Americas News
Animal Crossing started life as a dungeon crawler
- Technology
- Keza MacDonald
- Feb 9, 2026
Despite the convoluted journey between concept and finished product, despite all the many things that change between initial prototype and whatever ends up in players' hands, something always remains...
HBO Max is finally launching in the UK next month
- Technology
- Dominic Preston
- Feb 9, 2026
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that streaming service HBO Max will make its long-awaited debut in the UK and Ireland on March 26th, having previously promised that a launch would happen in early...
Live Nation’s monopoly trial is reportedly fracturing Trump’s Justice Department
- Technology
- Jess Weatherbed
- Feb 9, 2026
Live Nation executives have reportedly sidestepped the Justice Department's antitrust division to negotiate directly with more sympathetic senior officials in the hopes of avoiding a monopoly trial. C...
AI Is Here to Replace Nuclear Treaties. Scared Yet?
- Technology
- Matthew Gault
- Feb 9, 2026
The last major nuclear arms treaty between the US and Russia just expired. Some experts believe a combination of satellite surveillance, AI, and human reviewers can take its place. Others, not so much...
This whistle fights fascists
- Technology
- Sean Hollister
- Feb 9, 2026
Kit Rocha and Courtney Milan have a knack for drawing attention to a cause. The bestselling romance novelists helped raise half a million dollars for Georgia voting rights in 2020. Now, their cause is...
A 'Shark Tank' alum needed cash to pay tariffs. This shadowy lending world was ready
- Business
- Alina Selyukh
- Feb 9, 2026
- US
How about $350,000 within hours? The pitches flood small businesses: "No hidden fees, No BS." These financial lifelines are barely regulated and can turn into trip wires.
OpenAI’s supposedly ‘leaked’ Super Bowl ad with ear buds and a shiny orb was a hoax
- Technology
- Richard Lawler
- Feb 9, 2026
As if OpenAI didn't have enough drama around the Super Bowl and advertising, as the game wound down, word spread of a "leaked" ad that actually wasn't leaked at all; it was just a fake. Screenshots of...
Turning Point USA’s Halftime Show Was Exactly What You’d Expect
- Technology
- Miles Klee
- Feb 9, 2026
“The All-American Halftime Show," born out of outrage over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance, fell short of the hype. From Kid Rock’s poor lip synching to Erika Kirk being MIA, it was simply dull.
YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall
- Technology
- Terrence O’Brien
- Feb 8, 2026
Free YouTube Music accounts are now seeing their access to lyrics limited, according to multiple reports. Google started testing lyrics as an exclusive feature for Premium users in September, but it a...
New York is considering two bills to rein in the AI industry
- Technology
- Terrence O’Brien
- Feb 8, 2026
New York's state legislature is set to consider a pair of bills that would require labels on AI-generated content and would put a three-year pause on new data center construction. The New York Fundame...
You need to listen to the new Mandy, Indiana record: URGH
- Technology
- Terrence O’Brien
- Feb 8, 2026
Often, I focus on recommending older media that isn't currently getting a ton of attention. But this week, I can't stop listening to the new Mandy, Indiana album long enough to even think about anythi...
The iPhone 17e could launch soon with MagSafe and an A19 chip
- Technology
- Terrence O’Brien
- Feb 8, 2026
Almost exactly one year after launching the iPhone 16e, Apple is preparing to launch the 17e, according to Mark Gurman. The iPhone 17e will feature an upgraded A19 chip from the iPhone 17 lineup, plus...