Smartphones and a marked change to our digital media environment are part of the reason for the demographic shift changing our world, including how low birth rates are shrinking the workforce. Chief data reporter John Burn-Murdoch presents his lastest findings on this challenge faced by most nations[.]There's a lot to chew on here. I've been writing a lot about government policy and economics, but I don't think I've mentioned non-medical technologies in the context of falling birth and fertility rates before. That's certainly a "scifi is now" topic. I also haven't discussed lack of independent housing as a factor in demography, although I've certainly blogged about housing and real estate during the past 15+ years. I think I'll be adding those perspectives to my writing in the future.
[E]conomy is dependent on society, which is in turn dependent on the environment. Without an environment, there is no society. Without a society, there is no economy. Those relationships put sustainability into perspective. They also show that the emphasis on economy above all is exactly backwards. No wonder we're in trouble.That written, I'm not surprised the Financial Times would feature it. As I quoted from Yes, Prime Minister, "The Financial Times is read by people who own the country," in this case the U.K., so they would think it salient. As one of the commenters pointed out, "This video is for rich people. Everyone who's is struggling knows why we don't have kids." From my ecological perspective, resource use, if not outright depletion, and waste production, as exemplified by fossil fuels and climate change are the primary problems and everything flows downhill from them. As a biologist, I think limited resources primarily define carrying capacity, the maximum sustainable size of a population, and we should be examining those, especially their connections to the issues the economists identify.
The world is having fewer children and the pace of decline is happening much faster than expected. The reasons are complex and varied, from a lack of affordable housing to a lack of suitable partners. But could smartphones and modern tech be part of the problem? DW speaks to AI researcher Connor Leahy about how digital life may be reshaping relationships.I was wondering if someone would bring up dating apps, the obvious technological solution to people finding partners, and Connor Leahy pointed out that their incentive is to keep people on the app, not find a permanent partner. Now I'm wondering if government matchmaking services are in our future. I suspect that would not be an unadulterated good and other causes would have to be addressed for them to be effective.
The U.S. fertility rate is at an all-time low, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers say this is part of a larger downward trend. Since 2007, the number of Americans having babies has dropped 23%, well below the replacement level, meaning not enough are being born to replace those who die. William Brangham discussed more with Brian Mann of NPR.PBS NewsHour broadcast this segment and then uploaded it one month before the study on smartphones and birthrates came out, so it didn't include its findings. In that light, the decline in teen pregnancy might be less a result of good policy and more the effects of smartphones. That doesn't make it any less of an accomplishment, just an accidental one.
Inspired by Tracy Samilton's recent trip to Cuba, Tammy Coxen whipped up this stellar mojito - which we might claim is one of the tastiest in Michigan. Samilton explored the Michigan-Cuba connection during her time in Havana, so Coxen used white rum from the Ann Arbor Distilling Company to bring some Michigan flavor to this drink perfect for warmer weather. Cheers!That's a wrap for today's double celebration. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature. I have an awards show my readers can vote in for free, as long as they are interested in horror and horror-adjacent science fiction movies and television.
Episode: Jun-Jun's Wake Up Call - From: Work It Out Wombats: PBS Kids VideoIce cream for breakfast? I wish!
Work it Out Wombats is owned by Marcy Gunther, Robby Hoffman, Kathy Waugh, Marisa Wolsky, Pipeline Studios, GBH Kids, and PBS.
Americans are back at the movies. Summer blockbusters like Michael, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Obsession, and Backrooms have all contributed to the best first half of the year since 2019. CNBC’s Sarah Whitten breaks down the data.Unlike drum corps, where returning to business as usual once the pandemic was almost over is the problem, Hollywood in general and movies in particular see it as the solution. Americans want their entertainment, and will do just about anything to keep it going. Hollywood is happy we are and is doing its part.
Movie theaters are enjoying a post-pandemic resurgence, with Gen Z driving ticket sales and helping fuel one of Hollywood's strongest summer seasons in years.This story looks familiar.
After all the "Millennials are killing" some institution, cultural activity, food or other product I've been reading since before the pandemic, I shouldn't be surprised that news media and popular culture would discover a contrasting feature about Gen Z to report. Gen Z reversing the trend by saving malls certainly fits.So does Gen Z saving movie theaters. While I'm planning to retire this year, it's not because of my students. I like them and think they're good people (I'm tempted to write kids, but they're adults and deserve to be treated as such).
Food, fuel or inflation? What breaks first? This is possibly the most important podcast we have done to date. I know its a long one and a departure from our normal format, but this is definitely worth your time and we'd love to hear yourt thoughts and ideas...I first predicted "I fully expect Peak Oil, economic decline, and social upheaval to end the national touring model, which has been around since 1971, by 2020" on this blog in 2012. I came to that conclusion four years earlier, as "I started mourning in 2008, when I quit writing for Drum Corps World and stopped going to shows." I even warned a corps director about it.
Well, the 2020 drum corps season has been cancelled, so the national touring model is in a coma, not dead, but Peak Oil had nothing to do with it. Instead, it was the pandemic that drove what passes for economic decline and social upheaval and that caused there to be no competitive drum corps this year.The national touring model was still unconscious in 2021, as there were no competitive shows and no national tour, just DCI Celebration, three nights of exhibitions in Indianapolis. The national touring model didn't get out of the hospital until 2022. I was right for the wrong reason, but I'll still claim a successful prediction.
Think dad jokes are just a phase? Well MRI scans show that becoming a father literally alters a man's neurological blueprint. On Father's Day, we explore the incredible biological upgrade that transforms men into caregivers.I couldn't resist some Father's Day science!
Internet sensation April the Giraffe gave birth to her son, Tajiri, live online in front of millions of people this April. The baby giraffe met his father, Oliver, shortly after, but the two have not seen each other since. This week, at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, the three were reunited. It made for a wonderfully memorable moment and delighted fans all over the world.Tajiri may be the star, but I'm going to wish Oliver a happy Father's Day and the entire family a happy World Giraffe Day!
The sun is ready for its big moment in the spotlight! Meteorologist Stevie Daniels talks about the summer solstice in this Science with Stevie segment!Here's to Stevie becoming a mom next month so her viewers can wish her a happy Mother's Day next year!
Do you feel addicted to social media? You're certainly not alone. Social media and our brains have a messy relationship, and researchers are working hard to understand what's going on, who might be more or less at risk, and why.Can't Look Away: The Case Against Social Media is the Emmy winner I'm featuring today and it's all about how social media algorithms make the platforms addictive and how they especially harm teenagers. Howtown examined another possible cognitive harm in What the actual science says about "brain rot".
Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)
Are TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts actually destroying our attention spans, or is “brain rot” just another moral panic? In this video, we dig into the science behind short-form video and attention, from debunking viral goldfish statistics to explaining real cognitive psychology experiments testing analytical thinking and prospective memory. We break down what researchers actually mean by “attention span,” how infinite scroll and autoplay feeds are genuinely different from previous forms of media, and what lab tests can and can’t tell us about the mental effects of short-form video.As much as I have proclaimed "Behold the power of the YouTube algorithm," I at least had the choice of clicking on the preview of the intriguing video the program presented to me. With YouTube shorts, TikTok, and Instagram reels, the only choice I have is to watch the next video or stop watching unless I see the preview of the short on my YouTube home page, where I still have the choice to click. It's one of the reasons I generally avoid TikTok, the other being the ownership, both old and new. Do I think the format is making me stupid? No, although it's certainly distracting, entertaining, and surprising, especially as Instagram reels, some of which I find educational. That loops back to Hank Green's observation about Instagram hacking my brain. I like closing loops.
"The Strike" is a feature documentary that tells the story of a generation of California men who endured decades of solitary confinement and, against all odds, launched the largest hunger strike in U.S. history.This is my pick to win this category, as it has the most nominations. The rest of the field has only this one nomination. I'm not embedding their trailers, as I am covering the remaining categories instead.
Directed and produced by JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey.
Over 15 years, Chasing Time follows James Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey, capturing glaciers vanishing and providing visual evidence of climate change. Reuniting with the Emmy-winning Chasing Ice team, it concludes their epic work, reflecting on time, mortality, and intergenerational hope.I would pick this sequel to Chasing Ice to win just because I'm a fan of the original and would recommend it to my students. So is the first documentary I'm featuring for the next category.
When a massive Chinese industrial park transforms rural Ethiopia, three women, a director, a farmer, and a factory worker, find their lives entwined in the promises and costs of progress. Filmed over four years, Made in Ethiopia reveals China’s complex impact on Africa and a nation’s struggle between tradition, modernity, and survival.This video may not be explicitly environmental, but it is very much about sustainable development, a topic my environmental science course examines. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
BRIBE, INC. is a true story exposing the shady underpinnings that fuel global commerce: corruption and lots of money.First, it's about oil, so it's also germane to my environmental science and geology students. Second, it looks like fun. Third, this could just as easily have been an investigative or crime nominee. The same is true of the other nominee that caught my eye, CAN'T LOOK AWAY (2025) - Official Trailer | JOLT.
In the shadows of the global oil industry the Ahsani family ran Unaoil with jet-set style and total impunity. Until journalist Nick McKenzie encountered a whistleblower with enough insider intel to take the whole gang down.
In a manhunt spanning the globe Nick untangles the Ahsanis’ web of deceit and corruption exposing them as the grubby crime family they are. As the plot twists and turns will justice be served?
Can't Look Away is a gripping documentary that exposes the dark side of social media and its devastating impact on young users. Directors Matthew O'Neill and Perri Peltz take viewers inside the high-stakes legal battle to hold tech companies accountable for the harm caused by their negligence and dangerous algorithms. Based on investigative reporting by Bloomberg News' Olivia Carville, the film follows the Social Media Victims Law Center fighting for justice for families whose children suffered tragic consequences linked to social media use. As families seek justice, Can't Look Away underscores the urgent need for industry reform and serves as both a wake-up call about the dangers of social media—and a call to action to protect future generations.I don't have to look at the other two trailers; I think this is the winner.
Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary2000 Meters to Andriivka leads all documentaries with six nominations, including Best Documentary. Life After follows with four, also including Best Documentary. Antidote, Lost in the Jungle, and Thoughts & Prayers tie at two to round out the category. I think this is the first category where every nominee has at least one other nomination — such quality! Not even Best Documentary can claim that distinction for its nominees. This will mean 2000 Meters to Andriivka winning, which I expect, will mean that much more.
Antidote
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Passion Pictures | Bellingcat | Impact Partners | Channel 4 | M4 Studios]
Life After
Independent Lens
Multitude Films | PBS [ITVS | Straw House Production]
Lost in the Jungle
Little Monster Films [National Geographic]
2000 Meters to Andriivka
FRONTLINE FEATURES | PBS [Associated Press]
Thoughts & Prayers
HBO Documentary Films [Tony Tina]
From the Oscar®-winning team behind 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA documents the toll of the Russia-Ukraine war from a personal and devastating vantage point.That's every bit as gripping as I thought it would be.
Following his historic account of the civilian toll in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov turns his lens towards Ukrainian soldiers — who they are, where they came from, and the impossible decisions they face in the trenches as they fight for every inch of their land.
Amid a failing counteroffensive in 2023, Chernov and his AP colleague Alex Babenko follow a Ukrainian brigade battling through approximately one mile of a heavily fortified forest on their mission to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka. Weaving together original footage, intensive Ukrainian Army bodycam video and powerful moments of reflection, 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA reveals with haunting intimacy, the farther the soldiers advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that, for them, this war may never end.
LIFE AFTER is a gripping investigative documentary that exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport uncovers shocking abuses of power while amplifying the voices of the disability community fighting for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death.I still expect 2000 Meters to Andriivka will win, but I would not be surprised if this upsets it. If so, it might upset 2000 Meters to Andriivka in every category in which it's nominated, because it's competing against my pick to win in all four. Otherwise, it will likely come home empty-handed, because I expect 2000 Meters to Andriivka to sweep.
What is the cost of speaking truth to power? In Putin’s Russia, it could mean your life. An immersive and chilling documentary, Antidote follows in real time a whistleblower, Vladimir Kara-Murza, from inside Russia's poison program as he attempts to escape. He is a prominent political activist who is poisoned twice and now stands trial for treason. Also profiled is his wife Evgenia and Christo Grozev, the journalist exposing Putin's murder machine. He too is under threat and is forced to flee.Antidote's other nomination is for Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary, and it shows in the trailer.
After a deadly plane crash strands four young siblings deep within the Colombian rainforest, a dramatic rescue mission unfolds, uniting Indigenous trackers and the military in a race against time. For the first time ever, LOST IN THE JUNGLE offers the exclusive account of this incredible true story directly from the children themselves and the rescuers who scoured the Amazon rainforest for a grueling 40 days and nights to find them. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, along with Emmy® Award-winning director Juan Camilo Cruz, LOST IN THE JUNGLE is a gripping tale of survival, courage and hope.Lost in the Jungle's second nomination is for Outstanding Sound: Documentary and I can hear it in the trailer.
How to survive an active shooter in America.I first cited the statistic that "gun violence was the number one cause of death among U.S. children and teens in 2020, passing auto accidents" in 'Teenage Dream' and 'The Lost Class' — two PSAs about gun violence nominated for Outstanding Commercial at the 2022 Emmy Awards. It's depressing that it's still true.
The HBO Original Documentary #ThoughtsAndPrayers captures the current landscape of safety rituals in schools and communities across America.
In the age of typing, scrolling and voice-to-text, putting a pen to paper is increasingly rare but states including New Jersey, Georgia, Kentucky and California have recently enacted requirements to incorporate instruction on cursive handwriting. Language experts says the move is backed by science with cursive shown to improve reading, memory and fine motor skills in children. NBC’s Emilie Ikeda reports for TODAY.Cursive? That's definitely a throwback. I first wrote about it in The collapse of cursive from July 31, 2013. It was one of the top posts of last year, which is why I'm revisiting the topic.
A new law passed in New Jersey by departing Gov. Phil Murphy is reintegrating a cursive program back into schools. Jen Maxfield has the latest.I described how politicians, mostly Republicans, reacted to the absence of cursive in the Common Core standards in Vox on the decline of cursive by mandating teaching it. Former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy shows that at least some Democrats are doing this, too.
The skill of writing in cursive nearly disappeared during the pandemic, but students at an elementary school in Georgia are proving it's far from forgotten.I think Lisa Washington won the handwriting contest.
Looking for the most popular baby names of 2025? We’ve got the official list. As the source for baby names in the U.S., we’re sharing the Top 10 baby names of 2025, based on real data from Social Security. Whether you’re naming a baby or just curious about trends, this list has you covered.Here's the press release.
Olivia and Liam were America's most popular baby names for 2025 – the seventh consecutive year both names have held the top spot. The baby names are drawn from Social Security card applications submitted at birth, making SSA the nation’s authoritative source for baby naming trends.
Last year, America’s most popular baby names remained consistent with years past, with minimal shifts in the top 10 rankings. Charlotte climbed to second place among girls, ending Emma’s six-year run in the runner-up slot. A top-10 fixture for years, Ava dropped from the list entirely – replaced by Eliana, which debuted at number 10. On the boys’ side, the top four names – Liam, Noah, Oliver, and Theodore – held their places.
Here are the top 10 boys’ and girls’ names for 2025:
Social Security releases the list of the 1,000 most popular baby names each year in honor of Mother’s Day. The full list is available at www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
“Happy Mother’s Day to all the exceptional mothers who inspire us and guide future generations,” said Social Security Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano. “As Mother’s Day draws closer, I find myself reflecting on the unwavering care, courage, and commitment my own mother instilled in my siblings and me as the glue that held our family together.”
This Year’s Fastest-Rising Names: Fire and Brightness
Beyond the top 10, 2025’s fastest movers tell their own story. The boys’ name Kasai, meaning “fire” in Japanese and Swahili, surged 1,108 positions to enter the top 1,000 for the first time, landing at 639. For girls, Klarity, a contemporary spelling of “clarity” evoking brightness and light, led all risers.
Here are the five boys’ and girls’ names that increased the most in popularity in 2025:
Not only did Ailany come in first on this list, variants Aylani and Ailani came in second and tenth.It's just another variant of the same name. Also, the third fastest rising boy's name, Eziah, looks like a variant on last year's fifth fastest rising name, Azaiah, both of which appear to be alternative spellings of Isaiah. The trends continue.
The iconic toy store has had 11 different owners since the founding family sold it over 60 years ago. This video briefly highlights how each owner impacted the brand.FAO Schwarz's story intersects with Toys R Us, one of the first Retail Apocalypse stories I covered, but I've only mentioned the store once, in The history of the Times Square Toys R Us and evolution of Geoffrey the Giraffe, tales of the Retail Apocalypse. It's time it got its own post.
Over the last decade, malls were left for dead, casualties of e-commerce and shifting consumer habits, with the pandemic seemingly sealing their fate. Gen Z, however, is bringing malls back, reviving them as social hubs and retail meccas.After all the "Millennials are killing" some institution, cultural activity, food or other product I've been reading since before the pandemic, I shouldn't be surprised that news media and popular culture would discover a contrasting feature about Gen Z to report. Gen Z reversing the trend by saving malls certainly fits.
Teens Sick of Their iPhones Are ‘Mallmaxxing’...
The mall is cool again, with stores like Edikted and Princess Polly luring a new generation that is eager to shop in real life and show off hauls online.
Against all odds, the mall is winning over American teens: they’re getting their ears pierced; they’re buying jewelry; they’re trying on outfits that make their parents shudder; they’re even learning to stand in line and hang out IRL.
Fox 5 Morning News celebrates Nowruz, the Persian New Year.I'm with you, Shally.
Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan perform their version of the Sheriff John Birthday Song aka the Birthday Polka. If you're from Los Angeles and grew up in the 1950s and early 60s, you very likely know this song.Unless you grew up in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 1960s, you probably don't know who Sheriff John is, so I'll let Wikipedia explain.
Sheriff John was an American children's television host who appeared on KTTV in Los Angeles from July 18, 1952, to July 10, 1970, on two separate series, Sheriff John's Lunch Brigade and Sheriff John's Cartoon Time. He was played by John Rovick[1] who served as a radio operator-gunner in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, surviving 50 combat missions in the European Theater of Operations. After the war he became a radio announcer, moving to television in its early days. He developed the program's concept himself.I used to watch this show every day after school and have fond memories of it, so when I saw YouTube recommend this video, I knew immediately that it would be today's song. I especially couldn't resist because Claudia and I dated in 1987 when we both worked at the Tar Pits.* It's good to see her again.
As Sheriff John he began each program entering his office, singing "Laugh and be happy, and the world will laugh with you." He then said the Pledge of Allegiance and read a safety bulletin. He showed cartoons including Q.T. Hush, Underdog, Crusader Rabbit, and Porky Pig; he was often visited by farm animals.[2] An artist, Sketchbook Suzie, drew pictures requested by viewers; he would complete squiggles sent by the children and make a squiggle for them to complete. He also gave them lessons on safety and good health habits.
The show's highlight was the birthday celebration. Sheriff John read as many as 100 names, then brought out a cake and sang the Birthday Party Polka ("Put Another Candle on my Birthday Cake").
Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic and the fifteenth anniversary of the Fukushima triple disaster. Stay tuned to see which one I write about.For the first time since Invasive species riding plastic debris from Fukushima 11 years later, I'm examining the Fukushima triple disaster. I begin with CNBC International Live reporting Japan bets on nuclear energy 15 years after Fukushima disaster.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to discuss further investment and energy cooperation when she meets with U.S. President Trump this month — with nuclear power and related technology likely to remain a key theme. On the 15th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, CNBC's Kaori Enjoji examines how this deepening economic and energy engagement could draw Japan further into a geopolitical tug-of-war and weigh on its companies.Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is a lot like Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump in choosing an old technology over a newer one. In her case, it's nuclear energy over renewables. In his case, it's coal and other fossil fuels. I think she's maker the smarter choice. I really don't like coal and would pick nuclear energy over it, although I really prefer renewables.
Takuma Hashimoto was just three when the 2011 tsunami triggered a nuclear meltdown near his home in Japan’s Fukushima prefecture. Now, the 18-year-old student is training to become a nuclear engineer. His journey mirrors a national shift; 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, Japan is choosing energy security over its nuclear trauma. As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East squeeze global supplies, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is leading a pivot back to nuclear power. With public support at record highs, Japan is waking up to a stark reality: for the most resource-poor G7 nation, nuclear energy is no longer a risk, but a lifeline.It's not just Prime Minister Takaichi who is choosing to return to nuclear energy, but a majority of her country. However, not all agree. Notice the protestors in Al Jazeera English reporting Japan nuclear power: Largest plant reopens years after Fukushima disaster.
The world's biggest nuclear power plant is back on line in Japan. Engineers flipped the switch to power up the plant 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, which killed an estimated 20,000 people. Tokyo Electric Power Company is responsible for Fukushima, and is also in charge of this plant. That fact alone has residents near the facility opposed to the plan.Two things. First, the tsunami killed the overwhelming majority of victims, not the meltdown. Second, the Fukushima plant performed as designed; it was the failure of the backup generators, which the tsunami drowned, that led to the meltdowns. The higher seawalls help protect against both of those reoccurring, so I'm relieved to see them.
Al Jazeera’s Patrick Fok reports from Kashiwazaki in western Japan.
Best New Genre Series:Pluribus leads this category with four nominations, followed by Alien: Earth and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew tied at three each, then Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Robin Hood, and Spartacus: House of Ashur with just this one. The professional choices are Pluribus and Alien: Earth, both of which earned Critics Choice Award nominations and the former also a Golden Globe nomination along with awards for Rhea Seehorn for her acting. I voted for Pluribus, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Alien: Earth wins instead. I also wouldn't be surprised if Star Wars: Skeleton Crew or Outlander: Blood of My Blood upsets both of the professional picks. Both of the latter have dedicated fandoms and the former was a really fun adaptation of Treasure Island combined with Goonies/Stranger Things that worked in a Star Wars setting. As I last wrote in Animation and International Film nominees at the Saturn Awards, "the Saturn Awards are about entertainment not art, they don't care for subtle, and they love to stick it to the experts." Also, electorates matter.
Alien: Earth
Outlander: Blood of My Blood
Pluribus
Robin Hood
Spartacus: House of Ashur
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Best Fantasy Television Series:As Deadline Hollywood reported, Stranger Things leads this category with five nominations, followed by Outlander with three, Wednesday with two, and Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, Ghosts, and The Librarians: The Next Chapter with just this one. This sets up a fight between the organized fandoms of Stranger Things and Outlander. Popculturememes uploaded 'Stranger Things 5' Dominates 2026 Saturn Award Nominations With 5 Major Nods!
Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches
Ghosts
The Librarians: The Next Chapter
Outlander
Stranger Things
Wednesday
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films has officially announced the nominees for the 53rd Annual Saturn Awards, and Stranger Things 5 is leading the pack for television. The series secured a nomination for Best Fantasy Television Series, cementing its status as the "king of nostalgia horror" even in its final season.The same search that retrieved this video returned six other shorts, mostly about Sadie Sink and Noah Schnapp's nominations. That's a sign of an enthusiastic fandom.
But the honors didn't stop at the series level. The cast also cleaned up with several individual nominations, proving that the performances in the series finale were some of the strongest in the show's decade-long history:
Best Actress in a Television Series: Millie Bobby Brown
Best Young Performer in a Television Series: Sadie Sink & Noah Schnapp
Best Guest Star in a Television Series: Linda Hamilton
The show is tied with other genre giants like Andor and IT: Welcome to Derry, each earning 5 nominations. The ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles, with Joel McHale returning to host for his fourth consecutive year.
Since it's complete liquidation in 2018, the Toys R Us brand was seemingly dead. However, following its revival in 2019 with brand new stores, it appeared that the brand had a new lease on life. But, even that resurgence was plagued with issues and now with new owners, Toys R Us is back for a third time! Join me today for this updated look on what has happened with the iconic Toys R Us company.While I'm happy to see Toys R Us return to the U.S., I'm sad to see what's happened to the brand in Canada and Australia. The Retail Apocalypse is not just an American phenomenon; just ask Hudson's Bay Company.
Best Independent Film:As the preview image shows, Dust Bunny leads with five nominations, while the rest of the field have just this one. On that basis, it's the favorite and I voted for it. As a "professional's choice," it's acceptable, as it had two nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, including for Best First Feature. However, if I hadn't counted its total nominations at the Saturn Awards, I might have voted for The Plague, which earned three nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, one of which resulted a win for Kayo Martin as Best Breakthrough Performance. It also earned a nomination at the Critics Choice Awards for Everett Blunck as Best Young Actor/Actress. That might have been a better "professional" choice, but it doesn't have the weird factor most of the other nominees, including Dust Bunny, have, which would make them more attractive to a group of genre film fans. For what it's worth, Good Boy also earned a nomination at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. It has the weird factor and a dog for a protagonist. Good boy, indeed — woof!
Adulthood
Eden
Dust Bunny
Good Boy
The Rule of Jenny Pen
The Plague
The Toxic Avenger
In visionary creator Bryan Fuller’s (“Hannibal,” “Pushing Daisies”) fantastical and wickedly inventive feature directorial debut Dust Bunny, a 10-year-old girl joins forces with her hit man neighbor to confront each other’s monsters.My wife and I viewed this trailer and put Dust Bunny on our watch list.
Ten-year-old Aurora has a mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) who kills real-life monsters. He’s a hit man for hire. So, when Aurora needs help killing the monster she believes ate her entire family, she procures his services. Suspecting that her parents may have fallen victim to assassins gunning for him, Aurora’s neighbor guiltily takes the job. Now, to protect her, he’ll need to battle an onslaught of assassins - and accept that some monsters are real.
Trump declares himself "absolved" by the latest release of Epstein files, while Elon Musk’s Christmas wish for a trip to the sex island is put on blast, and Jon Stewart finds himself on Epstein’s list… for documentary voiceovers. Plus, as MAGA continues to shield the president from all accountability, Jon Stewart shines a light on the double standard of sanctuary given to Trump vs. immigrants.Yes, releasing these files in installments really does seem like Groundhog Day. Things repeat and they don't seem to change. Sigh. At least we got a funny, if puerile, image out of it and some schadenfreude out of Stewart making a cameo in the files. Hey, at least it wasn't his doing.
President Trump is referenced thousands of times and accused of hideous crimes in the latest release of documents from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the Department of Justice failed to redact the identities and personal information of many of Epstein's victims, and the DOJ announced that there will be no investigation into any of the prominent men implicated in the files.Like Stewart, Stephen also mentioned Elon Musk emailing Epstein on Christmas morning — top of the next year's naughty list, indeed! Too bad Todd Blanche, who I haven't mentioned here before, declared there is no one new who could be prosecuted. No one Blanche, Pam Bondi, or Donald "Hoover Harding Cleveland" Trump is willing to prosecute, that is. Again, sigh.
Today is Groundhog Day, the ironically-titled Department of Justice released about half of the Epstein files, there were many disturbing accounts about a lot of famous people including Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk is in there too - more than a thousand times, Donald Trump’s name was mentioned 4,896 times, Trump’s Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick’s name pops up 138 times, there appears to be an email to Ghislaine Maxwell from Melania, Trump had the audacity to play the old “Jeffrey who?” card pretending they weren’t actually friends, Trump went after Jimmy in a late night Truth Social post criticizing Trevor Noah who hosted the Grammys, Trump is suing the IRS for $10 Billion, he also announced that he's closing The Trump Kennedy Center for renovations, Melania the movie made $7 million over the weekend, and journalist Don Lemon was arrested on Thursday night for covering an anti-ICE protest at a church in St. Paul.I can understand Jimmy K's kids not believing Groundhog Day is a thing; they're growing up, like me, in southern California. Winter is not the oppressive presence there that it is here in Michigan or much of the rest of the Midwest and Northeast; in fact, it's relatively pleasant. It's not too hot and the hills are green. Only after I moved here did I understand the appeal of the day.
Seth takes a closer look at Trump and his family getting a large investment from an Abu Dhabi royal for their private crypto company as he's named in the new Epstein files along with many other wealthy and powerful people.While Melania had a record opening for a documentary, I'm sure it won't save it from a Razzie nomination or two. Being the highest grossing documentary of 2016 didn't save Hillary's America from winning four Razzies. Here's to hoping that history rhymes.
President Trump's name is mentioned over 1,000 times in the latest release of documents from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.*Snork!*
