In a plot twist, Paramount made a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery this morning just days after the company agreed to sell major assets to Netflix. The company bypassed Warner Bros. Discovery’s board and went straight to shareholders, arguing Netflix’s offer is inferior.
Paramount is offering $30 per share in cash, valuing Warner Bros. Discovery at roughly $108 billion, and says its proposal would face fewer regulatory hurdles. Paramount’s offer doesn’t just include the studio and streaming business; but also cable networks like CNN.
The bid sets up a showdown between two entertainment giants, with shareholders now holding the power to decide which future Hollywood gets.
Hundreds of Business Groups Just Sent Congress an Urgent Warning About Franchising
Photo by Andrey Denisyuk/Getty
A powerful coalition of business groups sent a letter to Congress urging passage of the American Franchise Act.
The signatories include the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the International Franchise Association, Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owners and restaurant and hospitality groups from nearly every state. They argue that rapid changes to the joint employer standard have triggered costly litigation, job losses and major uncertainty for small business owners.
The bill would define franchisors and franchisees as independent employers, a move supporters say is crucial to protecting a $900 billion sector employing more than eight million Americans.
McDonald’s Will Soon Update Franchisee Evaluation
Robert Way/Getty Images
McDonald’s is changing how it evaluates its franchisees, and menu pricing is now part of the scorecard. Beginning January 1, the company will rate whether franchisees are offering enough “value” to customers, according to internal memos obtained by CNBC.
Franchisees, who set prices at roughly 95 percent of McDonald’s locations, will now be judged on how well those prices appeal to budget-conscious diners .
The move could cook up some tension. Some operators argue that steep discounts cut into profits, and they’re wary of McDonald’s tightening oversight without sharing the cost.
Your Next Phone Might Cost More Than You Think — Here’s the Surprising Reason Why
Photo by Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images
Smartphones usually get pricier when companies add better cameras or more storage. But next year, analysts say a far less glamorous part could drive up prices: memory chips.
Manufacturers like Samsung and Micron are diverting memory production budgets over to AI data centers, where demand has exploded. That shift is pushing memory prices up as much as 30 percent this quarter, with another spike expected in early 2026.
Cheap Android phones could feel it first, since slimmer profit margins leave companies little choice but to charge more. And it’s not just phones at risk. Tablets, laptops, and smartwatches may all get more expensive.
Hershey’s Drops a Limited Edition Dubai Chocolate Bar
Photo courtesy of GoPuff
Hershey’s is jumping on the Dubai chocolate craze with a limited-edition bar inspired by the viral Middle Eastern treat, but good luck getting your hands on one. Hershey’s made only 10,000 bars.
The new Hershey’s Dubai-Inspired Chocolate Bar is layered with pistachio cream and crispy kadayif under classic milk chocolate.
They’re available for $8.99 exclusively through GoPuff in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago. Once they sell out, the company says they’re gone for good.
Robotaxis Are Expanding Fast — But So Are the Safety Concerns
Michael Vi/Getty Images
Autonomous vehicles are rolling into more cities, with companies like Waymo, Uber and Avride announcing new testing and launches across Philadelphia, Dallas and soon Baltimore, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Regulators in California are even paving the way for self-driving trucks on highways.
But as the number of robotaxis accelerates, so do the red lights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants answers from Waymo after reports that its robotaxis illegally passed stopped school buses 19 times in Austin. And a viral video shows a Waymo vehicle running over KitKat, a beloved bodega cat, raising fresh questions about whether robotaxis are ready for real streets.
Still, a recent study by Waymo showed its self-driving cars were involved in 91 percent fewer injury-causing crashes than cars driven by real-life humans.
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In a plot twist, Paramount made a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery this morning just days after the company agreed to sell major assets to Netflix. The company bypassed Warner Bros. Discovery’s board and went straight to shareholders, arguing Netflix’s offer is inferior.
Paramount is offering $30 per share in cash, valuing Warner Bros. Discovery at roughly $108 billion, and says its proposal would face fewer regulatory hurdles. Paramount’s offer doesn’t just include the studio and streaming business; but also cable networks like CNN.
The bid sets up a showdown between two entertainment giants, with shareholders now holding the power to decide which future Hollywood gets.
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