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Andoni Iraola pushed closer to finally signing Mohamed Salah's successor

Mohamed Salah exiting Liverpool was one of the biggest stories to emerge from Anfield this summer.His fallings out with Arne Slot eventually became too much and, even though he had a year left on his ...

Oct 5 • 3:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Unfinished Business: Dean Rajan Appointed to Historic Third Term

Madhav Rajan reflects on nine years of leading Chicago Booth and what he wants to accomplish in the years ahead.

Oct 5 • 12:02 PM EDT • Business • chicagobooth.edu

What does Spain's snap election mean for the EU?

Spain's snap election on 29 November could cost progressive European forces their last government in a large member state, tilting EU power towards the right and pushing socialists into opposition mode.

Oct 5 • 10:05 AM EDT • Politics • euronews.com

International Coalition Endorses Kyoto Vision For A Golden Age Of Science

An international coalition of 17 countries have endorsed the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science. A joint declaration issued at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Science and Technology in Society Forum held in Kyoto, reflects a shared ambition to renew and strengthen our science ecosystems and usher in a golden age of discovery and prosperity.

Oct 5 • 7:23 AM EDT • Science • rttnews.com

Cybersecurity portal to fight bad guys open for business: NMFTA

The NMFTA has launched its threat portal, where targets of successful and unsuccessful cyberattacks can share their stories.

Oct 5 • 7:00 AM EDT • Business • freightwaves.com

Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik credits 'vast majority' to Trump, Putin

Pro-Russia Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik – who is serving a six-year ban from holding public office for defying rulings of Bosnia’s international envoy and Constitutional Court, claimed victory on Sunday, saying his party would hold a “vast majority”.

Oct 5 • 1:44 AM EDT • Politics • euronews.com

Italy contributes €3.5 million to strengthen health emergency response and public health services in Sudan

4 October 2026, Khartoum, Sudan – The Government of Italy, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, has contributed €3.5 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen Sudan’s health...

Oct 4 • 1:46 PM EDT • Health • emro.who.int

Seacoast Science Center experts to speak

NEWBURYPORT — Storm Surge, Newburyport’s all-volunteer climate education nonprofit, kicks off its fall 2026 Speaker Series on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. with “Climate Impacts on Marine Mammals: Stories

Oct 4 • 12:03 PM EDT • Science • gloucestertimes.com

Claim that Anaheim mayor called staffer 'dirty Mexican' is old hat in O.C. politics

Your morning catch-up: Orange County’s long anti-Mexican political history, speed cameras coming to L.A. and more big stories

Oct 4 • 9:30 AM EDT • Politics • latimes.com

How Americans’ Financial Health Is Faring In The “K-Shaped” Economy

Hey all, Jason here. Money20/20 is still two weeks away, but I’ve already started packing (not procrastinating for once!). My calendar is already filling up with various sessions I want to catch, meetings, and of course happy hours, dinners, and other side events. If you’ll be in Vegas and want to catch up, let me know by replying to this email, and we can try to find a time amidst the chaos of the Venetian. A big if not totally unexpected piece of news dropped on Friday: the Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group that represents smaller U.S. banks, filed a lawsuit against the OCC and Comptroller Jonathan Gould, arguing that the regulator’s move to grant trust bank charters to firms seeking to use them to conduct substantial non-fiduciary activities exceeds the authorities granted to the OCC by Congress. I haven’t had time to fully digest the legal filing or speak to folks in my network about it, but you can expect to see coverage and analysis on it in next week’s newsletter. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading The NerdCon agenda just dropped. It’s stacked. Partner content: Nubank built an AI-first bank. Chime built its own banking core. Figure and Valon are rebuilding the mortgage stack. At NerdCon, you’ll hear from the people behind those bets: what they chose, what they learned, and what they’re still figuring out. The agenda is live, with leaders from Nubank, Chime, OpenAI, Remitly, Mercury, Figure, Valon and more. Follow the mainstage conversations, bring the problem your team is wrestling with to a hands-on workshop, or pull up a chair at a roundtable. Pick your quests. Meet us in San Diego, November 18–20. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% with code FBW20. Explore the Agenda Things To Know & Other Good Reads Federal Reserve Board finalizes changes to enhance the transparency and public accountability of its stress test and reduce volatility in its stress test-related capital requirements (Federal Reserve Board of Governors) FDIC Announces Conclusion of Independent Monitorship (FDIC) Modernizing Financial Regulation: Initial Observations from eSLR (Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman) The Data Version of Godzilla versus Kong: FRED Takes on AI (Fed Governor Christopher Waller) Financing the AI buildout (Brookings) Q3’26: Rules for Banks but Not for Crypto (Fintech Takes Banking) The Inevitability of Local Stablecoins (Lombard Notes) Delusions of AI Governance: The Human-in-the-Loop Comfort Blanket (Fintech Snark Tank) Stripe agrees to acquire Parafin to expand revenue opportunities for platforms and help small businesses grow (Stripe) Listen: Fighting Fraud in the Age of AI, with SEON’s Tamas Kadar (Fintech Business Weekly) How Americans’ Financial Health Is Faring In The “K-Shaped” Economy If there is one overarching theme across the economy and politics in the U.S. at the moment, it’s “affordability.” The term is vague enough to encompass a panoply of factors shaping Americans’ day-to-day lives: rising costs for the hallmarks of being “middle class,” including healthcare, housing, childcare, and education, inflation and rising interest rates, and a job market with the specter of AI hovering over it. At the same time, policy shifts under the Trump administration have resulted in reduced subsidies to those who get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and new restrictions on qualifying for Medicaid and SNAP, the impacts of which have yet to be fully felt. These factors are contributing to declining consumer confidence and general dissatisfaction with the economy, despite continuing GDP growth and stock market records. This divergence is encapsulated in the idea of the “K-shaped” economy, in which a small proportion of Americans have seen their wealth balloon, while the majority of American households struggle to preserve the lifestyle they have. Perhaps the greatest determinant of which branch of the “K” a household is on is whether their wealth and income are primarily derived from employment vs. from assets. Nearly two decades of low interest rates and, more recently, elevated rates of inflation have benefited asset owners, while those whose income is primarily or solely derived from labor have largely seen real purchasing power stagnate or decline. This is reflected in recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that labor share of U.S. GDP — the fraction of economic output that accrues to workers as compensation in exchange for their labor — dropped to just 52.8% in Q2 2026, the lowest since the BLS began keeping records. In 1947, approximately 2/3rds of economic output accrued to workers; even as recently as 2001, labor’s share of GDP was 64.1%. Against this backdrop, we’ve seen the rise of more credit and credit-like products: cash advance apps, “no-fee” overdraft, earned wage access, and buy now pay later, which are often used as small-dollar short-term borrowing mechanisms to meet immediate consumption needs or pay other bills (eg utilities, cell phone, other debt payments). With the markers of a middle class existence and, increasingly, basic financial stability seemingly out of reach for many, it should be no surprise there’s been an increase in “financial nihilism,” something industry peers like Alex Johnson and Frank Rotman have discussed and analyzed the roots of. The explosion of gambling and gambling-adjacent products and services — often marketed under the guise of being an “investment” — is inextricably intertwined with the rise of financial nihilism. Crypto, sports betting, and, more recently, prediction markets offer an escape or even hope of sorts, like a contemporary, digital version of a scratch-off lottery ticket, while leaving the overwhelming number of people who use such products worse off. Share of Households That Are Financially “Vulnerable” Ticks Up The Financial Health Network’s 2026 Financial Health Pulse® report adds context on how American households are faring. (I linked to this report in last week’s newsletter, but wanted to take time to further unpack the data in the report this week.) The Financial Health Network publishes the report annually, providing insight into how Americans’ financial circumstances are changing over time. The 2026 report is derived from a survey fielded in April and May 2026. The report leverages survey responses to assess indicators of financial health across spending, saving, borrowing, and planning/protecting and to determine a zero to 100 “FinHealth” score. Those with scores between 0 and 39 are considered “Financially Vulnerable,” consumers with scores ranging between 40 and 79 are defined as “Financially Coping,” and those with scores of 80 to 100 are “Financially Healthy.” The report found that moderate improvements in 2025 were reversed, with the share of respondents considered financially “vulnerable” rebounding to 17%. The longitudinal data reflect the impact of pandemic-era programs, like expanded unemployment, cash stimulus payments, and pauses of federal student loan payments. The positive impacts of those programs, as reflected in the Financial Health Pulse reports, had largely disappeared by 2023. While pandemic-era inflation — to be fair, in part caused by the various support and stimulus measures — had come down from as high as 9% in 2022, it has rebounded since the start of Trump’s second term, with tariffs and energy market disruptions owing to the war in Iran pushing prices back up. Specific indicators in the survey that deteriorated from 2025 to 2026 include the share of respondents spending less than their income over the past 12 months, the share paying all bills on time over the past 12 months, the share that have a manageable amount or no debt, the share that are “moderately” or “very” confident their insurance is adequate to cover them in an emergency, and the share that “somewhat” or “strongly” agree that their household plans ahead financially. Unsurprisingly, lower- and moderate-income households are more likely to struggle to pay their bills on time and have any funds leftover to save. The share of low-income households whose income exceeded their spending dropped from 35% in 2025 to 31% in 2026, while the share of upper-income households whose income exceeded expenses remained unchanged at 63%. Households with student loans or revolving credit card debt reported having “a bit more” or “far more” debt than was manageable at rates far higher than those not carrying these types of debts. The share of those with student loan debt indicating their debt load was too high to manage increased from 50% in 2025 to 55% in 2026, while the share of those with revolving credit card debt saying the same ticked up from 51% in 2025 to 54% in 2026. Households that had student loans were markedly more likely to be financially “coping” or “vulnerable” vs. those without student loans. In 2026, 27% of households with student loans were considered financially vulnerable, a jump of 6% points vs. 2025. Households without student loans saw just a 1% point increase (not statistically significant) in those considered financially vulnerable. Households’ perception of the affordability of categories of goods and services paints a stark picture, with less than one-fourth considering higher education affordable, about a third deeming childcare affordable, and less than half viewing healthcare as affordable. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Democratic Senate Report Highlights How Iran Uses Tether to Evade U.S. Sanctions Iran uses stablecoins, specifically Tether, to evade sanctions, fund regional proxies, and to purchase military drones, a report released last week by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says. The report was authored by committee ranking member Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and the minority staff. Crypto and stablecoin proponents will often push back on criticism that criminals make use of these assets by arguing that, on an absolute dollar basis, far more illicit funds flow through traditional banking systems and payment rails than via crypto and stablecoins. And while that is likely true, it elides the reality presented in news story after news story: whether state actors — Russia, Iran, North Korea — or criminal groups, those looking to engage in illicit transactions increasingly favor stablecoins and, specifically, Tether (USDT). The report from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released last week adds context to how Iran uses Tether has a lynchpin in its shadow banking system. The report analyzed 846 wallets that have been sanctioned or targeted for seizure, finding that 84% of them transacted exclusively or primarily in Tether. The ability to create near limitless, anonymous wallets and to move funds effectively instantaneously and irreversibly have made crypto a favored financial mechanism for bad actors. Stablecoins solved key drawbacks of bitcoin, namely, the original cryptocurrency’s highly volatile value in dollars. And while Tether (the company) has the technical ability to “freeze” or destroy funds, the company is often limited and reactive in its approach to doing so, the Senate report argues. Tether, which is nominally based in crypto-friendly El Salvador, “has stated that its compliance with OFAC sanctions is ‘voluntary’ and that it follows ‘OFAC guidelines,’” the Senate report says. Owing to these favorable attributes, Tether “became a primary cryptocurrency for Iran, Hamas, Hizballah, and the Houthis beginning in 2023 and has expanded in scale since,” according to the report. Tether’s role in Iran’s shadow banking system, the report says, is enhanced by crypto exchanges like Bybit, Kyrrex, OKX, Gate, and Binance, and through “over the counter” exchanges and hawala networks. The consequences of these financial flows aren’t hypothetical. The Senate report links Tether as a funds transfer mechanism to Iranian proxies in the region, including Hizballah, the Houthis, and Hamas. Tether has also been used to make payments to secure components necessary to manufacture drones, the report says. The report concludes by arguing that “[s]tablecoin issuers with a significant nexus to the United States, particularly those that offer dollar-denominated stablecoins, should be subject to American sanctions law rather than being allowed to hide behind foreign jurisdictions.” Stablecoin issuers like Tether must be held accountable for repeated failures to prevent illicit finance and sanctions violations by law enforcement, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and OFAC, the report argues. [Paying Subscriber Exclusive] OUSD Goes Live, Make Your Own Neobank, U.S. Sanctions Russia’s A7 Network As “Transnational Criminal Organization” OpenUSD, the stablecoin issued by the Open Standard consortium that includes Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, core providers, crypto firms, and numerous banks, went live last week. Social commerce platform Whop raised eyebrows in fintech by offering creators on its platform the ability to launch their own neobanks, which the company describes as “great businesses that are easy to run,” in just 15 minutes. And OFAC and FinCEN target Russia’s “shadow banking” A7 Network — more on these stories after the paywall.

Oct 4 • 8:59 AM EDT • Health • fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com

Where's my Starbucks?

This is a condensed version of Business Insider Today, a newsletter that gives you a look at the week’s top stories. Sign up here to get the full Business Insider Today in your inbox every day for the top stories in markets, tech, and business.

Oct 4 • 8:15 AM EDT • Business • linkedin.com

WQAD News 8

WQAD (Quad Cities) is your source for breaking news, weather, traffic, and live coverage in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities. Get the latest updates from the WQAD team — from major local headlines and investigations to severe weather, community stories, and the moments everyone’s talking about. Watch live newscasts, stream breaking coverage, and catch up on the top stories shaping Davenport, Rock Island, Moline, Bettendorf, and nearby areas. Subscribe for: • Quad Cities breaking news + live updates • Weather forecasts and severe weather alerts • Investigations and accountability reporting • Community stories across the region • Major events, sports, and local explainers WQAD — Quad Cities news and weather, live and on demand. 🔗 More: https://www.wqad.com

Oct 3 • 9:37 PM EDT • Health • youtube.com

Dodgers notes: Attention to detail, Russell Martin, Zach Ehrhard

It’s the start of the Dodgers postseason on Saturday, but here are some related and adjacent stories that aren’t necessarily about the National League Division Series. Andy McCullough at The Athletic wrote about the Dodgers’ place in baseball heading into the postseason, and their role as the main antagonist for many about two months before […]

Oct 3 • 9:13 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Top Stories: Apple Smart Home Launch on October 13, iPhone Duo Production Issues, and More

Things are getting crazy in the Apple rumor world, as even though the iPhone 18 Pro and several other products have only just launched and the iPhone Duo is right around the corner, there's even more to come imminently. October 13 looks to be the date for an introduction of Apple's revamped smart home portfolio, including the home hub device we've been hearing about for ages.

Oct 3 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

FTI, Oracle and Paramount: This Week's Top Five Stories

This week's top stories include, FTI Consulting on the AI slowdown, Oracle's US$664bn backlog and further news from Paramount's Warner Bros. merger

Oct 3 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • businesschief.com

She left Vegas to live on a ‘Blue Zone’ island where people live past 100 years old

In our roundup of travel stories this week: a hiking trail through the “Mountains of Heaven,” why Champagne is getting boozier, plus a woman who found joy by moving from Las Vegas to an Italian island.

Oct 3 • 7:00 AM EDT • Technology • cnn.com

Fox News Entertainment newsletter: Charles, William ‘furious’ over book; Harry, Meghan’s motives unclear

The Fox News Entertainment Newsletter brings you the latest Hollywood headlines, celebrity interviews and stories from Los Angeles and beyond.

Oct 2 • 3:56 PM EDT • Entertainment • wfmd.com

1st & 10 Football: Week 6

This is your home for OzarksFirst 1st & 10 high school football coverage. We will begin live streaming at 8:30pm every Friday in the video player above. Stay caught up on local scores, streams and the biggest stories from the gridiron, and beyond! Click here to see feature stories about our Game of the Week. […]

Oct 2 • 2:27 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed

Also: Spooky action at the LHC, Ice Age psychoactive use, yeast for building homes on Mars, and more.

Oct 2 • 2:17 PM EDT • Science • arstechnica.com

Moms of infants overcome barriers to postpartum care with help from patient navigators

A new Northwestern Medicine study has found patient navigators — trained guides who help patients access care and resources while working alongside the healthcare team — can ease the challenging transition to motherhood for low-income pregnant individuals, leading to better health in their postpartum period and more consistent primary care for years to come.

Oct 2 • 11:03 AM EDT • Health • news.northwestern.edu

Five Best Books on Women in the Movie Business

The author of ‘Jungle Red!’ on revelatory stories from women on camera and behind the scenes in Hollywood.

Oct 2 • 10:32 AM EDT • Business • wsj.com

How Dinner Table Stories Shaped a Nurse Leader

Raised on stories of teamwork, compassion and patient care, Anthony Carnes now leads with the same values his parents modeled throughout their nursing careers.

Oct 2 • 8:44 AM EDT • Health • atriumhealth.org

MORNING BUSINESS REPORT: Colleges offering social media influencing degree, monthly jobs report

Jane King has these stories and more from the New York Stock Exchange for your Friday Morning Business Report.

Oct 2 • 5:59 AM EDT • Business • wfsb.com

Think You’re Smarter Than Slate’s Politics Editor? Find Out With This Week’s News Quiz.

Test your knowledge of this week’s big stories.

Oct 2 • 5:55 AM EDT • Politics • slate.com

Why boxing is still a box office smash hit even as the sport’s popularity wanes

Fighters have always provided rich material for stories on stage and screen and the appeal to audiences has not wavered

Oct 2 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • theguardian.com

The Week in Business: New Somali American Media Company Launches

This week’s top stories from Twin Cities Business.

Oct 2 • 2:00 AM EDT • Business • mspmag.com

Women astronauts are challenging the image of who belongs in science through fashion, family, and pop culture

Three women astronauts use Instagram to blend science with personal stories, pop culture and fashion while challenging STEM stereotypes.

Oct 1 • 9:20 PM EDT • Science • earth.com

Lula, Brazil's political titan, races against time

Shirtless and drenched in sweat on his treadmill, Lula...

Oct 1 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • afp.com

Audible Adds AI Character Conversations to Audiobooks Starting This Fall

Audible's new Interactive Stories feature lets listeners speak with audiobook characters in real time, starting with Dracula's Renfield…

Oct 1 • 11:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • northeasttimes.com

How old battles over land, power and identity continue to shape the West’s politics

Anxieties about the future often become refracted as questions of community identity: Who are we? What do we stand for?

Oct 1 • 4:00 AM EDT • Politics • hcn.org

Discover the latest must-read health stories

Top stories: World leaders discuss preparations for next pandemic; WHO calls for stronger ethics oversight of AI in health; Pennsylvania measles outbreak grows.

Oct 1 • 3:21 AM EDT • Health • weforum.org

Strengthening mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies across the Eastern Mediterranean Region

1 October 2026, Cairo, Egypt – As emergencies continue to affect millions across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, demand for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is growing. WHO is urging Member States...

Oct 1 • 3:00 AM EDT • Health • emro.who.int

NewsMakers ’26: Christin Godale is strategic about transforming Northern Kentucky into a science hub

(Editor’s note: This is the fourth of six stories honoring the NKyTribune’s ’26 NewsMakers of the year.) By Laura Kroeger NKyTribune staff writer Dr. Christin Godale’s mantras are “Just Keep Moving…

Oct 1 • 12:50 AM EDT • Science • nkytribune.com

We Are Iowa Local 5 News

Welcome to the official YouTube channel of Local 5 News (WOI-TV). Subscribe to our channel for the latest news updates, heartwarming stories and weather forecast. ▶️ Subscribe to Local 5 on YouTube: https://bit.ly/Local5YouTube_subscribe Facebook: https://facebook.com/WeAreIowa X: https://x.com/weareiowa5news Instagram: https://instagram.com/weareiowa 💻 Stream us on WeAreIowa+: https://www.weareiowa.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/weareiowa-plus-ott-streaming-app-24-7-news-channel-roku-amazon-fire-tv/524-1558f3b4-af48-447d-9974-a7dd4cd9a0b7 📱 Download the We Are Iowa app: https://weareiowa.com/app 📩 Get Local 5’s "5 Things to Know" email newsletter in your inbox: https://weareiowa.com/email

Sep 30 • 11:30 PM EDT • Science • youtube.com

Upworthy Launching Entertainment Studio Led By Sarah Yourgrau

One of the dominant digital platforms of the early social media era has hired Sarah Yourgrau to help it develop positive, uplifting stories to new platforms.

Sep 30 • 6:52 PM EDT • Entertainment • hollywoodreporter.com

Threads Dance Project marks 15 years with 'Love Evolving'

Threads Dance Project is marking its 15th anniversary this fall with Love Evolving, a retrospective celebrating the Minneapolis dance company's history while introducing new work shaped by stories from the

Sep 30 • 6:29 PM EDT • Entertainment • insightnews.com

Federal Cannabis Rescheduling Update Leads CBT’s Top Stories in September

Former federal prosecutor and CBT contributor Julie A. Werner-Simon breaks down where we are months after the U.S. Attorney General’s April order.

Sep 30 • 11:35 AM EDT • Business • cannabisbusinesstimes.com

Story Circle Event Set For Oct. 3 In St. Johnsbury

ST. JOHNSBURY — 560 Railroad Community Artist and Vermont Studio Center alum Lori Lee will facilitate a story circle event titled Community Stories: Stories the Town Keeps, on Sunday, October

Sep 30 • 11:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • caledonianrecord.com

When “DEI” research is cut, what happens to community health?

“I’m just going to run to the grocery store!” How many times have we said this without thinking about it? For most of us, it's usually an easy walk or a short drive to get the cheese we forgot. In reality, though, 13% of the U.S. population (about 39 million people) live in “food deserts,” which means living more than a mile from a grocery store in urban areas and more than 10 miles in rural areas. This was the case for people in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where a quick run to buy food wasn’t an option. In the 1930s, federal maps marked the Hill as "hazardous" for lending, a practice known as redlining that steered investment away from Black neighborhoods. Decades of disinvestment followed, and residents went about 30 years without a nearby grocery store. This made it hard to keep healthy eating habits and contributed to chronic disease. When a grocery store finally opened in the area in 2013, researchers saw the opportunity and launched the PHRESH study, which initially compared the health of participants from the Hill district to those in the Homewood district. Over time, the study expanded to other factors such as brain health and Alzheimer's risk. Residents like Roderick Blair overcame initial hesitation to share their health data, trusting it would benefit their neighborhood. Then, in August 2026, the NIH abruptly canceled the study’s grant, citing that it was “subjective” and fell outside their scientific scope—an effect of the administration’s interpretation of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Research like PHRESH can help determine what changes in a neighborhood actually improve health, so cutting it has left that question unanswered. Other canceled studies have examined health issues like maternal health, preterm birth rates, or sickle cell disease. Courts have reversed some of these grant cancellations, but not all of them. If we really want America to be healthier, research into why some communities get sicker than others is absolutely critical. The law that created the federal minority health research institute passed with bipartisan support in 2000. But these days, as evidenced by grant cancellations, the political shift in attitudes toward DEI means we often lose access to the health information we need to help all communities thrive. DEI vs. health equity vs. equality and the overlap (or lack thereof) The letters “DEI” evoke very different reactions depending on who you are in the U.S. DEI programs can address gender, disability, age, and other factors, but the fiercest debate centers on race. For some people, hearing DEI brings to mind policies that may have cost them a job or a college seat because they are white. Others see DEI as a matter of justice: a way to expand representation and opportunity for groups that have been historically marginalized. Both perspectives are rooted in lived experience, and both center on the same question: whether hiring and admissions practices are fair. Hiring and admission practices, though related, are not the same as health equity. Health equity is “the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.” It’s the recognition that some groups of people consistently experience worse health outcomes than others. For instance, black mothers die from pregnancy-related complications at three times the rate of white mothers, and rural Americans are more likely to die from issues such as heart disease and cancer. Equity is also often conflated with “equality,” which leads to misunderstanding of how to actually best support communities. Equality ignores the fact that we aren’t all starting life with the same resources or circumstances, whereas equity is about helping people get what they specifically need based on their situation so they have the chance to achieve the same outcome as anyone else. For example, if every household in Pittsburgh got a $30 grocery gift card, that would be equal. But during the decades the Hill District went without a grocery store, that card wouldn’t have helped much. Equity means making sure everyone can actually access a store in the first place. DEI policies can overlap with health equity in many ways. For example, they may help expand access to quality education and stable, well-paying jobs, which in turn can provide health insurance, safer housing, and improved finances—all of which can reduce health disparities. But to make that happen, we first need data to identify disparities in communities and to develop solutions that effectively address them. What we lose when the research stops Community data is important to health equity because: You can’t fix what you don’t see: Data show which communities are most affected by health factors such as infection, heart disease, and cancer. If we don’t know what is happening and where, then we can’t develop interventions to help. Poor health costs everyone: Chronic disease is expensive—both to the individual person and to the overall economy. Understanding what groups of people are most at risk allows us to develop interventions that can save everyone money. Disparities exist for many communities: Health equity includes disparities that exist due to a whole host of factors, such as family background, race and ethnicity, rural vs. suburban residence, gender and sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, and lower income. This means many Americans can benefit from research into differences in health outcomes and how to improve them. Trust is easy to lose: Some participants in the PHRESH study were initially vocal about their concerns about participating. But that trust was earned because the researchers kept their promises and centered their work on the community. When projects are canceled mid-cycle, researchers have no choice but to leave behind communities they had promised to help. This hurts trust in the long run. It’s also a very inefficient use of resources, and it will take significant time and effort to redo the work when the government realizes this work is important again. How should we talk about health equity? This is hard because the words “equity” and “DEI” are currently very politically charged. So whether you’re a public health professional, teacher, or friend, how we talk about this topic matters. The right framing can help people who might otherwise be skeptical see why health equity research is important and deserves funding. Here are some suggestions to help your conversations: Choose your words strategically: Who are you trying to reach with your message? Are they likely to be resistant to terms like “diversity” and “equity”? If so, find alternative words to use to still get the message across. It is frustrating to be in that position, but the goal of improving health is too important not to try to make inroads. Sometimes simply reframing can help the message reach those who need to hear it. Focus on the problem: The terms “health equity” and “DEI” are abstract. Make it more specific. For example, discuss differences in maternal death or ways to improve health outcomes in rural communities. These still have equity at their core but will likely be better understood by those you’re talking with. Focus on systems: Disparities exist, but if they are communicated poorly, people can mistakenly think the issue is the individual’s fault. Disparities are largely driven by failures of the system—such as lack of access to health care and a long legacy of racism. When discussing the disparities, frame them around these systemic issues to ensure blame isn’t placed on the individuals impacted. Tell stories: Personalize these policies by using stories from those impacted that connect to the data you’re trying to convey. This helps make the policies and outcomes more concrete and meaningful. Bottom line Some communities end up sicker than others. That’s just the facts. We can argue about the best way to do that research, but canceling it simply because it may be linked to DEI doesn’t make anyone healthier. It just leaves communities like the Hill district behind. And in the end, it causes us all to move backward in our efforts to improve health in this country. Love, EM Big thanks to MacKenzie Isaac & Legairre Radden, who reviewed this piece and generously shared their expertise and lived experience to help improve it. Dr. Liz Marnik, PhD, is Executive Director of The Evidence Collective and a science communicator and immunologist working at the intersection of public trust, science, and public health. To discuss communication training on topics like health equity and storytelling, email Liz at liz@yle.health or learn more on our website. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. The YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Your Local Epidemiologist is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Sep 30 • 5:05 AM EDT • Health • yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com

Romanian parliament to vote on third PM pick amid political deadlock

The Romanian parliament was due on Wednesday to vote on a third nominee for prime minister, although analysts said chances of him being confirmed appear slim, bringing closer...

Sep 30 • 1:50 AM EDT • Politics • afp.com

Albanian PM says fate of Kushner resort to be decided by 'science'

Albania has previously promised that the €1.4bn project linked to Donald Trump's son-in-law will meet EU environmental standards.

Sep 30 • 1:00 AM EDT • Science • euronews.com

The Family Business Advantage: Third Quarterly Power Breakfast of 2026 explores how family businesses balance legacy and innovation

Photo by GFBJAnother successful Power Breakfast is in the books. The Greater Fayetteville Business Journal hosted its third quarterly Power Breakfast of 2026 on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Local leaders and decision-makers gathered to network and learn from the panel about how established principles drive long-term stability while allowing for operational evolution. The panel featured Managing Partner of Luigi’s Italian Chophouse & Bar, Nate Ernst; Inside Sales at Hubbard Supplyhouse, Mary Grace Hurley; Chief Operations Officer for Copiers Plus, Drew Smith; and CEO of Holmes Security Systems, Stephen Wheeler. The panel was moderated by Lauren Willets, director of the Family Enterprise Center at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Throughout the discussion, the panelists returned to a common idea: family businesses thrive when they preserve the relationships and values at their core while remaining open to change.Each panelist shared personal stories that carried practical lessons. Stephen Wheeler emphasized the role of relationships with customers and employees, saying, “What makes a family business successful today is relationships.” Mary Grace Hurley echoed Wheeler’s sentiment, describing relationships as a lasting inheritance, including a customer connection that began when she was young and continued into her working life. “If something’s given to you, that’s going to cost you too,” added Nate Ernst. He explained this philosophy by sharing that, in his view, earning responsibility builds credibility and confidence.Another hot topic was the idea of tradition versus change. For these businesses that have been around for a century or even more, it can be difficult to escape the “we’ve always done it this way” caveat, but these speakers emphasized how change has been an integral part of their growth and longevity. A family business can honor its history without being bound by it.“Innovation and tradition–they don’t have to be competing with one another,” shared Hurley. She pointed to changes in how businesses operate, including the adoption of computers and new management practices. Ernst stressed that adaptation is essential, while Wheeler described how his family’s electrical contracting business had evolved into a security-focused company. The details of the work may change, but identifying and upholding core values is key to embracing change while maintaining the character of a business. “I think it’s just important to remember why you started in the first place. What was your mission? What are your core values? And to reevaluate those,” shared Drew Smith.In addition to the first-hand accounts and wisdom shared by panelists, Moderator Lauren Willets recommended two novels during the panel for those seeking additional educational resources. Those two novels are “Hug of War: How to Lead a Family Business with both Love and Logic”by Cathy Carroll and “In the Company of Family: How to Thrive When Business Is Personal” by Melissa Mitchell-Blitch. Preparing the next generation requires more than handing over a title or company. Wheeler argued that future leaders need genuine passion and a vested interest in the business. The panelists were in agreement that succession is a process, and there is not one clear answer for how to perfectly prepare for it. Leaders must cultivate readiness, keep communication open and make room for the next generation to earn responsibility while being sure not to neglect the business in the here and now. “Today’s Power Breakfast was one of our best events yet! Between the passion and in-depth knowledge of the panelists, the great audience questions and the guidance and expertise of Mrs. Willets, the conversation was both engaging and informative,” shared GFBJ Publisher Faith Hatton. “A lot of small businesses in Fayetteville are family-owned and grown, and it’s great to be able to spotlight some of the businesses that have stood the test of time by strengthening the next generation of leadership and preparing them for ownership. I hope everyone received some inspiration and ideas that they can bring back to their own businesses and organizations!”We thank everyone who attended this Power Breakfast and hope you’ll all join us for the next Power Breakfast on Dec. 8. Details about the event will be shared on our social media and in future email updates. To learn about becoming a Power Breakfast sponsor, contact the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal at 910.240.9697 or marketing@bizfayetteville.com.

Sep 29 • 3:42 PM EDT • Business • bizfayetteville.com

ICE confusion ignites MAGA backlash: ‘I would have called for impeachment’

Verbal guidance telling some ICE offices to stop arresting illegal immigrants without criminal histories was rescinded within hours amid fierce backlash.

Sep 29 • 1:05 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

RI Approves Health Insurance Rate Increases of 3% to 18%

GoLocalProv.com is the “go to” local Web experience that breaks the biggest local stories – sports, news, business, weather, news, politics, arts,…

Sep 29 • 12:44 PM EDT • Health • golocalprov.com

Rock group to bring acoustic tour to Hershey: How to get tickets

"The intimate format brings fans closer to the lyrics and stories," the website reads, "connecting the catalog that built the band with the heavier, more emotionally exposed music defining them today.”

Sep 29 • 11:13 AM EDT • Entertainment • pennlive.com

V10 Entertainment Adds Ex-Paramount & Amazon MGM Studios Execs To Team

V10 Entertainment has added a trio of veteran sellers with histories at the likes of Paramount and Amazon MGM Studios to its ranks.

Sep 29 • 10:46 AM EDT • Entertainment • deadline.com

Where Healthcare Knows Your Name

See how two Health Mart pharmacies connect patients to medications, services and personalized support while helping keep care close to home.

Sep 29 • 9:17 AM EDT • Health • mckesson.com

Brandon McGinley: How being a one-party town warps Pittsburgh’s politics

Every time I write something critical about governance in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, one response tends to predominate in the comments and emails: “This...

Sep 29 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • post-gazette.com

Lesbian Bar Project Co-Founder: Purity Politics Could Destroy Our Remaining Spaces

Subscribe As a professional lesbian and Massachusetts native, I’ve recently been asked by a lot of folks what I think about the saga unfolding at Last Ditch. The now-viral story, first reported by The Boston Globe, centers on a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar that lifted its mask requirement for one night a week to help drum up business. The decision ignited an intra-queer controversy that has been feasted on by media outlets across the political spectrum—from the New York Post to LGBTQ Nation—and is even reportedly being eyed for a Hollywood adaptation. Apparently nothing is more entertaining than a bunch of lesbians and queers fighting with each other over KN-95s. What has been lost in all of the chatter and media coverage is the very real possibility that Last Ditch, which just opened in April 2025, will have to close its doors. The venue’s one remaining founder, Jackie Matellian, revealed in a community Zoom meeting that she’s working four jobs, is now solely responsible for the bar’s $50,000 business loan and is struggling to keep up with the bills. So as we laugh about the controversy’s similarity to a “Portlandia” skit and how one of the bar’s founders left to enroll in clown school, we forget that yet another lesbian bar is facing an existential crisis—and this time the call is coming from inside the house. In 2020, my friend Elina Street and I created The Lesbian Bar Project, an Emmy-, Webby- and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries and initiative that tells the stories of lesbian queer bars around the world. We were moved to act because at the time there were only an estimated 16 lesbian bars in the United States, and the pandemic threatened to bring that number down even further. There are now more sapphic bars than there were just before the pandemic—about 36 of them in total—but this is down from approximately 200 in 1980. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but for the millions of sapphics living in the U.S., this number is calamitous. As the world laughs at lesbians and sapphics, I want to take a second and tell you what I feel when I walk into one of these bars, which are all unique and irreplaceable in their own way: I feel seen. Sometimes I think Cubbyhole in New York City’s West Village neighborhood knew I was gay before I did. When I walked in there for the first time, before I was even out, I was transfixed by the colorful array of tchotchkes hanging from the ceiling and how the women standing next to me were completely unafraid to express their desire for one another. I knew the minute I was ready to come out, I had a home. I also felt the joy of a new couple falling in love at Seattle’s Wildrose, the quiet confidence of a short king lining up her shot at the pool table at Ginger’s in Brooklyn and the kick of cayenne pepper in Julie Mabry’s crawfish at Houston’s Pearl Bar. Subscribe Lesbian bars don’t just serve lesbians; they serve queer folks across the spectrum, including bisexual, pansexual and trans people. As Elina and I traveled across the U.S. and Europe and to parts of Latin America to document the bar owners, staff and patrons that make up the ecosystems of these spaces, we also became uniquely acquainted with the factors that threaten their existence: gentrification, wage gaps, sexism, environmental disasters, gun violence, rising insurance premiums and political administrations working to annihilate queer people and their families. Lesbian bar owners, like all leaders and entrepreneurs, are imperfect. There have been significant issues over the years at lesbian bars: employee harassment, racism, lack of accessibility, sexual assault and transphobia. All bar owners should be held accountable and should listen to their communities to evolve into safer and more equitable spaces. I also acknowledge my privilege: I am able-bodied, white, cis and from a family system that loves me for who I am. Not everyone has that. Queer people, especially trans and bisexual people, are suffering from disproportionately high levels of depression, and our mental health system isn’t equipped to support them. Immunocompromised people and long COVID are real, and many of my friends are suffering to this day. The people with the least safety net are often the ones for whom a bar closing costs the most. And yet, as we’re seeing with Last Ditch, the queer community often lashes out at each other. It’s also the mainstream media taking the internal conflict and making a mockery out of it, distracting from the real possibility that this bar could close due to financial pressures. A bar that many people loved and needed is facing extinction. Perhaps it’s safer to dissent with one another than with the larger forces trying to eradicate us, but in doing so, we risk destroying the few spaces we have left. Due to the constraints of purity politics—some in good faith, some not so much—lesbian bar owners, almost all of whom are queer women themselves, are forced to be everything for everyone, similarly to how women are forced to be everything for everyone. By asking these bars to uphold impossible standards—standards very few other third spaces are asked to consider—we all end up losing. I want to move as a community toward dialogue, compassionate dissent and collaboration to make our spaces better with the goal of keeping them OPEN and thriving, rather than destroying them from the inside with expectations that are arguably unattainable. Subscribe While I have your attention—for this fleeting second of the news cycle—may I urge us to spearhead a way to keep these small businesses afloat without attacking our own community along the way? Bar owners are left with an impasse: They want to be community-centered, but they also have to make money to keep their doors open. Sometimes they might make business decisions that don’t work for everyone—and that’s partly because different patrons have different priorities and want different things—but these owners deserve the opportunity for productive dialogue**.** We have to work with them and with each other to keep our spaces open, to keep them growing. Lesbian bars raised me into the queer woman I am today. One thing I think about as I reflect on the six years of work we’ve done to document these spaces is that shared, unspoken language I have with a stranger the moment we both walk into one of these bars: the nod, the ease, the not having to explain ourselves. I don’t want to lose that, and neither should you. If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button: Donate

Sep 29 • 7:01 AM EDT • Politics • unclosetedmedia.com

German firm Metro loses control of Russian business after Putin decree

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered that the assets of German retailer Metro AG be placed under temporary administration. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Germany and Russia over the Ukraine war.

Sep 29 • 5:37 AM EDT • Business • euronews.com

Primetime Review: That’s Entertainment?

If you decide to see Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, it’s important to remember the title as you watch. Yes, this is a biopic of sorts about Chris Hansen and his work on To Catch a Predator, but it is more accurately about the quest for fame and using people’s trauma to attract ratings. True crime entertainment continues to have a prominent place in many people’s television habits, and this film asks us to examine what that means both for those whose stories have become our viewing pleasure and those of us watching. Primetime starts as Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) is told that his show, To Catch a Predator, is moving to a 9 PM spot opposite LOST. Chris and his producer, Andie (Merritt Wever), see this as an opportunity to make the program even more sensational, looking for bigger, more horrific predators. As part of their plan, they hire a young actor, Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), to play “Decoy Dan,” the person who greets the would-be predators who were catfished by Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher). Oppenheim, along with writers Ajon Singh and Luke Dittrich, is less concerned with an accurate retelling of the show as much as they are interested in interrogating the why of it all. That decision sometimes leaves Primetime feeling less like a biopic and more like a satirical look at the nature of programming like this. Visually, the movie is impressive. Oppenheim uses light and color effectively to cast Hansen as both villain and savior. Pattinson plays Hansen in an almost comical manner, as we see him wake his two young sons to watch a clip of the show, just to brag that he was moving into a prime spot on television. Even Andie struggles to accept a “nice” job when there is so much more fame to be found producing salacious true-crime content. Wever does an excellent job showing how the hunger for fame is not just in front of the camera, but in every aspect of the production. The heart of the movie, and the standout performance, belongs to Gisondo as Dan Plum. He is someone who just wants to get enough hours to be admitted into the Screen Actors Guild, and stumbles into this job without really knowing what it is. Throughout the film, we watch him suffer one trauma after another, ending with him witnessing the suicide of a District Attorney who is about to become the next unwitting star of Hansen’s show. If there is a sympathetic character in Primetime, it is Decoy Dan, and Gisondo plays him brilliantly. If you’re a fan of programming like To Catch a Predator, then Primetime will probably make you feel uncomfortable, and I think it’s worth sitting with that feeling and examining why we turn on shows that display the worst of humanity while we judge from our couches. Yes, it is correct to want to see people who would hurt children brought to justice, but perhaps it shouldn’t be something that we watch as entertainment. Rating: 3.5/5 This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on September 25, 2026. MacGuffin or Meaning: Film & TV Reviews and Reflections is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Sep 29 • 5:37 AM EDT • Entertainment • alisechaffins.substack.com

Is Neoliberalism to Blame for America’s Health Care Woes?

Horror stories about private equity-owned hospitals are part of a deeper history of neoliberalism, a new book argues.

Sep 29 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • washingtonmonthly.com

New The Last of Us Projects in 'Very Early Stages' of Development

"These stories are worth telling"

Sep 28 • 8:30 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com

Arts and Science Color the Outdoors

San Joaquin County students experience arts and science in the mountains at Sky Mountain Outdoor Education Center at the Color the Outdoors STEAM camp.

Sep 28 • 7:18 PM EDT • Science • sjcoe.org

Bobby Kotick’s lawyers sent me a bad email (and later apologized)

The message I had received was unsettling—for a moment. Then it was just really confusing. Back on January 20 of this year, at 5:15pm ET, I received an email with the subject line “Legal Correspondence re Bobby Kotick.” It was from the law firm Clare Locke, a firm I’d heard had been emailing reporters in recent years about their coverage of Kotick, the former, longtime CEO of Activision Blizzard. The letter was threatening. A lawyer from the firm introduced themselves as “defamation counsel to Bobby Kotick.” They issued a “demand” that I “correct” a Game File article I’d published a week prior. The article that had irked them had been a scoop of sorts. I’d written about a a 2022 lawsuit brought by a Swedish pension fund, AP7, over Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard. The suit wasn’t news, but I was first to review and report about Kotick’s extensive pushback to the fund’s claims. The pension fund’s core contention was that the sale had been rushed by Kotick to avoid the consequences of sexual misconduct scandals swirling around the company in 2021. (He’d not been accused of misconduct himself in those suits, to be clear.) As I wrote at the time, Kotick had denied the allegations of the rushed sale. Beyond that, Kotick used a December 2025 reply to the Swedish fund’s lawsuit to assign blame for those workplace scandals, the bad press and even for the AP7 lawsuit. I’d found Kotick’s arguments novel and newsworthy. Across nearly 3,000 words, I explained Kotick’s take: that a Swedish gaming company was behind the Swedish fund’s lawsuit (the Embracer group; they denied it); that the Microsoft-Activision deal was not rushed and was secured at what Kotick felt history had proven to be an optimal price for shareholders; that he believed a conspiracy of people at unions government agencies, PR firms and the media had spun up claims of widespread workplace misconduct at Activision Blizzard in 2021. The article gave context for all of this, letting readers assess the claims and weigh their credibility. As I’d later write to Kotick’s lawyers: I would be surprised if you could point to any news article about Bobby Kotick in the last five years that has spent more of its wordcount articulating his point of view. He is welcome to do an interview with Game File any time. Nonetheless, there they were in my inbox that Tuesday evening: Clare Locke, the law firm that secured a $787.5 million settlement from Fox News over false statements about voting machines. They were emailing me, threatening that failure to comply with their demand could support a claim of “actual malice,” a legal standard for libel. Unless… Unless, they said, I added a key paragraph to my article. This was a paragraph that I already knew Kotick’s lawyers had been emailing reporters about for at least a year, and it was a paragraph that was already in my article. The paragraph they wanted is from a 2023 settlement that California’s Civil Rights Department struck with Activision Blizzard. The settlement had closed a two-year-old lawsuit over alleged sexual discrimination at the game maker. The paragraph basically said that claims of systemic or widespread sexual harassment—or of execs like Kotick tolerating such behavior—had never been proven. I’d already seen proof that Kotick’s lawyers had pushed for the settlement’s language to be added to reports about 2021 sexual discrimination and misconduct lawsuits brought against Activision Blizzard by California and, separately, by the U.S. federal government (both suits were since settled). I knew that Kotick and his lawyers felt that the California settlement language should be mentioned in the same breath as references to an article he hated and denied, a November 2021 Wall Street Journal article claiming Kotick knew “for years” of sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard. So, in the Game File article that Clare Locke emailed me about, in the interest of ensuring I was being fair and balanced regarding the person I was covering, I had already included the following excerpt from the California settlement [emphasis added in bold]: (Kotick has repeatedly pushed back against that November article in the Wall Street Journal, citing among other things, language from a court-approved consent decree as part of Activision’s 2023 $54 million settlement over the California suit. It states: “no court or any independent investigation has substantiated any allegations that: there has been systemic or widespread sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard [or] that Activision Blizzard senior executives ignored, condoned, or tolerated a culture of systemic harassment, retaliation, or discrimination.”) On the evening of January 20, I was incredulous. How do you write a four page legal threat about a week-old article and miss this? While scrambling to also make my kids dinner, I wrote a lengthy reply to Clare Locke’s lawyers, basically asking them to cool it with the threats and to start making sense. In part, I wrote: I hope you can understand why I am having trouble understanding what you’re asking for, when the statement you’re demanding to see in Game File’s article already appears in Game File’s article. Actual malice, as you know, refers to a reckless disregard for the truth. I’m not sure what your argument is when my article already states your client’s position. Here is where I should remind you, the reader, that I am an independent journalist. I publish on Substack, and have availed myself of the Substack Defender program that provides writers on the platform with legal support. But I’m no Wall Street Journal or New York Times, nor even IGN or GameSpot when it comes to such things as, well, having a legal department. There are more fun things for me to do as an independent journalist than writing back to a powerful law firm representing a very rich person. On the evening of January 20th, I was just trying to cook some pasta, broccoli and chicken nuggets for hungry twins. Nevertheless, I wrote back to them. Two hours later, I got a reply. Summarizing: A lawyer for Clare Locke said they’d “reviewed an incomplete version” of my article and they “apologize for the confusion.” (My guess: Someone didn’t read past the piece’s paywall, even though they’d had a full week to scrounge up the funds to do so. What I’d published above the paywall was balanced, as was what came after.)1 That was almost that, but something about the situation bothered me. The letter had been marked “confidential.” I hadn’t agreed to that, and I disliked the idea that powerful people on the beat that I cover would act like they could unilaterally control what I might tell my readers about. On the morning of the 21st, having already gotten the powerful law firm to back off, I oh-so-wisely re-approached them with just one more thing. I thanked them for clearing things up the night before but noted that I’d never agreed to keep their letter confidential. I’m all for agreeing with a source to keep things off the record, but that’s the thing. We have to agree. You can’t just declare it. I’m not bound by that. I wrote to Clare Locke’s lawyer and said, in part: I trust the matter is resolved. It was disappointing to have to spend less time with my kids last night in order to address your legal letter. Family time’s precious. I will add, for clarity’s sake, that, while your letter stipulated that it was confidential, I did not agree to those terms. In the future, should you wish to communicate with me confidentially, I am happy to agree to classifying our communication as “off the record” prior to the actual communication—as is standard with any professional journalist. The firm’s lawyer replied, not directly addressing the confidentiality issue but asserting that the matter was resolved. Why I didn’t write about this until now In May, I told this story on an episode of Simon Parkin’s podcast My Perfect Console, but I held off on sharing it directly with Game File readers. I held off to avoid stepping on the toes of another reporter, the journalist Mikhail Klimentov. He’d interviewed me in the spring of 2025 about an investigation he was working on regarding Bobby Kotick lawyers pressing the media to add the California settlement language to stories referencing the 2021 lawsuits. And about how some outlets had changed their stories and how some simply deleted them. Initially, I was a third-party source for Klimentov’s reporting, providing on-the-record context about the state of the games media. I’d heard about the letters but hadn’t put the time into pursuing the story. I thought it was interesting, and I was glad he was covering it. When the outlet that Klimentov was going to run his reporting in dropped the story, I began talking to him about potentially publishing his reporting on Game File. This was tentative. Then, in January, when I got my own Clare Locke letter, I told Klimentov that I didn’t think it would make sense for me to publish him, not with me now being part of the story. I had my own version of this situation to tell. But I wished him well and said I’d refrain from telling my tale until he could get his reporting out there. Last Friday, Klimentov finally ran his investigation, in a nearly 48-minute video report for People Make Games. It covers various Clare Locke letters, how media outlets reacted to them and what to make of all this. His video weighs the merits of Kotick’s request and looks at some of the articles that were changed (one of which had a glaring error). I highly recommend watching it: (Note, I did some editorial consulting for a People Make Games video last year but nothing to do with this report.) While many outlets haven’t left any public evidence that they updated their Kotick coverage at Kotick’s counsel’s request, at least one has. Back in October 2025, the mainstream outlet Reuters applied the most transparent article update I’ve seen. On the 3rd of the month, they published an article about the state of the Swedish pension fund’s lawsuit. Days later, they added this: In an October 7 letter sent after publication of this article, Kotick’s defamation counsel disputed claims of widespread harassment at Activision. “Not a single investigation, court finding, verdict, or ruling ever concluded that there was any merit” to the allegations of widespread harassment at Activision, Tom Clare and Nick Brechbill of Clare Locke wrote. I’ve never added a statement to my article on Game File, because none was needed. Not for fairness’ sake, nor to meet any demands of Kotick’s lawyers. I’ve nevertheless wanted to be transparent with Game File readers. If someone powerful is questioning my reporting, is threatening a lawsuit over it… if that threat is part of a pattern involving other games media outlets and if, in my case, the whole thing ran into a ridiculous ditch, I want you to know about it. I also share this as a real example of how I handle threats to Game File. I stand up for my own reporting, even when it’s not comfortable to do so. (In that same category of standing up for the work I do, I’ll point to an incident in late August. Asocial media post I published to X/Twitter regarding reporting I did about Take Two and GTA VI was hit by bogus copyright claim by a firm working for the publisher. I pushed back and got it reversed; even while a bigger games media outlet let themselves be censored. This is the other reason I’m sharing this story: To emphasize that dealing with threats from powerful people is one of the costs of covering the video game industry independently and as fearlessly as possible. This is where you come in. Your support, through free and paid subscriptions (sign up here!), can help me keep doing that. It can ensure that I’ve got the back-up I need. And it can help make fiascoes like this even less of a worry, so I can spend my evenings dealing with more important things, such as making sure I steam the kids’ broccoli just right. 1 That pension fund lawsuit I wrote about in January has all but gone away. In May, the fund and Activision Blizzard owner Microsoft agreed to settle. Lawyers for the fund brokered a $250 million settlement for former Activision Blizzard shareholders. In the settlement, the fund’s lawyers changed their rhetoric. Where once they’d questioned the meaning of the California settlement language, they adopted a version of it for themselves. Several weeks ago, while seeking to get a court to sign off on the terms of the settlement, they proposed their fee for their work in the case: $60 million.

Sep 28 • 4:13 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Allegheny County Health Board votes to approve paid parental leave policy

The Allegheny County Health Board voted Monday to approve County Executive Sara Innamorato’s proposed paid parental leave policy, advancing the legislation...

Sep 28 • 1:29 PM EDT • Health • post-gazette.com

Business Beyond the Beach: David Sexton| President, Normandy Fountain Business Assoc.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... 🎙 Welcome to the Business Beyond the Beach Talk Show! The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce is proud to present Business Beyond the Beach, the exclusive Chamber talk show created in partnership with Miami’s Community Newspapers. This series highlights the stories of Miami Beach Chamber members making an impact […]

Sep 28 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • communitynewspapers.com

Peanuts Entertainment Launches With Mirabel Sisters Feature

Amílcar Franco has launched the London-based Peanuts Entertainment, a production company focused on developing Latin American stories

Sep 28 • 8:51 AM EDT • Entertainment • variety.com

Peanuts Entertainment, London-Based Production Company Focusing on Latin American Stories, Launches With Mirabal Sisters Feature ‘Alive in Their Garden’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Peanuts Entertainment, a production company focused on developing what it describes as “culturally rooted Latin American stories for international audiences,” has launched in London. The new outfit ha...

Sep 28 • 8:51 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

What the movement to integrate the arts and health can teach us about making research matter

Moving research into action requires more than publishing evidence. Stories, images, trusted messengers and examples of uptake can build public acceptance, shift what people see as possible and help evidence become practice and policy

Sep 27 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • timeshighereducation.com

Prosper Portland’s executive director on Eye on Northwest Politics to discuss efforts to revitalize downtown Portland

Reporting Portland and Vancouver area breaking news and weather stories to make Oregon and Southwest Washington a better place to live

Sep 27 • 11:38 AM EDT • Politics • koin.com

Watch: 404NotFound on Turning Every Step into Meaningful Health Insights

The official communications channel of Samsung Electronics, providing all the latest stories regarding the company's products, people and businesses.

Sep 27 • 4:31 AM EDT • Health • news.samsung.com

What can Pennsylvania learn from the Texas measles outbreak?

While the outbreaks have similarities — notably, that the epicenter of the outbreaks in each state hit hardest in counties with concentrations of Mennonites — the public health approaches have differed in part.

Sep 27 • 4:00 AM EDT • Health • post-gazette.com

☕️ Who can beat Spain? and Sunday’s 5️⃣ stories

On a Sunday with a sweet hangover after the Spanish national team’s latest display, here are the five stories we’ve selected to help you start the day in the best possible way.Let’s get started!...

Sep 27 • 3:22 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Have minimum wages kept up with food prices in Europe?

Euronews Business compares five years of food price rises and minimum wage changes in 26 European countries to see where workers on the lowest pay can afford more food than they could in 2021.

Sep 27 • 1:00 AM EDT • Business • euronews.com

Top Stories: Apple Leaks, Siri AI Settlement, and More

The Apple rumor mill never stops, and this week MacRumors was able to break the news of details on several upcoming products.

Sep 26 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

The Cask of Amontillado

Edgar Allen Poe was a master of the horror genre, and one of my favorite short stories of his is “The Cask of Amontillado.” The story, which takes place in

Sep 26 • 1:00 AM EDT • Business • news-gazette.com

Watch: How data centers impact the environment and health in rural areas

Find fresh angles and untold stories about data centers' impact on rural environmental health from a panel of experts.

Sep 25 • 1:37 PM EDT • Health • healthjournalism.org

NAMI Miami-Dade’s Reel Minds Film Festival Returns October 10, World Mental Health Day, Using the Power of Film to Change the Conversation Around Mental Health

Eight short films will bring stories of resilience, recovery and lived experience to the screen MIAMI, FL – September 23, 2026 – In recognition of World Mental Health Day,the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Miami-Dade County will harness the power of film and storytelling to raise awareness and spark dialogue around mental health with […]

Sep 25 • 1:01 PM EDT • Health • southfloridahospitalnews.com

Sports quiz of the week: Fury v Joshua, Zinedine Zidane and England’s run

Have you been following the big stories in boxing, football, NFL, golf, college sports, darts and rugby union?

Sep 25 • 9:01 AM EDT • Sports • theguardian.com

Renovated building for social science, education and policy institutes will enhance interdisciplinary connections at Northwestern

The newly renovated facility, overlooking Deering Meadow, is a hub for teaching, research and collaboration across fields

Sep 25 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • news.northwestern.edu

Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Washington Capitals

Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the …

Sep 25 • 7:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Are girls more social from birth?

Madeleine Finlay sits down with her co-host and Guardian science editor, Ian Sample, to discuss three science stories from the week, including a study that offers a clue in the age-old debate about whether sex differences are present from birth or a product of socialisation. Also on the agenda is the super El Niño, which is predicted to lead to 450,000 deaths in the next six months, and an answer to why the UK’s meningitis outbreak earlier this year was so big.

Sep 25 • 6:46 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com

Farm succession stories: You can go home to the farm

An Ord, Neb., native and UNL agribusiness major found an enterprise that adds value to the farming operation and allows him to return to the family farm.

Sep 25 • 3:00 AM EDT • Business • farmprogress.com

Former Vanillaware veteran Takafumi Noma on new action RPG DAWNGAZER and building a transmedia fantasy IP that will “accommodate all kinds of stories and forms of gameplay”

Sep 24 • 11:03 PM EDT • Technology • automaton-media.com

Hopping mad: New health warning stirs up Belgian brewers

In a country famed worldwide for its beer, a proposed tweak to health warnings on adverts for alcoholic drinks...

Sep 24 • 10:04 PM EDT • Health • afp.com

Novellia Named One of Crain's New York Business' 2026 Best Places to Work in NYC

/PRNewswire/ -- Novellia, the patient data company that unifies a person's clinical histories across every system, practice, and provider they've used, today...

Sep 24 • 3:03 PM EDT • Business • prnewswire.com

Quincy Symphony to open season with soprano Melissa Citro

QUINCY — The Quincy Symphony Orchestra will open its 79th concert season, titled “World of Wonder,” with a performance called “Untold Stories” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the […]

Sep 24 • 12:48 PM EDT • Entertainment • whig.com

Kennesaw State researcher developing safer, more efficient computing systems for intelligent vehicles

Modern vehicles are becoming computers on wheels, powered by increasingly complex software and artificial intelligence. As those systems take on more responsibility, they must process information quickly and reliably enough to keep critical functions running safely. Kennesaw State University computer science researcher Kun Suo is working to improve how those systems operate through a $356,782 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant focused on developing more efficient and secure computing infrastructure for intelligent vehicles.

Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • kennesaw.edu

The personal AI agent horror stories are rolling in

Early users say personal AI agents have not been forthright about account access, fabricated personal details, and raised cybersecurity concerns.

Sep 24 • 6:26 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Sporticast: It’s Fat Bear Week. Where Are the Chicago Bears?

On the 590th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including Sportico‘s recent list of the highest-paid players in the NFL. First, however, they talk about Fat Bear Week. The viral creation from Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve allows people to vote …

Sep 24 • 5:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

🥐 Aguirre returns, boundless talent... Thursday's 5️⃣ stories

The football day on September 24 comes packed with big names and major news on the benches and in sporting management. From the return of a legendary coach to LALIGA to institutional clashes, as well ...

Sep 24 • 2:59 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Calhanoglu-Inter, goodbye? Juve-Inacio, Napoli-Italiano latest ☀️

The league is on pause and will remain so for about twenty days. So the transfer market is back in focus, with behind-the-scenes stories on missed signings, future renewals, and possible surprises in ...

Sep 24 • 1:50 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

China Capital stories reveal how ICBC advanced China’s political goals across four continents

ICIJ’s media partners uncovered strategic deals and moves the Chinese bank made around the world to further the political priorities of the party-state.

Sep 23 • 2:29 PM EDT • Politics • icij.org

WWLTV

WWL-TV is New Orleans’ source for breaking news, weather, and unforgettable local stories. From live hurricane coverage to major investigations, recipes and local culture, our award-winning team brings you the most trusted journalism in Louisiana — now streaming FREE on WWL+ 24/7. 📲 Subscribe for exclusive digital specials, daily headlines, live press conferences, festival coverage, Saints updates and must-watch moments from across Southeast Louisiana. 🎥 Watch now on WWL+ or visit WWLTV.com for more. WWLTV.com: https://www.wwltv.com/ Local. Trusted. Relentless. Welcome to WWL-TV.

Sep 23 • 10:46 AM EDT • Health • youtube.com

AACR Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Oncology Conference 2027 - Oncology News, Insights, Stories by OncoDaily

The AACR Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Oncology Conference 2027 will take place from March 4–7, 2027, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Sep 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • oncodaily.com

Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Vancouver Canucks

Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the …

Sep 23 • 7:59 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Cocktail stories: Mayan’s Punch, Barro Negro

Agave-focused Barra Negro in Athens, Greece, offers imbibers a twist on the Porn Star Martini with Mayan's Punch.

Sep 23 • 6:41 AM EDT • Business • thespiritsbusiness.com

Tuesday's headlines: Hidden camera found in Kenner business bathroom; Moreno presents budget proposal

A businessman faces charges after a camera was found in his business' bathroom; Mayor Helena Moreno unveils her 2027 budget priorities, plus more top stories.

Sep 22 • 5:28 PM EDT • Business • wwltv.com

DNA, a link to the past — Historical society presents program with local science educator Rutland

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Have you ever wondered how DNA can help uncover the past? From identifying individuals, tracing ancient migrations, and revealing genetic histories, DNA can also […]

Sep 22 • 3:27 PM EDT • Science • dailyleader.com

How the stories and science of floods shape Appalachia

For Will Waas, 24, Hurricane Helene did more than flood his home in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It washed away nearly everything he had accumulated — his clothes, tools, building materials, musical instruments, artwork, chickens and beehives. For eight days, Waas lived in a neighbor’s house with six other people and five pets...

Sep 22 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • thebluebanner.net

🔴LIVE WNEM Morning Extra: Crews to break ground on MyMichigan Health-CMU medical building

Here are the latest stories from the TV5 newsroom!

Sep 22 • 6:59 AM EDT • Health • wnem.com

5️⃣ stories of the day: Atleti's complaints, Mbappé's step back..

Club football is on pause to make way for the national teams, but this weekend brought so much news that Tuesday is red-hot.So we’re going to run through the five stories you can’t miss to kick of...

Sep 22 • 3:08 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

“Erazno y La Chokolata En Video” Turns Original Stories Into Must-Watch Entertainment

DALLAS, Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The cameras are rolling, the stories are getting personal and Erazno y La Chokolata is giving audienc...

Sep 21 • 5:45 PM EDT • Entertainment • markets.businessinsider.com

Kate McKenzie interview - Illinois Times, the capital city's source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture

Tony Stang sits down with Kate McKenzie, CEO of Local Journalism Matters, to talk about the behind-the-scenes world of journalism, the stories reporters carry with them, and what the future of local news might look like at Illinois Times. It is a conversation about journalism, community and why telling the stories of a place still matters.

Sep 21 • 12:50 PM EDT • Politics • illinoistimes.com