Microsoft acquires publisher of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout in its largest ever gaming purchase

Microsoft is acquiring the video game publisher known for franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls — and it's plunking down a significant amount of cash to do so. Microsoft on Monday announced it's acquiring ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion. Bethesda has released games in wildly-popular franchises including...

25m

Ilhan Omar says no Republicans have even privately condemned death threats against her

Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.), one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, has faced constant threats of violence since her election in 2018. They include public threats from Republicans set to join her in the House in January — and absolutely no condemnation from congressmembers on the other side of the aisle, she tells the The New York Times...

25m

'Remarkable' new data shows decline in on-time mail delivery after DeJoy took over as postmaster general

New data obtained by The Guardian provides a more specific look at how the changes implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy affected the U.S. Postal Service's on-time first-class mail delivery rate after he took over the role in June. In what North Carolina A&T history professor and former postal worker Philip Rubio described as a "remarkable...

25m

Coronavirus task force whistleblower says volunteers had to pay special attention to Fox News host's supply requests

Jared Kushner's coronavirus task force volunteers in charge of procuring personal protective equipment, such as masks, for virus hot spots were instructed were instructed to prioritize requests from President Trump's friends and supporters, Max Kennedy Jr., one of the volunteers, told The New Yorker. Kennedy, the 26-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy,...

2h

Ellen DeGeneres apologizes on air after toxic workplace allegations

Ellen DeGeneres is pledging to begin a "new chapter" at her show. DeGeneres on Monday returned with the first episode of her talk show's new season, getting started by addressing the allegations that have emerged of a toxic work environment there. A BuzzFeed News report described "racism, fear, and intimidation" employees have allegedly experienced...

2h

Trump baselessly claims RBG's family was lying about her dying wish

President Trump is seemingly just making things up about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dying wish. Ginsburg died Friday after a long career fighting for gender equality, capped off with decades as the most prominent member of the Supreme Court's liberal wing. The timing of her death leaves room for Trump to appoint a conservative justice...

2h

The audacious case for Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett

I have made no secret of my view that the greatest failing of Donald Trump's presidency has been his handling of Supreme Court vacancies. His first term in office, which has coincided with his party's control of the Senate, was the culmination of decades of work by social conservatives and legal activists to remake the federal judiciary. I have never...

3h

10 unforgettable moments from the 2020 Emmys

The virtual 2020 Emmys were unlike any awards show we've seen. All in all, Sunday's broadcast went pretty smoothly, considering that producers had to put on a show in which few of the nominees were in the same location. But boy, did a major awards show of its kind happening in the middle of a global pandemic make for some surreal sights. From some...

3h

CDC makes a 'major change' to guidance, saying COVID-19 can spread through the air

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a new guidance has acknowledged that COVID-19 can spread through the air, CNN reports. The CDC's website as of Friday says that "airborne viruses, including COVID-19, are among the most contagious and easily spread" and that the coronavirus commonly spreads "through respiratory droplets or small particles,...

4h

The daily business briefing: September 21 , 2020

1. China's ByteDance on Monday disputed "groundless rumors" about its partnership with Oracle and Walmart to establish a subsidiary that will run its operations in the United States. ByteDance emphasized that it would control 80 percent of TikTok Global, while Oracle would own 12.5 percent and Walmart 7.5 percent. U.S. supporters of the deal have said...

5h