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When the U.S. Advocates for Political Prisoners Around the World, Freedom Wins
Pastor Ezra Jin’s story shows that American power can still be leveraged to advance human freedom.
Khosla Family Get Strong Message After Record Seahawks Sale
On July 11, the Estate of Paul G. Allen announced that the Khosla family has agreed to purchase the Seattle Seahawks. Moreover, the group is led by San Francisco 49ers limited partner Vinod Khosla. As for the financial terms of the sale, Seth Wickersham and Adam Schefter of ESPN reported, citing multiple league sources with knowledge of the situation, […] The post Khosla Family Get Strong Message After Record Seahawks Sale appeared first on HEAVY.
T-Mobile takes the lead on a new breed of networks
T-Mobile wants AI to orchestrate its network to deliver a seamless experience for its customers.
New York Times reporters are subpoenaed after Air Force One stories, raising press freedom concerns
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week, the Times said, adding that federal agents delivered some subpoenas to the reporters at their homes.
In the South, Black Democrats Fight for Political Survival
In the wake of a Supreme Court ruling, Alabama and other states have new freedom to draw congressional maps without having to carve out majority-minority seats.
Trump says he 'just finished' a physical at Walter Reed
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had "just finished" a physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, without specifying when the exam was conducted.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced opens to 2 million sales on launch day
Ubisoft tends not to share sales figures publicly – which means we can't even compare it to the sales of prior Assassin's Creed games, let alone its peers.
Ryse: Son of Rome Is Now Just an Xbox One Memory, but in 2013 It Was Planned To Be an Era-Hopping Franchise To Rival Assassin’s Creed’s Global Ambition
Ryse: Son of Rome was originally planned to explore multiple eras, Assassin's Creed style, before critical and commercial failure sank Crytek and Xbox's ambition.
Scientists warn invasive Asian mantises are threatening Europe's wildlife
Two striking Asian praying mantis species that have rapidly spread across Europe have now been officially classified as invasive, raising new concerns about their impact on native wildlife. Boosted by climate change and urban environments, these fast-breeding predators are expanding northward, where they prey on native insects, pollinators, and even small vertebrates while also reducing native mantis populations through deadly mating interactions.
I photographed the World Cup with a camera from 1930
Fareed Kotb brought a nearly 100-year-old camera to the 2026 World Cup, hoping to connect modern soccer with the tournament's earliest history.
Scottie Barnes Sends ‘Very Dangerous’ Declaration About Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are seen to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference next season after they got Kawhi Leonard via an agreed-upon trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. During an NBA Summer League game, Scottie Barnes had an interesting declaration about the new-look Raptors squad with Leonard. Barnes said that the […] The post Scottie Barnes Sends ‘Very Dangerous’ Declaration About Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors appeared first on HEAVY.
Is Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced worth the 13 year wait?
The BBC's Tom Gerken plays the much-anticipated pirate game which has been remade from the ground up.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Sales Reach 2 Million on Day 1
Ubisoft has announced that Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has passed 2 million copies sold in its first day since launch.
Colin Reed Talks Potential Sale of Opry Entertainment Group
Executive chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties — owner of the Ryman, Grand Ole Opry House and much more — clarifies recent reports
Vanderbilt Health celebrates 100 years of membership in the American Hospital Association
Presented as part of the AHA Membership Milestone Awards, this recognition celebrates organizations whose longstanding partnership has helped strengthen hospitals and improve the health of communities across the nation.
‘Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’ review: Remake hits choppy waters
The remake of "Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag" isn't perfect, but it's a good enough excuse to play the phenomenal "Black Flag" again, writes our reviewer.
Trump restarts war with Iran and plays nice(ish) with Nato
Jonathan Freedland speaks to Susan Glasser of the New Yorker about how leaders around the world are meant to deal with a leader choosing to relive a diplomatic Groundhog Day
"No thanks!" Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake Resynced being review bombed on Steam for single-player microtransactions
The issue of cosmetic microtransactions in single-player games has arisen once again for Ubisoft.
Layoffs begin at Ubisoft Barcelona following Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced launch
"There will not be further mandates for Ubisoft Barcelona, despite the team focusing proposing new AC projects," says affected employee
Apollo to Buy $3.4 Billion Stake in Bayer Contraceptives Business
The asset-management firm agreed to buy a minority stake in Bayer’s long-acting reversible contraceptives business.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Launches To Mixed Reviews: Controversial Microtransactions Spark Outrage
The hype has been building for the launch of Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced for a good long while, and it seems as though sales have been strong, with SteamDB reporting a peak of 99,451 concurrent players in the first 12 hours after launch on Steam alone. However, it seems as though player...
Zelenskiy: licenses for Patriot agreed with US at political level, interceptors to be delivered
Ukraine and the United States have reached a political agreement on licences for production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, adding that key supplies of the missiles were to arrive in the next few days.
Fort Bend County Fair Announces 2026 Entertainment Lineup Featuring Sawyer Brown, Pat Green
ROSENBERG, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Fort Bend County Fair has announced its entertainment lineup for its 90th annual celebration, featuring a mix of Texas country stars, Tejano favorites and nationally recognized performers during Championship BBQ Weekend and the fair's 10-day run. The 2026 Fort Bend County Fair begins with Championship BBQ Weekend on Sept. 18-19, followed by the fair Sept. 25 through Oct. 4. The entertainment schedule opens Friday, Sept. 18, with Tejano group Los Morales, followed by Texas country artist Cole Phillips on Saturday, Sept. 19. Phillips has gained attention for his traditional country sound influenced by classic honky-tonk music. The fair officially opens Friday, Sept. 25, with Tyce Delk, a New Mexico native whose touring schedule has expanded across the country. Country music veterans Sawyer Brown will headline Saturday, Sept. 26. The band, whose career spans more than four decades, remains known for hits including "Some Girls Do," "The Race Is On" and "Thank God for You." Go Tejano Day on Sunday, Sept. 27, will feature Prófugos de Nuevo León, along with performances by Los Rinches and Grupo Zenio. The second week of the fair begins Wednesday, Sept. 30, with Bellville singer-songwriter David Lewis, a recent Texas Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year nominee. Oklahoma Red Dirt artist Josh Meloy will perform Thursday, Oct. 1. Texas country star Pat Green returns to the Fort Bend County Fair stage Friday, Oct. 2. Green, whose career includes three Grammy Award nominations, has sold more than 2 million albums and amassed more than 200 million career streams. He is best known for songs including "Wave on Wave" and "Carry On." Country newcomer Vincent Mason will perform Saturday, Oct. 3. Mason has accumulated more than 500 million career streams and was recently nominated for Academy of Country Music New Male Artist of the Year. The fair concludes Sunday, Oct. 4, with Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn, whose "London Homesick Blues" remains one of the state's most recognizable songs. Weekend visitors also can enjoy performances on Music Row by J Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nubreeds, Southern County Line, Los Rangerz and Horizon. The Fort Bend County Fair Association, a nonprofit organization, supports youth, agriculture and education. According to the association, it has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships during the past decade and generated $1.4 million through its 2025 youth auctions. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, July 10. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and select the specific day they plan to attend, as tickets are valid only for the date purchased. Admission includes entry to the fairgrounds, access to the carnival, shopping, exhibits, food vendors and, when scheduled, admission to the rodeo and that day's concert. Season passes and single-day tickets will be available. For tickets and additional information, visit fortbendcountyfair.com or call the Fair Office at 281-342-6171. The address of the Fairgrounds is 4310 Texas 36 S in Rosenberg. 2026 Fort Bend County Fair Entertainment Schedule Championship BBQ Weekend Friday, Sept. 18: Los Morales Saturday, Sept. 19: Cole Phillips Fair Entertainment Friday, Sept. 25: Tyce Delk Saturday, Sept. 26: Sawyer Brown Sunday, Sept. 27 (Go Tejano Day): Prófugos de Nuevo León, Los Rinches and Grupo Zenio Wednesday, Sept. 30: David Lewis Thursday, Oct. 1: Josh Meloy Friday, Oct. 2: Pat Green Saturday, Oct. 3: Vincent Mason Sunday, Oct. 4: Gary P. Nunn × Expand FBCF Fort Bend County Fair 2026 Artist Lineup
"We really squeezed the PS5 as much as we could": Ubisoft talks tech on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
How a 13-year-old game becomes a modern graphical showcase.
'Siri AI' Lawsuit Update: Apple to Pay Owners of These iPhone Models
In May, Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit over Siri AI's delayed launch, and eligible iPhone users could receive up to a $95 payout. This week, the California court overseeing the case held a hearing regarding preliminary approval of the settlement, but the judge has not yet issued a ruling.
Ubisoft Barcelona Celebrates Successful Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Launch With Layoffs
51 Employee's, many of whom worked on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced will celebrate its launch with being laid off.
Australia agrees to sell uranium to India, ending a long stalemate
Australia has agreed to sell uranium to India for peaceful purposes.
Bringing the data to every sideline
MIT PhD student Henry Wang studies how data and technology can improve the way sports are played, analyzed, and refereed. Working in the MIT Sports Lab in collaboration with FIFA, he develops systems with the goals of helping referees make faster, more accurate decisions and expanding access to performance analytics across the globe.
First Freedom Fuel gas station opens as Trump-backed discounts roll out
The White House says the first Freedom Fuel gas station has opened in Philadelphia, offering gasoline for about 50 cents below the statewide average as part of a broader rollout.
The Ugly Politics of the Beautiful Game
Alex Shephard on greed, corruption, and the enduring magic of the World Cup
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Return Us to the Golden Age of Piracy
I have an appreciation and familiarly of this “classic” version of the franchise and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced feels like a return to form.
The ‘Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’ Metacritic Review Score Is In
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reviews are in, and the game now has a Metacritic score to compare to the original.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced hasn't set sail yet, but it's already doing better than Shadows on Steam
Ubisoft's big refresh of 2013's Assassin's Creed Black Flag is already looking to perform better than Shadows on PC, but there are caveats.
Hungary moves to overhaul university models banned from Horizon Europe
Hungary’s new government is aiming to overhaul the governance model of the institutions and universities that lost access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funds “in a short timeframe,” according to Péter Horváth, the new state secretary for science policy and innovation. “As of today, the two non-university foundation-controlled institutions under my remit have been transformed,” he told Science|Business. “We hope the universities will follow and that this will be enough to satisfy the EU’s demands.”Under the previous government, led by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, many academic and scientific institutions were restructured and made into special public trust foundations, with members strongly linked to the government given lifelong mandates and significant decision-making powers with little oversight. The European Commission deemed that this undermined academic freedom and transparency in the country, leading to a ban on 34 institutions in 2022, including 21 universities, which saw academics in Hungary lose access to Horizon Europe grants. The new Hungarian government, elected in May and led by Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party, has promised to dismantle this governance model and restore the institutions to EU programmes. As a result, the European Commission has promised to return access to the Erasmus+ education mobility programme, but so far no concrete agreement has been made on the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation. Hungary has already made legislative changes in June to allow the institutions to be reformed and set a timeline for the implementation.The non-university foundations, which are mainly cultural centres such as the Foundation for Hungarian Culture or the Makovecz Campus Foundation, will all be dissolved by August 31 this year, a date tied to EU-set milestones that Hungary must meet to unlock frozen funds, with control transferred to relevant ministries. Meanwhile, the universities will have until 31 August 2027. For each university foundation, the government will set the dissolution date and the body to take over operations. There is no final decision on a permanent new model for the universities, according to Hungarian MEP Eszter Lakos, who is shadow rapporteur for the Horizon Europe specific programme, a separate piece of legislation detailing implementation rules for the EU’s next research programme, due to start in 2028. “The aim of the transition year is to settle this with [the universities], not to impose a model, and not to put them under state control,” she told Science|Business. “The goal is to give academic independence back to universities.”There are three models that are most likely to be implemented. One would be a return to a traditional, state-run model. Another could be a newer, more self-standing public institution. A third option would be a reformed version of the foundation models that meet EU standards. According to Lakos, the dismantling of the system put in place by the Orbán government is well underway and if all goes according to plan, Hungary could regain access to EU research money by the start of the next academic year in 2027. “I believe that the Hungarian government is doing the necessary changes so the universities could return as beneficiaries to Horizon from the next school year,” she said. In the meantime, “the universities, institutes and cultural assets carry on under proper public stewardship rather than a handful of unaccountable trustees,” said Lakos. The laws passed in June impose new safeguards: board terms are capped at four years and renewable only once, appointments are made through open competitions and sitting politicians cannot join joining these boards.It remains unclear whether a domestic science funding programme set up as a back-up scheme by the former government following the EU funding ban, called HU-rizon, could be continued. “This programme should never have had to have been established in the first place, but it has proven to be quite popular,” he said. “I am considering continuing this programme with a refined focus on helping international collaborations.”Re-organising the research network One of the first priorities for Horváth and his cabinet is to resolve questions over the future of the Hungarian Research Network, Hun-Ren. The network of academic institutes was taken away from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2019 and turned into a quasi-private organisation, with similarities in its governance to the public trust foundations.Horváth and his team have consulted over 5,000 representatives from the network and the conclusion is broad unhappiness with the directors of all the institutes involved. “We have presented the results to the president and the chief executive of the network and this is currently being discussed,” Horváth said. The plan is to re-integrate the network back into the Academy of Sciences but in an improved way, “learning from mistakes of the past,” he added. The government also wants to reintegrate four humanities and social science research centres into the network that the previous government had transferred to Eötvös Loránd University. The transfer brought sharp criticism from the academic community, with a group of Hungarian research heads, including European Research Council grant recipients, sending an open letter to Orbán warning that the transfer would “cause historically significant harm to the entirety of Hungarian scientific life.” The transfer was “one of the biggest shames in Hungarian research in the past 20 years,” Horváth said. “We want to immediately re-integrate them back into the research network and to regain the trust of these institutions, because the way they were treated was really unfair.”Another pressing issue is the Élvonal Excellence Research and Talent Development Foundation, led by Nobel laureate Ferenc Krausz. The foundation signed a financing agreement with the former government earlier this year for a budget of over €730 million over the next five years. The goal is to create a world-class centre to attract top talent from abroad and to develop local researchers. But there was little transparency about this foundation, and news of its huge budget, which is nearly as much as Hungary’s entire research budget, caused a stir in the media following the recent elections. Another issue is that, as with the foundation boards of the institutes banned from Horizon Europe, there was little-to-no oversight of decisions led by Krausz. “It was an excellent idea but an unacceptable execution,” Horváth said of the foundation. “The fact that this is out of the Hungarian funding scheme, mostly concentrating on one person who decides on the budget is unacceptable for us.”The government plans to merge the centre with the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, the country’s R&D funding agency, with a reduced budget. Horváth is hopeful that Krausz will still be involved. The new government’s R&D goalsA phrase that crops up regularly during the discussion with Horváth is “democratic process.” The new state secretary is determined to involve Hungary’s research community in shaping future policies. This marks a departure from the previous government’s approach, and several people in Hungary’s research community have commented on the openness of the new government. In terms of concrete goals, Horváth and his team already have plans. He wants to create a new science fund in Hungary, based on the best practices of other European countries. The fund would not be tied to annual government budgets and would provide long-term, stable financing. “If we were to succeed in creating this fund, then I think it would be one of the biggest achievements for me in this period of government,” Horváth said. On the innovation side, he is looking into how best to bring in the private sector. “We want to make sure that we are working with the private sector to support innovation,” Horváth said. One of his big aims is to introduce entrepreneurship teaching into high schools. Hungary already has a reputable national academy offering research and innovation training in the field of natural sciences, and Horváth wants to expand this to all disciplines and across the whole country. “One of the main ways to elevate our innovative businesses is to teach our children to be innovative,” he said. “This will probably need ten years to pay off, but this is what we should do. Our aim is to make Hungary strong in our region, and this is what is needed.” Related articlesHungary’s Horizon Europe performance in numbersCommission unlocks Erasmus+ cash for Hungary, Horizon could be next‘Academic Huxit.’ Hungarian researchers speak out on impact of EU ban A more difficult task will be funding. The new government is aiming to increase research spending to 2% of the GDP by 2030, and then increase it to 3% in line with EU objectives. Currently, spending sits around 1.3%. But according to Horváth, the current budget, inherited from the previous government, is “heavily in the negative,” so any plans to increase research spending will have to start next year. Achieving 2% by 2030 already needs a big push, almost doubling the research budget. “This is something we’d definitely like to reach, and something I can see us achieving,” he said. “From the 2030s, I’d like to see an innovative generation growing up that can help us reach the 3% target.” Positivity in the new governmentDespite the many challenges facing Horváth and his team, the mood is positive. “It feels a bit like a start-up right now. Everyone is working 24/7, day and night, trying to do as much as they can. There is a lot of energy,” he said. It is a big change for the state secretary who, like many in his cabinet, is coming from a background in research or business, and not in politics. “Six weeks ago, I was sitting with my microscope and my research PhDs, so it’s been a big change for me,” said the computer scientist, who was previously the director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the Hun-Ren Biological Research Centre in Hungary and worked at the Institute for AI for Health at Helmholtz Munich. But he is relishing the task to transform the country’s R&D landscape. “We feel enormous support from the Hungarian people, but also from Europe,” he said. “We’ve received a lot of letters of support from around Europe. There is big trust there, and huge responsibility on our side. We want to get everything back on track, and there’s a lot to do.”
America 250 attendees rally behind Trump's July 4 speech: 'What we needed to hear'
Attendees at the Great American State Fair react to Trump's Fourth of July National Mall speech, calling it a celebration of freedom over politics.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced playable build leaks before release date
With the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced release date on July 9th, some pirates are already setting sail. A playable build is spreading, unlocking secrets not divulged in Ubisoft’s trailers. The Denuvo game is the latest in a series of targets to have its DRM bypassed.
Scientists say Beefalo are all beef, no -alo. Breeders disagree
A whole-genome analysis of Beefalo, a hybrid bison-cattle breed, suggests very few individuals have any bison DNA at all, a new study reports.
The Politics of Provocation: The ECtHR’s Ruling in Miladze v Georgia
A recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights concerning a TikTok video published by a Georgian self-defined civil activist adds another layer to the Court’s increasingly messy Article 10 case law. The applicant repeatedly insulted public officials in crude and sexually explicit terms while broadcasting to a large online audience. Domestic courts imposed only a modest administrative fine, later reduced on appeal. The ECtHR did not find a violation of the applicant’s right to freedom of expression – raising several questions about the limits of legitimate political speech online.
Zoom to buy Seattle startup
Zoom has agreed to acquire an AI-powered marketing Seattle startup called Common Room.
Freedom Caucus — not Business Council
Far-right legislators’ indifference to improving quality of life in Wyoming is killing chances to recruit businesses, columnist Kerry Drake writes.
Atrium Health settles class-action lawsuit in Charlotte alleging it shared patient data
The Charlotte-based healthcare organization agreed to a $1.8 million settlement.
Cosplaying Free Speech: How Religion And Politics Determine Campus Taboos
(ANALYSIS) I feel like I got into a debate or a disagreement with someone about politics or religion on a near daily basis when I was between the ages of 13 and 25. I would fight with anyone about anything and I would often argue positions that I completely disagreed with because I just liked the in
Here’s what life looks like after spinal fusion surgery
Learn what to expect after spinal fusion surgery, including recovery time, activity restrictions and tips for protecting your spine long-term.
Small Business Administration to help USDA sort 'lawfare' reports
John Rich says he’ll publicize cases of farmers being ‘shoved around’ The Small Business Administration agreed to help the USDA investigate complaints from farmers and ranchers who allege being victimized […]
Comcast's Sky Acquires ITV Media and Entertainment For $2 Billion
Comcast’s European satellite TV operator Sky July 6 announced it has agreed to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment from ITV plc for a total consideration of up to £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in cash, debt and net working capital. In addition to £1.2 billion in cash and up to £0.2 billion in performance-related earn-out, the … Continue reading "Comcast’s Sky Acquires ITV Media and Entertainment For $2 Billion"
Random Ramsdom: This roster should breed competiti0n
Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 7/6/26
Video: Assassin's Creed: Black Flag PS5 vs PS4 Comparison
See the PS5 visual upgrades in action
See How Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Transforms The Pirate Classic
What a difference 13 years can make.
Comcast’s Sky to Buy ITV’s Media and Entertainment Unit for Up to $2.14 Billion
Comcast’s Sky has agreed to buy ITV’s media and entertainment business in a deal that will see ITV spin ITV Studios off into a separate London-listed business.
UK's ITV to sell media and entertainment unit to Comcast's Sky for $2.1 billion
British broadcaster ITV said on Monday it had agreed to sell its media and entertainment division to Comcast's Sky for £1.6 billion ($2.13 billion).
BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on West Side Clock Shop in Pittsfield
This family-run business has stood the test of time—selling, servicing, and repairing clocks for 66 years.
BUSINESS BRIEFS July 6, 2026: Business news in the Berkshires and beyond
Business news from Du Bois Freedom Center, Berkshire Museum, Norman Rockwell Museum, and more.
Oil slips after OPEC+ agrees to raise output targets
Oil prices inched lower on Monday after OPEC+ agreed to further increase its output targets from August while exports from key producers via the Strait of Hormuz are recovering, potentially adding to global supplies.
Genesis Minerals Makes Rival $3.9 Billion Bid For Vault Minerals
Genesis Minerals has made a rival bid for Vault Minerals that values the Australian gold miner at $3.9 billion, trumping an agreed merger with Regis Resources.
UK tightens rules on overseas political donations to stop 'dodgy funding'
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".
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...
Epic Games settles a court case against former contractor accused of leaking Fortnite collaborations
Former contractor Hayden Cohen has agreed to a judgment that bars them from "possessing, accessing, using, or disclosing any of Epic’s confidential or trade sec
Everton set to sign Tyrique George from Chelsea
The two Premier League clubs have agreed a deal over the 20-year-old winger
The twisted history Trump’s White House is using to redefine religious freedom
Is religious freedom on the retreat in America? A Trump commission certainly believes that to be true.
Report: Arsenal star closing in on £17m summer exit
Leandro Trossard to Besiktas: Arsenal forward closes in on summer exitArsenal are moving towards the sale of Leandro Trossard, with The Athletic reporting that Besiktas have agreed a deal worth “€...
Trump makes speech hours after storms delay July Fourth show
Attendees were forced to temporarily evacuate due to thunderstorms.
Trump makes speech hours after storms delay July Fourth show
Attendees were forced to temporarily evacuate due to thunderstorms.
Trump makes speech hours after storms delay July Fourth show
Attendees were forced to temporarily evacuate due to thunderstorms.
Trump hails US exceptionalism before veering into darkly political speech to usher in America 250
The president’s speech capped an Independence Day eve that was otherwise most notable for a brutal heat wave the gripped much of the eastern portion of the country.
Freedom 250 Independence Day Entertainment
Freedom 250 presents events from the National Mall prior to the evening "Salute to America" program.
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
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A Democratic report says donors intending to contribute funds to the bipartisan America250 committee were instead given banking info for Freedom 250
Democrats accuse Freedom 250 fundraisers of fraud over diverted donations
A Democratic report says donors intending to contribute funds to the bipartisan America250 committee were instead given banking info for Freedom 250
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Justices Hold Sex, Not Gender Identity, Matters in Girls’ Sports
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Conduent agrees to sell tolling business to Quarterhill for $70M
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Trump administration puts religious freedom at heart of US health policy
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