Day Packet

Actor | The Paparazzi Game
It is amazing how the foreign born A list actor and his "girlfriend" always seem to be in the same location as the paps. It really screams just don't ask me about my best friend vibes.
(Source)

Spiritual Leader | Dark Secrets of Compassion
The longtime personal secretary and close family member of one of the most globally admired spiritual leaders—someone often praised for his message of compassion—has been hiding a dark truth. This high-ranking figure subjected his wife to years of abuse, manipulation, and humiliation. His inappropriate relationships with multiple women in the spiritual government's offices were an open secret, yet no action was taken. The spiritual leader and his minders have known for years.
(Source)

Singer | Ready for Takeoff
This former A list singer who is a serial abuser/rapist has a private jet on standby waiting for him should he be granted bail.
(Source)

"Ballerina" (Action) exploits shared-universe fatigue — a spent-shell casing spin-off. Starring Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves & director Len Wiseman. (en.wikipedia.org) "The Phoenician Scheme" (Crime) gambles on star wattage — a velvet-rope heist. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks & director Wes Anderson. (filmcrave.com) "Dangerous Animals" (Horror) exploits creature-feature nostalgia — a shark-tank throwback. Starring Florence Pugh and director James Wan.

Last Weekend: 1. Lilo & Stitch ($182.7M), 2. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning ($79M), 3. Karate Kid: Legends ($45M)

🤖 AI Reshapes the News Business

The New York Times is licensing its journalism to Amazon for AI training while Business Insider lays off 21% of staff, explicitly citing an "AI-first" future amid traffic declines. It's the perfect snapshot of legacy media's split personality: monetizing content for the machines while cutting the humans who create it.

📺 Streaming Wars Meet Reality TV

Disney is doubling down on subscriber perks across Disney+ and Hulu, while MSNBC pivots to podcasts as cable viewership craters. Even iHeartMedia's CEO is throwing shade, boasting that radio has more listeners than it did a decade ago — "TV certainly can't say that."

📰 Politics Drives Eyeballs and Ambitions

Wired added 62,500 subscribers in two weeks thanks to politics coverage, while Bari Weiss wants the Free Press to become "the next News Corp" (though she's dealing with high-profile staff departures). Meanwhile, news influencers are flocking to Bluesky, especially left-leaning ones, as Twitter's media ecosystem continues to fragment.

⚖️ Legal Battles and Content Wars

Trump's lawyers claim CBS News caused him "mental anguish" with a 60 Minutes edit, while The Economist faces a cover ban in Vietnam for featuring the country's leader. Cable companies are literally pulling the plug on each other too — Charter and Altice's spat is cutting NY1 access for thousands of New York households.

Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russian military bases

• Destroys over 40 Russian Air Force aircraft in overnight strikes
• Prompts heightened alert status across Russian military installations

Why it matters: Could escalate regional tensions and prompt retaliatory actions.

Morgan Wallen nukes the charts with "What I Want" debuting at #1 on Billboard Hot 100. His working-class anthems sparked 1.2M TikTok stitches last week, proving country's complete algorithm takeover.

Southern hip-hop and Latin pop now claim 60% of Spotify Viral 50, while K-pop stalls at just 2 entries. Regional breakout Alex Warren's "Ordinary" (-2 Billboard) dominates coastal streaming with beach-ready production.

Divorce anthems surge post-Coppola split, led by Tate McRae's vengeful hook on "What I Want". The 'messy revenge challenge' drives 850K TikTok creates, proving emotional catharsis still fuels virality.

In the upcoming week, the Senate will review the Department of Education's FY26 budget amid funding debates, consider USTR nominee Joseph Barloon addressing trade policy, and examine "District Judges v. Trump" on judicial authority. The House will debate H.R.1 ("One Big Beautiful Bill") targeting regulatory reform and probe "Elite Universities Cartel" hearing on antitrust in higher education.