The record is in the fine print: Taylor Swift’s VMA milestone, the White Sox’s playoff history and Apple’s $5.7 billion verdict all hinge on qualifiers

A brand-new award made Taylor Swift the most-awarded VMA artist. The White Sox made history after back-to-back 100-loss seasons. Apple drew a patent verdict called the largest “of its kind.” Each record is real — and each is defined by the words around it.

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