How low-budget movies are beating Hollywood’s most expensive bets

How low-budget movies are beating Hollywood’s most expensive bets

Two of the biggest box-office standouts of 2026 so far were not made by established studio directors or built on franchise IP. β€œObsession” and β€œBackrooms” β€” horror films from internet-native directors in their 20s β€” have outperformed far more expensive studio releases. The breakout success of these films has ignited debate across Hollywood about what…

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Behested payments aren’t illegal, but they are a problem

Behested payments aren’t illegal, but they are a problem

After Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week that the U.S. Department of Justice may be investigating his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, media and pundits pounced on millions in charity payments he has solicited for nonprofits, including ones she is involved in. Those donations, known as β€œbehested payments,” aren’t illegal in California, but, long before Newsom…

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The startup betting on a European-made smartphone

The startup betting on a European-made smartphone

With France’s Emmanuel Macron and India’s Narendra Modi championing the idea of tech sovereignty, French startup BeeAlp is trying to build a circular smartphone designed and manufactured in Europe. CEO Olivier Dufour joins FRANCE 24 to discuss the company’s subscription model, Europe’s industrial ambitions and the challenges of competing with global smartphone leaders.

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