The Emblem Recap: 9/20/2026
Scientists discover new cat species, US military almost "risked a war" over AI error, Sony releases new "Wolverine" game, and more.
In the News
Global Affairs
According to a CNN report, the United States “almost risked a war” this spring by trying to intercept a Chinese ship because of incorrect AI-generated intelligence. The military scrambled planes to board the vessel after a chatbot claimed it contained components for nuclear weapons.
White House
President Donald Trump banned news outlets MS Now, CNN and Politico from the White House. Earlier this year, Trump attempted to ban Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office and Air Force One. The Pentagon also revoked journalists’ press passes in an incident this summer.
AI goes rogue… again
Alphabet, the company behind Google and the AI-chatbot Gemini, said that its AI models hacked three companies during testing. This mirrors similar announcements made by AI competitors OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta in the past two months. All four companies were using AI-training software developed by the tech start-up Irregular that allowed the models access to the open internet.
New cat just dropped
Scientists in Bolivia discovered a new species of cat, the Tilcayo. The species of tiger cat is the first new feline to be uncovered in over a century.
College Football
Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning personally apologized to ESPN reporter Holly Rowe over his comments at a press conference last Monday. In an interview, Manning brought up and laughed about an AI-generated video of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian slapping Rowe.
Sheeran tours solo
Ed Sheeran resumed his world tour Saturday, marking his first concert since dropping opener Macklemore over comments about Palestine. All of Sheeran’s supporting acts have since withdrawn in solidarity. Before his opening number, he said that the situation in Gaza is "catastrophic and unjustifiable."
New Release Round-Up
Movies
Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” debuted to an estimated franchise record at the box office this weekend. The “Weapons” director earned critical acclaim for his cinematography and writing.
Music
Carly Rae Jepsen’s sixth studio album “Day and Night” earned dazzling reviews from critics, marking the “Call Me Maybe” singer’s foray into synth-pop.
Beck released the orchestral-tinged album “Ride Lonesome,” his 15th studio album and first since 2019’s “Hyperspace.”
Games
Insomniac Games’ “Marvel’s Wolverine” game debuts on the Playstation 5 to mixed reviews. Critics chastised the game’s “handholding” design, with some missions completable hands-free, while praising its graphical fidelity and performance.
Nintendo released “Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave,” the first entry in the franchise for the Switch 2. On announcement, the game garnered controversy for its $79.99 in-store price tag.
