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Inside the Apostolic Church of Nigeria in the Lekki district, chairs and their sodden cushions were piled in knee-high floodwaters that had engulfed the building.

The megacity lies on a low-lying coastline, making its population of around 20 million people vulnerable to flooding.

But experts say rising sea levels driven by climate change, erratic rainfall and unregulated groundwater extraction fueled by rapid urbanization are also major drivers.

Most Lagos households don't have access to treated, piped water, forcing them to drill boreholes for potable water and disrupting the ground's equilibrium.

The crowded city is among those that the World Economic Forum says are sinking by up to 87 millimeters (3.4 inches) per year.

As Nigeria's commercial hub, Lagos attracts thousands of people daily from across the country seeking better economic opportunities. The U.N. puts Lagos's annual growth rate at 6%.

Rapid development of residential, commercial and industrial buildings is everywhere, especially in Lekki, which has a designated special free trade zone to attract investment and is also earmarked for a new international airport.

Akpan, 42, recalled waking to "discover that everywhere is flooded," he told AFP, standing in the middle of a soaked church auditorium. His children's schoolbooks, waterlogged and tattered, lay strewn across the grounds.

Under siege

Heavy rains sweep Nigeria between May and November, often resulting in dangerous and at times deadly floods.

Last year, authorities forecast annual rainfall of 1,952 mm (77 inches), above the average of 1,721 millimeters (68 inches) recorded between 2012 and 2022.

This year, it is expected to range between 1,650 mm (65 inches) and 3,030 mm (119 inches).

"It's like we are under siege from flooding," said Uche Adibua, 46, in the Okota area of Lagos. His apartment has been flooding since the rains began this year.

"It didn't happen before," he said.

But such disasters are becoming more common: Late June storms that dumped rain from Ivory Coast to Nigeria, sparking flooding that killed about 100 people, were "supercharged" by climate change, according to World Weather Attribution, a global coalition of scientists.

The wider Lagos state, which encompasses the city, has 180 kilometers (112 miles) of coastline and extensive waterways, leaving it particularly vulnerable.

"Lagos is located in a low-lying coastal environment, which predisposes it to coastal flooding," Ibidun Adelekan, a geography professor at the University of Ibadan, told AFP, adding that increasing rainfall compounds the risk.

Scientific analyses have shown that the state now experiences heavier rainstorms than in the past, she added.

Poor infrastructure, inadequate drainage and indiscriminate waste disposal add to the crisis.

It is common to see heaps of empty plastic bags and bottles floating in Lagos lagoons and open-air drainage channels, as well as piles of rotting waste on city sidewalks, where garbage bins are almost nonexistent.

Loss of natural surfaces, the destruction of wetlands and unstructured land reclamation for development have further reduced the city's ability to absorb excess rainwater, experts say.

"Annual flooding in Lagos is caused by heavy rainfall, inadequate drainage, clogged gutters laden with debris and fast urban growth that hinders natural water absorption," Olumide Idowu, an independent environmentalist, told AFP.

Tokunbo Wahab, the Lagos government's environmental chief, agrees that "illegal dredging and land reclamation" have caused "significant environmental challenges," with vast wetlands filled and built over as the city grapples with rapid population growth.

Highway headache

Some residents of the Lekki district blame the construction of the 700-kilometer (435-mile) Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, which will link Lagos to Calabar city near the Cameroon border, for worsening flooding.

"Water has never entered the house before," Babatunde Vaughn, a technology consultant whose apartment is about 150 meters (164 yards) from the highway, told AFP.

The road, a government flagship project, was the "only significant thing that has happened between the last rainy season and this year," Vaughn said. "It didn't flood this way."

But works minister Dave Umahi and Hitech, the Nigerian company building the highway, reject the notion that the road has worsened flooding.

Umahi insisted at a recent meeting with residents that the road has instead created a buffer protecting surrounding communities from coastal flooding.

For environmentalists, many of the fixes should be low-hanging fruit for the government: updating building codes, regulating urban development and building drainage systems to accommodate increased rainfall.

Who's behind this story?

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

© 2026 AFP

Citation: Climate change, urban growth fuel Lagos flooding (2026, July 16) retrieved 16 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-climate-urban-growth-fuel-lagos.html

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The Imagen Foundation also announced that actor, filmmaker, producer and musician Andy Garcia will receive the org’s lifetime achievement award. (Garcia was also nominated in the best supporting actor – drama field for “Landman.”) Also, the creators behind “Acapulco” and Apple TV will receive the creative achievement award, while Los Angeles County First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis will be presented with the president’s award “for her distinguished career in public service and longstanding commitment to advancing opportunity and representation for Latino communities.”

This year’s Imagen Awards will be spread out among 25 categories — but Imagen Foundation founder/president Helen Hernandez noted that there was a lack of submissions for director, lead and supporting performers in film. That’s a reminder, she noted, that there’s still too little Latino representation on screen.

“This year’s nominees reflect the extraordinary diversity of Latino talent across television, documentaries, independent productions, digital media and music,” Hernandez said in a statement. “We are proud to recognize the creators, actors and artists whose work represents our community and the many different perspectives within it.

“However, we cannot ignore the continued lack of Latino representation in media and the fact that we are unable to present awards in the film categories Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting due to a lack of submissions. This should concern our entire industry. As a business, Latinos are a $3 trillion audience, and by overlooking the value of our community, it directly affects the economic health and longevity of the entertainment industry. We celebrate the progress represented by this year’s nominees, while continuing to challenge the industry to do better.”

The 41st Imagen Awards will take place Friday, August 21, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Here are this year’s nominees:

FEATURE FILM

Best Feature Film

“Belén” (Amazon MGM Studios, K&S Films)

“Brownsville Bred” (Del Valle Productions and Brownsville Bred LLC)

“Miles Away” (Cue Shot Productions)

Best Actress

America Ferrera, “The Lost Bus” (Apple Original Films in association with BH Productions / Comet Pictures)

Dolores Fonzi, “Belén” (Amazon MGM Studios, K&S Films)

Zoe Saldaña, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” (20th Century Studios and Lightstorm Entertainment)

Yvette Yates Redick, “Lost & Found in Cleveland” (Impossible Dream Entertainment, Double G Films)

MUSIC

Best Music Composition for Film or Television

Federico Jusid, “The Night Manager” (The Ink Factory, Character 7, Demarest Films, 127 Wall, Nostromo Pictures)

Carlos Rafael Rivera & David Stal, “Hacks” (Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment)

Tomas Videla, “The House of the Spirits” (Amazon MGM Studios, FilmNation Entretainment, Hyphenate Media Group)

Best Music Supervision for Film or Television

Holly Gregory, “Dora” (Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Pipeline Studios)

Paulina Márquez, “The Night Manager” (The Ink Factory, Character 7, Demarest Films, 127 Wall, Nostromo Pictures)

Javier Nuño & Joe Rodríguez, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

TELEVISION

Best Drama Series

“9-1-1” (20th Television In Association with Ryan Murphy Television and Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision)

“The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix; A+E Studios)

“Pluribus” (Sony Pictures Television in association with Apple)

“Will Trent” (ABC; 20th Television)

Best Comedy Series

“Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

“Twisted Metal” (Sony Pictures Television, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group PlayStation Productions, Electric Avenue, Artists First, Make It With Gravy, Inspire Entertainment, Wicked Deed, Reese Wernick Productions)

“Scrubs” (20th Television)

Best Special or Television Movie

“Blacktinidad” (LatiNation Media)

“Color Theories by Julio Torres” (HBO in association with Rotten Science, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Space Prince Inc.)

“Frankie Quiñones: Damn That’s Crazy” (Rotten Science)

“Marcello Hernández: American Boy” (Rotten Science for Netflix)

“Ralph Barbosa: Planet Bosa” (Irwin Entertainment)

Best Director

Oscar Almengor, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Miguel Arteta, “The Morning Show” (Media Res in association with Apple)

Janicza Bravo, “The Bear” (FX Productions)

Victor Gonzalez, “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” (Disney Branded Television)

Santiago Limon, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Dailyn Rodriguez, “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix; A+E Studios)

Best Actor – Drama

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, “The Lincoln Lawyer” (Netflix; A+E Studios)

Ramón Rodríguez, “Will Trent” (Hulu; 20th Television)

Wilmer Valderama, “NCIS” (Belisarius Productions in association with CBS Studios)

Best Actress – Drama

Melissa Barrera, “The Copenhagen Test” (Peacock Original, UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, Bully Pile Productions, Atomic Monster)

Keana Lyn Bastidas, “A Husband To Die For: The Lisa Aguilar Story” (1Department Entertainment in association with Lighthouse Pictures and Wishing Floor Films)

Natalia del Riego, “The Abandons” (SutterInk)

Genesis Rodriguez, “The Night Agent” (Sony Pictures Television, MiddKid Productions, Exhibit A, Project X, Sunset Lane Media)

Amirah Vann, “Doc” (Sony Pictures Television, Fox Entertainment)

Best Supporting Actor – Drama

Andy Garcia, “Landman” (Paramount Television Studios, 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions)

Coleman Domingo, “Euphoria” (HBO in association with The Reasonable Bunch, A24, Tiny Goat, Dream Crew, ADD, HOT and TCDY Productions)

Brandon Larracuente, “Chicago Fire” (Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment)

Gabriel Luna, “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” (Peacock Original, UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, Littleton Road Productions)

Michael Peña, “All Her Fault” (Peacock Original, Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, Carnival Films)

Carlos-Manuel Vesga, “Pluribus” (Sony Pictures Television in association with Apple)

David Zayas, “Dexter: Resurrection” (Showtime Studios and Counterpart Studios)

Best Supporting Actress – Drama

Alana De La Garza, “FBI” (Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment and CBS Television Studios)

Juani Feliz, “9-1-1: Nashville” (20th Television In Association with Ryan Murphy Television and Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision)

Arienne Mandi, “Chicago P.D.” (Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment)

Lana Parilla, “The Rainmaker” (Blumhouse Television)

Rosalía, “Euphoria” (HBO in association with The Reasonable Bunch, A24, Tiny Goat, Dream Crew, ADD, HOT and TCDY Productions)

Lily Santiago, “Untamed” (John Wells Productions, Syndicate Entertainment, Escape Artists Entertainment, Bee Holder Productions and Warner Bros. Television)

Karla Souza, “56 Days” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Best Actor – Comedy

Enrique Arrizon, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Stephanie Beatriz, “Twisted Metal” (Sony Pictures Television, Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, PlayStation Productions, Electric Avenue, Artists First, Make It With Gravy, Inspire Entertainment, Wicked Deed, Reese Wernick Productions)

Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building” (20th Television)

Camila Perez, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Best Supporting Actor – Comedy

Eugenio Derbez, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Nestor Carbonell, “The Morning Show” (Media Res in association with Apple)

Fernando Carsa, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Carlos Corona, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Peter Dager, “Stick” (Propagate Content and Entertainment 360 in association with Apple)

Cristo Fernandez, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Best Supporting Actress – Comedy

Rose Abdoo, “Hacks” (Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment)

Vanesa Bauche, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Aimee Carrero, “Your Friends & Neighbors” (Apple Studios / Tropper Ink)

Isabella Gomez, “Shrinking” (Warner Bros. Television in association with Apple)

Keyla Monterroso Mejia, “Acapulco” (Apple TV; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

Mariana Treviño, “Stick” (Propagate Content and Entertainment 360 in association with Apple)

Best Young Actor

Logan Alarcon-Poucel, “Alma’s Way” (Fred Rogers Productions & Pipeline Studios)

Arian S. Cartaya, “IT: Welcome to Derry” (HBO in association with Rideback, Vertigo Entertainment, FiveTen Productions, K Plus Ultra, Double Dream, and Warner Bros. Television)

Carmen Sanchez, “Electric Bloom” (Disney Branded Television)

Best Voice-Over Actor

Stephanie Beatriz, “Hazbin Hotel” (Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment)

Harvey Guillén, “Shape Island” (Bix Pix Entertainment in association with Apple)

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, “Hazbin”“ Hotel” (Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment)

Daphne Rubin-Vega, “Hazbin”“ Hotel” (Amazon MGM Studios, A24, Bento Box Entertainment)

Best Variety or Reality Show

“Amazon Music Presents “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí: Una Más” (Amazon Music Productions, A1 Productions and Rimas)

“Chiquis Sin Filtro” (JK Media Group)

“Desmadre Live!” (LatiNation Media)

“Leguizamo Does America Season 2” (MSNBC Films, NBC News Studios, Casa NoHo Studios)

Best Youth Programming
“Cyberchase” (Thirteen Productions LLC)

“Rosie’s Rules” (9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films)

“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” (Disney Branded Television)

“Wonder Pets: In the City” (Nickelodeon Animation in association with Apple)

“WondLa” (Skydance Animation in association with Apple)

Best Documentary
“Critical Incident: Death at the Border” (HBO Documentary Films presents in association with Midnight Films, crazyrose, Film 45)

“P.O.V: Igualada: Refusing to Know Your Place” (American Documentary | POV; Human Pictures; No Ficción)

“P.O.V: The Age of Water” (American Documentary | POV; A Ponderosa Productions LLC; Rada Studio Production)

“Selena y Los Dinos” (Polygram Entertainment, Amsi Entertainment and Motto Pictures for Netflix)

“VOCES American Sons” (InfiniteWarrior LLC, Latino Public Broadcasting, Black Public Media, with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by Bexar County and the City of San Antonio Arts and Culture.)

Best Informational Program

“Daddy Yankee: A Higher Note” (ABC News)

“ABC News Live – Last Lands: Guatemala” (ABC News)

“Karina Tovar” (SC Reportajes)

“Latinos On Broadway: Rooted in Culture. Rising on Stage” (CUNY TV)

Best Short Film

“Enseñame Como Morir” (Isosceles Media, Latino Film Institute)

“Hangtown” (1491 Films LLC, Flor de Luz)

“Las Cosas Que Brillan” (Sotomayor Productions, Maestro Filmworks, Big Howl, Big Picture Alliance)

“Roxy & The Man” (Bronx Boy Entertainment, Bing Productions)

“The Apricot” (Fishboy Animation, Latino Film Institute, ¡Viva Calavera!)

“The Birthday Gift” (A Season of Rain, Teatro Vista Productions)

Best Student Film

“In The Still Of The Night” (Cinemar Films)

“Last Words” (USC)

“¡Que Suene La Banda!” (UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television)

“Train Stop” (Eyescape Productions)

Best Podcast

“Energis” (NRJ Media Group)

“Say What You Mean” (Dancing with Raymond Media House)

Best Online Creator

Jesus Nalgas (@jesusnalgas)

Phaith Montoya (@phaithmontoya) %!s()

What this all told me in the hour-and-a-half long demo I played is that developer Game Freak is shooting for something bigger, more ambitious, and simply different from anything it's previously made. It's drawing from several games we've seen before and piecing them together in its own way while setting up a story that touches on embracing our humanity — and now that I've played it, Beast of Reincarnation feels like Game Freak's best opportunity to break out of Pokémon's shadow.

The story starts off with a bang, establishing its science-fantasy contrast as Emma vows to protect a little girl named Kagura who's recovering in their de facto headquarters — an AT-AT-looking walker — before jumping out donning her samurai sword and ronin-inspired fit. The precious big boy Koo follows her all while an orchestral tune with dramatic choir vocals build an atmosphere that veers so close to NieR:Automata that I couldn't shake the comparison.

In similar fashion to the Yoko Taro classic, you're dropped into a warzone as the tutorial mission. Missiles drop from the sky, blighted creatures are on the attack, and robots fight alongside you as you learn how Beast of Reincarnation's fast-paced action works. Timing parries and Emma's fancy Blade Art special attacks along with commanding Koo as if he was a Pokémon himself; I quickly saw how this game's combat system is both easy to pick up and incredibly fun to engage with.

Game Freak is shooting for something bigger, more ambitious, and simply different from anything it's previously made.“

Once the tutorial intro ends, a cutscene drops some lore that hints at how humanity destroyed its own world, and the broken machines you see rusting away in the overgrown environment are the results of its own corruption. But there's hope in a place called Ogouchi, which is where Emma is headed as you're dropped into Beast’s first open region.

Beast of Reincarnation is not necessarily an open-world game, but the folks from publisher Fictions explained to me that there are several open regions that you'll explore as the story goes on. They aren't exactly interconnected and the story will push you through these regions with little opportunity to return once you're past them, giving the impression that it's going to be more straightforward than its map would imply. It's estimated to be about 30–40 hours for an earnest, full playthrough, so it doesn't appear that this format limits its scope. While you won't be racking up sidequests to fill up a quest log, there's still a lot to find off the beaten path with gear and upgrade materials, but for the most part, I stuck to the main quest to see as much of the story as I could and really test its combat system.

Going Beast Mode

Normal enemies didn't give me much trouble since Beast of Reincarnation's parry timing is quite generous – even as it evokes the pacing and rhythm of a Sekiro or Nioh, it won't be nearly as hard (at least, that's my initial impression). Still, recognizing attack patterns and knowing when to dodge or be aggressive with parries are key to controlling Emma and creating windows for Blade Arts or gruesome finishers. And thankfully, the controls are swift and responsive as any decent action game requires.

But Koo is a vital part of the mix, and he's how this game leans into the RPG realm a bit more. Time stops when you pull up his command menu, giving you a chance to be more tactical and cast spells that can complement Emma's melee prowess. Koo's spellcasting works similar to FF7 Remake's ATB system, where you build up points during the action to then spend on casting his abilities. And when you do, there's a little QTE prompt to amplify his effectiveness. In the demo, I could have him cast fireballs and inflict burn status, sprout a tree for me to launch up to, or blast tree roots to bind multiple enemies at once – weaving these in like they're part of an attack rotation showed me that there's potential depth to Beast of Reincarnation outside of playing it straight like a tough action game.

Beast of Reincarnation blends its traversal mechanics, RPG elements, and hard-action foundation into a singular, flowing combat system.“

There's a lot to dig into with the skill trees for both Emma and Koo, and since they share the same pool of skill points, I suspect there'll be a sense of buildcrafting — or at least ways to emphasize the parts of combat you like most. A Fictions rep explained to me that progression was built in a way that would support a Koo-centric playstyle for those who aren't as in-tune with action combat, and vice versa. For me, I like a good mix of both since I think they work extremely well in tandem, especially in challenging boss fights where difficulty seems to ramp up.

The big boss battle in the demo was against a monstrous stag, and it's in this fight where Beast of Reincarnation’s systems started to interlock clearly. It was hanging out in a river basin below, so I used Emma's hair as a platform to get the jump on it with a leaping aerial strike to start the battle with the upper hand. From there, my primary plan of attack was to nail down the parry timing of its antler swings and read its animations carefully. And with each successful parry and sword strike, I would dwindle its stagger meter. Simultaneously, Koo would be able to bind it for a brief moment so I could get a few more swings in or help chip away at its health with fireballs. This boss is also physically towering, and sometimes the camera has trouble locking onto a much bigger target — especially when backed into a corner — so having Koo's tree sprout up as a grapple point helped me reset and get away from the boss. Eventually, it'll dash around the arena, letting me use my long-range bow to pluck away at more health before bracing for another round of parries.

Based on what I’ve played so far, Beast of Reincarnation blends its traversal mechanics, RPG elements, and hard-action foundation into a singular, flowing combat system. And while I don't think any one of those parts are particularly outstanding on their own, it's the smart confluence of all three that make it stand out in a sea of Souls-ish action games that try drawing from the same core design principles. What I'm looking forward to now is how it'll evolve as the story goes on, and how boss fights further along challenge me in increasingly interesting ways.

Tales as Old as Time

However, it's not necessarily the action that's going to completely win me over with Beast of Reincarnation. This is also Game Freak's chance to show its chops as storytellers. Say what you want about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but seldom have I seen a game elevate its story to completely unpredictable heights in its final hours like that. Of course, different folks work on various projects within development studios, but it tells me that Game Freak has that potential within.

The last few moments of my demo took me to a flashback sequence where Emma was held captive by one of the more sophisticated robots. It's established that Emma is also seen as a malefact, given her blight-born powers with hair that's wielded like tree roots. She's told she has "no heart, no humanity — no pity for your fellow malefacts," to which she replies, "What's pity?" only to be left with, "Your appearance is the only reminder you were human." And I believe the implication from this cutscene is that Emma is being used as a weapon against the blight, coerced by the humanoid robots to destroy the very thing that made her.

I also can't help but see parallels with my favorite anime film of all time, Princess Mononoke.“

Emma has a ghostly little girl named Violet by her side who keeps her grounded, saying, "Empathy isn't beyond you, Emma. I am sure the day will come when you will understand." This push and pull on finding humanity in someone who seems devoid of emotion is pretty standard storytelling material, but when done well, it can still hit deep. The cutscenes themselves are quite stilted and maybe don't have the same production values you'd see in other games of this scale, but this is where strong writing can do the heavy lifting. Especially when you have a precious boy like Koo as a pet who's experiencing the same struggle of being blight-born, it's easy to see how Beast of Reincarnation could be tugging on my heartstrings.

I can draw a ton of comparisons to other games I've played, like Stellar Blade or Ghost of Yotei when it comes to action and style, and of course NieR with its tone and narrative themes. I also can't help but see parallels with my favorite anime film of all time, Princess Mononoke — a blight taking over the land caused by humanity's ignorance and abuse as a warrior girl and her wolf companion fight to survive the incursion. I'm just theorycrafting at this point, but the twists and turns we've come to expect from these kinds of stories already has me invested in the conflict Emma is caught between with what seems to be a world itself rebelling against civilization. From so many aspects, I see touches of my favorite things reflected in Beast of Reincarnation, and that has me excited to see what it does with this foundation.

Surprisingly, however, director and writer Kota Furushima mentioned to me in a conversation that his biggest influence has been Blade Runner. In creating a new science-fantasy world, Furushima said that he wanted to tap into visual themes of how technological creations have dwarfed the very people who made them and caused pollution in its world. He also said that while very different aesthetically, the vision of a retrofuturist dystopia stuck with him and he wanted to write his own version of that kind of story.

I'm aware that Game Freak has made games outside of its long history with Pokémon, like Giga Wrecker and Little Town Hero, but Beast of Reincarnation is on a different scale. It's been in development for about five or six years, born out of an incubation effort for ideas to help the studio branch out and try new things — and I'm glad we won't have to wait long to see how it comes together in full since it launches on August 4 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. %!s()

“We have 50,000 plus subscribers that we have amassed in about a half a year,” says Begnaud, who is widely known for the stories he contributes to CBS News. “ And so I want them to be able to communicate with each other.”

Beehiiv, a company that has in recent months strived to become one of the main platforms used by a growing wave of journalists and experts staking a claim in creator media, aims to help.  The company is adding a suite of new services that will let subscribers to a newsletter or podcast have a forum for comment and discussion, if the entrepreneur behind the venture wishes, or create other kinds of content in response. The move aims to foster a more active connection between creators and followers, and to reduce the potential for “churn,” or an exit from the subscription.

“The more we can do these things, the better,” says Tyler Denk, the company’s co-founder.

An expanded group of capabilities will allow creators to manage conversations and memberships. A new AI operator called Copilot will help users manage, grow, and optimize their audience through a simple chat interface; a new programmatic capability will allow for more granular placement of ads in specific newsletters; and a new visual editor allows creators to get a view of what readers will experience. Having these tools means Beehiiv users won’t have to pay extra to third-party services if they don’t wish to do so.

Beehiiv has worked diligently to build a broader suite of tools that will help its creators do everything from building website to selling products and services that range from eBooks to coaching to hosting podcasts, among other activities. The company expands its offering just as fascination with creator-owned publications appears to reach a new zenith and more focus is being placed on monetizing the work of these new digital figures.

“If I can get the 50,000 people who signed up for the newsletter to communicate with each other, that is big for business,” says Begnaud.

Beehiiv’s Denk believes the so-called “creator economy” has room to expand, even if there have been signs that American wallets can’t keep opening to pay for dozens of newsletter and podcast subscriptions. A path to success, he argues, becomes more and more viable as these platforms mature. The business world “is on the ground floor of the creator economy,” the executive adds.    %!s()

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Table of Contents

When you can’t sleep, the clock can seem to be taunting you. “At least I’m getting seven hours,” you might think as you lie down, but if you’re still awake an hour later, then you’re only getting six hours, and six isn’t a lot. And if you’re still not tired, then it’s going to be less than six, and eventually you’re just lying in bed thinking about how screwed you’re going to be in the morning.

If this sounds familiar, it’s not just you. Sleep scientists have long recognized the idea of “losing sleep over losing sleep,” and it’s a well-known factor that can contribute to insomnia. It’s not necessarily the cause of your sleep problems, but it can make them worse. For example, say you have some minor issue that makes it hard to sleep. You get into a cycle of stressing out over the clock at night, getting poor sleep, and then being tired the next day. Then you begin to dread bedtime, because you know it’s going to happen all over again.

Before you know it, you may be taking medications to help you sleep, which have their own health risks (nightly Benadryl is not good for you). A 2023 study found that “time-monitoring behavior,” as they called clock-watching, may be driving people to take medications they wouldn’t otherwise need. So what can you do instead? Here's what sleep experts recommend.

Hide the clock

One of the authors of that study says that it can help to promise yourself you won’t look at the time. Turn the clock around, cover the display, or if you use your phone to check the time, put it out of reach. If the alarm hasn’t gone off yet, it’s still nighttime, and that’s all you really need to know.

Without the clock, you might worry that you don’t know if you’re getting enough sleep or not. But even with the clock, you aren’t necessarily counting the hours accurately. Those hours you think you’re fully awake, you’re often drifting in and out of sleep, and getting more of it than you think you are.

What do you think so far?

If you sleep with a watch or fitness tracker that tracks your sleep, only pay attention to the data if it's helping you. If you check your data in the morning and think "hm, I got more sleep than I realized," that's reassuring. But if checking the data ends up adding to your anxiety, try to get out of the habit of checking the app. Trackers aren't always 100% accurate anyway, and you may feel more tired if you think you slept poorly, even if your sleep was actually OK. Also consider these tips on how to use sleep tracking data more healthily.

Focus on relaxing

Here's a reassuring thought for those late nights: relaxation, even if you're awake, is almost as good as sleep. Close your eyes and calm your mind, and most importantly, tell yourself that this is exactly what your body needs right now. Relaxing this way may give you some of the benefits of meditation, and there’s even a hypothesis that meditation gives you some of the benefits of sleep. Whether it’s true or not, it’s a comforting thought when you’re lying awake in the middle of the night.

And if you need one more reason to stop worrying, remember that relaxation is one of the best ways to get to sleep—so whether you fall asleep or not, you’re helping your body and brain by finding a restful way to spend the remaining hours of the night.

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