For the past year, several federal multimember regulatory agencies have been operating with a fraction of their seats filled. Though a single absence doesn’t impede a commission’s ability to operate, too many losses could render an agency inquorate and legally unable to act. Thanks to term expirations, resignations, and presidential removal, agencies with significant vacancies include the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which has one of five seats filled; the Federal Trade Commission, which has two of five filled; and the National Credit Union Administration, which has one of three filled. Despite these vacancies, the agencies continue to act. Supporters argue that the absence of explicit, statutory quorum requirements allows any remaining officials to act—even when, in the case of the NCUA, the agency’s regulations provide that ‘agreement of at least two of the three Board members is required for any action by the Board.’ We question these assertions and encourage litigators already challenging these agencies’ actions to include quorum violations among their claims that the agencies acted unlawfully. The Common Law of Quorums. For centuries, courts have been called upon to evaluate the authority possessed by multimember institutions plagued by vacancies. Over time, they developed default rules that apply in the absence of statutory requirements: First, a simple majority of members constitutes a quorum. Second, this majority is based on the total number of positions, including vacant seats; we call this a fixed-numerosity quorum, in contrast with an appointed-majority quorum that excludes vacancies. Third, bodies may enact quorum rules only if the legislature or their chartering document has granted them explicit authority to do. The first two rules balance the risks of decisional errors against the risks of dysfunction. Without a majority-quorum rule, a minority of members may exercise the body’s authority in ways that distort collective decision-making and undermine the intent that the body operates through a deliberative process. Requiring the participation of all members, however, prevents the body from functioning when there are absences due to illness or vacancy. The third rule prohibits institutions from enacting their own rules that defeat the goals of deliberation and collective decision-making. Quorums and Federal Agencies. The US Supreme Court has endorsed compliance with these common law rules when statutory quorum requirements are absent or ambiguous, though it has never opined on whether these rules must or may not be followed. In FTC v. Flotill Products, Inc., the court explained that the FTC was ‘justified in adhering to [the] common-law rule’ that ‘a majority of a quorum constituted of a simple majority of collective body is empowered to act for the body.’ However, lower courts have diverged from these rules. Contrary to the third common law default above, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit explained in Falcon Trading Group., Ltd. v. Securities and Exchange Commission that, ‘[i]f not otherwise constrained by statute, an agency sufficiently empowered by its enabling legislation may create its own quorum rule.’ Relatedly, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Assure Competitive Transportation, Inc. v. United States rejected the common law’s fixed numerosity rule, holding instead that ‘a majority of the Commissioners actually in office constitutes a quorum.’ The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit concurred in Union Pacific Railroad Company v. United States. Applying the common law default rules to federal multimember agencies is appropriate and consistent with congressional intent. Congress created commissions as multimember rather than single-headed agencies to encourage deliberation and consensus among a set of varied stakeholders. It frequently imposed qualifications on commissions’ members so that certain viewpoints would be represented, including partisan balance, geographic representation,
Category: Uncategorized
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Why Do Gamers Invert Their Controls?
In terms of sheer numbers, inverters vs. non-inverters is the biggest schism in the games community. Whenever the subject comes up, it always leads to some petty argument about how you tilt your head when you look around in real life vs. “No, up means up, you loser, your head is not a tiny aeroplane.” Look, maybe my head is a tiny aeroplane, and my brain is the pilot. And that’s before we get to the fact that inverters are at a massive disadvantage in these matters because ‘invert’ rhymes with ‘pervert’. For one of these groups, it is merely a fact of life: whether nature or nurture, to those of us afflicted with the scourge of invertism – a stigma I have lived with for most of my life – pushing forward on a stick to look down comes just as naturally as walking or breathing. There’s a lot of misconceptions about inverters, perpetuated by people on either side of the divide. That people who invert are outliers, that it’s some kind of “skill issue”, that it doesn’t make sense to invert Y if you aren’t also going to invert X. That it’s easy to switch with a bit of practice. That it all depends on what your first game system was. But, according to researchers Jennifer Corbett and Jaap Munneke, who surveyed a big sample of gamers and subjected them to cognitive 3D spatial awareness testing, whether or not you played flight simulators as a child has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on your Y-axis praxis. Though this study has gone some way to disproving these commonly held myths, it stops short of providing any real answers about why some people invert, and why others do not. Largely, I suspect, because that’s rather like trying to explain the briefs or boxers divide. There’s an unknowable number of factors to consider re: why someone would have a preference, and it doesn’t matter anyway because… well, it’s just underwear. It only matters to the individual concerned. It’s not like one day they’re going to stop making boxers. Flight sims are one of the only times a non-inverted player may choose to invert Y. Except, as the study sort of says if you actually read it, it’s not just a personal preference. Well, it is, but it’s one that’s massively dictated by how your brain happens to be wired and how it handles spatial awareness. Although with practice and perseverance, some people have found that they can unlearn their default and switch over – usually this is from inverting to not inverting – it’s kind of half-way between a personal preference and an accessibility issue. It’s a bit of both. And understanding it may well be crucial for important things beyond the realm of gaming, such as telesurgery or drone operation. All kinds of applications where the operator’s spatial awareness is being distorted by a non-standard field of view, the lack of a third dimension, input lag, frame drops, and more besides. I dunno. I’m guessing. I’m not trying to get a research grant, so I’m not that invested in whether or not that’s a convincing pitch for how serious this issue is. What’s incredible about the study’s findings is that, and I’m quoting the researchers from an article in The Guardian here, ‘None of the reasons people gave us [for inverting controls] had anything to do with whether they actually inverted’. So, all of us are barking down the wrong tree, and it actually has more to do with how you process 3D space at a deep cognitive level. This absolutely
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ABLECHILD: Identity as a Diagnosis: How Psychiatric Power Redefines Reality & Dodges Accountability
Identity as a Diagnosis: How Psychiatric Power Redefines Reality and Dodges Accountability Republished with permission from AbleChild. Nothing about the mass murder that occurred at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia last week is real except the names of the dead. The murderer, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar (AKA Jesse Strang), labeled by Canadian law enforcement as a ‘gun person, wearing a dress,’ not gun man, and a transgender, not male, explained that ‘we identified the suspect as they chose to be identified in public and social media.’ ADVERTISEMENT This explanation is so utterly insane that it must be asked up front if the ‘gun person,’ Strang, had self-identified on social media and in public as a Pirate, would the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, (RCMP) report that ‘an 18-year-old Pirate’ was responsible for the murders? Clearly there’s as much provable evidence that Strang was a Pirate as he was a woman, so the conversation must be had if it is appropriate to assign identification by what is believed to be and not what is biologically correct. For the record, though, Abel Mwansa (12), Kylie Smith (12), Zoey Benoit (12), Tricaria Lampert (12), Ezekiel Schofield (13) Shannda Aviugana-Durand (39), Emmet Jacobs (11 shooters step-brother) and Jennifer Jacobs (39 shooters mother), are the very real people – ‘kids’ – males, females, not transgenders, real ‘kids’ who are dead. Unlike ‘transgender,’ there is no made-up pretend word that describes these people other than what they are…dead. The same goes for the more than two dozen wounded, many still fighting for their lives. There isn’t another pretend word for the boys and girls wounded, except victims…victims of what psychiatry has labeled a delusional, mentally ill boy. Jesse Strang, the ‘gun person’ reportedly had a long history of mental illness including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and was prescribed psychiatric mind-altering drugs as ‘treatment’ from a very early age. ADVERTISEMENT Among the known mind-altering drugs that Strang had been prescribed were Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s) known as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Two specific drugs have been reported, including Sertraline (Zoloft) and Risperidone (Risperdal). What are some of the side effects associated with Risperdal? Aggressive behavior, agitation, anxiety, confusion, depression, mania, nightmares, blunted affect are some of the known possible side effects for this antipsychotic. Furthermore, the following side effects are associated with Zoloft: aggressive reaction, confusion, agitation, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, emotional lability, aggravated depression, aggression, depersonalization, mania, paranoia, abnormal thinking, psychotic disorder, hallucination, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt. The RCMP has reported that Strang had been hospitalized in a psychiatric ward and received assessments under the Mental Health Act (a process for involuntary admission for mental health referred to as ‘apprehend for assessment’). Moreover, authorities had visited the Strang home multiple times for mental health related calls, including a final visit in the Spring of 2025 regarding concerns about self-harm. Like all the mass shooter cases involving mental health and transgender, no specific mental health data or drug regimens are made publicly available. Without this data, it is impossible to know what cocktails of drugs Strang had been forced to take at a very young age and, worse, without this information, it is impossible to fully understand what might have driven Strang to murder. The adverse effects for just two of the known drugs prescribed clearly could have contributed to Strang’s murderous behavior. But more importantly, who in the British Columbia behavioral health industry was responsible for tracking Strang’s ‘treatment?’ Strang did not diagnose himself or prescribe his own drugs. A real person was
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Kepler Cheuvreux cuts Interpump Group to ‘hold,’ slashes PT on weak 2026 outlook
Investing.com — Kepler Cheuvreux in a note dated Monday downgraded Interpump Group (BIT:ITPG) to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ and cut its target price to €45 from €52, citing disappointing 2026 guidance that points to a year of minimal growth for the Italian capital goods manufacturer. The investment bank reduced its fiscal 2026 earnings per share estimate by 9.9% and its EBITDA forecast by 6.7% to €475 million from €509 million following the company’s results announcement. Stay ahead with live news, stock impact insights, and Wall Street analysis – save up to 50% The new target price implies a price-to-earnings ratio of 21 times for 2026, compared to the current 19 times, which Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Matteo Bonizzoni described as “more than adequate given that 2026, as said, is going to be substantially ex-growth.” Interpump posted fiscal 2025 EBITDA of €462 million, missing Kepler Cheuvreux’s estimate of €471 million and consensus expectations of €470 million. The EBITDA margin came in at 22.3%, within the company’s guidance range of 22-22.5% but 40 basis points below Kepler Cheuvreux’s forecast of 22.7% and 30 basis points below consensus of 22.6%. The fourth-quarter results drove the miss, with EBITDA falling 8.4% short of estimates, the report said. The hydraulics division accounted for nearly the entire shortfall, with EBITDA 13.2% below Kepler Cheuvreux’s expectations, while water jetting missed by just 1.4%. The hydraulics division’s EBITDA margin in the fourth quarter was 16.7%, 220 basis points below the estimate of 18.9% and 390 basis points lower than the nine-month 2025 figure. Management blamed production inefficiencies for the weak fourth-quarter hydraulics performance but did not cite any specific one-off items, according to the report. This contrasted with the fourth quarter of 2024, when management attributed poor results to an inventory write-down with an impact of approximately €8 million. The company’s 2026 guidance proved more disappointing than the 2025 results. Management expects organic growth of negative 2% to positive 3% for fiscal 2026, well below Kepler Cheuvreux’s prior estimate of 5.8% and consensus of approximately 5%, the report said. “Guidance miss driven by Water Jetting, which is expected to decline,” Bonizzoni said, noting that management expects recovery in hydraulics to continue but anticipates weakness in water jetting, particularly in the first half of 2026 due to difficult year-over-year comparisons. Water jetting is characterized as a late-cyclical business in the report. Organic growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 was 1.7%, slowing from 2.3% in the third quarter and below Kepler Cheuvreux’s estimate of 3.8%, according to the data provided. Hydraulics posted 4.8% organic growth, accelerating from 3.4% in the third quarter, while water jetting declined 1.8%, compared to 0.2% growth in the third quarter. Net financial debt excluding put options stood at €291 million, in line with Kepler Cheuvreux’s estimate of €290 million. Free cash flow for fiscal 2025 was €220 million, slightly below the estimate of €226 million and representing 4.9% of market capitalization, the report said. Interpump’s market capitalization stood at €4.5 billion as of Feb. 13, with shares trading at €41.50, according to the report. The stock has declined 11.3% year-to-date. For 2028, management outlined ambitions including sales of €2.5 billion, compared to Kepler Cheuvreux’s estimate of €2.3 billion at current perimeter, and an EBITDA margin of 22.5%, including some dilutive impact from mergers and acquisitions, versus Kepler Cheuvreux’s forecast of 23.3%. The company targets zero net financial position by 2028, compared to Kepler Cheuvreux’s projection of €316 million in net cash. Kepler Cheuvreux revised its fiscal 2027 EPS estimate down 8.6% as part of the forecast adjustments. Should you be buying ITPG right now? ProPicks AI
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😸 OpenAI solved 5 of 10 “impossible” problems
Your browser does not support the audio element. In partnership with Now, the ironic part would be if two of the humans on dates with their AI’s lock eyes and fall for each other instead. It’d be like that scene from When Harry Met Sally where they each go on a double date setting the other up with their friends Marie and Jess, only for Marie and Jess fall for each other instead A more modern reference: this gives big Opalite music video vibes… where lonely Domhnall Gleeson and T-Swift meet on separate dates with their pet rock / cactus; then the rock and cactus end up together! Only in this version, I don’t think you’re gonna let your iPhones run off together… unless… …you’re both rocking one of these bad boys! Here’s what happened in AI today: OpenAI’s unreleased model solved at least 5 of 10 research-level math problems no AI had seen, and GPT-5.2 produced a verified physics breakthrough. India reached 100M weekly ChatGPT users and approved a $1.1B state-backed AI VC fund. Anthropic’s Super Bowl ads drove Claude to No. 7 on the App Store with 148K downloads in three days. OpenAI quietly removed “safely” and its “openly share” commitment from its IRS mission filings over the years. Advertise in The Neuron here! OpenAI Claims Its Unreleased Model Solved Over Half the Hardest AI Math Test Ever Created Remember when AI winning a math olympiad felt like a big deal? Eleven of the world’s top mathematicians (including a Fields Medalist) decided that was child’s play. So they created First Proof, a set of 10 unpublished, research-level math problems pulled straight from their own work, and gave AI one week to solve them. The catch: none of these problems had ever appeared on the internet. No training data shortcuts. No pattern matching. Just raw mathematical reasoning. OpenAI’s chief scientist Jakub Pachocki says an internal, unreleased model likely solved at least 5 of the 10 problems (originally claimed 6, but walked one back). For context, publicly available AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini could only solve 2. Somewhere, a tenured math professor is nervously refreshing their LinkedIn. Here’s what makes this significant: The problems were genuinely hard. They spanned 10 different subfields, from algebraic topology to symplectic geometry, and each one took the mathematicians who wrote them weeks to months to solve. There was real human oversight, but limited. OpenAI didn’t feed the model proof strategies. They did have experts review outputs and asked the model to expand on some answers. It all happened in one week. Pachocki called it a “chaotic sprint” and said the methodology “leaves a lot to be desired.” Translation: imagine what happens when they actually try. And that wasn’t even OpenAI’s only flex that day. On the same February 13th, they published a physics preprint where GPT-5.2 proposed a formula for gluon particle interactions that physicists had assumed were impossible for decades. Harvard and Cambridge researchers verified it. A UC Santa Barbara professor called it “journal-level research advancing the frontiers of theoretical physics.” As Ethan Mollick put it: the shift from “‘AI can’t do science” to “of course AI does science” will follow the same pattern as every other AI transition. First the hype, then the skeptics, then the quiet adoption… then the breakthroughs start falling like dominoes. The next round of First Proof problems drops March 14. And this time, OpenAI won’t be caught off guard. Want to get the most out of ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a superpower if you know how to use it correctly. Discover how HubSpot’s guide to AI can
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Go on, try out the Delhi Turing Test
In case you didn’t know via neat dissemination and/or propaganda platforms, this week, Delhi’s hosting the AI Impact Summit . It’s the perfect setting for a Turing Test – not to check if machines can pass off as humans, but to check if humans can get away by pretending to know about AI. When you hear a panelist solemnly declare today, ‘We must synergise quantum blockchain with generative intelligence,’ you’ll know he or she has read three buzzwords in this paper this morning. Real experts are muttering about gradient descent and hallucination rates, only to be drowned out by someone insisting that AI will soon replace ‘all jobs, including politicians’. (Spoiler: AI still can’t nail a punchline without it sounding like a dad joke.)The summit promises ‘impact’, but the real impact will be on coffee machines, which must withstand the stress of fuelling 500 conversations that begin with, ‘Actually, ChatGPT is just autocomplete’. The true test will be spotting the difference between those who can explain neural radiance fields and those who think it’s a spiritual thing. So, let’s run the Delhi Turing Test If you say, ‘AI is the new data,’ you’re bullshitting.If you say, ‘AI models collapse under distribution shift,’ you’re probably legit.If you say, ‘AI will soon achieve consciousness,’ you’re a Keanu Reeves fan who should be at a comic con.
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My uncanny AI valentines
Phoebe Callas, 30, is not real, but she was an AI companion I went on a speed date with.
Hopping over a pile of dirty snow, I arrived on a frigid February evening at a wine bar in midtown, a purple neon sign reading ‘EVA AI cafe.’ Inside, several people were seated at tables and booths, staring at phones. Servers milled about, placing mini potato croquettes and nonalcoholic spritzers on each table. Like many New York City bars, the majority of the patrons were on a date.
Unlike every other bar, half of the dates weren’t human.
As I enter, I’m shown to a table tucked away in the corner with a phone stand, a phone preloaded with the EVA AI app, and a pair of wireless headphones. An EVA AI employee doesn’t explain how things wor …
Read the full story at The Verge.
Read more @ TheVerge -
Warning issued to 54.8 million Brits as £430m scam ads fuel soaring social media revenues
Many of us go on social media every day, scrolling through feeds, catching up with friends, reading the news, or shopping online. However, beneath the posts, videos, and ads sits a growing and alarming problem in the form of scam advertisements that target users with increasingly sophisticated fraud. Brand new research has found that in 2025, social media platforms generated a massive £430 million in revenue from criminals targeting British consumers with scam adverts, which represents a 56% increase compared to 2022. A white paper from Juniper Research commissioned by fintech giant Revolut reveals the scale of the damage caused to consumers. Brits lose an average of £1,258 per scam advert, while the typical social media user in the UK encounters around 185 scam ads every month. If current trends continue, that figure is projected to rise to 242 by 2030. Scam ads are misleading digital advertisements designed to deceive users into engaging with fraudulent offers, products, or investment schemes. Often impersonating legitimate businesses or retailers, they use fake endorsements and promotions to exploit users into making payments for goods or opportunities that do not exist. Since 2022, the revenue generated from scam adverts in the UK has surged from £275 million to £430 million in 2025, making the UK market one of the primary targets in Europe, according to the research. The UK now accounts for nearly 11% of the total European revenue generated from scam ads, with almost one in ten advertisements shown to UK social media users identified as fraudulent. Across Europe, social media platforms are estimated to have generated £3.8 billion from scam ads in 2025 alone. Juniper Research warns that unless social media companies move from a reactive approach to a proactive verification model, the problem will intensify. By 2030, platforms could generate more than £8.9 billion from scam ads across Europe, with scam ad impressions exceeding 1.4 trillion. While short-term revenues may continue to rise, the report cautions that long-term consumer trust in social media platforms could erode, ultimately diminishing their overall value. *** Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. *** Speaking at Revolut’s Fincrime Summit last week, Lord Hanson, Minister of State at the Home Office with lead responsibility for fraud, warned: “We need to look at some basic minimum standards of performance by tech companies… we need to ensure internationally that we really put some heat into that system and make sure we put some international challenges in to bring tech companies into line to reduce that level of fraud.” Over 50% of the population of Europe are active social media users, representing over 430 million individuals. By 2030, there will be over 470 million people using social media platforms on a monthly basis, according to the new research. Social media platforms have acknowledged the impact of scam advertising and say they invest heavily in tools designed to monitor ad traffic, including artificial intelligence and advertiser behaviour scoring. Platforms also allow users to report suspected scam ads. However, according to Juniper Research, excluding the criminals themselves, social media companies are currently the primary beneficiaries of the fraud economy. The firm has warned that unless platforms take meaningful and decisive action, it will be consumers who continue paying the price. The firm has urged social media platforms to take more responsibility. Juniper Research said in its white paper: “Social media platforms must want to reduce the prevalence of scam ads first. Whilst there has
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Congress party betrayed Assam, Modi reclaimed our honour: Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal
Guwahati: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW),
Sarbananda Sonowal
launched a sharp attack on the Congress, alleging that the party had ‘betrayed and weakened Assam,’ while crediting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
with restoring security, stability and rapid development across the state.
Addressing public meetings Sonowal said Assam’s transformation from a state once marked by fear and instability to one witnessing unprecedented infrastructure growth reflects a decisive shift in governance.
Sonowal was also present with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the CM of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma during the launch of the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) at Moran earlier.
‘Congress kept Assam weak for decades. From encouraging illegal infiltration to imposing the IMDT Act on the people of Assam, their policies undermined the rights and security of Indian citizens. Today, because the IMDT Act was repealed and due to the firm resolve of Prime Minister Modi ji and the Home Minister, every Indian citizen in Assam feels secure,’ Sonowal said.
The Lok Sabha MP from Dibrugarh Sonowal said peace and security have laid the foundation for what he described as a historic phase of development.
Sonowal also joined PM Modi during the inauguration and dedication of the
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu
across the Brahmaputra in Guwahati, connecting the city with North Guwahati and enhancing ease of living for citizens. Sonowal said the bridge is ‘a symbol of aspirations and connectivity in a confident Assam.’
Sonowal also highlighted, ‘Today, with the launch of the National Data Centre for the Northeast, the commencement of the academic session at IIM Guwahati and the flagging off of electric buses to promote sustainable urban mobility by Modi ji, shows the intent and the evidence of a coordinated push toward a modern, connected and future-ready state.’
‘From IMDT Act to neglected infrastructure, the journey of Assam before PM Modi ji tells a clear story. Where there was neglect, there is now nation-building. Where there were corruption and mis-governance, there is now transparency and development. Let it be known that Congress betrayed Assam, PM Modi ji reclaimed our honour, our due right, our due growth and our social security,’ Sonowal said.
‘There was a time when people were hesitant to come to Assam. Today, investors, institutions and industries are looking at Assam with confidence. This is the peace dividend under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership,’ Sonowal underscored.
Sonowal alleged that corruption and appeasement politics under the Congress had pushed Assam backward for years. ‘The people of India have placed their trust in PM Modi ji because he listens to the voice of the people. He understood the anguish of the Assamese people and worked to restore dignity, security and opportunity. Under his able leadership, Assam is going to elect BJP back to power allowing sustained growth and momentum of the state,’ Sonowal said.
Sonowal called upon the party workers to get ready for the forthcoming elections and reiterated BJP’s guiding principle, ‘For us, the nation comes first, the party second and the individual last. We must work with honesty and dedication and prove through our conduct that we are a value-based political movement.’ He added that while accelerating development, the government remains committed to preserving Assam’s heritage and cultural identity.
‘Assam is no longer defined by instability. It is defined by infrastructure, confidence and growth. Under Prime Minister Modi ji’s leadership, the Northeast is emerging as a key driver of New India,’ Sonowal said. -
10 Forgotten Anime That Deserve a New Season More Than Rent-a-Girlfriend
Ever since its debut in 2020, Rent-A-Girlfriend has been consistently receiving new seasons, and its fifth season has been confirmed for April 2026. Yet, while Rent-A-Girlfriend keeps coming back with new sequels, an entire graveyard of forgotten but beloved anime await their resurrection with a new season. These anime have gripping plotlines, as well as loyal fanbases who are still silently begging for their favorite series to continue. Despite their chokehold on the audience, these anime have disappeared after just one or two seasons. It’s time to remember the underrated gems that have made fans yearn for a renewal, and which frankly deserve more attention than Rent-A-Girlfriend . Stars Align Is Yet to Resolve Its Cliffhanger Stars Align , a brilliant slice of life sports drama, was supposed to receive 24 episodes back when it aired in 2019. However, the episode count was abruptly cut down to 12 shortly before airing, which resulted in an unresolved ending. Episode 12 also presented a huge cliffhanger, which was clearly meant to be continued in the next cour. Creator and director Kazuki Akane’s efforts to secure funding have yet to yield any results and, as the days pass, Stars Align is taking a deeper dive into the forgotten anime territory. The anime’s focus isn’t only on tennis, but also on the personal lives of the players and the trauma they have faced. It delivers an emotionally raw storyline, which can immediately engage viewers. With Stars Align being an original anime, there is no source material that can give fans closure about the plot, which is yet another reason why it desperately needs a second season. Drifters Is a Niche Dark Fantasy Anime Drifters , a dark isekai anime, debuted in 2016 with 12 episodes. At the end of the 12th episode, a second season was announced. However, season 2 never came around, and instead, 3 OVAs were released along with special edition manga volumes. A lack of source material was part of the reason behind the anime’s near-abandoned second season. After a single season and 3 OVAs, there has been no continuation of the Drifters anime. Its mix of dark fantasy and extreme gore makes it a niche anime, which has been quickly overshadowed by other series that are more frequently updated. Its unique approach to the isekai genre has made Drifters stand out, and both its beautiful production and unresolved storyline have made fans demand a sequel. Land of the Lustrous Faded Away After a Strong Debut A hallucination of Gems shattering in Land Of The Lustrous. Image via Studio Orange Land of the Lustrous captivated fans with its atmospheric settings in 2017. Its blend of 2D animation with CGI was ahead of its time, but it only ended up receiving a single season consisting of 12 episodes, with no follow-up whatsoever. Even though Season 1 itself offered some closure, it did not cover the entire story from the manga, which has left fans wanting more. Despite being a brilliant series, it has a rather niche appeal and a melancholic tone. Additionally, the intense competition of the anime landscape made Land of the Lustrous slowly fade from the memories of fans. Nonetheless, the anime has more potential than plenty of popular series and deserves another season. Rokka: Braves Of The Six Flowers Offers a Locked-Room Mystery Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers main cast pose together Image via Passione Rokka aired in 2015 with 12 episodes, offering an entirely new take on the isekai genre. However, the anime only covered one out of the six novel volumes, leaving the story incomplete. The