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Here's exactly what Paramount promised Hollywood to land WBD — and why some are still skeptical

A new movie every 11 days? That's what Paramount's David Ellison is promising after clearing a path this week for his company's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, combining two storied Hollywood studios. The CEO's settlement with a group of state attorneys general over antitrust concerns stipulates that the newly minted company will release at least 30 films into theaters in 2027 and 2028 and at least 32 films in 2029, 2030 and 2031. Currently, the combined entity has 35 films scheduled to be released next year, according to data from Rentrak. But questions remain about what caliber of releases the industry can expect — and what happens after the five-year agreement expires. "This is much more complicated than simply asking whether 30 movies is enough," Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak, told CNBC. "Thirty wide releases would represent a meaningful commitment to theatrical, and I think everyone in exhibition would welcome a robust pipeline of films. "But ultimately the proof will be in how those movies perform, how varied the slate is, how consistently they reach theaters and how the combined company executes on those commitments," he said. Hollywood has been clamoring for more theatrical titles since the Covid pandemic shuttered theaters and clogged the production pipeline. Ellison's theatrical commitment, which he touted as early as April at the industry's annual CinemaCon event, had garnered approval from the CEOs of the "Big Three" cinema operators — AMC's Adam Aron, Cinemark's Sean Gamble and Regal's Eduardo Acuna — even before Paramount's settlement. Cinema United, the lobbying group that represents theater owners, had been staunchly against the merger, but gave its seal of approval this week, saying the agreement with the states "accomplishes many of exhibition's objectives." However, not all exhibitors are on board. A number of theater executives, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, told CNBC they remain skeptical. Paramount's settlement includes stipulations about the number of theatrical releases the company must distribute over the next five years, how many of those releases need to be distributed widely and how many need to have a budget of more than $50 million. Paramount agreed to face steep penalties if it fails to meet the thresholds. Consolidation among movie studios has traditionally led to fewer film releases, which, in turn, results in lower revenue, particularly for smaller theater chains and independent operators. Overall industry dynamics have shifted drastically since Covid disrupted the theatrical space, leading to fewer screens and fewer moviegoers. Some of these woes have been masked by higher movie ticket prices — which are expected to help boost the domestic box office above $10 billion for the first time since the pandemic — but the moviegoing industry is still adapting to new economics.

Here's exactly what Paramount promised Hollywood to land WBD — and why some are still skeptical
Europe
BBC Business

'I like proving people wrong': The women taking up DIY and plumbing

It's hard to miss the explosion of DIY content that has hit our social media feeds over the last decade. From quick reels on how to fix cracks in walls, to complicated YouTube tutorials on building alcove seating from scratch, the internet is chock-a-block with seemingly endless home improvement demos. While DIY was once seen as more of a male domain, female influencers are inspiring a new generation of women to take matters into their own hands. Meanwhile, demand for female professionals is rising, while some women are changing careers to take up trades which they see as more AI-proof than their desk jobs. DIY influencer Jasmine Gurney has documented an impressive and exhausting sounding list of tasks on Instagram. She has torn down partition walls, replaced flooring, erected a fence, insulated and boarded her loft, built an outdoor workshop, made custom cabinetry, moved plug sockets, made her son his first bed and has been building him a treehouse. Eight months pregnant, the former marketer is now racing to finish building a fitted wardrobe before the new baby arrives. "I like proving people wrong," says Jasmine, 33, from Bedfordshire, who says she's been trolled by people questioning her techniques but they just "spur me on more". "I've shown me doing things whilst pregnant, I've had my firstborn strapped to me in a baby carrier while doing things. "I'm just showing that we are capable, we are interested in this sort of stuff and... we're sick of waiting around for six months for our husbands to pick up the tools and do it in most cases." Jasmine says her page really took off during Covid when people couldn't get professionals in so needed to learn to do jobs themselves. While the lockdowns are long over, demand for content like hers has stuck, she believes, because there aren't enough tradespeople to meet demand, and cost of living pressures are squeezing budgets.

'I like proving people wrong': The women taking up DIY and plumbing
Europe
The Guardian

On the rocks? Scotch distilleries pause production as unsold ‘whisky loch’ grows

With whisky production paused at Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh, the copper stills sit idle. Photograph: Holyrood DistilleryView image in fullscreenWith whisky production paused at Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh, the copper stills sit idle. Photograph: Holyrood DistilleryWhiskyOn the rocks? Scotch distilleries pause production as unsold ‘whisky loch’ growsDemand for Scotland’s most famous export has slumped, with industry facing job cuts and closures Patrick GreenfieldTue 29 Sep 2026 05.01 EDTLast modified on Tue 29 Sep 2026 09.16 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleObscured by the Scottish countryside on the outskirts of Kirkcaldy, Cluny bond is, in effect, a small town built to store whisky. By the time the latest set of warehouses are finished on the former opencast coal mine, Diageo’s 220-hectare (544-acre) maturation campus will be able to store almost 3m casks of Scotch. The drinks multinational needs the space. After a 15-year boom turbocharged by the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for Scotch whisky has slumped around the world. Distilleries have paused production across Scotland to avoid adding to the glut of supply, known as a “whisky loch” – the equivalent of a “wine lake”. Last week, the community-owned GlenWyvis Distillery in the Highlands announced it would appoint administrators following sustained financial pressure in the whisky market. On Monday, workers at Cameronbridge, Diageo’s largest distillery, a short drive from Cluny bond, began strike action in opposition to the company’s plans to cut hundreds of jobs across its Scottish operation. Diageo produces about one in three bottles of Scotch globally, including popular brands such as Johnnie Walker. Dozens of Scotland’s 156 active distilleries are rumoured to be up for sale. “Strangely, Scotch has had a really good time since the 2008 financial crisis,” said industry veteran Nick Morgan. “But people have stopped buying at the crazy rates they had been. View image in fullscreen‘People who bought whisky in the pandemic realised they had enough for two or three years.’ Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images“People who bought whisky in the pandemic because they had nothing else to do realised they probably had enough at home for two or three years. There’s increased awareness of health issues, many are choosing to drink less, and booze got very expensive during the good years for the business.” Fluctuations in Scotch whisky’s £5.36bn export market have proven particularly hard to navigate. By law, the drink must be matured for a minimum of three years in an oak cask in Scotland, with high-end speciality Scotch being aged in barrels for up to 40 years. Such lengthy maturation periods, used to create a wide range of flavour profiles from sweet to sulphurous, can make it hard to plan production. Despite Donald Trump’s decision to remove duties on Scotch exports to the US after the King and Queen’s state visit to the White House earlier this year, the industry had already suffered a significant hit. The US president’s “liberation day” tariffs in April 2025 resulted in a 15% fall in Scotch exports to the US, according to the Scotch Whisky Association. Demand in France – until recently the largest market by volume – has fallen, while the market in China has never really taken off as hoped. Optimists point to early signs of a tentative recovery, however, with the industry returning to growth in the first half of this year. Exports to India in particular have surged – but have not yet offset declines elsewhere. The downturn is by no means limited to Scotch, either. Many drinks manufacturers are experiencing a post-pandemic slump, with five of the biggest publicly listed alcohol producers sitting on a record $22bn of aging spirits, according to the Financial Times. Holyrood Distillery, in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, is among those to have paused production while its owners wait out the difficult period. Its bulbous copper stills, which would usually be hard at work producing single-malt Scotch, sit idle. Co-founder Rob Carpenter says he does not know when that will change.

On the rocks? Scotch distilleries pause production as unsold ‘whisky loch’ grows
Europe
The Guardian

‘It’s just getting worse’: anger in Maine over Trump’s trade war with close neighbor Canada

President’s tariffs have hurt fishers, loggers and others in a state with deep bonds to Canada – will voters show their displeasure in the midterms? View image in fullscreenMolly London in Piscataquis county, Maine. Photograph: Greta RybusIt was an ideal summer to cut trees. The weather in Maine’s Penobscot county – one of the most heavily forested counties in a state dense with trees – was warm and dry. Yet even as the county’s wood had grown to an ideal size to harvest, the machines Molly London typically uses sat idle. London and her husband, Alex, who started a logging business nearly 10 years ago, had been waiting weeks for replacement machine parts that were no longer stocked locally because tariffs had made them too expensive. By August, she and her husband decided to shut down their business, WW London Woodlot Management Company, exhausted after years of fighting ever-climbing costs. “It just didn’t feel right any more,” she said. “We’ve been losing for a long time, and this is just getting worse.” For centuries, Maine’s economy has been inextricably tied to logging. Penobscot styled itself the “lumber capital of the world” in the 19th century, and today, hulking timber lorries still take up half of the road when they charge down Maine’s rural interstates. The aroma from spruce and fir trees can be smelled through a closed car window. Logging’s health is a crucial bellwether for the overall state of its economy, and things are looking bleak in the midst of a trade war with Canada and record-high diesel prices. Democrats are hoping the frustration will finally unseat Republican Susan Collins, whose loss is crucial in helping the party win a majority in the US Senate. But after the fallout of Graham Platner, who dropped out of the race in July amid sexual assault allegations, the party has been scrambling to make up for lost time. In his first campaign ad, Troy Jackson – formerly the state’s senate president who lost a bid to be the state’s governor earlier this year – immediately labeled himself as a “fifth-generation logger”. “Susan Collins is just a rubber-stamp for the wealthy elite in this country,” Jackson said in another campaign ad. Sara Gideon, a former state representative, had run similar attack ads in 2020, telling voters that Collins is “Not For You Anymore” – an attempt to tie her to Trump and the wealthy elite.

‘It’s just getting worse’: anger in Maine over Trump’s trade war with close neighbor Canada
North America
CNBC Finance

Trump administration removes around 760,000 Obamacare enrollments, alleging fraud

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said on Tuesday it canceled roughly 315,000 Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollments covering about 760,000 people last month, alleging unauthorized enrollments, characterized by Vice President JD Vance as "rampant fraud." The enforcement action also involves verifying roughly 419,000 people to ensure they are legal U.S. residents and meet the income threshold requirements to receive benefits from the public exchanges of the ACA, also known as Obamacare, according to a CMS release. The vice president's White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud led the cancellations, and it estimates the action will save roughly $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies. Speaking at a Tuesday briefing, Vance accused the Biden administration of maintaining a system that enabled fraud. "You have a system where, on the one hand, brokers are paid money to feed patients into the system, while on the other hand, the government isn't even checking whether the people enrolled are actually eligible for the program. What do you have? Of course, rampant, rampant fraud," Vance said. It is unclear how many of those 315,000 enrollments involved people who were not eligible to receive coverage, or whether the Biden administration hadn't actually verified they could enroll. The action comes as the Trump administration has made widespread accusations of fraud in U.S. health programs and restricted funding and eligibility for the federal-state Medicaid program. During the briefing Tuesday, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz claimed that around 35% of people currently in the Obamacare system "have never used the program." He said those people never used a prescription or saw a doctor. The law has an individual mandate, or requirement that most people buy insurance, in part because having healthier people who use less care in the patient pool makes the system more affordable. However, the federal penalty for going without coverage has been $0 since 2019. Obamacare plans, created by President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, offer subsidies based on household size and estimated yearly income. President Donald Trump failed to overturn the legislation during his first term, but has proposed modifications that would make those insurance plans less comprehensive. Oz argued that bad actors were attracted to ACA marketplace subsidies during the Covid-19 pandemic, when federal spending surged dramatically. He pointed to enrollment growth from about 10 million people before the pandemic to roughly 22 million after, arguing that weakened safeguards and a lack of enforcement by the Biden administration contributed to improper enrollments. Obamacare plans experienced "unprecedented enrollment growth from 2021 to 2024," according to a June report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on policy development. The report said of this enrollment that "nearly half ... was suspected to be improper, phantom, or fraudulent." The report defined improper or fraudulent enrollment as individuals misstating their income to gain access to free plans. The spike in enrollment came after the American Rescue Plan, a Covid response bill passed in 2021, enhanced available subsidies to make healthcare more affordable during the crisis. Those broader credits were extended but later expired at the end of 2025, raising premiums for many covered by ACA exchanges. An estimated 19.2 million Americans are currently enrolled in Obamacare plans, according to the report.

Trump administration removes around 760,000 Obamacare enrollments, alleging fraud
Europe
BBC Business

Burnham to unveil public body to invest in electricity grid

Image source, Jeff Overs/BBCByAlex Forsyth, Political correspondent, Reporting fromLiverpool, Paul Seddon and Jennifer McKiernanPublished29 September 2026, 00:35 BSTUpdated 3 hours agoAndy Burnham is expected to announce a new government body to invest in Britain's electricity grid in his first party conference speech as Labour leader on Tuesday. The prime minister will tell party activists in Liverpool that the new publicly owned company, branded Great British Grid, will speed up grid hook-ups by driving up competition for connection projects. Burnham is expected to put the proposals at the heart of a new goal to bring UK energy costs in line with other nations in Europe within ten years. He will promise to have an "honest conversation" with the public and take on the "difficult issues" that have been ignored for too long. Burnham is expected to bill the creation of the GB Grid as the first significant move in his ambition to provide greater public control of utilities, which he put at the centre of his pitch for power over the summer. He is expected to say that faster connections to the electricity grid could help fix a "cost crisis" in energy that has proved "crippling for businesses". Full details of the new body are yet to be set out, but Labour said it would invest in and compete for transmission connection projects alongside the three private companies that currently own and manage the grid in Britain. The party said it would also make it easier for firms waiting to be connected to the grid to finance connection infrastructure themselves, with GB Grid supporting and potentially co-investing in projects alongside them. Labour has said that funding for the new body will be found within the existing budget of GB Energy, the public green investment company set up by Labour last year and which is now headquartered in Aberdeen. The transition of electricity generation from large fossil fuel stations to the more remote locations used for renewables, such as offshore windfarms, will require Britain's ageing transmission grid to undergo extensive rewiring in coming years. Energy regulator Ofgem has estimated that £70bn of investment is required in the grid between 2025 and 2031, quadrupling the current rate of investment. But in a report earlier this month, the National Audit Office warned that the number of projects waiting to connect to the grid had grown "significantly" whilst delays to projects were also increasing.

Burnham to unveil public body to invest in electricity grid
North America
Yahoo Finance

Can a 6% Dividend Yield Really Last? Here’s What History Says

A 6% dividend yield sounds like an income investor's dream, but the same number that makes a stock look attractive can signal something far more troubling beneath the surface. Knowing the difference before you buy could save your portfolio from… This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. As soon as anyone hears the words “6% yield,” it’s going to grab a lot of attention, and for the right reasons. This is a strong return for most investors who want to generate real income and growth from a portfolio over time. This number gets even more appealing when you look at the average S&P 500 yield right now, which is sitting around 1.05%, so the opportunity to generate four times more than what the S&P is doing is undoubtedly appealing. The challenge with hearing this yield number is that you really need to make sure you are aware of what you are getting for the yield. There are red flags that investors should be aware of, and knowing them isn’t just something to think about in passing, but they might be vital pieces of information before you start putting money into an investment. For the most part, calculating a dividend yield is pretty easy to do, as you only have to take the annual dividend and divide it by the share price. It’s pretty simple to calculate, but the reality is that a company can raise its dividend payout, something just about every investor loves to see. However, if the share price falls, it pushes the yield higher automatically without the company having to do anything. There is another scenario, which is usually the one that 6% dividends originate from, and it’s something that you have to scrutinize a little bit more. If a stock drops, especially quickly, it’s because the market has already started pricing in something wrong beneath the surface. The rising yield is likely more a symptom of a problem, and it isn’t necessarily a reason to make a stock purchase. The moment you start digging deeper into what dividend sustainability can look like, there is a better-than-good chance you’ll wind up with the same conclusion each time. Yields that sit above the broader market tend to get cut at a higher rate as yields move closer to what would be considered “normal” levels. To be fair, this isn’t a hard rule, but it does give us something to consider, as the companies that are paying out 6% or more of their share price are often doing it at the very edge of what their cash flow levels can actually support. What tells the real story is the payout ratio, and a company that is paying out 90% of its earnings as dividends is often the same company that doesn’t have much of a cushion. All it takes is one bad quarter, one interest rate move, or one unexpected capital expense, and a dividend cut happens, and investors are furious. A company that is only paying out 50% of its earnings has far more room to absorb a bad quarter or capital expense without impacting its dividend. The yield alone won’t tell an investor anything about a situation they are actually looking at, which takes us to the second scenario. The second potential situation is the one where most 6% yields do come from, and it’s the one worth considering the most. If a stock falls drastically, then it is most probably due to the market having started pricing in the troubles behind the scenes, which is what will cause an increase in the yield. There will no doubt be questions about high yields and any skepticism around these numbers would be fair, but there are some exceptions that should make the doubters feel better. Some sectors, like REITs, for example, carry structurally higher yields, and it has nothing to do with the company being in any kind of trouble. Instead, these companies are required, by law, to distribute roughly 90% of their taxable income. In other words, not only is an elevated yield normal, it’s just how it works. The same goes for Business Development Companies, which operate under the same kind of rules of needing to distribute taxable income. For their part, MLPs in energy infrastructure also have historically supported higher payouts through long-term contracted cash flow and not earnings that can swing in either direction based on the market. It always needs to be said that strong businesses that operate in stable industries can also support higher yields. Take a utility company that has regulated revenue and decades of consistent cash generation, which might have a similar 6% yield number as an REIT or BDC, but everything underneath is different.

Can a 6% Dividend Yield Really Last? Here’s What History Says
North America
CNBC Finance

Coca-Cola hires Rob Gehring from Monster Energy to run its North American operations

Rob Gehring, the head of Monster Energy's Americas business, will leave to run Coca-Cola's North America unit, the companies said Friday. The move comes as Coke tries to maintain growth while U.S. consumers cut back on spending in the face of higher gas and grocery prices. Despite those dynamics, the beverage giant posted net sales growth of 7% in the second quarter, as volume — a key measure of demand — rose 3% in North America. Though Monster Energy parent Monster Beverage is considerably smaller than Coke, its sales have soared in part due to innovation in the energy drink space. The company reported net sales growth of 20% in its second quarter. Coke is also investing in developing new beverages beyond its core soda offerings, including refreshers and dirty sodas. Gehring, 59, took on his previous role at Monster in February after serving as chief growth officer since 2024. In a press release, Coke said he was "part of the leadership team that drove the company's growth agenda and modernized commercial capabilities." Coke shares have climbed more than 25% this year, while Monster's stock has risen more than 12%. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

Coca-Cola hires Rob Gehring from Monster Energy to run its North American operations
Europe
BBC Business

What a US diesel export ban could mean for you

Image source, Getty ImagesByFrancisco VelasquezBusiness reporterPublished9 hours agoUS President Donald Trump has said he would back a ban on diesel producers selling overseas as surging fuel prices hit drivers ahead of the midterm elections. Diesel prices are hovering near a record $6.45 per gallon on average, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), due to the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran and tight global supplies. Trump and his backers say a US diesel export ban would protect domestic consumers from those rising costs, but experts say it could trigger major economic waves both at home and across the world if it were to happen. The US is one of the world's leading energy producers, with domestic refineries churning out roughly four to five million barrels of diesel every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Americans consume about 3.6 million barrels of that daily output. Refiners export the remaining1.2 to 1.5 million barrels per day, making the US a vital supplier to the global market. Between 60% and 70% of this exported fuel goes to Latin America. Nations like Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador depend heavily on American shipments to power their transport, farming, and factory sectors. Significant volumes also head across the Atlantic to European countries like France, the Netherlands, and the UK, as buyers search for alternatives to Middle Eastern supplies. US diesel prices have climbed to a record high of over $6.50 per gallon – up nearly 70% year-on-year. The spike has been driven by broader energy market shocks tied to ongoing conflict with Iran, which has restricted critical shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway south of Iran through which one fifth of the world's oil and gas usually flows. Diesel primarily fuels commercial vehicles in the US – such as freight trucks, farm machinery, and cargo trains – which are used for transporting goods and construction. This means higher diesel prices can drive up the price of food, building projects, and many other things. Outside the US, diesel is used in both commercial and consumer vehicles, but the effects of higher prices are similar.

What a US diesel export ban could mean for you