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Xbox Disc-To-Digital Officially Exits Testing
The Xbox Disc-to-Digital licensing program recently launched to insiders, effectively paving the way to a discless future for Xbox, while still allowing the brand to market its console as backwards compatible. Following just over a month of public testing, Microsoft has just announced that the...
Michigan research council predicts legal challenges if money-out-of-politics campaign succeeds
The initiative would restrict political contributions by big utilities and state government contractors. But the U.S. Supreme Court has held that campaign contributions by corporations are protected speech.
Michele Singer Reiner's sister opens up about family's 'unimaginable' loss
Michele Singer Reiner‘s sister is opening up about the photographer's death nine months after she and husband Rob Reiner were fatally stabbed in their Los Angeles home in December.
Microsoft rewires AI’s context layer for business
Presenting new capabilities for Fabric, Power BI, OneLake, and Azure SQL, the company took the stage in Barcelona to outline how its customers can connect data, business context, and AI to fuel the agentic enterprise.
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.
The Streamers Tried To Conquer Labor Day…and Whiffed
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) What? Another Streaming Ratings Report already? You betcha. Nielsen has moved up the release of their Streaming Ratings data by two weeks, which means I’ve got two extra issues to get out. But I love this change because it will make this report more timely and easier to publish regularly. This week—with the viewership data for the week of 31-Aug—we’ve got some huge, huge topics to discuss. On the film side, two theatrical films (The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ and Scary Movie on Paramount+) contend with two non-Netflix straight-to-streaming films (Mayday on Apple TV and The Runner on Prime Video). The streamers went all in to win Labor Day weekend in America. And we have a bunch of TV shows to analyze, both new shows (Netflix’s The Gentleman, Hulu’s Chad Powers, and an Alix Earle reality show) and weekly shows like Reacher, Ted Lasso, House of the Dragon and Lioness. All that, plus nepotism in Hollywood, some eye-popping fantasy football stats, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of August 31st to September 6th, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - A Slew of Labor Day Disappointments? A lot of streamers released big new films this week, why? My theory is that the streamers know that four-day weekends can propel streaming films to glory. But if you’ve been reading more over the last two years, you know that big holiday weekends aren’t driving big viewership numbers the way they did post-Covid. And interestingly enough, Netflix didn’t put out a big new film this week. But four other streamers did, trying to take advantage of the holiday with some (not cheap) swings, including… The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ (a Star Wars film that cost $165 million and made $177 million at the US domestic box office) Mayday on Apple TV (rumored $100 million budget, no theatrical release) The Runner on Prime Video (at least a $40 million budget, but likely $50 to $80 million, no theatrical release). Scary Movie on Paramount+ ($30 million budget, made $108 million domestically). (Paramount+ also released a made-for-streaming film based on the Thundermans IP, and I’ll discuss that later.) So…how’d they do? The Mandalorian and Grogu Leads The Way (But That Isn’t Enough) Let’s start with The Mandalorian and Grogu (which I’ll abbreviate to Mando for most of this article). We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… How Mando, Mayday, The Runner and Scary Movie performed on streaming... How the powerhouse weekly released shows (Reacher, Ted Lasso and Lioness) have accumulate a LOT of viewership… How House of the Dragon finished its run… The latest Netflix show to have a sophomore slump… Whether top creators can drive viewers to their shows… Nepotism in Hollywood and the music business... All the flops, bombs and misses for the week… And more… ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Since Nielsen has accelerated their streaming data release schedule, I’ve got a lot of Streaming Ratings Reports coming your way! Next issue, I’ll be looking at the second season of Peacock’s The Paper, the latest season of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and a very, very expensive Daily Wire fantasy series that’s now on Prime Video. Plus Crew Girl and Dang! on Netflix, a new Tyler Perry film, and one of the biggest bombs of the summer, Supergirl. In the next two issues, I’ll take a look at the return of the NFL to streaming, Toy Story 5 on Disney+, Backrooms on HBO Max, and The Breadwinner on Netflix. On the TV side, we’ve got Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Dancing with the Stars on Disney+, Apple TV’s Slow Horses, a Reacher spinoff on Prime Video, and Paramount+’s MobLand, a Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey comedy on Apple TV, a sequel to a Cosby Show spinoff on Netflix, The Great British Baking Show, and the Unabomber film. And while doing all that, I want to take a look at adult animated shows, Ride or Die’s cancellation, and Netflix’s summer films. So much great stuff! Long term, two bits of comic book news. The X-Men cast has been announced, and go ahead and color me bull-ish, if not very, very bull-ish on this bit of comic book IP. In weirder news, HBO Max ordered a “true crime” show by Jimmy Olsen about Gorilla Grodd being falsely convicted of murder. I mean, what? I don’t know, let’s see what happens.
Universal health care a 'moral imperative,' Vatican's top diplomat tells UN
The meeting's theme focused on developing a
Light-driven nickel catalyst forms chemical bonds using less metal
Pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and agrochemicals are produced industrially using a wide range of chemical reactions. These processes need to become more efficient, less expensive, and more sustainable.
Kyzn OS Brings Centralized Business Management to Mission Pitch Competition
Mission’s entrepreneurs came together Sept. 16 for the inaugural Mission Small Business Expo at the Mission Event Center, a free, full-day event organized by the Mission Economic Development Corporation and title-sponsored by Lone Star National Bank
Dearborn business concerned about Michigan Avenue-Telegraph Road construction: "It's very difficult"
MSU health officials warn campus about dangerous synthetic opioid
Michigan State University health officials issued a warning to the campus community about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid linked to more than 100 deaths in the United States, including a 16-year-old boy in California.
How many wins will Michigan Football have in October?
Predict how many wins Michigan will have in October.
Small Business Office Asks EPA Not to Examine Styrene’s Risks
The Small Business Administration asked the EPA to drop styrene from its list of chemicals the agency could evaluate for possible regulation.
Dearborn business concerned about Michigan Avenue-Telegraph Road construction
Citizens Research Council outlines impacts of Mop Up Michigan initiative
As absentee ballots make their way to voters, Michigan residents this election season are faced with another question beyond just candidates running for various offices.
Cities keep shelling out taxpayer money for sports stadiums, yet the economics almost never makes sense
Communities almost never see a boost in job or income growth after taxpayers subsidize a new sports facility.
Upfront: A Great N.C. Adventure
Last month, I had a great N.C. adventure. It began with yours truly taking the UUNC Chapel Hill School of Government’s Basic Economic Development ccourse. I’m on the North Carolina Economic Development Board and figured that a refresh on a lot of the things covered here at BNC wouldn’t hurt. I figured the course would […]
“Brady Bunch ”star Maureen McCormick details her lunch with fellow Marcia Brady actress Christine Taylor
In April, the actresses thrilled fans of the franchise by sharing a selfie after meeting up for lunch.
‘Brady Bunch’ star Maureen McCormick details Marcia Brady meet-up with Christine Taylor
‘Brady Bunch’ star Maureen McCormick spills the details on her lunch with fellow Marcia Brady, Christine Taylor, and reveals how she really feels about the movie’s version of the eldest Brady sibling.
Michael Che's new Netflix special is 'Shot in Minnesota'
MINNEAPOLIS — Everyone who wasn’t allowed a bathroom break while “Saturday Night Live” weekend anchor Michael Che was taping his Netflix special at First Avenue is about to find out
Rockstar Officially Reveals 3 Big New 'GTA 6' Gameplay Features
Game Informer's cover story dishes on GTA 6's animals, the game's dynamic weather system, and Rockstar's intense approach to NPC generation
ACLM position statement links lifestyle medicine to planetary health
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has released a new position statement asserting that lifestyle medicine offers a practical, evidence-based framework to address both the chronic disease epidemic and the growing environmental challenges affecting health worldwide.
Board of Health wields unusual power, expert tells members
Marblehead’s Board of Health has powers unlike virtually any other local board or commission in Massachusetts, a public health attorney told members Monday night — including the authority to adopt regulations that carry the force of state law. Michael Hugo of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards spent more than two hours walking the board
What the HealthPartners-Essentia merger means for consumers and Minnesota health care
Three merger attempts in one year, including the newly proposed HealthPartners-Essentia deal, reflect the “dynamic, almost chaotic environment” situation in U.S. health care right now.
Science takes the runway: HIV Unwrapped at NYFW
At this year’s New York Fashion Week, HIV Unwrapped has put science on the runway, calling attention to today’s breakthrough treatments, the U=U message, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic that forever changed New York’s art and cultural scene
Double Success for ISTA at the Lower Austrian Science Awards
3D-printed thermoelectric materials and expansion microscopy of brain tissue—these are the contributions that earned two researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) distinctions at the Lower Austrian Science Awards. Maria Ibáñez and Johann Danzl accepted their awards at a
Mary Klotman, Duke's Chief Academic Health Leader, will Complete Service in 2027
DURHAM, N.C. – After two decades in senior leadership at Duke and 10 years as dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, Mary E. Klotman, M.D., will complete service on June 30, 2027.
Where Academic Healthcare Meets AI
There is a version of the artificial intelligence story that everyone has heard by now: the billion-dollar campuses, the coastal cities competing for the next great tech company.
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.
Among the Academies: A Lifelong Fascination with Fish
For Peter Wainwright, the academic path was simple: he simply followed his fascination with fish."I dare say there wasn't a lot of deep thought about what direction I should go in my life," he said. "It was more, I like fish, let's see if I can do something with fish. It was all very organic."
‘It’s certainly a challenge for Nebraska families’: GOP senator who supports war in Iran on its economic impact
September sun
Jamie Chiang, who studies chemical engineering, reads a book at Centennial Common. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
HSS and New York Road Runners Hold Second Annual Runner Health Symposium
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health and the official hospital of the TCS New York City Marathon, will host the 2nd Annual HSS/NYRR Runner Health and Performance Symposium on October 3 in collaboration with New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” NYC...
OpenAI takes on Microsoft with the launch of what feels a whole lot like ChatGPT's own office suite
OpenAI's newly announced suite of office features puts it into mor direct competition with more traditional software companies.
Q&A: Why are the world’s big sporting events coming to the US?
A Darden School of Business professor explains the economics behind the growing number of major international sporting events coming to the U.S.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 version 26H2, calls it a "predictable and low-disruption update" with no compatibility concerns
The next version of Windows 11 is now generally available. Here's what's now and how you can get it.
Timeline of the Premier League vs. Manchester City
The verdict has been delivered in the seismic case between the Premier League and Manchester City. City was found guilty of nearly all of the 115 financial charges laid by the Premier League, the competition said Tuesday in an explosive statement. City faces a severe punishment, potentially even expulsion from the world's most popular league, but has vowed to appeal.
ChatGPT Space Is A Shared Hub For Work Projects And Personal AI Agents
ChatGPT is coming to Slack and Microsoft Teams too.
Week 4 fantasy wide receiver rankings: Top WR streamers, starts
The return of QB Michael Penix Jr. may be just the thing that unlocks Drake London's fantasy potential the rest of the way. Where's he rank this week?
Microsoft Announces General Availability Of WSLC: Linux Containers On Windows
Following the public preview of Linux containers on WSL, Microsoft today announced the general availability of WSLC for supporting Linux containers on Windows.
Making gene-edited babies is illegal. This startup says it may be time to reconsider
Origin Genomics aims to prove the potential benefits of its technology for editing disease-causing genes in human embryos outweigh the risks.
WBLF Video: 12th Annual Women Business Leaders Kickoff
In this video, NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka and Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce President Danielle Norcross welcome hundreds of
Ascend WV Healthcare, First Ascent WV Healthcare applications now open
Applications are being accepted for Ascend WV Healthcare and First Ascent WV Healthcare — launched by the West Virginia University Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, in partnership with West Virginia Tourism and major healthcare organizations statewide — that invite healthcare professionals and graduating students to live and work in the Mountain State.
Manchester City respond to Premier League’s seismic ruling of guilt over majority of 115 charges
The club said it was ‘disappointed and surprised’ by the independent commission’s verdict
Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium: Art, Culture & Protecting the Everglades
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... On this special episode of the Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium, host Michael Mutt brings together Tatjana Kolpus, Visiting Artist; Houston R. Cypress of Love The Everglades Movement; and Jared Jacobs, AICP of Everglades Earth Cycle. The conversation explores the connection between art, culture, science, and the Everglades, highlighting […]
I tried Ina Garten's breakfast sandwich with microwave eggs
Ina Garten's bacon, egg, and cheddar breakfast sandwich takes less than 15 minutes to make. Garten recommends cooking the eggs in the microwave.
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 ...
Environmental and public health groups sue EPA over power plant regulation rollback
The organizations say eliminating carbon emissions limits threatens Americans’ health.
The Michael Miller Show: Greater Kendall Business Association & Upcoming Business Expo
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... On this episode of The Michael Miller Show, Michael Miller welcomes Carlos Ribeiro from the Greater Kendall Business Association (GKBA). They discuss how GKBA has connected local business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals through networking and relationship-building for nearly 20 years. 🤝 They also highlight the upcoming Greater Kendall Business […]
Trishaween: celebrated or cancelled?
Western Michigan University’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) announced Trishaween with Trisha Paytas on Sept. 1 at Bronco Bash and on Instagram, and the response was immediate.
V10 Entertainment Gears Up For MIPCOM By Tieing With Former Paramount, Amazon MGM Studios & Vision Plus Execs
EXCLUSIVES: Distributors are really getting into the pre-MIPCOM swing. L.A.’s V10 Entertainment is gearing up for the TV content confab by adding a trio of veteran sellers to its ranks. Michelle Payne...
RFK Jr outlines expansive vision for collecting US health data at Maha event
Health secretary calls for medical and lifestyle details to be sent to doctors and AI to address ‘chronic disease epidemic’
Sarkisian says Longhorns need to cut out unacceptable celebrations
Defensive end Colin Simmons was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after he mimicked urinating on the field.
An Earth-like planet with two suns?
A nearby star system with two suns could potentially support an Earth-sized planet in a region where liquid water could exist, according to a new paper examining the dynamics of the system.
Michigan got $173M to transform rural health. Where is it going?
Some rural healthcare leaders say the first round of funds allocated from the Rural Health Transformation Program don’t go far enough to stabilize their industry amid federal cuts.
SteelSeries’ new mice are super light, have UWB and swappable batteries
Plus, SteelSeries now has a web version of GG.
Stand Up for Science to Rally Scientists and Academic Leaders Against Trump Admin's Higher Ed Crackdown
Virtual rally follows 2025 Ed Compact anniversary; calls on university leadership to reject administration’s demands and defend academic freedom.
Stand Up for Science to Rally Scientists and Academic Leaders Against Trump Admin's Higher Ed Crackdown
Virtual rally follows 2025 Ed Compact anniversary; calls on university leadership to reject administration’s demands and defend academic freedom.
George Michael honored at VMAs by Raye, Sombr, Teddy Swims
George Michael and MTV were synonymous in the ‘80s with both his solo work (those “Faith” jeans!) and Wham! (that “Wake Me Before You Go-Go” neon!).
Cities keep shelling out taxpayer money for sports stadiums, yet the economics almost never makes sense
Communities almost never see a boost in job or income growth after taxpayers subsidize a new sports facility.
Is Applied Materials Still The Business You Bought?
You may own Applied Materials (AMAT) as a chip equipment maker that aims to hand most of its spare cash back to shareholders. A $10,000 holding a year ago is now worth about $24,500. Your stake in this business is far bigger than it was.
Tiny Health Raises $33M To Explore What Gut Data Can Reveal About Future Health
Austin-based Tiny Health has raised $33 million in a Series B funding round led by B Capital to help it meet growing demand for its at-home microbiome tests.
Samsung is finally moving away from Microsoft to Google; I love it
Google is taking over Galaxy apps
Scientists Simulated Microgravity in Human Cells and Found Something Unexpected About DNA
Simulated microgravity changed the nucleus but left the genome surprisingly intact.
Amica Ranked #1 in Homeowners Insurance in JD Power 2026 Study
LINCOLN, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 29, 2026--
Ukraine’s Academy of Sciences warns against Russian cooperation after attack
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has urged the international scientific community not to “restore or legitimise institutional cooperation with Russian state scientific and educational structures,” after a Russian drone hit its Presidium building in central Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring several others. The drone strike took place in the early afternoon on September 28 while staff were working.The academy called the strike, one of several Russian attacks on Ukraine’s capital using jet-powered drones in recent days, an act of terrorism. “It is a strike [. . .] on the very idea that knowledge, research, and the search for truth should serve life, not its destruction,” it said in a statement.The academy thanked the global scientific community for its solidarity following the attack and warned against any temptation to normalise scientific relations with Russia.“Science cannot exist outside of moral responsibility. There can be no ‘ordinary scientific cooperation’ with a state that kills people and destroys scientific institutions of another country,” it said.“We urge not to create opportunities for Russian state institutions to return to the international scientific community as if nothing happened. There can be no ‘science beyond politics’ when science is attacked with weapons.”After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe almost entirely cut institutional ties and joint programmes with Russian science, although personal academic contacts are still ongoing.Related articlesRussia widens targeting of European research centresHow geopolitical rifts cut scientific collaborationThe European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (ALLEA), for instance, continues to exclude the Russian Academy of Sciences from its network.ALLEA condemned the latest attack as a “barbaric act” and part of a broader “systematic targeting of Ukraine’s scientific and cultural infrastructure.” This is a “deliberate attempt to erase the conditions under which free inquiry, knowledge, and democratic life are possible,” it said in a statement.Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, more than 4,650 educational institutions across Ukraine have been damaged, and a further 423 have been destroyed, according to ALLEA.National academies across Europe joined ALLEA in condemning the attack. “Science is about the pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of humanity, so this is an attack on civilisation itself,” said Paul Nurse, president of the UK’s Royal Society.Attacks on scientific, university and cultural institutions “are attacks on the foundations of society and constitute a clear violation of international law,” wrote the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.The presidents of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine also released a joint statement condemning the attack and pledging to continue to support the Ukrainian research community.The targeting of the Ukrainian academy prompted outcry from European leaders. “Today, science became a target for Russia,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.“These strikes are the latest illustration of the Russian regime’s hostile contempt for science and truth,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.
It’s all up to Michael Penix Jr. now
The talented young quarterback is healthy and has his opportunity to lock up Atlanta’s starting job for the long haul.
Victoria Coates discusses US foreign policy on Iran, Taiwan
Heritage Foundation VP of National Security Victoria Coates and panelist Mike Lee discuss the latest U.S. foreign policy updates, focusing on indirect peace talks with Iran, military funding for Taiwan and ongoing economic pressure on Cuba.
Health policy polling shows similar feelings across party lines
With Michigan’s general election underway, a new poll shows voters want many of the same things from government health policy. Colin Jackson has more.
The Beclowning of Scott Bessent
One iron law of current politics is that nobody who associates themselves with Donald Trump emerges with a shred of credibility. For some, that’s not a big loss — it’s not as if anyone respected Pete Hegseth even before he decided that the key to military success in an age of drones and AI was more testosterone. For others, however, the costs are real. I’m old enough to remember when Marco Rubio was widely considered a reasonable, thoughtful politician. Right now, however, my candidate for the biggest loser is Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury. Bessent started out with significant reputation to lose: When Trump selected him, this was the headline in the Financial Times: Jason Furman, Barack Obama’s chief economist, described him as a “credible Treasury secretary who has a real understanding of the global economy”. But Bessent has now transformed himself into the Baghdad Bob of bonds. Three weeks ago, after intervening (for reasons that remain somewhat unclear) to support the Japanese yen, Bessent boasted about his ability to move markets and dared investors to bet against his, declaring “I am the house now.” He then tried to push long-term interest rates down, buying 30-year U.S. Treasuries in a move some have compared to paying down part of your mortgage by running up your credit card balance. Here’s how that’s going so far: To get some perspective on how high interest rates have gone, here’s a longer-term perspective: We haven’t seen interest rates this high since the fading days of the dotcom bubble. Why are interest rates hitting new records? The backdrop, as I argued in last Sunday’s primer, is the huge AI-driven investment boom; more on that next week. But the immediate cause of the latest interest rate spike was Trump’s rejection of an Iranian proposal to end the war. This rejection sent crude oil prices, which for a while had fallen considerably, shooting back up: It’s notable, by the way, that oil prices remain high even though a significant amount of oil is now being shuttled through the Strait of Hormuz by night, on smaller vessels. That’s an interesting story, which has a lot to do with the fact that oil from the Hormuz shuttle runs must be transferred to larger vessels before being shipped to markets in Europe and Asia; around 15 percent of the world’s large crude carriers are now parked off the coast of Oman, waiting to be tanked up. This is creating a shipping crunch: But that’s a topic for another day. For now, the point is that with oil still high and refined products, especially diesel, still close to record levels, inflation will remain elevated. And this in turn means that the Federal Reserve will keep short-term interest rates high, an expectation that is feeding into longer-term rates. Hence Bessent’s bond-market humiliation. The truth is that Bessent might not have been able to get interest rates down even in the best of circumstances. But he certainly won’t get anywhere as long as Trump keeps believing that he can somehow convert his Iran debacle into a triumphant victory. And Trump will keep believing that as long as he is surrounded by sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear. Sycophants like, for example, Scott Bessent, who is predicting the imminent collapse of the Iranian economy, possibly within two weeks. Bessent is right to say that the embargo on Iranian oil exports is placing the country under great economic strain. But his implicit prediction that this will quickly produce a deal that Trump can call victory looks no more plausible than his boasts about the bond market. The big question now is, why would anyone with a reputation to lose work for Donald Trump? As the beclowning of Bessent shows, joining the Trump team won’t just damage your reputation; it will utterly destroy it.
Lesbian Bar Project Co-Founder: Purity Politics Could Destroy Our Remaining Spaces
Subscribe As a professional lesbian and Massachusetts native, I’ve recently been asked by a lot of folks what I think about the saga unfolding at Last Ditch. The now-viral story, first reported by The Boston Globe, centers on a Western Massachusetts lesbian bar that lifted its mask requirement for one night a week to help drum up business. The decision ignited an intra-queer controversy that has been feasted on by media outlets across the political spectrum—from the New York Post to LGBTQ Nation—and is even reportedly being eyed for a Hollywood adaptation. Apparently nothing is more entertaining than a bunch of lesbians and queers fighting with each other over KN-95s. What has been lost in all of the chatter and media coverage is the very real possibility that Last Ditch, which just opened in April 2025, will have to close its doors. The venue’s one remaining founder, Jackie Matellian, revealed in a community Zoom meeting that she’s working four jobs, is now solely responsible for the bar’s $50,000 business loan and is struggling to keep up with the bills. So as we laugh about the controversy’s similarity to a “Portlandia” skit and how one of the bar’s founders left to enroll in clown school, we forget that yet another lesbian bar is facing an existential crisis—and this time the call is coming from inside the house. In 2020, my friend Elina Street and I created The Lesbian Bar Project, an Emmy-, Webby- and GLAAD Media Award-winning docuseries and initiative that tells the stories of lesbian queer bars around the world. We were moved to act because at the time there were only an estimated 16 lesbian bars in the United States, and the pandemic threatened to bring that number down even further. There are now more sapphic bars than there were just before the pandemic—about 36 of them in total—but this is down from approximately 200 in 1980. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to you, but for the millions of sapphics living in the U.S., this number is calamitous. As the world laughs at lesbians and sapphics, I want to take a second and tell you what I feel when I walk into one of these bars, which are all unique and irreplaceable in their own way: I feel seen. Sometimes I think Cubbyhole in New York City’s West Village neighborhood knew I was gay before I did. When I walked in there for the first time, before I was even out, I was transfixed by the colorful array of tchotchkes hanging from the ceiling and how the women standing next to me were completely unafraid to express their desire for one another. I knew the minute I was ready to come out, I had a home. I also felt the joy of a new couple falling in love at Seattle’s Wildrose, the quiet confidence of a short king lining up her shot at the pool table at Ginger’s in Brooklyn and the kick of cayenne pepper in Julie Mabry’s crawfish at Houston’s Pearl Bar. Subscribe Lesbian bars don’t just serve lesbians; they serve queer folks across the spectrum, including bisexual, pansexual and trans people. As Elina and I traveled across the U.S. and Europe and to parts of Latin America to document the bar owners, staff and patrons that make up the ecosystems of these spaces, we also became uniquely acquainted with the factors that threaten their existence: gentrification, wage gaps, sexism, environmental disasters, gun violence, rising insurance premiums and political administrations working to annihilate queer people and their families. Lesbian bar owners, like all leaders and entrepreneurs, are imperfect. There have been significant issues over the years at lesbian bars: employee harassment, racism, lack of accessibility, sexual assault and transphobia. All bar owners should be held accountable and should listen to their communities to evolve into safer and more equitable spaces. I also acknowledge my privilege: I am able-bodied, white, cis and from a family system that loves me for who I am. Not everyone has that. Queer people, especially trans and bisexual people, are suffering from disproportionately high levels of depression, and our mental health system isn’t equipped to support them. Immunocompromised people and long COVID are real, and many of my friends are suffering to this day. The people with the least safety net are often the ones for whom a bar closing costs the most. And yet, as we’re seeing with Last Ditch, the queer community often lashes out at each other. It’s also the mainstream media taking the internal conflict and making a mockery out of it, distracting from the real possibility that this bar could close due to financial pressures. A bar that many people loved and needed is facing extinction. Perhaps it’s safer to dissent with one another than with the larger forces trying to eradicate us, but in doing so, we risk destroying the few spaces we have left. Due to the constraints of purity politics—some in good faith, some not so much—lesbian bar owners, almost all of whom are queer women themselves, are forced to be everything for everyone, similarly to how women are forced to be everything for everyone. By asking these bars to uphold impossible standards—standards very few other third spaces are asked to consider—we all end up losing. I want to move as a community toward dialogue, compassionate dissent and collaboration to make our spaces better with the goal of keeping them OPEN and thriving, rather than destroying them from the inside with expectations that are arguably unattainable. Subscribe While I have your attention—for this fleeting second of the news cycle—may I urge us to spearhead a way to keep these small businesses afloat without attacking our own community along the way? Bar owners are left with an impasse: They want to be community-centered, but they also have to make money to keep their doors open. Sometimes they might make business decisions that don’t work for everyone—and that’s partly because different patrons have different priorities and want different things—but these owners deserve the opportunity for productive dialogue**.** We have to work with them and with each other to keep our spaces open, to keep them growing. Lesbian bars raised me into the queer woman I am today. One thing I think about as I reflect on the six years of work we’ve done to document these spaces is that shared, unspoken language I have with a stranger the moment we both walk into one of these bars: the nod, the ease, the not having to explain ourselves. I don’t want to lose that, and neither should you. If objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button: Donate
He Picked Up Trash For $4 An Hour. Now He Runs A $1 Billion Construction Business
How a 12-year-old’s door knock connected him with now billionaire mentor —and launched a fast-growing construction empire powering tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft.
Arsenal forward scores 2nd goal in 2 internationals
Viktor Gyokeres scored his second goal in two games for Sweden on Monday night, netting in another Nations League victory for his team over Poland.Photo by Michael Campanella/Getty ImagesHaving scored...
Primetime Review: That’s Entertainment?
If you decide to see Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, it’s important to remember the title as you watch. Yes, this is a biopic of sorts about Chris Hansen and his work on To Catch a Predator, but it is more accurately about the quest for fame and using people’s trauma to attract ratings. True crime entertainment continues to have a prominent place in many people’s television habits, and this film asks us to examine what that means both for those whose stories have become our viewing pleasure and those of us watching. Primetime starts as Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson) is told that his show, To Catch a Predator, is moving to a 9 PM spot opposite LOST. Chris and his producer, Andie (Merritt Wever), see this as an opportunity to make the program even more sensational, looking for bigger, more horrific predators. As part of their plan, they hire a young actor, Dan Plum (Skyler Gisondo), to play “Decoy Dan,” the person who greets the would-be predators who were catfished by Xavier Von Erck (Matthew Maher). Oppenheim, along with writers Ajon Singh and Luke Dittrich, is less concerned with an accurate retelling of the show as much as they are interested in interrogating the why of it all. That decision sometimes leaves Primetime feeling less like a biopic and more like a satirical look at the nature of programming like this. Visually, the movie is impressive. Oppenheim uses light and color effectively to cast Hansen as both villain and savior. Pattinson plays Hansen in an almost comical manner, as we see him wake his two young sons to watch a clip of the show, just to brag that he was moving into a prime spot on television. Even Andie struggles to accept a “nice” job when there is so much more fame to be found producing salacious true-crime content. Wever does an excellent job showing how the hunger for fame is not just in front of the camera, but in every aspect of the production. The heart of the movie, and the standout performance, belongs to Gisondo as Dan Plum. He is someone who just wants to get enough hours to be admitted into the Screen Actors Guild, and stumbles into this job without really knowing what it is. Throughout the film, we watch him suffer one trauma after another, ending with him witnessing the suicide of a District Attorney who is about to become the next unwitting star of Hansen’s show. If there is a sympathetic character in Primetime, it is Decoy Dan, and Gisondo plays him brilliantly. If you’re a fan of programming like To Catch a Predator, then Primetime will probably make you feel uncomfortable, and I think it’s worth sitting with that feeling and examining why we turn on shows that display the worst of humanity while we judge from our couches. Yes, it is correct to want to see people who would hurt children brought to justice, but perhaps it shouldn’t be something that we watch as entertainment. Rating: 3.5/5 This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on September 25, 2026. MacGuffin or Meaning: Film & TV Reviews and Reflections is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
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