January 3, 2026

January 2, 2026

OPEN THREAD: How’s your new year going so far?

Posted at 9:30 pm by Glenn Reynolds

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: Babylon Bee Editor Thanks Snopes for Debunking This Believable Story About Tim Walz’s $8 Billion Grant.

Flashback to Trump’s first term, when a “fact checking” Website was obsessed with a — deliberately — satiric one: The Babylon Bee Satirizes the Absurdities of American Politics. Snopes Doesn’t Seem to Get the Joke.

Posted at 9:14 pm by Ed Driscoll

THREAD:

UPDATE (From Ed): This must be part of the “backlog:”  Why? CBS Evening News Pushes Young Adults Pondering Climate Doom Before Having Kids.

Do CBS newsreaders not understand that we can find videos of their past scare campaigns, such as this classic from 1982, when Dan Rather handed his broadcast over to colleague who exclaimed with a straight face, “If these scientists are correct, about 25% of Florida would be flooded along with low-lying areas all over the world.” While I know that Gov. DeSantis has a lot to worry about, I’m pretty sure that isn’t at the top of his concerns in 2026:

CBS has been doing climate doomsdaying for well over half a century, since the first “Earth Day” in 1970. When do they get to the end of the backlog?

Posted at 8:30 pm by Glenn Reynolds

MOVIE THEATERS – THEY WERE FUN WHILE THEY LASTED: Netflix Reportedly Wants to Keep Movies in Theaters for Just 17 Days After It Buys Warner Bros.

In a report from Deadline on the Stranger Thing Season 5 finale, which made $25 million in theaters after it released at the same time theatrically as it did on Netflix, Hollywood was said to be worried about what the streamer considers to be “industry-standard windows” before movies are made available on its platform.

And then the bombshell:

Sources have told Deadline that Netflix have been proponents of a 17-day window which would steamroll the theatrical business, while circuits such as AMC believe the line needs to be held around 45 days.

It’s worth noting this isn’t confirmation that Netflix will settle on a 17-day window for Warner Bros. movies if and when its deal is approved. The theater companies may end up negotiating a lengthy window, perhaps somewhere between 45 days and the 17 days Netflix reportedly is a fan of. But what’s clear is that there will be a great deal of tension within Hollywood as this is all worked out, with Netflix’s priority — as you’d expect — bolstering streaming.

Earlier: The Year Hollywood Died.

Posted at 8:14 pm by Ed Driscoll

SOMEHOW I HAD MISSED THIS WHEN IT CAME OUT: How Police Let One of America’s Most Prolific Predators Get Away. The prosecutor who lost her job for pursuing a guy who was clearly being protected by the authorities is my former student, Kat Dahl. A very brave and determined woman who paid a serious professional price for trying to pursue justice.

Posted at 7:00 pm by Glenn Reynolds

ZOHRAN MAMDANI CANNOT FAIL, HE CAN ONLY BE FAILED:

Posted at 6:43 pm by Ed Driscoll