Like most Gen X-ers, 51-year-old Angelina Jolie likely had to study penmanship in elementary school. (As a fellow Gen X-er, I can attest that this particular class often lowered my grade point average.) But now that many schools place less emphasis on cursive, younger generations might struggle not only to write it, but to read it, too.
A recent post on the How Everything Works Instagram page shared a thank-you note reportedly written by Jolie for hotel staff. As the note goes viral, many have weighed in, calling it mostly illegible. This is causing quite a stir between generations, with some blaming a lack of education on this subject as the culprit.
The original poster added, for context, "Angelina Jolie left a handwritten thank you note for the staff after staying at a luxury hotel, but the internet quickly became more interested in trying to read it. Her distinctive cursive proved so difficult to decipher that people began sharing their guesses about what the note actually said, turning a simple message into an unexpected online puzzle. Some words were easier to make out than others, but the handwriting became the main attraction, with fans collectively trying to decode the entire note. What started as a thoughtful gesture from Jolie ended up becoming a viral guessing game over her handwriting."
Many commenters tried to transcribe the letter, which appears to have first been shared back in October, 2023. One commenter immediately notes how difficult it might be for Gen Z to read it. She first shares her take on what the note says. "'Thank you for a restful stay at your beautiful resort. The 'Maria' crew had a lovely time here. With love, Angelina Jolie' — With some context and if you know cursive, you can make most of it out. I don't think any GenZ's would know what this said."
Others suggested it was some kind of medical professional "script." This Instagrammer explains, in part, " This is NOT script. It's just her sloppy 'style' of writing. Yes. I'm a nurse."

#angelina #cursive #others

Cipher Digital (NASDAQ: CIFR) stock is roaring higher on Wednesday. The company's share price was up 13.9% as of 10:35 a.m. ET. At the same point in the daily session, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were up 0.2% and 0.6%, respectively.
After recent sell-offs driven by concerns about the potential for increased regulation in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, stocks in the category are seeing some rebound trading in today's session. In addition to that bullish catalyst, Cipher Digital stock is getting a big boost from news connected to its Texas data center projects.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The potential for AI to create dangerous outcomes has been a center-stage news item and point of political discussion recently, and increased focus on the topic has powered some valuation pullbacks for artificial intelligence companies. Calls for increased regulation of the AI industry have caused concerns among investors that growth in the category could be impeded, but stocks in the ******* e are broadly seeing some rebound momentum in today's trading.
Before the market opened this morning, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) published an update through its Batch Zero evaluation framework indicating grid capacity of up to 3.2 gigawatts for Cipher's data centers in the state. The update bodes well for the scaling of the company's AI compute business, and investors are bidding up the stock today in response.

#Stock #cipher #same

Applied Digital turned negative for the year after a 24% monthly slide, while peers Core Scientific and Cipher Mining each fell between 4% and 5% on Tuesday despite staying positive year to date.
The sector ETF DTCR fell just 0.6% as selling stays concentrated in leveraged buildout names, not the broader infrastructure basket.
Despite $36 billion in contracted lease value and strong Q4 results, Applied Digital's $2.7 billion debt load raises dilution risk as its share price falls.
Read More: Learn 7 secret wealth tips high net worth investors use that most investors miss (sponsor)
Applied Digital's slide Tuesday afternoon matters most for what it does to the year. Applied Digital (NASDAQ:APLD) stock is down 4% to $23.72, pushing the year-to-date figure to a decline of 3%. That's a stark reversal for a name that was among the market's most favored artificial intelligence (AI) capacity plays earlier in 2026, and it caps a month in which the group has bled steadily lower.

#year #despite #date #billion

Cipher Digital (NASDAQ: CIFR) stock is roaring higher on Wednesday. The company's share price was up 13.9% as of 10:35 a.m. ET. At the same point in the daily session, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were up 0.2% and 0.6%, respectively.
After recent sell-offs driven by concerns about the potential for increased regulation in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, stocks in the category are seeing some rebound trading in today's session. In addition to that bullish catalyst, Cipher Digital stock is getting a big boost from news connected to its Texas data center projects.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The potential for AI to create dangerous outcomes has been a center-stage news item and point of political discussion recently, and increased focus on the topic has powered some valuation pullbacks for artificial intelligence companies. Calls for increased regulation of the AI industry have caused concerns among investors that growth in the category could be impeded, but stocks in the ******* e are broadly seeing some rebound momentum in today's trading.
Before the market opened this morning, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) published an update through its Batch Zero evaluation framework indicating grid capacity of up to 3.2 gigawatts for Cipher's data centers in the state. The update bodes well for the scaling of the company's AI compute business, and investors are bidding up the stock today in response.

#NVIDIA #Stock #increased #flashing

Crocs, Pokemon cards and kendamas never go out of style in Hawaii. And neither does the Warriors' four-wide offense, In video sessions with offensive newcomers, receivers coach Jared Ursua shows old footage of the Warriors' passing game. "We've been doing this since January," Ursua said of clips of former UH QBs Dan Robinson, Nick Rolovich, Timmy Chang, Colt Brennan, Bryant Moniz and Cole McDonald. "We are who we are, we do what we do, and this system has always worked." QB1 Micah Alejado has been starring in recent remakes, deciphering defenses ahead of the snap, releasing passes within 2.2 seconds, and throwing to targeted areas on the receivers' routes. "Micah's a special quarterback," said Chang, the UH head coach who calls the offensive plays. "He understands our offense, and he understands what teams are trying to do against us." Ursua has implored the receivers to read the coverages correctly "so Micah can throw at a high level based on our indicators, which is what the run-and-shoot is based off." Alejado has shown toughness, playing through injuries to his right ankle last season. He did not participate in contact drills ahead of the Hawaii Bowl, during which he completed 69.6% of his throws for 274 yards and three TDs. Last season, the Warriors scored on 46.1% of Alejado's full drives. Slotbacks Blaze Kamoku, Tama Uiliata, Audric Harris, Kainoa "Kaikai" Carvalho, ******* an Lacaden and Koa Eldredge are reliable inside receivers. Devin Alves, Tre' Griffiths and Carson Brown are tall and fast wideouts. With running back Landon Sims' graduation, Cam Barfield will get the bulk of the reps. Barfield did not fumble while averaging 9.1 touches as a running back, receiver and returner. Left tackle Boogie Henderson's emergence enabled Dean Briski to move to the right side. At 6-6 and 345 pounds, Oregon transfer Lipe Moala is mobile on pulls.
Three years ago, in his first season as UH's defensive coordinator, Dennis Thurman kept intact the 4-2-5 scheme the Warriors ran under Corey Batoon in 2019 and Jacob Yoro in 2023. In 2024, Thurman incorporated some of the attacking schemes he used when he was an ******* istant coach with the Baltimore Ravens and DC with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. "Once we clicked his second year, he let it all loose," mike linebacker Wynden Ho'ohuli said of Thurman. Kona Moore, who has overcome a variety of injuries, and Matagi Thompson are succeeding safeties Peter Manuma and Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen. "Main focus is staying healthy," said Moore, who relies on stretching as part of his prehab. Ho'ohuli and Jamih Otis have switched linebacker jobs. Ho'ohuli is now the middle, often working in tandem with nickelback Elijah Palmer. As the renamed dime linebacker, Otis often has isolation ******* ignments, which enable him to use his speed in the flats and to break off for direct aim at running backs. Ho'ohuli and Otis will take turns as play-callers. The Warriors will miss Jackie Johnson III's pass rushing, but Leste

Has Wall Street stopped panicking about AI chatbots destroying Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s traditional search business? On August 19, ****** yst Scott Devitt initiated coverage on the stock with a Buy rating, noting how concerns around Search have largely played out. However, declaring a multi-year risk narrative to be effectively over is a bold ****** ertion worth stress testing.
The data shows Google controls 90% of the search market. However, the risk still looms as people often turn to chatbots to search for information. Against this backdrop, the company has redesigned the search box for the first time in 25 years, placing the "AI Mode" ****** on directly in the box.
To discuss things deeper, Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOGL) second-quarter report earlier buried the search figure under two louder storylines. These include a $99 billion paper gain on its equity stakes, and an increase in capital spending plans. However, the numbers are there to decipher.
In the second quarter, Google Search & other revenue grew 17% year over year to $63.3 billion, down from 19% growth in the prior quarter and slightly behind expectations. Search was on a growth streak previously, accelerating from 10% in the first quarter of 2025 to 12% in the second quarter, 15% in the third, 17% in the fourth, and 19% in the first quarter of 2026. However, second quarter of 2026 snapped it.
"Considering Google's search revenue for the second quarter came in at $63.3 billion, slightly behind Wall Street's expectations of $63.4 billion, and investors will likely be scrutinizing the business in the third quarter."

#billion

MARA slides 5% and Cipher Mining drops 10% as the 10-year Treasury yield near its 52-week high at 4.7% hits miner valuation multiples directly.
RIOT surged 58% year to date while IBIT fell 27%, as investors rerate miners as data center developers rather than Bitcoin proxies.
MARA's 35,577 Bitcoin treasury and 4.8 GW land pipeline remain intact, but higher rates raise construction costs for an already unprofitable company.
Act now: the **** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Marathon Digital didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
MARA Holdings (NASDAQ:MARA) stock is falling 5% to $9.25 in Tuesday morning trading, extending a rough stretch for the largest publicly listed Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) miners. MARA sits on a 35,577 Bitcoin treasury, one of the largest corporate holdings in the industry.

#treasury #largest #cipher #mining

Cipher Mining (CIFR) tumbled 9% and TeraWulf (WULF) sank 7% as the 10-year yield hit 4.7%, squeezing valuations on multi-year AI data center projects.
HIVE Digital erased Monday's gains, falling 7% despite a fresh $350 million GPU cloud deal, while WGMI's 6% decline confirms the selloff is sector-wide.
Act now: the ****** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Cipher Mining didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Shares of Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) miners pivoting to AI infrastructure are moving lower together Tuesday morning, with Cipher Mining (NASDAQ:CIFR) stock down 9% to $16.77 and TeraWulf (NASDAQ:WULF) shares down 7% to $16.45. Rising Treasury yields sit at the center of the move.
The 10-year yield is trading near the upper end of its 52-week range, pressuring long-duration cash flow valuations across a group financing multi-year data center construction against contracted revenue arriving later. HIVE Digital Technologies (NASDAQ:HIVE) shares are down 7% to $2.87, giving back most of Monday's surge. MARA Holdings stock is down 5% to $9.24, and Riot Platforms shares are down 4% to $19.23.

#down

The Chicago Bears suffered some more bad luck to the defensive back department on Saturday when new safety Xavier Woods sustained what we know to be a groin injury.
Woods was signed by the Bears on August 7 following a significant injury to Coby Bryant, who is slated to miss 4-6 months. Woods has started 121 games in the NFL, and he played under current Bears' DB coach Al Harris while he was with Dallas in 2020.
At this point, it is unknown how long Woods will be out and how severe the injury is. Head coach Ben Johnson commented on the injury following the Bears' preseason win over Cleveland, but that's all that we have heard so far.
I went back and dissected the tape on Sunday morning to see if I could find any clues as to where the injury occurred, as well as to get an idea of how severe it could be. I should point out, of course, that I am not a medical professional. Sometimes injuries like this are tricky and are more severe than they appear, but I'd like to share with you what I observed.
Woods only played 9 snaps on defense on Saturday, all in the first quarter. I watched all of them as closely as possible, and it was hard to decipher when the injury occurred as nothing really stood out. Woods never reacts like someone who was injured, nor does he appear to suffer when it comes to his mobility on the field. The closest thing I could find to a possible injury happened on Woods' third-to-last play in the game.

#severe #coach

A Virginia man's anti-police license plate is at the center of what could be a landmark First Amendment case, following a federal appeals court ruling in his favor last month.
Virginia motorist Curtis M. Whateley says he has a free speech right to keep his customized license plate, which reads "FTP&ATF," an abbreviation that foul-mouthed puzzle-solvers will decipher as "Fuck the police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms." The State of Virginia argues that it has the right to revoke Whateley's plate because license plates are government-owned, not a public soapbox. The state says it's going to take its case to the Supreme Court.
The case highlights a niche, often amusing, but still consequential issue in First Amendment law: whether a vanity license plate is private or government speech.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that Texas could deny a group's application for a specialty license plate design showing the Confederate flag. Most U.S. district courts and state courts interpreting the decision have held that, while government-run vanity plate programs are a nonpublic forum, the specific character combination of the plate is private speech, which restricts the government from censorship based on viewpoint.
But until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit issued an opinion on Whateley's case on July 31, no federal appeals court had ruled on the matter, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU-VA), which is representing Whateley. The three-judge panel unanimously found Virginia's personalized license plate messages are private speech subject to First Amendment protection.

#first #amendment #case

SACRAMENTO — Xavier Becerra is keeping people guessing.
The presumptive next leader of California traced a circuitous path through the state's most chaotic governor race in a generation. He was not the first or second or even third or fourth choice of most Democratic kingmakers, prevailing over a fractured field after better-positioned candidates either passed on running (Kamala Harris, Alex Padilla) or imploded (Eric Swalwell). Becerra effectively punched his ticket to lead America's largest state — a progressive bastion, a Democratic bellwether and a national launching pad — by winning 28 percent of primary voters.
Now, as Sacramento prepares for Becerra's all but inevitable ascension, the elected officials, lobbyists, and corporate and labor leaders who shape policy in one of the nation's most consequential capitals are grappling with a contradiction: Despite Becerra's decades in public service, no one seems to be quite sure what he'll do with the biggest job of his career. And the ambiguity seems to be by design.
"I can make some really big promises. But that doesn't get us anywhere — it may get us elected, but I would prefer not to run on inflated promises that I can't deliver on," Becerra told POLITICO this week, subsequently telling reporters his caution was a product of hard-learned experience, like his time helping to lead the White House's response to the Covid-19 pandemic: "When I was dealing with Covid, I could not say 'I'm going to get you all the ventilators you need,' because I didn't want people to say — 'you promised them, (and) because you didn't bring them, these people died."
He remains something of a cipher, even to some of California's most attentive political observers, despite having served at virtually every level of government. He rose from the state legislature to Congress to statewide office to a cabinet position in President Joe Biden's administration leading the Health and Human Services Agency.

#democratic #covid

The 2026 Michigan football season is just over three weeks away, and it's been a little more of a difficult offseason to ***** s just what these Wolverines might be.
With a coaching change, new faces on and off the field, and several difficult-to-decipher variables, making predictions about what the maize and blue might be isn't quite the same as it's been in recent years. Kyle Whittingham has shown during his over two-decade stint as the head coach at Utah that he can do more with less, so what will it look like when he has more to work with?
Michigan may be one of the more talented teams in college football, albeit a more unheralded one. Very few players are on the top college football lists, but that's in the preseason. What about at year's end when it really counts?
Here are our top 10 preseason bold predictions for Michigan football in 2026.
Once upon a time, we used to predict that each new season would see a quarterback break Jon Navarre's 3,331-yard single-season passing record. And yet, it still hasn't happened. If any quarterback should do it in his Michigan football career, it's Underwood, but that feels more like a prediction for next year than this one.

#Football #difficult #like #preseason

For sharp bettors, NFL preseason is a time where information asymmetry allows for edges that don't exist in the regular season. For fans, it signals the season is finally approaching and football is back in our lives after long break from February.
But since we don't all have the time to constantly check NFL beat reporters' social-media feeds to pick up potential betting nuggets while trying to enjoy what's left of summer, it's important to know the quarterbacks you'll be betting on — should you choose to wager.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
In preseason NFL betting the depth of each team's roster is paramount, and no position is more critical than QB. You'll also want to try to decipher just how long — if at all — coaches plan on playing their starting QBs and starters. Unlike the regular season, every coach (and team) has a different goal and motivation in preseason — and it's not always to win the game.
To help with your handicapping, here is a look at the QB depth chart rotation for every NFL team, courtesy of OurLads, grouped by team and division:

#team

Rosenblatt Securities **** yst Chris Brendler thinks the recent selloff in HPC-linked stocks was overdone, nodding his head to two former Bitcoin miners making the pivot into AI Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ: GLXY) and Cipher Digital (NASDAQ: CIFR).
GLXY had fallen 22% over the prior two weeks while CIFR dropped 13%, at time of the notes publication on July 2. As of press time, GLXY and CIFR are down on the day, trading hands at $25.14 and $20.98 respectively.
The selloff intensified after Bloomberg reported on July 1 that Meta Platforms was building a cloud operation aimed at outside customers, with AI compute capacity and models part of the plan. The move raised concern that Meta could become a competitor in the neocloud stack alongside its role as a customer. CoreWeave-linked names bore the brunt of the selling, with CoreWeave itself falling nearly 14% that day.
Brendler dismissed the fear. "We view this reaction as overdone," he wrote, adding that the firm does not view the Meta news "as a negative demand signal." He pointed to Rosenblatt colleague John McPeake's **** sment that the Meta story appeared company-specific, driven by the social media giant's need to justify large capital expenditure, with no indication of a shift in contracted demand.
AI and Bitcoin's daily show: Subscribe to the Blockspace Podcast here, on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

United States striker Folarin Balogun, the team's leading scorer at the 2026 World Cup, will miss Monday's Round of 16 clash against Belgium after receiving a red card during Wednesday's match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
While challenging for possession in the second half, Balogun accidentally landed on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during a 50-50 ball. Referee Raphael Claus consulted the VAR official, reviewed the incident pitchside, and produced a red card for Balogun. The decision drew fierce criticism from longtime USMNT midfielder Landon Donovan, who is working for FOX throughout the World Cup.
Donovan labeled Claus both a "moron" and an "idiot" on his latest podcast, as Balogun himself broke his silence on the contentious ruling. This follows reports of a lip reader deciphering what a Bosnian player said to Balogun in the aftermath of the decision.
• Jürgen Klopp teases immediate Germany ‘changes’ as ex-Liverpool boss confirms DFB talks

If you've been on the internet in the past 24-48 hours, you know there's been talk that the San Francisco 49ers could still trade Mac Jones. But that would only happen if Kurtis Rourke can show the team that he has what it takes to be Brock Purdy's backup.
Rourke fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft after an ACL injury. He has the size at 6'4″, 220 pounds. He was a 6th-year senior who started 45 games. Unfortunately, the 2024 ACL injury wasn't Rourke's only one. He also tore his ACL late in 2022 and suffered a shoulder injury way back in 2020 before he transferred to Indiana.
On the field, Rourke is the definition of a Kyle Shanahan quarterback. He has clean mechanics, knows where to go with the ball, and can quickly decipher what the defense is doing underneath to get the ball out on time. Rourke won't wow you with a big arm. The velocity goes down on deeper passes. As you'd expect from a quarterback with two serious knee injuries, Rourke also isn't the most fleet of foot. He's closer to Mac Jones than Brock Purdy when it comes to pocket movement and manipulation.
But the 49ers aren't asking Rourke to start. They need a reliable decision-maker who can "win in a pinch" if called upon. Is that Rourke? He'll need to prove it in training camp.
Age: 25

The Boston Celtics level of interest in trading for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the focus of intense debate in recent days, with fans and ***** ysts both trying to decipher various reports alleging several degrees of Celtics interest in the Greek Freak. Now, senior ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst has jumped back into the fray on the topic in a recent interview on SiriusXM's "NBA Today" show.
Windhorst again threw cold water on any such deal without going as far as to say he has heard the Celtics are out on such a move, instead suggesting that the manner we are getting this information about Boston's potential plan is suspect.
"Here’s the thing about Boston. Boston doesn’t deal with player agents," said the senior ESPN reporter via Basketnews. "Boston does deals with teams."
"Boston keeps all of their business quiet," continued Windhorst. "Boston’s business doesn’t get out there. Whatever Boston is doing, I promise you, we don’t know."
"The ***** umption that they’re going to trade Jaylen Brown, I wouldn’t ***** ume that," he added, begging the question -- what do these reports actually tell us about what might be going on with the Celtics and Giannis, and who is benefiting from these takes circulating in the press?

Fernando Mendoza learning to play from under center for the first time in the NFL

Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza was in the shotgun for almost every snap he took in college. That won't be the case in the NFL, and when he took the practice field for the first time at rookie minicamp, that was a major adjustment.
"It's the added footwork. Instead of being back there in shotgun, you really have to get back to make sure you get depth," Mendoza said. "Still be on time, still decipher the defense. And with that, it's really having an emphasis on those first two steps, on securing the snap and getting out out of there and powerful with having quick feet."
Mendoza said he has heard plenty about making that adjustment from head coach Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.
"I think it's going to be that repetition under center, getting those quicker feet, and just you can always be faster faster and more efficient in your reads and decisiveness," Mendoza said.
Offensive lineman Trey Zuhn has been snapping to Mendoza at rookie minicamp. Zuhn, a third-round pick from Texas A&M, can play anywhere on the offensive line and will likely be a guard in the regular season, with free agent acquisition Tyler Linderbaum locked in as the starting center. For now, Zuhn is getting a lot of work at center, and he's more accustomed to the shotgun, too.

https://sports.yahoo.com/a...

Rosenblatt Securities lowered price targets and financial estimates for several Bitcoin mining companies Friday, citing a sharp decline in mining profitability that highlights the growing importance of high-performance computing (HPC) revenue.
The investment firm reiterated Buy ratings for Cipher Mining (NASDAQ: CIFR), TeraWulf (NASDAQ: WULF), and Hut 8 (NASDAQ: HUT), favoring companies that are actively diversifying into AI and computing power. ******* yst Chris Brendler noted that while pure-play Bitcoin mining remains under pressure due to “stubbornly high network competition,” the impact