Search headlines

In Retrospect: Poland, Russia, Europe

In April I spent a few days with Zryw, a Polish non-profit organization that recruits young people to enter politics and public life. Their aim is to build a new generation of civic leaders in Poland. I’ve followed their evolution from the beginning; my son is one of the founders. (“Zryw” means “impulse” or “burst of speed” in Polish). Julie Chmielewska, one of Zryw’s leaders, interviewed me at the event. Here is the conversation, lightly edited for grammar and context: Julia Chmielewska: Assuming that culture shapes institutions, could we conclude that some cultures are more prone to authoritarianism? Anne Applebaum: I don’t think so. Every culture, every nation, and every country has the potential for change. When we look at history, we can see that nations do change. Poland has changed, for example, from the 1980s to today. There’s a completely different mentality here than the one I encountered when I first visited, in 1988. The current generation sees the world through a different frame. So no, I don’t believe that certain nations are doomed to authoritarianism, or to anything. Of course, there are political and cultural traditions, but they can always be challenged. JC: So do you think there’s something intrinsic in human nature that pushes people to democracy, freedom? AA: I think there is something in human nature, a deep instinct, that pushes people towards freedom, yes. People who live in authoritarian countries – and I’ve heard this from them over and over again – sooner or later find themselves angered by a feeling of helplessness. They can see the unfairness of crooked courts, irrational political decisions. They naturally dislike the fact that somebody has all the power while they have none. In those circumstances, people who have no political background at all sometimes are politicized just by that frustration. I’m thinking of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, for example, who was a Belarusian housewife, until the circumstances of her husband’s arrest forced her to become a politician. I met a woman who is a Uyghur from China, and who had come to live in Turkey. After several of her family members were arrested, she too was propelled into a political role. These kinds of experiences make people interested in democracy or political reform, even if they thought they didn’t care. I also think that the opposite is true: some people instinctively prefer homogeneity, order, hierarchy. They don’t like the confrontation of opinions or the noise of debate, and they lean towards a single leader or a unified regime. I think that most of modern history is shaped by the clash between those two different sides of human nature. JC: Which force do you find more powerful today? AA: I think they both have a lot of power and there’s no way of predicting who wins. Even in countries that seem very shut off or stuck in an authoritarian system can change. We’ve seen that happen. And vice versa, I think democracies can also begin to fail and slide into authoritarianism. So it’s very important not to be complacent in either direction. JC: I want to go into your history and your experiences. You’ve lived in Russia during a time of incredible change in the late 80s, and then you came back to do research in post-Soviet Russia. AA: I was a student in Russia just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I then traveled and worked there extensively in the 1990s, and I met people who really were full of hope. They hoped that Russia could become a democracy, or at least a place that guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press. These weren’t ideas that came from Washington. Although now the narrative in the Kremlin is different, I met many people who were working towards exactly that kind of transformation. A friend of mine ran a series of seminars – once a year, and then later several times a year, in cities all over Russia – designed to get people to discuss politics in new ways. She invited young politicians and journalists, as well as foreigners. I went to many of them, in Moscow as well as Volgograd and Novosibirsk. Over two decades, hundreds of people came to these seminars, and all of them wanted Russia to be different. I remain convinced that many Russians still want Russia to be different. It’s just that the old system, in the form of Putin, a representative of that system, returned. The KGB reimposed their power. And this wasn’t because of something to do with culture, this was to do with money and politics, and who was in charge. JC: You’ve partially answered my question... I wanted to ask whether that excitement of the 1990s was an exception from the Russian historical norm which has been rather authoritarian? AA: Of course, if you look at the history of Russia since the 18th century, there have always been liberal groups, reformers and revolutionaries. There were the Decembrists, in the early 19th century, and the rural populists later on, who tried to organize the peasantry. A significant group of liberal Russians appeared at the turn of the 20th century, people like the father of the writer Vladimir Nabokov, who was a Russian politician before the revolution. These groups were small in number, but sometimes had a broader significance. The Russian dissident movement in the 1950s and 1960s actually invented the modern human rights movement. It was their idea to hold the leaders of the Soviet Union accountable for the language they used, to remind them of the treaties they had signed and the promised they had made. They created the Helsinki group, for example, that held Soviet leadership to the language of the Helsinki Treaty, which formally ended the Second World War and which contained guarantees of human rights, at least on paper. That idea spread to Eastern Europe, and similar tactics were used here in Poland. (Benjamin Nathans recently wrote a great book about the Soviet dissidents, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause) JC: But seemingly, even if they do ever get power, they could never hold on to it. AA: We don’t know, because they have never really had power. But in any case, we also don’t know what will happen in the future. There is no reason to assume that Russia will forever be condemned to totalitarianism. Even during the first fifteen years of Putin’s regime there was some form of democratic politics. Only when the full-scale war began did he bring everything to an end: he shut down all remaining independent organizations and killed his most important opponent, Alexi Navalny. But does that mean he is popular, that he enjoys legitimacy? Even now, we don’t really know what Russians think about him, or about the war. There is no way of doing real polling in Russia because nobody will answer an independent pollster over the phone. JC: Do you think that the flock of young people, especially young men, who fled Russia after the start of the war represent a continuation of liberal movements that refuse to partake in the authoritarian state, or do you think they are moving for the sake of self-preservation – “I don’t want to go to the army, so I leave”? AA: I’m sure it’s both. I actually know many people who left Russia for political reasons either in the very last years before the war, or else just after the war began. JC: And do you see a change in the young generation versus the old one that have fled? AA: It’s hard for me to say because the people who I know were mostly already politicized. I do know some younger people who left, but most of them were already either active in the opposition, or working as journalists. Many of them very self-consciously think of themselves as maintaining Russian culture abroad, just as in the 20th century the Soviet dissidents or the anti-communist White Russians once thought of themselves as people who maintained the true Russian culture, outside of Bolshevik Russia. JC: Let’s move on to Poland. One of your first experiences with Poland was reporting on Margaret Thatcher’s first state visit, in the autumn of 1988. You followed her around the farmers’ market. AA: She was making a symbolic gesture. She wanted to welcome free markets, but the only one she could really visit was the farmers’ market at Hala Mirowska. JC: And I want to talk about this area because today you can look out of any window in that district, Mirów, and see rows and rows of skyscrapers. How does it feel to see a country built from the ground in such a short time, both politically and economically? AA: You know, when you’re living in a period of dramatic change, it’s always hard to know whether the change is positive or negative. The transformation in Poland created winners and losers, as well as new classes of people, new political movements of different kinds. At the time, it sometimes just felt like turbulence. Now, we can look back at the 1990s and early 2000s in Poland and see in retrospect that the country was headed in towards prosperity and European integration. In around 2009 or 2010, I remember speaking to a woman who worked cleaning government offices, and who asked me if her daughter should study in Amsterdam or in London. This seemed to me to be a real transformation, and it happened very fast: within a few years, Poles stopped feeling like second-class Europeans, and a generation of younger Poles appeared who had no qualms about crossing borders. JC: We again live in turbulent times. Do you think we’re heading towards positive outcomes? AA: I can’t make predictions, because everything that happens tomorrow depends on what people do today. Also, history doesn’t have a trajectory. It doesn’t move in a particular direction. You only think it does afterwards. As I said, you can look afterwards at Poland in the 1990s and you could say this was a period of great progress. But not everybody at the time saw that. Sometimes people are very wrong about a given country’s trajectory. I remember people writing about Ukraine in the 1990s, about how dangerous it was that Ukraine was independent, that this was going to be an anti-semitic state, that Ukrainian nationalism was going to come back... and although you can say many bad things about Ukraine, the country made many bad choices, actually it became a pretty tolerant state which now has a Jewish president and until recently a Muslim defense minister. JC: In the 1990s Poland’s and Ukraine’s GDP were roughly similar. Ukraine was even a bit richer. So the starting point was similar for both of these countries, but they’ve turned out very, very differently. Even if we stop in 2014. Why do you think Ukraine “chose East”? Was it external influence? AA: No, I think Ukraine was in a different position. First of all, central and eastern Ukraine had been part of the Soviet Union since the 1920s, and had therefore experienced a longer period of occupation, repression, Sovietization and even Russification. Ukraine did not have, as Poland did, an alternative elite: a large cadre of economists and politicians, who already had some experience in opposition politics and in independent thinking. In Poland, the transformative finance minister, Leszek Balcerowicz, had already thought about how an economy might be decentralized before he took office. We can argue about how successful he was, but at least he was prepared to try something new. In Ukraine, people weren’t prepared. For one, there hadn’t been much space even for an illegal opposition in the previous couple of decades. Ukraine was also in many ways still emerging from colonial occupation. For the previous couple of centuries, many of the most capable Ukrainians had moved to Russia, and the first generation of leaders in independent Ukraine tended to be former Soviet apparatchiks. They didn’t immediately seek to become closer to western Europe. Instead, they looked for some kind of economic and political “third way” and an accomodation with Russia. Ukraine became stuck in this position, half-in, half-out and became pretty profoundly corrupt. JC: The Polish alternative elite had a vision of where they wanted the country to go. I think the general perception now is that this vision ends with the next election, right? Is this a natural process of gaining power? AA: Their vision, and it was shared by the time by politicians who now call themselves both left and right, was that Poland should join the EU and NATO, as fast as possible. My husband (Radek Sikorski) was in the very first government that said it wanted to join NATO. At the time this was taken very badly in Washington: the demand for NATO membership absolutely came from Poland, not from the US. But even then, in the early 1990s, many Poles already understood that the Russian sphere of influence would grow once again, that it was important to become part of the transatlantic alliance and an integrated Europe as fast as possible: NATO, the EU, the Council of Europe, all of the trading and security alliances. That consensus lasted through several different governments and over many years, even governments containing former communists. For twenty years, right, left and center disagreed about many things, but they all agreed on the direction that the country should go. In retrospect, that consensus created the basis for prosperity in Poland. JC: And regarding the Polish-Ukrainian relations. We know that antagonisms, e.g. the myth of Wołyń [a massacre of Poles that took place in what is now Western Ukraine, in 1943] are increasingly used in Polish political discourse today. In Ukraine, nationalist historians make heroes out of UPA, the Ukrainian revolutionary army, which is held responsible for this tragedy. Where do you see a start for burying the hatchet? Is the reconciliation of our nations possible? AA: So here’s a strange thing: For more than a decade after they both gained independence, Poland and Ukraine participated in a number of projects that were designed to solve exactly these kinds of Polish-Ukrainian differences. Books were published that were jointly written by Polish and Ukrainian historians, monuments were built. These projects were successful: If you’d asked me this question in 2010, I would have said that there are no real historical issues between Poland and Ukraine, that the two countries had mostly reconciled. For a number of reasons, this began to shift. In Poland, children and grandchildren of victims of the Wołyń massacre felt their tragedy hadn’t been fully recognized. In Ukraine, nationalist groups wanted the UPA partisans who had fought against the Soviet Union recognized for their heroism, despite the fact that some in this broad and not well-defined group were also linked to Wołyń. In both eastern Poland and western Ukraine, the memory of the ethnic cleansing that took place there in the late 1940s - Poles were moved West, Ukrainians East - to accomodate new borders has left feelings of displacement and bitterness. The wave of Ukrainian immigration, which started before the war, may have provoked some of this. But don’t underestimate the role played by Russia, which has always wanted to create discord between Poland and Ukraine, and pumps out propaganda to that effect in both countries. Vandalism on both sides of the border, damage done to cemeteries and monuments, is sometimes carried out by provacateurs working for Russia, just to create bad feelings. The Polish-Ukrainian conflict also hides a different reality: although there are real grievances and bad memories, the truth is that the biggest tragedies both nations experienced in the twentieth century were inflicted by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. That should unite these two countries, not divide them. JC: This week (19.04.2026 – Ed.) in Hungary we saw that using historical narratives to create grievance has no longer worked. Are you optimistic about the direction after Orban’s loss? AA: The Hungarian election was really important because it shows that people can actually resist powerful, dominant propaganda. The ruling party Fidesz controlled all of the TV, 90% of the newspapers, the constitutional court, the bureaucracy... and yet people had the nerve to vote against it and resist it. It’s also an important election because Hungary created a huge network of well-funded think tanks and foundations that were funding other far right groups and projects. So that loss is going to have a knock-on effect in other places too, maybe even in Poland. JC: What you’ve said about resisting propaganda reminds me of one of the interviews you did about talking to Russians in the post-Soviet era who claimed that people knew that the system was lying. Why do people choose to believe in these regimes anyway? AA: Because it’s useful. Stephen Kotkin, an American historian, once described how people would learn how to “speak Bolshevik”: It was just a language that you needed to use in order to get by in society. If you didn’t talk the way the regime wanted you to talk, then you might have problems, or lose your job, or your kids would not get into university. It was a way of getting along. Communist Poland was similar, at least in the early years. When I was writing a book about the Sovietization of Eastern Europe after World War II, I met a lot of people who wanted to talk a lot about the war, when many of them had done really heroic things. But almost nobody wanted to talk about the decade afterwards, between 1945 and 1956. This was when you had the short period of terror, violence and Polish Stalinism. To stay safe, people felt the need to just go along with what others were saying, or stay out of politics, or use communist jargon without necessarily believing it. I don’t judge them for it, and I wouldn’t describe all of those people as collaborators. It’s easy to feel moral certainty in retrospect, because we know that communism ended. But if you were living in 1949, it might not have been clear to you that communism was going to end. In very repressive societies, maybe about 10% of people who are really evil – collaborators, torturers. Maybe 10% of people are really brave and who find ways to resist. And then around 80% of people have kids, they have parents, they have to have jobs and they’ve had to get through it somehow. Strange though it may sound, I’ve found that the work I did on that book is now very useful in explaining some of what’s going on in the United States today. There are plenty of members of the Republican Party in Congress who know perfectly well that Donald Trump says many things that aren’t true. But they avoid criticizing him because it’s inconvenient, because they would get in trouble, because someone would attack them on the internet. So actually you don’t even need mass terror to get people to conform. JC: Is Gen Z reinventing agency? AA: We’ll see. In any generation you can find groups of people who want agency. If you live in a society that’s unfair, for example where a tiny number of people have captured most of the wealth, then at a certain point people rebel. This is always easier for younger people, who have you have less to lose. The question now is how the internet will affect the relationships between citizens and the state, and how it will change organizations. The “Twitter revolutions” people spoke about as early as 2008-9, mass protests organized online, have often proved to be very superficial. Although you can easily join something just by clicking, the work of creating a real movement requires physical participation. Successful mass movements of the past, for example the Civil Rights movement in the United States, were built by people who had spent many years together. They had participated in non-violent workshops together. They practiced and prepared. Just using the you can get everybody to show up at a certain moment, but then when the protest is broken up, nothing happens. It’s also true that the repressive regimes have more recently learned how to use the internet to undermine leaders and movements. Most of all, they now understand how to make people cynical. The form of propaganda that most modern authoritarians use - and I think the Russians really pioneered this - deploys sneering cynicism. Instead of praising the rulers, the regime propagandists mock the opposition movement leadership for being supposedly corrupt or sexually degenerate, with the goal of undermining any kind of idealism. JC: MAGA grew on the internet? AA: MAGA is a real grassroots movement. They had symbols, red hats, they showed up at rallies. But you’re right that the cynicism, the sarcasm and the distrust that the movement embodies came originally from the internet, and this is different. Fifty years ago, most European political parties had a social base in real organizations, in trade unions for Social Democrats, in church groups for Christian Democrats. As people stopped going to church and as the trade unions became smaller, the social base of these parties disappeared. Now people who wouldn’t have known one another in the past meet on the internet and create new movements, many of which don’t last. JC: Is history ending? Going in stale circles? AA: History never ends. In truth, human beings want contradictory things at the same time: order and freedom, stability and change. These things are never resolved, and when a society swings too far in one direction, people always push it the other way. But each time that happens, the result is different. Certainly it is true that we are now in a period when old philosophers and ideas from the 1930s are undergoing a revival. Carl Schmitt, who was a philosopher who was very influential on the Nazis, is back as an influence on both the far left and the far right, once again inspiring people to think that all politics has to be existential, that all politics is about defining and defeating enemies. In the US, some are also bringing back dominionism, the idea that we need a Christian and not a secular state. It’s also true that we are living through a more fundamental shift. The old left-right divide, which was mostly about the size of the state, is much less important now. Instead, we are arguing about more fundamental things: what are our rights, what protects our freedom. Or how much power do we want to give small elites, versus how much power to give ordinary people. In America a small group of very wealthy people now control information, because they control the social media platforms and AI, which means they determine what people will read and learn. Finding a way to preserve preserve zones of autonomy and independent thinking, this is going to be the main task for the next generation. JC: What is the one book that a person interested in Central Europe should read? AA: You could read my book “Iron Curtain: the Crushing of Eastern Europe” which tells the story of how the Soviet Union imposed its culture on the region. Or read Tim Snyder’s history of the region, “The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999.” And everyone should read “The Captive Mind” by Czesław Miłosz, which describes exactly the phenomenon we were talking about: why do people collaborate? I joined Scott Galloway and the brilliant Fiona Hill in a discussion about the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the future of global power, and what these conflicts reveal about America's role in the world. Scott told us that this was the 400th edition of his podcast, which is quite a number: My friend Francesco Chiamulera runs a brilliant series of literary events, Una Colline di Libri, A Hill of Books, in the Prosecco Hills, a region of vineyards and elegant hill towns in the Veneto, north of Venice. We did an event in Vittorio Veneto and also drove and biked around the countryside. Buy Autocracy Inc Buy Iron Curtain Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe

Jun 13 • 4:15 AM EDT • Politics • anneapplebaum.substack.com

Democrats seek next ObamaCare ahead of midterms amid rising health costs

There is growing momentum within the Democratic Party to find its next ObamaCare heading into the midterms, as healthcare costs become more untenable and American anger over affordability persists.…

Jun 12 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • thehill.com

Ohio lawmakers send math intervention bill to Gov. Mike DeWine with science of reading exemption

An academic intervention bill that would also exempt Ohio’s classical schools from teaching the science of reading curriculum is heading to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.

Jun 12 • 3:55 AM EDT • Science • ohiocapitaljournal.com

Dodgers vs. Pirates game chat

Justin Wrobleski and the Dodgers face the Pirates before heading off to Chicago for a three-game set with the White Sox. Thursday’s game info

Jun 11 • 6:25 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

The Vikings’ Full Depth Chart Heading into Minicamp

VikingsTerritory will have a 53-man roster projection in July and August, but first, it’s time to look at the lay […]

Jun 10 • 7:34 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

What voters need to know about BREC’s millage renewal

The millage funding BREC's maintenance and operation of parks, facilities and recreation services throughout East Baton Rouge Parish is heading to the ballot for renewal, with early voting set to begi… Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in

Jun 9 • 3:52 PM EDT • Business • businessreport.com

MLB second basemen power rankings entering week 12

MLB has completed 11 weeks of the 2026 season. Certain players are having great seasons, but injuries are starting to affect some of the game’s best players. Heading into week twelve, here are the top ten second basemen around the…

Jun 9 • 9:22 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Top Eagles storylines heading into 2026 mandatory minicamp

Here’s a look at some of the Eagles’ top storylines heading into their mandatory minicamp in 2026.

Jun 9 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

Golden Knights forwards remain committed to defense

The entire forward group has made it a point of emphasis to help the Vegas defense corps in the Stanley Cup Final and it has helped give them a 2-1 series lead heading into Tuesday's Game 4.

Jun 8 • 4:52 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

'Sunday Ticket' Lawsuit Could Be Heading to U.S. Supreme Court

The NFL's "Sunday Ticket" package has long been a fan favorite. The package, previously on DirecTV and now on YouTube TV, allows NFL fans to watch every game, no matter what local market they are in. For fans of teams that play in a different city, it's a godsend. It's the best way to keep up with ...

Jun 8 • 9:18 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Big question facing Jaguars defensive tackle position heading into minicamp

Previewing the Jaguars' upcoming minicamp practices, here is our one big question facing the defensive tackle position.

Jun 7 • 8:26 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Tar Heels defeat USC 4-3 with ninth-inning rally, heading to College World Series

The North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team defeated the USC Trojans 4-3 on Sunday in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional, giving the Tar Heels their 13th appearance in the College World Series.

Jun 7 • 6:20 PM EDT • Sports • wral.com

NASA to wear Prada as luxury group pushes into space industry

Italian fashion house Prada 1913.F unveiled on Sunday the inner-layer garment set to be worn by NASA astronauts heading into space, underscoring the brand's push to be the first major luxury ​player to make inroads in the space industry.

Jun 7 • 3:12 PM EDT • Technology • reuters.com

Roob's Observations: Even with A.J. gone, Eagles are still loaded on offense

The Eagles may have lost A.J. Brown, but their offense remains loaded heading into 2026.

Jun 7 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered leaks for Nintendo Switch 2

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, a leak has revealed. The information comes from billbil-kun, who manages to get early information from retailers. It’s reported that the game is heading to Nintendo Switch 2 on November 3, 2026 courtesy of Atari and Pipeworks. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee previously hit the GameCube in 2002...

Jun 6 • 9:33 AM EDT • Technology • nintendoeverything.com

Patriots scouting report: Karon Prunty offers some intriguing tools

Previewing the Patriots cornerback heading into his first NFL season.

Jun 6 • 8:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Big question facing Colts wide receiver position heading into minicamp

As part of our minicamp preview, let's highlight the big question facing the Colts' wide receiver position.

Jun 6 • 6:05 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Kosovo to hold third election in 18 months as frustration grows over political impasse

Voters in Kosovo are heading to the polls this weekend for the third time in 18 months

Jun 6 • 1:33 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com

Analysis: Adam Hamawy and the Mainstreaming of Pro-Terror Extremism in US Politics

The following analysis was authored by journalist and CAM editorial advisor Lee Smith: After winning the Democratic primary to represent New Jersey’s 12th congressional district on Tuesday night, Egyptian-born Adam Hamawy offered a glimpse of the worldview that’s shaped his meteoric political rise heading into the November midterm elections. “Takbir,” the 56-year-old plastic surgeon enthusiastically […]

Jun 5 • 9:52 AM EDT • Politics • combatantisemitism.org

Yankees to call up top prospect following Aaron Judge injury

The New York Yankees are turning to one of the organization’s most exciting young talents following the devastating injury news surrounding Aaron Judge. With Judge heading to the injured list after being diagnosed with a fractured rib, the Yankees have…

Jun 5 • 9:47 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Big question facing Jaguars quarterback position heading into minicamp

Previewing the Jaguars' upcoming minicamp practices, here is our one big question facing the quarterback position.

Jun 5 • 9:08 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Report: Arne Slot could be set for shock managerial return

Celtic weigh ambitious move for former Liverpool boss as managerial search takes fresh twistCeltic’s search for a new permanent manager could be heading in a fascinating new direction, with former L...

Jun 5 • 6:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Big question facing Colts' QB position heading into minicamp

As part of our minicamp preview, let's highlight the big question facing the Colts' quarterback position.

Jun 5 • 6:36 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Barcelona battling Atletico Madrid for three blockbuster signings this summer

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid appear to be heading towards one of the most intriguing transfer battles of the summer, with both clubs targeting several of the same high-profile players ahead of the ne...

Jun 5 • 3:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Done deal! Bayern Munich’s Daniel Peretz heading to Southampton

FC Bayern has reportedly made a sale!

Jun 5 • 1:30 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Are Germany Overrated Heading In? World Cup Group E Preview

Germany always seems like a favorite at the World Cup, but does this 2026 squad have the talent to challenge for the trophy?

Jun 4 • 8:27 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

More patrols coming to Houston entertainment districts as Texas ramps up summer security

If you’re heading to a concert, sporting event or entertainment district in Houston this summer, don’t be surprised if you notice more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on patrol.

Jun 4 • 5:43 PM EDT • Entertainment • click2houston.com

Lehigh Valley Political Pulse: Gridlock, budgets and midterm politics shape summer outlook

With Memorial Day behind them, lawmakers are heading toward summer recess amid questions about what, if anything, they will be able to accomplish before voters return their attention to the fall elections.

Jun 4 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • lehighvalleynews.com

After 14 NFL seasons, Russell Wilson enters a sports TV role

Russell Wilson is heading to television after 14 seasons. The 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback announced Wednesday that he is joining CBS Sports.

Jun 3 • 7:44 PM EDT • Sports • komonews.com

An outdoor entertainment district could be coming to Summerville

People could eventually be allowed to walk through parts of downtown Summerville with a beer or glass of wine in hand under a proposal now heading to Town Counc

Jun 3 • 3:30 PM EDT • Entertainment • abcnews4.com

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight reveals Nintendo Switch 2 release date, new trailer

We’ve been wondering when LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight would be heading to Nintendo Switch 2, and we now have that answer. Warner Bros. and TT Games just revealed that the game is heading to the console on September 18, 2026. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight just had its initial launch a couple of weeks ago....

Jun 3 • 11:03 AM EDT • Technology • nintendoeverything.com

May's top PlayStation games by copies sold

Yesterday’s State of Play gave us an idea of where PlayStation’s heading next. But we’ve had our May estimates for a couple of days now (we always update our data daily for clients), so it’s time to look at what performed best on PlayStation last month. We’ve got a new IP at the top, two evergreens doing their evergreen thing, FC26 smashing it ahead of the World Cup Plus pivot, and a quiet but promising result for Lego Batman. Let’s have a look at the state of Play…Station’s top games for May. 007 takes #001 007 First Light sold 1M copies on PS5 in May, easily making it the month’s top PS5 game by copies sold. Over 80% of those May copies were digital, which is broadly in line with where PlayStation’s digital share has settled for new releases this year. To date, 007 First Light has sold through 2.2M copies across platforms (so no unsold retail copies in that figure). The platform split is 55.1% PS5, 33.1% Steam, and 11.8% Xbox (console, Windows, and cloud combined). In gross revenue terms, 007 First Light has generated $150M. Owing to regional pricing and audience composition differences, the consoles make up a higher share of revenue than they do copies. Of the $150M, 60.5% came via PlayStation, 27.6% via Steam, and 12.9% via Xbox. Part of this is because over two-thirds of 007 First Light‘s PlayStation audience is in North America (43.4%) or Western Europe (23.2%), where local currency means the game generates more revenue per player. On Steam, under half of First Light‘s audience is from those same regions (31.8% North America, 15.1% Western Europe). As we covered in last week’s 007 Steam piece, the Steam version is pulling in higher-than-expected numbers in China, which now accounts for 17.3% of First Light‘s Steam audience. 007 is the equivalent of $44 USD in China, which is roughly 37% cheaper than the US price and about 44% cheaper than Western Europe. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe The crossover data backs up what we’ve seen all year about launch-window cohorts. 11% of PS5 players who played 007 First Light in May also played Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, which launched just a few days before. Last month was a great month for Denmark! IO Interactive is Copenhagen-based, and Lego Group is headquartered in Billund (TT Games is UK-based but produces work under Lego Group licence and direction). Speaking of which… A very blocky #2 and #3 Minecraft sold another 788K copies on PlayStation consoles last month. Business as usual, since Minecraft hasn’t sold fewer than 760K copies in a single month all year. With over 350M copies sold across all platforms, Minecraft is the best-selling game in history and one of the strongest brands in the world. Every month, a new cohort of children reaches Minecraft age, which guarantees a constant volume of new sales regardless of what the broader market is up to. The demographic refresh rate is truly impressive, with the audience renewing itself faster than it’s churning. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight shifted 757K copies on PS5 last month, bringing its lifetime total on the platform to over 800K. Across all platforms, Legacy of the Dark Knight has now passed 1.5M sold through, so PlayStation accounts for over half of the game’s players. The May crossover data for Legacy of the Dark Knight on PS5 is also useful. 27% of those players also played Fortnite, 16% Roblox, 16% FC 26, and 14% NBA 2K. That’s the household-and-family cohort showing up, plus the launch-window cohort of core gamers who buy practically everything. FC 26 gets players through the door ahead of the World Cup FC 26 sold 411K copies on PlayStation last month (90% via PS5), the fewest copies FC 26 has sold all year and down heavily from April’s 700K. Part of this dropoff is because FC 26 has been available as a PlayStation Plus monthly game since 6 May, cannibalising premium sales. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe The strategic logic is straightforward for EA, which is sacrificing premium unit sales in May to build up the player base ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on 11 June. Obviously, a bigger player pool going into the tournament means a bigger pool of potential Ultimate Team spenders during the period when football attention is at its peak. The early returns are around what you’d expect, with 4.4M new players accessing FC 26 via PS Plus last month – a substantial new spender pool. Anecdotally, a few of my mates who were ‘’skipping FIFA and Ultimate Team this year’’, were drawn back in via PS Plus. Lo and behold, one of them is buying packs like it’s going out of fashion. Whether this is all a smart trade for EA depends entirely on the Ultimate Team conversion rate over the next six weeks. Either way, the short-term engagement impact on the game as a whole is evident. FC 26‘s MAUs hit a record 24M on PlayStation in May, up 30% from the previous record set in April. GTA V does what GTA V always does Rounding out the top five is another evergreen title. Grand Theft Auto V shifted another 387K copies on PlayStation last month. No matter what else is happening in the industry, GTA V keeps pulling players in. It’s sold another 1.8M copies on PS5 in the first half of this year alone, helping the franchise pass the 230M-sold milestone across all platforms. Subscribe for free to get the most accurate games estimates in your inbox twice a week 🫶 Subscribe I have a theory that Minecraft and GTA V are doing the same thing at different demographic levels. Both are functioning as generational gateway games that the audience ages into faster than it ages out of. Minecraft captures kids around age 6-10, GTA V captures much of the same audience around age 12-15 (unofficially, of course). The crossover data suggests this: 40% of GTA V‘s monthly PlayStation players typically play Fortnite in any given month, while 30% play Roblox. Household accounts aside, that’s not the original GTA V audience from 2013. Of course, the under-12 audience would love to get their hands on GTA, too. It’s always been the way of things, and some parents are happy to oblige. Mine did too back in the day, and I turned out just fine. Right? Right!? Want to get your hands on our data for yourself – for free? We’re offering a free trial of our platform for games companies. Send us a message here, or reply to this email, and we’ll set you up. The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]

Jun 3 • 10:49 AM EDT • Technology • alineaanalytics.substack.com

Dallas Mavericks Pick Former Valley View Site for Arena, Entertainment District

After months of speculation about the site of the team's future multi-billion-dollar arena and entertainment district—possibly, and controversially, including the Dallas City Hall site—the Mavs are heading up the Tollway to a new home off LBJ Freeway. But tip-off won't be until at least 2031.

Jun 2 • 6:17 PM EDT • Entertainment • dallasinnovates.com

Rayman Legends Retold announced for Nintendo Switch 2

Following a recent leak, Ubisoft made it official that it’s developing Rayman Legends Retold. The game is heading to Nintendo Switch 2 on October 1, 2026. Rayman Legends Retold is a remake of the 2013 game. Ubisoft has overhauled the visuals, now in 2.5D / 3D. The team is also adding in new content such as a new villain, a...

Jun 2 • 5:14 PM EDT • Technology • nintendoeverything.com

Reno high school fire science academy expands to four-year program

Students at Reno’s AACT Fire Science Academy train through hands-on drills and classroom lessons, with some heading to summer fire camps. The program expands to four years.

Jun 2 • 12:59 AM EDT • Science • fox5vegas.com

Reno high school fire science academy expands to four-year program

Students at Reno’s AACT Fire Science Academy train through hands-on drills and classroom lessons, with some heading to summer fire camps.

Jun 2 • 12:59 AM EDT • Science • wabi.tv

Reno high school fire science academy expands to four-year program

Students at Reno’s AACT Fire Science Academy train through hands-on drills and classroom lessons, with some heading to summer fire camps.

Jun 2 • 12:59 AM EDT • Science • wcax.com

From Rocafonda to the World Cup: Lamine Yamal's meteoric rise

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play at a record sixth World Cup in 2026, but years from now the tournament may instead be remembered as Lamine Yamal's first.Over the past three years Abdul has answered plenty of questions about Lamine, but with concerns over the winger's fitness heading into the World Cup, he doesn't feel like speaking for now.

Jun 2 • 12:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

NHL viewership maintains post-Olympic glow through conference finals

The NHL is maintaining its strong viewership pace heading into the Stanley Cup Final. Viewership for each of the league’s conference finals saw near-50% increases on both NHL broadcast partners. ESPN’s coverage of the Western Conference Finals, a Vegas Golden Knights sweep over the Colorado Avalanche, averaged 2.2 million viewers, up 44% versus last year’s…

Jun 1 • 9:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Colts Tyler Warren highlights offseason priorities heading into Year 2

Where Can Colts' TE Tyler Warren improve heading into his second season? He detailed a few key areas on Monday.

Jun 1 • 5:10 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Midland scores first $7.5M Dave & Buster's entertainment center

A new kind of entertainment is heading west.

Jun 1 • 5:32 AM EDT • Entertainment • mysanantonio.com

Healthcare CIOs Should Take Note Of Copilot Health

Microsoft's Copilot Health preview is live — and it's heading enterprise. Here's what healthcare CIOs need to know before it reaches your workforce

May 31 • 11:45 PM EDT • Health • forbes.com

Bengals’ Best Move of the Offseason is a No-Brainer

The Bengals are heading into the 2026 season with some new faces.

May 31 • 6:38 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

5 Vikings Theories That Aged Poorly as of Late

Heading into every offseason, Minnesota Vikings fans and various media members manufacture some theories that come true — and some […]

May 31 • 12:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

MotoGP Italian GP: Marco Bezzecchi leads emotional Aprilia 1-2

Bezzecchi extended his MotoGP championship lead after heading an Aprilia 1-2 ahead of title rival Martin at home Mugello race

May 31 • 9:11 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Former Bruins Defenseman Named Trade Candidate Heading Into Offseason

Dougie Hamilton could be traded once again.

May 30 • 7:48 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Amon-Ra St. Brown Shares Honest Assessment of Lions’ Mindset

Amon-Ra St. Brown explained why the Lions are more motivated than ever heading into the 2026 season.

May 30 • 5:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

IL Senate passes bill providing resources for youth repeat gun offenders, sends plan to Pritzker

A bill heading to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk could help address youth who are repeat gun offenders.

May 30 • 5:06 PM EDT • Politics • wandtv.com

Steelers' Patrick Queen dismisses 'charade' of earlier trade rumors: My business is to go play football

Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen dismissed trade rumors from earlier this offseason and made it clear he's not worried about heading into a contract year as he gears up for Pittsburgh's 2026 season.

May 30 • 1:25 PM EDT • Business • nfl.com

Samsung Releases Free Upgrades To Millions More Galaxy Phones

Samsung's One UI 8.5 rollout has reached some of its cheapest Galaxy phones, and more Galaxy S26 features could be heading to the Galaxy S25 series too.

May 30 • 8:22 AM EDT • Technology • forbes.com

Business for Good: Paratodo

Francis Young’s menswear line Paratodo is heading back to Paris Fashion Week, but makes its biggest impact on hyper-local causes

May 29 • 5:55 AM EDT • Business • thephiladelphiacitizen.org

Preview: Expectations mount for UNC's Fall sports in 2026

Dubbed “the University of National Champions,” with 52 team national titles across eight different sports, UNC athletics has long been defined by excellence and expectation. Heading into the 2026 season, here’s a look at some of UNC’s most renowned programs.

May 28 • 5:12 PM EDT • Sports • dailytarheel.com

After backlash, the Gorge to make entrance changes for Brandi Carlile shows

The Gorge is making changes heading into Carlile’s three-night Echoes Through the Canyon shows after fans fumed over lengthy wait times for a previous concert.

May 28 • 3:26 PM EDT • Entertainment • seattletimes.com

Mulit-million dollar plan aims to fix sport complex traffic woes in South Philadelphia

Traffic has long been the nemesis of sports fans heading to South Philadelphia to watch games in-person.

May 28 • 1:13 PM EDT • Sports • 6abc.com

Multi-million dollar plan aims to fix sports complex traffic woes in South Philadelphia

Traffic has long been the nemesis of sports fans heading to South Philadelphia to watch games in-person.

May 28 • 1:13 PM EDT • Sports • 6abc.com

Cyber and Economic Uncertainty Top Concerns as Business Leaders Brace for a More Complex Risk Environment

Business leaders at midsize and large U.S. companies rank cybersecurity and economic pressures as their foremost concerns heading into 2026, according to The Hartford's annual Risk Monitor.

May 28 • 10:14 AM EDT • Business • riskandinsurance.com

5 Questions with Sean Debley, Technical Services Manager, Environmental Health Division

1. As Ventura County heads into summer, what should residents know about ocean water quality and how it’s monitored by the County? As temperatures begin to rise heading into summer, […]

May 27 • 7:35 PM EDT • Health • news.venturacounty.gov

Tennessee attorney general says Kalshi is running sports betting under another name

Tennessee’s legal fight against prediction market platform Kalshi is now heading to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, setting up for a growing national battle over whether sports event contracts …

May 27 • 12:07 AM EDT • Sports • wkrn.com

Sports reporter Gabrielle Lucivero joining ESPN as part of WNBA coverage

Longtime Connecticut sports anchor and reporter Gabrielle Lucivero doesn’t have to go very far for her next gig. After nearly nine years at NBC Connecticut, Lucivero announced that she was leaving the station, but would be heading to Bristol, where she’ll cover WNBA and other sports for ESPN. “11 years and 11 days since I…

May 26 • 8:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Wealth Adviser Shuffle Hits Los Angeles - Los Angeles Business Journal

In Los Angeles and across the country, wealth advisers are packing up their millions or billions of client assets and heading for the door. Adviser

May 26 • 2:01 AM EDT • Business • labusinessjournal.com

Top five things to watch at Texans OTA practices

So, what do Houston Texans fans need to see by the end of OTAs later next month to feel confident in their roster heading into the 2026 season?

May 25 • 7:28 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Top Eagles storylines heading into 2026 OTAs

As the Eagles prepare for their 2026 OTAs, here are some top storylines to watch in the next few weeks.

May 25 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

The world is heading toward a financial crisis – the state of US politics has left us ill-prepared

Trump’s second term has revealed that Washington’s policy response to such a crisis will be misguided and full of chaos

May 25 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

Porsche Built The 993 For The 1990s, This One Was Built For The Future

One of 25 Gunther Werks Speedsters is heading to auction and it’s guaranteed to fetch close to hypercar money

May 24 • 9:04 PM EDT • Technology • carscoops.com

Report Crespo targeted by Lazio and Parma as new coach

Hernan Crespo could be heading back to Serie A for his first top coaching job in Italy, with his former clubs Lazio and Parma said to be interested.According to Tuttomercatoweb, Crespo is looking for ...

May 24 • 9:45 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Virginia health officials urge safe swimming pledge after 12 drownings in summer 2025

As swim season gets underway, the Virginia Department of Health is urging families to put safety first before heading to pools.

May 23 • 11:45 AM EDT • Health • wcyb.com

Virginia health officials urge safe swimming pledge after 12 drownings in summer 2025

As swim season gets underway, the Virginia Department of Health is urging families to put safety first before heading to pools.

May 23 • 11:45 AM EDT • Health • wset.com

India’s Goyal to visit Canada with 150 business leaders to boost trade ties

India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Canada between May 25 and May 27, heading a ​delegation of about 150 Indian industry leaders as ‌part of efforts to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

May 23 • 6:28 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com

Spurs vs. Thunder score, live updates, how to watch: Jalen Williams, De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper questionable with series tied heading into Game 3

May 22 • 6:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

2026 NFL Odds: Back Cowboys to Shine; Fade Cardinals' Win Total

FOX Sports betting analyst Geoff Schwartz has his sights set on two NFL win total bets he loves heading into the 2026 season.

May 21 • 2:05 PM EDT • Sports • foxsports.com

Colts coach evaluates state of linebacker unit heading into OTAs

Colts LB coach James Bettcher evaluated the current state of this unit heading into OTAs.

May 21 • 6:10 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Each NHL Conference Finalist's X-Factor: Caufield, Nelson And More

Which NHL players could make the difference between their team being a conference champion or heading home after the third round?

May 20 • 1:10 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

A new Middle-earth open world game is coming from Kingdom Come developers

Warhorse is heading into Tolkien territory for a new Lord Of The Rings-adjacent game. Read more at Empire.

May 20 • 7:10 AM EDT • Technology • empireonline.com

Morning Sports: May 20, 2026

Buffalo HS Boys and Girls Soccer: They are the defending 3A state champs, and so far the Buffalo boys soccer team has taken everyone’s best shot this season. The Bison have put together a record of 11 wins and 3 losses and have the #1 seed out of the East heading into the state tournament, […]

May 20 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • sheridanmedia.com

Evaluating Rueben Chinyelu's NBA draft decision after combine results

One of the biggest questions heading into the NBA draft is whether Florida basketball's starting center Rueben Chinyelu will return to school.

May 19 • 1:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

SEC post-spring power rankings: Texas leads pack while Texas A&M, Alabama headline fluid middle tier

The deepest conference in the country has at least seven teams with legitimate College Football Playoff hopes heading into 2026

May 19 • 8:25 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Whoa! Netflix is Sending Narnia Heading to Theaters...What This Means for the Future of Film

(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.) Here’s a funny thing about the debate over whether streamers should release their movies in theaters first: Both sides think the other side represents the “conventional wisdom”. If you’ve been reading me for any amount of time, or even just scanned my front page, you know I think movies make more money by having a robust theatrical window compared to going straight-to-streaming. I’ve published thousands of words on this topic. And for years, I felt like I was standing up to a wave of opposition. See, while the “put your films in theaters to make money” take was obvious at any point before 2019, post-streaming revolution, most of the trendy thinkers took the opposite point of view. Big names argued that Netflix putting their film straight-to-streaming (“S-to-S” from here on out) actually made more money. Netflix was “disrupting” theaters, just as they disrupted Blockbuster Video, and since innovation is always good, this too was a great idea. This thinking then leaked into the mainstream business outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. I read many articles whose take boiled down to “Netflix makes tons of money from S-to-S releases” and “theaters were in structural decline” anyways. Covid-19 shutting down theaters and the 2023 strikes shutting down film production seemingly justified this point of view, as the box office struggled to return to 2017-2019 heights. Yet I’ve also read folks arguing the opposite point: the conventional wisdom says to put films in theaters! From some writers’ points of view, “everyone” actually agrees/agreed with my “send your films to theaters” take—especially the stodgy traditional studios—and folks still didn’t understand Netflix’s genius. I feel like, for the last two years, many people have argued this point as if it’s conventional wisdom. You know what? I may have been wrong. At this point, the “S-to-S strategy makes money” might be the minority viewpoint. Especially with the news this month that Netflix will put at least one film—Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film The Magician’s Nephew—in theaters in 2027 for a full 49-day run is big news. So that’s the story of the week, but I’ll also explain why they’re making this move now and why Netflix may not completely embrace theaters, along with other topics, like how I don’t buy Disney’s “super app” strategy, the latest good news out of the unions, my take on the latest attacks against free speech, and a whole lot more. Let’s get started. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Netflix Goes to Theaters! Listen, I promise not to victory lap too hard today. As I just wrote, I’ve argued against sending films straight-to-streaming for—checks calendar—eight years now. Since 2018. Yikes. That’s a long time. And for years, others painted my thinking as “conventional” in that I was standing up for the status quo against trendy, cool disruption. And that’s not cool! But math is math, and I never could make the S-to-S numbers work. The only thing that ever enabled that model was Wall Street’s brief exuberance for it. It seems like the heads of Netflix now agree with me. (There were always rumors that former head of film for Netflix Scott Stuber argued internally for theatrical releases as well.) As they announced: “The Magician’s Nephew_—the first film in a Narnia series of films—will open on 12-Feb-2027, with a 49 day theatrical exclusive run.”_ I’m a little surprised at how little coverage this big change actually got. Credit to Bloomberg for leading with it and Matt Belloni’s The Town for highlighting it with the provocatively titled podcast “Hell Hath Frozen Over”. But after that? Instead of getting as much coverage as, say, the FCC’s latest egregious crackdown on free speech, this news story got crickets. But it’s massively more important for the future business of entertainment. So let’s start with the obvious question… Why Put Your Movies in Theaters? So…why should Netflix put (some!) of their movies in theaters? Well, I’ve already written that in a very, very, very long article from 2022: [ ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) [ The Data Is In: Theatrical Films Massively Outperform Straight-To-Streaming Films ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) Entertainment Strategy Guy · April 5, 2023 [ Read full story ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) To summarize, theatrical runs make much more money, especially blockbusters, because they earn more money per viewing,1 and that helps boost home entertainment sales. Theatrical films also perform as well or better than the streaming-only films. Now, partially this is driven by increased marketing for said films, but said marketing ultimately boosts the awareness of the movies and drives improved streaming and library performance as well. Again, I’ve made this case after reviewing the economic models and streaming data for years. Just last week, Emily Horgan also made the case for kids films! Yes, it is probably conventional wisdom, but that’s also because it’s true! I’d also argue we’ve seen a lot of data in the various studios’ behavior. As I’ve noted before, the more a studio needs to make money, the likelier they are to put films in theaters. As such, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount and Sony all send their major films to theaters. Even if they once made a big S-to-S push (*cough* Disney *cough*), they’ve since relented and returned to theaters. The tech companies don’t need to make money, per se, so it took them years to embrace theaters. Apple doesn’t need to make money because it doesn’t disclose their (likely) Quibi-sized losses each year. (They fear bad press more than losing money.) Amazon announced two years ago that they planned to make Amazon-MGM Studios/Prime Video profitable on its own, and guess what? Now they’re putting films in theaters. That leaves Netflix. They’re in between the “no need to make money at all” and the “desperately need to make money to offset linear TV declines”, so they had less pressure to put some films in theaters. Plus, for years, they were the sexy disruptor, and Wall Street rewarded them for that. (Honestly, they still do.) Yet, even Netflix likely saw the money they were leaving on the table (I’ve estimated it at an easy billion dollars before) so they changed their course. I heard one pundit argue that, because Netflix already makes so much money, they don’t need to make more money, which sort of goes against everything I’ve ever learned about business and economics. Again, to be super-nuanced, sending “films to theaters” does not mean EVERY film. TV movies have been a thing for decades. Lifetime films, Hallmark holiday films, Disney Channel Original Movies, and so on, don’t need theatrical runs. But films above a certain budget level (say $25 to 50 million) almost certainly need theaters to maximize their revenue. The Scenarios (with a Dose of Skepticism) Now time for some skepticism: it won’t surprise me at all if Netflix re-changes course. Specifically, Netflix announced that their Narnia film will go to theaters. And I’d bet anything we see KPop Demon Hunters 2: The Huntering2 also goes to theaters, cause it’s the surest hit outside of a Disney animated sequel right now. But how much does Netflix truly commit to theaters? They’ve already tried to emphasize that this is a one-off move. I see three broad scenarios:

May 18 • 3:27 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com

The aluminum iPhone 17 Pro dents easily, so Apple has another replacement in mind

Aluminum didn't really work out for the iPhone 17, so Apple is heading back to the drawing board.

May 18 • 1:30 PM EDT • Technology • phonearena.com

Oregon defense receives glowing evaluations heading into 2026 season

College football analysts think Oregon has four of the 26 most-feared defensive players in the nation. USC needs to do something about that

May 17 • 12:14 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Fox Cities sports tourism on the rise: Visitors spent record $14.1M in 2025

More and more Midwesterners are heading to Appleton for their youth sports tournaments.

May 15 • 9:08 PM EDT • Sports • fox11online.com

Pair Of Aggie Receivers Named Among Nation’s Top Returners By Hero Sports

Hero Sports has named a pair of UC Davis football wide outs to its top 25 list of returning Football Championship Subdivision wide receivers with Samuel Gbatu, Jr., being named the third-best returning receiver and Stacy Dobbins being tagged as the nation's 18th-best returning wide receiver, giving the Aggies a pair of nationally ranked offensive threats heading into the 2026 season. The Aggies are just one of three programs to have more than one member named to the list and they are one of four Big Sky teams to have at least one receiver named to the top 25.

May 14 • 12:24 PM EDT • Sports • ucdavisaggies.com

Lehigh Valley Political Pulse: Politics in an evolving news landscape

Katherine Reinhard said many voters remain undecided heading into the primary and urged audiences to rely on credible reporting as they make final decisions.

May 14 • 10:00 AM EDT • Politics • lehighvalleynews.com

Report: Panthers will host the Bears in Week 1

The Bears were one of the teams under consideration for a season-opening trip to Seattle, but the NFL is reportedly going with a Super Bowl rematch so the defending NFC North champs will be heading elsewhere.

May 14 • 7:11 AM EDT • Sports • nbcsports.com

Trump vs. Massie becomes a loyalty test for Kentucky voters

No Republican has infuriated President Donald Trump more than Rep. Thomas Massie, which has placed him in a precarious position heading into Tuesday’s Republican primary in Kentucky. The race is already one of the most expensive primary contests ever, with more than $29 million spent on advertising alone, setting up the biggest political test Massie has ever faced. Their long-running duel will be settled by voters like Joni Pugh, who has admired Trump for the last decade and Massie for much longer.

May 14 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Venus Williams Returns to French Open After Five Years

At 45, Venus Williams is heading back to Roland Garros. The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion will team up with Hailey Baptiste in the doubles draw, entering directly on their combined rankings without needing a wildcard.

May 14 • 4:51 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

NAMRU Dayton spotlight: Driving Warfighter Health

Lt. Cmdr. Travis Landry's day-to-day responsibilities at NAMRU Dayton are incredibly diverse. On the clinical side, he maintains his operational skills by conducting submarine and physicals and supporting recruiters heading back to the fleet. Notably, he also provides essential medical care for a large, displaced population of Navy personnel in the Dayton area who are far from traditional Navy Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs)—ensuring that these sailors maintain their readiness even while stationed away from the fleet. On the research side, he plays a critical role in human subject safety. Before any study begins, he evaluates participants to ensure they qualify, reviewing their medical histories and medications to guarantee that the research will cause no harm and that the data collected will be accurate.

May 13 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • dvidshub.net

2026 NFL strength of schedule for all 32 teams: Bears facing possible collapse, Browns might catch a break

Let's break down the strength of schedule ranking for all 32 NFL teams heading into the 2026 season

May 12 • 9:08 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

‘Angel City’ Starring Chris Kattan, Tonya Pinkins & Dwight Hicks Heading To Cannes Market With Braham Entertainment

EXCLUSIVE: Braham Entertainment will be at the Cannes Market this year with Angel City, the debut feature from Noel Braham. Noel Braham wrote, directed, and produced the film. He also stars in the fil...

May 12 • 3:54 AM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Coyotes selected to the Lincoln Regional

VERMILLION, S.D. (USD) — The South Dakota softball program will be heading to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Lincoln Regional in the 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament. After winning the program’s first-ever Summit League Tournament title, the Coyotes will partake in their first-ever NCAA Tournament in program history – in Division I or Division II – since the program […]

May 11 • 1:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Could Dominic Lovett Become the Lions’ Next Surprise Weapon?

The Detroit Lions already boast one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses, but every great unit eventually needs an unexpected contributor to emerge. Heading into 2026, Dominic Lovett may be quietly positioning himself to become Detroit’s next surprise weapon out of the slot.

May 9 • 6:19 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

From prospect to castaway to favorite: The resurrection of Julian Rodriguez's career

One loss derailed Rodriguez's career, but he's built himself back up heading into Sunday's Zuffa Boxing 06

May 8 • 11:13 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Nintendo Plans Switch 2 Price Increase as Outlook Disappoints

Nintendo Co. said it will increase the price of its Switch 2 console to $500 from $450, acknowledging pressure on profitability of its flagship device heading into its second year on the market.

May 8 • 2:40 AM EDT • Technology • bloomberg.com

Bears make a jump in new ESPN Power Rankings

ESPN put the Chicago Bears in the top ten of its most recent power rankings heading into the 2026 NFL season. @kdthompson5 explores here:

May 5 • 1:30 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com