Niv Bavarsky
WBD board urged shareholders to reject Paramount’s hostile takeover bid. It could be back to the drawing board for Paramount Skydance and CEO David Ellison’s quest to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery after the latter’s board told investors that Netflix’s bid is better. In a letter to shareholders, the WBD board said Paramount’s offer contains “gaps, loopholes, and limitations” that put the company at risk. WBD also accused Paramount of misleading it about financing. Paramount’s latest offer included billions in funding from three Middle East sovereign wealth funds, as well as backing from Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, though Affinity pulled out of the deal on Tuesday. Ellison said he believes the Paramount offer is still superior to Netflix’s and was “encouraged” by feedback he received from WBD shareholders.
Four House GOPers break with Johnson to force healthcare vote. A day after House Speaker Mike Johnson blocked a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits before they expire Dec. 31, four Republicans joined Democrats in signing a petition that forces the House to vote on a measure early next year. Even if the bill—which would require the government to fund the ACA credits for another three years—passes the House, it’s unlikely to be approved by the Senate, experts have said. Still, the rare move by four politically vulnerable lawmakers suggests healthcare costs remain top of mind for US voters, and will be a key issue in the 2026 midterms.
The Oscars are headed to YouTube in 2029. Hollywood’s biggest and most prestigious evening will soon move to the platform where MrBeast asks volunteers to sit in a tub of snakes for money. Starting in 2029, the Academy Awards will stream exclusively—and for free—on YouTube after its current deal with ABC expires. The Oscars have aired on the Disney-owned network every year since 1976, but have hemorrhaged viewers in recent years as people increasingly consume content online. In a statement, the Academy said that the move will allow the award show to reach “the largest worldwide audience possible.” According to Variety, Disney execs were shocked to learn the news just moments before it became public.—AE
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