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Days of our Lives 2-Week Spoilers July 6-17: Stephanie’s Costly Error Triggers Theo’s Fury!

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    Days of our Lives 2-Week Spoilers July 6-17: Stephanie’s Costly Error Triggers Theo’s Fury!


    Days of Our Lives 2-Week Spoilers for July 6 – 17, 2026 are going to see Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) getting jealous and making a big mistake that could cost her. Plus, Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) is losing it after he’s given some very misleading information, and he may lash out looking for payback on family.

    We are going to see Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) getting better, but Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford) getting much worse and some I love yous coming soon between people that haven’t said it before.

    Days of Our Lives: Family Betrayals and Medical Crises – July 6th Through 10th

    Monday, July 6. Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) are enjoying the fireworks and some kisses as the July 4th celebration carries over from last week into this week on Days. And we’ve got Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) comforting and soothing Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) after he upset her by dropping the truth bomb.

    Yes indeed Xander Cook Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) and Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) are doing the deed. This is going to be the end of Gwen and Xander. And it looks like Gwen might have learned her lesson. But it’s made worse because Kristen was somebody that Gwen thought of as a friend. And this week, Kristen slams Gwen and says if she had cared about Xander, she would have tried harder to satisfy him. Ouch.

    Xander listens as Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) shares her concerns about Holly and her fears that she can’t save her. And then Sarah’s going to find a clue in her office that turned up out of the blue that may save Holly. So, it looks like Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) left a book open to a page on symptoms of arsenic poisoning. EJ’s son has some things to say to his dad. I don’t think Johnny’s happy about EJ having him leave information in Sarah’s office because Johnny might just want to tell Sarah directly what has got Holly so sick.

    Days of our Lives Spoilers: Brady & Kristen Spar

    We also have Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) and Kristen bickering about Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote). On Tuesday, July 7th, we have got Lexie lashing out at EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) and she thinks he is using her as a guinea pig. And Lexie says that EJ gave her life back to her just long enough for her to fall back in love with it.

    Lexie is ranting at EJ that he never stopped to think what this would do to her. And he loses it. He’s so upset about what is going on with Lexie. And EJ is screaming that everything he’s done, every decision, all the sacrifices, he did it all for the DiMera family. He is in absolute anguish over the possibility of losing Lexie again.

    Stephanie Johnson vows to stand by Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson). So, it looks like she’s trying to protect him from Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins). But that may backfire on Stephanie because this week Joy calls Alex, but it’s Stephanie who has his phone. Not only does she not answer Joy’s call at all. But then Stephanie deletes the voicemail that Alex’s baby mama leaves.

    Days of our Lives Spoilers: Cat Greene Hypnotized

    We also have Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) finally hypnotizing Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord). I cannot wait to see what memories she recovers of her and EJ and their time in Italy. Hope it’s something juicy. We’ll also see Chanel Dupree (Raven Bowens) and Theo bonding over betrayal. And that may be after Kristen tells Theo that his beloved Stefano is the reason that Lexie had a brain tumor and died to start with. Now, that’s not quite historically accurate, and I’m sure Kristen is bringing this up to make EJ look bad because Kristen wants everybody to hate him.

    Then on Wednesday, July 8th, we’ve got Brady pushing. He is not going to let Kristen slide on something. So, I’m curious what bad behavior that Brady calls out. We also have Xander and Brady crossing paths at the hospital this week. Hopefully, they are both civil since both are helping Sarah look into the Coriseal stuff.

    Gwen has a heartfelt conversation with Tate Black (Leo Howard) on Wednesday. Maybe she’s having a self-defense class as well. And Alex gets some good advice from Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans). And this could be her telling Alex how hard it is to be a stepmom. We also have Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) telling Stephanie that he’s sorry. I don’t know if this is back to her PTSD or about the Joy stuff.

    We also have Philip in a tense run-in with Sarah up at the hospital this week.  She’s looking pretty ticked off and Philip is waving his arms around looking agitated. Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) and Theo face off on Wednesday, and every conversation between these two seems to get more and more volatile.

    Days of our Lives Spoilers: Paulina Snaps on Abe

    Thursday, July 9th, we’ve got Paulina Price (Jackée Harry) snapping at Abe Carver (James Reynolds). No doubt Paulina is stressed about Chanel’s cancer and doesn’t need any more drama.

    Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) tells Cat he’s thinking of ending her investigation into EJ. But Cat’s desperate to keep it going, so she may tell Rafe about the memories that Marlena helped her recover. And we’ve got EJ feeling triumphant. He’s got the Kiriakis family in a corner with his horrible loan deal. He thinks he’s gotten Holly cleared from the arsenic.

    And I wouldn’t be surprised if EJ had some of his minions go dig up that Coriseal so that nobody finds it on Smith Island. And Sarah suspects Holly is taking drugs. So remember, she already searched Holly’s bag and didn’t find anything. But it looks like Tate may find some drugs on Holly and he holds out the pills. But she’s insistent that the pills are not hers and then blows up at Tate in front of Sarah when he wants to talk about it and she’s screaming at Tate to just get out.

    Days of our Lives Spoilers: Leo Playing Javi?

    On Friday, July 10th, we’ve got Leo playing the sympathy card with Javi Hernandez (Jacob Martinez). He’s looking all woozy up at Brady Pub and Javi’s got his arm around him. So, I don’t know if Leo is really still feeling off or if he’s faking it to get Javi’s hands on him.

    Alex has a business proposition. But Philip and Xander don’t think it’s a good idea. And Brady and Sarah keep looking into how Holly was poisoned and what took Destiny’s life. We also have Chanel getting comfort from Johnny and Paulina. And Chanel has bought a long blonde wig and she’s taking it for a test drive, anticipating her own hair coming out.

    Steve lets Stephanie know that he and Kayla are there for her and Alex may be a little ticked at her for deleting Joy’s voicemail because you know that Joy’s going to tell Alex that she called and left a message.

    Days of Our Lives Spoilers : Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) - Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) 
    Days of Our Lives Spoilers: Stephanie Johnson – Theo Carver 

    Days of Our Lives: Secrets Unraveling and Consequences – July 13th Through 17th

    Then the week of July 13th through the 17th, we’ve got Theo still upset. He may go ahead and pay out Gabi’s inheritance because Theo’s ticked about Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) and EJ after what Kristen said. And Theo knows Gabi is going to run that money over to Titan. So, Theo might pay her off for spite.

    Also, very soon, EJ’s ready to fire Sarah. And I think EJ thought that he had Holly in the clear. He, I think he’s the one who set her up with the pill. So, it look like she took the Coriseal herself and that the arsenic was incidental. But Sarah doesn’t stop digging. And EJ’s going to snap on her. He is going to try and fire her. But I wonder if Kayla is able to override him.

    Days of our Lives Spoilers: Lexie’s Health Declines

    Lexie’s symptoms worsen soon and she’ll be back in the hospital before too long with Theo and Abe at her side and annoyed at EJ. And we’re gonna see Abe raging at EJ and kicking him out of Lexie’s hospital room. Xander and Kristen continue to conspire against EJ. But we know he’s had enough soon and Kristen’s going to get snatched.

    Brady and Sarah get closer to finding out the truth about the Coriseal and those two are going to swap I love you soon. But that doesn’t mean their relationship is in it for the long run. We also have Kristen continuing her plot to target Sydney DiMera (Autumn Gendron). And if EJ’s daughter mentions this to her dad, that might be what triggers him to take drastic action to solve his Kristen problem once and for all since she is setting everybody against him.

    We also have EJ and Holly conferring about Amy Lewis’s lawsuit. And we’ll find out exactly why Joy was calling Alex because we know very soon there’s some sort of real medical crisis with Kelsey and Alex may not get there as soon as he should have because of Stephanie’s jealous antics. Alex won’t like that at all and Joy will probably take advantage.

    That’s your Days of Our Lives spoilers for July 6-17.



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    Taylor Swift Wedding Guest Forced To Defend Controversial Dress

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      Taylor Swift Wedding Guest Forced To Defend Controversial Dress


      Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s lavish New York City wedding delivered countless unforgettable moments, but one unexpected fashion choice quickly stole attention online.

      A guest closely connected to the pop superstar suddenly found herself at the center of a heated debate after sharing photos from the celebration.

      Before long, social media users were arguing over wedding etiquette, with the outfit becoming one of the event’s most talked-about controversies.

      Taylor Swift’s wedding welcomed around 1,000 guests to Madison Square Garden, bringing together some of entertainment’s biggest names for one of the year’s most extravagant celebrations.

      Among those invited was Tori Evans, one of the singer’s longtime Eras Tour dancers who has also appeared in several of Swift’s music videos.

      Excited to celebrate the milestone, Evans later posted a clip on Instagram showing herself and her husband dressed for the occasion.

      Instead of simply admiring the elegant snapshots, many social media users quickly focused on one detail: her gown.

      The strapless satin dress featured a fitted bodice and a full skirt, complemented by glamorous earrings and a matching shawl. In several photographs, the outfit appeared white or pale cream, prompting many fans to question whether it was an appropriate choice for someone attending another person’s wedding.

      The reaction spread rapidly, turning Evans’ celebratory post into an online discussion about wedding etiquette and whether the color crossed an unwritten fashion rule.

      Husband Steps In To Defend The Dress Choice

      As criticism continued to build, Tori Evans’ husband entered the conversation to explain the situation.

      Responding in the Instagram comments, he insisted the gown was actually a “pink champagne color” and that the lighting in the photos had made it appear much lighter than it was in person.

      His clarification, however, did little to quiet the conversation.

      Many commenters maintained that if a dress could appear white in photographs, it was still too close to the traditional bridal color.

      One commenter wrote, “Beautiful couple. Stunning attire. However… It is surprising that basic wedding etiquette seems to be overlooked by so many guests.”

      The same person continued, “As a guest, white should not be worn. Off-white should also be avoided. Traditionally, shades such as champagne and red are likewise discouraged, as they can draw attention away from the bride. Unless, that is the intent.”

      They added, “If you felt comfortable with your choice, that is certainly your prerogative, and I respect your confidence.”

      The commenter concluded, “However, I can also guarantee that many women at that wedding were discussing it, and a number of them were likely disappointed by the decision considering you are close to Taylor.”

      MEGA

      That lengthy critique was far from the only reaction. Other users offered much shorter, but equally pointed, opinions as the discussion gained momentum.

      One person simply wrote, “Too close to white babe,” while another asked, “Out of all the colors did you have to wear white?”

      A different commenter criticized the choice by writing, “Way too close to white for a wedding yikes,” while another questioned, “You wore WHITE?”

      One user complimented the overall style before expressing concern, writing, “Love the style but white? Eek!”

      Others remained unconvinced by the explanation that lighting had altered the gown’s appearance.

      One commenter insisted, “Still too close to white that’s inappropriate for a wedding.”

      Another argued, “I guess you must not understand lighting if you think it’s OK to wear something that is able to be captured as nearly white when going to someone else’s (let alone their employers) wedding.”

      A different user chimed in, “You don’t wear nothing close to white in a wedding NEVER it is common sense.”

      Another person echoed that opinion by writing, “If you have to explain and if it shows white in certain lighting, it’s not fine.”

      Despite the criticism, Tori Evans did not publicly respond to the comments herself.

      Taylor Swift’s Wedding Was Filled With Star Power

      While the dress debate dominated social media, it represented only one small chapter in a celebration that featured countless headline-making moments.

      Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce officially announced they were married by lighting up Madison Square Garden with giant digital displays reading “JUST&T MARRIED,” a playful reference to their shared initials.

      Shortly afterward, Swift’s publicist released details about the ceremony, revealing that actor Adam Sandler officiated the wedding.

      The couple also chose to skip a traditional bridal party. Instead, Swift asked her brother, Austin Swift, to serve as her man of honor, while Travis selected his brother, Jason Kelce, as his best man.

      The guest list featured an impressive mix of celebrities, including Gigi Hadid, Lena Dunham, Steven Spielberg, Karlie Kloss, Barbara Corcoran, Selena Gomez, and Sabrina Carpenter.

      A Celebration That Continued Long Into The Night

      Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Depart Or'esh Restaurant in NYC
      MEGA

      The festivities stretched well beyond the ceremony itself.

      According to Daily Mail reports, the reception transformed into an unforgettable concert as music legends Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, and Tim McGraw performed for the newlyweds and their guests.

      It was also widely reported that Taylor Swift took the stage herself, giving those in attendance another memorable moment during the lavish celebration.

      Yet despite the music, celebrity performances, and glamorous guest list, one wedding guest’s dress unexpectedly became one of the biggest talking points after the event.





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      Yield Guild Kills Crypto Game Publishing Arm, Lays Off 35 in AI Pivot – Decrypt

      Yield Guild Kills Crypto Game Publishing Arm, Lays Off 35 in AI Pivot – Decrypt



      In brief

      Yield Guild Games is sunsetting its crypto game publishing arm, retiring its website, launchpad, and games like LOL Land and Waifu Sweeper by Aug. 1.
      The firm said the crypto market downturn left the business commercially unsustainable, with 35 jobs to be cut.
      YGG is pivoting to the AI data economy, aiming to supply gaming-derived behavioral datasets for AI training.

      Yield Guild Games, a blockchain-based gaming organization, announced Monday that it is shutting down YGG Play, its publishing arm for crypto-infused casual games, citing the crypto market downturn alongside broader video game industry struggles.

      The unit’s closure marks a retreat from a strategy the Web3 company had championed as recently as this year: building “casual degen” games—bite-sized titles laced with crypto incentives—for crypto enthusiasts who don’t consider themselves traditional gamers.

      YGG Play launched its own original game LOL Land as a proof of concept and had signed nine additional games, partnered with the Pudgy Penguins NFT brand, and debuted a token launchpad, reporting more than $9 million in lifetime revenue through the first quarter of 2026.

      However, the broader crypto gaming industry has struggled in recent years, with numerous prominent blockchain-based games shutting down since early last year and investors steering clear of crypto game studios. And that’s not all: crypto prices have also plummeted since late last year, with Bitcoin down nearly 50% from its October peak, while the traditional video game industry has faced mass layoffs—including from Xbox on Monday.

      

      Given the current market environment, the team said it made the decision to shutter the publishing division, cut 35 jobs as a result, and give Yield Guild more runway as it pursues an AI-driven pivot.

      “Sunsetting YGG Play is a heavy decision, but it is a market decision, not a product decision,” said Yield Guild co-founder Gabby Dizon, in a statement. “I am proud of what this team achieved under such tough conditions, and what they built is a testament to their talent and dedication. Although this business unit is sunsetting, YGG’s vision and mission hasn’t changed. We are still fully dedicated to using technology to open up new economic opportunities for people globally.”

      The YGG Play website, its launchpad, and games including LOL Land and Waifu Sweeper will be retired by August 1. Two of the games on the platform, Gigachatbat and Ragnarok Breaker, will continue operating under their original developers, following a transition.

      YGG said it will redirect its resources toward supplying data for artificial intelligence training, wagering that video game players’ decision-making can generate valuable behavioral datasets for AI developers. The company reported a treasury of $20.6 million worth of assets as of Q1, which it said should extend its operating runway to four years following the restructuring.

      Yield Guild Games was one of the standout companies of the 2021 play-to-earn boom, as a prominent organization that supported the growth of monster-battling game Axie Infinity via a “scholarship” program—a profit-sharing program that lent out NFT assets to players in exchange for a cut of their in-game token earnings. Yield Guild secured funding from VC giant Andreessen Horowitz in August 2021 amid the crypto gaming surge.

      After Axie Infinity’s economic collapse in 2022 and the broader decline of the play-to-earn movement, Yield Guild pivoted in 2024 into launching blockchain infrastructure for guilds across various crypto games, before launching YGG Play in 2025.

      Yield Guild’s YGG token is up about 4% on the day at a recent price of $0.023, but has fallen about 84% in the last year. It remains down 99.8% from its peak price of $11.17 set in 2021.

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      Xbox, PlayStation, And Taylor Swift Are Not Your Friends

      Xbox, PlayStation, And Taylor Swift Are Not Your Friends


      Over the holiday weekend, pop princess Taylor Swift and football star Travis Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The richer-than-god pair filed permits with the city to close off streets surrounding the venue during a holiday weekend, affecting nearby local businesses that typically rely on Midtown Manhattan’s heavy foot traffic for patrons to pass through and make purchases. Meanwhile, the blockades made navigating the densely populated area much more difficult, all so Swift and Kelce could exchange vows in one of the most widely-known music venues in the world.

      The huge reception featuring some of the wealthiest folks from music, film, and other industries was blocked off from public viewing, but that didn’t stop Swift mega fans from flying out to New York City during a historic heat wave in hopes of being “part” of the event from blocks away.

      In a lot of ways, this is the end result of Swift’s mythologizing of her own love life across her discography with references, both overt and covert, to her past relationships. Fans view her wedding as if they’re finally getting the closing chapter of a decades-long series they’ve kept up with since day one. In their eyes, this is akin to one of their favorite books getting its final entry and the writer holding some kind of exclusive “launch” party. As fans say in the above video, they view this as the equivalent of a royal wedding, and given that consumerism rules America with the iron grip of a monarchy, it makes sense that two incredibly rich people with multimedia empires would be viewed as such. Though anyone who flew up for the wedding was kept away by barricades and security, the couple still plastered electronic billboards with “JUST&T MARRIED” around the venue so even those who weren’t allowed in Madison Square Garden were allowed to be “in” on the story. 

      I’m not a Swiftie, but I am a fan of some of her music, am a gay man who the algorithm knows likes pop music, and have several hand-to-god stans in my close friends and family. As such, even when I’m not actively keeping up with her work, I’m usually aware of the discourses surrounding it. So while I’m living in New York City and aware of the very tangible effect Swift and Kelce’s wedding is having on the locals, I do get to hear Swifties flipping through their rolodex of prewritten defenses for the two’s elaborate displays of wealth, almost as if they’re reloading saves in a dialogue-driven game in an effort to find the “right” one that will exonerate their faves of any wrong doing.

      Swift has dealt with plenty of bad faith criticism over her career, so her most stalwart defenders have a few pre-saved arguments loaded up into a clip, regardless of what is actually being said about her. Usually those arguments fall back on accusations of sexism, claiming that no one cares when a man flaunts his wealth, but that folks are ready and eager to pearl clutch when a woman does it, as if no one has ever criticized a billionaire like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk before. They’ll use her altruistic use of her money as a shield for criticism about her private jet’s carbon footprint. Ultimately, there are a lot of Taylor Swift fans who revere her in a way that is frankly delusional for a person to feel about someone they’ve never met, but that’s also the relationship the singer has cultivated with her fans by involving them so deeply in her life through her music.

      © Microsoft

      But why are we talking about this here on Kotaku? Because as much as people want to ridicule Swifties for their undying devotion to the figurehead of what is ultimately a billion-dollar corporation, this level of devout corporate loyalty is what allows companies like Xbox and PlayStation to spin objectively bad news in ways that will make their biggest supporters defend them with the tenacity of someone on their payroll. 

      Today, Xbox announced it was laying off thousands of employees as part of a massive restructuring, and while there is some “I guess it could be worse” news in that some companies are being freed from Xbox’s shackles rather than closed outright, the speed at which people are rushing to defend the company doing a bad thing because it could have been much worse matches the level of blind loyalty shown by any Swiftie who hops on an airplane to stand a few streets away from a “private” wedding during a heat wave. We don’t need to spend our days coddling a company that has played with the lives of thousands of people for years now while continuing to create an actively worker-hostile business model. 

      Last week, PlayStation announced its own terrible news, revealing that it would no longer produce physical discs for PlayStation games starting in 2028. This has created an uproar so catastrophic that Sony’s various affiliated branches can’t so much as post on social media without gamers yelling at them. And yet, we still get thinkpieces playing devil’s advocate about how something that has a major impact on the medium’s preservation and the access that people in low-income communities have to it is actually not that bad. If you’re willing to overlook the inconvenience of others to maintain your dedication to a brand, how is that, in any way, fundamentally different from a Swiftie excusing shutting down New York City streets for a wedding because it won’t affect them?

      PS5 consoles appear in different colors.
      © Sony

      As the consolidation of the video game industry falls apart around us, and the rise in AI costs results in increased prices across all forms of tech, no one gains anything by trying to justify everything these corporations do. Xbox and Sony would not show up to defend you if you were on trial, and would not know or care if you died tomorrow. If you truly wish to advocate for the impact video games have had on your life or the lives of others, you do not need to be going to bat for faceless corporations or trying to personify them by revering CEOs who don’t even make the games you love in the first place. Asha Sharma isn’t going to “save” Xbox, because the Xbox you knew and loved died a long time ago. Now, under her lead, Microsoft is dragging its flailing corpse and pantomiming Halo and Gears of War in hopes that it will distract from the real damage the company has done. PlayStation massacred its first-party output chasing live-service trends that haven’t worked out, and still hasn’t learned anything from all this carnage.

      What are we defending here other than some distorted, rose-colored image we’ve made in our heads of friends we’ve never had? You don’t, under any circumstances, have to hand it to them. 



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      Australian PM forced to apologise after X-rated Kylie Minogue remark

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        Australian PM forced to apologise after X-rated Kylie Minogue remark


        Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised for a crude podcast remark about pop icon Kylie Minogue.

        The Australian prime minister faced fierce criticism after appearing on comedian Nikki Osborne’s Bush Deep podcast. During the interview, Osborne asked him to play a “shag, marry or date” game.

        She named Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore. Albanese first tried to dodge it.

        Osborne then pushed him for “all of the above”. He replied: “Oh, Kylie, clearly”. He added: “She’s terrific.”

        That answer landed badly and fast. Critics said the exchange disrespected women and lowered the tone of the office he holds.

        Why the Kylie Minogue Australia Prime Minister moment blew up so quickly

        Senator Sarah Henderson led some of the backlash. She said the comments were “disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of prime minister”.

        Independent MP Zali Steggall also condemned the moment. She called the comments “entirely inappropriate”.

        Steggall said Albanese “needs to learn to push back” when he faces sexist questions. She added that he should have led “by example” and “call[ed the question] out as sexist”.

        That criticism shifted the story beyond celebrity gossip. It became a wider row about standards, sexism and judgment in public life.

        Albanese later issued a direct apology. He said: “I apologise unequivocally for the comments.”

        Kylie is a beloved pop icon (Credit: Matthew Rettenmund / SplashNews.com)

        What Anthony Albanese said next after the Kylie remark backlash

        The apology came while Albanese was overseas on an official visit. Deputy prime minister Richard Marles has acted as prime minister during that trip.

        Marles addressed the controversy in an interview with Australia’s ABC Radio National. He did not repeat the original remark.

        Instead, he pointed to the government’s record on gender balance. He said: “From time to time, we obviously do different interviews to the one we are doing now. But I think the other point to make here is that the government that the PM leads is the first in history that has had equality in terms of the number of men and women in cabinet.”

        Kylie Minogue’s management has been contacted for comment.

        Read now: Strictly host Emma Willis ‘undergoes body sculpting treatment’ in preparation for show debut

        What do you think of this story? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think. We want to hear your thoughts.

        Emily loves to write about the latest trending news, whether it’s reality TV chaos or royal drama. She also has a passion for translating editorial content into share-worthy social media posts.



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        Vitalik Buterin Says Ethereum’s Next Rebuild Will Rival The Merge, Take Three to Four Years – NFT Plazas

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          Vitalik Buterin Says Ethereum’s Next Rebuild Will Rival The Merge, Take Three to Four Years – NFT Plazas


          Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined an updated long-term roadmap for the network, describing the multi-year “Lean Ethereum” initiative as the protocol’s biggest overhaul since the 2022 Merge. The update follows a gathering of Ethereum researchers in Berlin in late June and comes alongside a revised draft roadmap, known internally as the “strawmap,” published at strawmap.org.

          Third Major Iteration

          Buterin shared his takeaways in a post on X on Saturday, July 4, 2026. He described Lean Ethereum as not being a single one-shot upgrade but rather a series of improvements arriving over three or four years, while still calling it the third major iteration of Ethereum, on par with the Merge. The first iteration was Ethereum’s launch itself, while the second was the 2022 transition from mining to a stake-based validation system.

          Buterin said the changes are designed to touch nearly every layer of the protocol while keeping disruption to existing applications low, pointing to the smooth execution of the Merge as evidence the network can pull off large-scale upgrades without breaking what already runs on top of it

          Vitalik Buterin Says Ethereum's Next Rebuild Will Rival The Merge

          Vitalik Buterin Says Ethereum’s Next Rebuild Will Rival The Merge

          Quantum Safety Moves to the Top of the List

          One of the clearest shifts in priority is around quantum resistance. Reigning theories hold that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could eventually break the cryptography securing blockchains today, a risk the industry increasingly treats as worth preparing for even though it likely remains years away. Buterin said replacing every quantum-vulnerable component, including the cheap data storage that layer-2 rollups depend on, is now treated as urgent rather than theoretical, with work on quantum-resistant “blobs” already months underway. 

          Privacy Becomes a “First-Class Goal”

          Privacy has also been elevated. Buterin wrote that privacy is no longer an afterthought but a first-class protocol goal, according to Decrypt’s reporting on his post. Under the plan, components such as the mempool and the state tree would be designed so that private, intermediary-free transactions can pass through them by default, rather than relying on third-party privacy applications layered on top.

          The Most Disruptive Change: How Ethereum Stores Data

          Buterin flagged Ethereum’s “state” — the running record of account balances, token ledgers, and smart contract data — as the single most disruptive part of the plan. Every node must store and continually update this record to validate transactions, and as usage grows, that becomes more expensive to run, pushing the network toward fewer, larger operators and away from decentralization.

          The proposal keeps today’s flexible “dynamic” state largely intact but allows it to grow only moderately, while introducing a new, cheaper, more restrictive tier for simpler use cases. According to The Block, Buterin illustrated a possible 2030 network where the new storage tier holds roughly 50 times more data than the current format, while other outlets cited a scenario of about 2 terabytes of legacy dynamic state alongside more than 100 terabytes on the new tier. Most ERC-20 tokens, NFTs, and everyday DeFi applications could migrate to the cheaper tier, cutting fees by more than tenfold, while complex protocols such as decentralized exchanges would likely remain on the existing system. Migration would reportedly be optional rather than mandatory.

          Verification, Consensus, and a Possible Move Beyond the EVM

          Rather than having every node re-execute every transaction, Ethereum plans to rely on recursive STARKs — a zero-knowledge proof method that lets nodes verify a compact proof that work was done correctly. Buterin wants this “enshrined” as a core protocol component, according to Decrypt. He also floated simplified consensus with one- or two-round finality and multidimensional gas pricing.

          Longer term, Buterin suggested Ethereum may need a virtual machine beyond the EVM, naming RISC-V and leanISA as leading candidates. His stated preference is for the EVM to eventually become a higher-level compiler target while the protocol runs on a simpler underlying base — though he cautioned this shift remains far off.

          Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance on 06/7/2026 (Source: CoinMarketCap)Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance on 06/7/2026 (Source: CoinMarketCap)

          Ethereum (ETH) Price Performance on 06/7/2026 (Source: CoinMarketCap)

          Timeline and Institutional Backdrop

          Buterin pointed to the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade as delivering a large near-term capacity increase, and said the fork that follows, Hegotá, is likely to be Ethereum’s last before the “Lean” era formally begins.

          The roadmap arrived shortly after the Ethereum Foundation completed a major restructuring, cutting roughly 54 staff positions — about 20% of its workforce — and reducing its budget by around 40%. Several departed researchers have since regrouped at EthLabs, a newly launched nonprofit backed by ETH treasury holders Bitmine and SharpLink, focused on scalability, interoperability, and infrastructure for tokenized assets, stablecoins, and DeFi.

          Buterin closed his thread by describing Ethereum as “CROPS” — shorthand for censorship resistance, open source, privacy, and security — framing these as the values that should anchor the network’s narrowed focus going forward

          As of publication, ETH was trading in the $1,780 range, up modestly on the day, as markets continue to weigh the long-term implications of what Buterin has called Ethereum’s most ambitious rebuild since the Merge.



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          OpenSand Debuts Unified AI Model Aggregation Platform To Support Enterprise Deployment And AI Agent Development | Metaverse Post

          OpenSand Debuts Unified AI Model Aggregation Platform To Support Enterprise Deployment And AI Agent Development | Metaverse Post


          In Brief

          OpenSand has launched an enterprise AI platform that unifies leading large language models through a single API, simplifying integration and management.

           

          OpenSand Debuts Unified AI Model Aggregation Platform To Support Enterprise Deployment And AI Agent Development

          Enterprise AI model aggregation platform OpenSand has officially launched, introducing a unified interface that integrates multiple large language models, including Claude Code, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, GLM, and Gemini. The platform is designed to provide developers, AI engineers, and enterprises with a centralized infrastructure for accessing and managing AI models through a single service.

          The launch comes as organizations increasingly adopt multiple AI models to support a wider range of business applications. While many early enterprise deployments relied on a single model, growing use cases have created demand for specialized capabilities across software development, knowledge retrieval, reasoning, multimodal content generation, and AI agents. As a result, companies are increasingly adopting multi-model strategies rather than depending on a single provider.

          According to OpenSand, expanding AI deployments have also introduced operational challenges, including fragmented APIs, inconsistent integration standards, separate billing systems, and multiple account management requirements. The company said these factors have increased both technical complexity and operating costs, driving demand for a unified infrastructure capable of managing diverse AI services.

          Unified Platform Targets Enterprise AI Management

          OpenSand said its platform combines proprietary and open-source language models into a single environment covering code generation, reasoning, multimodal applications, and AI agent development. Developers can access different models through a unified API, reducing integration work and simplifying deployment across projects.

          The company said the platform is built on a distributed infrastructure designed to support enterprise-scale workloads with high availability and stable API performance. It also aims to lower AI deployment costs through resource aggregation while maintaining compatibility with widely used software development kits and existing development tools, allowing organizations to integrate the service without extensive modifications to existing codebases.

          OpenSand added that the platform incorporates enterprise-focused security and compliance measures intended to support data protection and content governance requirements.

          The company said the platform is intended for organizations across multiple sectors, including software, semiconductors, robotics, autonomous driving, game development, industrial software, cross-border e-commerce, academic research, media, advertising, and digital content creation. According to OpenSand, enterprise demand is increasingly centered on managing AI infrastructure, including high-volume model access, cost optimization, user permissions, project-based billing, operational stability, and regulatory compliance.

          “AI is shifting from an era of technical innovation to an era of large-scale application,” said the head of OpenSand ina written statement. “What enterprises truly need is not just the models themselves, but a stable, compliant, low-cost, and sustainable AI service ecosystem. We aim to be the infrastructure that connects enterprise AI capabilities with actual business scenarios,” he added.

          The company said it plans to continue expanding its model ecosystem and enterprise services as adoption of large language models grows, with the objective of supporting broader deployment of AI technologies across industries.

          Disclaimer

          In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.

          About The Author


          Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.

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          Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.








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          Pre-Owned Designer Bag Buying Checklist for First-Time Buyers

          Pre-Owned Designer Bag Buying Checklist for First-Time Buyers


          For a first pre-owned designer bag, start with use case, size, condition tolerance, and seller policies before you compare logos or trends. When comparing authenticated pre-owned pieces on Couture USA, the practical question is not just whether a bag is beautiful, but whether it fits your routine, care tolerance, and budget. Start with a clear checklist so the photos, dimensions, return window, and condition notes have a job before a tempting listing takes over.

          Gucci Marmont Mini Flap Bag from Couture USA. Product photos can help you check shape, scale, material, and visible wear before comparing current listings.

          Quick buyer takeaway

          For a first pre-owned designer bag, start with use case, size, condition tolerance, and seller policies before you compare logos or trends. The right shortlist should make the piece easier to use, not just easier to admire.

          Couture USA offers authenticated pre-owned luxury, free shipping, and a 14-day return policy. Those details matter because a pre-owned bag decision depends on trust, condition clarity, and whether the item can be evaluated calmly once it arrives.

          What to check before you shortlist

          Before comparing prices, make sure the listing answers the practical questions a careful buyer would ask in person. Strong listings make condition visible rather than asking you to infer it from a polished first photo.

          Authentication language and return window.
          All four corners and base.
          Strap drop and comfort.
          Interior marks, odor notes, and pocket wear.
          Hardware tone and closure function.

          How to compare the options

          Use the same comparison frame for every candidate. That keeps a rare color, famous logo, or tempting markdown from overpowering the details that determine whether you will actually carry the piece.

          Shopping situation
          What usually matters most
          How to confirm it

          Everyday first bag
          medium size, secure closure, durable material, neutral color
          Compare photos, dimensions, condition notes, and policy details before checkout.

          Evening first bag
          smaller capacity, cleaner exterior, dressier hardware
          Compare photos, dimensions, condition notes, and policy details before checkout.

          Travel or errands
          hands-free strap, easy access, less delicate finish
          Compare photos, dimensions, condition notes, and policy details before checkout.

          Photo and condition details that deserve extra attention

          Zoom in on contact points: corners, strap edges, handles, bases, closures, zipper pulls, and interiors. These areas show how a piece was used and whether the written condition notes match the visual evidence.

          For general designer bag browsing, compare the whole category first, then narrow by designer once the daily job is clear. Couture USA’s collection pages make it easier to move between Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, and the broader designer bag collection.

          Before checkout: score the piece like a buyer

          Give the listing a simple pass-fail review before you let scarcity or a markdown decide for you. A strong candidate should satisfy the practical job, show the wear clearly, and leave you with no major unanswered questions about authenticity, returns, fit, or care.

          Use case: the piece solves the main reason you started shopping, whether that is daily carry, work, travel, gifting, or a polished evening option.

          Condition: the visible wear matches the written notes and falls within what you will still enjoy using.

          Fit: dimensions, strap drop, closure, and capacity work with your body, wardrobe, and essentials.

          Confidence: authentication language, return policy, and seller detail are clear enough for the price level.

          Common mistakes to avoid

          Letting the first pretty listing set the budget.
          Buying a size that cannot hold daily essentials.
          Skipping return-policy details on a high-ticket purchase.

          A pre-owned piece can still be an excellent buy with visible wear, but the wear should be understood before checkout. The goal is not perfection; it is alignment between price, condition, use case, and expectations.

          Where to browse next on Couture USA

          Use these checks before moving into the live inventory pages that match your intent. Start broad if you are comparing designers; go directly to the brand collection if you already know the house you want.

          FAQs

          What should a first-time buyer check first?

          Start with whether the bag fits your real routine. After that, review condition photos, authentication language, return eligibility, and total cost.

          Is pre-owned better for a first designer bag?

          It can be, especially when you want access to discontinued styles or a lower entry price, but only if the seller gives enough condition and authenticity information to buy confidently.



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          Andy Weir Has One Valid Complaint About Modern Sci-Fi Books – SlashFilm

            0
            Andy Weir Has One Valid Complaint About Modern Sci-Fi Books – SlashFilm






            “The Martian” and “Project: Hail Mary” author Andy Weir was a computer programmer before he found success as a Hollywood-inspiring writer. Given his STEM background, it’s not surprising his books prioritize technical detail, but in a way where the possibilities of science inspire you. For Weir, more sci-fi books could take the path of optimism.

            In 2018, Weir discussed the trend of science-fiction dystopia novels with Writer’s Digest, and argued that this kind of storytelling just doesn’t ring true for him.

            “The whole young adult market is all these bleak, dismal futures, and I don’t get why that happened because, to me, it’s clear that the future is almost always better than the past. I mean, at least in the long term. […] We have our dips and valleys — I’d rather live in 1923 than 1943, especially if I were European — but I would rather live in 2023 than 1923.”

            Teens fighting against a dystopian government was the default YA story for the 2000s and 2010s. Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” was a smash hit and other writers tried to ride in its wake. Brad Bird’s 2015 sci-fi movie misfire “Tomorrowland” took on this trend directly, arguing we as a people have forgotten how to dream of a better tomorrow and prefer to fantasize about the apocalypse, like a civilization-wide death drive.

            Weir is a noted fan of classic “Star Trek” shows, the preeminent utopian American science fiction. “Star Trek” suggests humans will one day be able to free themselves from shackles like greed and bigotry. When Weir is used to watching a future like that, little wonder he can’t find his way into the dystopian sci-fi trend.

            Andy Weir thinks science fiction could use less dystopia

            Weir’s argument that the future is always better to live in than the past hinges heavily on how technology advances over time. From the 19th century to the end of the 20th, the average life expectancy doubled. That trend was helped along by medical advances, like the discovery of an antibiotics that could treat once often-fatal diseases; it wouldn’t be exaggerating to call penicillin one of the most important inventions in human history.

            For a sci-fi example, let’s look at James S. A. Corey’s space opera book series “The Expanse,” one of the many sci-fi books that Weir has recommended. Per “The Expanse,” the 24th century is neither a utopia or a dystopia. Even if this future falls short of “Star Trek,” there’s still conveniences that would be life-changing today. In the first book, “Leviathan Wakes,” the hero James Holden is exposed to lethal radiation. In 2011 (when the book was published) that would be a death sentence. Yet all Holden has to do to survive is take regular meds; cancer has gone from the lethal disease to a treatable chronic condition like, say, diabetes.

            Weir’s own work allows for his concession that in the short-term, things don’t always get better. Take “Project: Hail Mary,” set in 2032, where humanity faces a serious threat of extinction due to the sun fading. But the world’s best and brightest manage to identify the problem and solve it. Weir’s comments about YA dystopia seem to speak to a cultural consensus; the trend has faded from its 2010s peak, suggesting people got sick of reading about oppressive futures. While there is a new “Hunger Games” film, “Sunrise on the Reaping” out this year, that feels more like lingering affection for that specific franchise.

            Dystopian sci-fi is often a reflection of the present

            Noted Trekkie though he may be, Andy Weir isn’t one of those “Star Trek” fans who loves the franchise for its political messaging about how the key to a better future is diversity and cooperation. 

            “I dislike social commentary. Like … I really hate it,” Weir said in a 2017 interview with Futurism. “When I’m reading a book, I just want to be entertained, not preached at by the author.” Frankly, I think this attitude has given Weir a bit of a blind spot. A key reason dystopia is a common genre for sci-fi is because writers use fictional futures to explore the issues of their own time. Take Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” set in a future where books are banned. Published in 1954, this coincided with Red Scare-influenced calls for book burning in the United States.

            Circling back to “The Hunger Games,” that series resonated because it commented on a rising trend of the 2000s: reality television. It did what good satire does by pushing reality a step further, suggesting in the future we will watch children kill each other on live TV for entertainment. In the “Hunger Games” books, media and celebrity shape political narrative, just like in reality.

            I’m currently watching the sci-fi TV series “Babylon 5,” which features a series-long arc about the rise of a xenophobic, authoritarian government on Earth. “Babylon 5” was made in the mid-1990s, the so-called “end of history” when American democracy had won the ideological battle. “Babylon 5” functioned as a warning for the complacent, in the vein of Sinclair Lewis’ “It Can’t Happen Here,” by suggesting fascism could rise again in the future.

            Science fiction can help us imagine a better future, but allegory can also help us understand our present.




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            Hyperliquid Open Positions Top 305K as Traders Strategize Around Major Crypto Breakout

            Hyperliquid Open Positions Top 305K as Traders Strategize Around Major Crypto Breakout


            The decentralized perpetuals trading sector is buzzing with activity as Hyperliquid records a new all-time high in total open positions. Data released on July 6, 2026, shows the platform now hosts 305,508 open positions, marking a clear surge in trader engagement. 

            This milestone arrives precisely as the broader cryptocurrency market tests critical technical levels, prompting participants to actively position themselves for potential breakouts or pullbacks. 

            Hyperliquid hits a record 305,508 open positions on July 6, 2026, amid critical technical levels in the broader cryptocurrency market.

            The platform’s open-position count has been rising since October, with a sharp acceleration in recent weeks, signaling sustained momentum.

            This growth trajectory reflects a multi-month uptrend, with distinct phases of base-building, steady accumulation, and summer acceleration, driven by low-latency order matching.

            At this time, traders appear to be using Hyperliquid’s infrastructure to express directional views or manage risk through leveraged perpetual contracts. The platform’s high-throughput design supports rapid execution and on-chain transparency, qualities that have helped it attract growing volumes even during periods of market uncertainty.  

            With major assets navigating key support and resistance zones, the record open-position count signals both heightened speculation and strategic hedging across the ecosystem.

            Surge to Record Open Positions Reflects Platform Growth 

            The jump to 305,508 open positions represents more than a simple numerical achievement. Tracking data from HyperTracker reveals a clear multi-month uptrend that has accelerated in recent weeks. 

            Source: Total Open Positions (July 6, 2026) — HyperTracker

            Data shows an overall climb from roughly 210,000 positions in early October, through a period of consolidation and a sharp but temporary dip, followed by consistent gains that carried the metric past prior highs. 

            This incremental growth on top of the longer-term expansion underscores sustained momentum rather than a one-off spike. In perpetual futures markets, the total number of open positions serves as a direct gauge of active trader participation. Each position represents an unfilled leveraged contract that remains open until closed or liquidated, so higher counts generally translate into deeper liquidity pools and tighter spreads. 

            Hyperliquid’s specialized blockchain architecture plays a central role in this growth. By optimizing for low-latency order matching and finality measured in sub-seconds, the platform reduces friction for high-frequency and algorithmic traders who previously relied on centralized venues. 

            The visual trajectory on the HyperTracker chart shows distinct phases: an initial base-building period in late 2025, followed by steady accumulation through the first half of 2026 and an acceleration into summer. This pattern is evidence that more traders are comfortable maintaining leveraged exposure for longer durations, a sign of maturing confidence in both the platform and the asset class. 

            This record also carries implications for liquidity providers and market makers who supply the necessary depth for large orders. Higher open interest typically encourages tighter quoting and improved capital efficiency, creating a virtuous cycle that can further boost trading activity. 

            While elevated open positions increase the theoretical risk of cascading liquidations during sharp moves, they simultaneously demonstrate the platform’s capacity to handle stress without structural failure.

            Broader Market Dynamics Drive Strategic Positioning 

            The timing of Hyperliquid’s milestone coincides with a period of technical decision-making across major cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and leading altcoins continue to oscillate around psychologically and technically significant price zones that often act as inflection points. 

            When assets hover near resistance, traders frequently increase long exposure in anticipation of breakouts; near support, hedging or short positioning becomes more common. Hyperliquid’s perpetuals market provides a liquid venue for both strategies without the custody or counterparty risks associated with some centralized platforms. 

            Traders appear to be layering positions across multiple timeframes. Short-term scalpers exploit intraday volatility around key levels, while swing traders establish larger positions aligned with broader macro narratives such as regulatory clarity, institutional adoption trends, or shifts in global liquidity conditions. The ability to trade 24/7 with leverage allows participants to react instantly to news flow or on-chain metrics, advantages that decentralized infrastructure is particularly well-suited to deliver. 

            Beyond pure speculation, many users employ Hyperliquid for portfolio hedging. Spot holders can open offsetting short perpetual positions to protect against downside moves while retaining upside exposure. This risk-management utility becomes especially valuable when markets sit at critical junctures where the next directional move could be sizable. 

            Also read: Bitcoin’s Greatest Evolution Comes From Changing Less, Not More — Michael Saylor


            Disclaimer: The information researched and reported by The Crypto Times is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional financial advice. Investing in crypto assets involves significant risk due to market volatility. Always Do Your Own Research (DYOR) and consult with a qualified Financial Advisor before making any investment decisions.




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