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Onimusha Sells 1 million in a Day as Capcom Vows to 'Re-activate' More Old Series

After a 20-year hiatus, the historical action game is yet another Capcom hit

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Sep 7 • 6:30 AM EDT • Technology • polygon.com
Govt crossing line in RCA politics: Ashok Gehlot

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has called out the BJP government for its actions, particularly criticising political meddling in the Rajasthan Cricket Association. He pointed out the hal...

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Sep 7 • 5:43 AM EDT • Politics • yahoo.com
Former US congresswoman criticizes political and church leaders over Gaza

Marjorie Taylor Greene warns of divine judgment for those silent over mass child casualties | Anadolu

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Sep 6 • 11:23 PM EDT • Politics • aa.com.tr
The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers

Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??

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Sep 6 • 6:05 PM EDT • Technology • theargumentmag.com
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: Gary Neville questions Chelsea's 'all over the place' back three after defeat - but is confident they can finish top three

Chelsea suffered their first defeat under new manager Xabi Alonso, losing 2-1 to Arsenal; Gary Neville was critical of Chelseas back three - but believes the Blues can finish second or third; Neville: Im as positive as I have been for three four five years about Chelsea.

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Sep 6 • 4:14 PM EDT • Sports • skysports.com
New 85% on Metacritic Fantasy Action Game Just Shot Up to No. 1 on Steam Overnight

Fans have waited 20 years for a new installment of Capcom's action game.

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Sep 6 • 4:11 PM EDT • Technology • polygon.com
Gubernatorial Candidates Rhoden, Ahlers Spar Over Agriculture, Education, Health Care

Ahlers, a former lawmaker from Dell Rapids, criticized the state’s strategy on economic development for agriculture, arguing that too much of the money doled

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Sep 6 • 2:13 PM EDT • Health • aberdeeninsider.com
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Bears QB Caleb Williams Acknowledges Critical Post About His Play
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Sep 6 • 1:35 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Weekly Briefing: Politicians confront genocide and democracy as elections loom in Palestine, Israel, and the U.S.

Gaza’s markets have food but no buyers, Lebanon’s camps lose critical aid, and Palestine, Israel, and the U.S. head toward elections.

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Sep 6 • 1:14 PM EDT • Politics • mondoweiss.net
Dave Dombrowski pushes back against Phillies' farm system criticism

This weak farm system narrative is one that Dombrowski isn't a fan of.

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Sep 6 • 12:09 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Raúl Castro reappears at public event after reports of critical health

As seen in a video published by Cuban television, Castro took part alongside top regime officials in an event marking the 65th anniversary of the Directorate of Personal Security, the agency responsible for protecting the highest-ranking leaders of Castroism.

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Sep 6 • 11:22 AM EDT • Health • nbcmiami.com
Michigan Football Squeaks Past Western Michigan: 5 Key Takeaways

A stifling defensive stand and Bryce Underwood’s poised debut rescued the Wolverines in a narrow opening victory, exposing critical areas for improvement before Oklahoma visits Ann Arbor.

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Sep 6 • 11:18 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Victim in critical condition after shooting at East Hartford business

An investigation is underway following an overnight shooting in East Hartford on Sunday.

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Sep 6 • 11:16 AM EDT • Business • wfsb.com
Letitia James’ Times Square shooting probe draws GOP criticism over New York’s mental health crisis

Saritha Komatireddy proposes a new Office of Civil Commitment after the Times Square fatal stabbing, saying New York fails mentally ill people.

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Sep 6 • 9:53 AM EDT • Health • foxnews.com
Tottenham Handed Harsh Message After Nottingham Forest Draw

In three Premier League games, Tottenham Hotspur have yet to score a goal and have lost two of those fixtures. As a result, criticism is beginning to fall on manager Roberto De Zerbi and his tactical game plan.Moreover, in the most recent game against Nottingham Forest, Spurs failed to register a single shot on target, […] The post Tottenham Handed Harsh Message After Nottingham Forest Draw appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 6 • 7:56 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Country music singer claims he is risking his life by speaking out against Donald Trump

He has been an outspoken critic of Trump and MAGA.

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Sep 6 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • pennlive.com
Study saying China’s solar policy hurt birds may have miscounted 2 billion egrets

Critics claim report in top US journal lacked quality control and used data suggesting one park had more than the entire global population.

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Sep 6 • 5:00 AM EDT • Science • scmp.com
PITTMAN CRITICIZES SHAPIRO’S HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS PROPOSAL

In a sharply worded criticism, Senator Joe Pittman warns that Governor Josh Shapiro's recently proposed new he...

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Sep 6 • 4:04 AM EDT • Health • wccsradio.com
AI optimism vs. anxiety — podcasters debate this every night

President Donald Trump, CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer and entrepreneurial “accelerationists” celebrate the AI revolution and the infrastructure data-center build-out. Cramer recently gushed, “I like data centers so much that I wish I lived in one.” Trump criticized any community that opposes them as losers who will lose jobs and taxes — and will weaken […]

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Sep 6 • 2:45 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
Flock cameras become midterm campaign target as voters balk at tech companies' power

Although police say the cameras are an invaluable crime-fighting tool, some critics say their pervasiveness amounts to unconstitutional warrantless mass surveillance.

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Sep 5 • 5:07 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Trail Blazers' Arena Situation Receives Concerning Update After Key Deadline

Labor Day passed without tangible progress on Moda Center renovations, leaving a $573 million deal in limbo as the clock ticks toward a critical December lease deadline.

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Sep 5 • 2:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Atletico Madrid fans turn on Juventus loanee

Jonathan David has joined Atletico Madrid on loan from Juventus, but the striker has already faced criticism from supporters of the Spanish club over his weight.The forward was one of the players Juve...

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Sep 5 • 1:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
CDFW: Scientists keeping an eye on river conditions to protect winter-and-fall-run salmon

From the Department of Fish and Wildlife As California continues to feel the impacts of a heat dome that is bringing higher than normal temperatures to large portions of the state, it’s a good time to remember that fish and wildlife — especially salmon — need cold water, too. River temperature management is critical for salmon’s survival and spawning. Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial ocean salmon fishing was back after being closed for three […]

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Sep 5 • 12:42 PM EDT • Science • mavensnotebook.com
The politics behind Pennsylvania's recent measles announcements

Critics accuse PA Gov. Josh Shapiro of politicizing two measles deaths in Lancaster County following clashes with HHS Secretary RFK Jr.

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Sep 5 • 12:00 PM EDT • Politics • thehill.com
Pat Fitzgerald Takes Shot at NCAA After Michigan State Win

Pat Fitzgerald criticized the NCAA after Rodney Bullard Jr. delivered a huge performance in Michigan State’s 30-20 win over Toledo.

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Sep 5 • 9:09 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Robert Pattinson Responds to Chris Hansen’s Criticism Over His Portrayal in ‘Primetime’: ‘I Hope He Likes the Movie’

Robert Pattinson responded to Chris Hansen’s concerns over ‘Primetime’ during a press conference for the movie at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, Sept. 5.

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Sep 5 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • people.com
Reform continues to cast doubt on climate science. Do its supporters agree?

Climate scepticism is common at the Reform party conference, but many also criticise Labour for failing to protect Britons from hot weather

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Sep 5 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Reform continues to cast doubt on climate science. Do its supporters agree?

Climate scepticism is common at the Reform party conference, but many also criticise Labour for failing to protect Britons from hot weather

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Sep 5 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
Falcons Set Wednesday Deadline for Michael Penix Jr. Starter Decision

The Falcons will name their starting quarterback by Wednesday. See why Michael Penix Jr.'s ACL recovery and Tua Tagovailoa's struggles define this critical choice.

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Sep 5 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Recapping a tense week in the race for N.Y. governor

Bruce Blakeman criticized Kathy Hochul for wearing a hijab during a recent visit to an Islamic community center, and Hochul fired back.

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Sep 4 • 8:01 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Israeli scientists find ‘multitasking’ gene controls mood and metabolism in mice

Weizmann Institute researchers find Orthopedia gene plays critical role throughout life after aiding in-utero brain development; study may help treatment of anxiety and metabolic disorders

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Sep 4 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • timesofisrael.com
Stafford business execs to county supervisors: BPOL tax is DOA

The levy is unfair and would do more harm than good, critics say.

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Sep 4 • 6:09 PM EDT • Business • fredericksburgfreepress.com
Bills Under Fire for Putting Josh Allen at Unnecessary Risk

The Buffalo Bills are facing criticism for allowing quarterback Josh Allen to play on a substandard grass field in the preseason. The post Bills Under Fire for Putting Josh Allen at Unnecessary Risk appeared first on HEAVY.

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Sep 4 • 6:03 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Pentagon agreement with NIH on biodefense draws alarm from Democrats

The deal is being criticized by Democrats who warn it could allow the Defense Department to go around Congress and gain access to billions of dollars meant for infectious disease research.

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Sep 4 • 5:36 PM EDT • Politics • seattletimes.com
New Supreme Court ruling helps GOP buy cheaper TV ads for critical midterms

The Supreme Court allowed political parties to access discounted advertising rates, potentially aiding GOP candidates in the midterm elections.

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Sep 4 • 3:58 PM EDT • Politics • usatoday.com
Homeland Security Dept. Asks for Inquiries Into Voting Machines

Critics of ballot-marking devices have claimed that hackers could manipulate digital codes on ballots. Election experts say the systems are safe to use.

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Sep 4 • 3:50 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
White House arcade games spark criticism

The Trump administration launched a series of arcade-style games on the official White House website Thursday to tout its priorities — the latest turn in its aggressive online effort to troll Democrats that has at times surfaced racist and offensive images. CNN’s Kit Maher reports.

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Sep 4 • 3:44 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.

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Sep 4 • 3:16 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com
Texas Senate hopeful Talarico ramps up Black outreach efforts

The Texas Democrat acknowledges criticism that Democrats haven’t been doing enough to court Black voters.

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Sep 4 • 3:00 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Business Insider Recognizes Vontier Among America's Most Innovative Businesses for 2027

RALEIGH, N.C., September 04, 2026--Vontier Corporation (NYSE: VNT), a leading global provider of critical technologies and solutions that connect, manage and scale the mobility ecosystem, today announced it was named one of Business Insider's America's Most Innovative Businesses 2027.

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Sep 4 • 12:50 PM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com
Critical Public Health: Fiscal Reform Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and It’s Public Health Implications

The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is framed by its proponents as the largest middle-class tax cut in U.S. history and a catalyst for economic growth. Yet, beneath the marketing of ‘jobs, tax cuts, and American prosperity’, the legislation conceals sweeping rollbacks of Medicaid, food assistance, education, reproductive care, and expanded immigration enforcement, alongside tax windfalls for venture capital and immigration enforcement.

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Sep 4 • 10:45 AM EDT • Health • itep.org
Miami Sheriff Opposes Plans To Transform The City Into GTA-Land

The 'GTA x MDC' marketing event proposed by Miami-Dade’s mayor has been criticized by both Miami-Dade's sheriff and its commissioner

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Sep 4 • 10:33 AM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
EU and ASEAN discuss health emergency preparedness and response

The Director-General of the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Dr Florika Fink-Hooijer, met with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, in Jakarta on 4 September 2026 to discuss health emergency preparedness and response to emerging health threats, and to explore deeper cooperation between the EU and ASEAN. Both regions face similar challenges from emerging threats such as infectious diseases, which will further increase with climate change and increased travel, requiring global and regional cooperation. Both sides acknowledged that regional partnerships are essential to prepare for the next health emergency — it's a matter of when, not if. Building close EU-ASEAN cooperation on health emergency preparedness and response is therefore critical to ensuring a collective response, as we look ahead to the Commemorative Summit in 2027 marking the 50th anniversary of EU-ASEAN Dialogue Relations. Among other topics, discussions covered future partnership in the establishment and operations of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED), as well as other key avenues for deeper collaboration.

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Sep 4 • 8:49 AM EDT • Health • eeas.europa.eu
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Josh Shapiro’s measles response — and its backlash

The criticism of Gov. Josh Shapiro's handling of measles and his administration's proposed health regulations has a familiar ring six years after COVID-19.

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Sep 4 • 8:03 AM EDT • Politics • inquirer.com
Bucco criticizes New Jersey business climate after Burlington Stores announces headquarters move to Philadelphia

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco is criticizing the state’s business climate after Burlington Stores announced plans to move its corporate headquarters from Burlington County …

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Sep 4 • 4:38 AM EDT • Business • wrnjradio.com
Entertainment over policy? White House arcade games ignite backlash

White House arcade games spark criticism for prioritising entertainment amid rising living costs and war concerns.

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Sep 3 • 11:44 PM EDT • Entertainment • aljazeera.com
Dodgers' Dave Roberts Provides Critical Injury Update On Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is not in the lineup on Thursday

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Sep 3 • 7:39 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Bickley: Cardinals take critical step forward with Michael Wilson extension

Cardinals take care of business by extending the 26-year-old wideout after a breakout season in 2025 and buck past trends of failing to extend blossoming talent.

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Sep 3 • 6:38 PM EDT • Sports • arizonasports.com
Meta Settlement Funds Could Be a Boost for Youth Mental Health

This is an exclusive BHB+ article. Social media has long been criticized for its potential role in the deterioration of children’s and young people’s

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Sep 3 • 4:05 PM EDT • Health • bhbusiness.com
Entertainment this week: Petty Theft, Truckee Art Walk, Wild West Fest and more

Friday, September 4 Alex Benjamin & Suika T – 12 p.m.-12 a.m., Palisades Tahoe, 1960 Squaw Valley Rd. Alex Benjamin is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. He has played drums with critically acclaimed Americana band Hiss...

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Sep 3 • 11:11 AM EDT • Entertainment • sierrasun.com
Italy's Vannacci gains establishment platform at elite business forum

Italian far-right politician Roberto Vannacci will attend a key business forum this week, a sign of his growing mainstream acceptance as he climbs the ​polls on a platform that critics say disparages migrants, women and minority rights.

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Sep 3 • 8:23 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Farm features Charlie Kirk in corn maze. Here’s how the business responded to criticism

Goebel Farms said it chose to honor Kirk because he believed that disagreement should lead to conversation, not violence.

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Sep 2 • 9:53 PM EDT • Business • azfamily.com
Farm features Charlie Kirk in corn maze. Here’s how the business responded to criticism

Goebel Farms said it chose to honor Kirk because he believed that disagreement should lead to conversation, not violence.

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Sep 2 • 9:53 PM EDT • Business • wlbt.com
Farm features Charlie Kirk in corn maze. Here’s how the business responded to criticism

Goebel Farms said it chose to honor Kirk because he believed that disagreement should lead to conversation, not violence.

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Sep 2 • 9:53 PM EDT • Business • firstalert4.com
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Nick Wright Criticizes Dan Orlovsky's 'Unacceptable' Matthew Stafford Claim

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky gave a take on Rams QB Matthew Stafford that was so egregious that Nick Wright had to call him out for it.

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Sep 2 • 5:40 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
South Carolina, Shane Beamer open critical season vs. Kent State

Coming off a 4-8 campaign, the Gamecocks turn to dynamic quarterback LaNorris Sellers to set the tone in Saturday's opener against Dru DeShields and the visiting Golden Flashes.

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Sep 2 • 4:26 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
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Fort Bragg Veteran celebrates expansion of high-end experiential entertainment brand

Photo provided by EscapologyAfter 15 years as an Army officer at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville resident Dan Cooke transitioned to business ownership to bring high-end experiential entertainment to North Carolina, applying strict military operational systems to scale his footprint across the state.Cooke got his start in the Army’s Boots to Business program.“Boots to Business was instrumental in preparing me to start a company. The program taught me how to develop a business plan, conduct market and financial analysis and critically evaluate whether a business concept was actually viable,” shared Cooke. “What made the program particularly valuable was that the instructors and mentors had real-world business experience…At the end of the course, I had to present and defend that plan. From there, they directed me to SCORE, where mentors helped me further refine the plan. I eventually presented it to a bank, which was impressed with the level of preparation, and I secured the financing necessary to build the business.”As Cooke neared the end of his military career, he began to wonder what would come next. Through his faith and some valuable mentors, he found the right avenue for his entrepreneurial interests.“While working on my instrument pilot rating, my flight instructor happened to tell me about escape rooms and the economics behind building them. He thought they could make for an interesting business. I took the analytical skills I had developed in the military, along with what I learned through Boots to Business, and began comparing the escape-room model against other opportunities I was considering,” explained Cooke. Cooke opened his first Escapology location in Fayetteville in 2019.“My approach was to start small and prove the model. Fayetteville made sense because I was already there, understood the market and could minimize my initial risk. It also became clear very quickly that I needed a partner that could provide the creative design, branding and industry knowledge that I did not have. After researching a number of options, Escapology became that partner,” added Cooke.Following the success of his initial venue in Fayetteville and a venue in Charlotte that opened in 2023, Cooke recently expanded into Raleigh with his third Escapology venue at Crabtree Valley Mall.His North Carolina footprint now includes:Fayetteville: A 5-room venue launched right after his Army transition in 2019.Charlotte: A 10-room venue opened in 2023, doubling his original operational footprint.Raleigh (Crabtree Valley Mall): A 6-room venue opened in May 2026, with plans to expand to 10 full rooms.Beyond his venues, Cooke expanded his local footprint by launching Jade Solutions in Aberdeen, N.C., an OEM manufacturing business that now builds prop and technical solutions for Escapology venues systemwide.Cooke shared that his long-term goal is to continue expanding Escapology in a healthy and sustainable way while enjoying the journey. “I actually did not start an entertainment business because I personally loved escape rooms. I started a business because I love the game of business itself. Growing up, I loved military simulation games and business tycoon games. I eventually had the opportunity to experience the first of those in the real world — I went to war, led troops and played my part in the military. Today, I would much rather apply that same drive to the real-world game of building businesses.I don't play business computer games anymore. I get to wake up and do it for real every day,” shared Cooke.

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Sep 2 • 4:07 PM EDT • Entertainment • bizfayetteville.com
What two critical access hospitals learned about EHR optimization after go-live

Healthcare organizations commit significant resources to EHR implementation, then find they cannot sustain improvement once the project team disbands. The

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Sep 2 • 2:51 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis takes on several hecklers at GOP event

Video shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticizing hecklers at a Republican unity event in Tampa.

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Sep 2 • 1:33 PM EDT • Politics • tallahassee.com
No Rest For The Wicked Director Calls Game Critics 'Untrustworthy'

Pay attention, because his new site is 'the one source of truth for gamers'

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Sep 2 • 1:30 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com
‘Balancing act’ helps keep colorectal cancer in check

Study finds that a balance of two closely related cell surface proteins may be critical to the health of the epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Sep 2 • 11:48 AM EDT • Health • news.vumc.org
Farage compares standards inquiry to investigations faced by fellow ‘outsider’ Trump

Reform UK leader dismisses criticism of his failure to register £5m gift as a sign of a ‘complainants’ society’

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Sep 2 • 11:24 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
First AGACNP graduates build critical care expertise

Four ECU Health team members are among the first graduates from East Carolina University School of Nursing's Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program.

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Sep 2 • 11:10 AM EDT • Health • ecuhealth.org
Trump’s ‘Lightning Speed’ Threatens to Outpace the Courts

In his breakneck construction of a grand ballroom and in many other initiatives, critics say, the president has tried to outrun judicial review.

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Sep 2 • 10:25 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Richard Sherman Criticizes 49ers For Not Addressing Offensive Line Needs

Richard Sherman seemed to echo a common sentiment about how the 49ers have approached personnel moves and team building in recent years.

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Sep 2 • 10:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
From Pandemic Prevention to Pharmaceutical Resilience: Why Health Security Should Be Part of US-Taiwan Economic Security Cooperation

As strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific region intensifies, Washington increasingly views Taiwan as both a reliable partner for democracy and regional stability, and as a critical contributor to supply-chain resilience and technology security. However, one important area has room for improvement: health security and pharmaceutical resilience.

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Sep 2 • 8:50 AM EDT • Health • globaltaiwan.org
The Adriatic Sea's Hidden Shark And Ray Hotspot Is Changing What Scientists Know

The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean's most important regions for sharks and rays, yet many of its species are critically endangered. New research based on decades of monitoring and close partnerships with local fishers is revealing previously unknown habitats, rediscovering rare species, and reshaping what scientists thought they knew about these animals.

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Sep 2 • 6:30 AM EDT • Science • forbes.com
Iran attempted cyberattacks on range of U.S. infrastructure, sources say

The attempts have so far been unsuccessful, but an Iranian hacking group warned that “unexpected and critical events” would soon target American infrastructure.

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Sep 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • nbcnews.com
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Skip Bayless Criticizes ‘Outrageously Wrong’ Shedeur Sanders Situation

Skip Bayless believes Shedeur Sanders has been placed in an unfair situation with the Cleveland Browns, and the outspoken sports commentator did not hold back in his latest criticism of the organization. Bayless described the quarterback’s circumstances as outrageously wrong after another development complicated his path to meaningful playing time. Sanders entered the 2026 season […] The post Skip Bayless Criticizes ‘Outrageously Wrong’ Shedeur Sanders Situation appeared first on Gridiron Heroic

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Sep 2 • 5:28 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Yamaha reacts to Quartararo complaint: 'He should follow Miller's example'

Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli hit back at Fabio Quartararo's criticism. The Italian believes the Frenchman should look at Jack Miller's attitude.

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Sep 2 • 4:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Florida's 6-Foot-1 Enforcer Feels 'Disrespected' Before Season

Fueled by an All-SEC snub, junior linebacker Myles Graham aims to anchor a revitalized Gators defense and silence critics during head coach Jon Sumrall’s high-stakes debut season.

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Sep 1 • 7:45 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
What Box Office Bomb Crushed Obsession on Streaming?

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Before we get into this week’s issue, let me ask you for some suggestions. At the risk of coining too many names for too many things (hence my dictionary of terms...), I need a name for straight-to-streaming films that are too expensive to justify a straight-to-streaming release, but not big enough to justify a theatrical release. Like some of the films I highlighted in last week’s tally of the biggest film flops of 2026 so far: Hulu’s Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, Pizza Movie or Never Change! They don’t feel like “made for TV movies” (think Hallmark and Lifetime movies, cheap Netflix romcoms, or Disney Channel Original movies, for example) but they don’t feel big enough for the big screen. They’re not “cinematic” enough, so to speak. As I wrote... “I still need a name for this middle zone of film that’s too expensive to go straight-to-streaming but too small to justify a theatrical release (with all the PR, distribution, marketing and whatnot costs that go along with it), the Goldilocks zone of streaming film death.” Friend of the newsletter Brandon Katz has suggested the “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”. I love that first one. I’d offer up the much wordier “The Streaming Budget Dead Zone” or “the Goldilocks Zone of streaming film death” but that last one isn’t accurate since, unlike Goldilocks’ porridge, these films are the opposite of “just right”. That’s the problem! Anyway, if you have any suggestions, let me know! On to today’s Streaming Ratings Report. As you can tell by today’s headline, things are going to be spicy! I’m looking at a box office bomb that did really, really well on streaming, somewhat challenging a few different narratives. And another Netflix series declined in its second season. All that, plus Wicked: For Good switching streamers, The Hawk continuing its strong run, _The Bear’_s finale season finally dropping off the charts, the WNBA posting a big viewership number, “shallow libraries”, a sitcom spinoff failing to launch, more big budget IP flopping on Paramount+, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 20th to July 26th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - The Latest Theatrical Success Story on Streaming In the latest edition of “Flops, Bombs and Misses of the First Half of 2026”, I made a crucial change: I started including theatrical films with the streaming misses. The streamers have collectively—including Netflix, but not to as big of an extent—stopped making a lot of straight-to-streaming films, and the ones they do make aren’t as expensive as in the heyday of the streaming bubble. After the following two films bombed in theaters, you’d guess that they’ll be included in my next collection of flops, bombs and misses six months from now: Masters of the Universe on Prime Video (only $64 million domestic box office) Mortal Kombat II on HBO Max ($79 million domestic) But you’d be wrong! Masters of the Universe, a reboot of the He-Man franchise, a toy from the 1980s, came to streaming on 22-July and did great! This long-gestating project—it’s been at every studio for years, and came close to getting a greenlight at Netflix—then finally came to theaters in June, and showed up on streaming less than two months later. (I don’t love this short theatrical window.) It surprisingly grabbed nearly 20 million hours on its debut: That means, wait for it, Masters of the Universe is currently the eighth biggest film on streaming through two weeks. My rough bar for “hit” is shows or films in the top 15%. Ergo…Masters of the Universe is a legit, streaming hit! (One quick caveat: if it falls out of the top ten next week, it will move to 13th overall, just on the edge of the top 15.) Of course, that’s the data for just 2026. Here’s how it stacks up to Prime Video’s theatrical films: That drop into its second week is typical for Amazon films, but also a worrying sign. I have a feeling interest in this film is front-loaded and we’ll see it drop off after this. As for Mortal Kombat II, in this case, the viewership numbers roughly match the theatrical outing, with only 4.1 million hours in its first week. Here’s how it stacks up to other HBO Max films: The best defense of this number is that, as a relatively violent rated-R film, Mortal Kombat II never had a good chance at breaking out. So now it’s time for a little big of “Entertainment Nuance Guy”: First, yeah, my headline is obviously facetious, since Masters of the Universe besting Obsession says more about horror as a genre than it does that film. Second, I read and listened to quite a few “nobody wanted this IP” takes about Masters of the Universe, and that’s not really true. At least enough people wanted it to power a 20 million+ hour debut! Third, both this film and Mortal Kombat II were considered “average” by viewers, but not great films, with a 6.4 and 6.3 respectively on IMDb. That’s just shy of the level needed to be a word-of-mouth hit. Fourth, in the olden days, strong word of mouth could transform a box office miss into a cable/DVD hit, like Austin Powers or The Shawshank Redemption. We haven’t seen a lot of examples of that on streaming, though. And there are far fewer ways to monetize the post-theatrical life of a film these days. Fifth, Prime Video has shown an ability to push their own titles well, likely because they control the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem. Add it all up, and here’s my nuanced take on Masters of the Universe: it was a box office bomb, but, shockingly, a streaming hit. Unfortunately, while being a theatrical hit saves your film financially, being a streaming hit does not. Both Masters of the Universe and Mortal Kombat II had big budgets and needed to make more money in theaters to justify them. So…Straight-to-Streaming or Theaters? We’ve hit a really fun point in the streaming calendar, since the films that came out in theaters in April, May, and June are now arriving on streaming. So the “Do theatrical releases help streaming performances?” question is gonna get a fresh round of updates nearly every week. No single week will answer the question, but we may get some insights. For example, so far in 2026, it looks like theatrical films are lasting longer on the weekly Nielsen film charts. Here’s a list of films that have made the charts in their fourth or fifth week of release, separated by “for kids” and “general entertainment”: It certainly seems like theatrical films are lasting just a pinch longer on the charts, with Project Hail Mary being the current five-week champion. One Battle After Another did well for HBO Max too, and even The Sheep Detectives made it four weeks. The only exception to this trend? Obsession, which only lasted two weeks on the charts. You might tempted to overreact to this news. Don’t. Obsession is a huge horror hit, but horror just doesn’t do as well on streaming. By the way, here’s the Google Trends for various theatrical and stremaing films: Plus, when it comes to Netflix in four months, Obsession may have another big boost. Quick Notes on Film Note that when I write, “the streamers have pulled back on straight-to-streaming films” that doesn’t mean “abandoned” because Netflix is gonna Netflix. On 24-July, they released 72 Hours, a Kevin Hart comedy. Along with Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg, John Cena and Adam Sandler, Kevin Hart is a streaming film star now. Did this latest one work? Not really. It only garnered two weeks of 13.2 and 12.2 million hours on its debut, well below the 20-million-hour hit threshold. It also was poorly received critically—a 44 on Metacritic—and by customers—a 5.4 on IMDb on 21K IMDb reviews. We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… The latest Netflix true crime doc to pop on the charts… How The Bear finished its run… Netflix’s latest Western to return to streaming… What Paramount+ animated film flopped… And what sitcom also missed… All the flops, bombs and misses… And a whole lot more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! I’m behind by a week, so we’ve got two issues coming your way this week, including one in a couple of days or so, then we’ll be all caught up**.** Next issue, inspired by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming to Peacock, I’m going to take a look at the workhouse of streaming TV: kids films. Plus The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues theatrical films’ big run on streaming. All that, plus another surprise hit on Hulu, Lioness on CBS, and a whole lot more. Long term, LeBron James is filming his own “Last Dance”-style docu-series, surprising no one. But as I’ve been writing about a lot this summer, this genre is really overrated, so whoever ends up buying it (reportedly ESPN) really shouldn’t pay too much for it.

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Sep 1 • 6:15 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com
Anthropic doubles a science benchmark score with Fable 5.1 while OpenAI says its Astra model crosses critical cyber threshold

Anthropic’s Fable 5.1 doubles a science benchmark score, while OpenAI says Astra reaches critical cyber capability and finds zero-day flaws.

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Sep 1 • 5:01 PM EDT • Science • rdworldonline.com
Reports of Raúl Castro's critical health raise questions about Cuba's future

Sources cited by a Miami-based Cuban newspaper say the 95-year-old Cuban leader is in critical condition, renewing questions about power on the island.

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Sep 1 • 4:51 PM EDT • Health • nbcmiami.com
House passes stop-gap bill that pauses changes to federal science grant-making process

The proposed change, which would have given control of science funding to appointed bureaucrats, was criticized widely by the scientific community

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Sep 1 • 4:45 PM EDT • Science • scientificamerican.com
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New Sony Policy Could Lead To Legal Action Against Vocal PS5 Disc Critics

Sony announces aggressive new measures amid an ongoing PS5 protest that has plagued games like Marvel's Wolverine

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Sep 1 • 12:51 PM EDT • Technology • polygon.com
Jalen Hurts responds to criticism of his leadership style

Jalen Hurts accepted responsibility for Philadelphia’s struggles and criticism of his leadership in 2025

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Sep 1 • 11:52 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Can Burnham maintain his bounce?

New PM faces the Commons today for the first time, but critics say likeable ‘chameleon’ has already ducked decisions and rolled back on positions

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Sep 1 • 9:14 AM EDT • Politics • theweek.com
Tahoe TAP Podcast — The Science Behind Lake Tahoe with Dr. Stephanie Hampton – UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center

Lake Tahoe is one of the most studied lakes in the world, and understanding what’s happening beneath its famously clear surface is critical to protecting its future. On this episode of Tahoe TAP, hosts Mike...

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Sep 1 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • tahoedailytribune.com
TV canceled a lot of good shows this year. Here are 14 I'd save.

Some TV shows are ending on their own terms. Others never got a chance to find fans. Here's what TV critic Michel Ghanem will miss most.

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Sep 1 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Dozens of TV shows were canceled this year. These are the ones I'd save.

Some TV shows are ending on their own terms. Others never got a chance to find fans. Here's what TV critic Michel Ghanem will miss most.

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Sep 1 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com
Round Up: The Reviews For Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Are In

Here's what the critics had to say

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Aug 31 • 11:05 PM EDT • Technology • nintendolife.com
‘Most’ of Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor was furloughed ahead of launch

Last week was meant to be a moment of triumph for Bit Reactor, the Maryland-based game studio founded in 2021 with ambitions to create a great new tactical combat game. On Thursday, August 27, Bit Reactor’s debut title, Star Wars Zero Company, released to stellar reviews. And, from the Gamescom show in Cologne, Germany, studio co-founder Greg Foertsch was giving interviews discussing what the studio’s next game may be. But for many developers on the game, launch has been bittersweet. Fans love it. Critics prefer it to most recent Star Wars games. Zero Company, which is out for PS5, Xbox Series consoles and PC, is the top-selling game on Steam. Much of the team that made it, however, is currently going without pay. They were furloughed, just weeks ahead of the game’s launch. A rep for Bit Reactor confirmed to Game File today that the studio had furloughed many of its workers prior to the game’s release. They said it was a difficult decision and one that had been made before it was clear how launch would go. The rep emphasized that the call to do this was Bit Reactor’s alone (meaning not from publisher EA nor Star Wars license holder Disney). While the rep declined to comment on the scale of the furloughs, a previously unreported lawsuit brought by studio co-founder Alison Kelly in 2024 noted in a filing from August 12 of this year that Bit Reactor “has furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractors…” One source told Game File the furloughs impacted 80% of the team; another referred to there only being a skeleton crew left on Bit Reactor’s active payroll, ready to address any of Zero Company’s post-launch bugs. The issue is that Bit Reactor, a studio formed in 2021, had run out of most of its money just ahead of the launch of its first game. Over the weekend, Zachariah Scott, a senior technical artist who worked at Bit Reactor from early 2023 until an acrimonious exit this past May, said on LinkedIn that the studio was “concealing the fact that the team was Furloughed weeks ago.” Reached by phone today, Scott told Game File that he spoke to nearly a dozen Bit Reactor workers over the weekend. “Everybody has essentially the same story, which is, ‘Yeah, I got furloughed three weeks ago.” The Bit Reactor rep told Game File that the studio hoped to bring furloughed workers back, suggesting that a successful launch of the game could be impactful. Scott told Game File that workers he spoke to were less confident that even if there were returns, that all who were furloughed would get their old jobs again. A heated dispute Bit Reactor’s mid-2026 was almost even more tumultuous. The lawsuit by co-founder Alison Kelly that first revealed the furloughs was initially slated to go to trial in June. The suit is a she-said/he-said about whether Kelly, until 2024 the chief operating officer of Bit Reactor, was a co-owner of the studio or whether it was solely owned by Greg Foertsch. In July 2024, Kelly sued, saying she was pushed out by Foertsch. She first sued in federal court and later refiled in Maryland’s Baltimore County, alleging breach of contract and that Foertsch had unjustly enriched himself. Kelly cited damages of over $20 million, on the basis of Bit Reactor allegedly being worth more than double that. Foertsch’s side has said Kelly was never a co-owner and has countered with claims about her job performance (which she has denied). The June trial was postponed until early 2027, as both sides have been deposing witnesses and filing more claims and denials along the way. Amid all of that, filings in the lawsuit reviewed by Game File paint a picture about Bit Reactor’s origins, early aspirations around tactics games, the team’s breakthrough in drawing the attention of Electronic Arts with the help of a pitch tied to one of EA’s non-Star Wars franchises, and early fractures among its co-founders. The real story about the company behind Zero Company

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Aug 31 • 10:23 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
NASA’s Swift telescope is back, but time is running out

NASA has brought two of Swift’s telescopes back online after technical problems derailed a commercial mission intended to rescue the aging observatory by raising its orbit. With atmospheric drag pulling the spacecraft downward faster than expected, scientists may have only another month or two before Swift falls below a critical operating altitude.

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Aug 31 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
Tigers still have hope: Next 10 games are critical

At 5.5 games back, the Tigers enter September with ten games against the Twins and Guardians that will decide whether a third straight playoff run is real.

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Aug 31 • 7:27 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Young Kalshi users have traded an estimated $3.9B on sports and parlay-type contracts this year, exposing a loophole that lets them bet before age 21

Critics warn prediction markets let 18-year-olds make sports wagers while bypassing state betting age limits.

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Aug 31 • 5:26 PM EDT • Sports • fortune.com
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Florida grand jury finds DeSantis administration misused $10 million, but no charges have been filed

Despite the lack of charges, the report ignited a new round of criticism aimed at Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top state Republicans over the charity receiving $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement intended to help poor children get health insurance.

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Aug 31 • 1:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Netflix’s #1 Movie Has Viewers Raving About the Cast—and Criticizing This One Thing

Netflix’s latest number one movie has viewers seriously divided. While the star-studded cast is earning plenty of praise, some viewers are calling out one major issue with the thriller.

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Aug 31 • 12:53 PM EDT • Entertainment • purewow.com
Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About The Blood Of Dawnwalker

It's reviewing very well!

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Aug 31 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • purexbox.com
Would You Eat a Cookie Made From Upcycled Plastic? Scientists Propose a New Way to Deal With Waste and Provide Food in Extreme Environments

A team of researchers programmed yeast to turn broken-down plastic and agricultural waste into sweet treats called µBites. They might come in handy during deep-space missions or in disaster zones, although some critics say the food is impractical

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Aug 31 • 11:42 AM EDT • Science • smithsonianmag.com
Why the left can’t stop obsessing over Trump

Trump’s supporters aren’t the mystery — his critics are more interesting.

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Aug 31 • 7:30 AM EDT • Politics • thehill.com
Analysis | The politics of the company you keep

The Senate race in Michigan is critical to Democrats, but associations may matter.

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Aug 31 • 5:28 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Why Paolo Banchero Needs to Have an Elite Year

With Desmond Bane joining a revamped roster, Orlando’s franchise centerpiece faces a defining crossroads to silence critics, master his shooting, and elevate the Magic into elite contention.

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Aug 30 • 9:22 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Trump says 'Meet the Press' host Kristen Welker will be reported to FCC

President Donald Trump sharply criticized Kristen Welker, the moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," after abruptly exiting an interview with her earlier this year.

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Aug 30 • 9:50 AM EDT • Politics • usatoday.com
Tech Bans Are Not Going to Solve the Youth Mental Health Crisis

Curbelo and Bullock: The goal should not be to raise a generation sheltered from technology but to help them use it wisely, critically and responsibly.

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Aug 30 • 6:30 AM EDT • Health • the74million.org
AI chatbots may be better than search engines in guarding against foreign propaganda

In a test, popular AI chatbots mostly debunked falsehoods spread by other countries and avoided uncritically spreading falsehoods better than search engines. AI summaries above search results fared worse.

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Aug 30 • 3:00 AM EDT • Technology • npr.org
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Trump’s Oil Deal Riles Both Sides of Venezuelan Politics

Venezuelan hard-liners and opposition forces alike criticized acting President Delcy Rodríguez for agreeing to grant the US exclusive access to the country’s

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Aug 30 • 1:10 AM EDT • Politics • energyconnects.com
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Trump cannot deport students for criticizing Israel, judge rules

The decision largely piggybacks on findings from nearly a year ago by a U.S. district judge in Boston

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Aug 29 • 3:55 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Trump cannot deport students for criticizing Israel, judge rules

The decision largely piggybacks on findings from nearly a year ago by a U.S. district judge in Boston

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Aug 29 • 3:55 PM EDT • Politics • ny1.com
Trump cannot deport students for criticizing Israel, judge rules

The decision largely piggybacks on findings from nearly a year ago by a U.S. district judge in Boston

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Aug 29 • 2:20 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com