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Whether you're talking about multiverse-upending event comics or that time Shadow the Hedgehog called Darkseid "pathetic," comic book stories love taking unrelated groups of characters and smashing them together. The same is true of traditional fighting games, where Ryu is as likely to be seen throwing fireballs at the Hulk or Minecraft Steve as he is at Guile. Currently, superhero tag battler Invincible VS is limited to the world of Robert Kirkman's acclaimed Image comic—but let's say I'm tired of watching Battle Beast smash other Invincible characters into gore. I want to watch him smash my friendly neighborhood Spider-Man into gore. In an interview with MMORPG.com, game director Dave Hall and lead combat designer Bau Bautista agreed that sounds pretty neat."We're definitely not above that," Hall said. “We're always down for a crossover. I think it's really exciting to think about, and let's hope we can do some in the future, but nothing that we can talk about right now."As MMORPG points out, there is precedent for that specific crossover: Spider-Man has been spotted in Invincible comics and vice versa. Invincible is itself informed by all sorts of nods to characters from DC and Marvel, so crossovers like that are more of a full circle moment than they might be in, say, Fortnite. But it seems like guest characters in general are of interest to Hall and Bautista, who are also excited about Mortal Kombat's koterie of kharacters. “We'd love to have Sub-Zero and Scorpion! Bring them over, that'd be great," said Hall. "If we have that opportunity, we will definitely take it," added Bautista. There's precedent there, as well: Omni Man was a guest fighter in Mortal Kombat 1.Currently, Invincible VS is focused—as you might expect—on other characters original to the Image comic. Immortal and Universa are due to join the game June 30, when its first season begins. 2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together

During several recent conversations, people have told me that they've stopped checking their phones in the morning. Not because nothing was happening, but because everything was. They described the feeling as standing under a waterfall of perpetual bad news.This experience is far from an isolated one. According to Reuters Institute's 2025 Digital News Report, 69% of Canadians at least occasionally avoid the news now.Globally, 40% report they at least sometimes or often do the same, the highest figure ever recorded. People shared consistent reasons for this: the news put them in a bad mood, they felt overwhelmed and powerless to act.As a researcher in developmental psychology, focusing on social development and psychological well-being, I argue that news fatigue is not laziness, weakness or a generational decline in civic interest. It's the predictable response of a human brain meeting an environment it was never designed to navigate.Wired for bad newsLong before smartphones or even the printing press, our cognitive architecture was shaped by a single problem: stay alive long enough to reproduce. Our ancestors whose attention drifted past the rustle in the grass left fewer descendants than those who froze, looked and listened.The brain that paid attention to threats was the brain that survived.This is the foundation of what psychologists call the negativity bias, one of the most replicated findings in cognitive science. Across decades of research, the human mind has been shown to weigh negative information more heavily than positive, attend to it faster and remember it longer.A predator nearby mattered more than a beautiful sunset. The cost of missing a real threat was death, while the cost of overreacting was a few minutes of wasted vigilance. The asymmetry made this bias adaptive.Here is the problem: the human brain has not changed since then. We are the same species as we were thousands of years ago. What's changed is the size of the world it's asked to scan for threats.News fatigue is not laziness, weakness or a generational decline in civic interest. It is the predictable response of a human brain meeting an environment it was never designed to navigate. (Image credit: pzAxe via Getty Images)Scanning the whole worldFor most of human history, the threats our nervous system processed were local. A neighbouring tribe. A drought. The illness of a child we personally knew. Information about distant places would barely arrive, and if it did, it was mainly irrelevant.In 2026, the same neurological system is being asked to absorb a war in one region, a financial shock in another, a climate disaster in a third and a violent crime in a fourth, all before lunchtime.A study published in the scientific journal Nature Human Behaviour examined more than 105,000 real news headlines viewed nearly six million times. Each additional negative word increased click-through rates, while positive words had the opposite effect.It's crucial to recognize the tactics meant to exploit our negative biases and create cognitive distance (Image credit: cbies/Shutterstock.com)Recent studies suggest people around the world demonstrate measurably stronger physiological responses to negative news than to positive news. The body is reacting before the mind has decided whether the threat is relevant.Some researchers have introduced a clinical framework for what happens in this instance called Problematic News Consumption (PNC) — a pattern of news engagement that results in preoccupation, dysregulation and disruption to daily functioning. In their 2022 study, the researchers found that 17% of American adults qualified as having severe levels of PNC. Among that group, 61% reported feeling unwell quite a bit or very much, compared with 6% of those who didn't.For minority populations, news fatigue may be even more consequential.Repeatedly witnessing harm directed at our own groups, even when we're not the immediate target, can have a significant psychological impact on people from the same group affiliation. For racialized communities, such as immigrants, the cognitive load could be even heavier, and the option to simply stop watching is much harder to exercise when the news is about their country of origin.Looking away is not the fixWhat's the solution to news fatigue? Well, it's not avoidance. A democracy depends on informed citizens.Many adults already cite the spread of misleading information as a major source of stress. Withdrawing from accurate, trustworthy information only deepens the problem. We're wired to pay more attention to bad news, and that kind of content will find its way to us one way or another.The fix is to manage the consumption and the sources.Several approaches can help manage news fatigue and protect mental health. Containing news consumption to defined windows of time reduces the sense of being overwhelmed. Choosing depth over volume also matters: one carefully reported long-form article will inform you better than bursts of random, unreliable and emotionally loaded posts on Instagram.There is also value in distinguishing between information and action — research on perceived control and stress consistently shows that the gap between awareness and agency is one of the strongest predictors of psychological distress. Identifying what you can actually do about what you read in the news, however small, regulates that response.Finally, be wary of "rage bait" — intentionally provocative messages or content designed to boost engagement on social media platforms by eliciting negative reactions. Recognizing that certain content creators want to provoke rather than reflect reality creates useful cognitive distance.The news will not become less "heavy." But our relationship with it can become more deliberate. Our brains were not built for this scale of input. They were, however, built to learn to adapt.This edited article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

With so many fantastic travel rewards credit cards available, including some with large welcome bonuses and phenomenal benefits, you might have difficulty choosing one that suits your needs. The decision can become even more complicated if you're eligible for a small-business credit card, which opens the door to a whole new set of options.Two of the most valuable mid-tier cards from Chase are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees). They have similar benefits, including earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and identical $95 annual fees.They make a powerful team, but you may only want — or qualify for — one of them.Let's look at how these cards stack up against each other to help you decide whether one or both deserve a place in your wallet.Sapphire Preferred vs. Ink Business Preferred comparison Chase Sapphire PreferredChase Ink Business PreferredAnnual fee$95$95Welcome bonusEarn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.Earning ul li 5 points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals purchased through a target= _blank href= https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/ultimate-rewards-travel-portal/ Chase Travel℠ /a /li li 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027) /li li 5 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (through Dec. 31, 2027, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points) /li li 3 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide, online grocery stores (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs) and streaming services /li li 3 points per dollar spent on vacation homes*, and gas and electric vehicle charging /li li 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel /li li 1 point per dollar spent on everything else /li /ul p em *Booked through Airbnb, Vrbo, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com and Vacasa /em /p ul li 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027) /li li 3 points per dollar spent on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, and social media and search engine advertising (on up to $150,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year) /li li 1 point per dollar spent on everything else /li /ul Notable benefits ul li Travel protections /li li Extended warranty and purchase protection /li li Annual Chase Travel hotel credit /li li Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) /li /ul ul li Travel protections /li li Extended warranty and purchase protection /li li Cellphone protection /li li Free employee cards /li /ul Sapphire Preferred vs. Ink Business Preferred welcome offerNew Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.Based on TPG's June 2026 valuations, this welcome offer is worth $2,050. This matches the highest offer we've seen in the card's history.Meanwhile, new Chase Ink Business Preferred cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.Based on TPG's valuations, this welcome offer is also worth $2,050. This is the standard welcome offer we typically see on this card.THE POINTS GUYNote that both cards are subject to the 5/24 rule, meaning you can't have opened five or more cards across all banks in the past 24 months, or you'll most likely be denied when applying for either card.Finally, to be eligible for the Ink Business Preferred, you must have a business. However, many side hustles, freelance ventures and limited liability companies qualify.Winner: Sapphire Preferred. While both cards currently offer 100,000-point welcome bonuses, the Sapphire Preferred requires $3,000 less spending to qualify.Related: 5 reasons to get the Ink Business PreferredSapphire Preferred vs. Ink Business Preferred benefitsBoth cards offer phenomenal travel protections that are quite similar, though the Sapphire Preferred's are slightly more comprehensive.Both cards include trip cancellation and interruption insurance. With the Ink Business Preferred, you're covered for up to $5,000 per covered person for nonrefundable travel expenses (up to $10,000 per trip); the Sapphire Preferred's coverage is double that.They also provide identical baggage delay insurance and lost luggage reimbursement.FRESHSPLASH/GETTY IMAGESAnother standout benefit is primary rental car coverage, which can save you the expense and hassle of filing a claim with a rental agency or your personal auto insurer if something goes wrong. However, the Ink Business Preferred's benefits state that your rental must be for business purposes for this protection to kick in.Both cards round out their protections with purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.The Ink Business Preferred offers cellphone protection up to $1,000 (up to $3,000 per 12-month period, with a $100 deductible) when you pay your monthly wireless bill with the card.Beyond travel protections, the Sapphire Preferred offers up to a $100 annual hotel credit for bookings made through Chase Travel.DOORDASHFinally, the Sapphire Preferred also provides at least one year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and up to $10 off monthly non-restaurant DoorDash orders.And the Ink Business Preferred offers free employee cards, a great bonus for small businesses looking to save on costs.Winner: Sapphire Preferred. Its benefits outclass those of the Ink Business Preferred.Related: Why the Sapphire Preferred remains the top travel rewards card year after yearEarning points with the Sapphire Preferred vs. Ink Business PreferredIf you're looking for a personal travel rewards card, the Sapphire Preferred is the stronger everyday option.It earns 3 points per dollar spent on dining, online grocery stores, streaming services, and gas and electric vehicle charging, making it the stronger choice for most consumers looking to maximize rewards on regular purchases. It also earns 2 points per dollar on a broad range of travel purchases.The Ink Business Preferred is the better catch-all travel card for business owners, earning 3 points per dollar on travel along with shipping, internet, cable and phone services, and social media and search engine advertising. Note that those elevated earning rates apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year (after which you'll earn 1 point per dollar).MASKOT/GETTY IMAGESIf your business regularly exceeds that $150,000 annual cap — particularly on advertising purchases — the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) may be a better fit. It earns an uncapped 3 points per dollar on social media and search engine advertising.Although it carries an annual fee of $795, businesses with substantial advertising budgets may be able to offset that cost through the rewards they earn.Winner: Tie. The Sapphire Preferred is the stronger everyday card for consumers, while the Ink Business Preferred is the better choice for business owners who spend heavily on travel and eligible business expenses.Redeeming points with the Sapphire Preferred vs. Ink Business PreferredBoth cards earn Ultimate Rewards points, some of the most valuable around.You'll maximize the value from your points by transferring them to one of Chase's 14 airline and hotel loyalty partners.PEKIC/GETTY IMAGESCardholders of either product can also redeem points directly for travel through Chase Travel to get up to 1.75 cents per point in value, with Points Boost (depending on the specific redemption).Additionally, points can be redeemed to cover eligible purchases in select categories through Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature.Points can also be used for cash back or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point.Winner: Tie. You'll get the same redemption options on either card.Related: 6 of the best Ultimate Rewards sweet spotsTransferring points with the Sapphire Preferred vs. Ink Business PreferredUltimate Rewards points can be transferred to 11 airline partners, including British Airways, Southwest and United, and three hotel programs: IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.Most Chase transfer partners offer a 1:1 transfer ratio, though points transfer to World of Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio from both cards.HYATTThese transfer partners can provide great value.I recently transferred 32,000 Ultimate Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to book two economy flights from Paris to Washington, D.C. Thanks to a 20% Chase transfer bonus, I needed just 32,000 points (plus $540 in taxes and fees) instead of 38,000 points, while the same tickets were selling for $3,456.Winner: Tie. You'll get the same redemption options on either card.Related: 10 best ways to redeem 150,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards pointsShould I get the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred?First, decide whether a personal or business credit card better fits your needs. If you can take advantage of the Sapphire Preferred's broader bonus categories and stronger travel protections, it may be the better choice. However, pairing it with the Ink Business Preferred can be a powerful strategy for maximizing Ultimate Rewards earnings.Bottom lineThe Chase Sapphire Preferred is the better choice for most consumers thanks to its broader everyday bonus categories and stronger travel protections.However, if you own a business, the Ink Business Preferred can be an excellent complement, especially if you spend heavily on travel, shipping, telecommunications services or advertising.Since both cards earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points and carry the same $95 annual fee, many eligible cardholders may find that holding both is the best way to maximize their rewards.To learn more, read our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred.Apply here: Chase Sapphire PreferredLearn more: Ink Business PreferredEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.