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TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Display Box is on sale for $219.97 at Amazon, down from its $279.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Box $219.97 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $60.02   Get Deal

Labor Day has brought another decent offer for Pokémon TCG collectors, with Amazon knocking the 36-pack Chaos Rising Booster Display back towards the $200 mark. 

As of Sept. 7, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution set’s Chaos Rising Booster Display Box has been knocked down to $219.97 on Amazon, the lowest price available through third-party seller SSA Cards. With $60.02 taken off at a 21 percent discount, that’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen from the retailer, too, confirmed by price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Spread across the 36 Chaos Rising booster packs of trading cards included in the box, Amazon’s price shakes out to roughly $6.11 per pack before tax. — saving you $2.38 per pack compared to buying them separately for $8.49.

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As has usually been the case, Amazon isn’t the cheapest option available for Chaos Rising. Walmart currently has the same English Chaos Rising Booster Box for $194.77 with free shipping, sold by Revolution Sports Marketing and fulfilled by Walmart itself. TCGplayer goes lower again, with English unopened listings starting at $176.90 shipped, only 47 cents above its market price of $176.43. 

Chaos Rising packs more than 120 cards into the expansion, alongside over 25 Trainer cards and more than 35 Pokémon and Trainer cards featuring special illustrations — including the valuable SIR Mega Greninja ex, MHR Mega Greninja ex, and SIR Cinccino ex — available to buy separately on TCGplayer, as well.

SAVE $22: As of Sept. 7, the Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for $17.99 at Amazon. That's a 55percent discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick HD $17.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $17.00   Get Deal

Labor Day sales are here, and discounts are hitting everything from home goods to tech and smart home devices. Amazon's sale has been going strong for a few days now, with many discounts on its own products. Some of these devices only recently saw a price hike, so if you’ve been hoping to upgrade your streaming setup with a Fire TV Stick HD, this sale could be a great time to get it for less.

As of Sept. 7, this streaming device is down from $39.99 to $17.99, saving you $22. Before the price hike, this device cost $34.99, so with this deal, you're still saving compared to the original price.

This is one of Amazon's most affordable streaming devices, offering you Full HD streaming with WiFi 6 support. It connects directly to your TV’s HDMI port, and this new edition is powered directly from your TV, so there's no need for extra cables or a wall outlet.

The new design also means it's even easier to access hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes across all the major streaming apps, including Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, and more, as well as free ad-supported content.

You can find this Fire TV Stick deal at Amazon right now.

SAVE $300: As of Sept. 7, the Shark AV2501AE AI robot vacuum is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon. That's a 50percent discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark AV2501AE AI $299.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $300   Get Deal

Labor Day sales are here, and Amazon has dropped prices on hundreds of items across everything from tech to home furniture. The Shark AV2501AE AI robot vacuum has also seen a big drop, $300 of a drop to be precise. If you've been looking for an impressive model to handle your vacuuming, this deal might just sway you.

This robot vacuum benefits from Matrix Clean technology, meaning it takes multiple passes over messes in a precision grid pattern to ensure more thorough coverage. It also uses 360° LiDAR navigation to map your home and detect any obstacles in its way, even in the dark.

When the battery runs low, the robot automatically returns to its dock to recharge, then resumes cleaning where it left off. You'll get up to 90 minutes of runtime before it runs out, however. The bagless self-emptying base can hold up to 60 days' worth of dirt and debris, so there's no need for disposal bags. You can even schedule, start, or target cleaning through the SharkClean app, or use voice commands with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, so there's very minimal effort needed from you.

This robot vacuum deal is available at Amazon right now.

TL;DR: Get ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more with a 1min.AI lifetime subscription, only $69.97.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $69.97
$540 Save $470.03   Get Deal

ChatGPT alone costs about $20 per month, but how many people only use ChatGPT? If you need more than one AI model, the best option actually isn’t to pay for each one individually every month. Instead, you can get lifetime access to those same AI tools through 1min.AI, a new AI platform that combines some of the most popular AI tools in the world. Right now, a lifetime subscription is only $69.97.

1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects. There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations. For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

Here’s a small sample of the AI models you’ll get access to:

• GPT

• Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3 Sonnet

• Gemini Pro 1.5

• Llama 3

• Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month. The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

Through Sept. 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription for only $69.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

A24 has released an intense teaser trailer for You Can See Everything, an upcoming documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. While it only shows a single exchange between Holmes and Nathan Fielder, the brief conversation/staring contest already speaks volumes.

Directed by Fielder (The Rehearsal) and Lance Oppenheim (Primetime), You Can See Everything follows Holmes in the weeks prior to the start of her 11.25-year prison sentence in 2023. It likely won't end there though, with A24's description stating that "what begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss."

Holmes was a prominent figure in Silicon Valley during the early 2010s due to her blood testing company Theranos. However, after a 2015 Wall Street Journal report revealed that Theranos' tests were inaccurate, further scrutiny saw the company quickly unravel. Holmes was ultimately convicted of multiple counts of wire fraud in 2022, the court finding that she intentionally misled investors about Theranos' tech in order to solicit millions of dollars in funding.

Judging from You Can See Everything's teaser trailer, it seems likely that Holmes has a different opinion on what happened.

You Can See Everything arrives in theatres in October.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Ripening.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

AGING

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Got up.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 7, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STOOD

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To broaden.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 7, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 7, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

WIDEN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Office worker.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

CLERK

Final Hurdle hint

Sum.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

TOTAL

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you're a fan of hockey

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. 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 What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: NHL abbreviations

• Green: Fantasy roster spots

• Blue: Grand Slam winners

• Purple: JR

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: NHL Teams, On Scoreboards

• Green: Positions in Fantasy Football

• Blue: US Open Men's Singles Winners

• Purple: Junior___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #714 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NHL Teams, On Scoreboards: CAR, EDM, OTT, VAN

• Positions in Fantasy Football: D/ST, FLEX, RB, TE

• US Open Men's Singles Winners: ASHE, LAVER, RAFTER, SINNER

• Junior___: CAMINERO, COLLEGE, SEAU, VARSITY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.

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.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 7, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 7 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 7 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 4-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 7 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed 5-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this orange space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

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

Well, Manhunter's out of the bag.

In its fourth episode, Lanterns solves one of its biggest mysteries: Who is the Manhunter hiding out in Rushville, Nebraska? The episode cycles through several red herrings — Hector Hammond (Jason Manuel Olazabal), real name Hector Gutierrez, and William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) — before landing on the truth. The Manhunter is none other than Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan), William's wife and John Stewart's (Aaron Pierre) occasional confidant and hook-up.

How did Lanterns hint at Zoe's pivotal role while she was hiding in plain sight the whole time? Let's take a look.

SEE ALSO: 'Lanterns' review: Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre shine bright in DC's sci-fi mystery What were the biggest hints that Zoe is the Manhunter in Lanterns? Poorna Jagannathan in "Lanterns." Credit: John Johnson / HBO Max

The biggest clue about Zoe's true nature in Lanterns was her immediate intimacy with John. Clearly, seeing two Green Lanterns waltz into Rushville poses a threat to her. But instead of trying to force them out with brute strength, she chose a more strategic approach: Getting close to John in order to gain his trust. Surely he would never suspect the woman he was entangled with, right? (Based on how John and Hal [Kyle Chandler] constantly use he/him pronouns when talking about the hidden Manhunter, it's unlikely they suspected women at all until the reveal.)

Episode 4 of Lanterns saw Zoe putting even more pressure on her relationship with John. When she visits him at his motel, she emphasizes that this is the last time they can have sex, as his only two options following his confrontation with Macon are leaving or dying. She leans hard on pushing him to leave, and when he stands firm, she takes the nuclear option: faking her death to send John and Hal on the wild goose chase to Hector.

Notably, when Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) tells John about his own experience with a Manhunter, he asks, "Have you ever been deceived by someone you love?" While I wouldn't go so far as to call John and Zoe's relationship "love," Antaan did have a point that the Manhunter would take the romantic route, and that John would be deceived by someone he's intimately close with.

Zoe's relationship with Macon offered more foreshadowing about her being the Manhunter. Clearly, Macon was aware of Zoe and John's relationship, yet he never retaliated against either Zoe or John, beyond the occasional verbal jab. Does Macon, Mr. Private Militia, seem like the type to take infidelity lying down? No way. Not unless Zoe held the upper hand in the power dynamic, and he understood that her cheating was all part of a plan to lure the Green Lanterns off her trail.

In episode 4, Macon also recounts the story of how he and Zoe met. She was a nurse who treated him while he had cancer. The way he tells it, that was when his mysterious, god-like benefactor showed up and cured him. But what if that benefactor and his nurse were one and the same?

As Hal tells John (before casually driving him off the road), Manhunters are programmed to latch onto the weak points of societies. A nurse treats people when they're at their weakest, meaning that Zoe's job put her in a prime position to establish relationships with Rushville's community. Based on the town's empty hospital, she cured everyone of everything, proving her power and putting Rushville's citizens in her debt.

Beyond Macon and his men, and likely Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald), how much more of Rushville is aware they have an alien benefactor in their midst? And what lengths will they go to to keep her safe, now that her cover is blown?

Lanterns is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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 7, 2026 Cup meaning

A small, round container used for drinking liquids.

Hook meaning

A curved tool meant for catching.

Strap meaning

A flexible material made of cloth.

Underwire meaning

A thin strip of metal in a bra cup.

Plutonium meaning

A radioactive chemical element.

Scar tissue meaning

A group of cells used to repair skin.

Stitch marker meaning

A tool used in knitting to kepe track of stitch placements.

Trampoline meaning

A bouncy toy used for jumping up and down.

Fabrication meaning

A lie.

Fish story meaning

An exaggerated tale.

Tall tale meaning

A story that's hard to believe.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Yarn meaning

A college-entry test score.

Car air freshener meaning

A device that dispenses cash.

Christmas meaning

A flat screen technology used in digital devices.

Needles meaning

A secret code used to verify one's identity.

Turpentine meaning

The scannable barcode on a retail item.

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a storyteller.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. 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 What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: What an account

• Green: Chest support

• Blue: Fresh scents

• Purple: Animated friends

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Quite the saga

• Green: Parts of a bra

• Blue: Associated with pine trees

• Purple: Starting with Disney characters

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1179 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Quite the saga: FABRICATION, FISH STORY, TALL TALE, YARN

• Parts of a bra: CUP, HOOK, STRAP, UNDERWIRE

• Associated with pine trees: CAR AIR FRESHENER, CHRISTMAS, NEEDLES, TURPENTINE

• Starting with Disney characters: PLUTONIUM, SCAR TISSUE, STITCH MARKER, TRAMPOLINE

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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 NYT Strands hints are easy if you're fair.

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 7, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's a deal!

The words are related to agreement.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe meeting in the middle.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Meet Me Halfway.

NYT Strands word list for September 7

• Share

• Agree

• Negotiate

• Meet Me Halfway

• Compromise

• Settle

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you don't have good eyes.

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 7, 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 7, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Without sight.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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...

BLIND

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: Get 20TB of Scramble cloud storage for life for $349.95 (reg. $1,440).

Opens in a new window Credit: Scramble Cloud Scramble Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription (20TB) $349.95
$1,440 Save $1,090.05   Get Deal

Running out of cloud storage gets expensive when your photo library, videos, and backups keep growing. Scramble offers 20TB of lifetime cloud storage for $349.95 (reg. $1,440), giving you a large cloud vault without adding yet another monthly subscription to your bills.

The service uses end-to-end encryption and a zero-knowledge architecture designed to keep control of your data with you. Scramble also offers unlimited bandwidth and file sharing, so you can store and share large collections without worrying about an additional bandwidth allowance. Files can be shared through encrypted private links, while encrypted groups let you manage access among friends, family members, or colleagues.

For those with vast media libraries, Scramble can stream uploaded videos in encrypted form. Browser streaming and previews currently support MP4 files. Team Link provides another way to collaborate, allowing you to share files with internal or external partners through a secure link without requiring registration.

Credit: Scramble Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription (20TB)

Scramble works across devices through a web browser without requiring additional installation, and its software can mount Scramble Drive within your operating system’s native file explorer using WebDAV. Users can also manage their storage through the Command Line Interface.

The 20TB capacity is especially useful for people backing up years of photos and videos, storing large work files, or consolidating data from multiple storage locations. However, daily upload limits apply and individual uploads cannot exceed 5GB. The service also requires a Scramble account for people accessing files shared directly within Scramble.

The lifetime plan includes ongoing platform updates, two-factor authentication, GDPR-compliant storage and ISO 27001-certified infrastructure. If you need substantial cloud capacity and prefer paying once rather than maintaining another recurring subscription, 20TB provides you with plenty of room to work with.

Get lifetime access to 20TB of Scramble cloud storage for $349.95 (reg. $1,440).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

OpenAI and Microsoft face another lawsuit from news organizations the Seattle Times and Newsday, which accuse the tech giants of using their sites to train AI without permission.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that the companies scraped paywalled content and added it to training datasets used for ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and the new AI-powered Bing.

SEE ALSO: Massachusetts state police ordered to make surveillance camera locations public

The chatbots were able to reproduce entire passages and closely paraphrase reporters' work, the publishers claim. The lawsuit demands that the tech companies destroy any existing copies of the published material, as well as training datasets or AI models that incorporate it, Reuters reported.

"We feel strongly that we must defend our content — which we spend millions of dollars a year to produce — from being used without our consent or compensation," wrote Seattle Times president and CEO ​Alan Fisco in a message to employees.

OpenAI said in a response to the press that the company only uses publicly available materials grounded in fair use for model training. Microsoft said it was surprised by the lawsuit, but was willing to "sit down and explore solutions" with the publishers.

The AI developer and its collaborator, Microsoft, have faced several court battles over its training data and alleged copyright infringement, including an ongoing lawsuit with the New York Times and a cohort of other publishers. The Times has argued that the company's products compete with the news outlet by reproducing its work without appropriately transforming it under existing fair use protections.

Last week, the Trump administration filed a Statement of Interest (SOI) in the case, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) writing that a decision siding with the New York Times would be a hit to local newsrooms and independent journalism. The DOJ argued that AI can be harnessed by small publishers to stay competitive with mainstream news outlets.

The brief also claims a Times win would "threaten national security" by stalling AI advancement and giving foreign competitors an edge. The administration has used this argument to attempt to thwart litigation against AI data centers, as well.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Massachusetts law enforcement can't withhold information about the locations of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology from the public, a superior court judge has ruled.

It's the latest speed bump to a swelling nationwide surveillance network spurred by controversial Flock cameras.

The decision ends a three-year court battle between the ACLU of Massachusetts and the state police, following the civil society group's 2023 lawsuit against the state for refusing to disclose records on the locations of ALPRs and the use of the public's data by police.

SEE ALSO: These hikers relied on tech and AI. They had to be rescued.

At the time, the state was holding an estimated 290 million records used to track motorists and monitor vehicle activity. The judge determined that state police could not justify withholding the information from the public and ordered an immediate release of ALPR records.

"Over the past year, public outrage about secretive police surveillance has exploded across Massachusetts and the nation," said Kade Crockford, director of technology and justice programs at the ACLU of Massachusetts. "People from cities and towns across the state have been organizing to push back against local police adoption of Flock and other license plate readers. But what many residents don’t know is that the Massachusetts State Police maintains its own statewide network of license plate readers."

The explosion of ALPR surveillance systems, enabled by the integration of sophisticated AI, has prompted concern from privacy advocates and free speech organizations. Communities have pushed back against the growing presence of Flock cameras, often engaging in guerrilla tactics to expose and disable them.

A bipartisan effort to regulate companies like Flock has gained momentum ahead of the midterm elections, with prominent voices from both parties pushing for legislation to restrict their use by authorities. Last month, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley announced he was leading an investigation into Flock, as state governments crack down on data collection and block funding for the private tech company.

"In my 20-plus years at the ACLU, I’ve never really seen such a grassroots uprising against surveillance technology like this," said ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley in a recent interview with the Guardian.

The best Labor Day tech deals at a glance: Best Apple deal Apple AirTag (2nd Gen, 4-pack) $79.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal Best laptop deal HP OmniBook 3 16 (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $599.99 (save $550) Get Deal Best TV deal TCL 65-inch QM8L Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $1,397.99 (save $1,102) Get Deal Best headphones deal Sony WH-1000XM5 $198 (save $201.99) Get Deal Best smart home deal Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $19.99 (save $30) Get Deal

Labor Day sales are already live in full force. It's an especially good time to shop if you've been thinking about upgrading some older tech: For one thing, these sales offer some welcome relief from RAMageddon-related price hikes (which just keep coming, ugh). For another, they're probably your last real chance to save on big-ticket gadgets like laptops, TVs, and premium headphones until late October, when early Black Friday festivities get going.

Below, I've rounded up a big batch of the best Labor Day tech deals that I could find at Amazon, Best Buy, and beyond. That includes new record-low prices on devices from brands like Apple, Sony, and TCL, with discounts soaring as high as 60%.

Most retailers' Labor Day sales run through Labor Day proper on Monday, Sept. 7, so I'll continue to update this story into the long weekend.

Best Labor Day Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag (2nd Gen, 4-pack) $79.99 at Amazon and Walmart
$99 Save $19.01   Get Deal

Individual AirTags are marked down to $24 this week, but if you snag a four-pack on sale for $79.99, you're only paying $19.99 per tracker. (That deal is up for grabs at both Amazon and Walmart, by the way, and it's a new all-time low.) Apple updated the AirTag with a louder speaker and a bigger finding range at the beginning of the year. Mashable's Stan Schroeder called it "a useful little thing" that "saved me a lot of worrying once when my baggage got lost," rating it a 4.2/5.

Read Mashable's full review of the Apple AirTag (2nd Gen).

AirPods deals

• Apple AirPods 4 — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Apple AirPods 4 with ANC — $148.99 $179 (save $30.01)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)

iPad deals

• Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $399 $449 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $649 $749 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $849 $949 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,299 $1,399 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,399.99 $1,499 (save $99.01)

MacBook deals

• Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $689.99 $699 (save $9.01)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,649 $1,799 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849.99 $1,999 (save $149.01)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,759.99 $2,999 (save $239.01)

More Apple accessory deals

• Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) — $24 $29 (save $5)

• Apple Pencil (USB-C) — $69.98 $79 (save $9.02)

• Apple Pencil Pro — $97 $129 (save $32)

• Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Magic Keyboard Case for iPad Pro (11-inch) — $225 $299 (save $74)

Best Labor Day TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 65-inch QM8L Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $1,397.99 at Amazon
$2,499.99 Save $1,102.00   Get Deal

Offering a sharp, ultra-bright picture and boasting a clean, virtually bezel-free design, this TCL display is our favorite 65-inch QLED TV for most people. It's an especially good pick for folks "who know they'll be doing a good amount of their TV watching in the daytime," wrote Leah Stodart, Mashable's former TV expert. That's you, college football fans. Its Labor Day sale price of $1,397.99 on Amazon — a 44% savings — marks its lowest price ever. That beats a rivaling deal at Best Buy by $2.

50- and 55-inch TV deals

• Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $159.99 $299.99 (save $140)

• Amazon 50-inch Omni QLED 4K Fire TV — $259.99 $469.99 (save $210)

• LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini-LED 4K TV — $699.99 $1,299.99 (save $600)

• Hisense 55-inch UR8 RGB Mini-LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,499.99 (save $600)

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Pro Mini‑LED 4K Fire TV — $497.99 $849.99 (save $352)

65-inch TV deals

• LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini-LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,799.99 (save $900)

• Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,002)

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 7 Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,298 $1,598 (save $300)

• Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)

• LG 65-Inch B6 OLED 4K TV — $1,399.99 $1,999.99 (save $600)

• Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV — $1,597.99 $2,697.99 (save $1,100)

• Hisense 65-inch UR9 RGB Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,699.99 $2,199.99 (save $500)

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)

• Samsung 65-inch S95H OLED 4K TV — $2,799.99 $3,399.99 (save $600)

75-inch TV deals

• Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,399.99 (save $602)

• Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)

• Samsung 75-inch R85H Micro RGB 4K TV — $1,999.99 $2,799.99 (save $800)

• Sony 75-inch Bravia 7 II RGB 4K TV — $2,299.99 $3,099.99 (save $800)

• Samsung 75-inch The Frame Pro QLED 4K TV — $2,397.99 $2,797.99 (save $400)

• Samsung 75-inch R95H RGB 4K TV — $3,799.99 $4,499.99 (save $700)

Deals on 80-inch TVs and larger

• Insignia 85-inch Class F50 Series 4K Fire TV — $599.99 $899.99 (save $300)

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,097.99 $1,999.99 (save $902)

• Samsung 85-inch M80H Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,799.99 (save $600)

• Hisense 85-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,102)

• Hisense 100-inch U6 Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,999.99 $2,999.99 (save $1,000)

• Hisense 85-inch UR8 RGB Mini-LED 4K TV — $2,199.99 $3,499.99 (save $1,300)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

• Hisense 100-inch UR8 RGB Mini-LED 4K TV — $3,499.99 $5,999.99 (save $2,500)

Best Labor Day headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM5 $198 at Amazon and Best Buy
$399.99 Save $201.99   Get Deal

The last-gen Sony XM5s are an honorable mention on our best headphones guide because they're sooo similar to the newer XM6s, and because they're frequently on sale. (The $460 XM6s really only add folding ear cups and slightly better sound out of the box.) This week, the XM5s are chilling at their lowest price yet: Amazon and Best Buy both have them listed for $198 during their Labor Day events, which is a whopping 51% off their $399.99 MSRP.

Read Mashable's full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5.

More headphone deals

• Sony WH-CH520 — $38 $69.99 (save $31.99)

• Anker Soundcore Q20i — $39.97 $69.99 (save $30.02)

• Marshall Major V — $89.99 $169.99 (save $80)

• Sony ULT Wear — $148 $249.99 (save $101.99)

• Beats Studio Buds + — $149.95 $169.95 (save $20)

• Nothing Headphone (a) — $159 $199 (save $40)

• Bose QuietComfort — $199 $359 (save $160)

• Beats Studio Pro — $249.95 $349.99 (save $100.04)

• Sonos Ace — $299 $399 (save $100)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra — $329 $449 (save $120)

• Sony WH-1000XM6 — $398 $459.99 (save $61.99)

Best Labor Day laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP OmniBook 3 16 (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $599.99 at Staples
$1,149.99 Save $550   Get Deal

This 16-inch PC is the best battery life laptop we've ever tested: It lasted 40 hours and 14 minutes in a video rundown test. Its portable design and large, colorful display are also highlights — it's "great for streaming movies and juggling multiple documents" on the go, to quote my review. This model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage would make a great daily driver for folks with basic workloads (think web browsing and sending emails). It's 47% off at Staples right now; the same configuration is $90 pricier on HP's website.

Read Mashable's full review of the HP OmniBook 3 16.

More Windows laptop deals

• HP OmniBook Ultra 14 (Snapdragon X2 Elite, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,799.99 $2,249.99 (save $450)

• Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S (Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,899.99 $2,199.99 (save $300)

• Asus Zenbook Duo (Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,199.99 $2,499.99 (save $300)

• Dell XPS 14 (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,699.99 $3,149.99 (save $450)

Chromebook deals

• Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra, 12GB RAM, 256GB UFS) — $579 $749 (save $170)

Best Labor Day smart home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $19.99 at Amazon and Best Buy
$49.99 Save $30.00   Get Deal

A slew of Amazon's smart home devices saw price hikes last month, but fortunately, most of the lineup is on sale for Labor Day. The biggest discount is going to the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Amazon's cheapest 4K streaming stick: It typically retails for $49.99 these days (previously $39.99), but it's currently listed for just $19.99 at Amazon and Best Buy — an impressive 60% savings. It's only $2 away from its record-low Prime Day price.

More streaming stick deals

• Amazon Fire TV Stick HD — $17.99 $39.99 (save $22)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $39.99 $69.99 (save $30)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $49.99 $84.99 (save $35)

• Amazon Fire TV Cube — $109.99 $199.99 (save $90)

• Amazon Echo Studio — $194.99 $219.99 (save $25)

Smart speaker and display deals

• Amazon Echo Pop Kids — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)

• Amazon Echo Dot Kids — $54.99 $89.99 (save $35)

• Amazon Echo Dot — $54.99 $79.99 (save $25)

• Amazon Echo Show 5 — $69.99 $99.99 (save $30)

• Amazon Echo Spot — $69.99 $109.99 (save $40)

• Amazon Echo Dot Max — $94.99 $119.99 (save $25)

• Amazon Echo Show 8 — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Echo Show 11 — $189.99 $249.99 (save $60)

• Amazon Echo Show 15 — $269.99 $349.99 (save $80)

• Sonos Era 300 — $379 $479 (save $100)

Smart thermostats

• Google Nest Thermostat — $79 $129.99 (save $50.99)

Looking for more Labor Day sales?

• The best Labor Day deals already live: Shop mattresses, tools, and TVs

• The best pre-Labor Day deals on Apple products

• The best Labor Day sales on mattresses, bedding, and pillows

• The best Labor Day home improvement deals from The Home Depot

• Shop the Ruggable pre-Labor Day sale on washable rugs

Dr. Mary Anne Franks gets why people may be upset by a recent court ruling on possessing AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

The decision, issued in late August by a federal appeals court panel, found that the First Amendment protects the possession of child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, in the home if it was created using artificial intelligence and does not depict an actual child.

"A lot of people have quite understandable intuitions about how wrong this sounds, or how it sounds like there's something radical going on here," said Franks, the Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Civil Rights at the George Washington University Law School.

SEE ALSO: Grok CSAM lawsuit expands as more step forward

Instead, Franks said the panel adhered to Supreme Court decisions issued decades ago, before AI could render hyper-realistic images of fake people and fake images of real people.

"I do think it's a really straightforward reading of prior precedent, but I also understand why it's really upsetting to hear," Franks told Mashable.

But that's not the end of the story. The judges made clear their discomfort with the conclusion by signaling to the Supreme Court that it might reconsider the precedent. Franks called the move "unusual."

"[G]iven the significant advances in computer-generated image technology, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, we would benefit from additional guidance from the Supreme Court regarding the intersection between the First Amendment and virtual CSAM if an appropriate case should arise," wrote Judges John Z. Lee and Joshua P. Kolar.

What is the AI CSAM case really about?

The three-judge panel, which is part of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, considered the facts of a federal case against Steven Anderegg, a software engineer who used generative AI tools to create "hyper-realistic" CSAM.

Not only did he allegedly produce, distribute, and possess the material, but he also sent it to a minor via Instagram direct messages in Oct. 2023. Meta, Instagram's parent company, detected and reported the image and reported it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline.

A law enforcement investigation subsequently led to Anderegg's arrest. He was charged with multiple crimes, including knowingly possessing "at least one visual depiction that depicted a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and was obscene."

Anderegg moved to dismiss the possession charge, arguing that conviction for possession of CSAM would violate his First Amendment rights as defined by past Supreme Court decisions. A district court agreed. Prosecutors appealed that decision, landing the case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which ultimately dropped the possession charge.

Anderegg still faces charges for producing and distributing CSAM.

Why is this kind of CSAM protected by the First Amendment?

A combination of past Supreme Court cases led to the dropping of Anderegg's CSAM possession charge, Franks explained.

Namely, in 1969, the Supreme Court ruled in Stanley v. Georgia that individuals have a right to possess obscenity in their own home.

By 1990, however, the Supreme Court carved out an exception when it addressed the possession of "child pornography" in Osborne v. Ohio. The decision recognized that, possession of CSAM, even if viewed only in the home, serves both as a permanent record of a child's abuse and as a potential lure for other victims. Prohibiting possession of this material could help decrease the demand and production of CSAM, the justices reasoned. 

Then, in 2002, the Supreme Court considered a federal law provision that prohibited the possession of virtual CSAM. The ban was broadly written to include any visual depiction or computer-generated image that appeared to be of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The court struck down the provision and effectively declared that entirely computer-generated CSAM is protected by the First Amendment.

The Court did not address another provision of the federal law that banned "morphed" CSAM, or computer-generated CSAM created using images of real children.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit judges who recently relied on the 2002 ruling to decide Anderegg's appeal acknowledged the difficulty of doing so.

"Given the relentless advancement in artificial intelligence models, we have some concerns about the lines these cases draw, but we are not free to redraw them ourselves," Judge John Z. Lee wrote in his opinion.

What happens next with AI CSAM

The government has not yet appealed the 7th Circuit's decision, but Franks said it has the option to do so. In that scenario, the Supreme Court would consider taking up the case in the October term.

Franks said the conclusion that fully virtual CSAM is protected by the First Amendment could be successfully challenged. In particular, the government could argue that AI models have indeed been trained on CSAM imagery.

As a result, even if a particular AI-generated CSAM image doesn't depict a real child, it may have been produced using an image of a real child being victimized.

Franks does believe that prohibitions of virtual CSAM must be very narrowly and carefully defined to avoid "weaponization by moralistic crusaders with anti-LGBTQ+, misogynist, and/or anti-sexual education agendas."

The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, for example, argues that porn should be outlawed and those who produce and distribute it should be imprisoned. Project 2025 links porn to "the omnipresent propagation of transgender ideology and sexualization of children."

Still, Franks said the risks of AI CSAM are real and present, not hypothetical possibilities.

In her opinion, AI CSAM normalizes the sexualization of children by adults and by other children, undermining their bodily autonomy, self-esteem, and flourishing.

"The question we should be asking is what possible benefit AI CSAM provides that justifies such harms," Franks said.

If you are a child being sexually exploited online, or you know a child who is being sexually exploited online, or you witnessed exploitation of a child occur online, you can report it to the CyberTipline, which is operated by the National Center for Missing Exploited & Children.

TL;DR: A BJ’s 1-year Club Card Membership is now only $15 (reg. $60).

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

Buying in bulk is one of the simplest ways to spend less on the stuff your family runs through every week. Warehouse clubs like BJ’s let you grab groceries, household staples, and a whole lot more in one trip, so you save both money and time. Right now, a BJ’s Club Card Membership is on sale for just $15 (normally $60).

BJ’s Wholesale Club is a place to shop for family essentials, including fresh foods, produce, deli items, household staples, and more. BJ’s members can save up to 25% off grocery store prices, but that’s not the only reason to shop there. You can also look out for new clothes, seasonal décor, toys, tech, and furniture.

Tank running low? Fill up on your way out, and don’t forget you could get extra savings through the BJ’s Fuel Saver Program when you buy eligible products in the club. That’s a whole lot easier than making one more stop on top of all your other errands.

You don’t have to shop in-store to use the membership. BJ’s has an app that lets you shop online and choose curbside pickup or same-day delivery when it’s available in your area. You can also add digital coupons directly to your membership card, so the discount applies automatically at checkout.

This deal is for new members only and gives you a code you can redeem directly on BJ's.com to create your membership. Your membership comes with auto-renewal enabled, but you can switch it off in your account settings if you want to control when you re-up.

Try a new way to shop. Get a one-year BJ’s Club Card Membership for $15.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

For a dating site that launched at the dawn of the new millennium, eharmony has remained relevant, largely by focusing on a more substantive, personality-based approach to online matchmaking. Of course, it's still far from perfect. While users consistently appreciate the depth of its matchmaking algorithm, they also have numerous complaints about the cost of the service and the proliferation of fake profiles, especially since artificial intelligence became widely available. 

Opens in a new window Credit: eharmony eharmony   Learn More

Here's what real eharmony users had to say about the site, from the best features to the worst experiences: 

Pro: The screening process weeds out unserious daters

If you're looking for substance in your dating life, one of the first challenges can be filtering out the seemingly overwhelming number of people who are in it for short-term fun. But eharmony largely bypasses that problem, first by its reputation (it began as a Christian dating site!) and next by its rather involved signup process, which includes filling out their proprietary compatibility questionnaire. 

Reddit reviewers consistently lauded this focus on substance in the screening process ("it forces you to focus on depth over pure visuals") and found the compatibility scores, assigned based on your answers to the personality quiz you take when you sign up, to be a useful way of evaluating matches before starting a conversation. 

SEE ALSO: The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt

Here's a story from one older gentleman: "My mindset was that I really needed to be fully honest in my answers, because why would I pay for a service and not be honest? After a few days, I got my matches. A day later, I got a nice message from a woman 10 years younger than me. We exchanged some messages, and then I looked at our match score after she prompted me about it. We were 126 out of 140. I decided to go with it because she and I were really vibing on each other. A year later we got engaged and will marry next year."

For reference, a compatibility score of 126 on eharmony is incredibly rare. As one Redditor responded, "When I was on there, I never had greater than 105 with any match." 

Con: Expensive membership fees

A recurring complaint about eharmony was the cost of a premium membership, which is non-negotiable if you want to get the most out of the site (you can't even see photos without upgrading!). There are three premium membership tiers (Light, Plus, and Unlimited), with pricing varying somewhat by your location, but you should expect to pay at least $15 per month for a membership, which makes it more expensive than a standard Netflix membership and in line with some of the cheaper gym memberships you can get. 

Users consistently complained not only about the price but also about the cancellation process: "I’ve tried eHarmony and found it way too expensive for what it offers, and to top it [off], the process of cancellation is so complicated," said one Reddit reviewer. Other users were outraged by the automatic membership renewals or the difficulty of canceling a subscription, even within 12 hours of signing up. 

On the other hand, eharmony regularly offers steep discounts of up to 50 percent off its membership price, so if you time your signup right, you can enjoy substantial savings. 

Pro: eharmony caters to older daters

It isn't necessarily by design, but it's also glaringly obvious that different age demographics tend to gravitate towards different dating sites or apps, which becomes very apparent if you've ever used Tinder as a middle-aged adult. Older daters, divorced daters, and anyone looking for a more mature partner should definitely give eharmony a try (we named it the "gold standard" for daters over 40 for a reason!)

Here's a typical experience from an older male dater: "45 yo divorced guy here. I signed up with eHarmony and Bumble 2 months ago based on recommendations from co-workers. I've had much better luck with eHarmony than Bumble. My highest compatibility ratings are in the 110 to 116 range, and these comprise about 33 percent of my daily feed. The other 33 percent are in the 100 to 105 rating scale, and the final 33 percent are in the 89 to 99 rating scale. [...] In contrast, I have connected with zero women in Bumble Premium after 2 months."

Con: Proliferation of fake profiles

In the age of agentic AI and cheaply produced fake photos and videos, all dating sites are having a hard time distinguishing between real and fake members, but eharmony users were particularly concerned with the number of fake dating profiles they would have to sift through before finding a real human being to engage. 

In fact, one of the top-rated posts on the /r/eharmony subreddit in the last year decries, "The fake profile problem has got noticeably worse," complaining that of the 14 likes their account received, 11 came from obviously fake accounts. 

How big a con is this, really? For older daters unaccustomed to filtering out fake profiles and obviously enhanced photos, it can be a pain in the butt, but if you're even remotely internet-savvy, you shouldn't have too much trouble distinguishing real from unreal users, and we guarantee you'll encounter this problem, to some degree, on almost every dating platform currently in use. And because eharmony is so restrictive of free members, it's a problem you can largely side-step if you upgrade your account and only interact with other paying members.