“Avatar: The Last Airbender” “sailed to the top of the box office in its second weekend, grossing what studios anticipate will be a healthy $56 million in North America on Sunday — a hint that the sequel may remain afloat into the new year and approach the immense expectations that greeted its debut.

James Cameron’s digital extravaganza for 20th Century Studios has grossed $253.7 million in its first ten days of release, compared to $212.7 million in the same period for the first “Avatar,” which went on to become the highest-grossing picture of all time.

While Cameron’s films, such as the original “Avatar” and “Titanic,” have strong box office legs, sequels tend to open large and fade rapidly, challenging predictions about where the picture will wind up. Given the way blockbusters begin, the second-weekend decline from $134 million in the first was hardly dramatic.

“This is James Cameron’s first $100 million opening,” Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian stated. “The fact that this film started so huge and only dropped 58% suggests that it has staying potential.”

“The Way of Water” is now the third highest-earning picture released in 2022, collecting $855 million — after only “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic World Dominion” — and is expected to gross more over $1 billion.

Looking ahead, the picture has additional holiday time and no comparable competition until February, when Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is out.

Storms across the United States, on the other hand, may keep people at home.

“The weather is Avatar’s biggest nemesis right now,” Dergarabedian explained.

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” an animated Shrek spinoff from Universal, “The film, which stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, came in second place with $11.35 million in its first weekend.

With $5.3 million, Sony’s biopic “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” came in third place.

“Babylon,” the epic of early Hollywood directed by Damian Chazelle and starring Brad Pitt and Margo Robbie, was the weekend’s greatest letdown. It earned only $3.5 million in a countrywide release, placing fourth.

The tepid $6.5 million opening weekend of director David O. Russell’s “Amsterdam, New York” in October “Another film set in a similar time period that combined prestige, scope, star power, and a celebrated auteur raised industry concerns that audiences were simply not flocking to theaters for such films.

The fears were validated, since “Babylon” only lasted about half as long as “Amsterdam.”

The next weeks in cinemas, streaming showings, and any nominations for “Babylon” might all assist “Rise above the position of flop.

“I would argue Babylon isn’t about the opening weekend,” Dergarabedian added. “We’ll have to watch how it does in the following weeks and into the new year, especially if it generates additional awards attention.”

Comscore estimates ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, with Wednesday through Sunday in parenthesis. The final domestic data will be provided on Monday.

1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $56 million.
2. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” 11.35 million.
3. “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” $5.3 million.
4. “Babylon,” $3.5 million.
5. “Violent Night,” $3.14 million.
6. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” $3 million.
7. “The Whale,” $924,000.
8. “The Menu,” $617,000.
9. “The Fabelmans,” $550,000.
10. “Strange World,” $410,000.

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Days of freezing temperatures in Deep South places that normally barely freeze for hours are endangering dozens of water systems as ruptured pipes leak millions of gallons of water.

The difficulties were occurring Monday in huge, ailing water systems such as Jackson, Mississippi, where people were obliged to boil water over Christmas months after most lost service due to a cascade of problems caused by years of inadequate maintenance.

They are also occurring in Shreveport, Louisiana, where several households were without water on Monday. The mayor of Selma, Alabama, proclaimed a state of emergency because the community was concerned about running out of water. Workers at a food bank in Greenville, South Carolina, were trying to salvage $1 million in food when they opened their doors to a flood of water. Police agencies around Atlanta said that needless emergency calls about broken pipes were overwhelming their 911 systems.

Dozens of water agencies issued boil advisories due to low pressure or warned of worse disasters if leaks from damaged pipes were not discovered and water switched off.

Temperatures plummeted below freezing Thursday or early Friday and have barely been over 32 degrees (0 degrees Celsius) for a few hours since then.

When water freezes, it expands and bursts exposed pipes. When the temperature rises, the damaged pipes begin to spill hundreds or thousands of gallons of water.

And, because many companies are idle on a holiday weekend, such leaks might lie undiscovered for days, according to Charleston, South Carolina, water utility spokesperson Mike Saia.

Charleston was on the edge of requiring boil water for its hundreds of thousands of customers, which might force the closure of restaurants and other businesses.

During an average winter day, the system produces around 50 million gallons of water. It produced around 100 million gallons during the holiday weekend. More than 400 consumers reported broken pipes, thus the system estimates that thousands of defective pipes are spilling water due to unreported breaches, shuttered businesses, and unoccupied vacation homes.

“It’s death by a thousand cuts,” Saia said to the television station.

The situation in Jackson was not as bad as it had been in August, when floods worsened long-standing difficulties in one of the capital city’s two water treatment facilities, leaving many of the capital’s 150,000 residents without running water. Residents were forced to queue for water in order to drink, cook, wash, and flush toilets.

However, there were others who were without water, so the city set up an emergency water distribution facility on Christmas.

“We are still struggling to restore water pressure to the system. Despite our efforts at the plants, we are generating substantial volumes of water and pumping it into the system, but the pressure is not increasing. The problem must be severe leakage in the system that we have yet to discover,” Jackson authorities stated in a statement.

In Selma, Mayor James Perkins Jr. issued an emergency order on Christmas Day, directing business owners to check for leaks before the city ran out of water. There was no news on Monday.

Individual buildings were also experiencing issues due to broken plumbing. According to WFSA-TV, a large leak was reported on Christmas Eve inside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery.

When staff at the Harvest Hope Food Bank in Greenville, South Carolina, opened the door Monday morning, several inches of water spilled out. According to the food bank, broken pipes were pouring water and staff turned away scores of needy individuals.

The flood disrupted electricity to the food bank’s freezers and refrigerators, and personnel had to deal with the dual task of restoring power before the goods rotted and keeping water out of the space. According to the food bank, up to $1 million in food might be destroyed.

The prediction did contain some encouraging news. Monday’s highs in the Deep South were anticipated to be in the 40s, and the cold temperatures at night should not stay long before a significant warmup occurs later this week.

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A British historian, an Italian archaeologist, and an American preschool teacher have never met, yet they have a strong pandemic tie.

The three ladies are credited for defining, naming, and bringing long COVID into the public’s notice in early 2020, despite having strikingly similar symptoms.

Rachel Pope of Liverpool turned to Twitter in late March 2020 to discuss her perplexing symptoms caused by a coronavirus infection, which were then nameless. In May of that year, Elisa Perego of Italy used the phrase “long COVID” for the first time in a tweet. Amy Watson in Portland, Oregon, was inspired to name her Facebook support group “long hauler” after the trucker cap she was wearing, and “long hauler” quickly became part of the epidemic vernacular.

Scientists are still attempting to understand out why some people develop lengthy COVID and why a tiny percentage, like the three ladies, have long-term symptoms nearly three years after the pandemic.

Millions of people throughout the world have long had COVID, reporting a variety of symptoms such as weariness, lung issues, brain fog, and other neurological symptoms. Although evidence shows that most recover significantly within a year, current data reveal that it has linked to more than 3,500 fatalities in the United States.

Here is some of the most recent evidence:

ARE WOMEN AT A HIGHER RISK?

According to several studies and anecdotal data, women are more prone than males to acquire lengthy COVID.

There might be biological causes for this.

According to Sabra Klein, a Johns Hopkins researcher who researches immunity, women’s immune systems often produce higher responses to viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens.

Women are also far more prone than males to suffer from autoimmune illnesses, in which the body incorrectly assaults its own healthy cells. Long COVID, according to some experts, might be the result of an autoimmune reaction produced by the virus.

Women’s bodies have greater fat tissue, and new study reveals that the coronavirus may lurk in fat following infection. Scientists are also investigating if changing hormone levels in women may raise the dangers.

Another point to consider: women are more likely than males to seek medical attention and are typically more sensitive to changes in their bodies, according to Klein.

“I don’t believe we should dismiss it,” she stated. Klein believes that both biology and behavior are at work.

It’s no surprise that three women were instrumental in shedding light on lengthy COVID.

Pope, 46, began documenting her symptoms in March 2020: flu-like symptoms, followed by problems with her lungs, heart, and joints. After a month, she began to have “OK” days, but the symptoms lingered.

She and a few other sick coworkers connected with Perego on Twitter. “We kind of began gathering together because that was basically the only location where we could do that,” Pope explained. “In 2020, we’d joke about getting together for Christmas and throwing a party,” Pope added. “Obviously, things progressed, and I believe we stopped joking.”

Watson founded her virtual long truckers club in April of that year. The others quickly picked up on the nickname and adopted it.

THE MONO VIRUS

Several studies show that the common Epstein-Barr virus may be involved in some cases of protracted COVID.

According to Dr. Timothy Henrich, a virus expert at the University of California, San Francisco, inflammation generated by coronavirus infection can activate herpes viruses, which persist in the body after producing an acute illness.

The Epstein-Barr virus is one of the most prevalent herpes viruses, infecting an estimated 90% of the US population. The virus can induce mononucleosis or symptoms that are mistaken for the common cold.

Henrich is one of the researchers that discovered immunological markers indicating Epstein-Barr reactivation in the blood of long-term COVID patients, particularly those who experience tiredness.

These indicators are not present in all long-term COVID patients. However, it’s plausible that Epstein-Barr is producing symptoms in people who have it, though additional research is needed.

Some researchers think Epstein-Barr causes chronic fatigue syndrome, a disorder that has many parallels to lengthy COVID but is similarly unconfirmed.

OBESITY

Obesity is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infections, and researchers are investigating why.

Researchers from Stanford University are among those who have discovered evidence that the coronavirus may infect fat cells. In a recent investigation, scientists discovered the virus and symptoms of inflammation in adipose tissue from COVID victims.

The virus can multiply in adipose tissue, according to laboratory testing. This suggests that adipose tissue might act as a “reservoir,” potentially fueling extended COVID.

Could adipose tissue removal be used to cure or prevent certain cases of extended COVID? The idea is intriguing, but the research is preliminary, according to Dr. Catherine Blish, a Stanford infectious diseases professor and senior author of the paper.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are investigating leptin, a hormone generated by fat cells that can alter the immune system and cause inflammation.

They intend to investigate if injections of a synthetic antibody might lower leptin levels, and thereby inflammation caused by coronavirus infections or protracted COVID.

“We have a sound scientific foundation and preliminary evidence to demonstrate that we could be on the right road,” Dr. Philipp Scherer remarked.

DURATION

Based on data from earlier in the epidemic, it is expected that around 30% of patients infected with the coronavirus would acquire protracted COVID.

Most people who have lasting, recurring, or new symptoms after an illness will recover in three months or less. According to a recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 15% of individuals who experience symptoms at three months will continue to have them for at least nine months.

Identifying who is at risk for long-term symptoms is a “difficult subject,” according to Dr. Lawrence Purpura, an infectious disease expert at Columbia University.

Long COVID appears to be more common in persons with severe illnesses, while it can equally afflict those with moderate infections. Those whose infections cause serious lung damage, including scarring, may have shortness of breath, coughing, or exhaustion for up to a year. A smaller percentage of individuals with mild initial COVID-19 infections may develop neurologic symptoms such as persistent weariness and brain fog for more than a year, according to Purpura.

“The vast majority of people will recover,” he stated. “It’s critical that folks understand that.”

It’s a little consolation for the three ladies who pioneered the recognition of extended COVID.

Perego, 44, experienced heart, lung, and neurological issues and is still very ill.

She recognizes that scientists have learnt a lot in a short period of time, but she believes that “there is a gap” between long-term COVID research and medical care.

“We must integrate scientific knowledge into improved treatment and policy,” she stated.

Watson, who is about to turn 50, claims she has “never had any type of recovery.” She has suffered from severe headaches, as well as stomach, neurological, and foot issues. She recently acquired severe anemia.

She wants the medical profession will take a more systematic approach to managing lengthy COVID. Doctors say it’s challenging since they don’t know what’s causing it.

“I just want my life back,” Watson said, “and it doesn’t appear like that’s going to happen.”

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At a critical juncture in history, a wartime commander crossed the Atlantic to visit a White House decked up in holiday decorations to discuss a war in Europe with the American president.

On December 22, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill landed near Washington to meet with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, barely weeks after the Pearl Harbor assault. The grandeur of that journey was replicated almost 81 years later to the day on Wednesday, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came for a surprise meeting with President Joe Biden and a speech to Congress.

Zelenskyy is a different leader than when he last visited the White House more than a year ago, when Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine was still on the horizon. In a black suit, the former comic seemed solemn, even gloomy, as he warned about dangers to his country’s security. He is now always clothed in army green fatigues and draws compared to Churchill for his tenacious defense of a country in existential peril.

His elevated status on the international stage was evident as soon as he approached the White House grounds, where he was greeted by a color guard lining the road on a cold winter day. A crimson carpet greeted him, and he shook hands with Biden and first lady Jill Biden. They posed for photos together before disappearing into the building.

The two presidents entered the Oval Office and sat in armchairs in front of a Roosevelt painting. Despite the dismal cause for the gathering, there was a blazing fire in the fireplace and a Christmas garland hung over the mantle, giving the room a nice festive atmosphere.

Biden informed Zelenskyy that Ukrainians “inspire the globe” and that “you are the man of the year in the United States of America,” referring to Zelenskyy’s Time magazine honor.

In English, Zelenskyy thanked Biden with “all my heart” for the American support. He handed Biden a medal granted to the Ukrainian captain of a HIMARS battery, a rocket system donated by the United States.

“He’s really courageous, and he said, give it to a very courageous president,” Zelenskyy remarked.

Biden described the present as “undeserved but very appreciated.”

The Ukraine crisis is Europe’s greatest since World War II, yet it is generally addressed in abstract terms in Washington as authorities debate how to assist Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s presence bridged the gap, if only for the few hours he was here. At a White House press conference alongside Biden, he reflected on the possibility of a “fair peace” after the conflict ends.

He stated that as a national leader, he wishes to safeguard his country’s “sovereignty, freedom, and territorial integrity.” But he was also thinking about parents who had lost children.

“The longer the conflict and this assault continue, the more parents will live for the sake of retribution,” he stated in Ukrainian.

He struggled for a while to come up with “the correct terminology” to characterize the Russian invaders before deciding on “these inhumans.”

Zelenskyy toured the rotunda of the United States Capitol with congressional leaders and addressed a joint session of Congress while wearing his brown boots. Some politicians sported blue and yellow Ukrainian flags.

Zelenskyy was given a standing ovation and seemed almost shy as he began speaking.

“It’s just too much for me,” he said.

When speaking in English again, Zelenskyy’s voice was gravelly and belligerent, insisting that Ukraine “would never surrender” in the face of Russia’s “primitive” actions.

The wrinkles on his cheeks, though, revealed tiredness from months of combat and the hurried travel to Washington. He moved to Poland on a train under American security, escorted by the US ambassador to Ukraine. He was then hauled away to a US government jet for the journey.

Pedestrians were prohibited from Pennsylvania Avenue as security was reinforced around the White House. To conceal Zelenskyy when he came to prepare for his meeting with Biden, a privacy screen was placed at the entrance to Blair House, the typical accommodation for visiting dignitaries.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., made a comparison between Zelenskyy and Winston Churchill. During Churchill’s 1941 visit, her father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., was a member of the House. On the day following Christmas, the British Prime Minister addressed Congress.

“Eighty-one years later this week, it is especially poignant for me to be present as another brave leader addresses the Congress in a time of war — and with Democracy itself on the line,” Pelosi said to colleagues in a letter.

Ukraine’s capacity to repel the invasion has amazed the world, and it has lately recovered part of its territory from Russian forces.

However, there are new fears about the conflict’s future as it enters its second year. Russia has continued to attack Ukrainian cities, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that his country’s military will be expanded from 1 million to 1.5 million people.

At the end of his address, Zelenskyy gave Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris with a Ukrainian flag signed by troops on the front lines.

Pelosi reciprocated by giving Zelenskyy a folded, framed American flag that had flown over the Capitol earlier that day.

Zelenskyy raised it in the air, then carried it with him, parliamentarians clapping him on the back as he dashed for the exit, back to battle.

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On Sunday, designated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a rare rebuke to his prospective coalition colleagues for indicating they would promote laws enabling discrimination against LGBTQ people, assuring that his forthcoming administration will do no harm to their rights.

Between his Likud party and numerous overtly anti-LGBTQ groups, Netanyahu is poised to build the most ultranationalist and religious administration in Israel’s history. This has fueled worries within Israel’s LGBTQ community that the next administration, which is set to enter office next week, would reverse recent accomplishments.

Orit Struck, a Religious Zionist member of Israel’s Knesset, said her party wants to modify the country’s anti-discrimination law to allow people to avoid behaviors that contradict their religious views, such as discriminating against LGBTQ persons in hospitals.

In an interview with Kan public radio on Sunday, Struck stated that “as long as there are enough other physicians to give treatment,” Christian healthcare practitioners should be entitled to decline to accept LGBTQ patients.

Another party member, Simcha Rotman, stated that private business owners, such as hotel owners, should be entitled to reject service to LGBTQ people “if it affects their religious beliefs.”

Netanyahu released two statements condemning Struck’s remarks.

Struck’s words, according to Netanyahu, “are unacceptable to me and to members of Likud,” and the coalition agreement “does not enable discrimination against LGBTQ people or harm to their right to access services like all other Israeli residents.”

As the scandal raged on, he released a second filmed statement in which he “totally rejects” Struck’s words.

“There will be no circumstance in the nation that I will lead when a person, whether LGBT, Arab, ultra-Orthodox, or any other person, would visit a hotel and not receive treatment, attend a doctor and not receive assistance,” he added.

The scandal erupted only days after the Yediot Ahronot newspaper disclosed that another member of the Religious Zionism coalition, the far-right Noam group, once produced a list of LGBTQ journalists and stated that the “LGBT media” constituted a “incomparable strong” lobby.

Following the outrage on Sunday, Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, expressed his own worries. The president is mostly a symbolic icon who serves as a moral compass and unifying force for the country.

“A scenario in which Israeli people feel endangered because of their identity or faith undermines the State of Israel’s essential democratic and moral ideals,” Herzog stated. “The racist sentiments made in recent days against the LGBT community, and more broadly against many sectors and publics, concern and distress me much.”

It was the latest sign of trouble for Netanyahu’s emerging coalition, which is dominated by far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners pushing for dramatic changes that could alienate large swaths of the Israeli public, increase the risk of conflict with the Palestinians, and put Israel at odds with some of its most ardent supporters, including the US and the Jewish American community.

The outgoing government took several small steps to advance LGBTQ rights, including lifting a ban on gay men donating blood, making gender reassignment surgery more accessible, and taking a firm stance against “conversion therapy,” the scientifically debunked practice of using therapy to “convert” LGBTQ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations.

The next administration comprises two ultra-Orthodox parties that do not accept female candidates, as well as Religious Zionism, an umbrella movement led by homophobic leaders.

Members of Israel’s LGBTQ population serve openly in the military and parliament, and many well-known musicians and performers, as well as some past government ministers, are homosexual. However, LGBTQ leaders believe Israel still has a long way to go in terms of equality.

In the November 1 elections, Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist parties won a majority of Knesset seats. He said last week that he had successfully forged a new alliance. However, the government has not yet been sworn in, and Netanyahu and his coalition partners are still completing their power-sharing arrangements.

Netanyahu was Israel’s prime minister for 12 years before being deposed last year.

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Widescreen televisions show World Cup and other sporting events in Ruwa, on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. But everyone’s attention is on the pool table… and the money.

Levite Chisakarire, 18, is one of them

“I have to take the money home… there’s a lot of money today,” he said, holding a pool stick and waiting for his next opponent.

The first prize is $150, a princely sum in a country where the majority of the 15 million people earn slightly more than $100 per month, according to official government figures, and about half of the 15 million people live in extreme poverty, according to the World Food Program.

“It can go a long way toward paying the bills,” said Chisakarire, the day’s youngest competitor.

Pool, formerly a minority sport played in Zimbabwe’s wealthier neighborhoods, has grown in popularity over the years, first as a pastime and now as a means of survival for many in a country where full-time jobs are scarce.

Chisakarire struggled to find work in Zimbabwe’s stressed industries after graduating from high school with low grades in 2019. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, his father, a truck driver, was unable to work. So Chisakarire began hanging out in an illicit pub where people evaded or paid authorities in order to drink alcohol and play billiards despite epidemic regulations.

His pastime evolved into a skill, and he demonstrated a flair for shooting spherical balls into the pockets. As he began betting on his games and winning, it soon helped him overcome his financial issues. He now earns roughly $300 each month by playing pool, he claims.

He is not alone in this. According to an October labor survey conducted by the country’s statistics office, the majority of Zimbabweans earn a living through informal activities such as selling tomatoes at roadside stalls and playing pool. Approximately half of young adults aged 15 to 34 are jobless and not enrolled in school or training.

Some, like Chisakarire, make a living by playing pool.

“Pool started popular as a kind of entertainment in bars, but it is now proving to be more popular than soccer in many locations,” said Michael Kariati, a veteran Zimbabwean sports writer who has been covering the country for over 30 years. “It has turned into a fiercely competitive sport, with individuals betting and living off of it.”

According to Keith Goto, spokesman for the Harare Professional Pool Association, the number of professional players in Harare has doubled to almost 800 in the last five years.

“Then there are the money games, which have increased tremendously in popularity. “There are pool tables everywhere in the townships,” he continued. “It provides a type of job and pays via betting.”

Others warn that gambling is a harmful habit that may have devastating consequences for families. However, with so many people out of job and Zimbabwe’s economic situation so bleak, many individuals are urgently looking for ways to make money with a cue stick.

Pool arcades thrive in pubs, verandas in front of stores, and almost any open place. Some ambitious locals install pool tables in their houses and charge others 50 cents to play and place bets, in contravention of city rules that require such businesses to be legally regulated. The tables are frequently worn and unstable, yet no one seems to mind.

People at Warren Park, a Harare slum, ignored the country’s biggest local soccer rivalry at the neighboring country’s biggest stadium to throng around pool tables where money was exchanged quickly.

Betting uses inventive methods to make rapid money. Rather of playing the complete 8-ball game, some gamble on the position of the black eight-ball after the first shot, commonly known as the break. Others choose the best of three balls and punt. Because people were too afraid to wager against him, one expert player offered to play with only one hand.

Authorities often conduct so-called clean-up operations to seize pool tables spread across the area. City bylaw enforcers are frequently bribed with as low as a $2 payment to look the other way. The majority of punters in low-income communities put dollar bets on sports where they can win $3 or $4.

Competition in Ruwa is more structured, and the stakes are higher. Each club member paid a $10 participation fee, which was used to the prize money. On a recent day, 31 people payed to play. Hundreds more stood around, applauding and betting on their favorite athletes.

“Imagine earning $150! “That’s more than many gainfully employed individuals make every month,” Goto, the spokesperson, added. “Pool should now spread from bars to schools and community centers, much like other sports; after all, it has become mainstream.”

Pool has become more than a pastime for Chisakarire, the 18-year-old. He’s moved on from playing and betting in backyard pubs to larger and better things.

“It’s transformed my life,” he added before sinking his next ball and winning the competition and $150. “I’d like to play in Europe one day.”

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Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission are set to square off over whether the United States would prevent the computer giant’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft responded formally to the FTC’s allegations that the $68.7 billion acquisition should be blocked on Thursday.

The software behemoth now appears to be on a collision path with American authorities emboldened by President Joe Biden’s drive to clamp tough on anti-competitive behavior after years of dodging the political criticism that has been aimed at big tech peers such as Amazon and Google.

The FTC asserts that by stifling rivals to Microsoft’s Xbox game system and its expanding Xbox Game Pass subscription business, the acquisition may violate antitrust rules.

Microsoft’s conflict with PlayStation-maker Sony over popular Activision Blizzard properties like the military action game Call of Duty is at the heart of the disagreement.

In its response to the FTC, Microsoft attempts to minimize the significance of Xbox, referring to it as the “third-place manufacturer of gaming consoles” after Sony and Nintendo and one of many publishers of well-known video games with “next to no presence in mobile gaming,” where it is attempting to gain ground.

Activision Blizzard criticized the FTC’s “unfounded presumption” that Microsoft would seek to keep Call of Duty off of platforms that compete with Xbox in its own answer to the FTC complaint, which was submitted on Thursday. According to Bobby Kotick, the CEO, the companies will succeed.

The disagreement may be a challenging test case for Lina Khan, the FTC chairperson chosen by Biden, who has worked to enhance antitrust law enforcement. Earlier in December, the FTC voted 3-1 to launch the complaint attempting to thwart the deal, with Khan voting in favor along with the other two Democratic commissioners and the lone Republican voting against.

The agreement is also being closely scrutinized in the United Kingdom and the European Union, where examinations won’t be finished until the following year.

The FTC’s complaint cites Microsoft’s acquisition of renowned game developer Bethesda Softworks and its parent firm ZeniMax in 2021 as an instance of the business restricting some upcoming game releases to the Xbox One even after promising European regulators it had no such plans.

Microsoft disputed the FTC’s description on Thursday, claiming that it had made it clear to European regulators that it will “approach exclusivity for future game titles on a case-by-case basis, which is exactly what it has done.”

According to the FTC’s lawsuit, successful franchises like Call of Duty are crucial because they create a fan base of devoted players who are attached to their preferred platform or streaming service.

The FTC lawsuit claims that if Microsoft had control over Activision’s material, it would have the power and enhanced motivation to withhold or degrade Activision’s content in ways that significantly reduce competition, including competition on product quality, price, and innovation. At a critical juncture for the business, “this loss of competition would probably cause severe harm to consumers in various markets.”

Microsoft gave the impression that it will forcefully defend its position in court with a team under the direction of renowned corporate lawyer Beth Wilkinson, while simultaneously leaving the door open for a settlement.

Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, said in a statement on Thursday that “even with confidence in our case, we remain dedicated to creative solutions with regulators that will safeguard competition, customers, and workers in the digital sector.” “The door never closes on the potential to negotiate a compromise that will benefit everyone,” we’ve learned from past litigation.

More than 20 years ago, after Microsoft engaged in anticompetitive behavior relating to its dominating Windows software, a federal judge ordered its dissolution, sparking Microsoft’s most significant antitrust dispute to date. On appeal, the decision was overturned, but the court also fined the corporation.

Instead of requesting an immediate federal court injunction to stop the merger, the FTC chose to send the complaint to its internal Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell, which may cause the case to be delayed at least until August, when the first evidence hearing is set. In accordance with their contract, Microsoft must pay Activision Blizzard a breakup fee of up to $3 billion if the transaction cannot be completed by July 18.

Depending on how the U.K. and European authorities rule on the merger next year, the date and course of the litigation may alter. Microsoft may attempt to speed up the legal procedure in the United States if it receives clearance in Europe.

This past week, a number of individual video game players filed a lawsuit in a federal court in San Francisco seeking to halt the merger due to antitrust concerns.

The plaintiffs, who are all fans of the Call of Duty series from Activision Blizzard as well as other well-known games like World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo, are especially worried about how the merger will affect future game quality, innovation, and output, according to their attorney Joseph Alioto.

Alioto asserted that when there is no competition, the quality inevitably suffers. “By getting rid of Activision, Microsoft is in such a powerful position that they can do whatever they want.”

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When Kevin Fair was a young child, he would disassemble his Nintendo console, fix problems, and then put it back together. The Black entrepreneur claims that these experiences were “a life trajectory turning moment” when he discovered the entertainment system was more than a toy.

I believe that digital technology just honestly impressed me, he remarked.

Fair was inspired to learn how to code and repair computers by his love of video games. He founded the Chicago-based company I Play Games! in 2009 to introduce young people of color to a side of video gaming they might not have otherwise realized existed.

Schools and companies like Fair’s strive to prepare children for jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at a time when the industries lack ethnic diversity by utilizing their interest for esports, or multiplayer competitive video games.

“These kids were born with digital devices in their hands, and if you give them access, the world is theirs,” said businesswoman and academic Jihan Johnston, who launched gaming-obsessed Beatbotics, a company that provides digital education.

Young gamers are diverse, despite industry inequity and representation problems. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center research, Black kids are slightly more likely than their peers to play video games, but White and Hispanic teens also play at about the same rates.

Pew reported last year that the percentages of Black and Hispanic workers in STEM fields in the United States was, respectively, 9% and 8%.

Johnston is redefining the discourse surrounding video games by advising communities of color on how esports may help their children find professions.

She asserted, “I believe that our community is unaware that this can lead to college.”

Information systems major Shemar Worthy, 21, is a senior at DePaul and is currently playing online. Claire Savage/AP Photo

In order to develop practical skills for the video game industry, DePaul University in Chicago introduced a new academic esports scholarship this academic year. According to Stephen Wilke, the school’s esports coordinator, nine out of the ten freshmen grantees are people of color.

One of the recipients of the $1,500 scholarship is Aramis Reyes, an 18-year-old computer science major with a specialty on game creation and development.

The young man in glasses identified himself as a recreational, non-competitive gamer. For Reyes, the potential for storytelling in video games is what makes them so magical. He declared, “I want to delve into so many design ideas.

According to Fair, the skills that gamers naturally acquire assist prepare them for a variety of vocations in IT, coding, statistics, software engineering, and other fields. Competent gamers analyze the data they see on their screens logically and think in frames per second. They are efficient in the modern workplace because they are proficient at typing.

He explained, “All of that is high-end math going in the person’s head right now.

Like Fair, Reyes became interested in coding because of video games.

Everything is so easily found if you know where to search. Reyes pointed to the 10-inch (25-centimeter) spine of a book on learning Python and said, “You know, I honestly went through a secondhand store and got one this thick.

According to Fair, companies like his will aid in closing the diversity gap. Given that testing shows the U.S. is falling behind other developed nations in STEM education, increasing diversity in STEM would promote pay equity, spur innovation, and help keep America competitive on a global level.

Research from the University of California, Irvine, backs up Fair’s approach: researchers working with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation discovered that school-affiliated clubs that use students’ esports interest in an academic setting helped them learn math and science, piqued their interest in STEM, and benefited students at low-income schools the most.

Building out diversity in both esports and STEM requires, according to Grace Collins, a teacher from the Cleveland region who in 2018 founded the first all-girls varsity high school esports team.

“I believe there are many parallels between the difficulties facing diversity in STEM and esports,” the author said. therefore resolving this issue in one location can contribute in their relief in the other,” Collins added.

Reyes, who is Hispanic and Latino, claimed that esports gives students of color a sense of belonging and is “definitely” a way to increase diversity in STEM. Reyes has observed that, despite the claims of civil rights activists that racist hate speech still exists online, the gaming community is largely receptive.

Lethrese Rosete, a sophomore, concurred and described DePaul’s esports group as “a very safe and friendly environment.”

Rosete, 20, is studying in user design experience to hone her coding abilities while also combining her creativity.

At the university’s Esports Gaming Center, Lethrese Rosete participates in an online game. Claire Savage/AP Photo

She brings up the president of Activision’s Blizzard Entertainment, who was fired following a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit citing a “frat boy” culture that became “a breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women,” as an example of how she is aware of inequality issues in STEM and video game design.

DePaul, according to Rosete, does not feel that way. All of us are simply here to learn, she remarked.

Rosete claimed that when the first-person shooter video game Valorant added a new Filipina character, she screamed and ran around in ecstasy.

The American-Filipina Rosete said, “I felt at ease.” “I thought my time had come for representation,”

However, video games alone won’t close the STEM diversity gap. It’s a structural issue that transcends esports, according to Wilke.

On the other hand, a lack of representation, online radicalism, and pricey equipment purchases might exacerbate inequality and reinforce prejudices.

Another issue is online safety. According to U.S. federal officials, Fortnite creator Epic Games will pay a total of $520 million to resolve allegations including methods used to lure gamers into making purchases and concerns about children’s privacy.

Fair advised parents to maintain a “good attentive check” on what their children are doing online. He declared, “There’s a lot of rubbish out there.”

Teenagers’ access to game consoles and computers vary according to their family’s income, and the Federal Reserve stated in 2021 that average Black and Hispanic households earn nearly half as much as average white households.

Despite surveys indicating an increase in developers of color, white men continue to dominate the game sector.

Fair stated that there is still much to be done to increase racial diversity in esports and STEM fields.

“I can raise a sizable number of kids who enjoy FIFA. But that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they’ll want to become engineers, he added. “You have to attempt to sort of explicitly demonstrate how what they’re doing, the activity that they want to engage in, connects to something that they can make money in.”

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