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AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Begins $3.97 Billion Debt Refinancing
AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:AMC) launched a US$3.97b debt refinancing effort aimed at reshaping its capital structure. The package includes new secured note offerings designed to retire existing 2029 notes through a comprehensive tender offer. AMC is also pursuing new first and second lien term loans that are intended to replace upcoming debt maturities. This large refinancing of 2029 notes and new secured financing only captures part of what could reshape AMC’s risk profile. Check out...
Whitesides turns up the heat to connect with fellow politicians, voters
Freshman Rep. George Whitesides may be campaigning for a second term in Congress, but he’s also taking time to turn up the heat on his colleagues – literally.
Kono’s flawless Round 3 buoys Nebraska women’s golf at Ram Classic
Nebraska women’s golf played Monday and Tuesday in the Ben Connell Ram Classic hosted by Colorado State University at Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins. The tournament marked the Huskers’ second outing of the season after they hit the links at The Bruzzy in Texas earlier this month. The two-day, 54-hole event welcomed 76 golfers from 13 schools that included: Washington, San Diego State, Washington State, UC Davis, Cal Poly, Wyoming, Hawaii, Southern Miss, Nevada, Northern Colorado, Colorado State and the event’s winner, UNLV, which managed to pull away from the competition with a 15-stroke victory at a cumulative 19-under par.
Conn Smythe Winner Jonathan Marchessault Poised for Bounce Back Season
After one of his worst seasons in the NHL, Nashville Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault is ready to bounce back in 2026-27. The 2023 Conn Smythe winner was a shell of himself last year as the Predators failed to make the postseason for the second year in a row. Nashville made several moves this summer. One […] The post Conn Smythe Winner Jonathan Marchessault Poised for Bounce Back Season appeared first on HEAVY.
Apple Releases First Public Betas of iOS 27.2 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2
Apple today seeded the first betas of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS Golden Gate 27.2, tvOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2. The software comes a day after Apple provided the second betas to developers. To get the new betas, you can sign up on Apple's beta testing website. After you're signed up, the betas can be installed through the Software Update section in the Settings app on each device. iOS 27.2 includes the redesigned Health app that Apple introduced at its September iPhone event.
XNA sees narrow dip in outbound passenger traffic in August
Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in Benton County saw its second year-over-year decrease in enplanements, or passengers flying out, after two consecutive record-high months this year. Still, airport officials expect...
Science teacher in Searcy takes lesson to the skies
Brett Baker was in his second year teaching as an 8th-grade science teacher at Ahlf Junior High School in Searcy when he decided to demonstrate gravity to his students by going skydiving.
Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, North Lumber & Home Center
Read the release on Sen. Ernst's website HERE. Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties. RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: North Lumber & Home Center of Decatur County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties. “North Lumber & Home Center has truly gotten to the root of what it means to be a hardworking, dedicated small business” said Chair Ernst. “For more than four decades, this family-owned and operated business has continued to branch out by providing quality services and staying actively engaged in its community.” In 1980, current owner Sally Dykes and her family purchased North Lumber. As the family continued to expand their inventory and operations to better serve its customers, they renamed the business to North Lumber & Home Center. In 2002, they opened a second store in Lamoni, Iowa. Today, Sally continues to run the lumberyard and building materials supplier business alongside her son, Tony Dykes. Stay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award. ###
Detroit Lions Poach Safety from Steelers
The Detroit Lions reportedly signed rookie safety Bishop Fitzgerald off the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad as injuries strain their secondary.
U.S. Senate, Texas Railroad Commission races remain tight less than month before early voting, TSU poll finds
A second poll, from Texas 2036, shows a large fraction of voters remain undecided, while many intend to split their tickets.
Lions Poach Ball-Hawking Safety from Steelers Practice Squad
With an ailing secondary, the Detroit Lions have taken rookie safety Bishop Fitzgerald from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad. Mike […]
People play second fiddle to politics
Steve Andrist, Bismarck, is a former publisher of The Journal and the co-chair of the North Dakota News Cooperative board of directors. It’s been a really bad week for government transparency, accountability and responsibility. In Bismarck and in Washington, D.C., government entities and officials have been more visible for what they’ve done wrong than what
How Yankees Can Still Win AL East Division Title
The New York Yankees are very likely to end up with the second-best record in the American League. But because of how the divisional format works, the Yankees are also very likely to end up as the 4-seed for the playoffs. That’s because the Tampa Bay Rays currently lead the AL East Division, and the […] The post How Yankees Can Still Win AL East Division Title appeared first on HEAVY.
Marblehead MCAS results show growth in younger grades, 20-point drop in MHS science
Marblehead students continued to outperform their counterparts statewide on most measures of the 2026 MCAS, but the results show a mixed picture — with significant gains in science and eighth-grade math offset by declines in Grade 10 English and science. The 2026 results, released publicly by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Tuesday,
Piedmont to spend nearly $600 million to relocate, modernize Newton County hospital
The relocation effort would be the second-largest capital project in the Georgia health system's history, Piedmont said.
Ex-Eagles Star WR Sends Message To Zach Ertz
The veteran tight end Zach Ertz is heading back to the Philadelphia Eagles for a second stint. One of Ertz’s former teammates, Jordan Matthews, is happy to see the tight end get a second shot at helping the Eagles land back in the Super Bowl. Ex-Eagles Star WR Sends Message To Zach Ertz “[Zach Ertz] […] The post Ex-Eagles Star WR Sends Message To Zach Ertz appeared first on HEAVY.
UT Haslam Ranked Top 25 in Undergraduate Business by U.S. News & World Report
/PRNewswire/ -- The Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, held the No. 25 spot for a second year in a row among public colleges...
World’s most contagious virus hits major US airport as officials warn of possible exposure
Philadelphia International Airport is tied to a second measles exposure event across multiple terminals amid Pennsylvania's worsening measles outbreak.
This Week In Happy Valley: Defense Leads The Way
Penn State football’s secondary exits non-conference play as one of the team’s most dominant position groups. Who should be Penn State’s starting running back as Big Ten play begins? The most important stats behind Penn State’s quick 3-0 start. Saturday’s win over Buffalo was the lowest recorded attendance at Beaver Stadium since the start of […]
Jazz Chisholm Jr. to be activated from IL
Jazz Chisholm Jr. will return for second game against the Rays
Florida high school football Super 25 poll: Columbia, Raines climb
St. Thomas Aquinas received all 15 first-place votes in the USA TODAY Florida Super 25 poll. IMG stays No. 2 after record second-half comeback.
Penguins Injury Updates on Kindel, Brazeau; Koivunen Hurt, Too
Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel did not return to the bench for the second period of the team’s first preseason […]
Durable Business Strengths Underpin Vontier Corp’s (VNT) Long-Term Growth Outlook
The London Company, an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for its “Small Cap Strategy.” U.S. equities rebounded in the quarter, driven by AI infrastructure spending and positive earnings. The letter can be downloaded here. Despite this optimism, rate outlook uncertainty persisted. Technology, previously weak, surged to lead the market, especially in semiconductors, […]
UT Health Sciences' BSN Program Ranked No. 1 in Tennessee
For the second year in a row, the Bachelor of Science of Nursing (BSN) program at UT Health Sciences is the most highly ranked program in Tennessee.
Scientists tested the five-second rule by dropping food onto contaminated surfaces 2,560 times — bacteria could transfer almost instantly, and watermelon picked up as much as 97 percent of what it landed on
The bacteria transfer begins before you can blink, and some foods absorb pathogens as readily as a sponge absorbs water.
Should Boeing Stock Investors Worry About Its Money-Losing Jet Business?
If you own Boeing (BA), the worry is whether its commercial airplane business can earn money on the jets it sells. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, that business lost money. Its operating margin was negative 2.7%, meaning costs ran above sales. The jet business brought in nearly half of Boeing's revenue for the quarter.
Corbion launches second cultured preservation solution
The portfolio now includes Verdad Essence WH150.
University of Indianapolis to host conference supporting the health and wellness of pastors and ministry leaders
The Lantz Center at the University of Indianapolis will host the second annual Called + Crafted Preaching & Innovation Conference on Oct 19-21 to help pastors and ministry leaders address their own feelings of burnout and being overwhelmed while caring for their own congregations and communities. The conference is part of UIndy’s Compelling Preaching Initiative,
Blizzard layoffs are reportedly imminent, days after an exciting BlizzCon and a seemingly popular World of Warcraft: Forever beta
A second wave of Xbox cuts will reportedly affect World of Warcraft maker Blizzard.
MIT’s tiny flying robot gets 450% faster with AI
A new AI control system lets MIT’s tiny flying robot move with insect-like agility, boosting its speed by about 450 percent and allowing it to pull off 10 somersaults in 11 seconds. The technology could eventually enable miniature robots to search earthquake rubble and navigate dangerous spaces that conventional drones cannot reach.
Summer spending put Alonso in 'impossible position'
Chelsea's Xabi Alonso as well as Roberto de Zerbi of Tottenham are in an "impossible position" this season, believes The Observer's Rory Smith. The managers took charge of their clubs in the spring and oversaw a lot of activity in the transfer window, with Chelsea and Spurs ending the summer as the second and third-highest spenders respectively. Smith says the changes to their squads is why Alonso and De Zerbi need time to build coherence in their sides.
How lip-syncing to AI let Forced Entertainment ‘play the game of theatre’
Today we have a fascinating piece by long-time Forced Entertainment fan Ben Kulvichit, speaking to Tim Etchells about their latest show Cold Sweat, how they are integrating lip-sync and AI voices into their work, the question of ‘authenticity’ on stage, and how lip-sync has even opened the door for them to make “something a little bit like drama”. This piece is a paid partnership with the Southbank Centre, where you can see Cold Sweat next month – we’re very grateful to the Southbank Centre for their ongoing support for Exeunt. Holly Williams ‘It was immediately interesting and uncanny’ **By Ben Kulvichit** “Is the microphone on?” So goes one of the opening lines of Signal to Noise, delivered by a human performer lip-syncing to an AI-generated voice. The voice is American, cheery but sluggish, slowed down into a gelatinous drawl. It repeats ad infinitum in a farce of stuckness; an answer never materialises. I find myself asking the same question as I hop on a Google Meet call with Tim Etchells, the artistic director of Forced Entertainment. We spend five or ten minutes frowning at each other, muting and unmuting, me gesticulating in semaphore into my webcam, checking if I am coming through now, restarting the laptop. To Etchells, I appear exaggeratedly mouthing words, my voice missing. In this gloopy purgatory of broken communication, life imitates art imitates life imitates art. We try a Zoom instead. Forced Entertainment, the pioneering British theatre company who have been at the avant-garde of performance since the 1980s, turned an interesting artistic corner with Signal to Noise, created on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. The whole performance employed this lip-sync technique to AI voices; on the face of it a left-field move from a company whose identity has long been grounded in the earthy, immediate presences of its performers and its unassuming, low-tech approach to theatricality. The technique, however, turned out to provide the company with a “rich new seam” of artistic enquiry, and has now spawned a trilogy of works. The second instalment, Cold Sweat, plays at Sheffield Theatres, Southbank Centre, and Lancaster Arts in October, while the third part, Everything Must Go, has been touring in Europe and is slated to come to the UK in 2027. As is often the case with Forced Entertainment shows, the main conceit for this work didn’t arrive until quite late. They were “four or five weeks into rehearsals for Signal to Noise,” Etchells recalls, and getting nowhere. Away from rehearsals, he had been playing around with feeding “weird texts” to AI voices to see how they would cope with them – “basically for my own amusement” – and was compelled by the uniformly “serviceable, benign, good-natured” tone they would read in, no matter how poetic, fractured or experimental the writing. On a hunch, he brought some examples into rehearsals and the performers gave lip-syncing a go. “It was immediately interesting and uncanny,” he recalls, with the performers having to deal in the moment with the problem of mapping themselves onto another artificial ‘performer,’ which itself was dealing with the problem of a very human text. “Almost all the writing for these projects would be useless to us unless it was done in this way,” says Etchells. “We wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s too poetic. It’s too fictional. It’s too tangled.” But exploring lip-syncing along to the text has opened “an enormous reservoir of ways of thinking about writing and performing.” Subscribe to Exeunt, and get two in-depth pieces on theatre a week, direct to your inbox Subscribe Forced Entertainment have long been sifting through the detritus of popular culture, from daytime TV to end-of-the-pier vaudeville, magic acts and clown shows, to find frameworks for their own unusual entertainments. Lip-syncing, then, makes sense for them to experiment with. As a mode of performance, it’s wired into popular consciousness through pop stars trying to convince stadium audiences of their liveness, or those same voices as channeled through the made-up lips of contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or movie dialogue spreading virally through the host bodies of TikTok users. For Etchells, lip-syncing is often about “approaching real voices and trying to take on their aura,” subsuming that original human presence into yours. “There’s a very basic, elemental sort of theatre magic to it, produced in this very easy way.” This broad approach resonates with instances of lip-syncing within contemporary performance, too. In works like Re-Member Me and Showmanism, performance artist Dickie Beau acts as a kind of spirit medium for archival recordings (this process of re-membering – as in, giving corporeal form to voices – relies on his masterfully precise actor’s technique), while Frankie Thompson is similarly possessed by a host of characters ranging from a nine-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg to Cliff Richards, all of whom she finds compellingly nauseating, in the exorcism ritual that is her latest show, Horrible Things. What’s different about Forced Entertainment’s use of lip-syncing is that here, there is no original presence to be channeled. The performers are instead taking on what Etchells describes as “the voices of nobody,” or rather the “phantasmic, aggregated echoes” of the many many voices on whose data the AI has been trained, and which are now conjuring into existence words they never actually said. There is a sort of mournful, empty quality to these voices, having “washed up” far away from the people they originally belonged to, to find themselves in stranger’s mouths listing objects, wondering if anyone can hear them and glitching in interminable loops. There is a cold, sad anonymity to it all. Etchells remarks that occasionally the software company he used has notified him that particular people are withdrawing their voices from the platform, instructing him to cease use of those voices. Using these technologies in performance certainly brings up ethical questions around digital rights, consent, identity and ownership, although in the grand scheme of things, Etchells is fairly blasé about it: of all the purposes someone’s voice might be put to without their knowledge, “an avant-garde performance is probably the least of their worries.” [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) [ Frankie Thompson: How I manage my own ‘horrible things’ at the Edinburgh Fringe ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) Exeunt · Aug 25 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) For the performers, though, lip-syncing to these strange, artificial voices is an odd task, requiring them to bend their live, human presence into the shapes produced by machines. Politically, it mirrors processes that are already at play in the continued computational automation of human life. Etchells brings up James Bridle’s writings on new technologies as a reference point: one example Bridle gives is of “chaotic storage”, a logistics technique employed by Amazon fulfilment centres whereby items are stored not according to traditional methods of categorisation or alphabetisation, but in a way that an algorithm determines to produce the most efficient routes for ‘picking’ based on customer purchase patterns. This appears completely random and incomprehensible to humans, with paddling pools sitting next to USB sticks sitting next to blowtorches, and so for the warehouse workers, the process of picking items becomes completely reliant on technology which tells them where to go. Our world is increasingly being designed not with humans in mind, but rather machines. As Etchells puts it, “technology malforms the space, and then you end up having to live in it.” Initially, Forced Entertainment tried their best to live in the world of machines: “I was in the it’s-got-to-be-perfect school of lip-sync,” says Etchells. But with their aesthetic being so tied to the failing act, the slipping mask, the shoddy costume, “it’s no surprise really that that didn’t last.” Instead, the performers got to enjoy being late for a line, or playing games with each other, “stealing” each other’s voices. Etchells compares it to the principles of ventriloquism, in which a free-floating voice unattached to a body is fundamentally discomforting and “sort of traumatic”. That discomfort is equally as alluring to Forced Entertainment as the satisfaction of precision, the pretence of authenticity only interesting if shown to be a pretence. Lip-sync has also opened up new avenues for the company. Having been allergic all their lives to Plays-with-a-capital-P, with Cold Sweat Forced Entertainment find themselves approaching something a little bit like drama. Rather than the presentational arena of Signal to Noise’s open white stage, Cold Sweat places us more decisively in a “fictional locale”: what appears to be “the aftermath of some disastrous party or backyard drinking binge” where three figures – family members, or neighbours, perhaps – are the last ones standing. “It’s all quite acrimonious and accusatory, everyone’s talking over each other.” For Etchells, this more fictional mode is “a door that we’ve never been able to open. We’ve just never really gone there.” Perhaps it is the technique of lip-syncing, an extra buffer of mediation, that allows them to venture away from the here-and-now without feeling that they have to commit to the “psychological claptrap” that comes along with acting; to be able to “play the game of theatre, without getting one’s hands too dirty.” As I wonder how else the impulses behind Forced Entertainment’s work have changed over time, it occurs to me that over the last ten years of new creations, with the exception of If All Else Fails, the company’s performers haven’t ever spoken on stage: there were two shows without any language at all, Out of Order and Under Bright Light, and then this trilogy of lip-sync works. Etchells agrees it’s a shift away from earlier productions, that were so often about “the actual voices of the performers and their actual presences. We had a lot of money, in some ways, on an authentic approach to what it might mean to speak on the stage.” But this sense of authentic presence itself had a fakeness to it; these days, Etchells can’t stand that mode of being onstage where performers “are here to be cheeky and witty versions of themselves. I don’t want to be charmed.” Pulling back into a more anonymous space has resulted in works that feel slightly sharper-edged, more brutal in a way. “All of these shows are post-Brexit, post-Trump, post-truth, post-everything,” Etchells notes. Speech, charisma, authenticity – these things feel politically loaded, and perhaps warmth and openness just don’t feel like the right tools to reflect the world we’re living in. “It feels like the space is closing down, and we’re trying to deal with the fact that the system, the structure that you’re in, is more oppressive and more powerful. It probably always was, but I think we’re just more tuned to it now.” Yet even without their voices, the performers’ distinctive presences – ones that many audiences have followed around for years, if not decades – still, inevitably, shine through as they physically navigate whatever unending task the system of the piece has set for them. They’re still trying to keep up with the onslaught of text, still running about, changing costumes, moving stuff around. The human is always stuck in the teeth of the machine, jamming the smooth, frictionless cheeriness of the not-real, gesticulating silently, trying desperately to communicate. Cold Sweat is at Sheffield Theatres, 2 to 3 October; Southbank Centre, London, 9 to 10 October; Lancaster Arts, 14 October [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) [ Exeunt recommends... the best autumn theatre ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) Exeunt · Sep 16 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) This piece was paid for by the Southbank Centre. Such support helps Exeunt to keep publishing the most interesting writing, about the most exciting theatre. Interested in partnering with Exeunt? Visit our Advertise with Exeunt page, where you can get more information, download an advertising pack, and find our contact details.
Former New Orleans RTA executive may get second shot as finalist for CEO
A former Regional Transit Authority executive who last month was knocked out of consideration in the agency's search for a new CEO is in line to get a second shot
A Supreme Court order could upend the price of political ads on TV. Here’s how.
During one week in early September, Sen. Susan Collins (R‑Maine), one of her joint fundraising committees and a super PAC backing her campaign each bought airtime on a Portland TV station during “Wheel of Fortune.” For each 30-second spot, both Collins’ campaign and her JFC paid $2,200. The super PAC paid $10,000 – more than […]
Xbox reportedly set to announce second round of layoffs this week
Report suggests platform holder will "consolidate several of its game studios" amid ongoing restructuring
Jiang Feng: The Unravelling of German & European Politics
A state election in eastern Germany has become a revealing test of the changing political landscapes of Germany and Europe, writes Jiang Feng, Professor and Chairman of the Council of the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies (SAGGAS) at Shanghai International Studies University. His analysis follows the decisive victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) (which has been classified as right-wing extremist by German authorities)in the state of Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, in which it finished far ahead of its mainstream rivals. Jiang previously served as Minister-Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Berlin. The following article was published on 8 September 2026 on huanqiu.com, the online platform of the Global Times. On 6 September, the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, were announced. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right by German authorities, made history by becoming the largest party in the state parliament, winning 43.8 per cent of the vote — twice its share in the previous election. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had governed the state continuously for 24 years, won just 17.2 per cent, its worst result ever in Saxony-Anhalt. On the night the results were announced, the atmosphere at the CDU gathering was unusually calm. There was neither shock nor argument, as if the defeat had long been expected. Several veteran party members who had spent years working in the state government said: “Defeat is not a bad thing. It is time to make changes.” This state election has not only upended Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape, but also laid bare the deep tensions between Germany’s traditional party structure and model of governance, on the one hand, and an increasingly polarised society on the other. Its repercussions are already being felt at the federal level, making Saxony-Anhalt a useful case study of the broader trend towards political polarisation and realignment in Europe. Governing Difficulties after Electoral Victory The most immediate consequence of the election is a historic setback for the mainstream party order that took shape in post-war Germany. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has leapt from a peripheral party to the largest political force in the state. Its electoral base has expanded beyond the traditional category of “marginal protest voters” to take on the characteristics of a cross-class coalition. The party has not only consolidated its support in rural areas, but also attracted many middle-class voters and even members of the social elite with stable jobs, their own homes, and substantial incomes. It has thus evolved from a “protest party” into one with the potential to govern. Despite its commanding lead in the vote, however, the AfD faces an institutional obstacle to governing the state: the mainstream parties’ long-standing “firewall” against it. Neither of the two potential routes to forming a government appears likely to break the current political deadlock. The first would be a coalition of establishment parties, led by the CDU and bringing together the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the Left Party (Die Linke) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in a cross-camp government. In terms of parliamentary arithmetic, such a coalition could prevent the AfD from forming a government and preserve the outward stability of the traditional political order. Yet these parties are fundamentally divided over key issues including immigration, the energy transition, economic management, and cultural and education policy. Coalition negotiations would therefore be extremely difficult, and even if a government could be formed, it would most likely prove short-lived. More importantly, an alliance of establishment parties aimed at keeping the largest party out of government would play directly into the AfD’s narrative that “political elites are suppressing public opinion”. It could deepen perceptions of political unfairness, further strengthening the AfD’s political capital, and creating a dynamic in which “the more it is suppressed, the more people vote for it”. Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for state premier, has said that if efforts to form a government fail because other parties refuse to cooperate, the AfD will push for a fresh election, which he believes could deliver the party an absolute majority of seats. This points to more intense political battles ahead. The second option would be a coalition between the AfD and the BSW. Together, the two parties would command a simple majority in parliament, making this, on paper, the quickest route to forming a government. The BSW is the only elected party that has not ruled out cooperation with the AfD, and the two parties share some common ground, including on policy towards Russia. There is therefore a degree of political basis for cooperation. Were such a coalition to materialise, Germany would see its first state government jointly formed by a party defined as far-right and one with a far-left background, creating what might be called a “bipolar anti-establishment alliance”. Such an outcome would fundamentally break with the ideological boundaries of post-war German party politics. It is worth noting that even if the AfD ultimately fails to enter the state government, its roughly 47 per cent share of parliamentary seats would give it a powerful blocking minority. Without its consent, major decisions requiring a two-thirds majority — including constitutional amendments, significant budgetary adjustments, and state-level institutional reforms — would be extremely difficult to pass. Therefore, whoever ultimately forms the government, the AfD will be an unavoidable force in Saxony-Anhalt politics, with a direct influence on the state’s legislative process. Systemic Failures in Germany’s Governance Model The Saxony-Anhalt election result reflects a systemic failure of Germany’s post-war mainstream-party model of governance to adapt to rapidly changing socioeconomic conditions. It stems from multiple, mutually reinforcing structural tensions and highlights the existing political system’s difficulty in adapting to “an increasingly polarised society First, collective anxiety has replaced individual material hardship as a central driver of political mobilisation. The rise of the AfD can no longer be explained simply by poverty or social marginalisation. Its increasingly cross-class electoral base suggests that what is driving voters towards the party is, above all, concern about the broader direction of society. This anxiety about the future of the political community goes beyond individual gains and losses. In political discourse, economic anxiety has become closely intertwined with immigration, while immigration and refugee issues are, in essence, questions of social fairness. This perception turns conflicts over the distribution of social resources into negative assessments of governing parties, providing a broad social basis for far-right political narratives. Second, regional disparities and East German identity have undermined the strategy of addressing eastern Germany’s structural challenges at the regional level. More than three decades after German reunification, eastern states such as Saxony-Anhalt have experienced periods of economic growth, but their underlying economic structures remain weak, and household incomes and wealth remain significantly below those in western Germany. At the same time, they continue to face population outflow, an ageing population, labour shortages, and other structural challenges. At a deeper level, historical experiences — including the collapse of the former East German economic system, mass unemployment during the transition, and the westward shift of decision-making power over major issues — have left some residents with a sense of being “second-class citizens” and of being excluded. For years, the German government treated the “syndrome” of reunification as a regional problem to be gradually addressed at the local level. That approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable, as regional development disparities emerge as a core structural factor shaping national politics. Third, the erosion of institutional trust is perhaps the most decisive factor. AfD supporters tend to distrust establishment institutions, including parliament, government, and the mainstream media. Their concerns about economic security, pensions, and social fairness are significantly greater than the social average. Increasingly, their support for the AfD reflects not an expectation that the existing system can be improved, but a search for an alternative to the current political order. Such a systemic deficit of trust will be extremely difficult for the traditional parties to repair in the short term. Fourth, a generational shift in political mobilisation has amplified political polarisation. Unlike traditional parties, which rely heavily on offline rallies and mainstream media coverage, the AfD has developed a social-media mobilisation strategy built around “raising an issue — identifying who is responsible — offering a simplified solution — building a shared identity”. It turns complex social tensions into concise political narratives, rapidly channelling public sentiment into political support. The contrast on the eve of the election was particularly telling. The establishment parties, together with trade unions and churches, organised an offline march attended by more than 10,000 people, but its reach was largely confined to those present and to traditional media coverage. The AfD held a much smaller indoor event, yet livestreaming on TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms, combined with the involvement of online influencers, gave it a reach and mobilising capacity far beyond that of the march. The contrast illustrates how the traditional parties’ methods of political mobilisation are increasingly struggling to keep pace with a political environment transformed by changes in media technology. A Microcosm of Structural Political Change in Europe The shockwaves from the Saxony-Anhalt election quickly travelled beyond the state to the federal level. Calls for political accountability followed immediately after the results were announced. The governing CDU and SPD are now under enormous pressure, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil face an unprecedented test. Political polarisation in Germany is no longer simply a regional phenomenon. The post-war model of multiparty government by establishment parties is breaking down and being reshaped. Viewed in a broader European context, the Saxony-Anhalt election is part of a continent-wide wave of party polarisation, mainstream-party decline, and rising right-wing forces. Far from an isolated phenomenon, it is a microcosm of the structural political changes unfolding across Europe. Weak economic growth, cultural tensions over immigration, and declining trust in institutions are fuelling the rise of right-wing forces in several countries, challenging the liberal internationalist order established in post-war Europe. As a core member state of the European Union, Germany’s ability to adapt its political system and the direction of its politics will have profound implications for both European integration and the evolution of the international order. Subscribe [ Pekingnology China’s Germany watchers take stock of Berlin’s uneasy turn On 7 December 2025, nearly 50 Chinese scholars and policy researchers gathered in Beijing for the 2025年德国形势年终研讨会 “2025 Year-End Seminar on the Situation in Germany… Read more 9 months ago · 31 likes · 1 comment · YIRUI LI and Yuxuan JIA ](https://www.pekingnology.com/p/chinas-germany-watchers-take-stock?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1151841) [ Jiang Feng on Germany's 2025 and beyond: no easy exit ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond) Yirui LI and Yuxuan JIA · Jan 24 The following is an op-ed by Jiang Feng, published on 29 December 2025 at Shanghai Observer 上观新闻, the digital platform of Jiefang Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [ Read full story ](https://www.eastisread.com/p/jiang-feng-on-germanys-2025-and-beyond)
Los Angeles Dodgers Make 4 Sudden Roster Moves
The Los Angeles Dodgers have enjoyed another successful season in MLB. They are 96-60, and have the second-best record in the sport, and have already clinched the NL West for the 13th time in the past 14 seasons. There are just two series remaining on the schedule for the Dodgers: a three-game set with the […] The post Los Angeles Dodgers Make 4 Sudden Roster Moves appeared first on HEAVY.
Jon Jones Reveals Decision to Take Gable Steveson Backstage
UFC legend Jon Jones revealed it was his decision to take Gable Steveson backstage instead of waiting for Sean Sharaf’s hand to be raised. In the biggest upset in UFC history, according to the betting odds, Steveson was brutally knocked out as a -2500 betting favorite in just 12 seconds by Sharaf on the UFC […] The post Jon Jones Reveals Decision to Take Gable Steveson Backstage appeared first on HEAVY.
Exclusive: Xbox to Cut Hundreds of Jobs, Consolidate Game Studios
Xbox is planning to lay off hundreds of employees this week in its second major staff reduction this year, according to someone briefed on the plans. The Microsoft-owned firm also plans to consolidate several of its game studios, this person said. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma in July told staff she would eliminate 1,600 roles by the end of the year on top of 1,600 roles the company cut that month.
Lions’ Secondary Is Falling Apart—and the Numbers Prove It
The Lions just allowed 71 points in two games, and their secondary has become a massive problem. With Jalen Mills now joining the practice squad, let’s break down every defensive back and see just how ugly things have gotten.
Alec Pierce to receive second opinion
Colts WR Alec Pierce aggravated injury in Week 2 and is considered week-to-week
McDonald’s tests placing ads for other brands on its menu screens
The ads display after customers place their orders, taking advantage of the seconds or minutes while they wait for their burgers and fries.
Lions' Dan Campbell reiterates faith in DC Kelvin Sheppard
The Detroit Lions have given up 71 points and rank last in the NFL in defensive EPA through 2 games in the second year under DC Kelvin Sheppard.
Survey: PA teachers cite stress, side jobs, Trump-era struggles
A new survey from the American Federation of Teachers revealed Pennsylvania educators are stressed, working second jobs and concerned about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity traumatizing families.
Survey: PA teachers cite stress, side jobs, Trump-era struggles
A new survey from the American Federation of Teachers revealed Pennsylvania educators are stressed, working second jobs and concerned about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity traumatizing families.
Why Detroit's Fifth Third Park is not a unique name
The Detroit Tigers revealed their new stadium name will be Fifth Third Park, making it the second pro baseball stadium to be named so.
Analyst Believes UNC Will Miss Second Straight Bowl Game
With Bill Belichick in the hot seat, analysts clash over whether he can salvage North Carolina's postseason hopes.
‘Voices Unlocked’ fills St. Andrew’s Hall with science, song and support
The second annual “Voices Unlocked” event was held at St. Andrew’s Hall on Sept. 17. With its live music, resource booths, and speakers from the scientific community, the event aimed
Scientists Report Continuing Harms to U.S. Science in Second-Year Survey
A survey of scientists across a variety of life sciences details how federal government policies have created ongoing disruptions to American research and the scientific workforce.
Apple Seeds Second macOS Golden Gate 27.2 Beta to Developers
Apple is testing the next macOS Golden Gate update, and developers can download the second macOS Golden Gate 27.2 beta. The second beta comes a week after Apple released the first beta. Registered developers can download macOS Golden Gate 27.2 by opening up the System Settings app, clicking on General, selecting Software Update, and opting into macOS Golden Gate betas. macOS Golden Gate 27.2 introduces Siri AI in new languages. macOS Golden Gate 27.2 introduces Siri AI in new languages.
Apple Releases Second iOS 27.2 Beta
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 27.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after Apple released the first iOS 27.2 beta. Apple also seeded an iPadOS 27.2 beta. Registered developers can download the beta updates by opting in under Settings > General > Software Update and selecting the iOS 27 developer beta. iOS 27.2 includes Apple's redesigned Health app with new Insight and Longevity tabs.
Lessons to be learned from Leverkusen
Sunday’s trip to Leverkusen saw RB Leipzig suffer defeat away from home for the second time this season. The second half of the 2-0 loss in particular highlighted what the Red Bulls need to work on....
Jays/Orioles Series Preview
Tonight the Jays start their second-to-last series of the season. Six games remain, with a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, but math occasionally lies. But a series sweep would make things a little more interesting. Anyway, they have three games in Baltimore: Trey’s last rehab start wasn’t exactly something to build our confidence, but […]
WAMU's Week Ahead: Postpartum mental health, week two of the Trayon White trial, National Museum of African American History's 10-year anniversary
This week WAMU will be checking in on what resources there are for mothers experiencing postpartum mental illness, the second week of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White's federal bribery trial and what the National Museum of African American History and Culture is cooking up for its 10th anniversary celebrations.
Georgia football's AP Poll ranking after Arkansas win
Georgia remains ranked second in the AP Top 25 Poll despite a dominant 45-17 win over Arkansas this past weekend.
Studs and duds from Eagles’ last-second victory over Titans
DeVonta Smith and Darius Cooper delivered late, while turnovers and the running game created problems in the Eagles’ win over Tennessee
Here’s What Lifted BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG)
Carillon Tower Advisers, an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for the “Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund”. The letter can be downloaded here. Small-cap stocks rallied broadly in the second quarter, with the Russell 2000 Growth Index (+25.71%) outpacing Value +17.24%). Information Technology (+46.79%) led all sectors, supported by solid gains […]
Houston Texans stumble to 0-2 again after loss to the Bengals
Now they’re focused on trying to avoid a second straight 0-3 start.
Big 12 football receiving leaders after Week 3
Here is a look at the top receivers in the Big 12 after Week 3, with Joseph Williams in the top 10 for the second week in a row.
Starbucks baristas reel from surges in health insurance costs: ‘I’m considering a second job’
Several workers say they’re opting to go without health coverage due to premium costs soaring this year
Huijsen Red Card Swings Madrid Derby Atlético’s Way
Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a fractious La Liga derby, with Jonathan David’s second-half strike proving decisive after Dean Huijsen’s dismissal left Los Blancos with ten men for the r...
Girona takes the three points from Cádiz
Girona FC won at Cádiz CF's stadium by 1-2. The Girona team went into halftime with a two-goal lead, and although Cádiz reduced the deficit in the second half, they managed to hold onto the result u...
Missed World Cup Boost
Passenger traffic declined at all four local airports in July for the second straight month as higher fuel costs drove up fares and prompted consumers to
Arman Tsarukyan Issues Statement Following Big UFC 331 Win
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan issued a statement following his big win at UFC 331 over Mauricio Ruffy.In the co-main event of UFC 331, Tsarukyan knocked out Ruffy with a standing elbow and punches with just four seconds left in the first round.The fight was scheduled for five rounds, but Tsarukyan didn’t even need a […] The post Arman Tsarukyan Issues Statement Following Big UFC 331 Win appeared first on HEAVY.
Dutch scientists discover tin-based solar breakthrough that keeps hot electrons 1,000 times longer than current panels, changing the future of solar power
Scientists at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands have discovered how tin-based perovskite materials allow hot electrons to retain their excess energy for around 1,000 times longer than expected, a finding that could shape the future of solar power. The researchers found that two physical effects, the hot phonon bottleneck and the Burstein–Moss effect, work together to slow electron cooling from picoseconds to nanoseconds.
Tyler Warren reels in a short touchdown in KC
Tyler Warren managed just 21 yards in Week 2 but did score a touchdown for the second week in a row.
Med Center Health 10K runners pounded the pavement Saturday
The Med Center Health 10K Classic, in its 47th year, was run Saturday , Sept. 19, 2026, at the Bowling Green Ballpark. The event featured a 10K wheelchair race, 10K race, 5K race and the Children’s Classic Run. Titus Winders won the men’s overall title with Corbin Harris coming in second and Wayne Blas third. Purity Sanga won the women’s overall title with Daisy Jepkosgei second and Rachel Tinius third. Matthew Porterfield won the wheelchair race with Matt Davis coming in second. Aerelle Jones won with 10K female wheelchair race. The top three male 5K winners were, in order, Lucas Page, Jay Beckner and Logan Rose. The top three female 5K winners were, in order, Sarah-Emily Woodward, Anna Cline and Autumn Tandy. (Joe Imel/Daily News)
Alan Ritchson’s 2nd 2026 Box Office Flop Continues To Crash Amid Reacher Success
Alan Ritchson is riding high on streaming, but the big screen is telling a different story. His action-thriller has managed just $13.1 million worldwide since opening on September 11. It is the second...
Jonathan Taylor runs for two scores on Sunday night
For a second straight week, Jonathan Taylor topped 100 combined yards and scored twice.
Broncos Rally to Beat Jaguars in Wild Comeback
The Denver Broncos came roaring back Sunday afternoon, overcoming a 13-3 deficit to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-13 at Empower Field at Mile High. After a disappointing season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver needed a response. It got exactly that, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half to hand Jacksonville its first…
Chiefs grab 33-30 win in overtime thriller
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNT) — Victory is secured in an overtime thriller. Patrick Mahomes finished the night 32-for-47 with 382 yards and three touchdowns. Kenneth Walker III picked up his second-straight game with over 100 yards for the Chiefs, with 117 yards on 24 carries. Travis Kelce had nine receptions for 101 yards and a […]
Until October, Trop: Rays 5, Red Sox 1
By late Sunday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Rays had secured their 55th win at Tropicana Field. The victory marked the second most home wins in a single season by the Rays, second only to the fabled 2008 team. It also capped off an 8-1 home stand and series win over the Boston Red Sox. By […]
TV Shocker: 96% RT James Bond-Like Show Canceled by Prime Video
Prime Video has pulled the plug on one of its most-watched originals of the summer. The streamer declined to renew the spy comedy starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer for a second season. Pa...
Inter Miami held again despite another Lionel Messi goal
Lionel Messi's 20th league goal of the season was not enough to claim all three points for Inter Miami as they were held 2-2 at home to San Diego FC. Anders Dreyer grabbed a point for the visitors with his second of the match eight minutes from time.
Mental Health Awareness MOnth
Gibson County Health Department Administrator Juli Ellsworth (center, holding microphone), welcomes participants to Thursday's second annual mental health awareness walk through downtown Princeton. September is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Ravens-Saints recap: Everything we know about Week 2 loss
The Ravens led New Orleans 14-3 but scored only three second-half points in a stunning 24-17 loss at M&T Bank Stadium
Chargers Fall 26-14 in Brutal Loss to Raiders
The Los Angeles Chargers lost a second consecutive home game as the Las Vegas Raiders came out on top with a 26-14 victory.
Alan Ritchson says “Reacher” planned a white supremacist storyline until ‘someone got re-elected’
The star of the hit Amazon series says there were plans at one point to adapt Lee Child’s second ‘Reacher’ novel, ‘Die Trying.’
Alan Ritchson says ‘Reacher’ planned a white supremacist storyline until ‘someone got re-elected’
Alan Ritchson says there were plans at one point to adapt Lee Child’s second ‘Jack Reacher’ novel, ‘Die Trying,’ in which the protagonist battles a white supremacist militia, ‘until someone got re-elected.’
UCF's Defense Forces Three Turnovers in 44-30 Victory
Demari Henderson’s career-high performance and a relentless linebacking duo anchored a ball-hawking secondary, stifling Georgia State to secure momentum ahead of the Knights’ Big 12 opener against TCU.
Aaron Sorkin Confesses David Fincher Was His First Choice to Direct ‘The Social Reckoning’
Aaron Sorkin says he was his second choice to helm "The Social Reckoning" and hoped to reunite with "Social Network" director David Fincher.
Eagles Steal Victory From Titans With Last-Second Touchdown
The Philadelphia Eagles found a way to escape Nashville with a victory Sunday, rallying late to defeat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 and improve to 2-0 on the season. Philadelphia looked to be in trouble late after Tennessee took a 20-17 lead on a 33-yard field goal with just 1:56 remaining. The Eagles needed to go…
Nebraska soccer draws with No. 11 Washington
Nebraska soccer drew 2-2 with No. 11 Washington Sunday. The Huskers showed significant improvement and came within 46 seconds of taking down the defending Big Ten conference champions. NU nearly won its first ranked match in four years, and also almost beat a top-15 team for the first time in 22 years.
Paderborn end scoreless start with emphatic win over Hoffenheim
SC Paderborn registered their first goals and win of the season in the Bundesliga’s last fixture before the extended international break. The 3-1 defeat gave Hoffenheim their second defeat in three ...
Man Utd frustrated at the Premier League's second-bottom side!
What is happening at Manchester United?A terrible week for the Red Devils. After the 11-v-10 defeat to Manchester City and the loss after leading 2-0 against Brighton in the League Cup, the Mancunians...
Justin Jefferson’s next catch will be historic one for Vikings
Justin Jefferson can make Minnesota Vikings history Sunday against the Chicago Bears, needing just one catch to surpass Hall of Famer Randy Moss for second-most receptions in franchise history.
Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool: What Rose said
"It's about details and right now it is really disappointing, but I am quite confident we can change the situation points-wise." This is the ninth time in their history that Bournemouth have failed to win any of their opening five matches of a league campaign (drawn three, lost two), and second in the Premier League, after 2023-24. Bournemouth have made just two changes to their Premier League starting XIs under Marco Rose this season, the fewest of any side.
James Trafford's free-kick flashback and Crystal Palace assessment
James Trafford had a brief flashback to a previous Yéremy Pino free-kick as the Crystal Palace man shaped to shoot in the second half of Sunday's 0-0 draw.Pino found the net against Trafford's former...
AfD edges SPD in Meckpomm as Berlin swings left
Merz’s CDU slumps, with its worst-ever result in any election since the Second World War
Legendary Phoenix Suns Coach Names Shawn Marion for Major Honor
Mike D’Antoni insists the "seven seconds or less" era's success demands Shawn Marion’s Hall of Fame induction, cementing the versatile forward's legacy as a defensive powerhouse.
How Philadelphia can attack Tennessee’s biggest defensive weakness
Philadelphia can use motion, play-action and its receiving depth to challenge Tennessee’s rebuilt secondary Sunday
What Chivas Femenil's Win in Tijuana Left Behind
Chivas Femenil earned a very important result for their aspirations in the Apertura 2026: they convincingly defeated Xolos on Matchday 8 and solidified their position in second place in Group B. In ad...
Takeaways from Chivas Femenil’s win in Tijuana
Chivas Femenil earned a very important result for its Apertura 2026 aspirations: it convincingly defeated Xolos on Matchday 8 and solidified its place as second in Group B. In addition, this result wi...
Conectando Dreamers: The Three Cities of Ross Mintzer
A bright red full moon hung low over Nahuel Huapi Lake one night in 2026, as hundreds gathered beneath Patagonia’s stars for the second Conectando Dreamers festival in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argenti...
Trump says his proposed arch will include a military complex housing drones and snipers
The announcement marks the second time the president has tied a controversial construction project to national security.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek unveils policy proposals for a second term
Kotek's reelection platform falls into four main categories, including increasing affordability, boosting the economy, improving Oregon's underperforming K-12 schools, and defending attributes that make the state unique.
Lopez strike seals Wolves win in Black Country Derby
Wolves claimed local bragging rights on Sunday as Fer Lopez’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory over West Bromwich in the Black Country derby.Wolves dominated the opening stages and could easil...
Double-digit increases await Pennsylvania Obamacare enrollees
For the second year in a row, Pennsylvanians with individual health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will see an average double-digit increase...