one of the most successful football programs in the nation.LSU is one of few other programs that have yielded multiple Heisman Trophy victors. Unfortunately, it appears as if they find themselves on less-than-ideal terms with one of the winners.ESPN obtained a copy of a letter sent by Jayden Daniels‘ legal […] The post Jayden Daniels Takes Legal Action Against Louisiana State appeared first on HEAVY.
Xdinary Heroes' Gunil leaves band and JYP Entertainment after fan insult allegations
The drummer is terminating his contract with JYP Entertainment over the controversy, with the band set to continue as a quintet.
PENN Entertainment (PENN) Stock Looks Cheap On Sales While Online Risks Linger
PENN Entertainment has put long term shareholders through a rough ride, with the share price down about 71% over the past 5 years, yet the stock now screens as cheap on several valuation checks. Recent news around stronger physical casino performance and increased iGaming investment has refocused attention on whether the current price reflects the company’s mix of mature retail assets and a more competitive online business. The roughly 71% share price decline over 5 years leaves PENN...
Arkansas earns 'F’ for preterm births and maternal, infant mortality as OB units close
Fear as Policy: The Growing Mental Health Toll of Mass Deportation Policies
Immigration policies have created a climate of uncertainty that affects daily life and carries long-term mental health consequences.
Neil Perry Claims He Was ‘Terminated’ From the Band Perry
"I believe it’s fair to correct a false narrative, especially after asking to not be misrepresented," Neil Perry tells Rolling Stone, after a series of Instagram posts addressing comments his sister m...
Intermountain Health Names Veteran Leader as New Peaks Region President
Intermountain Health has selected Scott Peek as the new region president to oversee business and clinical operations across the enterprise’s markets in Colorado, Montana, Eastern Wyoming, and New Mexico, known as the Peaks Region. Most recently Peek has served as the operational lead for the region and as the market president for the Colorado ...
Braves Acquire Blue Jays Castoff Infielder Shortly After Cut
The Atlanta Braves continue to search for long-term infield options and have now turned to a former Toronto Blue Jays option.
Small Business Spotlight: Specialty dental practice takes root on Market St.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN BLUE HERON ROOT CANAL SPECIALISTS? OWNER SARAH ERMOSHKIN: “I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. When I was 23 years old, I owned a cafe in Seattle, where I even fought to oppose oppressive sales taxes on espresso drinks. After selling that business, I got married and started a family. Once my children were in school, I attended dental school through the Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which covered my tuition and provided a stipend. From the beginning, my goal was to eventually own my own practice after completing my military service. The work I do is incredibly rewarding and being able to create an environment that puts patients first while helping employees grow professionally makes every day as a business owner meaningful.” WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDE? ERMOSHKIN: “Endodontists are often called ‘pain doctors’ because our primary mission is to relieve pain and save natural teeth. We specialize in root canal therapy, retreatment of nonhealing root canals, treatment of root resorption, apicoectomies – microsurgical root-end procedures – and vital pulp therapy for children. Our goal is to preserve teeth that might otherwise need to be extracted and replaced with implants. Saving a patient’s natural tooth is almost always the best long-term solution for their oral health.” HOW DOES YOUR MILITARY TRAINING HELP YOUR BUSINESS? ERMOSHKIN: “My military service taught me how to lead, collaborate and make decisions under pressure. I worked closely with senior leadership while treating a large patient population and collaborating with specialists across multiple disciplines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, (I) served a dual role as Navy dentist and as the public affairs officer for Naval Health Clinic Annapolis, where I helped develop medical and dental communications for the midshipmen and support staff, while coordinating with the broader Navy Capital Region. We worked closely with other military treatment facilities to share best practices and deliver consistent public health messaging. Those leadership experiences continue to shape how I lead my team and serve our patients today.” WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING RIGHT NOW IN YOUR BUSINESS? ERMOSHKIN: “One of our biggest challenges is overcoming the misinformation surrounding root canal treatment. Root canals are safe, effective and often the best way to relieve pain while preserving a natural tooth. Unfortunately, many people choose extraction because they believe it’s less expensive or because they’ve seen misleading information online. What they may not realize is that losing a tooth can lead to shifting teeth, changes in the way they bite and chew and significantly higher costs to restore their smile later.”
Trump brushes off reporter question about running for third term in 2028: 'The law is very strong'
President Donald Trump told reporters "the law is very strong" on a third term but has previously outlined a JD Vance route scholars reject.
Why is climate action “easier said than done”? The key lies in the strong coupling between climate and society
A new Perspective in Science Bulletin argues that the persistent gap between climate science and climate action stems from a conceptual blind spot: treating climate and social systems as separate domains rather than as one integrated, co-evolving entity. The authors introduce the Climate-Social Coupling System (CSS) paradigm and, by re-contextualizing the classic Environmental Kuznets Curve, sort national trajectories into “strong,” “weak,” and “de-coupling” states, showing that governance is the decisive, reversible steering mechanism that determines a country’s climate future.
Four takeaways from Tuesday's primaries in six states
Voters in half a dozen states went to the polls Tuesday, and results highlight the ongoing conflicts within both parties ahead of the November midterms.
Pritt Investment Partners Introduces a Long-Term Investment Philosophy Centered on Viable Businesses Rather Than Unicorns
RESTON, Va., Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For decades, much of the venture capital industry has focused on finding the next billion-dollar ...
Veteran Malaysian MP quits Anwar’s party over ‘toxic politics’
Wong Chen, a three-term MP who had spent nearly 20 years in PKR, says he is joining Rafizi Ramli’s Bersama to ‘defend democracy’.
Hollywood goes quiet as stars rethink speaking out on politics
As the midterm elections are heating up, more and more Hollywood stars say they’re putting a freeze on speaking out about politics, perhaps feeling burned by the 2024 White House race. …
Van Orden to face Cooke again in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District race
Van Orden, who is seeking a third term representing western and central Wisconsin, narrowly defeated Cooke by about 11,000 votes in 2024.
14-term Rep. John Larson ousted by challenger in Connecticut Democratic primary, CBS News projects
Amy Klobuchar Wins Minnesota’s Democratic Primary for Governor
The fourth-term U.S. senator jolted Minnesota politics early this year by mounting a bid to succeed Gov. Tim Walz.
Senator Darline Graham advances to runoff in South Carolina Republican primary
Lindsey Graham’s sister, appointed to replace him, is seeking full term in special Senate primary
Artificial intelligence gets smarter in the lead-up to midterms
AI-generated images aren’t the only way artificial intelligence is influencing our elections and public opinion.
Trump officials tout Medicaid financing changes ahead of midterms
Republican-sponsored changes in Medicaid will lower hospital prices and Americans’ health insurance premiums, the White House contends in a new report.
Myles Lewis-Skelly transfer news: Chelsea and Man Utd turn down intermediary offer to sign Arsenal teenager
Latest transfer news and headlines as Newcastle are exploring a move for Benfica right-back Amar Dedic; Aston Villa have reached a verbal agreement to sign Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid; Kyle Walker is a target for Everton; Paul Pogba is set to leave Monaco
Trump’s ICE crackdown returns to the spotlight as the midterms loom: From the Politics Desk
Plus, what to watch for in tonight’s primaries.
Small business optimism rebounds in July, led by stronger hiring plans
NFIB said small business optimism rose above its long-term average in July, driven by stronger hiring and investment plans, though uncertainty remained elevated.
Trump declines to rule out declaring a national security emergency to control the 2026 election
President Donald Trump in a new interview declined to rule out declaring a national security emergency as a means to try to assert more control over the 2026 midterm elections.
Live Results: Connecticut midterm primaries
Two veteran Democratic incumbents in Connecticut face strong challenges in a state primary on Tuesday.
Ari Emanuel's events business will acquire theater owner ATG Entertainment
Mari, an events and experiences business founded by Ari Emanuel, plans to acquire ATG Entertainment, the owner of theater venues in areas including London's West End. The financial terms were not disc...
Ari Emanuel's events business will acquire theater owner ATG Entertainment
Mari, an events and experiences business founded by Ari Emanuel, plans to acquire ATG Entertainment, the owner of theater venues in areas including London's West End. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Ari Emanuel's events business will acquire theater owner ATG Entertainment
Mari, an events and experiences business founded by Ari Emanuel, plans to acquire ATG Entertainment, the owner of theater venues in areas including London's West End. The financial terms were not disc...
Ari Emanuel's events business will acquire theater owner ATG Entertainment
Mari, an events and experiences business founded by Ari Emanuel, plans to acquire ATG Entertainment, the owner of theater venues in areas including London's West End. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Live Results: Vermont midterm primaries
Vermont Democrats will try on Tuesday to do something they’ve been unable to do in five previous attempts: nominate a gubernatorial candidate who can beat the Republican governor.
Trump cheers Alito staying for another Supreme Court term: 'One of the greatest of all time'
President Donald Trump praised Associate Justice Samuel Alito's decision to stay on the U.S. Supreme Court in a social media post on Truth Social.
University of Michigan Will Ease Up on Grades for Student Mental Health
The university will make first-semester grades pass or fail, to encourage students to explore different classes and lessen fears that “a low grade may have long-term consequences.”
Live Results: Alabama midterm U.S. House primaries after redistricting
Voters in four of Alabama’s seven congressional districts will select U.S. House nominees Tuesday under a new map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts currently represented by Democrats.
Build Your Business at Florida Realtors® 2026 Convention & Trade Expo
Business-building ideas, new technology, networking and strategies for creating long-term financial security take center stage at the Florida Realtors® 2026 Convention & Trade Expo, Aug. 19-20, 2026, at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.
Live Results: Minnesota midterm primaries
Minnesota Democrats will decide a competitive U.S. Senate primary Tuesday in another face-off between moderate and progressive candidates that could define the party’s identity heading into the midterm elections.
Live Results: Wisconsin midterm primaries
Wisconsin voters will decide another high-profile clash between the party’s establishment and progressive wings in a gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.
Why Family Businesses Lose Control
Family businesses often fail to prepare the next generation for their most important role—not as executives, but as owners. As a result, families can gradually lose the ability to direct the enterprise, not because of a single crisis but because ownership capability erodes across generations through predictable governance and succession mistakes. To preserve long-term control, family businesses must deliberately develop owners who can exercise sound judgment, govern effectively, and hold management accountable.
Watermelons and politics collide in Hope, Arkansas festival
The southwest Arkansas town of Hope is known for growing two things: governors and watermelons.
Video: How We’re Covering an ‘Identity Crisis’ in Politics
Recent primary wins have posed critical questions for both Republicans and Democrats as they head into the fall midterms. Carolyn Ryan, managing editor of The New York Times, shares how reporters approach coverage of shifting political dynamics.
Democratic rebellion against older politicians reaches new battleground
Former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 47, is challenging Rep. John Larson, who is 78 and running for his fifteenth term representing Connecticut's first district.
East Bay congressional race to replace Eric Swalwell heats up between Aisha Wahab, Melissa Hernandez
Voters in the East Bay have about a week to decide who will fill the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's congressional term in a special election that has become an expensive and increasingly contentious contest between two Democrats. BART Board President Melissa Hernandez and state Sen. Aisha Wahab are facing off in the race.
The Emotional Story Behind Connor Swindells’ Determination to Succeed
Shaped by personal loss and resilience, Connor Swindells transformed heartbreak into motivation, pursuing his ambitions with determination while honoring the family members who inspired him to take ch...
Anthropic rolled out a fix that stops undetected AI-generated writing
Anthropic said new Claude models will embed an "imperceptible watermark" directly into AI-generated text.
Political campaigns hock merchandise at Colorado’s goths, gays and gun owners
Mid-term candidates get creative in campaign apparel.
Trump-backed candidates amplify election fraud claims ahead of Midterms
DOGE said it saved $1.7 billion by terminating a military health IT contract. GAO found the contract was never terminated.
DOGE reported $1.76 billion in savings from terminating a contract, but GAO found that the contract was never terminated and no funds were deobligated.
Ben Jones, 'Dukes of Hazzard' actor and 2-term U.S. House member, dies at 84
Jones had a heart attack in his home Sunday in Washington, Virginia, his wife said
Saber's newest game trailer takes a shot at Gearbox's CEO, if you look closely
The first hint that something might be up with the recent debut trailer for Saber Interactive’s Rideshare Stimulator is an unusual choice of words—aside from that second one in the game’s title. “Don’t take your passengers too seriously,” the trailer’s narrator says, as he describes this upcoming game. It a car game about the gig work of driving eccentric people to their destinations, a riff on Crazy Taxi. And then, he says: “When I think I’ve met the randiest of passengers, someone even stranger gets in.” “Randiest”? That suggests “randy,” which usually means having strong sexual desire. Yet none of the oddball backseat occupants featured in the trailer seem particularly lustful. One is an old man who considers his grandson a failure, another shares the theory that birds might control traffic lights, another says he’s banned from an aquarium. A little later, there’s a license plate, shown 63 seconds into the trailer, on the front of an SUV: USB DRV It’s a Texas plate. The symbol between those letters is a cog wheel. If you know, you know. That’s a reference to Texas-based Borderlands game development studio Gearbox Software (their logo features a cog wheel). More specifically, it’s a reference to Gearbox’s CEO Randy Pitchford, who in 2018 found himself explaining the nature of video he’d saved on a USB drive that was found at a Medieval Times restaurant before being returned to the studio: “It was ‘barely legal’ porn. This girl’s handle was ‘Only 18.’” The “girl” in the video had committed a solo sex act that Pitchford, an avid practitioner of magic, found remarkable. “I realized, this is not a sex worker…This is a fucking magician.” Back then, the USB drive was central to competing lawsuits against Gearbox by the studio’s former lawyer and by Gearbox against him. A settlement in late 2019 “exonerated” Pitchford, per the Hollywood Reporter. The USB story has resurfaced at times, now in a trailer from a company that not long ago was corporate brethren with Gearbox. Saber vs. Gearbox The head of Saber told Game File that the reference is payback. “The dig is because Randy took shots at Embracer in Borderlands 4,” Saber CEO Matt Karch told me when I asked him about the license plate. “Without Embracer, Randy is performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living.” Having interviewed Karch during a cross-country flight in late 2024, I can confirm that Karch was unimpressed with Pitchford during their time both working in the Embracer group. I’d approached him not out of surprise that there was animosity but that it was manifesting publicly now. Gearbox was founded in 1999, worked on a port of Halo early on, and developed hit series such as the loot-based sci-fi shooter Borderlands before it was purchased by The Embracer Group in early 2021 for $363 million (with a possible earn-out of over $1 billion, if certain targets were hit by 2027). Saber was founded in 2001, worked on a remaster of Halo early on, had a big hit with zombie shooter World War Z and was purchased by Embracer in early 2020 for $150 million, with a potential earn-out of up to $375 million. For a few years, the Embracer group was a voracious acquirer of game studios. Then, as investment dried up, it choked. In March 2024, Embracer sold Saber to an investment company controlled by Saber CEO Matt Karch, and it sold Gearbox in an all-stock deal to long-time Borderlands publisher Take Two Interactive. Other studios were shut down. Hundreds of developers were laid off. Gearbox didn’t say much about their Embracer experience, nothing too direct, at least. In the summer 2024, Pitchford told reporter and occasional Game File contributor Nicole Carpenter that Borderlands 4’s story was in some way thematically connected to Gearbox’s experience at Embracer: “There’s this cultural and emotional shift in me, personally, and at the studio. What does it mean to trade some autonomy for organization?” When Borderlands 4 came out, there was something stranger: the matter of “Embracer’s Bluff,” a location in the game featuring an AI-powered toilet and a large trash dump, according to a detailed Kotaku account of the place. Gearbox never commented on it; Take Two never got back to me about it when I asked them last year. By contrast, since Saber exited Embracer, Karch has been one of Embracer’s biggest defenders, casting their management as well-meaning and supportive despite the layoffs and studio closures that resulted from their excessive expansion. Like others, Saber’s Karch saw Embracer’s as a shot. With Rideshare Stimulator’s trailer, he’s returned fire. “It’s amazing to me how fast people forget those who went above and beyond for them,” Karch told Game File. A rep for Gearbox did not comment by press time. Game File is a reader-supported publication. Your backing makes my reporting—including any coverage of trailer-based beefs—possible. Good news! I’m currently running Game File’s first big sale of 2026. You can get a one-year subscription for 23% off. Click here to take advantage of the limited-time offer. And thank you for your support! Item 2: In brief… 🚫 Wal-Mart has laid off the staff of Restart, a games media outlet launched in 2024, Aftermath reports. 🟥 A GTA VI preview is on the way, at last, via an “extended look” that will premiere, unusually, on Netflix at 3pm ET on August 27, then officially go live elsewhere six hours later. Last week, Game File noted that Take Two label Rockstar Games is overdue for showing off GTA VI, based on the timing of the initial hands-off previews of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. During a call with investors, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said pre-orders for GTA VI were “unprecedented and astonishing,” but added the company can’t predict how many of those pre-orders represent bonus sales vs. sales that otherwise would have been made at launch. During the same call, Zelnick was noticeably bullish on the future of playing games over streaming cloud connections (predicting wider adoption in three or so years). He sounded unbothered by Sony’s plans to stop making discs for new games (he said the business is 90% digital already and predicted that there could still be limited edition physical editions of games “in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business.”) 👀 Take Two wrote off $43 million in their spring quarter after deciding “not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third-party developer.” 🤔 Some rare age-demographics from a big publisher: Capcom recently told investors that “users in their 20s account for approximately half of the users of both Pragamata and Resident Evil Requiem.” Item 3: The week ahead Tuesday, August 11 Game releases: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Switch 2; already out for PC, PS5, Xbox) continues the Bethesda strategy of putting Elder Scrolls games on everything; Royalty Free-For-All is a Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring public domain characters such as Mother Goose brawling with Oliver Twist in a stage based on the original Little Shop of Horrors movie. Wednesday, August 12 Game release: Pro Jank Footy (PC, console) is an arcade-style Australian Rules Football game with increasingly ridiculous rules, the more you play (I enjoyed the Steam demo) Thursday, August 13 Game release: Super Mario Sunshine (Switch 2, originally released in 2002 on the GameCube) is released for Switch 2’s Nintendo Switch Online service. This game is the black sheep of 3D Mario games. It’s the successor to the breakthrough Super Mario 64 and the rare Mario game built around a single (vacation resort) theme. Mario’s got a water-spraying backpack, a Yoshi pal and a lot of blue coins to collect.
Darline Graham’s Riding With Trump—But Political Views Beyond That Still Unclear As Primary Looms
Trump endorsed Darline Graham to replace her brother for a full term.
Bullard, Stagner reappointed as judges to Texas Business Court in Fort Worth
Governor Greg Abbott today reappointed all ten judges of the Texas Business Court Divisions to new two-year terms beginning Sept. 1, 2026. “Businesses
CeeDee Lamb is practically begging Jerry Jones to pay George Pickens: Can Cowboys afford another $40M WR?
Lamb is urging the team to "figure it out" to keep Pickens long term, and Jones seems open to the idea
NIL bill advocates see goal line in sight after recess
After 16 wild hours that ended with a bipartisan college sports bill being punted in the middle of the night, President Donald Trump’s involvement was not enough to trigger votes on legislation he would like to add to his midterms and legacy sales pitches. As senators and senior aides bickered and postured all day and […]
Communities Deserve Access to Inclusive and Climate-Conscious Doula Care
Doula care can drastically improve the quality of care and birth experience for pregnant people facing the climate crisis’s increasing incidences of hurricanes, flooding, and extreme heat. The changing climate directly affects pregnancy health through discrete environmental disasters (such as wildfires, extreme heat, hurricanes, flooding, and droughts) and indirectly through long-term changes in the natural and social environment (such as air quality and forced migration). Environmental disasters can cause psychological distress for pregnant and post-pregnant people due to financial and personal loss, as well as the disruption of infrastructure that they rely on such as housing, health care, work, communication, and transportation. Potential adverse pregnancy outcomes include low birthweight, preterm birth, miscarriage, and neonatal mortality.
Reappointment of Senior Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences John Mazziotta - UCLA Office of the Chancellor
Chancellor Julio Frenk shared this message with faculty and staff. Dear Colleagues: I am pleased to announce that John Mazziotta, M.D., Ph.D., has been reappointed for a five-year term and will now serve as senior vice chancellor of UCLA Health...