Mashable

Catfishing used to mean pretending to be someone else online, usually to pursue a romantic relationship with someone who might eventually spend several episodes of an MTV show waiting in a suspiciously empty parking lot. But the newest breed of catfish does not need to steal another person's face.

Welcome to what I call "credential catfishing," the increasingly visible practice of fabricating the education, career, wealth, and status that signal authority online. Instead of borrowing someone else's face, the credential catfish turns their own life into fiction, building the story one post at a time. And Angel Victoria Murdock may be its most viral recent example.

Angel Murdock poses beside a Duke Physician Assistant Program sign in an image posted to her (now deactivated) Instagram Story. Credit: Screenshot from Reddit: r/InfluencerLounge

The influencer and former Temptation Island participant spent nearly two years sharing what she portrayed as her journey through Duke University's Physician Assistant Program on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Followers saw her in scrubs, studying medical notes, displaying what appeared to be Duke Health identification, and filming "get ready with me" videos for supposed rotations in psychiatry, obstetrics, and gynecology. She also offered advice to aspiring physician assistants and spoke about the long hours and sacrifices of PA training.

Outside of her medical content, Murdock promoted fashion and beauty products, appeared in a Missy Empire clothing haul, and participated in TikTok Shop's affiliate program, which allows creators to earn commissions from sales.

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After "graduating," she posed in a cap and gown outside Duke Chapel, reportedly captioning her Instagram: "Today, I get to look back and realize that every late night, every sacrifice, every setback and every prayer was leading me right here."

There was just one problem: She had never attended the program. At all.

Murdock’s story began to unravel on Aug. 20, when a recent Duke PA graduate wrote in the subreddit r/InfluencerLounge that a classmate had discovered Murdock's videos the previous year and congratulated her on attending the same program. Within five minutes, the post said, Murdock blocked the classmate.

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Members of Duke's 2026 PA class then began comparing notes. None recalled seeing Murdock in class, on campus, or at program events. Plus, in the graduation image, her academic hood was the wrong color, she was missing from the official class photo, and her name was never called during the program’s graduation ceremony, which remains available on YouTube.

Other elements of Murdock’s public identity also came under scrutiny. She described herself online as a licensed real-estate agent in North Carolina and Georgia, posting listings, house tours, and photos of purported clients. Yet neither state's licensing database listed her, and her named employer said she had never worked there. Murdock also claimed to have earned a double major in biology and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, but — you guessed it — the university told the New York Post that she attended but did not graduate. (Murdock's main social-media accounts have since been deleted or made private.)

Murdock’s story may be ridiculously elaborate, but it points to a much bigger problem online: You can easily build an audience, earn people’s trust, and make money long before anyone stops to ask whether your background is legitimate in the first place.

Lying on social media can pay

Social media makes it remarkably easy for anyone to lie about who they are. Post the same claim often enough, with enough photos and convincing details, and it can begin to look like a documented life. And Murdock is hardly the first person to build an audience around an identity that was not real.

In Australia, Dalya Karezi attracted more than 200,000 TikTok followers as "dr.dalya.s," wearing scrubs and a stethoscope while discussing reproductive and sexual health in videos that received as many as 15 million views. But Karezi was not a doctor. In 2023, she pleaded guilty to two charges of falsely representing herself as qualified to practice medicine.

Outside of medicine, Jebara Igbara, better known as "Jay Mazini," presented himself to roughly 1 million followers as a wealthy cryptocurrency investor, posting videos of himself handing out cash to strangers and workers. Federal prosecutors later said those displays were part of a manufactured persona used to attract investors. Igbara pleaded guilty to fraud charges and was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison after using his Instagram presence as "proof of success" to persuade victims to send him money. There's a Hulu documentary all about it.

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Even this week, federal agents arrested the "Wide Deceiver," Daejon Labrayae Love, who prosecutors say used social media to pose as a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and wealthy real-estate investor. Love allegedly photographed himself in 49ers gear, filmed workouts in a team helmet, and staged a contract-signing video while dripping in jewelry. He even appeared in a Google search listing him as a player, despite the NFL and the 49ers confirming they had never employed him.

Division II football player Uras Agee IV also allegedly posed as a Dallas Cowboys player for months and autographed footballs for Tampa's "Toys for Tots."

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According to the Justice Department, Love used the persona to find, well, love — and persuade women to place money in nonexistent investments. Prosecutors say Love and his alleged accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chan, received approximately $1.3 million from 26 identified victims. Both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

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There's actually a reason seeing the same story online over and over can make it feel so real. Psychologists call it the "illusory truth effect," a phenomenon in which repeated exposure to a claim increases its perceived accuracy, even when it conflicts with what we already know. Researchers believe that familiarity makes information easier for our brains to process, which can make it feel more trustworthy.

This doesn't mean you need to run a background check on everyone you follow. But if someone is giving medical advice, pitching investments, or using a supposed profession to earn your trust — and especially your money — it's worth checking. A huge following, a blue check, and years of convincing posts can make someone look legitimate. They don’t prove that the person is.

The good news is that many of these claims are easier to check than you might think. Medical and real-estate licenses are usually listed in state databases. Sports teams publish rosters, and many employers have staff directories. The key is to go straight to the organization that supposedly issued the license, awarded the degree, or hired the person, rather than to another social media post or an AI-generated Google result that may simply repeat the same claim.

Most people do not have the time (or the desire) to investigate everyone they follow. They should not have to. But when a creator's advice could affect your health, money, or future, it’s worth taking a moment to find out who is actually behind the content — and whether they're worth trusting.

Chad Powers has one of the most ridiculous concepts on TV right now: Disgraced college quarterback Russ Holliday (Glen Powell) dons prosthetics and a bad wig to become Chad Powers, unlikely walk-on star player for the South Georgia Catfish. Oh, and the whole thing is based off an Eli Manning prank video. (Eli and Peyton Manning are producers on the show.)

Naturally, the show still treats that crazy concept seriously. In Season 1, that seriousness manifested in Russ's internal struggles as he searched for redemption under an entirely different identity. That meant that when Powell was in Russ mode, the show operated more as a character drama. But when Powell donned the Chad makeup, the show functioned more as a zany comedy, complete with its fair share of cringe comedy and pratfalls.

SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about

The result was silly fun. Even when Chad Powers' tone grew uneven, sometimes suffering from as much of an identity crisis as Russ, Powell's performance served as a strong unifier.

In Season 2, though, Chad Powers is taking every moment seriously. Yes, there are still jokes aplenty, and the Chad Powers prosthetics still manage to possess Powell like the Green Goblin mask (if the mask made you talk like a Southern chipmunk). But as Russ's lie begins to collapse around him and his co-conspirators, Chad Powers ups the ante and becomes a propulsive football thriller.

Chad Powers Season 2 is a killer thriller. Glen Powell and Perry Mattfeld in "Chad Powers." Credit: Disney

Chad Powers Season 2 establishes its more thriller-tinged vibe right from the jump, with a fast-paced episode taking place almost in real time throughout a stressful game. After taking some intense contact and losing his prosthetic nose, Russ flees his trainers and goes on a mad dash around the stadium in order to get his face back into shape. What follows is a slick manhunt full of more disguises (including an eerie plastic Chad mask) and close calls. It helps Russ and Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez) that Coach Ricky (Perry Mattfeld) is now involved, albeit reluctantly.

However, as more people are roped into the Chad Powers scheme, the more dangerous it gets. Russ, Danny, and Ricky spend much of the season on the back foot, fending off probing questions about Chad's odd behavior and family. Suddenly, a show that, on paper, is just Mrs. Doubtfire with football becomes a seriously suspenseful affair. Even the silliest scenes, like a sequence where Russ tries to pass his real father (Toby Huss) off as Chad's, are claustrophobic. You can feel the walls closing in.

And as the walls close in, Chad Powers raises its stakes. Discovering Chad's true identity wouldn't just ruin his life all over again. It would ruin Danny's. It would destroy Ricky's promising career. The shock could even cause Coach Jake (Steve Zahn) to have another heart attack, something he's already risking by returning to coach the team. Faced with all these consequences, Russ has to examine whether this last shot at football glory is really worth it, before someone gets grievously hurt.

While Russ is scrambling to cover his tracks, he'll find an unlikely enemy in backup Catfish quarterback Gerry (Colton Ryan). A hopeful punching bag in Season 1, Gerry is a downright menace in Season 2. From stalking to blackmail, he emerges as a true threat, and Ryan delivers a chilling performance that's a far cry from Gerry's optimistic naiveté in Season 1. Several Gerry scenes yanked me to the edge of my seat this season, especially in its fantastic final two installments.

By leaning into thriller conventions, Chad Powers manages to carve its own niche in a TV landscape saturated with sports comedies. The laughs keep flowing and the ensemble gels better than ever, but it's the suspense that truly separates Chad Powers from the pack and gives it its, well, power.

Chad Powers Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.

We're busy covering all the best deals that are dropping over Labor Day weekend. We've lined up the best Apple deals, the best mattress deals, the best Home Depot deals, and so much more. But what about the hungry? Won't someone think about food?

The good news for absolutely everyone is that many popular restaurant chains are launching limited-time deals over Labor Day weekend, meaning you can eat for free (or at a heavily discounted price). We've scoured the market for the best offers and lined up the best deals from the likes of Capital One Café, Firehouse Subs, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, and other popular spots.

These are our favorite Labor Day deals in 2026.

7-Eleven

7Rewards members can grab a hot sandwich with a 20-ounce Coca-Cola or Pepsi fountain soda for $6. You can also get any roller grill item, a bag of 7-Select chips, and a large Big Gulp for $3 through Labor Day weekend.

BJ’s Brewhouse and Restaurant

Grab the $13 Pizookie Meal Deal on Sept. 7, which includes a choice of one of eight select Brewhouse entrees alongside a signature Pizookie dessert.

Benihana

Education professionals dining through Sept. 7 can pick up one eligible five-course hibachi entree and get a second entree for free with a valid ID.

Capital One Café

Get a free handcrafted beverage on Sept. 7. Just register your mobile phone number online to load a digital pass directly into your Apple Wallet or Google Wallet (limit one pass per customer).

Cheesecake Factory

Score a $10 bonus eCard when you purchase $50 in digital gift cards online through Sept. 7. The bonus card is redeemable on future visits from Sept. 8-30.

Chipotle

Chipotle is running a "Sunday Reset" special over the holiday weekend. Families and groups can score a buy-two-get-one-free entree deal on Sept. 6, from 3 p.m. to closing, when ordering online or in the app with the code SUNDAYS.

Cracker Barrel

Dine in by Sept. 7 and order any adult entree plus a Kids Meal to score a free collectible B’loonie Petz toy.

Del Taco

Del Yeah! Rewards members ordering online or through the official app can get 20% off purchases of $10 or more all weekend long.

Eddie Merlot’s

Spend $75 or more on online orders from Sept. 4-7 and knock $25 off your bill by using promo code WEEKEND at checkout.

Firebird’s Wood Fired Grill

Inner Circle loyalty members can order a full rack of Baby Back Ribs served with fries and fresh fruit for $19.95 from Sept. 3-7.

Firehouse Subs

Buy any sub between Sept. 4-7 to unlock a second sub of your choice for just $1.

Hash Kitchen

Sweet breakfast classics are marked down to $7 each from Sept. 4-7. Guests who sign up for the Brunch Club over Labor Day weekend score a free specialty coffee or Loaded Water.

HTeaO

Score two gallons of iced tea for just $12 from Sept. 4-7.

Krispy Kreme

From Sept. 4-7, buy any dozen doughnuts or 16-count Minis at regular price and grab an additional dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts for just $2 when using code BOGO2 online or in-store.

Kona Grill

Educators can celebrate early by showing a valid school ID while dining in through Sept. 7 to unlock BOGO entrees from a select menu (limit two deals per table).

Krystal

Pick up an Original Sackful for $12 or upgrade to a Cheese Sackful for $15 on Sept. 7.

Moxies

Drop in during Happy Hour (3-6 p.m. on Sept. 7) to snag $12 featured cocktails, $12 shareable appetizers, $9 select glasses of wine, and $6 local craft beers.

Polly’s Pies

Get a whole Banberry Pie for $14.99 through Labor Day.

Port of Subs

Free delivery on all online or mobile app orders placed between Sept. 4-7.

Raise the Roost

The 24-piece Nugget Party Pack is $25 from Sept. 3-7. The bundle comes loaded with 24 chicken nuggets, two large sides, four biscuits, dipping sauces, and cinnamon-sugar hand pies.

Sonny’s BBQ

Take $25 off catering orders over $200 through Sept. 7 when you enter promo code 25OFFCATER at checkout.

STK Steakhouse

Teachers and school staff receive BOGO entrees when showing a valid school ID through Sept. 7.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse

Apply coupon code WEEKEND at online checkout from Sept. 4-7 to take $25 off orders totaling $75 or more.

Teriyaki Madness

Rewards members earn double loyalty points along with a 20% discount on all orders placed between Sept. 5-7.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

15. Love Island USA Season 8 Reunion

Revisit the bombshells who took over your summer with the Love Island USA Season 8 reunion. Hosted by Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen, this reunion special will revisit the relationships and shocks of Season 8, all while stirring up a little extra drama that should hopefully tide viewers over until they return to the villa next summer. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: The Love Island USA Season 8 reunion is now streaming on Peacock.

14. Earle Meets World

Internet "it" girl Alix Earle has turned her digital stardom into brand deals, podcasts, and a second-place finish on Dancing With the Stars. Now, she moves deeper into the reality TV space with her own Netflix reality series, Earle Meets World, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at Earle's life and her family. The result is mind-numbing. — B.E.

How to watch: Earle Meets World premieres Sept. 4 on Netflix.

13. Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly

Two years ago, breakdancer Rachael "Raygun" Gunn took the Paris Olympics by storm — but not in a good way. Her kangaroo-inspired moves became an instant meme and scored zero points, turning her into an Olympic laughingstock. In Netflix's Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly, Gunn revisits her routine, the internet ridicule, and the controversy over how she wound up at the Olympics in the first place. — B.E.

How to watch: Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly is now streaming on Netflix.

12. Scary Movie Credit: 2026 Paramount Pictures

Do you like Scary Movie? The hit parody franchise returned for its sixth installment this year, ready to lampoon all the biggest horror movies that came out between 2013's Scary Movie 5 and now. On top of skewering the "rebootquel" Scream films, Scary Movie also tackles everything from Sinners, M3GAN, Weapons, The Substance, and Ma. Fair warning, though: The scariest thing about Scary Movie may be its poor critical response, although it proved to be a commercial hit. — B.E.

Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Jon Abrahams, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Dave Sheridan, and Chris Elliott

How to watch: Scary Movie is now streaming on Paramount+.

11. The Varnell Hill Show

Did you miss him? Varnell Hill (Tommy Davidson), a fictional talk show host who appeared briefly in Season 2 of Martin, gets his own spin-off with The Varnell Hill Show. The series peers behind the curtain of Varnell's late-night talk show, which is currently in a ratings free fall. How can they update Varnell's tired show for today? Expect some showbiz shenanigans, as well as a stacked cast of guest stars that includes Martin Lawrence himself. — B.E.

Starring: Tommy Davidson, Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson, and Chris Williams

How to watch: The Varnell Hill Show is now streaming on Paramount+.

10. Parasomnia

If you don't want to have a good night's sleep, check out Parasomnia, from director James Ross II. The film introduces Riley (Jasmine Mathews), who is long-haunted by night terrors and a tragic past. When her best friend goes missing, she starts to think that the culprit could be the demon from her nightmares, crossing over into the real world. — B.E.

Starring: Jasmine Mathews, Stephen Barrington, and RJ Brown

How to watch: Parasomnia premieres Sept. 4 on Shudder.

9. Turning Point: Generation 9/11

The latest installment of Netflix's Turning Point documentary series explores the impacts of 2001's 9/11 attacks, 25 years later. Featuring interviews with young adults who were just kids at the time, including the daughter of the co-pilot of Flight 93, the film unpacks how 9/11 shaped the lives of an entire generation, and how the effects of the attacks and their aftermath still impact our daily lives, from personal loss to global geopolitics. — B.E.

How to watch: Turning Point: Generation 9/11 is now streaming on Netflix.

8. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker, but it's less a triumphant return to the film screen than a nostalgia-fueled whimper. The film sees Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his ward Grogu on their biggest mission yet, one that gets them embroiled with Imperial warlords and villainous Hutts alike.

SEE ALSO: 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' review: If this is the future of Star Wars, I don't want it

Unfortunately, the ensuing adventure is a letdown that not even a stellar, Grogu-centric swamp sequence can save. As I wrote in my review, it's "a slog: an unwieldy adventure full of illegible action and the creeping sense of dread that we've seen this all before. Not even Din and Grogu's sweet bond can Force lift it to success."* — B.E.

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Martin Scorsese, and Jonny Coyne

How to watch: Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is now streaming on Disney+.

7. The Gentlemen Season 2

Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen — spun off from the 2019 film of the same name — returns for Season 2, with more action, crime, and well-tailored suits. This time around, Eddie Halstead (Theo James) is ready to embrace life in the criminal underworld, with the help of associates Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario) and her father, Bobby (Ray Winstone). Their quest for power will take them farther afield to Italy, where they're in for lovely lakeside views and the company of formidable crime bosses. But have Eddie and Susie's ambitions grown too big for them, and could they be in over their heads? — B.E.

Starring: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Daniel Ings, Ray Winstone, Vinnie Jones, Joely Richardson, Michael Vu, Hugh Bonneville, Michele Morrone, and Benedetta Porcaroli

How to watch: The Gentlemen Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

6. Mayday

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh team up for Apple's unconventional spy thriller Mayday. Reynolds plays hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, who finds himself stranded behind enemy lines in Soviet territory at the height of the Cold War. Branagh plays Nikolai Ustinov, the gruff ex-KGB agent who discovers him. The two develop an unexpected bond in this comedy from Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Honestly, they gave us Jarnathan, so I trust them with my life.* — B.E.

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorocinski, Maria Bakalova, and David Morse

How to watch: Mayday premieres Sept. 4 on Apple TV.

5. The Wrong Girls

Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat team up and get dirty in ridiculous stoner comedy The Wrong Girls, the directorial debut from Dylan Meyer. The pair play Frankie and Molly, two besties who mistakenly wind up with a suitcase full of drugs that give them full-on superpowers.

SEE ALSO: 'The Wrong Girls' director Dylan Meyer on giant squids, casting cats, and Kristen Stewart's secret side

So begins an odyssey of dirtbag debauchery only rarely afforded to female characters. As Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review, "The Wrong Girls is a sublimely stupid buddy comedy. And thank the movie gods!" — B.E.

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Seth Rogen, Geena Davis, Tony Hale, Kumail Nanjiani, and LaKeith Stanfield

How to watch: The Wrong Girls is now available to buy or rent on digital.

4. I Want Your Sex

Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman heat up the screen in Gregg Araki's buzzy erotic comedy I Want Your Sex, now on digital. Hoffman plays Elliot, assistant to Wilde's famed artist Erika Tracy. When Erika initiates a BDSM relationship with Elliot, he'll reconsider everything he thought he knew about sex and his own relationships.

On top of bringing Erika and Elliot's kinky fantasies to life, I Want Your Sex also probes generational differences when it comes to sex, sparking conversations about whether Gen Z is actually repressed. The result is, as Mashable's Kristy Pucko wrote in her review, "an exuberantly entertaining comedy, alive with sexual vigor, earnest humanity, and biting humor." — B.E.

Starring: Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, and Charli XCX

How to watch: I Want Your Sex is now available to buy or rent on digital.

3. SCTV

This scrappy Canadian sketch comedy show, which launched in 1976, introduced the world to the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, and Martin Short. Second City Television brought together a improvisational comedy sensibility with deeply quirky Canadian flare. The result was a show that felt edgier and weirder than Saturday Night Live. And it's easy to argue its been just as influential.

Whether SCTV is new to you or this would be a revisit, now's the time to get on board. Netflix also has the documentary SCTV: The Greatest Show You've Never Heard Of coming this fall, while the sensational doc You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way) will open in New York City on Sept. 18 and nationwide on Sept. 25. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Dave Thomas, Robin Duke, Rick Moranis, Tony Rosato, and Martin Short

How to watch: All six seasons of SCTV are now streaming on Netflix.

2. Chad Powers Season 2

Celebrate the start of the college football season with the return of Glen Powell's sports comedy, Chad Powers.

By the end of Season 1, much-loathed college football player Russ Holliday (Powell) managed to return to his quarterback glory days. Not as himself, but as his bumbling alter ego, Chad Powers. Now, though, his secret is getting dangerously close to slipping out, and he and confidant Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez) are going to have to rope a very reluctant Ricky (Perry Mattfeld) into their scheme if they want any shot at preventing a massive scandal. What follows is as thrilling as it is funny. If you love football, you'll have a blast with the on-the-field shenanigans, and if you don't, there's still so much to love with Russ' theater kid-level dedication to the role of Chad.* — B.E.

Starring: Glen Powell, Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, and Steve Zahn

How to watch: Chad Powers Season 2 premieres Sept. 3 on Hulu.

Best of streaming this week: Teenage Wasteland

Audiences will finally be exposed to a Sundance doc that I can't shake. Teenage Wasteland, which premiered at Sundance in 2025, ushers viewers back to the early 1990s, when a high school teacher taught his class a series of valuable lessons through one video project.

In upstate New York’s Middletown High School, Fred Isseks used newly acquired audiovisual recording equipment to challenge his students to become investigative reporters. He taught them how to shoot, produce, and edit. When they decided to turn their focus to the rumor that a local landfill was dumping toxic waste into the water supply, he encouraged them, even when things got complicated — like, mafia pressuring them off the story complicated.

Documentarians Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss interview these former students and Isseks, asking them to look back and share what they learned, not just about their town, but also about the world and the power of coming together. — K.P.

How to watch: Teenage Wasteland premieres Sept. 4 on Netflix.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

TL;DR: This Grade-A refurbished HP EliteBook combines an 11th-gen Core i7, 32GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro for $389.99 (reg. $549.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP Elitebook 830 G8 2020 (Refurbished) $389.99
$549.99 Save $160   Get Deal

The HP EliteBook 830 G8 is the kind of laptop designed for actual workloads, not just looking productive on a coffee-shop table. This configuration pairs an 11th-gen Intel Core i7 processor with 32GB of DDR4 RAM, giving it enough muscle for demanding business applications, heavy multitasking, virtual meetings, and everyday productivity.

Its 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD supports quick startups and responsive app launches. Intel Iris Xe graphics handle business computing, video conferencing, and creative projects, and Windows 11 Pro is preinstalled.

The 13.3-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen folds through 360 degrees, making the EliteBook flexible enough for traditional work, presentations, or entertainment. Despite its convertible CNC-machined aluminum design, it weighs just 2.8 pounds. Battery life reaches up to 16.5 hours, and HP Fast Charge can restore up to 50 percent in about 30 minutes.

Connectivity is ready for a modern desk setup. Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.0, and USB-A support monitors, docks, and peripherals, while WiFi 6 and Bluetooth handle wireless connections.

HP Wolf Security features include HP Sure Start, Sure Sense, Sure Click, and TPM 2.0, with fingerprint authentication listed as optional. Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers, AI-powered noise reduction, and a multi-microphone array help make calls clearer.

This refurbished EliteBook carries a Grade-A rating and arrives in near-mint condition with minimal to no case scuffing. Don’t miss this HP EliteBook 830 G8 on sale for just $389.99 (reg. $549.99) while stock is still available.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Pay $42.97 once for lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams Basic, and OneNote on one Mac.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $42.97
$219 Save $176.03   Get Deal

Subscriptions have their place, but productivity software doesn’t really need to be one of them — especially when it’s something as familiar and widely used as Microsoft Office. Somewhere along the way, there must have been a glitch in the matrix, because buying software quietly turned into renting it forever.

Thankfully, Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 skips that model entirely. Its lifetime license is currently on sale for $42.97 (reg. $219), whether you’re using a Mac or a Windows PC.

There’s no need to explain why an Office license still matters. Most people have been using Microsoft Office long before cloud apps and browser-based alternatives became the norm. With this deal, you can install the full Office suite on a single device for lifetime use — at home or at work — without worrying about monthly renewals, annual price hikes, or surprise charges down the line.

This license includes all the core apps most people actually rely on: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. That means drafting documents, crunching numbers, building presentations, managing email, and organizing notes using the full desktop versions of each app. Unlike free alternatives or web-based tools, you get access to the complete feature sets, which makes a difference when you’re working on longer documents, detailed spreadsheets, or presentation-heavy projects.

Once you purchase, your license key and download links are delivered instantly, so there’s no waiting around to get started. Microsoft also includes lifetime customer support, which can be helpful if you ever need assistance with installation or troubleshooting.

Instead of committing to yet another recurring subscription, this one-time purchase lets you snag software you’ll likely keep using for years. You can grab Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac for $$42.97 (reg. $219).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Koofr’s 1TB lifetime cloud storage subscription is just $199.99 (reg. $810.00), ending on Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $199.99
$810 Save $610.01   Get Deal

Cloud storage is handy for keeping photos, videos, and important documents accessible without taking up space on your devices. If you want to avoid adding another recurring subscription to the list, Koofr’s 1TB lifetime plan is currently available for just $199.99 (reg. $810.00).

Koofr has been offering cloud storage since 2013 and has a 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot. The 1TB plan provides enough room for roughly 250,000 12MP photos, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million document pages. More importantly, the lifetime subscription requires a single payment instead of ongoing monthly or annual costs.

Koofr also includes tools for managing files once they’re in the cloud. Its Duplicate Finder can locate duplicate files in your account, while advanced renaming options can help keep larger collections organized. You can also connect existing Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive accounts, allowing you to access files from multiple services in one place.

Privacy is another important factor. Koofr doesn’t track user activity, and files are encrypted both during transfer and while stored. You can access your files from a smartphone, computer, or through WebDAV.

This is especially helpful if you need substantial storage for a growing collection of photos, videos, or documents, or if you’re already managing different files across several cloud services. Having those files accessible in one place can make it easier to keep track of what you have without moving content between accounts.

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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.

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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

Jeans.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

DENIM

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Transparent.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CLEAR

Hurdle Word 3 hint

The sound an angry dog makes.

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

GROWL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Legitimate.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

LEGAL

Final Hurdle hint

Cheesy.

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

CORNY

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've watch football.

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: Before kickoff

• Green: California fields of play

• Blue: Icons from the U

• Purple: Capitals

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Events Before a Football Kickoff

• Green: California Sporting Venues

• Blue: Miami (FL) Alumni

• Purple: Starts with a State Capital

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 #710 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Events Before a Football Kickoff: COIN TOSS, NATIONAL ANTHEM, TEAM ARRIVALS, WARMUPS

• California Sporting Venues: INTUIT DOME, LEVI'S STADIUM, PEBBLE BEACH, TORREY PINES

• Miami (FL) Alumni: DEVIN HESTER, ED REED, REGGIE WAYNE, VINNY TESTAVERDE

• Starts with a State Capital: AUGUSTA NATIONAL, AUSTIN REAVES, MADISON KEYS, PIERRE GARCON

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 yesterday'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 3, 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 3, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 3 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this red space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 5-4, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this red space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this red space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this red space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 3 Pips

Number (7): Everything in this red space must add up to 7. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

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

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 5-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 3 Pips

Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this red space must add up to 2. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally.

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

Number (10): Everything in this red space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this red space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this red space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this red space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, 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.

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 3, 2026 Carmine meaning

A deep-red dye that comes from cochineal insects.

Cinnabar meaning

A bright red mineral made of mercury sulfide.

Maroon meaning

A deep purple-red tone.

Vermilion meaning

A bright, red-orange color.

Blink meaning

To shut and open the eyes quickly.

Flash meaning

A sudden burst of light.

Heartbeat meaning

A single muscle contraction.

Trice meaning

A quick moment.

Hot Wheels meaning

Popular toy card created by Mattel.

Matchbox meaning

A popular toy car created in the 50s.

Micro Machines meaning

A type of toy car that was popular in the 80s and 90s.

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.

Tonka meaning

A black seed of the Dipteryx odorata tree.

Average meaning

The middle number in a data set.

Count meaning

A tally.

Max meaning

The peak.

Sum meaning

Total.

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 yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're good with numbers.

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 3, 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: Quickly

• Green: Scarlet

• Blue: Kid wheels

• Purple: Found in Excel

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Two shakes of a lamb's tail

• Green: Shades of red

• Blue: Toy car brands

• Purple: Spreadsheet functions

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 #1177 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Two shakes of a lamb's tail: BLINK, FLASH, HEARTBEAT, TRICE

• Shades of red: CARMINE, CINNABAR, MAROON, VERMILLION

• Toy car brands: HOT WHEELS, MATCHBOX, MICRO MACHINES, TONKA

• Spreadsheet functions: AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, SUM

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 yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a sports fanatic.

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 3, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hike!

The words are related to an American sport.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a fall sport.

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 Come to Light.

NYT Strands word list for September 3

• Tackle

• Stadium

• Upright

• Football

• Pass

• Kick

• Rush

• Play

• Down

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 yesterday's Strands.

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

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 3, 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 3, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A supporting beam.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter J.

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...

JOIST

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 yesterday's Wordle.

Walmart is finally getting tap-to-pay — but social media is considerably less impressed with the apparent AI-generated advertisement announcing it.

A photo posted to X shows an in-store display promoting the rollout with a cheery "Fast! Easy!" message, alongside images of a smartphone and payment terminal. Look a little closer, however, and the terminal’s keypad dissolves into the familiar visual gibberish associated with generative AI. The buttons feature mangled symbols, illegible characters, and, apparently, two 7s. Yes, two.

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"AI is so scary it’s like the words you read in your dreams where it doesn’t actually say anything," one user wrote. Others were frustrated that one of the world’s largest retailers appeared to have used generative AI for such a basic piece of marketing. "I despise AI generated advertisements for businesses," one person wrote. "Billion dollar corporation," another user posted, criticizing Walmart for seemingly declining to hire a graphic designer.

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

Another user pointed out that "Walmart has been using AI" for some time now.

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

The wonky keypad is precisely the kind of tell that has become synonymous with "AI slop": a polished-looking image that falls apart as soon as you inspect the details.

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

It’s the same phenomenon showing up in restaurant menus filled with AI-generated nightmare food, where impossible ingredients and plastic-looking meals replace photographs of the products customers might actually receive.

As I wrote last week: Please stop putting AI-generated food on the menu. While we’re at it, perhaps stop putting AI-generated payment terminals next to the register, too.

SEE ALSO: Please stop putting AI-generated food on the menu

The mangled keypad isn’t the only part of the sign making people do a double take. Walmart is promoting tap-to-pay like a futuristic convenience in 2026, even though tapping a card or phone has been routine at other retailers for years. Until now, contactless-minded Walmart shoppers generally had to open the company’s app and scan a QR code using Walmart Pay.

That part of the story baffled plenty of international onlookers more than the malformed keypad did. "Why is the USA’s payment system still stuck in the last century," one person asked. "I’m sorry wdym you don’t have tap to pay in 2026," another wrote.

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

So, yes: Walmart customers are finally getting the convenience they’ve been asking for. They may just want to avoid pressing the second 7.

Many football fans are not choosing between watching the game and scrolling TikTok, but are doing both. Now TikTok wants to make that habit official.

Days before the 2026 NFL season begins, TikTok and the NFL announced a new multiyear partnership that will bring more highlights, archival footage, player-focused videos, and other official content to the platform. The agreement will also introduce NFL hubs where fans can find scores and schedules, then follow links to tune into game broadcasts.

There is already a sizable audience waiting for all of it. According to TikTok, posts using #NFL increased by more than 32 percent between August 2025 and August 2026. The league’s main @NFL account has more than 20 million followers, while eight international accounts serve fans in markets including Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, Australia, and the UK and Ireland.

At first glance, this might sound like another agreement to put sports highlights on social media. But TikTok and the NFL have been building toward something much bigger for years.

Credit: TikTok

TikTok and the NFL first teamed up in 2019, when the league launched its official account with highlights, sideline footage, behind-the-scenes videos, and hashtag challenges. Its first campaign, #WeReady, invited fans and creators to celebrate their teams ahead of the NFL’s 100th season.

The partnership did not stay confined to the For You page for long. Beginning in 2021, the companies staged the annual NFL TikTok Tailgate, a livestreamed Super Bowl pregame event that combined musical performances with appearances from players and creators. By its fourth edition in 2024, headlined by Gwen Stefani, TikTok said the event attracted 2.2 million live viewers.

Later that year, TikTok and the NFL renewed the partnership and promised to add more long-form football content. At the time, TikTok said videos from the league and its 32 teams had generated more than 5 billion views during the 2023 season.

Of course, TikTok is not the only platform chasing football fans. Its longtime rival YouTube has been moving directly onto the field. YouTube replaced TikTok as the official sponsor of the Super Bowl Tailgate in 2025, after becoming the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket in 2023.

That gives YouTube something TikTok largely lacks: the games themselves. So instead of trying to become another traditional broadcaster, TikTok appears to be going after everything surrounding the action.

As part of the renewed partnership, the NFL will use TikTok GamePlan, which connects videos to hubs featuring scores, schedules, standings, official accounts, and broadcast links. In other words, TikTok wants every spectacular catch or sideline moment on your For You page to bring you closer to the live game.

SEE ALSO: Disney and the NFL just paired every team with a character — here's your team's match

TikTok has good reason to believe this pipeline could work. According to the company, 85 percent of sports fans on TikTok use the platform as a second screen during live events, while 42 percent are more likely to watch a live match after encountering related sports content on the app.

TikTok is also bringing the NFL to Pro Events, the standalone app it piloted during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The app rewarded fans for exploring tournament content and completing tasks with stars redeemable for merchandise, TikTok Shop discounts, or charitable donations. A dedicated NFL hub will reportedly launch in the coming weeks.

And where there are more ways for fans to engage, there are naturally more places for brands to advertise. TikTok is expanding its Pulse Premiere program so advertisers can place ads directly after videos from participating NFL teams.

The partnership could be especially useful as the NFL looks beyond its home turf. The league is staging a record nine international games across seven countries in 2026 and has made attracting millions of additional fans outside the United States a major part of its long-term strategy. TikTok’s regional NFL accounts give the league a way to keep reaching those audiences long after the teams leave town.

"The NFL isn’t just a sport, it’s a year-round way of life where fandom thrives through game-day highlights, daily trends, and player personalities," TikTok Global Head of Sport Rollo Goldstaub added in the announcement.

Every fall, LEGO celebrates the day when young witches and wizards return to Hogwarts for another year of adventures. The official LEGO Back to Hogwarts 2026 shopping event starts Aug. 29 and runs through Sept. 6. 

Whether you’re from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin — fans young and old will want to get their paws on the two new Harry Potter LEGO sets, limited-time gifts, and geek-out-worthy brick merch from your favorite fantastical world.

Plus, your kiddos can hone their real-life building skills with the intuitive LEGO Builder app. Now that’s something even Muggle parents can obsess about. Here’s a sampling of what the event has up its sleeve: 

Early access to the new Ministry of Magic collector’s set  Opens in a new window Credit: LEGO The Ministry of Magic Collector’s Edition $449.99 at LEGO
  Shop Now

The massive 3,491-piece set has three different levels for builders 18 years and older, including a subway station and the Hall of Prophecies. Kids will love flushing the 14 mini-figures from the public restroom down into the Ministry. Collectors will love the golden wizard statue and 25th-anniversary Lynx Patronus figure. 

A new Mini Hogwarts Castle casts its spell Opens in a new window Credit: LEGO Mini Hogwarts Castle $39.99 at LEGO
  Shop Now

This 700-piece set stands only 5.5 inches high, but it packs infinite adventures for ages 10 and up. Kids can build microscale versions of the Great Hall and Astronomy Tower, lift up the East Wing to reveal the ancient Chamber of Secrets, and gaze into the Mirror of Erised. When the Harry Potter and Hedwig owl mini-figures take flight on Harry’s broomstick, the magic is real.

Score cool gifts until Sept. 6

Your wand won’t get you first dibs on new Harry Potter sets or gifts with purchase during the 2026 LEGO Back to Hogwarts event. But a free LEGO Insider membership will. 

For example, members who purchase The Ministry of Magic Collector’s Edition can score a shiny metal display of Harry Potter’s phone-booth portal to the Ministry of Magic. Members can also redeem Insider points for 25th anniversary Harry Potter baubles.

Anyone who spends $40 or more on qualifying Harry Potter merchandise will get the Dumbledore's Office with Harry Potter set. You can also nab the Ministry Munchies and The Daily Prophet Stands for free with a qualifying $130 purchase. 

Back to school isn’t a bummer when it coincides with the LEGO Back to Hogwarts shopping event. From Aug. 29 to Sept. 6, snag two new Harry Potter LEGO sets and more perks than you can wave your wand at.

The internet isn't exactly known for bringing out the best in people. Every so often, though, it channels all that collective energy into something genuinely helpful — like buying a car seat for someone you've never met.

That is what happened after Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper began surprising expectant parents by purchasing items from their Babylist registries. Cooper, who announced in May that she is expecting her first child with husband film producer and Unwell co-founder Matt Kaplan, had been turning to her audience for pregnancy and parenting advice. Clearing registries became a way to return some of that support.

"Clearing out registries was a way to thank the community for all their incredible support and advice," Cooper said in a release. "Reading their stories and seeing what that meant to them made me want to find a way for Unwell to keep paying that forward." Recipients definitely felt the love, posting emotional reactions and unboxing videos as cribs, car seats, mattresses, and swaddles arrived at their homes.

The best part of the story, though? Other people began doing the same thing.

Strangers opened strangers' registries and bought whatever they could afford. For some, that meant a pack of bottles or a box of diapers. Others helped clear entire lists. What began as a celebrity giveaway grew into a much larger chain of people paying the gesture forward.

Online generosity is hardly new. Crowdfunding links have become fixtures beneath viral videos, while kindness creators have built enormous audiences around giving cash, houses, or cars to strangers and inviting viewers to contribute.

One registry became thousands Credit: Babylist

Babylist, an online baby registry and shopping platform, soon joined Cooper and her Unwell media network to formalize the effort under the #BabylistItForward banner. The company committed to supporting more than 1,000 families, with Pampers also contributing to the campaign.

The response suggests the idea touched a nerve — according to figures shared with Mashable, more than 15,000 expectant parents replied to the launch post in less than an hour.

Many left their own registry links. Others nominated a friend, sibling, co-worker, or partner. Between the requests, parents started discussing which products they had actually used, what first-time parents could skip, and where less expensive alternatives might work just as well. Babylist's campaign page recorded 3,279 gifts from the company’s team as of Aug. 31.

Credit: Babylist

For Babylist, the response also demonstrated that parents were looking for more than products. Jennifer Hyman, the company’s incoming CEO, told Mashable the partnership was intended to reach parents when they need "answers, reassurance, and connection." Cooper, Babylist, and Unwell also plan to crowdsource parenting advice and product recommendations, spotlight families' stories, and support charitable organizations working with parents during pregnancy and early parenthood.

Brands of different sizes got involved, too. Los Angeles diaper bag company Mina Baie promised to purchase gifts from five parents’ registries and award diaper bags to 20 others, while UPPAbaby offered to clear five full registries and purchase one of its strollers from 50 additional lists. Cozy Crew Club invited parents to share their stories for a chance to receive registry gifts and store gift cards, and mom-founded baby brand Kiplie offered portable changing mats while acknowledging that it could not clear entire lists. Itzy Ritzy, meanwhile, offered to purchase up to $300 worth of its products from each selected registry.

SEE ALSO: Alex Cooper parlays podcast prowess into entrepreneurial domination

Other creators and reality stars, including Colton Underwood, Harry Jowsey, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Anneliese van der Pol, also invited parents to leave their registries in the comments of their own posts.

Meanwhile, viewers without large platforms continued the effort by buying individual items for families whose stories appeared in their feeds.

Examples of this trend in action are heartwarming: Wyatt Morris, an active-duty service member, is expecting a daughter with his wife, Breanna. Morris posted their Babylist registry on TikTok and later returned with a follow-up video after viewers reportedly purchased every last item.

The internet's attention is notoriously unpredictable, but it's always heartening to see a viral moment turn into tangible support for people who truly need it. The trend may disappear, but the items arriving at families' doorsteps — and the difference they make — won't.

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

We're still a few days out from Labor Day, but retailers' holiday 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) — $1,699 $1,799 (save $100)

• 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

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood at a podium today (Sep. 2) and said the words "moratorium on generative AI" to a national audience. To those fighting to ban artificial intelligence in schools across the country, this moment was huge.

Mamdani, speaking alongside NYC Chancellor Kamar Samuels, announced the new comprehensive, human-first AI policy for the nation's largest school district. "The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary," Mamdani said to press. "We do not see it that way."

The new guidelines — an update to a system-wide AI rulebook launched in March — include a ban on chatbots and a one-year pause on the use of AI tools for students in pre-K through the eighth grade. The guidelines also bar individualized screen time for pre-K through second grade. The city says around 38 programs were flagged by the district as violating new policies following an audit of the system's current EdTech, which will either be removed entirely or have their AI features "disabled."

New York City's new policies are some of the strictest AI guidelines in the state, potentially nationwide.

SEE ALSO: Is Meta finally backing a federal kids safety bill, or is it all PR? Nationwide call for AI bans

New York City schools are not the first to place limits on AI use among students, following a concerted, nationwide effort from parents, educators, and child safety advocates who have joined together to call for moratoriums on the technology and a hard line on tech usage in classrooms.

One such group is the AI Moratorium (AIM) Coalition, made up of local and national parent organizations like environmental group Climate Families NYC, Class Size Matters, and the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy. The AIM Coalition has been on the front lines of the fight in NYC. In April and July, the group held public rallies urging the mayor's office to intervene in proposed AI adoption across the NYC school system.

The group has gathered more than 6,000 signatures on a petition to the mayor's office calling for a two year AI moratorium across city schools, and penned a second letter to Mamdani on behalf of the group NYC Artists Against AI. The letter has been signed by more than 200 creatives, including actors Elliot Page and Mark Ruffalo and Broad City stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobsen.

"We are excited about the fact that our youngest learners won’t be exposed to artificial intelligence," said Dr. Kaliris Salas, member of the AIM Coalition and Racially Just Public Schools, during a press call following the announcement. "We are also concerned about our older learners."

SEE ALSO: The fierce battle over AI in schools NYC's AI policy has glaring gaps, advocates say

"There are a lot of holes in the policy, if we are being honest," said Liat Olenick, AIM Coalition and Climate Families NYC organizer. "But Kindergartners will not be talking to chatbots this fall, and that is huge progress. We made that change this year."

First, advocates say, one year is not enough. "We are calling for an inclusive, democratic, deliberative process including parents, students, and educators to collectively develop an evidence-backed AI and EdTech policy for our schools," said Kyle DeAngelis of the Movement of Rank and File Educators. "One year is not long enough for that process to play out with the depth and care it requires."

While the new policy bans access to general chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT, it also includes carveouts for AI-powered tools that already exist in classroom management and education software, referred to as "boxed" curricula.

NYC leaders have not provided information about access to Google Search, for example, which child safety advocates have recently flagged as a backdoor to genAI chatbot access. In addition, Leonie Haimson of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy said the district is still allowing access to YouTube despite widespread backlash.

"We are the largest school district in the country and can use our purchasing power to demand tools that turn off AI," said Dr. Kelly Clancy of Parents for AI Caution in Educational Spaces (PACES). "It’s also a reason we need regulation of Big Tech as a precondition of exposing kids across the country to these products."

The policy still allows unlimited staff use of generative AI, advocates flagged, as well as unclear mechanisms for evaluating AI products, contracts, and spending.

Significantly, the guidelines do not cover high school classrooms. The city confirmed to AIM Coalition Steering Committee members on Sept. 1 that it's currently piloting AI programs in 180 high schools. Leadership did not say which schools were involved in programs. The coalition told reporters that they did not get clear answers on curriculum or formal opt-out policies for new AI technologies among high schoolers.

NYC high school students joined the AIM Coalition press call to urge the district to expand its policies. "I'm upset that the high school students were left behind," said rising junior and organizer Ariana Ahmed Misha.

"We need to consent. We need to have the choice to say no," said student and organizer Yelani Joseph. Joseph's school is one of the 180 testing AI tools in the classroom. Ahmed Misha and Joseph have both appealed directly to the chancellor to improve AI policies, including AI literacy programs, across NYC.

In responses to questions posed by coalition members during the Sept. 1 meeting, NYC schools clarified that screen time limits are recommendations, not mandates, for grades 3-8.

During a Sept. 2 press call, the city also backtracked on a promise to revoke students' access to Amira, a controversial AI-powered software that the district had said it would ban just a day prior. Now, the city plans to limit access to specific AI features in the app.

David Monahan, campaign director of child safety nonprofit Fairplay, said in a statement that the policy had too many exceptions and failed to address racial bias and the environmental impacts of AI.

"There are still a lot of open questions," said Edgar Alfonseca, member of the NYC DSA Tech Action Working Group. Alfonseca and many other child safety advocates are critical of the influence of Big Tech in classrooms, particularly the high dollar amount spent on deals between districts and AI companies. "We don't see this policy addressing the fundamental problem, which is that EdTech and Big Tech companies are able to reap tremendous profit from public school system dollars."

Advocates feel they still need to remain vigilant despite the progress.

"They are building the plane as it is flying," said Clancy.