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Trump Declines Role in Netflix-Paramount Fight Over Warner Bros Merger

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Trump to Authorize TikTok US Deal as White House Pushes

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will not involve himself in the ongoing battle between Netflix and Paramount Skydance over the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, reversing his earlier statements suggesting he might weigh in.

“I haven’t been involved,” Trump told NBC News. “I must say, I guess I’m considered to be a very strong president. I’ve been called by both sides. It’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Justice Department will handle it.”

According to Reuters, the conflict centers on Netflix’s $82.7 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, including its film studios, HBO, and the HBO Max streaming service.

Paramount Skydance is pursuing a competing, hostile offer, citing a potentially smoother regulatory path.

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The rivalry escalated after Warner Bros. repeatedly rejected Paramount’s bids, leaving the Ellison-run company, led by David Ellison—the son of Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison—to push harder for control.

Trump acknowledged the competition in his interview, noting the divide between the bidders.

“There’s a theory that one of the companies is too big and it shouldn’t be allowed to do it, and the other company is saying something else,” he said. “They’re beating the hell out of each other—and there’ll be a winner.”

Donald Trump Steps Back From Netflix-Warner Merger

Last December, Trump had signaled he would weigh in on whether the Netflix-Warner deal should proceed, citing concerns about market concentration.

“They have a very big market share. When they have Warner Bros., that share goes up a lot,” he said at the time. He added that he would consult economists before making a decision.

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Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, defended the acquisition before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Antitrust, stating the merger would increase competition rather than reduce it.

Lawmakers pressed Netflix on consolidation, labor impacts, and political bias concerns, but Sarandos emphasized that Netflix’s programming serves “all, left, right and center” with no political agenda, NBC News reported.

Trump’s decision to stay out could benefit Netflix, which already has an agreement in place with Warner Bros. Discovery.

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, along with regulators abroad including the European Commission, will review the proposed deal. Warner Bros. shareholders could vote on the acquisition as early as March.

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Trump has also attracted attention for personal investments related to the deal, having disclosed in January that he purchased up to $2 million in Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery bonds shortly after Netflix’s offer was announced. The White House maintains that there is no conflict of interest.

Originally published on vcpost.com

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Form 6K Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Ltd For: 27 March

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Form 6K Skillful Craftsman Education Technology Ltd For: 27 March

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Accel-backed Rentomojo files for India IPO

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Accel-backed Rentomojo files for India IPO
Online furniture rental platform Rentomojo has filed for an initial ‌public ⁠offering ⁠in Mumbai, according to a draft prospectus dated Friday.

The company is ⁠selling new ‌shares worth up ⁠to 1.5 billion rupees ($15.85 million), while existing shareholders, including venture capital firm Accel, ‌is selling up to 28.4 million ⁠shares, the filing showed.

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Sotherly Hotels to delist preferred stock from Nasdaq

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Sotherly Hotels to delist preferred stock from Nasdaq

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BiomX receives NYSE American non-compliance notice

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BiomX receives NYSE American non-compliance notice

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Iran Has Distracted From the Mag 7 Woes. Why the Slump Is a Good Thing for Stock Markets.

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Iran Has Distracted From the Mag 7 Woes. Why the Slump Is a Good Thing for Stock Markets.

Iran Has Distracted From the Mag 7 Woes. Why the Slump Is a Good Thing for Stock Markets.

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Next PLC’s Shares Rise After Sales Outlook Confirmation Despite Possible Hit From Iran War

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Next PLC’s Shares Rise After Sales Outlook Confirmation Despite Possible Hit From Iran War

Shares in Next PLC NXT -1.71%decrease; red down pointing triangle jumped after the U.K. clothing retailer maintained its fiscal-year sales-growth expectations, despite warning that the Iran war could affect costs, prices and consumer demand.

The group said Thursday it had accounted for 15 million pounds ($20 million) in additional costs—including fuel and air freight—tied to the Middle East conflict. The costs didn’t affect Next’s guidance since they have been offset by savings, it said.

Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

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BlackRock’s Larry Fink proposes Social Security reform to diversify investments

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BlackRock CEO Fink says Trump Accounts could boost savings

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink discussed possible Social Security reforms that would allow more Americans to benefit from the growth in the stock market while also ensuring the program is strengthened so it can survive to serve future generations.

Fink’s recently released annual chairman’s letter touched on how Social Security is “one of the most effective poverty-prevention programs in history” and that while it provides stability, it “doesn’t allow most Americans to build wealth in a way that grows their country.”

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“Today, the system operates largely on a pay-as-you-go basis. Payroll taxes are used to pay current retirees, and the Social Security trust fund is invested primarily in U.S. Treasury bonds. In effect, workers lend money to the government and receive defined benefits in return.”

“The structure, designed as a social insurance program, emphasizes stability and predictability. What it doesn’t do is let people grow their benefits along with the broader economy. The question is whether the Social Security system could allow both,” Fink said. 

NEW PROPOSAL WOULD CAP SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AT $100K FOR WEALTHY COUPLES

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said that Americans need to discuss ways to reform Social Security ahead of its insolvency. (Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He said that this could be accomplished by asking whether a portion of the system could be invested “carefully, broadly, and over decades” like other long-term pension systems.

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“This would not mean privatizing Social Security or putting it all into the stock market,” Fink wrote. “It would mean introducing a measure of diversification, similar in principle to the federal Thrift Savings Plan, which manages retirement savings for millions of federal employees.” 

“The goal would be to strengthen the system over time while preserving its core guarantees,” he added.

SOCIAL SECURITY’S MAIN TRUST FUND FACES DEPLETION IN 2032, TRIGGERING BENEFIT CUTS

US dollar bills with Social Security check

Social Security’s main trust fund is on a path to insolvency in less than a decade, when benefits would be automatically cut to match payroll tax revenue. (Getty Images/iStock)

Fink noted a bipartisan proposal from Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would create a new investment fund that operates parallel to the existing trust fund rather than replacing it while investing in a diversified mix of stocks and bonds to generate higher returns.

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The proposal would require an initial investment of about $1.5 trillion and would be given 75 years to grow, and during that period the Treasury would continue covering Social Security benefits

Once the fund matures, it would repay the Treasury and then supplement payroll taxes going forward to help close the gap between what the Social Security system takes in and what it pays out – while no one on Social Security or nearing retirement would see a change to their benefits.

Fink also noted that about six million Americans who are employed by state and local governments don’t currently contribute to Social Security and instead rely on public pension systems that invest in diversified portfolios.

BUDGET DEFICIT HITS $1 TRILLION FOR FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF FISCAL YEAR: CBO

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Other examples of alternative pension systems can be found overseas, with Australia’s superannuation system representing an approach that invests retirement contributions in the financial markets. Fink said that a “similar, carefully structured approach could be considered to strengthen Social Security.”

“I understand why any talk of changing Social Security makes people uneasy. Social Security is a core promise, and people rightly believe it should be honored. But under the current system, doing nothing could very well break that promise,” he said.

“Current projections show the trust fund won’t be able to pay full benefits by 2033. Many young Americans doubt they’ll ever fully see theirs,” he explained. “Addressing that gap will likely require multiple solutions. But thoughtful, long-term investing could be one of them.”

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An analysis by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) noted that when Social Security’s main trust fund reaches insolvency – which is projected to occur in 2032 – federal law requires benefits be cut to match revenue from payroll taxes, which would amount to a roughly 24% cut for beneficiaries.

Fink noted that his chairman’s letter two years ago was focused on rethinking retirement and generated criticism for suggesting that Social Security was in need of reforms. He acknowledged that the latest letter may do the same, but said it’s a conversation that needs to be had.

“In my 50 years in finance, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the problems we don’t talk about are the ones that should worry us most. And that’s exactly why we need the conversation now – because the cost of waiting is only getting higher,” he said.

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Form 13D/A Venus Concept For: 27 March

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Form 13D/A Venus Concept For: 27 March

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QuantumScape’s Defense Angle: Why A Board Appointment Could Matter More Than It Looks (QS)

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QuantumScape’s Defense Angle: Why A Board Appointment Could Matter More Than It Looks (QS)

QuantumScape headquarters in San Jose, California, USA

JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

QuantumScape’s (QS) recent board appointment may prove more important than the headline suggests.

According to the company’s March 5 announcement, QuantumScape added Ross Niebergall to its board, an executive with deep ties across the defense industrial

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Trump tells farmers that tractor companies should lower prices

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Trump tells farmers that tractor companies should lower prices


Trump tells farmers that tractor companies should lower prices

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