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Seattle neighborhood loses business during World Cup matches
This Seattle neighborhood lost business during the city's World Cup matches. Here's what community members plan to do before the next big event.
The Pac-12’s return begins without a media day
As the college football season approaches, every FBS conference is getting set for its media days — except for the Pac-12. Media days see conferences invite members of the press to ask questions and take photographs to build excitement for the upcoming season. Many media days will receive live television coverage. The Big 12, ACC…
Obsidian Entertainment Hit Hard by Xbox Cuts
As part of the huge cuts across Xbox that began yesterday, Avowed and Outer Worlds 2 developer Obsidian Entertainment has been hit pretty hard, with around 25% of staff cut from the Xbox Studio. That’s according to a report from Rebekah Valentine over at Kotaku, who shared that her sources advised around 60-70 members of […]
Citizen science could grow beyond data collection under 10 proposed recommendations
Citizen science is booming and could play a much greater role in tackling climate change, reef health, biodiversity and public health challenges by involving members of the public throughout the research ...
Incredible new material makes heat programmable
A newly developed material can control and "program" heat, allowing it to direct thermal radiation, switch modes, and remember its settings without continuous power. The innovation could lead to smarter infrared sensors, better energy technologies, and memory devices that use light and heat instead of electrical charges.
The fight over trans girls’ sports participation moves to the November ballot
State ballot measures seeking to restrict transgender student-athletes’ participation in school sports will appear before voters in November.
These Church Members Disagree on Politics. Together They’re Wiping Out Medical Debt.
Trinity Moravian Church, a politically diverse congregation in Winston-Salem, has been raising money to retire medical debt.
Yankees news: Jazz plays on after injury scare
Chisholm avoids injury; errors take their toll; Weathers’ nauseous outing; remembering Al Holland
Aston Villa show stronger interest in Ibrahim Mbaye than Tottenham
Senegalese youngster Ibrahim Mbaye is keen to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer in search of more game tiime.Mbaye made just 11 starts across all competitions last season, with Ousmane Dembele, Kh...
Suffolk BME Business Awards 'reflect the county as it is'
Nominations are now open ahead of the Suffolk BME Business Awards night in November.
A Long-Awaited Verdict for Marine Le Pen Could Reshape France’s Politics
A court will decide on Tuesday whether to uphold Ms. Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction. If it does, the far-right leader will probably be barred from running for the presidency next year.
Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority examines operational costs
WHEELING — The Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority board is looking to pump the brakes on growing operational expenses. Members of the GWSEA board met recently for their last meeting until the end of August, as the board traditionally does not hold a regular monthly meeting at the end of July. Officials discussed operating […]
Thousands celebrate U.S. Independence Day with Army traditions in Puerto Rico
FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico — The Army's home in the Caribbean welcomed thousands of community members July 4 for a U.S. Independence Day celebration fea...
Everything New in iOS 27 Beta 3
Apple is continuing to refine iOS 27 ahead of its planned September launch, and the third beta includes several new features. Siri is more customizable, there's a fun new wallpaper action, and some useful improvements to Photos and Shortcuts. Siri Voice Beta 3 adds support for Siri voice customization on compatible devices. The customization option existed in prior betas, but it was not active.
Capital Region influencers support Muslim-owned businesses in light of hate
LATHAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — In light of recent online hate, local community members have been banding together, using their platforms to support one another following the death of seven-year-old …
iPhone 18 Pro Release Date: A New September Timeline Emerges
Apple’s next iPhones are just a couple of months away. However, a report from an industry heavyweight adds nuance to the expected release schedule.
http://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-wyden-release-report-maternal-health-one-year-after-trumps-big-ugly
House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) released a report on the state of maternal health care in the United States one year after President Trump signed his Big Ugly Bill into law.
‘Untitled Vampire Play’
The world premiere of ensemble member Kevin Douglas' “Untitled Vampire Play” at Lookingglass Theatre Company can't decide if it wants to be a parody or make a serious point, so
State reminds Hawaiʻi businesses that third quarter annual reports are due
Businesses registered in the third quarter — July through September — can now file their annual reports, which must be filed by midnight Sept. 30 to avoid a late filing penalty fee.
Improv show to feature stars of stage, screen
Members of the improvisation collective Bluebird Improv will perform at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor on Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m.
Here's How the iPhone 18 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 18 Pro
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September. The devices will have a lot in common, but the latest leak suggests that the Pro Max model will take an even bigger step forward in regards to battery life. According to new filings in a Chinese regulatory database, it appears that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a 5,567mAh battery in the U.S., while the iPhone 18 Pro will seemingly have a 4,288mAh battery.
As Small Business Owners Retire, Worker Cooperatives Could Help Close Wealth Gap » NCRC
Learn more about NCRC member Cooperative Fund of the Northeast (CFNE)'s work in collaboration with nonprofit developers the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) and ICA Group helping business owners in the Northeast through the business conversion process and supporting employees as they become new owners.
Portland ballot measure for more public say in city budget clears hurdle
Portlanders rallying to infuse the city’s budget process with more public input are a step closer to getting their proposal on the November ballot.
In pictures: Marine Le Pen’s political rise and frustrated presidential ambitions
French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen could see her 40-year political career come to an end on Tuesday if French courts rule that she is guilty of embezzling public funds and ineligible to stand…
Third quarter Hawaiʻi annual business reports due
Businesses registered in the third quarter — July through September — can now file their annual reports, which must be filed by midnight Sept. 30 to avoid a late filing penalty fee.
Suwayda in Parliament: The Politics of Appointments Amid a Crisis of Trust
At the beginning of July, Syria's Higher Committee for Elections announced the names of the 70 members of parliament appointed directly
TSU HOF Class of 2026: Johnny "Ballpark" Franks
Throughout the summer months leading up to the Tennessee State University Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet on Aug. 27, Tennessee State Athletics will highlight the members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. This distinguished group of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors helped shape the proud tradition of Tiger athletics through championship performances, individual achievements and lasting contributions to the university. Their stories reflect the excellence, perseverance and impact that have defined Tennessee State Athletics across generations.
Clearview has a date with the wrecking ball. See what's next for its $100 million overhaul
A former shopping center in Metairie will begin demolition this month and move on to redevelopment plans in November.
Georgia can do more to protect health coverage for its youngest residents
“If children are well, then the village is well.” This adage beautifully expresses a vital public health concept: A community’s health is best measured by how it protects and nurtures the welfare of its most vulnerable members. As an OB-GYN, I celebrate some of life’s happiest moments with families: a healthy pregnancy, a safe delivery, […]
Ukraine recovery: International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation signs Gdansk Declaration
On 26 June, the first-ever High-level Steering Committee of the International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine signed the Gdansk Declaration during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Poland. The Declaration outlines a shared ambition to support Ukraine in increasing its research and development investment to 3% of the GDP following the end of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression. This is in line with the European Research Area target. It also outlines various activities that Coalition members can implement to achieve this objective. The Declaration further provides a strategic framework for the Coalition’s work to support Ukraine’s modern and
U.S. Army Hawaii celebrates 250 years of American independence at Schofield Barracks
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Thousands of Soldiers, families and community members gathered on Weyand Field July 4 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of...
NCAA president Charlie Baker floats regional approach to non-football sports
Conference realignment has turned college athletics into a much more national endeavor than it ever was previously. The Big Ten stretches from Southern California to New Jersey. The ACC includes a pair of teams on the Pacific coast. And the Big 12 has members located in both the deserts of the Southwest and the mountains…
Walkway glow
A member of the Northeastern community is silhouetted in the ISEC building.
It’s not clear how California’s education power shift will impact schools this year
After California lawmakers and the governor changed state law so the Department of Education is overseen by the governor instead of the state superintendent, it’s unclear how the move will impact the upcoming school year. "What we hope to see is a streamlining of the administration of public education in California," Assembly Education Chairwoman Assemblymember Darshana Patel, D-San Diego, said in an interview on California Politics 360.Patel helped carry the change through legislation at the state Capitol.
SoFi (SOFI) Launches AI Investing And Small Business Loans In Product Push
SoFi Technologies (NasdaqGS:SOFI) has launched Composer by SoFi, an AI-powered investing platform designed to help members build and automate customized investment strategies. The company has also introduced SoFi Small Business Loans, a digital-first lending product aimed at giving entrepreneurs faster access to capital with no fees. These product rollouts expand SoFi's presence in AI-driven investing tools and small business lending within its broader financial services platform. SoFi...
Two new food benefits available to Oregon Health Plan members with complex health needs
The Oregon Health Authority has launched new nutrition benefits for Oregon Health Plan members with chronic conditions to help improve food security.
Inside California Politics: Will ballot measures drive turnout in November?
A month past the primary, election season has hit a lull before campaigns reach full swing in the fall. On Inside California Politics this week, host Nikki Laurenzo sat down with two political insiders to discuss various candidates and campaigns: Republican strategist Rob Stutzman and Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta.
Inside California Politics: Will ballot measures drive turnout in November?
(Inside California Politics) — A month past the primary, election season has hit a lull before campaigns reach full swing in the fall. On Inside California Politics this week, host Nikki Laurenzo s…
A Colorado county’s new ‘unicorn’ home health program fills gap left by provider’s closure
“We recognized there were members of our community who were struggling to access appropriate services,” said Brandon Daruna, CEO of Eagle County Paramedic Services.
iPhone 18 Pro Release Date: A New September Timeline Emerges
Apple’s next iPhones are just a couple of months away. However, a report from an industry heavyweight adds nuance to the expected release schedule.
LeBron James seen with Cavs front office member in Akron
This isn’t going to stop the LeBron to the Cavs speculation.
Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math, science students Showcase Knowledge, skills gained at Summer Academy
GREENEVILLE – Five weeks of thorough preparation and mentoring by Tusculum University staff members with local high school students participating in a summer program resulted in high-caliber research projects that highlighted their hands-on learning experience. Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and
These church members disagree on politics. Together they’re wiping out medical debt
Some issues, like immigration or student loans, are too divisive to unite Trinity Moravian Church.
AFL-CIO on Taylor Swift's wedding: 'It's better in a union'
Taylor Swift is a member of the American Federation of Musicians and SAG-AFTRA, while Travis Kelce is a member of the NFL Players Association.
White supremacist group marches on U.S. Capitol on Fourth of July
A few hundred masked members of Patriot Front marched with American and confederate flags
White supremacist group marches on U.S. Capitol on Fourth of July
A few hundred masked members of Patriot Front marched with American and confederate flags
White supremacist group marches on U.S. Capitol on Fourth of July
A few hundred masked members of Patriot Front marched with American and confederate flags
Souhan: Reflecting on 36 years of scoops, spats and Minnesota sports history
My sports journalism career is coming to an end. I’ll miss a lot of people who may not miss me, but I will fondly remember the state’s biggest stars and other less-heralded ones.
What We Know About Apple's Highly Anticipated Foldable iPhone
Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone on September 8, featuring true multitasking, a notchless design, and more.
Politics panel says court rulings have little effect in Indiana
Two members of Indiana’s best political team said they don’t expect the Supreme Court’s transgender athlete ruling to factor heavily into elections this fall.
Combat Sports World Joins NBA Superstar LeBron James Sweepstakes
The combat sports world has joined in on the festivities as sports fans everywhere await Lebron James next move. In case you don’t know, the legendary NBA superstar is no longer a member of the Los Angeles Lakers where he has played for the past eight seasons. This includes an NBA Championship back in 2020 […]
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rehearsal dinner guests leave with special gift boxes featuring wild party favor
Several members of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's inner circle were spotted leaving the couple's rehearsal dinner with mysterious gift boxes in hand.
'A Great Foundation for Our Upcoming Projects in This Universe' — CD Projekt Hails Cyberpunk 2077 as It Hits an Incredible 40 Million Copies Sold
CD Projekt has hailed the success of Cyberpunk 2077, announcing it has now hit the 40 million copies sold mark. That’s up 5 million copies from the last time the developer announced Cyberpunk 2077 sales, back in November when it hit 35 million.
Strengthen Your Business With Lifetime Cybersecurity Training for $53
Get self-paced courses on CISSP, ethical hacking, and GRC through one lifetime membership.
Maine group revives push for universal health care ballot initiative
Advocates are hoping to gather enough signatures to get a question about publicly funded health care on the November 2027 ballot.
The ‘Weight’ of a Nation: St. Augustine, Dante, and the Soul of American Politics
COMMENTARY: On America's 250th birthday, remember we were made by God to receive love ourselves, and to show love to others.
“He Didn’t Need to Die.” How an Immigration Detention Center Repeatedly Failed to Address a Mental Health Crisis.
Geraldo Lunas Campos repeatedly raised concerns about his mental health before he died at Camp East Montana. Records paint a portrait of how the Texas facility’s staff failed to adequately respond.
Platner will prioritize public health, which Collins helped to dismantle
A new television ad (paid for by “America First International Assistance”) portrays Sen. Susan Collins as protecting Maine from the Ebola virus by funding millions in scientific research. While the ad may have historical truth concerning her record (the footage appears to be several years old), Sen. Collins is a member of the Republican Senate […]
Russia's services downturn deepens as new business falls at fastest pace since December 2022, PMI shows
Russia's services sector contracted further in June as weaker client demand drove steeper falls in output and new orders, a business survey showed on Friday.
Which schools will play which sports in the new-look Mountain West
The Mountain West used to have a clean-cut approach to its membership with 11 full members plus two affiliates (Hawaii in football and Colorado College in women
Amazon Prime members can now stream 2025 superhero hit Dispatch
Dispatch is now available on Luna
Announcement: New Leadership at the NJ Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH)
Announcement by Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director I am pleased to announce new leadership for the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH), positioning the institute to further advance Rutgers University’s commitment to excellence in food, nutrition, health, and community engagement. I would like to thank the faculty members whose contributions […]
FBI assigns 260 staff members to Georgia 2020 election probe
The FBI has ramped up its investigation into the 2020 election in Georgia by dedicating more personnel to what an internal memo refers to as a “priority,” a person familiar with the matter told CNN.
New mobile health clinic launches in Boyle Heights for residents affected by warehouse fire
A new mobile health clinic has launched in Boyle Heights to provide medical services to residents affected by the warehouse fire, as some community members continue to report health concerns tied to the incident.
Amazon Prime Members Get 12 Games For Free In July
RPGs, strategy, and escape rooms headline Amazon Luna in July.
US service member arrested at Capitol after calling for Trump’s impeachment
A US Air Force major was arrested on the steps of the US Capitol on Wednesday after delivering a speech calling for the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Scientists Sound the Alarm: Antarctic Discovery Is More Disturbing Than Anyone Feared - Futura-Sciences
The Frozen Continent Is Changing Faster Than We Thought Antarctica has always been a tough nut to crack for scientists. Its complex and sometimes baffling phenomena have long made it mysterious, and recent findings suggest its influence on our planet’s climate could be much greater than we thought. In September...
Alex Vindman raised $8.5M for Senate run, beating own first quarter totals
The Democrat aims to unseat Ashley Moody in November.
Colorado governor fires board members who criticized release of election denier
Gov. Jared Polis (D) said clemency deliberations should be confidential.
Gov. Stein names Rep. Tim Reeder to NC Health Care Affordability Commission
Rep. Tim Reeder, R-Pitt, has been appointed by Gov. Josh Stein to serve as a voting member of the newly established North Carolina Health Care Affordability Com
Backers of online sports betting in Nebraska submit signatures to get on 2026 ballot
The question of whether online sports betting should be legal in Nebraska will likely come before voters this November.
http://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/republicans-disastrous-health-care-agenda-leaves-millions-americans-without
House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released their latest report monitoring the devastating impact of Donald Trump and Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, which has forced millions of Americans to face skyrocketing health care costs and even drop coverage entirely.
Students gain hands-on research skills during ASSURE summer science program
Liberty University’s ASSURE program, an annual six-week summer intensive through the School of Health Sciences’ Department of Biology & Chemistry, concluded last month with its largest participation yet, with 36 students gaining research experience under the supervision of 16 faculty members....
Dune: Awakening ‘Deep Dive: September 2026 Preview’ video, PS5 physical edition announced
Funcom has released a new “Deep Dive” video for open-world survival game Dune: Awakening ahead of its upcoming consoles launch, as well as announced that a physical edition will be avai…
Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Will Now Launch Three Weeks Earlier
The game's release date has been moved forward to the beginning of September.
Croatia criticised for ‘unambitious’ changes to 2022 science law
Croatia’s science ministry has been accused of a lack of ambition, and even incompetence, over proposed changes to the country’s 2022 science law. Critics say an opportunity has been missed to fix wider shortcomings in the research and universities system.“This law, like all the previous ones, will not significantly change the current state of science in Croatia,” Vlatko Silobrčić, a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, told Science Business. “A small shift here and there will not have a significant impact.”The 2022 law introduced multi-year block grant financing of research, based on results, and changes intended to boost employment and career progression for researchers and lecturers. But implementation of the law has been uneven. “It became apparent that certain of its provisions were subject to different interpretations by higher education institutions and scientific institutes,” the science ministry said in its proposal for change. “This caused legal uncertainty in the system, administrative difficulties in implementation and, in certain cases, unequal treatment of teachers, scientists and students.”Most of the proposed amendments deal with technicalities in hiring and promoting staff, such as extending the committee deadlines from 60 to 90 days, or allowing applicants to cite all of their achievements and not only those since their last appointment.Both the ministry and Croatian media highlighted changes that would raise the retirement age from 65 to 67 years and allow part-time students 15 year rather than 10 years to finish their studies.The change to retirement age has been criticised for reinforcing a weakness in the system. According to Matko Marušić, professor emeritus at the University of Split, this will “allow unproductive teachers to advance and work longer, while hindering and discouraging productive ones.”A longtime campaigner for excellence-based meritocracy, he sees little hope in the new legislation. “I am not optimistic that things will improve,” he told Science Business. “As recent changes to the law in Croatia show, the legal framework is becoming increasingly hypocritical and harmful.”For Marušić, who analyses Croatia's university system in a recently published book, the situation is “unfavourable and constantly deteriorating” due to the criteria used for academic advancement.“The key criterion for advancement should be scientific productivity,” he said. “In Croatia [. . .] scientific criteria are increasingly lowered, and ineffective and absurd criteria such as waiting times for promotion and age limits for remaining in a job are promoted.” He would also like to see better criteria for the quality of teaching at universities. “In practice, teaching is not monitored or evaluated,” he said, estimating that up to a third of teaching simply does not take place. “Under the guise of university autonomy and bad laws, universities and faculties are allowed to earn additional money by increasing enrolment quotas that have nothing to do with the needs of the labour market.” Lack of ambitionDora Kršul, a reporter at Telegram.hr who covers science policy in Croatia, finds the rationale for changes “bizarre.” “The ministry responsible for supervising the uniform application of the law is changing the law because it is being implemented unevenly,” she said. “This primarily speaks to the power relationship in the sphere of science and higher education in Croatia, that is, the question arises as to who actually manages this system.”Rather than raising quality, she continued, the changes appear to be designed to help vocational and applied universities who have not been complying with the law.The Independent Union of Research and Higher Education Employees of Croatia said that the changes were “unambitious” and represent a missed opportunity for more important changes. “We think some of the changes are even negative,” it said in its statement on June 25. One of these is introduction of an “assistant” job title that allows people to be hired only for the duration of a project. Related articles: Elections to top science bodies test Croatia’s gender equality in researchSlovakia revises R&D approach to increase focus on competitivenessLatvia pilots citizen engagement in research grant evaluationsThe union’s president, Tvrtko Smital, who was part of the 15-member working group tasked with drafting the changes, told the local media there was a “worrying lack of ambition” in the process, and “lack of competence” in terms of research experience and understanding the problems in the system.“There is no clear will to deal with the problems,” said Smital, an assistant professor of marine and environmental sciences at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. “It’s a combination of unambitiousness and incompetence,” he went on, expressing his “deep frustration” with the situation. “There is no strategy, no clear thinking, and money is not being spent optimally.”Croatia’s science ministry has not responded to requests for comment.
IAM District 4 Members Win First Contract at Federation of American Scientists
Nearly a year after becoming the first union in the nearly 80-year history of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), 25 IAM District 4 members have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement, securing workplace protections, greater transparency, and a stronger voice on the job. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) was established in 1945 by scientists
Capcom pushes forward Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date just days after devs stated they're not afraid of September's busy schedule
We'll be playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword earlier than we thought, after all.
The big picture: Astrophotography buffs share tips and tricks
There's a whole range of equipment for taking photos of the universe. Aldrich Astronomy Society members share tips for every sky buff, and budget.
Colorado governor fires two clemency board members who spoke out about Tina Peters’ commutation
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday fired two members of the state’s clemency board after they spoke out against his controversial decision to grant clemency to Tina Peters – an election denier whose sentence was cut in half by the outgoing Democratic governor in May.
Onimusha PS5 Has Actually Brought Its Launch Forward to 4th September
Now releasing three weeks earlier
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Release Date Moved Forward
Capcom has announced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the upcoming action-adventure sequel for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, will now be released earlier than previously guided: it will be available on September 4 rather than September 25.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date moved up to September 4
Capcom has moved up swordplay action game Onimusha: Way of the Sword from its previously announced September 25 release date to September 4, three weeks earlier than planned. It will be available f…
UH continues UKIRT decommissioning; science operations to end this fall | University of Hawaiʻi System News
UKIRT will become the third Maunakea telescope to be decommissioned. Science operations at UKIRT will conclude on September 15.
WHO, Member States discuss expanding South-East Asia Emergency Health Fund SEARHEF
With climate-related disasters, disease outbreaks and other health emergencies becoming more frequent and complex across South-East Asia, WHO and Member States today discussed measures to strengthen and expand the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) to ensure countries have rapid access to life-saving support when crises strike. "Health emergencies are becoming more frequent, more complex and more costly. Countries need rapid, flexible financing that can be mobilized immediately when lives are at risk. SEARHEF represents regional solidarity in action, enabling Member States to support one another when emergencies strike," said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge WHO South-East Asia Region. She was addressing the Fifteenth Meeting of the Working Group on the Governance of SEARHEF.
Supreme Court ruling lifts limits on political party campaign spending
The decision could play a role in the battle for control of Congress this November.
Politics complicate push for year-round E15, Iowa Farm Bureau president says
Questions loom over the status of E15 legislation in the U.S. Senate. “Mixed signals is very accurate.” Iowa Farm Bureau president Brent Johnson says he’s heard members of Congress say E15 can’t pass on its own, while others say it can. “So when you look at the makeup of the Senate, I do think we […]
Johnny Manziel Unloads On Critics Of His 'Hate' For Cleveland
If you're going to insult Johnny Manziel, do it at your own risk. Back in the September of last year, Manziel ripped the Cleveland Browns while on Shannon Sharpe's “Nightcap” podcast. The former Heisman Trophy winner said he wanted the Browns to go 0-16 during the 2025 season. "I think I will ...
Sudden danger: the science and stakes of flash flood forecasting
Flash floods pose a major threat to lives and property. When it comes to researching them, understanding the rain as it falls is only half the battle. The next step is knowing how the water will move once it hits the ground.
Backers of online sports betting in Nebraska submit signatures to get on 2026 ballot
The question of whether online sports betting should be legal in Nebraska will likely come before voters this November.
Kalamazoo residents submit signatures to put Healthcare Action Plan on November ballot
Kalamazoo residents submitted enough signatures to the Kalamazoo City Clerk Wednesday morning to put an initiative on the November ballot for a local healthcare
Party fever: Another political party is gathering signatures to get on Nebraska's ballot
A party that wants to put Americans and Nebraskans first is collecting signatures to secure a ballot line ahead of the November election. A similar effort is underway to establish a Nebraska Working People Party. Both efforts have a July 15 deadline to get enough signatures.
Delaware North launches Ember Entertainment™ to unify casinos, digital gaming and rewards program
/PRNewswire/ -- Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company, today announced it is unifying its casinos, digital gaming and loyalty rewards...
Delaware North rebrands loyalty program as Ember Entertainment
Delaware North on Wednesday announced that is unifying its casinos, digital gaming and loyalty rewards program under a new brand, Ember Entertainment. Ember Ent
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
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