Latest news with #MTG
The Independent
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Gaza a ‘genocide' after Trump counters Netanyahu and admits kids are starving
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling Israel's war in Gaza a 'genocide,' her post coming hours after President Donald Trump contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that there is no starvation in the war-torn region. The Georgia MAGA firebrand posted a response on X to Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), who is Jewish and one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel in Congress, who has said that Gaza should 'Release the hostages. Until then, starve away.' Fine added his opinion that the stark images and reports of starvation in Gaza 'is all a lie anyway.' 'I can only imagine how Florida's 6th district feels now that their Representative, that they were told to vote for, openly calls for starving innocent people and children,' MTG posted. Greene added that Fine's comments would cause only more antisemitism. 'It's the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza. But a Jewish U.S. Representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful.' Greene's comments came after Trump, in a rare moment of disagreement with Netanyahu on Gaza, broke with the assessment of Israel's prime minister. On Sunday, Netanyahu spoke at a Christian conference in Jerusalem, where he pushed back against accusations of starvation in Gaza. 'There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza,' Netanyahu insisted. But when meeting with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump said that Gaza had 'real starvation.' 'I don't know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry,' Trump said. Trump said that the United States would work with other countries to provide assistance to Gaza. At the same time, the Trump administration has sought to crack down on pro-Palestine demonstrators in the United States, such as when it arrested Columbia University graduate and activist Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk. Alongside Israel's onslaught on Gaza that it launched after Hamas's deadly terrorist attack on October 7th, 2023, Gaza now risks an outright famine. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said on Tuesday that 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out.' One United Nations representative said that Palestinians are beginning to resemble 'walking corposes ' and children are 'emaciated, weak and at high risk of dying.' This past weekend, Israel announced a humanitarian pause to let food and aid into Gaza. Gaza's Health Ministry said that 60,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the war. Plenty of progressive Democrats have called Israel's war in Gaza a genocide, such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the first Palestinian-American congresswoman, as well as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). But Republicans, who largely support Israel because of evangelical Christian conservatives who believe that the creation of the state of Israel is an important part of End Times theology, remain supportive of the country. Last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Netanyahu to Congress. At the same time, Greene had broken with Republicans and Trump on foreign policy, most recently on Trump's decision to strike nuclear facilities in Iran. In addition, earlier this month, she attempted to have a vote on cutting off aid to Israel, though all but six members – two Republicans and four Democrats – opposed it. She specifically criticized bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This old-school hobby is helping Hasbro defy economic headwinds
Hasbro Inc. (Nasdaq: HAS), the brand responsible for iconic games like Monopoly, Jenga, and Magic: The Gathering, saw its shares tick upward over 3% in premarket trading on Wednesday. The uptick came just after the company reported its second-quarter earnings of $1.30 per share, beating the analyst expectations of $0.78 per despite a 1% year-over-year decrease, Hasbro's adjusted revenue was posted at $980.8 million, also beating analysts' $874.6 million sales have been notably down for toy and gaming companies, Hasbro has managed to offset some of the volatility due to financial strains and tariffs. 'While tariffs represent a headwind for the business, we are compensating for these costs through a combination of cost reductions, rebalancing our marketing spend, diversifying our supplier mix, and implementing some targeted pricing actions,' Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said on the company's earnings call, per brand is also clearly leaning in to its digital games, most notably Monopoly Go! Launched in 2023, it has quickly become the most popular digital board game, contributing $44 million in the second the biggest driver of Hasbro's recent earnings has been Magic: The Gathering. That's thanks to a recently released expansion set, Final Fantasy Universes Beyond. The set dropped in June and almost instantly shattered records, earning $200 million in one day and becoming the fastest-selling expansion in MTG Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming segment of Hasbro, which encompasses both MTG games and Monopoly Go!, saw overall revenue increase 16% year over year, Cocks spoke about the popularity of digital games and what it meant for the brand. 'As we look at the business of play, it's clear that digital is here to stay and a bigger factor than ever in how successful toy and game companies will grow and strengthen their brands,' Cocks said, noting that the brand was 'years ahead' of its competitors. Here's what happened when Albuquerque made riding the bus free Here's why Trump's proposed 401(k) executive order may be very bad news for your retirement Apple iOS 26 is now available to the public. Here's how to get it—and 5 useful new features to try Still, the fact that Magic: The Gathering games remain popular shows that community is equally as important as digital sense of community is something other gaming companies seem acutely aware of, too. Ray Adler, Mattel's VP and global head of games, recently told Fast Company about the brand's newly introduced Uno Social Club—a gaming and nightlife experience. 'Gen Z already loves Uno,' Adler said. 'They've been playing it online, at parties, everywhere. What they don't always have are opportunities to connect in the real world. So we asked: What if game night could be a whole experience?'Hasbro's stock was down 1.1% in afternoon trading Wednesday, but the brand raised its full-year guidance for 2025. It now expects mid-single-digit revenue, and predicts earnings between $1.17 billion and $1.2 billion. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Sign in to access your portfolio
Politico
5 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Marjorie Taylor Greene takes aim at Trump on artificial intelligence
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is taking aim at a recent executive order from President Donald Trump looking to expand artificial intelligence capacities in the U.S., the latest prominent break between the president and one of his most vocal supporters in Congress. 'My deep concerns are that the EO demands rapid AI expansion with little to no guardrails and breaks,' she wrote on X on Thursday. Greene said she is concerned about the impact the order — which indicates artificial intelligence data centers will be built on federally owned land — will have on the environment and the water supply. She also said the order threatens states who choose to regulate AI, a move she says is 'an absolute threat to federalism' and a reason she originally criticized and threatened to vote against final approval for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Greene's direct attack on artificial intelligence — an industry which Trump has made his support for known — is another in a series of notable breaks. She has also recently criticized Trump for his intervention in Iran and his criticism of some vocal MAGA supporters. In a long post on X in May, Greene warned that she represents the MAGA base and when she is 'frustrated and upset over the direction of things' — which in the post included Iran, Ukraine, vaccines, the judicial system, use of federal funds and gender ideology — the base wouldn't be happy either. 'When you are losing MTG, you are losing the base,' she said. 'And Trump isn't on the ballot in the future, so do the math on that.'
Economic Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Marvel Spider-Man MTG Spoilers — Magic: The Gathering announces five new variants
In a major reveal during San Diego Comic-Con 2025, Wizards of the Coast unveiled the first wave of official Marvel Spider-Man MTG spoilers, launching a new crossover arc that blends the lore of Marvel Comics with the mechanics of Magic: The Gathering (MTG). These early previews offer a glimpse into a set that promises powerful new cards, nostalgic callbacks, and bold design innovations for both Standard and Commander crossover, long anticipated by fans of both franchises, will introduce a roster of five legendary Spider-Man variants. This includes Spider-Man Noir and SP//dr at Uncommon, Spider-Man 2099 and Spider-Ham at Rare, and finally, a Mythic Rare version of Peter Parker, who flips into The Amazing Spider-Man—a standout example of MTG's modal double-faced card mechanics. Each Spider-Man card reflects a different timeline and creative tone. Fans of Sony's Into the Spider-Verse films will find familiar characters—though notably absent are Spider-Gwen and Peter B. Parker, who may appear in subsequent reveals, as mentioned in a report by IGN. Among the Marvel Spider-Man MTG spoilers, the card generating the most buzz is Peter Parker / The Amazing Spider-Man. Uniquely designed, players can cast Peter Parker for two mana and pay four later to flip him into his heroic alter ego. Once transformed, the card grants a powerful 'web-slinging' ability—reducing the cost of casting Legendary spells by returning a tapped creature to card is already being discussed as a new staple in Commander decks. The flexible casting cost and built-in synergy make it a serious contender in value-oriented builds, particularly in decks that revolve around bouncing creatures or running a high volume of legends, as per a report by MTG Rocks. The newly revealed Origin of Spider-Man saga is another standout entry. For just two mana, the card offers three unique chapter effects that can boost existing creatures or generate a temporary 3/2 Spider token with Double Strike. This utility allows players to tailor the card to various archetypes, from Mono-White Aggro to more experimental builds like Standard Yuna, Hope of Spira or Selesnya counters-matter decks. While flavor purists may point out inconsistencies—such as applying saga buffs to non-Spider creatures—the design sacrifices thematic rigidity in favor of strategic flexibility, which has drawn praise from competitive players. The current Marvel Spider-Man MTG spoilers suggest that cards like Origin of Spider-Man are designed with Standard in mind. While the saga offers strong early game value and versatility, its long-term impact in older formats like Modern or Legacy is less certain due to the pace and efficiency of those environments. In Pioneer, there's cautious optimism about the saga's potential role in Mono-White Aggro or Enigmatic Incarnation shells, especially for players seeking new tools in creature-heavy matchups. But for now, its true home appears to be Standard, where synergy with recent cards from Edge of Eternities is strongest. Though Origin of Spider-Man is built for Standard play, it has potential in the Commander format as well. In particular, decks led by Tom Bombadil, which focus on saga recursion, may find this two-drop to be an efficient early play. While the color identity (white) could limit its use in pure Spider Typal Commander decks, its design offers value that can't be ignored in saga-heavy said, the card's individual chapter effects—while powerful in the short term—may not scale well into longer Commander games unless paired with significant saga further engage comic fans, Wizards of the Coast has introduced an Iconic Moments treatment for select cards. One such version of Peter Parker features cover art from The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963), complete with credits to Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. This variant celebrates Spider-Man's legacy and aims to appeal to collectors as much as competitive alternate art versions are part of the upcoming Booster Fun lineup, which continues MTG's trend of offering visually diverse and historically significant treatments for its Universes Beyond with the spoiler reveal, Wizards of the Coast is also hosting a hands-on Spider-Man MTG event at San Diego's Hard Rock Hotel. Newcomers can try themed Welcome Decks built around the web-slinger, as part of WOTC's ongoing push to onboard fresh players through Universes Beyond IPs. Industry watchers note that this strategy is paying off. Hasbro recently reported $200 million in day-one revenue from its Final Fantasy set, suggesting that branded collaborations are proving to be more than a marketing gimmick—they're a financial powerhouse. While excitement is high, players shouldn't expect the full spoiler season to begin just yet. This Comic-Con reveal serves as a 'First Look' rather than the start of formal previews. According to Wizards of the Coast, more Marvel Spider-Man MTG spoilers are scheduled to arrive closer to the set's September now, fans are encouraged to stay tuned for additional reveals, with several major characters—including Spider-Gwen—likely to appear as part of the complete roster. Given MTG's history of slowly escalating hype over weeks of previews, it's safe to assume that this is just the tip of the this initial batch of Marvel Spider-Man MTG spoilers, Magic: The Gathering signals its intent to continue exploring ambitious IP mashups without sacrificing competitive integrity. From double-faced mechanics to saga-based power plays, the cards shown so far blend flavor with function in a way that long-time fans and new players alike can coming weeks promise even more reveals and possibly deeper mechanical twists. But if the early previews are any indication, this Spider-Verse set might just swing its way into Magic's most iconic releases of the Coast unveiled the first official spoilers for the Marvel Spider-Man crossover set in Magic: The Gathering. This marks a significant collaboration between Marvel Comics and MTG under the Universes Beyond product set is themed around Spider-Man and the Spider-Verse. It features multiple Spider-Man variants from across the Marvel multiverse, blending comic book lore with Magic's mechanics.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Magic the Gathering's Final Fantasy crossover becomes fastest-selling set with $200M in one day
Magic: The Gathering's collaboration with Final Fantasy has become the fastest-selling set in the card game's history, generating $200 million in a single day. Released on June 13 2025, the crossover was highly anticipated by Final Fantasy fans. According to Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks during the company's Q2 earnings call, the set broke Magic: The Gathering's previous records, with demand exceeding supply. 'We couldn't produce enough,' Cocks said. 'It was substantially, by many, many very high double-digit percentages, ahead of any other production run we've ever done.' For comparison, Cocks noted that Magic: The Gathering's Lord of the Rings-themed set took six months to reach the same revenue figure that the Final Fantasy crossover achieved in one day. The release also reportedly brought more new players into trading card game shops in two weeks than any previous MTG set managed over a twelve-week period. This report comes despite Final Fantasy maintaining its own official trading card game, which continues to receive new sets. The Final Fantasy collaboration follows a series of Magic: The Gathering crossover releases, including partnerships with franchises such as Fallout and Transformers. Following this record-breaking release, Magic: The Gathering will launch its next non-collaboration set, Edge of Eternities, on August 1. Later this year, additional crossovers are planned with Spider-Man in September and Avatar: The Last Airbender in November.
