ISKANDAR PUTERI, Malaysia — Chelsea wraps up a busy stretch of its 2026 preseason tour Sunday with a friendly against Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim, a matchup that closes out a whirlwind run through Oceania and Asia for Xabi Alonso’s side.

The match kicks off at 8 p.m. local time (1 p.m. BST, 8 a.m. ET) at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, a venue that opened roughly six years ago and sits near the southern tip of Malaysia, close to Singapore.

How to watch in the United States

U.S. viewers can stream the match on Paramount+, with additional coverage available through the CBS Sports Golazo Network, according to Goal.com. The match is also listed on Prime Video’s schedule of upcoming Chelsea fixtures.

How to watch in the United Kingdom

The match will not air on traditional television in the United Kingdom, according to Chelsea’s official website. Instead, U.K. fans can watch through CFC+, Chelsea’s in-house streaming service, which costs £9.99 for a single match or £19.99 for a full annual subscription, according to Yahoo Sports’ listing of viewing options. Sports Illustrated separately listed the CFC+ single-match price at £14.99 in its own coverage, so fans should check pricing directly through Chelsea’s official channels before purchasing.

Streaming options elsewhere around the world

Beyond the U.S. and U.K., additional confirmed streaming outlets include FanCode in India and StarTimes in Nigeria, according to Yahoo Sports. CFC+ is also available internationally beyond the U.K. for fans in regions without a dedicated broadcast partner. Chelsea’s official website noted that the CFC+ stream will not be accessible to viewers located in Malaysia itself, where the match is being played.

Fans can also follow the match through Chelsea’s Matchday Live service on the club’s official app and website, which provides live text updates, statistics and imagery throughout the game, along with confirmed starting lineups once they are announced, according to Chelsea’s official site.

A packed final stretch of preseason for Chelsea

Sunday’s match caps an especially demanding end to Chelsea’s preseason tour. The Blues faced AC Milan barely 24 hours before their meeting with Johor Darul Ta’zim, according to Yahoo Sports, requiring the squad to travel roughly 700 miles between fixtures in a tight turnaround. Chelsea’s preseason slate has also included matches against Western Sydney Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

Chelsea opened its preseason tour with a 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers before dropping back-to-back matches to Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus, and most recently fell 1-0 to Milan on Aug. 5, according to Goal.com. Manager Xabi Alonso has used the extensive preseason schedule to continue evaluating his squad ahead of the new Premier League campaign, with a roster that Yahoo Sports described as still more than 30 players deep heading into Sunday’s finale.

A tough test on paper, but Chelsea remains favored

Johor Darul Ta’zim enters the match in strong form, having won three of its last five matches across all competitions. The club’s most recent outing ended in a scoreless draw with Elche on July 24, following a run that included a 14-1 rout of Kelantan and a 7-0 win over Kuala Lumpur City, according to Goal.com. Johor’s only defeat in that stretch came in a 2-1 loss to Al Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite. Across those five matches, the Malaysian side scored 24 goals while conceding just four.

Johor Darul Ta’zim also arrives as the dominant force in Malaysian domestic football, having won 12 consecutive Malaysia Super League titles, according to Yahoo Sports, including a domestic treble in each of the past four seasons. The club has had more modest success in continental competition but did reach the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League last season.

What’s next for Chelsea

Following Sunday’s match, Chelsea will return to Stamford Bridge for Alonso’s first match in charge at the venue, hosting his former club Real Sociedad on Aug. 15, according to Sports Illustrated. Alonso will then oversee his first competitive fixture as Chelsea manager on Aug. 24, when the Blues face Fulham — managed by Alonso’s former Real Madrid and Spain teammate Álvaro Arbeloa — in an early West London Premier League derby.

A note on watching safely

Fans looking to watch Sunday’s match are encouraged to use the official broadcasters and streaming services listed above, all of which hold confirmed rights to the fixture in their respective territories. Availability, pricing and access may vary by region and require an existing subscription or account with the relevant provider.

Wordle players looking for a boost on Sunday’s puzzle have a tricky one on their hands, according to multiple outlets covering today’s game. Puzzle #1877, the New York Times’ daily five-letter word challenge, is proving harder than usual, largely because the answer avoids nearly all of the most commonly used letters in the English language.

Today’s hints, without giving it away

For those who want a nudge before seeing the full answer, several publications offered graduated hints throughout the day. According to Parade, there is one vowel in today’s five-letter word, the puzzle begins with a consonant, and there are no double letters involved. Parade also offered a more specific clue, describing the answer as “the sound of wear and tear.”

The Times’ own WordleBot analysis, relayed through Yahoo, added further detail: the word contains one of the five vowels, has no repeated letters, and does not include any of the five most common letters used in Wordle answers. The Times noted the word starts with the letter C.

GameDaily offered an even more direct description, noting the answer “can refer to a blow or the sound it creates, as well as the act that creates such a sound” — a five-letter noun or verb starting with C, containing one vowel and four consonants, with no repeated letters throughout.

A puzzle that stumped even the pros’ favorite openers

Yahoo’s coverage highlighted just how unusual today’s word is from a solving standpoint. The outlet’s Wordle columnist noted that their typical opening word, ORATE, “struck out completely,” failing to turn a single letter green or yellow and leaving a massive 253 possible answers remaining, according to WordleBot’s analysis.

For players looking for stronger starting strategies going forward, WordleBot’s data suggests CLASP as a notably effective opener for puzzles like today’s, narrowing the field to just 19 possible answers, while PLACE performs even better, cutting the list down to only 10 remaining options.

For future puzzles more broadly, the New York Times’ WordleBot recommends CRANE as one of the strongest overall starting words, according to the Lufkin Daily News. Other commonly recommended openers include ADIEU, STARE and ROAST, each designed to maximize the amount of letter information revealed in a single guess.

Difficulty and average solve time

According to WordleBot’s tracked data cited by Yahoo, the average player needed 3.9 guesses to solve the previous day’s puzzle, Wordle #1876, in both regular and hard mode — giving today’s solvers a rough benchmark for how the game typically plays out difficulty-wise, even though today’s specific puzzle appears to be running tougher than that average given its avoidance of common letters.

Today’s answer

Spoiler warning: the solution to Wordle #1877 for Sunday, August 9, 2026, is CLUNK.

Multiple outlets, including Parade, AOL and Yahoo, confirmed the same five-letter answer, describing it as a word associated with a dull, heavy sound — fitting the “sound of wear and tear” hint offered earlier by Parade and the “blow or the sound it creates” description offered by GameDaily.

How Wordle works, for newcomers

Wordle challenges players to guess a five-letter word within six attempts, with color-coded tiles indicating whether a guessed letter is correct and correctly placed (green), correct but misplaced (yellow), or not in the word at all (gray). The game, created by software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021, surged in popularity before being acquired by the New York Times, which now offers it for free on the Times Games website and app alongside puzzles including Connections, Strands and the Mini Crossword.

Players who missed today’s puzzle or want to review past solutions can consult the official Wordle archive, which stores previous answers for those looking to catch up or track word patterns over time.

Sunday’s edition of the New York Times’ Connections puzzle, game #1155, is testing players with a mix of physical actions, playful rearrangements and nostalgic references, according to multiple outlets covering today’s game — a combination several solvers described as satisfying but occasionally deceptive.

How Connections works

Connections challenges players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words or phrases into four hidden groups of four, with each group linked by a shared theme, wordplay pattern or category. The puzzle is color-coded by difficulty, running from yellow (easiest) through green and blue, up to purple, which is typically the most challenging and often relies on the least obvious connection. Players are allowed up to four mistakes before losing the round.

According to TechRadar, players don’t strictly need to solve the purple category outright, since it can often be deduced by process of elimination once the other three groups have been correctly identified.

Today’s 16 words

Sunday’s puzzle presented players with the following 16 words and phrases: SHIFT GEARS, JURY DUTY, SPACE OPERA, LABYRINTH, CAPS FOR SALE, ESCAPE ROOM, NEO-NOIR, COURSE-CORRECT, BAD DREAM, BUDDY COP, CORDUROY, CHANGE TACK, MADELINE, RECALIBRATE, SPAGHETTI WESTERN and GOODNIGHT MOON.

Hints for each category

For solvers looking for a nudge before the full reveal, TechRadar offered the following category hints:

Yellow: Take a new path
Green: Bedtime stories
Blue: Types of films
Purple: In need of an exit strategy

Parade offered similar guidance in its own coverage, describing the categories as covering situations that are hard to get out of and classic stories read to children, along with hints like “strategize,” “like Ride Along or Blade Runner” and “like a maze.”

Today’s full answers

Spoiler warning: the complete solution to Connections #1155 is below.

Yellow — Take a Different Approach: CHANGE TACK, COURSE-CORRECT, RECALIBRATE, SHIFT GEARS

Green — Classic Children’s Books: CAPS FOR SALE, CORDUROY, GOODNIGHT MOON, MADELINE

Blue — Movie Subgenres: BUDDY COP, NEO-NOIR, SPACE OPERA, SPAGHETTI WESTERN

Purple — Things People Try to Get Out Of: BAD DREAM, ESCAPE ROOM, JURY DUTY, LABYRINTH

TechRadar’s Johnny Dee, who solved today’s puzzle with a perfect score, described his solving process, noting he initially locked in the children’s book category around GOODNIGHT MOON and MADELINE before setting it aside to explore other groupings first — what he called deciding to “take a different approach” to match the yellow category’s own theme.

Bonus: Connections Sports Edition

For sports fans looking for an additional challenge, the Times also offers a sports-themed spinoff called Connections Sports Edition, currently in beta through a collaboration between the New York Times and The Athletic. According to Word.Tips, Sunday’s Sports Edition puzzle, game #691, included categories covering equipment that comes in pairs (ski pole, shin guard, soccer cleat, ice skate), common sports injuries (tennis elbow, hip pointer, shin splints, turf toe), notable sights at Fenway Park (Green Monster, Citgo sign, Pesky Pole, Lansdowne Street) and Premier League stadium venues (City Ground, Old Trafford, Stadium of Light, Stamford Bridge).

Where to play

Both Connections and Connections Sports Edition are available for free through the New York Times Games website and mobile app, alongside the publisher’s other daily offerings, including Wordle, Strands and the Mini Crossword. A new Connections puzzle refreshes at midnight local time each day, meaning solvers in different time zones may be working through different puzzles at any given moment.

A new study published in the Journal of Political Economy has found that a relatively simple, low-cost intervention can meaningfully improve college students’ sleep — and, in turn, their academic performance, marking what researchers describe as the first field experiment to demonstrate a direct causal link between the two.

The research, led by health economist Osea Giuntella of the University of Pittsburgh, comes amid a growing body of evidence connecting sleep quality to overall health, well-being and cognitive function. While previous studies had shown a strong correlation between sleep and academic performance, causal evidence linking the two using real-world tools like wearable trackers had remained limited.

A widespread problem among young adults

The study’s starting point reflects a broader issue researchers say is common on college campuses nationwide. “Sleep deprivation is extremely common among young adults, yet universities have struggled to find affordable ways to improve student performance,” Giuntella told ScienceAlert.

To test possible solutions, Giuntella and his fellow researchers studied 1,149 student participants across several waves of the experiment. At baseline, the students were sleeping an average of just 6.6 hours per night, and nearly 29% of weeknights involved less than six hours of sleep — well below the roughly seven to nine hours generally recommended for adults.

How the experiment worked

During the intervention phase, all participating students were given wearable Fitbit trackers to monitor their sleep patterns. Researchers then randomly assigned the students into two groups.

The treatment group was encouraged to get at least seven hours of sleep on weeknights, received personalized bedtime reminders, and was offered a modest financial incentive — $4.75 per night for four weeks — for meeting their nightly sleep goal. The control group, by contrast, simply wore the Fitbit trackers without receiving any instructions or rewards tied to changing their sleep habits.

Two central questions

Giuntella said the research team set out to answer two related questions. “First, could a simple behavioral intervention help students develop healthier and more persistent sleep habits?” he told ScienceAlert. “Second, while many studies had documented a strong correlation between sleep and academic performance, there was very little causal evidence using wearables and real-world settings showing that improving sleep actually leads to better educational outcomes.”

Sleep gains that outlasted the incentives

The results showed a clear effect during the intervention period. Students in the treatment group saw a 26% increase in the share of nights they met their seven-hour sleep goal, with average nightly sleep duration increasing by 19 minutes compared with the control group.

Notably, the effect didn’t disappear entirely once the financial incentives and reminders stopped. Even after the intervention ended, treatment-group students continued sleeping more than they had at baseline, though the effect diminished to an average of eight additional minutes of sleep per night once the external motivators were removed.

Confirming the connection to grades

According to Giuntella, the research team initially suspected they were onto something meaningful after the first wave of the study in 2019, but the full significance of the finding became clear only after linking the experimental data to students’ official university transcripts. “After the first wave of the study in 2019, we had a good sense that the intervention was improving sleep and that some of the effects persisted after the incentives ended,” Giuntella said. “But what really convinced us we had an important finding was when we linked the experimental data to students’ official university transcripts and found improvements in GPA.”

Students in the treatment group saw their average course performance improve by 0.075 to 0.089 grade points during the semester in which the intervention took place, with a similarly sized effect persisting into the following semester as well.

A modest but meaningful gain

While researchers acknowledge the improvements were relatively modest in magnitude and warrant replication in future studies, they note the results are notable for another reason: the GPA gains produced by the sleep intervention either matched or exceeded academic improvements typically seen in scholarship-style financial incentive programs — but at a fraction of the cost.

Applications beyond college campuses

Giuntella expressed optimism that the approach could extend well beyond university settings. “What excites me most is that these are relatively simple interventions that could be adapted and tested in many different settings,” he said. “Not only universities, but potentially schools and workplaces as well.”

The study’s authors say the findings offer a promising, low-cost model for institutions looking to support student success without the significant financial investment typically required by traditional scholarship or incentive-based academic programs. Given the relatively small sample size and modest effect sizes involved, however, the researchers emphasized that further replication across different student populations and settings would help confirm how broadly the intervention’s benefits might apply.

A new study suggests that people who watch a lot of television in midlife may end up with smaller brain volumes decades later, in regions tied to language and thinking — while, notably, spending long hours sitting at work appeared to carry no such risk.

The findings, drawn from a long-running study funded by the National Institutes of Health, add to a growing body of research suggesting that not all sedentary behavior affects the brain the same way. To help make sense of the results, CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University who previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner, walked through what the study found and what it does — and doesn’t — prove.

What the study measured

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,700 participants who reported on their television-watching habits and workplace sitting time during a single year in midlife. Participants, who ranged in age from 45 to 64 at the study’s outset with an average age of 53, self-reported how often they watched television using a standardized questionnaire, classifying their habits into one of five categories: never, seldom, sometimes, often or very often.

More than two decades later, the same participants underwent brain MRI scans, allowing researchers to examine whether earlier television habits correlated with measurable differences in brain structure later in life.

Smaller brain volumes among heavy viewers

According to Wen, the results were notable. “That’s what this study found, although it’s important to understand exactly what the researchers measured and what conclusions we can draw from it,” she said when asked whether television watching is genuinely associated with brain changes years later.

People who reported watching television “very often” tended to show smaller volumes in several brain regions, including areas involved in cognitive control and language, as well as regions considered especially vulnerable in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. These same heavy viewers also showed more white matter hyperintensities — changes visible on MRI scans that reflect injury to the brain’s small blood vessels and have been linked in prior research to cognitive decline and dementia.

Why sitting at work looked different

Perhaps the study’s most surprising finding was that sedentary time spent at work wasn’t associated with the same brain changes seen in heavy television viewers — a distinction Wen said comes down to how actively the brain is engaged during each activity.

“This interesting finding suggests that not all sedentary activities are the same,” Wen said. “Watching television is a cognitively passive activity because viewers are primarily receiving information rather than actively processing it. Sitting at work often involves very different mental demands. You may be responding to emails, working on projects and interacting with colleagues. Those activities engage multiple brain networks even though you’re sitting.”

Wen noted that while the study doesn’t prove mentally stimulating activities directly protect the brain, the findings align with a broader body of research suggesting cognitive engagement helps lower dementia risk, and echo earlier studies distinguishing passive sedentary behaviors like television watching from more mentally active ones, such as solving puzzles or engaging with coworkers.

An observational study, not proof of causation

Wen was direct in cautioning against overinterpreting the results. Asked whether the study proves television watching causes negative brain changes, she said simply: “No. This was an observational study, which means it can identify associations but cannot establish cause and effect.”

She noted that people who watched more television may have differed from lighter viewers in ways researchers couldn’t fully account for, even though the study already adjusted for numerous factors, including age, education, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, diabetes, high blood pressure and body mass index. It’s also possible, Wen said, that subtle brain changes influenced people’s television habits years before their MRI scans were performed, rather than the other way around.

Still, Wen characterized the research as well-conducted, noting it followed participants for more than two decades and relied on detailed brain MRI scans rather than subjective testing. While the findings shouldn’t be interpreted as proof that television directly damages the brain, she said they add to growing evidence that prolonged passive, sedentary behavior isn’t ideal for long-term brain health.

Exercise doesn’t fully offset the risk

One particularly notable detail: the association between heavy television viewing and brain changes held up even after researchers accounted for participants’ physical activity levels. According to Wen, that means someone who exercises regularly but also spends many hours a day watching television may still face additional risks tied to that passive sedentary behavior. “Staying physically active and limiting this kind of prolonged passive sedentary behavior both appear to be important,” she said.

Not all screen time is equal

Wen emphasized that the findings shouldn’t be read as a blanket call to eliminate television or other screen-based leisure entirely. “I don’t think this study means people should stop all screen consumption,” she said, noting that watching a favorite show, following a sporting event or going to a movie can be enjoyable and can help people connect with family and friends — benefits that carry their own health value.

Instead, Wen suggested the more useful takeaway is considering how passive screen time might be displacing other activities. “If several hours of television or scrolling through social media are taking the place of exercise, in-person social interactions, reading or other mentally stimulating activities, that’s not ideal for brain health,” she said. She pointed to an online language class as an example of screen time that engages the brain differently than passive viewing, since it involves active learning and communication rather than passive reception of content.

Other evidence-based ways to protect brain health

Beyond reducing passive screen time, Wen pointed to a range of research-backed strategies for supporting brain health as people age, including regular physical activity, controlling blood pressure, managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol use, getting adequate sleep and maintaining a healthy weight. She also cited a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish and healthy fats as a pattern associated with better brain health, along with staying socially connected and treating conditions like hearing loss and depression that can otherwise limit time spent with loved ones.

“No single activity can guarantee protection against dementia,” Wen said, “but the combination of everyday choices, including how we spend our leisure time, can add up over the course of decades.”

DALLAS — Klay Thompson fired back at former teammate Kevin Durant this week after Durant argued that the reshaped Philadelphia 76ers roster grades out ahead of the championship Golden State Warriors teams the two once won titles on together.

The exchange began Saturday when Durant, speaking at a USA Basketball charity event in Ladera Ranch, California, said LeBron James and the 76ers now have enough offensive firepower to contend for the 2027 championship. “The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on,” Durant said. “[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender. They’re going to be a fun team to watch. It’s going to be League Pass-worthy.”

A podcast debate spills onto Instagram

The comments resurfaced online after a clip from “The E-Lab” podcast, which broke down the roster comparison, was posted to Instagram over the weekend. Host Tevin J. Payne commented on the post that Philadelphia was talented but nowhere near the level of the Warriors team Durant joined in 2016.

Durant responded directly to Payne on Monday, listing individual accolades for each of Philadelphia’s projected starters to make his case. “Ain’t close lmao,” Durant wrote. “Joel, MVP recently. Jaylen Brown, recent Finals MVP, Tyrese Maxey, All-Star the last 3 years. We all know what Bron does. Klay Thompson, never a MVP candidate in nothing, 22ppg. Draymond, 14ppg, 7 rebounds 6 assist, Steph a MVP just like Joel was. I don’t get how the Warriors team is better on paper.”

Thompson responds directly

Thompson, tagged by name in Durant’s comment, posted his own reply to his Instagram story, tagging Durant’s account in the process. “Aye man, u good?” Thompson wrote. “What u using my full government name for?”

The exchange also drew a response from former NBA forward Evan Turner, who weighed in on X over Durant’s characterization of Thompson’s individual accolades. “‘Was never an MVP in anything’ is a tad bit aggressive, LOL,” Turner wrote.

Thompson’s numbers during the Durant era in Golden State

During the 2016-17 season — Durant’s first with the Warriors — Thompson averaged 22.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 78 games, marking the third of his five career All-Star selections. Thompson has won four championships overall, including two alongside Durant in 2017 and 2018.

Philadelphia’s revamped roster

The 76ers have undergone a significant offseason transformation. Philadelphia acquired Jaylen Brown from Boston earlier this summer and signed James on July 24 to a two-year, $8 million contract that includes a player option and a full 15% trade kicker. James, 41, made close to $53 million with the Los Angeles Lakers last season before agreeing to the significantly reduced deal in Philadelphia. Embiid, Maxey and Brown each averaged at least 25 points per game during the 2025-26 season.

Thompson’s current situation in Dallas

Thompson, 36, is entering the final season of the three-year, $50 million contract he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024, which pays him just under $17.5 million for 2026-27. He becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2027.

Last season, over 69 games, including eight starts, Thompson averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.7 minutes per game — all career lows. He shot 39.3% from the field and 38.3% from beyond the arc.

According to Christian Clark of The Athletic, citing multiple sources with rival teams, the Mavericks have explored trading Thompson but have yet to find a deal. Clark also reported that Thompson would welcome a potential move to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and continues to keep a home.

Dallas currently carries 16 players on standard contracts after matching a two-year offer sheet from New York for center Moussa Cissé — one more than the league’s roster limit allows, adding pressure on the front office to make a corresponding move.

Under new team president Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks’ offseason additions have included Zaccharie Risacher, Santi Aldama and Marcus Sasser via trade, along with draft picks Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio De Larrea and Tobi Lawal.

Miami has repeatedly been mentioned around the league as a potential landing spot for Thompson, with the Heat reportedly preferring to wait for a buyout rather than surrender assets in a trade. According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, an anonymous NBA scout estimated Thompson could command roughly $5 million on the open market in that scenario.

Durant’s own new chapter

Durant, for his part, is now with the Houston Rockets, where he averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his first season with the franchise and earned All-NBA Second Team honors. Houston and Dallas share the Southwest Division and will face off four times during the upcoming regular season, setting up potential further meetings — and perhaps additional exchanges — between the two former Warriors teammates.

Olivia Rodrigo could not hold back tears as she debuted her new song “less” — officially titled “Less Than” — during a live performance at a surprise underplay show, with footage of the emotional moment going viral overnight as fans shared their reactions across social media.

The 23-year-old pop star and three-time Grammy winner performed the track at an intimate concert at Brooklyn’s Warsaw, a venue with a capacity of just 1,100, as part of a series of small-scale shows supporting her newly released album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.” According to Variety’s review of the concert, the show was announced only hours before it took place, on a sweltering Thursday afternoon in New York City, sparking a scramble for tickets that were available only at the venue’s box office.

A packed, sweltering show

Fans lined up in extreme heat to secure entry, with temperatures reaching a real-feel of 105 degrees outside the venue, according to Variety. Despite the conditions, Warsaw was packed well before the scheduled 8 p.m. start time, with the heat proving just as intense inside the venue itself.

Rodrigo, dressed in a red flowered schoolgirl dress and black go-go boots, opened the set with the album’s lead single, “Drop Dead,” a vocally demanding track that offers few opportunities to catch a breath during its upper-register chorus, according to Variety’s account of the performance.

An emotional highlight of the set

After a run of newer material, Rodrigo moved to the keyboard for a stretch of ballads pulled from her earlier albums, including “Drivers License,” before returning to preview four additional songs from her latest record. That stretch included fan favorites “Maggots for Brains” and “The Cure” — the latter of which Rodrigo described as “probably” her favorite song on the new album, according to Variety — along with the emotionally charged live debut of “Less Than,” also referred to by fans simply as “less.”

The song deals with the end of a romantic relationship, recalling an attempt to recreate a favorite date before ultimately acknowledging the relationship’s collapse. According to lyrics documented by Just Jared, the track includes lines describing a trip to Big Sur that “only confirmed this isn’t what it should feel like,” building toward a chorus in which Rodrigo sings about the emotional toll of the relationship’s end, including the lyric, “If loving me means crying on the curb at LAX, well, then I guess I wish, I wish, I wish you loved me less.”

Rodrigo previously spoke about the song’s origins, explaining that it was added to the album later in the writing process as something of a creative exercise. “A song like ‘less’ was added, obviously, later in the album making process, and I think it was us trying to practice a little bit of restraint,” she explained, according to Just Jared’s earlier coverage of the track’s release.

Fans respond to the emotional moment

Video clips capturing Rodrigo visibly emotional while performing the song spread quickly online following the show, with fans expressing sympathy and support in the comments beneath the viral posts. According to Geo TV’s coverage of the reaction, fans wrote messages including, “i literally can’t handle it,” and “OH SHUT UP SHUT UP.” Others offered similar responses, with one fan writing, “damn what did they do to my girl i’m not doing well,” and another adding, “i get you, girl, I’m crying too listening to this.” A separate comment read, “guys I really need to give this woman a hug ffs.”

A high-energy set despite the emotional peak

Beyond the emotional performance of “Less Than,” Rodrigo maintained her typically energetic stage presence throughout the rest of the show, according to Variety’s review. She was described as bouncing, spinning, holding out her arms and pumping her fists while leading the audience through several singalong moments. The set ultimately closed with two of her earlier hits, “Good 4 U” and “Déjà Vu.”

Variety’s review noted that the newer material from the “Pretty Sad” album, while performed cleanly, is likely to loosen up further as Rodrigo continues performing the songs in additional live settings, a common pattern for newly released tracks still being worked into a touring set.

What’s next for Rodrigo

The Brooklyn show marked one of the first performances tied to Rodrigo’s newly released album. According to Variety, additional older songs are expected to be incorporated into her setlist as she prepares to begin more extensive touring, with her own Daisy Chain Fields festival in Southern California among the upcoming stops where fans can expect to hear more from the new record performed live.

Similar emotional reactions are expected to continue as Rodrigo brings songs like “Less Than” to larger stages in the coming months, given the intensity of fan response already generated by its live debut in the small, intimate setting of the Brooklyn show.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 has arrived with the most significant redesign the foldable line has seen in years, and early reviews suggest the changes amount to more than just a cosmetic refresh. Here’s a breakdown of what’s drawing praise from reviewers — and why the device is standing out in an increasingly crowded foldable phone market.

1. A completely new, wider design

For the first time in seven generations, Samsung split its foldable lineup into two distinct devices, and the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 emerged as the more surprising standout. According to Engadget’s review, the phone borrows design elements from Samsung’s own back catalog while also drawing inspiration from rival devices, resulting in a wider, squatter form factor that reviewers say improves the overall experience. Engadget awarded the device a rating of 8.9 out of 10, specifically praising the “new wider design” as a “big win.”

2. Screen dimensions built for how people actually use their phones

Unlike previous Fold models built around a tall, narrow shape, the Z Fold 8 uses a shorter, wider build resembling a passport, according to Bloomberg’s review. That shape translates to screen dimensions better suited for watching video and consuming widescreen content — a meaningful shift, since Bloomberg noted this design direction represents the next major trend in foldable phones, with Apple’s own first foldable iPhone expected to adopt a similar shape later this year.

3. A cover display that’s genuinely useful on its own

Forbes Vetted’s two-week testing period highlighted the phone’s 5.5-inch cover display as a particular standout. According to the review, the smaller external screen proved ideal for quick tasks like responding to Slack messages, while unfolding the phone transformed it into what the reviewer described as “a multitasking powerhouse” for more involved work.

4. A genuine productivity powerhouse when unfolded

Once opened, the Z Fold 8’s 7.6-inch inner display becomes a legitimate workspace. Forbes Vetted’s reviewer described using the phone to review spreadsheets, make real-time edits and triage questions on the fly during an on-site work project — functionality made possible by Samsung DeX, which effectively turns the Android device into a laptop-like experience by allowing apps to open in windowed mode. Paired with a case that includes a stand, along with a wireless keyboard and mouse, the phone can function as a compact computer when needed.

5. Split-screen multitasking built in

Beyond DeX, the Z Fold 8 supports native split-screen functionality, allowing users to run multiple apps simultaneously on the expansive inner display — a feature Forbes Vetted specifically called out as helping streamline multitasking during real-world testing.

6. Flagship-level performance

The Z Fold 8 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, according to SamMobile’s detailed specifications breakdown, giving it performance on par with other 2026 flagship devices. While Forbes Vetted noted the phone benchmarked slightly softer than some competitors during testing, the review emphasized that most everyday users are unlikely to notice any meaningful difference in real-world performance or power management.

7. Strong battery life and faster charging

Engadget’s review specifically praised the Z Fold 8’s battery life as a standout strength, alongside improvements to both wired and wireless charging speeds compared with prior generations. According to SamMobile’s specs rundown, the device is equipped with a 4,800mAh battery — a meaningful capacity for a foldable device that has to power two separate displays.

8. Long-term software support

The Z Fold 8 ships with Android 17 and One UI 9, backed by a commitment to seven years of major operating system updates, according to SamMobile. That extended update window puts the device in line with Samsung’s broader push toward longer software longevity across its flagship lineup, a factor that can meaningfully extend a device’s practical usable life well beyond its initial purchase.

9. Improved durability and display technology

Reviewers have also highlighted upgrades to the phone’s underlying construction. According to SamMobile, the Z Fold 8 features a slimmer crease along its foldable display and an improved anti-reflective coating, addressing two of the most persistent criticisms leveled at earlier foldable phones — visible screen creasing and glare in bright environments.

10. Competitive positioning against Apple’s first foldable

Perhaps most notably, the Z Fold 8 arrives positioned to compete directly against Apple’s rumored first folding iPhone, expected to be unveiled later this year, according to Bloomberg’s reporting. With Samsung having already established a wide-format foldable that reviewers are responding to positively, the Z Fold 8 gives the company a meaningful head start in shaping consumer expectations for what a mainstream folding phone should look and feel like — right as competition in the category intensifies.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 was announced July 22, 2026, during Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event, with the 256GB configuration priced at $1,900 in the U.S. and €2,000 in Europe, according to SamMobile. The device became available for purchase starting Aug. 5, 2026.

A few trade-offs to weigh

Despite the largely positive reception, reviewers noted some drawbacks worth considering. Engadget’s review flagged the phone’s price as a genuine downside, along with the absence of a dedicated zoom camera and the need for a case or additional accessories to take advantage of magnetic charging and accessory attachments. Buyers weighing the standard Z Fold 8 against the pricier Z Fold 8 Ultra should also note that the Ultra offers a taller profile, a larger cover display and improved cameras, making it the better fit for users who prioritize photography and prefer a narrower, more traditional foldable shape.

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