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Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons II, Dune: Awakening, and More
Whether you’re delving into the Dungeons a second time, surviving the chaos of Emergence Day with Bravo Squad, or just biking through the ultimate obstacle course, we have a bunch more games ready for you and some friends. Let’s get to it!
There's Never Been A Better Time To Play Fire Emblem: Awakening
Stop trying to make me social, Nintendo, I just want to bonk units
A GREAT AWAKENING ARRIVES ON HOME ENTERTAINMENT, BRINGING A POWERFUL STORY OF FAITH AND FRIENDSHIP INTO LIVING ROOMS NATIONWIDE
/PRNewswire/ -- Following its nationwide theatrical debut, A GREAT AWAKENING is set to reach audiences at home, offering viewers a new opportunity to...
Wake Up, It Looks Like Terranigma Might Finally Be Getting A Re-Release
"All the living things in this world await your awakening"
We're not about to awaken an evil digital god — AI is far more likely to end in a great disappointment
AI is unlikely to launch a Hollywood-style war against us. Rather, the biggest danger of AI is that it will disappoint us.
Duncan Sheik, 'Spring Awakening' composer and pop star, dies at 56
Sheik had been best known for his lasting radio hit "Barely Breathing" when he turned his sights on Broadway
Behind the Curtain: America's great political implosion
Populist forces Trump awakened are devouring the establishment.
Hannah Einbinder opens up about sex, shame and 'Camp Miasma'
NEW YORK – Growing up, every queer person has that one gay awakening movie.
Two Las Vegas Strip shows closing, hundreds of entertainment workers losing jobs
Mad Apple closes September 5, Awakening closes October 10
Duncan Sheik, 'Spring Awakening' composer known for '90s hit 'Barely Breathing,' dies at 56
The Tony Award-winning musician died of organ failure on Thursday after being hospitalized, his family said.
‘My People Need Me!!! And I Need Them’: Bad Bunny’s Political Awakening in Puerto Rico
An exclusive excerpt from the book 'P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance' traces the star's music and activism.
Duncan Sheik, Tony- and Grammy-winning 'Spring Awakening' composer and pop star, dies at 56
Tony- and Grammy-winning musician Duncan Sheik has died at 56 | WWL
The Big Holes in Wearable Heart Rate Variability And Readiness Scores
On September 9th, Apple announced it was revamping its Apple Watch Health Sensing System, rolling out a Readiness score (0 to 10), and increasing the frequency of heart rate variability (HRV) outputs 24-fold. This can be viewed as upping its competition with various other consumer wearable sensors. These “readiness scores” as a composite of multiple metrics, with heart rate variability (HRV) being front and center for most. The majority of Americans are now using wearable sensors, which equates to well over 100 million adults. HRV and Readiness scores are increasingly being marketed as a measurement of autonomic nervous system health, a digital marker for future disease, a clock for biological age, and a holistic metric to promote healthspan and even longevity. (Apple also introduced a new longevity tab and “Health Age”.) None of this has been proven. In this edition of Ground Truths I am going to review what we know about heart rate variability and readiness scores. Heart Rate Variability HRV is the variation in normal heart cycle timing. The variability of the heart rate, the barely perceptible millisecond changes in time between consecutive heart beats (see R-R intervals in the Figure below, left panel), is due to interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal nerve) inputs. Distinct from heart rate, individuals with the same heart rate can have very different HRVs. It is a rough reflection of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, inadequate to say whether a person’s ANS function is abnormal. For more than three decades, heart rate variability (HRV) has been measured and several studies have found an association of low HRV and clinical outcomes, particularly a link with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. There have also been less well established links of low HRV to risk of early cognitive impairment, dementia, mental illness, Type 2 diabetes and substance abuse. An important reminder is that HRV is a surrogate marker without any established cause-and-effect relationship. If you increase your HRV, that doesn’t mean it will improve health outcomes. In fact, there is no hard evidence for that. All that work linking to health outcomes was done with electrocardiogram (ECG) derived HRV. Now, in the era of consumer wearables, this is getting assessed differently, by optical pulse (yes, the lights you see) plethysmography (PPG) or what is called pulse rate variability (PRV). They are not the same, as shown below (right panel) and only concordant when the delay between the ECG and pulse is kept constant, which basically means at rest. I should mention there’s also what I will call MPV, a mattress mechanical movement sensor, a derived heart rate variability, that companies like Eight Sleep use, even further away from directly measuring HRV. HRV has not one uniform measurement but many different types of quantification, such as RMSSD, the magnitude of difference between successive R-R intervals of normal sinus beats (N-N) or SDNN, the standard deviation of NN intervals, both in milliseconds. SDNN is one of the so-called frequency domain HRVs (others are LF, HF, LF/HF). Different wearable sensors use different metics; Apple has relied on SDNN and nearly all of the others use RMSSD, which is generally considered the more accurate metric. There’s also the different length of time measured, such as for a matter of minutes, all day, or an overnight’s sleep. Short measurements are especially problematic since they don’t capture enough of respiratory modulation and other factors that influence HRV. Share Ground Truths How well does HRV correlate with PRV? There are very limited studies, especially independently done. One that is commonly cited was conducted by Air Force researchers in only 13 healthy adults assessing Oura ring 3 and 4, Whoop 4.0, and Garmin Fenix 6 and showed a correlation coefficient of 0.88 to 0.97 and a mean absolute percentage error from 6 to 10%. The correlation is not a perfect 1.0, but there’s at least a fairly high level of correlation. HRV is supposed to increase during the night due to takeover of the parasympathetic nervous system, and higher during deep sleep. A recent example of my 1 week, all day “HRV,” and one during sleep is shown below. As you can see, the N of 1 data are inconsistent for the same days from different sensors (Oura, AppleWatch, Fitbit Air, and Eight Sleep) by patterns, absolute numbers, and comparison with prior days and weeks. The largest study in over 8 million Fitbit users (the old version, not Google Fitbit Air, introduced in May 2026) gives you a sense of the effect of age, sex, and the 2 different main HRV (here PRV) metrics, with RMSSD on the left and SDRR (=SDNN) on the right below. That study, from data collected in 2018, is a major outlier, since all the more recent ones are tiny with respect to sample size. Many of the companies have not had independent evaluation of their HRV, such as Eight Sleep, but have published a low standard error on their website. There are some other published studies on the correlation between HRV and PRV, but they are all small and only in healthy adults. A scoping review emphasized the lack of study in underrepresented individuals, including the aged, people of color (which affects the PPG signal), and individuals who are underweight or obese. Add the typical adult age 60 plus with one or more chronic diseases. For example, one study in over 900 adults found poor correlation of HRV and PRV, non-uniformly underestimated across many chronic diseases (cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, respiratory, and others), concluding PRV is “an invalid surrogate for HRV.” A recent systematic review of 43 studies comparing HRV and PRV found reasonable pooled absolute standardized error (HRV as gold standard) but only 10 of the studies provided quantitative synthesis in ideal conditions. Their main conclusion was similarly cautious: “PPG-derived HRV [PRV] should not be regarded as universally interchangeable with ECG-derived HRV across all devices, populations, and recording contexts.” Factors Affecting HRV and PRV That gets me to the long list of factors that affect HRV (and PRV) besides the device, the type of measurement (RMSSD, SDNN or others), the person’s signal, the sensor site, the duration of data capture, if weighting by sleep stage is used, how artifact is processed and corrected. And this list is not complete!: Oura puts out data from their community of users (who input data) on what affects their overnight HRV. The factors currently provided are: no alcohol (increase 8%), melatonin (increase 2%, float tank (increase 2%), wine (decrease 4%), and party (decrease 14%) in overnight HRV. Must be some big parties! Subscribe What is a PRV measurement good for? It has been falsely characterized as an index of “autonomic balance” and a specific indicator of stress. A 2018 review of the studies available for HRV and its relationship to stress, not using any of the current wearables, found that stress can lower HRV. But so can many other factors. The non-specificity of the signal, indexed to the table above, is striking. Evidence from a UK Biobank study of over 46,000 participants with actual HRV looked at genetically predicted HRV, a genetic risk score, that failed to show the expected HRV-mortality link, indicating that _HRV is likely not causa_l, but rather a reflection of person’s physiologic state. A review of consumer wearable HRV data from 5 longitudinal studies showed that nighttime PRV was not associated with perceived stress, and surprisingly higher HRV, in the largest cohort (N=717 participants), was correlated with higher stress. An Oura ring cohort of 525 first-year college students found a link between overnight PRV and perceived stress, but that was also seen with resting heart rate, sleep, and respiratory rate. Several very small studies have examined the relationship of HRV and athletic injuries or guiding training with mixed, and predominantly negative results. HRV biofeedback training with paced breathing had no significant effect on reducing stress or raising HRV, as demonstrated with sham controlled trials. When HRV for multiple days showed a decline in conjunction with body temperature, the Oura ring published data for prediction of Covid. The WHOOP company sponsored an observational study, published in 2026, of 30,000 users for 72 weeks, without a control group, that reported reduced alcohol intake (5.8 % points) by self-report. That doesn’t tell us much, and particularly about the merits of HRV for behavioral change. If you use the same device and conditions as longitudinal trends for multiple (at least 2-3) weeks that may be the one way to get something useful from the measurements. Data for overnight sleep with minimal motion and using RMSSD is the best proxy for real HRV. The reason to look at trends rather than any given night is that it more likely represents something, even though you won’t know with certainty what the “it” is. Keep in mind there are no data, no peer-reviewed evidence, to show that HRV fluctuation in-person has any correlation with health outcomes. Share Readiness Scores These are proprietary scores that integrate different metrics for each of the wearables: no algorithms have been disclosed. They are unvalidated against health outcomes. In a review of 14 composite health scores of readiness and recovery, HRV contributed 86% to the scores, followed by reading heart rate (79%), physical activity and sleep duration (both at 71%). That review noted the substantial variability in measurement protools and lack of standardization. Sleep staging is notoriously inconsistent and inaccurate by these sensors, which adds further to the HRV uncertainties for what the scores, which use sleep stage data, mean. Only resting heart rate has been shown consistently across devices to be extremely accurate. I’ve made a Table to summarize what we know about which metrics are included, the scores, any peer-reviewed studies that compared the readiness score with health outcomes, and the corresponding (if any, NA-not available) citation. You will note that some companies do not use the term “readiness," such as WHOOP for recovery, and Garmin, which has 2 different scores, one of which is Body Battery. Eight Sleep uses the term “Fitness Score.” They all include HRV; Apple includes a new metric they call “Recovery HRV” which among other components uses 7-days of sleep, but it is unclear what this means or how it is differentiated from other scores (there are clearly no data for outcomes). We have no knowledge of how the different components are weighted or whether any of these scores are better than resting heart rate, HRV alone, physical activity, or any other single metric. Since none of these are standardized, they are not interchangeable, so if you get a 90 for Oura that has no relationship to a 90 on a Google Fitbit Air. Notably, the company can update its algorithm for readiness score at any point without notification to device users. Without any useful evidence of actionability for these scores or established relationship with health outcomes, it is hard to make a case for their value. At the Apple recent announcement they showed their Readiness score (0-10) on the watch (Figure below) but there are no published data on this score, not even on their website. It’s available only on their new Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 [of course, ;-)]. That exemplifies the problems with these scores, lack of data and evidence for being meaningful to promote health. Perhaps the best study (which isn’t saying much) is the WHOOP Recovery for golfer performance, because it did correlate with an objective outcome, even though there was no control group and the authors were all from the company. Among the 389 pro golfers, an absolute 10-per cent point increase in Recovery score was associated with about 0.5 fewer strokes per round. But that’s hardly a health outcome! WHOOP is also conducting a study in over 2,700 runners to see if their recovery score will be linked to less injuries and improved performance, but that is not yet published and has no control group or randomization. Putting This in Context For two decades I’ve been enthusiastic about the potential for digital health and particularly wearable biosensors. Over the years, we’ve seen some great progress for their ability to promote physical activity and accurately detect atrial fibrillation (the first FDA cleared deep learning AI for consumers). That work was the subject of rigorous research. But there are holes in the data and evidence for other metrics. One notable one is the “VO2 max” story that I wrote about earlier this year. At that time many subscribers asked me to cover heart rate variability, which I finally got to here. When I dived into the research and publication for HRV and readiness scores, I expected to find at least some that were of high quality and demonstrated their utility by linkage to health outcomes. To my surprise, I found none. The wearable sensor measurements for HRV (PRV) are, for the most part, accurate, but that validation work has only been done in small studies of healthy adults and does not take into account the long list of factors, from the device, software side, and the user side, that affect HRV measurements. Moreover, this metric chiefly relies on optical sensing and, as we have learned for heart rate PPG sensing, may be less accurate in people of color. Keep in mind that all of the health outcome association evidence comes from ECG-derived HRV; none are from wearable sensor data. I will repeat the key point: there's no peer-reviewed evidence to show that in-person HRV fluctuation—or efforts to raise your HRV— has any correlation with health outcomes. For those of you who look at your HRV on awakening, or even 2+ week trends of it being low, I hope this context helps to relieve any anxiety. Yes, low HRV (not PRV) has been shown to increase risk of some diseases as summarized above. But efforts to raise your HRV—a surrogate metric— has not been established for improving any health outcomes. HRV does not have any evidence of causality (the genetic evidence actually goes against this possibility). In this summary, I have not included data for other wearable sensors such as Polar, Samsung, Withings, Suunto, Amazfit, Coros, Ultrahuman, or additional mattress sensors. These are beyond my first-hand experience, and as far as I know from my in-depth review none have any peer-reviewed published data that differ from the 6 sensors I’ve reviewed here. From the points I’ve gone over above, we’re not ready for readiness scores. Besides being proprietary, they are predominantly based on metrics that have their own issues. It’s compounding the problem, like building a house without a solid foundation that has never undergone a rigorous inspection, and then selling it. Like I mentioned for PRV, you can look at trends over weeks rather than any single day, to get a handle, but even that may not be helpful. There’s simply no evidence that these scores meaningfully relate to health outcomes. I’d emphasize they might, but that requires doing prospective or randomized studies to prove it. None exist. There’s great promise for HRV/PRV utility_. For example**,**_ Prof Maiken Nedergaard, who discovered the brain glymphatics that are essential in eliminating metabolic waste products from the brain during sleep, has posited that HRV could be a non-invasive marker for neuromodulator oscillations, brain-body regulatory circuits, and brain clearance. That would be extremely useful, but like everything else on HRV and readiness scores it requires solid research and validation. The lay media isn’t helping much to get the story straight. Earlier this year The Economist published a piece entitled “The most useful indicator of your overall health” which ordained HRV as an “accumulated stress score.” That’s akin to the false assertion about VO2max: “V02 max is the singular most powerful marker for longevity.” As I’ve summarized here, that is not established. The fact is that so many things can lower HRV, including physical exercise (especially an intense workout), reduced sleep quality, stress, the list above, no less the device, signal, and software. Whatever fluctuations observed have not been correlated with any health outcome. Sadly, “datamaxxers” are widely using HRV and readiness scores that have never been validated to mean anything. We already know that for some people using the sensors for sleep metrics, it can induce “orthosomnia,” an obsession to get high sleep quality, with associated high levels of anxiety. In an experiment done by a company to promote sleep quality for its employees, “For those employees who did use the trackers, many reported feeling perfectly rested until their tracker told them they had had a terrible night. Others were told that they had slept like a baby when they had actually been lying awake worrying about the quality of their sleep. “ The same problem can result from preoccupation with HRV or readiness scores, with anxiety that would lead to further reduction in both. It you are using a wearable like >100 million American adults, it’s OK to look at these data, but contextualized with the major caveats reviewed here. If you are one to require evidence that HRV or readiness scores are linked to health outcomes, you may not even want to look. The companies make it hard to turn them off! Let me end with the companies that make and sell wearables. Apple’s doubling down on HRV (24-fold more reporting and heart rate very 5 seconds) and introduction of a Readiness score tells us that consumers have bought into these metrics and they are joining the club. However, all of this is occurring with a backdrop of tens millions of users, claims about the data that are not backed up by adequate evidence, marketing way out in front of whatever limited data exists, and not being transparent about their readiness score algorithms. The companies can well afford to do the research that is needed to connect these metrics with health outcomes show, once and for all, that increasing HRV or using readiness scores promotes our health. If they believed and invested in the products they are selling, we’d not be in this position of not knowing. That’s essentially where we are with HRV and readiness scores. Perhaps someday this will change and we’ll have good reason to embrace them. NB: I wrote this post. No AI. I have no conflicts of interest with any of its content. Loading... Ground Truths has 215,000 subscribers from every US state and 214 countries. There are over 300,000 followers of Ground Truths so more than 90,000 folks who can easily convert to be free subscribers. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. If you’re not a subscriber, please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths The proceeds from all voluntary paid subscriptions go to support our summer internship program. It enabled us to accept and support a record number of 62 summer interns that joined us in 2026! These are high school, college and medical students selected from thousands of applicants. We couldn’t do this expanded program without the funds coming in through Ground Truths. Thank you!
Game Pass adds Dune: Awakening, Minecraft Dungeons II, Gears of War: E-Day, and more in late September to early October
Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Game Pass in late September to early October, including Dune: Awakening, Minecraft Dungeons II, Gears of War: E-Day, and more.
Consumer Reports' 2026 Sports Car List Reawakens An Old Argument
The original definition of a sports car was a two-seat convertible you could drive in a race. CR's list raises the question: Does this need updating?
Hawkeye Football: Instant Reaction NIU vs Iowa
A sleeping giant awakens as Iowa’s offense finds its groove and the defense shuts down Northern Illinois.
‘A rude awakening’: more doctors running for office in rebuke to Trump’s health policies
Medical professionals are entering the political arena as funding cuts, layoffs and RFK Jr’s vaccine skepticism spur them to action
Two Las Vegas Strip shows closing, hundreds of entertainment workers losing jobs
Mad Apple closes September 5, Awakening closes October 10
Broadway composer and singer Duncan Sheik dies at 56
NEW YORK — Duncan Sheik, who composed the Tony Award-winning show “Spring Awakening” and sang the 1996 Grammy-nominated pop music hit “Barely Breathing,” has died. He was 56. His death
Scientists revive activity in frozen mouse brains for the first time
A familiar trope in science fiction is the cryopreserved time traveller, their body deep-frozen in suspended animation, then thawed and reawakened in another decade or century with all of their mental...
How opencast mining risks reawakening dormant geological faults
New study finds subsidence caused by groundwater extraction can take place as far as 20km from site of mine
From troubled youth to NFL star: Garett Bolles' journey
His first career Pro Bowl nod is tantalizingly within reach for nine-year NFL veteran Garett Bolles, whose renaissance on the gridiron mirrors his awakening off the field. The Broncos' left tackle has polished the rough edges of his game over the years to go from a raw latecomer to football (he was a lacrosse star as a kid) to one of the league's best blindside protectors. Early on, he was derided by Broncos fans for his propensity for penalties.
This video game is making men want to be fathers. It started a viral conversation
There's a video game that's going viral for making players want to become dads. It's called "Pragmata," and here's how it awakens "paternal instinct."
Sleeping giant has awakened for Southern Section baseball playoffs
Defending champion St. John Bosco enters the Division 1 baseball playoffs on an 11-game winning streak, but it didn't get much love from the seeding algorithms.
Two Las Vegas Strip shows closing, hundreds of entertainment workers losing jobs
Mad Apple closes September 5, Awakening closes October 10
\'Spring Awakening\': Ephrata theater adds show to season; Jonathan Groff on new cast recording
The Ephrata Performing Arts Center announced July 7 that it is adding “Spring Awakening” to its 2026 season of shows.
Dune: Awakening Arrives on XBOX With New Ways to Play
Dune: Awakening is out for the first time on XBOX Series X|S, with a new fully single-player mode. Learn why now is the best time to play.
Ukrainian Politics Has Reawakened. Zelensky Must Tread Carefully.
The Ukrainian leader is reshuffling his cabinet as a corruption scandal reshapes the political landscape at a pivotal point in peace negotiations.
CSPS mourns the loss of musical icon Duncan Sheik’s legacy
Duncan Sheik, the Tony- and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who crafted the music for “Spring Awakening,” died Sept. 17. He was 56.
A Mayor’s Health Journey Sparks a Townwide Awakening as Irvington Enters 2026!
A Mayor’s Health Journey Sparks a Townwide Awakening as Irvington Enters 2026! As Irvington prepares to turn the calendar from 2025 to 2026, something extraordinary has taken place — not through a ribbon cutting or a campaign slogan, but through example. This holiday season, Mayor Tony Vauss did something rare in public life: he made[...]
Duncan Sheik, Tony- and Grammy-winning 'Spring Awakening' composer and pop star, dies at 56
Tony- and Grammy-winning musician Duncan Sheik has died at 56. The “Barely Breathing” singer-songwriter composed the music for “Spring Awakening.” The groundbreaking Broadway musical that explored teenage angst ran for
Two Las Vegas Strip shows closing, hundreds of entertainment workers losing jobs
Mad Apple closes September 5, Awakening closes October 10
Star Wars: The Force Awakens — Science Lessons vs. Story Rules
Special effects are not worthless but they are second-tier when it comes to storytelling.
Two Las Vegas Strip shows closing, hundreds of entertainment workers losing jobs
Mad Apple closes September 5, Awakening closes October 10
A bunch of first-party Nintendo Switch games are now on sale
Nintendo has put eight different Switch games on sale, including Super Mario RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Zelda: Link's Awakening, and more.
Xbox gets 48 new games next week, including two Game Pass additions
Next week, Control Resonant, Dune: Awakening, EA Sports FC 27, Graveyard Keeper 2, and 44 more new games launch across Xbox consoles and Xbox PC.
Hunt the Death Cult in Season of Death Awakening
Seek out new threats from the Death Cults, dominate the Tower and Leaderboards, and enjoy a free Warlock Trial in Season of Death Awakening.
A chilling awakening at Fratton Park
Portsmouth supporter Tom Chappell admits his team are not yet as good as he thought after an opening day Championship defeat by QPR
COVID-19 awakens dormant viruses — and one is linked to long COVID
COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses hiding in the body, including Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus, and several herpes viruses. One poorly understood viral family was strongly associated with long COVID and lasting disability, offering a potentially important clue to why some patients struggle to recover.
A Nebraska hospital in peril shows how a Republican-led rural health fund is coming up short
It's a problem that millions of Americans in rural areas are awakening to as they realize there's no windfall coming for the vulnerable hospitals near their homes.
'Like watching a cosmic volcano erupt': Scientists see monster black hole 'reborn' after 100 million years
Scientists saw an inactive black hole 'reawaken' from a 100-million-year nap with fire and fury.
Nicki Minaj stands up for Trump against ‘bullying,’ says she ‘couldn’t handle’ how he was being treated
Nicki Minaj revealed Trump "bullying" inspired her political awakening. The rapper says witnessing attacks on the president reminded her of her own experiences.
What COVID is teaching doctors about the relationship between viruses and cancer
The pandemic has left some evidence that viral infection may play a role in reawakening dormant cancer cells already present in a patient’s body before infection.
New Horizons awakens after longest hibernation, resumes science mission 9.5 billion km from Earth
NASA announced on July 7, 2026, that its New Horizons spacecraft has resumed active operations after completing its longest hibernation period to date. The spacecraft emerged from a 321-day…
Rewriting the playbook: The grassroots movement for Black midlife health
I was 45 when my body first started sending distress signals: drenching night sweats, sudden 2 a.m. awakenings and a persistent brain fog that had me forgetting...
Duncan Sheik, 'Spring Awakening' composer and pop star, dies at 56
Sheik had been best known for his lasting radio hit "Barely Breathing" when he turned his sights on Broadway
Broadway composer and singer Duncan Sheik dies at 56
NEW YORK — Duncan Sheik, who composed the Tony Award-winning show “Spring Awakening” and sang the 1996 Grammy-nominated pop music hit “Barely Breathing,” has died. He was 56. His death
Golden Knights make the Pacific Division much more interesting
When the Vegas Golden Knights hired John Tortorella amidst a challenging stretch of play, many fans and pundits expressed curiosity and a dash of skepticism about if the change was going to awaken the sleeping giant.
The shootings in Minneapolis are upending the politics of immigration in Congress
Democrats have awakened to what they see as a moral moment for the country.
‘Barely Breathing’ singer Duncan Sheik, 56, hospitalized in critical condition
NEW YORK — Duncan Sheik, the voice behind the 1996 single “Barely Breathing” and Tony Award-winning composer of “Spring Awakening,” is currently hospitalized. Sheik’s family offered a health update in
Two Las Vegas Strip shows closing, hundreds of entertainment workers losing jobs
Mad Apple closes September 5, Awakening closes October 10
Takashi Tezuka Reinvented Zelda Without Overthinking It
Originally an outsider to gaming, Tezuka's otherworldly influences extended far beyond what arcade halls alone could offer
Tim Schafer Calls Double Fine Leaving Xbox A 'Creative Awakening': 'Asha’s Not Going To Shoot My Dog'
The CEO said he had a bad feeling once Phil Spencer retired
Duncan Sheik, 'Spring Awakening' composer and pop star, dies at 56
Sheik had been best known for his lasting radio hit "Barely Breathing" when he turned his sights on Broadway
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…
'Spring Awakening' composer Duncan Sheik in 'critical but stable condition'
Duncan Sheik attends the premiere of 'Spring Awakening: Those You've Known' at Florence Gould Hall on April 25, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Duncan Sheik, Tony- and Grammy-winning ‘Spring Awakening’ composer and pop star, dies at 56
Tony- and Grammy-winning musician Duncan Sheik has died at 56. Before Broadway's “Spring Awakening,” he had been best known for the hit “Barely Breathing.”
Who gets Nevin's unwanted award?
It can't be Burnley or Wolves; they are with all due respect 'yo-yo' clubs. Spurs can obviously try to claim the booby prize not only for abject performances but a lack of spirit for large parts of the campaign. West Ham take the official prize as they have been relegated, but the post-Christmas reawakening under Nuno means that there will be great hope they can bounce straight back up.
Despite Its Claims, the Trump Administration Isn’t Helping Farmers at All
A group of Iowa soybean farmers who voted for the president are undergoing a very rude awakening.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft awakens from yearlong hibernation to do unprecedented science beyond Pluto
NASA's record-breaking New Horizons spacecraft has awoken from a 321-day hibernation in "good health" as it resumes unprecedented science at the solar system's edge.
The Poetry of Pelé. The Miracle of Maradona. The Awakening of America
Tom Rinaldi reflects on why the the world’s game belongs right here at home
Duncan Sheik, Tony Award-winning composer, dies at 56
Duncan Sheik attends 'The Broadway Legacy Foundation Launch' at the Broadway Museum on November 11, 2025 in New York City. (Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)Duncan Sheik, the Tony Award-winning composer behind Spring Awakening and more, has died, according to his Instagram. He was 56.The Friday morning Instagram post said the "father, husband, son, brother, and friend" died on Thursday night "surrounded by love."A message shared on Sheik's Instagram earlier this week by his family said he was "receiving medical care" and was "in critical but stable condition.""The world has a lost a singular talent, and deeply influential voice in music and theater," Friday's statement said. "From his Grammy-nominated hit “Barely Breathing” to his groundbreaking, Tony and Grammy Award-winning work on Spring Awakening, Duncan’s artistry touched many and leaves an indelible mark on the cultural landscape."Born on Nov. 18, 1969, in Montclair, New Jersey, Sheik rose to fame in 1996 when he released his self-titled debut album, which included his hit song, "Barely Breathing."The song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned him a Grammy nomination for best male pop vocal performance.Following his debut album, he released Humming in 1998, Phantom Moon in 2001 and Daylight in 2002.While "Barely Breathing" established Sheik as a singer-songwriter, his career later expanded into musical theater, where he found success as a composer.Sheik collaborated with lyricist Steven Sater and composed the music for Spring Awakening, which opened on Broadway in 2006.He told Broadcast Music, Inc. in 2015 that around the time he was making the music for Spring Awakening, he wasn't "a huge fan" of music that was happening on Broadway and he wanted to make the music for an audience "beyond the normal crowd that would go to a Broadway musical."The rock musical, based on Frank Wedekind's 1891 play and starring Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, John Gallagher and Skylar Astin, became a major success. It won eight Tony Awards in 2007, including best musical, best original score and best orchestrations.He went on to compose music for several other stage productions, including American Psycho and Because of Winn-Dixie. He also collaborated with Sater again on Alice by Heart and The Secret Life of Bees.In his interview with Broadcast Music, Inc., he added that working on musical theater has "helped broaden my palette."Sheik went on to release several more albums throughout his career, including White Limousine, Whisper House, Covers 80s, Legerdemain and Claptrap.In May, it was announced that Sheik's new musical, Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, would make its off-Broadway debut this fall. The musical is based on Moyoco Anno's manga graphic novel of the same name.An off-Broadway revival of Spring Awakening is also set to open this fall. Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.