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Ancient asteroid craters may have sparked Earth’s oxygen-producing life
A hidden crater in South Korea may hold clues to one of the biggest turning points in Earth’s history: the rise of oxygen. Scientists discovered fossil-like stromatolites — layered structures built by ancient microbes — inside the Hapcheon impact crater, suggesting that asteroid strikes may have created warm, mineral-rich lakes where early oxygen-producing life could flourish.
GOP immigration enforcement bill stalls amid backlash to $1.8 billion 'anti-weaponization' fund
Senate Republicans abruptly left Washington on Thursday without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies, frustrated with the White House and at an impasse over whether to try to block a new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they have been politically prosecuted.
Maserati Has No Business Outsourcing to China
As China becomes the auto industry’s main innovation center, global carmakers wanting the most advanced technology should be embracing its supply chains. But there is an exception: heritage brands. Doing so could dilute the very identity that makes them valuable.
Philadelphia sports industry insiders hope summer festivities will translate into new opportunities
Five panelists spoke at WHYY on Thursday, exploring the opportunities and challenges the city faces as America’s 250 celebrations include a packed sports schedule in Philly.
Korean Content Leaders Take Stock After a Decade of Growth and Look to Future: ‘Korean Entertainment is Everywhere’
The world of Korean entertainment has come a long way since “Gangnum Style” set dancers galloping around the world nearly 15 years ago. Korean content industry leaders on both sides of the Pacific gat...
Bellingham business owners air frustrations over ailing downtown economy
Mayor Lund's neighborhood meeting hears pleas for help getting foot traffic back
CEO of NIL enforcement reminds schools: These are your rules
Bryan Seeley, the CEO of the 11-month-old College Sports Commission, has a simple reminder to schools frustrated by NIL: These are the rules you wrote.
Expanding environmental aspects of your business
When discussing the natural environment in today’s maritime industry, I find a great deal of contention and difference of opinion. Varying points of view and motivations shape how much or how li
Trump postpones signing AI order out of concern it would hurt industry
The push for government action to vet the most powerful AI systems follows growing concern within the banking industry and other institutions
Read the DNC's full post-election autopsy for the 2024 campaign
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released a critical study of the party's performance in the 2024 campaign on Thursday, bowing to intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives who had publicly demanded the release of the post-election autopsy.
Clemson Livestock Poultry Health Names Catherine Harris Deputy State Veterinarian
Harris said the unit’s unique organizational structure, which includes its adjacency to Cooperative Extension, the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, and the Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine, was a major draw and provides opportunity for collaborations that will benefit the state’s animal agriculture industry.
Facing intense internal pressure, DNC releases post-election autopsy
NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released a critical study of the party’s performance in the 2024 campaign on Thursday, bowing to intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives who had publicly demanded the release of the post-election autopsy. The 192-page report, which was concluded last December and authored by Democratic […]
One Nation says it’s the only party in Australia to question climate science. It should ask itself why
Climate change denial has become untenable yet Hanson’s party digs in – with conspiracy theories, cherrypicking and claims that are easy to refute
Netflix Co-Founder Reed Hastings Says Entertainment Will Be 'Least Affected' As AI Fears Rise — 'We Like Human Conflict'
Artificial intelligence may be coming for many industries, but Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) co-founder and Executive Chair Reed Hastings sees entertainment differently. The industry could be more resistant t...
Gemini’s new usage limits are live, and users already seem frustrated about it
As a part of a massive slate of new AI announcements, Google this week also announced new compute-based usage limits...
America’s shoppers are seeking revenge again
Consumers have never hated an economy as much as this one, and they’re taking out their frustrations by doing what they do best.
49ers News: 16 more Thursdays until 49ers-Rams in Australia
Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, May 21st, 2026
MacBook Pro OLED Display Production Clears Key Hurdle
Apple's first OLED MacBook Pro models have cleared a major manufacturing hurdle, with panel supplier Samsung Display having reportedly achieved yields above 90 percent on its Gen 8.6 OLED production line. According to Korean publication The Elec, some individual process stages are now reaching yields as high as 95 percent, a level that the display industry considers "golden yield" territory for stable mass production.
A Look At Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Valuation As Trading Stays Choppy And Discount Signals Persist
Why Caesars Entertainment (CZR) is on investors’ radar Caesars Entertainment (CZR) has been drawing attention after recent trading left the stock with a market value of about US$5.6b and a last close of US$27.55, prompting closer scrutiny of its fundamentals. See our latest analysis for Caesars Entertainment. Recent trading has been choppy, with a 25.86% 90 day share price return and a 16.94% year to date share price return contrasting with a 1 year total shareholder return that is slightly...
Iran rebuilding military industrial base faster than expected, already producing drones, according to US intel
Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, one sign it is rapidly rebuilding certain military capabilities degraded by US-Israeli strikes, according to two sources familiar with US intelligence assessments. Four sources told CNN that US intelligence indicates Iran’s military is reconstituting much faster than initially estimated.
Senate panel hears testimony on online sports betting, prediction markets
Senate lawmakers grilled sports betting industry officials during a hearing focused on recent cheating scandals, companies' marketing tactics and regulatory battles.
Opinion | A Teochew hit film shows what’s ailing Chinese entertainment
A new box-office surprise is a warning to the industry that visually stunning fare featuring ‘traffic stars’ is not good enough.
Winners of the 2026 Sports Business Awards
The winners of Sports Business Journal's 2026 Sports Business Awards in NYC feature some of the most important people, companies and teams in sports on the industry's biggest night.
Winners of the 2026 Sports Business Awards
The winners of Sports Business Journal's 2026 Sports Business Awards in NYC feature some of the most important people, companies and teams in sports on the industry's biggest night.
Physicists finally solve the strange mystery of “breathing” lasers
Scientists have finally figured out how mysterious “breather” laser pulses work, solving a puzzle that has frustrated laser physicists for years. These unusual ultrafast lasers produce light pulses that rhythmically grow and shrink instead of staying steady, almost like they’re breathing.
Business - Stellantis - Dongfeng Joint Venture will see Chinese maker's EVs built in France
Bo French talks more about DEI than oil and gas. But he could soon regulate the industry in Texas.
The battle for the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulator, is underway. Incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright is running for a second second term against Bo French, former chair of the Tarrant County GOP.
Executives Want Boards to Focus More on Politics, AI Integration
Corporate executives highlighted a few asks of their boards in a new survey: focus more on the country’s political environment, incorporate AI, and link their pay to non-financial metrics.
I spent $350 designing my dream work bag. It became a business.
Iluka Cindi Greentree turned frustration over impractical work bags into a growing business after designing her own tote.
Xbox hires game industry analyst Matthew Ball to lead strategy
The second major Xbox leadership changes this month.
Xbox expands leadership team with major hires
Xbox has added two big names to its leadership team: Matthew Ball and Scott Van Vliet. The new recruits are part of an on-going drive from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to move faster, build better products, and make more focused business decisions. The Game Business can reveal that Ball is joining as Chief Strategy Officer. He is a popular industry analyst who is responsible for the annual The State of Video Gaming report, which is widely read across the business. His first job will be to strengthen the console side of Xbox, which is facing significant pressures, not least from the rising costs of memory and storage. In an interview with The Game Business earlier in the year, he admitted he was “pretty frightened” by the situation for the console sector. Ball had previously worked as head of strategy and planning for Amazon Studios, and wrote the 2022 international best-seller The Metaverse. He is currently CEO of Epyllion, a venture partner at investment group Makers Fund and senior advisor at KKR & Co. Meanwhile, Scott Van Vliet joins as Chief Technology Officer. He was previously in charge of Azure OpenAI and AI Core infrastructure at Microsoft, and he also led engineering for Microsoft Teams during the COVID 19 pandemic. But he has a games background. He previously worked across games for Amazon, including Alexa, Amazon Game Studios and the Amazon App Store. He directly worked on the Minecraft: Fire TV Edition. Prior to that, he was VP of Digital Play at Mattel, and worked across brands such as Batman, Barbie, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Cut The Rope. His job will be to improve how Xbox builds products so teams can move faster and deliver stronger results. For more breaking stories, sign-up to The Game Business today Subscribe In addition to these new hires, Xbox has promoted Chris Schnakenberg to Corporate Vice President, Partnerships & Business Development. He was previously VP of partnerships and business development, and joined from Activision Blizzard, where he spent 12 years in various strategy, business development and partner relations role. His focus is on third-party games, publishers and developers working with Xbox. The news follows a number of new hires and promotions earlier in the month, including Jason Ronald taking leadership over Xbox’s upcoming Project Helix console. “These changes are about strengthening our foundation by creating more clarity and improving execution,” Sharma said in an email to staff. “As we head toward Showcase and beyond, we’ll continue making the changes needed to position XBOX for the future.” Matthew Ball is speaking with Christopher Dring at The Game Business Live on Monday, June 8. More details on the event can be found here.
Xbox expands leadership team with major hires
Xbox has added two big names to its leadership team: Matthew Ball and Scott Van Vliet. The new recruits are part of an on-going drive from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to move faster, build better products, and make more focused business decisions. The Game Business can reveal that Ball is joining as Chief Strategy Officer. He is a popular industry analyst who is responsible for the annual The State of Video Gaming report, which is widely read across the business. His first job will be to strengthen the console side of Xbox, which is facing significant pressures, not least from the rising costs of memory and storage. In an interview with The Game Business earlier in the year, he admitted he was “pretty frightened” by the situation for the console sector. Ball had previously worked as head of strategy and planning for Amazon Studios, and wrote the 2022 international best-seller The Metaverse. He is currently CEO of Epyllion, a venture partner at investment group Makers Fund and senior advisor at KKR & Co. Meanwhile, Scott Van Vliet joins as Chief Technology Officer. He was previously in charge of Azure OpenAI and AI Core infrastructure at Microsoft, and he also led engineering for Microsoft Teams during the COVID 19 pandemic. But he has a games background. He previously worked across games for Amazon, including Alexa, Amazon Game Studios and the Amazon App Store. He directly worked on the Minecraft: Fire TV Edition. Prior to that, he was VP of Digital Play at Mattel, and worked across brands such as Batman, Barbie, Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Cut The Rope. His job will be to improve how Xbox builds products so teams can move faster and deliver stronger results. For more breaking stories, sign-up to The Game Business today Subscribe In addition to these new hires, Xbox has promoted Chris Schnakenberg to Corporate Vice President, Partnerships & Business Development. He was previously VP of partnerships and business development, and joined from Activision Blizzard, where he spent 12 years in various strategy, business development and partner relations role. His focus is on third-party games, publishers and developers working with Xbox. The news follows a number of new hires and promotions earlier in the month, including Jason Ronald taking leadership over Xbox’s upcoming Project Helix console. “These changes are about strengthening our foundation by creating more clarity and improving execution,” Sharma said in an email to staff. “As we head toward Showcase and beyond, we’ll continue making the changes needed to position XBOX for the future.” Matthew Ball is speaking with Christopher Dring at The Game Business Live on Monday, June 8. More details on the event can be found here.
Could the Museum of Science and Industry offer permanent free admission?
Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry could return to being a free museum for everyone.
Cornell CAT convenes researchers, industry to accelerate life sciences innovation
At a daylong event designed to promote academic-industry collaboration, Cornell’s Center for Advanced Technology in Life Science Enterprise cast itself as both a funder of early-stage research and catalyst accelerating connections that move discoveries foward.
Barney Frank, liberal icon who regulated a ‘too big’ financial industry, dies at 86
Former Democratic Rep. Barney Frank, who represented Massachusetts in Congress for decades, has died. He was 86.
Industry Experts Testify on Rise of Sports Betting & Prediction Markets
A Senate Commerce subcommittee holds a hearing on the expansion of sports betting and prediction markets.
News industry scion James Murdoch buys New York magazine and Vox
Other Vox titles, including Eater, Popsugar, SB Nation, the Dodo, and the Verge, are not included in the transaction. They will make up a second, independent company under a new name.
Quantum Innovation Meets Future of Environmental Science
Researchers from across academia, government and industry gathered at Stony Brook University for the Quantum Information Science for the Geosciences Workshop.
Blockskye, FCM, and KAYAK for Business Announce Global-First Partnership to Simplify Enterprise Business Travel
Three industry leaders – Blockskye, FCM Travel, and KAYAK for Business – today announced a first-of-its-kind global partnership designed to eliminate the trade-offs enterprise buyers have long faced between user experience, data-and-payment friction, and global service reach.
Hollywood’s new political agenda: Save Hollywood
Long a force in presidential politics, the industry is entering the midterms with a more urgent and self-interested agenda.
EPA is sidelining its independent chemical referee – and that endangers public health
The move reshapes how future assessments of chemical dangers will be carried out, and if they’ll be ignored, delayed or understated to benefit industry.
West Texas A&M Partners with PlayFly Sports on Sponsorship and Ticketing
West Texas A&M today announced a five-year partnership with Playfly Sports, the sports industry's leading revenue maximization company for its ticketing and sponsorship sales across all sports.
Scientists discover massive natural hydrogen source beneath Canada
Scientists in Canada have discovered that ancient underground rocks are naturally producing hydrogen gas — and lots of it. Measurements from mine boreholes in Ontario show the gas can flow continuously for years, offering a potential new source of clean energy called “white hydrogen.” Researchers say this hidden resource could help power industries and remote communities while cutting carbon emissions and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
A Roanoke Ministry says it’s Helping the Unhoused. Business Owners say Downtown is Paying the Price
After Roanoke upheld zoning violations against The Least of These Ministry, supporters, business owners and unhoused residents offered sharply different visions for what downtown should become. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 2:05 AM EST May 20, 2026 Edited: 2:07 AM EST May 20, 2026 Tears, frustration,
Cornyn-Paxton Runoff Lures Lobbyist Money, Business Endorsements
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is missing support from President Donald Trump, but he has the backing of some of the nation’s biggest lobbying groups in his runoff against Ken Paxton.
Senators think they hold the key to a college athletics bill demanded by Trump
The Senate’s key negotiators are talking daily on how to clinch a deal to help regulate a beleaguered, multibillion-dollar industry.
A Look At Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) Valuation After Abu Dhabi Sphere Expansion On Yas Island
Sphere Entertainment (SPHR) is back in focus after Abu Dhabi selected Yas Island as the site for Sphere Abu Dhabi, a US$1.7b immersive venue that marks the company’s first international expansion. See our latest analysis for Sphere Entertainment. At a share price of US$135.33, the stock has eased slightly over the past day and month, yet a 17.43% 90 day share price return and very large 1 year total shareholder return suggest momentum has been building rather than fading. If Sphere’s...
Embracer Group announces its intention to spin off Fellowship Entertainment on Nasdaq Stockholm
INSIDE INFORMATION: The Board of Directors of Embracer Group AB (“Embracer Group”) today announces the intention to separate the group into two publicly listed companies, through the spin-off of Fellowship Entertainment with a listing on Nasdaq Stockholm planned for calendar year 2027. The main rat…
Big Ten explores self-governance as College Sports Commission sputters, Congress action stalls
As frustration grows with stalled federal action and a shaky NIL enforcement system, Big Ten leaders are exploring a future where the conference sets and polices its own rules
Two Whales Just Broke a Migration Record Scientists Didn't Expect
"Challenges what we thought we knew."
AI money floods Manhattan congressional race
A pro-industry super PAC has attacked Assemblyman Alex Bores, who passed state regulations on large AI models.
ROSEN Wins Business Innovation Award for NIPA at the Gas Industry Awards 2026
The ROSEN Group is proud to announce that its “Non-Intrusive Pipeline Assessment” (NIPA) service has been honored with the Business Innovation Award at the prestigious 2026 Gas Industry Awards. The awards ceremony, organized by the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers (IGEM) and the Energy & Utilities Alliance (EUA), took place on May 13, 2026, in London.
Scientists use DNA from poop to save the world’s rarest marsupial
Scientists in Australia are using cutting-edge DNA techniques to help save one of the world’s rarest marsupials — the critically endangered Gilbert’s potoroo, with fewer than 150 left in the wild. By analyzing tiny traces of DNA in the animals’ scat, researchers uncovered clues about the elusive fungi the potoroos depend on for survival. The findings could help conservationists identify safer new habitats and establish backup populations before disasters like bushfires wipe them out.
One of America’s oldest beer brands discontinued after 177 years in US
Schlitz Premium, the Milwaukee-born lager that once dominated the U.S. brewing industry, is being discontinued after more than 175 years.
OKC business owner frustrated by city’s response to growing homeless encampment
A local business owner in Oklahoma City is speaking out about safety concerns surrounding a growing homeless encampment nearby, which has led to multiple safety issues and a lack of response from the ...
The Truth About the Entertainment Industry and Israel
It’s hard not to enjoy seeing someone speak actual truth to actual power in the entertainment industry. So when the celebrated Hungarian filmmaker Laszlo Nemes was asked by the Guardian...
Sports Illustrated Resort set to break ground in Tuscaloosa
The SI Resort project is set to officially break ground May 27.a
Ukraine's defense industry has a battle-proven edge
Ukraine's homegrown weaponry has extensive use on the battlefield, which industry says has Western partners interested.
‘Foolish’ CSIRO job cuts will mean Australia unable to provide climate projections to global reports, scientists warn
Exclusive: Science agency is planning to sack a third of the team working on the national climate model, sources say
‘Many billionaires are not happy people’: Michelle Obama talks politics and going ‘a little low’ in first Australian event
Former first lady delivered veiled but sharp remarks on US politics during speaking tour that began in Melbourne
Fortnite Returns to the App Store Worldwide as Epic Signals 'Final Battle' With Apple
Fortnite is back on the App Store in every country except Australia, Epic Games announced today, as the company declared it is entering the "final battle" of its long-running legal dispute with Apple. Epic said the decision to push Fortnite back onto iOS globally was prompted by Apple's own words to the U.S.
In deep blue California, Dems find a villain toxic enough to rival Trump: The power company
Rising electricity prices have frustrated voters, creating a prime target for candidates.
Exclusive: Airbus targets 10% cost cuts over global uncertainty and supply snags
Europe's Airbus is telling thousands of staff to reduce spending by 10% as global uncertainty and supply chain problems continue to squeeze its core jetliner business, three industry sources said.
"We see this as the beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide" - Fortnite returns to the App Store globally as Epic prepares for "the final battle"
Epic gains the upper hand in its long-running battle with Apple over App Store costs. Fortnite returns to iOS worldwide (excl. Australia) as a result.
KPMG integrates Claude across its core business and workforce of more than 276,000 in strategic alliance
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
Neogenyx CEO talks plans for new RNG business with $400M investment
The new company spun off from Ameresco, which retains a majority stake. The fresh infusion of capital will allow a biogas developer with a long history in the industry to more aggressively pursue its project pipeline.
Fargo Theatre field trips are more than just entertainment for kids
Each year, Fargo's iconic theater brings history of the venue, the city and the entertainment industry to life for students.
MICC kicks off 2026 small business engagement, offers one-on-one sessions
The U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command kicks off its 2026 Advanced Planning Briefing for Industry May 18, bringing together contracting professionals, small business representatives and industry partners for a week long engagement focused on transparency, innovation and Army readiness. Hosted May 18-22 virtually by MICC’s Office of Small Business Programs, the 2026 APBI began with day one briefings from senior Army and MICC leaders, including MICC Commanding General Brig. Gen. Freddy Adams and MICC Deputy to the Commanding General Clay Cole. Attendees also heard from the Department of the Army Office of Small Business Programs, representatives from MICC’s Office of Small Business Programs and leaders from the 418th Contracting Support Brigade, 419th Contracting Support Brigade, the Field Directorate Office at Fort Eustis and the Field Directorate Office at Fort Sam Houston.
Globavend Welcomes Pictureworks CEO to Lead Its AI-Driven Entertainment Business
PERTH, Australia, May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN -- Globavend Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GVH) (“Globavend” or the “Company”), an emerging e-commerce logistics provider and digital entertainment company, today announced the appointment of Fuk Yan Tse, known as Sharon Tse (“Ms. Tse” or “Sharon”), as Chief Executive Officer of Loomi Group, the operating arm of the Company’s digital entertainment business. This newly created position follows the Company’s transformational move into the digi
Prep talk: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame pitcher Ainsley Jenkins knows who to call for writing help
Freshman Ainsley Jenkins is the daughter of former Sports Illustrated writer and Clippers executive Lee Jenkins.
Suda51 and Swery's Hotel Barcelona coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Switch
Hotel Barcelona is making the jump to Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch, Eden Industries and White Owls revealed today. Launch timing will be shared soon. Hotel Barcelona is a 2.5D action horror roguelite coming from Suda51 and Swery. When it hits Nintendo platforms, the game will come with the base game, the Under New Management overhaul, the Late Check-Out DLC,...
Fears of new China shock as EU industry’s reliance on imports grows
Rising volume of components imported from China prompts warning of cannibalisation of European industries
Australian medical college leader suspended from position over alleged health and safety breach
Dr Sharmila Chandran suspended until 20 September as Royal Australasian College of Physicians agrees to work with regulator to meet its obligations
The Toy Book | 2026 Licensing & Entertainment Issue
The Official Trade Publication for the North American Toy Industry presents The Licensing & Entertainment Issue, featuring The Licensing Book.
Dr. Roach: Man underestimates chewing tobacco's influence on his health
I'm frustrated and worried about his future.
Forging an Edge in Fashion and Sports E-Commerce
Last week, BoF and Amazon Fashion and Sports Europe gathered industry leaders for a panel event to unpack how brands can drive attention and conversion on- and off-screen through compelling digital experiences. Now, BoF shares insights from the discussion.
WATCH: A Spacecraft Is Launching to Study How Earth Survives Solar Storms
The first-ever X-ray observations of our planet's magnetic field.
What Flutter Entertainment (FLUT)'s Strong Q1, Leadership Shuffle and Buyback Completion Means For Shareholders
In early May 2026, Flutter Entertainment plc reported Q1 2026 revenue of US$4,304 million versus US$3,665 million a year earlier, alongside lower net income of US$218 million, refreshed full‑year revenue guidance, leadership changes at FanDuel and the international division, and completion of a US$1,241.88 million share buyback program. At the same time, stronger‑than‑anticipated Q1 operating performance, new FanDuel loyalty and product features, and a reconfigured management team sharpened...
How farmers reap benefits of historic meat science discoveries
Nebraska’s meat science department is celebrating its 100th birthday, and the impact of the program runs deep in the livestock industry.
Sports Illustrated deletes writer profile, clears out prediction market vertical, following AI plagiarism accusations
After a writer was accused of using AI to plagiarize a Sportico article about prediction market Kalshi, Sports Illustrated deleted the writer’s profile from its site and appears to have cleared out recent content from its prediction market vertical. On May 13, Dan Bernstein and Lev Akabas wrote on Sportico about how users have lost more than…
Georgia’s agribusiness industry depends on a thriving, fully funded public health system
In the fiscal year 2027 budget that Gov. Brian Kemp signed last week, less than one in every 10 state dollars spent on Georgia’s three primary health agencies is allocated to the Department of Public Health. The future of Georgia’s No. 1 industry relies on a state and local public health system that can track […]
Annapolis business owners, employees, residents frustrated over downtown parking issues
Whoa! Netflix is Sending Narnia Heading to Theaters...What This Means for the Future of Film
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Here’s a funny thing about the debate over whether streamers should release their movies in theaters first: Both sides think the other side represents the “conventional wisdom”. If you’ve been reading me for any amount of time, or even just scanned my front page, you know I think movies make more money by having a robust theatrical window compared to going straight-to-streaming. I’ve published thousands of words on this topic. And for years, I felt like I was standing up to a wave of opposition. See, while the “put your films in theaters to make money” take was obvious at any point before 2019, post-streaming revolution, most of the trendy thinkers took the opposite point of view. Big names argued that Netflix putting their film straight-to-streaming (“S-to-S” from here on out) actually made more money. Netflix was “disrupting” theaters, just as they disrupted Blockbuster Video, and since innovation is always good, this too was a great idea. This thinking then leaked into the mainstream business outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. I read many articles whose take boiled down to “Netflix makes tons of money from S-to-S releases” and “theaters were in structural decline” anyways. Covid-19 shutting down theaters and the 2023 strikes shutting down film production seemingly justified this point of view, as the box office struggled to return to 2017-2019 heights. Yet I’ve also read folks arguing the opposite point: the conventional wisdom says to put films in theaters! From some writers’ points of view, “everyone” actually agrees/agreed with my “send your films to theaters” take—especially the stodgy traditional studios—and folks still didn’t understand Netflix’s genius. I feel like, for the last two years, many people have argued this point as if it’s conventional wisdom. You know what? I may have been wrong. At this point, the “S-to-S strategy makes money” might be the minority viewpoint. Especially with the news this month that Netflix will put at least one film—Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film The Magician’s Nephew—in theaters in 2027 for a full 49-day run is big news. So that’s the story of the week, but I’ll also explain why they’re making this move now and why Netflix may not completely embrace theaters, along with other topics, like how I don’t buy Disney’s “super app” strategy, the latest good news out of the unions, my take on the latest attacks against free speech, and a whole lot more. Let’s get started. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Netflix Goes to Theaters! Listen, I promise not to victory lap too hard today. As I just wrote, I’ve argued against sending films straight-to-streaming for—checks calendar—eight years now. Since 2018. Yikes. That’s a long time. And for years, others painted my thinking as “conventional” in that I was standing up for the status quo against trendy, cool disruption. And that’s not cool! But math is math, and I never could make the S-to-S numbers work. The only thing that ever enabled that model was Wall Street’s brief exuberance for it. It seems like the heads of Netflix now agree with me. (There were always rumors that former head of film for Netflix Scott Stuber argued internally for theatrical releases as well.) As they announced: “The Magician’s Nephew_—the first film in a Narnia series of films—will open on 12-Feb-2027, with a 49 day theatrical exclusive run.”_ I’m a little surprised at how little coverage this big change actually got. Credit to Bloomberg for leading with it and Matt Belloni’s The Town for highlighting it with the provocatively titled podcast “Hell Hath Frozen Over”. But after that? Instead of getting as much coverage as, say, the FCC’s latest egregious crackdown on free speech, this news story got crickets. But it’s massively more important for the future business of entertainment. So let’s start with the obvious question… Why Put Your Movies in Theaters? So…why should Netflix put (some!) of their movies in theaters? Well, I’ve already written that in a very, very, very long article from 2022: [ ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) [ The Data Is In: Theatrical Films Massively Outperform Straight-To-Streaming Films ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) Entertainment Strategy Guy · April 5, 2023 [ Read full story ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) To summarize, theatrical runs make much more money, especially blockbusters, because they earn more money per viewing,1 and that helps boost home entertainment sales. Theatrical films also perform as well or better than the streaming-only films. Now, partially this is driven by increased marketing for said films, but said marketing ultimately boosts the awareness of the movies and drives improved streaming and library performance as well. Again, I’ve made this case after reviewing the economic models and streaming data for years. Just last week, Emily Horgan also made the case for kids films! Yes, it is probably conventional wisdom, but that’s also because it’s true! I’d also argue we’ve seen a lot of data in the various studios’ behavior. As I’ve noted before, the more a studio needs to make money, the likelier they are to put films in theaters. As such, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount and Sony all send their major films to theaters. Even if they once made a big S-to-S push (*cough* Disney *cough*), they’ve since relented and returned to theaters. The tech companies don’t need to make money, per se, so it took them years to embrace theaters. Apple doesn’t need to make money because it doesn’t disclose their (likely) Quibi-sized losses each year. (They fear bad press more than losing money.) Amazon announced two years ago that they planned to make Amazon-MGM Studios/Prime Video profitable on its own, and guess what? Now they’re putting films in theaters. That leaves Netflix. They’re in between the “no need to make money at all” and the “desperately need to make money to offset linear TV declines”, so they had less pressure to put some films in theaters. Plus, for years, they were the sexy disruptor, and Wall Street rewarded them for that. (Honestly, they still do.) Yet, even Netflix likely saw the money they were leaving on the table (I’ve estimated it at an easy billion dollars before) so they changed their course. I heard one pundit argue that, because Netflix already makes so much money, they don’t need to make more money, which sort of goes against everything I’ve ever learned about business and economics. Again, to be super-nuanced, sending “films to theaters” does not mean EVERY film. TV movies have been a thing for decades. Lifetime films, Hallmark holiday films, Disney Channel Original Movies, and so on, don’t need theatrical runs. But films above a certain budget level (say $25 to 50 million) almost certainly need theaters to maximize their revenue. The Scenarios (with a Dose of Skepticism) Now time for some skepticism: it won’t surprise me at all if Netflix re-changes course. Specifically, Netflix announced that their Narnia film will go to theaters. And I’d bet anything we see KPop Demon Hunters 2: The Huntering2 also goes to theaters, cause it’s the surest hit outside of a Disney animated sequel right now. But how much does Netflix truly commit to theaters? They’ve already tried to emphasize that this is a one-off move. I see three broad scenarios:
Meet ‘Snuffleupagus,’ a newfound fish sporting shaggy camouflage
Found near Australia, Solenostomus snuffleupagus is a shaggy swimmer that closely resembles Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street.
Amazon Alexa Plus Now Produces AI-Generated Podcast Episodes
The podcast industry suddenly has a big new player: Amazon's Alexa+ AI-powered voice assistant, which can now create extended 'podcasts' on any topic.
New MatterChat Model Helps AI to ‘See’ the Language of Science
From writing emails to generating computer code, much of the artificial intelligence prevalent in our daily lives has succeeded by mastering one domain: text. However, this leaves a major blind spot in the physical sciences, where models depend on the high-resolution, three-dimensional data of the physical world, like the intricate lattice of atoms in a crystal. Delivering on the promise of using AI for science requires teaching these data-driven text models to seamlessly “talk to” physics-based models. Now, a new AI framework from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), called MatterChat, solves this problem by creating a specialized “bridge.” It connects the conversational power of a Large Language Model (LLM) with a physics-based AI that models “interatomic potentials”: the complex physical forces between atoms. The resulting system already significantly outperforms general-purpose AI tools like GPT-4 at predicting material properties, and the team hopes it can accelerate scientific discovery by serving as a robust research partner that provides grounded insights and generates step-by-step instructions for synthesizing novel materials. A paper describing this work was recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence. “Traditional simulations can provide the physical rigor required for materials science, yet their computational cost remains prohibitive for high-throughput screening. Conversely, while LLMs excel at rapid knowledge synthesis, they inherently lack the ‘structural vision’ to interpret materials directly from their underlying atomic coordinates,” said Yingheng Tang, a postdoctoral researcher in Berkeley Lab’s Applied Math and Computational Research Division (AMCR) and lead author on the paper. “MatterChat was built to solve this dilemma, empowering LLMs with a structural ‘vision’ that allows researchers to leverage their full potential for solving complex, real-world materials challenges.” Empowering language models to solve complex challenges in materials science To build MatterChat, the Berkeley Lab team drew inspiration from technologies like Vision Question Answering (VQA) and Text-to-Image (T2I) generation. In these tasks, AI must translate high-level text concepts into visual images, or vice versa. Doing so requires developers to build tools that “bridge” two fundamentally different forms of data. The researchers adapted this concept to the physical sciences. With MatterChat, they created a “bridge model” that successfully connects an LLM’s general knowledge with the deep understanding of the atomic-scale world encoded in scientific interatomic potentials. Until now, researchers using LLMs to solve materials problems usually had to feed them raw data files as if they were just strings of text. It’s like asking an AI to understand a complex 3D engine based only on a parts list: the LLM can read the names, but it can’t “see” how the atoms fit together in space. MatterChat solves this by training a specialized AI bridge model, pre-trained on millions of crystal structures and an LLM, to align the LLM’s representation of the world with the interatomic potential’s representation of the world. The bridge model can translate physical insights into a format the LLM can actually understand. By giving the LLM these “scientific eyes”— a scientific “inductive bias” in the terminology of AI — the Berkeley Lab team has transformed it into a robust research tool capable of providing grounded scientific insights into complex materials challenges, such as predicting thermal stability or analyzing electronic band gaps. “We think of atoms as living in a physical space, but from a machine learning perspective, they are just vectors living in some very non-trivially structured manifold in a high-dimensional Euclidean space; and, of course, the same is true for the sentences and paragraphs that we use to express our ideas about those atoms,” said co-author Michael Mahoney, Berkeley Lab’s Scientific Data Division (SDD) AI Initiative Research Lead. “The bridge model basically gets those two structures to ‘talk with’ each other.” As a proof-of-concept of this general approach, the team trained their bridge model on a dataset curated by pairing nearly 143,000 stable atomic structures from the Materials Project with their corresponding physical properties. This training data was automatically assembled using the Materials Project’s API and deliberately enriched with properties fundamental to microelectronics design — like formation energy and bandgap — allowing MatterChat to learn the complex patterns connecting a material’s atomic blueprint to its functional performance. To validate their model, the researchers benchmarked MatterChat against a suite of other AI systems, from general-purpose LLMs to other specialized scientific AI methods. The results show that MatterChat consistently outperformed its competitors across a range of tasks. The model was more accurate in classifying material types and demonstrated superior precision in predicting numerical properties. For example, it excelled at predicting a material’s bandgap, a property critical for designing new electronics from high-capacity energy storage to next-generation computer chips. “Our design is significantly more efficient because we don’t have to build a massive AI model from the ground up,” said co-author Zhi (Jackie) Yao, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s AMCR. “Instead, we take two powerful, pre-trained models — a structural encoder for materials physics and an open-source LLM — and use them off-the-shelf. The only component we actually train is the lightweight ‘bridge model’ that translates between them. It’s the difference between building an entire car factory and simply designing a smart adapter that connects a world-class engine to a world-class navigation system. This approach is not only computationally efficient, but also makes the system modular, so we can easily upgrade components or adapt the bridge for other scientific domains in the future.” Crucially, this modular design highlights exactly how institutions like Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy are carving out a highly valuable niche in the booming AI landscape. Rather than competing with Silicon Valley tech giants to build ever-larger language models from scratch, the lab is focusing on the specialized connective tissue that makes commercial AI useful for hardcore science. Because the bridge model approach underlying MatterChat is forward-compatible, it is perfectly positioned to leverage these parallel tracks of innovation. As Mahoney pointed out, “We expect that industry will continue to develop improved LLMs, and we expect domain scientists and facilities will continue to generate new data. An important part of scientific machine learning is not simply to solve problems on today’s data, but instead to develop general methods that will be forward-compatible with orders of magnitude more data, whether from scientific domains or from LLMs.” According to Yao, the MatterChat project, which was initially developed and enhanced with funding from a Berkeley Lab Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) Program, will now expand its capabilities. In a collaboration with Fermilab, MatterChat is already contributing to a U.S. Department of Energy Genesis Mission project — called Accelerating eXtreme Environment Specs-to-Silicon (AXESS) — that aims to speed up the development of next-generation, high-speed, radiation-hardened detectors for challenging particle physics experiments by using advanced 3D integrated circuits (chiplets) and AI-driven data analysis. In addition to the LDRD support, the team also credits supercomputing resources at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), located at Berkeley Lab, with MatterChat’s success. “We are incredibly grateful to NERSC; this research simply would not have happened without access to the Perlmutter supercomputer through their AI for Science program,” said Tang. Wenbin Xu, a NERSC postdoctoral fellow at the time, was also a major co-author of the work, as was Benjamin Erichson, a research scientist in Berkeley Lab’s SDD, highlighting the benefits of AMCR-SDD collaboration on AI for science. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
Business News: Royal Pop Sales Resume After Launch Rush For Audemars Piguet X Swatch Collaboration Forced Store Closures
This weekend's Royal Pop launch ends in disappointment and frustration at more than a dozen Swatch boutiques globally.
Plan Baton Rouge III takes next step toward reality
A plan to reimagine the Mississippi riverfront in downtown Baton Rouge is headed to the Planning Commission for review Monday. Commissioned by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and developed by i… Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
A Look At AMC Entertainment (AMC) Valuation After Analyst Upgrade And Arena One Concert Launch
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) is back in focus after an analyst upgrade linked to improving box office conditions, along with management comments on a lower revenue bar for free cash flow breakeven and the new Arena One at AMC concert format. See our latest analysis for AMC Entertainment Holdings. At a share price of $1.28, AMC has seen pressure recently, with the 7 day share price return down 9.22% and the 30 day share price return down 31.18%, while the 1 year total shareholder return is...
Indianapolis Tabbed No. 3 Best Sports Business City by Sports Business Journal
CHARLOTTE – Sports Business Journal (SBJ) has named Indianapolis as the No. 3 Best Sports Business City in the United States, the organization announced on Monday. The Best Sports Business Cities™ list highlights the top 50 cities for businesses operating in and around sports and influences strategic direction for sports business professionals across the United States. Started in 2023, Best Sports Business Cities™ is an editorial initiative developed by Sports Business Journal, the industry’s leading news source on the business of sports. Using extensive data from dozens of sources and insights from nearly 120 influential sports business executives, SBJ evaluated more than 2,000 markets to identify the top cities based on opportunity, economic environment and industry sentiment to identify cities with strong business presence, hiring potential and long-term investment viability.
Indianapolis Tabbed No. 3 Best Sports Business City by Sports Business Journal
CHARLOTTE – Sports Business Journal (SBJ) has named Indianapolis as the No. 3 Best Sports Business City in the United States, the organization announced on Monday. The Best Sports Business Cities™ list highlights the top 50 cities for businesses operating in and around sports and influences strategic direction for sports business professionals across the United States. Started in 2023, Best Sports Business Cities™ is an editorial initiative developed by Sports Business Journal, the industry’s leading news source on the business of sports. Using extensive data from dozens of sources and insights from nearly 120 influential sports business executives, SBJ evaluated more than 2,000 markets to identify the top cities based on opportunity, economic environment and industry sentiment to identify cities with strong business presence, hiring potential and long-term investment viability.
The Subnautica 2 fish self-defence debate rages on, as the game’s non-violent themes clash with player desire to fend off underwater threats
Unknown Worlds has stayed true to its oceanic pacifism themes, while the realities of living with dangerous animals has some players frustrated.
‘Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers’: how Alfred Tennyson drew science into his poetry
Robert P Crease reviews The Boundless Deep: Young Tennyson, Science and the Crisis of Belief by Richard Holmes
Best Sports Business Cities: 2026
The data, the industry and even rival markets agree: Atlanta is No. 1
Kyowa Hakko highlights Cognizin citicoline’s science-backed cognitive health benefits
Kyowa Hakko USA is spotlighting citicoline’s benefits for cognitive performance and long-term brain health through multiple complementary mechanisms. The supplier will exhibit its citicoline ingredient Cognizin at this week’s Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) Innovation Day 2026 in Sydney, Australia (May 21). CMA Innovation Day is one of Australia’s annual industry gatherings for the nutraceuticals supply chain, showcasing the latest innovations shaping the market for vitamins, minerals, and supplements in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
River Pig Saloon owner speaks out after violent crimes outside business: 'Frustrates me, my staff, the neighborhood, everyone'
A Look At Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
What recent performance says about Live Nation Entertainment stock Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) has drawn fresh attention after a period of steady share price movement, with the stock up 7.9% over the past month and 6.7% over the past 3 months. For investors tracking momentum and business fundamentals, those returns sit alongside reported annual revenue of US$25.6b and a reported net loss of US$410.3m, highlighting a mix of scale and ongoing profitability challenges. See our latest...
Elliott builds big stake in life-science tools supplier Bio-Rad Labs, WSJ reports
Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has built a sizeable stake in U.S. diagnostics supplier Bio-Rad Laboratories NYSE:BIO, and plans to push the company to boost its underperforming stock price, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.Bio-Rad's shares have fallen more than 18% so fa…
Decoding chirality at the nanoscale with momentum-space polarimetry
Light: Science & Applications - Schematic illustration of Fourier-domain Mueller matrix polarimetry probing light-matter interactions in gammadion nanostructures, and enabling extraction of...
Peter G. Neumann, Who Warned of Computer Security Risks, Dies at 93
For decades, he criticized the industry’s lax attitudes toward both computer security and individual digital privacy. And he developed solutions.