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Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're a Johnny Depp fan.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 19, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shiver me timbers!

The words are related to sea dwellers.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe bucaneers.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Talk Like a Pirate.

NYT Strands word list for September 19

• Avast

• Yohoho

• Savvy

• Hearties

• Matey

• Like a Pirate

• Arrr

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 19, 2026 House meaning

A home or dwelling.

Stick figure meaning

A simplistic drawing of a human.

Sun meaning

The star at the center of the solar system.

Tree meaning

A large, tall plant made of bark and leaves.

Branch out meaning

To try or discover something new.

Diversify meaning

To add variety.

Expand meaning

To grow.

Grow meaning

To get bigger or taller.

Cos lettuce meaning

A leafy green vegetable.

Log cabin meaning

A small house made of stacked tree trunks.

Sin City meaning

A nickname for Las Vegas.

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Tan line meaning

A visible mark on the skin that shows a dark tone after time in the sun.

Carnaby Street meaning

A popular shopping street in Soho London.

Miniskirt meaning

A very short skirt that sits well above the knee.

Mod meaning

A 1960s British youth subculture.

Twiggy meaning

A British icon who became known as the world's first supermodel in the 1960s.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a light sleeper.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 19, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 19, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Describing a weather condition.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

To stop sleeping.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

WAKEN

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

TL;DR: LELO just released its first advent calendar, and it's (unsurprisingly) luxe AF. Get 12 days' worth of goodies for just $399.

Opens in a new window Credit: LELO LELO Couples Calendar $399 at LELO
  Shop Now

I love advent calendars, especially when there are vibrators involved. (I mean, who wouldn't?) Sure, they can be hit or miss, but if you know where to shop and when, you can get a great deal on premium items that would've cost you way more any other time of year.

SEE ALSO: I've tested 100+ sex toys. Here are the 15 most mind-blowing toys I've ever owned.

Case in point: LELO just launched its first Couples Calendar. Instead of padding the boxes with cheap filler or tiny sample sizes, this set includes full-size devices and fun treats like handcuffs and a massage candle.

What's inside the LELO Couples Calendar?

If you don't want to know what's in the calendar, avert your eyes. But for $399, I think it's only fair to tell you exactly what you're getting.

• TOR 3 pleasure ring — $169 value

• LELO SURFER 2 vibrating butt plug — $119 value

• MIA 3 personal massager — $109 value

• LELO Personal Moisturizer (75ml) — $34.90 value

• SONA 2 Travel sonic clitoral massager — $99 value

• Flickering Touch Massage Candle (Vanilla & Crème De Cacao) — $34.90 value

• LELO Pleasure Enhancing Serum — $29.90 value

• LELO Toy Cleaning Spray — $18.90 value

• Handcuffs

• Blindfold

As you can see from the list above, this is a damn good deal. The toys alone retail for over $500. You can either stretch this into a 12-day countdown with your partner (or yourself!) or turn it into one very memorable night. Either way, getting full-sized, $100+ sex toys for $399 is a win — especially when luxury brands like Dior are out here charging $3,500 for a box that literally gives you a candle lid (yes, just the lid) on day six.

TL;DR: Stop the constant PDF struggle with this lifetime subscription to PDNob Pro PDF Editor, on sale now for $34.97 (reg. $349.95) for two more days through Sept. 20 with code 15OFF.

Opens in a new window Credit: PDNob PDNob Pro PDF Editor: Lifetime Subscription $34.97
$349.95 Save $314.98   Get Deal

We’ve all been there — you open a PDF to make one quick change, only to realize it’s totally locked and you need a special app to get anything done. If you’re tired of juggling different tools to edit, convert, sign, or tackle other PDF-centric tasks, it’s time to get PDNob Pro.

Right now, you have two more days to lock in a lifetime subscription to PDNob Pro PDF Editor for just $34.97 with code 15OFF.

You can’t avoid PDFs, so it’s time to make peace with them once and for all, thanks to PDNob Pro PDF Editor. This powerful tool utilizes AI to make the PDF process a whole lot easier — whether you’re editing, converting to another format, signing a document, or handling another PDF-related chore.

Let PDNob Pro PDF Editor make PDF editing as easy as drafting a document with Word. You can change the text, tweak the layout, insert headers, footers, or page numbers, and even crop, rotate, replace, or delete images.

Need to convert a PDF? Turn it into a Word, Excel, PowerPoint, TXT, BMP, TIFF, or image format in just a few clicks — or create a PDF from an Office file, image, screenshot, TXT, or scan. Your document’s original formatting will be preserved.

Aside from editing and converting, PDNob Pro PDF Editor goes even further by summarizing long documents, providing speedy translation, or rewriting content for you. You can also ask questions about reports, manuals, research papers, or contracts.

Your lifetime subscription includes 20GB of lifetime cloud storage. It can be used on up to two devices at a time, and includes free updates as they are rolled out.

Snag a lifetime subscription to PDNob Pro PDF Editor for just $34.97 with code 15OFF.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Bring your PC up to date with Windows 11 Pro for $9.97 (reg. $199) through Sept. 27, with a cleaner design, smoother multitasking, and added security.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $9.97
$199 Save $189.03   Get Deal

There’s something satisfying about an upgrade that makes your everyday setup feel noticeably better without requiring a complete overhaul.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to update your PC, Windows 11 Pro is currently available for $9.97 (reg. $199) through Sept. 27. It’s a limited-time price on a full Windows 11 Pro license, making now a particularly good time to make the switch.

This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s more about giving your computer the modern foundation it deserves. Windows 11 Pro brings a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and enhanced security — all in a one-time lifetime license.

Think of it as the difference between driving a reliable car and suddenly upgrading to one with a smarter dashboard, smoother handling, and built-in security features.

For professionals, creators, and power users, this upgrade also unlocks features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and seamless Azure AD integration — tools that make a real difference when you’re working across projects or managing sensitive data.

And yes, Windows 11 comes with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or even help you generate code on the fly. It’s like having a co-pilot (literally) inside your OS.

But you don’t need convincing — you already know a smart upgrade when you see one. Get Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97 (reg. $199) until Sept. 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: You can get the Kathy Ireland 4-Piece Heathered Jersey Knit Cotton Sheet Set for $39.99, marked down from $119.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kathy Ireland Home Kathy Ireland 4 Piece Heathered Jersey Knit Cotton Sheet Set $39.99
$119 Save $79.01   Get Deal

There’s a very specific kind of relief that comes from putting on a soft, broken-in T-shirt at the end of a long day, the kind that’s been through the wash enough times that it stopped feeling like clothing and started feeling like a small mercy. The Kathy Ireland 4-Piece Heathered Jersey Knit Cotton Sheet Set is trying to bottle that exact feeling and put it on your bed instead of your back, and for $39.99, it mostly succeeds.

Jersey knit is the same stretchy, cotton-blend fabric most T-shirts are made from, so the appeal isn’t complicated. It’s soft from night one instead of after a dozen washes, and it has a little give that regular woven cotton sheets don’t, which makes it feel less like you’re sleeping on fabric and more like you’re sleeping in something. That’s a small distinction until you’re actually lying in it, and then it’s the whole point.

The full sheet list:

• Deep-pocket fitted sheet (fits mattresses up to 16 inches), flat sheet, and two pillowcases

• Heathered jersey knit, a 60% cotton, 40% polyester blend for that broken-in T-shirt feel

• Hypoallergenic and wrinkle-free, so it comes out of the dryer ready to use

• Machine washable

• Available in full, queen, and king, across six heathered colorways: oatmeal, rose, light blue, olive, dark gray, and denim (selection varies by size)

The Kathy Ireland name has been on home goods for a long time now, with a focus on good design that shouldn’t come with a luxury markup. That philosophy shows up in these sheets; this isn’t a specialty linen brand chasing thread-count bragging rights, it’s a set built to be the sheets you don’t think twice about buying, washing, or replacing when it’s time.

Wrinkle-free and machine washable also mean less maintenance than a jersey knit set would require. There’s no ironing, no special detergent, no line-drying instructions to remember. Wash it, dry it, put it back on the bed, and it looks and feels the same way it did out of the package.

It’s an easy pick for a guest room that never gets attention, a dorm bed that’s overdue for an upgrade, or just your own bed if the sheets you’re currently using are older than you’d like to admit.

Get the Kathy Ireland 4-Piece Heathered Jersey Knit Cotton Sheet Set for $39.99, marked down 66% from the usual $119.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 9, a 1-year BJ’s Club Card Membership with Easy Renewal is $15 (reg. $60), a $45 discount that unlocks warehouse pricing, gas savings, and app-based checkout year-round.

Opens in a new window Credit: BJ's Wholesale Club 1-Year BJ's Club Membership with BJ's Easy Renewal® $15
$60 Save $45   Get Deal

BJ’s Club Card Membership with Easy Renewal is down to $15, and the timing lines up well with the shopping stretch most households actually dread: holiday grocery runs, gift hauls, and months of stocking up all at once.

At $15 (reg. $60), the membership quickly adds value to your shopping and driving. Fill up at a BJ’s gas station or fill a cart at warehouse pricing. It’s a cost-conscious way to get ahead of the price bumps that tend to show up everywhere once the holidays get closer.

What the membership unlocks:

• Warehouse pricing on groceries, household essentials, electronics, and seasonal items

• Discounted gas at BJ’s fuel stations

• Stackable coupons: BJ’s accepts manufacturer coupons on top of its own, unlike some warehouse clubs

• ExpressPay in the BJ’s app for scan-and-go checkout, no register line required

• Curbside pickup, same-day delivery, and buy-online-pickup-in-club options

That coupon stacking is a real point of difference. If you’re used to a warehouse club that only accepts its own store coupons, being able to layer manufacturer coupons on top changes the math on many regular purchases.

BJ’s runs 244 clubs and 175 gas stations across the eastern U.S. and counts more than 7 million members, so it’s not a niche membership you’ll have trouble using near home.

It’s an easy yes for families feeding a lot of people, anyone who fills up often, and shoppers who already clip coupons and would rather stack them than choose between them. If your holiday list is long, a membership that pays for itself in one trip is hard to argue with.

Sign up for 1-year BJ’s Club Card Membership with Easy Renewal for $15 before the holiday rush makes every other line longer, too.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Just when you thought all was quiet on the VR headset front, here comes the Steam Frame from Valve.

Steam Frame was initially announced by Valve, the parent company of the popular Steam gaming platform, in Nov. 2025. This was after years of rumors about the company developing a VR headset. Now, as of Sept. 18, the Steam Frame is finally available.

Here's what the reviews have to say about it.

First of all, I think the most notable thing to mention is what everyone seems to be talking about. The overall product is very well designed and makes playing VR games very easy to do. 

"The Steam Frame gets a whole lot right," said Jacob Ridley in PC Gamer's Steam Frame review. " It's comfortable and straightforward. Above all else, it's convenient."

"What used to slow me down with other headsets is mostly a thing of the past," Ridley explains. "I place the Steam Frame on my head and pick a game to play; VR has never been easier."

On top of that, while the Steam Frame is a VR headset, it also lets users play non-VR games on a large virtual screen. Users can play games in their Steam library using the Steam Frame. The headset acts as a big monitor.

"The Steam Frame is a fascinating VR headset," said IGN's Jacqueline Thomas. "In my time with it, I’ve spent almost an equal amount of time playing traditional non-VR games as I have VR games. In a lot of ways, it's become a replacement for my gaming monitor, one I can take around the house with me."

In Kotaku, Zack Zwiezen focused on how the Steam Frame excelled as a wireless PC gaming headset, saying it worked better than any other headset he had used for streaming games from his PC.

"I played everything using this setup and it worked without fail," Zwiezen writes. "It was so seamless and perfect that I quickly forgot I wasn’t connected to a cable. Being able to play a high-end VR game without any wires attached to me or any noticeable lag or streaming errors was revelatory, and it's easily Valve’s biggest win with the Steam Frame."

Chis Person of gaming outlet Aftermath went as far as to call the Steam Frame "one of the most exciting pieces of hardware I’ve seen in the space in years." Person went on to say that the VR headset "is doing massive amounts of hard work to unify several different use cases into a single open platform."

Seemingly every outlet that reviewed the device had glowing things to say about what they all essentially agreed was a Steam Deck with a VR / AR component. 

However, just as most outlets were united on the positives, they all seemed to have the same criticisms, too.

CNET's Scott Stein seemed to summarize the issues with the Steam Frame most succinctly, running through the device's battery life issues, buggy performance, and lack of game support at launch.

"Cook away, Valve. I’ll be curious to see what happens next," Stein said. "But right now, it’s something most people should wait on unless they want to go on an experimental journey too."

As for why they might wait, all of the reviewers seemed to agree that pricing and the gaming industry's current appetite for VR were good reasons to hold off.

The Steam Frame starts at $1,059 for the 256GB model and $1,299 for the 1TB version, making the economics of buying one a major issue, as gaming site Rock Paper Shotgun's James Archer pointed out.

On top of that, the gaming world seems to have come to an agreement that the push for VR didn't really pan out last time around and, as a result, VR game development has been lackluster.

"I have no idea who it's for in 2026," Kotaku put right in the headline of its review.

"It’s a strange time to be selling a new VR headset, and maybe an even stranger time to be buying one," Rock Paper Shotgun's Archer explained in the opening paragraph of his review, stating that the "supply of original virtual reality games has slowed to a dribble."

Devindra Hardawar of Engadget echoed the other reviewers' praise and criticism, but argued that the biggest issue for the Steam Frame is timing.

"While the Steam Frame is ultimately a solid standalone VR experience," Hardawar said. "It's hard to stomach its exorbitant price, as well as the fact that it's arriving far too late to inject much life into the declining state of VR."

Overall, it appears the Steam Frame is a great work-in-progress VR product that is being stymied by the fact that the broader virtual reality world just isn't the big thing right now.

As concerns about AI's capabilities reach a critical mass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is accelerating the state's plan to curb the development of the technology.

In a new executive order issued today (Sept. 18), Newsom calls for the creation of an expert-led panel tasked with "reinforcing and strengthening" the state's AI safety laws, including accelerating plans to enforce third-party safety evaluations and mandatory risk reporting.

SEE ALSO: Avian flu, drone swarms, and mass surveillance included in Anthropic's safety report

"The California governor’s executive order rightly prioritizes the development of better guidance regarding the definitions and requirements for AI safety regulations, particularly in regards to third party auditing," said Travis Hall, CDT's Director for State Engagement, in a statement to Mashable. "We call on the Governor to ensure that any working groups dedicated to these processes include a range of voices and expertise, including advocates for civil rights and liberties."

The order also directs the group to explore the possibility of an "emergency shut off" for frontier models, "otherwise known as an 'AI kill switch,'" Newsom said in a video posted to his X account, "which means a lot of things, depending on who you talk to."

What is an AI kill switch?

Newsom's correct. The idea of a universal off button to stop increasingly powerful AI agents from "going rogue" has been percolating in legislative conversations and online discourse for the last year. The term has become synonymous with a growing push for AI safety regulation, spearheaded in part by AI's own creators.

But what the kill switch would actually look like — specifically, the means through which it would halt AI en masse and who its chosen keeper would be — is still widely up for debate.

In July, two congressional representatives introduced the bipartisan AI Kill Switch Act, which would give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authority to slow down or halt an AI system deemed capable of causing "catastrophic harm." The bill would also require developers to institute mechanisms to "throttle, suspend, or fully shut down a covered AI system" — Newsom's order seeks to pass a similar mandate. 

While not required under U.S. law, most individual AI labs have their own means to halt rogue systems, governed by humans and the company's own safety structures and alignment teams.

Some proposals for the development of "kill switches" simply urge labs to have these processes evaluated by external safety auditors. Others seek to institute industry safety standards that would mandate emergency shut-offs, governed by the federal government. An increasingly vocal group of doomsdayers demands a sweeping fail-safe for all AI.

In an interview with Scientific American, Mark Nitzberg, executive director of the University of California, Berkeley, Center for Human-Compatible AI, called a universal AI kill switch "more of an aspiration than a reality.”

Computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, AKA the "Godfather of AI," told CNN he didn't think a kill switch would be an effective longterm solution for those who fear AI superintelligence.

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At large, policy experts, including the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), have questioned the effectiveness of what they call "binary" safety regulations, or checklist style proposals that focus on specific technical details. AI companies can easily game such terms, and single mechanisms like kill switches quickly become outdated as the tech outpaces its makers, they say.

"We remain concerned that proposals for 'kill switches' will prove ineffective in reducing risk while introducing new security risks and serious potential for government abuse," said Travis Hall, CDT's Director for State Engagement, in a statement to Mashable.

Rather than a single technical solution, Hall explains that effective AI safety oversight needs to be "meaningful, independent, and ongoing," and expert panels should include a range of voices and expertise outside of technicians, including civil rights advocates.

Because developers would be taking a financial and reputational hit should they choose to pull the lever on an entire system, effective policies mandating kill switches would also need to incentivize companies to act. CDT urges the state to "consider a variety of mechanisms to increase the incentives to prioritize safety when developing, deploying, and using AI systems."

Why a kill switch is more complicated than you may think

For the kinds of AI systems that now build, run, and influence online spaces, an AI kill switch may not be the cure all they're made out to be, experts and AI leaders like Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark warn.

AI systems aren't contained to a single physical environment, for one, like a computer you can just turn off. Sometimes, shutting down a system's servers are enough. Sometimes it's not. Rogue AI agents may need to be "hunted down" on the open internet to pinpoint and then contain its operators, Michael Vermeer, a senior physical scientist at the RAND Corporation, suggested to Scientific American.

And even then, it may require a coordinated global response to isolate, stop, and then degrade the AI to a manageable point.

Beyond the technical consideration, kill switches stir up questions of authority: Who gets to make the call? Is it in the hands of the original developer? Is it an industry process? Should an agency like homeland security give the order?

AI is not a human to be reasoned with. The internet doesn't have doors to lock, nor does it innately understand political borders (or, anything, to be fair). The technology, often dangerously anthropomorphized, is ultimately directed and influenced by humans — and so is its demise.

Still, politicians and industry onlookers are urging technologists to consider the option. The calls have become more pressing as individuals warn of a potential "doomsday" scenario in which AI becomes sentient and maliciously determined to thwart the human race — never mind all of the ethical questions it has already stirred.

UPDATE: Sep. 18, 2026, 2:26 p.m. This story was updated with a comment from Travis Hall of the Center for Democracy and Technology.

NASA’s newest space telescope has taken its first look at the stars. The view is blurry for now, but that is exactly what engineers expected.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope captured the test image while traveling to its operating position about a million miles from Earth, according to a Sept. 15 NASA blog post. NASA completed the telescope’s assembly back in Nov. 2025 and launched it on Aug. 30, 2026. Its camera’s detectors remain in their launch position, and the telescope’s optics have yet to be aligned. NASA will use the image as a starting point for bringing the stars into focus.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Tyler Desjardins (STScI)

The camera is Roman’s Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared imager built to photograph large areas of the sky in fine detail. Each image will cover an area larger than the full moon appears from Earth. That wide view will help scientists survey planets beyond our solar system, investigate dark energy, and map how matter is distributed across the universe.

SEE ALSO: NASA's incredible new telescope will offer an 'atlas of the universe'

Before it could take even this first image, the instrument had to be prepared for space. NASA gave its 18 infrared detectors 10 days to dry out, then cooled and activated them. Engineers also checked the camera’s calibration system, filters, and focus mechanism. NASA says the results show it is working as expected.

The team has begun checking Roman’s other major instrument, too. The Coronagraph is designed to block a star’s glare so scientists can detect the much fainter light reflected by planets orbiting it. Engineers have confirmed they can communicate with and control its components from Earth, though further preparation and testing remain.

Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Meanwhile, NASA has raised its estimate of how long Roman could operate. The telescope was designed for a five-year primary mission, with fuel budgeted for up to 10 years. Its first course correction used less than 10 percent of the fuel set aside for that maneuver. Factoring in that saving, extra fuel loaded before launch, and projected savings from maneuvers still ahead, NASA estimates Roman has enough propellant for at least 22 years of potential science operations. (That is a fuel-based projection, rather than a guaranteed mission length.)

Next, engineers will align and focus the telescope and activate a guidance system that lets it hold its view on a target. NASA expects Roman’s first science images by early 2027. For now, the out-of-focus stars provide the team with a starting point — and confirmation that its main camera can detect light in space.

If you're not sure how you feel about the AI data center debate yet, seeing news like this may just convince you that those anti-data center folks have a point.

In the first study of its kind since the AI-driven data center discourse began, researchers in Oregon have released a new report detailing the size of the data center industry in the state. In doing so, the researchers have also uncovered just how much energy data centers use up in the state.

SEE ALSO: Every U.S. state that bans data centers

According to the report, there are 111 operational data centers in the state of Oregon, which take up 22.1 million square feet of building space. Those data centers account for a whopping 23 percent of the state's entire retail energy sales in 2025.

The report also details that there are 32 additional data centers under construction or in the planning stages, which will take up an additional 6.9 million square feet.

The researchers behind the report believe that data center energy consumption in Oregon will rise to nearly 25 terawatt hours by 2030. That's around 31 to 32 percent of all electricity demand in the state and the same energy consumption as 2.5 million homes.

"Data center electricity demand is increasing substantially, and regional as well as state-level planning efforts…indicate that accommodating large-load growth will require new electricity resources, transmission capacity, and coordinated infrastructure planning," the report says.

The report also found that these data centers directly employ 2,630 workers.

This new report was released on Thursday by ECOnorthwest and the University of Virginia. It was funded by the entrepreneurship and environmentalist nonprofit Lemelson Foundation, which is based in Portland.

Flock cameras don’t look like much: a box on a pole, pointed at the road. But they photograph passing cars and turn where and when they were seen into searchable records. Police say that helps solve crimes. Critics worry about who can really search those records, what they can do with them, and how much of a person’s daily life they might reveal.

So what happens when people find one in their community and want it gone? Quite a bit, it turns out. Residents across the U.S. are mapping cameras, digging up contracts, and filling public meetings. Others have gone after the cameras themselves, stealing or vandalizing them. And this week, 404 Media and WIRED reported that hackers removed one and copied its stored data, giving journalists a rare look inside a device that features software capable of detecting people as well as cars.

Here’s a compilation of what people have done through maps, records requests, petitions, and city hall — and what those efforts have actually changed.

SEE ALSO: What are Flock cameras and why are they so controversial? 1. Putting Flock cameras on the map

One way people are pushing back is by making the cameras easier to see. Volunteers with Deflock Maps, a crowdsourced automated license plate reader (ALPR) resource, document license plate readers and add their locations to OpenStreetMap. The site opens on a map dotted with numbered clusters of reported cameras. Search for a city or ZIP code, zoom in, and those clusters give way to individual locations. It includes readers made by Flock and other companies, though its volunteer-submitted data may be incomplete or out of date.

In San Francisco, 16-year-old Zachary Schwartz noticed there wasn’t a local DeFlock chapter, so he started one. DeFlock SF pairs a city camera map with local news, a calendar of meetings about the technology, and a link for residents to contribute camera locations. Schwartz and fellow student Hugo Zorn have also made videos and spoken at Police Commission meetings. Schwartz has also called for an audit of how the city uses the cameras and what data they collect.

SEE ALSO: This map shows how many Flock cameras are in your neighborhood

DeFlock isn’t the only place people are documenting the technology. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Atlas of Surveillance lets users search by city or police agency to see whether it has documented license plate readers. It answers a different question from DeFlock’s street-level map: which agencies have been identified as using the technology, rather than where each reported camera sits.

Curious what’s been documented near you? Enter your city or ZIP code in DeFlock Maps and zoom in on the numbered clusters to see individual camera locations. If you spot a reader that’s missing or marked incorrectly, DeFlock explains how to add or correct it through its app and OpenStreetMap. Just remember that a pin is a volunteer report, and an empty stretch of map isn’t proof there are no cameras.

2. Following the paper trail

Some people are fighting Flock by checking whether what happens behind the scenes matches what their city agreed to. In Syracuse, New York, Central Current found a gap between the two. The city’s contract said its license plate data wouldn’t be shared outside the police department. But the department had granted access to other agencies, which police said was an accident. Over roughly a year, searches by officers around the country reached Syracuse’s data nearly 4.4 million times. And that wasn’t the only surprise in the paperwork. Central Current also found that Flock could keep using Syracuse data after the contract ended.

When the city approved cameras from Axon to replace Flock’s, Flock said Syracuse couldn’t simply end its agreement early. It warned that the city might have to pay for both systems; so even as officials moved to replace the cameras, they faced questions about what Flock could do with the data and what the city might still owe.

People elsewhere have been looking at the searches themselves. The Electronic Frontier Foundation examined Flock search logs released through public records requests and found that some users entered “LMAO” or “idk” as their reason for searching. And website Have I Been Flocked? puts released logs in one searchable place, though it has only the records it’s been able to obtain.

SEE ALSO: Have you been Flocked? This website lets you find out

Curious what’s on record where you live? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suggests looking for Flock on city council agendas; you can also check Have I Been Flocked? for your local agency or request its search logs.

3. Showing up and organizing locally

For residents trying to push back against Flock cameras, the first step is often finding out who agreed to install them. From there, neighbors can compare what they’ve learned, organize around the next public meeting, and ask officials to make a decision in front of the people affected.

That’s what happened in Saranac Lake, New York. Cameras began appearing before many residents knew the village had agreed to install them, so they attended board meetings to ask who had approved the deal and why the public hadn’t been consulted. By a March meeting, dozens had filled the room and the hallway. Trustees came prepared to pause the cameras while they wrote a policy. Residents argued for ending the program instead, and the board voted 4–1 to cancel the contract.

An August protest against Flock in Boston, MA. Credit: Barry Chin/Getty Images Protesters rally in Houston during an August protest. Credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Getty Images

Elsewhere, people have kept the pressure on between meetings. In Milford, Connecticut, residents connected through a DeFlock Milford Facebook group, brought signs, and returned to speak as the debate continued. Activists even projected "Flock Out Of CT" onto City Hall before a vote. In Austin, more than 30 community groups joined forces and residents raised concerns at a council work session ahead of a decision on renewing the program.

If you want to find out what’s happening where you live, the ACLU’s toolkit can help you connect with a nearby group and identify which officials are the decision makers.

4. Writing lawmakers and gathering signatures

Not everyone can make it to a meeting. Some people are putting their objections in writing — and gathering thousands of signatures so officials can see how many others agree.

At the national level, the ACLU’s "Get the Flock Out" campaign offers a draft message people can edit and send to members of Congress. It asks lawmakers to ban license plate readers. If they won’t, the message calls for limits on federal funding and use, warrants to access the data, and faster deletion.

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Local petitions can name the people who have the power to remove specific cameras. In Texas, a petition opposing Flock cameras in Boerne and Kendall County asks county commissioners to cancel the agreement, take down the cameras, and delete the data they’ve collected.

Of course, a growing signature count doesn’t guarantee a changed vote. In Conroe, Texas, resident James Fletes started a petition calling for the city to cancel its Flock contract. It had more than 1,200 signatures by July, but the council went on to shelve proposals to review the cameras or put their use to a public vote. (The city kept their Flock program.)

For people writing their own officials, the ACLU’s organizing toolkit has a sample email for state and local representatives, proposed rules for how camera data can be used and shared, and a resolution a city could use to cancel a Flock contract. Want to send something? You can personalize the message to Congress, or use the toolkit to make a specific request of the officials who control cameras where you live.

5. And yes, some people have gone after the cameras themselves

Some people have taken the fight to the cameras. In Houston, Flock readers have been found damaged, painted, and knocked down. In another neighborhood, four Flock cameras were cut down in late July, prompting a law enforcement investigation. And in Winona, Minnesota, all eight of the city’s police-operated Flock cameras were stolen. The people responsible haven’t necessarily explained their motives, but the incidents show how far the backlash has moved beyond public meetings.

Credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Getty Images Credit: Raquel Natalicchio/Getty Images

There are even people who went looking inside a Flock camera. Hackers removed one, copied the data stored on it, and shared the files with 404 Media and WIRED this week. The journalists found software that could detect people as well as vehicles. Logs from the device showed it had generated about 1.6 million images of roughly 50,000 vehicles across 21 days of recoverable activity. Flock said removing and tampering with the camera was illegal.

The findings raise many questions: What can these devices detect? What data do they keep, and who can access it? If you’re wondering about cameras near you, start with the agency operating them and the officials who approved the contract.

SEE ALSO: Someone stole every Flock camera in this Minnesota city

What the hackers found gives people more to ask about at the next public meeting. And those questions won’t disappear if a city swaps Flock for another company’s cameras, as Syracuse plans to do with Axon. We'll see where the fight goes, and how much more the public, and the company, can take.

Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who turned "Barely Breathing" into an enduring '90s alt-pop hit before finding a second act on Broadway as the Tony-winning composer of Spring Awakening, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 56.

His mother, Suzanne Sheik, confirmed his death to The New York Times and said the cause was heart failure leading to cardiac arrest.

For many people, Sheik will forever be associated with "Barely Breathing," the deceptively catchy breakup song that became the breakout single from his self-titled 1996 debut. The song reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 55 weeks, earning Sheik a Grammy nomination and turning the soft-spoken musician into an unlikely star.

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For a generation of millennials, however, Sheik's most enduring work wasn't necessarily a song with his voice on it. It was Spring Awakening.

The musical arrived on Broadway in December 2006, just as a new kind of teenage fandom was taking shape online. You didn't necessarily have to live in New York or have the money for a Broadway ticket to become completely consumed by it. Teenagers passed around grainy YouTube clips and shaky, questionably obtained recordings, memorized the cast album, traded photos and interviews, and followed the young cast, which included Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr., online.

Lauren "Lolo" Pritchard, Steven Sater, Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, Duncan Sheik and John Gallagher Jr. at the 2022 the premiere of "Spring Awakening: Those You've Known" in New York City. Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Before Broadway fandom lived on TikTok, Spring Awakening fans were finding one another in the messier corners of the internet. I was one of those teenagers.

In 2007, I was deep in Spring Awakening. I listened to the cast recording obsessively and watched whatever shoddy footage I could find online. Then I moved to New York City that fall and finally got to stand at the stage door, Playbill in hand. Songs like "Mama Who Bore Me," "The Bitch of Living," "Touch Me," "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind," "Totally Fucked" — I knew them all. These were songs built around the particular intensity of being young, when desire can feel catastrophic, anger can feel righteous, and nobody, least of all the adults around you, seems capable of understanding what's happening inside your head.

Sheik's music and score gave those feelings somewhere to go. He made music for young people who felt everything too much.

There was something almost perfectly matched about the material and the way teenagers encountered it. Spring Awakening was a story about young people whose inner lives were misunderstood and suppressed by the adults around them. Online, its young fans found one another and became obsessive about it together.

Nearly 20 years later, many of those same fans are back online mourning the man who wrote the music that soundtracked that period of their lives.

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In the hours after news of Sheik's death, listeners inevitably returned to "Barely Breathing." More than 30 years after its release, it's the kind of song whose opening notes can instantly locate you in another time.

But the Duncan Sheik music I keep returning to isn't sung by him at all. It's a group of teenagers singing at the top of their lungs about everything they haven't yet figured out. I was one of the teenagers listening. And nearly 20 years later, those songs still know exactly where to find me.

My biggest gripe with Xteink e-readers is their limited file support, as you can only read DRM-free EPUB files on the device. But according to Good E-reader, Xteink is launching an Android e-reader.

Eagle-eyed RedNote users suddenly noticed their feeds were flooded with ads for the Xteink S4, a new tiny e-reader that runs on Android 11. Previously, Xteink's e-readers ran on a proprietary Linux system, but with an Android system, you can now download apps for Kindle and Kobo.

The S4's specs are similar to the X4's. It has a 4.3-inch E Ink touchscreen with 220 ppi resolution. It has 2GB RAM and 32GB SSD. However, it does add a front light with adjustable cool and warm light. It also includes a USB-C port rather than the pogo pin that the X4 Pro e-reader has.

The Xteink X4 e-reader currently runs on an Linux system, but the S4 will run on Android 11. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Running on an Android system might empower the Xteink to its fullest potential. Many users buy an Xteink e-reader as a companion to a traditional e-reader. However, as you're only able to read DRM-free files, it's not compatible with all the books on your Kobo or Kindle. But the addition of an Android system lets you access all your Kindle books on the e-reader, and with WiFi connectivity, it can even sync your progress between devices.

Unfortunately, e-reader users in the United States will have to wait for the Xteink S4 e-reader. It's currently available for preorder in China for around $50 USD. A representative for Xteink confirmed that the S4 is currently in the testing phase and will eventually be released into international markets including the United States.

For now, you can shop other Xteink e-reader models in the US.

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Thirty years ago, catching Pokémon meant booting up a Game Boy. In 2026, apparently, it means getting to Target before sunrise and hoping the person in front of you doesn't clean out the shelves.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game's highly anticipated 30th Celebration expansion arrived worldwide on Sept. 16, and fans have been extremely normal about it.

By which we mean: not normal at all.

SEE ALSO: 30 years of Pokémon: The memes that made it immortal

Videos of the launch have flooded social media, showing enormous lines of would-be buyers waiting outside retailers and, in some cases, rushing for the cards once doors opened. One video, posted by a Pokémon card collector on X, captured adult shoppers sprinting toward a display and frantically shoving merchandise into their baskets. "It's like wild chickens during feeding times 😭😭," the poster wrote.

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It's the kind of scene that feels ripped from a Black Friday sale in the early 2000s, except everyone is here for Pikachu (and not Elmo).

The viral video is hardly an isolated incident. According to local news reports, fans and resellers lined up for hours outside Targets across the U.S., with some stores selling out shortly after opening. In San Antonio, customers camped outside Best Buy ahead of the launch, while retailers introduced increasingly elaborate rules to keep the drop under control, including purchase limits, staggered entry, and restrictions on when customers could begin lining up.

Pokémon card collectors wait in line outside a Best Buy to purchase the new 30th Celebration set in Pasadena, California.. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

The chaos wasn't limited to the U.S. Thousands of collectors reportedly queued overnight in the UK, where fans complained that products disappeared almost immediately after going on sale. In Sydney, video showed a massive line snaking through a shopping center ahead of the Australian launch.

So, why all the pandemonium?

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration is designed to make longtime collectors lose their minds. The anniversary expansion features foil cards throughout, the return of classic cards, new Mew and Mewtwo Futuristic Rare cards, and, perhaps most dangerously, 30 different Pikachu illustrations to collect.

Then there's the resale market. Pokémon cards have become increasingly valuable collectibles, creating an ecosystem in which major releases attract not just fans but buyers hoping to flip scarce products for a profit. That rare Mew card? It's worth roughly $3,800 on the resale market. Scalping has become an especially sore subject in the Pokémon community, and the 30th anniversary release is pouring gasoline on the fire.

Less than a day after release, ICv2 reported that 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes with an MSRP of $49.99 had sold on eBay for more than $300. That helps explain why retailers are treating a Pokémon card release like a crowd-control exercise.

Of course, there's something beautifully absurd about watching adults camp overnight, navigate virtual queues, and sprint through stores for a trading card game many of them first encountered as kids.

Thirty years later, it turns out you still gotta catch 'em all. You just might have to elbow your way to the display first.

TL;DR: Watch Monaco vs. Lens in the Ligue 1 for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Ligue 1 action continues as top-of-the-table contenders Monaco host Lens.

It's been a really strong start to the season for Monaco. They've picked up three wins and a draw from their first four games, and are only being kept off the top spot by goal difference. Lens haven't won a game since their season opener. Can they upset the in-form Monaco?

If you're interested in watching Monaco vs. Lens in the Ligue 1 from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Monaco vs. Lens?

Monaco vs. Lens in the Ligue 1 kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Sept. 18. This fixture takes place at the Stade Louis II.

How to watch Monaco vs. Lens for free

Monaco vs. Lens in the Ligue 1 is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Monaco vs. Lens for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Monaco vs. Lens for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Monaco vs. Lens without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Ligue 1?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Monaco vs. Lens for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin in the Bundesliga for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Bundesliga season continues with Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin.

Bayern will see this game as an opportunity to make up some lost ground. They haven't made quite the unstoppable start to the 2026/27 season that most fans expected, with two wins out of a possible three. They're currently fourth in the league, and star striker Harry Kane has only netted one goal in three games.

Union Berlin are still looking for their first win of the season. Can they score an upset win over the defending Bundesliga champions?

If you're interested in watching Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin in the Bundesliga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin?

Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin in the Bundesliga kicks off at 2.30 p.m. ET on Sept. 18. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin for free

Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Watch Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Bundesliga?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Union Berlin for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

SAVE 35%: As of Sept. 18, you can get the 65-inch Toshiba G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2026) for $1,297.99 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount.

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If you've been dying to get your hands on Samsung's coveted Frame TV, but you aren't sold on Samsung's ecosystem, Toshiba just released its own version — the ArtVision G700 Series — and it's already on sale.

Right now, you can get the 65-inch Toshiba G700 Series ArtVision 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2026) for $1,297.99 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount or $702 in savings.

SEE ALSO: What's the best time to buy a TV? Not just Black Friday. Shop strategically during these 4 windows.

Unlike its rival, the ArtVision comes with its own magnetic white oak frame and a zero-gap wall mount. It also has impressive specs for a display built for aesthetics, including an anti-glare QLED screen, a 165Hz refresh rate, Fire TV built directly into the UI, and an Ambient Mode with over 3,000 free artworks to choose from when you're not binge-watching your faves.

From Catastrophe to Bad Sisters, Sharon Horgan has proven herself adept at creating deeply human, deeply messy characters muddling through complicated lives. Her latest series,Youth on HBO, continues that trend with a tale of menopausal love and sex that's equal parts hilarious and vulnerable.

SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about What's Youth about? Rupert Friend and Sharon Horgan in "Youth." Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO

Horgan plays Alex, a divorced literary agent dealing with the sheer onslaught of life at 50. She's taken on the role of caretaker twice over, looking after her ailing parents as well as her angst-ridden 18-year-old son, Ruari (Aran Murphy). As the latter heads off to university, Alex determines to put her own needs first and find the love and sex she's denied herself while he's been at home.

That quest proves difficult. After years of marriage, Alex is daunted by the prospect of starting her love life over at square one. As she weathers awkward courtships and gets accustomed to "new dick," she also confronts her body image issues tied to aging. In the very first episode, she learns she's got arthritis in her jaw. (You can imagine the off-color joke her doctor makes about her oral activities.) In a solid background running gag, she constantly buys new exercise equipment. Panic over her appearance abounds, especially when confronted with her on-again, off-again lover Patrick's (Rupert Friend) current, much younger fling, Cara (Nadia Parkes).

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Sept. 18, 2026)

And all that's before Ruari moves back home, mere days into his university career. His return, coupled with Alex's romantic and professional anxieties, sparks a perfect storm of awkward situations, like an Ibiza vacation where everyone is romantically paired off except for Alex and her son. Horgan brings every social misstep to life with deft frankness. Cringe comedy melds with earnest heart-to-hearts, putting us on an emotional rollercoaster that nails life's many ups and downs.

Youth thrives, thanks to imperfect relationships. Sharon Horgan and Aran Murphy in "Youth." Credit: Colin Hutton / HBO

Horgan is astounding in Youth: filthy, funny, flawed in all the right ways. So is the rest of the main ensemble, whose interactions with Alex result in a tangled web of relationships that each feel painfully real.

On the work front, Alex has the unique situation of her boss Sam (Sharlene Whyte) also being her best friend. Often times, they get along great, like when they're venting over a best-selling client's (Anne Reid) latest racy — and racist! — manuscript, or dishing on their relationships. When the power dynamic comes into play, though, Alex bristles and tends to buck Sam's authority. Whyte and Horgan's chemistry oscillates between playful and strained as needed, and the result is a solid addition to the canon of HBO's complex female friendships.

On the love front, Alex always seems to find her way back to Patrick. Described as "institutionally single," he's no perfect rom-com hero. Commitment eludes him, even though he wants to start a family. Yet Patrick's no dirtbag either. He's kind and invested in Alex, and Friend and Horgan's scenes together burn with such familiar intimacy you can't help but root for the pair. Look no further than a scene where they lay in bed, discussing Alex's estrogen patch. It's sweet, sexy, and honest, all rolled into a 30-second sequence.

But the relationship at Youth's core is that between Alex and Ruari. As Ruari, Murphy gives an explosive performance, careening between impulsive recklessness and pure apathy. He's just as likely to be making rash decisions in a club as he is to be watching video game playthroughs on his phone. Yet while Ruari begins the series by frequently lashing out at his mother, and Alex begins it in a near-constant state of frustration towards her son, the two inevitably grow closer. In fact, they become mirrors to one another, in all their self-sabotaging glory. Both are at a major turning point in their lives: Ruari stands on the precipice of adulthood, not quite ready to leap into what comes next. Alex is entering a new decade of her life, terrified at the baggage the number 50 brings, yet ready to embrace the freedom it might afford her.

With this dysfunctional mother-son duo, Horgan weaves two very different coming-of-age stories that prove that you never really stop growing up. And what a beautiful, frightening, and funny reality that is.

The first two episodes of Youth premiere Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.