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REI’s Labor Day Sale and Clearance is live until Sept. 7, and camping gear is one of the categories worth digging through. If you’re looking for a camping chair for the first time in a while, they’ve gotten a lot more advanced, with options that even swing like a hammock. Nemo’s Stargaze Evo-X is one of the more premium picks in this arena, but it’s $80 off at the moment and more than worth your time if comfort is a non-negotiable for you.
Frame: Steel base, six points of contact, no assembly required
Features: Auto-recline, swinging, padded headrest, two cupholders
Setup: Unfolds in seconds, packs into a roll-top carry case with a shoulder strap
Best For: Car camping, backyard hangs, stargazing, tailgating
Let’s make one thing clear: This is nowhere close to a basic $10 folding camp chair. This is something far, far more special.
Tensioned straps let the seat drop into a deep enough recline that you’re looking almost straight up, which is the main point of the Stargaze chair lineup (to stargaze). To get there, you just lean back without having to mess with a lever or straps, and the same tension system lets the seat swing. Nemo also added extra padding to the hips, headrest, and pressure points in this version, a direct response to the main complaints about the original Stargaze.
That auto-recline and swing combination is not something you commonly find in chairs under $200, which is most of what you’re paying for here, even at the sale price. The steel frame means it weighs around 14 pounds, so this is best used for car camping, the yard, or tailgating. If you want something simpler and packable, take a look at Coleman’s basic camp chair, now on sale for $27.
$100 is still a lot for a camping chair, but you’re paying for features and quality that’s instantly felt. One shopper wrote that the old camp chairs don’t work for them anymore, but this one does, and it’s “the best addition I’ve made to my gear in a long time.”
Another shopper wrote, “Extremely comfortable and very easy to set up and take down.” This is definitely on the heavier side at around 14 pounds, so it’s not the best backpacking option, but reviewers said it’s perfect for car camping.
A new national map places Allentown, Pennsylvania, at No. 1 among the most challenging U.S. metropolitan areas for people with asthma—a distinction arriving as September’s seasonal rise in asthma emergencies begins.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s 2026 Asthma Capitals report ranks Detroit, Rochester, Philadelphia and Cleveland behind Allentown. Lakeland, Syracuse, Hartford, Charleston and Sacramento complete the top 10. The findings extend beyond those cities: CDC data show nearly 28 million Americans currently have asthma.
AAFA compared the 100 most-populated metropolitan areas in the contiguous United States using estimated asthma prevalence, asthma-related emergency-department visits and deaths. The factors “are not weighted equally,” the report notes.
Allentown had high prevalence and the highest emergency-visit rate among the cities analyzed. AAFA argues geography reflects policy as well as individual care: “Asthma outcomes are not simply a matter of individual health and responsibility,” but also how communities “fund, regulate, and prioritize.”
The map reveals a regional pattern. Seven of the top 20 metros are in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Yet the list stretches from California to Texas and Arizona.
Although AAFA’s newer claims analysis found asthma peaks can also occur during winter, emergency visits commonly begin climbing around September. Back-to-school illnesses, ragweed, mold, wildfire smoke and abrupt weather changes can converge now.
The CDC says asthma “causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing at night or early in the morning.” For children, AAFA says asthma-related ER admissions “start to rise in September and continue to spike” alongside respiratory-virus season.
AAFA recommends reviewing a written Asthma Action Plan with a health care provider, taking controller medicines as prescribed, and monitoring air-quality and pollen forecasts. The World Health Organization emphasizes that asthma “can be managed with the right treatment” and advises people experiencing symptoms to “speak to a health professional.”
At home, the EPA recommends fixing leaks and keeping humidity between 30 and 50 percent to discourage mold.
For larger rooms, the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04 uses HEPA H13-grade, activated-carbon and formaldehyde-destroying filtration. Dyson says it “captures gases and ultra fine particles” while reducing odors. An air purifier cannot treat asthma or replace prescribed medication, but it may support a plan for reducing indoor triggers.
Forty-eight years ago today, Styx released the album that gave fans two of the band’s most enduring rock songs.
Pieces of Eight, Styx’s eighth studio album, arrived on Sept. 1, 1978, following the massive success of the band’s breakthrough record, The Grand Illusion. The new album proved Styx wasn’t about to lose momentum.
The record featured three charting singles, including “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” which reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Renegade,” which climbed to No. 16.
Both songs were written by guitarist and vocalist Tommy Shaw and have remained among Styx’s best-known tracks.
It’s funny to think “Renegade,” which has become one of the band’s most popular songs, almost sounded very different. Shaw, 72, originally conceived the song as a slower, acoustic number before keyboardist Dennis DeYoung encouraged him to transform it into the hard-driving rock anthem fans know today.
Pieces of Eight became another major success for Styx, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and earning multi-platinum sales. It was also the second of four consecutive Styx albums to sell at least two million copies, a run that marked one of the band’s most successful periods.
Beyond its biggest singles, the album included “Sing for the Day,” another Shaw-penned track that reached the Top 50.
Nearly five decades later, Pieces of Eight remains a key chapter in Styx’s catalog, not just because it followed The Grand Illusion, but because it gave the band two songs that have continued to define its legacy: “Blue Collar Man” and “Renegade.”
Famed iced tea brand Saint James is expanding its horizons in the beverage space with the newly launched Saint James Yerba Mate. It’s a certified organic drink with “150mg of natural caffeine, 20-25 calories, and just 3- 4 g of sugar per bottle.”
Helping to roll out the new beverage line via a national campaign are Super Bowl-winning wide receiver turned football analyst Victor Cruz, Olympic gold-medal-winning hockey player Jack Hughes, and model/entrepreneur Isabela Rangel Grutman. These three people are used to having plenty to do every day and know the value of an organic boost to power through it. As co-CEO Brad Neumann puts it:
“Everyone’s day looks different, and so does the role Yerba Mate plays in it. Whether they’re training at the gym, leading business meetings, running to parent-teacher conferences, or simply getting through a busy day, our partners are all drinking Saint James to power them through their packed schedules.”
Additionally, Saint James Yerba Mate comes in three flavors: Mango Passionfruit, Raspberry Lemon, and Strawberry Tangerine. Each flavor is combined with yerba mate, the source of the caffeine, that’s been ethically sourced in South America.
Victor Cruz: “I Can Reach for Saint James Yerba Mate When I Need a Boost”
Saint James Yerba Mate bottles (Photo Credit: Saint James Yerba Mate)
Photo Credit: Saint James Yerba Mate
Cruz appears to be genuinely a fan of Saint James Yerba Mate. He shared exclusively with Men’s Journal:
“I’ve been a fan of Saint James for a while, so when they told me they were making a yerba mate, it felt like the perfect time to get more involved with the brand. As a former pro athlete, I’ve always had a pretty demanding schedule, and that hasn’t changed just because I’m not playing on Sundays anymore. I’m still constantly on the go, and I like knowing I can reach for Saint James Yerba Mate when I need a boost, without compromising on the quality of what I’m putting into my body. It just fits right into my lifestyle – whether I’m heading to a workout, picking up my daughter from school, running to a meeting, or whatever else the day throws at me.”
If you’re in the market for a new organic way to find some more energy in your day-to-day, you can try Saint James Yerba Mate, available for purchase on Amazon and SaintJamesIcedTea.com. Retail distribution is planned to expand to major big-box stores like Kroger and Albertsons. For a 12-pack, it costs $39.99.
On September 1, 1850, Swedish soprano Jenny Lind arrived in New York aboard the steamship Atlantic, stepping into a city already gripped by “Lind Mania.” Managed by P.T. Barnum, the singer had been promoted to American audiences as the “Swedish Nightingale,” and contemporary reporting captured the extraordinary scale of her celebrity.
The New York Daily Tribune estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 people crowded piers, ships, roofs and windows to catch a glimpse of her arrival. The scale of the reception is especially striking because Lind was still largely unknown to the American public as a performer.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History notes that in 1849 almost nobody in the United States knew her, yet by September 1850 she had become one of the country’s most famous and celebrated women. Barnum’s advertising campaign had transformed an acclaimed European soprano into an American cultural phenomenon before most Americans had even heard her sing.
That’s not to say Lind’s reputation was, open and shut, a product of American publicity. She had already achieved extraordinary acclaim in Europe, where she was regarded as one of the leading singers of her generation.
Contemporary American coverage went even further: after her September 11 debut at Castle Garden, the New York Tribune declared her “the greatest singer we have ever heard.” The Tribune wrote (widely attributed to the paper’s music critic commonly identified in later accounts as John Sullivan Dwight or a staff writer for the Tribune):
“Jenny Lind’s first concert is over, and all doubts are at an end. She is the greatest singer we have ever heard, and her success is all that was anticipated from her genius and her fame.”
Note that the original 1850 New York Daily Tribune issue is held in major newspaper archives; free full-page scans of the specific review are not widely available without institutional access.
Modern sources likewise describe the historical perception of Lind in similarly exalted terms. HISTORY characterizes her as “the greatest opera performer in the world” in its account of her 1850 arrival, while the Barnum Museum describes her as the toast of England and Europe. HISTORY wrote:
“On September 1, 1850, Jenny Lind, the greatest opera performer in the world, arrives from Europe to the United States for a triumphant national tour…”
A Legacy That Still Defines Opera Celebrity
Lind’s American tour became one of the great commercial spectacles of the 19th century. Her first New York concert sold out 5,000 seats, while an auction pushed a single ticket as high as $225. Barnum and Lind’s concerts eventually generated more than $712,000 in receipts, an enormous sum for the period.
While there is no credible modern “greatest of all time” numerical ranking that places Lind at a specific position among every opera singer in history, her historical recognition says all that need said: she was regarded in her own era as arguably the greatest singer audiences had heard, and her unprecedented American reception helped establish the template for the modern international music superstar.
Forty-eight years ago today, a landmark horror movie that became extremely influential and was directed by a true icon of the genre premiered. Decades later, Dawn of the Dead continues to be widely praised as an all-time classic, as it has been included in rankings of the greatest horror films ever produced.
The Horror Classic ‘Dawn of the Dead’ Premiered 48 Years Ago Today
On September 1, 1978, the movie Dawn of the Dead premiered in Turin, Italy. The horror classic was directed by George A. Romero, an icon of the genre who also helmed Day of the Dead and the original version of Night of the Living Dead. However, in a fascinating twist, the version of the film that screened was different from the cut that most North Americans know best. The European version that debuted was screened under the alternative title, Zombi, and was edited under the supervision of another horror legend, Dario Argento.
As a Paste Magazine article on the different versions of Dawn of the Dead noted, the Zombi cut removed much of the film’s humor. It also changed the stock music from Romero’s cut. Instead, Argento used a score composed by the Italian progressive rock band Goblin.
It wouldn’t be until months after the Italian premiere that Dawn of the Dead would arrive in the United States. It debuted in America during the USA Film Festival on April 7, 1979. After that, the movie continued to roll out into other cities in the weeks that followed, and it premiered in Canada in June 1979.
Why Critics Still Rank ‘Dawn of the Dead’ Among the Greatest Horror Movies
Since Dawn of the Dead was originally released, the film has consistently been ranked among the greatest scary movies ever. There are many reasons why it is widely considered brilliant. Some examples include its commentary on mindless consumerism, its influence on the genre, and its status as both a critique of society and an intimate character study. Additionally, the movie has long been celebrated for combining humor with scares, as it managed to balance horrific situations with moments of real fun.
In addition to George A. Romero doing a stellar job writing and directing Dawn of the Dead, the film was highlighted by Tom Savini’s legendary special effects. The classic also included memorable performances from David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross. Perhaps the film’s most lasting legacy is its greatest line of dialogue: “When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth.”
For all those reasons and more, Dawn of the Dead is a staple of lists that rank the greatest horror films. In March 2026, Time Out ranked it at No. 9 on its updated list of the “best horror movies of all time.” Months earlier, in October 2025, Paste Magazine included it at No. 8 on its ranking of the same name. It is also featured on other similar lists, like a dynamic ranking of the “Best Horror Movies of All Time” from Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, a February 2025 Collider ranking of “10 Must-Watch Zombie Movies” featured it at No. 1.
No one knows for sure how things might change during the upcoming college football season, but early indications are that the 2027 NFL Draft will be the strongest in years. Quarterbacks — such as Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin — have dominated the early buzz because, well, they’re quarterbacks brimming with talent and potential. But the beauty of next year’s draft class is that it could offer several franchise-altering prospects at other positions, as well. I’ve ranked the top 10 non-QBs heading into the season and, as you’d expect, all of them have a realistic chance at being a first-round pick next spring. Frankly, the top seven players would have been selected on Day 1 this year. As a bonus, I’ve included a pro comparison for each prospect. Grading offensive linemen is more about fit and grit than analytics, but Green checks in with the numbers that even a stat geek can appreciate. The 6-foot-5, 324-pounder is a three-year starter dating back to his true freshman season at Oklahoma. He allowed just two sacks in 751 pass drops last year, his first at the premium left tackle position after spending his first two seasons inside at left guard, where he routinely delivered pancake blocks. Green is a talented pass blocker, as well as a spark plug in the running game. He gains impressive depth in his kick-slide and has the lateral agility and core strength to handle counters. I’m eager to see if he is even smoother in Year 2 at tackle. Between his girth, grip-strength, competitiveness and previous experience at guard, Green should offer his future NFL team plenty of roster flexibility. Pro comp: Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills Lacy went from a backup at Missouri to leading the entire country with 24 rushing touchdowns at Ole Miss last year. He is sudden and slippery, consistently zipping around and past would-be tacklers. His elusiveness generates plenty of highlight-reel worthy plays, but Lacy is also quite effective in short yardage, showing impressive leg drive, balance through contact and sheer determination to grind out the tough yards, too. Along with his frequent trips to the end zone, the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder led the nation with 335 touches in 2025. There is no denying that Lacy was aided by the creative playcalling of former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. With Kiffin now in Baton Rouge, scouts are curious to see if Lacy can duplicate his remarkable sophomore campaign. Pro comp: TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots Robinson wasn’t quite as flashy as the aforementioned Lacy last year, but he was close, earning FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honors with four interceptions, tying for tops in the talent-rich SEC. Robinson is every bit the athletic phenom you’d expect as a former five-star recruit out of IMG Academy. He has a tight, low backpedal and easy hip turn to track receivers downfield, showing impressive balance and burst out of his breaks and legitimate recovery speed when necessary. He’s also a surprisingly scrappy tackler. A rarity for a young cornerback, Robinson’s hands might be even better than his feet. Robinson can get a bit grabby downfield, but refs often let him compete because he locates the ball well, showing impressive hand-eye coordination to either catch it himself or rake it out of the hands of the intended receiver at the final moment. Interceptions against state rival Georgia Tech and this one versus Charlotte show Robinson’s rare body control and extension to make tough grabs look easy. Pro comp: Trent McDuffie, Los Angeles Rams With all due respect to star quarterback Dante Moore, Washington is both literally and figuratively the biggest reason why Oregon has a chance to match Indiana from a year ago and win its first national championship in program history. He is the centerpiece of arguably the best defensive line in college football. Washington would have been a first-round pick last year but was one of several Ducks who chose to stay north for one more winter rather than migrate to the NFL. He is surprisingly quick and agile for someone listed at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, and he already possesses NFL power, stacking and discarding would-be blockers like paper plates at a summer barbeque. And just ask No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza about Washington’s bull rush. Pro comp: Kenny Clark, Dallas Cowboys If you thought the hype built up around Arch Manning last year was intense, just wait until this season, with the Longhorns set to stampede for a national title and dominate the first round of the 2027 draft. Coleman — the first of three Longhorns in this article — was lured to Austin from Auburn, where he caught a combined 93 receptions for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns over his first two seasons, despite a limited supporting cast. The stats on Coleman are good, but the tape is even better. He is already an established playmaker whose film screams first-round pick. His star could shine from another galaxy, however, now that he’s working with Manning and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, one of the best offensive minds in the sport at any level. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Coleman has the size and athleticism of a future No. 1 NFL receiver. He is an effortless mover who accelerates in a flash and changes directions fluidly. Better yet, he offers exceptional body control and sticky hands to make acrobatic catches even with defenders draped over him. Pro comp: George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys Cornerback is not universally regarded as one of the premium positions by NFL teams. Otherwise, Moore might rank even higher on this list, as his profile is spectacular. He is coming off of a unanimous All-American campaign as a true sophomore in which he recorded five interceptions and was a finalist for not only the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, but the Bronko Nagurski Award as the best overall defender in college football. Listed at 6-foot-2, 197 pounds, Moore has intimidating size for a cornerback. He has a smooth turning motion, seamlessly transitioning out of his backpedal into full gallop. He locates the ball well for a young player, instantly reading underneath routes and showing impressive downhill quickness to trigger back toward the quarterback. Moore has broken up and/or intercepted more passes (25) than he has allowed first downs (23) over his first two seasons of college football, and he’s also a physical hitter, having forced three fumbles. These numbers are all the more impressive when considering Notre Dame often asked him to travel with the opponents’ top receiver, including playing out of the nickel. Pro comp: Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots No disrespect to former Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr. — the No. 9 overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2025 — but the Longhorns might have upgraded with the 6-foot-7, 325-pound Goosby succeeding Banks at left tackle. Pro Football Focus pinned three sacks (out of 492 reps in pass protection) on Goosby last year, but I don’t know that he was truly at fault for any of them. His tape was as clean as any blocker in the 2026 draft, and remember, there were nine blockers drafted in the first round this past spring. Goosby is still just growing into his body, but he already moves with such an exciting combination of grace and force that it is easy to project him as a future Pro Bowler, if not All-Pro. He eases off the snap in pass protection, sliding laterally and keeping himself square to the rusher. Goosby surges low and hard as a run blocker, as well, showing impressive bend, balance and power to move defenders in the running game. Pro comp: Laremy Tunsil, Washington Commanders Stewart promises to be one of the most scrutinized non-quarterbacks of this draft class because he is remarkably gifted yet has not generated the eye-popping production his talent portends. He checks in at a prototypical 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, with long arms, which he already effectively uses to lock out and shed would-be blockers, as well as lasso ballcarriers from behind. As a pass-rusher, Stewart is sudden off the snap and has excellent core flexibility to dip under the reach of offensive tackles, greasing the edge and closing in a flash. He’s recorded 11.5 sacks over his first two seasons of SEC football, but his frequent pressures suggest his production could be twice that. Stewart’s blend of size and athleticism are exciting build blocks. He’s already quite strong and is technically sound with some refined pass rush techniques. He’s just growing into his frame and game, projecting as a future All-Pro caliber edge. Pro comp: Robert Quinn (retired) Similar in many ways to 2026 No. 5 overall selection Arvel Reese, Simmons is a malleable monster capable of starring off the edge or as an off-ball linebacker. He is as swift on the perimeter as any rusher in this class, accelerating off the ball like a receiver getting into his route. He isn’t just explosive, he’s flexible, slithering his way through waves of blockers. Watch his anticipation on this snap. The quarterback (and left tackle) had no chance. Moreover, Simmons is shockingly strong at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds. Like all great speed rushers, Simmons generates impressive power with the momentum he gains off his rush, often bulldozing through blockers nearly 100 pounds larger. He has recorded 21 sacks over his first two seasons — despite starting just 13 games. Simmons’ physical gifts are undeniable and will almost certainly earn him a top-five selection whenever he chooses to enter the draft. He isn’t a prospect without flaws, however. He’s been penalized a dozen times in just two collegiate seasons, with most of his penalties coming from mental errors, such as lining up in the neutral zone or unnecessary late hits on the quarterback. Even with the occasional hiccup, Simmons has the look of a future franchise cornerstone. Pro comp: Von Miller, Dallas Cowboys It is difficult to discuss Smith and not venture into hyperbole. Ohio State’s track record for producing superstar NFL wide receivers has been well documented and Smith’s production over his first two years in Columbus is unprecedented even among them. His 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns during his first two seasons on campus aren’t just records for an Ohio State receiver; they top all pass-catchers in Big Ten history. Along with current and future Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Derrick Henry, Myles Garrett and Penei Sewell, Smith is one of a handful of players I’ve evaluated over my career who I believe were capable of playing in the NFL as true freshmen. At a rocked up 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, Smith can simply bully most defensive backs at the college level. His size and strength make him an ideal weapon in the red zone, where he shows good timing and hand-eye coordination to play above the rim. And he’s a legitimate vertical threat who accelerates smoothly and tracks the ball well over his shoulder. Smith is also excellent on slants and crossing routes, utilizing his frame to keep himself between the defender and the ball and showing good vision to rack up yardage after the catch. It is remarkable how many times he outruns pursuit angles or slips between defenders seemingly in position to stop him. We’ve often heard the expression “runaway freight train” used to describe running backs, but the characterization also applies to Smith at receiver. Comparisons to past size-speed phenoms such as the aforementioned Johnson, Jones and DK Metcalf will be common throughout the draft process. The scary part about Smith is that he’s already further along as a route-runner than any of these receivers were coming out of college. Pro comp: Julio Jones (retired)
