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Mariska Hargitay hosted the 2026 Emmys on Monday, and it's probably fair to say she crushed it.

Following an entertaining opening song, the host took to the stage to joke about everything from arresting most of the audience at one point or another on Law & Order SVU ("You guys have done some unspeakable things," says Hargitay. "I'm talking to you, Martin Short.") to not being able to pronounce the word "finale" ("I'm sorry guys, it's just that I never had one!").

The highlight? Hargitay finishing with a parody of Nicole Kidman's highly memed AMC Theatres ad, that gets interrupted by Kidman herself. "Zip it, movie lady!" grins Hargitay. "It's TV's turn tonight."

For a full list of the 2026 Emmys winners, we've got you covered.

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Starbucks just announced a new collab: Starbucks x Peanuts, which, rationally, could only mean one thing — a Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The full 10-piece collection will be available to purchase from Sept. 15, just days before fall officially starts on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Normally, I'm not a fan of premature pumpkin-spicing, but I'm letting this slide. I WILL be standing in line at 4 a.m. for this one. (I have two beagles, and if this isn't the cutest damn thing.)

SEE ALSO: Get ready to fight for your life: Starbucks is dropping a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup

Inspired by the 60th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the limited-edition drop includes drinkware (obvs), a plush, and accessories. And because Starbucks knows exactly how this is going to go (as do we all), they're enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer on the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The Snoopy Glass Cold Cup Credit: Starbucks Everything in the Starbucks x Peanuts 'Great Pumpkin' collection

• Snoopy Glass Cold Cup ($39.95): The star of the collection is obviously the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup. He's wearing a pumpkin-colored beanie, a green scarf, and a Woodstock straw topper.

• Snoopy Plush ($34.95): If you can't get your hands on the Cold Cup, you can get a cute Snoopy plush. He's wearing Starbucks green and holding what I could only assume is a PSL.

• 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler ($32.95): Need another tumbler? The 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler is super cute and features a Woodstock charm and a dancing Snoopy.

• Stainless Steel Cold Cup ($32.95): The Stainless Steel Cold Cup includes a straw and shows an illustration of Lucy and Snoopy sharing coffee.

• The Great Pumpkin Tumbler ($32.95): This cute coffee tumbler features Snoopy and Woodstock artwork inspired by the movie.

• 14-ounce Ceramic Mug ($29.95): If you want a collectible featuring the whole gang, get the 14-ounce Ceramic Mug. It also "reveals a surprise Snoopy with every sip," which maybe means that there's a Snoopy at the bottom of the mug?

• 24-ounce Cold Cup ($27.95): The 24-ounce Cold Cup is a clear plastic cup featuring Snoopy and The Great Pumpkin fall imagery.

• Accessories: The drop also includes a Mini Tote ($29.95), a Bag Charm ($16.95), and an Enamel Pin Set ($14.95).

Peanuts + Starbucks collection launches Sept. 15. Credit: Starbucks

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $83.44 at Amazon, down from its $89.99 list price — provided your invite request is accepted.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $83.44 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $6.55   Pre-order Here

The Pokémon TCG’s 30th anniversary expansion finally arrives on Sept. 16, but there’s still time to get the Elite Trainer Box below list price before release. Amazon has knocked a few more dollars off its already competitive preorder price, although actually buying something still depends on getting through the retailer’s invite system. 

As of Sept. 15, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is $83.44 at Amazon, taking $6.55 off its $89.99 list price for a 7% saving. It’s shipped and sold directly by Amazon, with the retailer even applying its preorder price guarantee, which means you could save more if the price drops again during this final presale window. 

That makes today the final chance to secure the box at Amazon’s preorder rate before the 30th Celebration releases in the trading card market. This is essentially a second price drop, since its current list price matches its previous sale price after being reduced from $200+ last week, and it is far lower than its current TCGplayer market price of $168.03.

There is still no guarantee you’ll actually get one, however. Because this is a high-demand item, Amazon requires potential buyers to submit an invitation request via its "request invite" button rather than checking out normally. 

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If you are randomly selected, you’ll then get an email letting you know that you’re now able to buy Pokémon’s 30th Celebration ETB for a limited time (usually 24 hours). Amazon won’t be able to grant every request, but yours will be kept registered for the foreseeable future, so you could get an invitation after a potential restock, too. 

Inside the Elite Trainer Box are nine titular Pokémon 30th Celebration boosters, a full-art foil Nidorina promo, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 sleeves, dice, a coin, dividers, a player’s guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code. 

If your priority is just getting one of these boxes right now rather than the cheapest deal possible, Pokémon’s 30th Celebration ETBs are readily available to buy right now for $167.94 at TCGplayer — much more expensive than Amazon, but still under market price. If there are any chase cards you’re after from this special anniversary expansion, including the $1,800 Mew ex, single Pokémon 30th Celebration cards are also available to preorder at TCGplayer. 

In an Emmys speech simmering with Sir Ian McKellen in Extras energy, John Mulaney successfully showed the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards what it's all about: raising awareness for the historical lack of representation of men onscreen.

Presenting Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series — no disrespect to The Pitt's Noah Wyle, who won the award — the comedian used his couple of intro minutes to rally for the cause.

"This is the best part of the night: Lead actor in a drama. This award is for the guys. Just men being men. Finally, something for the fellas. And what a crop of prom kings we have. They're not soft like the dad on Bluey. Guy's a joke," Mulaney said onstage.

SEE ALSO: The complete list of 2026 Emmy winners

"Since the creation of television, men have been historically unrepresented. For the first three years TV existed, there were no men on it. It was just beauty contests and children talking to hand puppets until the early '60s, until a man walked out and said, 'Enough! My name is Fonzie, and the president's been shot.'

"But let's talk about these bros tonight. These sweathogs. Some of the men in this category do method acting, and some do regular, less annoying acting. But no matter what, when these fellas hit their mark, they know all their lines. Why? Because they started looking at their sides earlier that morning. These men give it all in every single take, unless the coverage is on the other actor, and then they might bounce early, but that's OK."

Watch the speech above, and if you need to catch up on the full list of Emmys 2026 winners, we've got you covered.

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Mashable has been testing laptops for over 10 years. Over the past two years alone, the team and I have researched dozens of models and tried over 90 of the most promising configurations available. We use a meticulous testing procedure involving real-world stress tests and artificial benchmarks to evaluate our contenders on the basis of performance, battery life, design/build quality, and value.

This regularly updated guide serves as our laptop trophy case, highlighting the best-in-class models we've tried across different subcategories. For even more recommendations, check out my dedicated guides to the best MacBooks, the best Windows laptops, the best cheap laptops, and the best Chromebooks.

Why are laptops so expensive right now?

Laptop prices have skyrocketed in 2026 for several reasons. One is the recent boom in AI data center construction, which has caused a global shortage of RAM and SSD storage chips (often referred to as "RAMageddon"). As a result, many consumer tech devices that use these components, including the best laptops, have become vastly more expensive than they would've been otherwise. Most PC makers have been affected, including Apple, Dell, Lenovo, and Acer.

The memory crisis is expected to worsen and could last into 2028, driving up prices even further and making good values in the budget and mid-range tiers even scarcer. On top of that, the Trump administration is reportedly mulling new tariffs on semiconductors that would apply to laptops and other electronics.

SEE ALSO: RAMageddon is reportedly causing a MacBook Air shortage

Further complicating things is that Microsoft reportedly raised its Windows 11 licensing fees by higher-than-usual percentages. In other words, both hardware and software prices have gone up for PC makers this year, forcing them to pass on the extra costs to consumers. Lucky us.

The Mashable team is taking the current state of the market into consideration as we assess and select laptops to recommend to our readers. Moreover, we've gone back and re-evaluated several models that have gotten more expensive since we first tested them.

At the time of writing, only two previous top picks have gotten so pricey that we think they're no longer worth buying. That would be the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which jumped from an already-high $750 to $1,000, and the Acer Chromebook Plus 516, which went from $479 to $649. We're currently testing some other Chromebook options and will update this guide with a new top pick soon.

Recent updates to this guide

• September 2026: I added more information about the various factors affecting laptop prices right now. I also added a new section about some new laptops that shoppers can look forward to in the coming months. Finally, I updated three of our picks in the wake of recent pricing and availability changes. I removed the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 as our top Chromebook because of its value-zapping $170 price hike, and I'm now looking for its replacement. The Asus Zenbook A16 got a $300 price bump, but I'm keeping it as our best 16-inch laptop (for now) because it's still not a rip-off in the current market. Lastly, the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI was out of stock at the time of writing, but may not be sold out for good. I'll continue to monitor its listings over the next few weeks and will swap it for another model if it turns out it's actually been discontinued. In the meantime, a refurbished Swift Edge 14 AI is readily available.

• July 2026: The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is officially the most portable laptop we've ever tested: It only weighs 2.18 pounds and measures 0.37 inches thin at its slimmest point. I added it as a new pick.

• June 2026: I made the Asus ExpertBook Ultra our new favorite business laptop and named the Asus Zenbook A16 the best 16-inch laptop. I also removed the Alienware 16X Aurora as our top gaming laptop because the configuration we tested has been discontinued. We're currently testing potential replacements.

What to look forward to

In early September, PC makers showed off a slew of new Windows laptops at IFA, an annual tech trade show in Berlin. Among them are the ultralight Acer Swift Blade 14, the very repairable Acer Swift Vero 16, two new Lenovo creator laptops running on Nvidia RTX Spark, and a pair of colorful MacBook Neo competitors: the Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe and the pared-down Dell 14S. The IdeaPad Vibe is confirmed to arrive this October, starting at $699.99, but most other IFA debutants don't have set prices or release dates just yet.

On the MacBook side, Apple is rumored to be working on a refreshed MacBook Pro with an M6 chip (first seen in this summer's new Mac mini), as well as a higher-end MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen. The latter might be called the "MacBook Ultra," if the gossip mill is correct. The M6 model is reportedly coming this fall, while the Ultra could debut at the end of this year or early next.

Read this before you buy a Windows laptop

Many great Windows laptops we've tried run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X and X2 series chips, which use ARM-based architecture instead of standard x86 architecture like Intel and AMD chips. The Zenbook A14 and A16 are two great examples of outstanding ARM laptops.

These Qualcomm chips are great because they offer amazing performance and battery life, but they're not compatible with some specialty software and PC games. Having said that, ARM support is getting better and should dramatically improve in the near future. Right now, I would only avoid ARM laptops if you're a student or if gaming is the main thing you do on your PC. You can read more about this in my dedicated guides to the best Windows laptops and the best laptops for college.

For music that sounds as complicated as YOASOBI's, the tech behind it is surprisingly simple.

The Japanese pop duo's songs are built to move. Ayase's productions pile bright piano melodies over electronic beats and unexpected sonic flourishes, often changing direction before you've had time to settle in. Then there's ikura's voice, gliding through even the most densely packed arrangements.

That relationship between music and technology predates YOASOBI. After spending his teenage years chasing rockstar dreams in a band, Ayase turned to Japan's thriving Vocaloid scene, where a laptop and voice-synthesizing software like Hatsune Miku could effectively turn one person into an entire production studio. He could compose, produce, and give voice to his songs largely on his own — a practice he continues today.

SEE ALSO: Le Sserafim on tech, style, and staying connected in a digital world

When he began working with ikura, the voice became human, but the ambition of his compositions didn't necessarily shrink with it. Ayase's intricate melodies can sometimes sound as though they were written without worrying about the limitations of human lungs. Luckily, ikura is more than capable of keeping up.

And yet, the bigger YOASOBI has become, the more compact Ayase's toolkit seems. When Mashable asked the duo during a Los Angeles press day to name the five pieces of technology essential to making their music, Ayase's list included just five items. In fact, after naming the first four, Ayase struggled to come up with a fifth.

"I don't really use anything other than these," he said.

It's a lean setup for the producer behind songs as maximalist as "Idol," the dizzying Oshi no Ko theme that's racked up over 688 million views on YouTube and ricochets between musical ideas with seemingly little interest in obeying the conventions of pop structure. But that's also what makes Ayase's list interesting. There isn't one mysterious piece of technology responsible for the YOASOBI sound. The tools themselves are mostly things available to anyone with a laptop and an internet connection. It's what Ayase does with them that makes the music unmistakably his.

Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Getty Images/Apple/Sony

Even the most specialized piece of equipment on the list — the high-end Sony microphone now used to record ikura's vocals — sits alongside technology considerably more ordinary. Splice gives Ayase access to a vast digital library of sounds. Logic Pro is where he puts everything together. And then there are the EarPods. Yes, EarPods. Not AirPods.

The wired Apple earbuds, which feel increasingly like a relic of the pre-AirPods era, remain one of Ayase's essential production tools. And he doesn't use them because he's stubbornly holding onto the headphone-jack days of yore. For Ayase, their relative simplicity makes them useful. Expensive studio speakers can tell him how good a YOASOBI song can sound. His EarPods help him understand how it might sound to everyone else.

That's ultimately the through-line of YOASOBI's straightforward setup. The duo may make some of the most meticulously constructed pop music around, but Ayase doesn't need an endless arsenal of technology to do it.

He just needs the right five tools.

MacBook Pro Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 Pro chip with 11‑core CPU, 14‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 18GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Black $1,774.95 at Amazon
$1,999 Save $224.05   See It at Amazon

Ayase didn't need much time to think about his first essential. "The first thing that's absolutely necessary is a MacBook," he said. More specifically, a MacBook Pro.

It's the center of his production setup, the place where the many moving parts of a YOASOBI song begin coming together. For a producer whose music can sound so densely constructed, there is something almost funny about how quickly the answer arrived. There are no secret weapons in Ayase's tech arsenal, just a laptop.

Of course, what's on that laptop matters just as much.

Logic Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Logic Pro   Learn More

Inside Ayase's MacBook Pro is the second thing he considers indispensable: Logic Pro, Apple's music-production software. "The software I use to compose is Logic Pro," he said. "That's absolutely essential."

Logic is where Ayase builds the songs that eventually become YOASOBI tracks, layering together the melodies, rhythms, samples, and electronic elements that characterize the duo's sound.

It's also a setup that feels connected to how Ayase learned to make music in the first place. Long before YOASOBI, he was producing Vocaloid tracks on his computer, part of an internet-native music culture built around people composing, uploading, remixing, and discovering one another online.

Years later, the scale is considerably bigger. The basic relationship between producer and computer remains.

Apple EarPods Apple EarPods $15.99 at Amazon
$30 Save $14.01   See It at Amazon

Then came the most unexpected item. "I have a particular preference for wired earphones rather than headphones," Ayase said. Specifically, Apple's wired EarPods.

They're essential enough that Ayase said he makes music with them. And when Mashable asked why a producer with access to professional studio equipment would rely on one of Apple's most basic listening devices, his answer revealed a surprisingly practical philosophy.

"I think they have the most basic sound," Ayase explained.

Of course, he listens to YOASOBI's music on high-end speakers when he's making final adjustments. But that's not how most people are going to hear it. "There aren't actually that many people who can listen to music on really good speakers," he said.

So, Ayase tries his songs in different environments. He'll listen through a car stereo. He'll play them through good speakers. He'll listen directly from an iPhone. The EarPods function as his baseline.

"Of all the different environments people listen to music in, I think they're closest to the middle," he said. "They give me the most basic sound, so I use them as a reference."

And no, swapping them for AirPods wouldn't accomplish the same thing.

"AirPods are different," he said. "Whether noise cancellation is on or off changes the sound a lot."

The humble wired EarPods remove some of those variables. Ayase isn't using them because they provide the most pristine possible listening experience. He's using them precisely because they don't. For a producer making music that will eventually travel through everything from expensive headphones to phone speakers, that's useful information.

Splice Opens in a new window Credit: Splice Splice Music   Learn More

Ayase's fourth essential is less tangible but gives him access to considerably more sounds: Splice.

"There's a site and app called Splice that has tons of different sounds," he said. The subscription-based platform offers producers a massive library of samples, loops, and other sounds to incorporate into their music. "That's absolutely necessary, too," Ayase said.

For YOASOBI, it's easy to understand the appeal. Ayase's productions rarely sit still for long. Percussion, electronic flourishes, instrumental layers, and other sonic details constantly move in and out of the mix, giving even a single song the feeling of containing several different musical worlds.

Splice gives him a library to pull from while building them. The platform is subscription-based for full access, though a free account offers a limited selection of samples. And after naming it, Ayase again tried to think of what else he regularly relied on.

"What else?" he wondered. The answer, apparently, wasn't much. "I really don't use anything besides these."

Well, almost.

Sony C-800G microphone Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony C-800G Studio Tube Condenser Microphone with Power Supply   Learn More

There was one final essential: the microphone that captures ikura's crystal-clear vocals.

"When we're focusing specifically on making music, there's the Sony C-800G microphone," Ayase said. It's also, by far, the biggest investment on his list. The high-end studio microphone costs nearly $15,000 new — and, importantly, it wasn't always part of YOASOBI's setup.

"I didn't care that much about it before," he said. "But recently I've gotten more particular about it, so I bought one myself." Now, he said, "We've been using it to record YOASOBI songs."

In other words, don't take the C-800G as a prerequisite for making great music. Even Ayase made the investment later, after YOASOBI had already found enormous success. It's less a secret ingredient than an upgrade, one he could make once he knew exactly what he wanted from his recording setup. And if you're after a similar style of tube condenser mic without the five-figure price tag, there are cheaper alternatives.

Still, for all the software, samples, and digital production that go into a YOASOBI track, the C-800G plays an important role in capturing the voice that has to cut through everything Ayase has built.

And that is the entire toolkit. A MacBook Pro. Logic Pro. Splice. A pricey Sony microphone. And a pair of wired Apple EarPods. For music that can sound as though it requires an entire command center to assemble, YOASOBI's essentials are remarkably compact. The complexity isn't necessarily coming from the number of tools Ayase uses. It's coming from what he does with them.

Maybe that's the more useful lesson for creators: You don't need a room full of tech to make something sound enormous. You just need to know exactly what to do with what you have.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage and meet The Mashable 101 to discover the internet’s most exciting voices.

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How to choose the best headphones

We won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite audio brands put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and active noise cancellation.

All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and the best open earbuds, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.

To help you pick your pair, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut). Here, you'll find the top headphones of 2026 for noise cancellation, music, price, and wired connections.

What about wired headphones?

We focused primarily on the best wireless headphones for this guide. While wired headphones have their fans, wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us. If we had to pick, we'd recommend the Marshall Mode earbuds as our top wired pick. Some of us are also fans of Apple's EarPods.

Other headphones we've tested

Most recently, we tested the Marshall Monitor III, JBL Tour One M3 headphones and the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, and though they had their merits, fell short of winning the best of the best spot on this guide.

We've also tested the Sonos Ace headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones. And while we loved them both for sound quality and noise cancellation, they fare in the way of AirPods Max — left out of our recommendations for their high price points.

In the testing pipeline

For our future updates, we're testing out more budget noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones.

Recent updates to this guide

• March 2025: We've designated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds as the most comfortable ANC earbuds and crowned the Sony XM6 earbuds as the new best noise cancelling earbuds.

• December 2025: We replaced the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds, which are no longer available, with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 sports earbuds.

• December 2025: We removed the Marshall Mode wired earbuds, as they're frequently out of stock.

• December 2025: We added the Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Headphones as the best headphones under $100.

• December 2025: We added the Sony XM5 headphones, originally released in 2022, as our new honorable mention pick.

• August 2026: We replaced the Sennheiser Momentum 4 with the Nothing Headphone (a) as our best battery life pick.

Jacob Coxon, the 27-year-old researcher who split his time between OpenAI and Anthropic on pre-training research, announced his resignation from Anthropic last week on X with a lethal thread. "Neither company is acting responsibly," he wrote. "They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives."

He said the people building this technology "earnestly believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade." Hundreds of thousands of likes later, Coxon’s post has shaken the world.

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

Coxon’s words were like a sudden, violent Mahjong collapse; breaching the fortress walls and upending the entire AI enterprise in a single clattering moment.

First came Congress’s whiplash reaction. Senator Bernie Sanders announced he's introducing legislation to ban superintelligence outright. Then, Senator Richard Blumenthal fired off a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman demanding answers about his AI agents reportedly going rogue. 

Over the weekend came another shock when Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a massive 3,800-word essay on his website titled "We Must Pace the Frontier," effectively trying to pump the brakes on the entire AI arms race. Altman chimed in on Monday, admitting "we could lose control."

On Saturday at a private fundraiser, Barack Obama threw down a gauntlet for Democrats. The 44th president told his party to stop coasting on AI safety and make it a marquee campaign issue. He was answering House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries's question about Coxon’s stark warning.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic's CEO urges the industry to slow down, and Sam Altman agrees

And on Sunday, President Donald Trump misread the room from a golf course in Ireland. Trump said Coxon’s comments and Amodei’s letter were "very negative forces" and that they were hyping up "things that won't happen." To him, avoiding a civilization-wiping disaster isn't the priority. It’s "whoever wins AI, wins."

The data dump

That's a lot of attention, particularly from the political sphere, for one tech guy's message. However, before Coxon ever hit "post," communities across the country were already revolting against the AI industry's physical footprint. By early September, trackers had counted "more than 300 data center moratoriums, bans, and restrictions across 32 states," with New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia leading the pack, and New York becoming the first state to enact one statewide. 

A recent poll found only 14 percent of Americans would welcome a data center in their own backyard. They were angry long before Coxon came forward. They’re angrier now, and one party senses this anger, while the other ridicules it.

On the last day of August, Trump handed Democrats an opening, warning on Truth Social that towns that say no are choosing to be "backwards and poor," and that if they "kill the Golden Goose," they'll "only have yourselves to blame." This, coupled with his comments in Ireland, is raising the pulse, not checking it, of the average American voter.

I have to imagine that families whose utility bills are spiking didn’t react well to being called backwards and poor. In Georgia, data center backlash and rising electricity rates have already flipped two Public Service Commission seats, and the fight has spilled over to the governor's race and state legislative contests, with GOP-leaning voters reportedly telling one Democratic challenger that data centers "changed how they see every other issue," according to the Economist.

AI goes nuclear

I've watched something like this play out before while working as a congressional press secretary. In the late 1980s and early '90s, when the federal government pushed states to build regional nuclear waste dumps under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act, Pennsylvania's coal country became a target. 

Corporate scouts assumed struggling steel towns, like those that made up our congressional district in southwestern Pennsylvania, would quietly accept radioactive waste in exchange for economic bailouts. They assumed wrong. They weren’t "backwards," but they were poor, and no amount of radiation was going to make them want to be rich.

Grassroots groups like P.O.W.E.R. packed town halls with furious residents, and the congressman I worked for, Austin Murphy, rode that wave to reelection, even while fending off ethics troubles of his own. 

What’s going on now is identical because ordinary people don't have the bandwidth to parse high-tech language or even begin to fathom the complexities of AI. It was the same with nuclear energy. 

Ordinary people glaze over when tech bros argue about autonomous codebases waging invisible proxy wars. Huh? Come again? But when the headline flips to a visceral, "the end of civilization," everyone hits the panic button.

Prior to trying to bury people in nuclear waste was the disaster at Three Mile Island, coincidentally in Pennsylvania. That accident spoke volumes to the state’s residents. The word "nuclear" meant armageddon to anyone who was only reading the headlines.

What makes this moment different is timing. Data center fights are colliding with a live election cycle, and a viral extinction warning just expanded the potential lethality of those centers. 

All of these doomsday prophecies and the data center proliferation could be a genuine bellwether, and perhaps the first stage of how fear — and use — of AI shapes the midterms and the 2028 presidential election, and how those calling for a slowdown might be on the right side of history.

This article represents the opinions of the writer.

John Casey is a columnist at Raw Story, the Advocate, Daily Beast, and Outsports. He's also the author of Love: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality.

The best Disney+ deals and bundles in September 2026: Best Hulu Bundle Deal Disney+ and Hulu Bundle 6 months for $11.99/month Get Deal Best HBO Max Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Best ESPN Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

Whether you're looking to jump into the latest superhero saga or journey to a galaxy far, far away, Disney+ is the streaming service for you.

Home to Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more, Disney+ offers a library that's stuffed with shows and films to keep both adults and kids entertained. With Disney+, you can watch movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu or Toy Story 5 (which is set to start streaming on Sept. 23), the upcoming third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and much more.

If you've had this streaming service on your radar but you're unsure which plan is the best fit for you, we've got you covered with a selection of Disney+ streaming deals. Right now, the streamer is offering six months of its ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle for only $11.99 per month (which renews at $12.99 per month after six months), or six months of its ad-free plan at $17.99 per month (which will return to $19.99 per month after the six-month promotional period).

SEE ALSO: D23 2026: Every movie and series announced and shown at this year's fan event

There's also the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package, which is a great investment for those who already use the other two streaming services but want to cut costs. We've detailed all available bundle deals below, along with basic information on Disney+ plans if you just want the House of Mouse's service on its own.

Best Hulu bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Get 6 months of Disney+ and Hulu (With Ads) for $11.99/month, then $12.99/month Get Deal Why we like it

For those interested in the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, the streamer is offering deals on both its ad-supported and ad-free plans. For the plan with ads, new and eligible returning subscribers can lock in at $11.99 per month for six months before it returns to $12.99 per month. And if you're interested in going ad-free, the Premium plan is down to $17.99 per month for six months, then returns to $19.99 per month.

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle — $11.99 per month for six months, then $12.99 per month

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium — $17.99 per month for six months, then $19.99 per month

Best HBO Max bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Why we like it

The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle is one of the best available at the moment. Starting at $19.99 per month, you can have three excellent streaming services right in the palm of your hand. The $19.99 per month option is for the With Ads plan, but if you'd prefer to watch your favorite content without ads, the No Ads plan costs $32.99 per month. Compared to what you'd pay for each of these on their own, you're saving 42% with the ad-supported plan and 41% with the ad-free plan.

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (with ads) — $19.99 per month (save 42%)

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (no ads) — $32.99 per month (save 41%)

Best ESPN bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

If you're a sports fan looking to add ESPN to your bundles, you're in luck: Disney offers bundles with both ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+."

The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $21.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $32.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle — $35.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium — $44.99 per month

Best Disney+ monthly plans

Disney+ offers two standard plans if you just want the service on its own. The Disney+ ad-supported plan comes to $11.99 per month, while the ad-free Disney+ Premium plan will set you back $18.99 per month or $189.99 per year if you'd rather pay annually.

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $11.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium (No Ads) — $18.99 per month, $189.99 per year

Disney+ has also created an "extra member" plan for people who use your account but live outside your household, as they crack down on password sharing. If you're looking to add another person to your account, you're only allowed one extra profile and can choose from the following add-on plans:

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $6.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium — $9.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle — $7.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium — $10.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $11.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $14.99 per month

There's a wealth of shows and films to check out on Disney+ after you sign up. If you want some help finding something to watch, check out our roundups of the 12 best TV shows for adults on Disney+ and the 20 best movies on Disney+ to start building out your watchlist.

Over the past 31 years, video games have changed a lot, especially in the realm of big-budget console releases. Chasing high scores has fallen by the wayside to an extent, and there's sort of an expectation that everything adopts RPG elements, or chases the high of an open-world, or otherwise follows some other recent trendy design choice.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is not interested in most of that, judging from a short demo I got to play prior to the game's launch on Oct. 2 for PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC. Over the course of two of the game's single-player missions (online multiplayer is not available for testing yet), my main takeaway was: Yep, this is still Ace Combat. Not much has changed, and that's for the best.

'Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve' for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S $69 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a 'Legend of Zelda' makeover Ace Combat 8 is a potent injection of adrenaline

Since its 1995 debut, Bandai Namco's dogfighting franchise has accumulated a dedicated fanbase of flyers, but I still find that a lot of people around me have no idea what this series is all about. Let me briefly explain.

Nearly 100 percent of gameplay is focused on flying around real, licensed fighter jets, but most of these games add an extra layer of personality by taking place in a fictional world that has been affectionately dubbed "Strangereal" over the years. Strangereal is culturally and technologically very similar to our world, but all of the landmasses and the countries contained within them are fake.

Most importantly, wars are still primarily fought in the skies, and becoming a fighter pilot in this society is considered the most noble thing a person can do. These stories are often melodramatic and overwrought in a good way, with a bona fide radio drama usually playing out in your comms during missions. Ace Combat 8 changes the formula a bit by adding some first-person cutscenes, but I didn't get to see any of those in the demo. I did get to see one quick cutscene where a gruff video game man described the ocean as "a cradle of endless solitude," though, so the energy that's always permeated the series is still there.

The first mission I played was the game's tutorial, which quickly told me most of what I needed to know. The basic controls are exactly the same as Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, the only other title in the series I've finished. Though you control real jets, which can be customized and unlocked between missions, these are not flight simulators. The action here is decidedly arcade-like, with a score counter in the upper left and a turbo-fueled sense of danger as you speed past enemies in the air.

That is not a real aircraft, as far as I know. Credit: Bandai Namco/Steam

I should note that, like previous entries, Ace Combat 8 allows for two control schemes, Standard and Expert. With the former, pressing left on the analog stick will make your plane turn left, and so on. With the latter, you need to consider pitch and yaw, like flying a real plane. I played the demo in Expert mode because that is the true way to play Ace Combat.

After finishing the tutorial, I jumped into a later level that revolved around taking down six gigantic, fictional aircraft that each had several propellers, AA guns, and escorts equipped with radar jammers to deal with before they could be dispatched with. The jamming mechanic here was neat, as I had to follow the big planes' enormous contrails to find them among Ace Combat 8's frankly astounding-looking 3D clouds. Shooting down the escorts fixed this problem, naturally.

It was during all of this that I entered a sort of zen flow state and became a much more capable virtual pilot than I was aware I could be. I was pulling off reckless (but extremely cool) maneuvers, scoring sweet kills, and taking down the big fellas with stunning efficiency. That's the magic of Ace Combat; very few other video games are as adept at making you feel like the coolest person in the world.

Needless to say, it was incredibly fun, and I can't wait to play more.

That's nothing new, though This is all 'Ace Combat' has ever been, and all it ever needs to be. Credit: Bandai Namco/Steam

The thing is, all of the above could be said about basically any other entry in the Ace Combat series. This formula has been fun for almost as long as I've been alive, and there's no need to change it. Sure, different levels will have different objectives, and there's room for innovation there. But the basic act of flying around and taking down targets is as timelessly pure now as it was during the Clinton administration.

That's not to say the developers have changed nothing, though. Obviously, it's a visual feast, using modern hardware to make probably the best-looking planes, clouds, and ground targets the series has ever seen. You can also carry two special weapons into battle instead of just one, which adds an extra layer of strategy. If you voluntarily only bring in one special weapon, you'll have more ammo to play with, so there's a cool trade-off to consider.

Ace Combat 8 also brings back squad commands, something that existed in some of the prior entries but not the last one. Using the D-Pad, you can issue basic commands like "cover me" and "use special weapons" to your crew, whose planes you get to choose before each mission. It's not the deepest thing in the world, but it gives the player more to think about on a moment-to-moment basis than Ace Combat 7 did, so it's a welcome change.

Still, even with some little alterations here and there, Ace Combat 8 is still Ace Combat as hell. That's what I want, and it's what I imagine most hardcore fans of the series want, too. Sometimes video game franchises need to evolve to survive. Zelda became open-world to stave off staleness, while Grand Theft Auto is leaning into life simulator systems with its latest entry.

But sometimes, all you need is a fighter jet, some lock-on missiles, and enemy targets to have a good time.

'Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve' for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S $69 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy

TL;DR: Learn piano in your spare time with this five-year subscription to flowkey Piano Learning App Classic Plan, now just $79.99 (reg. $899).

Opens in a new window Credit: Flowkey flowkey Piano Learning App: Classic Plan (5-Year Subscription) $79.99
$899 Save $819.01   Get Deal

Learning something new as an adult can be intimidating… and humbling. flowkey Piano Learning App solves for that — letting you master the piano from the privacy of your own home, with no teacher judging your mistakes.

This AI-powered tool helps you go from beginner to pro in private, and this five-year subscription to the flowkey Piano Learning App Classic Plan is on sale now for just $79.99.

Want to learn piano without leaving your house? flowkey Piano Learning App makes it possible, offering lessons that fit into your spare time. All you need is a keyboard or piano, and a device to run the app.

flowkey offers step-by-step courses that range from beginner to intermediate, advanced, and pro levels. The AI-powered interactive learning lets you practice notes and chords and get real-time feedback as you go, as it can listen while you play.

The app is packed with features that make learning easier. A loop function lets you repeat difficult sections until you master them, while hand selection lets you practice your left and right hands separately.

Slow-motion mode reduces playback so you can take your time learning. There’s also wait mode that only lets you progress after you play the right notes, and the option to watch expert pianists play as you follow along.

These interactive lessons help you master chords and learn music theory as you play. Your subscription also provides access to over 1,000 classical and public-domain songs, including music by Beethoven and Bach.

Get this five-year subscription to flowkey Piano Learning App Classic Plan for only $79.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: New U.S. users can get lifetime access to all 14 Babbel languages for $159 (reg. $299) with the exclusive StackSocial code LEARN.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $159
$299 Save $140   Get Deal

Learning a new language isn’t easy, but it also might not be as hard as some apps make it seem. If memorizing vocab lists isn’t working for you, check out Babbel. They take a more practical approach to teaching, and there’s even an AI conversation partner who can help you practice your pronunciation.

Normally, a Babbel lifetime subscription would cost $299, but right now it’s on sale for $159 with the code LEARN. Check out what that gets you.

What can Babbel teach you?

Babbel gives you lifetime access to courses in 14 different languages, and the format is designed to fit into real life. Each lesson takes around 10 to 15 minutes, so you can actually stick with it whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just squeezing in some study time between meetings.

Here are a few of the included languages:

• Spanish

• French

• German

• Italian

• Portuguese

• Swedish

And that’s just the beginning.

Unlike other apps that focus heavily on word games or repetitive matching drills, Babbel centers its content around practical conversation topics. You’ll get lessons on travel, shopping, business, culture, and more, all developed by expert linguists and backed by academic research. Speech recognition helps fine-tune your pronunciation, while the new AI-powered conversation partner lets you practice speaking in real time.

Lessons sync across devices, so you can start on your computer and finish on your phone. There’s also an offline mode if you want to download lessons ahead of time. You can move at your own pace, revisit review sessions, and jump between beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on your comfort.

Use the StackSocial code LEARN to get a Babbel lifetime subscription for only $159.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Mariska Hargitay kicked off the 78th Emmys with style on Monday, performing an entertaining musical parody of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" — with cameos aplenty.

In the video above, the Law & Order SVU star sings "I Love TV Screens" with a little help from the likes of Hacks' Jean Smart, the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, and a particularly entertaining appearance from Jennifer Coolidge wielding a boba tea.

If you need to catch up on the full list of Emmys 2026 winners, we've got you covered.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

We break down all of the new features of the new Apple Watch, including its most controversial: Live Rewind.

Read more about Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 features: Apple Watch Series 12 vs. 11: Every upgrade, including one Apple didn't mention
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 first look: AI and major health upgrades!
Apple Watch Ultra 4 announced with no price increase, new features
Apple Watch Series 12 announced: What we know about release date, price, and features

Timecode chapters
0:00 Introduction & Apple event overview
0:18 S11 chip & Apple Intelligence
0:46 Sound recognition & accessibility
1:00 Live rewind privacy concerns
1:25 Siri recap & ambient listening
1:48 Apple’s privacy defense
2:08 Real-world privacy risks & unknowns
2:52 Redesigned heart rate sensor & HRV
3:26 AI workout insights & Vitals app
3:56 Series 12 colors & ceramic finish
4:19 Apple Watch Ultra 4 features & battery life
5:08 Pricing & final verdict

Video credits
Host: Owen Poole
Scripted by: Owen Poole
Producer: Owen Poole, Iyaz Akhtar
Camera: JD Christison
Video editor: Dillon Payne
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green

So, what is the best e-reader for 2026? I'm regularly testing new e-readers (and tablets) and cycling through different models to stay up to date on the best options available. If you're gearing up to read more books this year, I can recommend a model you'll love.

Featured Video For You Latest e-reader news

• As of September 2026, we've added the Boox Go 6 to this guide, naming it the best Kindle alternative. We also named the Kindle Paperwhite the best e-reader for the beach (in addition to being the best overall) and named the Durobo Krono the best e-reader for audiobooks.

• In August 2026, Amazon increased the price of Kindles. Now the basic Kindle costs $149.99 ($40 increase) and the Kindle Paperwhite costs $199.99 ($40 increase).

• In July 2026, Boox announced it was releasing a pocket-sized e-reader, the Picco. After IFA 2026, rumors floated that the Boox Picco would be released in November 2026.

• Also in July 2026, Xteink dropped the X4 Pro, a new tiny e-reader with a touchscreen.

• As of April 2026, we have included the Durobo Krono and the Xetink X4 e-reader in this guide.

• In May 2026, Amazon ceased support for e-readers released in 2012 or earlier, which includes the first generation of Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite.

• Also in May 2026, Kobo announced its integration with Storygraph, which syncs your on-device reading progress with the Storygraph app.

Other e-readers we've tested From left to right: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook GlowLight 4 Plus, Kindle Scribe Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

• Remarkable PaperPro: Whenever you search for e-readers, Remarkable's tablets will always pop up in the search results, but unfortunately, it's hard to obtain ePUB files on the Remarkable. With Remarkable, you can access files within Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. If you have any locked ePUB files — like from Libby — you won't be able to access them on a Remarkable tablet. So, after testing the Remarkable tablet myself, it proved to be a better document reader or digital journal than an e-reader.

• Onyx Boox Go 7: While we love the Boox Go 6, we didn't love the Go 7. It's the same size as the Kobo Libra or Amazon Kindle, but it really lags on processing speed. Reading ePUB files from Libby required downloading the Adobe Digital Editions app onto the Boox Go 7, and there was significant lag when opening and closing the app. While it was an easier process than getting library books on a Nook, it was still a major pain compared to Kindle or Kobo's integrations. The Boox Go 7 lagged and took ages to load files. I was most looking forward to testing this Boox because of its page-turning buttons, but unfortunately, I found that they didn't work on my device.

• Boox Palma 2: I loved reading on the Boox Palma. It's a really solid palm-sized e-reader with an open Android system, so you can download any reading app from the Google Play store, including Libby, Kindle, and Kobo. Unfortunately, the Palma 2 is being discontinued, and its availability is dwindling, which is why it's not included in this list.

What about the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition?

If you're familiar with the Kindle lineup, it may come as a surprise that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition isn't on this list. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but I think there are better options. The Signature Edition is an upgraded version of the Paperwhite, and we've compared the devices head-to-head. The short version? The Paperwhite is a better value, even with the SE's added features like auto-adjusting brightness and 32GB of storage. Plus, after recent price increases, the Paperwhite SE now costs $249.99. If you are prepared to spend that much on an e-reader, I say skip the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and go for the Kobo Libra Colour.

Where's the Nook on this list?

In terms of big-name e-readers, you might notice one omission from this list: the Barnes & Noble Nook. I have tested this e-reader, and it was previously featured on this list. However, after testing more devices, it no longer makes the cut. In comparison to any of the Kindles or the Kobo Libra, the Nook has sloth-like performance, making it frustrating to use.

Plus, getting my library books onto the Nook was a nightmare, as it was a multi-step process that required downloading to a computer before uploading to a Nook. Its only redeeming quality was the buttons on either side of the device, which made page turning a breeze. However, unless you are a loyal buyer of Barnes & Noble books, I recommend steering clear of the Nook.

Where to get e-reader books for free

Once you get an e-reader, it's time to fill it up with books, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending money. In fact, you can load up your e-reader without spending a dime; you just need to be a bit resourceful.

The best way to read nearly any book — a classic or hot new release — is with Libby. I have read hundreds of free books with the Libby app — I wouldn't have been able to test for this guide without it. It connects with your library card, allowing you to borrow from your local library's digital collection. Plus, both Kobo and Kindle have exceptional Libby integrations.

Another way to build your library is through Stuff Your Kindle Day events. These are 24-hour opportunities led by authors that make books discounted or free.

If you're a fan of the classics or looking to discover a treasure lost to time, an online resource like Project Gutenberg has more than 75,000 books in the public domain that you can download and read on an e-reader.

TL;DR: Burger King has launched a limited-time menu celebrating Dragon Ball Super. From Sept. 1, order the Dragon Ball Super Power Up Pack that includes a Super Saiyan sauce, Dragon Ball lemonade, and exclusive character figurines.

We're seeing a lot of popular food chains dropping collabs with even more popular franchises. We recently got a Krispy Kreme Pokémon doughnut collection and a Crumbl Cookies Minecraft menu, to name just a couple of the wild collabs we've covered. Those were fun, but I wasn't seeing anything that really spoke to me.

That was until I saw Burger King's limited-time menu celebrating Dragon Ball Super. This one is for me.

Burger King has launched a limited-time menu celebrating Dragon Ball Super. From Sept. 1, you can order the Dragon Ball Super Power Up Pack that includes:

• 10-Piece Chicken Nuggets with Super Saiyan Sauce: It's supposedly a sweet, savory, and tangy teriyaki-style sauce inspired by the iconic Super Saiyan. I don't know about you, but I always looked at Goku's transformation and thought, "I bet he tastes like teriyaki."

• Dragon Ball Burst Lemonade: Mango Peach Lemonade with juicy mango-flavored Popping Boba.

• Medium Fry: Classic french fries

• Dragon Ball Super Figurine: 1 of 6 exclusive character figurines, including Goku, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku, Vegeta, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Vegeta, Piccolo, and Beerus.

Credit: Burger King

There's also something for kids. You can pick up a Dragon Ball Super-themed King Jr. Meal that includes a choice of hamburger, cheeseburger, or 4- or 6-piece chicken nuggets, plus a side, drink, themed crown, and one of six figurines, while supplies last.

The food upgrades are interesting. I'm keen to try the new sauce and the lemonade, but that's not the real draw here. It's the collectible figurines. If you're hunting for the full six-figurine set, you'll want to move fast. These limited-time fast-food drops notoriously get picked clean by collectors within days, so hit the BK app early before eBay reseller prices get outrageously high.

TL;DR: Score the 30th Anniversary Mewtwo promo card for free by spending $15+ on Pokémon TCG products at select retailers. This special offer starts from Oct. 2.

If you're a Pokémon card collector, you know the absolute nightmare that is fighting off secondary-market scalpers the second a limited-edition card drops.

There is another way.

To celebrate three decades of pocket monsters, The Pokémon Company is dropping a limited-edition Mewtwo promo card starting Oct. 2. Instead of forcing you to drop $100+ on a massive Elite Trainer Box, you only need to spend $15 or more on any Pokémon TCG products to trigger the gift-with-purchase.

The card features an exclusive "Pokémon 30" foil stamping that won't appear in standard booster packs. Plus, every promo card comes with a secondary QR code card that links directly to the Pokémon Night Out event experience. It's valid both online and in-store, but given how quickly anniversary merch disappears, you'll want to lock in your order without delay.

The participating retailers are as follows:

• Barnes & Noble

• Best Buy

• BoxLunch

• Five Below

• GameStop

• Hot Topic

• Macy’s

If you're trying to figure out what to buy to hit that $15 spend limit, the actual 30th Celebration expansion lands worldwide on Sept. 16.

The set is a massive trip down memory lane, featuring remastered artwork, classic card reprints, and an unprecedented gimmick: every single booster pack contains a guaranteed rare Pikachu card out of a set of 30 unique designs. Grab a four-pack of individual booster sleeves or a single Booster Bundle at checkout, and you'll hit that $15 threshold for the Mewtwo card. It's that easy.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series on Monday, honouring the cancelled late night talk show for the final time. Accepting the award, host Stephen Colbert took the opportunity to try securing his staff new jobs.

"If you like the comedy tonight, my old writers wrote it tonight," said Colbert. "Ariel Dumas, my head writer, is the head writer of tonight's Emmys."

CBS cancelled The Late Show earlier this year, abruptly ending it after over three decades on air. The unexpected decision forced hundreds of people who worked on the show back onto the job market, with The Late Show's final episode airing in May. 

"The thing about these late shows is that — besides being a really good steady job — is that they require so many people that they're a fantastic incubator for young people to come in to learn to work professionally, on a deadline, in cooperation, in collaboration, and that is the future of our business that we have to look after," Colbert said in his Emmys acceptance speech.

"I got some great news: They are all tech avail. Hire them. They will make your show better and they will make your day easier."

Colbert also thanked The Late Show's audience and the many guests he's interviewed over the years, then in a sweet moment singled out his "favourite guest:" his wife Evie.

"Thank you for being my only crew and my only guest during COVID, my only audience and the only audience I really care about," said Colbert. "Yours is the laugh that I want for the rest of my life. I love you."

At the time of The Late Show's cancellation, CBS executives stated that it was "purely a financial decision" and was "not related in any way to… other matters happening at [parent company] Paramount." Days earlier, Colbert had accused Paramount of paying a "big fat bribe" to President Donald Trump, noting that it needed the administration to approve its merger with Skydance Media. Trump reacted to The Late Show's cancellation with glee, having been vocal about wanting talk show hosts who criticise him to be taken off air.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Buy a vehicle through Amazon Autos From Sept. 15 through Oct. 7, eligible Prime members who buy a new car through Amazon Autos will get a $1,500 Amazon.com gift card. Shop Now

We've officially reached the point where you can buy literally anything on Amazon, including a whole ass car.

Personally, I'd never buy a vehicle online like this. The anxiety of checking out an SUV next to paper towels is just too much for me to process. But Amazon's trying to normalize it ahead of Prime Big Deal Days (the fall version of Prime Day and the precursor to Black Friday), and they're using digital cash to do it.

SEE ALSO: Here's how to milk Amazon's 'Young Adult' Prime membership for all it's worth

From Sept. 15 through Oct. 7, eligible Prime members who buy a new car through Amazon Autos will get a $1,500 Amazon.com gift card. If you're somehow brave enough to buy a car on the internet, that's a pretty good chunk of change to blow when the October deal event kicks off.

Wait, what's Amazon Autos?

In case you haven't stumbled across it yet, Amazon Autos is the retailer's online car shopping marketplace. It lets you browse cars, trucks, SUVs, hybrids, and EVs, compare features, and set up your financing or lease terms directly on the site.

Amazon then connects you with a local participating dealership to handle the test drive, sign the final paperwork, and get the keys.

Here's how the $1,500 Amazon Autos promo works

You don't need a special code or anything like that; Amazon will auto-apply the promotion to qualifying purchases at checkout.

The offer is available nationwide, but you'll need to be a Prime member purchasing a new vehicle. Once you pick up your new ride, Amazon will email you the gift card redemption code within two weeks, which you can add to your Amazon account and use for anything else you need. (Might I recommend some Chemical Guys supplies? It's what I use to clean my truck.)

The gift card doesn't expire and has no limitations once redeemed, so you could easily save it for December holiday gifts or a spring clean haul next year.

The Moon is finally becoming visible again. Its crescent is growing a little more each night, so we're beginning to see more of its features once again.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Sept. 15 NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 18% of its surface visible.

After nights of no visibility, tonight you can finally spot some lunar features again. Without any visual aids, you'll be able to see the Mare Crisium and the Mare Fecunditatis. Add binoculars or a telescope to also see the Endymion Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon doesn't look the same from night to night. As it travels around Earth, which takes about 29.5 days, we see different portions of its illuminated side. This is what creates the lunar phases, with the Moon gradually progressing from a thin crescent to a half Moon and then a Full Moon before the cycle starts over. According to NASA, the phase we see is determined by the Moon's position relative to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.