United States Xbox layoffs spark major union backlash | JQJO

United States-based Microsoft’s Xbox gaming division is facing mounting internal and public backlash after announcing workforce reductions that cut about 20% of Xbox staff and shut down five internal studios across its portfolio. The layoffs affect hundreds of employees, including 96 at Id Software, 40 remote workers at Bethesda Game Studios (BGS) Dallas, and 22 at BGS Austin, hitting teams responsible for flagship franchises such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Doom. The cuts form part of a broader restructuring effort within Microsoft’s gaming operations as the company seeks to align its enlarged gaming business with current profitability targets following years of expansion.

Washington-based Bethesda Game Studios union representatives, organized under the OneBGS banner, intensified their response on July 13, 2026, accusing Microsoft management of treating the cuts as a predetermined outcome and failing to engage in meaningful negotiations with affected employees. The union, which represents a significant portion of the impacted workforce, has launched “Save Our Devs” protests and vowed to mobilize against the company, insisting the layoffs will not proceed without a coordinated response. Labor analysts say the confrontation highlights growing friction across the gaming industry as major publishers implement aggressive restructuring after a period of large-scale acquisitions and rapid growth.

The Orionid meteor shower will peak at two p.m. ET Wednesday, with best viewing between midnight and dawn Wednesday and Thursday. A bright waxing gibbous moon, 76 percent illuminated, will set a few hours before sunrise, allowing up to twenty meteors per hour to be seen. Orionids travel at forty‑one miles per second, producing luminous fireballs. The shower occurs each October as Earth crosses Halley’s comet debris trail, which completes an orbit every seventy‑six years.

President Donald Trump is offering $5,000 checks to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress. He has also pledged additional "goodies" tied to GOP victories, including fuel policy changes and investment promises in specific states. Trump’s promises are contingent on Republican wins, a strategy critics say politicizes federal benefits. The campaign trail has seen Trump promise fuel blends without ethanol restrictions in Kansas, a $100 million pharmaceutical investment in Kentucky, and consideration for a Space Force Academy in Ohio. Polls show only fourteen percent of U.S. adults expect the checks, and less than half of self‑identified Republicans anticipate receiving them.

Julia Stiles performed a contemporary routine on Dancing With the Stars Dedication Night, joined by her 10 Things I Hate About You castmates to tribute late co‑star Heath Ledger. The routine echoed Ledger’s 1999 performance in the film, where his character sang to Stiles’ character from the bleachers. Stiles described the moment as trippy, noting her age difference and the emotional impact of revisiting the film’s legacy. Ledger died in January 2008 at the age of twenty‑eight.

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