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The Herald's weekly entertainment picks
Looking to be entertained from Thursday, July 16, through Wednesday, July 22? Check out the Skagit Valley Herald’s weekly recommendations.
Weekly Entertainment Report: Live music and lively arts, July 16-19
Kick off your musical weekend Thursday night at Veterans Park for the second in this summer's Levitt Amp Concert Series, featuring Gentleman Brawlers.
Starmer says his political journey is over at his last question session as UK leader
Starmer, who leaves office next week, bid farewell to the boisterous weekly Prime Minister’s Questions sessions where he has traded barbs with opposition politicians and defended his government’s record.
The States Try to Topple WarnerMount…Thus Begins the Local Antitrust Era
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Well, it looks like it’s time for another strategy column. Can I finally avoid writing about M&A? No, it seems I cannot. Admittedly, I’m a week early with this column, since I usually put it out every other week. But this news couldn’t wait. This will make three “Most Important Stories” in a row with a merger or acquisition as its centerpiece. First, Roku-Fox (an acquisition), then Comcast-NBCUniversal (a divestment!), and now the State AGs and the WGA’s lawsuits against Paramount’s pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery (antitrust). M&A is usually the “most important” topic any given week, simply because a giant company merging or breaking up (or preventing those outcomes) can have the biggest impact on the streaming board. If you think about these companies as players in a game, changing the number of players is one of the biggest changes you can make. I shouldn’t really complain, either, since this lawsuit is very good news for customers and suppliers (econ speak for talent, workers and indie studios in Hollywood). So let me answer some questions about this potential trial, along with (shudder) making some heavily caveated predictions. I’ll also look at whether Hollywood must consolidate, whether or not the states can win, trouble at X-Box, Netflix’s YouTube binge, and more. Plus, I have five images that visualize this merger and the harm, including three brand new data looks you’ve never seen before. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Can The States and the WGA Stop Hollywood’s Consolidation (Crisis)? If every other newsletter and news outlet is writing about the same story, I try to avoid writing about it as well, but I can’t ignore a story this consequential. The story of the last year was the fate of Warner Bros. Discovery, and this development potentially extends that saga into 2027. As I tried to figure out my angle, I realized, like my last column, I’m again faced with a series of questions. These questions, though, are much more forward-looking. Will the states win? Will the WGA win? If so, what happens to Warner Bros. Discovery? Either way, will this chill the market for future mergers? So you know what that means: predictions. About the future, no less, the hardest thing to predict.1 Just remember: nothing here comes with a guarantee. And the more confident someone is in their predictions, the less you should trust them. This situation is incredibly fluid, nuanced, uncertain and tenuous. So let’s try to explain what may happen. Question: Why File this Lawsuit? I’ll admit, a few months back, I was fairly pessimistic about the fate of this lawsuit. Rumors had started bubbling up that the state Attorneys General (in particular California) wanted to settle with either some minor divestments (usually CNN) or behavioral remedies. And that tracked for me: the states usually settle lawsuits, like the recent John Deere right-to-repair suit. Yet, they plan to fight this. (As they did the LiveNation-Ticketmaster monopolization trial and the Nexstar-Tegna merger.) Honestly, that also makes a ton of sense. Frankly, this move is just good politics for these State AGs. Most are still running for higher and higher office in blue states—some folks have emphasized that only Democratic AGs joined this suit, but given the Ellison/Trump ties, and fears of retribution, that tracks—and a high profile case like this will help them move up the electoral ladder, especially since Paramount and its leadership (the Ellisons, father and heir) have sided with the other side of the political aisle. That makes them unsympathetic to Democratic voters and Hollywood workers in particular. Why did this lawsuit happen? In addition to the very real concerns about industry consolidation, this is why. That said, I don’t think we would have seen this lawsuit for Netflix and Warner Bros., simply because they’re more sympathetic and aligned with Democrats. But those consolidation concerns are real. The “town”—meaning Hollywood and such—really is seeing the damage of mergers on this industry. That’s why the WGA also filed its own lawsuit in defense of workers as well. (Wildcard: What about Europe? Will they try to stop the deal, too? There have been some rumors out of the UK they may try to fight the deal, and UK enforcers just stopped a Getty Images-Shutterstock tie up, so there is precedence. This argument could go either way, though. On one hand, the EU doesn’t need to step in, cause they states are handling it. On the other hand, this could make the EU’s case easier. Just imagine if both sides coordinated. I’ll simply say, “We’ll see!”) Question: Will The State AGs or the WGA Win? Can the state AGs play David to Paramount-Skydance’s Goliath here? That’s really the whole thing, isn’t it? If you know this result, you could make a lot of money. When things are uncertain, it’s tempting to shrug and say, “Eh” meaning it’s a 50/50 proposition. I wouldn’t, though. When in doubt, you should expect that the merging parties succeed. AT&T did successfully buy Warner Bros., after all, and Disney bought Fox without any challenges. Many judges are extremely sympathetic to mergers, and I’d bet the state AGs get a judge who will allow the merger. (Even Obama-appointed judges often allow mergers.) As I understand it, we’ll see two main attacks. First, theatrical films. The AGs are arguing that, when it comes to share of box office and the number of both “wide releases” and blockbuster (or “tentpole”) films, the merging parties will have over 27% market share. Now, the Supreme Court once ruled from on high that any merger that exceeds 30% is presumptively illegal, but that’s guidance, not an ironclad bar. Still, the states will have to argue that this is close to having too much power, and with that power, this will likely further worsen the theater/studio splits in particular. Indeed, as Matthew Stoller pointed out, “just five studios are responsible for 95% of all blockbusters; if this merger goes through, then Paramount and Disney will control 60% of that.” So yes, movie studios will be very concentrated after this merger. Want me to visualize some of that? Well, here’s the share of films that grossed over $200 million at the domestic box office since 2022. (Note: this isn’t all films released in over 3,000 screens, but it is a good look at market power.) First, here are the 43 films by studio: Notice all the blue (Disney), orange (Universal), and purple (Warner Bros)? Yeah, those studios are powerful, and this combines Paramount with one of them. Here’s the look by studio and share of the films that grossed over $200 million: Now, if you look at that and also think, “Huh, should we break up Disney?” I’m with you. I’ve seen some folks poo-poo this idea that this is a real category, but it is! For an upcoming article, I’ve been pulling data on the share of top 100 films at the box office as a share of total box office, and it’s massive. Here’s the chart: (This analysis looks at The-Number’s top 100 films and total domestic box office each year.) To be clear, tentpoles make up 80.7% of the box office each year, so I do think it’s a genuine market. (To be clear, films grossing over $50 million make up 80% of the domestic box office, and films grossing over $100 million make up 64.1%.) I mean, the top 100 films at the box office make up 95% of each year’s grosses. Worse, the combined studios will likely cut output to flex that market power. Everyone can just look at what happened to Disney and Fox to see the precedent. (With fewer films, the remaining theaters have to give more for those few films that remain.) Here’s an image I’ve used a lot, the share of wide-release films from Disney and Fox over time: The AGs will also argue that this consolidation will also impact the cable industry. In this case, the consolidation is actually worse, but that environment is…complicated. Paramount will argue that the cable industry is shrinking. That said, predictions that cable will “go to zero” also don’t look very well supported by the data, as the declines are shrinking, meaning “cable” or “vMVPDs” will likely stabilize at some point. Can the state Attorneys General win on those two main arguments? I honestly don’t know. Again, I’d bet no, since history in general supports that, but it depends on the judge/jury and how they interpret the arguments. Notably, Paramount won’t face accusations about monopoly power in other areas, like streaming, news, sports rights, or vertical integration. I tend to disagree with leaving out sports rights, but I also see the appeal for a simpler case. The states also aren’t really pushing novel theories about labor harm either, which should help. (By the way, Sean McNulty at The Ankler wrote a great run through of potential options, and Capitol Forum also wrote a great paper on theatrical consolidation. Both these pieces predated the lawsuit. Matthew Stoller is also out with his analysis of the pros and cons of the case too.) In some ways, the WGA’s case is even stronger. Quoting Sean McNulty’s summary: “The WGA is citing WARNAMOUNT as crossing a 30% market share in multiple sectors, a number that the Supreme Court has precedent for deeming “presumptively anticompetitive” in a market. According to the WGA numbers, WARNAMOUNT would have represented: - 35% of film writing jobs between 2021 and 2024 - 36% of TV writing projects between 2022 and 2025 - 38% of overall deals between 2021 and 2024” Notably, antitrust enforcers did win recently in the Penguin-Simon & Schuster merger by focusing on labor impact, so don’t count this thinking out. (Wildcard: Will the states try to get a jury trial? Most likely no, they’ll let a judge handle it. If I’m them, though, I’d try to put this in front of a jury. Juries tend to understand monopoly power in a more realistic way than judges faced with legions of economists.) Question: What if They Win? What if They Lose?
Call for AANHPI voices for science funding
When the Chinatown-International District in Seattle hosted the world’s largest dim sum party, it was easy to celebrate how a diverse community comes together for a family style meal.
The week in politics (July 15, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We break down the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. And we discuss the state of Houston's environment.
Weekly women’s sports recap (7/10)
Here's a recap of Portland women's sports from the week of July 10.
Josh Hartnett and Jesse McKeown tease ‘strange events’ are unfolding in first look at mysterious thriller “Below” (exclusive)
The actor and creator tell EW all about the limited series, which follows a fisherman (Hartnett) as he fights to protect his community from a sea creature.
'The Oprah Podcast' is coming to Prime Video on July 21, with new episodes twice weekly
New episodes featuring today's thought leaders and cultural changemakers will air twice weekly on Prime Video.
Holland & Knight Health Dose: July 14, 2026 | Insights
Weekly healthcare policy briefing covering congressional action, FDA and CMS developments, 340B reform, Medicare updates, AI oversight and key regulatory changes.
How to watch the X-Men“ ”movies in chronological order
A guide to the mutant cinematic saga.
11 Actors You Probably Forgot Had Hit Songs
Many actors have tried their hand at music, but only a few have landed genuine hits. From chart-topping singles to unexpected fan favorites, these stars proved they could succeed in more than one corn...
Daytime Emmys reveal first nominees for 2026, including Best Actor in a Drama
The competitive contenders in the Daytime Talk Series Host field have also been revealed ahead of the full nominations announcement.
Sporting KC Weekly Schedule: July 13-19, 2026
Sporting Kansas City II News: The official source for all SKC II news, photos, videos, highlights, and more.
Bringing Virginia Politics into the Light
In a time of declining faith in our public institutions, veteran journalist David M. Poole offers a hopeful story about achieving bipartisan trust and keeping the public informed. Poole will […]
Ask Mark Anything: Does UK Athletics lead the nation in ‘bad contracts?’
Mark Story’s weekly mailbag includes questions on J Batt, Milan Momcilovic & Malachi Moreno & a potential breakout player for UK men’s hoops
“Love Island USA” crowns winners in season 8 finale
The final four couples included Aniya and Carl, Kayda and Zach, and Melanie and Sincere.
Vikings Mailbag: QB Battle, Harrison Smith, Free-Agent Targets
After a break, VikingsTerritory has reopened the mailbag, answering questions from the masses and posting them weekly in a single […]
‘Daredevil’ star Wai Ching Ho dies at 82
The film and television veteran was also known for her roles in “Hustlers,” “Iron Fist,” “Turning Red,” and “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.”
“Moana” capsizes with bumpy $43 million U.S. debut, while “Michael” breaks record with $1 billion at global box office
Disney’s live-action remake of the 2016 blockbuster failed to launch, marking a severe downturn after the success of “Toy Story 5.”
Matt Damon says Christopher Nolan looked ‘like a drowned rat’ while filming intense scene for “The” “Odyssey”
The actor praised Nolan for “never complaining” throughout the grueling shoot.
Ringo Starr dishes on first ever ‘couple’ song with Paul McCartney: ‘It’s not like we don’t know each other’
Starr described his old Beatles bandmate and “Home to Us” co-vocalist as a “wonderful lad.”
Mamie Van Doren recalls the drunk MGM megastar who interrupted her romantic first date with big band icon Vic Damone
The last of the blonde bombshells wrote in her new memoir that the “gods of Hollywood were smiling down on me” the night of the starry affair.
Rosie O’Donnell quit her talk show when she saw this number in her bank account
The popular daytime series ran from 1996 to 2002.
They're Building Half A Bridge to Save Science...
Today’s post is about science: what you can do now to protect it from unprecedented threats, and how your action is the first half of a long-term program that Congress must take up next. Let me start with describing the embryonic state of science advocacy. There are many well-meaning organizations: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Research!America, and subject-specific organizations such as the Society for Neuroscience and the American Physical Society. Their general approach is to emphasize the common good: the remarkable value that science and innovation have provided to all Americans. However, these organizations are offering an incomplete solution. Before I start, a preliminary: If you already know about the threat, go ahead and weigh in with OMB at this link. Ideas about what to say come from Research!America and the American Physical Society. You have until Monday, July 13 at 11:59pm Eastern. Then come back here and read the rest of this post. Finally, get in touch with whoever is likely to be your next member of Congress in 2027. The threat: An end to merit-based science… The onslaught of attacks on science is accelerating. It’s not just cuts to grants, which was the last battle. That battle is not done yet, but there is a new and worse threat. Now comes a proposed public rule from the Office of Management and Budget. The rule would take decision-making power over grants away from experts and put it into the hands of political appointees. Former NIH official Elizabeth Ginexi wrote an excellent summary of what OMB is trying to do, which is codify the executive branch’s ability to award or terminate grants, for arbitrary cause or no stated cause. Since World War II, a necessary step in scientific grant-making has been consideration of scientific merit. This approach has made America into a dominant scientific superpower, the envy of the world. Of course, political considerations do come into the mix. The proposed rule tilts the balance dramatically away from merit. …but why? Many people have difficulty comprehending why Russell Vought and OMB would want to damage science in this way. If you’re a working scientist, you are likely to be particularly uncomprehending. Who would hurt an activity so self-evidently good? The answer is: this is part of the program to replace the rule of law with a personalist regime. OMB Director Russell Vought, a Christian nationalist, would like to implement what legal scholars call a “unitary executive,” and what I would call a dictatorship. Or if you like, a personalist authoritarian regime. I am a working scientist. This rule will debilitate my research. It may chill the speech of scientists for speaking freely in the public sphere. It is a form of personalizing power and decision-making within the executive branch. In short, it sacrifices science in the service of tyranny. To Russell Vought, a decrease in the quality of science might be an acceptable cost. He might even consider it an added benefit to weaken a pillar of soft U.S. power based on knowledge and skepticism. The professional societies are building half a bridge The nonprofits are asking you to make public comment. Public comment is like building the first half of a bridge. Before implementation, OMB is compelled by law to have a period of public comment. Rules have to be consistent with the law and the Constitution. They express the federal government’s stance toward how those laws will be implemented. When a presidential administration works in good faith, these public comments are used to inform their eventual action, and sometimes mitigate it. The comment period reflects our First Amendment right to petition our government. The executive branch is then supposed to take those comments into account - completing the bridge between us, the people, and our government. Project 2025 seeks to take away the second half of the bridge. We have to replace it. The first half of the bridge Organizations like AAAS, Research!America, and SfN are partly right. You should certainly comment. Their core model is earnest: if enough of us make noise, then we will achieve change. This idealistic point of view is offered in good faith. That point of view is also currently bullshit. The fundamental reason is that the federal rulemaking process has two parts: There has to be a period of public comment. OMB makes the final rule…but is free to disregard public comment. Oops. That’s a loophole. However, not all is lost. Congress can complete the bridge Congress has enormous power. That power suggests a roadmap for how to proceed. This lawless administration is still going to issue that rule. Nonetheless, your comments still play an essential role. Here are two steps you can take. Step 1: Send your comment to your Representative and Senator. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans, many of them support science. Whatever you wrote as public comment in the Federal Register, also send it to your member of Congress. You can include information about jobs in your district or state by looking at Joshua Weitz’s ScienceMatters interactive map. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and give your town, zip code, or state, then deliver your message. Step 2: Politicize the hell out of science. You heard me, politicize it as an issue. We hear a lot from the old scientific establishment about science being nonpartisan. This is obsolete, sentimental thinking. Under normal conditions, it was true. But we can no longer make that assumption. We can keep on pretending, but we’re putting science at risk. There is a way forward. Rules are subordinate to the law…and Congress makes laws. Therefore Congress can step in. In this fall’s election, it is likely that Democrats will retake the House of Representatives. That puts at least one chamber of Congress in the hands of Democrats. They are far more inclined than the current Congress to investigate and legislate. This opens a path to undoing the damage. It also creates a permission structure for pro-science Republicans to find a way back from the brink. We have to encourage them. In the House, every district is up every two years. In your district, contact both of the major party candidates. If your state has a Senate race, contact those candidates too. Specifically mention the proposed OMB rule. Ask for two things: For this year’s appropriations process in August and September, ask that amendments be added to stop the implementation of the new rule. Those amendments should support peer-reviewed science and stop political interference. Looking ahead to next year, ask the Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator to work to hold hearings in 2027 on the importance and benefits of peer-reviewed science for health and prosperity. What hearings and amendments will accomplish Congress can use its investigatory power to summon heads of agencies and the director of the OMB. That will allow fact-finding regarding the consequences of this rule. Congress can override the rule through the appropriations process. They can write into statute a requirement to follow peer review and best scientific practices. In this way, Congress can stop the attacks on science. Postscript: Moving forward Now I have a request for you, to help me. As many of you know, I ran for Congress in order to save democracy and science. Although I did not win, that battle continues by other means. I met and heard from thousands of supporters both here in New Jersey and nationally. I learned that pro-science, pro-democracy activists have the potential to become a much greater force. In the weeks and months ahead, I will be building ways to harness that energy. I will be announcing those plans soon. In the meantime, an important step is to wind down the Congressional campaign, which has a few remaining bills to pay. Please help me retire that last debt.
UFC 329 Post-Fight Press Conference
Following tonight's UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 fights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the winners will answer questions from the media during the post-fight press conference. The fight card featured the return of former two-division champion Conor McGregor in the main event in a ...
This Week in Science: Knee Pain Relief, a Superconductor Record, And More!
Our weekly science news roundup.
Science news this week: Time emerges inside a mini-universe, scientists thicken Arctic ice, and one of the oldest graves of a free Black person in the US found
July 11, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend
Colorado Politics Calendar July 13-19
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
“Survivor” winner Dee Valladares officially revealed as final “Big Brother” season 28 player
The reality TV champ was unveiled on “Big Brother: Unlocked”
Jeff Bridges recalls Robin Williams ‘busting everybody’s chops’ during ‘late nights’ on set: ‘Brilliant’
Bridges said the “Good Will Hunting” star “would get this kind of devilish look on his face” and command the attention of the entire crew: “He was amazing.”
Races Highlight Marion County Fair Entertainment Tonight
Tonight’s evening entertainment at the Marion County Fair will be the weekly sprint car races at the Knoxville Raceway. After last week’s action Ryan Timms now has more than a full nights lead on Austin McCarl. The
Anne Hathaway hopes that her kids grow up to be as ‘wonderful’ as this “Odyssey ”star
Hathaway is currently pregnant with her and husband Adam Shulman’s third child.
Ariana Grande drops out of “American Horror Story” season 13 due to scheduling conflicts
The “Scream Queens” alum was announced as part of the cast in October 2025.
J.K. Simmons says he’s never met Tom Holland despite being in 2 of his 'Spider-Man' movies
Spotify will let you fine-tune your weekly Release Radar playlist
Focus on a specific genre, new artists, and more.
14 of the Tallest Women in Entertainment
Standing out from the crowd often takes talent, charisma, and sometimes, a little extra height. The tallest stars in entertainment command attention not only for their screen and stage presence but al...
J.K. Simmons says he’s never met Tom Holland despite being in 2 of his “Spider-Man” movies
The Oscar winner has played J. Jonah Jameson to Holland’s Peter Parker.
Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’: The 5 greatest movie moments
Tyler’s iconic power ballad has elevated scenes in comedies, dramas, and even horror movies.
Top Weekly Entertainment Picks
The weekend is upon us and we have your ticket to the hottest events in South Jersey. See a stunning fireworks show in Atlantic City, dance the night away at
Kevin Bacon reacts to “Footloose” soundtrack icon Bonnie Tyler’s death on his birthday (exclusive)
Bacon provides a statement to EW, calling Tyler “one of the great voices of rock.”
This Week in Sports Trivia: July 9, 2026
How closely were you following the sports news this week? Find out and test your knowledge by taking The Athletic's weekly quiz.
The Herald's weekly entertainment picks
Looking to be entertained from Thursday, July 9, through Wednesday, July 15? Check out the Skagit Valley Herald’s weekly recommendations.
Weekly Entertainment Report, July 9-12: Live music and lively arts in Southern NH
Get out this weekend and enjoy some live music and lively arts.
Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts deals display positive outlook for Las Vegas
While a change in ownership can be a scary proposition for workers, neither of the Caesars or MGM transactions, should they be finalized, are expected to bring significant job losses in Southern Nevada.
The Ozempic and Wegovy mistake sending thousands to poison control
Poison control calls involving semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) soared after the drug was approved for weight management, with researchers linking the increase to accidental dosing mistakes rather than intentional misuse. Simple education about proper weekly dosing and gradual dose increases could help prevent many of these avoidable incidents.
Chris Parnell reflects on being fired twice from “Saturday Night Live”: ‘It was a big shock’
The comedian was brought back in 2002, just months after Lorne Michaels dismissed Parnell due to budget cuts.
John Stamos says he told “DWTS” producers to stop asking him to join show: ‘I’m never gonna do that’
Stamos insists he’s been asked “every single season” to compete on the reality series.
Taylor Swift receives Emmy nomination days after getting married
The newlywed singer has been recognized for her Disney+ concert film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show.”
Why “Heated Rivalry” isn’t nominated for Emmys
The Emmys rule that impacts “foreign television productions.”
“M3GAN” spinoff “SOULM8TE” boots back up: Director talks erotic thriller’s new life as a digital release (exclusive)
“There’s such an audience for this movie, whether it be at home or in the theater,” Kate Dolan tells EW.
Explaining The Comcast and NBCUniversal Divorce
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July in America, celebrating the country’s 250th birthday. Frankly, I am bummed the 250th wasn’t a bigger celebration, but that’s a different topic for a different Substack. While it was generally a quiet week on the entertainment/streaming/media business fronts, we still had some interesting news stories. Actually, that kinda undersells one of the stories, a huge, huge, huge divestment that could upend the entertainment landscape... So let’s get right to it. In today’s column, I’ll cover Comcast spinning off the rest of NBCUniversal, an entertainment company investing in an LLM company and an LLM-owner investing in a movie studio, the latest round of threats of digital tariffs, and more. Let’s dive in. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Most: Comcast/NBCU Breakup!!!! If I had to describe my reaction to Comcast spinning out NBCUniversal, it feels like a relationship ending, either breaking up or divorcing. Comcast’s decision to spin off the rest of NBCUniversal, after spinning off some of its cable assets into Versant last year, really does feel like a family breaking up under “irreconcilable differences”. Of my stereotypes of the entertainment moguls, my go-to for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts—heir to the Comcast fortune, but a man who’s been at the helm for 24 years now, and president for twelve years before that—is that he likes building empires. He cut his teeth acquiring cable rivals in the 1990s and tried to buy Disney repeatedly, then settled for NBCUniversal after a long court battle. (Contrast this with Rupert Murdoch, a man who also loved to buy, but would also sell when the price is right. Murdoch made Fox out of nothing, but then sold 20th Century Fox to Disney, arguably at the top of the market. So I understood why he sold.) But I don’t understand Roberts’ motivation to sell now. I have some explanations but no single, super-satisfying explanation. Strategically, it would just make more sense to have kept NBCUniversal in-house, especially for a one-time empire builder like Comcast. Yet one powerful force—arguably the decider in modern capitalism—likely overwhelmed all other considerations. At first, I thought I’d arrange my thoughts as a “Five Why” analysis, digging through each layer of the puzzle. But instead, I found myself asking, “But…why?” (And I only ended up with four sections.) So let’s look at Comcast from that angle. Then, at the end, I’ll give my biggest strategic recommendation for every company in Hollywood. It’s obvious, but sometimes, the obvious strategy is the most ignored. But…Why? The Stock Market, Conglomerations, and Sum of the Parts Analysis We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why Comcast could never get a “tech company” valuation The not-so-secret motivation for Comcast What Versant has to do with all of this The key strategic advice I think every entertainment exec should follow (though it’s really obvious) Some big AI investment news… Whether we’ll see digital tariffs… And more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
‘Survivor’ star Rick Devens to compete on ‘Big Brother’ season 28 (exclusive)
Rick Devens is one of two ‘Survivor’ stars who will be competing on ‘Big Brother’ season 28, Entertainment Weekly has learned. Check out all the details.
First look at Harry Jowsey’s new Netflix reality dating show “Let’s Marry Harry” (exclusive)
Harry Jowsey of “Too Hot to Handle” and “Perfect Match” fame is looking for true love.
Togethxr Launching 'Everyone Watches Women’s Sports' Weekly Podcast With iHeartMedia
Sports media company Togethxr is debuting the weekly 'Everyone Watches Women's Sports' podcast in partnership with iHeartMedia.
Strength training: The secret weapon for women’s heart health
Mobility coach Dana Santas shows how integrating resistance training into a weekly fitness regimen can benefit women’s heart health.
The science of solving crimes
Every criminal case comes with a story. For years, Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) Human Identity and Trauma Analysis team has helped law enforcement uncover these stories, bringing science to some of Florida’s most complex investigations. The Michael Haim Trial in 2019, the “Baby Moses” cold case in 2016, and the Tulsa Race Massacre Excavation
UFC champion predicts quick KO in UFC 329 main event
Former two-division champion Conor McGregor plans to put on a 'masterpiece' performance in his UFC 329 return on Saturday. "The Notorious" takes on former featherweight champion and BMF titleholder Max Holloway in a rematch in the fight card's main event. It's been five years since the 37 year-old ...
Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption is under 4.5% after 3 years, only 1% use it weekly, yet prices went up
Fewer than 4.5% of Microsoft 365 customers pay for Copilot after three years, only 1% use it weekly, and Microsoft raised prices regardless.
Xbox sale round-up July 7, 2026
New Xbox sales are now live, with big discounts on Atomic Heart, Dragon Ball FighterZ, DEATHLOOP, Dead Cells, Redfall, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 and more
The 10 best movies of 2026 (so far)
From the horror and thrills of "Obsession" and "Send Help" to an animated blockbuster and a space adventure.
The 10 best TV shows of 2026 (so far)
From "The Pitt" to "Widow's Bay," here are our favorites of the year.
The Sports Audio Report: Demographics at Play
Younger Sports Fans Are More Likely to Engage with Sports Audio Download the Report >> Millennial and Gen Z sports fans spend more time with sports audio weekly than Gen X and Boomers, according to the Sports Audio Report: Demographics at Play from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media. Millennial sports fans spent an average of 6 hours and 16 minutes with...
Adam Sandler offered Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce marriage advice while officiating their wedding, Andy Reid says
The Kansas City Chiefs head coach attended the July 3 event at Madison Square Garden.
SB Nation Reacts Results: Would you change the draft?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Since I was out of range this week – I will be leaving a one-star […]
13 Actors Who Made the 1970s the Golden Age of Movies
Few eras in Hollywood history feel as iconic and packed with talent as the ’70s, when a group of boundary-pushing stars captured the imagination of movie lovers with unforgettable performances. From b...
Stevie Nicks performed at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Madison Square Garden wedding
The couple tied the knot in NYC.
This Week in Science: Neil The Seal, Mega Megalodon, And More!
Our weekly science news roundup.
Science news this week: James Webb telescope finds a never-before-seen substance, China's 'Great Green Wall' grows faster than natural trees, and a Medici murder mystery is solved
July 4, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
Colorado Politics Calendar July 6-12
CoPo’s weekly political calendar helps you find political and public policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Max Holloway predicts 'fireworks' against Conor McGregor
Thirteen years ago, at UFC Fight Night 26 in Boston, future legends Conor McGregor and Max Holloway fought in a featherweight bout on the preliminary card. McGregor defeated "Blessed" via unanimous decision. It was the Irishman's second octagon appearance. The two will rematch in the UFC 329 main ...
Weekly Portland women’s sports look ahead (7/3)
Weekly Portland women’s sports look ahead (7/3). Presented by Rivermark Community Credit Union and Rebound Orthopedics and Neurosurgery.
Weekly Portland women’s sports wrap up (7/3)
Weekly Portland women's sports wrap up (7/3). Presented by Rivermark Community Credit Union and Rebound Orthopedics and Neurosurgery.
A July 4th classic, “Silo” season 3, and an expanded “Backrooms” top this week's Must List
Madonna's "Confessions II" and "Birthright" round out our picks for the weekend of July 3.
What’s Going Around in Metro Detroit: Heat exhaustion, skin rashes, bug bites and gastrointestinal illnesses
Here’s our weekly round-up of what illnesses are spreading the most in Metro Detroit communities, according to our local doctors and hospitals.
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
15 Famous Celebrities Born Under Aquarius
Some of the biggest names in entertainment, sports, and pop culture were born under the Aquarius sign. Aquarians born between January 20 and February 18 are often known for their originality, creativi...
Olivia Wilde says Jeff Bridges uses an unhinged technique before emotional scenes
The actress recalls her time working with the Oscar winner on "Tron: Legacy."
“Big Brother ”host Julie Chen Moonves says some casting rumors are 'dead wrong'
The Chenbot promises that reality TV fans are going to be "very, very happy."
June business news, Texas Tech series make Lubbock headlines
Business Reporter Alana Edgin reviews recent Lubbock area business news and hints at upcoming articles in the weekly Around the Hub column.
You'll never guess who Ayo Edebiri's first celebrity crush was
Tony Shalhoub — as Adrian Monk, to be exact.
The 20 best Peacock original series you can stream right now
This streamer has everything: a human lie detector, a fabulous Scottish reality show host, two (!) different girl groups, and "SNL" content galore.
Ashley Tisdale putting her real-life drama to work in comedy series “Toxic Moms”
The Disney Channel alum wrote a personal essay about her mom group drama for "The Cut" earlier this year.
Comic-Con Shocker: Entertainment Weekly Scraps Annual Party
Entertainment Weekly’s annual Saturday night comic-con party is skipping Comic-Con this year, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Comic-Con Shocker: Entertainment Weekly Scraps Annual Party
Entertainment Weekly’s annual Saturday night comic-con party is skipping Comic-Con this year, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Sal's childhood crush Alyssa Milano surprises him in “Impractical Jokers ”season 13 trailer (exclusive)
Brian "Q" Quinn isn't sure if he still has the "guts" to do the show.
This Week in Sports Trivia: July 2, 2026
How closely were you following the sports news this week? Find out and test your knowledge by taking The Athletic's weekly quiz.
The Herald's weekly entertainment picks
Looking to be entertained from Thursday, July 2, through Wednesday, July 8? Check out the Skagit Valley Herald’s weekly recommendations.
Weekly Entertainment Report, July 2-5: Music and lively arts » Nashua Ink Link
ALIXIA wants YOU to celebrate democracy with live music this weekend.
Lil Wayne a no-show for concert that was supposed to kick off his tour
The performance in Bangor, Maine, was set to be the first of his 20 Years of Carter Classics shows.
GTA Online Event Week: Independence Day Special (July 2nd-8th)
[responsivevoice_button] A new GTA Online Weekly Update has begun and Rockstar are offering Independence Day rewards, massive discounts and more ahead of the new update. Check out everything happe…
Netflix will release JonBenét Ramsey show starring Melissa McCarthy
The eight-episode series also stars Clive Owen, Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, and Shea Whigham.
Millie Bobby Brown gets 'secondhand ick' from 'Enola Holmes 3' costar Louis Partridge’s audition horror story
'So embarrassing!' Millie Bobby Brown gets 'secondhand ick' after hearing her 'Enola Holmes 3' costar Louis Partridge's audition horror story during a game of 'Lie vs. Lie' with 'Entertainment Weekly.'
Seth Rogen shares awkward moment with “Lion King” collaborator Pharrell Williams at dinner party (exclusive)
The music superstar didn't appreciate Rogen's interviews.
The week in politics (July 1, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. And foodies discuss their favorite places for happy hour food and drink.