Megan Basham

So this lawsuit argues that the order violates the First Amendment's protections of free speech and of the press. NPR CEO Catherine Marr called it retaliatory viewpoint-based discrimination. And she's accusing the administration of punishing NPR for its coverage. But the White House argues that taxpayer money should not flow to politically biased news outlets.

Now, do we have any sense of how likely these suits are to succeed? Well, you know, on Harvard and the foreign students, it looks like it's going to depend on whether the administration can reframe these issues as disputes about national security or fiscal policy. If they manage that and they can get into a conservative-leaning appellate court, then they have a decent chance.

Now, do we have any sense of how likely these suits are to succeed? Well, you know, on Harvard and the foreign students, it looks like it's going to depend on whether the administration can reframe these issues as disputes about national security or fiscal policy. If they manage that and they can get into a conservative-leaning appellate court, then they have a decent chance.

For NPR, if the courts decide that the defunding is a legitimate exercise of executive power, discretion over federal spending, then they win.

For NPR, if the courts decide that the defunding is a legitimate exercise of executive power, discretion over federal spending, then they win.

You know, the story of the box office is that this was just a monster weekend. We saw Lilo and Stitch and also Mission Impossible 8, I think, or Mission Impossible 8, the final reckoning, coming in with just huge numbers for what's being called the biggest Memorial Day box office in history. So I just want to run through a few of these numbers with you, Georgia.

You know, the story of the box office is that this was just a monster weekend. We saw Lilo and Stitch and also Mission Impossible 8, I think, or Mission Impossible 8, the final reckoning, coming in with just huge numbers for what's being called the biggest Memorial Day box office in history. So I just want to run through a few of these numbers with you, Georgia.

According to studio estimates, Lilo and Stitch grossed a staggering $183 million domestically. Now, that's an all-time Disney record for this timeframe. And then if we look at its global haul, we're looking at $342 million. And then meanwhile, we've got Mission Impossible, which brought in a franchise-best $77 million domestically and $190 million worldwide domestically.

According to studio estimates, Lilo and Stitch grossed a staggering $183 million domestically. Now, that's an all-time Disney record for this timeframe. And then if we look at its global haul, we're looking at $342 million. And then meanwhile, we've got Mission Impossible, which brought in a franchise-best $77 million domestically and $190 million worldwide domestically.

Taken together, Hollywood is hoping that this is going to be a game changer for an industry that has really been looking to get back that pre-pandemic momentum. And I know that's something you and I have been talking about, Georgia, for the last couple of years.

Taken together, Hollywood is hoping that this is going to be a game changer for an industry that has really been looking to get back that pre-pandemic momentum. And I know that's something you and I have been talking about, Georgia, for the last couple of years.

You know, I think in part that this was a lot of nostalgia for millennials and other people who kind of grew up with that version. They stuck very close to the script there. Where is he? He escaped. And then you have social media buzz, especially coming from younger women and parents. It's been off the charts. It's got an A cinema score, so that's signaling strong word of mouth.

You know, I think in part that this was a lot of nostalgia for millennials and other people who kind of grew up with that version. They stuck very close to the script there. Where is he? He escaped. And then you have social media buzz, especially coming from younger women and parents. It's been off the charts. It's got an A cinema score, so that's signaling strong word of mouth.

And then you look at posts on X that are really capturing this excitement. You're seeing people show up to the theaters in costume, in stitch merch, as plushies, turning these screenings into events. And that's really the kind of cultural resonance Disney looks for in its very IP-driven strategy.

And then you look at posts on X that are really capturing this excitement. You're seeing people show up to the theaters in costume, in stitch merch, as plushies, turning these screenings into events. And that's really the kind of cultural resonance Disney looks for in its very IP-driven strategy.

Yeah, absolutely. And I would say he's very much one of the few stars today who still can. While it didn't reach the heights of Lilo and Stitch, Mission Impossible, The Final Reckoning is unquestionably a triumph for him. So we've all seen for a while that Cruise's plan seems to be to be a one-man chamber of commerce from the film industry. And he's really succeeding in a lot of ways.

Yeah, absolutely. And I would say he's very much one of the few stars today who still can. While it didn't reach the heights of Lilo and Stitch, Mission Impossible, The Final Reckoning is unquestionably a triumph for him. So we've all seen for a while that Cruise's plan seems to be to be a one-man chamber of commerce from the film industry. And he's really succeeding in a lot of ways.

MI's opening take beat the previous franchise record set by Mission Impossible Fallout in 2018 by $14 million. And that's not adjusted for inflation. And then globally, it's already at $204 million, despite not yet opening in China.

MI's opening take beat the previous franchise record set by Mission Impossible Fallout in 2018 by $14 million. And that's not adjusted for inflation. And then globally, it's already at $204 million, despite not yet opening in China.

Yeah, I would say no doubt. I mean, it's obviously been a shot in the arm for an industry that's been struggling. The 2025 domestic box office is projected to hit 9.5 billion. That's up from 8.7 billion last year. And theater owners are being pretty vocal about needing to get these consistent releases of big franchise films, big blockbusters, in order to see these audiences return to theaters.