Paramount Reveals Company Will Be 49.5% Owned By Foreign Investors If Warner Bros Merger Approved

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/05/04/paramount-reveals-company-will-be-49-5-owned-by-foreign-investors-if-warner-bros-merger-approved/

Opinion Voices | Abcarian: Take a cue from the California billionaire unbothered by a targeted tax by Robin Abcarian

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

Robin Abcarian argues that the richest Americans’ penchant for tax avoidance is a cultural flaw, pointing to figures like Leona Helmsley and Donald Trump as emblematic of the belief that “only the little people pay taxes.” She critiques the conspicuous consumption of billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and the Republican push for tax cuts, noting that California’s proposed one‑time 5 % billionaire tax—designed to raise about $100 billion over five years for the state’s faltering healthcare system—targets those who have benefited from federal tax cuts while paying far less than average citizens. The initiative, backed by the Service Employees International Union‑United Healthcare Workers West, has gathered enough signatures for the November ballot, but faces challenges: many of California’s 200‑plus billionaires have already relocated to states like Nevada, Florida and Texas, potentially eroding the projected revenue; opponents warn of constitutional and enforcement difficulties, while supporters cite tech leader Jensen Huang’s acceptance of the tax as a model. Abcarian concludes that, unlike permanent wealth taxes in other countries, this one‑off levy could fund essential services, but its success hinges on preventing wealthy flight and overcoming legal obstacles.

Read more: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2026-05-03/california-billionaire-tax-eat-rich

#LeonaHelmsley #DonaldTrump #SEIU #JensenHuang #HillaryClinton #SergeyBrin #LarryPage #PeterThiel #MarkZuckerberg #LarryEllison

Los amos de la IA en la sombra

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://elpais.com/tecnologia/2026-05-03/los-amos-de-la-ia-en-la-sombra.html

Now more than ever, boycott CBS.

#CBS #BoycottCBS #Fascism #BariWeiss #DavidEllison #LarryEllison #USPol

qwant news | Larry’s risky business

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

Oracle’s founder Larry Ellison has poured the company into a massive AI bet, striking a roughly $300 billion deal with OpenAI to build bare‑metal data centres that will power the startup’s inference workloads. Unlike traditional AI players that train large foundation models, Oracle is banking on the more lucrative inference side, leveraging its enterprise software and cloud customer base to embed AI directly into its existing databases. The gamble involves huge capital outlays, high debt, and reliance on OpenAI’s uncertain ability to become profitable, while also navigating community opposition to new data‑centre construction, geopolitical risks, and mounting regulatory scrutiny. Critics warn the partnership could strain Oracle’s finances and expose it to the volatility of the broader AI bubble, even as the company hopes to lock‑in a dominant position in enterprise‑grade AI services.

Read more: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/920378/oracle-openai-datacenter-buildout

#LarryEllison #Oracle #OpenAI #ByteDance

qwant news | The SEIU declares war on California's tax base — and its economy

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The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is pushing the “2026 Billionaire Tax Act,” which would impose a one‑time 5 % tax on the net worth of California’s ultra‑wealthy, earmarking 90 % of the revenue for health‑care spending that directly benefits the union and its members. While the initiative has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot, critics argue the tax could trigger a new wave of billionaire exoduses—already seen with figures like Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, Larry Ellison and Peter Thiel—potentially costing the state $13 billion in personal‑income tax and up to $25 billion in broader economic revenue. The SEIU’s pursuit follows revelations of extensive Medi‑Cal fraud, yet opponents warn that the tax’s projected $100 billion revenue is unrealistic, and that wealthier residents will employ legal tactics to minimize liability, further depressing asset values and harming California’s economy for generations.

Read more: https://nypost.com/2026/04/28/opinion/the-seiu-declares-war-on-californias-tax-base/

#SEIU #DaveRegan #Medi_Cal #UnitedHealthcare #LarryPage #MarkZuckerberg #SergeyBrin #LarryEllison #PeterThiel

9News | Shareholders approve $114 billion Hollywood mega merger by 9News

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have overwhelmingly approved Paramount’s hostile bid to acquire the company for roughly $113.5 billion (about $31–$43 per share), moving the blockbuster merger— which would unite two of Hollywood’s remaining legacy studios, the HBO Max and Paramount+ streaming services, and the CBS and CNN news divisions—closer to completion. The deal, valued at around $111 billion including debt, still faces antitrust scrutiny and regulatory reviews, with critics and advocacy groups warning that further consolidation could lead to layoffs, higher prices, reduced content diversity, and increased political influence. While Paramount executives tout potential consumer benefits from larger content libraries, opponents ranging from industry professionals to state attorneys‑general and several U.S. senators have pledged to challenge the transaction, emphasizing concerns over job losses and diminished competition in the media landscape.

Read more: https://www.9news.com.au/world/warner-bros-shareholders-approve-paramounts-114-billion-billion-takeover-of-the-hollywood-giant/2a58a116-e530-40bb-b9ff-f02e19a13acf

#WarnerBros. #Paramount #DavidZaslav #DavidEllison #RobBonta #ElizabethWarren #LarryEllison

AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information.

#WarnerBros. Investors Approve Deal With #Paramount

The vote brings the #tech scion [aka nepo-baby] #DavidEllison one step closer to uniting some of the world’s biggest news & entertainment properties.

#media #FarRight #LarryEllison #Trump #coup
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/business/media/warner-bros-investors-paramount-vote.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share