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Scientists watch as two satellites burn

ESA's Samba and Tango closed out the 26-year Cluster mission with two targeted reentries a day apart, giving airborne researchers a rare, up-close look at how satellites really come apart.

Sep 4 • 6:29 PM EDT • Science • astronomy.com

15 discouraging hours with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and 10 brilliant ones with He Who Watches

In the last few weeks, while playing some video games that I might review, I emailed two cries for help. I sent the first to a rep for Capcom, confessing that the company’s samurai game Onimusha Way of the Sword (out today for PC and console) was crushing me. “Feels like I’m playing ‘hard’ mode, not ‘normal,’” I wrote. “And I don’t want to have to knock it down to “story”. I’m exploring, trying to level my gear, but these two-phase boss fights with no mid-fight checkpoints are brutal.” I wagered I was only about halfway through the game, if that. I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the steepening difficulty curve. Was I missing something? Then, on Monday, I took some photos of some puzzles that were baffling me in the mind-bending He Who Watches (out now on PC), wrote out lengthy descriptions of how I’d been trying to solve them and asked Bobby Vanden, the game’s solo developer, for a nudge in the right direction. I told Vanden I’d spent hours on these puzzles. “I’m stuck in triplicate,” I told him. Could he tell me if the solutions I was attempting were even on the right track? I didn’t mention that the puzzles—coupled with major time pressures from other work—were stressing me out so much that playing the game was giving me headaches. This double dose of panic was unusual. I’m used to managing a workload full of reporting and reviewing, used to a crowded schedule and the need to stay calm amid the bustle. But I was stressed about these games. No one was forcing me to review them, nor even play them. I’d simply found them interesting enough to start, hoped they’d be interesting enough to write about and I’d sunk hours into them assuming I’d made the right call. Suddenly, however, I felt trapped. I was emailing for a way out. Above: This guy took me about an hour to beat. The feedback I got from Capcom confirmed my fears. They didn’t say it, but I will: Onimusha Way of the Sword is not for me. It’s a brutally hard game in need of a normal difficulty level. It’s a game that spikes so severely during its abundant boss fights—yet offers such flawed ways to improve when outside of them—that it feels like a bait-and-switch. In the new Onimusha, you play as famed samurai Musashi Miyamoto, aided by a magical soul-absorbing gauntlet that is possessed by a lady who offers advice. (Way of the Sword is a continuation of Capcom’s long-dormant Onimusha series, but that set-up had me wondering if the company was cribbing from their ill-fated Bionic Commando reboot; read about “wife-arm” when you get a chance). Way of the Sword is partially set in 17th century Kyoto, an explorable city where Miyamoto can fight demons, help civilians and eventually rescue ghostly dogs. The city evolves over time, with new mini adventures and obtainable loot on offer, all feeding into systems that promise to upgrade your gear and sword-fighting skills. Upgrades, however, are so incremental as to be imperceptible, causing the exploration of Kyoto to feel like inconsequential busywork. From that hub, players can go on linear missions into forests and old temples, where they will encounter many of the game’s tough bosses. Combat in Way of the Sword is akin to many modern melee games. Players are asked to mix attacks with dodges and parries. They’re encouraged to deplete an enemy’s stamina bar in order to do greater damage to its health bar. The old Onimusha games’ signature move was the issen, a counter-attack so sudden it’s all but pre-emptive. You strike just as they begin to strike toward you, beating them to the cut. By definition, the issen is a high risk move, leaving you wide open to pain. It feels risky in the game, especially against bosses, who can maul you in just a few blows. A game might train you to perform an issen well by offering a variety of lesser enemies who are not as tough as the boss but get close. Or it might offer a toehold against bosses by saving or checkpointing the player’s progress when a boss’ first health bar has been destroyed and before the second health bar appears. It might offer the less skilled player a chance to over-level their character, should the player simply commit to playing through its optional sidequests. Way of the Sword does none of this. Fighting its trivially easy grunt enemies and then its ferociously adept bosses is like playing a game of chess where I’ve got a rook, while the opposing side is all pawns and five queens. Bosses simply don’t checkpoint. You may be able to clear a boss’ first phase without taking much damage. Good for you. Do it again, every time you fail the second phase. As for the the central Kyoto hub, I kept pace with all of its added side activities and never felt like I was overpowered. Bosses could still easily buckle me. The new Onimusha, I concluded, is just too discouraging to keep playing. The advice I got from Capcom had been well-intentioned. They reminded me of the game’s various systems. They alerted me to an optional assist that flashes recommended button inputs (basically: counter this move; dodge that move). It was a little helpful. So was dropping down to “story mode,” which I tried last night. Story mode turns on those button prompts by default. It makes countering and dodging way too easy, nearly automatic. I don’t consider myself a master of action games like these, but I’ve cleared the likes of God of War, Stellar Blade, Star Wars Jedi and others of sub-Sekiro difficulty and had a fun time doing so. Not here. Not yet. Unless they patch Onimusha: Way of the Sword and add a middle difficulty or just checkpoint the damn bosses when they’re between health bars, my streak of loving Capcom games released in 2026 will likely end at two. It’s a shame, because I was having a good time finding those ghostly dogs. And then there’s He Who Watches, a phenomenal first person puzzle game with Portal vibes, except instead of a portal gun you’ve got a magical bow that shoots one arrow that can activate switches or be used to drag blocks. The twist is an actual twist: you can also walk on walls and the ceiling, reorienting gravity as you do, thereby placing blocks onto those other surfaces. Walking on walls and ceilings to solve problems is really the best thing. Would that I could in reality. He Who Watches consists of locked-room challenges, each brief enough to only require about a minute to actually solving, though it will take five, 10, eventually 30 minutes to figure out said solutions. They are not obvious! It’s a game of layered mechanics and shocking solutions. For example, see if you can follow this: You can drag a block to a wall. Then you can walk on the wall, which now feels like the floor, and drag that block across the wall. Later, back on the floor, you might realize you can look up. The block is still on the wall, stuck to it. You can shoot your magic arrow to its underside. Doing so creates a tether, so that you can yank the block off the wall and carry it, as if it were a balloon, into the spot where you need it to be to solve the puzzle. Here, watch Vanden explain some of the game’s basics in this launch trailer: As with any great puzzle game, the solutions to He Who Watches’ puzzles elicit relief and amazement. Oh my god, that worked! I didn’t even think that could be possible! Learning to solve the game’s puzzles feels like learning magic. But, oh, does the game get hard. Its Steam reviews, mostly glowing, are full of players remarking how quickly He Who Watches made them sweat. Wrote one: “loving this one already although my brain is hurting!” Wrote another: “As you get further in the game it feels like you need an IQ level of at least 120+.” Vanden has shown some mercy. Each locked room puzzle includes an optional junior version of the puzzle, meant to teach you. Difficulty nevertheless ramps severely. By the time I was emailing Vanden for help, I was struggling to even clear one of the hint puzzles. When I messaged him, my stress was exacerbated by strange things I’d found in the game’s various hubs: suspicious passageways, odd blocks and some intriguing locked doors. These were hints of secrets, I realized, yet I sensed I needed to play further into the game to understand them. I was stuck, but I wanted to see the rest. Vanden offered to give me the exact solutions, to solve those three puzzles for me, but first he gave four nudges. Three were for the specific puzzles, but his best hint was for all and ultimately proved to be a terrific life lesson: go back a bit, he suggested. Do the puzzles right before those. They were teaching you something. Focus on what their lesson was. Don’t rush, in other words. Recognize what you’ve accomplished. Build off of that. I did so. I absorbed the lessons. I saw those three tough puzzles in a new light. I solved one the night after he wrote back, another the morning after. I left a third for another time. I didn’t need it and I wanted to plunge deeper into the game, closer to the moment when I was sure I could start unlocking those secret doors. My head stopped hurting, too. He Who Watches feels special. It’s got more challenges, and I’m undeterred. It’s also nice that its puzzles don’t have a surprise second health bar. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: In brief… 🎮 Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder of Helsinki-based Housemarque (Super Stardust HD, Resogun, Returnal) has stepped down from his studio, after a 31-year run, saying he’s “ taking a rare and well-deserved breather.” Sony purchased Housemarque in 2021, and the studio released its newest game, Saros, earlier this year. Trend-watch: Sony-owned Insomniac saw its founder Ted Price retire in early 2025, after a 30-year run. Sony-owned Sucker Punch saw its co-founder Brian Fleming step down in late 2025, after a 28-year run. 👀 Savvy Games Group chief Brian Ward is stepping down from the Saudi-government-backed games conglomerate, Bloomberg reports. No word on a long-term successor yet, nor if this augurs any closer integration between Savvy and Electronic Arts. EA was purchased by a consortium led by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, in early August. 💿 Square Enix has denied a Japanese media report that the company was planning to go private. In very different Square Enix news, the company revealed that the physical version of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the April 2027 finale of its radical remakes of FFVII, will include just one disc in its case, requiring a download for the rest. The first two FFVII remakes in the trilogy shipped on two discs apiece. While Square hasn’t commented on the reason why, a feature here in Game File last month broke down the processes and costs for physical games. The expense of a second disc comes out of the game publisher’s cut of each copy. Square could be saving in excess of a dollar a copy with this move. 🟥 Grand Theft Auto IV’s 26-minute ’‘extended look” gameplay showcase that premiered on Netflix last week—and was exclusive to the platform for six hours—drew 31.1 million views in its first four days, the streamer announced. (Netflix calculates views as total viewed hours divided by runtime; excludes replays). Compared to YouTube: The version that later premiered on Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel is sitting at 22.6 million views after seven days (YouTube’s more liberal counting system tallies anyone who viewed even just the first few second.) Compared to other Netflix mega-events: Last year, Stranger Things season 5’s first four episodes, which debuted together, drew a record 59.6 million views in their first few days on Netflix. For more of a live event type of comparison, in 2024, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match drew 65 million concurrent streams as it happened; Netflix didn’t release live numbers for the GTA premiere. ☁️ Microsoft is changing the way it charges for cloud gaming, from an all-you-can-play offer for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, to caps for the subscription’s tiers (15 hours per month at the Ultimate tier), with the option to buy more hours in bulk beyond that. The company also said it will sell batches of cloud gaming time to non-Game Pass subscribers, details TBA. Microsoft does not release figures for cloud game usage, but said its changes would impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. That implies a small portion of its subscribers exceed the 15-hour monthly mark. Cloud gaming offers the promise of playing games without the need for console or PC hardware, as the graphics, sound and controls are all transmitted via a streaming connection. Microsoft notes that its cloud gaming service can be used for a range of things, including Xbox One players using it to play newer-gen Xbox Series games via streaming; and people playing games via streaming, sans any console, “in markets where consoles are less available or affordable.” (That latter use case could even be relevant in Xbox’s home market soon, as console prices keep rising.) Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick recently told investors he expects game-streaming tech, which has been only lightly adopted by gamers for over a decade, to be widely used within three years. 🇺🇸 The Trump administration has published multiple agenda-driven web video games to the White House’s website. One called Build The Wall partially clones Tetris as it asks players to build a wall to stop a “zombie border siege.” While actual Tetris involves clearing lines and basically not building a wall, the Trump-backed game omits the line-clearing aspect (and omits the fun as well). On Instagram, Tetris’ official license holders reacted by stating: “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community. P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall.’ P.P.S.: We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Item 3: The week ahead: Tuesday, September 8 Game releases: Mewgenics (consoles; already out on PC) is an engrossing tactical combat game (with cats). It is getting its console port right after the release of a Star Wars tactics game and ahead of the late September launch of a Fire Emblem–a bumper crop for the genre. Wanderburg (PC) is an auto-shooting game like Vampire Survivors, but you’re a castle on wheels Event: Nintendo airs a 30-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. A full unveiling of the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is expected. Will they also show footage from next year’s live action movie? Tease the next big 3D Zelda? Add Link to Mario Kart World? Shadow-drop a new Tingle game? Wednesday, September 9 Event: Nintendo again! On this day, they’re planning to air a 45-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on games heading to Switch 2 this winter. Followed by about an hour of gameplay demoed by the company’s Treehouse team. The September Nintendo Directs are always some of the year’s biggest. The 2025 edition included announcements of several major 2026 Switch/Switch 2 games: Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave. Plus the return of the Virtual Boy. Friday, September 11 Game release: EA Sports NHL 27 (PlayStation, Xbox) is a hockey game. There are so few that an indie studio that had been making wacky sci-fi first-person shooters just announced that, hey, we’re going to fill a void and make a hockey game for PC.

Sep 4 • 6:23 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Already Threatened, Rare Wildlife Dealt Blow by Trump Administration Rule Change

Rule changes to the Endangered Species Act by the White House could make survival more difficult for rare wildlife. The Dept. of the Interior and Dept. of Commerce changed the definition of "harm" in the law, allowing industry to encroach on habitats of endangered species

Sep 4 • 5:00 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

Already Threatened, Rare Wildlife Dealt Blow by Trump Administration Rule Change

Rule changes to the Endangered Species Act by the White House could make survival more difficult for rare wildlife. The Dept. of the Interior and Dept. of Commerce changed the definition of "harm" in the law, allowing industry to encroach on habitats of endangered species

Sep 4 • 5:00 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com

6-week-old infant died of measles, Pennsylvania county coroner says

A girl born in Pennsylvania with a rare neurological disorder called Amish lethal microcephaly died of measles at around 6 weeks of age, the Lancaster County coroner said Friday.

Sep 4 • 4:26 PM EDT • Health • cnn.com

Lindsay Clancy mistrial: 7 postpartum mental health takeaways

From extra privacy restrictions to medication trial and error, the case offered a rare window into coping with mental illness.

Sep 4 • 3:42 PM EDT • Health • bostonglobe.com

The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.

Sep 4 • 3:16 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

Nevada’s Ed Allison: Rare trust in national politics and media

Warren Lerude remembers longtime Nevada newspaperman and political adviser Ed Allison, who died Aug. 23, 2026, at age 86.

Sep 4 • 3:04 PM EDT • Politics • rgj.com

The year in review: Influential people who have died in 2026

Country music icon Dolly Parton was the rare celebrity whose popularity transcended generations and politics. Writing hundreds of songs including classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she was

Sep 4 • 2:31 PM EDT • Entertainment • tdtnews.com

The year in review: Influential people who have died in 2026

Country music icon Dolly Parton was the rare celebrity whose popularity transcended generations and politics. Writing hundreds of songs including classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she was

Sep 4 • 2:31 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com

The year in review: Influential people who have died in 2026

Country music icon Dolly Parton was the rare celebrity whose popularity transcended generations and politics. Writing hundreds of songs including classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she was

Sep 4 • 2:31 PM EDT • Politics • kdhnews.com

The Year in Review: Influential People Who Have Died in 2026

Country music icon Dolly Parton was the rare celebrity whose popularity transcended generations and politics. Writing hundreds of songs including classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she was one of music's most beloved personalities when she died last month. In addition to her musical ...

Sep 4 • 2:31 PM EDT • Politics • usnews.com

Pair of rare, colorful lobsters have a new home in Maine

A two-toned lobster like Ethel is 1 in 50 million, while a blue one like Gertrude is 1 in 2 million.

Sep 4 • 10:15 AM EDT • Science • popsci.com

Cyclosporiasis outbreak exposes a weakened US public health system

The parasitic disease causes explosive diarrhea, abdominal pain and fatigue but is rarely fatal.

Sep 4 • 9:35 AM EDT • Health • detroitnews.com

Scientists watch a comet being born 3 billion miles away

A rare look at a centaur transforming into a comet with coma is providing a missing link in the evolution of small, icy solar system bodies.

Sep 4 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • yahoo.com

Scientists watch a comet being born 3 billion miles away

A rare look at a centaur transforming into a comet with coma is providing a missing link in the evolution of small, icy solar system bodies.

Sep 4 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • space.com

Rare photos from decades of Section V football history

As a new Section V football season begins, take a look back at the teams, players and moments that helped shape the sport across the Rochester region.

Sep 4 • 4:20 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

China rare earth firms halt some US shipments over geopolitical worries, sources say

Some Chinese rare earth suppliers are declining to ship to the U.S. for fear of repercussions from Beijing, three sources said, ​underscoring how access to the materials remains an issue for the U.S. weeks before President Xi Jinping visits Washington.

Sep 4 • 3:15 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com

Wellington football blanks Westwood for first shutout since 2024

Wellington stayed unbeaten with a 26-0 road win over Westwood as Jay'lan Tyler rushed for 117 yards and the Wolverines posted a rare shutout.

Sep 3 • 11:20 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Dark matter detector finds a strange signal scientists can’t yet explain

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment has detected a rare particle interaction that looks unusually difficult to explain as ordinary background noise and appeared where dark matter might be expected. Scientists are not claiming a discovery yet, but additional data could show whether this single mysterious event is the first hint of a long-sought dark matter particle.

Sep 3 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Jennifer Aniston's emotional interview with boyfriend Jim Curtis about his health journey

The couple made a rare joint appearance at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, with Jen interviewing her wellness coach boyfriend about hie new guide to healing, “The Book of Possibility.”

Sep 3 • 6:21 PM EDT • Health • nbcsandiego.com

Ancient “living fossils” may reveal how complex life began

A newly discovered microbe living inside ancient stromatolite communities may offer a rare look at how complex life first emerged. Researchers captured the first direct images of an Asgard archaeon physically connected to a bacterium, with the two microbes appearing to exchange nutrients and other compounds. Scientists think similar partnerships billions of years ago may have helped produce the first complex cells.

Sep 3 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Katy Perry gives rare insight into Orlando Bloom split, calls Justin Trudeau ‘love of my life’

Katy Perry says she struggled after splitting with Orlando Bloom last year but ‘things shifted’ when she met boyfriend Justin Trudeau on her ‘Lifetimes’ tour.

Sep 2 • 5:59 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

Trump Administration Launches Blitz to Find Elusive Voter Fraud Ahead of Midterms

The practice is exceedingly rare, but President Trump has fixated on rooting it out this year, claiming without evidence that tens of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote.

Sep 2 • 2:25 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

The Adriatic Sea's Hidden Shark And Ray Hotspot Is Changing What Scientists Know

The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean's most important regions for sharks and rays, yet many of its species are critically endangered. New research based on decades of monitoring and close partnerships with local fishers is revealing previously unknown habitats, rediscovering rare species, and reshaping what scientists thought they knew about these animals.

Sep 2 • 6:30 AM EDT • Science • forbes.com

Sunken WWII hospital ship colonized by devil firefish and rare monk seals

A shipwreck off the coast of Albania has attracted both invasive species and provided a home for endangered ones, leading researchers to weigh the risks and benefits of these wrecks for local ecosystems.

Sep 2 • 5:52 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com

Cleveland Clinic survey highlights social media's influence on men's health

Seventy-four percent of men rarely or never trust health information shared by influencers, yet 39% admit they tried a new diet or wellness trend after seeing it on social media.

Sep 1 • 5:00 PM EDT • Health • spectrumnews1.com

North Carolina teen dies from rare brain-eating amoeba found in freshwater: Health officials

State health officials say the teenager died Monday.

Sep 1 • 1:39 PM EDT • Health • abc7ny.com

North Carolina teen dies from rare brain-eating amoeba found in freshwater: Health officials

State health officials say the teenager died Monday.

Sep 1 • 1:39 PM EDT • Health • abc7.com

North Carolina teen dies from rare brain-eating amoeba found in freshwater: Health officials

State health officials say the teenager died Monday.

Sep 1 • 1:39 PM EDT • Health • abc11.com

Dolly Parton’s creative director shares rare insight into what country star was like behind the scenes

Dolly Parton’s longtime creative director Steve Summers gives rare insight into what the country star, who died on Aug. 25 at age 80, was like behind the scenes.

Sep 1 • 12:59 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

California Legislature to vote on wildfire reforms after blocking Newsom's plan

Newsom's failure to get his full plan passed marked a rare loss for the governor

Sep 1 • 10:04 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumnews1.com

New Detection In Dark Matter Experiment Has Physicists Excited – Is It An Unexpected And Rare Background Or The First Evidence Of Dark Matter?

The detection is far from the gold standard threshold, but it is also in a mass region that shouldn’t have events.

Sep 1 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • iflscience.com

LZ Sees Surprising Result in Search for Dark Matter

Key Takeaways Dark matter is the mysterious substance that accounts for the vast majority of matter in our universe. LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a world-leading dark matter detector and specializes in searching for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. A new LZ study found one particle interaction that is difficult to explain with known background processes and could potentially have been caused by a WIMP. LZ continues to run to see if additional data strengthens or weakens the hint of a dark matter interaction. For the better part of a century, people have been trying to understand dark matter. This invisible substance makes up roughly 85% of the mass in the universe but has never been directly detected. Determining exactly what it is remains one of the biggest questions about our world. Now, a new analysis from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment has recorded a single particle interaction that researchers have great difficulty explaining with known background signals from normal matter. The result does not yet meet the statistical threshold required to claim a discovery, but is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date. LZ is an international collaboration of 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions. The detector is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and operates nearly one mile below ground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. The experiment uses 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to search for dark matter and is optimized to look for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. The results were presented in a scientific talk at the 2026 TeV Particle Astrophysics conference in Japan. The paper will be released on the online repository arXiv and submitted to the journal Physical Review Letters. “We’re very intrigued to see this event in the data, in the region where we expect dark matter to show up and the competing backgrounds are very low,” said Rick Gaitskell, a professor at Brown University and the spokesperson for LZ. “With only one event, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We are not claiming to have seen dark matter. But we have seen something interesting that we want to share with the scientific community for their input.” The LZ collaboration studies experimental data in batches. In the new result, researchers analyzed 220 live days of data collected between March 2023 and April 2024. The collaboration had previously searched this dataset for faint signals from the simplest kinds of WIMP interactions. The new analysis searched for a broader range of possible WIMP interactions that could deposit more energy in the detector. LZ is particularly sensitive to such signals while also minimizing false positives. “This was a detailed study in a region we hadn’t explored within this dataset, and we spent months of additional effort to understand all the possible causes of background events,” said Sam Eriksen, a senior research associate at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and lead author of the study. “We understand our detector and the backgrounds so well that even a single outstanding event, like the one we found, is important. We expect dark matter events to be extremely rare, so only a handful could mark the first detection of WIMP dark matter.” If the anomalous event was caused by dark matter, the WIMP that generated it would likely have a mass of at least 200 GeV/c2 (gigaelectronvolts), or more than 200 times the mass of a proton. It would also suggest a specific type of interaction between WIMPs and ordinary matter beyond the simplest model. The LZ results have not reached “5-sigma” significance, the statistical threshold considered a discovery in physics. The new analysis is 2.6 sigma, meaning there is approximately a 0.5% chance that the event could be explained by known backgrounds. With additional data, researchers can test whether the finding continues to grow in significance or fades away. LZ has already accumulated the world’s largest dark matter dataset and will continue to accrue WIMP search data at SURF, substantially improving their search statistics. LZ searches for dark matter by looking for signature flashes of light from energy deposited in the detector. The collaboration leverages multiple methods to prevent or account for particle interactions caused by normal matter. This includes the mile of rock that shields the detector from cosmic rays from space, a water tank and outer detectors that protect the central detector from background neutrons, and a suite of computational tools that disentangle particle interactions and reject dark matter mimics. “Outlier events in the data are not unexpected, but they usually stand out as a background of some kind when you look at them deeper,” said Aaron Manalaysay, a physicist at Berkeley Lab and the chair of LZ’s Institutional Board. “This is the first example in any experiment I’ve worked on of an outlier that appears valid in every way. Of course, we’re still twisting our brains trying to think if there’s a rare background mechanism we could’ve missed, but it’s thrilling to wonder if this could be the first hint of a dark-matter observation.” LZ is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics, and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science user facility. LZ is also supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom; the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; the Swiss National Science Foundation; the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics; and the Institute for Basic Science, Korea. Thirty-nine institutions of higher education and advanced research provided support to LZ. The LZ collaboration acknowledges the assistance of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

Sep 1 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • newscenter.lbl.gov

One of Earth’s driest places was just covered in snow

Rare storms covered huge stretches of Chile’s Atacama Desert in snow and dumped extraordinary amounts of rain on one of the driest regions on Earth. The extreme weather shut down observatories, triggered damaging floods and mudflows, and unfolded against the backdrop of a strengthening El Niño.

Aug 31 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks

by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning after

Aug 31 • 2:01 PM EDT • Business • oilcity.news

Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks

by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning

Aug 31 • 2:01 PM EDT • Business • capcity.news

Lawmakers walk out during Wyoming Business Council reform talks

by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile At least five lawmakers walked out of a rare combined hearing of two separate legislative committees Friday morning after convening to compare notes on overlapping bills aimed at reforming the Wyoming Business Council. The future of the state’s top economic development shop has stakes for how prepared Wyoming communities are to host […]

Aug 31 • 2:01 PM EDT • Business • county17.com

Steve Jobs' 8th grade science project sells for $34,375 as rare Apple memorabilia fetches millions at auction

Even in middle school, Jobs was fascinated with the tech world.

Aug 31 • 12:30 PM EDT • Science • finance.yahoo.com

Students connect over niche interests at Marine Science Club

The University of Alabama offers over 200 majors for undergraduate degrees, but one of the rarest is marine science. Since Tuscaloosa is not a coastal city, it can make some of the coursework unconventional. The Marine Science Club, however, makes it streamlined. While the Marine Science Club is open to all majors, it provides valuable...

Aug 30 • 8:25 PM EDT • Science • thecrimsonwhite.com

New England Patriots Trade for Player Cut By Minnesota Vikings

As two teams playing in opposite conferences, the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings rarely overlap. One team is fresh […]

Aug 30 • 5:43 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

North Carolina: Rabid baby goats at a mobile petting zoo prompts health warning

On Friday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats at a mobile petting zoo located in Iredell County. They were first notified of a potential rabies exposure among four baby goats at Farm Adventures in Harmony, North Carolina on August 27. The goats were most likely exposed to rabies by a skunk that had entered the pen where they were kept in late July. The NC State Laboratory of Public Health confirmed rabies viruses in three of the baby goats on August 28; a fourth goat was not tested but is also assumed to have been infected. Based on information gathered on August 28, it was determined that no other animals on the farm pose a risk of rabies exposure to people. Learn about rabies Anyone who had contact with baby goats from the Farm Adventures mobile petting zoo either at their location in Harmony, North Carolina, or at an off-site event, between July 28 and Aug. 27, 2026, may have been exposed while the animals were infectious. Impacted individuals should contact their local health department to determine whether medications are needed to prevent infection. Individuals are encouraged to call before visiting an emergency department or urgent care clinic to determine if treatment is needed and where it can be accessed. Known potential exposure dates and locations include: July 28: Jurney’s Assisted Living, 1942 Van Haven Drive, Statesville in Iredell County July 30: Private event in Mecklenburg County Aug. 1: Community Connections Back-to-School Bash, Breeden Amphitheater, 333 S. Main St., Lexington in Davidson County Aug. 6: Brookdale Peachtree, 2806 Peachtree Road, Statesville in Iredell County Aug. 8: Private event in Watauga County Aug. 9: Private event in Burke County Aug. 15: Masonic Picnic Grounds, 201 Poplar St., Mocksville in Davie County Aug. 16: Private event in Durham County Aug. 22: Private event in Iredell County Aug. 23: Private event in Durham County Rabies is a deadly disease that can spread from wild animals to pets and people, primarily through a bite, scratch or when infected saliva touches broken skin or mucous membranes. Human rabies infections are extremely rare in the United States. No human cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2011. Rabies is almost always fatal in mammals, including people, unless medications to prevent infections are given before symptoms develop. Symptoms can begin weeks to months after someone is exposed. Early symptoms are flu-like illness including weakness, fever or headache as well as a prickling or itching sensation where someone was bitten or exposed. In 2025, over 4,000 animals were submitted to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health for rabies testing, and of these, approximately 6% tested positive. In North Carolina the disease most often occurs in wild animals especially skunks, raccoons, bats and foxes. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 30 • 2:52 PM EDT • Health • outbreaknewstoday.substack.com

Over 4,400 human brains found intact in skeletons: scientists finally know why - Futura-Sciences

For decades, archaeologists have puzzled over a strange phenomenon: skeletons stripped bare by time, with only one soft and unlikely survivor remaining, the brain. Now, a team of researchers says it has finally uncovered the chemistry behind this mystery. It appears that the answer does not come from a rare...

Aug 30 • 2:00 PM EDT • Science • futura-sciences.com

1.4-million-year-old footprints reveal a surprisingly large human relative

Ancient footprints in Kenya reveal that eight Paranthropus boisei may have traveled together 1.4 million years ago, with some individuals reaching surprisingly large, human-like body sizes. The tracks offer a rare glimpse of their social behavior and suggest these extinct human relatives may have lived in more complex groups than previously thought.

Aug 30 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

907 Sports Tailgate Tour: Colony, Palmer meet in rare cross-town clash

Week 3 of the Alaska high school football season is a yearly opportunity for teams to square off against unfamiliar opponents from different divisions within the state, or even out-of-state foes.

Aug 29 • 1:28 AM EDT • Sports • alaskasnewssource.com

Pennsylvania Department of Health reports 460 cases of measles in 31 counties

Death from measles, though rare, occurs in one to three patients per 1,000 cases, according to the press release.

Aug 28 • 2:47 PM EDT • Health • wfmz.com

North Carolina teen critically ill from rare brain-eating amoeba found in freshwater, officials say

A North Carolina teenager is critically ill from a rare brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, that's found in warm freshwater, state health officials said.

Aug 28 • 10:52 AM EDT • Health • abcnews.com

The NFL finally put the Pro Bowl out of its misery. It was time

This is a surrender, a rare defeat for a sport that long ago surpassed Major League Baseball as the national pastime.

Aug 28 • 6:00 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

Department experiments with adding ‘like’ button into radiology reporting workflows

Diagnostic radiologists rarely receive routine feedback from referring clinicians on the quality and value of their work, likely contributing to burnout and poor job satisfaction, experts write.

Aug 28 • 2:13 AM EDT • Business • radiologybusiness.com

The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science

“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Aug 27 • 6:47 PM EDT • Science • wessiler.substack.com

Chicago Bears Predicted to Replace Ozzy Trapilo With ‘Rare’ Talent

The Chicago Bears have been predicted to bring in a "rare" talent to replace Ozzy Trapilo as their long-term left tackle solution after 2026. The post Chicago Bears Predicted to Replace Ozzy Trapilo With ‘Rare’ Talent appeared first on HEAVY.

Aug 27 • 1:54 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

MLB Network’s ‘Intentional Talk’ to broadcast live from Wrigley Field

MLB Network’s longest-running talk show is taking its act on the road again. Intentional Talk will broadcast live from Wrigley Field this Friday from noon to 2 p.m. ET, a rare two-hour edition of the usually hour-long program, timed to coincide with the Chicago Cubs’ 150th anniversary celebration and co-host Ryan Dempster’s induction onto the…

Aug 27 • 9:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Packers end training camp with joint practice vs. Arizona Cardinals

Fans flocked to Lambeau Field to watch the Packers and Cardinals practice and enjoy rare access to NFL players in final open practice of training camp

Aug 26 • 6:55 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Round out your summer reading with these 4 thrillers and mysteries

In these four darkly funny and deeply unsettling novels, obsession loosens buried secrets and accountability rarely lands where it should.

Aug 26 • 4:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com

Rare red northern lights may be visible alongside red moon during tomorrow night's partial lunar eclipse

Moderate G1 and G2 geomagnetic storms are forecast during the Aug. 27-28 partial lunar eclipse, with the northern lights potentially visible across several northern U.S. states and parts of Canada alongside the reddened full moon.

Aug 26 • 11:03 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com

Stephen Colbert Shows Love To Jimmy Kimmel By Backing 1 Thing ‘We Can All Agree’ On

Colbert, in a rare public statement since his late-night departure, threw his support behind his friend in a sweet video.

Aug 26 • 9:34 AM EDT • Entertainment • huffpost.com

How Dolly Parton became the one thing most Americans could agree on

The cultural icon was one of the rare celebrities adored by Americans of all ages, races and political persuasions.

Aug 26 • 4:11 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com

‘He’s human’: Mason Miller’s rare mistake costs Padres against Pirates

The Sporting Tribune's Fernando Ramirez writes about a rare mistake from closer Mason Miller cost the Padres a much needed victory.

Aug 26 • 12:53 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Antisemitic streamer finally makes Dem leader snap with rare rebuke: ‘Malicious’

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries calls Hasan Piker's claim that Jewish Americans invite violence against themselves dangerous and antisemitic.

Aug 25 • 2:43 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

PS Plus Essential Games for September 2026 Leaked Early

A rare PS Plus leak appears

Aug 25 • 11:05 AM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com

Mojtaba Khamenei seen, heard in rare video amid health concerns

A new video of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has surfaced amid growing mystery over his health, appearance and whereabouts.

Aug 25 • 1:36 AM EDT • Health • timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Newsom urges California families to sign up for Trump Accounts in rare bipartisan moment

Gov. Gavin Newsom is encouraging families to take advantage of a program bearing the name of one of his biggest political rivals: President Donald Trump.

Aug 24 • 6:30 PM EDT • Politics • abc7news.com

Microsoft employees reveal how much cash they're burning on AI

The figures offer a rare glimpse into how AI is being used inside Microsoft.

Aug 24 • 4:55 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Clarence Thomas rejects idea that race determines politics

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently joined Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to discuss race and politics in a rare interview. (Credit: Verdict with Ted Cruz via Youtube)

Aug 24 • 2:43 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com

Edward Furlong has rare reunion with his ‘Terminator’ parents

Decades after being dropped from the third ‘Terminator’ film due to addiction issues, Edward Furlong reunited with his onscreen parents and the T-1000 himself.

Aug 24 • 2:22 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

Stephen Colbert makes rare appearance after end of 'The Late Show'

Stephen Colbert is in his post-"Late Show" era.

Aug 24 • 9:24 AM EDT • Entertainment • centraloregondaily.com

Bird flu is spreading. Your backyard feeder could make it worse

Backyard bird feeders could become unexpected hotspots for H5N1 as Australia’s bird flu outbreak spreads, bringing species together in ways that rarely occur naturally. Experts say stopping feeding is safest, while smaller amounts of food, no hand-feeding, and careful cleaning can reduce the danger.

Aug 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Cowboys news: Brian Schottenheimer fired up over rare preseason moment

The Dallas Cowboys looked incredible during their latest preseason game. Dallas thumped Arizona 34-13 in a game that was decided in the first quarter. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was thrilled with his team’s performance after another tough week of training camp practices. Schottenheimer was extremely excited during his postgame remarks […] The post Cowboys news: Brian Schottenheimer fired up over rare preseason moment appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Aug 23 • 2:36 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Your backyard could hold a rare earth fortune and this orange lichen is the clue

Chinese scientists discover link between lichen growth and potentially untapped rare-earth-bearing carbonates and mineral deposits.

Aug 23 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • scmp.com

Scientists discover a real-life “dragon” and name it after Syrax

Scientists discovered a small, yellowish mountain horned dragon in Thailand and named it Acanthosaura syrax after a dragon from House of the Dragon. Found only in a narrow band of high-elevation forest, the distinctive new species could become a flagship for protecting its rare mountain habitat.

Aug 23 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Wendy Williams pleads for freedom in rare public sighting

Wendy Williams' latest remarks are renewing speculation that she wants out of her conservatorship.

Aug 22 • 3:30 PM EDT • Entertainment • centraloregondaily.com

This rare Nebraska district backed Harris but sent a Republican to Congress. Can Democrats win here?

Retiring Rep. Don Bacon’s open seat pits fellow Republican and Omaha City Councilmember Brinker Harding against Democratic activist Denise Powell.

Aug 22 • 2:01 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Archaeologists unearth a medieval nobleman buried with his horse and dog in a rare wooden tomb in Russia

A rare example of a wooden chamber tomb reveals connections between medieval Norse and Old Russian burial styles.

Aug 22 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com

This rare Nebraska district backed Harris but sent a Republican to Congress. Can Democrats win here?

Just eight of 435 congressional districts backed a Republican in their House race and Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

Aug 22 • 8:27 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com

This Rare Nebraska District Backed Harris but Sent a Republican to Congress. Can Democrats Win Here?

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — “Do they still like Trump in Nebraska? I think so,” the president said during a recent event in Washington. Given that the state easily backed Republican Donald Trump three times and hasn't supported a Democrat for the White House since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, the answer may ...

Aug 22 • 8:27 AM EDT • Politics • usnews.com

UVA Health leads nation in treatment of rare vascular condition in elite athletes

The medical team has treated over 100 patients for Iliac artery endofibrosis, a condition most often found in elite athletes.

Aug 22 • 6:45 AM EDT • Health • cvillerightnow.com

Trump makes rare campaign appearance after Darline Graham flub

Aug 21 • 7:49 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Sports Media Pod: From tennis star to movie villian, Andy Roddick’s Hollywood adventure

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast, SBJ’s Rob Schaefer draws out a side of Andy Roddick that fans rarely get to see. He shares stories from filming The Dink, working with actor Jake Johnson, and hearing his kids’ reactions to his over-the-top villain role.

Aug 21 • 2:44 PM EDT • Sports • sportsbusinessjournal.com

China rejects US claim that Myanmar analyst wrongfully detained

Min Zin was arrested on June 3 after the Chinese government invited him to attend a conference.

Aug 21 • 8:48 AM EDT • Politics • aljazeera.com

Walmart slows down: what the retail giant’s earnings say about consumer spending

Walmart Inc.’s quarterly sales fell short of expectations, a rare miss that’s likely to stoke concern about the leading big-box retailer decelerating alongside a slow-growing US economy.

Aug 20 • 11:36 AM EDT • Business • latimes.com

The Apophis encounter in 2029: A rare opportunity for planetary science and defense

The near-Earth asteroid Apophis will make an extremely close flyby of Earth on April 13, 2029, at a distance of approximately 38,000 km—an event that occurs on average only once every 7,500 years, offering an unprecedented opportunity for planetary science and planetary defense. However, significant uncertainties remain regarding the physical parameters of Apophis, such as its shape, spin state, internal structure, and material composition, and predictions of tidal effects—including potential orbital changes, spin acceleration, surface material displacement, and dust ejection during the flyby—are highly dependent on model assumptions. Although multiple nations have planned exploration missions, how to coordinate global observational resources within the limited time window, optimize rapid-response mission architectures, and translate scientific understanding into effective planetary defense strategies remain critical challenges to be addressed.

Aug 20 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org

Analysis | Darline Graham’s ‘oops’ moment and the pitfalls of acknowledging ignorance

Like the senator from South Carolina, candidates have admitted to not knowing things before. Doing so rarely ends well for them.

Aug 20 • 5:47 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Shirley MacLaine makes rare video appearance, pokes fun at 1960s movie flop

Shirley MacLaine, 92, sent a video message to a New York theater screening "Sweet Charity," joking about Bob Fosse's directorial debut flopping.

Aug 19 • 5:10 PM EDT • Entertainment • foxnews.com

What to know about the outbreak of a rare kind of Ebola

Bundibugyo virus is a rare type of Ebola that has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Aug 19 • 2:58 PM EDT • Health • pbs.org

Philadelphia Phillies add to pitching depth with rare August signing

The Phillies have struggled to fill the fifth spot in their rotation throughout the season.

Aug 19 • 2:54 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

What to know about the outbreak of a rare kind of Ebola

Congo’s Ministry of Health had recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths, as of Sunday.

Aug 19 • 12:09 PM EDT • Health • bostonherald.com

Apple Accidentally Leaked More Than 10 New Products in macOS Update

Apple on Monday seeded the macOS 26.7 Release Candidate, and the upcoming software update has seemingly leaked more than 10 new Apple products. macOS 26.7's code contains references to AirPods with infrared cameras for Visual Intelligence, the long-rumored foldable iPhone, an all-new Apple smart home hub, the first-ever MacBook and iPad mini models with OLED displays, an updated Siri Remote for a next-generation Apple TV, and more, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

Aug 19 • 11:02 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

‘Jealousy Runs So Deep Through Your Blood’

Khabib Nurmagomedov is not the top pick for greatest of all time (GOAT), but it’s not a rare choice either. Though “The Eagle” didn’t have a title reign as long as Georges St. Pierre or Demetrious Johnson, retiring undefeated at 29-0 counts for something. More to the point, nobody saw Khabib bleed in his entire […]

Aug 19 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

ABC sues FCC over challenge to its broadcast licenses

ABC took the rare step on Tuesday

Aug 18 • 4:15 PM EDT • Entertainment • spectrumlocalnews.com

Tackling rare genetic disorders with patient-focused science

At MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, PhD candidate Shannon Knight is developing a novel gene therapy to tackle rare genetic conditions such as SYNGAP1 disorder.

Aug 18 • 12:00 AM EDT • Science • news.mit.edu

Paying for a Health App Boosts Engagement, but Not for Long

New research from Yale SOM's Kosuke Uetake finds that upgrading to the paid tier of a fitness app sparks a burst of activity that fades within weeks, rarely translating into long-term weight loss.

Aug 17 • 4:26 PM EDT • Health • som.yale.edu

Rare deals land on Apple’s new AirTags 2 trackers at the best prices in months

Apple’s improved second-generation AirTags are now as affordable as $22 apiece when you take advantage of today’s rare deals.

Aug 17 • 3:00 PM EDT • Technology • cnn.com