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Special Offer at Fit4Life Health Clubs
This Fitness Friday, Trent trained with Shelby Cortez at Fit4Life Garner. Fit4Life Health Clubs has a special offer for new members as they honor our first responders — get your first month F…
iPhone 20 Rumored to Have Biggest Revamp Since iPhone X
Apple plans to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone next year with the biggest design changes since the iPhone X, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2007, the iPhone turns 20 next year. To mark the occasion, the report said Apple plans to release a 20th-anniversary iPhone with "curved glass around all corners and edges" and thinner bezels around the screen.
Cowboys linked to Maxx Crosby again following contract restructuring
Cowboys' cap moves have reignited trade speculation.
What climate science tells us about the causes of the Colorado River crisis
Elected officials from across Colorado’s political spectrum continued a 68-year-old tradition last week when they took to the stage at the annual summer conference of the Colorado Water Congress in
Former Labor Secretary misused funds
A new report from the department's Office of Inspector General found Lori Chavez-DeRemer violated numerous department policies
Law and Justice Is Weak... But the Right Can Rule in Poland
‘Law and Justice has always been a centre-right party, a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists…a pro-American group supporting the Republican Party…and situated within the spectrum of the “traditional” political divide. In recent years, movements have emerged in Polish politics that have challenged Law and Justice’s hegemony on the right.’
PDS Health and United Concordia Launch Saliva Screening Pilot
United Concordia Dental and PDS Health®, leaders in oral health and dental-medical integration, respectively, launched a saliva screening pilot in Southern California earlier this week that aims to improve oral health and overall health by investigating the screening’s impact on periodontal (gum) disease management. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40% of U.S. adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease. Left untreated, this condition can lead to tooth loss and infections and is associated with systemic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “Gum disease is not just an oral health issue. It’s closely connected to a person’s well-being,” said Ed Shellard, DMD, president and CEO of United Concordia. “This partnership with PDS Health underscores our shared commitment to dental-medical integration and allows us to empower patients with on-the-spot data about the current status of their gum health.”…
Switchboard Health Acquires Livara Health to Integrate Value-Based Musculoskeletal Care
Acquisition Brings Livara’s Virtual MSK Care Model Onto Switchboard’s Specialty Care Platform; Closes $5M+ Round of Funding Switchboard Health, creators
Championship leaders Swansea 'deserve respect'
Swansea City go into their all-Welsh showdown with Wrexham deserving respect, says goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux.
Eye of the Tiger: Pivotal position matchups vs Clemson
Which specific matchups could be key on Saturday night?
Vance, El-Sayed resist calls to disavow controversial friends: Live discussion
Vice President Vance and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed (D) are facing separate questions over their associations with Tucker Carlson and Hasan Piker, respectively. How are each of them res…
Mold, warm shrimp and a car crash: Latest Reno health inspections
A car accident, moldy strawberries and raw shrimp and pork left out overnight prompted closures and citations during health inspections in mid-August.
Health minister calls meeting on Wales transgender surgery pause
Mabon ap Gwynfor says he respects the decision but has questions for the health board responsible.
Sony's PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90
Sony’s PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90 Sony won’t license disc pressing to anyone else, Microsoft does, and a former PlayStation boss thinks that’s the whole problem. When Sony DADC chief Dietmar Tanzer spoke with an Austrian broadcaster in July about PlayStation disc production at the Thalgau plant, a number of press outlets misunderstood the report, writing that production would fall to a tenth of current levels. It won’t. Sony DADC confirmed to Game this week that the figure is a 10 percent decline, not a decline to 10 percent. “To clarify and avoid any misleading information: in that statement Dietmar anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent,” a spokesperson with Sony DADC told Game. That figure covers 2028. Tanzer didn’t put a number on the years after, and the spokesperson declined to comment further. What we do know is that on July 1, PlayStation announced that physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028 and that the transition has no impact on games that have already released in disc format or will be releasing in disc format prior to that month. “So, there will be reorders going to the market after January 2028,” the Sony DADC spokesperson said. “For details around that I would ask you to liaise with the PR team from PlayStation, as we can’t speak or comment on their behalf.” PlayStation officials did not respond to questions about reorders or other disc-related matters. But I did recently speak with Shawn Layden, Game Industry Strategic Advisor and former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, who called a future without physical PlayStation discs “depressing, but solvable.” then added, “I think.” The chief hurdle to third-party manufacturing of collector’s editions or any other version of a PlayStation game disc is that Sony owns the proprietary process to press those discs, Layden said. “And unless they decide or determine a way to license that to some of these bespoke disc manufacturers, there’s no way to make it happen,” he said. Layden was careful to add that he understands the concept but doesn’t have “line of sight on the particulars.” “Depressing but solvable, I think.” — Shawn Layden Microsoft already licenses replication to outside plants. Xbox discs are pressed by manufacturers Microsoft certifies as Authorized Replicators, a term defined in its publisher agreements, with the approved list set at the company’s sole discretion and Microsoft retaining the right to halt manufacture. The structure is still in place today: publishers select an Authorized Replicator in Partner Center and submit a bill of materials created with a Microsoft representative. Sony, by contrast, presses PlayStation discs through Sony DADC, its own manufacturing subsidiary. No one I spoke with said they were in discussions with Sony about doing that, and PlayStation hasn’t responded to questions about whether it would be open to a licensing deal. There is an obvious reason Sony might not want to. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed it out on the day of the announcement: it’s a platform-led decision, he wrote, designed to cut costs, eliminate the resale market, and drive all revenue through the PlayStation Store. The math is not subtle. On a $70 third-party game sold through the PlayStation Store, Sony keeps $21. Sold at retail, Ahmad says, it earns about half that. Licensing disc replication to an outside manufacturer might not be worth it. And even if it were, it seems unlikely that such a deal would come from boutique companies like iam8bit, which sells collector’s editions of video games. “We would absolutely love to find a way forward to continue making physical PlayStation games,” said Jon Gibson, co-owner and co-creative director of the company. “We are big believers in giving humans the option to truly own media. If we can play a role in helping make that a reality for the future of PlayStation games, count iam8bit in!” If it were to happen, it would most likely be with a company like Conectiv Supply Chain Solutions, a Memphis-based manufacturer of optical discs and vinyl records that also runs third-party logistics, fulfillment and distribution for packaged media. The company, which was formed in 2025 when Los Angeles private equity firm Variant Equity Advisors purchased Vantiva’s Supply Chain Solutions division, traces its lineage back to Technicolor. When it sold the division, Vantiva described the business as having served video game creators for more than 25 years. Conectiv is also buying, not shrinking. Last month it acquired SDS, the distributor for Universal and Warner Bros. home entertainment, consolidating those studios’ packaged-media pipeline from pressing plant to retail shelf. I reached out to Conectiv and its CEO, but haven’t heard back. Layden pointed to music and books in our discussion about the ongoing value of physical media. “No one ever saw the comeback of cassette tape,” he said. “And vinyl didn’t so much come back. The flame went down, the fire’s dying, but the ember was always there, and it just kind of came back. Much like the book business. We thought we’d all be on Kindles right now. “I believe that physical media is crucial and important. One of the things that makes us gamers, one of the core game mechanics, going back to the beginning of time, is collecting stuff. “Did you get all the diamonds in Crash Bandicoot? Did you get all the stars in Mario? And we like to collect our games. And we have a game shelf. And we put all our boxes up there. And if you’re super hardcore, when you buy a game, you buy two copies, right? One stays in the shrink wrap, and you play the other one. What happens to that important cultural part of the gaming world? You know, we buy the steelbook and the three-disc Final Fantasy set and the figurine and, you know, you can’t download any of that. “What happens to that?” And Layden believes it shouldn’t have been a revenue question for PlayStation. “This was a core thing to the experience of our most devoted fans,” he said. “Yeah, it’s fan service. Why would we take that away? Well, we can’t afford to. It’s already 120 bucks, you know, limited edition special purchase onyx box version of whatever, and those sell at a higher rate than the box selling at $69.99 does. So yeah, the market has said they will continue to buy them. You’re just saying you just don’t want to make them anymore.” Layden said he was recently talking with someone about these sorts of business decisions and how they’re made. Too often, he said, it’s all about the financials and nothing else. “OK, we can do this and save this much money, or we can invest this to look at that outcome, or we can do this and have this happen over there, or move this team to Sri Lanka,” he said. “But each one of those, someone also has to have a ledger there saying, ‘OK, what is the brand impact from that move?’ “Iif you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” — Shawn Layden “If we do that, dollars and cents work out. I get it. That’s just math. But what’s the brand impact? Are people going to say, ‘Good move, you guys?’ Or are they going to say, ‘We hate you guys. Quit doing that.’ And sometimes they say, ‘We hate you.’ Then you take a note and say, OK, how much of that can we live with? How much ‘we hate you’ is OK. And when does it go over the line? “I see a lot of companies making decisions which, objectively speaking, I don’t know what the dollar end of that was for you, Mr. Company, but your brand value just dropped 30 percent. So I hope it was worth it.” Of course, shifting to a digital-only model for games raises other issues beyond simply wanting to collect. The biggest is ownership. Layden pointed out that once you go to a streaming-only or download-only model, it’s just a digital footprint on a hard drive. “What does ownership mean anymore?” he said. “It’s a genuine question. Well, in fact, it’s not even a question anymore. It’s like you are shifting the model from ownership to accessibility. “And what’s always been true, which people forget, is you’ve never been able to sell your iTunes library. And you can’t sell your PlayStation download library. So if you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” The touching tribute found in the credits for Star Wars Zero Company. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Interview and Hands-On with a Minoan Masterpiece Star Wars Zero Company hands-on: Attack Astromechs, permadeath, and delightfully fatal Rube Goldberg tactics Control Resonant opens up as you get stronger — and as characters start trusting you
Indiana’s Curt Cignetti should feel disrespected
The National Champion head coach isn't getting the love he should be.
State Board of Elections weighing rules as absentee ballots set to go out
Absentee ballots in this year's midterm elections are set to start going out in the mail Friday to overseas and military voters.
Something strange is happening to the Starcraft website, as BlizzCon inches ever closer
Strange glitches and visual distortion can be seen on the official Starcraft website roughly a week ahead of BlizzCon, prompting speculation among fans.
Skubala discusses Bristol City star’s future at the club
Michael Skubala hopes Bristol City and Jason Knight’s joint statement has brought an end to speculation surrounding the Robins captain’s future.Knight had been linked with a move away during the s...
Scientists looked inside a rock pellet smaller than a grain of rice and found a 445-million-year-old world preserved within it — more than 20 microscopic marine organisms, including a species never seen before
A microscopic time capsule from an ancient ocean reveals an entire ecosystem frozen in stone—and scientists didn't even know to look for it.
Know your news? Test your skills with our News Quiz.
Take our news quiz on Gloria Steinem, Mr. Edison’s, and restaurant health inspections.
Used books are big business in CT again. ‘People are just reading more in general’.
Whether it’s about cost, availability or a rediscovered love of browsing and collecting, stores and book fairs that specialize in used or out-of-print books are booming.
Victoria County to weigh mental health facility, road work and airport upgrades
Victoria County commissioners are set to take up construction, transportation, public-health and student-veteran funding items during a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Extinct species come to life through art exhibition at Orlando Science Center
“Elegy for the Unseen: The Art of Extinct Species” is now on display with more than 50 works by 34 artists who have painted, photographed, sketched or sculpted extinct species.
Minnesota is losing hospital obstetrics units faster than most states, new data finds
Minnesota is one of only eight states that lost more than 20 percent of hospital-based labor and delivery units since 2010. It’s part of a nationwide trend of hospitals closing birthing centers across the U.S, especially in rural areas, where obstetrics services tend to be too expensive to staff for the relatively few babies delivered each year.
Founding high school principal launches AI-fueled education business
Onetime teacher Marlee Strawn, who her students say had "eyes in the back of her head," has turned her innovative approach to special education, aided by AI.
Jaissle Rubbishes Osula Injury Rumour | Press Conference
Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle has refused to be drawn into reports that William Osula could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, dismissing speculation from Denmark surrounding the striker’s foot injury.
President Trump puts Colorado farmers and ranchers first
By Brooke L. Rollins Ever since Colorado was admitted to the union 150 years ago this month, farmers and ranchers across the state have kept our nation’s food supply secure and our freedom alive. From cattle ranchers on the eastern plains to specialty crop producers on the Western Slope, Colorado is home to more than 36,000 farms spread across more than 30 million acres. Last week, I saw the tremendous effect of agriculture in the Centennial State firsthand as, along with U.S. […]
Viola Station 105: Deadline day special
Mike, Mike, and Tito survive deadline day. But at what cost?
No license, no inspection, no accountability — who is protecting women?
In early August, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed into law expansion of abortion from 24 weeks through the entire pregnancy. While many celebrated, Colorado serves as a staunch warning of the unintended consequences of unrestricted, unregulated abortion. Whether pro-life or pro-choice, Coloradans agree women deserve high-quality, safe, compassionate care. Colorado voters mistakenly believed a constitutional right to […]
Radiologist seeks to better understand consolidation in the specialty
Benjamin E. Northrup, MD, with the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, recently scored a grant from the Neiman Health Policy Institute to help fuel his curiosity
Princeton considers AI and data science-focused ‘evolution’ for ORFE department, specifics unclear
The ORFE major could undergo changes in the coming years as a new ad hoc faculty committee considers how the University can strengthen its research and scholarship in AI and data science.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
Las Vegas police searching for suspect in east valley business robbery
Las Vegas police are looking for a suspect in a strong-arm robbery that happened in an east valley business last month.
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.
Food For Thought: Mall cheesesteak spot, local taqueria cited for health violations
Lubbock health inspectors cited a mall cheesesteak restaurant and a local taqueria for multiple violations, while several other local favorites earned perfect scores.
Why does a funnel-web spider new to science turn up at just three sites in northern Idaho, about 500 kilometres east of the western Cascades and coast ranges where its genus was known to live?
Four collecting dates at three sites near Kooskia and in the Nez Perce National Forest produced a mygalomorph spider from a genus whose only previous revision was published in 1979, and whose two other species live a long way west. The genetics place it firmly. The map around it does not.
Nick Kyrgios cleared for immediate tennis return after stunning drug ban reversal
Just weeks after facing the prospect of years away from tennis, Nick Kyrgios has been handed a stunning lifeline following a major suspension ruling.
Unknown suspect breaks into Sioux Falls business with a rock, steals alcohol
The SFPD is seeking information about a burglary in which an unknown suspect broke into a business with a rock and stole multiple bottles of alcohol on Wednesday.
Scientists reveal the hidden instructions that build the human brain
UCLA researchers have discovered two powerful influences that help guide how the human brain forms before birth. Radial glia, stem cells responsible for producing much of the cerebral cortex, change their behavior depending on how they process glucose and on physical contact with signals arriving from the thalamus. Those signals can alter which types of neurons are produced, including upper-layer neurons that are especially prominent in humans.
4 The Weekend: A storm of entertainment happening in Southern Arizona
You can get conned, enjoy great music with a spectacular view or experience a rodeo with all the extras. All part of the fun happening 4 The Labor Day Weekend.
Another Chiefs Starter Held out of Practice Thursday
Injuries are piling up for the Kansas City Chiefs. That is especially true for guys who are in the trenches. Offensive tackle Josh Simmons has missed several weeks of practice with a back injury, also missing Kansas City’s final two preseason games. Defensive end Ashton Gillotte missed most of camp and all of preseason with […] The post Another Chiefs Starter Held out of Practice Thursday appeared first on HEAVY.
Alabama Politics This Week with Dale Jackson & Mecca Musick | Special Guest State Rep. D-5 Candidate Jessie Barcala (D)
Judi Health Taps Color Health, WellTheory, Cylinder for Clinical Ecosystem
Judi Health expanded its healthcare network to offer specialized virtual care for cancer, autoimmune and GI conditions while helping employers reduce overall healthcare costs.
4 The Weekend: A storm of entertainment happening in Southern Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — You can get conned, enjoy great music with a spectacular view or experience a rodeo with all the extras. All part of the fun happening 4
White House website debuts 5 low-res arcade video games that promote Trump’s agenda
The White House website has unveiled Arcade, a collection of five low-resolution video games that promote different aspects of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Jim Cramer Notes Cardinal Health (CAH) is “Too Attractive to Ignore”
On the September 2 episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer called Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) one of his “absolute favorites” and mentioned its growing exposure to specialty pharmaceuticals and higher-margin healthcare services. Cardinal’s been running circles around McKesson and Cencora. They consistently put up the best numbers because this company has gradually become less of […]
Hope Florida burns, Trump on midterm, Florida economy: IFP podcast
Hope Florida Foundation grand jury report rocks midterm kick-off, Trump bullish on election prospects and is the GOP over-hyping Florida's economy?
One Madison County restaurant fails health inspection
One Madison County restaurant failed its August health inspection after a technical error delayed the report.
Luminis Health Cyberattack Reported; Investigation Ongoing
Suspect your information could have been exposed in the Luminis Health cyberattack? Learn more about the incident.
Maria Bartiromo leaves Fox News after more than a decade; no reason specified
There was no immediate reaction from Bartiromo
Best of Santa Cruz County entertainment, arts & food events this weekend, Sept. 3-6
With the long weekend nearly here, check out things to do around Santa Cruz County, with a recommendation from Lily Belli and a specially curated list from Lookout's BOLO events calendar.
Beyerdynamic's New Aventho Y Headphones Last Up To 90 Hours Per Charge
This is especially noteworthy, as the cans cost just $150.
Skin care business remains open as police investigate suspected financial crimes
JH Mountain Glow has generated complaints of fraud over years, Chamber says.
CMI boosts medical affairs capabilities with new specialty communications unit
CMI Media Group is adding to its spread of media services through a new specialty communications business that introduces a slate of new cutting-edge marketing tools. | The new business unit is centered on four core capabilities, which includes AI-enhanced scientific intelligence, omnichannel "scientific ecosystems," and more.
Unknown suspect breaks into Sioux Falls business with a rock, steals alcohol
The SFPD is seeking information about a burglary in which an unknown suspect broke into a business with a rock and stole multiple bottles of alcohol on Wednesday.
AGU Launches New Special Collection at the Nexus of Science and Policy
Seven AGU journals are encouraging submissions of policy-related commentaries and research articles, boosting scientists' voices to decision-makers.
Sports Stylists Reveal Secrets Behind Spectacular Tunnel Fits
Size 18 heels, customized suits for giants: Dressing star athletes like Joe Burrow and Brittney Griner is a full-contact sport.
2 people killed and suspect is dead in downtown Minneapolis shooting
The five wounded by gunfire included two Minneapolis police officers
New DLSS 5 Swapper tool can mod DLSS 5 into games that don't support DLSS at all
The modding community has released a new version of DLSS Swapper made specifically for DLSS 5, simplifying and automating DLSS 5 modding in games.
The science behind giant bubbles at Discovery Lab
Discovery Lab explains the science behind giant bubbles and shares what makes its special bubble mixture stronger and more flexible.
The hidden reference in Nvidia and Hugging Face's deal price
"Special congrats if you find the Hugging Face and Nvidia references hidden in our $12,930,300,000 acquisition price," cofounder Thomas Wolf wrote.
Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV: Autumn Ring, Sugo Circuit, 12 Cars, Shuffle Racing, and More
Polyphony Digital has announced Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV at PlayStation's State of Play, adding Sportsland Sugo, six new cars, the return of Shuffle Racing, a Car Concierge, and a Collector Level 90 cap.
Gran Turismo 7 Upgraded to Spec 4 in October and December 2026
Major game updates coming in two parts on PS5, PS4
Business Briefs: Sept. 4, 2026
Garden Cinemas plans special events for ‘Practical Magic 2’ release GREENFELD — The Garden Cinemas is bringing “Practical Magic 2,” the long-awaited PG 13 sequel to the 1998 classic starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, to the city not only through a themed float in the Franklin County Fair Parade, but with two events. “Practical […]
Is Your Work Affecting Your Lung Health?
See how an occupational and environmental medicine specialist can help you understand your symptoms and recommend ways to reduce exposures in your workplace.
Opinion: Did climate predictions hold up?
A retrospective analysis shows the 1990 IPCC report correctly predicted much of today's climate crisis due to lack of action.
What Did Jurassic Forests Sound Like? Like This.
Scientists spent over a decade reconstructing the calls of nine species of ancient insects to create the first accurate Jurassic soundscape.
These 12 Central Florida restaurants shut down last week over health problems
Last week, a dozen more Central Florida eateries were forced to shut down (at least temporarily) after a visit from a health inspector, according to state records.
Changes to Medicare’s quality payment program may disadvantage radiologists
CMS is moving to new MIPS Value Pathways, or MVPs, which are specialty-specific measures intended to replace traditional ones, experts write in JACR.
“Is This The New ‘I Was Hacked’ Excuse?” “You’re Making Things Worse”— NFL Fans React as Tua Tagovailoa’s Wife Takes Blame For Burner Episode
Tua Tagovailoa already has plenty to prove as he begins his next chapter with the Atlanta Falcons, but an unexpected Instagram mishap has become the latest talking point around the quarterback. A message posted from his own Instagram account looked unusual to fans, prompting immediate speculation about who was behind it.
Rich Rodriguez Shares What Made Pat White Special at WVU
West Virginia University football head coach Rich Rodriguez looks back on the character and composure that helped make White a WVU legend.
NYC health commissioner grilled over city's response to Legionnaires' disease outbreak
Local residents and local leaders came to City Council chambers to push for answers about the source of the outbreak and how well cooling towers were inspected.
Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo
Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.
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