Reporter Laura Barron-Lopez set the scene for Night Three of the Democratic National Convention on the preceding episode of the PBS News Hour Wednesday evening, looking back with joy at Barack and Michelle Obama’s speeches from Night Two. Barron-Lopez boasted that the couple “delivered a political one-two punch” and that “The former president and first lady captivated Democrats with a message of hope.” PBS's White House reporter did her own biased fact-checking while approving of Michelle Obama’s attack on Trump, portraying the former first lady as “firing back at Trump's remarks falsely claiming that undocumented immigrants are taking, quote ‘black jobs.’” News Hour co-anchor Amna Nawaz opened PBS’s official Night Three convention coverage by also finding “a message of hope” in Barack Obama’s speech, crowing over a soundbite from the former president: “A message of hope….Tonight Democrats vowed to protect what they call crucial American freedoms.” No panelist had the heart during the night to note that the only major “freedom” praised by Democrats at this convention is the freedom to have abortions (or protecting “reproductive rights” as the euphemism goes). Meanwhile, New York Times columnist David Brooks revealed once again that he’s a poor choice to hold down the conservative end of political debate, identifying as a “former Republican,” explaining, “And I was sort of driven away, slowly by Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay, and quickly by Donald Trump.” He’s also “high on Biden,” though not enamored with Kamala. Welcome to tax-funded PBS’s idea of a conservative perspective. The anchors also invited controversial Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan into the studio without asking her a single negative question, even though she’s provided lots of far-left (to continue the Walz-as-champion-football-coach motif) “bulletin-board material,” including her support of the mob tearing down statues during the George Floyd riots. Instead anchor Bennett issued, ahem, weird praise for Flanagan’s boss, Gov. Tim Walz, for finding the mot juste to insult Republicans. Geoff Bennett: It was Gov. Walz who settled on that approach of calling Donald Trump “weird,” a way of diminishing him, making him small. That critique, I think, took on added resonance, in large part, because of where it was coming from, a Midwestern governor, older white man. It speaks to his ability as Democrats see it to speak to different voters in different ways. So much for Democrats “going high” and avoiding Trump-style personal attacks. But perhaps the most liberal moment came after the Tim Walz speech, when the Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart (who serves as a genuinely liberal foil in contrast to Brooks’ weak-tea “conservative” perspective) said that hearing the “USA! USA!” chant at Republican rallies felt “menacing,” but it was wonderful to hear from an arena of Democrats. No charge of hypocrisy for these suddenly patriotic Democrats who a month ago were condemning America’s irredeemable racism. Jonathan Capehart: [Maryland] Governor Wes Moore did not mention it in his speech, but in his run for governor, he made his mission to reclaim the word patriotism for Democrats. Because for too long, Republicans had owned it, treated it as their own property. We’ve been, I’ve been looking at “USA” signs, people holding them up, and I will tell you, for years, when I would hear “USA, USA” chanted, particularly at Republican rallies, it felt menacing. Because those folks made it clear that “USA,” I was not meant to be a part of it. And I think with Democrats holding up the signs, they are saying no, no, no, “USA” applies to us. Freedom applies to us. Service to the country applies to us. Patriotism applies to us. This is our country, too. Capehart joins a long list of journalists who find displays of patriotism scary, at least when committed by Republicans at rallies.  

The Razer Kraken is one of the company's biggest-selling headsets, with over 20 million units sold, and now there's a brand new version, the Razer Kraken V4. Featuring wireless, Bluetooth, and USB connections, changing to smaller 40mm drivers, and now incorporating nine-zone RGB on the sides of the earcups, the new gaming headset is a surprisingly complete overhaul of its stalwart headset. Looking to battle for a spot on our best gaming headset guide, the new Razer Kraken V4 comes in two variants, with a wired USB-only option providing an affordable entry while the wireless version gets you USB, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth for a much more versatile setup. Continue reading Razer drops new Kraken V4 gaming headset, now with more RGB! MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Razer Viper V2 Pro review, Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) review, Best gaming mouse

Apart from all the nods and visual references to Half-Life, one thing that really caught my attention about Abiotic Factor, the co-op survival game that launched in full earlier this year, was the fact it was mostly set indoors. For the majority of the genre, you’re outside, scavenging roots, berries, and timber to guard yourself against the elements. But I like this twist, a survival game set inside a more confined, man-made environment. Taking cues from The Long Dark and the Fallout series, Permafrost relocates your battle to stay alive away from the forests and the flora, and to the ruins of cities. Continue reading Fallout and The Long Dark inspire savage new survival Permafrost MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Upcoming PC games, Best sandbox games

Ubisoft’s premier pirate adventure Skull and Bones has faced stormy seas since its original launch six months ago, following on from an already troubled 11-year development cycle. Finally making its way to Steam as of Thursday August 22, alongside numerous PC-focused improvements there was hope it would catch some wind in its sails. However, only a few hundred players have shown up so far. Continue reading Skull and Bones sinks on Steam, has fewer players than AC Black Flag MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Skull and Bones review, Best pirate games, Skull and Bones system requirements

As someone who has watched far too many zombie movies and played far too many zombie games, I can tell you that nailing the setting and aesthetic is key. Netflix's K-drama Kingdom, for example, takes zombies back to feudal Korea, while All of Us Are Dead fantastically reinvents the classic 'undead high school' tropes. Of all the zombie games out there, however, the original Dying Light's fictional Middle Eastern city of Harran ranks among the genre's best settings. Tight streets ran red with blood; it's oppressive, lived-in, dangerous, yet compulsively explorable. With Dying Light: The Beast, Techland is bringing back the OG game's focus on survival horror and a seemingly grimmer, more down-to-earth setting. Continue reading Dying Light The Beast is “bringing survival back,” and I’m excited MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best zombie games, Best open-world games, Best co-op games

Chapter 2 of Black Myth Wukong has a strong act to follow after the game's powerful opening chapter. However, thanks to a breathtaking setting, brutal bosses, and interesting side quests, it delivers a chapter as good if not better than the first.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenksyy on a historic visit to Kyiv on Friday, where he is pushing for a solution to end more than two years of war with Russia. Modi embraced Zelenskyy - who looked visibly emotional - at the Mariinsky...

The level of political donations from major food companies accepted by Democrat lawmakers has ticked higher this congressional election cycle, even as many Democrats have accused the top U.S. grocery chains and their suppliers of pushing prices higher at consumers' expense,...

In Racetrack Playa, a dry lakebed in Death Valley National Park, meteorological conditions can push rocks weighing up to 700 pounds along the flat ground.

Closing out the Democratic Nation Convention, VP Kamala Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination for president and delivered an address that – while hitting all the high notes on lofty goals…