Box Office Trends and the Rise of Franchise Films

On today’s show: Lawmakers scrambled to reach a deal to fund the government and avert a shutdown. They were ultimately unsuccessful, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Malala Yousafzai and Sahra Mani join Apple News In Conversation to talk about the bravery of women in the face of Taliban rule and the urgent need for the international community to act. 

Releasing Hollywood blockbusters is still a messy business, years after the COVID-19 pandemic and labor strikes upended the industry. Los Angeles Times reporter Ryan Faughnder has more. 

Plus, the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson is extradited to New York, Amazon workers go on strike, and the summer camp where wannabe Santas train.