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White House official calls Katie Zacharia’s first press briefing ‘brutal’
(CNN) — Several White House officials are questioning how long Katie Zacharia will keep the press secretary job after her first briefing Tuesday, noting her performance was unlikely to satisfy
The surprising psychology of morbid curiosity
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan has incurred condemnation from human rights groups and politicians on all sides. But according to Coltan Scrivner, an author and psychologist at Arizona State University and expert on morbid curiosity, people are still likely to watch in large numbers. He explains why we are drawn to dark and disturbing content, and Madeleine Finlay tells Ian Sample how consuming this kind of material can harm observers’ mental health
Apple's Next Launch is Today: 'Welcome Home' in New York
Apple plans to unveil the HomeView, a HomePod mini 2, and an updated Apple TV 4K as part of its "Welcome home" launch today. The devices will likely be unveiled in press releases shared on the Apple Newsroom website at around 9 a.m. Eastern Time today, as that is when Apple's private "Welcome home" experience in New York begins. At the experience, invited reporters and content creators will likely receive hands-on time with the devices.
Men without private health insurance less likely to catch breast cancer early, get treatment, report finds
Around one out of every 100 breast cancer diagnoses is found in a man, according to the CDC.
David Jolly: Governor’s race likely comes down to undecided Black Floridians
About 10% of Black voters are undecided, Jolly said, with about 80% of siding with him. An NBC 6 poll shows Jolly with 76% of Black voters’ support and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Black Republican, with 10%.
Will Rockies Have Buyer’s Remorse With This Veteran Outfielder?
The Colorado Rockies entered the 2026 Trade Deadline as clear sellers with plenty of ammunition to offload. Two likely veterans to be dealt were outfielders Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak, who had put together very solid seasons with Colorado up to that point. But Colorado elected to keep both players, citing that they did not …
Marseille’s Igor Paixao says January exit unlikely
Igor Paixao (26) has said that a summer exit from Olympique de Marseille is “more likely” than a January exit. The Brazilian has said that, in the meantime, he is also not opposed to taking a pay ...
Paul Bettany says Marvel transformed his life after he was told his career was over
By Francesca Halliwell LONDON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - British actor Paul Bettany said Marvel has transformed his career and personal life after an unlikely twist of fate over a decade
Women ‘more likely to be told autoimmune conditions are psychological’
Cambridge University study suggests stark gender divide in misdiagnosis, with women also waiting longer for treatment
Key business issues are at stake in the outcomes of Colorado legislative races
Six House races and three Senate races likely will determine whether Democrats hold a supermajority in both legislative chambers in 2027.
Marlins Option on Alcantara Only Requires Elementary Math
The ace righthander is highly likely to receive a club option, despite letting him go costing considerably less
If You Have a "Junk Room" at Home, Science Says You Likely Share These Surprising Personality Traits
You know that room. The one where the holiday decorations share shelf space with old textbooks, a broken lamp you keep meaning to fix, and three bags of clothes destined for donation – someday. You close the door when guests come over, maybe even lock it. Most of us treat that space like a guilty...
Is Salesforce Still The Business You Bought?
If you hold Salesforce (CRM), you likely bought into a subscription software provider known for steady growth and reliable cash generation. During its fiscal Q2 2027 earnings call in August, management noted that a $25 billion accelerated share repurchase was still under way.
Broncos vs. Seahawks practice participation report: Monday
The Denver Broncos have a short week as they will host the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. Both teams have an estimated practice report today as they are clearly taking the day off after just playing a game yesterday. These short weeks are likely hard on players, but they do […]
Phillies' Alec Bohm's free agency gets a bleak outlook from an MLB executive
Alec Bohm's time with the Phillies is likely up, and his free agency is looking bleak.
Jalen Coker may return to lineup in Week 6
Panthers WR Jalen Coker seems likely to return with good practice week
Robert Gasser discusses likely NLCS start at Dodger Stadium
Robert Gasser discusses his expected NLCS start at Dodger Stadium on Oct 14.
Alignment Health sues over 2027 star ratings
Alignment Healthcare’s lawsuit, based on previous years, is likely the first of more to come by other insurers that’s star ratings deteriorated.
Wake school board election may affect whether you can opt out of a trans teacher’s class
GOP candidates were more likely than those endorsed by Democrats to say families can opt out of a class taught by a transgender teacher.
Left follows right in abandoning wall between church, state
Rival views on Christianity by Ken Paxton and James Talarico are part of the likely most religious-themed election season in modern history.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal likely to seek 4th Senate term in 2028: Haar
"Voters want the most energetic, passionate and effective person ... regardless of age. I am that person," Blumenthal said.
Detroit Lions lose Devin White, Tom Kennedy to injuries
Lions coach Dan Campbell said LB Devin White likely needs surgery to repair his broken forearm.
Marlon Humphrey likely to play in Week 5
Marlon Humphrey expected to suit up against Falcons despite multiple recent injuries
Ranking Wisconsin football's remaining opponents from best to worst
While it looks unlikely, if they can get through Halloween unblemished, then Wisconsin hold chance of being able to progress as far as they allow
New York Jets Flight Connections 10/11/26
Happy Sunday, Jets fans! The Jets are back in action today against the Cleveland Browns looking to end their three game losing streak. The weather is likely to be a factor. We will see whether the Jets can get back into the win column. Your daily links are below. Jets Activate WR Tim Patrick from […]
Mason Taylor expected to return for Week 5
Mason Taylor likely to suit up versus Cleveland
Apple's All-New Home Hub Will Be Revealed October 13: What to Expect
Apple reportedly plans to unveil an all-new smart home hub as part of the "Welcome home" product launch it announced for Tuesday, October 13. Our image above is just a rough concept based on rumored design details, so be prepared for the device's actual appearance to be different. The device will likely be unveiled in a press release shared on the Apple Newsroom website at around 9 a.m.
The possibility that Trump will cost the GOP the Senate is coming into focus
President Donald Trump might well have cost Republicans the Senate majority in both 2020 and 2022. It’s likely to happen again.
Yankees news: Should Boone Stay or Should Boone Go
Calls for the skipper’s dismissal mount as logistics make it unlikely; Kilby shines in AFL; Goldy’s renaissance
Bills Likely to Face Aaron Donald on MNF vs Rams
The Buffalo Bills have a tough game this week against the Los Angeles Rams.
Netflix’s Summer of Bummer
(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.) Today, I’ve got a guest post from longtime friend of the newsletter, Brandon Katz. I’ve been trying to find time all summer to look at Netflix’s straight-to-streaming film slate, but between a pre-planned trip and Nielsen moving up their streaming data timeline, I’ve been swamped. So I reached out to Brandon, one of my favorite fellow analysts, to write about it. And I feel like he captured the tone and data focus of the newsletter perfectly. You can connect with Brandon on LinkedIn and Twitter. Enjoy! Don’t worry, folks. You’re in safe hands with me. To ease any anxieties about an interloper in ESG’s domain, I’ll start by stealing one of his best framing devices: headlines. Box office flops are covered in the same way the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles eye pizza: with cartoonish insatiability. I would know. I’m a former reporter who wrote nearly identical headlines: Yet, intentionally or not, streaming misses get treated with kids gloves, filtered through a rosy lens: In the last six years, U.S. streaming viewership has become nearly as transparent as the box office, but the data often arrives weeks later, in a number of less intuitive metrics, and with nary an official budget to be found. This plays into the Wall Street-whispering narratives major streamers have been cultivating for years. They get a pass in a way that theatrical studios simply don’t. Subscribe Netflix’s Summer Slate Not a single Netflix original film released between May and August this year opened above 20 million U.S. TV hours, per Nielsen. That benchmark usually serves as the EntStrategyGuy’s floor for a streaming hit on Netflix. None of these films enjoyed a hit-cementing single week of 20-plus million hours during their runs. Netflix’s two best films were true crime docs, Maternal Instinct (16.5 million hours) and The Crash (19.7 million), the best overall week for a film this summer. Great for most other streamers, but not necessarily what we’re used to seeing from Netflix. For an overly-dramatic comparison, Happy Gilmore 2 opened last summer to around 47 million hours (celebrity cameos, baby!). Zooming out, the picture looks even worse. In 2026, Netflix’s five biggest scripted summer films posted the lowest average (28.6 million hours) and median (28.8 million hours) eight-week viewership totals of the past four years. Now, it’s unrealistic and unfair to expect Netflix to deliver a _KPop Demon Hunters-_sized hit every year. But it’s also not ideal to see the size of their hits shrinking over the last few summers. Let’s quickly run through some of the notable summer misses. Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein’s perfectly fine romcom, Office Romance, fell off the charts after 20 million hours in its first two weeks. Top films usually last for four-plus weeks. Starry titles ideally don’t decay that fast either. Homegrown star Millie Bobby Brown couldn’t prevent the snappy Enola Holmes franchise from diminishing returns. At 14.3 million U.S. hours, the third film posted roughly half of what the first two films did in their first two weeks. What’s on Netflix calculated that per-day global views were down nearly 60% from the second movie. The Whisper Man did okay with more than 36 million hours over its first four weeks. But I expected a little more juice from a film featuring Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott. Kevin Hart’s Ladies First collected just 11.2 million hours total across two weeks. That’s a big miss for one of Netflix’s go-to stars. Plopping into the same bucket are Sunny Sandler’s Don’t Say Good Luck (10.3 million in two weeks) and John Cena’s Little Brother (17.5 million). Meanwhile, English-language originals Color Book (June 19), In the Hand of Dante (June 24) and Heartstopper Forever (July 17) never sniffed Nielsen’s Top 10 at all, despite needing only 2 to 5 million hours to land in the top ten most weeks. (By my count, eleven English-language scripted original films released between May and August did chart). It’s only fair to mention that Swapped (1-May) posted nearly 42 million U.S. hours over five weeks (the longest Netflix original run this summer) and is currently their eighth most-watched English-language film ever worldwide. Remarkably Bright Creatures (37 million, 4 weeks) and Voicemails for Isabelle (27 million, 4 weeks) weren’t bombs either. Still, overall, I think it’s fair to say this was a quieter summer season than we’re used to seeing from the market-leader. You might not realize that given the language commonly used in public analysis. The Twist Despite the starkly black-and-white tone of the coverage, here’s the twist: when many box office bombs arrive on streaming, their viewership looks a whole lot like many of Netflix’s supposedly successful summer releases. Hmm, where have we heard that one before? Masters of the Universe topped out at $65 million stateside against a $170 million budget_._ I’ll admit, Skeletor ripping sleeveless curls as a gym bro and bodyslamming Adam’s co-workers was funny. But, much to the chagrin of my bank account, my laughter doesn’t launch franchises. Yet the He-Man reboot opened to 19.6 million hours (from a Wednesday five-day opening instead of just one weekend), on par with Hoppers on Disney+ (19.4 million). It put up nearly 47 million hours over its first six weeks, bigger than all of Netflix’s summer releases. Pretty darn healthy and likely to land among the 25 most-watched movies on streaming this year. Sticking with Amazon, The Sheep Detectives just barely broke even at the box office with $133 million worldwide (and only $66 million domestic). I never expected cloven-hooved, cud-chewing mammals to be able to bring me to tears. Yet that’s exactly how I found myself at the end of this surprisingly affecting movie (#NoShame). It was likely the unexpected quality in a family-friendly film that powered its streaming over-performance. Sheep Detectives delivered a solid run for Prime video netting 26.2 million hours! How about franchise IP? Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu had the lowest opening ($81 million) and lowest-grossing Disney-era live-action Star Wars film ($178 million domestic). One day before release, its Heat score (19.8%)—audiences who list their interest as a 7/7—fell behind blockbusters Wicked (21%), Superman (23%), Fantastic Four: First Steps (23%), Michael (23%), Toy Story 5 (26%) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (27%), according to Greenlight Analytics. The urgent enthusiasm just wasn’t there. On streaming, Mando opened to weeks of 12.1 million, 6.1 million and 2.7 million hours (21 million total) over its first three frames. Not the numbers Lucasfilm was hoping for nor the numbers of a streaming hit. But they’re in the same vicinity as some Netflix summer releases with $345 million at the global box office to offset a smidgen of the pain. Final Thoughts So why oh why does this nuance gap exist? Four key reasons: Data Literacy: A “$100 million opening” just makes sense. After decades of box office reporting, even casual movie fans are well-versed in the benchmarks of hits and home runs. There’s an immediate shorthand. But “16.5 million” hours doesn’t land nearly as cleanly. Despite leaps of progress, the streaming ratings era is still in its infancy compared to theatrical. The EntStrategyGuy and I met thanks to a late 2010s group chat of data nerds hungry to find a shred of certainty in nebulous streaming performance. I’m not surprised to see “No. 1 on Netflix” still getting misconstrued out in the wild. Timing: By Friday morning, we have the box office’s Thursday night previews totaled, allowing us to better project the weekend’s expectations. From there, ticket sales are reported daily. By Sunday, the film’s fate is usually finalized, at least in terms of public perception. In streaming, Nielsen recently improved its delay to…two weeks. The medium isn’t forced to contend with instant gratification as harshly. Financials: Theatrical film budgets are a mere Google away. Profit and loss is calculated in the cold and unforgiving naked light of day for all to see. But finding the vast majority of streaming exclusive movie budgets requires the forensic investigation skills of a Criminal Minds detective. Also, it’s very difficult to calculate how much revenue/value a straight-to-streaming films provides a streamer. This is why there are so few stories about streaming original movies “losing X amount of money”. On top of that, marketing budgets are far greater for theatrical movies than streaming exclusive movies, which leads to earlier and better awareness. This then translates to a wider pool of potential interest. Narrative Control: Netflix is the only major streaming service to publish weekly first-hand viewership data and annual engagement reports. Naturally, some headlines borrow their first-hand framing**.** Other streamers benefit from their comparative lack of transparency. They may occasionally announce vague performance platitudes such as Apple TV’s Mayday becoming its “biggest film debut on the platform to date over its first 18 days,” and that it ranked No. 1 with left-handed viewers in its first weekend. (Fine, I made up that second one). But, for the most part, they keep first-hand viewership shrouded in mystery to avoid bad press. Especially for outlets that demand multiple articles per day from their writers, it’s an easy (and understandable) way for some reporters to hit their daily article quota by just repeating what the streamers have told them. TL:DR version: Streaming-exclusive movies are asked to do different things than theatrical movies, but that doesn’t mean they should escape judgment. Both still need to draw enough eyeballs to justify their cost within the proper performance contexts. The more cleanly we can inject a little nuance into streaming analysis, the better we’ll understand the audience and content trends that drive this industry. And that’s what all of this is really about: knowing what audiences actually want! Brandon Katz is the Director of Insights & Content Strategy at Greenlight Analytics where he focuses on evaluating the ever-fluid media landscape to unearth understanding, opportunity and value. Greenlight Analytics is the entertainment intelligence consulting company redefining how Hollywood finds, understands, and activates audiences. Prior to joining Greenlight Analytics, he served as the senior entertainment industry strategist at Parrot Analytics, and as a full-time entertainment industry reporter covering the Xs and Os of Hollywood, most notably with TheWrap and the Observer.
Expected Isaias losses unlikely to tip the market: Brokers
Preliminary projected insured loss estimates for Hurricane Isaias range in the mid-single-digit billions, as it moves toward the Eastern Gulf Coast on Friday, according to a reports by reinsurance…
Time for term limits? Dems in majority could have familiar faces in key roles
Democrats hope to bring a new agenda to the House next year if they take the majority, but they will most likely do so with many of the same faces that have steered their party's legislative work for a decade or more.
Cook moves 18 more House races toward the left
Polling and the work of prognosticators like the Cook Political Report suggest Democrats are likely to take back the House in November.
Three House races in Pa. — including in Bucks County — shift toward Democrats, Cook Political Report says
The contest between Democrat Bob Harvie and U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has moved from "likely" to "lean" Republican, according to the nonpartisan election tracker.
Why the 49ers likely won’t shadow Jaxon Smith Njigba
The 49ers aren’t likely to put Deommodore Lenoir on Seattle’s star receiver.
Milan Eye Touted Premier League Pair to Succeed Modric
Milan convinced Luka Modric to stay for another year in the summer, but preparations are underway to find a proper heir, as the same thing is unlikely to happen again at the end of the season, and the...
Poll: Democrat Troy Jackson narrowly leads Susan Collins in Maine Senate race
Likely voters prefer Jackson on several key issues, but they favor Collins’s ability to steer federal dollars to the state.
The Real Alexis Lafrenière Is Standing Up
We likely never will know what manner of offers Chris Drury fielded when trade talk involved Alexis Lafrenière. For all we know, Laffy could have wound up anywhere – including Lower Slobbovia.
Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why
Shares of global online betting powerhouse Flutter Entertainment (NASDAQ:FLUT) jumped 4.4% in the afternoon session after Citi analyst Monique Pollard upgraded the company from a Neutral rating to a Buy rating. According to StreetInsider, Susquehanna analyst Joseph Stauff separately cut his price target to $100 from $115 and kept a Positive rating. He said third-quarter profit is likely to be lower and that the weaker result is already discounted. The stock, he said, is most sensitive to FanDuel
It's time to face the truth: Youth violence is a public health epidemic in Delaware
Across the state, young men are dying before they’ve had a chance to really live. From Sussex to New Castle County, families are weeping, and communities are reeling, as an ongoing wave of youth violence turns communities into crime scenes. Young people involved in gun violence are unlikely to be deterred by tougher laws or […]
Shared family factors influence screen use and mental health problems in young people
Shared family factors, such as genes and upbringing, are likely to explain a large part of the link between high screen use and mental health problems in young people.
Yankees Exit Leaves Boone, Cashman Questions Heading Into Likely Lockout
Aaron Judge calls for the club to be “all in” for 2027.
Raphinha still not training with Barcelona ahead of Getafe clash
The Brazilian looks unlikely to feature on Saturday.
Warner pitches health care expansion as he preps for swan song
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia is leaning into a major expansion of U.S. health insurance coverage as he prepares for what’s likely to be his final term in office, in contrast to his earlier years on Capitol Hill marked by a more centrist approach to health care. With health coverage for airport workers being […]
Chelsea and Arsenal to rival Liverpool for Jarell Quansah
Chelsea and Arsenal are both interested in signing Jarell Quansah next summer with an exit from Bayer Leverkusen likely next summer.Quansah is attracting interest from a number of leading clubs after ...
Several Tigers Prospects Looking for Bounce-Back Seasons
Detroit Tigers fans are likely familiar with the top positional player prospects. If not, we’ll see more of guys like Zyhir Hope and Bryce Rainer play in the Arizona Fall League. We’ll analyze these two top prospects and their performances after the league ends. The prospects highlighted include a few former top 100 prospects and …
This surprising mammal fossil is giving scientists something to chew on
It's likely you've already chewed and swallowed some tasty morsel today. But when did that ability emerge? New evidence points to at least the middle Jurassic, back when dinosaurs still reigned.
In Good Health: The Evolution Of Prostate Cancer Treatment
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men — and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. One in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. And Black men are more than twice as likely to die from it.Between the social stigma and misconceptions about diagnostic methods, it’s not something many men want to talk about. Some 99 percent of people diagnosed early with prostate cancer live at least 5 more years. And treatment options and guidelines are evolving rapidly.Our “In Good Health” series continues. We gather a group of doctors from three of the disciplines involved in the treatment of prostate cancer.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
She got Trump's $500 check for health insurance. To her, it's a 'political stunt'
As checks from President Trump for health costs hit millions of mailboxes, a poll shows Americans don't trust Republicans on healthcare. Experts doubt it will move the needle and say it is likely illegal.
She got Trump's $500 check for health insurance. To her, it's a 'political stunt'
As checks from President Trump for health costs hit millions of mailboxes, a poll shows Americans don't trust Republicans on healthcare. Experts doubt it will move the needle and say it is likely illegal.
She got Trump's $500 check for health insurance. To her, it's a 'political stunt'
As checks from President Trump for health costs hit millions of mailboxes, a poll shows Americans don't trust Republicans on healthcare. Experts doubt it will move the needle and say it is likely illegal.
This wearable AI stock is set to rally thanks to a broader business focus, Jefferies says
A maker of energy efficient computer chips is likely to soar as smart-device hardware and AI compute businesses continue to gain traction, one analyst says.
Techno-optimistic scientists take fewer climate actions, study finds
Scientists who believe technology will largely solve the problems caused by climate change are 23% less likely to engage in civic climate action and 18% less likely to make high-impact lifestyle changes ...
More Mafia Games Appear to Be Getting Native PS5 Ports, Likely 60fps
An offer you can't refuse
More Mafia Games Seemingly Getting Native PS5 Ports, Likely 60fps
An offer you can't refuse
Gen Z women want politicians who can make the ‘American dream’ feel attainable
This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th. Strike up a conversation with a Gen Z woman about politics, and affordability will likely come up within the first 30 seconds. The cost of doing anything, whether it’s renting a home, staying in college or getting […]
‘There was only one…’ Colin Cowherd points out health reason why LeBron James chose Philadelphia
After reports about LeBron James’ health problems emerged this week, Colin Cowherd has explained why that was likely his reason for choosing the Philadelphia 76ers. LeBron James did not play in the Philadelphia 76ers’ preseason game against the New York Knicks.
Pens Points: Crosby meets Ovechkin for first of final battles
Following Monday’s announcement that this would be Alex Ovechkin’s final NHL season, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals fans likely peeked at the schedule to see how many more times the two generation-defining rivals would face off. Luckily for us, tonight is the first of four final regular season matchups between Ovechkin and Crosby. Puck drop […]
Steve Hilton sexual ad, attack on Becerra break vulgar new ground
The California Republican launched a soft porn-vibe TV takedown of Democratic rival "Bitch-Ass” Becerra. He's garnered attention but seems unlikely to win new votes.
Emre Can sidelined until 2027
Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can has suffered a fresh injury blow. According to Bild, the 32-year-old will unlikely return to team training until after the international break after requiring surger...
Republicans push for a gas tax holiday in Virginia. Here are the politics and policies at play.
Many states are responding to high gas prices by waiving gas taxes for a time. Virginia is unlikely to join them. In the meantime, this is a campaign issue.
Scientists who put faith in technology less likely to take climate action
‘Techno-optimism’ may lead to reliance on unproven solutions at expense of societal changes needed
Big premium hikes possible for retirees in Nevada worker health insurance program
Active employees will also likely experience premium hikes if their plan includes a spouse or their family. Active workers who are the only members of their plan will likely see modest premium decreases.
Memphis Grizzlies Predicted to Have Poor Record This Season
The Memphis Grizzlies will likely struggle this season.
The Science, Risks, and Community Impact of Kratom
Walk into almost any smoke shop across the United States, and you are likely to see it on the shelves: Kratom. Sold as powder, capsules, gummies, or concentrated liquid energy
76ers will likely apply and get awarded a $1.7M …
76ers will likely apply and get awarded a $1.7M …
Pingree holds double-digit lead as voters back public option for health insurance
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Hannah Pingree holds a double-digit lead over Republican Bobby Charles, while one of her signature health care proposals is even more popular with likely Maine voters, according to a new poll released Tuesday. The survey, conducted by the Maine People’s Resource Center and released by the Maine People’s Alliance (of which Beacon
Research suggests women living in states with abortion bans bear higher health insurance costs
New preliminary research from the University of Michigan shows women living in states with post-Dobbs abortion bans may be more likely to shoulder costs for employer-sponsored health insurance premiums, with federal data reflecting a 5.4% increase in annual premium expenditures for those women after 2022, when most abortion bans went into effect.
Biden-era FBI’s ‘Nixonian’ Trump family surveillance draws scrutiny from unlikely corner
Julian Epstein, a former top Democratic official, compared the FBI's tracking of Melania Trump, Barron Trump and Susie Wiles to Nixonian tactics.
GameStop Is Selling Used PS5 Pros for $1499, Likely Due To GTA 6 Release
GameStop is selling used PS5 Pro consoles for up to $1,399.99, nearly $500 above Sony's current $899.99 MSRP.
Brazil: Lessons from a Disaster
By Antonio Martins (Outras Palavras) Defeats become deeper and more prolonged when we misunderstand what caused them, avoid correcting course, and embrace “solutions” that only compound our mistakes. Lula’s government and the Brazilian left suffered a disaster in Sunday’s election. Contrary to every poll, the president finished the first round 2.2 million votes behind Flávio Bolsonaro—and, more significantly, 3.4 million votes below his total four years ago, when the machinery of the state was working against him and in favor of his opponent. His vote share declined in 98 percent of Brazil’s municipalities. The PL, the main party of the far right, elected 121 deputies and 28 senators, becoming the largest caucus in both houses of Congress. The parties aligned with the Centrão—Brazil’s bloc of transactional center-right parties—were somewhat diminished, but will still hold roughly 250 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate. That will make it easier to assemble the majorities needed to amend the Constitution or impeach Supreme Federal Court justices. If elected, Flávio Bolsonaro could appoint four members of the Court, substantially altering its internal balance of power. What produced these results? How can the far right be prevented from consolidating them into a prolonged political hegemony? And what is the essential change of direction the left now needs? Explaining the Disaster Across the commercial media and the exuberant chaos of digital platforms, interpretations are multiplying. Some focus on specific episodes: Lula’s absence from the Globo debate, his very close relationship with Alexandre de Moraes, or his emphasis on issues supposedly remote from most people’s everyday concerns, such as rare earth minerals. Among the more systemic interpretations, three seem especially questionable. One argues that the principal defeat was not the left’s, since its congressional representation declined only slightly. The decisive movement captured at the ballot box, according to this view, was a shift within the right itself—from the more moderate and transactional forces of the Centrão toward the more ideological and radicalized forces of the PL and Novo. A second interpretation holds that the nature of electoral and political processes has changed. The material interests and aspirations of society, it argues, no longer play the central role they once did; they have given way to forms of subjective self-identification that the left has yet to understand. And a third concludes that, because of these two developments, we should expect a political winter: a prolonged period in which the far right and the broader right dominate Brazilian political life. There are important elements in all three interpretations. The problem lies in what they deny or leave out: Lula’s third government was a small-bore government. It offered the majorities that elected it neither a clearly better life nor reasons to believe again in politics and its power to transform society. These failures flowed from two fatal accommodations, which I will examine below. As a result, the government suffered a slow but steady erosion of support. And, as has happened in so many Western countries, it gave the far right the opportunity to present itself as anti-system and to benefit from popular frustration and distress. The interpretation that emphasizes the migration of votes from the center-right and traditional right toward the far right has been advanced, among others, by the courageous journalist Leonardo Sakamoto. In his UOL column on Monday, October 5, he highlights the miserable behavior of the traditional conservative parties. Over the past four years, they repeatedly joined forces with the “neo”-fascists, helping to “normalize” them—a criticism that could equally be directed at almost the entire corporate media. Believing they could use the far right as a stepping stone, they instead ended up partly devoured by it. This was especially true in the Senate, where the PL’s gain of 13 senators and Novo’s gain of two came at the expense of the PSD, which lost nine; the MDB, which lost two; the PSDB, which lost two; and the PP, which lost one. Sakamoto’s observation is accurate and necessary, but it leaves uncomfortable questions unanswered. Why did the erosion of the Centrão benefit the far right rather than, for example, producing growth for the left—as has happened so many times before, both in Brazil and elsewhere? The answer is not difficult. Throughout its four years in office, Lula’s third government was almost invariably associated with the Centrão. Here lies its first accommodation: accepting the limits imposed by conservative institutions; avoiding, as much as possible, any attempt to strain those limits through popular pressure; and believing only in the modest changes that could be squeezed through openings in Congress. The failure of the campaign to end the six-day workweek is emblematic. Lula could have electrified the presidential race by pairing it with a popular campaign for passage of the measure. Instead, he chose to place his hopes in the hands of Senate president Rodrigo Alcolumbre. He generated no mass mobilization, did not force his opponents onto an uncomfortable defensive, and won no victory. In September 2025, the government squandered the greatest of its many opportunities to shake up conservative power in Congress. Popular opposition to the so-called Shielding Amendment—which, if approved, would have restricted criminal proceedings against members of Congress—brought crowds into the streets, mobilized primarily by artists and social movements. This opened the possibility for a broader political education: a campaign that could begin exposing the limits and dysfunctions of Brazil’s political system while putting Bolsonaro’s movement on the defensive for its predictable support of political privilege. The amendment was defeated. But the executive branch then backed away from the fight. It remained associated with an institutional world widely seen as corrupt, elitist, and indifferent to ordinary people’s struggles. In doing so, it forfeited its credibility as a vehicle for the protest vote. On Sunday, it reaped the bitter fruits. Are We Doomed? Taking a different approach from Sakamoto, the philosopher Moysés Pinto Neto and other writers have drawn attention, in their first analyses of October 4, to the fragmentation of the public sphere produced by Big Tech platforms. Through their algorithms, these platforms present each person with a different view of social reality. As a consequence, it becomes much harder to identify common material problems and demands—for example, the fight for labor rights or for a properly funded public health system. Voters no longer embrace such demands, these authors argue, because they no longer see themselves as part of a collective. Instead, they tend to value the identities assigned to them by neoliberal subjectivity—the role of the entrepreneur, for example. On this interpretation, the left’s possible error lies in clinging to outdated illusions. Moysés’s warning is highly relevant and resonates with arguments such as Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s “Apocalyptic Fascism and the Billionaires’ Bet.” Unlike a century ago, the far right no longer promises a radiant future. It concentrates instead on resentment—especially that of young men. “They belong to a generation that fears it may never own a home, but compensates with the pleasure it gets from constantly provoking progressives online. Convinced their future has been stolen, they share memes romanticizing historical authoritarian regimes,” the authors write. But Moysés seems to confuse this danger with inevitability. He fails to see that the left’s answer cannot be adaptation. On the contrary, it must strengthen the possibility of politics as collective action. Nor does he recognize that precisely such a reversal is already becoming possible in some of the most promising mobilizations of the twenty-first century: the election, at the end of 2025, of the young Muslim Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, on a platform centered on the intensely material fight for an affordable city; the Left Party’s victory in Berlin two weeks ago, built around the demand to expropriate private real-estate corporations; and the very recent wave of demonstrations in Spain—including an occupation of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol—in which tens of thousands of young people mobilized by the Tenants’ Union have demanded limits on rents. By putting itself in the straitjacket of the “fiscal framework” in the first months of 2022, Lula’s third government adopted the second fatal accommodation of its term. Faced with conservative institutions and a country devastated by four years of Bolsonaro, increased public investment was the government’s remaining weapon for offering a more dignified life to the majority and forging an anti-conservative pact with them. The same state that disburses 1 trillion reais a year to enrich a small class of rentiers could instead spend money to extend the Family Health Strategy to every Brazilian, at a cost of 30 billion reais; provide full-day public schooling and childcare to all adolescents and children—and, especially, relief to their mothers; achieve universal sanitation while cleaning up polluted urban rivers; multiply metro systems; begin transforming the urban peripheries; and undertake many other urgently needed projects. In April 2023, an article in Outras Palavras warned that the fiscal framework could “shrink the Lula government and preserve the forces that condemn the country to inequality and regression.” A year later, another article showed that restraints on public spending were strangling policies vital to ordinary people and undermining the president’s popularity. In November 2024 came a reality check, in the form of the government’s humiliating defeat in the municipal elections. Even then, the fiscal lock was neither removed nor loosened. On the contrary: throughout the government’s four years, fiscal restraint remained central to its political narrative. The administration proudly proclaimed that it had “put the state’s accounts in order,” without grasping either how misleading that phrase was—given the payment of 1 trillion reais in interest—or how badly the message was hurting it politically. Lula finally woke up in September 2026. The increase in Bolsa Família benefits, after four years of being frozen; the announcement that anti-obesity drugs would be offered through Brazil’s public health system; and the ban on online betting showed that the state has the power to act decisively on behalf of the majority when those in government are willing to confront obstacles. The huge marches that closed the campaign in Fortaleza, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo on the eve of October 4 showed how such initiatives can mobilize activists and the broader public. But it was too late—and too little to change the outcome of the first round. History has not ended The possibility of a turnaround in the three weeks leading up to November 25 cannot be ruled out. It will not be simple or easy. Lula must not only make up a deficit of 2.2 million votes; he must also offset the movement of voters who backed other right-wing candidates in the first round, most of whom are likely to move toward Flávio Bolsonaro. Pulling that off will require a broad, grassroots effort to win over voters, potentially reinforced by new initiatives from Lula. The coming hours and days will be decisive. If Bolsonaro’s movement also wins the presidency, the result will create a high-risk situation for Brazilian sovereignty and democracy. The enormous challenges posed by such an outcome would require the left to reexamine, in depth and with a genuine willingness to engage in self-criticism, its political projects—or its lack of them—and its practices. But would that mean we are condemned to the long winter of far-right hegemony that some analyses are beginning to forecast? It is far too early to say, suggests a recent text by Álvaro García Linera, the thinker who served as vice president of Bolivia under Evo Morales. His central hypothesis is that this political current will prove short-lived. At a moment when the entire world is once again talking about sovereignty and protecting national economies, the far right offers a stale, recolonizing neoliberalism. Its submission to the United States is as blatant and pathetic as Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro’s overtures to Donald Trump. Its project amounts to something like every man for himself: greater inequality, capitalism without limits, devastation, and supremacism. Will it work? In the United States, just two years into his second term, Trump himself is reaching record levels of unpopularity and may be on the verge of losing Republican control of both the House and Senate in November. Every new beginning is difficult. Whatever the outcome of the second round, the defeats of October 4 show how profoundly the Brazilian left will have to rethink and rebuild. But just as it would be foolish to underestimate the seriousness of its mistakes, it would be equally foolish to conclude that rebuilding a political project is no longer possible. History has not ended. The times are moving faster than ever. Originally published in Portuguese by Outras Palavras. English translation by Eric Blanc; I’ve added the subtitles. More We can’t stop the far right at home or abroad without a revitalized labor movement, which is yet another reason why you should become a sustaining supporter of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) — one of US labor’s pivotal bright spots. Relatedly, Jacobin published a short piece of mine reflecting on a decade of Bernie Sanders inspiring a whole new generation of young worker organizers.
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Why I Don’t Think Ride Or Die Should Have Been Cancelled (And What Company Should Save It...)
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) So…I recently came across a Reddit thread, talking about films on streaming, wondering why there are no reliable sources out there for streaming ratings data. Sigh. Honestly, as annoyed as I am that so many still don’t realize that we have streaming ratings, I somewhat get it. Until now, there was such a long delay between when a show or film came to streaming and when we got its viewership data; I understand why people were confused. (But, as you know, this just changed.) Also, even back in the day, how many people knew how well films did on television? Luckily, as a reader, you’re in the know. Okay, on to this week’s issue. I want to take a look at Prime Video cancelling Ride or Die and whether I agree with that decision. Overall, we didn’t have any breakout hits (no TV shows landed over 20 million hours according to Nielsen) but we have a lot of steady performers on the streaming charts. Plus, we’ll look at where $50 million in missing box office dollars went. (Spoiler: straight-to-streaming.) All that, plus new episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Supergirl heads to streaming, a new YA show does well on Netflix, the viewership for the Daily Wire’s $50 million fantasy show, what TV show hit-maker can’t make streaming hits, CD sales, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of September 7th to September 13th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - Ride or Die Is a Hit…But It Got Cancelled? What The Data “Says” I hate the phrase “here’s what the data says”, even though sometimes I find myself using it. If data just told us everything, we data folks would be out of a job! Data is often messy, complicated and nuanced. When it comes to strategy, many of the best decisions can’t actually use “data”, since it’s vastly too complicated to model. Anyways, I’ve been singing the praises of Prime Video’s Ride Or Die this summer, a show that did very well for them. And yet…it got cancelled. Now, usually when a show gets cancelled, a bunch of websites say “a hit show got cancelled”... Here’s the thing, though: in this case, they’re right! The data “says” that this show was a hit. Specifically, out of 522 first seasons to make a week on the Nielsen charts since 2020, it’s the 75th biggest. On Amazon, Ride or Die is eighth out of 41 first seasons: That’s top 15th percentile all time, almost exactly, which is my definition of a “hit”! I mean, outside of Reacher, Amazon needed a hit this summer! (Admittedly, Off Campus did well for Amazon in the spring, but Ride or Die performed even better.) So what happened? Why did Amazon cancel one of their rare 2026 bright spots? Well, Deadline reported a reason—which I’ll get to—but I’d break it down into three relevant questions: What is a given streamer’s reasoning? Is that reasoning sound? Could the stated reason not be the real reason? According to Deadline, Amazon felt the show “over-indexed” in middle-aged women. (This was based on leaks from within Amazon.) The logic is this: Amazon already reaches this demographic because of unlimited two-day shipping bundled with Prime, so they don’t really need more shows like this. Now, it’s my job to ask if that’s a good reason, and I’ll be honest, in this case, I don’t think it is. Sure, this show may “over-index” in middle-aged women—I’ll just assume that’s the case here—but I think folks often oversell how important over-indexing actually is. When a show is a “hit”, it isn’t a bit bigger than its rivals; it’s usually multiples bigger. For example, Elle only made the charts for two weeks at 8.3 million hours each. So Ride or Die was 80% bigger in its first two weeks, and likely had a much stronger hold, with its terrific 13 million hours in week three. Ride or Die was nearly three times bigger than Sterling Point through three weeks too. And that means that _Elle, Sterling Point a_nd other Amazon YA shows need to not just over-index a little with younger women (assuming that’s who Amazon prefers over middle-aged women), but massively over-index. Otherwise, more people in that demo (and a bunch more besides) likely watched Ride or Die. (I’ll try to explore this concept more in a future article.) And don’t get me started on how Ride or Die did compared to a certain (very, very popular, possibly the world’s most popular) YouTuber’s reality show…which didn’t make the charts after its first week and likely cost much, much more than Ride or Die. All to say, Amazon-MGM Studios/Prime Video can tell reporters that this show didn’t reach the right audience, but that excuse feels weak to me. So this leads to the third question: could other reasons have come into play? Yes! Renewal or cancellation decisions rarely (I’m tempted to say “never”) boil down to one variable. At its simplest, it’s two things: budget versus viewership. But often factors like critical acclaim, ownership and, yes, personal opinion come into play. In this case, Amazon has a new executive running things, and this show isn’t owned by Amazon-MGM Studios (unlike Elle). And yes, it may not have indexed with the right target viewers, too. Likely all of those factors came into play.1 My guess is ownership ended up mattering most. Amazon doesn’t own Ride or Die. It’s actually produced by another major studio. Fortunately/allegedly, this show is being shopped around. I can think of one brand new CEO who should consider it for one of his two major streamers…especially if he wants to rebuild goodwill in Hollywood. His name is on this list of exec producers of Ride or Die… If David Ellison needs some goodwill—and he does—rescue this female-led show tomorrow and grab some good headlines for a day. The data justifies it. Quick Notes on TV 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… How The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives latest season did on Hulu, post-controversy... Whether Supergirl soared on HBO Max... Why the box office is losing money due to the streamers... The viewership for the Daily Wire’s $50 million fantasy show... Updates on The Gentlemen, Lanterns, Outer Banks, King of the Hill and more... What former hit-maker has three streaming flops in a row... Whether The Mandalorian and Grogu popped in week two... All the flops, bombs and misses... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. If you want an idea of just how much content you’d get in a full issue, check out this older issue. Coming Soon! Oh man, we’re almost caught up! We just have two more issues, then the streaming Ratings Report will be coming out just two weeks after a TV show premieres! Next issue, I’ll be looking at the first two weeks of the NFL Thursday night games on streaming, a huge new spinoff, Reacher’s Neagly on Prime Video, and the latest edition of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix, the return of Slow Horses on Apple and MobLand (quietly one of their biggest shows) on Paramount+, and Dancing with the Stars on both ABC and Disney+. Plus I’ll take a look at animation for adults in 2026. The week after, a ton of movies are coming to streaming: Toy Story 5 on Disney+, Backrooms on HBO Max, Jackass: Best and Last on Paramount+ and The Breadwinner on Netflix, plus a Unabomber film on Netflix and a romcom on Prime Video. Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey have a show on Apple, along with a game show inspired by Willy Wonka that everyone seems to hate. Long term, some crazy (but hopefully crazy like a fox) IP news. FX ordered a new Sons of Anarchy show from Charlie Hunnam, but it’s not about the biker gang. No, it features the show’s cast playing themselves in a new “meta-thriller”. Huh. And a lot of the cast is coming back. Next, Ryan Gosling is producing a Flintstones movie about a “grown-up Bamm-Bamm Rubble”. Also, huh. This one is in “early development” so we’ll see what happens. Both projects are based on IP, but also seem to have crazy takes on the IP, which I like.
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