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Rockies reportedly trade Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox

The two-time Gold Glove winner brings solid defense and a right-handed bat.

Aug 3 • 1:25 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Summer Ventures at App State immerses NC high schoolers in hands-on science and math research

Each summer, high school students from across North Carolina become researchers at App State through Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics. Offered at no cost to participants, this state-funded program engages students in hands-on, collaborative research alongside faculty and staff. App State is one of four UNC System schools that host the program.

Aug 3 • 1:20 PM EDT • Science • today.appstate.edu

Nigel Farage says he discussed politics return ahead of general election

Farage said the talks came "quite some time after" he received a £5m gift from a Reform donor.

Aug 3 • 1:18 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Seven takeaways from Ravens’ first padded training camp practice

Lamar Jackson struggled, Ja’Kobi Lane went deep and Baltimore’s defense controlled the Ravens’ first padded camp practice.

Aug 3 • 1:11 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

We tried living in a city for a year; decided to stay, leave suburbs

My husband dreamed of city life, so we tried living in a high-rise downtown for one year. The perks made us decide to stay and leave the suburbs.

Aug 3 • 1:08 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

If Not AOC, Then Who?

What do we do if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez decides not to run for president in 2028? It makes sense that many leftists are currently focused on calling on her to take the plunge. But the absence of a Plan B, or even much discussion about one, is worrisome. The US Left can’t afford to sit out the 2028 Democratic primary. Doing so in 2024 was a disaster: our abstention self-marginalized anti-billionaire politics from the national conversation and thereby gave space for Harris to pivot to the “center” (i.e. the policy preferences of corporate donors, establishment hacks, and AIPAC). Abstaining again in 2028 would be especially counterproductive since democratic socialists now have so much wind in our sails after our big electoral wins in NYC and across the country. It’s time to deepen our momentum, organization, and profile — not to retreat to the margins during America’s single most important political battle. Even more urgently, keeping Trump’s heir out of the White House may depend on whether leftists and the party’s unprecedentedly disenchanted base can force the Democrats in 2028 to take meaningful steps towards a very angry electorate and away from the corporate-consultant blob that has helped get us into this mess. If AOC (or Abdul El-Sayed) decides to run, we should enthusiastically go all in — DSA, fighting unions, progressive organizations, anybody who wants to see a better country and world. But, as far as I can tell from the outside, there’s a real chance that she doesn’t run. And we can’t just wait and see where she lands before discussing alternatives, since AOC’s decision might not come for quite a while, giving us little time to scramble at the last minute for an alternative. So we should start working now on getting a Plan B into motion, and recruiting a good candidate for the role. Here’s one idea. A Worker Candidate — Healthcare Not Warfare 2028 Run a union worker Leftists don’t need to always run experienced, well-known socialist politicians for high-profile contests. Lula, the current president of Brazil, began his political career as a metalworker militant who ran for governor of São Paulo in 1982. Especially in an era of institutional distrust, it’s possible to lean hard into making a virtue out of a working-class comrade’s distance from traditional politics. Experience abroad shows this clearly. Rachel Kéké — an immigrant hotel housekeeper — ran as the candidate of the leftist La France Insoumise for the National Assembly in 2022, defeating a former minister in the Macron government. The Belgian Workers’ Party in 2024 won its first Flemish seat in the European Parliament by running Rudi Kennes, a three-decade veteran of the Opel Antwerp auto factory. And the South Korean left in 2024 elected auto factory militant Yoon Jong-oh to the National Assembly. If a tiny French Trotskyist organization could make such a big splash in 2002 and 2007 by running a well-spoken postal worker cadre for office — the LCR’s Olivier Besancenot received about 1.5 million first-round votes — it’s not far-fetched to expect that a much larger organization like DSA, together with a broader coalition of the willing, could run this playbook to much greater effect. This is especially the case now that almost everything DSA does immediately becomes a national news story. We don’t need someone famous. We just need a charismatic, well-vetted comrade who works in a relatable working-class occupation — e.g. a nurse, or a worker in auto or construction, or at Amazon. Ideally, they have a compelling personal story or have been part of a significant strike or organizing campaign, but even those criteria don’t necessarily have to be deal-breakers. The main lesson of the Graham Platner fiasco isn’t that we should never run outsiders for office (the momentum he generated proves the exact opposite), but that they need proper vetting and roots in democratic membership organizations like DSA or a union. In any case, there are plenty of ways to signal working-class authenticity without resorting to Platner’s or Fetterman’s performative macho white dude affect. Better to have someone of any gender or race who is actually working class, with firm socialist politics, who can speak from experience about the day-to-day realities of trying to make it in America. There are surely at least a dozen such worker leaders in our movement nationwide; we just need to sit down and convince one that their personal sacrifice for the greater good (i.e. running for president) will be worth it. If we don’t have a frontrunner with a clear path to victory like AOC (or El-Sayed, were he to win Michigan), it’s better to embrace someone whose decision to run in itself tells an important story about US politics: workers have been iced out of our political system and are now fighting hard to break back in. The novelty factor, in itself, would generate press. And it would help democratic socialists signal to the American public that our movement’s defining characteristic is that we represent workers vs. bosses, not that we’re “the furthest left” force in American politics — a framework that suggests we’re extremists and that helps our opponents isolate us from non-college-educated voters by highlighting extremely minoritarian (and misguided) stances included in DSA’s platform like prison abolition. We don’t get many opportunities to speak to tens of millions of Americans; we need to use these opportunities to broaden our appeal beyond those already in our orbit. Run to polarize the 2028 primary and general election around “Medicare for All” and “End All Aid to Israel” Why should democratic socialists use our scarce time and volunteer energy to run in a race we’re unlikely to win? Running in the 2028 primary will not only recruit us scores of members (imagine having a DSA member intervening in eleven nationally televised primary debates!), but — more importantly — it has the potential to be a decisive leap forward towards an America that finally starts meeting the needs of working people instead of HMO and AIPAC billionaire donors. Polarizing litmus tests are good, actually — as long as they’re fought for around popular demands in a thoughtful and strategic way. Democratic socialists have an opportunity and responsibility to make the 2028 primary about two of the most widely and deeply felt issues of our moment: domestically, America’s unaffordable, family-breaking private healthcare system; internationally, America’s bankrolling of the genocidal Israeli government. A candidacy relentlessly demanding Medicare for All and No Aid to Israel would pose a sharp question to the American public, the Democratic Party, and other 2028 contenders: Why can’t working-class Americans afford their healthcare bills at the same time that our government is spending at least $3.8 billion yearly to fund an Israeli regime eager to keep dragging us and the world into more forever wars? Our candidate can agitate around a clear message: I’m running to give voice to all those working-class Americans who are struggling to get by. No matter what state you live in, who you voted for in 2024, or your background, it’s just plain common sense that we should make healthcare more affordable instead of spending billions to enable the Israeli government’s crimes against humanity. Every American who agrees with me when I say ‘Medicare for All — Not a Dime for Israel’ should make their voice heard through our campaign. Racking up a high number of votes for this agenda is a crucial way to show the Democratic Party and the country as a whole that we can’t keep supporting a life-destroying status quo in our healthcare system and in the Middle East. If we want to defeat Trump’s handpicked crony this coming November, we need to speak to ordinary people’s frustrations with the status quo — we can’t keep running the same tired establishment playbook and expecting a different result. For those highly engaged voters (or skeptical media pundits) who raise concerns about wasting votes, the candidate can take the time to explain why this isn’t the case: It's true I'm a long shot. But Zohran showed anything can happen — and voting for me is a pragmatic decision, not a wasted vote. In a heavily divided primary with a large number of candidates and a very discredited establishment, my campaign and the democratic socialist movement I’m part of are positioned to be the balance of power if we can get a large enough number of voters to loudly demand Healthcare Not Warfare. Since there’s a high chance no candidate will get to 50% in the 2028 primaries, the Democrats could very well be heading towards a brokered convention, where a disciplined, principled current committed to breaking from corporate donors can play an outsized role in making sure whoever ends up with the nomination raises the banner of single-payer healthcare and cutting aid to Israel. How exactly could running this sort of primary campaign be translated into actual leverage? The candidate replies: I’m aiming to win the nomination, but if I don’t achieve that goal, my delegates and I will pledge our support in the primary only for a candidate who agrees in the general election to call for ending US aid to Israel and establishing Medicare for All at home. These are both winning planks for November against the Republicans, and the only reason I can see that other candidates haven’t yet raised these is that they’re still more scared of the donor class than they are of the people. That needs to change. If Democratic leaders want young people, workers, and those sick of the status quo to show up in big numbers this November, they need to meet us halfway. In this way, whether or not we win the nomination, democratic socialists could still play a decisive role in 2028. The approach outlined here is similar to what radical left parties periodically do in parliamentary democracies like Denmark or Sweden when they find themselves as a junior partner electorally: they dictate to center-left allies what their terms would be for enabling, from the outside, the formation of a new government. Running a Healthcare Not Warfare candidate will make it significantly more likely that the 2028 Democratic candidate stands with ordinary people instead of donors on these two pivotal planks — a shift that will, in turn, make it easier to achieve the existentially important task of defeating MAGA’s heir in November. Look at how much popular traction the Uncommitted movement got with a similar strategy in 2024 with so little on-the-ground organization — surely we can go much further with a working-class candidate, a much bigger DSA, and a Democratic Party base that has turned against Israel, billionaires, and the hacks in the party who prop them up. Objections and Responses There are quite a few objections to this proposal, many of which are very reasonable. Let me briefly address each here. Socialists shouldn’t waste their scarce time and resources on a candidate unlikely to win. This is a good rule in general, but there are important exceptions, and presidential elections are the main one. There’s no other political contest that gets anything like this level of attention and engagement in the US, so if you want to be a serious force in nationwide politics, you basically can’t afford not to have a candidate. Far from being an overall drain on our resources, running a dynamic 2028 campaign would likely result in a major net increase in members and capacity. In that spirit, the very pragmatic Milwaukee sewer socialists — who mostly ran to win at home in Wisconsin — supported Eugene Debs’s propagandistic presidential campaigns, which they correctly saw as a crucial means of recruiting to the Socialist Party. And now that the (post-1972) Democratic Party gives more weight to voters than party operatives in determining its presidential nomination, it’s become feasible to run as a socialist in primaries without risking a split in the vote against the Republicans in November. We should just support Ro Khanna, who also supports M4A and ending aid to Israel. I like Ro Khanna and would enthusiastically vote and canvass for him for president were he to get the nomination. But there’s a real chance that Khanna’s bid for office doesn’t catch on; he lacks the grassroots organizational apparatus of DSA, and, because he’s not really of the Left or labor (despite his current very good positions), he’s unlikely to generate the type of buy-in and enthusiasm that a DSA candidate would. Moreover, Khanna would be running as an individual, not as someone emerging from and building an organized movement — his campaign would not likely focus on building sustained power from below, nor would it likely polarize the 2028 primary around M4A and Israel aid. Also, and not inconsequentially, the poor electoral results for Tom Steyer and Saikat Chakrabarti this spring suggest that there’s perhaps not much of a popular appetite in the Democrats’ base to support multi-millionaire class traitors. Much better, then, to run a democratic socialist worker. If by Super Tuesday it’s clear that our campaign has captured the main left lane in the primary, Khanna should drop out and endorse us; conversely, if he’s managed to capture this lane, DSA could at that point transform its Healthcare Not Warfare campaign into an independent campaign to elect Ro Khanna focused on winning (and holding him accountable to) those two critical planks. An openness to consolidating an anti-corporate candidate by Super Tuesday is a necessary component of the strategy I’m proposing, because otherwise we risk splitting the primary votes (per DNC rules, you need at least 15% to get any delegates to convention). We should convince Shawn Fain or Sara Nelson to run for president instead. I agree it’d be great if either ran for president, but my impression is that there’s basically no chance that will happen in 2028, because both are firmly focused on their union leadership duties (and, in the case of Fain, beating back a federal witch-hunt). This plan could have DSA end up endorsing a non-socialist, non-DSAer for president. That’s against our principles. It’s a myth, and bad politics, that socialists can’t ever support candidates who aren’t members of their organization and/or who don’t call themselves socialists. Bernie, after all, was not a DSAer. And socialists abroad regularly make tactical decisions about if and when supporting a non-socialist candidate makes sense from the standpoint of promoting working-class interests, defending democracy, and building a socialist current in the process. If your “principles” prevent you and DSA from helping achieve the momentous stride forward of having a Democratic candidate in 2028 run on Medicare for All and ending aid to Israel, those “principles” are not very good. In fact, they actively undermine the causes they’re aiming to support. We shouldn’t confuse principles (working-class independence) with tactics (the best way to advance this in a given context). In my recent article in Catalyst on Milwaukee sewer socialism (I’ve uploaded the full text here), I have a section showing how similarly rigid rules about endorsements had to be eventually discarded in the old Socialist Party nationwide after WWI because they tended to lead socialists towards a sectarian abstention from broader anti-corporate electoral insurgencies beyond their party’s control. For what it’s worth, Lenin’s current under Tsarism frequently backed bourgeois candidates in the second round of elections and Lenin himself advocated that British Communists support Labour Party candidates; for his part, Kautsky in 1912 defended the German Social Democracy’s electoral pact with the Progressives in the runoffs. If our predecessors could be that tactically flexible in an era before the limits of their underlying strategic assumptions about intransigent class politics in capitalist democracies were made clear, then there’s no need to insist on being more tactically rigid today, after a century’s worth of accumulated experience. As long as you maintain your own political profile and organization while engaging in broader coalitional efforts, there’s zero inherent contradiction with the principle of political independence. More specifically: DSA and allied organizations should enthusiastically back Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed if AOC declines to run and he throws his hat in the presidential ring. (I have no idea whether he’s even considering this path, but there’ll surely be chatter about it if he wins his Senate race this November.) Though he doesn’t call himself a socialist, El-Sayed is a principled Berniecrat, a consistent fighter for Palestine, and would have a clear path to victory. Using the “s” word is far less important than whether a campaign fights for the interests of working people at home and abroad — and whether actively participating in it can grow the organized working class and the Left. And the same holds true if a less anti-corporate candidate were, under pressure, to adopt our two Healthcare Not Warfare planks. Why focus only on M4A and ending US aid to Israel? There are so many other important issues to fight for! Obviously there are many pivotal issues beyond healthcare and Israel, and our candidate — and especially our organizations involved in the campaign — should be prepared to speak on all of these. But one of the crucial lessons of the Zohran campaign is that you have to relentlessly stay on message if you want to cut through the noise. CNN and Fox News will want to talk about DSA’s views on Venezuela and abolishing the police; we need to polarize the debate on the widely and deeply felt issues that are most favorable for growing the Left, isolating our opponents, and winning urgently needed changes. One recent poll found 63% of Americans support M4A, even after respondents were told it would raise taxes and eliminate most private insurance. Another found that 74% of Democrats opposed “providing additional economic and military support to Israel.” And focusing on two demands sets the campaign up to be able to leverage its mandate to make clear demands upon other candidates (which we can’t do if we run with a laundry list of demands). Talking about a Plan B is a distraction from the more urgent work of building a groundswell of calls on AOC to run. It’s good for DSAers, fightback unionists, and progressive organizations to try to convince AOC to run. This proposal is meant as an addendum to pushes to get AOC to run and to line DSA up for that eventuality, not as a substitute for those efforts. But I’m worried that, like in 2024, we might eventually find ourselves with no time to find a viable alternative unless we start now. DSA, with its abundant deliberative processes, moves slowly. The approach you’re suggesting seems risky. If a DSA candidate runs but doesn’t receive a lot of votes, it’ll undercut our current national momentum. This is a reasonable worry. All big initiatives always carry risks, and the path I’m advocating is certainly not free of these. That said, if a Healthcare Not Warfare campaign doesn’t catch on like we envisioned, it’s a pretty simple pivot in March 2028 to explain that in the future we really need our standard-bearers like AOC, or our growing bench of national electeds, to step up in presidential primaries. Moreover, it’s worth noting that the risk of my Plan B proposal is on the whole significantly less than the risk entailed by an AOC run. We should all back her if she runs, since she’d fire up the base, provide huge openings for organizing, have a real shot at defeating a Republican (especially given MAGA’s unpopularity), be a great standard-bearer for our issues, particularly M4A and ending aid to Israel, and be less willing than mainstream candidates to capitulate to any anti-democratic machinations from Trump and co. But it’s also true that AOC could lose, which would be a devastating setback to the country and the Left. Or she could win and find herself unable to pass much, if any, of her (and our) program, a demoralizing prospect. So if we’re willing to take these risks with AOC (and we should), it follows that we should be able to take lower-level risks if she doesn’t throw her hat in the ring. What’s Your Plan B? The US Left is facing its biggest opening for growth and influence since the 1930s. Initiatives that would have been impossible a few months ago are now potentially feasible. A President AOC is now easier to imagine, but if she ultimately assesses that the risks aren’t worth the potential reward in 2028, we can’t be left flat-footed. So even if you’re not convinced by the specifics of my Plan B, I hope you can at least agree that it’d be a disaster for us not to have one — and not to start getting a Plan B into motion. Hopefully other organizers and political currents will put forward their responses and alternative ideas ASAP. The stakes are too high to just wait and see. More As always, please share this article widely. This newsletter depends on all you lovely people to get the word out. Thank you! I uploaded the full text of my Catalyst article on Milwaukee sewer socialism here (it’s updated and 3x as long as the version published earlier on this substack). If you haven’t yet, please make sure to subscribe to Catalyst here; I read every issue front to back, highly recommend. 🌹🎵 Ivan Lins (arranged by Arthur Verocai) — “General da Banda” 🌹🎵

Aug 3 • 12:50 PM EDT • Politics • laborpolitics.com

What Ty Simpson is being criticized for in training camp

Ty Simpson’s first Rams training camp was bound to be over-scrutinized

Aug 3 • 12:39 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Featured Image: Citizen Science and Solar Structure

Citizen scientists from the Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast Initiative recorded nearly an hour of coronal behavior during the 8 April 2024 solar eclipse.

Aug 3 • 12:00 PM EDT • Science • aasnova.org

Essentia Health holding extended hours for sports physicals

Essentia Health is now offering sports physicals for high school students preparing for the upcoming athletic season.

Aug 3 • 11:45 AM EDT • Sports • essentiahealth.org

Essentia Health holding extended hours for sports physicals

Essentia Health is now offering sports physicals for high school students preparing for the upcoming athletic season.

Aug 3 • 11:45 AM EDT • Health • essentiahealth.org

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.

Aug 3 • 11:36 AM EDT • Science • kotatv.com

Health department turns to communities to address infant mortality

Mississippi recorded an infant mortality rate of 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, the highest the state has seen in more than a decade.

Aug 3 • 11:01 AM EDT • Health • wlox.com

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.

Aug 3 • 10:37 AM EDT • Health • aha.org

Inside Liverpool's summer so far

BBC Sport's Aadam Patel reports on the latest from the Liverpool tour of the United States.

Aug 3 • 10:12 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com

NSF stands up 2 Materials Innovation Platforms with $50M investment

The U.S. National Science Foundation is investing $50 million in research infrastructure to enable the discovery and development of materials that can withstand extreme conditions, from lightweight…

Aug 3 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • nsf.gov

HHS Announces HRSA Health Centers Deliver Record-Breaking Care to More Than 32.7 Million Patients

HRSA-Funded Health Centers Served More Americans Than Ever in 2025 while Expanding Access to Primary Care, Mental Health, Dental Care, and Preventive Services.

Aug 3 • 10:00 AM EDT • Health • hhs.gov

Xbox adds new Halo: Campaign Evolved and Xbox 25 Gamerpics

Players on console and PC now have a new selection of Gamerpics to choose from, as new Xbox 25 and Halo: Campaign Evolved pics have been added.

Aug 3 • 8:56 AM EDT • Technology • trueachievements.com

Hades, King Herod and the Politics of Theater. A Starry August. Stageworthy News of the Week.

The producers of “Hadestown” on Broadway rescinded the casting of Geno Segers as Hades, after OnStageBlog reposted Segers’ (now deleted) videos on social media that belittled transgender people. Th…

Aug 3 • 8:54 AM EDT • Politics • newyorktheater.me

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Kansas state primary

Kansas Republicans will narrow down a crowded field for governor in a state primary Tuesday as they look to retake the state’s top office after eight years of Democratic rule.

Aug 3 • 8:54 AM EDT • Politics • wsls.com

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.

Aug 3 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • wilmingtonbiz.com

Spain’s politicians point finger at Morocco over Ceuta crisis

While Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has avoided blaming Rabat, politicians from both left and right insist Morocco has questions to answer.

Aug 3 • 7:51 AM EDT • Politics • politico.eu

Xbox Series X price hiked by £170 due to rising memory chip costs

Xbox consoles now cost significantly more in the UK, with one model increasing in price by 43%.

Aug 3 • 7:18 AM EDT • Technology • bbc.com

BUSINESS BEAT: Century Bank and Trust closes Monroe Street drive-thru

COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) - With the opening of an expanded drive-thru at their main branch on West Chicago Street,...

Aug 3 • 7:13 AM EDT • Business • wtvbam.com

How the World Cup became great 'dry run' for 2028 Olympics

The success of the FIFA World Cup in Southern California provided valuable lessons for LA28 as it continues its preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Aug 3 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • latimes.com

The MLB trade deadline is here, plus Rodgers talks reconciliation

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! It’s great to be back with you. Coming up: ⚾ MLB trade deadline latest ⚽ Soccer mess deepens 🗣️ Rodgers speaks out Just 12 hours separate the time this email landed in your inbox and MLB’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET today. It’s easy to wonder if there will be any intrigue at all, with the market’s biggest name already settling into his new Dodger home. Let’s catch up on yesterday’s deals before we get to today:...

Aug 3 • 6:12 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

After contract dispute with East Idaho hospital, Legislature’s task force to study health insurers

Idaho Republican legislative leaders founded a new working group of lawmakers tasked with studying health insurance companies.

Aug 3 • 6:10 AM EDT • Health • idahocapitalsun.com

The Bulletin welcomes Sharon Weinberger as editor-in-chief

The Bulletin’s new editor-in-chief, Sharon Weinberger, has dedicated her career to covering the intersection of science, technology, and national security and will guide the Bulletin’s editorial efforts as it enters its eighth decade of informing the public on catastrophic risks.

Aug 3 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • thebulletin.org

Trump’s mail voting appeal tests Supreme Court’s anti-chaos election rule

President Donald Trump’s emergency appeal aimed at limiting the use of mail ballots is poised to test a controversial, 20-year-old Supreme Court principle that was intended to avoid chaos before elections.

Aug 3 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Bengals training camp Day 5 News and discussion

Can we talk about defensive linemen spending too much time being dropped into coverage with a little more nuance?

Aug 3 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Massive leak reveals Lenovo Googlebook 15 ahead of launch

A massive leak reveals press renders of the Lenovo Googlebook 15, showcasing a dedicated Gemini key and an Android desktop interface.

Aug 3 • 5:41 AM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com

A New N64 EverDrive Flash Cart Has Been Released With A Dedicated 64DD Core

EverDrive-64 Pro is shipping in the next few weeks

Aug 3 • 5:30 AM EDT • Technology • timeextension.com

I couldn't advertise vibrators on the subway. So I sued.

I founded Dame, a vibrator and sexual wellness company, to improve women's health. But I had to fight to be treated the same as ED pill makers.

Aug 3 • 5:02 AM EDT • Health • usatoday.com

3.14 Action raises $25 million to elect candidates with STEM backgrounds in 2026

The Democratic National Committee ended June with $18.5 million in debt and just $16.3 million cash on hand

Aug 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com

3.14 Action raises $25 million to elect candidates with STEM backgrounds in 2026

The Democratic National Committee ended June with $18.5 million in debt and just $16.3 million cash on hand

Aug 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

Black voters, divided on progressives, are pivotal in Michigan Senate primary

A disruptor or a pragmatist? In Tuesday's contest between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens, Democrats weigh whether to remake the political system or work within it.

Aug 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

AMC Entertainment Shatters Weekend Revenue Records – Sets the Highest Weekend Revenue Mark in the Company’s 106-Year History

More than 10.2 million moviegoers attended AMC Theatres in the United States and ODEON Cinemas internationally from Wednesday through Sunday…...

Aug 3 • 3:29 AM EDT • Entertainment • investor.amctheatres.com

A historic moment during another major drought

Gustav Sumnick emigrated from Germany, traveled to Oklahoma and decided rather than be a Sooner, he wanted to be a farmer. He moved north to Nebraska and married an Irish immigrant farmer’s daughter. They farmed near Fremont, Nebraska, where the Platte and the Elkhorn rivers meet and grew the family farming operation to more than […]

Aug 3 • 2:45 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com

Blue Jays share emotional farewell message after Kevin Gausman trade

Kevin Gausman received a heartfelt message from the Blue Jays after being traded to the Cubs on the eve of the deadline.

Aug 3 • 2:44 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

From kitchen-table idea to growing mobile business: Southern Mamas Loaded Teas expands in Greenville

Southern Mamas Loaded Tea is serving more than loaded teas. The Greenville-based mobile business has built a following in Owensboro through deliveries, catering, community events, and what owner TeAnnah Widdrington describes as a strong focus on giving back.

Aug 3 • 1:15 AM EDT • Business • owensborotimes.com

BREAKING: Blue Jays Send Beloved Strikeout Artist to Chicago Cubs

The Toronto Blue Jays are trading right-handed starter Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs, per Ken Rosenthal. The Chicago Cubs are acquiring right-hander Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, a source tells to ESPN. The Cubs have sought a playoff-caliber starting pitcher all deadline, and now they've landed one. First […] The post BREAKING: Blue Jays Send Beloved Strikeout Artist to Chicago Cubs appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 3 • 12:09 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

JMU eyes $2 billion economic impact by 2040

James Madison University plans to generate a $2 billion economic impact in Virginia by 2040 through expanded healthcare programs and stronger business partnerships.

Aug 2 • 11:55 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com

40 YEARS

Virginia Business celebrates 40 years as a leading statewide publication with new ownership by BridgeTower Media and expanded digital presence.

Aug 2 • 11:52 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com

Homewood Science Center thanks community for 10 years of support

This year’s Summer Fest was a celebration of 10 years of the Homewood Science Center’s work sharing the wonders of science with the community. The evening’s program also included special recognition to Edie Dobrez, HSC’s executive director. The annual fundraising event brought several hundred people to Idlewild Country Club on[Read More...]

Aug 2 • 9:18 PM EDT • Science • hfchronicle.com

Lions’ Jameson Williams drops ‘unstoppable’ prediction for Drew Petzing offense

Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is predicting big things for the offense under new coordinator Drew Petzing

Aug 2 • 8:12 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Two deadly flowers could inspire powerful new medicines

Scientists have figured out how two famously poisonous plants create chemicals with surprising medical potential. After tracking thousands of genes in wolfsbane and larkspur, they identified six enzymes needed to build a complex compound called atisinium. The team recreated the process inside tobacco plants, offering a sustainable way to produce and test these rare molecules in larger amounts.

Aug 2 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

UMB Celebrates America at 250: Addition of Pharmacists Gives the Health Care Field a Shot in the Arm

Founded in 1841, the School of Pharmacy helped turn a trade into a profession, shaped pharmacy education and practice in Maryland, and has extended its impact to the nation and the world.

Aug 2 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • elm.umaryland.edu

Star Trek's 5 Most Iconic Sci-Fi Gadgets, Ranked

Star Trek is regarded as a cornerstone of modern science-fiction television, and these five gadgets have become just as iconic as a result.

Aug 2 • 7:17 PM EDT • Technology • bgr.com

Unheralded Cowboys Rookie Turns Heads at Training Camp

Cowboys rookie Jaishawn Barham did not get as much publicity as other Dallas draft picks, but he is gaining attention in training camp. The post Unheralded Cowboys Rookie Turns Heads at Training Camp appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 2 • 6:49 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Trump frequently announces he's halting strikes in Iran. But they keep happening

The abrupt shifts have been a defining feature of the five-month conflict that has sent prices of oil and basic goods soaring — and the announcements to date have been upended by renewed attacks days or even hours afterward.

Aug 2 • 5:29 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Cubs news: Cubs trade Jameson Taillon to Blue Jays

The Cubs traded the veteran starter to Toronto after DFA’ing him earlier in the week.

Aug 2 • 3:52 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

WYOMING COUNTY/Celebrate Summer at the 2026 Wyoming County Fair-eight days of agriculture, entertainment, family, fun & americana return to Pike, August 15-22

Press release/provided photos PIKE, NY — Summer traditions shine bright as the Wyoming County Fair returns to Pike, New York, from August 15-22, 2026, inviting visitors from across Western New York…

Aug 2 • 3:50 PM EDT • Entertainment • videonewsservice.net

Town and Country Fair returns to Napa Valley Expo starting Thursday

Starting Thursday, Aug. 6 the Town & Country Fair will take over the Napa Valley Expo, with live music, livestock exhibits, carnival thrills and lots more family friendly activities included with admission.

Aug 2 • 3:25 PM EDT • Entertainment • pressdemocrat.com

The mystery of the Rams’ punt return role

The Rams did not address their return role over the offseason and now Kyren Williams is in line to man spot

Aug 2 • 12:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Big Ten, SEC back college sports bill after shift in language

Language was added to the Protect College Sports Act intended to strengthen a provision prohibiting schools from circumventing the athlete revenue-share cap.

Aug 2 • 11:44 AM EDT • Sports • sportsbusinessjournal.com

Cowboys' Dak Prescott Offers Unbelievable Caleb Downs Scouting Report

Aug 2 • 10:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Samsung has a new AI-powered health assistant, joining a packed market

This marks Samsung's foray into an increasingly crowded space. Whoop has an AI coach built into its platform, as does the new Fitbit Air from Google.

Aug 2 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • seattletimes.com

I almost downloaded another app until I found this Samsung Camera feature

It's not perfect, and that's the point

Aug 2 • 8:15 AM EDT • Technology • androidpolice.com

What the Cracker Barrel rage spiral was actually about

A revealing detail came from Cracker Barrel’s announcement this week that CEO Julie Masino is stepping down soon: She’s leaving with company-funded security still in place from the public meltdown over Cracker Barrel’s rebrand last year.

Aug 2 • 6:30 AM EDT • Business • cnn.com

Josue Briceno homers twice, Lakeland wins in extras

Scores, news, and notes, from the Detroit Tigers farm system for Sunday, August 1, 2026.

Aug 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Did Celtic women fight in battle?

The Celts were highly regarded as warriors in the ancient world, but were all fighters men, or did Celtic women also fight in battle?

Aug 2 • 5:00 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com

Maine’s Democratic Senate candidate touts his rural appeal. His hometown has mixed feelings.

In Allagash, a hamlet of some 200 people near Canada, residents are sharply divided over Troy Jackson.

Aug 2 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Brawl and BVB defeat in Vietnam: the wildest friendlies ever

The World Cup has now been over for almost two weeks. And club football is on pause too. In short: we’re right in the middle of the football summer slump!At first, that sounds dull and uneventful. B...

Aug 2 • 4:08 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

49ers’ Deebo Samuel Gets Blunt on Ricky Pearsall’s Injury

On August 1, the San Francisco 49ers announced that Ricky Pearsall’s 2026 NFL season is over before it even began. The Niners put Pearsall on season-ending injured reserve as the wide receiver continues to deal with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee.Moreover, on July 30, the 49ers decided to welcome back a […] The post 49ers’ Deebo Samuel Gets Blunt on Ricky Pearsall’s Injury appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 2 • 2:30 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

5 loaded cartoons about the military running out of ammo

Artists take on empty threats, lost in translation, and more

Aug 2 • 2:00 AM EDT • Politics • theweek.com

Recap: Ten-man Sporting KC falls 2-0 to Houston Dynamo

A short-handed Sporting Kansas City (4-12-2, 14 pts.) fell to a 2-0 defeat against the Houston Dynamo (9-6-2, 29 pts.) at Sporting Park on Saturday night. Lasse Berg Johnsen was shown a red card just before halftime before the Dynamo grabbed a pair of goals in the second half to

Aug 1 • 11:58 PM EDT • Sports • sportingkc.com

AMC Entertainment (AMC) Is Up 24.2% After S&P Credit Upgrade On Improved Operations And Lower Debt - Has The Bull Case Changed?

In the second quarter of 2026, AMC Entertainment Holdings reported revenue of US$1,596.7 million versus US$1,397.9 million a year earlier, while net loss widened to US$11.4 million and basic loss per share from continuing operations was US$0.02. Alongside these results, S&P Global Ratings upgraded AMC’s credit rating to B- from CCC+, citing improved operating performance, lower debt, record quarterly sales and adjusted EBITDA, and better free cash flow despite ongoing losses and shareholder...

Aug 1 • 10:09 PM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com

Luis Castillo traded to White Sox: Mariners starter to bolster Chicago rotation hanging on to division lead

Reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones and catcher prospect Boston Smith are headed back to Seattle

Aug 1 • 10:04 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

We the people: Learning the navigation of politics and voting

Democracy has become a loaded word, along with the U.S. Constitution. Then I was extended the opportunity to playtest a game, Convention of States. I began to see how democracy was complicated and often politically maneuvered. To understand this: Article V of the U.S. Constitution allows state legislatures to bypass Congress and propose amendments to the Constitution. Therein lies the game: a role-playing game that casts players as democratically elected delegates representing the regions and states of America. I was lucky enough to become a Justice, heavily equipped with states, which is voting power. I voted on behalf of Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Aug 1 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • spokesman.com

Panama: Haemophilus influenzae meningitis case reported in Veraguas Health Region

The Veraguas Health Region, located in the central-western region of Panama, confirmed a case of meningitis caused by the Haemophilus influenzae bacteria in a 12-year-old student from La Primavera School, diagnosed on July 29. The patient remains hospitalized, is receiving appropriate treatment, and is in stable clinical condition. The regional health director of Veraguas, Xavier A. Torres Domínguez, reported that, once the diagnosis was confirmed, the Ministry of Health (Minsa), in coordination with the Social Security Fund (CSS), immediately activated the epidemiological investigation and health response protocols established for this type of event. Canada: Haemophilus influenzae type B outbreak in Calgary As part of the actions implemented, the Epidemiology teams carried out the identification and monitoring of the patient’s close contacts, applying the corresponding preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission and safeguard the health of the educational community. Health authorities explained that meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae is a bacterial disease that requires timely medical attention. In that regard, they urged the population to immediately seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, drowsiness, or altered mental status. They also reiterated that vaccination is the main preventive measure against this disease, and therefore called on parents and guardians to verify that their children’s immunization schedules are complete, in accordance with the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 1 • 6:29 PM EDT • Health • outbreaknewstoday.substack.com

Microsoft released Windows 11 KB5102117 update for OS recovery

New dynamic update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2 were released by Microsoft this past week.

Aug 1 • 5:42 PM EDT • Technology • neowin.net

Mariners' Randy Arozarena hits homer to extend lead vs Twins

Randy Arozarena hit a home run that extended the Seattle Mariners' lead to 3-0 against the Minnesota Twins.

Aug 1 • 5:00 PM EDT • Sports • foxsports.com

WVU Medicine hosts Health and Wellness Day

Event provided immediate community health benefits, including vouchers for low-cost lab work and free health screenings.

Aug 1 • 3:18 PM EDT • Health • wtap.com

Data centers have a politics problem

As opposition to the AI projects gains momentum, industry supporters say they have ceded the narrative to their critics.

Aug 1 • 1:45 PM EDT • Politics • politico.com

Jokesters deliver 'wholesome entertainment' during clown week

There won't be any clown car full of bozos rolling into town, but the next week is dedicated to gagsters who bring laughter to the masses, including a local jokester

Aug 1 • 1:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • kdhnews.com

Deadline to apply for exemption from second home tax extended to Sept. 18

The extension comes as the Mamdani administration has faced criticism over its rollout, which is supposed to be targeting out-of-towners.

Aug 1 • 12:14 PM EDT • Politics • ny1.com

Trump threatens to revive controversial $1.8bn compensation fund

"It will immediately be back on the table, and I will get it done," the president wrote.

Aug 1 • 11:58 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

Liberty University lends support to Protect College Sports Act

Liberty University has joined more than 290 colleges in endorsing the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan federal bill dedicated to providing further clarity on issues related to name, image, and likeness in college athletics. The show of support came...

Aug 1 • 11:55 AM EDT • Sports • liberty.edu

Angels' Ryan Johnson: Handed sixth loss

Angels' Ryan Johnson: Handed sixth loss

Aug 1 • 11:44 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Zack Wheeler knows deadline uncertainty better than most: ‘an anxious time'

Zack Wheeler has been traded, nearly moved and left in deadline limbo. Those experiences shaped how he views this time of year.

Aug 1 • 11:30 AM EDT • Sports • nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

Google rolls back AI Google Earth feature a day after launch

Google added Nano Banana 2 image generation into Google Earth. Misinformation attempts ensued.

Aug 1 • 10:48 AM EDT • Technology • mashable.com

America In Focus: US economy expands at sluggish pace, mortgage rate hit the highest level in a year

The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth.

Aug 1 • 10:11 AM EDT • Business • seattletimes.com