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Lukas I. Alpert

@lalpert1.bsky.social

139 followers 177 following 51 posts

Managing Editor for The Daily Catch, covering Red Hook and Rhinebeck in the Hudson Valley, NY. Previously: MarketWatch, media and Moscow correspondent for WSJ, tabloid scribe at NY Post. www.TheDailyCatch.org

Posts Replies Media

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

This is the only photo of me at Ground Zero. It was taken the day the stubborn fires that burned beneath the rubble were finally put out. Since then, tens of thousands have gotten sick as a result. I am one of them. Here’s what I wrote for New York magazine about it. nymag.com/intelligence...

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and remember all those who were lost, this is something I wrote for New York magazine looking at the tens of thousands of people who have since gotten sick. I am one of them. Here is the story of the ongoing tragedy of that day.

The Other Victims of 9/11

Twenty-five years after the attack, tens of thousands of people have gotten sick. I am one of them.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Is grisly news out of the sleepy hamlet of Rhinecliff, NY

thedailycatch.org

Tivoli Man Charged With Attempted Murder in Severe Beating of His 96-Year-Old Grandmother, Police Say - The Daily Catch

Max Klahr, 22, has been charged with attempted murder for attacking Frances Sandiford in her Rhinecliff home on Friday.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

"They blew it." How BuzzFeed spiraled from a $1.7 billion media darling to the brink of bankruptcy.

marketwatch.com

How BuzzFeed spiraled from a $1.7 billion media darling to the brink of bankruptcy

An early investor in BuzzFeed blamed the former digital-media darling’s decline on its management: “They blew it.”

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Howard Stern and his 1 million listeners still have value for Sirius with contract extension. The terms of Stern’s deal were not disclosed, and while he commands a far smaller audience than in his heyday, it is still larger than most.

marketwatch.com

Howard Stern and his 1 million listeners still have value for Sirius with contract extension

The terms of Stern’s deal were not disclosed, and while he commands a far smaller audience than in his heyday, it is still larger than most.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Paramount’s hostile $108.4 billion bid for Warner Bros. is backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s private-equity group is among the backers of Paramount’s all-cash counteroffer, which is $25 billion higher than Netflix’s accepted bid

marketwatch.com

Paramount’s hostile $108.4 billion bid for Warner Bros. is backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law

Paramount’s hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery is getting some help from the Trump family.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

The longest strike in America has gone on for 3 years. Is it about to come to an end? ‘I don’t have that much fight left in me:’ Most of the journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have left, but those still on strike welcome an end to the ordeal.

marketwatch.com

The longest strike in America has gone on for 3 years. Is it about to end?

“I don’t have that much fight left in me:” Most of the journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have left, but those still on strike welcome an end to the ordeal.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Spotify says it’s working to protect artists from AI abuse, but the streaming company’s track record is shaky After years of fighting scams and fraud, the music-streaming company announced it is joining forces with three major music labels to develop AI products that can help artists

marketwatch.com

Spotify says it’s working to protect artists from AI abuse, but its track record is shaky

After years of fighting scams and fraud, the music-streaming company announced it is joining forces with three major music labels to develop AI products that can help artists.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Is there such a thing as too much Taylor Swift? Not for Disney. A docuseries on Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ is set for Disney+ in December, hot on the heels of her new album and film release, suggesting there is no sign yet of Taylor Swift fatigue.

marketwatch.com

Is there such a thing as too much Taylor Swift? Not for Disney.

There is no sign yet of Taylor Swift fatigue, as a docuseries on Swift’s “The Eras Tour” is set to be released on Disney+ in December, just months after her latest album was released.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Trevor Milton proves there’s life after a Trump pardon — he’s now CEO of a private-jet maker. The disgraced founder of Nikola Corp. was pardoned after being sentenced to four years in prison for fraud. Now he’s in charge of SyberJet Aircraft.

marketwatch.com

Trevor Milton rides his Trump pardon to a new job as CEO of a private-jet maker

The disgraced founder of Nikola Corp. was pardoned after being sentenced to four years in prison for fraud. Now he’s in charge of SyberJet Aircraft.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

NFL fans can stream all games this season for the first time — and could end up paying less to do so. The shift comes as ESPN and Fox launch their new sports streaming services, which MoffettNathanson says could allow fans to drop linear TV entirely.

marketwatch.com

NFL fans can stream all games this season for the first time — and could end up paying less to do so

NFL games have long been the bastion of traditional linear TV, but for the first time this season, almost all NFL games can be watched on streaming platforms.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Nexstar-Tegna deal puts Trump move to eliminate broadcast ownership rules to the test. FCC head Brendan Carr says he wants to abolish decades-old ownership caps on how many TV stations one company can own — but opponents argue that’s for Congress to decide.

marketwatch.com

Nexstar-Tegna deal puts Trump move to eliminate broadcast ownership rules to the test

Nextstar is looking to buy Tegna in a $6.2 billion cash deal — but will the FCC allow it despite a conflict with current TV ownership rules?

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Spike Lee swings from ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ with new film and cancellation of ESPN documentary. The acclaimed director’s new film with Denzel Washington has been critically praised but then ESPN pulled the plug on his documentary on Colin Kaepernick.

marketwatch.com

Spike Lee swings from ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ with new film and cancellation of ESPN documentary

“Highest 2 Lowest” reunites Spike Lee with Denzel Washington, but the director’s Colin Kaepernick documentary has been canceled due to creative differences.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Netflix may have won the streaming wars, but there are only so many viewers to be had. So what's next for Netflix? In this video we explore how the company is moving toward new revenue streams and fanning the flames of fandom, including plans for a new theme-park-like experience called Netflix House

marketwatch.com

Netflix won streaming. What does it do now? - MarketWatch

Netflix may have won the streaming wars, but there are only so many viewers to be had. So what's next for Netflix? In this video we explore how the company is moving toward new revenue streams and fan...

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Good news for media companies is proving to be bad news for their stocks Media stocks have been selling off over the past couple of weeks despite solid earnings reports and major deal announcements, as investors appear to be taking profits

marketwatch.com

Good news for media companies is proving to be bad news for their stocks

Warner Bros. Discovery reported strong results Thursday, but the stock extended its recent weakness. The same thing happened to Walt Disney’s stock the day before.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Is all publicity good publicity for American Eagle? Its stock price seems to say so. As it weathers the fallout from its controversial jeans ad featuring Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle saw its biggest gain in 25 years, with a boost from President Trump.

marketwatch.com

Is all publicity good publicity for American Eagle? Its stock price seems to say so.

As it weathers the fallout from its controversial jeans ad featuring Sydney Sweeney, American Eagle saw its biggest gain in 25 years, with a boost from President Trump.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

How Hulk Hogan helped transform wrestling from a sideshow to the main event. When Hogan burst onto the wrestling scene, it was a collection of fly-by-night regional promotions. By the time he was done, it had become a multibillion-dollar global business.

marketwatch.com

How Hulk Hogan helped transform pro wrestling from a sideshow to the main event

When Hogan burst onto the pro wrestling scene, it was a collection of fly-by-night regional promotions. By the time he was done, it had become a multibillion-dollar global business.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Will ‘F1’ help Apple finally win one in the movie and streaming race? After years of middling success on the big screen, Apple has bet big on the racecar movie starring Brad Pitt with a budget of nearly $250 million.

marketwatch.com

Will ‘F1’ help Apple finally win one in the movie and streaming race?

After years of middling success on the big screen, Apple has bet big on the racecar movie starring Brad Pitt with a budget of nearly $250 million.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Few people are willing to pay for news online, which makes things tougher for the news industry. A new survey finds that only 17% of people are willing to pay to read news online, with most either looking elsewhere for the news for free or just not reading it at all.

marketwatch.com

Here’s how many people leave a news article when asked to pay

Many major news outlets have had difficulty creating meaningful businesses through online subscriptions.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Warner Bros. Discovery bonds see big selloff as ratings are cut to junk. Should stock investors be worried? Confusion over how the media giant plans to restructure its debt following a spinoff of cable channels like CNN and TNT have rattled the market for its bonds.

marketwatch.com

Warner Bros. bonds fall after downgrades to junk. Should stock investors worry?

Confusion over how the media giant plans to restructure its debt following a spinoff of cable channels like CNN and TNT have rattled the market for its bonds.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Could Paramount’s sale collapse under pressure from Trump? Analysts are starting to think so. Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media has stalled amid regulatory paralysis — and Lightshed Partners predicts that if a resolution isn’t reached by October, the deal will be called off

marketwatch.com

It’s possible Paramount sale could collapse under pressure from Trump: analysts

Paramount’s sale to Skydance Media has stalled amid regulatory paralysis — and Lightshed Partners predicts that if a resolution isn’t reached by October, the deal will be called off.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Can media company spinoffs of brands like CNN and CNBC be good for investors? Here’s what history tells us. Recent corporate media spinoffs have been a mixed bag, with many failing due to the way they were set up, Wall Street analysts say

marketwatch.com

Can media company spinoffs of brands like CNN and CNBC be good for investors?

Recent corporate media spinoffs have been a mixed bag, with many failing due to the way they were set up, Wall Street analysts say.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Taylor Swift has bought back her own music — making her catalog among the most valuable of all time Swift’s catalog purchase likely puts the value of her music on par with that of megastars like Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen

marketwatch.com

Taylor Swift buys back her music catalog — now among the all-time most valuable

Taylor Swift finally came out the winner after years of fighting over the rights to her early catalog of music.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Things are feeling a bit more like "The Devil Wears Goodwill" in the magazine world these days

marketwatch.com

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ sequel is coming — but the glory days of magazines like Vogue are over

Ad spending on magazines has shrunk by nearly half since the first film came out in 2006, and the doorstop September issue is a thing of the past.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

In a sign of the pressures being brought by a cable-television market in fast decline, two of America’s biggest providers, Charter Communications Inc. and Cox Communications, have announced plans to merge, hoping that greater size will prove to be the key to survival.

marketwatch.com

Will a Charter-Cox merger prove that bigger is better in a fast-declining cable marketplace?

The deal will create what the companies describe as “an industry leader in mobile and broadband communications services, seamless video entertainment, and high-quality customer service.”

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Will ESPN’s new streaming service spell the end for cable television? Sports programming had been one of the few offerings that kept customers from fully cutting the cord, but ESPN’s new streaming service could accelerate the exodus.

marketwatch.com

Will ESPN’s new streaming service spell the end for cable television?

Sports programming had been one of the few offerings that kept customers from fully cutting the cord, but ESPN’s new streaming service could accelerate the exodus.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Can President Trump really put tariffs on films produced abroad? The law says no. A law passed by Congress in 1988 explicitly bars the president from being able to regulate the import and export of films, books and music — something TikTok recently brought up.

marketwatch.com

Can President Trump place tariffs on films produced abroad? The law says no.

A law passed by Congress in 1988 explicitly bars the president from being able to regulate the import and export of films, books and music — something TikTok recently brought up.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

The future of streaming television is starting to look an awful lot like cable TV. Streaming’s à la carte choices have begun delivering less growth potential — and the best way forward may be to bundle programming like cable does.

marketwatch.com

The future of streaming television is starting to look an awful lot like cable TV

Streaming’s à la carte choices are starting to deliver less growth potential — and the best way forward may be to bundle programming like cable does, a TD Cowen analyst said.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

In today’s daily plane crash.

Sheriff, State Police investigating fatal small plane crash in Columbia County

Authorities are investigating after a small plane crashed around noon Saturday in the Columbia County town of Copake.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

The long-running lament among TV viewers is that you get 500 channels but there is never anything to watch. But what was once a bit of hyperbole is now mostly true — there is almost nothing new to watch on TV.

marketwatch.com

The era of zombie television: Why is there never anything to watch on cable?

More than 60 million U.S. homes still have cable, but they largely get reality shows, old movies and 21-hour-long blocs of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Here’s some bad news: The media industry will likely take it hard on the chin as tariffs are expected to cause ad spending to plunge, according to Citi Research.

marketwatch.com

Tariffs to hammer media companies as ad and consumer spending fall, analyst says

The companies most dependent on advertising could see revenue fall by as much as 4% as tariffs crimp spending, Citi Research says.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Run to the hills! Iron Maiden’s famed tour plane cut up into collectible key chains. The heavy-metal band found a new way to cash in on its fame — by selling scraps of its Boeing 747 tour plane, ‘Ed Force One,’ as memorabilia

marketwatch.com

Run to the hills! Iron Maiden’s tour plane cut up into collectible key chains.

The heavy-metal band found a new way to cash in on its fame — by selling scraps of its Boeing 747 tour plane, “Ed Force One,” as memorabilia.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Netflix paid $55 million for a show. Prosecutors say the creator blew it on Rolls Royces and crypto. Netflix paid Carl Erik Rinsch top dollar during the peak streaming boom for a sci-fi series he never delivered, losing it all on bad investments and luxury goods, prosecutors say

marketwatch.com

Netflix paid $55 million for a show. Prosecutors say the creator blew it on Rolls Royces and crypto.

Netflix paid Carl Erik Rinsch top dollar during the peak streaming boom for a sci-fi series he never delivered, losing it all on bad investments and luxury goods, prosecutors say

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Spotify says it paid $10 billion in royalties in 2024 — but only 4% of artists on the platform actually make a living

marketwatch.com

Spotify paid $10 billion in royalties in 2024 — but are artists any better off?

The music-streaming giant has long been the target of criticism from artists about paltry payments, but said it doled out record royalties last year.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Biden warns that an oligarchy is taking hold in America. There is data to back him up.

marketwatch.com

Biden warns an oligarchy is taking hold in America. There is data to back it up.

Wealth disparity in the U.S. has grown since 2009, according to Fed data, with a significant increase in the share of the nation’s wealth held by the 238,000 richest people.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Influential activist short-seller firm Hindenburg Research says it is shutting down

marketwatch.com

Influential activist short seller Hindenburg Research says it is shutting down

Founder Nathan Anderson says he and his team are ready to move on to the next chapter in their lives after just eight years.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

The cost of doing business: why Mali just seized 3 tons of gold from Canadian miner Barrick

marketwatch.com

Why Mali just seized 3 tons of gold from Canadian miner Barrick

An ongoing dispute over ownership stakes in Barrick’s operation in Mali has led to the arrest of mining officials, the government’s gold seizure and the company’s shutdown of its mine.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Cooking the books: Pals Donald Trump and Vince McMahon both resolve hush-money cases

marketwatch.com

Pals Donald Trump and Vince McMahon both resolve hush-money cases

Trump was sentenced Friday to no jail time for covering up payments to women, while McMahon settled with the SEC for similarly hiding payoffs from WWE’s books.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

More than $125 million is stolen every year on Zelle. The feds say little is done to stop it.

marketwatch.com

More than $125 million is stolen every year on Zelle. The feds say little is done to stop it.

A lawsuit filed by the CFPB says Zelle and the big banks that own it left the platform vulnerable to fraud in an effort to rush it to market to compete with Venmo and CashApp.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

A record number of people are expected to fly over the holidays. That’s good for travel stocks, but not for passengers.

marketwatch.com

More good news for travel stocks: A record number of people expected to fly over the holidays

Over 119 million people in the U.S. are expected to hit the road over the coming days, surpassing pre-COVID-19 peaks, with air travel seeing the biggest increase.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Really strong album. Essentially a sequel to the Shaft soundtrack.

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Prosecutors say Sylvein William Maximilian D’Habsburg XVII targeted elderly churchgoers in California and used their money to buy vintage Rolls Royces and antique thrones

marketwatch.com

Man posing as a European noble admits stealing $6 million in AI Ponzi scheme

It was an investment that collapsed as dramatically as the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

From deep in the 90s vault

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

From the exoneration of confederate officers following the Civil War by Andrew Johnson to Donald Trump’s pardoning of several close political supporters, many pardons have been met with outrage and opprobrium.

marketwatch.com

Hunter Biden and history’s most controversial pardons for financial crimes

Almost every president has pardoned someone that left critics howling. Here’s how Hunter Biden’s pardon stacks up with five of the most contentious acts of clemency for financial crimes.

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

There are few things more boring to watch on TV than the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (TM).

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Anthonie Ruinard presented himself as a highly successful investor. Prosecutors say he was actually a con man, and a murderer.

marketwatch.com

Man in jail for allegedly murdering teen charged in multimillion-dollar fraud

Authorities claim Anthonie Ruinard Jr. murdered teen Parker League in the Arizona desert. He’s now been charged with running a sophisticated investment scam

Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

For some investors in WAMCO’s funds, it paid to have friends. For others, not so much.

marketwatch.com

Feds say star fund manager illegally cherry-picked $600 million from some clients and steered it to others

Ken Leech, the star investor behind bond funds with $308 billion in assets under management, illegally steered hundreds of millions of dollars into ones held by preferred clients at the expense of fun...

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Lukas I. Alpert @lalpert1.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

'Welcome to Trump 2.0'

marketwatch.com

Trump’s flip-flop on TikTok ban signals a regulatory roller coaster to come

The president-elect has changed his tune on banning TikTok, but how much he can or will do to stop a legally-mandated sale of the social-media platform remains in question