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  • Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour Sets Records, Grosses Over $400 million

    Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour Sets Records, Grosses Over $400 million

    Beyoncé has set several new records after wrapping her wildly successful Cowboy Carter tour, which now holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing country tour ever.

    The 32-show run tour grossed a whopping $407.6 million with 1.6 million tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore. (Boxscore has been collecting touring data and figures from various industry sources — artists, venues, promoters — for almost 40 years.)

    Additionally, Pollstar, the trade publication for the concert industry, credited the Cowboy Carter Tour with making over $400 million, a feat that no other country tour has ever achieved. They also noted Beyoncé is the first American artist to have two separate tours gross over $400 million, with her 2023 Renaissance trek amassing $579 million across 56 shows.

    That the Cowboy Carter trek made as much as it did with 24 fewer shows is another remarkable feat. It’s now the shortest tour ever to reach $400 million in gross, per Boxscore, with its closest competitors lagging far behind. Those include the Renaissance run (56 dates), The Rolling Stones’  2017 – 2021 No Filter Tour (58 dates), and Metallica’s ongoing M72 World Tour (60 so far).

    After her comparatively lengthy Renaissance tour — which was also her first headlining run since the 2016 Formation World Tour — Beyoncé took a slightly different approach with the Cowboy Carter, scheduling more shows in fewer locations. In total, she played just nine cities, but her itinerary included five nights in Los Angeles and the New York City area, as well as six gigs in London. She wrapped the run this month with a four-night stand in Atlanta, followed by two nights in Las Vegas. 

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    While Cowboy Carter was, of course, the focus of the tour, the setlist featured highlights from throughout Beyoncé’s career, as well as nightly cameos from her children, Blue Ivy and Rumi. During Beyoncé’s June 19 show in Paris, she welcomed Miley Cyrus onstage for the live premiere of “II Most Wanted.” And at the tour finale in Vegas, there were appearances from Jay-Z and Shaboozey, as well as a Destiny’s Child reunion.

    The end of the Cowboy Carter tour likely marks the conclusion of the second act of Beyoncé’s planned album trilogy, which began with Renaissance. On top of the wildly successful tour, Cowboy Carter also marked a major musical milestone for Beyoncé as she finally won the Grammy for Album of the Year. 

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  • Road to Tokyo – Masai Russell | News | Tokyo 25

    Road to Tokyo – Masai Russell | News | Tokyo 25

    Budapest was bittersweet for Masai Russell. While disappointed at the time, the US hurdler believes that World Championships experience in 2023 helped to put her on track for Olympic gold in Paris.

    The 25-year-old reached the semifinals of the 100m hurdles in Budapest but became the Olympic champion less than a year later. Now she is also the second-fastest 100m hurdler in history thanks to her 12.17 performance in Florida in May.

    Taking things meeting by meeting, Russell’s next target is the US Championships, taking place in Eugene from 31 July to 3 August, as she aims to book her place on the team for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in September.

    “I think it had to happen for me to become who I am now,” says Russell, reflecting on the World Championships in Budapest. “I had to take a step back. I think I was a little ahead of myself and I thought that I was going to do something that I wasn’t ready for. I was just glad that I was able to get that opportunity to run at Budapest and run on that global stage so then at the next major championship, which was the Olympics, I had that experience.

    “As much as Budapest hurt – it broke my heart – I had to go through that to get to where I am now.”

    View the full interview on World Athletics Watch

    Russell clocked her North American record of 12.17 – a mark just 0.05 off the world record – at the Grand Slam Track meeting in Miami and was followed by her compatriot Tia Jones who moved to third on the world all-time list with 12.19. While Russell wasn’t surprised by her own time, she was shocked by how early in the season she was able to achieve it.

    “Whatever’s meant for me is going to happen, and whatever’s meant to be will be,” she says. “So, if that’s me breaking the world record or if that’s me running sub-12, however that looks, I just believe whatever’s meant for me will never miss me as long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.

    “The evolution of the women’s hurdles, it just shows that when one person does something, the next person believes that they can do it,” she adds. “Trackflation, that’s what they’re calling it. It’s just going crazy because everyone in every event is running crazy fast, but the women’s hurdles, it’s just sick.”

    Now she is ready to take on some of her fellow best in the world as she races for a place in Tokyo.

    “I was more nervous at the US Championships than I was at the Olympic final,” she explains, remembering 2024. “At the Olympic final I’m like I’m here, the time is now – there’s nothing to lose. Whereas, you have everything to lose at the championships for the United States because you might not get that opportunity, so you have to make it count.”

     

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  • Matthew Lawrence Corrected on Superman’s Dog After ComiCon Comment

    Matthew Lawrence Corrected on Superman’s Dog After ComiCon Comment

    Matthew Lawrence’s comment at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend on Krypto, the canine star of James Gunn’s Superman, has sparked online debate about the importance of the CGI four-legged friend to the titular hero — and prompted some to suggest the actor rewatch the film’s final scene. 

    Lawrence was at Comic-Con to promote his new graphic novel with his brothers, The Lawrence Brothers Detective Agency, and during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at our onsite suite, he drew a question from our popcorn bucket asking if he’s seen Superman. The actor took it as an opportunity to pontificate about the role the dog plays in the movie and to David Corenswet’s titular character. 

    “This really got me,” Lawrence said. “I’m a huge animal lover. I work in conservation. I have more pets than I can count, most of them reptiles and amphibians, but I’ve had some amazing connections with dogs over the years, and that is not the relationship that I wanted to see. I think it needed more heart. It needed more depth. He was kind of like: ‘This dog. I don’t really care about this dog.’”

    Lawrence is interrupted by his brother, Andrew, who corrects the record, telling him how in the movie, Superman was “just watching the dog.” This fact is revealed at the end of the film when (spoiler alert!) an inebriated Supergirl (Milly Alcock) arrives at the Fortress of Solitude to collect her feisty pet. It’s also mentioned in dialogue throughout the blockbuster action hit that little Krypto does not belong to Superman. Either ignoring or not hearing the interjection from his brother, Lawrence continued his critique.

    “I think … if you’ve had a dog and you had a real connection with your dog, that is not it. And I wish I would have seen that, because it always needs to be highlighted,” he concluded.

    A clip of the interview moment posted to THR’s X account was quick to receive comments pointing out this plot revelation of Krypto’s true master at the end of the movie. Several users also debated the significance of the entirely CGI pooch to the plot of the movie, which sees Superman travel into a pocket dimension to retrieve the pet, who manages to help save the day more than once before the movie concludes. 

    “The dog is not his and krypto is fucking up his place and it’s not a trained dog. He also literally risks his life to go save krypto and Louis even challenged him on that. Idk what bro is on about 🤔.” X user xblazrx wrote.

    User @house of woes agreed with Lawrence, writing on X, “Loved Superman but he’s right” and that, “Krypto was just a tad off tonally for me.”

    “Even after his parents evil reveal his main concern was finding krypto . He was whistling every time he got a chance. Only time he lost his cool was when he confronted lex for his dog . Also, krypto cried and didn’t want him to leave at the start of movie so that explains a bond,” shared @bullseye0777. 

    Lawrence’s read of the dog-superhero relationship isn’t entirely off base, as some frostier moments between the pup and man of steel are peppered throughout the movie. His heart is certainly in the right place, but he may want to check out Superman again. In the meantime, the actor’s graphic novel with his brothers, Joey and Andrew, was launched at Comic-Con via a Kickstarter, and the brothers have designs on an expansion into an animated and live-action show in which they run a detective agency.

    Krypto, the CGI rendering of a mixed-breed pooch who steals many scenes in Gunn’s box office smash, is based on a rendering of the filmmaker’s rescue dog, Ozu.


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  • TF Binding Mapped via DynaTag in Single Cells, Low-Input Samples

    TF Binding Mapped via DynaTag in Single Cells, Low-Input Samples

    Mapping transcription factor (TF) binding sites across the genome is key to understanding how cells control gene expression, yet pinpointing their footprints across the genome—especially in single cells or small samples—has remained a technical bottleneck in the fields of molecular biology, genetics, and epigenetics. A new technique called DynaTag may be a promising new approach to understanding TF landscapes.

    In a study titled “DynaTag for efficient mapping of transcription factors in low-input samples and at single-cell resolution,” published in Nature Communications, DynaTag (cleavage under Dynamic targets and Tagmentation) enables high-resolution mapping of transcription factor binding sites—even from low-input or single-cell samples. The method, developed by researchers at the University of Cologne, relies on a physiological salt buffer to preserve TF–DNA interactions that are typically lost during sample processing with standard high-salt protocols. “TF–DNA interactions are sensitive to these stringent conditions, causing their dissociation from chromatin and incompatibility with these tagmentation-based technologies,” reported the researchers. DynaTag utilizes a physiological intracellular salt solution throughout all nuclei handling steps to retain specific interactions while suppressing nonspecific protein–DNA interactions, added the research team.

    “DynaTag outperforms existing methods such as ChIP-seq and CUT&RUN in terms of sensitivity and resolution,” said senior author Robert Hänsel-Hertsch, PhD, principal investigator at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC). “The new method delivers high-resolution mapping of the DNA regions where transcription factors bind.”

    Using DynaTag, the team profiled 15 transcription factors in both stem cell and cancer models. In embryonic stem cells, the method revealed dynamic binding patterns for factors such as NANOG, MYC, and OCT4 as cells transitioned to an epiblast-like state. Single-nuclei DynaTag further showed that distinct TF occupancy patterns were enough to distinguish cell states, highlighting its utility in developmental biology and heterogeneous tissue analysis.

    The authors also applied DynaTag to small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a fast-growing cancer type notorious for its resistance to therapy. In a patient-derived mouse model, the researchers used DynaTag to compare TF binding before and after chemotherapy. They found that the transcription factors FOXA1 and MYC showed increased occupancy in chemotherapy-resistant tumors, while factors like ASCL1 and POU2F3 declined. Likewise, the results further showed significantly increased FOXA1 and MYC occupancies at genes involved in several metabolic pathways, such as fatty acid metabolism.

    Intriguingly, the method also suggested a gain-of-function for a mutant p53 variant (R248Q), which became more active at genes linked to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)—a potential route for cancer cells to escape treatment. These insights, the researchers say, were not detectable using alternative methods like ATAC-seq footprinting.

    “It had already been established that certain signaling pathways promoting resistance or metastasis are activated after chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer. However, it was not known which transcription factors regulate these signaling pathways,” said Hänsel-Hertsch. “With the help of DynaTag, we were able to identify specific transcription factors that show increased binding to genes belonging to these signaling pathways after chemotherapy and are likely to promote further tumor growth.”


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  • Republican Election Group Is Attempting to Organize Against Text Message Filtering in iOS 26

    Republican Election Group Is Attempting to Organize Against Text Message Filtering in iOS 26

    From this paywalled report at Punchbowl News, as quoted by Taegan Goddard at Political Wire:

    “The Senate GOP campaign arm is warning that Apple’s new
    iOS update could cost them $25 million in fundraising revenue, as
    well as priceless GOTV opportunities,” Punchbowl News
    reports.

    Here’s a copy of the original memo from the NRSC (National Republican Senatorial Committee). What they’re freaking out about is the new iOS 26 Messages feature (which will be available in Messages on iPadOS and MacOS 26 too — but because these messages are sent as SMS and because the iPhone is so many people’s primary or sole messaging device, it’s the platform they’re focusing on) that will automatically sort messages from unknown senders into a new “Unknown Sender” inbox.

    Quoting from the NRSC letter (emphasis in original):

    Apple’s iOS 26 update introduces aggressive message filtering.
    Political texts — even from verified and compliant senders-will
    be treated as spam by default, silently sent to an “Unknown” inbox
    with no alerts or notifications. That change has profound
    implications for our ability to fundraise, mobilize voters, and
    run digital campaigns.

    It’s important to understand: Apple isn’t just targeting cold
    outreach or spammy actors.     Every political message — shortcode,
    long code, doesn’t matter-gets pushed into the dark. The only
    workaround-getting a voter to reply — is increasingly rare and
    entirely at the mercy of Apple’s unclear rules. How will a voter
    reply if they never get the message?

    Apple’s “rules” for this new feature aren’t unclear at all. If a sender is not in your saved contacts and you’ve never sent or responded to a text message from them, they’re considered “unknown”. That’s it. The feature isn’t even really new — you’ve been able to filter messages like this in Messages for years now, but what iOS 26 changes is that it now will be on by default and has a new more prominent — better, IMO — interface for switching between filter views. Update: I was wrong that this filtering will be on by default in iOS 26 — I was fooled because I had previously enabled “Filter Unknown Senders” in Settings → Apps → Messages → Unknown & Spam (which you need to scroll down quite a bit to get to). I do think, though, that many more iOS users will be using this feature starting with iOS 26 — it’s both better designed and less hidden.

    Back to the NRSC letter:

    Here’s the shift in practice. Today, a voter with an iPhone gets
    our message just like a normal text. In iOS 26, unless that
    person has already replied, our message is silently sent to the
    “Unknown” inbox. No ping, no badge, just buried in an inbox few
    people ever check.

    We’ve spent years complying with rigorous standards — providing full
    documentation, opt-in proof, and message samples via Campaign
    Verify and The Campaign Registry — yet Apple ignores that. Carriers
    respect it. Apple doesn’t.

    Estimated prospecting losses: NRSC alone could see a $25M+
    revenue hit    . Since 70% of small-dollar donations come via text,
    and iPhones make up 60% of US mobile devices, the macro effect
    could be over $500M in lost GOP revenue    . […]

    Unfortunately, K St and trade groups are asleep at the wheel.
    Apple isn’t engaging. But we have only a few weeks left before the
    public release. If we’re going to push back, it has to be now. We
    have a very narrow window to fix this.

    “Unknown Senders” isn’t spam. It’s for … unknown senders. Which these political texts are. I don’t know anyone who enjoys getting these texts in their primary timeline of messages. What the NRSC is asserting here is that they have a right to put political solicitations in your primary Messages view, and to have them appear as notifications, which is ridiculous.

    Also, there’s no reason to believe that Republican candidates and groups will be more affected by this than Democratic ones. There’s no filtering by message content. It’s just a change to stop sending notifications for texts from unknown senders, and to put those messages in a separate timeline by default. People will check the Unknown Senders timeline occasionally too — all sorts of text messages from bots will go there, including some you want or need.

    ★ Monday, 28 July 2025

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  • G&D Outlines Plans for Live KVM and Video Processing Demos at IBC2025

    G&D Outlines Plans for Live KVM and Video Processing Demos at IBC2025

    AMSTERDAM—German manufacturer Guntermann & Drunck GmbH (G&D) has announced that it will present a wide range of KVM and video processing solutions for broadcast and control room environments during IBC2025 between Sept. 12 to 15 at its booth 8.B51.

    One of the key highlights of its live demos during the show will be the new VisionVS solution, which was developed in close collaboration with sister company VuWall.

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  • The protective role of cognitive reserve in moderating depressive symptomatology in patients with multiple sclerosis | BMC Psychology

    The protective role of cognitive reserve in moderating depressive symptomatology in patients with multiple sclerosis | BMC Psychology

    In clinical studies, the prevalence of cognitive impairments in MS is estimated to be between 54% and 65% [1]. These impairments tend to increase with worsening physical disability, disease duration, and a progressive course [6]. The cognitive domains most frequently affected in MS are speed of information processing, sustained attention, memory, and visuospatial perception [3]. Cognitive impairment significantly affects patients’ quality of life, social integration, and ability to work [18]. Levels of anxiety and depression can have a negative impact on patients’ cognitive performance, leading to poorer outcomes [8]. However, research has demonstrated that higher levels of cognitive reserve are linked to less cognitive impairment in pwMS [11].

    The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms, CR, sustained attention, and semantic fluency in individuals with impairment. Our hypothesis was that CR predicts the relationship between depressive symptomatology and cognitive function. The main aim was to examine the role of CR as a moderator of the relationship between BDI, PASAT, and WLG.

    The findings suggest a consistent association between increased depressive symptomatology and lower performance in sustained attention, and semantic fluency.

    Depression affects over 20% of MS patients [19], leading to reduced quality of life, increased hospitalisation and mortality rates, and worse disability progression [20, 21]. Research has demonstrated a correlation between symptoms of depression in patients and a decline in attention and executive function, particularly in tasks that involve distractions [22, 23]. A subsequent study revealed that symptoms of depression are more closely linked to cognitive efficiency, specifically speed, rather than memory [24]. Several studies have shown that pwMS with depression perform worse on the PASAT than non-depressed MS patients and normal control participants [25, 26]. A meta-analysis of 10 studies on MS patients with depression also found a correlation between major depression and lower PASAT scores [27]. It has been widely demonstrated that high levels of depression are associated with worse performance on verbal semantic fluency tests [28].

    However, the importance of CR as a predictor of cognitive functioning in persons with disabilities was reiterated [11]. Studies have indicated how CR predicts performance in tests of processing speed and memory [29]. However, it has also been shown the central role played by CR on all aspects of cognition such as executive functions, visuospatial processing and the various cognitive indices measured by the verbal fluency test [30].

    To understand whether higher levels of cognitive reserve (CR) could influence the relationship between cognitive performance and depressive symptoms, we conducted a mediation analysis in our study. The analysis considered CR as a potential moderator in the model, based on the direct correlations observed. The results of the mediation analyses indicate that depressive symptoms did not have a direct negative impact on performance in working memory, sustained attention, and verbal fluency. Instead, cognitive reserve (CR) played a protective role in this relationship, resulting in better performance.

    Previous research has investigated the relationship between cognitive reserve (CR) and depression. It has been suggested that CR may have a protective effect against the negative impact of increased neurological disability on an individual’s level of depression [31].

    Additionally, the correlation between the CRIq score and cognitive performance suggests that patients with higher CRIq scores exhibit better information processing speed, as well as verbal and visuospatial memory performance, compared to those with lower CRIq scores [10]. Cognitive function is differentially protected by CR [32]. High CR predicts the preservation of functional brain connectivity despite grey matter atrophy and attenuates the detrimental effect of white matter alteration on information processing speed in MS patients [33]. In another MS study, high CR was found to selectively protect against the effect of peripheral grey matter atrophy on verbal memory [34].

    Previous studies have examined the protective role of CR on cognitive function in patients without multiple sclerosis, but none have specifically focused on the moderating role of CR in the relationship between cognition and depression. Wight and colleagues [35] investigated the impact of education, post-school training, and occupation on cognitive function in a sample of older men living in the community. The study found that a higher level of education moderated the effect of depressive symptoms on cognition, but only when the symptoms were more severe. Bhalla et al. [36] found no moderating effect of education level on neuropsychological performance in a sample of depressed patients. In a study designed to examine the mediation of cognitive reserve in the relationship between cognitive performance and late-life depression, subjects with higher levels of education and/or higher reading scores showed greater declines in cognitive performance with increasing depressive symptoms than those with lower levels of education or reading scores in the reference sample [37]. In agreement with the literature, we also found better performance on cognitive tasks in our study in the presence of higher levels of cognitive reserve, which acts as a protective factor when higher levels of depressive symptoms are registered. While the effect size of -0.044 might be considered weak according to Cohen’s standards, it is important to note that even small effects can have substantial clinical implications for MS patients. The attenuation of cognitive reserve benefits by depressive symptoms highlights the need for integrated therapeutic approaches that address both cognitive and emotional health in MS care.

    A few limitations must be considered when interpreting our results. The cross-sectional design, utilizing self-reported measures of CR and neuropsychiatric symptoms, was performed at a single center with a relatively small patient sample and a limited neuropsychological battery. It would be interesting to observe changes in cognitive profiles in larger cohorts over long-term follow-up with a more comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation (including the SDMT and other relevant tests), which could serve as a future goal for this preliminary cross-sectional study. Our findings are specific to the RR-MS population and may not be generalizable to patients with secondary progressive MS (SP-MS). The relatively low percentage of patients on DMTs highlights the variability in treatment practices and patient circumstances. Further research could explore the impact of cognitive reserve and depressive symptoms in other MS subtypes, including SPMS.

    Additionally, recognizing the potential limitation of including only newly diagnosed PwMS, who may exhibit higher levels of depression or increased depressive symptoms, future research should compare this group with patients diagnosed for at least two years. This comparison will help clarify the impact of disease duration on depression and cognitive functions.

    Finally, another limitation of this study is the absence of specific inclusion criteria for anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality, despite their known effects on depression in people with disabilities. The sole reliance on the BDI is an additional limitation, as depression can be a secondary symptom in individuals with multiple sclerosis, complicating the relationship between depression and cognitive performance. Future studies should incorporate assessments of anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the behavioral factors influencing cognitive functions in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

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  • Free-to-play FIFA-licensed mobile game tops 1m downloads since its launch last month | News-in-Brief – GamesIndustry.biz

    Free-to-play FIFA-licensed mobile game tops 1m downloads since its launch last month | News-in-Brief – GamesIndustry.biz

    1. Free-to-play FIFA-licensed mobile game tops 1m downloads since its launch last month | News-in-Brief  GamesIndustry.biz
    2. FIFA Rivals Surpasses 1 Million Downloads, Cementing Mythical Games as a Web3 Gaming Powerhouse  Blockster
    3. Mythical Games’ FIFA Rivals Reaches One Million Downloads In Just 46 Days  BlockchainReporter

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  • X-Men MCU Reboot Different From Hugh Jackman Movies

    X-Men MCU Reboot Different From Hugh Jackman Movies

    In a press conference ahead of the release of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige confirmed what had long been speculated: “Thunderbolts*” director Jake Schreier is helming the MCU’s “X-Men” reboot. Now, in a new interview with The Playlist, Schreier told comic book movie fans not to expect a new “X-Men” movie that resembles the previous franchise led by Hugh Jackman.

    “Yeah, I think that’s fair to say,” Schreier said when asked if Marvel’s take on the X-Men will be “recognizably different from what came before,” adding as a joke, “There’s that red sniper dot out there somewhere, you know.”

    “But to be able to explore all of the ideas that are inherent to that rich source material, but also at the scale inherent to the source material, that’s like a very rare and fortunate opportunity,” Schreier continued. “That’s very exciting.”

    The director said earlier in the interview: “What I can say is, it’s just inherently interesting and complex material… The core idea of what ‘X-Men’ is involves complexity. It’s an incredible opportunity with super interesting characters and [much] internal conflict. These characters are wrestling with their identity and place in the world—that’s inherently interesting and complex material.”

    Feige let it slip to the press that the MCU’s take on the X-Men would be far different from the previous big screen iteration of the superhero team by saying Schreier is “going to make a youth-focused reboot. That may be reflected in mutant castings, and it’ll definitely be felt in the tone and perspective of the film.”

    Just how the new X-Men heroes will be introduced in the MCU remains to be seen. Jackman played his beloved Wolverine from the previous “X-Men” franchise in last summer’s “Deadpool and Wolveirne,” and his original co-stars Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellen (Magneto), James Marsden (Cyclops), Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique) are all set to appear in next year’s “Avengers: Doomsday.”

    Schreier’s “Thunderbolts*” is now available to buy or rent from home on PVOD platforms.

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  • Training: The boys are back in town! – Manchester City FC

    1. Training: The boys are back in town!  Manchester City FC
    2. Man City return to training with Grealish and McAtee decisions made as club work on multiple transfers  Manchester Evening News
    3. All eyes will be on the fitness of one Manchester City player in particular next week  MSN
    4. Will Rodri Join Man City’s Preseason Training After Injury?  BVM Sports
    5. Manchester City make pre-season decision which risks annoying fans  manchestercity.news

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