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The politics of war
Israel went to the polls last Tuesday and it is the turn of the United States next Tuesday. The differences in the two elections are self-evident. Compared with the US, which has favourable geography and does everything at scale, Israel is tiny and part of an unstable region. For its elections, it has adopted an almost pure form of proportional representation based on lists. This encourages multiple parties and can make it almost impossible to form a government, as we can now see. The US system is complex in its own way but discourages third parties. Yet for all the differences in size, geography, and political systems, the fates of the two countries are closely connected. Israel has come to depend on the US to sustain its military strength, and over the past few tumultuous years that dependence has created resentment in the United States. The Biden administration was punished for appearing to give Netanyahu a blank check after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, and not holding Israel back as it employed ruthless tactics in Gaza. Because of the treatment of Palestinians, American views of Israel have grown progressively more negative over the past few years. Only a third now support the Israeli government. While on the left, this is largely because of how Israeli forces have operated in Gaza and, more recently, how the settler movement has behaved in the West Bank, for the American right the issue has been about how Benjamin Netanyahu persuaded Donald Trump to forget his wariness about more Middle Eastern wars and agree to a joint attack on Iran, which has gone badly wrong. The Palestine question was not a big issue for the two large Jewish blocs in last Tuesday’s election. Both supported a tough response to Hamas after October 2023 and neither accepts a two-state solution. It was, however, the threat posed by the ethno-nationalist policies of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the two extreme members of Netanyahu’s coalition, and their tolerance, even encouragement, of settler violence, that brought out the Arab voters. (In principle this should strengthen their position though to turn into real power would require the ‘Change Bloc’ overcoming their opposition to involving Arab parties. The alternatives are a National Unity government, defection from the Change Bloc to Netanyahu, or deadlock and another round of elections in the new year.) There was also broad support for the war against Iran among the Jewish parties. The difficulty here is that the objectives behind the war have yet to be met, and that continuing with military operations depends on the United States. In this way the two elections have come together at a crucial moment. If Netanyahu hoped that a victory over Iran would help him retain his majority, cementing his legacy as an Israeli war leader, it did not work out that way. Trump also expected a great victory about which he could boast. He promised at most the end of a hateful and aggressive regime, with a record of hostility to both the United States and Israel, or at least the elimination of Iran’s military capabilities and the end of its nuclear programme. Eight months on, there is not much to boast about; vital objectives remain elusive: the Iranian regime is even more hardline than before; the international economy is barely coping with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; and Saudi Arabia is struggling with an unwanted conflict with the Yemeni Houthis. For all these reasons, the Iran War has been a dark cloud hanging over both elections. Yet the issue has been approached in different ways. Netanyahu sought to push the issue before the election while Trump has been more cautious. Trump’s essential claim is that there is nothing to worry about and he’s still working out what final steps need to be taken to provide a definitive conclusion to the conflict. Netanyahu’s final pitch was that there was lots to worry about. He focused on Israel’s dire security situation, with the Iran War unfinished and the prospect of imminent economic isolation because of international sanctions. For him it is imperative to defeat Iran decisively, and without delay. Why this different response to the same war? Part of the answer lies in how public opinion in the two countries responded to the war. In this post, I show how this came about. We await the outcome of the US midterms but know the result, at least in terms of the share of the vote if not yet the shape of the new government, of the Israeli election. With the elections out of the way Netanyahu is pressing for another round in the war. Trump is less sure. I conclude with thoughts on the importance of how he decides.
5 business problems that halted the 'never-ending' cruise
The founder behind the "never-ending" cruise told Business Insider that problems piled up this year, starting with the Iran war.
Hegseth fires top Pentagon strategist accused of leaking classified Iran, Ukraine war information
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia allegedly failed three polygraph exams tied to classified leaks about the Iran war and Ukraine before Pete Hegseth fired him.
The Israel debate reshaping Jewish American politics
“There are plenty of people who believe, as I do, that Israel has a right to protect itself,” says David to Lauren, both pictured below, over the dinner table. Subscribe “How does starving children protect Israel?” she replies. “I don’t think Israel is intentionally starving children.” “It’s a little bit absurd to be sitting here talking about all of these very specific things,” Lauren says, “as opposed to looking at the totality of him as a candidate, and the 90% of things that you agree with him on.” This is a snapshot from a conversation between a Jewish father and daughter in Michigan ahead of the crucial Senate race. Lauren supports the Democratic candidate, Abdul El-Sayed. Her father is undecided. That is mainly because of El-Sayed’s stance on Israel, one that mirrors a growing wing of the party that has become critical of the US-Israel relationship following the war in Gaza. You’re reading FourSight, a newsletter from Channel 4 News’ expert journalists explaining the complexities of the biggest global stories Could that alienate Jewish American voters who have a strong connection to Israel - and the majority of whom have voted Democratic? A shifting stance on Israel “An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn’t be fighting is not an ally,” El-Sayed recently told ABC News, referring to the Iran war and how some Americans believe that Israel pushed President Trump into the conflict. Foreign policy has become an economic issue that’s hitting Americans’ pockets, with the soaring cost of petrol and diesel. El-Sayed, pictured below, has opposed military aid for Israel and accused the nation of genocide in Gaza. That led to the pro-Israel lobby group, AIPAC, funding his opponent, Hayley Stevens, to the tune of $30m during the Democratic primary here. “I frequently criticise AIPAC because I think the way that they are pouring dollars into defeating Abdul and others around the country… is really corrosive to American democracy,” Brad Lander says at a canvassing event in Detroit. Lander, a Jewish Democratic congressional candidate in New York, is an ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani and has come to campaign for El-Sayed. “Democrats and Americans don’t want to keep paying for Netanyahu’s wars,” he says. “They want a reset in the US relationship with Israel.” The 2026 election has clearly been a bruising one for AIPAC; the Wall Street Journal reported that, in an unpublished letter, the group described the cycle as one of the “most challenging environments in recent memory”. Share And significantly, after the midterms, the group will stop direct contributions to candidates through one of its political action committees. Voters’ concerns We followed a group of Jewish canvassers around one suburb in Detroit. They think that among the 130,000 Jewish voters in Michigan, between 20 and 30,000 are undecided. In a swing state where El-Sayed beat his primary rival by just 13,000, that could prove pivotal. We meet one voter, Jen Friedman, pictured below, who has a “Democrats for Rogers” sign, referring to the Republican candidate. The issue of Israel is very important to her because “having a safe haven is crucial”, she tells me. “What I see is one candidate, Mike Rogers, who is associating himself with people who are very proudly American,” says Jen. “Abdul, on the other hand, is associating with people who say they are anti-American.” Friedman raises two issues. Firstly, Hasan Piker, a left-wing streamer who has campaigned alongside El-Sayed and has been criticised for his comments on the US and Israel. [ ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/who-is-hasan-piker-the-socialist) [ Why Hasan Piker thinks the US needs a socialist Trump ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/who-is-hasan-piker-the-socialist) Anushka Asthana · Aug 19 [ Read full story ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/who-is-hasan-piker-the-socialist) The other concern regards an attack on a Michigan synagogue back in March. The FBI said the man was inspired by Hezbollah and had lost relatives in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon. El-Sayed condemned the antisemitic attack, but also said “hurt people hurt people”. That upset many here, with El-Sayed apologising numerous times for his choice of language. Jews for Abdul As we follow the canvassers, there are still plenty of lawn signs supporting El-Sayed. Elissa Driker, pictured below, runs out of her house wearing a “Jews for Abdul” t-shirt. “I feel like the values that Abdul has align with how I live my Judaism,” she tells me. She says “Abdul is not Hasan Piker, so I don’t conflate them”. I ask why Piker keeps coming up. “It gets weaponised. I don’t know if you watched the debate the other night, but talk about… weaponising fear and weaponising anxiety and all that Islamophobic dog-whistling that was coming towards Abdul.” I also talk to Elissa about how Americans more broadly appear to be questioning the US-Israel relationship and whether American Jews were ready to do that too. “A lot of American Jews are. My experience is absolutely the tide is turning.” For the first time, Gallup found this year that Americans now sympathise more with the Palestinians than the Israelis. In another poll of Jewish American voters, 65% said they were pro-Israel but also critical of Israeli government policies, 52% support cutting or eliminating aid to Israel. Father and daughter Back at the dinner table, I bring up those polls with David Fink. Why does he think Americans sympathise less with Israelis? [ ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-support-for-israel-in-us-is-declining) [ How support for Israel in US is declining ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-support-for-israel-in-us-is-declining) Kiran Moodley · May 4 [ Read full story ](https://channel4news.substack.com/p/how-support-for-israel-in-us-is-declining) “Because the news media and the extremes of both parties are so willing to tell what I think is a false narrative.” Lauren chimes in: “Do you really think the actions of Israel have nothing to do with the shift in the sympathies?” “I think that’s very relevant,” he replies. “I just don’t think that people really have a full understanding.” Lauren again: “It sounds like you’re saying that the shift is due to how the atrocities are being described, as opposed to what the actual atrocities are.” “There have been some things that shouldn’t have happened,” David says. “I think the polling is being driven by politicians who are taking advantage of this issue.” Lauren then asks, “I’m curious what your response would be if my children were killed in an Israeli airstrike and someone said there have been some things that shouldn’t have happened?” A long pause from her father. “Any reference to my grandchildren has a very deep emotional impact on me. Well done,” he says. “I have an empathy for any civilian in war and I don’t mean to belittle those losses. The loss of any one life is a horrible thing. But it doesn’t make it a war crime and it doesn’t make it genocide.” Lauren and David cannot agree but tell me how proud they are of one another for sticking to their convictions and for agreeing to let me sit in on their conversation. I cannot thank them enough for their time, and hope their honesty informs and educates many people during such a fraught election. Abdul El-Sayed: The candidate testing the US - Israel relationship Thanks for reading our latest FourSight newsletter. Subscribe to receive free weekly newsletters from Channel 4 News. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment
'Never-ending' cruise founder says Iran war caused finances to spiral
A "never-ending" cruise was halted because of soaring fuel prices. Its founder, Mikael Petterson, is considering bankruptcy.
The Center for Politics’ Sabato says 2026 midterms are make-or-break for Democrats
Political analyst points to Trump's approval rating, gas prices and Iran War as factors shaping 2026 races.
As Trump brags about U.S. oil and gas company profits, his stocks gained millions during Iran war
A report from congressional Democrats found the president purchased millions in oil and gas stocks during the war.
Tulane political science professors discuss Iran war, international policy
The Tulane Journal of Policy and Political Economy hosted a panel of Tulane University professors to discuss the 2026 Iran war last Thursday. Christopher Fettweis, an associate professor of political science, began the panel by discussing the Twelve-Day War that occurred in June 2025 between Iran and Israel. “The Iranians were nowhere near nuclear weapons...
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall in debate blames Ukraine war, not Iran war, for high diesel prices
The answer, delivered during a debate with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, aligned Marshall with President Donald Trump's freshly antagonistic posture toward Ukraine, which has spent more than four years defending itself against an invasion.
In this Florida district, politicians battle over who most loves Israel
Singer criticized Moskowitz for not doing enough to back the Iran war at a synagogue debate ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.
An Unexpected Iran War Opponent: The President’s Son
In private conversations, including with his father, Donald Trump Jr. has raised concerns.
How Iran war votes in Congress became a focal point for campaign ad attacks
Democrats and aligned advocacy groups are hitting the airwaves with a flood of campaign ads on the Iran war as they seek to win back in the House and Senate.
The Iran war, inflation and ICE: Talarico and Paxton on the issues
Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico both said affordability is a top priority, but have different ideas for how to lower the cost of living.
Vance struggles to tame GOP struggles in 2026, and may suffer for them in 2028
JD Vance’s 2026 arguments on Iran war, energy prices and immigration are a test of how, as a 2028 presidential contender, he might handle President Donald Trump’s legacy.
GOP Rep. French Hill talks about rising diesel prices and the impacts of the Iran war in Arkansas
Vance faces tough questions on Iran war, immigration and more in CBS town hall
The string of sharp queries, some from voters who said they had supported him and President Donald Trump, previewed the rocky path Vance may face trying to answer for the administration’s record if he runs for president himself in 2028.
Iran Warns of More Devastating Response to Any US-Israeli Aggression
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei warned that Iran’s Armed Forces have prepared a more devastating plan for any new military adventure than their response during the previous 12-day and 40-day US-Israeli wars of aggression.
Global banana business bruised as Iran war pressures producers
The war in Iran has rippled through the global economy in many ways, pushing up prices for oil, fertilizer and other products. It has also created challenges for America's most popular fruit: bananas.
I’ve spent most of the year talking to MAGA supporters. Here are 5 things I’ve learned
CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan has spent 2026 talking to Trump supporters across the country. Many are frustrated about the Iran War, angry over the growth of data centers and unsure about what’s next.
Retail price impacts from the Iran war are uneven but add up for US households before midterms
High fuel prices are making it more expensive to drive, fly and buy some goods more than seven months into the U.S.-Iran war.
Trump wants the midterms to be all about him. Based on Democrats' ads, they are happy to oblige
Many of the Democrats' ads accuse Republican opponents of siding with the president over voters, particularly on issues like tariffs and the Iran war, which they blame for jacking up costs.
Alaska Senate candidates clash over the Iran war, high prices and their times in office
Sen. Dan Sullivan attacked former Rep. Mary Peltola over reporting on high staff turnover and lobbying, while Peltola pointed to Sullivan’s increase in wealth while serving the public.
Ojeda wants to end Iran War, improve economy and affordable healthcare
Richard Ojeda chats about the campaign trail, the war in Iran and much more as the challenger gets ready for the final sprint to election day.
Donald Trump claims ‘Iran war will end very soon’ as midterm rallies heat up
The US president said that the war will end ‘as soon as I want it to end’ as the midterms take place under a cloud of economic uncertainty
Michigan GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers on whether Iran war was a mistake: ‘We’ll find out’
Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed spoke to “NBC Nightly News” about Iran, the economy and the issues driving the tight Michigan Senate race.
Here's what's on House Democrats' agenda if they sweep to power in midterm elections
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats will be united on reinstating Affordable Care Act tax breaks, reversing Republican Medicaid cuts, holding votes against the Iran war and undoing President Donald Trump's tariff regime.
Poindexter calls for an end to the Iran war
Brian Poindexter, who is running on the Democratic ticket for Ohio’s 7th Congressional seat, called for an end to the US involvement in the Iran war during a press conference Tuesday.
Exclusive | As AI and the Iran war loom, China’s energy technocrats are on the fast track
The energy careers of senior Communist Party cadres have given them technical expertise, foresight and management skills.
South Carolina Senate rivals spar over Iran war, AI and Trump in fiery debate
Darline Graham and Annie Andrews are running to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, and the winner will make history as the first female senator elected from South Carolina.
VV: SC Senate debate takeaways
In a contentious South Carolina Senate debate, Republican Darline Graham sought to portray Democrat Annie Andrews as too far left, while Andrews challenged Graham’s qualifications and criticized her votes on the Iran war. CNN’s Dianne Gallagher breaks it down.
4 candidates for Baton Rouge congressional seat offer their views on Iran war, high prices
4 candidates running for a Baton Rouge-based congressional seat debated the issues Friday night in a TV debate. One candidate skipped the event.
NEWSBRIEF: HURRICANE ISAIAS, UKRAINE WAR LATEST, POLITICS OF IRAN WAR
Gulf Coast Preps for Isaias, Ukraine expects Russian winter offensive, and Trump's Iran War in focus as Midterms approach.
El-Sayed, Rogers trade barbs over Iran war, gas prices in Michigan Senate debate
What began as a debate over Michigan families’ rising costs quickly turned into a heated political showdown Thursday night, as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers traded personal attacks in their race for the U.S. Senate.
Who Won August and September: Original Films or Franchises?
(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.) I just heard someone say that if you’re reading a pundit or data analyst, and they don’t tell you that they got anything wrong, they’re not a pundit but an “influencer”. I agree with that. You have to tell your audience when you get things wrong, or they won’t (or shouldn’t) trust you as much. Today, we’ve got another edition of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. In general, I’m patting myself on the back (and patting very hard) about a few things like IP at the box office, LIV golf, horror films, crowdfunding movies, superheroes, and old people going to the theaters. That said, I also made a couple of data mistakes on the streaming bubble popping and HBO’s datecdotes, so I’m not perfect. But first, I need your feedback... Subscribe Follow-Ups: What Should We Call Mid-Budget Movies Which Aren’t Cinematic Enough for Theaters But Are Too Expensive to Make Money on Streaming? After I asked for feedback on what we should call straight-to-streaming films that are too big to pencil out on streaming but not really big enough to resonate in theaters, I got some great suggestions from you all, including... “Moldilocks” from John Aboud “Little Big Indie” from Travis Frick1 “Midflicks” from Jonathan Funke. “Extra-Medium” from Jona Nwuke. (Read the explanation in the footnote.) Between these and Brandon Katz—who suggested “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”—we’ve got some excellent suggestions. And they’re better than my suggestion, the “Streaming Budget Dead Zone”, so let’s take a poll! The winning entry becomes the new term. Loading... RIGHT: LIV Golf is Fully Bankrupt…Is Anyone Else Next? A few years ago, I was always a bit perplexed at all the articles I’d read praising LIV Golf and their strategy to disrupt the PGA. LIV Golf, a brand new professional golf league, offered PGA stars ten times what they made on the PGA Tour to join their new league. And folks praised this strategy for its initial “success” in that a lot of big names did indeed leave the PGA. Yeah, of course the players came over. LIV Golf paid them so, so, so much more! But LIV Golf hadn’t discovered a way to increase potential revenue. So think about this in basic business terms… They paid much more in costs… …but had no real way to increase revenue. That’s not a strategy! That’s deficit financing. It won’t work unless you bankrupt the competition (and then turn around and pay those same golfers much, much less). It’s not a sustainable strategy and only lasts as long as the company/person/nation backing it decides they’re cool with losing money. For LIV Golf, that meant Middle East oil wealth, in particular Saudi Arabian money. Clearly, the current Iran War has hurt Middle East finances, so they need to trim their more exorbitant spending. And LIV Golf was part of that trimming. This should be a major warning for others. TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, just got a $1 billion valuation, despite TGL’s (the indoor golf league) horrible TV viewership of less than half a million viewers per match. Unrivaled, the women’s basketball league, just secured a $650 valuation, despite its horrible TV viewership and a new rival (Project B) entering the scene next year. To relate this to streaming, Hollywood should ask which streamers may have wealthy patrons funding their losses. (Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon and Apple.) Could those patrons lose their appetite? For Amazon, probably not. But Apple has a new boss, so maybe! WRONG: My Analysis of the Streaming Bubble Was Missing a Week I’m going to be congratulating myself a lot today, but I make mistakes too, like this data goof. When I last compiled the data on the decline in TV shows, I was missing one week at the end of June. If you look at the first image, you can see that one week was mislabelled as “July”. Mainly, this image got updated to show a 27% decline, not 29%: This change doesn’t really impact the overall analysis, but it is two percent better. By the way, through the third quarter, the decline increased and it’s now a 30% decrease since 2022. (I’ll write/visualize this in an upcoming article.) But I want you to trust me and my data. Especially these days, when many people are using LLMs that I know are inserting faulty data into their charts, I want to keep earning my audience’s faith. So that’s the accurate data. RIGHT: IP Remains Very, Very Popular In July, I wrote a giant (and I mean giant) article on Backrooms, Obsession, and the box office, going over what we know, what we don’t know about what works in theaters, looking at YouTubers, IP, the horror genre, comic book movies, and a whole lot more. The month of August really tested a lot of my theses and, being honest, mostly supported my arguments. Let’s start with IP. Looking at 8-Aug (the weekend after Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out) to 18-Sep (the weekend that Resident Evil came out, which I think provides a nice bookend to this time period), there were seven films based on pre-existing IP: Resident Evil (2026) ($126 million) Practical Magic 2 ($65 million) _Insidious: Out of the Furthe_r ($65 million) Coyote Vs. Acme ($59 million) Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie ($53 million) Tony ($15 million) Super Troopers 3 ($7 million) Compare those to the notable original films from the past month—I actually could have included more movies, but here are just thirteen, bringing us to an even twenty films—including.... The End of Oak Street ($54 million) Buddy ($26 million) Mutiny ($15 million) By Any Means ($15 million) The Dog Stars ($14 million) Runner ($14 million) One Night Only ($11 million) Hope ($8 million) Spa Weekend ($7 million) The Uprising ($6 million) Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma ($6 million) Onslaught ($3 million) Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man ($2.8 million) Here’s that in chart form: Five of the top six films in this time period were all based on IP. I made a big chart of films that grossed over $200 million at the box office before Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey hit theaters. Let’s update that chart! By the way, if you want to see how I categorized each film—so another bar chart—here it is: I know that many of my fellow critics/pundits/analysts dislike films based on IP and how Hollywood is making so many of them. And I’m sympathetic to this point of view. As I’ve written many, many times before, you need a balance between existing franchises, new IP, and original films. And Hollywood clearly needs to make more films like Resident Evil (a well-made film from a visionary director) and fewer Practical Magic 2’s (which didn’t get critical or customer buzz). But at some point, critics and pundits need to contend with what audiences are telling them: Movie-goers aren’t showing up to original films. Audiences are speaking with their dollars, telling you they want more IP and franchises. You can try to convince studio heads to make fewer IP-based films and franchises, but the data and numbers aren’t there. Instead, critics need to work harder to convince audiences to show up for original films. Aim your ire/concern at the average person, not studio heads.2 Because they’re just making the films that audiences are telling them to make. WRONG: Original Horror Films Didn’t Break Out I’ll be honest, even though I wrote an article casting some skepticism on the horror genre in July, if you asked me to make a prediction, I would have predicted that, in August, a new, original horror film would have blown up. No, seriously, I just assumed that Obsession and Backrooms presaged a change in audience behavior. But none of the buzzy new original horror films from August—Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Onslaught (not an action film in spite of the ads), The End of Oak Street, Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, or _Buddy—_broke out. To be clear, exactly one of those films (Buddy) had good “ROI”, but again—I try to be specific in my language—none were “popular” in any broad sense of the word. None of them will be “saving” movies theaters like Backrooms or _Obsession_helped save the summer. The new Insidious film and Resident Evil, both based on IP, were far and away the biggest horror films since July. (We’ll see if this changes in October/Halloween season.) RIGHT: Stay Skeptical about Crowdfunding... I’ve long been skeptical about crowd-investing platforms as one of Hollywood’s saviors, mainly because there’s so much hype/buzz. People need to stay more skeptical about more things, explaining both the potential upside but also the downsides. In particular, the media often hypes crowdfunding at the start and never checks in on the actual results after they’ve come in later. And August gave us our first update! _Ice Cream Man—_directed by Eli Roth—grossed $6 million off of a $5.5 million budget. This is a production of The Horror Section, which was one of the first “crowd investing” studios with 2,400 investors, which means that 2,400 investors probably lost money. They certainly aren’t getting as great of returns as if they had just invested their dollars in the stock market. Hopefully Stiletto (Tagline: “Someone’s Going to Make it Rain Blood!”) does better next month. WRONG: Another Data Goof Here’s another data error. When the first episode of House of the Dragon came out, HBO put out that it had 21.5 million viewers in the first three days, and I read that to mean in the US…but no, it was global. So my US-only datecdotes charts shouldn’t have included it. We never got US-only numbers for the first episode, but for the final episode, HBO put out that it had 11 million US viewers. (And that global dropped to 21 million viewers.) Here’s the updated chart (which I’ve since used in the Streaming Ratings Report): Still, this show is absolutely huge. RIGHT: Superhero Films Remain Very, Very Popular After Supergirl flopped, I read a few takes that “comic book movies are going the way of the Western”. Post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that take didn’t age well. To be fair, I have a very nuanced take on the superhero genre right now; it’s down right now, for a lot of reasons. But it’s not “dead”. Maybe _Spider-_Man is just a really popular character? I saw that take, and it’s a fair counter-argument. (But pundits arguing that superhero movies were dead should have mentioned this $1.5 billion counter-argument…) But is it just Spider-Man? The next Avengers film already has $50 million in pre-sales (and I was skeptical that that film would do well) and the Avengers: End Game re-release topped the box office two weekends ago (over three original films). And I wouldn’t bet against Batman or Superman. So maybe it’s just Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Oh, and Deadpool, of course. And Black Panther. And Wolverine. And probably the X-Men. Plus a well-made Wonder Woman or the Hulk film could break out. But that’s it! It’s just those ten characters/teams. Oh, what’s that? Lanterns is also doing well on HBO? (See previous section…) To be fair, I’m actually pretty sympathetic to the argument that more popular characters—like Spider-Man and Batman—anchor more popular films. In fact, I made that exact argument three years ago when I first wrote about the “Marvel-cession”. In many ways, you can blame The Guardians of the Galaxy for fooling Marvel Studios (and the rest of us) into believing that any character could pop. It turns out, the list of iconic characters is probably smaller than most people think. But it’s probably too early to say that superhero films and comic book movies are dead unless “death” means a slight decline over a longtime. RIGHT: Who Killed Theaters? Old People I get frustrated whenever I see headlines or analysis about how young people are “returning” to theaters. As I’ve detailed(for years), young people have always powered the US box office, despite narratives about “kids these days” and their “phones”. Really, what’s changed post-2020/pandemic is that old people aren’t going to the movies nearly as much. This summer, I saw a movie (from an older director) in a theater near a retirement community, and multiple older people at the theater were talking about how this was their first time seeing a movie in years. I dislike personal anecdotes, so YouGov can fill in the data, best summarized by this headline: “Who killed movie theaters? Not the youths”. According to them, 64% of people aged 18-29 have seen a movie in the last year, but only 30% of 65-and-older. 20% of 18-29 have seen a movie in theaters in the last week and 42% in the last month. Here’s the polling data: Most concerning? Many Americans (17%) think theaters are a worse or much worse experience than watching films at home. Slight WRONG: Hadestown Opens Big A live theater capture of the Broadway musical, Hadestown, made $20 million at the US box office, which begs the question: was I wrong to be skeptical about musicals a few years ago? Yes and no. On the one hand, $20 million is a far cry from being “popular”, so yeah, the genre isn’t that popular overall and Hadestown is one of the more popular musicals from recent years (i.e. the “Taylor Swift Data Fallacy” in action). On the other, I doubt filming this cost all that much, and I don’t think that they spent much on marketing, so this is a good source of ancillary revenue. Smaller Updates WRONG: As I mentioned in a Streaming Ratings Report, I underestimated the budget for Enola Holmes 3. It probably cost more like $50 million, if not more. But... I’m not sure that it really matters? At sub-10 million hours, prices have to come down to make this work. WRONG: Netflix is giving Ink a 27-day in theaters! To quote the kids/YouTubers these days, let’s go! Now I might actually have a chance to see Danny Boyle’s latest in theaters. I’d complained about this in a “Coming Soon” section, but I was heartened to read that Netflix is giving multiple films longer theatrical windows this year. RIGHT: Netflix is sending 4-5 films per year to theaters. Netflix is slowly but surely sending more and more films to theaters, as I cautiously predicted earlier this year. For now, it’s just three big films and a number of awards contenders, but still, this is great news. And they’ll be releasing box office grosses! Just this week, Ted Sarandos confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters (and my guess is it performs in the box office top ten at a minimum). WRONG: Angel has 3 million subscribers! How do I know this? Well, they told Deadline, who reported it. I marked this as “wrong”, since they’ve doubled their subscribers in one year but, you know, they don’t really have a hit film to speak of and they’re still losing money. WRONG: Furious was only renewed for one more season. I accidentally wrote “two more seasons” in my latest “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals Update”. RIGHT: House of David is ending with its third season. In July, Prime Video renewed House of David for a third season, as I just wrote in my latest “Renewals and Cancellations” report. Well, now it’s ending after that third season. Why? As I’ve been writing, its viewership wasn’t great. I got feedback that this show didn’t cost very much, but it cost enough that its limited viewership didn’t save it. WRONG: Adults was a Hulu original! So I missed Adults when it first came out last year; I saw that it aired on FX and just assumed that it was a linear-first program. Turns out, it aired three episodes on FX, but binge-released the rest of its episodes the next day on Hulu. Huh. So I should have covered it last year! But I just wrote about it. 1 “When I was a kid in the 90s, if you wore a t-shirt to school that wasn’t too big and also wasn’t too small, but somehow didn’t quite fit, we’d say you were wearing an “extra-medium” shirt.” 2 As always, a huge exception is Disney, which barely makes anything original anymore.
Iran War costs Arkansas farmers at least $343 million
The war with Iran continues to rage and it continues to plunge profit margins for farmers in Arkansas. About one-fifth of the world’s oil supply is moved through the Strait...
Hear Iowa 1st Congressional District candidates on tariffs, Iran war
The marquee U.S. House race in Iowa's 1st District heads for a third rematch, with an independent candidate adding a fresh twist. Meet the candidates.
Democrat Hickenlooper takes aim at Iran war in 1st general election ad
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper ties soaring fertilizer and fuel costs to what the Colorado Democrat calls President Donald Trump’s “illegal war” with Iran in the first general election TV ad, released on Tuesday by his campaign. In the 30-second spot, made available first to Colorado Politics, Hickenlooper links costs stemming from of the 31-week-old conflict […]
Saudi Arabia to cancel Joy Awards, its answer to the Grammys, amid budget cuts, sources say
By Timour Azhari Oct 4 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is set to cancel next year's Joy Awards, its star-studded answer to the Oscars or the Grammys, as financial strain and the Iran war hit the country's nascent entertainment sector, two people with knowledg...
Trump rally attendees react to war and the economy ahead of the midterms
CNN’s Alayna Treene speaks with Trump supporters about their views on issues like the Iran war, gas prices and the economy, as the US president campaigns in Vandalia, Ohio in a bid to help Republicans retain control of Congress in next month’s midterm elections.
Hormuz as a Multiplayer Game: From Chokepoint Control to the Politics of Access
Transit fees, Hormuz Safe insurance, and a new strait authority: how the Iran war turned Hormuz from a chokepoint into a contest over access.
UK business morale hits 17-month low, Lloyds says
British firms turned the least confident since April 2025 in September, according to a Lloyds survey on Wednesday that also showed executives' view of the global economic outlook darkened as the Iran war pushes up costs.
As soaring energy prices crush businesses, France rolls out a new $500 million aid package, including help with commuting and heating costs
Fuel prices that have spiked since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28 are dealing a hard blow to small businesses across Europe.
‘You’re going to see more of it’: Republican candidates increasingly distance themselves from Trump
On issues like the Iran war and the economy, a number of GOP candidates in competitive races are trying to show some separation from the president.
How every senator voted on the Iran war powers resolution
The Senate failed to block President Donald Trump from ordering further strikes on Iran in a 49-50 vote.
Iran war powers measure falls short in Senate, despite new GOP support
Senate rejects resolution calling to end the Iran war, as most Republicans stick with Trump
The same resolution passed the House in July as voters say they disapprove of the war and some Republican candidates have distanced themselves from President Donald Trump.
Peter Schiff predicts economic 'downturn,' higher oil prices: 'I don't think it's over'
Peter Schiff indicated during an interview that he expects oil prices to head higher regardless of whether the Iran war ends, and thinks that there will be an economic "downturn."
GOP cracks widen over Iran war as vulnerable candidates break with Trump, demand its end
Vulnerable Republicans Ashley Hinson, Mike Rogers and Jon Husted break with Trump on the Iran war as gas prices reshape toss-up Senate races.
Trump-backed Senate candidate says 'Groceries cost too much,' calls for Iran war to 'end quickly'
Trump-backed Michigan Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers declared in a video that "Groceries cost too much" and the Iran war "needs to end, and end quickly."
Trump in address to world leaders at UN defends his decision to start Iran war
Trump accused Iran of stalling to make a deal to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an endgame to the war until after the midterms
Iowa GOP Senate candidate Ashley Hinson calls for Iran war to end despite voting to let Trump continue it
Hinson, a congresswoman who is running for Senate, said the Iran war “needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end” and called for other policies to lower costs.
Amb. Waltz on if Iran war could extend until 2029: ‘I wouldn’t necessarily put a timeline on it’
Iran Warns of Painful Response to Any US Aggression
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran warned the US and regional countries that any hostile action against Iran will trigger sustained, effective and painful attacks against their positions and interests in the region.
Rising gas prices frustrate voters. Trump says it’s an ‘inexpensive price to pay’ for the Iran war
Voters across the nation say skyrocketing gas prices are causing financial hardships for their families.
Rising gas prices frustrate voters. Trump says it's an 'inexpensive price to pay' for the Iran war
Voters across the nation say skyrocketing gas prices are causing financial hardships for their families.
Rising gas prices frustrate voters. Trump says it's an 'inexpensive price to pay' for the Iran war
Voters across the nation say skyrocketing gas prices are causing financial hardships for their families.
U.S.-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
NEW YORK — A trade war between the United States and Canada is making it more difficult and expensive for small businesses in the economically entwined ...
Week in Politics: Trump bans news outlets; Iran War; mail-in voting; interest rates
The Trump administration was frustrated both home and abroad this week.
Iran war’s cost grows to $43.6 billion in new U.S. military estimate
The figure is from U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East
Iran war’s cost grows to $43.6 billion in new US military estimate
The U.S. military’s price tag for the Iran war has grown to $43.6 billion as of Sept. 3
Iran war has cost $45.1 billion, Pentagon tells Congress
The US war with Iran has cost $45.1 billion, the Pentagon informed Congress on Friday, according to one source familiar with the matter.
Political Brew | Voters to consider seniority and Iran War impacts in Maine's biggest races
Early voting begins in midterms as campaign shifts focus to cost of living and Iran war
Campaigning or control of Congress is expected to ramp up as some states open early voting
Why Democrats are starting to feel bullish about a midterm wave
Democrats say the Iran war, high prices and President Donald Trump's sinking popularity give them a real chance of congressional majorities.
The Iran war is driving clean energy development. It’s not enough to help the planet, yet
Countries are embracing clean power and taking steps to use less energy because of the war against Iran, but it is not yet enough to help address climate change. When the U.S. and Israel launched the war in February, some backers of renewables opined it could drive a green transition as oil and gas prices […]
Trump’s latest branding battle: From the Politics Desk
Plus, new GOP cracks emerge over the Iran war as midterms loom.
World News in Brief: Shipping alert from IMO, democracy vanishing in Nicaragua, alert over political ‘denialism’
Amid a rising number of attacks on shipping in key waterways in the Middle East linked to the US-Iran war, the head of UN maritime agency, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, has insisted that the conflict is not a “pretext” to target “innocent seafarers”.
Iowa Republicans in battleground House races join vote to halt the Iran war
Two House Republicans in battleground Iowa districts changed their position on an Iran war powers resolution, joining with Democrats and a few other dissident members of their party in an attempt to halt President Donald Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval.
UK inflation rises to 5-month high, further pressuring Bank of England to raise rates this year
LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the United Kingdom rose to a five-month high as the aftershocks of the Iran war continued to ratchet up fuel prices, official figures showed Wednesday, an increase that will pressure the Bank of England to hike interest rates again over coming months. The Office for National Statistics said rising prices […]
Iran war powers resolution passes House with seven Republican defections
House Democrats successfully passed a resolution directing President Donald Trump to end the Iran war for a third time, with three new Republicans breaking with the president from the usual four. The resolution passed 220-204 with seven Republicans supporting the measure, three more than who backed the legislation in two previous votes. Reps. Thomas Massie, […]
Speaker Johnson sending House home early, staving off Hegseth impeachment vote over Iran war
Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced he is sending members home from Washington early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections, a move that will stave off a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods.
US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
Canada imposed reciprocal tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods.
U.S.-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during Iran war
The conflict between the economically entwined neighbors affects only about 5% of total exports and imports, but it is having a big impact on small businesses that depend on cross-border sales.
House votes for a third time to end Iran war in symbolic move as conflict drags on
The action is likely the last House vote on issue ahead of the midterm elections
US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
NEW YORK (AP) — A trade war between the United States and Canada is making it more difficult and expensive for small businesses in the economically entwined cou
7 Republicans rebel against Trump, vote with Dems to rein in Iran war powers
House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a war powers resolution reining in Trump's military engagement in Iran beyond the 60-day threshold.
US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
NEW YORK (AP) — A trade war between the United States and Canada is making it more difficult and expensive for small businesses in the economically entwined countries to operate, according to business owners caught in the crossfire.
US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
Small business owners in the United States and Canada say a trade war between their countries is hurting sales while they are also dealing with rising expenses from higher fuel costs.
House votes to limit Trump’s Iran war powers for the third time
The House on Tuesday voted to approve a measure that would require President Donald Trump to end his war with Iran, offering a potent political rebuke of the administration’s handling of the war just weeks before the midterms.
US-Canada trade war further taxes small businesses as costs rise during the Iran war
Small business owners in the United States and Canada say a trade war between their countries is hurting sales while they are also dealing with rising expenses from higher fuel costs.
GOP shifts message on costs as Iran war drags on: From the Politics Desk
Plus, the Supreme Court rejects Trump and Republicans’ election plans.
Kash Patel again denies firing Iran experts before Iran war
Patel insisted to a Senate committee that FBI staff fired from an Iran counterintelligence unit were technically "not experts."
Iran war cost $38 billion through July, report says
The U.S. is expected to spend $2 billion to $3 billion per month as the war continues, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Jon Ossoff mentions Natalie Harp while condemning Trump's administration
During his 16 August campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff mentioned White House aide Natalie Harp when condemning the Trump administration's handling of the Iran war and USS Lincoln sailors
Iran war driving up inflation for Americans, CBO report says
The Congressional Budget office estimates that inflation will continue to rise into the first quarter of next year.
Iran war expected to cause a spike in US inflation, according to budget watchdog
The US war with Iran is expected to increase inflation for the first quarter of 2027, raising costs at a time Americans are growing more concerned about the economy, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office released Tuesday,
Republican launches impeachment effort against Pete Hegseth over Iran war
The Kentucky Republican, a noted political foe of President Trump, accused Hegseth of abusing the powers of the Pentagon amid the Iran war.
Report: Iran war caused destruction to US bases, aircraft
The watchdog also found the war caused “strategic inventory shortfalls” of critical munitions and revealed resupply bottlenecks.
Republican launches impeachment effort against Pete Hegseth over Iran war
WASHINGTON – An anti-war Republican congressman introduced articles of impeachment on Sept. 15 against Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth over the Iran war, potentially causing a political headache for GOP
Missile shortages, damage to US facilities: Pentagon watchdog issues first review of Iran war
The Pentagon’s official watchdog released a special report about the Iran war on Monday, representing the Defense Department’s first formal accounting of US equipment and facility losses from the conflict.
Oil Price Spike Strengthens Business Case for Replacing Polluting Diesel Trucks With Cleaner Alternatives, Especially RNG, Updated Energy Vision Report Finds
The NGO Energy Vision today issued an update of its 2025 report "A Path to a Healthier America: Ditching Old Diesel Trucks" which explores replacing aging, polluting heavy-duty diesel trucks with clean alternatives. The updated version takes into account the 60% rise in diesel prices (currently $6.23/gallon nationwide, $8.15 in California) since the Iran War.
Surging inflation puts interest rates back in focus as policymakers meet in Japan, US and UK
Iran war and turbulent global bond markets add to pressure as rate decisions loom this week in major western economies