All3Media, an independent TV production firm, has merged with Banijay Entertainment, a publicly traded French production company to create a European TV production behemoth worth $8 billion, the chair of the newly combined company Jeff Zucker told Axios in an interview Tuesday.
Why it matters: The combined company will be better positioned to continue to grow outside of Europe and particularly in the U.S., Zucker said.
The vast majority of Republican midterm advertisements for House and Senate candidates are about President Trump, according to Axios analysis of AdImpact data on ad airings between Jan. 1, 2025, to Feb. 18, 2026.
Why it matters: As primary season gets underway, candidates are focused on distinguishing themselves from rivals within their parties.
Now that Paramount Skydance has won the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, it faces a complicated road of regulatory approvals from governments across the globe.
Why it matters: Antitrust experts do not expect regulators in the U.S. or abroad to block the deal, but the approval process will likely be long and cumbersome, which could impact how quickly the company can realize synergies and growth opportunities.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos never met with President Trump or any White House officials last week when he visited Washington, according to sources familiar with the engagement.
Sarandos was informed shortly after arriving at the White House that his meeting was canceled because of a last-minute scheduling conflict, and then he promptly left the building.
Why it matters: Media onlookers were quick to speculate that Sarandos' meeting at the White House on Thursday prompted Netflix to drop out of the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Justice Department on Tuesday withdrew its request to voluntarily dismiss its lawsuit appeals against Big Law firms representing or employing some of President Trump's critics.
The big picture: Changing a course set less than 24 hours earlier,the department asked the court Tuesday to disregard its Monday's order, saying it still wants to pursue appeals against the firms that won rulings against Trump's executive orders.
President Trump said the U.S. will "immediately" offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers and other ships in the Gulf region, and that the Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed.
Why it matters: The White House is trying to ease oil price spikes that are starting to boost U.S. gasoline prices. Oil prices retreated Tuesday as word of the plans began to emerge.
Gasoline prices are jumping as oil prices spike following the U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran, reflecting market fears of extended geopolitical upheaval.
Why it matters: Americans use about 370 million gallons of gas per day, so price increases have an immediate effect on their pocketbook and mood about the economy.
An experiment in democratizing private markets looks to be on the way out: Retail investors don't seem to have the stomach for it.
The big picture: What happened with Blue Owl, a private credit firm that had retail investors clamoring for their money back, sparking a mini crisis that was a PR mess for the company, sent its stock price down sharply, and rattled investors about the entire sector.
Target's new CEO Michael Fiddelke is using his first earnings report at the helm to confront another quarter of falling sales — and promise a return to growth.
Why it matters: A 2.5% drop in fourth-quarter comparable sales capped a difficult year for Target, raising the stakes for Fiddelke to stabilize traffic and deliver the steady growth he's forecasting for 2026.
Katie Miller interviewed Fox News' Sean Hannity for an upcoming episode of "The Katie Miller Podcast," and Hannity jabbed at former prime-time colleague Tucker Carlson:
"I don't ever talk to him, ever," Hannity said. "I wish him well. I've read a lot of what he says. I just completely disagree with it. And it's not the person that I knew when he was at Fox."
A new Consumer Reports investigation found heavy metals in more than half of the infant formulas it tested — despite the Food and Drug Administration's pledge last year to tighten oversight.
Why it matters: Infant formula can be a baby's only source of nutrition — heightening the stakes of any contamination concerns.
Retired Gen. Paul Nakasone, former NSA and U.S. Cyber Command director and an OpenAI board member, criticized the Trump administration's decision to label Anthropic a supply chain risk.
Why it matters: Designating just one American AI company as a risk could dismantle the Pentagon's decades of work to build trust across Silicon Valley, he warned.
The Department of Justice moved to dismiss its civil case against four leading law firms that won rulings against President Trump's executive orders targeting them for employing or representing his critics.
The big picture: The DOJ's motion to dismiss its lawsuit appeals against Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey comes after other prestigious law firms caught in Trump's crosshairs agreed to provide almost $1 billion worth of legal work to the president instead of going to court.
President Trump on Monday confirmed he will be accepting an invitation to this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Why it matters: Trump never attended the event that's historically known for poking fun at presidents and their policies during either of his presidential terms.
