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Netflix Sweetens Takeover Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery with Cash Only

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Netflix has revamped its acquisition proposal for Warner Bros. Discovery, moving from a cash-and-stock deal to a cash-only offer, signaling a strategic push to reassure shareholders and accelerate the approval process.

While the price per share remains unchanged at $27.75, valuing WBD’s movie studio and streaming assets at $82.7 billion, the shift simplifies the transaction, removes stock-market volatility from the equation, and underscores Netflix’s commitment to certainty. The streaming giant plans to fund the deal through a combination of cash reserves, debt, and committed financing.

The move comes amid an intensifying battle with Paramount Skydance, which continues to press its all-cash $30-per-share bid for the entire WBD conglomerate, including linear television networks. Paramount has bolstered its offer with a $40 billion guarantee from Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, aiming to assure shareholders and regulators that financing is secure.

Despite the higher price, WBD’s board has remained aligned with Netflix, citing concerns over Paramount’s heavy reliance on debt financing and its existing negative free cash flow, which could strain operations and credit ratings if the deal were completed. Analysts note that Paramount’s proposal could saddle the combined entity with $87 billion in debt, leaving it more vulnerable to interest rate fluctuations and reducing strategic flexibility.

Legal skirmishes have further complicated the process. Paramount filed suit seeking additional disclosure on Netflix’s offer and attempted to nominate new board members, aiming to influence the shareholder vote. The court rejected efforts to expedite the case, but the litigation highlights the high stakes of this takeover duel. Netflix’s revised cash offer is partly a response to this pressure, emphasizing simplicity and execution certainty to reassure investors.

From a strategic perspective, the contest highlights contrasting visions for the entertainment landscape. Netflix is focused on acquiring WBD’s content and streaming capabilities to consolidate its global platform and content library, leaving behind legacy cable assets that are losing relevance. Paramount, in contrast, is pursuing a broader strategy encompassing both streaming and traditional media, aiming to achieve scale across a more diversified but financially strained portfolio.

Analysts have suggested that Netflix’s approach may mitigate integration risks, whereas Paramount’s ambitious plan could amplify financial and operational strain.

The backdrop for this contest is Warner Bros. Discovery’s precarious position. The company, valued at over $45 billion prior to the sale process, has faced declining cable viewership, escalating content costs, and growing competition from global streaming rivals. By revising its offer, Netflix is betting that the combination of price certainty, a cleaner financing structure, and operational strength will outweigh the allure of Paramount’s higher nominal bid.

Financial modeling suggests the implications for shareholders could be significant. A cash offer ensures immediate liquidity, reducing exposure to market fluctuations that accompany stock-based deals. Meanwhile, Paramount’s heavily leveraged bid could offer a higher nominal return but introduces execution risk, particularly if interest rates rise or integration challenges delay expected synergies.

Analysts note that Netflix’s approach may offer lower upside on paper but a higher probability of completion, a key factor for risk-averse institutional investors.

As the shareholder vote approaches, the battle will test not only the relative merits of price versus certainty but also the broader industry’s confidence in the ability of streaming platforms to successfully integrate legacy media assets.

The takeover contest occurs against a backdrop of structural change in the media industry. WBD has faced declining cable subscriptions, heightened competition from streaming platforms, and escalating content costs. Analysts note that traditional studios with significant linear operations are increasingly vulnerable to market shifts, making strategic acquisitions by cash-rich streaming services a preferred route for survival.

In essence, this battle is as much about strategic fit, financial prudence, and integration feasibility as it is about headline price. The next few weeks will reveal whether Netflix’s simplified, cash-backed offer is sufficient to secure shareholder approval, or whether Paramount’s higher-risk, higher-reward strategy can disrupt the status quo and claim Warner Bros. Discovery for its ambitious consolidation plan.

SOL Traders Run ROI Simulations Showing That Flipping $150 Into Ozak AI Could Outperform a Full Year of Solana by 300×

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Ozak AI ($OZ) has quickly become one of the most closely watched AI–crypto projects of 2026, especially among Solana traders actively running ROI simulations for the new cycle. As an advanced ecosystem built at the intersection of AI technologies and DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks), Ozak AI is being positioned as a breakthrough model capable of delivering exponential returns far beyond traditional Layer-1 yield expectations. With interest accelerating across both retail and mid-sized traders, $OZ is emerging as a preferred asymmetric bet for those seeking maximum upside from minimum capital.

Presale Strength Drives Confidence as $OZ Outpaces Expectations

The project’s ongoing Phase-7 presale continues to attract a wave of fresh capital, with the token currently priced at $0.014. Nearly 1.099 billion $OZ have already been purchased, raising $5.78 million to date. This remarkable growth curve supported by a substantial jump from the earliest presale phase has intensified discussions among Solana traders who compare their typical annual returns against the potential of early-stage AI ecosystem tokens.

As these traders evaluate their models, flipping $150 into Ozak AI is increasingly appearing as a high-conviction strategy, especially when compared to a full year of Solana appreciation. The presale’s clear path toward its $1.00 listing target offers a steep multiple that many traders believe could drastically outperform SOL’s expected 2026 gains.

Why Solana Traders Are Running Comparative ROI Simulations on Ozak AI

Solana’s ecosystem continues to expand, but its returns especially for holders entering during higher market valuations no longer mirror the explosive rallies witnessed during early-cycle adoption phases. This has motivated traders to look for projects capable of delivering exponential value from low entry points.

Ozak AI’s appeal lies in its next-generation architecture. Its AI-powered infrastructure automates predictive analytics, enabling real-time insights for both market participants and decentralized application builders. Combined with a DePIN network designed to distribute compute across a scalable, global node ecosystem, Ozak AI’s framework supports continuous optimization of data flows. Its cross-chain capabilities allow seamless interoperability across multiple blockchain environments, ensuring flexibility and future-proof development.

Staking, governance, and ecosystem utility further strengthen the case for long-term engagement, while its full audit by @sherlockdefi provides reassurance for investors who prioritize security at the presale stage.

Partnership Synergies Reinforce the Thesis Driving High ROI Projections

Ozak AI’s rising momentum is backed by a growing lineup of strategic partnerships that continue to expand its utility and operational reach. These collaborations serve as a core component of the ROI simulations conducted by Solana traders, who view external integrations as strong indicators of long-term project viability.

The partnership with Hive Intel (HIVE) enhances the accuracy of Ozak AI’s Predictive Agents by granting access to sophisticated blockchain intelligence spanning NFT markets, DeFi liquidity shifts, on-chain behaviors, and token metrics. This data foundation sharpens the predictive capabilities that underpin Ozak AI’s intelligence engine.

Through its alliance with Weblume, Ozak AI’s real-time signals can now be deployed into creator dashboards and decentralized applications with no coding barriers, offering immediate implementation for builders across Web3. Meanwhile, the collaboration with Meganet, a bandwidth-sharing network featuring over 6.5 million active nodes and a rapidly scaling user base, strengthens Ozak AI’s decentralized compute performance, reducing latency and enabling high-speed AI execution.

How ROI Models Show Ozak AI Outshining Solana by 300×

Simulations circulating within Solana trading communities suggest one consistent finding: while Solana may continue to deliver strong upside during the 2026 bull cycle, its returns cannot match the projected exponential curve associated with Ozak AI at current presale valuations. Traders running these comparisons highlight how even small entries $150, $200, or sometimes less could multiply dramatically as $OZ approaches its listing target and extends into post-listing market phases.

The attraction lies in the combination of low initial pricing, broad utility, powerful strategic partnerships, and a next-generation AI–DePIN framework capable of supporting real-world computational workloads. Against this backdrop, Solana traders see Ozak AI as a rare early-cycle opportunity not commonly found in mature L1 ecosystems.

Conclusion: Ozak AI’s Early Entry Window Is Creating a New ROI Landscape for Solana Traders

As Solana traders continue analyzing high-upside alternatives, Ozak AI stands out as a compelling investment avenue defined by innovation, expanding partnerships, and a robust technology foundation. With its presale still priced at accessible levels and its ecosystem accelerating globally, $OZ is increasingly viewed as a token capable of outperforming traditional Layer-1 gains by extraordinary multiples.

The result is a new strategic shift, one in which traders are reallocating small amounts of capital to pursue disproportionate returns through Ozak AI’s rapidly evolving ecosystem.

 

For more information about Ozak AI, visit the links below:

Website: https://ozak.ai/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/OzakAGI

Telegram: https://t.me/OzakAGI

 

Argentina’s Growth Slows Again as November Activity Signals Cooling Recovery

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TOPSHOT - Argentine presidential candidate for the La Libertad Avanza alliance Javier Milei waves to supporters after winning the presidential election runoff at his party headquarters in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2023. Libertarian outsider Javier Milei pulled off a massive upset Sunday with a resounding win in Argentina's presidential election, a stinging rebuke of the traditional parties that have overseen decades of economic decline. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

Argentina’s economic activity likely expanded by 1.7% year-on-year in November, according to the median estimate from analysts surveyed by Reuters.

This points to a second consecutive month of decelerating growth and underscores signs that the country’s post-stabilization rebound is losing pace.

The forecast comes after a stronger performance earlier in the year, when economic activity rose 4.8% in September before easing to 3.2% in October. November’s projected outcome would mark the softest annual expansion in several months, reinforcing concerns that momentum is tapering as the economy adjusts to tighter financial conditions and weaker domestic demand.

Argentina, Latin America’s third-largest economy, has managed to avoid outright contraction throughout 2025, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. That uninterrupted run of positive readings has been welcomed by policymakers and investors, particularly after years marked by high inflation, capital controls, and repeated downturns. Still, the latest estimates suggest the recovery is becoming narrower and more uneven across sectors.

The projections are based on estimates from 12 local and foreign analysts, who, on average, expect November’s Monthly Economic Activity Estimator (EMAE) to rise by 1.7%. Forecasts varied widely, ranging from flat growth at the low end to an increase of 3.1% at the high end, highlighting uncertainty over how sharply activity is slowing and where the pressure points lie.

The EMAE is closely watched as a leading indicator of gross domestic product, offering early signals on the direction of the broader economy. A cooling reading for November would suggest that the initial boost from macroeconomic stabilization and improved confidence earlier in the year is fading, leaving growth increasingly dependent on a pickup in investment, credit, and real household incomes.

Consulting firm Orlando Ferreres and Associates, which projected a 1.6% increase in November activity, pointed to notable weakness in industry and commerce. Those sectors have been weighed down by subdued consumption, high financing costs, and the lagged effects of fiscal tightening, all of which have constrained output and business turnover.

Even so, analysts remain broadly optimistic about the medium-term outlook. Orlando Ferreres said prospects for 2026 remain positive, citing a drop in country risk, rising investment flows, improved access to credit, and stronger household income dynamics, supported by what it described as a more organized macroeconomic and political environment. Lower country risk could ease borrowing costs, while improved credit conditions may help unlock postponed investment decisions and support a gradual recovery in consumption.

The November estimates also arrive at a moment when Argentina is seeking to consolidate gains from its economic reset. Policymakers face the challenge of sustaining growth while keeping inflation under control and maintaining fiscal discipline. With the pace of expansion easing, future growth is likely to hinge less on short-term stabilization effects and more on structural improvements that lift productivity and restore purchasing power.

Argentina’s statistics agency INDEC is scheduled to release the official November EMAE figures on Wednesday at 4 p.m. local time (1900 GMT). The data will offer a clearer view of whether the slowdown is concentrated in specific sectors or signals a broader cooling across the economy.

For now, November’s expected reading points to an economy that has stabilized but is still searching for a stronger and more durable growth engine as it heads into 2026.

Nvidia-backed AI Startup Humans& Raises Massive $480M Seed at $4.48B Valuation, Betting on Human-Centric AI

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In a funding round that underscores the relentless investor fervor for artificial intelligence ventures, three-month-old startup Humans& has secured $480 million in seed capital, catapulting its valuation to $4.48 billion.

The deal, announced on January 20, 2026, positions the company as a “human-centric frontier AI lab” dedicated to reimagining AI as a tool that amplifies human relationships and collaboration, rather than supplanting them.

This massive infusion of cash, one of the largest seed rounds in tech history, reflects a broader trend of capital flooding into spinouts led by alumni from the sector’s heavyweight labs, even as debates swirl about inflated valuations in the AI space.

Humans&’s philosophy centers on developing AI that serves as “deeper connective tissue” for organizations and communities, emphasizing empowerment over automation.

The company aims to rethink large-scale model training and human-AI interactions, with key innovations targeted at long-horizon and multi-agent reinforcement learning, memory systems, and user understanding.

By tightly integrating scientific research with product development, Humans& seeks to create software that facilitates seamless collaboration—envisioned as an AI-enhanced instant messaging app or similar tools where chatbots can request information from users, store it persistently, and apply it contextually over time.

This approach contrasts sharply with more autonomous AI paradigms pursued by some competitors, as co-founder Andi Peng highlighted in explaining her departure from Anthropic: “Anthropic is training its model to work autonomously. It loved to highlight how its models churned for eight hours, 24 hours, 50 hours by itself to complete a task. That was never my motivation. I think of machines and humans as complementary.”

The founding team, comprising around 20 members with pedigrees from the AI elite, brings a wealth of expertise to this mission.

  • Core co-founders include: Andi Peng, a former Anthropic research scientist who advanced reinforcement learning and post-training for Claude models from 3.5 through 4.5.
  • Georges Harik, Google’s seventh employee, instrumental in building its foundational advertising systems like AdWords and AdSense.
  • Eric Zelikman and Yuchen He, ex-xAI researchers who contributed to the development of the Grok chatbot.
  • Noah Goodman, a Stanford professor specializing in psychology and computer science, is bridging cognitive science with AI.

The broader team expands this foundation, featuring talents such as Alexis Ross, Ani Nrusimha, Charlie George, Diyi Yang, Jeremy Berman, Niloofar Mireshghallah, Ray Ramadorai, Rob Li, Saurabh Shah, Taylor Sorensen, Varuna Jayasiri, Weisi Duan, and Ziang Li.

Their collective experience spans xAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Meta, Reflection, the Allen Institute for AI (AI2), Stanford, and MIT, creating a powerhouse ensemble poised to challenge conventional AI trajectories.

The seed round was led by Ron Conway’s SV Angel and co-founder Georges Harik, drawing a star-studded roster of backers that blends corporate heavyweights with influential individuals.

Institutional investors include Nvidia, GV (Google Ventures), Emerson Collective (Laurene Powell Jobs’s firm), Forerunner, S32, DCVC, Human Capital, Liquid 2, Felicis, CRV, Exoscaleton (in partnership with Acrew), AME Cloud Ventures (founded by Jerry Yang), Palo Alto Growth Capital, Conviction, Bloomberg Beta, E14, A&E Investment, and Zeta Holdings.

High-profile individual participants feature Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, alongside Eric Zelikman, Anne Wojcicki (23andMe co-founder), Ralph Harik, Sarah Liang, Bill Maris (former GV CEO), Marissa Mayer (ex-Yahoo CEO), James Hong, Stephen Balaban, Ying Sheng, David Wallerstein, Thomas Wolf (Hugging Face co-founder), Mitesh Agrawal, Nikola Petrov Borisov, Yuhuai (Tony) Wu, Igor Babuschkin (ex-OpenAI), Itamar Arel, Sharon Zhou, Thomas Reardon, Zak Stone, and Logan Kilpatrick (ex-OpenAI).

This eclectic mix signals robust confidence in Humans&’s vision, particularly from those embedded in the AI ecosystem. The company’s sparse website offers a glimpse into its innovative ethos, featuring a simulation of cultural dissemination inspired by the Axelrod model, with parameters for interaction, social repulsion, and cultural noise.

This visualization hints at the lab’s interest in modeling complex human dynamics through AI. Humans& has also committed to contributing to open-source projects and academic research, while actively recruiting “world-class talent” to fuel its growth.

This funding arrives amid a surge in mega-rounds for AI breakaways, following similar hauls by ventures like Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence (valued at $32 billion in 2025) and Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab ($12 billion seed).

Yet, the eye-watering valuation has sparked skepticism, with observers on platforms like Hacker News labeling it a symptom of a “bubble in private valuations of AI startups.”

Industry analysts note that while the capital enables aggressive pursuit of compute-heavy research, the pressure to deliver breakthroughs in interactive, user-aware AI will be immense. Humans& plans to launch its first product early this year, though details remain under wraps.

Corporate America Navigates Uneasy Waters as Trump’s Second Term Intensifies Scrutiny on Free Enterprise

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One year into President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, a palpable tension is building between the administration’s aggressive economic interventions and the traditional pillars of American business.

With tariffs expanding, government stakes in private sectors deepening, and immigration enforcement escalating, executives are increasingly voicing measured concerns, signaling a shift from the cautious optimism that marked the early months of his second term.

This dynamic was underscored last week by U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark, whose annual State of American Business address served as a rallying cry for unfettered markets amid what she described as a national “hinge point.” In her January 15 keynote, delivered to an audience of business leaders, policymakers, and journalists at the Chamber’s headquarters, Clark declared the state of American business to be “growth-oriented, market-driven, future-focused—but above all, fearless.”

Framing 2026 as a critical juncture coinciding with the nation’s 250th anniversary, she urged a recommitment to free enterprise principles that have historically driven innovation and prosperity. Clark highlighted the lessons of history, pointing to post-World War II policy choices that ushered in eras of growth through low taxes, stable regulations, and robust trade.

She advocated for policies enabling sustained 3% GDP growth, including investments in education, research and development, and infrastructure, while warning against fear-based decisions that could lead to stagnation.

“These pro-growth policy choices begin to alleviate the pressures and frustrations people are feeling right now, today,” Clark said, emphasizing openness to global exchanges of talent, goods, ideas, and innovation.

While Clark avoided direct references to Trump or specific policies, her emphasis on resisting government control resonated as a subtle rebuke to the administration’s hands-on approach. Trump has directed federal involvement in tech companies, influenced corporate equity structures, imposed broad tariffs, and advanced strict immigration measures—actions the Chamber has historically opposed.

In a follow-up briefing with reporters on January 16, Clark reiterated the group’s stance, saying: “We are against government intervention in business, no matter which party is suggesting it.”

Neil Bradley, the Chamber’s chief policy officer, had earlier emphasized a nonpartisan approach to maintaining free-market support.

The address drew praise from industry figures, including Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, who commended Clark for “championing a pro-business, growth economy future” in a powerful speech.

Yet, it also highlighted a broader reluctance among leaders to confront the White House head-on, a departure from Trump’s first term when executives more openly split over issues like the 2017 Charlottesville rally.

Corporate governance experts attribute this caution to fears of retaliation, as the administration has shown a willingness to punish dissent through investigations or exclusions from deals.

Recent examples illustrate this tempered pushback. On January 9, Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods labeled Venezuela “uninvestable” during White House discussions on oil infrastructure, directly countering administration optimism about the region’s potential.

While expressing confidence in Trump’s plans and mentioning a potential technical team deployment, Woods’ candor prompted a swift rebuke from the president, who suggested Exxon might be sidelined from future opportunities.

“I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute,” Trump told reporters.

Exxon declined to comment further. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, on January 13, defended Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s independence amid a Justice Department criminal probe into Powell’s conduct, warning that meddling could reignite inflation.

Trump dismissed the remarks, stating, “I don’t care what he says.”

Dimon’s comments came as the administration proposed a 10% cap on credit card interest rates, prompting JPMorgan to declare “everything is on the table” in fighting the directive.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, on January 12, voiced frustration over Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to roll back childhood vaccine recommendations, deeming them without “scientific merit.”

These critiques, while pointed, remain sector-specific, aligning with experts’ observations that CEOs are taking “baby steps” only when policies directly impact their operations.

Broader critiques have emerged from figures like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who noted on January 9 that Trump’s second year is starting with a weaker job market and higher prices, contrary to campaign promises.

Internationally, Canadian business sentiment has soured, with pessimism spiking as Trump enters 2026, citing uncertainty from tariffs and trade tensions.

Experts like Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor and former ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, called for a more aggressive Chamber stance, decrying Trump’s “authoritarian approach” in contrast to Bush’s free-market policies.

“A lot of executives may have voted for Trump, but they need to speak out against coercion,” Painter said.

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine criticized the limited scope of CEO responses, arguing that allowing autocratic tendencies undermines capitalism.

The Conference Board’s recent CEO survey identified uncertainty as the paramount risk for 2026, with chief economist Dana Peterson noting evolved lobbying dynamics under Trump.

Gary Clyde Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics warned that calibrated criticisms might position companies for short-term gains but risk heavier post-Trump regulation, labeling state capitalism as “catnip” for both parties.

Economic indicators paint a mixed picture. Trump’s approval on the economy stands at 36%, below his overall 41% rating, per recent polls. Inflation has dipped to 2.6%, but job growth stagnates in a “low hire, low fire” market, with the federal deficit swelling by $6.2 billion daily to $30 trillion.

Despite Trump’s claims of exploding growth and defeated inflation, public pessimism persists over affordability. Supporters highlight tariff successes, with economist Mohamed El-Erian noting minimal consumer impact and boosted onshoring.

Trump’s first year has also raised alarms on press freedom, with actions like censoring government data, dismantling public broadcasters, and halting international media aid, according to Reporters Without Borders.

These moves, combined with mass deportations (over 622,000 reported) and federal workforce downsizing, reshape the business landscape. The Partnership for Public Service predicts increased political interference in the civil service this year, potentially hampering efficiency.

As midterms loom, analysts like conservative Yuval Levin question Trump’s legacy, suggesting his actions may not endure without institutional foundations. Atlantic Council’s Josh Lipsky anticipates more tariffs in 2026, despite potential Supreme Court setbacks.

Privately, executives admit limited appetite for compliance, adopting a strategy of grand promises followed by minimal action until Trump’s focus shifts.