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5 takeaways from Broncos' final practice before preseason opener
Ahead of their preseason opener on Friday, the Broncos held their last practice of the week on Wednesday. Here are five quick takeaways.
WIP not replacing Devan Kaney for Eagles broadcasts
WIP’s Philadelphia Eagles broadcasts will go into the 2026 NFL season without anyone specifically assigned to work the sidelines. Merrill Reese and Mike Quick, entering their 29th season calling games together, will lean on other WIP personalities for in-game updates instead of a dedicated reporter, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Rob Tornoe. Per Tornoe, Eliot…
Ian-credible Science: Make a lava lamp at home
Each week, we bring you a quick and easy experiment you can do at home to explore a concept in science. This week, we’re making lava lamps.
Android now has a tap-to-share feature
The Quick Share update makes it easier to share contact info and files between Pixel devices, and soon, Samsung phones.
Is Lemon Juice Good for You? 6 Health Benefits To Know
Lemon juice is packed with vitamin C and other vital nutrients. A registered dietitian shares its health benefits and how to add it to your menu.
Sacramento news roundup: climber death, hotel tax fraud, health bill, worker benefits
Here is a quick recap of the top stories from The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
What Makes a Great Mobile Entertainment App in 2026?
Not long ago, mobile entertainment meant scrolling, tapping, and moving on. Something quick to fill a gap. That rhythm feels distant now. The best apps in 2026 don’t wait for attention; they meet it halfway, shaping themselves around how people actually use their phones. Open one, and it already seems to know what you’re there […]
Linebacker Kip Lewis on transfer Cole Sullivan’s adjustment
Linebacker Kip Lewis praises transfer LB Cole Sullivan for how quickly he has adapted to the Sooners' defense.
'Blue Bloods' star Jennifer Esposito says she was locked in psych ward as health battle spiraled
Jennifer Esposito reveals how celiac disease caused liver failure, a psychiatric ward stay and thoughts of suicide before doctors finally diagnosed her.
Could Charles be one of Premier League's breakout stars?
It was in 2021 that the Northern Ireland youth coach Gerard Lyttle said he had never seen a youngster as comfortable on the ball as Shea Charles. Five years later, midfielder Charles has become the most expensive Northern Ireland player in history after he completed a £30m transfer from Southampton to Premier League side Fulham. From when he joined Manchester City's academy as a seven-year-old, Charles' potential was clear and he quickly progressed through the ranks.
Trade for Caedan Wallace continues roster turnover
Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours.
New Purdue AD had the guts to rip Indiana. Then he folded
Purdue's new AD leaned into Indiana rivalry with one comment. What should worry Boilermaker fans isn't what he said. It's how quickly he took it back.
Sacramento top stories: Heat, coach mental health bill, Tahoe avalanche report
Here’s a quick look at the top stories from The Sacramento Bee for Monday, August 10, 2026.
Battlefield 6 Player With Over 400 Hours Gets Full Refund from Steam After Key Modes Were Removed
A Battlefield 6 player with hundreds of hours of playtime has scored a full refund of the game after Battlefield Studios removed key modes from the game's quick-play matchmaking.
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network to host mental health panel at APSU
The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s Mid-Cumberland Region will host a panel discussion at Austin Peay State University.
Brad Pitt no longer sober, talks feeling 'suicidal' amid family drama
Brad Pitt opened up about his mental health journey amid his legal troubles with ex-wife Angelina Jolie in a new interview with Esquire.
Lions injury report: Latest news on Isiah Pacheco, Juice Scruggs
The latest Detroit Lions injury news from training camp with updates on Isiah Pacheco and Juice Scruggs.
How to improve employee retention: Strategies to boost engagement and reduce turnover
Watch this Quick Take with Yeo & Yeo’s Amy Cell to learn employee retention strategies that build engagement, strengthen loyalty and reduce turnover.
‘I’ve sat at the very precipice of life’: Clarke Carlisle on gambling, depression
The former professional footballer has struggled with his mental health for most of his life. But it took five suicide attempts for him to admit how badly he wanted to end it. He talks about how he turned the corner – and his hopes for his new post with the charity Mind
Diamondbacks take season series over Dodgers
Record: 63-56. Pace: 86-76. Change on 2025: +6. Not sure if we have a guest recap today. I didn’t hear back from the scheduled recapper, and didn’t see them in the GDT either. So just in case, I’m going to throw up a quick one for now: if a proper recap shows up, this one […]
Bleacher Report Questions Nick Sirianni's Future Despite Eagles' Sustained Success
According to Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni may be on the hot seat depending on the result of this season. "If the Eagles falter because Sirianni fails to get his team back on track, the organization should consider a quick hook to take full advantage of the window with its current core." Philadelphia hired Sirianni ahead of the 2021 NFL season, after firing Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Peterson.
Steam reportedly refunds Battlefield 6 player with 470 hours logged after EA quietly pulled Rush mode from Quickplay
A Battlefield 6 player "upset" at the removal of the popular Rush mode claims to have secured a full refund from Steam despite having clocked up 470 hours.
‘Everybody can’t leave’: East Carroll Parish’s health lags behind, but community finds hope
"People want to have quick answers ... but there isn't just one simple solution to make it go away."
Smelling success: Kalispell local sees fragrance business take-off
Born and raised in Kalispell, Bungay said Montana Fragrance Co. draws from the many iconic places around his home in Northwest Montana — an idea embraced by local merchants and their customers who have quickly bought up bottles from store shelves.
Best Bets: A quick guide to La Jolla entertainment and experiences
Local events and activities
5 dead, 4 hospitalized in Louisiana from flesh-eating bacteria outbreak: health officials
WCHS ABC 8 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Charleston and nearby towns and communities in the Tri-State area, including Huntington, Dunbar, Marmet, Montgomery, Nitro, South Charleston, St. Albans, Cedar Grove, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, Pratt, Cross Lanes, Elkview, Pinch, Sissonville, Big Chimney, Cabin Creek, Chelyan, Davis Creek, Institute, Jefferson, Loudendale, Mink Shoals, Pocatalico, Quick, Quincy, Rand, Buffalo, Eleanor, Hurricane, Nitro, Poca, Winfield, Culloden, Fraziers Bottom, Hometown, Red House, Scott Depot, Teays Valley, Danville, Madison, Hamlin, Logan, Chapmanville, Man, Delbarton, Kermit, Gilbert, Matewan, Williamson, Summersville, Richwood, Flatwoods, Gassaway, Sutton, Spencer, Ravenswood, Ripley, Mason, Point Pleasant, Ashland, Pikeville, Ironton, Portsmouth, Gallipolis, and Athens.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword gets first Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay
First gameplay has emerged for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which is launching very soon. Footage is available for both docked play and handheld mode. You can even get a quick look at the optional mouse controls Capcom is including. Onimusha: Way of the Sword will look to hit 30 frames per second on...
Landover murder suspect dies in apparent suicide after deadly business dispute
Prince George’s County police say a deadly Landover shooting stemmed from an ongoing business dispute. The suspect later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Details on the 2026 Patriot Games are sparse. Here's everything we know
The 2026 Patriot Games are just days away. While details about the event have been hard to come by, here’s everything we know.
Google working on AI-generated lockscreen clocks for Pixel
Besides customizable Quick Settings, Android Canary 2608 reveals work on AI-generated lockscreen clocks for Pixel phones.
Android Canary 2608 lets you customize Quick Settings layout on Pixel
Google today is rolling out Android Canary 2608 with the ability to customize the Quick Settings layout by...
Trump has broken a lot of rules of politics. He’s about to face his biggest test.
After the midterms, he could quickly become a lame duck.
What's Behind Steve Hilton's Quick Ascension in California Politics?
The Republican gubernatorial candidate has a long history as a political consultant.
This Underrated Medical Drama Just Became a Netflix Top 10 Hit
Netflix's Top 10 has a new surprise entry that viewers are quickly adding to their watch lists. Get all the details here.
Elon Musk Has a Message for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin After It Solved the New Glenn Mystery— 'Hope You...'
Elon Musk offers support to Blue Origin after launchpad explosion. Musk wishes quick recovery and backs collaboration.
Epic Discounts | Must‑have home, entertainment and tech finds
This week’s Epic Discounts features products for quick cleanups and better indoor air quality, almost endless TV programming and inspiring tech. They’re available at awesome prices, so now is the perfect time to simplify your life and leisure time with these must-have deals.
Pokémon Developer Game Freak Promises Fixes 'Within a Week' To Its Big Budget RPG Beast of Reincarnation, Following Mixed Response at Launch
Game Freak has promised a series of quick fixes after a mixed response to the launch of its big budget RPG Beast of Reincarnation.
Surveillance video shows floodwater rushing through Hopewell business
Surveillance video from James River Tackle Co. shows floodwaters rushing into the business from both the front and back doors quickly filling the store with more than a foot of water.
More Medicaid coverage hasn’t curbed increased firearm suicides among most men
New study finds that expanded access to Medicaid was related to a drop in suicide rates among men in only one group: white adults ages 35-49.
Packers Fans Get New Update on Former QB Malik Willis
Over the last two years, the Green Bay Packers‘ fan base came to love quarterback Malik Willis. After an under-the-radar trade with the Tennessee Titans that brought Willis to the team, he quickly became a breakout star.In each of the last two years, Willis was called upon to play meaningful football due to Jordan Love’s […] The post Packers Fans Get New Update on Former QB Malik Willis appeared first on HEAVY.
Formula 1 vs IndyCar
Formula 1 is faster than IndyCar on almost every kind of circuit that exists. On every road course and street circuit, F1 laps seconds quicker,…
URI business professor explains ‘financial unicorns’ and SpaceX, Anthropic IPOs
KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 04, 2026 – In mythology, unicorns are fictional. In finance, however, unicorns are very real. Just over a month ago, millions of people witnessed one financial unicorn, and another is quickly approaching. For the first time, privately held company SpaceX was listed on the NASDAQ. Valued at more than $1 trillion, […]
MrBeast Sales Slow, Angel Stock Falls, MUBI and Neon Look for Hits, and Will an NBA Franchise Set a Sales Record?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) You probably remember egg prices spiking a few years ago. This led to a lot of debate between the pro-market/pro-competition/antitrust/Neo-Brandesian crowd and the center/center-right/center-left/abundance/libertarian crowd over the cause, whether it was the avian flu outbreak or whether industry consolidation led to price fixing, using avian flu as a convenient cover. Basel Musharbash wrote a whole investigation at BIG looking at it. Well, two years later, we have our answer: it was price fixing. The Justice Department found proof, via emails, of price fixing. Indeed, just the threat of an investigation brought prices down two years ago: I bring this up because at least half a dozen of my favorite political writers and pundits, who were skeptical about price fixing at the time, haven’t written any mea culpas on this issue. It’s really dispiriting and makes it much, much harder to trust their work on other issues. If you take a hard stand on an issue, then you get it wrong, you need to explain how and why you got it wrong. Or update your priors. This is how epistemological bubbles are formed! All of which is to say, it’s time for another installment of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. Last issue, I mostly focused on the “wrong” side of the equation, so today’s is a bit more balanced, but with one big mea culpa (though I still stand by my original concerns). Let’s dive right in! Subscribe CORRECTION: UFC Didn’t Release Subscriber Data (But Seems to Have Bragged About It Internally) In my analysis of the viewership of UFC Freedom 250, I wrote... “Paramount has also released datecdotes bragging about their subscriber numbers. Earlier this year, they claimed that the first UFC fight on Paramount+ brought in 1 million subscribers.” Well, that datecdote did not come from a PR rep, but from great reporting from James Faris at Business Insider. The actual quote was this: “Paramount’s flagship streaming service generated about a million new subscribers on the day of its first-ever UFC event, Paramount product chief Dane Glasgow told employees in a town hall on Tuesday morning, three staffers who attended the meeting told Business Insider.“ This wasn’t the biggest goof in the world; even Faris emphasized to me that this is more a “clarification” than a correction. Still, it sounds like, internally, the folks at Paramount were very happy about this result—and I’m guessing they were happy with this news getting out—even though the gains didn’t last through the quarter, dropping to 700K adds. RIGHT: MrBeast’s Struggles Continue... I’m very skeptical about MrBeast’s burgeoning media “empire” and, in particular, its $5 billion valuation, as I wrote earlier this year and last year. Sure enough, according to Business Insider, regarding its “booming” consumer products division_:_ “US sales volume grew 13% year-over-year in 2025, following a 33% leap the previous year, according to a presentation deck dated May 2026....A February 2025 investor deck viewed by Business Insider showed Feastables’ net revenue more than doubled in 2024 from 2023, to $215 million, and was forecast to grow 74% in 2025, to $375 million.” [Emphasis mine.] If you told investors that you projected 74% growth but delivered 13%,1 that’s not ideal. But it’s not just MrBeast. Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime had sales drop in half for their energy drinks. It’s one thing to build a successful entertainment company and an entirely different thing to succeed in the heavily-consolidated-but-also-very-competitive consumer packaged goods space! CPGs are dominated by a few firms with very wide moats compared to YouTube, which has few barriers to entry. These businesses require different skill sets and have completely different business environments. WRONG: Does the NBA Have an $8 Billion Bidder? Almost as soon as I published my article about the NBA’s finances, casting skepticism on NBA expansion, I saw this Front Office Sports headline: One group “claims to have already raised $8 billion” for the Vegas expansion team. I mean, wow. That’s just $2 billion less than what the Los Angeles Lakers were valued at when they were sold just last year. And they’re arguably the most popular team in the NBA. (Side note: the new owner is now under an investigation for fraud in how he went about financing the Lakers and the Dodgers purchases.) So much for the “dried up” language I used in that article. (This is why I usually stick to my “Entertainment Nuance Guy” tone in articles...) I went off old information—from April, when I read/heard about the NBA downplaying expansion efforts—instead of doing a quick double-check for new news. That said...if you read the article, the market for Seattle is “slow”, with just one reported bidder. So I wasn’t entirely off. This goof has annoyed me since I first published it, mainly because it undercut that article’s real point, which I stand by: NBA franchises are really overvalued right now. Now, I get why NBA teams are overvalued. When it comes to owning sports teams, it’s basically never wrong to assume that some rich person somewhere will care more about owning a team (or just being part of a group since they’re so expensive) than the actual financials. There are only so many teams to own, and opportunities to buy in preferred markets don’t come along very often. This explains why the teams sell for such high multiples (usually above a 10 to 12.5 revenue multiple, which is very high). You only need one person to overpay! Beyond the ultra-wealthy luxury good explanation, I worry NBA teams are becoming speculative assets. More and more private equity investors are buying into NBA teams. But the value, in owning a team, comes from selling it later, not any meaningful relationship to revenue or profit growth. In other words, the newer NBA owners are increasingly expecting someone later to buy their inflated asset. That’s not sound economics; that’s the “greater fool” theory at work.2 At some point, actually making money has to matter. Especially since revenue growth is now below the growth of the stock market. (And this matters because the NBA doesn’t have easy levers to pull to drastically lower their costs—half of their revenue has to go to players and then you actually have to run a team, including coaching, training, travel, media expenses, and more—or raise revenues aside from one-off expansions in America and overseas.) I just don’t see how investors make their money back buying NBA teams, except for selling at a higher price later on down the line. But if revenue/profit growth continues to slow, at some point, someone will be left holding the bag. RIGHT: Baseball and Basketball are about equally popular. Related to the above, I wanted to cite two quick pieces of evidence for one of my other theories: that the NBA and MLB are about as popular as each other, but the NBA gets much, much better media coverage. One YouGov survey has that fans prefer basketball to baseball by 52% to 48%, which I’m guessing is within the margin of error for that poll. That’s virtually even, meaning they’re about the same popularity. Over on NBC, a recent Red Sox-Yankees game averaged 4 million viewers, higher than Sunday Night Basketball’s average of 3.4 million on the same network. A Yankees-Dodgers game averaged 3.9 million two weeks ago. Not every game averages this much, but it shows you that baseball isn’t far off from basketball, depending on the matchup. Altogether, the NBA is just slightly more popular than baseball, but NBC is paying MLB a fraction of what they pay the NBA, a point I’ve made before. RIGHT: Angel, MUBI and Neon Updates... I’ve long been skeptical about many of Hollywood’s buzziest startups/smaller indie studios. It’s not that they don’t make great movies—films like Anora and Everything Everywhere All at Once are amazing—or that they’re not (rightfully) pushing the majors to make better films, but...they get a ton of hype, and that hype often doesn’t live up to the reality or difficulty in scaling up. Starting with MUBI, well, The Wall Street Journal wrote a feature on MUBI’s struggles last April, best summarized by the subheader “After Sequoia valued Mubi at $1 billion, a left-wing revolt sent the indie film company into a tailspin”. MUBI lost $7.3 million on $200 million in revenue in Q4 2025, but reportedly hit a record 1.7 million subscribers at the end of Q1. As for Neon, Department M purchased a “significant stake” in the company earlier this year. How much is that “stake” worth? According to Deadline, “No financial figures for the Neon-Department M deal were disclosed.” So...that’s not great! If it was a big valuation, we’d hear about. Also, I found this curious: “Both Neon and Department M already have separate partnerships with Qatar. The Qatar Film Committee has a slate deal in place with the former, and a biopic production pact with the latter.” Color me skeptical about much Middle Eastern investment dollars. See: LIV Golf. Finally, as for Angel (formerly Angel Studios), their stock very, very slightly popped last month after Young Washington ($20 million budget) which made $45 million in the US, but their stock is still way down from its opening. Smaller Updates RIGHT: The WGA should focus on antitrust concerns! I’ve been on this for years. Post-WGA/AMTPT deal in 2023, I wrote an article for the Ankler calling on the WGA to focus and organize against industry consolidation. Sure enough, the WGA filed a lawsuit against the Paramount-WBD merger, and people are organizing around this issue now. I wish this energy had coalesced earlier (specifically to lobby Washington much earlier), but better late than never! WRONG: Actually, the chip shortage might be due to market manipulation. In my last “Long Reads for the Long Summer” article, I shared an article about how LLMs are causing memory chip prices to spike, which will make all electronics more expensive. Well, turns out, three RAM manufacturers control 90% of the market, and now a private lawsuit accuses them of price-fixing. So yeah. WRONG/UPDATE: The Odyssey will hold! Two weeks ago, I wrote, “As of this moment, we haven’t had a super-blockbuster, though The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday could all cross the $500 million mark. (At this point, The Odyssey would need a very strong hold to get there.)” Well, it’s safe to say it’s going to have that hold! It only dropped 30% in weekend two and IMAX screenings are sold out all month. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is also off to a great start. RIGHT: People are rushing to get shows out yearly. I’ve long been bullish on yearly, weekly-released shows, and Leslie Goldberg at The Ankler wrote about how many people in town are now listening. WRONG: Mark Carney reverses Canada’s stance on homegrown production. After writing about Canada installing domestic production quotas, Canada has backed off. WRONG: I don’t trust Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s online “views”. When I originally wrote about the latest Spider-Man film’s record-breaking trailer, I thought this was just YouTube views, but after watching this Corridor Crew video and doing more research, well, it’s all social views of the trailer globally. Really? That stat includes TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts views. Basically, I don’t trust it anymore. (This film will probably set record, but I trust the pre-sales data more.) RIGHT: Celebrity Production companies are still struggling. I’ve written about this for years, but the company that I didn’t track was Kevin Hart’s HartBeat, which was valued at $650 million but is struggling now and might just end soon, especially after Kevin Hart pulled his endorsement deals. And Bad Robot is moving to NYC. CORRECTION: SpongeBob is a “second run” title. In my 2025 recap article, I had _SpongeBob SquarePants_labelled as a “library” title, when it is still a “second run” show, with new episodes still coming out on Nickelodeon. CORRECTION: In my last “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong” update, I offered a correction from Doug Creutz and misspelled TD Cowen. Thanks, Grammarly! 1 Though he could have increased prices to make up for the gap, he couldn’t have increased them that much. 2 There’s a theory, which I think that Daryl Morey created and Bill Simmons popularized, that, to be successful building your team, you only need a handful of bad GMs in the league to take advantage of. To be clear, Daryl Morey’s theory was also for signing bad contracts, that you could always get out of bad contracts. Basically, there’s always someone who will make a bad trade. It’s not the same exact thing, but similar enough to the Greater Fool Theory that I really like it.
Skubala wants 'quick, exciting football'
Michael Skubala outlines his plans for Bristol City's style of play this season as he prepares for his first game in charge.
Lainey Wilson sold out at Iowa State Fair. Which concerts are next?
Iowa State Fair Grandstand concert tickets are selling quick, with one show already sold out. See which acts still have tickets.
‘Economic suicide’: Broadway business owner opposes closing the street to vehicle traffic
After a deadly pedestrian crash on Broadway, calls to close the street to traffic altogether are bubbling up again.
Ex-Dolphins Starter Cut by 49ers During Training Camp
Over the past few seasons, the Miami Dolphins have relied on veteran talent to build out their roster. Whether they acquired those veterans via free agency or blockbuster trade varied, but what ended up happening with Miami is that their roster aged quickly and the team began to struggle as they missed the postseason in […] The post Ex-Dolphins Starter Cut by 49ers During Training Camp appeared first on HEAVY.
‘Doctor’ El-Sayed’s bizarre health hustle raises campaign headache: ‘Moon Juice Brain Dust’
Abdul El-Sayed criticized Mehmet Oz for selling health products as a doctor, then used his own medical credentials to promote supplements and devices.
Acoustirats and Jordan Lauterbach to Perform at LI Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame on Aug 23rd
As part of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Soundtrack to Summer Series, the band Acoustirats will perform LIVE music and Comedian Jordan Lauterbach will open with comedy set at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook Village (97 Main Street, Stony Brook, NY) on Aug. 23th from 3-4pm. The event is free for members or with general admission ticket purchase or $10 at the door concert ticket purchase. For details on this and upcoming events please visit https://www.limusichalloffame.... About AcoustiRats AcoustiRats is an acoustic duo dedicated to stripping Good Rats classics down to their raw, essential form. Fronted by Stefan Marchello, lead singer and 36-year veteran of the Good Rats, alongside guitarist Matt McCarthy, who also did a run on guitar with the band. Between them, they've got decades of Good Rats DNA in their blood. After years of playing these songs loud and electric, Stefan and Matt are thrilled to break them down to the bare bones. No frills, no amps cranked to 11 — just voice, acoustic guitar, and the songwriting that made the Good Rats legendary. It's the same attitude and stories fans know, delivered in a raw, intimate format. For diehard Good Rats fans, it's a new way to hear the classics. For first-timers, it's proof that great songwriting doesn't need to be loud to hit hard. About Jordan Lauterbach Jordan Lauterbach is a fast-rising comedian who features prominently in clubs around the country. His autobiographical style and supreme wit keep audiences laughing for hours after they leave the club. Lauterbach is likable, relatable, and tremendously funny. He has opened for some of comedy's best and is quickly carving out an audience of his own.
He Started a Side Hustle From His Spare Bedroom. Now, It's a $4 Million Retail Powerhouse
Caleb Ashton has turned his gaming and collectibles business into an online platform as well as a brick-and-mortar store.
Ian-credible Science: Oobleck
Each week, we bring you a quick and easy experiment you can do at home to explore a concept in science. This week, we’re exploring rheology by making oobleck.
At colleges, the AI boom means everyone wants to dabble in computer science
WCHS ABC 8 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Charleston and nearby towns and communities in the Tri-State area, including Huntington, Dunbar, Marmet, Montgomery, Nitro, South Charleston, St. Albans, Cedar Grove, Chesapeake, Clendenin, East Bank, Glasgow, Pratt, Cross Lanes, Elkview, Pinch, Sissonville, Big Chimney, Cabin Creek, Chelyan, Davis Creek, Institute, Jefferson, Loudendale, Mink Shoals, Pocatalico, Quick, Quincy, Rand, Buffalo, Eleanor, Hurricane, Nitro, Poca, Winfield, Culloden, Fraziers Bottom, Hometown, Red House, Scott Depot, Teays Valley, Danville, Madison, Hamlin, Logan, Chapmanville, Man, Delbarton, Kermit, Gilbert, Matewan, Williamson, Summersville, Richwood, Flatwoods, Gassaway, Sutton, Spencer, Ravenswood, Ripley, Mason, Point Pleasant, Ashland, Pikeville, Ironton, Portsmouth, Gallipolis, and Athens.
SAMHSA awards $73 million in grants for children’s mental health, other programs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced July 31 that it awarded $73.2 million in grants for children’s mental health, suicide prevention and assisted outpatient treatment programs.
Good Communication Is Good Business by Geoffrey Losee
The following column was contributed by J.D. Fisher. Mixed-use communities are increasingly common. Restaurants, breweries, retail stores, entertainment venues, and professional offices often operate within walking distance of established neighborhoods. That proximity creates tremendous opportunity, but it also means that a business's decisions may affect more than just its customers. Many business owners understandably focus on obtaining the permits necessary to open their doors. However, municipal approval is rarely the end of the conversation. As a business evolves, whether by adding outdoor seating, live entertainment, extended operating hours, or other new amenities, the applicable zoning ordinance may require additional approvals or impose operational standards designed to balance commercial activity with nearby residential uses. From a business perspective, the question should not simply be, "Can we do this?" It should also be, "Have we communicated with everyone who may be affected?" Recent local news coverage highlighted how differing interpretations of a municipal ordinance can quickly become the subject of public hearings, legal arguments, and significant uncertainty for a business. While every situation turns on its own facts, one common theme emerged: practical solutions are more difficult to achieve if communication breaks down. Businesses can often reduce that risk by engaging early with the relevant stakeholders. That begins with municipal staff. Planning departments are oftentimes willing to discuss how an ordinance applies before substantial investments are made. Seeking clarification in advance may identify permitting requirements or operational limitations that can be addressed proactively rather than after enforcement action. Communication should not stop with local government. Nearby property owners and neighborhood representatives frequently appreciate being informed about proposed changes before they occur. A brief meeting, an informational email, or an invitation to discuss concerns can foster goodwill and reveal potential issues while there is still flexibility to adjust operations. That’s why such meetings often required for substantial projects and may be a good idea even if not required. Perhaps most importantly, businesses should view compliance as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. Operational changes that seem minor from a business standpoint may have regulatory implications under local development ordinances. Periodically reviewing proposed changes with experienced land-use counsel or planning professionals can help identify issues before they become disputes. No ordinance can eliminate every conflict between commercial activity and residential expectations. Nor should every disagreement become a legal controversy. But businesses that invest in transparent, proactive communication place themselves in the strongest position to protect both their operations and their relationships within the community. In today's regulatory environment, good communication is more than good public relations, it is good risk management. If your business is planning to expand its operations, introduce a new use, or simply wants to better understand how local land development regulations apply, the attorneys at Rountree Losee LLP are available to help. Our land use and local government practice works with businesses throughout southeastern North Carolina to navigate municipal approval processes, identify potential issues before they become disputes, and keep projects moving forward with confidence. Read more at rountreelosee.com.
Franciscan Health Michigan City hosting suicide intervention training
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Franciscan Health Michigan City is hosting a two-day suicide intervention workshop aimed at helping those at risk stay safe. LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-trainer workshop designed for members of all caregiver groups. Family, friends and other community members may be the first to talk with a person at risk but have little or no training. ASIST provides that training while helping those in formal roles with professional development to ensure they are prepared to provide suicide first aid. The course focuses on teaching suicide first aid to help a person at
Local golf tournament raises funds for mental health challenges
Webster golfers teed off in the 4th Hermano Cup in Rochester, raising funds for Compeer Rochester and promoting mental health and suicide prevention in honor of mentor Jason Drago.
Rise in U.S. preteen suicide rate alarms mental health experts
Mental health experts and advocates are calling for more mental health check-ins with preteens, earlier screenings and tailored interventions for different groups of preteens.
For a Day, Google Made It Easy to Spoof Satellite Imagery
A new Google Earth tool allowed the creation of A.I. deepfake maps. The tech giant quickly pulled it back after a backlash and concerns about disinformation risks.
Man turns side hustle into $4 million video game resale business
Caleb Ashton said he used $500 worth of birthday and Christmas money to launch QuickFlips, a video game resale platform that now makes millions.
Colts Training Camp ‘Day 4’: Quick Hits
Things are starting to get interesting in Colts Camp at a few spots….
Palworld TCG Prices Skyrocket as eBay Scalpers Profit Off of Card Game Launch
The Palworld TCG has officially launched, and so too has a wave of scalpers looking to make a quick buck on developer Pocketpair's new collectible cards.
5 takeaways from Day 1 of Broncos training camp
The Broncos wrapped up Day 1 of training camp on Friday. Here are five quick takeaways.
West Creek student calls for stronger mental-health support after 4 suicide deaths
A West Creek student is calling for stronger mental-health support after recent deaths, as CMCSS outlines how students can access help in school and beyond.
Ms. Utah contestant Brynn Carnesecca dies by suicide at 21
Ms. Utah contestant Brynn Carnesecca has died by suicide. She was 21 years old.
SAMHSA Awards $73.2 Million for Mental Health Treatment and Suicide Prevention Programs
HHS announced awarded $73.2 million in grants to strengthen children’s mental health services, suicide prevention programs.
Fast-growing Ebola outbreak in DRC surges to second-largest on record
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has quickly grown into the second-largest on record, with cases taking just weeks to reach levels that had taken years in previous outbreaks.
Sonoma County updates health advisory due to poor air quality caused by the Woodside Fire
8:15 P.M. UPDATE: Conditions are changing quickly and the air quality conditions have evolved to "hazardous" and "very unhealthy" levels. The Sonoma County Health Officer today issued the following health advisory: Areas of Sonoma County may experience "very unhealthy" or "hazardous" air quality caused by the wildfire event along the coast near Timber Cove and Salt Point State Park. People may experience adverse health effects from the smoke over Sonoma County and across the region. Below are some things you can do when the air quality is poor.
Judge dismisses suit against Medical Aid in Dying Act days over lack of standing
It will legalize medically assisted suicide for terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live.
Funding gap delays NJ’s new mental health crisis centers
Crisis hotline calls have tripled, and advocates decry dependence on emergency rooms by people with nowhere else to go
Orioles Pitching Prospect Caden Hunter Dominates in Double-A Debut
Baltimore Orioles left-handed pitching prospect Caden Hunter has quickly ascended through the organization's farm system.
5 takeaways from Broncos' first day of training camp acclimation
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Man who killed family in murder-suicide was a former American Heart Association employee
Authorities believe a 47-year-old Michigan man killed his wife and six children before taking his own life. "This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand,” one official said.
Death of Twin Cities EMS provider sheds light on mental health challenges for first responders
Chuck Brady died by suicide earlier this month. He was a paramedic and EMS inventory technician with Allina Health EMS for 17 years.
Steelers camp observations: Day 1 features defensive wins and a roller-coaster debut for Drew Allar
Aaron Rodgers quickly showed the familiarity and comfort he has with running a Mike McCarthy offense as the Steelers took the field at Saint Vincent College...
Gemini for Mac Adds System-Wide Voice Dictation and Screen-Aware Commands
Google today updated Gemini for Mac to add a new quick keyboard shortcut that activates voice mode. By long-pressing the Fn key, users can speak naturally to Gemini from any window on their desktop machine. Gemini supports intelligent dictation, so users can speak to the chatbot using natural language and Gemini will transcribe their words to text. Ums, ahs, and other filler words are removed during the process, and it can catch mid-sentence corrections, dropping formatted text at the cursor.
The Science Behind the AI Panic Is Shakier Than You Think
A column by Sascha Lobo Is AI making us dumb? So asked DER SPIEGEL on its cover a while ago. After a few weeks of recovery and a therapeutic intervention with the help of my AI, I feel able to respond. That’s a bit unfair, of course; the article itself is more nuanced than the loud cover, the image of a schoolkid with dull prompt questions, or the subtitle: “AI is conquering the schools, and educators fear a disaster.” The short answer to “Is AI making us dumb?” is: no. The long answer is more interesting, and even carries a preliminary glimmer of the spectacular. Unfortunately, it requires a detour into the sphere of artificial intelligence, into the mogul-field terrain of technology assessment, the attention economy, and the destructive virus of cultural pessimism. Along with narrowing the scope to AI’s effects on education and work rather than on intelligence. Because the honest version of the question would be: Does AI help us learn and work, or not? Generative AI, which set off the still-ongoing hype with ChatGPT, has only existed in relevant distribution since late 2022, early 2023. For a technology-driven transformation of people and society, that is extremely short. For that reason alone, research is still in its infancy. And technology assessment is not a fast discipline anyway. Prominent voices from Elizabeth Eisenstein to RAND to Tom Wheeler say we still cannot conclusively judge the consequences of the printing press. Its invention is a mere 580 years back, and some scholars would rather not circulate assessments that might have to be retracted in two or three hundred years. We’re Going Through Growing Pains A phenomenon that already caused upheaval in social media research makes serious assessment of AI’s consequences even harder: the “moving target” problem of LLM-ology, as the linguist Sean Trott called it in 2025. AI develops so quickly and so unpredictably that researchers often end up studying snapshots of the past. There are concepts, from morphological analysis to anticipatory governance, for keeping research, planning, and regulation halfway meaningful anyway. But even with those, universally valid statements are rare. DER SPIEGEL - The German View is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe We should therefore treat findings about the interplay between humans and AI as far more procedural and situational. Unfortunately, this challenge comes at the worst possible time. We are going through growing pains: AI’s everyday impact has grown very large very fast, and with it the longing for guidance. Annoyingly, the body of solid knowledge has not exploded along with it. Experts cannot be moved to broad consensus on even banal statements about AI. Sascha Lobo, born in 1975, is an author and strategy consultant focusing on the internet and digital technologies. Together with Jule Lobo, he explores the debates of the day in the podcast “Feel the News – Was Deutschland bewegt” (”What Moves Germany”). Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says software developers are dying out. Bill Gates considers coders one of only three professions that will survive the AI tsunami. Top tech economists find virtually irrefutable arguments both for and against an AI bubble. The same naturally applies to the structurally youth-hostile debate over whether AI is good or bad for young people. The gap between the demand for insight and the supply of solid knowledge creates an orientation vacuum. This vacuum of AI cluelessness is filled, as the attention economy described by Georg Franck in 1998 would have it, with half-knowledge (funnily enough, often AI-generated), marketing, and self-marketing. After all, infinite money is at stake, along with academia’s best current shot at global fame. But this iridescent froth of interpretation operates more by the algorithmic principles of the digital public sphere than by seriously earned insight. That is why dramatized, fear-feeding claims about AI are so promising. It tempts parts of academia into distorted drivel, and parts of the media then sensationalize the published drivel once more. Was the Research Aimed at a Desired Result? How badly this can influence academia and public perception is demonstrated by one of the most-discussed studies on AI’s effects: “Your Brain on ChatGPT.” The MIT study by Nataliya Kosmyna also gets plenty of space in the SPIEGEL cover story. What was measured and interpreted: lower brain activity in people who write with AI assistance, compared to people who only google or write without any tools. As is common with preprints, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, and it contains substantial weaknesses that experts have sharply criticized. The first round had 54 participants in three groups, the second only 18, who reportedly also came from MIT’s own orbit. There was no preregistration (committing in advance to what you want to find out with which data). In their analysis, Stanković et al. even discovered an opposite effect that the study does not further explain. Some measurement data has not (yet) been published. And the EEG analysis method used is considered too imprecise to support such far-reaching conclusions. The biggest criticism, though, is the suspicion of an activism-driven study. In an interview with Time, lead author Kosmyna said she published the study immediately, rather than after full peer review, because she feared politicians might otherwise decide to put ChatGPT in kindergartens. She considers that absolutely harmful. It is legitimate to hold such a view. It just seems unscientific to approach a study with it, and then to design the setup so that the chance of a fitting desired result remains as high as possible. Ideologies Collide It is not easy to separate genuine AI insights from studies that trivialize and weaken well-founded AI criticism. The same goes for the opposing, AI-enthusiastic narratives, because the pro-AI side works against it with billions in resources. Ideologies collide, fed by egos, PR strategies, moral posturing, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Doomsday marketing makes the search even harder: AI companies can profit from warnings about the dangers of AI, whether through the notoriety of apocalypse narratives or because, in some target groups, danger translates into power. Some seemingly negative findings are therefore quite welcome in the AI industry. If you try to get at the findings presumably less influenced by interest groups, the picture in education seems relatively clear: AI can improve educational outcomes when the right AI is used the right way, namely pedagogically. Simply dumping an AI chatbot into a classroom, by contrast, accomplishes little. Huge surprise. But something else is also obvious: whether they are allowed to or not, kids use AI for school, which is why the controlled integration of AI tools into education is, in the medium term, entirely without alternative. In the world of work, the landscape of findings is more complex and requires more differentiation. A series of serious studies points to an AI effect that suits neither the alarmists, regulation fetishists, and AI opponents, nor the trillion-dollar corporations with their armada of paid scientists, PR professionals, and ecosystems: working with AI helps the inexperienced (at least for now) considerably more than it helps the pros, in certain fields of work, and provided they know how to use it correctly. Missing Domain Knowledge Among the experienced, the professionals, and the high flyers, by contrast, despite frequent time savings, partially negative effects and new problems are emerging. Take the jagged frontier problem: AI solves task A brilliantly and fails completely at task B, even though both look similar even to professionals. Or the verification-cost problem, in which AI’s greater productivity gets eaten up by the enormous effort of checking its output. Or the illusion of competence, because AI makes new domains seem easily penetrable, until you painfully discover that deep domain knowledge is missing. Taken as a whole, the effects of working with AI do lean positive. But the promise that AI works as a turbocharger for everyone and boosts practically everything simply refuses to materialize. The AI magic the world has been feeling since ChatGPT arrived in late 2022 has so far barely shown up in most companies’ numbers. The consulting firm McKinsey has coined a term for this, the “gen AI paradox,” and believes that work processes and corporate structures would have to be rebuilt quite fundamentally to realize AI’s benefits at scale. Reuters just reported that only 3.3 percent of Microsoft’s customers have subscribed to the AI package Copilot. That may be down to the product; in other areas we continue to see soaring successes and new AI triumphs. But after the first quarter of 2026, disillusionment is the word for all too many AI projects at traditional companies: because the promised revolution of AI agents has so far failed to arrive or been postponed, and because of the leveling effect that many of the studies cited here suggest. Against Inequality The societal effects, on the other hand, appear rather encouraging. Many previous technologies operated on the Matthew principle, named for the Gospel verse about giving to those who already have: they tended to reward the more competent and more privileged. AI, however, seems more often to have an equalizing effect once a threshold of access and education is crossed. Some anecdotal insights point in this direction, for example, how an unemployed man in Leipzig successfully defended himself in court in 2025 against fraud accusations from Germany’s federal employment agency — without a lawyer, armed only with ChatGPT. The AI made mistakes and cited invented court rulings, but in the end the man walked away unpunished. And a key capability of artificial intelligence is its capacity to learn: set up correctly and fed with data, it can keep getting better. It is a question of time, or more precisely of AI innovations and training data, until even free AI chatbots write better legal briefs than law graduates with perfect exam scores. Whether that will make anyone dumb is something the world’s press will surely inform us of in due time. Subscribe Leave a comment
Nobody Knows What to Expect From Michigan Football
The biggest storyline surrounding Michigan this season will be how quickly the program adjusts to new leadership under head coach Kyle Whittingham. The Wolverines have built a reputation around physical football, strong defense, and controlling the line of scrimmage, and maintaining that identity will be a major focus as the program enters a new chapter.…
Behind Closed Doors, Trump Huddles With Netanyahu and Zelensky
The visits by the leaders of Israel and Ukraine underscored just how deeply President Trump was enmeshed in conflicts he had promised — and failed — to end quickly.
WhatsApp Launches Web Browser-Based Audio And Video Calling Feature
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On Air and Online: Spectrum Business Powers Globecast Americas’ Broadcast Evolution
Working with Globecast during the relocation planning phase, Spectrum Business helped design a network foundation that could keep content moving quickly, securely and reliably from day one.
Rise in US preteen suicide rate alarms mental health experts
The number of preteens — ages 8 to 12 — who die by suicide in the United States each year is relatively small. But the total in 2025 was 194 — the most since at least 2001, according to preliminary data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Major Trump Energy Scandal Is Flying Under the Radar. It’s a Twisted Repeat of History.
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'They're selling us out quickly': Fans take to Latrobe ahead of Steelers training camp
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Claude, Codex, and other AI tools credited in today’s Apple security releases
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The Guardian view on Europe’s wildfires: politics must catch up with the new reality
Editorial: At a time when the quickening pace of global heating has never been clearer, climate policies are being deprioritised
Rockstar Games and GTA co-founder chimes in on the raging physical games debate: "If people want that, companies should provide it"
Dan Houser and Lazlow quickly talk about digital and physical media, while promoting the American Caper comic series.
Illinois has a looming electricity crunch to address: Forum
Politicians and power providers are scrambling to come up with ways to add more sources of electricity quickly.
Mental health remains a struggle for AI chatbots, researchers find
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What England's local councils tell us about fragmenting politics
Even the most ardent advocate for local democracy would concede that council chambers are not always the most exciting places. Subscribe Whether it’s planning meetings, motions or resolutions, you’d be forgiven for switching off. Unless it’s lockdown and we’re talking about standing orders, of course. Remember Jackie Weaver, who infamously “had no authority here” at a chaotic parish council Zoom call in 2021? Yet, as a general rule since then, council meetings rarely make the headlines beyond local papers and news websites. Reform’s success After Reform’s stunning success at the local elections in May though, the leader of the party’s group on Kirklees Council suddenly found she’d gone viral online for admitting that she didn’t actually understand council procedures. “I don’t understand the constitution”, Councillor Sarah Wood, pictured above, told the council chamber. “I have not had sufficient time to read that as yet. I don’t understand what standing orders are, what they’re made up of, nor do I understand what an amendment is.” Share Channel 4 News Councillor Wood later defended her comments to the BBC, and said that “new councillors and not just us, are coming from jobs”. She claimed that the sharing of the clip mocking her online was an example of “Reform-bashing”. She added: “Yes, we need to know procedures. Yes we need to do the homework. And we have addressed that now and we have put that right.” So, with standing orders getting another moment in the spotlight, not to mention the fracturing and fragmentation from May’s results, we set out to find out how new councillors are doing across England in this new political landscape. New political landscape Where better to start then than Kirklees, in West Yorkshire. Reform is the largest party, the council is under no overall control and has chosen a new leader - Sarah Wood - after two failed attempts to elect one. It is difficult to secure interviews with new Reform councillors, but John Hardie, pictured below, told us it’s been a “whirlwind” since being elected in May. He represents the Dalton ward and told us the party’s lack of political experience hasn’t been a hindrance. “We’ve come with lots of experience, lots of business experience and life experience, and it’s been good, actually, too. And to mix with other councillors who have been in the political world, and we can learn from each other.” Indeed, more parties are now having a say than ever before. In Manchester, the Green Party followed up their victory in the parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton by gaining 17 seats on the city council. That makes them the official opposition to Labour, who have long dominated Manchester City Council. [ ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-landmark-green-by-election-win) [ How landmark Green by-election win could change British politics ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-landmark-green-by-election-win) Krishnan Guru-Murthy · Feb 27 [ Read full story ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-landmark-green-by-election-win) Thirza Amina Asanga-Rae, pictured below, is one of those new councillors, representing Moss Side. We asked her how being the official opposition can make a difference. She said: “I think even the fact that we’ve made history in what we’ve done, it’s been a 50-year stronghold of Labour in Manchester, and now that we’ve broken that and chipped in that, there’s real hope that we can not only run the council in the future, but currently hold them to account. So, I think that’s powerful. It’s just going to help shape and build what I call the green wave.” The reality, though, is that several newly elected councillors across the country have already left their roles through resignations, suspensions or defections. ‘It’s a slog’ Asanga-Rae adds: “It’s a job, it’s a slog. Obviously, we’re going through hard times. Austerity is real. We’re talking about food, child poverty, furniture poverty. The list is endless, and I think people who come into a councillor role need to be willing to help, really roll the sleeves up and get involved and help, and I think a lot of the career politicians, who think it’s the ‘la-di-da’ position, get in and realise I’m not going to do this work and bounce.” Share Although Manchester still has a clear majority, many councils, including Kirklees, are now under no overall control. That is perhaps the strongest sign of the political fragmentation we are seeing. Burnley is another example of this. Reform is now the largest party, yet they’re not part of the power-sharing coalition on this council - the Liberal Democrats and a local group of independents. Zulkernehn Hayat, pictured below, is part of The Independent Group. He represents Queensgate ward and told us all councils can benefit from having more independent councillors. ‘This is where I was brought up’ He said: “This is my home. This is Burnley. This is where I was brought up. Why do I need to get approval from somebody in a head office down south somewhere, you know? “This is my biggest argument. If okay, my neighbour comes to me with an issue, I can then take that straight to the council, because I don’t need to get approval from anywhere else. And this is the benefit of being independent.” So, while voters will always inevitably want quick results, perhaps spare a thought for the newly-elected councillors who are still navigating local government - one standing order at a time. 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5 Car Brands Aiming To Bring Back Rear-Wheel Drive Sedans
Automakers confirmed to be bringing back rear-wheel drive sedans include Buick and Cadillac, while Ford, Nissan, and Mazda may also be doing so.
New ChatGPT Training For Small Businesses And Other Technology News This Week For Your Business
OpenAI launched AI training for small businesses, Microsoft upgraded Excel with AI, Intuit debuted a QuickBooks card, Claude learns workflows, and AI-ready websites are now essential.
MADFEST 6 brings out mental health advocates
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Understanding The Fraught Politics Of Powering AI
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Andy Burnham and the rise of ‘aura farming’ in politics
Is “aura farming” the new political superpower? There are some days in TV news when you find yourself standing in the middle of a farm, surrounded by baby goats, trying to explain internet slang. Subscribe This was one of those days. There I was, in wellies, trying to unpack aura farming - a Gen Z term for carefully cultivating your image online so that you look effortlessly cool, authentic and charismatic. The trick, apparently, is that it can’t look like you’re trying too hard. Which, I’ll admit, felt slightly ironic as we filmed an entire report on a farm purely because the word farming is in the title. ‘Shaped by algorithms’ Whether you like it or not, politics increasingly feels like it’s being shaped by algorithms as much as manifestos. Take Andy Burnham. Since arriving at Number 10, he’s been impossible to miss online. One minute he’s out for a casual jog with Mo Farah. Next he’s announcing policy alongside TikTok high priestess Bus Aunty. His social media paints a very deliberate picture: less polished Westminster operator, more bloke from the North who just happens to be running the country. It’s not accidental. Burnham’s “King of the North”, New Order-loving persona has become part of a carefully constructed political brand. Authenticity is now something politicians work incredibly hard to make look effortless. But Burnham isn’t inventing this playbook. Like so many of us doomscrolling on an evening, he’s been influenced online. The digital strategy of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pictured above right, has become a case study in viral political communication, and some of the people behind that campaign have recently been advising the Labour Party in Britain. Their message is simple: if you want to reach younger voters, you need to show up where they already spend their time. Embracing content creators And increasingly, that doesn’t mean traditional news interviews (awkward). It means speaking to content creators like Max from The Career Ladder, whose channels reach around 20 million followers worldwide. His interview with Burnham, pictured below, was posted almost immediately after he became Prime Minister. What struck me wasn’t just the audience size, but something Max told me afterwards: many people in the comments said they’d discovered Britain had a new Prime Minister through his interview. Think about that for a moment. Not through rolling news. Not through newspapers. Through a creator they were already following while scrolling. Share That’s a profound shift in how political information reaches people, one that’s been gathering momentum for some time. It also explains why politicians are embracing content creators and spending millions on digital marketing. Of course, this isn’t unique to one party. ‘Personality before policy’ In many ways, the right were quicker off the mark in building their aura online. Donald Trump built much of his political identity on social media. Nigel Farage remains one of Britain’s strongest political performers on TikTok. Politicians across the spectrum now understand that personality often reaches people before policy does. During a six-week UK general election campaign alone, overall digital ad spending routinely tops £11m. Share Channel 4 News Former Number 10 social media adviser Andrew Wong put it well when he told me that “vibes” can help someone get noticed, but they only work if they’re rooted in a genuine personality. Force it, and audiences spot it instantly. The bigger question is whether internet charisma can backfire on you - especially when you’re Prime Minister. Because behind Burnham’s carefully curated videos is a veteran politician with decades of Westminster experience. The spontaneity is produced. While the authenticity may be genuine, it’s managed. That’s not necessarily a criticism. It’s simply the reality of modern political communication. Aura farming alone is not enough to harvest change. But in the age of algorithms, winning attention may be the first battle. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment