Top News:
Anna Nicolaou / Financial Times:
Sources: Spotify plans to raise US subscription prices in Q1 2026, its first US price rise since July 2024, after increasing prices in other countries this year — Increase will come as music-streaming company aims for continued profitability — Spotify is preparing to raise US subscription prices …
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
X exposing political accounts' location shows why trust and safety teams mattered: to combat coordinated inauthentic behavior, not “censorship” of viewpoints — from the it's-almost-as-if-there-are-some-bad- actors-online dept — For the last few years, Matt Taibbi …
Discussion:
The Atlantic, The Week, Implicator.ai, El País, @bostonjoan.bsky.social, @jasondovemark.bsky.social, Pixel Envy, @nxthompson, @carlquintanilla, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @cwarzel.bsky.social, @joshkraushaar, @anirvan@mastodon.social, @pwrussell.bsky.social, @watchdogprg.bsky.social, Mother Jones, @ndhapple.bsky.social, @ruthmichaelson.com, @annamerlan.bsky.social, @joshkraushaar, @brenttoderian, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Metro.co.uk, Inc, Mashable, Business Insider, israelhayom.com, Salon, Axios and Baller Alert, more at Techmeme »
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Amanda Meade / The Guardian:
Memo: Sydney Morning Herald Editor Bevan Shields resigns after four years to “focus on my health”, to be replaced by Chief Reporter Jordan Baker early in 2026 — Shields told SMH staff in an email that working in the role had been the honour of his life
Sarah Rumpf / Mediaite:
A Florida judge grants The Guardian's and others' motions to dismiss Trump Media's defamation lawsuit over reporting on a federal criminal investigation — A Florida judge granted motions to dismiss to The Guardian and other defendants in a defamation lawsuit filed by Truth Social's parent company …
Discussion:
12th Judicial Circuit Court, Florida, Alternet.org, @meiselasb, @hugolowell and @hugolowell
Mayumi Negishi / Bloomberg:
Japan's 2026 Oscar entry Kokuho grosses more than $111M, breaking the country's 22-year-old box office record for a domestic live-action film — Surprise hit Kokuho grossed more than ¥17.37 billion ($111 million), becoming the first movie in 22 years to break Japan's box office record for a domestic live-action film.
Discussion:
New York Sun, @cloverblossoms_, The Japan News, The Business Times, 매일경 …, JIJI PRESS, NHK WORLD and The Asahi Shimbun
Stacy Perman / Los Angeles Times:
A profile of Dr. Phil, who launched Envoy Media two weeks after his company Merit Street Media filed for bankruptcy in July, prompting accusations of bad faith — (Photo illustration by Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; Photos by Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic, Getty Images) — 16 min Click here to listen to this article
Ashley Carman / Bloomberg:
Sources: podcast companies like AudioBoom, Wave Sports, and Studio71 are discussing potential sales and investments, seeking to cash in on creator economy hype — The increasingly visual industry is benefitting from a broader exuberance surrounding the video-creator economy. — Welcome back to Soundbite.
Michael Savage / The Guardian:
Dutch author Rutger Bregman says the BBC removed his Reith Lecture claim that Trump is “the most openly corrupt” US president ever; the BBC cites “legal advice” — Dutch writer Rutger Bregman says claim that Trump was ‘most openly corrupt president in US history’ was removed
Discussion:
Financial Times, The Irish News, Deadline, @rcbregman, @rcbregman, @jamiesont, @antonmuscatelli, @rcbregman, @kartikkulkarn18, @jmpsimor, @jmpsimor, @policecommander, @bachmannrudi, @cricketwyvern, @rcbregman, @anna4fes, @michaelsavage, The New World, @ewanmg.bsky.social and The New World
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian:
A profile of Daniel Suhr, a conservative lawyer and Brendan Carr ally who is behind many news distortion complaints against US TV networks under FCC review — Critics are concerned that Daniel Suhr, the head of a conservative legal group, may be pulling the strings behind many of the Trump FCC's moves
Discussion:
TVNewsCheck and @jeremymbarr
Bloomberg:
Sources: music mogul David Geffen would net $500M+ in profit before taxes from a WBD sale at $25 per share; Geffen had bought ~30M shares at $7 to $8 per share — David Geffen, the billionaire media mogul, stands to reap more than $500 million in profit from the expected sale of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
Discussion:
Puck, @tmtanalystanon and @lucas_shaw
Ben Cohen / Wall Street Journal:
PG-rated movies dominate the US box office, driven by films like A Minecraft Movie; an NRG study finds kids want a social experience with friends and family — The PG rating has become the king of the box office. The entertainment business now relies on kids dragging their parents to theaters.
Discussion:
American Thinker
Jaures Yip / CNBC:
A US judge issues a temporary restraining order blocking OpenAI from using the word “cameo” for Sora features, following a trademark lawsuit by video app Cameo — OpenAI will not be allowed use the word “cameo” to name any products or features in its Sora app for a month …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Decrypt, Tech Times, Moneycontrol, OpenAI, Gizmodo, Chicago Business Journal, Engadget, DNYUZ and Chicago Tribune
