Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian updates us on violence in the West Bank, security coordination with the Palestinian Authority, and a unique naval drill in the Mediterranean Sea

ToI's movie maven and deputy editor agree to disagree -- again -- about the 1979 film starring Alan Arkin and Peter Falk that was immensely foundational to Hoffman's childhood

In this News Review episode, host Carl Munson and The Resident news writer Natasha Donn catch up after Natasha’s break and discuss her top Portuguese news picks: Alentejo town halls

The post News Review: Housing for Teachers, Vandalism Not Helping & Lithium Mining Relief  appeared first on Portugal Resident.

The Metropolitan Police in London are investigating Jeffrey Donaldson over a rape allegationIt is alleged to have happened in the former MP’s Westminster office. Donaldson is currently serving a prison sentence in Maghaberry for 18 counts of child sex abuse, including the rape of a child.The former DUP leader Donaldson was sentenced last week to 15 years but will serve just half of that term in prison.Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Allison Morris.

• Fox-owned Red Seat Ventures is going after Substack's turf with a new newsletter option.
• CEO Chris Balfe said the company has had an early success with Tony Hinchcliffe's paid offering.
• The home of Tucker Carlson and Nancy Grace is also on the hunt for more big creators.

Fox's Red Seat Ventures is coming for Substack.

Led by Chris Balfe, Red Seat made its name running sales and production services for podcasters including Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Nancy Grace.

Now, as the lines between creators, podcasters, and writers continue to blur, it's adding newsletter functionality to its stack. The newsletter feature will live under Supercast, a company Red Seat bought this year that offers a menu of subscription options like livestreaming for creators. They can now build free and paid newsletters and track their performance on a dashboard. The newsletter feature is included in Supercast's base pricing of $0.59 per subscriber per month, with custom pricing available for big networks and media companies.

"We want to be a one-stop shop for creators," Balfe told Business Insider. "Whereas Substack has done a really good job going after written-first creators, and then adding podcasting capability on top of that, we're going at it from the other direction and saying, for most of the creators that we work with, their audio and video is their main business. So, let's add other features like email and livestreaming."

Balfe pointed to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe of "Kill Tony" as an early example of Red Seat's success in using a multifaceted approach. Since launching a subscription, Kill Tony+, Hinchcliffe has signed up thousands of people who get his uncensored, ad-free show and bonus content.

Hinchcliffe plans to create another, super-expensive tier where people would pay to get roasted by him, Balfe said.

"It would be like $10,000 or something like that to roast you," Balfe said. "We will sell out of these so bad."

He also pointed to an early pilot of Supercast's livestreaming with "This American Life," which drew more than 1,700 paying audience members.

Red Seat is aiming for 10 big deals

Balfe wants to make Red Seat a creator-economy juggernaut, with some 200 shows. The company has around 30 shows now and is looking to do a lot more deals quickly, especially in sports, lifestyle, entertainment, and tech. Red Seat's top creator deals generally pay a minimum guarantee against projected sales.

"We really want to accelerate our rate of dealmaking," Balfe said. "I think if we did 10 big deals in the next 12 months, that would be big."

Balfe disagrees with industry insiders like iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman, who say podcast distribution deals are getting too expensive. He said there was strong advertiser demand and that hosts have the ability to branch out into other areas. Balfe said he's doing deals where the show itself accounts for as little as 60% of the revenue, with the rest coming from other projects.

Balfe also sees the potential for creators to make longer deals. YouTubers are often used to getting short-term ad deals, while Red Seat is pushing for 12-month partnerships for its clients, he said.

"We're trying to do annual deals," he said. "YouTubers are attracted to that sort of consistency that the podcast business model has allowed."

Podcasts are TV now

Podcasting has become more of a video-first medium as it has evolved from its audio roots.

Forty-four percent of US podcast consumers watched a video podcast in the past week, up from 40% in 2025, according to a report from trade group Sounds Profitable released this month. YouTube is the top podcast platform, used by 63% in the past 12 months, ahead of Spotify (33%), Netflix (21%), and Apple Podcasts (15%).

Balfe thinks video will continue to grow its share of the pie. People are watching more podcasts on YouTube, especially on TV screens. Spotify is making the case that video consumption outperforms audio on its platform.

Major streamers are also hungry for podcasts, and linear TV players like Versant's MS NOW are looking for lower-cost programming to fill their schedules. Red Seat's shows aren't running on Fox's linear networks today, but Balfe said it's only a matter of time before that happens.

"I look at the next phase of video opportunities, and we have every streamer that wants our content now: Hulu, Peacock, and Amazon Prime, and Paramount Plus," Balfe said. "We also have the linear guys that are starting to come to us and say, 'Actually, what you're producing looks kind of like a talk show. Maybe we should just put it in late night or daytime.'"

The head of the INSS and former military intelligence chief warns that the emerging concept doesn't see peace as the goal, and is looking to replace the US alliance

In Episode 101 of the Sceptic: Harry Jee on Reform's plan to abolish asylum, Bijan Omrani on his lawsuit against the Church of England's reparations agenda. Plus: Tilak Doshi exposes the Great Recycling Swindle.

The post The Sceptic | Episode 101: Reform’s Plan to Abolish Asylum, the Church of England’s Reparations Agenda. Plus: The Great Recycling Swindle appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Jeffrey Donaldson was doing paid work for the ministry of defence in Africa even as acute political turmoil was engulfing his party at home in Northern Ireland. Why was the then DUP leader undertaking sensitive work in dictator-led Cameroon just a week after he himself collapsed Stormont in 2022? Why was he helping sell arms in Egypt alongside a British general? Why did a special forces officer say he’d worked with Donaldson before? Profound political questions remain over who all the now convicted paedophile was working for – alongside concerns about whether he had access to children in developing countries. Sam McBride joined Ciarán Dunbar. 

In New York’s diamond district, there’s a war on: real vs. fake. It’s hard to know which side is which.

© Graham Dickie for The New York Times

Sarah Koenig goes on a whirlwind tour of New York City to find out what New Yorkers are worrying about.

© The New York Times

Offers made by Portadown District to allow Orangemen to walk the Garvaghy Road have been revealed in court – including a 4AM march, accommodated by a residents’ protest.The court has finished hearing submissions during the legal challenge to the Secretary of State’s ban on the Drumcree parade. Mr Justice Scoffield is to deliver his judgement next week.Talks broke down after both parties refused to compromise on the proposed route. Olivia Peden is joined by Allison Morris who was in court.

After decades of experience in the hairdressing industry, Bridgeen Keen pivoted to become a hair loss and scalp expert. Her hair loss and hair replacement clinic in the Slieve Donard in Newcastle has helped to restore confidence in men and women in Northern Ireland and beyond, with sites in Belfast, County Down, and Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh. As well as sharing some of the secrets behind her business success, Bridgeen is also passionate about breaking the stigma around hair loss. She joined Cathy Martin to talk all things hair loss, defeating the stigma, and her plans for the future.

Perforated Ulster, Give My Head Peace, and The Long and the Short of it, all produced by the Hole in the Wall gang are being axed by the BBC.The Blame Game has also been culled.The BBC is making major cuts across the corporation as budget cuts take hold.BBC bosses say they have to make difficult decisions – but the cuts mean there will be no more local comedy on our screens.Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Tim McGarry and Damon Quinn and Michael McDowell from the Hole in the Wall Gang.

The Burkes are back, but this time it’s not Enoch grabbing the headlines, it’s his sister Ammi.In 2019, Ammi Burke was dismissed from her role at one of Ireland’s most prestigious law firms, Arthur Cox, after just over three years with the company.Seven years, multiple legal battles and countless court appearances later, Ms Burke wants her job back. She and her former employer are facing off at the Workplace Relations Commission.So, what exactly happened between the two sides? And why is a dispute that began years ago still rumbling on in court today?Tessa Fleming is joined by court reporter Seán McCárthaigh as Ammi Burke takes on her old employer.

In Episode 100 of the Sceptic: Michael Murphy on the battle for France, Chris Morrison on the unravelling of the great climate scam. Plus: Jason Arday, ‘autoethnography’ and the fall of academia.

The post The Sceptic | Episode 100: The Battle for France, the Unravelling of the Great Climate Scam – Plus: ‘Autoethnography’ and the Fall of Academia appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

In Episode 99 of the Sceptic: Steven Edginton on Tan Ikram's campaign for Pakistani judges and the BBC's migrant-rape blindspot. Plus: how to solve the prisons crisis and Burnham's vibes-based energy plan.

The post The Sceptic | Episode 99: Steven Edginton on Tan Ikram’s Campaign for Pakistani Judges | Plus: Solving the Prisons Crisis and Burnham’s Vibes-Based Energy Plan appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

In Episode 98 of the Sceptic: Michael Rainsborough on Andy Burnham’s Ministry of Truth, Richard Lyon on peak oil and Jack Hadfield on the new wave of anti-immigration protests and the persecution of Danny Tommo.

The post The Sceptic | Episode 98: Andy Burnham’s Ministry of Truth, Peak Oil, the New Wave of Anti-Migrant Protests and the Persecution of Danny Tommo appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.