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Digger is not the movie it appears to be at first glance. And if you walked out of the theater feeling baffled, we're here for you. 

Co-written and directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Digger begins as a political satire in the vein of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Funny enough, Iñárritu has previously mirrored such title structures with films like BiRDMAN or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. But here, he goes with just Digger. 

Tom Cruise, almost unrecognizable in masterfully applied head-to-toe prosthetics, stars as Digger Rockwell, a third-generation oil tycoon who is more concerned with the health of his festering cat than the environment.

The film's first act follows Digger as he learns that a drilling site of his in Greenland has caused an enormous ice shelf to break off, which could result in devastation to a European coastline. However, as Digger takes a moment to talk man-to-man to a snarling president (John Goodman), something strange happens that turns the movie on its head.

What's the big spoiler in Digger? 

Though the trailer makes Digger seem like a fairly straightforward narrative feature with farcical humor, a bit of production design reveals its truth. As the president and Digger talk about the former's rectal cancer diagnosis, a tree in the view of the bay window falls. Then, a voice comes over loudspeaker, and an enormous man appears over the horizon to grab the tree and place it back where it stood. 

Just like that, the artifice in Digger reveals that Cruise is not playing Digger Rockwell but an actor named Curtis. It is Curtis who is playing Digger Rockwell in a play, and that play is called Fuel Fools.

The man on the horizon is not a giant, but seems so as he fixes the model backdrop that's projected on a green screen behind the stage's setting of Digger's home. While that happens, Curtis will storm offstage to check his phone (a futuristic bauble that can project video calls onto his dressing room mirror). Like Iñárritu's Birdman, this film's actor anti-hero has a strained relationship with his wife and daughter, the latter of whom has left him a phone message before her flight takes off. 

Curtis is the star of the 25th anniversary production of Fuel Fools, which will be described as a "cult hit" that was originally produced on a black box stage with three actors performing a series of monologues. However, as the enveloping setting of Digger suggests, this revival production is going to unusual extremes to immerse the audience in this farce.

The film's sets often appear to have four sides, standard for a narrative feature. So, once the theatrical production element is revealed, you may well wonder where the in-world audience is supposed to be. Iñárritu breaks from the story of the play throughout Digger to reveal just that, exposing one set after another, along with more details about why this production is this garish.

Jesse Plemons' role in Digger is another spoiler.  Credit: Seoju Park / Warner Bros. Entertainment

During Curtis' first break from the play, he is intruded upon by a stiff, redheaded man (Plemons), who commends him for really understanding the complexity of the character. Curtis understands this is one of the investors in the show, and so tries to be cordial about the intrusion.

In future breaks, where Curtis argues with the play's director Hannah (Sophie Wilde), it's made clear that Digger is not a fictional character within the world of this film. Instead, he was a historical figure who did cause an ecological disaster that did catastrophically impact the world. This play was presumably written after the dust settled, slightly more than 25 years ago. Fuel Fools was conceived as a farce that would invite the audience to laugh at the wealthy and powerful men who traded the future of the planet for money, without regret or restraint. They made the world worse, but at least, the film seems to suggest, we can laugh at them now that we've survived them.

In Digger's climax, Plemons is revealed to be not just a producer of the play, not just a fan of Curtis and his portrayal of Digger, but the real-life Digger's nephew Kenny. Previous to this, Kenny (as played by a child actor) appears in the play in a living room scene, cuddling Digger's decrepit cat. Plemons' Kenny recalls to Curtis seeing the play when it first premiered, and how it felt to see an audience cheer at his late uncle's downfall. He wanted to bring that back, but on an epic scale, sparing no expense (and generally ignoring how theater and film function differently).

While it's possible the Rockwell fortune endured even Digger's world-changing mistakes, a subplot involving Curtis' daughter going missing suggests that Kenny has made a fortune with a mysterious security firm. Kenny might be independently wealthy now. But in any regard, he's wealthy enough to remount a satire about what a complicated clown his uncle was. 

What happened to the real Digger and his world? Credit: Seoju Park / Warner Bros. Entertainment

The end of Fuel Fools sees Digger, his sister Emma (Sandra Hüller), her young son Kenny, Digger's mother, and the president's widow all living on an oil rig in the middle of the ocean. At this point, Digger still employs his assistant (Emma D'Arcy) and a kitchen staff to cook his meals. But as we see his maid skedaddle with a suitcase, a new reality settles in for the tycoon. Portions of his staff have raided the place, making off with provisions and gold bars. 

Far from the opulent (and tacky as hell) home from the first act, Digger ends up remote and powerless to boss people around with his affluence any longer. So, the play ends with him leaping into the ocean in an act of suicide. Special effects allow for the theatrical audience to watch Curtis-as-Digger as he sinks to the bottom of the sea, at which they cheer wildly. The bubbles of his breath through the water echo the methane he carelessly released through his drilling to horrendous ends.

Then, after the curtain call, where Curtis takes to the stage dripping with make-up meant to look like oil, the audience puts on gas masks as the PA system warns of the threat level outside.

Digger ends outside the theater, with audience members walking out into lower Manhattan, where the streets are flooded knee-deep. People scavenge in the dark water for resources, while those on the sidewalk go about their own business. Cars are abandoned in the muck, and military squadrons patrol. This is the ravaged world left behind by Digger Rockwell, where he is remembered as a powerful clown. 

Digger is now in theaters.

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is $1,000 off this weekend with T-Mobile. To claim this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 18 Pro for $1,000 off   Shop Now

After months and months of speculation, rumors, and leaks, Apple finally announced new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and more. It's all very exciting, but it's the iPhones that really get the people going.

Like everyone else, we dug deep into all the specs and features to give you an insight into exactly what these new flagship devices offer. Now that the dust has settled, the focus naturally switches to deals — and there are a couple of standout options worth highlighting right now:

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — $1,000 off when you switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max — $1,000 off when you switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

The bad news is the completely "free" doorbuster deal is gone, but taking $1,000 off the $1,199.99 list price knocks your monthly payment down to just $5.56 per month over 36 months for the iPhone 18 Pro. To qualify, you can either switch to an Experience Beyond plan and port over your existing number or trade in an eligible device in any condition on a qualifying plan. The choice is yours.

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. As long as you intend to stay locked into T-Mobile for three years, taking a huge chunk off Apple's premier hardware is one of the smartest ways to upgrade without a major hit to your budget.

Keep in mind that T-Mobile requires you to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout.

Save $1,000 on the Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max at T-Mobile

TL;DR: Watch Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League for free on RTVE. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League is still in its early stages, but Spain already look tough to beat. They overcame a stubborn England side and then beat Croatia 4-1.

Now Space face Czechia at the Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere. Czechia will need to do something special to take something off the World Cup winners.

If you're interested in watching Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Spain vs. Czechia?

Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere.

How to watch Spain vs. Czechia for free

Spain vs. Czechia in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on RTVE.

RTVE is geo-restricted to Spain, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Spain, meaning you can live stream Spain vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Spain vs. Czechia for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Spain

4. Visit RTVE

5. Watch Spain vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Spain vs. Czechia without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTVE?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTVE, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Spain

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Spain vs. Czechia for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch India vs. Brazil in an International Friendly for free on GE TV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Brazil are playing some really fun friendly fixtures. They've just visited Australia for a couple of entertaining fixtures, and now they face off against India at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. This marks the first-ever official senior men's international match between India and Brazil.

It's going to be absolutely electric in the 68,000-seater stadium.

If you're interested in watching India vs. Brazil in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is India vs. Brazil?

India vs. Brazil in an International Friendly kicks off at 10 a.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Salt Lake Stadium.

How to watch India vs. Brazil for free

India vs. Brazil in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on GE TV.

GE TV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream India vs. Brazil for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream India vs. Brazil for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit GE TV

5. Watch India vs. Brazil for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch India vs. Brazil without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for GE TV?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on GE TV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream India vs. Brazil for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Fire.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

BLAZE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Royal.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

REGAL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A blacksmithing tool.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 3, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ANVIL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Cranky.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

FUSSY

Final Hurdle hint

Loose.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

BAGGY

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

It's the Third Quarter phase of the lunar cycle tonight, which means we'll see roughly half of the Moon's surface lit up from Earth. It also means there's still plenty of its surface illuminated to be able to spot some of the Moon's craters and other surface features.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Oct. 3, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Third Quarter phase, with 53% of its surface visible.

With just your naked eye, tonight you can see the Copernicus Crater, the Aristarchus Plateau, and the Mare Imbrium. If you have binoculars, you can also spot the Archimedes, Alphonsus and Gassendi Craters. Finally, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 13 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth, and as it moves through this cycle, we see different amounts of its sunlit side from here. That's what creates the Moon's different phases, from a thin crescent through to a half Moon and, eventually, the Full Moon. Once it reaches the Full Moon, the cycle starts over again. NASA explains that the phase we see depends on the Moon's position in relation to Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it's not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 3, 2026 Elbow grease meaning

Hard physical effort or manual labor, especially vigorous scrubbing, cleaning or polishing.

Fat cats meaning

A greedy and privileged wealthy person.

Linda Hamilton meaning

A famous American actress most known for her role in "The Terminator."

Something wicked meaning

A famous line from Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

Can opener meaning

A hand tool or small electrical appliance used to cut open sealed metal cans or tins of food.

Head waiter meaning

The person in charge of the dining room staff.

John Denver meaning

An American country and folk singer made popular in the 1970s.

W.C. Fields meaning

An American actor, comedian, juggler and writer.

Broad bean meaning

Large, flat, edible green seeds that grow inside long pods on an upright plant.

Getty Images meaning

A major global visual media company and stock photo agency.

Met halfway meaning

To compromise with someone by making concessions so that both parties reach a fair agreement.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Whitney Houston meaning

An American singer and pop star who rose to fame in the 1980s.

Diet Sprite meaning

A healthier version of the soda Sprite.

Merv Griffin meaning

An American TV host and media mogul.

NY Giant meaning

A New York City football player for the Giants.

River Phoenix meaning

An American actor most known for his role in "Stand By Me."

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you appreciate art.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 2, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: The crapper

• Green: Theater shows

• Blue: Art galleries

• Purple: They're not real

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Starting with terms for "Toilet"

• Green: Ending in musicals

• Blue: Starting with U.S. museums

• Purple: Ending in fantasy creatures

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1210 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Starting with terms for "Toilet": CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS

• Ending in musicals: ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED

• Starting with U.S. museums: BORAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON

• Ending in fantasy creatures: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you believe in ghosts.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 3, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A figment of your imagination

The words are related to the paranormal.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ghostly things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Willothewisp.

NYT Strands word list for October 3

• Specter

• Chimera

• Mirage

• Willothewisp

• Phantasm

• Illusion

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're easily bothered.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 3 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Annoyance.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter P appears three times.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

PEEVE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Apple has just been forced to respond to the flurry of AI agent apps, like Meta's Muse, which are accessing Mac users' private data.

According to Apple, the company will soon release additional controls to "Full Disk Access," which will explicitly ask Mac users if they'd like to grant a third-party access to a specific part of their system. With Full Disk Access, AI agents can complete a much wider range of tasks for users, but these users may not understand the cybersecurity risks of agentic AI.

Apple says it is specifically doing this due to the rise of AI agents like Muse, which recently surpassed 5 million downloads, and the risks associated with handing over full access to a user's full private data.

SEE ALSO: Big banks are worried AI agents could increase the risk of scams and fraud

When a Mac user downloads a third-party app, some apps require the ability to access specific functionality on their computer. Apple requires that these apps ask a user to access that functionality. For example, a third-party webcam app is forced by Apple to ask the user for permission to access the Mac's camera and audio devices. A user must grant that access before an app can use that Mac function.

Some apps, like a backup app, for example, require access to the entire Mac system. In order to cover all of these functions in one swoop, from email to messages to file systems, Apple allows apps to request "Full Disk Access."

However, AI agents that run autonomously add additional risks that other apps simply don't when given this type of access. For example, Inc. columnist Jason Aten recently discovered that Meta's Muse AI assistant somehow had synced his entire local Messages database and was using those messages as context for its tasks.

Aten claims he denied giving Muse permission to access Messages. Meta claims it's impossible for Muse to do so if Aten did decline providing Muse with these permissions. Apple now wants to make it more explicit when an app asks for these permissions and a user grants them.

Apple's full update is posted below:

"We give developers powerful APIs to build incredible capabilities into their apps for Apple products, backed by a set of controls designed to protect users’ private data. Full Disk Access largely sidesteps these controls in order to allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac. Some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems—including files, mail, messages, and even browsing history—without users’ full knowledge and understanding. For communication apps, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with. 

Going forward, we will introduce additional controls to ensure that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action. Addressing this is critical. As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially. We are committed to ensuring users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy."

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OpenAI has disclosed another case of an AI agent accessing an Australian government system without permission. This time, it retrieved historical bushfire data that wasn't publicly available.

According to The Guardian, the breach occurred in June and involved New South Wales' National Parks and Wildlife Service, part of the state's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

OpenAI says it discovered the breach on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and conducted a 48-hour review before notifying the NSW government on Thursday, Oct. 1. The company told the government that its agent had acted beyond its intended use. "The results we reviewed do not show that the model retrieved any personal information," an OpenAI spokesperson told The Guardian. The department is investigating with the state's cybersecurity agency, and the Australian Signals Directorate has also been notified.

SEE ALSO: An OpenAI agent hacked the Australian government

If this sounds familiar, that's because Australia is already dealing with the fallout from a similar incident. As Mashable previously reported, an internal OpenAI model breached Services Australia's Medicare statistics reporting portal on June 18 while researching public healthcare spending.

When it encountered restrictions, the agent found ways around them, accessing public and non-public files and writing files to the government server. There was no evidence that it accessed individuals' private health information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident "obviously unacceptable" and raised Australia's concerns directly with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Albanese also criticized the notification process. OpenAI said it discovered the Medicare breach in August but waited until Sept. 10 to alert the government, initially emailing a public Services Australia address.

"We clearly cannot rely on these multinational big tech companies to comply with even the most minimal of social obligations, such as notifying when, or even taking enough care to notice if, their products are hacking government systems," Australian Greens MP Abigail Boyd said.

The model also interacted with three other Australian government bodies, though those interactions appeared to involve only public information.

The further investigation should help establish how the agent got in. The bigger question is how OpenAI will stop another one from doing the same — and catch it sooner if it does.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable's parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

There are few people on the internet more universally beloved than Kelly Clarkson. She has somehow spent nearly two decades cultivating the rarest of celebrity currencies — goodwill. People like Kelly. They root for Kelly. Generally speaking, they would like to see Kelly have a nice day.

So it would take something truly egregious to turn the internet against "Miss Independent." And this week, she did just that when she said her life would suck without AI.

The trouble began during Clarkson's recent appearance on the Las Culturistas podcast with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, where she talked about her relationship with ChatGPT. She jokingly called the chatbot her "lover" and explained that she has enlisted it as a sort of digital interior designer, using it to visualize ideas for one of her properties, including paths and landscaping at the place she has in Santa Barbara.

During the podcast's "I Don't Think So, Honey" hot-take segment, Clarkson even declared, "I love AI," adding that there are "very amazing things with AI that I am obsessed with." And she wasn't limiting her enthusiasm to using ChatGPT as a glorified design consultant. Clarkson said she's "very into it artistically," too, and that she has fun with AI "just like everybody else does."

Her reasoning was that AI could give people who might not otherwise be able to create music or art a new entry point into the creative process. It's an idea that has found champions among artists, including Will.i.am, Grimes, and Timbaland, all of whom have spoken about AI as a new kind of creative playground, a tool that can expand the boundaries of what artists can make.

But Clarkson did have one pretty significant caveat. "When you see AI artists competing on a chart with humans, I have an issue," she said. "I think there should be a separate chart." So the robots can have a chart. They just shouldn't be allowed to steal the humans' trophies.

Many fans, unfortunately, were not particularly interested in hearing the nuance.

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The backlash came quickly, with fans and AI critics taking issue not only with Clarkson's comments about AI-generated music but with her broader enthusiasm for the technology. Some called it a "very rare L" for the singer. Others cited the environmental costs of AI and data centers. Still others argued that AI-generated art shouldn't be considered creative in the same sense as work made by humans.

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People weren't just mad; they seemed genuinely bummed out by her admission. "Kelly no...this isn't you...," one commenter pleaded.

Some commenters said they stopped listening to the podcast once the AI conversation began. Others criticized her for using AI for design work. And some users went considerably further, speculating — without evidence — that celebrities are being paid to normalize AI.

But beneath all of that was a simpler objection: Why Kelly?

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Because Clarkson has spent years occupying a strange corner of celebrity culture. She's famous enough to be enormous, but relatable enough that people still talk about her like she's their favorite cousin. She's the American Idol winner whose career became a multigenerational pop success story, and the daytime host who can outsing your faves. There is a reason "America's sweetheart" has followed her around for so long.

Yet, despite her comments, Clarkson isn't exactly tossing human artistry out the window. Just a few weeks ago, she called AI "soulless" in a video with Betches. Now, she's drawing a line between AI-generated music and the work of human musicians. She just seems to think there should be room for both. "Both can be creative in a completely different way," she said.

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Maybe that's not a contradiction so much as the uncomfortable reality of AI's arrival in everyday life. It's becoming difficult to be completely for it or completely against it when the technology is, sometimes simultaneously, useful, fascinating, unsettling, and deeply disruptive to creative work.

Clarkson seems to be trying to find her own line. AI can be fun. AI can be useful. AI can help people create. But when it comes to competing on a music chart, she thinks humans should have their own lane.

Many of her fans, at least for now, seem to think Kelly Clarkson should stay in hers.

Senator Bernie Sanders is serious about banning the federal government from using Flock and other automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). Flock, a camera surveillance product, captures and processes license plates and related details about vehicles, often for use by law enforcement.

On Friday, the Vermont Democrat introduced The Ban Flock Act in Congress. The proposed law would prohibit the federal agencies from using ALPRs. State and local governments that use the technology would be blocked from receiving federal funding.

SEE ALSO: How people are fighting back against Flock cameras

The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

"At a time of growing concern about the unchecked power of artificial intelligence, Flock is eviscerating the very notion of privacy by installing tens of thousands of cameras in communities across America without their consent," Sanders said in a press release.

Sanders argued that Flock cameras can track people's movements closely and gather data on when they visit the doctor or drop their kids off at school. "Flock is always watching," Sanders said.

Hackers who recently obtained a roadside Flock camera allegedly discovered that its camera's logs contained about three weeks of activity during which it photographed over 50,000 vehicles and produced 1.6 million images.

The largest vendor of ALPRs in the U.S. is Flock, according to Sanders. It has installed more than 120,000 cameras nationwide that record 20 billion vehicles per month.

Sanders said Flock has provided federal immigration authorities with state data and that law enforcement officials have used Flock data to investigate activists who've supported Palestinian rights and "No Kings" demonstrations.

Flock's network of privately owned and operated cameras and its nationwide database have drawn bipartisan concern over the past several months. Beyond mass surveillance concerns, critics have pointed to incidents of false positives, cooperation with federal agents on immigration enforcement, and even tracking women seeking abortions across state lines.

In addition to a federal ban on ALPR use, The Ban Flock Act would allow Americans to sue the federal government when it violates their rights by using the technology.

Additional reporting by Chance Townsend.

TL;DR: Watch Croatia vs. England in the Nations League for free on ITVX. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League has an absolutely stacked schedule this weekend, which is great news for fans missing the domestic game.

Croatia host England in Rijeka. The game will be played behind closed doors due to crowd disturbances involving Croatia fans during a Nations League match against France last year. That shouldn't impact the quality on display. Both teams have secured three points after two games, so the winner here will cement their place in the top two in the standings.

If you're interested in watching Croatia vs. England in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Croatia vs. England?

Croatia vs. England in the Nations League kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Stadion Riejka.

How to watch Croatia vs. England for free

Croatia vs. England in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream Croatia vs. England for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Croatia vs. England for free by following these simple steps:

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Croatia vs. England without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Croatia vs. England for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

A viral video from Figure AI's robotics lab shows a fleet of its decommissioned F.02 humanoid robots diving into molten steel, an homage to an iconic scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The footage is absolutely wild.

A robot considers its fate. Credit: Figure AI

Figure AI is based in San Jose, California, and its F.02 robots are being replaced by the new F.03 generation. To retire the last of its F.02 fleet, the company hired Terminator star (and former California governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger, consulted with former MythBusters team members, and traveled to a steel plant in Finland with a camera crew. The robots were programmed to autonomously leap into a vat of molten steel in spectacular fashion.

Taking the leap... Credit: Figure AI

One of the robots was even lowered into the forge on a chain, recreating the famous thumbs-up gesture Schwarzenegger's character makes at the end of the film.

At its San Jose headquarters, the company trained the robots to make the leap, and even practiced with large airbags. But finding a place to perform the stunt proved more difficult.

"None of the metal foundries we contacted in the US and Mexico would let us jump a robot with lithium-ion batteries into their expensive equipment. We even reached out to former MythBusters to help with the search. In the end, the only place in the world we could find willing to take this on was a foundry in Imatra, Finland," the company wrote in a blog post detailing the stunt.

Driven to the edge... Credit: Figure AI Cannonball! Credit: Figure AI

The company isn't letting the now-melted F.02 robots go entirely to waste. The resulting metal was fashioned into limited-edition artifacts that the company is now selling online.

And for anyone wondering whether the footage is real, the company addressed that, too: "In an age of AI-generated footage, it’s worth being clear: we really trained robots to jump autonomously, shipped them to Finland, and had them leap into a vat of molten steel. We hope you enjoy the film."

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For nearly two decades, writers on the internet have been adding to the SCP Foundation, a fictional world where a secret organization keeps supernatural creatures, strange objects, and unexplained phenomena hidden from the public. Their stories fill an online wiki, often taking the form of classified files detailing what each discovery does and how to keep it contained.

Now, that world is heading to theaters. Neon has announced an SCP Foundation anthology movie for 2027, bringing multiple stories together in one film with a focus on emerging filmmakers. It joins the separately announced A24-backed V/H/S: SCP, an expansion of the V/H/S horror franchise being produced with Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios. Both films are targeting theatrical releases in 2027, so two different adaptations are in the works.

If "SCP Foundation" means absolutely nothing to you, don't worry. You don't need to have spent years reading fictional incident reports to catch up. Here's everything you need to know about the collaborative writing project, the universe its contributors have created, and why Hollywood's interest has sparked debate.

What is the SCP Foundation? Credit: Screenshot/SCP Foundation Wiki

The name refers to both the fictional secret organization and the real collaborative writing project built around it. Within the stories, the Foundation locates, studies, and contains "anomalies": creatures, objects, places, or phenomena that defy the rules of reality. Its mission is to keep those anomalies hidden from the public and protect humanity, while also protecting the anomalies themselves until they can be better understood.

In real life, the SCP Wiki is a website where contributors write fiction set around that premise. The wiki was founded in 2008, and readers can explore individual entries, longer stories, artwork, and different interpretations of the setting.

What does SCP stand for?

"Secure, Contain, Protect" is the Foundation's motto. The initials also refer to "Special Containment Procedures," the instructions for managing individual anomalies. That's why you'll see names such as SCP-173 or SCP-682. These are identifying numbers for entries in the fictional database, rather than installments you need to read in order.

Many entries resemble internal documents, with an item number, an object class, containment instructions, and a description. Some add interviews, experiment logs, or incident reports that gradually reveal what has gone wrong. The format gives the horror its particular flavor: Something impossible has happened, and the people describing it have already developed a protocol. You get to discover why they needed one.

Like the Backrooms, Slender Man, and Jeff the Killer, SCP grew out of creepypasta, the internet tradition of sharing unsettling fictional stories that take on a life of their own as people circulate and expand on them. SCP's starting point was SCP-173, posted to 4chan's paranormal /x/ board in 2007. Other writers began inventing their own strange creatures and objects, gradually building a fictional organization to contain them all.

SEE ALSO: Hollywood wants the internet’s next horror hit What are some examples of SCPs?

Some SCPs are the stuff of nightmares: SCP-173 is a hostile concrete statue that cannot move while someone is looking directly at it (meaning the people handling it must warn one another before blinking). SCP-682, meanwhile, is an intelligent, reptile-like creature that hates living things and keeps regenerating despite the Foundation's efforts to destroy it. But there’s room for something a little friendlier, too: SCP-999 is a playful orange blob that enjoys interacting with people and makes them feel happy through touch. The list of SCPs goes on and on.

Keeping track of these anomalies involves more than assigning numbers. Entries use classifications such as "Safe," "Euclid," and "Keter" to describe how difficult they are to contain. (Safe means containment is relatively straightforward, Euclid means it is more complex, and Keter means it is particularly difficult.)

As for how all these stories fit together, there’s some flexibility. The newcomer guide explains that SCP has no single overarching canon, so writers can offer different versions of the Foundation’s history, resources, and behavior. Some stories share a setting or reference one another, and the Canon Hub collects works that follow common rules and maintain continuity. But you don’t have to make every entry line up to enjoy what you’re reading.

Why are the movies causing debate?

The same openness that lets creators expand SCP also shapes how a studio can adapt it. The wiki's work is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, commonly shortened to CC BY-SA 3.0. As its licensing guide explains, creators can make adaptations, including commercial ones, but must provide attribution and release their derivative work under the required license. Other people can then copy, share, and build on that adaptation under its terms.

Following the Sept. 11 announcement of the A24-backed film, the team behind the SCP Wiki raised concerns about communication and licensing. They said no one involved in the film had contacted them and emphasized that A24 could not claim exclusive rights to SCP. Their concern came down to whether the filmmakers would respect the rules that let everyone build on the project: "[A24] does not need our permission or involvement to create a work under the terms of our license," they wrote. "Our concern is whether they will follow the license."

Neon, meanwhile, addressed the licensing question in its Sept. 30 announcement, saying it would release the film and related materials under CC BY-SA. In a separate statement, the volunteers who run the SCP Wiki said they had helped Neon with licensing questions and offered basic advice, and were satisfied that the studio intended to follow the requirements. That doesn’t make it an official collaboration, though. "This is not an ‘official’ SCP Foundation film, as staff does not endorse such projects in our official capacity," they wrote.

For some fans, that approach has earned Neon goodwill before a single scene has been released. In a Reddit discussion of the wiki's statement, commenters praised the studio's communication, while others emphasized their hopes for the adaptation itself. "Hoping that whatever comes out respects the amazing work that the writers do," one wrote.

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Others are wondering how the business side will work. In another thread, commenters debated whether audiences would pay for a movie that could also be legally shared under its license.

Neon’s SCP Foundation movie is slated to reach theaters in 2027. Until then, the SCP Wiki offers plenty to explore, if you dare.

If you spend time scrolling YouTube Shorts, you’ve probably seen plenty of podcast excerpts, livestream highlights, and interview clips uploaded by someone other than the original creator.

Taking moments from podcasts, interviews, livestreams, or other videos and repackaging them as short-form content is called "clipping," but now, YouTube wants those accounts to bring more to the table.

According to an Oct. 2 announcement, YouTube is updating its Shorts recommendation systems to "improve the Shorts experience for everyone." The update encourages creators to upload "original commentary, unique edits, or storytelling."

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The change will work to further prioritize original content and reduce the reach of videos reposted from other creators without meaningful additions. But it could also complicate life for the wider clipping ecosystem, which many streamers and podcasters depend on to reach audiences.

The platform also cautions against relying on "minor technical edits" or "template-based changes" simply to alter a video. The question, then, is what you’re adding. Using a podcast excerpt to develop an argument or explain a topic is different from republishing that excerpt with a few cosmetic changes.

Clipping has developed into a robust marketing business, with creators and brands paying accounts and fans to distribute short excerpts of their content. Platforms such as Whop connect clippers with campaigns and handle payouts. YouTuber Airrack even launched a clipping agency, Clipfarm, through Whop in 2025.

The incentive is straightforward: Get views, get paid. Marketers told Business Insider back in March that clippers are typically offered $1 to $4 per 1,000 views — equivalent to $1,000 to $4,000 for a million qualifying views, before campaign limits or other conditions. So, YouTube's new policy could have big impacts beyond lower view counts. For clippers paid based on performance, less reach on YouTube Shorts could also mean a smaller payout.

Does this mean clipping is dead?

That’s how internet retention strategist Mario Joos framed the news in a post on X, celebrating the change as a way to address quality issues on the platform.

"RIP clipping," he writes. "While this will piss off some people whose entire careers were built on the premise of other people’s content (mostly clippers), the change itself is amazing and will finally address the overall quality issue we’ve been seeing."

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His enthusiasm makes sense for creators who want their original work to reach viewers. The accounts most directly in YouTube’s sights are those primarily reposting other creators’ work without substantial changes. Commentary, storytelling, and creative editing remain part of the platform’s advice for people using outside footage.

For clip channels, that raises the stakes of what happens between finding a good moment and hitting upload. The moment may belong to someone else. YouTube wants a reason to recommend your version.

Gay hookup app Grindr will acquire the telehealth provider Freddie, which provides PrEP medication to prevent HIV, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The $250 million deal, in cash and stock, is the app's first major acquisition and represents an expansion beyond dating. The plan is to offer PrEP at little to no cost through Grindr's platform, Grindr CEO George Arison told the Wall Street Journal.

SEE ALSO: The gay slang to know for your next vacation, according to Grindr

The purchase is the "logical next step," Arison continued, "where we can deeply integrate the Grindr product experience with getting a medication that is lifesaving, and that a lot more people should be on than are on today."

Freddie will be merged with Woodwork, the telehealth company Grindr launched last year, into a single Grindr Health experience, the Wall Street Journal reported. "Grindr Health is going to be an area of the business that we're going to focus a lot more on, in addition to our normal subscriptions and advertising," Arison said.

Grindr agreed to pay £26 million to settle a lawsuit over allegations that it shared users' HIV statuses.

Meta has a hit on its hands: its Muse AI assistant has proven extremely popular.

Less than a month after Meta released Muse, the AI assistant has already surpassed 5 million downloads. Meta's Muse app reached this milestone on Wednesday, according to mobile data firm Sensor Tower.

Muse hit 5 million downloads in just 3 weeks, even faster than long-established AI apps like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Elon Musk's Grok. ChatGPT took 56 days to reach 5 million downloads; Claude hit the mark at 103 days; and Grok needed 492 days to reach the milestone.

The Muse app currently sits in the #1 position, topping both Apple's App Store and Google's Play app charts.

SEE ALSO: 10 ways to use Meta's Muse AI app, from flight credits to outfit ideas

According to Sensor Tower, while Muse has record downloads for an AI app, it's not breaking any general app records. Streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max, games like Candy Crush, Pokémon Go, and Fortnite, and even Meta's own social media platform Threads all reached more than 5 million downloads within the same amount of time.

Meta has gone all-in when it comes to promoting Muse.

While the company appears to have succeeded so far, it hasn't been without controversy. There have been questions about how Meta, a company with a well-documented history of privacy failures, will handle user data with Muse. There was also a viral story about a user who said Muse sold an item on Facebook Marketplace and sent the buyer to the user's address…all without telling the user that it was doing so.

Despite issues like this, there's no denying that Muse, and its new mascot, have proven extraordinarily popular.

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