gshc2020.com

Why Apple TV’s ‘Severance’ Is The Only Return-To-Office Employees Want

tags:

@ 01/08/2026

Britt Lower and Adam Scott standing in hallway from the scene of Apple TV's show Severance

Ben Stiller recently announced the start of filming Season 3 for Apple TV’s much anticipated workplace satire and psychological thriller ‘Severance.’ Creator Dan Erickson’s popular show has stacked up 51 awards for its stellar performances, directing, and cinematography. While no release date has been set, Executive Producer and Director Ben Stiller has promised they will not be repeating the three-year gap between Season 1 and Season 2 releases. The series taps into real anxieties individuals experience everyday such as work identity, burnout, bureaucracy, and purpose. Here’s why ‘Severance’ has resonated so deeply with audiences and professionals.

…

Employees Feel Like Different People At Work

‘Severance’ puts forth the debate of identity at home versus identity at work and takes it to the extreme. But many professionals already experience this, psychologically, to a degree. Individuals do not always feel comfortable showing up authentically. Research has found that 62% hide their true selves at work. People may suppress their personality, emotions, or opinions to fit workplace expectations. While respect and courtesy should cross both our personal and professional lives, employees should not have to compartmentalize who they are.

There is a benefit to sharing your full self at work. The distinct work and life separation shown in ‘Severance’ stunts the development of both sides of the characters. Research by the Washington University found that coworkers sharing personal information built stronger bonds and were more willing to respond to work needs, even when viewpoints differed. ‘Severance’ demonstrates the importance of creating safe environments where sharing your struggles and solidifying relationships is welcomed, especially during tough and uncertain times.

‘Severance’ Captures The Frustration Of Meaningless Work

The main character Mark S., played by Adam Scott, works alongside Dylan (Zach Cherry), Irving (John Turturro), and Helly (Britt Lower) in the mysterious Macrodata Refinement. The team has no idea why their work matters. Mark even loudly exclaims “What is it we actually do here?” in a memorable office scene.

This sentiment corresponds to many employees in workplace environments with no clear connection of how their work contributes to the organization’s mission. Seeing the characters of ‘Severance’ experience the same puzzlement makes the show relatable. Employees can easily become disengaged when their tasks do not clearly line up to specific outcomes. Purpose is a strong driver of engagement and productivity. Great leaders state the ‘why,’ not just the task request.

MORE FOR YOU

Bureaucracy Feels More Powerful Than People

‘Severance’ showcases a workplace dominated by rules, handbooks, procedures, approval chains, and layers of management. Employees appear to exist only to satisfy the system. This premise reflects a frustration that many professionals recognize.

Organizations can unintentionally create systems employees serve rather than systems supporting employees. Procedures and processes should make things smoother, not create friction. Every additional form, meeting, approval, or policy may make sense on its own. However, over time they can accumulate into unnecessary roadblocks and complexity. This slows down decision-making, reduces autonomy, and distances employees from meaningful work.

Effective leaders regularly evaluate whether a process is still serving its original purpose or if it has become another bureaucratic hurdle. The popularity of ‘Severance’ reflects a broader workplace truth: people seek organizations where systems empower employees. The best processes operate almost invisibly and enable faster decisions.

Employees Want Autonomy

In the show, every aspect of Lumon employees’ day is monitored by the company. Their movements are tracked, conversations are restricted, decisions are tightly controlled, and accomplishments are rewarded with superficial incentives. Unsurprisingly, employees find both subtle and significant ways to reclaim their independence. ‘Severance’ demonstrates what happens when an organization operates from a foundation of micromanagement and distrust rather than empowerment.

Professionals increasingly want autonomy, flexibility, and ownership at work. Companies should trust employees in reaching outcomes versus having constant oversight. Great leaders provide clear expectations and accountability while giving employees the freedom to determine how best to achieve those goals.

While Severance takes workplace dysfunction to an extreme, its popularity stems from the real concerns it reflects. Every great workplace story reflects something true about work. ‘The Office’ highlighted awkward office culture and ‘Succession’ explored power and leadership. ‘Severance’ resonates because it begs the question we’ve all asked ourselves: How much of ourselves should we have to leave behind when we go to work? %!s()

Yemen’s Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting Red Sea

tags:

@ 01/08/2026

Houthis say Red Sea route remains free to use, pushing back on report of new shipping fees.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have denied planning to charge ships for passing through the Red Sea, saying passage through the waterway remains free.

… %!s()

The denial came in a statement issued Saturday by the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which oversees vessel movement through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. It said its “safe transit service” was voluntary and free of charge, adding that anyone demanding payment for passage did not represent Yemen or the HOCC. It urged shipping companies not to make payments or share information with unauthorised parties.

Infantino’s World Cup Sell-Off Collapse Exposes Limits Of FIFA’s Power

tags:

@ 01/08/2026

Gianni Infantino has built his presidency on an ability to push through ambitious —and often controversial — changes despite widespread resistance. His abrupt decision to abandon plans to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial rights to private equity marks a rare and significant political defeat, exposing the limits of his authority and raising new questions about his future leadership.

The plan itself was unprecedented. By placing FIFA’s most valuable commercial assets — including the World Cups — into a $20 billion company with outside investors holding a 20% stake, Infantino was attempting to fundamentally reshape how the planet’s most lucrative and popular sporting event is financed and managed.

Infantino had argued that private capital would have accelerated investment and unlock long-term revenue. Critics, however, saw something much more sinister: The commercialization of soccer’s crown jewel.

What ultimately doomed the plan was not simply opposition, but the breadth and speed of that opposition. Within days, UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, voted to boycott FIFA competitions, an extraordinary escalation from an organization that has frequently clashed with Infantino but rarely challenged his authority.

CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also aligned itself against the proposal, transforming what might have been a regional disagreement into a near-global rejection.

That coalition mattered because FIFA’s political strength has traditionally rested on balancing competing continental interests. When Europe, Asia and North America simultaneously reject a major initiative, it becomes almost impossible for the FIFA president to portray resistance as isolated or politically motivated.

MORE FOR YOU

The controversial plan also revived longstanding criticism of Infantino’s leadership style. Throughout his decade as FIFA head, he has repeatedly pursued transformative projects — including an expanded Club World Cup and other commercial ventures — often with limited consultation before presenting them as near-finished proposals. This centralized approach has increasingly alienated both confederations and FIFA’s own administration. The failed private equity initiative reinforces that perception.

The involvement of Joshua Kushner’s investment firm added another layer of political sensitivity. Even if the proposal could be justified on commercial grounds, the association with a high-profile American investment group linked to President Donald Trump made the deal harder to separate from broader questions about governance, transparency and influence. The optics became nearly as problematic as the financial structure itself.

Infantino attempted to frame his retreat as evidence of responsive leadership, arguing that unity must take precedence over division. But the language of his statement also acknowledged an unavoidable political reality: Once opposition reached a critical mass, the proposal became unsustainable regardless of its merits.

“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” Infantino said in a statement. “Our purpose has always been, and will always be, to unite and improve.”

He added that “moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together … in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support.”

The broader consequence is that Infantino appears politically weaker than at any point since becoming FIFA president in 2016. Having previously secured re-election without opposition, he now enters the final phase before the next presidential election – which will be decided by the organization’s 211 members – facing widespread criticism from senior executives, public resistance from major confederations and renewed scrutiny over his leadership.

Whether this episode develops into a genuine challenge for the presidency remains to be seen. FIFA politics has often rewarded incumbency and Infantino still retains significant support across many associations.

Nonetheless, the quick collapse of the private equity proposal demonstrates that even a dominant FIFA president cannot override unified resistance from soccer’s most influential stakeholders. %!s()

How Jack Haven Found “Innocence” in ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ Slasher Little Death

tags:

@ 01/08/2026

It might seem a bit jarring to hear that an actor “took a sweetness” from a character called Little Death, but Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’s Jack Haven found an innocence to the slasher in Jane Schoenbrun’s latest feature.

… %!s()

“It’s someone who isn’t killing because of a wicked and cruel instinct, but sort of just because of inevitability and curiosity,” the 31-year-old tells The Hollywood Reporter. In Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Misasma, a young filmmaker, played by Hannah Einbinder, is preparing to reboot a slasher franchise, Camp Miasma, which found Haven’s Little Death terrorizing and killing teen campers. Add the ultimate final girl, played by Gillian Anderson, and it’s an unbeatable formula.

“I like a character that just doesn’t quite know how human things work, but is interested in playing with them,” Haven explains. “[There’s] an innocence and a total inability to control the people around them in a manipulative way. This character has a deep power that’s a deep centered power, but has no interest in the social dynamics.”

The actor gained recognition for their role in Netflix’s Atypical, along with roles in films like Bill and Ted Face the Music. They’ve also waded into the filmmaking waters in recent years. In Camp Miasma, Haven reunites with Schoenbrun after the pair worked together on the director’s acclaimed feature I Saw the TV Glow.

“Jane is one of those rare and sacred collaborations that I just feel it’s intergalactic when I get to work with them,” Haven says.

“I feel a great freedom when I’m with Jane,” they continue. “When I’m talking to Jane about creating something because they have a really unlimited imagination and they can travel through dimensions.”

The actor says they’ll always work with Schoenbrun when the opportunity’s presented. Adds Haven, “I pack myself and I’m ready at the door.”

Below, Haven digs into the film premiering at Cannes, working as a filmmaker and the Camp Miasma sequence that the actor found to be their most physically challenging scene ever.

What drew you into the movie?

I would’ve said yes to anything that Jane asked me to do, but they described the character as the slasher killer in a helmet with a slobbering tongue, and I was totally in.

What was the Cannes experience like?

I wish I was mentally stable enough to enjoy something like Cannes, but unfortunately I’m not. The best part was that I knew it was a good thing in my mind. Probably in my body, I knew it was a good thing. My mind turned invasive species mode and was running through the rainforest, trying not to get caught. It’s like, you know that scene in The Beach when Leonardo DiCaprio goes into video game mode and he’s being chased? It’s like that level of paranoia for some reason is elicited by environments in which capitalism and film are making out. I just, something about it, I run. But seeing everyone’s hard work, this beautiful group of people with the purest souls on earth being celebrated in this way was just magnificent. Also, my mom came, and it was really special to be there with her because she’s a longtime artist. It was just amazing to see it through her eyes.

How do you work through getting over that in your own head?

I’ve just been working on transcending it. It’s totally an ego thing because it’s like, first of all, no one really gives a shit about anyone else. At the core of every interaction is pure love, and we know that celebrity culture is done. I think it’s hilarious that we’re still dealing with these dynamics because we know they’re not real.

Seeing a movie like Camp Miasma at Cannes, people just enter this state of bliss because they are in the imaginary dimension, even if just for a moment. For some reason, that’s what we like to pay for. We like to pay for things that glitter like the imaginary, like magic. This is the way our world is built right now, it won’t always be built like this and it hasn’t always been built like this, but that’s the mental gymnastics I have to do, which honestly should be quite easy because as I said, it’s all love.

You recently did your first feature as a director, right? Can you tell me a bit about what that process of transitioning to filmmaking has been like?

Yes, I have two features actually, but only one is available to see. The first one I made on my iPhone, and it was really because one of my close friends, Peter, he’s 73 and he had liver cancer, so he was dying. He’s the star of the film, so I wanted to make it as quickly as possible. He got the liver transplant halfway through and he survived, and so we finished the film with him. The second film, my good friend Clyde gave me money to buy a better camera. I wrote a script for that one. The first one was improvised, and that one was more produced. Then editing it is obviously hell. My best friend Mina Walker scored the movie. We’ve just finished that one. Now, I’m writing the third one. We’re going to shoot in August and September, [and it’s] is a comedy.

I believe Jane said in the director’s notes that the one shot killing spree scene was the most proud they’ve been about anything they’d made. I’d really love to hear about that scene in particular.

Jane had a shot by shot with them as Little Death. It [was] made at the camp before we started shooting. It was just an iPhone edit, which I hope gets released someday. But I can’t take really any credit for it. I know what my body is doing, and it’s like 3 a.m., and I do what I must do. The hardest part was probably the camera that was strapped to me.

What was that like? I read it was very heavy.

I don’t even know how heavy it was, but it felt like it was as heavy at least as me. It felt like the shadow self, honestly. It was balancing that. But the camera assistant, Emma, was holding the camera, and then there were sandbags on the back so it was counterbalanced, but it’s still… The fight choreographer, stunt choreographer, Maja Aro, had this really particular movement that we practiced so much, so I knew what I was doing.

The pieces were all there, but it’s still probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do as an actor, just in terms of physical intensity. The stunt people in the background, they were doing such hard work because they were throwing themselves against the wall and then falling to the rhythm of the stabs. We did it maybe eight times, and still on the last take, I screamed afterwards because I forgot something. But I guess we got it.

What did you feel like seeing the scene?

Totally blown away. As with the whole film, as with all of Jane’s work. Even when Jane describes something or describes an idea for a film, that’s unlike anything. It really feels like a feeling of your grandmother telling you a story as a child, it’s that wonder. %!s()

Blood cancer’s genetic warning signs may appear years early

tags:

@ 01/08/2026

Long-term tracking of chronic blood cancers has revealed major genetic differences between patients whose conditions remain stable and those whose diseases eventually become more severe. The findings suggest that DNA changes may help doctors improve diagnoses, monitor patients more accurately, assess how treatments are working, and identify signs of progression years before symptoms become obvious.

… %!s()

Published in Cancer Discovery, the study was led by researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators. The team combined genetic analysis with detailed clinical records to investigate how chronic blood cancers can develop over several decades. The findings were also presented at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Conference in San Diego.

How Chronic Blood Cancers Develop

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of rare, long-lasting blood cancers that begin in the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced. In people with MPNs, the bone marrow makes certain blood cells in an uncontrolled way.

Around 40,000 people in the UK are living with MPNs, and approximately 4,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.[1] These cancers often progress slowly. They can begin with mutations, or changes in DNA, that arise very early in life, followed by additional mutations that accumulate over several decades.[2]

Most MPNs are associated with mutations in the JAK2, CALR or MPL genes. However, around 10 percent of patients do not have any of these common genetic changes.

In these cases, doctors may diagnose cancer largely by examining the appearance of cells in the bone marrow. As a result, some patients could receive cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, without definitive genetic evidence that they have an underlying blood cancer.

Why Some Cases Worsen

The course of chronic blood cancer varies widely between patients. Some people feel well for years and need only mild treatment while their disease remains stable. Others eventually develop more serious conditions, including leukemia or myelofibrosis, which causes scarring in the bone marrow.

Doctors cannot always determine in advance whose disease will remain stable and whose will progress. The researchers therefore investigated whether genetic changes could reveal which patients were at greater risk. They also examined whether people who lacked the common MPN mutations truly had blood cancer.

The team followed 30 patients with chronic blood cancers, primarily MPNs. They combined whole-genome sequencing with extensive clinical information, including nearly 8,000 blood test results, treatment records and disease data.[3]

More than 450 samples were examined through repeated genomic testing. Some patients were monitored through routine clinical care for as long as 25 years.

Building Family Trees of Blood Cells

The long follow-up period connected genomic research at the Sanger Institute with routine patient care at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This allowed the scientists to observe how blood cell populations changed over time and provided a broader view of how cancers evolve.

Using DNA taken from blood cells, the researchers created genetic 'family trees'. These reconstructions allowed them to trace the origins of cancer clones, groups of genetically identical cells that later contributed to disease progression.

The analysis revealed distinct patterns of evolution among patients with MPNs.

People whose disease remained clinically stable tended to have genetically 'steady' blood cell populations that acquired few or no additional mutations. By contrast, patients whose disease progressed developed new DNA changes over time.

The results suggest that progression in chronic blood cancers may be biologically 'encoded' years before a patient's condition visibly deteriorates. Mutations linked to future progression may be detectable long before symptoms worsen or standard clinical tests reveal a major change.

Some Diagnoses May Reflect Normal Aging

The researchers also examined patients who lacked mutations in JAK2, CALR or MPL.

They reconstructed 'family trees' from around 200 blood cell genomes belonging to these patients. Instead of finding patterns typical of cancer, the scientists observed changes that were more consistent with normal aging.

This finding challenges the assumption that everyone with certain unusual bone marrow features has a true blood cancer. Some people currently placed in this disease category may instead have biological characteristics that are different from those seen in genuine MPNs.

The results suggest that doctors may need to reconsider how these patients are diagnosed and managed. They also support new British Society for Haematology guidelines for investigating people without JAK2, CALR or MPL mutations.[4,5]

These guidelines recommend that some patients initially be described as having thrombocytosis without JAK2, CALR or MPL mutations, rather than being immediately diagnosed with blood cancer. Thrombocytosis means a high platelet count without clear genetic evidence of cancer.

Toward Regular Genomic Monitoring

The study highlights several possible clinical benefits of using genomic information more routinely in cancer care. Genetic testing could help doctors distinguish stable disease from cancers that are likely to progress, refine uncertain diagnoses and guide the development of more precise treatments.

In the future, regular genomic tests could allow clinicians to identify high-risk patients years before their disease worsens. That could create opportunities to intervene earlier while avoiding unnecessary treatment for people whose blood changes may not be cancerous.

Dr. Daniel Leongamornlert, first author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "We followed patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms over many years and used genome sequencing and clinical history to trace how blood cell populations changed over time. By reconstructing the ancestry of cells, we were able to see different evolutionary patterns between patients who had stable disease compared to others who progressed."

Dr. Dani Skirrow, Research Information Manager at Cancer Research UK, who part-funded the study, said: "We're in a golden age of research where advances in technology mean we can rapidly read DNA to find the errors in the code that can lead to cancer. Collaboratively, our researchers have read huge amounts of DNA to build up a detailed picture of how certain blood cancers can start, grow and behave, revealing some changes that could help us predict cancer years in advance. This type of discovery research is essential to improve how we monitor people at risk of blood cancer, and to help us find better ways to prevent, detect and treat the disease so people can live longer, better lives."

Dr. Jyoti Nangalia, senior author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Honorary Consultant Haematologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "These are patients we have cared for and followed in our clinic for over 15 years. It can be incredibly difficult to predict how their cancers might change over time. By combining long-term clinical care with regular genomic analysis, we've been able to watch how the genetic code of their disease evolves in advance of clinical changes. The patterns we have found will help doctors develop better monitoring strategies, refine diagnosis and lead to better patient outcomes in the long run."

One Patient's Decades-Long Experience

Alan Everitt, 77, has received care at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for more than three decades. He was diagnosed in 1992 with essential thrombocythemia (ET), a rare form of MPN that causes the body to produce too many platelets, the blood cells involved in clotting.

His condition later progressed to myelofibrosis, which causes scar tissue to develop in the bone marrow. He has also experienced recurrent skin cancers.

Alan Everitt, from Hardwick, Cambridgeshire, said: "It's been reassuring to be cared for over so many years by both the hematology and plastic surgery teams at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. I have always felt well supported and I'm grateful for the care and feedback at every step. Living with a blood cancer for such a long time has come with many challenges, and I hope that taking part in this research will help make a difference for future patients whose cancer is likely to progress over time, as mine has."

Notes:

Blood Cancer UK. Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Available at: https://bloodcancer.org.uk/understanding-blood-cancer/myeloproliferative-neoplasms/ (Last accessed: April 2026)
N. Williams et al. (2022). 'Life histories of myeloproliferative neoplasms inferred from phylogenies.' Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04312-6
Blood and bone marrow samples were obtained from patients recruited at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Clinical data regarding the patients including blood counts and treatment history were collected using the electronic health record (EHR) systems. Whole blood and skin biopsies were obtained during routine clinical visits with buccal swab or T-cell samples from patients for matched 'normal' material.
A. Godfrey et al. (2026). 'Investigation and management of thrombocytosis without JAK2, CALR or MPL mutations: A British Society for Haematology Guideline'. British Journal of Haematology. DOI: 10.1111/bjh.70260
New British Society for Haematology guidelines recommend describing some patients as having thrombocytosis without JAK2, CALR or MPL mutations -- meaning a high platelet count without clear genetic evidence of cancer -- rather than initially diagnosing them with a blood cancer.

This research was supported in part by Wellcome and Cancer Research UK. %!s()

Why Apple TV’s ‘Severance’ Is The Only Return-To-Office Employees Want

…

Employees Feel Like Different People At Work

‘Severance’ Captures The Frustration Of Meaningless Work

Bureaucracy Feels More Powerful Than People

Employees Want Autonomy

Yemen’s Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting Red Sea

Recommended Stories

Infantino’s World Cup Sell-Off Collapse Exposes Limits Of FIFA’s Power

How Jack Haven Found “Innocence” in ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ Slasher Little Death

Blood cancer’s genetic warning signs may appear years early