diff --git a/dzgui.sh b/dzgui.sh
index 7f07460..aab504c 100755
--- a/dzgui.sh
+++ b/dzgui.sh
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ fetch_dzq(){
 fetch_helpers_by_sum(){
     declare -A sums
     sums=(
-        ["ui.py"]="5e1d2af6cdd122d810de01a2252d1839"
+        ["ui.py"]="980b2363ff51c6d5b53573823413de35"
         ["query_v2.py"]="1822bd1769ce7d7cb0d686a60f9fa197"
         ["vdf2json.py"]="2f49f6f5d3af919bebaab2e9c220f397"
         ["funcs"]="73898be7185d77ccdc67ace906a7db2c"
@@ -778,7 +778,11 @@ is_steam_running(){
 test_connection(){
     ping -c1 -4 github.com 1>/dev/null 2>&1
     if [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]]; then
-        raise_error_and_quit "DZGUI requires an active Internet connection, but no connection could be established. The remote may be down."
+        raise_error_and_quit "No connection could be established to the remote server (github.com)."
+    fi
+    ping -c1 -4 api.steampowered.com 1>/dev/null 2>&1
+    if [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]]; then
+        raise_error_and_quit "No connection could be established to the remote server (steampowered.com)."
     fi
 }
 initial_setup(){
@@ -811,11 +815,9 @@ main(){
 
     printf "Initializing setup...\n"
     initial_setup
-    local news=$(check_news)
 
     printf "All OK. Kicking off UI...\n"
-    [[ -z $news ]] && news="null"
-    python3 "$ui_helper" "--init-ui" "$news" "$version" "$is_steam_deck"
+    python3 "$ui_helper" "--init-ui" "$version" "$is_steam_deck"
 }
 main
 #TODO: tech debt: cruddy handling for steam forking
diff --git a/helpers/ui.py b/helpers/ui.py
index 5bf28b9..a5cf826 100644
--- a/helpers/ui.py
+++ b/helpers/ui.py
@@ -1163,16 +1163,6 @@ class AppHeaderBar(Gtk.HeaderBar):
         self.set_show_close_button(True)
 
 
-class NewsHeader(Gtk.Box):
-    def __init__(self, news):
-        super().__init__()
-        Gtk.Box(spacing=1)
-        self.set_valign(Gtk.Align.START)
-        news_label = Gtk.Label(label=news)
-        news_label.set_ellipsize(Pango.EllipsizeMode.END)
-        self.pack_start(news_label, False, False, 0)
-
-
 class GenericDialog(Gtk.MessageDialog):
     def __init__(self, parent, text, mode):
 
@@ -1396,12 +1386,7 @@ class Grid(Gtk.Grid):
         self.set_column_homogeneous(True)
         #self.set_row_homogeneous(True)
 
-        self._version = "%s %s" %(app_name, sys.argv[3])
-        _news = sys.argv[2]
-
-        if _news != "null":
-            self.news = NewsHeader(_news)
-            #self.attach(self.news, 0, -1, 8, 10)
+        self._version = "%s %s" %(app_name, sys.argv[2])
 
         self.scrollable_treelist = ScrollableTree(is_steam_deck)
         if is_steam_deck is True:
@@ -1488,7 +1473,7 @@ def toggle_signal(owner, widget, func_name, bool):
 class App(Gtk.Application):
     def __init__(self):
 
-        _isd = int(sys.argv[4])
+        _isd = int(sys.argv[3])
         if _isd == 1:
             is_steam_deck = True
         else: