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Pokémon GO Developer Niantic Changes Its Name And Logo
Scopely Explore "reflects a mission"
Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 3
Apple is continuing to refine iOS 27 ahead of its planned September launch, and the third beta includes several new features. Siri is more customizable, there's a fun new wallpaper action, and some useful improvements to Photos and Shortcuts. Siri Voice Beta 3 adds support for Siri voice customization on compatible devices. The customization option existed in prior betas, but it was not active.
VFW defends First Amendment rights amid blowback over political cartoon
Lawmakers and veterans groups are divided on how to pay for a major veterans benefits reform bill.
Graham Platner says he's "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" as sexual assault allegation emerges
A Maine woman told Politico that Graham Platner entered her home in late 2021 and forced himself on her. Platner denies the allegation.
Graham Platner ‘taking time to reflect’ on future of Senate bid
Platner denied the allegations but did not commit to remaining in the Senate race, acknowledging that he was “mindful” of the “political reality” of the story.
Molasky Family Gift Names Lee Business School's Department of Economics and Real Estate
UNLV’s first named academic department honors the Molasky family’s decades-long connection to the university; reflects investment in students, faculty, and region's future.
Trump heads to NATO as tensions simmer with Europe
President Trump's grievances with several European governments over their refusal to join the U.S. war with Iran have cast a pall over the summit.
Opinion | Put Student Learning Before Partisan Politics
If a state refuses to participate, educational resources generated by taxpayers will support students elsewhere.
Historian reflects on 250 years of American democracy, political crisis and reinvention
Historian Heather Cox Richardson sees a current, unparalleled "attempt to dismantle our democracy."
From Michelle Obama To Cardi B, Keke & Brandy & Monica, This Is Your Guide To Celebs At Essence Fest
From Michelle Obama to Cardi B, Keke Palmer, Brandy and Monica, and an Aaliyah Tribute, here's a recap of the celebs who showed up to Essence Fest to inspire, entertain, and celebrate.
White House Blasts Smithsonian History Exhibits For 'Radical' Activism
A new Trump administration report singles out references to 'Hamilton,' drag queens and Mickey Mouse.
Video shows totes of clothes burning outside Upstate business
Firefighters in Duncan, South Carolina, responded to a fire at a business early Saturday morning and found totes of clothes burning on a loading dock.
Indie Dev Says Game Refunded 55,000 Times Via Steam Loophole
Valve's refund policy allows any game that's been played for under two hours to be immediately refunded
Steam Rules Must Change, Developer Says, After Players Praise Bitesize Game But Are Allowed to Refund It Anyway
A Steam game developer has called for the storefront's refund policy to be changed, after players who praised its bitesize game were still able to get their money back.
TSU HOF Class of 2026: Johnny "Ballpark" Franks
Throughout the summer months leading up to the Tennessee State University Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet on Aug. 27, Tennessee State Athletics will highlight the members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. This distinguished group of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors helped shape the proud tradition of Tiger athletics through championship performances, individual achievements and lasting contributions to the university. Their stories reflect the excellence, perseverance and impact that have defined Tennessee State Athletics across generations.
CMS seeks to cut $260M in imaging spending through ‘site-neutral’ reforms
The agency said it hopes to control “unnecessary” increases in the volume of clinic visit services furnished at certain off-campus hospital departments.
A scientist built 200 hotels for bees. Three years later, the guests he found changed what we know about pollinators and biodiversity
Hotels are usually built for travellers, but some are designed for creatures no bigger than your thumb. Scientists and conservationists have spent years creating these miniature refuges for wild bees in the form of small nesting structures fitted with narrow tunnels that mimic the hollow stems and cavities many solitary bee species naturally use to lay their eggs.
Mississippi firefighter suicides bring focus to mental health
Mississippi fire service leaders are raising concerns about first responders' mental health as the state’s suicide rate remains above the national average.
UK tightens rules on overseas political donations to stop ‘dodgy funding’
LONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - Britain tightened its rules on overseas political donations on Monday, as part of efforts to stop foreign money influencing elections, and as concerns swirl around what Housing Minister Steve Reed called "dodgy funding". Las...
Ministers to crack down on political donations as Farage faces calls for second inquiry
Measures to be announced to make funding more transparent amid new revelations about Reform UK leader
FIFA World Cup referee also runs insurance advisory business
Serious offence allegations against match officials are rising globally, underlining why referee cover exists
NYC axes new rule on roll-down gates for businesses – after retailers already spent thousands
City lawmakers rolled back an obscure, decades-old law about storefront roll-down gates ahead of a looming enforcement deadline – but not before some retailers shelled out thousands of dollars in...
Olympic medalist George Stanich still believes in life-changing power of sports
For Stanich, sports became both refuge and runway
Trump's administration won't seek new bids to repair the Reflecting Pool
Like President Donald Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said he was 100% sure that vandals caused the damage to the century-old Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.
A New Report Just Revealed a Widening Gap in Corporate Leadership. It Points to a Massive Opportunity for Startups
Good business is just doing right by people. Customer focus is both a driver of business success and a reflection of morality in action.
Science 4 Everyone: Why do fireflies light up?
How can a bug light up? Storm Team4 meteorologist and science teacher Ryan Miller explains how fireflies can illuminate their bodies.
Trump's admin won't seek new bids to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
That's according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who faced new questions on Sunday about the troubled project and the taxpayer money involved.
Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez on his military service, veterans advocacy, and America 250 celebration
California Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez, one of just a handful of veterans elected to the Legislature, reflected on his military service, his role in founding the Veterans Caucus, and his efforts to organize California’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Health secretary seeks advice over maternity inquiry staff who refused to give evidence
James Murray says he felt "numb" after hearing from families affected by the scandal.
A Digital Twin-Lens Reflex Camera is Long Past Due
Of all the ways that we take photographs, the twin-lens reflex experience has been left by the wayside. Maybe that needs to change.
Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan retiring after 36 years
After 36 years covering the most notable teams, players, and stories in Minnesota sports, Jim Souhan is retiring. The longtime Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist and reporter announced his plans to retire on Saturday in a column titled Reflecting on 36 years of scoops, spats and Minnesota sports history. “Belatedly reflecting on more than 40 years…
Trump, in July 4 speech, says he ‘wasn’t treated that well’ despite American right to equal justice
President Trump on Saturday said in his Fourth of July speech on the National Mall that he “wasn’t treated that well” in a reference to his legal battles and felony conviction as …
How Trump is turning NATO into a cash machine
The U.S. president has refashioned the alliance into something far different from its original intention.
Missing ‘something’? It might be Pilates
It’s impossible not to smile and take a deep refreshing breath when you walk into The Sunshine Studio. With its freshly painted white walls, new equipment and the sun mural on the studio’s matt-room wall, the 1,500 square-foot space is as i…
Burcum: Minnesota's most important health care deal in years needed a referee. Ellison volunteered.
The challenging work of brokering a new 10-year deal between a feuding U and Fairview wasn't really in Keith Ellison's job description. But he stepped up anyway, columnist Jill Burcum writes.
Davis-Woodhall opens up on mental health struggles after Eugene victory
Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall spoke about her mental health struggles, describing her week as "really difficult" going into the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, where she won the long jump.
Large fire erupts at business in Harbor Gateway, filling the air with black smoke
Firefighters moved into defensive positions as the fire burned out of control on Figueroa Street near Rosecrans Avenue and the 110 Freeway.
Trump uses America’s 250 speech to honor military heroes and also push political agendas
President Trump concluded the semiquincentennial celebration by reflecting on the nation's history, honoring veterans and pushing his political agenda during his address at the Salute to America event. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports on key points from the president's speech.
Entrepreneur behind Matthew's Mattress reflects on over three decades in business
Kevin Matthews launched his first Matthew’s Mattress store over three decades years ago in the Bay Area. At his peak, he developed his own mattress brand and managed a total of 12 stores. Now he’s ready to retire, he says.
Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) Stock May Be Cheap On Cash Flow Yet Pricey On Earnings
Sphere Entertainment has delivered very strong share price gains over the last three years, yet the valuation signals are pulling in different directions, with the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) intrinsic value estimate pointing to some upside while market based multiples look stretched. Sphere Entertainment has returned roughly 387.2% over three years, which puts a spotlight on whether recent gains already reflect most of the good news in the story. Expectations around demand for The Wizard of...
Referee appointment for Spain vs Portugal confirmed
The referee chosen to take charge of the upcoming showdown between Spain and Portugal has on Saturday evening been confirmed.The official primed to oversee proceedings at Dallas Stadium? Anthony Taylo...
Wall Street Pessimism Has Made Universal Health Services (UHS) Stock A Top Extreme Value Stock To Buy Now
Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) is one of the Top 10 Extreme Value Stocks To Buy Now. On June 22, TD Cowen lowered the firm’s price target on Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) from $230 to $197 and kept a Buy rating on the stock. The downward price target revision still reflects a 24% upside […]
Caitlin Clark Targeted In WNBA, Sophie Cunningham Says
Cunningham calls out the WNBA and refs, claiming Clark takes nonstop cheap shots with little protection despite a growing list of flagrant fouls.
Fireworks, heat and politics: America celebrates its 250th birthday
Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history.
iOS 27 beta 2 hints at AirPods Pro with cameras: Here's what we know so far
Spotted by developer Sam Henri Gold on Twitter, iOS 27 beta 2 includes references to an upcoming Apple product codenamed...
5 Small Business Ideas for Introverts
Prefer working solo? These small business ideas for introverts let you focus on creativity and deep work—and reduce meetings.
Souhan: Reflecting on 36 years of scoops, spats and Minnesota sports history
My sports journalism career is coming to an end. I’ll miss a lot of people who may not miss me, but I will fondly remember the state’s biggest stars and other less-heralded ones.
Lessons from 40 years of writing political columns in NC
John Hood looks back at 40 years of columns, sharing insights on education reform and political accountability.
Dear Abby: My husband refuses to get help for his mental health issues. I feel like I’m going at it alone
She's a counselor and can see where this road is leading. Is it time to get off it?
Mesa Business Builder Offers Support for Local Entrepreneurs
Mesa Business Builder provides free consulting to help local businesses grow and succeed, reflecting the city's commitment to entrepreneurship. Mesa Business Builder Offers Support for Local Entrepreneurs
Reflecting On Data & Business Process Services Stocks’ Q1 Earnings: Verisk (NASDAQ:VRSK)
Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q1 behind us, let’s have a look at Verisk (NASDAQ:VRSK) and its peers.
Apple Loop: iPhone 18 Pro Pre-Order Dates, New iPad Pro Details, iPhone 16e Special Offers
This week’s Apple headlines: iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders, Apple's significant data leak, iOS 27 dates, new iPad Pro and MacBook Pro details, refurbished iPhone 16e and more...
My dad had a stroke. We still made it to the World Cup
Getting my father to a World Cup match required careful planning, but the day reminded me he is still remarkably independent.
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
Mississippi firefighter suicides bring focus to mental health
Kyle Hill of the Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association reported that four firefighters died by suicide in the past year, citing the emotional toll of their work.
iOS 27 Beta Hints at New Apple Product Such as 'AirPods Ultra'
The second iOS 27 developer beta seemingly hints at a new Apple product, according to code uncovered by app designer and developer Sam Henri Gold. The code mentions a product codenamed B790 that can relay "two images from cameras on either side of user's head". Gold speculated that the code could be referring to Apple's rumored smart glasses, but another possibility is AirPods with cameras, which are reportedly further along in development. AirPods Pro 3 were codenamed B788.
Amazon's Fire HD 10 Tablet Just Got A Refresh With A Bit More RAM
A RAM upgrade? In this memory economy?!
Asking Eric: Spouse refuses to ever apologize
A spouse’s lifelong refusal to admit small mistakes leaves their partner feeling dismissed, resentful, and increasingly worn down by repeated blame-shifting behavior.
ESPN gives Bills low grade for 2026 NFL offseason work
ESPN was not the biggest fans of the work the Bills did this offseason, which is reflected in this grade.
Camera-Equipped AirPods Pro Development 'Suspended,' Leaker Claims
Development of Apple's rumored camera-equipped AirPods Pro has been halted, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami". In a blunt post on X referencing an earlier post about the product, the occasional leaker claimed that the project has been "suspended". No other details were provided.
Arts and entertainment calendar
Events coming up in the Greenville area offer music, arts, theater and family fun. Here is a sampling.
Pass on the politics, more family please. Tulsans reflect on a milestone Fourth of July.
It’s a milestone birthday for the USofA — its 250th (officially). We talked with Tulsans about how they plan to mark the holiday.
Trump refashions America's 250th as a celebration of himself
Historians say the nation's 250th anniversary has become a politicized spectacle, a celebration of an imperial presidency.
The newest luxury hotel amenity isn't a spa. It's Pilates.
Luxury hotels like The Aster and some Ritz-Carltons are adding reformer Pilates studios to attract wellness-focused travelers.
July Fourth safety guide for fireworks, heat and water this weekend
Firefighters, health officials and water safety advocates share tips for staying safe over the holiday weekend and summer.
Midnight Mania! Timid Referees ‘Hurting The Sport’ Must Be Held Accountable
Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!
Supreme Court declines to halt daily $800 fine for ex-Fox News reporter refusing to divulge sources
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene after a judge ordered an $800-a-day fine for Catherine Herridge, a former Fox News reporter, if she refuses to reveal her confidential source for stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.
AMERICA AT 250: COMPETING CELEBRATIONS REFLECT NATIONAL POLARIZATION, SAYS SMU POLITICS EXPERT
DALLAS (SMU) – As the nation marks its 250th anniversary with separate celebrations in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, SMU political scientist Matthew Wilson says the split reflects a deeper reality about modern America: the absence of a shared national narrative. Wilson argues that what should have been a unifying moment of national pride has instead become a symbol of the country's growing political polarization, with rival groups promoting fundamentally different visions of Amer
Business excluded from DORA program in Goshen
Goshen's new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, is officially underway.But not every downtown business gets to take part.Biebs and Ash on Main Street
Why Kotek is directing Oregon to prioritize small business contracts
Oregon small businesses will get preference in state contracting, Gov. Tina Kotek announced. Here's why.
F.B.I. Assigns Scores of Analysts to Examine Election Records in Georgia
The expansion of an investigation into Fulton County’s election office reflects President Trump’s desire to prove his baseless claims that the 2020 election in Georgia was rigged.
SBA, USDA Sign MOU to Combat Lawfare Against Farmers, Ranchers, and Small Businesses
New Partnership Gives Producers a Direct Line to Report Costly Regulations and Advance Lasting ReformWASHINGTON, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat lawfare targeting farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and small businesses. The agreement gives America’s producers a direct line to report the regulations and rules driving up costs and impacting pro
Audit spots some errors, but gives Wyoming Business Council passing grade
Wyoming's embattled economic development shop is in the midst of legislative reforms after narrowly escaping effort to dismantle it.
WATCH: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announces felony charge related to Reflecting Pool
A former Olympian was indicted Thursday on a felony charge in what President Donald Trump has called vandalism of the Reflecting Pool.
FBI assigns 260 staff members to Georgia 2020 election probe
The FBI has ramped up its investigation into the 2020 election in Georgia by dedicating more personnel to what an internal memo refers to as a “priority,” a person familiar with the matter told CNN.
Former Olympic canoeist indicted by a grand jury after arrest at the Reflecting Pool
David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, has been indicted by a grand jury in Washington, DC, Superior Court, after being arrested last month when he reached into the Reflecting Pool, a source familiar with the charges told CNN.
USC Computer Science Chair Nenad Medvidović Inducted as ACM Fellow - USC Viterbi
Recognized for foundational contributions to software architecture and large-scale systems design, Medvidović reflects on research, mentorship and solving problems that matter.
Taylor Swift was a big part of their weddings. Now, fans are celebrating hers.
Swift's wedding inspires fans to reflect on how her music shaped their own weddings, proposals and love stories over the years.
Politics and football: How to play the game
England’s still standing in the World Cup, and politicians all want to share in the reflected glow.
Obsidian Entertainment is NOT in ‘Deep in Negotiation’ with Microsoft, per new Report *Updated
Update: Everyone’s favourite video game journalist, Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier has shared a brief post on social media that refutes the report detailed below: Despite a report this morning, I can confirm that Obsidian is not in negotiations to avoid shutting down. Plenty of details are still up in the air surrounding the layoffs (picture will […]
The Supreme Court tackled race, history and the law in fraught and reflective major rulings
The Supreme Court has wrapped up a term with significant rulings on race and discrimination
The Supreme Court tackled race, history and the law in fraught and reflective major rulings
The Supreme Court has wrapped up a term with significant rulings on race and discrimination.
Massachusetts Chooses Literacy Over Union Politics
Governor Maura Healey signs a major education reform bill, showing that even blue states can stand up to teachers’ unions.
Bonus 236: A Term of Self-Inflicted Wounds
Within minutes of the Supreme Court handing down the birthright citizenship ruling on Tuesday and rising for its summer recess, its defenders were pointing to that decision (alongside the late-arriving mail-in ballots ruling on Monday and the tariffs ruling from February) as decisive proof that the Court really is “above politics,” and that criticisms of the justices for behaving more like politicians in robes than like judges are thus unfair. For a particularly thoughtful version of this claim, see Professor Will Baude’s opening response to the latest New York Times written roundtable about the Court with Baude, Professor Kate Shaw, and me. In that roundtable, I already offered one of the two major arguments against this thesis—that it’s an assessment of the numerator without regard to the denominator, and that a full account of the Court’s behavior throughout OT2025 suggests that the Court behaved even more politically during the current term than during even the previous (highly politicized) one. Just to take one of many data points, last term (OT2024), there were six rulings in argued cases in which all six Republican-appointed justices were in the majority and all three of the Democratic appointees were in dissent (along with a slew of such rulings on the emergency docket). This term, there were … 13. (Along with two 6-3 summary reversals and 10 rulings on the emergency docket from which the three Democratic appointees all dissented.) Today’s bonus issue addresses the flip side of that coin. In particular, below the fold, I identify four different moments in which the justices could have acted in ways to specifically defuse charges of political behavior—and opted instead to lean all the way in. As much as end-of-term narratives focus on what the Court did, and on the takeaways from individual rulings, consider today’s post an attempt to identify opportunities that the Court missed, as well. At least in the examples discussed below, by opting for the outcome that made the Court look more transparently political, the Court inflicted a series of (unnecessary) credibility wounds on itself. For those who aren’t paid subscribers, we’ll be back Monday with our regular coverage of the Court. For those who are, please read on.
SF grant program fills empty neighborhood storefronts
Latest round provided support to nearly 40 local business owners.
🌈 The political fatigue of doing feminist and queer research in anti-gender times
Anti-gender politics does not only attack rights. It attacks the knowledge that makes those rights intelligible. Massimo Prearo argues that anti-gender politics is an epistemic conflict as much as a political one. This conflict generates political fatigue among researchers engaged in feminist and queer work. We must address such fatigue through distance, care and collective reflection
Federal court ruling on Alabama prison mental health care could lower staffing requirements
The 11th Circuit reverses some of the federal court's order, including the staffing levels the federal court originally required.
Tariff refunds landing for Colorado importers, though not without a cost for small business
At least $23.7B in refunds from unlawful tariffs have been refunded to U.S. importers out of an estimated $166B owed, according to court testimony
Happy birthday, USA? At 250, nation may be too divided to celebrate
With President Trump stamping his imprint on the official commemoration, many Americans are struggling with how to separate politics from pageantry.
Summer travel health: tips for heat exhaustion, insect bites and travel vaccines
Stay healthy while traveling with help from CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic. Get vaccines, refill prescriptions and prepare for summer travel risks.
Too Big? Jones Explains Poatan’s ‘Perfect Storm’
Jon Jones has a bit of experience with moving up to Heavyweight. “Bones” ruled the 205-pound roost for many, many years before finally making the leap in 2023. He teased a Heavyweight jump for much of that span, but Jones has always been a careful decision-maker in regards to his MMA career and (nearly) undefeated […]
Building connections across molecular life science
ASBMB President Ed Eisenstein reflects on how the society shaped his scientific career and outlines his vision for expanding connections across academia, industry and government to accelerate discovery, translation and community-building.
Apple Is Reportedly Planning A Visual Refresh Of The Entry-Level MacBook Pro Next Year
Next spring could be a fiesta of new iPads, MacBooks and iPhones.
Reflecting on a Year as Athlon Sports' Senior Golf Writer: Lessons from Golf's Stories
One year ago today, I officially began my run as Senior Golf Writer for Athlon Sports. By the time this opportunity arrived, I had already spent nearly three decades in golf as a PGA Professional, coach, educator, business owner, nonprofit founder and writer. The biggest lesson from my first year with Athlon Sports was not about deadlines, access or the volume of stories written.
Immigrant-owned small businesses take center stage at pop-up storefront in Philadelphia's Market East
The Welcoming Center has opened a pop-up storefront for immigrant small business owners.
Sony to end physical PlayStation game discs for new releases starting in 2028
Sony says all new PlayStation games released after January 2028 will be sold digitally, reflecting changing consumer demand and the gaming industry's broader move away from physical media.
Content Independence Day, one year on: building the business model for the agentic Internet
One year after declaring Content Independence Day, a dynamic market for monetized content has officially emerged. In this report, we examine how the rise of autonomous AI agents is upending traditional search referrals and detail the new infrastructure required to support a sustainable web economy.
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?