diff --git a/index.template.html b/index.template.html
index 0c2c8ea52..916a9ccc8 100644
--- a/index.template.html
+++ b/index.template.html
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ ga('send', 'pageview');
 				<div class="activitymenu">
 					<div class="pmbox">
 						<div class="pm-window news-embed" data-newsid="<!-- newsid -->">
-							<h3><button class="closebutton" tabindex="-1"><i class="fa fa-times-circle"></i></button><button class="minimizebutton" tabindex="-1"><i class="fa fa-minus-circle"></i></button>Latest News</h3>
+							<h3><button class="closebutton" tabindex="-1"><i class="fa fa-times-circle"></i></button><button class="minimizebutton" tabindex="-1"><i class="fa fa-minus-circle"></i></button>News</h3>
 							<div class="pm-log" style="max-height:none">
-								<div style="font-size:9pt;padding:1px 10px"><!-- news --></div>
+								<!-- news -->
 							</div>
 						</div>
 					</div>
diff --git a/js/client-mainmenu.js b/js/client-mainmenu.js
index 3278fc604..8c764189c 100644
--- a/js/client-mainmenu.js
+++ b/js/client-mainmenu.js
@@ -67,6 +67,25 @@
 			this.updateFormats();
 
 			app.user.on('saveteams', this.updateTeams, this);
+
+			// news
+			// (created during page load)
+
+			var self = this;
+			Storage.whenPrefsLoaded(function () {
+				var newsid = Number(Storage.prefs('newsid'));
+				if (!newsid) return;
+				var $news = this.$('.news-embed');
+				var $newsEntries = $news.find('.newsentry');
+				var hasUnread = false;
+				for (var i = 0; i < $newsEntries.length; i++) {
+					if (Number($newsEntries.eq(i).data('newsid')) > newsid) {
+						hasUnread = true;
+						$newsEntries.eq(i).addClass('unread');
+					}
+				}
+				if (!hasUnread) self.minimizePM($news);
+			});
 		},
 
 		addPseudoPM: function (options) {
@@ -234,6 +253,8 @@
 				e.preventDefault();
 				e.stopPropagation();
 				$pmWindow = $(e.currentTarget).closest('.pm-window');
+			} else {
+				$pmWindow = e;
 			}
 			if (!$pmWindow) {
 				return;
@@ -376,6 +397,7 @@
 				}
 				app.dismissPopups();
 				var $target = $(e.currentTarget);
+				var newsid = $target.data('newsid');
 				if ($target.data('minimized')) {
 					this.minimizePM(e);
 				} else if ($(e.target).closest('h3').length) {
@@ -385,6 +407,11 @@
 					e.stopPropagation();
 					this.minimizePM(e);
 					return;
+				} else if (newsid) {
+					if (Storage.prefs('newsid', newsid)) {
+						$target.find('.unread').removeClass('unread');
+					}
+					return;
 				}
 				$target.find('textarea[name=message]').focus();
 			}
diff --git a/js/storage.js b/js/storage.js
index 67e63d12e..36839b5a0 100644
--- a/js/storage.js
+++ b/js/storage.js
@@ -45,10 +45,13 @@ Storage.prefs = function (prop, value, save) {
 	// set preference
 	if (value === null) {
 		delete this.prefs.data[prop];
+	} else if (this.prefs.data[prop] === value) {
+		return false; // no need to save
 	} else {
 		this.prefs.data[prop] = value;
 	}
 	if (save !== false) this.prefs.save();
+	return true;
 };
 
 Storage.prefs.data = {};
diff --git a/style/client.css b/style/client.css
index 096ed945e..1b24fbef3 100644
--- a/style/client.css
+++ b/style/client.css
@@ -769,6 +769,14 @@ p.or:after {
 .challenge p {
 	margin: 4px 0;
 }
+.newsentry {
+	font-size: 9pt;
+	padding: 1px 10px;
+	border-bottom: 1px solid #AAAAAA;
+}
+.unread {
+	background: rgba(255,240,130,0.33);
+}
 
 .tiny-layout .leftmenu,
 .tiny-layout .rightmenu,