In the ’90s, Wing Commander: Privateer made me realize what kind of games I love – Ars Technica

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In 1993, Wing Commander: Privateer taught a generation of players — including the author of this piece — a simple lesson about what a game could be: a space to live an invented life rather than a sequence of authored challenges. That realization has shaped how the writer evaluates games ever since, and it explains … Read more

Google lets some users change their @gmail address

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Google has begun offering a way for certain users to replace their @gmail.com address, according to a Hindi support page surfaced via translation. The change functions largely as adding a new primary address while preserving the old one as an alias, so messages and sign-in links continue to work. The feature appears to be limited … Read more

Winter storm tests airlines during peak holiday travel — what travelers need to know

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Lead A major winter storm is set to challenge U.S. carriers during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. A winter storm warning takes effect Friday afternoon for New York City, New Jersey and Long Island, with the National Weather Service forecasting up to 9 inches of snow, much falling overnight. Major U.S. … Read more

Week 17 showdowns — 49ers‑Bears and the games that will reshape the playoff map

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Lead With two regular-season weeks left, Week 17 will sharply reshape the NFL playoff landscape. Seven of eight division races remain undecided and neither conference has a team with a better-than-60-percent chance to secure the No. 1 seed. Several matchups this weekend — headlined by 49ers vs. Bears — will determine division fates and set … Read more

Johnson & Johnson Halts Mid‑Stage Trial of Experimental Eczema Drug

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Lead Johnson & Johnson on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, said it has discontinued a mid‑stage study of its experimental atopic dermatitis candidate JNJ‑5939 after an interim analysis failed to meet pre‑specified efficacy thresholds. The company said the medicine was generally well tolerated but did not clear the “high‑bar” needed to advance. The decision affects the … Read more

Marriage and Sex in the Age of Ozempic: An Update

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Lead: On Dec. 26, 2025, The Daily revisited reporting on how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are reshaping more than bodies — they are altering romantic relationships. Reporter Lisa Miller recounts a case in which the medications contributed to strains in a marriage of about 15 years, and clinicians warn the drugs’ … Read more

2025: Denisovans Finally Get a Face

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In 2025 researchers connected a long-mysterious fossil skull to Denisovan DNA, offering the first plausible cranial portrait of a population first revealed by ancient DNA in 2010. The breakthrough ties Harbin’s so-called “Dragon Man” skull to Denisovan mitochondrial sequences and protein evidence, and links it to a broader Denisovan record spanning Asia. That convergence of … Read more

Tamiflu isn’t the only recommended flu treatment in the US. These are the others.

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Lead When influenza hits, antiviral medicines can shorten illness and cut transmission. In the United States the CDC currently recommends four antivirals: oseltamivir (Tamiflu), baloxavir (Xofluza), zanamivir (Relenza) and peramivir (Rapivab). Each drug has distinct age approvals, routes of administration, typical costs and side‑effect profiles, so the best choice depends on patient age, setting and … Read more

Does cycling cause erectile dysfunction? A urologist explains – CNN

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Lead: Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist and robotic surgeon with Orlando Health and assistant professor at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, addresses a common worry he has seen since buying a stationary bike during the pandemic. In late 2025 he experienced intermittent pelvic pressure after rides and feared prostate injury or erectile … Read more

Women Scramble Over Family Coverage as ACA Premiums Soar

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As 2025 closed, several U.S. households faced a stark insurance choice: pay sharply higher premiums starting Jan. 1, 2026, or pare back coverage for some family members. Freelancers and middle-income families who relied on enhanced ACA subsidies now confront premium spikes after those subsidies expired in Congress. In cases documented in Providence and Brooklyn, families … Read more

Stabbing and chemical liquid attack at Mishima tire factory injures 15

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Lead On Friday, December 26, 2025, a 38-year-old man was arrested after attacking workers at the Yokohama Rubber Company plant in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture. Officials say eight people were stabbed and seven more were injured after being sprayed with a liquid believed to be bleach, for a total of 15 victims taken to hospitals. Emergency … Read more

Why airline computer systems fail and what carriers can learn

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Lead In July 2025 Alaska Airlines grounded large parts of its schedule after a hardware failure at a data center, forcing hundreds of cancellations and leaving travelers stranded. The outage — one of several high-profile airline IT breakdowns in recent years — highlights how crew rostering, baggage handling and passenger communications all depend on interconnected … Read more

At least 15 injured in knife and chemical attack at a factory in Japan

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Who: A 38-year-old man was arrested after attacking workers at a rubber factory. When: The incident occurred on Friday, December 26, 2025. Where: The assault took place at a Yokohama Rubber Company facility in Mishima, Shizuoka prefecture, west of Tokyo. What happened and result: The suspect stabbed eight people and threw a chemical believed to … Read more

Testing Apple’s AirPods Live Translation in Tokyo: A Firsthand Report

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Lead In fall 2025 I tested Apple’s new Live Translation via AirPods while traveling in Tokyo to see whether the feature can bridge real conversations for non-Japanese speakers. Over several days I used the earbuds at a Buddhist fire ritual, in sushi classes and in neighborhood bars to judge clarity, latency and usefulness. The experience … Read more