Brown University has a widget that tracks the cost of the Iran war to American consumers (as contrasted to whatever the Pentagon is spending). Per-household cost now exceeds $600. iranwarcost.watson.brown.edu

Question to games journalists, publishers, show runners, and B2B folks: Are trailers still the best way for you to get a quick look at a game to decide whether you want to learn more about it? Or are TikToks and shorts something you’d rather see in say, a pitch email? (Researching for a video)

The "first and final" response to a FOIA says only 9 pages (10%) of drawings were released (4 of them coloring book pages). ICE credibility is shattered, so kudos to @muellershewrote.com for going after the rest. #dilley #ice #immigrants

Ceuta was a carnival of anti-migrant content for hateful opportunists on the right – and a lesson for the left | Jonathan Liew

Ceuta was a carnival of anti-migrant content for hateful opportunists on the right – and a lesson for the left | Jonathan Liew

It was framed as a perfect storm because nativists dearly wanted it to be. Looking on, progressives failed to meet the moment too, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew

theguardian.com

"a deliberate, systematic effort to destroy DACA: target recipients one by one, manufacture justifications after the fact, and leave their children to grow up without them." —Todd Schulte Mother of 3 US citizens unlawfully deported, then denied status cuz "unauthorized travel" (the deportation).

US cites 'unauthorized travel' to end DACA status for a mother of 3 deported to Mexico

A woman deported to Mexico despite having legal permission to remain in the U.S. has filed suit against the federal government.

apnews.com

Shouldn’t be shocked at any lie RFK Jr tells, but he whined to Dana Bash that businesses were shut down during the pandemic “with no just compensation.” There was an almost trillion dollar PPP loan program, and his organization got millions from it, none of it paid back, to make payroll.

Vance, Farage and Weidel posted fear-mongering messages about a Spanish migrant crisis that weren't true. They haven't retracted them. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The Far Right Is Distorting Ceuta

We’ve seen this before.

theatlantic.com

Staging a "migrant crisis" of "invaded borders" and amplifying images across social media is a pillar of the far-right information war. Anne Applebaum explains why Morocco-Spain is the latest arena in which human beings just trying to build a life are cast as unwitting, disposable pawns. #migrants

The Far Right Is Distorting Ceuta

We’ve seen this before.

theatlantic.com

LA's infamous smog started in the 1940s. I remember the news reports and jokes on late-night shows in the 70s. As alerts grew frequent, some wealthy Angelenos even built smog shelters. Photo essay reminds us of what was once horrific ("chemical attack?"), then normal, then tamed by science.

A “Hellish Cloud” Descended on Los Angeles in 1943

A “Hellish Cloud” Descended on Los Angeles in 1943: It marked the city's first smog incident. Here’s what it looked like—back then and over the years that followed.

nautil.us

“.. The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money laundering concerns to U.S. President Donald Trump's family business.” @reuters.com $COF www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

Gift link! @washingtonpost.com: Johns Hopkins health researcher released after airport ICE detention By Liam Bowman The arrest of Fatima Ameaka came as the Trump administration has begun targeting alleged visa violations by foreign passengers as a way to increase deportations.

Johns Hopkins health researcher released after airport ICE detention

The arrest of Fatima Ameaka came as the Trump administration has begun targeting alleged visa violations by foreign passengers as a way to increase deportations.

wapo.st

Eileen Clancy 🧿@clancyny.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ameaka Fatima Nkempu, a Johns Hopkins University researcher in public health, was detained by ICE while boarding a domestic flight. She says she is Cameroonian in a Medium article that she authored. As of Thursday morning, the ICE Online Detainee Locator did not list where she was being held.

From Ibelin to Good Healthy Gaming: A boy with a degenerative and fatal muscular disease, brain and imagination fully intact, changes the lives of his fellow players as an avatar named Ibelin. Watch, weep, be inspired by how a game community can become a real community. #g4c2026

From Ibelin to Good Healthy Gaming | A Conversation with Robert Steen | G4C2026

YouTube video by Games for Change

youtu.be

The August edition of the NYC Indie Games Social is next Wednesday, 8/5! Read on for details and the link to RSVP: buttondown.com/nycindiegame...

The August NYC Indie Games Social is next Wednesday, 8/5!

Hope you’ve been enjoying the summer so far, especially the somewhat cooler temperatures these past few weeks. We’re back on our regular First Wednesdays...

buttondown.com

Games for Change! A boost for the soul and mind to hang with people making a positive difference in the world. In an inspirational twist, David Gagnon jump-started a lively discussion around the maverick idea of creating a public media model for games—like Sesame Street did in the 1960s. #g4c2026

NEW: I spoke with multiple video game developers and a U.S. employment lawyer to learn more about restrictive side clauses that often prevent employees at major companies from pursuing hobbyist work or personal projects. In an industry renowned for creativity, why are we stifling it?

Developers discuss the pain and prevalence of side work clauses

How an industry renowned for creativity is actively stifling it.

gamedeveloper.com

So many incompetent, destructive individuals in charge of government agencies right now it makes you wonder whatever happened to meritocracy. This one has my vote as the lowest of the low.

Princess Vimentin PhD | Cancer Biologist@princess-vimentin.bsky.social · last wk.

Let me get this straight 1. Kennedy stopped the US Preventative Task Force from meeting to issue new guidance on cognitive decline 2. HHS caused funding delays/cuts to 35 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers 3. Spreads lies And he expects progress? 🧪 www.thedailybeast.com/rfk-jr-deman...

OUTSTANDING online interactive from @frontlinepbs.bsky.social about SCAMS. (free to view) Four real cases are featured, showcasing a range of approaches, with expert analysis about how/why they work. Came away feeling like any one of us could fall for them. Heed the red flags! #journalism

Inside the Scam - FRONTLINE / AP collaboration

Follow scams as they unfold — and examine tactics used to manipulate victims.

pbs.org

The Trump admin's handling of the explosive diarrhea outbreak has been appalling. RFK Jr is too busy talking about orange juice while Americans try to figure out what's safe to eat. Thankfully the local & natl news coverage is providing some answers. My latest: open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...

Kennedy's summer sh*t show

Americans want straight answers about the cyclosporiasis outbreak but the nation’s top health official is too busy talking about orange juice and TikTok

open.substack.com

NYU's Game Design Future Lab: Apply for Incubator! For Creative Tech/Platform Co's or Game Studios Up to 8 slots, start Nov 2, at least one founder must live FT in NYC July 30: Info Session Aug 7: Deadline to apply #NYMakesGames @nyutandon.bsky.social @mitukhandaker.com

NYC Game Design Future Lab — Cohort 002 Application (Nov 2026 - Nov 2027)

The NYC Game Design Future Lab (GDFL) at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, is a 12-month in-person incubator for New York City g...

docs.google.com

What NPR does for books (curated, filter-tagged staff picks), it also does for video games! Among the "highlighted popular favorites and under-recognized gems": Perfect Tides: Station to Station Titanium Court Mixtape TR-49

The best games of 2026 so far, picked by NPR's staff

Titans like Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert dominated in the first half of the gaming year, with early-access sequels like Slay the Spire 2 and Subnautica 2 not far behind.

npr.org

After ICE shot and killed Lorenzo Araujo, the FBI leaked to Fox News a claim that he was found with possible meth in the van. His family said it was a total falsehood; it was a bag of salt to be used to make an electrolyte drink. And they were right. It was not drugs.

New Kaleidoscope! This week, we have a playful and insightful look at developing characters and dialogue through theatrical techniques, with @annacwebs.bsky.social. Check out the conversation here, or subscribe to never miss an ep! www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

At #g4c2026, Tim Rattray @timrattray.bsky.social and Kevin Hoskin filmed talks for their documentary about the NYC game scene, Playing in the Shadows of Skyscrapers. Tim also threw a fun afterparty! Bonus: I met the SON of a coworker from the dawn of my career, now a game audio/music creator.

MORAL PANIC slide from #g4c2026 (Rachel Kowert) Writing: "We will cease to exercise our memory" Phone: "Constant distraction" Crossword: "Literate women" Film: "Debauchery" Comics: "Demon worship" Video Games: "Murder simulators" (Who remembers the Satanic panic?)

Feast your eyes and minds on fresh and stunning photojournalism. Nicely organized with connective tissue from one to the next. #photojournalism

Photos of the Week: Alpine Swing, Disaster Simulation, Lumberjack Championship

A medieval full-contact-combat exhibition in France, celebrations in Spain after its World Cup win, scenes from the ongoing Tour de France cycling race, and much more

theatlantic.com

CAN'T MAKE IT UP: ICE deported a man to Mexico in violation of a court order in Nov., acknowledged the error and returned him to the U.S. Then they deported him to El Salvador, in violation of court-ordered torture protection. He's currently imprisoned. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

I live in a purple state and have been paying federal taxes for many decades. Can we get a refund?

tony romm@tonyromm.bsky.social · 2w ago

NEW: In a stunning admission, the Trump administration admitted in court documents that it canceled billions in energy grants to states "based solely" on politics -- and whether that state was represented by Democrats and backed Harris in 2024. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...

I can read one of these graffiti. (Spotted in NYC subway station, July 22, 2026))

Games for Change! A boost for the soul and mind to hang with people making a positive difference in the world. In an inspirational twist, David Gagnon jump-started a lively discussion around the maverick idea of creating a public media model for games—like Sesame Street did in the 1960s. #g4c2026

In Texas, a Border Patrol agent was just indicted by a local grand jury for aggravated assault for running down a migrant with his car on January 31, 2025. Video from a homeowner showed the agent driving straight into a man who was calmly walking on the side of the road. myrgv.com/local-news/2...