SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " shake " 655 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Netflix’s Leadership Shake Up…Explained
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Well, I had a simple article planned for this week. Called “Whoa, I Missed It!”, I’d take a gander at a few important-but-under-the-radar stories I didn’t cover while I wrote about all things “Skydance. (Formerly known as “the saga of Netflix trying to buy Warner Bros., but not Discovery, then Paramount-Skydance bought all of Warner Bros. Discovery”.) Alas, that article will have to wait. Netflix made news. Ironically, my “Whoa, I Missed It!” article would have mostly been about “content” strategy decisions, which is also what today’s article is about. But instead of the entire industry, this article will only cover Netflix’s decision to upend their film and TV content teams. Just that! So that’s the full topic of the day. I’m going to tackle the issue in the opposite direction of the way “stuff” flows: uphill. We’ll start at film, then move onto TV, and then onto the CEOs themselves, and the strategy questions that still remain. But we start with the numbers driving this. Let’s dive in. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Netflix Upends Their Corporate Hierarchy I’ve got a lot of thoughts, but we’ll start with the most common response to yesterday’s article. Let’s Talk Stock Price More than one person, responding to what I published two days ago, pointed out that, well, actually, the thing driving Netflix’s actions is this: In short, stock price! Even if Netflix isn’t obsessed with their own share price—they probably are, but, for the record, my strategic advice to every CEO is to absolutely ignore stock prices, which will, ironically, probably help the stock price long-term—most everyone thinks they are. By the way, I prefer market capitalization to stock prices, because it’s a more apples-to-apples way to compare companies: But there’s an even better way to look at it, and it kinda casts some doubt on the entire push here: price-to-earnings. I have a long list of articles that I wish I had written, and chief among them is an article titled, “Am I Still a Netflix ‘Bear’?” meaning someone who thinks Netflix’s stock is overvalued. As of last summer, Netflix had solved their biggest problem—which for me (circa 2019) was the lack of free cash flow—but their stock was CRAZY overvalued. That’s this chart here: Why did Netflix’s stock price increase to a price-to-earnings ratio of 50 last summer? What financial metric changed so quickly? Nothing. Given that, historically, mature entertainment companies average 10 to 20, with 16 being the average, that increase made little sense. Netflix’s stock swoon these last eight or so months wasn’t irrational; the stock price rise last year was. So if you want a really hot Netflix take, here it is: Netflix’s stock price has been going down because the financial industry recovered its senses, not because of any strategic mistake. Yes, that would imply that cleaning house may have been a mistake. That’s why the charts yesterday are so important, because they show that Netflix did have a strategic problem (a lack of hits) and that’s what they moved to address. (One could also argue the industry drastically overrated Netflix’s growth prospects, but that’s a financial industry problem, not a Netflix strategy problem per se. Some growth estimates are just crazy. *cough* AI *cough*) Now, the last time Netflix’s stock price crashed—circa 2022—it gave them an opening. I’d argue Netflix insiders knew they needed to expand post-COVID-19 crisis, adding advertising, cracking down on password sharing, and dabbling in sports. But if they had done that when their stock price was high, it would give folks a reason to second guess their strategy. (Arguably, last year, when Netflix pursued the Warner Bros. merger, it gave the industry a chance to review their business.) Instead, after the 2022 fall, they had the opening to make strategic changes. We may see Netflix pivot again following this latest slide. For example, the “binge versus weekly” conversation is alive and well again. Same for expanding into theaters even more. And adding both linear channels and streaming bundles. And maybe more either social, user-generated, vertical, or creator content. But the first shift came with who is making the content calls. A Message from Our Sponsor Last winter Pulp Fiction was on Netflix. For those same 90 days, it was also free, with ads, on Pluto TV and the Roku Channel. That is not a glitch, and it is not rare. The title has run on 20 different US streaming services since 2019, across 80 separate windows, and for more than 600 of those days it sat on a paid subscription service and a free ad-supported one at the same time. Almost nobody can see this, because when a title leaves a service, the record that it was ever there tends to leave with it. Reelgood keeps that record, dated to the day rather than the month: 4MM+ movie, show and episode titles across 300+ services globally, with timestamped arrivals, departures and moves across SVOD, AVOD, TVOD and vMVPD. Licensing teams price against every prior window. Rights teams check what a licensee actually delivered, and when. Pick a title you think you know: data.reelgood.com/title-availability Film - Dan Lin Want to know why I don’t opine on individual film or TV executives, especially new hires? Dan Lin. As I always caution, it’s really, really, really tough to predict which executives will succeed in new roles and which won’t. The successful head of co-production/finance partner, Rideback, Lin was considered for the head of DC Studios job before taking the job as the head of Netflix. By all accounts at the time, this was a smart hire. (That’s my read of the news coverage anyways.) But now that Netflix has fired Dan Lin, we got a slew of news stories about how he was doing a terrible job. In sports media, Bryan Curtis, new Substack writer/podcaster from The Ringer, calls this the “now you tell us” story, when you only hear the bad news after a star athlete leaves a sports team. In this case, now they tell us that Dan Lin was bad with talent after he got kicked out the door. So was Dan Lin a flop? It’s actually tough to say. While film moves faster than TV, even two years isn’t really enough time to evaluate a person’s output. The new head hasn’t really taken control. As Emily Horgan noted, it takes much longer than two years to produce animated films, so yeah, it’s definitely too early to judge in that domain. As for live-action films, I just published an article by Brandon Katz called “Netflix’s Summer of Bummer”, but I’d point out Netflix had a bad summer two years ago too. Arguably, their best summer came from KPop Demon Hunters last year and Happy Gilmore 2, the latter of which I saw credited to Lin. Then, the stories came out that Dan Lin clashed with talent, both Ben Affleck and Greta Gerwig, classic “now they tell us” factoids to explain his firing. This may have been true, but also should have been expected given that he was given the mandate to bring budgets back in check, especially after Rebel Moon. So if he made folks upset, well, that’s what he was hired to do! But also, he was described as “well-liked” at his hiring! In that case, I’m a bit sympathetic to Lin, since he may have been undercut by senior leadership, as often happens. Basically, a CEO hires a subordinate to be their “bad cop” and keep budgets in check, but then when talent complains, the CEO ends up undercutting them. That’s how I think you end up with a Narnia movie as expensive as any of the other flops, along with a film executive the town no longer likes. As a result, I think that Netflix is now executing a classic “hire the opposite” move by hiring Peter Rice. This phrase comes from my experience following football and basketball coaching decisions, where teams generally hire the opposite of who they just had. If you have an offense-minded head coach, hire the defensive guy. Or in college football, if you have a strong recruiter, then you pivot to an “X’s and Os” type of guy. Or in pro basketball, if you have a very analytically minded coach, you hire the player-friendly guy. I see that here. After dropping Scott Stuber—arguably a talent-friendly executive with lax budget control—Netflix hired the business guy to keep costs in check. Now Netflix is pivoting back to Peter Rice and presumably a more talent-friendly regime. (Disney, by the way, has done this twice: hiring business guys to succeed talent-friendly Bob Iger. It didn’t work out last time.) When it comes to Peter Rice…we’ll see! Maybe he works out, but maybe he doesn’t. I’d actually say the biggest problem is that Netflix still hasn’t solved its “IP Problem”, in that they don’t own much IP, so they just have a lower hit rate. The new executive won’t solve that. (Though buying Lionsgate would help.) Share “Content” - Bela Bajaria I almost published yesterday’s article after this column, but ended up flipping the order, because it told the story so well. So if you want the data for why Netflix is looking at TV to fix their problems, it’s in that article, this graph in particular: I know I just wrote that it’s often hard to judge executives, but Bajaria ran TV for six years and film for three and a half more. That’s more than enough to judge hit rates, and Netflix needs more hits. That’s the story. Since 2023, Netflix hasn’t had as many hit shows as it used to, and many of its previous power house TV shows have ended their runs (Stranger Things most of all). Also, many shows from 2020 to 2022 probably pre-dated Bajaria’s tenure. (That said, one thing may have been outside of Bajaria’s control, which I explain below.) Let’s lump some content strategy thoughts about Netflix and TV into one place: We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why I partially blame Squid Game for Netflix’s latest troubles… What is “the football trap”... Why it might not be the TV shows or films’ fault at all… What change I don’t think Netflix will make... How Bela Bajaria evolved Netflix’s TV strategy in smart ways… Whose departure likely submarined Bajaria’s final few years… One sneaky explanation for Netflix’s content struggles... And a whole lot more... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
France Politics
France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, center, shakes hands with a police officer as he arrives at a police station during a visit to Limoges in the context of security and
Bayern Munich insiders raised red flags over 'workaholic' Vincent Kompany's health weeks before training ground collapse
New reports have emerged suggesting that senior figures at Bayern Munich were increasingly concerned about Vincent Kompany’s health and lack of work-life balance weeks before his recent collapse. The former Manchester City captain was rushed to hospital after falling ill while observing a reserve team training session, leaving those present at the Sabener Strasse facility deeply shaken.
Demichelis Plans Leipzig Shakeup After Bayern And Madrid Defeats
Fresh from conceding ten goals in a brutal week, Martín Demichelis will rotate his squad to combat fatigue and neutralize Elversberg’s high-intensity threat on Saturday.
Shaker Heights lists two century-old train stations for sale after a decade of vacancy
The historic Coventry Station and the Lynnfield Station hit the market on Oct. 9 without an asking price.
‘Gentlemen’ season 3 casting shocker: Major star exits, 2 ‘Lord of the Rings’ stars join for reunion
‘The Gentlemen’ season 3 announcement reveals cast shakeup as Daniel Ings exits show, while Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood will hold a a ‘Lord of the Rings’ reunion as stars join, without Meghan Markle.
Whole Hog Politics: 5 House races that will tell the story of 2026
[Watch Whole Hog Politics Live: Hill Insider members can join us live today at 9 a.m. ET as Chris Stirewalt and host Bill Sammon go deep on this week’s political news. Members can join the discussi…
Why Minnesota seniors face the nation’s biggest health insurance shake-up
An era of low costs and more generous benefits may be ending for hundreds of thousands enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans in Minnesota.
Netflix’s latest cliff-hanger? Where it’s headed as a business.
The streaming giant has shaken up its staffing and is looking to compete in an evolving entertainment landscape.
Netflix’s latest cliff-hanger? Where it’s headed as a business.
The streaming giant has shaken up its staffing and is looking to compete in an evolving entertainment landscape.
Five Steps for BYU to Avoid Letdown vs. UCF
Exhale. What a weekend in Provo. From College Gameday to storming the field as the final pass fell incomplete to beat No. 2 Notre Dame, that was perhaps the single most perfect day in the history of BYU sports. The task at hand? Shake off the cobwebs. Get the celebratory Swig out of your system […]
National City political shakeup might not end with mayor's race
National City’s structural budget deficit has triggered much finger-pointing among councilmembers — and is at the center of the mayoral race.
Klobuchar, Demuth tangle over what they’ve done in politics, what they would do as governor
A probable final debate in Minnesota’s race for governor had Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Lisa Demuth scrutinizing the records and plans of the other.
Xbox's Official Shakeup Continues Through 2027 with New Rounds of Layoffs
Xbox is continuing its major "reset"
Xbox Game Pass Heading For A Massive Shakeup, Report Says
Game Pass could change in a big way.
Kildunne drops to bench as Red Roses ring changes
Star full-back Ellie Kildunne is dropped to the bench as England shake up selection in response to a first defeat in four years.
Michigan benching Bryce Underwood for Tommy Carr in $12 million QB shakeup
Michigan is handing the keys over to Carr.
Movers & Shakers
Here’s a look at this week’s Movers & Shakers.
The Inevitable And Unavoidable Dylan Garand Watch
No matter how you shake it – or bake it, for that matter; your call not mine – Dylan Garand must remain in our critical crosshairs.
Councilmember Mark Squilla is up for the PPA’s top job. Progressives are hoping to win his seat.
The potential of Squilla taking the job would shake up the race for his 1st District seat, and could give progressives an easier path to grow their ranks on Council.
An Intro to New Orioles GM Jared Banner
The Baltimore Orioles made a front-office shakeup on Monday, bringing in assistant general manager of the Chicago Cubs, Jared Banner, to become the new general manager alongside President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias. Banner, who served as the Cubs' assistant GM from 2024 to 2026, joined after Elias expressed a desire to add "fresh voices" …
Commentary: Who will carry Wisconsin businesses forward?
At the recent BizTimes Manufacturing Summit, Kyle Crum, president and owner of Infinity EDM in Jackson, discussed the competitiveness of Wisconsin’s
The Rock's protein-heavy post-workout smoothie may not be right for everyone
A post-workout protein shake that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson swears by packs 70 grams of protein powder, creatine and a surprising rice ingredient into one smoothie.
Tom Murphy explains his Associated Press Top 25 ballot
There was a major shakeup in the Top 10 after a upsets galore, especially in the SEC.
Costco shakes things up by offering new diaper brand for certain shoppers
Costco has expanded its online diaper selection with Kudos, a premium brand featuring cotton liners and leak protection, but shoppers won't find it in warehouses.
What the final stretch of the midterms says about the 2028 presidential field
A shake-up of the Democratic primary calendar adds to the intrigue as potential hopefuls join a sprint to help their parties in the midterms.
Parkview Health acquiring shared services vendor Ovation Healthcare
Parkview Health is acquiring Ovation Healthcare, a nationwide shared services vendor for providers, the Indiana rural care system announced Friday. | Parkview Health is taking its shared-services strategy nationwide with a deal to acquire Ovation Healthcare, which works with nearly 500 healthcare organizations across the country.
Bumble’s buyout, Netflix’s shake-up, Reese Witherspoon’s do-over, and a wild week in business
Bumble is going private, Reese Witherspoon is buying back Hello Sunshine, and a Netflix shake-up. Here's what happened while we were at the MPW Summit.
Truist CEO shakes up bank's consumer, small business leadership
New Truist Financial CEO Mike Lyons revamped the Charlotte-based bank’s consumer and small business leadership and jettisoned one of the key digital initiatives of his predecessor CEO.
New restaurant to take over Luchita’s, Coyoacan spaces at Shaker Square
Francisco Lujano, who was a co-owner of Luchita’s Mexican Restaurant, owns Gordozz Tacos and Bar in Shaker Square.
Defender of Kenya's democracy or political compromiser? Kenyans divided over Raila Odinga's legacy
One year after Raila Odinga's death, Kenyans are reflecting on his contribution to democratic reforms and national reconciliation. However, the so-called 'handshakes', with his political rivals remain debatable.
Chargers rumors: LA could weigh offensive coordinator shakeup
If the Chargers make a change at offensive coordinator, an NFL insider believes a former head coach could take over in that role.
Why Gartner AI Outlook Sent CoreWeave Stock, Neoclouds Reeling
CoreWeave stock plunged as shares in other AI-focused "neoclouds" also sold off after research firm Gartner predicted an industry shake-out.
Movers & Shakers: Odyssey Behavioral Health, Centerstone Name Chief Revenue Officers
Merakey names new CSO, CGO In August, national behavioral health and human support services provider Merakey named two new leaders to its
Should the Detroit Lions Trade for Khalil Mack?
Khalil Mack could shake loose in Los Angeles, and Detroit has the cap room for him. #Lions
Inside the new group hoping to shake up Fresno's development politics
Central Valley YIMBY is hoping to bring a pro-housing approach to Fresno, Madera, Tulare, and Kings Counties.
Sporting Judge to determine Malen’s suspension
Donyell Malen is preparing as best he can for tomorrow’s match at the Stadio Olimpico (9:00 PM) against José Mourinho’s Real Madrid. The Dutch striker is looking to shake off the disappointment o...
‘Play On!’ hits all the right notes
The English Renaissance meets the Harlem Renaissance in “Play On!,” a sparkling show that marries a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's “Twelfth Night” with the music of Duke Ellington. Conceived by Sheldon Epps, who also directed the original 1996-97 production (first in San Diego, then on Broadway), the show is getting a marvelous revival under his direction to open Chicago Shakespeare Theater's 40th anniversary season.While the title “Play On!” refers to the famous quote about music being the food of love and thus to the dozens of Ellington songs—among them “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” “I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good),” “Solitude” and “I’m Beginning to See the Light”—incorporated into the plot, one of the highlights for me is the clever way Cheryl L. West's book reworks the story. Apparently, it's also been updated for this outing, among other things to give the women more agency. In the big opening number (there's a six-piece, horn-heavy onstage band), aspiring songwriter Vy (Hailee Kaleem Wright) is the one to “Take the 'A' Train” to “Drop Me Off in Harlem.” She wants to meet the famous Duke (Edred Utomi) — Ellington, not Orsino, that is — and she seeks the help of Jester (an engaging James Harkness) to find out how. When Jester tells her in no uncertain terms that the music industry is a man's world, she disguises herself as Vy-Man and persuades the Duke to listen to one of her songs. He's suffering from a creative block because he's pining for Lady Liv (Krystal Joy Brown), queen of the Cotton Club, and convinces Vy-Man to bring the Lady the song as if the Duke had written it, promising to reward her with employment. Vy reluctantly complies, and the predictable complications ensue. Lady Liv is attracted to Vy-Man, while Vy is attracted to the Duke and he to Vy, though it disturbs him because he thinks she's a man. The fallout when the deception comes to light bodes ill—at least for a while.Here's where West's book cannily diverges from Shakespeare. Vy's twin brother Sebastian really is dead, so West devises another love interest for Lady Liv basically by rehabilitating the Malvolio character, here named Rev (Alan H. Green), the Lady's uptight, self-important manager. His unrequited love for her is magically transformed after he gets his comeuppance (minus the torture) from Miss Mary (Alanna Lovely), her honey Sweets (James Earl Jones II) and Jester, the stand-in for Sir Toby, who has romantic problems of his own with a woman named CC (Kaylah Janssen). In other words, Rev gets the girl — and also a show-stopping yellow zoot suit from costume designer An-Lin Dauber. All the costumes are dandy, though those for the men have more pizzazz than the women's day dresses. The bilevel, slanted scenic design by Beowulf Boritt brings 1930s Harlem to life in a slightly expressionistic way with the help of Adam Honoré's lighting and Ray Nardelli's sound design. Edgar Godineaux's choreography adds to the period feel, though there could be even more of it.Most of all, the leads have splendid voices, and the performances are terrific. Green's Rev and Harkness's Jester get my vote for comedy chops, and Brown's Lady Liv probably will stay with me the longest for her complexity and big blues number, “I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues.”
Shake Shack is coming to Iowa. Here’s where its first location opens
Shake Shack plans to open its first Iowa restaurant at the new Hollywood Casino Hotel in Council Bluffs in 2028. Here’s what diners can expect.
Texas high school football rankings: North Crowley dominates in top 10 win
North Crowley's dominant win over Waxahachie shakes up the latest USA TODAY Sports Texas Super 10 high school football rankings. See the top 10.
Dodgers Couldn't Shake Skubal's Shakiness Against Brewers
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a chance to jump on Milwaukee Brewers pitching ace Jacob Misiorowski and earn a win in the National League Championship Series behind starter Tarik Skubal. That did not happen on Sunday night.
Tom Murphy explains his Associated Press Top 25 ballot
Oklahoma's upset of Texas in the Red River Rivalry led to a shake-up near the top of the ballot.
Inaugural Festival of Ideas, Entertainment, Learning, and Discovery coming to Shakespeare & Company in late October
Founded by producer Hunter Runnette, the three-day festival brings authors, scholars, and thinkers to Shakespeare & Company to explore questions shaping communities and the world.
EPA’s New Science Chief Defends Integrity After Trump’s Shakeup
The director of a new EPA science office says the agency is still committed to upholding scientific integrity, despite concerns from observers that the Trump administration has taken steps to undermine those efforts.
Tony Dungy discusses NBC exit, faith and future
Former NBC analyst Tony Dungy questions whether his Christian faith played a role in NBC’s decision to cut ties during a major lineup shakeup.
How Trump’s Revenge Campaign Descended Into Turmoil
The president’s allies have sought to prove a “grand conspiracy” through a sprawling Justice Department inquiry. It has buckled under staffing shake-ups, internal disputes and trouble finding evidence.
The fresh faces that may shake up key Senate committees ahead of midterms
Dozens of Democrats are vying for seats on the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees, with several members from both parties either leaving or in close races.
Jonathan Groff gets rave reviews in Royal Shakespeare Theatre debut
A technical glitch with the set may have thrown a wrench into his latest opening night on stage, but that didn’t prevent Jonathan Groff from getting some glowing reviews earlier
The latest Premier League market values 🤑💸
Money money.Between the World Cup, the start of the season and the transfer windows, players' market values have been shaken up this summer.Whether it's new arrivals, dramatic drops or incredible rise...
Democrats, with House majority, would go big on healthcare
House Democrats are promising immediate action on healthcare next year if they flip control of the chamber in the midterm elections. Party leaders say health costs are a foremost priority of their …
Report: Tennessee Titans shake up business side of the organization
The Tennessee Titans are restructuring their business operations as they prepare for a new stadium next season.
Winless Titans fire three execs in front office shake-up
A detailed view of the Tennessee Titans logo is seen prior to Week 2 of a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium on Aug. 23, 2026, in...
La Liga's new market values 🤑💸
That's a lot of zeros.Between the World Cup, the start of the season and the transfer windows, players' market values have been shaken up this summer.From new arrivals to dramatic drops and massive ri...
‘Crystal Ball’ – Sports Media Analyst Predicts Fox Will Lose Greg Olsen, Prompting a Drew Brees Promotion and ESPN Star Getting Poached
With the NFL season well underway, it appears the broadcasting world could see a couple of shakeups. With Tony Romo’s exit from CBS, attention is also turning to other player-turned analysts, including Greg Olsen’s situation at Fox, which is expected to create a ripple effect in sports broadcasting.
Chelsea backroom shake-up as transfer chief set to leave
Laurence Stewart will depart after four years with the club, with his duties already dished out
Dodgers NLDS Game 3 Lineup Changes: Ohtani Falls, Hernandez Debuts
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shakes up the batting order for a pivotal Game 3.
Brazil: Lessons from a Disaster
By Antonio Martins (Outras Palavras) Defeats become deeper and more prolonged when we misunderstand what caused them, avoid correcting course, and embrace “solutions” that only compound our mistakes. Lula’s government and the Brazilian left suffered a disaster in Sunday’s election. Contrary to every poll, the president finished the first round 2.2 million votes behind Flávio Bolsonaro—and, more significantly, 3.4 million votes below his total four years ago, when the machinery of the state was working against him and in favor of his opponent. His vote share declined in 98 percent of Brazil’s municipalities. The PL, the main party of the far right, elected 121 deputies and 28 senators, becoming the largest caucus in both houses of Congress. The parties aligned with the Centrão—Brazil’s bloc of transactional center-right parties—were somewhat diminished, but will still hold roughly 250 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate. That will make it easier to assemble the majorities needed to amend the Constitution or impeach Supreme Federal Court justices. If elected, Flávio Bolsonaro could appoint four members of the Court, substantially altering its internal balance of power. What produced these results? How can the far right be prevented from consolidating them into a prolonged political hegemony? And what is the essential change of direction the left now needs? Explaining the Disaster Across the commercial media and the exuberant chaos of digital platforms, interpretations are multiplying. Some focus on specific episodes: Lula’s absence from the Globo debate, his very close relationship with Alexandre de Moraes, or his emphasis on issues supposedly remote from most people’s everyday concerns, such as rare earth minerals. Among the more systemic interpretations, three seem especially questionable. One argues that the principal defeat was not the left’s, since its congressional representation declined only slightly. The decisive movement captured at the ballot box, according to this view, was a shift within the right itself—from the more moderate and transactional forces of the Centrão toward the more ideological and radicalized forces of the PL and Novo. A second interpretation holds that the nature of electoral and political processes has changed. The material interests and aspirations of society, it argues, no longer play the central role they once did; they have given way to forms of subjective self-identification that the left has yet to understand. And a third concludes that, because of these two developments, we should expect a political winter: a prolonged period in which the far right and the broader right dominate Brazilian political life. There are important elements in all three interpretations. The problem lies in what they deny or leave out: Lula’s third government was a small-bore government. It offered the majorities that elected it neither a clearly better life nor reasons to believe again in politics and its power to transform society. These failures flowed from two fatal accommodations, which I will examine below. As a result, the government suffered a slow but steady erosion of support. And, as has happened in so many Western countries, it gave the far right the opportunity to present itself as anti-system and to benefit from popular frustration and distress. The interpretation that emphasizes the migration of votes from the center-right and traditional right toward the far right has been advanced, among others, by the courageous journalist Leonardo Sakamoto. In his UOL column on Monday, October 5, he highlights the miserable behavior of the traditional conservative parties. Over the past four years, they repeatedly joined forces with the “neo”-fascists, helping to “normalize” them—a criticism that could equally be directed at almost the entire corporate media. Believing they could use the far right as a stepping stone, they instead ended up partly devoured by it. This was especially true in the Senate, where the PL’s gain of 13 senators and Novo’s gain of two came at the expense of the PSD, which lost nine; the MDB, which lost two; the PSDB, which lost two; and the PP, which lost one. Sakamoto’s observation is accurate and necessary, but it leaves uncomfortable questions unanswered. Why did the erosion of the Centrão benefit the far right rather than, for example, producing growth for the left—as has happened so many times before, both in Brazil and elsewhere? The answer is not difficult. Throughout its four years in office, Lula’s third government was almost invariably associated with the Centrão. Here lies its first accommodation: accepting the limits imposed by conservative institutions; avoiding, as much as possible, any attempt to strain those limits through popular pressure; and believing only in the modest changes that could be squeezed through openings in Congress. The failure of the campaign to end the six-day workweek is emblematic. Lula could have electrified the presidential race by pairing it with a popular campaign for passage of the measure. Instead, he chose to place his hopes in the hands of Senate president Rodrigo Alcolumbre. He generated no mass mobilization, did not force his opponents onto an uncomfortable defensive, and won no victory. In September 2025, the government squandered the greatest of its many opportunities to shake up conservative power in Congress. Popular opposition to the so-called Shielding Amendment—which, if approved, would have restricted criminal proceedings against members of Congress—brought crowds into the streets, mobilized primarily by artists and social movements. This opened the possibility for a broader political education: a campaign that could begin exposing the limits and dysfunctions of Brazil’s political system while putting Bolsonaro’s movement on the defensive for its predictable support of political privilege. The amendment was defeated. But the executive branch then backed away from the fight. It remained associated with an institutional world widely seen as corrupt, elitist, and indifferent to ordinary people’s struggles. In doing so, it forfeited its credibility as a vehicle for the protest vote. On Sunday, it reaped the bitter fruits. Are We Doomed? Taking a different approach from Sakamoto, the philosopher Moysés Pinto Neto and other writers have drawn attention, in their first analyses of October 4, to the fragmentation of the public sphere produced by Big Tech platforms. Through their algorithms, these platforms present each person with a different view of social reality. As a consequence, it becomes much harder to identify common material problems and demands—for example, the fight for labor rights or for a properly funded public health system. Voters no longer embrace such demands, these authors argue, because they no longer see themselves as part of a collective. Instead, they tend to value the identities assigned to them by neoliberal subjectivity—the role of the entrepreneur, for example. On this interpretation, the left’s possible error lies in clinging to outdated illusions. Moysés’s warning is highly relevant and resonates with arguments such as Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor’s “Apocalyptic Fascism and the Billionaires’ Bet.” Unlike a century ago, the far right no longer promises a radiant future. It concentrates instead on resentment—especially that of young men. “They belong to a generation that fears it may never own a home, but compensates with the pleasure it gets from constantly provoking progressives online. Convinced their future has been stolen, they share memes romanticizing historical authoritarian regimes,” the authors write. But Moysés seems to confuse this danger with inevitability. He fails to see that the left’s answer cannot be adaptation. On the contrary, it must strengthen the possibility of politics as collective action. Nor does he recognize that precisely such a reversal is already becoming possible in some of the most promising mobilizations of the twenty-first century: the election, at the end of 2025, of the young Muslim Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, on a platform centered on the intensely material fight for an affordable city; the Left Party’s victory in Berlin two weeks ago, built around the demand to expropriate private real-estate corporations; and the very recent wave of demonstrations in Spain—including an occupation of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol—in which tens of thousands of young people mobilized by the Tenants’ Union have demanded limits on rents. By putting itself in the straitjacket of the “fiscal framework” in the first months of 2022, Lula’s third government adopted the second fatal accommodation of its term. Faced with conservative institutions and a country devastated by four years of Bolsonaro, increased public investment was the government’s remaining weapon for offering a more dignified life to the majority and forging an anti-conservative pact with them. The same state that disburses 1 trillion reais a year to enrich a small class of rentiers could instead spend money to extend the Family Health Strategy to every Brazilian, at a cost of 30 billion reais; provide full-day public schooling and childcare to all adolescents and children—and, especially, relief to their mothers; achieve universal sanitation while cleaning up polluted urban rivers; multiply metro systems; begin transforming the urban peripheries; and undertake many other urgently needed projects. In April 2023, an article in Outras Palavras warned that the fiscal framework could “shrink the Lula government and preserve the forces that condemn the country to inequality and regression.” A year later, another article showed that restraints on public spending were strangling policies vital to ordinary people and undermining the president’s popularity. In November 2024 came a reality check, in the form of the government’s humiliating defeat in the municipal elections. Even then, the fiscal lock was neither removed nor loosened. On the contrary: throughout the government’s four years, fiscal restraint remained central to its political narrative. The administration proudly proclaimed that it had “put the state’s accounts in order,” without grasping either how misleading that phrase was—given the payment of 1 trillion reais in interest—or how badly the message was hurting it politically. Lula finally woke up in September 2026. The increase in Bolsa Família benefits, after four years of being frozen; the announcement that anti-obesity drugs would be offered through Brazil’s public health system; and the ban on online betting showed that the state has the power to act decisively on behalf of the majority when those in government are willing to confront obstacles. The huge marches that closed the campaign in Fortaleza, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo on the eve of October 4 showed how such initiatives can mobilize activists and the broader public. But it was too late—and too little to change the outcome of the first round. History has not ended The possibility of a turnaround in the three weeks leading up to November 25 cannot be ruled out. It will not be simple or easy. Lula must not only make up a deficit of 2.2 million votes; he must also offset the movement of voters who backed other right-wing candidates in the first round, most of whom are likely to move toward Flávio Bolsonaro. Pulling that off will require a broad, grassroots effort to win over voters, potentially reinforced by new initiatives from Lula. The coming hours and days will be decisive. If Bolsonaro’s movement also wins the presidency, the result will create a high-risk situation for Brazilian sovereignty and democracy. The enormous challenges posed by such an outcome would require the left to reexamine, in depth and with a genuine willingness to engage in self-criticism, its political projects—or its lack of them—and its practices. But would that mean we are condemned to the long winter of far-right hegemony that some analyses are beginning to forecast? It is far too early to say, suggests a recent text by Álvaro García Linera, the thinker who served as vice president of Bolivia under Evo Morales. His central hypothesis is that this political current will prove short-lived. At a moment when the entire world is once again talking about sovereignty and protecting national economies, the far right offers a stale, recolonizing neoliberalism. Its submission to the United States is as blatant and pathetic as Flávio and Eduardo Bolsonaro’s overtures to Donald Trump. Its project amounts to something like every man for himself: greater inequality, capitalism without limits, devastation, and supremacism. Will it work? In the United States, just two years into his second term, Trump himself is reaching record levels of unpopularity and may be on the verge of losing Republican control of both the House and Senate in November. Every new beginning is difficult. Whatever the outcome of the second round, the defeats of October 4 show how profoundly the Brazilian left will have to rethink and rebuild. But just as it would be foolish to underestimate the seriousness of its mistakes, it would be equally foolish to conclude that rebuilding a political project is no longer possible. History has not ended. The times are moving faster than ever. Originally published in Portuguese by Outras Palavras. English translation by Eric Blanc; I’ve added the subtitles. More We can’t stop the far right at home or abroad without a revitalized labor movement, which is yet another reason why you should become a sustaining supporter of the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) — one of US labor’s pivotal bright spots. Relatedly, Jacobin published a short piece of mine reflecting on a decade of Bernie Sanders inspiring a whole new generation of young worker organizers.
Wall Street is booming. Surging yields could shake things up
The boon comes at a time when consumer sentiment is at historic lows and with heightened concerns about the cost of living, from rising energy prices to stubborn food inflation.
DAI Closes HCA Hospice, Home Health Transaction
Deaconess Associations Incorporated (DAI) has closed its acquisition of 31 home health and hospice agencies from HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA).
Jobs in health care. Jobs for women. The US labour market is segmenting. Chernobyl’s radiation and Lenin’s love of literature.
Thank you for opening your Chartbook email. Elmer Bischoff, Two Figures at the Seashore, 1957 The only really dynamic job-creator in the US economy is health care: The largest crunch has come in Federal government, which has shed 2.7 m jobs. Source: tchouvkov on Twitter Tech is struggling. [ Joey Politano 🏳️🌈@JosephPolitano The US tech sector continues bleeding jobs in official data released today—overall, employment decreased by 17k last month and is down 69k over the last year That's nearly as bad as the worst of the 2024 tech-cession, and much worse than the 2022 boom or even pre-2020 norms 12:42 PM · Oct 2, 2026 · 15.2K Views 15 Replies · 47 Reposts · 390 Likes ](https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/2106001807847940232?s=20) The new jobs are all for women. [ Justin Wolfers@JustinWolfers I'm not sure who saw this coming, but so far nearly all the jobs created during the second Trump administration have gone to women. 1:09 PM · Oct 2, 2026 · 33K Views 70 Replies · 146 Reposts · 644 Likes ](https://x.com/JustinWolfers/status/2106008723533533601?s=20) Meanwhile, real wages are being eaten up by modest over-target inflation. [ Heather Long@byHeatherLong The financial pain is real: Wage growth fell to 3% (y/y) in September. That's the lowest in 5 years. Wage growth: 3% Inflation: ~3.4% Inflation has eaten up all wage gains for the average worker since April. Many people are having to make hard choices about what to buy and what … 1:24 PM · Oct 2, 2026 · 37K Views 24 Replies · 275 Reposts · 533 Likes ](https://x.com/byHeatherLong/status/2106012367712620728?s=20) HEY READERS, THANK YOU for opening the Chartbook email. I hope it brightens your day. I enjoy putting out the newsletter, but tbh, what keeps this flow going is the generosity of those readers who clicked the subscription button. If you are persuaded to click, please consider the annual subscription of $60. It is both better value for you and a much better deal for me, as it involves only one credit card charge. Why feed the payments companies if we don’t have to. Subscribe Elmer Bischoff, Bathers, 1960 Americans are disillusioned with higher ed. For contributing subscribers only. Subscribe Where the Chernobyl radiation went. h/t Simon Kuestenmacher aka simongerman600 How Lenin’s love of literature shaped the Russian Revolution - Tariq Ali This, then, was the intellectual atmosphere in which Lenin came of age. His father, a highly cultured conservative, was the chief inspector of schools in his region and much respected as an educationalist. At home, Shakespeare, Goethe and Pushkin, among others, were read aloud on Sunday afternoons. It was impossible for the Ulyanov family – “Lenin” was a pseudonym adopted to outwit the tsarist secret police – to escape high culture. At high school, Lenin fell in love with Latin. His headteacher had high hopes that he might become a philologist and Latin scholar. History willed otherwise, but Lenin’s passion for Latin, and taste for the classics, never left him. He read Virgil, Ovid, Horace and Juvenal in the original, as well as Roman senatorial orations. He devoured Goethe during his two decades in exile, reading and rereading Faust many times. Lenin put his knowledge of the classics to good use in the time leading up to the October revolution of 1917. In April of that year, he broke with Russian social-democratic orthodoxy and, in a set of radical theses, called for a socialist revolution in Russia. A number of his own close comrades denounced him. In a sharp riposte, Lenin quoted Mephistopheles from Goethe’s masterwork: “Theory, my friend, is grey, but green is the eternal tree of life.” Source: The Guardian Elmer Bischoff, The River, 1953 If you’ve scrolled this far, you know you want to click: Subscribe
Independent candidates hope to shake up status quo, give Oklahoma voters alternative option
Frustration with mainstream political parties prompted a number of independents to file for office.
Euro drops to 17-month low as political and fiscal risks rise
Euro hits 17-month low as French politics and fiscal worries shake markets.
Trump says Cornell 7 'won't get fair shake' because NY AG Letitia James
President Donald Trump's perceived political foe, the New York attorney general who won a $454 million judgement against him, is looking into Cornell.
Trump Suggests Cornell Defendants Won’t Get a ‘Fair Shake’ From Letitia James
President Trump weighed in on the case when asked about Ms. James, who has become a target of his second-term retribution campaign.
Restaurant Sazani Oceana closes after 8 months in business at Shaker Square
After eight months in business, an upscale seafood restaurant on Cleveland’s Shaker Square is closing its doors.
UTA Shakes Up Filmed Entertainment Group: Matt Rice Named President
The exec will be joined by newly elevated managing partners Allan Haldeman, Blair Kohan, Jay Gassner and Julien Thuan, as well as a Filmed Entertainment Board.
CR7 felt betrayed by Jorge Jesus after broken promise
The atmosphere in the Portugal squad was badly shaken this week. According to Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre, from the show El Chiringuito, Cristiano Ronaldo felt betrayed by coach Jorge Jesus after a...
Two key Senate health committees face major shake-ups
Senate committees that handle important health care matters are about to see major GOP turnover. Here's what that means.
Tim Ream Gets His Flowers, Reflects on 16-Year Journey
ST. LOUIS – Tim Ream looks uncomfortable even thinking of saying the word, “retire.” It makes him shudder, as if he’s trying to shake something irksome off his shoulders.The 38-year-old prefer...
Is Purdue a MUST-WIN Game for Illinois This Weekend?
Facing a defensive crisis and coaching shakeup, Bret Bielema’s squad must secure a homecoming victory to stabilize a chaotic season and reclaim momentum in the Big Ten.
Blazers Shake Up Roster During Camp
The Blazers added depth by signing high-energy wing Jaylen Martin to an Exhibit 10 deal, eyeing a potential G League spark as they refine their preseason rotation.
‘Xbox is not for sale’ says Microsoft’s gaming chief
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is taking a ‘long-term view’ of Microsoft’s gaming division.
Veteran white politician nicknamed 'grandmother' shakes up Johannesburg mayor race
A 75-year-old white politician nicknamed "gogo", meaning grandmother, is running for mayor of Johannesburg in a high-stakes November race that analysts say could reshape South Africa's politics.
Will Any Changes Be Made to Giants Coaching Staff?
Following a disastrous 65-win campaign, Buster Posey signals potential staff shakeups to revive the San Francisco Giants.
Norway parliament probes Epstein links to politicians, diplomats
Norway's parliament begins public hearings on Wednesday on ties between late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Norwegian diplomats and politicians in a scandal that has shaken the nation's elite.
Andy Burnham pledges a radical shake-up for Britain in a high-risk political speech
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to give Britain “a new social contract for the 21st century.”
PM Burnham vows big shake-up for UK in high-risk political speech
The prime minister promised a rethink of ties with the EU, a reform of Britain’s electoral system and a new social care service.
RFK Jr hosts MAHA Summit: Business leaders RALLY
FOX Business' Jackie DeAngelis reports on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosting the MAHA Summit to make America healthy again. A Steak 'n Shake executive praises the initiative,
RFK Jr hosts MAHA Summit as business leaders rally to make America healthy again
Jackie DeAngelis reports on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosting the MAHA Summit. A Steak 'n Shake executive praises the initiative, while Democrat Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El Sayed outlines his proposals.
Andy Burnham pledges a big shakeup for Britain in a high-risk political speech
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to give Britain “a new social contract for the 21st century.”
Andy Burnham pledges a big shakeup for Britain in a high-risk political speech
LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged Tuesday to give Britain “a new social contract for the 21st century," reform the country's electoral system and reset its relationship with its European neighbors. But he acknowledged that economic constraints make delivering his sweeping plans a ...
Lookingglass Theatre has new leaders, including David Schwimmer as producing director
CHICAGO — Lookingglass Theatre has appointed David Catlin, a longtime ensemble member and a Northwestern University faculty member, and Ericka Ratcliff, most recently the literary manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater,
Optimum Nutrition unveils multi-functional shakes
The protein shake features 30 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber.
Shaken Baby Syndrome: Junk science or not? When lawyers set scientific standards
Shaken Baby Syndrome has increasingly been branded “junk science,” not because the medical consensus has disappeared, but because courts, some expert witnesses, and the media have created disputes over how these injuries occur. The real question is not whether every SBS prosecution is correct, but whether uncertainty in an individual case justifies discarding a diagnosis supported by a substantial body of medical evidence.
Union Arts Center takes on Shakespeare classic ‘Hamlet’
Despite a strong central performance, this is not a “Hamlet” for the ages.
Valley Bank Courts Small Businesses With Bluevine Acquisition
Valley Bank is set to acquire Bluevine, a digital banking platform for small businesses. The $340 million deal is designed to help Valley with its efforts
French student protests shake up presidential campaign
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has clashed with far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon over high school protests demanding more resources for education.
CFP Bracketology: Week 4
Another chaotic week of college football saw eight ranked teams fall and a major shakeup around the bubble as the calendar flips to October. We are barely one-third of the way through the season and the playoff picture looks a lot different than it did a few weeks ago. My playoff picture after Week 4: […]
Explainer-The political chess behind the ECB’s next leadership shake-up
FRANKFURT, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The euro zone will choose a new European Central Bank president next year and replace up to two-thirds of the bank's six-member executive board in an intricate game of political chess among the bloc's 21 countries. The fo...
Explainer-The political chess behind the ECB’s next leadership shake-up
FRANKFURT, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The euro zone will choose a new European Central Bank president next year and replace up to two-thirds of the bank's six-member executive board in an intricate game of political chess among the bloc's 21 countries. The fo...
Explainer: The political chess behind the ECB's next leadership shake-up
The euro zone will choose a new European Central Bank president next year and replace up to two-thirds of the bank's six-member executive board in an intricate game of political chess among the bloc's 21 countries.
Opinion: It’s time to put political ads on pause and think.
A cloud has descended over the United States of America. I’m not talking about an actual weather system, of course, but a phenomenon that has shaken the nation to its core. As long as you are near any screens, you will find yourself a target for waves of mass messaging campaigns. That’s right, it’s everyone’s...
College football rankings shuffled with Florida surging in US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25
The results of Week 4 in college football have shaken up the US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25. See who is moving up and who is moving down.
Are your muscles thanks to a 47,000-year-old gene? Scientists stunned by discovery - Futura-Sciences
A genetic handshake across millennia The interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans didn’t just give anthropologists lots to write about—it left functional traces in our very DNA. An August 5th study published in the journal Current Biology shines a spotlight on one especially eye-catching legacy: a variant of the gene...
Sooners trying to get back in the game, trail 28-6 in third quarter
Mateer connects with Rocky Beers for Sooners first score: Mateer, still trying to shake off a tumultuous first half, connected with tight end Rocky Beers for a 17-yard score. OU
Detroit Lions Shake Up Roster Before Week 3 Game
The Detroit Lions placed Thomas Harper on injured reserve and elevated Jalen Mills and Amen Ogbongbemiga for Sunday’s game against the Jets.
Pocognoli may require patience to deliver on Scotland shake-up
A new era begins for Scotland, with Sebastien Pocognoli leading a refreshed squad into the Nations League campaign.
Popular Supplement Increases Strength Even Without Exercise, Study Shows
Here's what to know.