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Rashee Rice does not practice Friday
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice posts third consecutive missed practice Friday and will miss Week 7
Witney Carson and Mark Ballas refused ‘to be in the same room’ during “DWTS” season 21 feud, PenaVegas claim
The professional dancers were once so close that Ballas cast Carson in one of his music videos and even planned her 21st birthday party.
Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello: Will the Fairytale Continue?
All Eyes are on the Super Lightweight division this weekend as Britain's Dalton Smith defends his WBC title against the Dominican Republic's Alberto Puello
EAST TEXAS POLITICS: State party chairs weigh in as first week of early voting wraps up
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder and Republican Party Chair D’rinda Randall join Blake Holland for this week's show.
EAST TEXAS POLITICS: State party chairs weigh in as first week of early voting wraps up
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder and Texas Republican Party Chair D’rinda Randall join Blake Holland on this week’s edition of East Texas Politics on East Texas Now as the first week of early voting wraps up ahead of the November midterm elections.
Chelsea Handler says Reese Witherspoon and son Deacon Phillippe ‘look like a couple’ in birthday photo
“I love you so much, so lucky to be your mom,” Witherspoon wrote in her caption.
Looters hit 3,000 French businesses. Within hours, the haul was trending on Vinted under the riot’s date
“Since this weekend, our teams have taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting,” secondhand marketplace Vinted said.
Here's Everything Wrong With My 'Mint' $1700 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Last weekend I purchased a new 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee after realizing that my 5-speed “Holy Grail” project hadn’t gone anywhere in five years and wasn’t likely to go anywhere in the next five years. This nice 1993, I figured, would replace that project and give me an opportunity to drive a ZJ now instead […]
Dalton Schultz should be available for Week 7
Texans TE Dalton Schultz expected to be involved after full practice Friday
Questionable tag for Tank Dell
Texans WR Tank Dell is expected to make his season debut in Week 7
Quinshon Judkins not on Week 7 injury report
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins set for regular workload in Week 7 after full practice
Terre Haute Children’s Museum hosts Frankenstein Science event
The Terre Haute Children’s Museum is inviting families to bring science to life with a Halloween-themed event this weekend.
The Violent Cost of Being a Woman in Politics Spans Continents
Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world ... with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment. This week: —There is not (yet) the political will in the U.S. to talk about gender quotas ... but 35 nations in Europe have either been mandated or volunteered to implement them. —Weeks after the brutal rape of Arizona congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia, Australian independent member of Parliament Helen Haines is in hospital in a critical condition after she was struck by a car outside her office in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said appears to have been "a deliberate act." —"Politicians are no longer treated like we’re human,” says Arizona state legislator Alma Hernandez, who is facing rising harassment and threats. —Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump. —If elected governor of Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms would become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. ... and more.
Entergy celebrates Nuclear Science Week 2026
Nuclear Science Week is an internationally recognized annual celebration held during the third week of October, dedicated to advancing awareness of nuclear science across local, regional and global communities.
Former housekeeper for Kate Gosselin corroborates her son Collin’s abuse allegations, claims she reported to child services
Collin previously alleged Kate was reported to child services, although he said the agency did not find the abuse claims credible.
Newsom Could Commute California’s Death Sentences. Will He Pay a Political Price?
Hundreds of people remain on California’s death row. In his final weeks in office, Gov. Gavin Newsom is considering whether to commute their sentences to life without the possibility of parole.
Jaylen Waddle cleared to play in Week 7
Jaylen Waddle set to play in Week 7.
Watch “The Simpsons”’ spooky stop-motion “Nightmare Before Christmas” parody from ‘Treehouse of Horror’ (exclusive)
The new opening comes from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, the stop-motion team behind “Robot Chicken.”
Justin Jefferson expected to play in Week 7
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson set for regular workload after full practice Friday
NFL Week 7 betting advice: Eagles-Cowboys pick and props
Are you betting on the Birds?
Sylvester Stallone addresses his daughter joining him on“ Tulsa King”: ‘Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot’
“Oh please, you’re not a good parent if you haven’t performed a little nepotism,” Stallone said.
Google Health 5.11 rolling out with Fitbit Air Health Guardian, improved sleep tracking, & more
Google Health 5.11 is rolling out this week as a rather big update for Fitbit trackers and the Pixel Watch.
Improving breast cancer treatment; improving prostate cancer diagnosis; listen to your knee pain; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
WTVF News Channel 5’s “Morningline” program interviewed Denise Garcia, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, about new technology that helps surgeons identify cancer during surgery and improve breast cancer treatment. A Men’s Health story about PSA screening for prostate cancer quoted Kelvin Moses, MD, PhD, Professor of Urology. Men’s Health posted a story, “What Your Knee Pain is Trying to Tell You,” that quotes Charles Cox, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: WSMV Channel 4 News (importance of flu shots); MedPage Today (mRNA flu shots); WTVF News Channel 5 (19 people sent to hospital after a sickness outbreak at Walmart facility in Lebanon); Prevention (West Nile virus); HuffPost (prevention pill for COVID); and Newsweek (measles cases continue to increase in the U.S.). Becker’s Hospital Review and Nashville Post covered the Vanderbilt Health News story from Rebecca Warren that Chief Communications Officer John Howser is retiring in March 2027, closing out a nearly 40-year career at Vanderbilt. A Healio story on research about OCT-A biomarkers and diabetic retinopathy quotes Vanderbilt University School of Medicine student Rachel Liu. WPLN Nashville Public Radio quoted Amanda Mixon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, in a story about adverse drug interactions.
“Nobody Wants This ”cast has some thoughts about the season 3 love triangle: ‘It’s complicated’
Are they Team Morgan or Team Esther?
Jordan Love set to play in Week 7
Packers QB Jordan Love did not miss practice because of injury and is ready to play
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.
No designation for Matthew Golden
Packers WR Matthew Golden was a limited participant this week but is not on injury report
Breece Hall questionable for Week 7
Breece Hall's status will need to be watched by fantasy players ahead of Week 7.
Stephanie March to return as Alexandra Cabot on “SVU ”8 years after last appearance on the show
The former NBC star appeared in 97 episodes as one of the most iconic ADAs in “SVU” history.
Patrick Mahomes not on injury report for Week 7
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes fully practices again Friday and is set to play this week
S&P 500 closes lower to end rocky week
The S&P 500 closed lower as investors weighed AI trade uncertainties and awaited key earnings reports from Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon.
Jeremy Renner makes rare red carpet appearance with 13-year-old daughter Ava
The daddy-daughter duo attended the 24th annual Alice nella Città film festival in Rome.
Jonathan Taylor on track to play in Week 7
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor should not have any limitations after a full practice
Keenan Allen should be available for Week 7
Colts WR Keenan Allen set for normal workload after back-to-back full practices
Bucky Irving off the Bucs' Week 7 injury report
The Bucs will have Bucky Irving in the backfield in Week 7.
Former USAID Health Chief Says Aid Cuts Are Costing Children's Lives
At IDWeek 2026, Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, said USAID cuts are costing lives but that the field is "not back at square one."
Milligan Unveils New Ballad Health Simulation Lab on Campus
MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Oct. 23, 2026) — Today, Milligan University unveiled the campus’s new Ballad Health Simulation Lab to kick off Homecoming Weekend. Thanks to a generous $1 million gift from Ballad […]
Where's Shane? Spookfest at Science City
Shane joins Science City Educators Emma Loesing and Whitney Klaas with Nature Works Educator Ryan Parker to get a sneak peek of this weekend's Spookfest.
‘Shazam!’ star Michael Gray dies at 75
NEW YORK — Michael Gray, who starred in the 1970s TV show “Shazam!,” has died. He was 75. The former teen heartthrob died from natural causes last week in California,
Cowboys' Christian Parker is All Business and No Feelings for Homecoming vs. Eagles
Here's what Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker said about going back to his old stomping grounds in Week 7.
CFB Analyst Likes Oregon to Easily Take Down Illinois
Can the Ducks get a win this weekend?
NFL rescinds Buffalo Bills defender's one-game spitting suspension
Buffalo Bills defensive back Sam Franklin was suspended for spitting during a Week 6 game. A hearing officer overturned it, opting for a fine instead.
Capcom and Square Enix Suffer Online Attacks As Hackers Access Player Data
Japanese companies have been facing a growing number of security breaches in recent weeks
Dontayvion Wicks not practicing Friday
Eagles WR Dontayvion Wicks missing second practice of week because of injury
“Yaga”, “Clayface”, and stop-motion fantasy film “Wildwood ”top this week’s Must List
A “Baby-Sitters Club” podcast and a new stage production of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” round out our picks for the weekend of Oct. 23.
Week 8 Open Thread
With no UW game this weekend, you can stay on this thread for the full weekend. Here are some of the top games to watch in each game window. Friday Evening – There are two ACC games tonight. First, Duke heads to Virginia in a fairly even matchup between teams trying to get a step […]
Duke Predicted to Drop Another Game This Week vs Virginia
The last two weeks have been tough on the Duke Blue Devils.
Republicans Bet Anti-Fraud Message Can Sway Voters Angry Over Health Costs
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
Selma Blair’s former “DWTS” partner Sasha Farber says she’s ‘doing great’ after arrest
“We are family. She is literally my family,” he said.
Jeremiyah Love ruled out for Week 7
The Cardinals will be starting Tyler Algeier again in Week 7.
New report reveals staggering amount of money the Real Housewives set aside for their beauty budget
“I budgeted about $30,000 for glam.”
Constance Wu shares new details on “Crazy Rich Asians ”show, confirms she’s read script: ‘It’s really funny’
It’s finally happening!
What If We Only Had Weeks to Stop a Killer Asteroid? Our Best Bet Is Straight Out of Hollywood.
New simulations reveal the one option left when warning time runs out—and it’s nuclear.
Rams Get Long-Awaited Myles Garrett Injury Return Timeline
Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett is likely to return to practice from his knee injury before Week 8, per ESPN's Ian Rapoport. The post Rams Get Long-Awaited Myles Garrett Injury Return Timeline appeared first on LA Sports Report.
Ellen Burstyn slams “Exorcist” franchise continuing: ‘It’s enough already’
“Isn’t there enough already of the ‘Exorcist’ thing?”
Dover schools expand mental health support, plan healing forums
Dover City Schools plans to hold small-group forums for families as the district focuses on safety, support and long-term healing after what Superintendent Karie McCrate described as six weeks of "overwhelming loss."
Eagles opposing player to stop, Week 7 edition
Philadelphia’s defense must find a way to get to the Dallas quarterback.
Ethan Klein says “H3 Podcast” is on ‘indefinite hiatus’ amid allegations he cheated on wife Hila Klein
The “H3 Podcast” crew denounced Ethan and shared they would no longer be working with him.
Panthers Rookie Could Play Major Role vs Buccaneers This Week
The Carolina Panthers may be relying on an unexpected player this week.
This week in health care policy: October 16–23, 2026
Medical innovation FDA approves several innovative treatments. Last week, the FDA granted accelerated approval to GSK’s Jemperli for certain untreated cancers with a specific DNA defect. The treatment will eliminate the need for costly alternative treatments such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, which are known to cause lasting health problems. The FDA also approved GSK’s […]
Experts Going Against Panthers to Defeat Buccaneers in Week 7
Multiple experts are doubting the Panthers heading into Week 7.
Sierra Canyon’s (CA) Jaxson Davis voted USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Playmaker of the Week
Jaxoson Davis was all over the field in Sierra Canyon's win over Chaminade. That earned him Super 25 Playmaker of the Week honors.
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Fall colors
Follow along with all the action this weekend.
“The View” cancels fan-favorite cohost Halloween costumes for 3rd consecutive year
The show’s panelists previously wore elaborate costumes on the air, ranging from full-body “Avatar” makeup to Carl from “Up!”
Raiders entering a critical 2-game swing
Las Vegas has big opportunity in next 2 weeks
Your Weekly Michigan Political Brief
End Citizens United has endorsed Democratic challenger Callie Barr for Michigan’s 1st Congressional District. William Lawrence, Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, has been endorsed by the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union and the Black Economic Alliance. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has formally endorsed state Senator Chedrick Greene (D-Saginaw) in the […]
“MobLand” star Mandeep Dhillon teases the ‘mess’ still to come in season 2: ‘God, it’s chaotic’
The actress breaks down Seraphina’s big pitch in the latest episode.
David Montgomery out again
Houston Texans RB David Montgomery (groin) has been ruled out for Week 7.
Brandi Glanville is ‘taking my face off’ to undergo ‘power wash’ under her skin, as health battle continues
The former Bravo star has been chronicling her facial disfigurement since 2023.
Another week, another embarrassing fan-player incident. College football appears to have a problem
INDYCAR Announces Phase Two of 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule
New Marquee Race Weekend in Barcelona Highlights Action-Packed Summer, Furthers Series Momentum INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Oct. 23, 2026) – Following the histor...
Check out a batch of sexy new “Rocky Horror Show” cast photos giving absolute pleasure
Don’t get strung out by the way they look.
'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Remains Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Oct. 23
Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day remained No. 1 for a second week on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.K. home entertainment sales chart, through Oct. 23. The movie currently tops the 2026 global box office with $2.51 billion in ticket sales. At No. 2 was Warner’s Practical Magic 2, which made its retail debut. … Continue reading "‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Remains Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Oct. 23"
'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Remains Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Oct. 23
Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day remained No. 1 for a second week on the Official Film Chart, the weekly U.K. home entertainment sales chart, through Oct. 23. The movie currently tops the 2026 global box office with $2.51 billion in ticket sales. At No. 2 was the retail debut of Warner’s Practical Magic 2, the … Continue reading "‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Remains Atop Weekly U.K. Home Entertainment Sales Chart Through Oct. 23"
Why Chloe Troast was relieved to be fired from “SNL”
The comedian and actress said she was thankful for the support that she received from her fellow cast members and the show’s writers after being cut.
'This has no place for partisan politics' say Camp Lejeune contamination victim advocates
At a Greenville rally this week, President Donald Trump said he will order swift settlement of remaining claims only if Republicans hold Congress.
PSG v Lyon moved as Paris prepares for more protests
Paris St-Germain's Ligue 1 match against Lyon at the Parc des Princes is pushed back 24 hours as the French capital prepares for another weekend of protests.
Tejano star Michael Salgado announces return to stage following stroke
The “Cruz de Madera” singer, who fell ill onstage on Oct. 9, will play three shows in the coming week, including one in San Antonio.
Arsenal fear Saka could be out for two months
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka could be sidelined for up to eight weeks with the quadriceps injury he suffered against Bayern Munich.
Poll: Low-information voters have turned hardest against Trump and the GOP
In 2024, the voters who knew the least about politics were some of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. A Data for Progress poll released just before the election found Americans who didn’t consume any news at all said they’d vote for Trump over Kamala Harris by a 20-point margin, 60%1 to 40%. In February, we reported that many of these voters had soured on Trump. Voters who couldn’t name the party in control of Congress moved away from Trump at about twice the rate as high-information voters. But approval isn’t vote choice. With the midterms less than two weeks away, it is worth asking if these voters are turning against the president’s party in federal elections, too. In our October Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll, conducted Oct. 13–19 among 2,028 U.S. adults, we asked respondents two factual questions about politics: which party has the most members in the House, and which has the most members in the Senate. I classified anyone who got at least one of these questions wrong as “low-knowledge.” About 30% of adults miss at least one question, including 25% of 2024 Trump voters, 22% of Harris voters, and more than half of people who didn’t vote in 2024. In this article, I do two things with this data. First, I repeat my February analysis and compare how these two groups feel about Trump’s job as president; then I look at each group’s voting behavior in the upcoming House midterms. Register for free to read the rest of this piece.
Bravo casts controversial “Big Brother ”star Aaryn Williams on Texas-based reality show
The former “Big Brother” star, otherwise known as Aaryn Gries, appeared on season 15 of the CBS series.
Next Week on XBOX: New Games for October 26 to 30
Next Week on XBOX: The Séance of Blake Manor, Mouthwashing, The Wolf Among Us Remastered, and more coming soon!
“Jerry Maguire ”child“ ”star Jonathan Lipnicki says career comments were ‘taken out of context’: ‘It bugged me a bit’
“I’ve never felt sorry for myself,” says the “Primetime” actor.
'We're Victims of Xbox's Change in Strategy': Dishonored Dev Has Weeks to Save Itself
Blames Microsoft for "incoherent" decision making
Meghan Markle reacts to ‘sickening’ child pornography allegations against father: ‘I am deeply distressed’
She called the claims “troubling and disturbing.”
Bill Murray pokes his head into stranger’s empty car while teasing his new golf show: ‘Get a load of this’
The eccentric actor lives up to his reputation during a delightful chat.
Joe Amabile plans to run the NYC marathon 3 months after brain surgery
The Bachelor Nation star says he “wanted to focus on something positive.”
Pope hope, that’s entertainment, and getting ahead in the CIA
Happy Friday friends, I want to start by just breathing for all of us a big long collective sigh of relief at the news this week that the pope’s doctors have basically blown the all clear for Leo’s health. Going from knowing nothing to him declaring to the world he needed surgery, to a cancer diagnosis, to bouncing out of the hospital in barely even days, to ringing the bell in less than two weeks is whiplash inducing. But in the best possible way. We are living in a world in which the Roman pontiff, by dint of history, biography and circumstance, is once more at the epicenter of global affairs. Not just conversations about religion, or Christian and post-Christian values, but the bleeding edge of the most pressing issues of human affairs. Think I am exaggerating a touch? Consider the images of the crowds who greeted Leo in Paris just weeks ago, and juxtapose them with the absolute photo negative scenes unfolding there recently. Ask yourself how many world leaders are talking about AI right now and directly citing the pope as they do so. Try to name a country who has had as many top-ranked diplomats in and out of both Russia and Ukraine in the last three years as the Vatican has in the last three months. It has been fascinating to watch Leo XIV emerge as not just a kind of pop culture reference point or totem to be cited (Francis was often name-checked this way) but as a kinetic force in global conversation. Given the state of things, we need global figures of gravitas and values, even better if they have real wisdom behind what they are saying. So news of Leo’s illness was, it seemed to me, a tremor with potentially Richter Scale implications. That not only has the worst not come to pass but instead we’ve had the best of outcomes announced is something to really be grateful for. Humanity, it seems to me, is entering one of its irregular but cyclical phases where the pace of change — technological, social, and geopolitical — outstrips the ability of previously settled norms and received wisdom to cope. Such periods – and I think the first decades of the last century were a similar such time – throw into question the viability of all kinds of institutions. And many of ours have been straining to breaking point for a few years now. The papacy has the power and the potential to be a steadying pole in all of this. That’s my hope, anyway. It’s a lot to freight the office with, though it is arguably its ultimate purpose from its founding, to be a steadying rock on which all that matters can be anchored. It’s also, of course, an intolerable weight of responsibility to place on a single man. But I am encouraged to have hope in – and for – Leo. The apostle whom he succeeds, after all, was famously unequal to some moments, failed some tests of faith, and resiled from taking the road which led ultimately to the circus on Vatican hill. Human frailty and limitations, of health, of character, of temper, can open us to Christ, whose strength is greatest in our weakness, so St. Paul learned. That gives me hope, and I am sure it consoles Leo, too. And so I will continue to pray for him. Because we need apostles of rock right now. Here’s the news. Subscribe The News The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued yesterday a new document “Venite ad me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change.” It’s not a short document, and it is at pains to stress this isn’t a doctrinal note from the dicastery, either. Rather, it brings together reflections on an important issue from the Church around the world. Some of it I actually found really rather powerful. It is, however, 25,000, which is a lot for a busy reader to get through on a weekday. So, you can read our busy reader’s summary right here. — News broke yesterday of an Oct. 22 meeting of U.S. bishops with President Donald Trump. The meeting was organized by an official at the Heritage Foundation, according to several sources close to the meeting. Video of several U.S. bishops praying in the Oval Office over President Trump was posted on social media Thursday afternoon, first by White House Communications Advisor Margo Martin, and then by the official twitter.com account of the Archdiocese of Denver. The meeting has drawn sharp criticism because of its proximity to the upcoming midterm Congressional elections, in which Democrats are widely expected to win control of the House of Representatives, while control of the Senate remains closely contested. Sources close to the bishops’ conference told The Pillar that some USCCB senior officials were surprised by the existence of the meeting when video of it first emerged online. And a source close to conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City told The Pillar that the archbishop was “deeply frustrated” by the occasion of the meeting. An official conference spokesperson told The Pillar that the meeting was “not organized with or by the USCCB” and was “not affiliated with the conference.” You can read the whole story here. — The next National Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis in 2029, a return to the city that hosted the last gathering in 2024. You read it here first. By here, I don’t mean this newsletter, I mean at The Pillar. We broke the story this week. It’s a big deal, in as much as the last congress was a roaring success and the next installment has the potential to be a real focal point for evangelizing efforts in the coming years. Read all about it here. — As Pope Leo prepares for the longest trip of his pontificate, Church leaders in Uruguay say the pontiff will encounter a highly secularized culture, in a country with a very different Catholic history than many of its South American neighbors. The nation has not had a papal visit since 1988, and leaders who spoke with The Pillar say it has a dire need for evangelization, even amid the prospect of a small revival in faith. This is real reporting on the Church in the country, and frankly a story you simply are not going to be able to read anywhere else. Read the whole thing. — The Archdiocese of Detroit announced this week a plan that would see the vast majority of its parish priests reassigned next summer, amid a restructuring process expected to dramatically shrink the number of parishes in the archdiocese. Archbishop Edward Weisenburger said this week that the plan “asks much of our priests,” but is a “sacrifice they are making as brothers of one, unified presbyterate.” The thing is, as JD pointed out in an analysis yesterday, pastors of parishes have a legal right to stability in office, so the only way this kind of wholesale reassignment goes ahead is if all of the archdiocesan clergy agree to resign. That creates its own kind of legal issues, though, and re-raises longstanding questions about the effectiveness of canonical due process protections for priests when dealing with coercive exercises in authority. Read the whole thing here. — More than three months after the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its decree declaring the excommunication of the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X, questions remain about the full effects of the society’s schism. Specifically, the DDF’s July claim that marriages witnessed and confessions heard by SSPX priests are now invalid remains contested — and it emerged this week it appears that the Vatican’s own legal experts don’t agree. You can read my whole analysis of the situation and what it means here. All I would add is that the DDF’s undeveloped, some would say unsubstantiated, claim about the invalidity of some SSPX sacraments came in their July Explanatory Note on the schismatic consecrations by the society that month. It touches directly on both papal acts of governance — indeed it purports to nullify them — and the most intimate pastoral encounters possible in a parish setting. If there is one aspect of the Francis-era style of governance I would like the curia to finally cut out, root and branch, it would be these attempts to try to effect extraordinarily sensitive legislative acts via a note. — At least a dozen French bishops have spoken out following an eruption of violence on the country’s streets Oct. 17. Not surprisingly, they unanimously condemned the violence, but the length and content of their interventions varied significantly. Several sought to distinguish between the actions of rioters and what they suggested were the legitimate concerns of peaceful young protesters. Many also evoked Pope Leo XIV’s Sept. 25-28 visit to France, suggesting it offered a powerful counter-image to the scenes of looting and destruction. A number of bishops also stressed their solidarity with law enforcement officials who struggled to contain the disorder, as well as the owners of the roughly 3,000 damaged or looted businesses. What’s the background to the nationwide unrest that the French media calls “les violences du 17 octobre”? And what exactly are the bishops saying? Read all about it here. — A Polish bishop called for the firm defense of unborn children as well as compassion for their mothers this week, as the lower house of Poland’s parliament passed two bills seeking to liberalize the country’s abortion laws. The bill on decriminalizing assistance in an abortion passed by 217 votes to 213, while the abortion in cases of fetal abnormality bill passed by 233 to 203, thanks to the government’s majority in the lower house. Both bills will now move to the Polish Senate, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling coalition has a larger majority. The fetal abnormality bill is symbolically significant because if it became law, it would effectively overturn a 2020 ruling by Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal that a 1993 law permitting abortion for a severe and irreversible disability or a life-threatening incurable disease was unconstitutional. Read the whole story here. Subscribe **[The St. Paul Center App | Bible Study On-The-Go Read and understand the Bible with St. Paul Center’s new app! With today’s leading Catholic Scripture scholars as your guides, the St. Paul Center app empowers you to read the Bible](https://stpaulcenter.com/app?utm_source=pillar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=applaunch)** from the heart of the Church. Download the app for free at either the Apple or the Google app stores. https://stpaulcenter.com/app That’s entertainment I have written before about my deep and sincere reservations about the celebrity exorcist subculture which has taken root in American Catholicism. And, because I am very ill at ease with the entire thing, I try to keep a weather eye on the phenomenon without being drawn into the kind of online back-and-forth which these figures sometimes generate. Earlier this week, JD noted that one such celebrity exorcist type, Fr. Chad Ripperger, has undertaken, on the request of his bishop, a year’s fast from interviews and public speaking. I’m sure that will be salutary for him, if for no other reason than that receiving with docility requests from one’s rightful ecclesiastical superiors always comes with graces. Then a second thing happened this week which caught my eye. Apparently, another fixture in the celebrity exorcist world, Fr. Carlos Martins, has initiated a lawsuit against two lay men — apparently associates of Rippenger, though I am unclear in what way, exactly — for allegedly defaming him and his ministry on a podcast. It seems the suit was initiated nearly a year ago and is now pending. At issue, I read, is that the two men described Martins on a podcast as “not who he says he is” with regard to his exorcism ministry and that he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” These statements Martins considers to be false and defamatory and, his suit claims, “directly affected the sale and reception of [his] The Exorcist Files book that was newly released at the time these episodes aired.” I don’t want to get too into the weeds of the details here, but a couple of things struck me about all this.
There’s a Reason That Netflix’s Ad Business Has Underwhelmed
Somewhat lost in the company’s slew of firings and engagement warnings over the past few weeks was the fact that Netflix is scaling back its ad forecast for 2026 from $3 billion to $2.7 billion. That’s despite the fact that: CTV is growing by 14-15% this year This year saw a monster upfront Netflix is the biggest streamer out there this side of YouTube, and was the platform that for years brands were supposedly dying to be a part of In other words, that’s an alarming pull-back from Netflix. A Wall Street analyst I spoke with last week was blunt, calling Netflix’s ad business “disappointing.” To me, a red flag on the ad front is that Netflix has never revealed how many ad-supported subscribers it has. Because if I know anything about how big companies work, if they have a positive number that makes them look really good - they tend to share it. (How many subs does go90 have right now? We’re not saying just yet. How are ads going on ChatGPT? Oh, a billion run rate - I see). Yes, to date Netflix has shared some fuzzy ad numbers, such as the idea that the company’s ad tier ‘reaches’ 250 million users globally.’ Here’s why that figure gives me pause: a)they lead with global, and b) they don’t explain how they are calculated. (Are they based on average people in each room? Surveys of some kind?). Regardless, some insiders say that Netflix’s ad tier is scaling nicely - others not so much. Either way, one of Netflix’s biggest challenge on the ad front appears to have been its starting point. Remember, when Netflix launched ads in 2022, it had 73 million subs in the US and Canada. That’s 73 million people who were used to Netflix with zero ads. And when the ad product rolled out, the company clearly was going after new users - a limited pool of potential subscribers by default. That focus seems to have changed over time, as Netflix has tried to convert longtime subscribers to the ad tier. Historically Netflix subscribers are very sticky. But is the company’s low churn a problem? Not necessarily, according to Antenna data. Rather, Netflix’s consumer loyalty is a bit of a double-edged sword. “Netflix is the one streamer which actually has seen substantial “trade downs” but has much lower ‘win backs,’ said Antenna founder Jonathan Carson (win-backs being people who were on the ad-free plan, cancelled, then rejoined on the ad plan). “Netflix has lower churn and so has less opportunity to win back old subs with a lower cost plan option.” This all might explain why Netflix has been so slow to roll out all of these table stakes targeting options until just this week. It likely didn’t have enough users to carve up into various targets. etc. However, what really hit Netflix’s ad business was Amazon’s move a few years ago to turn on advertising for Prime Video by default. Suddenly the market was awash in premium inventory, and Netflix was playing catch-up on multiple fronts. Thus, the streaming giant appears to still be figuring out if if wants lead in ‘programmatic TV,’ or premium ‘upfront’ TV sales. “The CTV market now sorts into three businesses, and Netflix is not the leader of any of them,” wrote analyst Jack Myers. Ouch. So how does Netflix ratchet up its ads business? Get the next NFL package You’re gonna have to wait until 2030 unless one of the bigger media companies like Skydance opts out, but the easiest (not cheapest) way for Netflix to become a huge TV ads contender is to get one of the regular NFL packages, ideally Sunday afternoons. That way it can sell ads to its whole U.S. subs base overnight. Go FAST This one is risky, because to program a compelling FAST channel, you’d likely have to take some older Netflix exclusive shows and make them available for free to non-subscribers. But FASTs, for better or worse, are ad-inventory machines. Go full UGC I’m not sure I see this happening. There is something already off about Netflix carrying podcasts and shows for creators. The experience sticks out in what is such a produced, and generally non-communal environment. But Netflix could open up its platform by allowing creators to upload videos without having to be approved by the service. But that opens a whole other can of worms (policing brand safety, copyright infringement, overall quality). Make a huge RMN Deal I was going to suggest something crazy, such as ‘instead of buying Warner Brothers, Netflix should buy Target. But the company doesn’t want to be in the brick and mortar business. Yet for Netflix’s ad business to compete in an Amazon world, it needs to be able to connect ad exposures to shopping. What if, instead of letting Amazon target Netflix viewers with its DSP, Netflix inked a deal with Target, or even took control of Roundel, and created its version of the Amazon full-funnel for brands? Price us out. I hope they don’t do this, but Netflix’s price increases - while significant - haven’t been enough to push long-term customers out of the ad-free tier. But if they made those prices so prohibitive, it could push large swaths of consumers to trade down. Then again, that could also dent engagement - as binging becomes much less appealing once you bring ads into the equation. Or, they could just launch a bunch of hit shows and maybe everyone will quickly forget all this angst. More from Amazon unBoxed A few weeks ago, I recorded two podcasts live at Amazon’s unBoxed event in San Francisco. I was able to go really deep with several brand partners about how Amazon’s various data and ad products work - particularly the under appreciated Amazon Marketing Cloud. First, I talked with Laura Abadias Velilla, of the Amazon specialty agency Amerge, along with Amazon’s own Charlotte Maines, Vice President, Devices Content & Advertising, about how the two partners helped a very specific printer company Epson launch into a brand new category - high end projectors. It’s a great example of how brands connect audience data across platforms to make budget deployment decisions. Next, I chatted with Monks VP Head of Digital Investment for North America Tom Burchill about how the agency actually brought in data from Linkedin to help target B2B customers across various Amazon properties for the brand Quicken. Check it out: Check these out, or just listen: