The lawyer for the suspended Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has insisted that his client has not received any money from individuals in connection with the alleged 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal.
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has been suspended from his position amid controversy over an alleged visa facilitation arrangement linked to the tournament.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 10, his lawyer, Jerry Avernugbor, said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was aggressively investigating the matter and urged the public to allow the process to establish the facts.
“The police are investigating aggressively, and they’ve been investigating for the past whole week,” he said, adding that he and his client had been attending interviews at the CID headquarters.
Mr Avernugbor maintained that his client had neither received money from applicants nor participated in any visa-related transactions.
“What I’m saying here is, let it be known, my client has not received a penny from any individual,” he stressed.
He explained that, during the investigation, he had seen documents relating to the allegations but cautioned against interpreting them without considering the full circumstances.
According to him, the evidence available to investigators could lead to conclusions different from those being drawn from documents circulating publicly.
The lawyer also said his client had been introduced to a company through a representative at the US Embassy, which he claimed had presented the company as a legitimate entity.
He added that his client had designated an assistant as the point of contact after the embassy requested one.
Mr Avernugbor acknowledged that the investigation could establish wrongdoing but insisted that any conclusions about his client’s involvement should be based on the evidence.
“If my client is found guilty, the law will take its course, and the police are doing very, very well in this regard,” he said.
He further indicated that the investigation would need to clarify the circumstances surrounding individuals alleged to have paid money in connection with the visa applications.
The CID is investigating allegations of irregularities involving visa applications linked to Ghana’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Convener of the OneGhana Movement and Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, Senyo Hosi, has called for the controversy surrounding Ghana’s visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be addressed as a matter of constitutional compliance and accountability, rather than focusing solely on whether the Sports Minister should resign.
Mr Hosi said he was disappointed that Ghana appeared to be repeating past mistakes, warning that the issue had implications for the country’s reputation, public confidence and the values being passed on to future generations.
He stressed that the controversy was not simply about visa processing but about whether public officials and administrative bodies were complying with the principles of probity, accountability and the rule of law.
Citing Article 232 of the 1992 Constitution, which establishes the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), he emphasised the importance of fairness, reasonableness and adherence to legal obligations in public administration.
Mr Hosi also questioned what young people would learn if political parties condemned similar controversies while in opposition, only for comparable concerns to emerge when they assumed office.
He said the Minority in Parliament was entitled to scrutinise the matter as part of its oversight responsibilities, although he urged its members to remain balanced and fair in their approach.
His comments follow allegations by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, that some individuals paid between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa processing linked to World Cup-related activities.
The Minority has also questioned the verification of personnel lists submitted by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the National Sports Authority (NSA) to the US and Canadian embassies. It alleged that only two of 50 names submitted by the GTA as media personnel were verified as professional media practitioners, while 15 of 102 names submitted by the NSA were confirmed as actual employees.
President John Dramani Mahama has asked former NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah to step aside, with Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong appointed acting Director-General.
The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has also provided a chronology of its engagements, citing correspondence dated January 28, 2026, which it says shows that some arrangements connected to the World Cup fan experience predated its involvement.
Mr Hosi said Ghanaians should be able to trust their governments regardless of whether the New Patriotic Party or the National Democratic Congress is in power, urging public officials to uphold their responsibilities and work towards fulfilling citizens’ aspirations.
He maintained that the priority should be to establish the facts, uphold constitutional standards and ensure accountability, rather than allow the controversy to become solely a political dispute over resignations.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
AI generated image used for representative purpose
NEW DELHI: The Delhi state consumer commission has upheld an order directing Northern Railway to pay Rs 1.45 lakh to a passenger whose bag was stolen from a reserved train coach. The commission said the railway could not avoid responsibility by arguing that the passenger’s luggage’s are not covered under tickets, as the theft involved unauthorised persons entering a reserved compartment.The commission also noted that railway staff failed to prevent the intrusion and did not properly help the passenger lodge an FIR. It dismissed Northern Railway’s appeal on October 6, 2026, upholding the district commission’s order.
Background
As per the commission order, Ajoy Kumar was travelling from Delhi to Patna on Mahananda Express on June 7, 2014, when two unauthorised persons entered his reserved coach and stole his trolley bag.The bag allegedly contained jewellery, clothes and other belongings worth Rs 1.2 lakh. Kumar alleged that he immediately approached the TTE in coach and asked for an FIR to be lodged.However, the FIR was registered only on April 23, 2015. The complainant continued to follow up with the railway authorities and later learnt that the case had been marked as untraced in May 2017. He then approached the consumer commission, seeking compensation for the loss.
Northern Railway denied responsibility, arguing that the luggage had not been booked with it and was in the passenger’s personal custody. It also relied on Section 100 of the Railways Act, which limits the railway’s responsibility for luggage unless negligence by railway staff is established. It further argued that the matter involved theft and should be dealt with under criminal law.The district consumer commission ruled in Kumar’s favour on April 16, 2024, directing Northern Railway to pay Rs 1.2 lakh with 9 percent annual interest from September 7, 2017, and Rs 25,000 as compensation.
The railway challenged that order before the state commission.
Why did the commission hold the railway responsible?
A bench of President Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal and member Bimla Kumari noted that the district commission was right in holding the railway liable for negligence and deficiency in service.The bench said the issue was not simply whether the passenger had kept his luggage in his own custody. It was whether the railway had taken reasonable steps to stop unauthorised people from entering a reserved coach.“A passenger who purchases a reserved ticket is entitled to a reasonable assurance of safety and security of his personal safety and belongings,” the commission observed.It said allowing unauthorised persons to enter a reserved compartment went against the railway’s duty towards passengers. The commission also noted that the railway had not produced records such as the TTE’s duty roster, staff deployment details or other material explaining how the intruders gained access to the coach.The bench said the railway could not escape liability merely because the stolen items had not been formally booked. What mattered was whether negligence by railway staff had contributed to the loss.“The liability of the Appellant does not arise merely because a theft occurred, but because the theft was made possible due to the admitted failure of the railway staff to prevent unauthorized intrusion into a reserved compartment,” the order said.The commission also took note of the passenger’s efforts to report the theft. It said he had approached the TTE soon after the incident, but the railway failed to lodge the FIR promptly. Later, a railway communication stated that the status had been conveyed to him by phone, but the number mentioned in the letter did not belong to him.The bench said the railway had not explained where its staff were or what steps had been taken to prevent unauthorised entry.“The Appellant cannot be permitted to take advantage of a lapses which are entirely of its own making,” the commission said.It concluded that the district commission had correctly found deficiency in service and dismissed Northern Railway’s appeal, with no order as to costs.
What did the commission order?
The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, in its October 6, 2026 order, upheld the district commission’s directions requiring Northern Railway to:
Pay Rs 1.2 lakh to Ajoy Kumar, with 9 percent annual interest from September 7, 2017, until payment.
Pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for mental pain, agony and harassment.
Make the payment within 30 days of the district commission’s order.
The district commission had also directed that, if payment was not made within 30 days, the railway would have to pay 12 percent annual interest on the entire awarded amount from the expiry of that period.
From Good Time Charlie, at the Public. Photo: Joan Marcus
Fittingly, for a play that opens with a reenactment of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Ryan J. Haddad’s Good Time Charlie is all about the valuable generational guide that is a fairy godparent. In this case, that’s Haddad’s uncle Charlie (played by a bubbling Jonathan Raviv), who is technically his father’s first cousin, but is also — crucially and non-derogatorily — very much a fairy. For many young gay men, the basic skills of life may come from immediate family, but along the way, someone has to swoop in to explain things that make it really worth living, teach you about Judy and Barbra and Little Edie and explain how to get into a sold-out Broadway show through the cancellation line. Given the facts of reproduction, most queer children aren’t born to queer parents, and so the intangible lessons hopscotch across generations like knights on a chessboard. Haddad, growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, needed someone to barge into his life like Auntie Mame. And if that Mame comparison sounds like a metaphor, it’s not. Under Danny Sharron’s happily indulgent direction, Raviv’s Charlie enters via staircase in a shiny vest early in the play singing half a verse of “It’s Today” before Haddad cuts him off. “We didn’t get the rights,” he announces.
As that scene suggests, Good Time Charlie develops into a warm, winking, sometimes sprawling tale of queer inheritance, a portrait of, by, and as an artist as a young gay man, by way of a portrait of another man who did not become an artist. The play’s tension, gently but poignantly unspooled, develops from the fact that while Ryan has pursued a career onstage, Charlie never did. In college, when Charlie suggested to his parents that he might switch majors to theater, they pushed him toward dentistry. When they discovered his sexuality, they tried to keep him in the closet. A generation later, Ryan has an easier — though not uncomplicated — experience coming out to the same family members, who are now more welcoming. The actors Nael Nacer and Artemis Pebdani double as Haddad’s great-aunt and -uncle and parents, playing across a spectrum of discomfort and cautious support. Nacer is quite good at variations of patriarchal obliviousness, and Pebdani suffuses her women with streaks of guilt. The casting gives the play’s repetitions a prismatic quality: pairs of parents fumbling to understand their sons, figures who appear cuddly from one angle revealed as sharp from another.
Along the way, Haddad also traces a lineage of lessons in the ephemeral aspects of queer culture, like what it means to choose your favorite actress and how much lube you might need during your freshman year in college. (Charlie sends Ryan six bottles, his parents are shocked to discover.) The play takes place in the Japanese-inspired garden, rendered in full bloom by set designer Afsoon Pajoufar, complete with a just-cheesy-enough big vermilion torii that’s tended by Charlie’s partner, Lou (Tim Bagley, emanating the same gentle warmth you might’ve seen him emit on Somebody Somewhere). Lou is himself 21 years older than Charlie and taught him, in turn, about gay culture after they met at a bar in Cleveland, where Charlie has been obliviously accepting drinks from men he didn’t intend to go out with. Lou’s close friend Sheldon (Michael Cristofer, occupying a lane somewhere between TCM host and Old Deuteronomy), a strongly opinionated classic-film buff, becomes a crucial part of the equation, too, as he and Charlie embark on cultural outings to New York while Sheldon stays in the garden. And because she herself would be slighted to be left out in the equation, let’s not forget Haddad’s “fabulous lesbian aunt,” Janice, who regularly reminds us that gay men take women like her for granted. (That she’s played by Fun Home’s Beth Malone adds a meta-layer to any of her lines about lesbians in musicals.)
In his work preceding Good Time Charlie, Haddad has dealt in similar forms of autobiography, often as a solo performer. He has cerebral palsy and uses a walker, and his work has focused on dating and disability, as in his breakout play, Hi, Are You Single?, a work of emotional and literal exhibitionism that is referenced in Charlie (he’d prefer some of his relatives not come see him strip down in it), as well as the more recent Hold Me in the Water and Dark Disabled Stories, which included stories from its other cast members. Good Time Charlie has Haddad shifting into a study of many characters at once and expanding in scale. The play, like a sturdy classic that Sheldon might love, runs over two hours with an intermission, not without dragging. Haddad has a showman’s sense of a good punch line — playing to his base here, he knows that an AStar Is Born or Grey Gardens: The Musical reference will kill — though his dialogue can be flatly presentational, and he is still feeling out what can be best expressed in action versus what can be summarized in narration. Caution is inevitable when presenting work about your own family. (The real Charlie is very much alive and saw the play in previews.) But Haddad and Sharron can verge toward the too gentle, adding caveats to painful moments with eddying bits of self-awareness, in which characters interrupt Haddad, insisting they don’t want to relive their own trauma, have rewrites. That’s a playwright’s wrestling match that, as my colleague Sara Holdren noted recently, doesn’t need an audience. Either give us that unflattering scene or don’t. You have to be willing to light the fuse of your Buddenbrooks or Long Day’s Journey IntoNight, walk away, and live with the ensuing Thanksgiving-table explosions.
Not that Good Time Charlie is ever as brutal as Mann or O’Neill, and not that it needs to be. The Haddads are much lovelier people, it seems. The play is largely a study in kindness, in both form and subject — even while facing the tough inevitabilities of any life. A moving plotline, treated delicately in the second act, comes as Sheldon has a stroke and must start using a walker like Ryan, and as Ryan discovers his own hesitation and discomfort with another’s disability. This is a play full of people trying very hard to be there for each other and discovering what makes that difficult. Not everyone gets a godparent like Charlie, Lou, Sheldon, or Janice. A gay friend, after seeing the play, joked to me that it made him jealous — that he’d wished he’d had a flamboyant uncle or a cool butch aunt. I found myself tracing a pang around my own heart, too. I’ve had a very supportive family (a grandmother, for instance, who thought I was old enough at 9 to see Bernadette in Gypsy), but never such a close familial guide. Some people have all the luck, if not the rights to Mame.
Good Time Charlie is at the Public Theater through October 25.
Queer Eye for the Queer Guy: Good Time Charlie
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There’s plenty of anticipation surrounding the debut of the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso, the brand’s next sports car concept. It’s set to debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show in just a few days. The concept is expected to preview a future production model from the BottegaFuoriserie division.
We expected the Cuorerosso to take a page from the 33 Stradale’s playbook, including its two-seat coupe layout. But that may not actually be the case. In a new teaser posted to social media—likely the last before its debut—Alfa Romeo gives us a glimpse of the concept’s interior, with a particular focus on the seats.
The big surprise? There appear to be four seats, suggesting Alfa Romeo is working on something larger than a traditional sports coupe. Watch the full clip below:
A New GT For Alfa Romeo?
The Cuorerosso could be a GT car instead of a true sports car, which would be rare air for Alfa Romeo.
We haven’t seen a true Alfa tourer since the 156-based GT went out of production in 2011. That would put it in a different category than the 33 Stradale, with a larger body and a different mechanical layout. Rear-wheel drive, however, is almost certainly still part of the package.
The teaser puts the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso’s seats front and center. They feature a sporty, heavily bolstered design, with a red seatback for the driver and a distinctive black, triangular headrest.
Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso: What We Know
Beyond the few glimpses offered in its teaser videos, the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso remains largely a mystery.
One thing we do know is that it won’t be electric—thankfully. We got a taste of its engine sound a few days ago. The leading candidate is the 3.0-liter V6 from the new 33 Stradale, where it produces 621 horsepower.
We’ll learn all the details on October 12, the opening day of the 2026 Paris Motor Show. Motor1 will be on site to cover the latest debuts and bring you all the news from the show.
This October, Netflix spirited us away to the Salinas Valley in California, sometime around 1900—where a man’s worst nightmare was still the wrath of God and the closest he came to a tyrant was his own father. Yes, we’re talking about Zoe Kazan’s celebrated East of Eden TV adaptation—which is by far one of the year’s best shows. (And full of incredible performances, especially the incomperable Hoon Lee as Lee.)
East of Eden is widely considered to be one of the greatest American novels. It was certainly John Steinbeck’s masterpiece and the most ambitious and autobiographical of all his novels. “It has everything in it I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years,” he once said of it, later adding: “I think everything else I have written has been, in a sense, practice for this.”
You may also like to know that, yes, published in 1952, it is an early example of autofiction—although that term wasn’t coined until 1977.
But also, no, none of Steinbeck’s relatives shot their husband, walked out on their newborn twins, and reinvented herself as a brothel madam by poisoning the woman who took her in. None of Steinbeck’s letters identify a real person as the inspiration for Cathy Ames—played in the miniseries by Florence Pugh.
But what was true, almost disappointingly so by comparison, was the other family in the book. While the Trasks were invented, the Hamiltons (who are largely backgrounded in the Netflix series) were barely disguised at all—Steinbeck basically put his own relatives on the page.
The Hamiltons
The Hamiltons are the novel’s other family—an Irish immigrant clan that settles a neighboring ranch to the Trasks in the Salinas Valley and whose lives run alongside the main Cain-and-Abel plot rather than inside it. Where the Trasks provide the drama, the Hamiltons provide the texture: a large, loving, perpetually broke household that never does anything as dramatic as murder or betrayal but whose ordinary joys and griefs anchor the book in something real. Steinbeck uses them almost as a chorus—commenting on, and occasionally intervening in, the Trasks’s unfolding tragedy.
Netflix//Netflix
Ciarán Hinds as Samuel Hamilton in Netflix’s East of Eden.
Samuel Hamilton
In a letter to his editor Pascal Covici (published in Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters), Steinbeck wrote of the Hamiltons:
They were a high-strung bunch, the Hamiltons. My father used to say affectionately that they were all crazy. And I guess they were and I guess I am. I feel so some of the time, anyway.
The Hamiltons were Steinbeck’s grandparents, who—just as in the novel—moved to California, via New York, from Ireland in 1846. “He was the son of small farmers, neither rich nor poor, who had lived on one land hold and in one stone house for many hundreds of years,” Steinbeck wrote in East of Eden.
The reason for Samuel’s emigration was more opaque:
There was a whisper—not even a rumor but rather an unsaid feeling—in my family that it was love drove him out, and not love of the wife he married. But whether it was too successful love or whether he left in pique at an unsuccessful love, I do not know. We always preferred to think it was the former.
Samuel spent his life farming dry, unforgiving land and never struck it rich—but was, by every account, adored by his large family. Steinbeck barely fictionalizes him at all.
Liza Hamilton
Samuel met Liza in New York around 1848, not long after they had arrived from Ireland. Soon they were married, and they traveled to California in 1850 to make a new life in the Wild West. She, too, had emigrated from Ireland but didn’t have—in Steinbeck’s recollection—quite the same finesse as her husband.
My grandfather … was really a great man, a man of sweet speech and sweet courtesy. … His little bog-trotting wife, I am told, put out milk for the leprechauns in the hills behind King City, California, and when a groundling neighbor suggested the cats drank it, she gave that neighbor a look that burned off his nose.
Olive Hamilton
Steinbeck’s own mother appears in the novel as one of Samuel’s daughters, drawn straight from life rather than invented. She would grow up to become a schoolteacher, marry, and have four children, the last of whom was a boy, John, born in 1902.
He confessed in a letter to a friend that the portrait of his mother was “not as well drawn as the others,” but he felt that was natural, adding: “We cannot know objectively about one who is so close.”
He did, however, include a story in the book about Olive. Furious after Germany killed a local boy she’d known, she talks her way into a stunt plane at a war-bond rally and goes up over Salinas to sell Liberty Bonds from the air. Pure Olive, in other words—personally declaring war on the German empire.
As Steinbeck writes in East of Eden:
If the Germans had known Olive and had been sensible they would have gone out of their way not to anger her. But they didn’t know or they were stupid. When they killed Martin Hopps they lost the war because that made my mother mad and she took out after them. She had liked Martin Hopps. He had never hurt anyone. When they killed him Olive declared war on the German empire.
“I think next I will go to my mother and do a sketch of her life ending with her airplane ride which I think is very funny,” he wrote in another letter to Covici.
The funny part is the flight itself: With no training and only sheer nerve to go on, Olive insists on doing loops and stunts midair, terrifying the pilot rather than the other way round, before landing to sell bonds as though nothing had happened.
Netflix
Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames.
Cathy Ames
In his letters to Covici while writing the book, Stenbeck calls Cathy Ames “a tremendously powerful force” he needed to fully understand before he could write her. In the novel itself, he frames her almost as a case study rather than a character. He called her a “psychic monster” born, he writes through the character Lee, the way a “malformed egg can produce physical monsters.” She has no redemption arc: She’s designed as evil from birth.
For that reason, readers and critics have speculated that someone real must lie behind her—the detail feels too clinical and specific to be pure imagination. Many believe that Steinbeck channeled his scorn for his ex-wife, Gwyn Conger, into Cathy—she left him in 1948, which is around the time the author actively began researching East of Eden. In one letter to his business associate and partner Henry S. White, he wrote of Gwyn and his feelings postdivorce:
There is no really valid reason for going to New York except the pleasure of seeing you and Betty and a few others. I still have a feeling of revulsion about the city which of course has to do with G. That will take some time to get over. The cold blooded planning of that thing becomes more apparent all the time. … I’m kind of used up Henry and will be for a little while until I get ironed out inside. The scars are deeper than I thought.
The “cold blooded planning of that thing”? It’s easy to see why scholars have suggested Cathy wasn’t a complete invention. All we’ll say is that we prefer Steinbeck’s depiction of the Hamiltons.
What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2027 NFL Draft?
I’m a versatile back who can run hard between the tackles, make people miss in space, catch the ball, and make plays in different ways. I’ve been productive everywhere I’ve played, even when sharing carries, and I bring physical toughness, explosive speed, and the ability to play on all three downs. I’m always looking to improve my craft and prove I can compete at the next level.
Tell me about a time you faced adversity and how you responded?
Throughout my college career, I’ve had to deal with situations where I knew I was capable of more but had to stay patient and keep working for my opportunities. Instead of getting caught up in what I couldn’t control, I’ve focused on improving my game, staying ready, and making the most of my chances. It taught me to stay disciplined, trust my work, and keep pushing regardless of the situation.
What are your hobbies outside of football?
If I’m not weight training, always playing basketball and other sports, fishing or making music.
What role do you see yourself playing at the next level?
I see myself being a three-down back who can run both inside and outside the box, strongly contribute in the passing game, protect the quarterback, and make an impact on special teams. I take pride in being a complete back that coaches can trust in any situation.
If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?
Helping underprivileged kids get access to sports, training, and opportunities they might not otherwise have. I truly believe sports teaches discipline, confidence, and lessons that carry over into life.
How do you handle coaching, especially criticism or being corrected repeatedly?
I take coaching very seriously because I know there’s always something I can improve on and get better. I don’t take criticism personally. I listen, make the adjustment, and work to get it right. At the end of the day, I want to be coached hard and pushed to be the best player I can possibly be.
Who is the most underrated teammate at your school?
Besides my entire Offensive Line, I’d say Daron Bryden, and Hardley Gilmore. Daron has consistently shown he can make plays downfield, move out of the pocket and lead any offense. Hardley is an unguardable big-play threat who can stretch the field and make tough contested catches. I respect the work they put in and what they bring to our team, and I think they both deserve more recognition.
If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would it be and why did you choose them?
Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley. I’d choose Kobe to ask about his mentality, approach and commitment to being great. As an athlete I want to learn more about his mindset, discipline, and what it really takes to separate yourself from everybody else. Michael Jackson, partly because I make music too, and I’d want to understand how he perfected his craft and became one of the greatest ever. Then, Elvis because he had his own unique style and changed the world in his own way. I respect people who are different, stay true to themselves throughout adversity, and leave a long lasting legacy.
If you were benched tomorrow, what would be the most likely reason?
Probably because we’re up big and Coach wants to put the freshmen in.
Walk me through your typical pre-game routine.
I try to stay cool, calm, collected and hydrate. I listen to some Sade, watch my old highlights, and visualize making plays before going through my warm-up mobility and focusing on my assignments/keys for the game. When’s it’s time to run out, I’m mentally prepared for battle and ready to kill.
What is your favorite snack food?
Big Scooby Snacks guy!
What scheme do you feel you fit the best in?
I feel comfortable in both zone and gap schemes. I like having the vision and patience to read blocks in zone, but I also enjoy downhill runs and getting north and south in gap schemes. I’m versatile enough to adapt to what the offense needs, especially in the pass game.
What is your degree in?
Business Administration
What would be the first thing you buy with your first NFL check?
I’d make sure my family was taken care of and put money toward a home and my future. Making it to the NFL would mean a lot more than just buying things for myself.
Describe a time in a game where you feel you made a mistake, and explain how you bounced back.
As a running back, you can’t let one bad read or missed opportunity affect the next play. If I make a mistake, I own it, understand and learn from what I missed, and move on. My focus is on correcting it and making the next opportunity count instead of letting one play carry over into the rest of the game. Next play mentality with an extra chip on the shoulder.
Name three songs we can expect on your playlist.
Games of War – NBA Youngboy
Paranoid – Black Sabbath
The Sweetest Taboo – Sade
NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at [email protected]
When Paradox announced their post-apocalyptic North American grand strategy game Afterworld, I made the obvious comparison to Fallout. For this I should be chained to the fender of a war rig and pelted with scoops of radioactive dogfood, while being slowly driven through a pack of three-headed coyotes. In a new dev diary, Afterworld’s content designer and “elder lore keeper” Luke Bean has gone into some detail about the game’s setting, explaining that Afterworld owes more to study of the Bronze Age collapse than any Vault Tech malarkey. The continent’s diverging tribes are also apparently far more estranged from and mystified by the “ancients” than their peers in Bethesda’s RPGs.
“The people of this world aren’t Americans exactly,” Bean began. “They are people who remember the Americans. America was an ancient empire to them, sort of the way the Roman Empire was for us, and they live in the shadow of that history. The people know that there was this time full of powerful and mysterious science. They think of the ancients – us – as people who could do anything they wanted with science. And so the central mystery of the past to them is if the ancients could do anything they wanted, why’d they all die? They must have wanted to die.”
Aside from scrounging pre-Fall tech from the ruins, you’ll spend a lot of time in Afterworld defining your tribe with or against the North Americans who came before. This includes what’s left of present-day Canada, though Paradox say this area won’t be a focus for the core game. The fate of the rest of the planet is unclear, though Mexico is apparently a total write-off. As for us Limeys across the pond, who can say?
“A lot of the story is also them rediscovering the culture and history of the past,” Bean continued. “Trying to figure out how they relate to this empire that’s vanished. Are we Americans? Are we some sort of new Americans? Are we some sort of new country? Are we going to adopt new religions? Are we going to revive old religions? What bits of the past ideologies are useful to us?” He compared this process to writing “the Bible of a people”.
As for any Bethesda or Black Isle comparisons: “I’ve seen some people wondering if Afterworld is a Fallout GSG,” Bean continued. “Fallout is a cool game, but it’s not in the top five reference points. Fallout is doing this sort of retro-futuristic take on the post-apocalypse in America, that’s very different from Afterworld’s sort of Bronze Agey mystical cyberpunk ruins take on the post-apocalypse.”
Image credit: Paradox Interactive / Paradox Development Studio
The game’s factions include the remnants of the US Pacific Fleet, made up partly of the descendants of Hawaiian civilians evacuated during the Fall. You can also expect a few surviving American Indigenous nations, together with groups descended from Amish people and Mormons.
Exactly who you meet where will depend on the progress of the apocalypse in your particular game. Before each campaign begins, Afterworld simulates 100 years of calamity. “The Fall ended the world with a war,” Bean said. “But it wasn’t just a war, and it’s a little different every game. Map generation chooses from several different regional disasters that represent strange things happening during the Fall, or happening before the Fall. They leave very different scars on the world, and different regions can feel very different, game to game, depending on what has happened in the years leading up to game start.” If you find this prospect intriguing, Julian spoke to Paradox about it in more detail during an Afterworld showing at Gamescom.
Bean doesn’t quite frame it this way, but I like the idea of a game of Afterworld being a kind of critique of present-day USA, with players forming societies that emphasise or de-emphasise, rescue, reinvent or bury particular aspects of the culture. Or perhaps wash their hands of it all entirely: as Bean notes, “your tribe can have doom cultists in it who want to end the world more thoroughly.” I don’t think it’ll be some somber academic work of speculative anthropology, mind. There’s a definite comicbook undertow to the planned presence of, for example, factions dedicated to trains.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that the U.S. would lift sanctions on the sale of Russian diesel—a move that will help Russian President Vladimir Putin far more than it’ll help Americans.
The Treasury Department announced that the U.S. would waive sanctions on Russian diesel sold to the global market until April 2027. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Russia would “immediately” supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace. Russia agreed to supply another 500,000 tons in November and then “1,000,000 tons thereafter,” Trump added.
Javier Blas, the energy and commodities columnist at Bloomberg, observed that these commitments to the United States were too small to make a “meaningful impact” on the nationwide surge of diesel prices.
In reality, 300,000 tons is equivalent to only 2.2 million barrels, Blas wrote in a post on X. To give you an idea of just how little that really is, before the U.S. attacked Iran, an average of 3.6 million barrels of refined petroleum products traveled through the Strait of Hormuz every day. Now only 677,000 barrels of refined products are moved through the essential trade passageway every day.
Meanwhile, Russia will get the right to sell its oil globally. Congress last month passed a sweeping sanctions bill, which Trump signed, punishing countries that purchase Russian oil. Now it seems the United States is one of them.
If Trump thinks his latest move cozying up to Putin will potentially help in the upcoming midterm elections, he has another think coming.
Turning Point USA’s AmeriFest returns this December, and the speaker lineup is once again a proper who’s who of the MAGA-verse.
The event, which takes place in Phoenix, Arizona, from December 17 to 20, will again be headlined by Vice President JD Vance. Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, former White House adviser and far-right activist Steve Bannon, former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, anti-transgender activist Riley Gaines, former presidential candidate Ben Carson, right-wing provocateur Nick Shirley, former Representative Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump Jr., Erika Kirk, and a host of other prominent voices on the right will also be speaking.
Notably absent from the list of esteemed speakers is Tucker Carlson, as he was a large part of the reason last year’s AmeriFest—the first since TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination—was largely unsuccessful. Carlson got into a back-and-forth with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro in 2025 after Shapiro called him and Candace Owens “charlatans who claim to speak in the name of principle but actually traffic in conspiracism and dishonesty.”
Carlson responded by attacking Shapiro’s fealty to Israel, and the entire event became a stark representation of the serious rifts within the conservative movement. This year will follow what will likely be an unsuccessful midterm election performance by the Republican Party, which may in turn impact the nature of the event.
The United States issued sanctions on the International Criminal Court Friday, just hours after President Donald Trump lost the Nobel Peace Prize to one of the institution’s former judges.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions cutting the court off from any U.S.-based financial services, technology companies, and U.S. currency. The Trump administration set a six-month timeline for U.S. companies to wind down their business with the war crimes tribunal.
“We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” Rubio said in a video statement on social media. “The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC.”
Rubio has previously argued the court has become “radical and extreme,” though Trump has outright admitted Rubio’s campaign against the ICC is meant to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
U.S. officials maintained that these sanctions had been in the works for months, and the timing so close to the Nobel Prize award ceremony was merely coincidental, according to the Associated Press. But these sanctions are exactly the kind of petty behavior we’ve come to expect from a president who’s spent years begging for the prestigious award.
Instead, the award went to Navi Pillay, a South African human rights lawyer with a decades-long career. Last year, Pillay led a United Nations commission that found the Israeli government had committed a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The Nobel committee said Thursday that Pillay had been “instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.”
Pillay took an immediate shot at Trump after she learned she had won the award Friday. “Thank you very much. If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump,” she said, causing the room to erupt into laughter.
Trump attacked the ICC after it issued arrest warrants against Israeli government leaders, including Netanyahu, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Since then, the U.S. has sanctioned court officials and prosecutors, as well as other international leaders who document and speak out about Israel’s crimes, including U.N. Special Rapporteur for Palestine Francesca Albanese.
The White House has chosen its new press secretary: MAGA communications adviser Katie Zacharia.
The 42-year-old was previously the senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social; a frequent commentator on Fox News, Newsmax, and CNN; and a former employee of Fix California, a nonprofit founded by former acting director of national intelligence and longtime Trump ally Ric Grenell.
The news of Zacharia’s ascension to the White House inner ring was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by CBS News.
As a media commentator, Zacharia has shared her most extreme takes, including that the abortion pill mifepristone came straight from Nazi Germany.
“The abortion pill, Mifepristone … is connected to the manufacturer of the deadly gas Zyklon B, used in the World War II concentration camps,” she wrote on X last fall. “Zyklon-B was originally used as a pesticide and marketed by the German Corporation for Pest Control, now known as Detia Degesch GmbH. Degesch, in which German chemical company I.G. Farben had a 42.5% interest and on whose board of 11 it had five seats, was the sole producer of the gas. According to the New York Times, ‘I.G. Farben played so important a role in Hitler’s war machine and in the Holocaust that it came to be called “the devil’s chemist.”’ It manufactured Zyklon B, the gas-chamber poison, among many other products, and its factories exploited more than 35,000 slave labourers, many from Auschwitz. It even built a concentration camp of its own to improve efficiency.”
It’s not clear where she came up with this deranged conspiracy, as mifepristone was actually developed by a French scientist and not approved for sale in France until the 1980s. The corporate history Zacharia hinted at is much more complicated: The company that developed Zyklon B was eventually, after decades of mergers and spin-offs, taken over by the multinational pharmaceutical company Sanofi. Sanofi also acquired the company that manufactured mifepristone, Roussel Uclaf, in the late 1990s.
Aside from her paid media gigs, Zacharia also had a brief stint working under ex–Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, working as a spokesperson for the agency between February and March, according to her LinkedIn.
In that time, Zacharia attacked Senator Richard Blumenthal on social media, accusing the Connecticut Democrat of spreading “fear-mongering lies” about ICE’s takeover at airports. In the same post, she lauded the agency’s arrest record, claiming that it was “heroic” for removing “violent criminal illegal alien predators.”
But she wasn’t always so opposed to immigrants. From August 2012 to June 2013—shortly after she obtained her J.D. from Pepperdine Caruso Law—Zacharia worked as the manager of fundraising and communications at Compassion for Migrant Children, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the children of immigrant workers.
Zacharia will replace Karoline Leavitt, who exited the role in August to join Fox News as an on-air contributor.
The comms expert certainly has her work cut out for her. Zacharia will walk into a Trump administration that is already drowning in an ocean of scandals, battered by recent tidal waves that include reports of Trump officials assisting pro-Russia governments, the president’s repeat invitations for Iran to strike American cities, taxpayer-funded propaganda, and the White House’s decision to cancel $810 million in congressionally appropriated funds, which critics have argued violates federal law.
Only time will tell if she is capable of straightening up the mess.
This story has been updated.
Even Republican lawmakers are disgusted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream a federal execution.
Hegseth confirmed Thursday that the Pentagon plans to livestream the military firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Obviously Democrats were outraged by the plan, but even a few Republicans weren’t on board with turning state-sponsored murder into a spectacle.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis said that Hegseth’s decision was “beyond disgusting.”
“Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America,” he wrote in a post on X. In his new book, Tillis wrote that confirming Hegseth was the “biggest regret” of his career.
Georgia Representative Austin Scott also opposed the decision. “I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that,” he wrote on X, referring to the violent Islamist ideology.
In a response to Hegseth on X, former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger put it more bluntly: “There will be a day, and soon, when nobody will acknowledge even knowing you.”
Meanwhile, Laura Loomer, the self-proclaimed Islamophobe who advises the president, voiced her support for the plan straight out of an extremist’s playbook.
“ is amazing. Truly amazing. I can’t wait to watch Nidal Hasan’s live-streamed execution for his act of Islamic terrorism. We are very lucky to have ! I voted for more dead jihadists!” she wrote on X. In reality, she voted to make our country more like the violent regimes she claims to hate.
Internationally, public executions are rare, but they still occur in Afghanistan and Iran, according to The Guardian. In 2025, the Taliban carried out six public executions, and the Islamic Republic carried out 11.
Namkoong Sun, director of Netflix’s Korean romance “Love Untangled,” said her first commercial feature felt little different from her independent films once cameras rolled, apart from the scale. The freedom, she added, came with weight.
Namkoong was speaking at “New Voices in Film,” an industry panel staged by the Busan International Film Festival and Netflix as part of Creative Asia, alongside Ryu Eun-jung and Song Kwang-min, the married co-directors of the short “My Aunt.”
Namkoong’s first two features, “Ten Months” and “Time to Be Strong,” were independent titles released in theaters. She joined “Love Untangled” when the project and screenplay were already in place, coming on at the adaptation stage, and said the offer landed just as she wanted to find joy again after two films about thorny social problems. A little over a year passed between opening the production office and release.
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“Once we went into production, it was a system where we could focus only on the film,” Namkoong said. “There may be upsides and downsides to that. I didn’t want to imagine what would happen if I failed to take responsibility within that freedom. But because that freedom was there, there were definitely things I was able to bring to it.”
Netflix staff sat in on meetings and worked inside the team throughout, she said, and the changes to the script were her own, made in service of what she saw as the film’s theme of happiness. The story is set in 1990s Busan, and with a modest budget for a period piece, the production recreated the Gwangan Bridge under construction to give the film a sense of place.
Her message to younger directors was that a director always carries responsibility for the story, “but within a space where creative freedom is guaranteed, I think you have to take that responsibility really seriously.”
Namkoong said she missed crying and laughing with audiences and cast in theaters, a ritual a streaming release doesn’t allow. “Once it was out on Netflix, people all over the world were watching it at the same time. On Twitter, Instagram, all kinds of social media, everyone flocked in and enjoyed it together, me included,” she said. “Small, sweet romance films don’t make up a big share of the Korean audience. But I was getting messages from people in Brazil and friends in Poland and Colombia saying the film was popular there.”
The film reached No. 1 in many countries and stayed in the global top 10 for more than six weeks, she said, even though it was made in Korean and is “really just a Busan story, a very local story.”
Her earlier releases had harder luck with timing. “Ten Months” premiered in the first year of the pandemic, with festivals shut and cinemas at half capacity. The press screening for “Time to Be Strong” took place on the day martial law was declared in Korea. “We did all the press, went home excited, and then that happened that night, so our news disappeared,” Namkoong said.
“My Aunt” is a 24-minute short. It follows a dog groomer looking after an abandoned dog over the course of one day, when the niece she raised 10 years earlier turns up at her door. It won three prizes at this year’s Mise-en-scène Short Film Festival, where Namkoong served on the jury. It is streaming on Netflix in Korea until December as part of the platform’s showcase of the festival’s prizewinners.
Ryu, who also plays the lead, drew on her own childhood, when she was raised by her fifth aunt, who later took in an abandoned dog. She had no plans to act in it but, having worked as an actor before, took the role herself and asked Song, her husband, to co-direct. Song handled directing on set, the pair shared storyboarding in pre-production, and Ryu led post-production. A previous collaboration had involved shouting matches over the phone, both recalled. This time, both said, speaking to each other without a filter built trust.
Song said he had first felt torn about a Netflix release, given what cinemas offer in image texture and sound, but came to see it as a stroke of luck. On a film-rating app, his previous film drew responses from about 15 people. “My Aunt” has been logged by 7,000 to 8,000 viewers, with more than 1,000 comments.
Namkoong, who was once a Mise-en-scène breakout herself, described the festival as a launchpad for the next generation of Korean directors. “These days, unlike in the past, anyone can upload their film to YouTube. You can screen it anywhere, really,” she said. “But what we do is pick out films and say, these are films that are more like real cinema, these are the films we’d like people to see, and put them on a list somewhere. When that came together with Netflix, the impact became huge.”
Asked by an audience member to name the single biggest challenge facing Korean independent filmmakers, the three directors answered in turn.
“The difficulty in the independent film world, then and now, is raising the budget. But more than that, the biggest challenge is not knowing in advance where a film will go after it’s made,” Namkoong said. “Even when a film is shown at a festival, you can’t tell whether it will get a release, because of what a release costs and various other things. We manage somehow to get it made, but there isn’t the infrastructure, like theatrical infrastructure, to show it.”
Ryu said cost was her main worry with “My Aunt” too. “Independent film is film made independently of capital, so it has to be made with the individual creator’s own money,” she said, noting that platforms for indie film, and interest in it, remain limited. Song, who has always paid for his films himself, named capital as the biggest hurdle but said he had no other complaints. “Shooting films is so much fun. I loved it.”
All three are now writing screenplays for their next projects. Namkoong said she hopes to make a film set in present-day Busan, drawn to the city’s two sides. “It’s a city and also the sea, a tourist spot and also a place where people live,” she said.
One’s teenage years are a confusing time. It’s when many young people try to understand who they are and what they want to be. It’s a time of exploration and mistakes. It turns out many teens weren’t who they thought they were (or led to be) after all. The trend of young people identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual has plummeted. According to The Washington Post, experts can’t figure out why this is happening. Those online say it’s pretty obvious.
Here’s more. (READ)
Young teenagers are less likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual than a few years ago, according to a new analysis. “It really does look like a free fall,” Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology, said. “But what’s causing it is unclear.” https://t.co/xyROpsrCsg
All fads end. This one was latched onto by girls more than boys.
Posters say the data shows the number of girls identifying as bisexual has dropped. Guess females figured out it’s no longer cool to play for both teams.
A lot of people are (predictably) misinterpreting this. There has been almost 0 decline among boys. The big change: Fewer girls say they’re bisexual now after that spiked during the pandemic.
That was clearly a fad to people with common sense, so this isn’t surprising. Sorry.
Interestingly, this is only a phenomenon among girls. The boys are completely stable. From the article: “The rate of boys who identify as gay or bisexual has remained roughly the same.”
The government, media, and the Democrat Party all seemed to have a vested interest in creating gay and bisexual teens instead of just letting these kids figure themselves out on their own. Their cultural might could not counter the fickle nature of fads.
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After the federal firings, Black women felt betrayed and disillusioned. One longtime federal worker learned from experience the importance of community.
(Kuwilileni Hauwanga)
On April Fool’s Day last year, Philadelphia federal worker Darlene Tart-Scott arrived at work only to find out she had been laid off. Minutes later, she was on a train home, carrying the items she had been allowed to scoop up from her office.
“Once I stepped off the train and saw my husband, I cried so long and so hard,” Tart-Scott, 65, remembered. “I have never cried like that before in my life, including the death of my parents. It felt like my soul had been snatched right from under me, and by a committee of people who didn’t know anything about my work or my office or how we work. That just hurt so bad.”
She was comforted by her husband, George, who she says is her best friend. “I’m not a crier, but I have to admit, he saw more tears from me in one week than he had in our 10 years together,” Tart-Scott said. “He didn’t know how to handle that, so he just held me until I was finished.”
But in the months after Tart-Scott was fired from her job at the Administration for Children and Families regional office in Philadelphia, she was so “mentally overwhelmed and disillusioned” that it began to cast a shadow over their relationship. She also lost weight and her hair started falling out. Her doctor diagnosed her with hypothyroidism. But Tart-Scott believes her health decline was a result of the stress from the firings. She sought counseling after noticing that she was not treating her husband, a 1990 Iraq War veteran, with her usual kindness.
“I had to get my mind right. I was really struggling,” Tart-Scott recalls. “My patience was very, very thin.”
Reliving the Trauma
Tart-Scott sought to move on, but it was hard to forget the day she lost her job. She had arrived at work at her usual time at 6:45 am. She waved her electronic key card in front of the sensor, but it didn’t work. She knocked on the door and a staff person let her in the office.
Darlene Tart-Scott
Tart-Scott sat down, turned on her computer, brought up her e-mail and learned that she had been fired.
“The letter basically said to gather up what you can and go on about your business, which is what I did,” Tart-Scott said of the e-mail. “It was heartless, just heartless.”
For some Black women who lost their jobs in the government, the federal firings could be described as institutional betrayal, said Seanna Leath, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
“I think some Black women have learned that exceptional performance provides at least some type of protection within racist and sexist institutions, like, ‘Work twice as hard, get the credentials, don’t give anyone a reason to question you,’” said Leath, an applied developmental psychologist and community-engaged scholar. “Being fired after following those rules can be psychologically destabilizing.”
Black women often did far more than the work described in their job descriptions, Leath added.
“Some Black women may have spent years performing invisible labor,” Leath said. “We know that Black women oftentimes take on more work within a workplace, particularly around caregiving, emotional labor—you’re mentoring other Black employees, maybe serving on diversity committees, or you’re starting new programs, community partnerships, changing policies, creating spaces where others could belong. They didn’t just lose a position. It’s also all of these things they were building up.”
Tart-Scott had been with the department for more than two decades and had just received a promotion and an award.
“And then this happens,” Tart-Scott said.
FIRED: The DOGE Layoffs Hit Black Woman Hard. A Year Later, Many Are Still Reeling
Before serving in the federal government for 20 years, Tart-Scott worked in corporate America, at a federally funded health center, and at the Head Start program in Philadelphia. She began working for the government in 2004, when she was 44, and served in an office for regional operations with the Administration of Children and Families, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. Her office provided administrative support and supplies for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and West Virginia.
The financial stability that came with working for the federal government allowed Tart-Scott to send her children to college, participate in extracurricular activities and go to Disneyland for a family vacation, something she didn’t do growing up because her parents couldn’t afford it.
Tart-Scott loved her job. She says she received stellar evaluations, leading to performance pay increases and awards. In addition, she received accolades “from citizens that I’ve served, as far as Guam and Puerto Rico, wherever I was of service.”
“We were the conduit: We figured out what was needed and made it happen,” Tart-Scott said. “I created partnerships. I could see the impact that I had. I know what I was doing was helping people.”
“Loving Me Back to Sanity”
After her firing, it was Tart-Scott that needed some help. She was struggling mentally, but needed to be strong for her family, especially her husband, George, who was plagued by health issues including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which impacts airflow to the lungs. He also has diabetes and a rare eye disease. For his sake, in particular, she pushed herself to move forward.
“I know that he depended on me emotionally to help him keep going,” Tart-Scott said. “I knew that if I broke down, if I wasn’t the person that he needed and depended on, what would happen to him?”
She and George have known each other since the 1970s, more than 50 years. He went to their neighborhood’s all-boys school and she attended the all-girls school just a block away.
Recalling that he had dated some of her friends in high school, Tart-Scott said, “Who knew some 50 years later he would become my husband and best friend? He was fine as the hair on a frog’s neck and had this real deep voice. I had no idea back then that we would end up happily together.”
But in 2015, Tart-Scott wrote on a Facebook post saying she needed a dance partner. George answered. The couple married in 2017, “and we’ve been dancing ever since,” said Tart-Scott.
What she loves most about her husband, Tart-Scott says, is his laugh, and that he’s very affectionate. When she got fired, she says, it was George who made her feel safe.
For all those reasons, she concentrated on their relationship. Now that they have more time together, she says, they binge-watch TV programs—the soap opera Beyond the Gates is their favorite.
“I know that I got on my husband’s nerves with the mood swings, but he never reacted in any way but caring,” Tart-Scott remembered. “I thank him every day for loving me back to sanity.”
Grieving the Death of a Career
Tart-Scott was the breadwinner of her family. George had retired from a career in the railroad industry two years earlier. She also had her own plans for retirement, which DOGE destroyed.
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Like many other Black women fired by DOGE and the elimination of DEI, Tart-Scott felt a sense of disillusionment knowing that she could lose her job based on the political climate. Despite years of successful performance, she and other Black women realized they were seen as expendable, said Leath, the Washington University psychologist.
“This kind of structural cruelty can disrupt this sense of professional identity, competence, security itself and then also just your identity,” Leath said.
Job loss can collide with gender and racialized expectations that Black women have to be strong, emotionally controlled, responsible for others and capable of persevering despite adversity, Leath added. “Caretaking and not being able to provide—financially and emotionally—in ways that you previously did, can cause stress that seeps into our relationships,” she said.
“There’s this idea that Black women should emotionally suppress how they’re doing and this idea that, ‘I can’t fall apart. People depend on me,’” Leath said. “Black women may interpret anxiety, depression, exhaustion, grief as something that we should just push through rather than really sitting with it or that it’s something that deserves attention and care.”
Darlene Tart-Scott with her husband, George.
Tart-Scott “pushed through” by working on herself. She started doing Tai Chi and yoga to calm her stress. She signed up for classes. She became a more involved grandmother to her three grandchildren, one of whom has autism.
Tart-Scott also found solace in a group chat with other fired federal workers and does a check-in with her former coworkers once a week. What hurts her most is knowing that some of her former colleagues haven’t checked in on her at all since her firing.
Denese Shervington, a psychiatrist, public health practitioner, and cofounder of the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies in New Orleans, says that some people may be at risk for developing a trauma-based condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder if there is no support.
“Most of us are going to experience in our lifetime an extremely traumatic event,” said Shervington, who also chairs the Department of Psychiatry at Charles Drew University in Los Angeles. “Healing is not to take an individual and say, ‘Let’s do therapy and let’s give you medication.’ That might be necessary, but one has to think about the collective processes for our community to heal.”
Shervington says healing is hard to do on our own. She notes that with collective trauma—when a group of people have experienced a traumatic event—we need collective resilience.
“Expecting individuals on their own to be resilient is very fraught,” said Shervington. “Eventually, I can’t get up anymore. I’m beaten. I’m broken. But if the group comes and says—”I know you’re down. We got you. You can do this. You can get through this. I’ll help you”—we survive.
And with the support of friends, former colleagues and family, that’s exactly what transpired for Tart-Scott.
“I started working on my outer self, and then my inner self got more confidence. She became nicer,” Tart-Scott said. “That kind of helped me to settle down a little bit. I know it’s backwards, but that’s what worked for me.”
A year and a half after being fired, Tart-Scott still grieves the death of her career. She describes the federal firings as “cruel.”
“I still just feel like, how dare you take my life from me and you never told me why,” Tart-Scott said. “It was particularly ironic because I worked for Health and Human Services—that ‘human part’ was nowhere in this entire process.”
Leath says it’s not a question of whether Black women are strong enough to survive these federal job losses—they’ve demonstrated throughout their lives that they are capable and creative. “We will make a way out of no way,” Leath said.
“The mental health question is, what happens when strength becomes an expectation that leaves little room to grieve, to ask for help, to be angry, or to admit that we have been harmed in this way? That there’s something worth grieving here,” Leath said. “We could be grieving our income, professional identity, relationships that have been built and also these futures that we thought were secure.”
Though she has retired and treasures the love and support from her husband and family, Tart-Scott says she still has periods where she tears up.
“It haunts you,” Tart-Scott says of her job loss. “It’s being angry. It’s crying while you’re driving for no particular reason. I’m not quite over it.”
Lottie Joiner
Lottie Joiner is an award-winning multimedia journalist whose work explores the conditions and lived experiences of those in underserved and marginalized communities. Lottie is the former editor in chief of The Crisis magazine, the official publication of the NAACP, where she also hosted and produced the weekly Facebook Live show, “Crisis Conversations.” Additionally, her work has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, and Time.com.
Generative AI can widen the options for a visual effects shot, but artists still decide which of them serve the story, according to James Rustad, global head of GenFX at Eyeline, Netflix’s in-house VFX studio.
Rustad made the case at an InnoAsia session “Making What’s Next: Generative AI and the Future of Filmmaking at Eyeline,” held at the Busan International Film Festival‘s Asian Contents & Film Market. He used Netflix’s “Brazil ‘70: The Third Star” as a reference point. The series features more than 1,300 visual effects shots, including over 800 set on the soccer field.
Eyeline works with 45 artists on a hybrid approach, Rustad said, bringing generative tools into a process that also draws on established effects techniques.
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Asked which aspects of filmmaking AI cannot replace, Rustad pointed to how quickly the technology is advancing, and steered the discussion toward where generative tools belong in filmmaking today and which tasks they should handle.
“Artists’ judgments are also important,” he said.
His presentation mapped four stages of a generative AI shot workflow: setup, narrative, look and delivery. Prompts, reference gathering and initial tests establish the options available. Those results are then assessed against the story before moving through visual refinement and final delivery.
Lighting, scene details and period accuracy remain part of that refinement, followed by compositing, upscaling, bit-depth checks and technical review.
The workflow places a narrative decision between initial experimentation and visual finishing, moving from “what’s possible” to “what works for the story.” That step is where artists’ judgment comes in: selecting which generated results should become finished shots.
The major problem for so many kids content producers these days is getting their series financed. Many are now at Mipcom, the world’s biggest annual TV confab set to take place from Monday in Cannes, the same French Riviera city that hosts the legendary film festival.
Proceedings kicked off Saturday with MipJunior, the kids & family prolog to Mipcom proper.
In a brief but bracing scene-setting snapshot of the 2026 kids content market which helped kick off MipJunior proceedings, Ampere Analysis Senior Research Manager Cyrine Amor unveiled the plummet in streamer orders over just the last four years, and why.
Plunging Streamer Orders
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Last decade, new streaming services were hailed as the great hope for the kids & family entertainment industry. Parents will not want to pull a service providing their kids’ favorite TV shows; kids love repeated viewing, the arguments went.
10 years later, streaming service first run orders have fallen fast. SVOD service Kids TV orders plunged from 196 over 12 months to first half 2022 to 88 during 12 months to first half 2026. That does represent a 22% uptick over a 2025 figure of 72, Amor noted. But it comes from a radically lower base.
The Ever Larger Competition
What’s happened? First, kids entertainment is now available across multiple newer platforms. SVOD operators stream 240,000 hours of annual content globally, Netflix alone 4,000 hours, Amor said at the presentation. Yet AVOD offers 140,000 hours a year around the world, just Tubi 24,000. And YouTube has 250 kids channels with over 10 million subs and a 300,000 hour total across videos, shorts and livestream of which 80% are pre-school channels.
Also, Streaming Audiences Are Focusing on Goldie-Oldies
Also – and this is true of audiences at large for series and movies – according to Ampere Analyis’ PlumResearch, streaming services have discovered that most of their viewing is long tail, which accounts for a stunning 90% of views and 75% of titles. Think “Star Trek,” “Dark,” “Archer” and “Primal,· not first run-hits such as “Squid Game.” SVOD operators have reacted. Share of “new content” hours (first released during the previous five years), has halved on Amazon Prime Video from 22% in July 2022 to 11% in July 2024. Disney is down from 23% to 13% same time period. Netflix has made a larger attempt to place first run commissions. Yet even its share of new content has dropped from 48% to 36%.
Gen Alpha Prefers Video Games
Compounding matters, it’s not clear Gen Alpha is primarily interested in streaming services, even YouTube. Different need states are associated with distinct primary media services for Gen Z, said Amor, When it comes to four of six of them – “when I’m bored”; “want to be immersed”; “want to discover something new” and “want to take my mind off things” – Gen Z turns to streaming services. Yet Gen Alpha, born in the 2010s and early 202s, streaming services or You Tube are only first choice for two options. When Gen Alphas want to be immersed, or to take its mind of things or is bored, it will turn to video games or game apps.
The Bigger Picture
Netflix animation execs are passionate about their job and percipient. But they’ve never signed on the bottom line to be the saviours of anything. And why should they? They’re a private-sector business. That role corresponds to public service broadcasters which do have a brief to ensure educative children’s entertainment.
Here, though MipJunior kicks off blessed by early fall sun, the outlook is cloudy.
PBSs like the BBC and Germany ARD stand proud as the biggest source of kids content first-run orders, making 371 commissions over the 12 months to first half 2026. “Public service media should be cherished,” Evan Shapiro, who delivers a closing keynote at MiJunior Oct. 11, once said. T
The bad news: Public broadcaster revenues have plateaued, said Amor, with an estimated $53 billion revenues in 2026. That pales before $174 billion for subscription OTT and a jaw-dropping $292 billion for other online ad revenues in 2026, Amor said.
Factor in inflation, currently at 3.8% in the E.U. and public broadcaster revenues are wilting. They are moreover an easy target for broadcaster budget cuts in the future.
Hollywood’s appetite for Asian stories has broadened, but for Lionsgate’s Helen Lee-Kim, “every movie is still a fight.”
Lee-Kim, the studio’s president of international, made the remark at the Busan International Film Festival‘s Asian Contents & Film Market during the panel “UTA × Gold House: Hollywood & The Asian Diaspora,” moderated by Variety‘s Asia Editor Naman Ramachandran.
The discussion brought together representatives from Lionsgate, UTA, Gold House Studios, Hybe America Studios and East West Bank to examine how Asian stories can reach wider audiences without sacrificing their cultural identity.
Popular on Variety
Lee-Kim said pandemic viewing, despite the disruption COVID brought to the industry, exposed audiences to films across languages and helped make language less of a barrier. Asian content can attract viewers beyond Asia, she said, with a compelling concept remaining central to its commercial appeal.
She pointed to “Karoshi,” the action thriller starring Teo Yoo and directed by Takashi Doscher, as an example of bringing Asian talent into Hollywood filmmaking. Such projects still require studios and distributors to take individual creative bets, she said.
UTA’s David Park cited “Parasite” and “Squid Game” as breakthroughs that demonstrated possibilities once difficult to imagine. Their success has expanded the routes available to Asian filmmakers beyond moving to Hollywood and working in English, he said.
Discussing Na Hong-Jin’s Korean project “Hope,” Park highlighted its ambition, original concept and global genre appeal, with Asian actors in the leading roles alongside international stars.
Park also pointed to “Past Lives” and “Tokyo Vice” as examples of multicultural storytelling grounded in particular experiences. He expressed a desire for more such collaborations to develop organically, cautioning against allowing calculations about global audiences to dictate the work.
Christine Yi, president of Gold House Studios, said the company was looking across genres, without a prescribed category. What mattered was originality and a human, subjective perspective, she said. Its interest in new voices did not require creators to compromise or deliberately internationalize their material.
Hybe America Studios president James Shin emphasized collaboration with artists and Korean creative teams as the company builds its film and television business. Discussing “K-Pop: The Debut,” he stressed the importance of working across cultures through creative partnerships.
East West Bank executive vice president Bennett Pozil, who financed “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” pointed to growing investment activity across Southeast Asia. He cited the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) as an example of funding being channeled directly into the industry, alongside co-production investments in Singapore and Thailand.
His view on cross-border storytelling was shared across the panel as multilingual and multicultural filmmaking opens more paths to audiences.
“Don’t force anything,” Pozil said. “It has to be authentic.”
Israel’s military chief warned that a new escalation of fighting between the United States and the Iranian regime could cause the Israeli elections, scheduled for Oct. 27, to be postponed, Channel 12 News reported on Thursday.
The report was published after The New York Times became the latest major news outlet to report that the Pentagon is concluding preparations for launching new strikes against Iran, including the simultaneous deployment of three aircraft carriers to the region.
However, the reports also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on whether and when to order new strikes, still hoping to advance diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. is “having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” noting that the U.S. naval blockade causes the country to be “in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily” while oil is “flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait (22 Million Barrels, last night alone, with not one barrel coming from, or going to, Iran!).”
In recent months, U.S. forces have supported the shipment of over 1.25 billion barrels of crude oil from Gulf partners and through the Strait of Hormuz. In contrast, Iran has not shipped any barrels because of America’s ironclad blockade on Iranian ports. https://t.co/xB5UTv4AfS
The president emphasized that “we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd. IRAN WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”
Against this backdrop, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir was briefed by senior American officials this week that large-scale operations could resume in as early as three weeks, Channel 12 reported, citing a senior U.S. official and another source.
Zamir warned that a new war within that timeframe would force Israel to postpone its elections, noting assessments that the regime would again retaliate with a massive missile barrage against Israel.
A senior American official told Channel 12 he estimates that a final decision would be made within seven to 10 days.
Zamir’s warning comes amid allegations by critics that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could provoke a new conflict ahead of the election. His main rival, Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, voiced similar concerns in a Thursday interview with Channel 12.
“I don’t trust Netanyahu not to trigger a security escalation before the elections. My concern is the Iranian front,” Eisenkot said.
However, Channel 12 noted that, unlike in previous instances, pressure for a new escalation is coming primarily from Washington rather than Jerusalem. Israel is reportedly expected to participate in an operation designed to be intense but brief, targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear sector.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that Trump remains ambivalent, having already rejected five proposals for major operations against Iran or the Houthis in Yemen in recent months.
The latest strike plans were reportedly discussed at a meeting in Camp David with senior national security officials and U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
In a Tuesday interview with Reuters, Vance reiterated Washington’s demands regarding Iran’s nuclear program. “If you don’t want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don’t build highly enriched fuel. That’s a very basic threshold issue.”
“I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity.”
A key supporter for an age minimum on social media is not giving up hope that such a provision could be included in a potential compromise online safety package after the midterm elections.
Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., whose original age-minimum bill was amended in committee to replace the age minimum with a related parental consent requirement, told reporters Friday she continues to work with Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., to push for the age minimum and parental consent for older teens.
“Jake and I have been working on trying to get a framework in the conversation,” she said, going on to add, “We’re going to be working those conversations to try to get that in whatever the final bill package is for kids online safety.”
Related: Panel punts kids’ social media ban for data consent mandate
Houchin noted that neither a House-passed bill dubbed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act nor the Senate committee-forwarded bill, known as the Kids Online Safety Act or KOSA, include those provisions now.
Asked whether negotiations on the subject were going on during the pre-midterms recess, Houchin said, “Not to my knowledge.”
She added, however, that she was aware that staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have met with Senate counterparts on multiple issues, speculating that kids online safety legislation “is probably one of them.”
Houchin’s bill that advanced in the committee in early September originally included a full under-16 ban, but was amended so that it would require parental consent for social media platforms to process data for users under 16.
Later that month, she introduced a bill, which Auchincloss co-sponsors, that would ban social media accounts for users under 16 and require platforms to delete younger users’ accounts and personal data.
Houchin is also co-sponsor on an Auchincloss bill to require app stores to send “age signals” to apps and allow parents to prevent their minor children from downloading apps. That legislation was forwarded by an Energy and Commerce subcommittee in December, but left out of its eventual KIDS Act package.
While advocates for restrictions for minors on social media had hoped for passage prior to the midterms, the debate remains split between the chambers.
Just before the current recess, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asked unanimous consent that the Senate pass KOSA, which would place a duty of care requirement on social media platforms to prevent certain harms to minor users. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., objected. The bill has drawn significant pushback from free-speech advocates and the tech industry.
The duty of care provision also represents the largest gap between KOSA and the KIDS bill in the House, with members in each chamber pointing to the issue as a red line.
Photo of a webpage displaying the Public Service Employee Survey for a story about how the government is delaying this year’s edition.Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA
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GOVERNMENT PUSHES EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY TO NEXT YEAR
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The Public Service Employee Survey is not required to follow a set schedule, though the federal government webpage about it says it’s conducted every two years.
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Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali.Photo by Tony Caldwell /POSTMEDIA
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TREASURY BOARD PRESIDENT SAYS HE WAS UNAWARE OF PEST ISSUE IN FEDERAL BUILDINGS
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Pests in downtown Ottawa buildings have been a perennial issue for public servants who are being forced into their offices more often.
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The National Arts Centre Orchestra, seen in this 2022 file photo, has voted in favour of a strike mandate.Photo by Curtis Perry
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NAC ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS VOTE IN FAVOUR OF STRIKE MANDATE
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“There are other odds and ends, like work schedules, but primarily it is money,” a union official says.
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CHARISMATIC OTTAWA PRIEST JOE LECLAIR DIES AT 68
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Father Joe LeClair was known for turning a Glebe church into a thriving religious community, but he was later convicted of stealing money from its coffers.
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“Can I have 20?” he ordered at one of the stalls, saying that 15 sticks are meant just for himself.
“Maybe 15 is crazy, maybe it’s not, I don’t know,” he quipped. “I’m a hungry boy and I need my protein.”
After placing the order, Frederik continued exploring the hawker centre.
When asked what he wanted to try, he said he wanted steamed buns, or pau — though the dish was eventually left out of the night’s menu.
Frederik eventually spotted another item he wanted to try — char siew — which the group dubbed a “mystery meat”.
“I think we need to try one of those,” he said, ordering 200g.
After finding a table, he and his companions sat down to sample the food, starting with the char siew.
“That does look good,” he said, before taking a bite.
This was where the “harsh critic” in Frederik came out, as he rated the Cantonese-style barbecued pork dish a seven out of 10.
He then moved on to the chicken satay — a dish he appeared already acquainted with — and the one he had been hunting for all evening.
Introducing the accompanying peanut sauce to the audience, he declared his love for peanuts before dipping a skewer in and taking a bite.
“Very good, very good,” he said.
Another dish the Danish racer tried was wonton soup — which he was initially apprehensive of.
“I’m just a bit scared about what they’re bringing,” he explained.
When it landed on the table, Frederik called it the “mystery dish”.
While he said that it “looked amazing”, he refused when someone asked if he wanted to know what it was before eating it.
“I’m going to go straight in, I’m going to be fair, no judgement,” he said, before going for a taste.
His verdict? It tasted surprisingly familiar.
“Actually tastes a lot like a soup that we make in Denmark,” he said, explaining that while it isn’t presented the same way, it “tastes identical”.
Though one thing did throw him off.
“The texture is a bit concerning,” he commented.
Looking back on the evening, Frederik said the experience at Lau Pa Sat was a 10 out of 10.
“It was mega nice. I really enjoyed it. Great to be in Singapore, and great experience.”
Charles Leclerc takes on another race
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, appeared to be keeping himself entertained with a mix of activities in Singapore.
In a Threads post on Thursday morning, the 28-year-old shared a series of photos and videos showing how he had been spending his time here.
“I made it to Singapore,” he wrote.
Among the snapshots were Charles playing the piano in his hotel room and a game of foosball with his companions.
And it seems the Monegasque driver also managed to get some laps in elsewhere before the Singapore Grand Prix.
He hit the go-kart track at HyperDrive in Sentosa, with his companions cheering and laughing as he drove past.
Valtteri Bottas cycles 350km to Singapore
While other drivers were already enjoying their downtime here, Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas made getting to Singapore an adventure in itself.
Cycling 350km from Sepang to Singapore, the Finn crossed the Causeway on Wednesday.
AsiaOne spotted the 37-year-old riding past Woodlands Crossing at about 2.40pm, accompanied by fellow cyclists.
Valtteri began his journey to Singapore shortly after the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday (Oct 4), where he retired early after spinning into the gravel on a wet track.
An Instagram story posted around 2am on Tuesday showed the racer cycling through a dirt track.
Strava activity shared on social media showed he had labelled it “Malaysia to Singapore Day 1”.
And it seems the cycling didn’t stop even after Valtteri’s arrival in Singapore.
In a series of Instagram stories shared yesterday, the Finnish driver shared snippets of his day riding around Singapore, including one at 4.19pm around the Central Business District.
“419.67km commute checked,” he said in another post.
A later upload also showed that he had received a certificate of completion recognising his journey from Sepang to Singapore presented by The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.
And amid all that cycling, Valtteri also found time to refuel at Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends, where he posted a photo of a meal including steak and salad.
Alex Albon visits durian stand
Williams racer Alex Albon also appeared to be immersing himself in the Singapore spirit.
Posing in front of a durian stand, the 30-year-old donned a racing helmet inspired by the King of Fruits.
However, the Thai-British racer did not seem too fond of the fruit himself.
“Keeping the visor closed this weekend,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
The photos in the post showed Alex playfully pinching his nose in front of a ‘no durians’ sign, as well as one of him holding an ‘X’ pose in front of the fruits.
The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2026 is set to take place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit from Oct 9 to Oct 11.
Its previous leg was the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen emerged first.
PS Photography | Naomi ParrisPS Photography | India YaffePS Photography | Naomi ParrisPS Photography | India Yaffe
While each product featured is independently selected by our editors, we may include paid promotion. If you buy something through our links, we may earn commission. Read more about our Product Review Guidelines here.
Scouting out the internet’s best products and prices is what I do, and trust me, I’ve seen a lot of standout deals. Whether it’s the jeans you’ll fall in love with, or a robe you need for fall (we found one marked down from Brooklinen), I like to take a mental note — if not for me, then at least for the group chat (and definitely for our readers). There’s just something about a good sale that makes you stop in your tracks — and let’s be real, the double dopamine hit of getting something new and getting it on sale feels pretty stellar, doesn’t it?
To help you zoom in on this weekend’s best sales, I curated a guide to every deal actually worth shopping. From editor-loved skin care and steep discounts on furniture to practical fashion finds, there’s something for everyone — no matter your preferences or your budget. Keep scrolling to shop the best weekend sales.
This mascara is one of the best mascaras we’ve ever tried, and it happens to be under $15. It provides both length and volume — which is so rare in a mascara — and is available in four different shades. You can read our L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara review for more.
Editor Quote: “I was only able to apply one coat at a time because the product is so fast-drying, and I wanted to avoid clumps. But thanks to the full brush, a little does go a long way. The mascara fluid isn’t sticky or messy, so applying it is a very neat process, which is super helpful when you’re in a hurry.” – Victor Verdugo, former associate social media editor
For any breakouts, we highly recommend trying out the Mighty Patch. The TikTok-viral patches use medical-grade hydrocolloid to absorb gunk and diminish blemishes overnight. For more details, check out our editor’s review of the Mighty Patch patches.
Editor Quote: “From its unmatched staying power to the undeniable results, I can say that the Hero Cosmetics Mighty Acne Patch truly lives up to the hype. Thanks to its gel formula, the patch gently clings to the skin for hours while effortlessly absorbing all of the gunk in the pimple. This is great, whether you’re a heavy sleeper or on the go all day. It also helps you beat the annoying temptation of picking at your face, which helps prevent scabs and scarring caused by popping pimples.” — Naomi Parris, former assistant shopping editor
After a month of antibiotics, I relied on Ritual’s Synbiotic+ to get my gut back on track and it worked wonders. I can’t recommend it enough, especially now that it’s on sale (I’ll definitely be purchasing). Right now, save on its probiotic blend which promises regularity and bloat support, gut barrier health, and immune health.
When it comes to activewear, we love rummaging through Lululemon’s “We Made Too Much” section — there’s always something that catches our eye. These high-rise training leggings, for example, are perfect for workouts and have a waistband that truly holds up. If you’re in the market for new leggings, we highly recommend this buttery-soft, sweat-proof pair.
There’s nothing like a great pajama set to help you drift off at night, and this J.Crew bestseller proves why. The fabric is buttery soft, the fit is effortless, and yes — the pockets are perfect for stashing your phone. Right now, you can get 30 percent off by signing up to be a J.Crew loyalty member.
As we transition into fall, let’s be honest: nothing beats a good throw blanket. Not only are they cozy and comfortable, but they also add a stylish touch to your living room — especially when they’re made of linen, like this one, woven in France. Drape it at the foot of your bed for a pop of color, or keep it on the couch to warm you up on chilly nights. It’s versatile and made for all the cozy moments.
If you’re someone who’s prone to misplacing your keys, wallet, or any other must-have item, Apple AirTags are a game-changer. This pack of four gives you peace of mind by helping you keep track of your essentials at all times. Get even more info in our Apple AirTags review.
Editor Quote: “Using the Find My app that’s installed on all iPhones, I was able to track our bags from check-in until takeoff, and again when we landed back in the States. I saw them all together in the European airport, and I was even able to track, based on an airport map, that they moved with us when we had to change planes due to an electrical issue. Sure, I was a little paranoid, but it made me feel that much better after hearing about almost everyone I knew losing their luggage.” — India Yaffe, former associate shopping editor
Robe season is technically year-round, but somehow we spend even more time in them come fall — at least, I know I do. If you’re on the hunt for a cozy one, this striped style is brand-new to Brooklinen’s line-up . . . and yes, it’s already on sale. Bonus: if you’re new to the site, you can get an extra 15 percent off your first order.
Rugs USA has dozens of rugs (including washable options) that will instantly elevate your home.
Editor Quote: “As a shopping editor, I’ve tried dozens of rugs, but Rugs USA is hands down one of my favorite brands. The quality is worth the price, the rugs are thick, and the designs are beautiful. They also have so many incredible collabs—like this Arvin Olano rug, which makes my living room look so luxe. I’m obsessed with it.” — Haley Lyndes, former shopping staff writer
If you’ve been looking for a new Dutch oven, now’s the time to shop. Right now, you can get a discounted Dutch Baby with the purchase of The Dutch. That’s right — two Dutch ovens for all your sourdough baking and soup adventures this fall, for a quarter of the price. You’ll save $80 and get your pick from six colors.
Whether you work from home or just dream of weekends that are spent lounging around on your couch, this deep piece is the most comfortable furniture investment. It’s made with plush seat cushions and boasts a cloud-like design. Discounted at a rare 20 percent off, don’t expect this deal to last long.
Outdoor dining setups are always a must, especially outside. But it’s rare to find a high-top dining set, which I personally prefer over standard table height. Why? It feels more social and approachable. And if you happen to have one or two extra guests, it’s easy for them to stand and still feel part of the conversation.
— Additional reporting by Naomi Parris and Balim Tezel
Haley Lyndes is a shopping writer and editor with more than seven years of experience in the publishing space. Specializing in home and lifestyle, she covers everything from furniture and mattresses to beauty products and fitness gear. Her writing has appeared in BuzzFeed, Travel + Leisure, and Real Simple.
Naomi Parris is an assistant shopping editor at Popsugar, based in New York. With over eight years of experience and previous roles held on the brand’s Beauty and Operations teams, she enjoys telling stories that merge fashion, beauty, and Black culture. Naomi has also lent her skillful pen to Essence Girls United, Elle, Bustle, and Elite Daily.
Balim Tezel (she/her) is a shopping updates editor at PS and the founder of Maison des Nus, a New York-based affordable luxury brand. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
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