The Cynic: December 9

BUSINESS
This Week’s Business News

Paramount Makes $10.84 Billion Bid for Warner Bros Discovery

Paramount basically walked in and said “If Netflix won’t buy you, we will.” The company submitted a $10.84 billion cash-and-stock offer to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, just days after Netflix agreed to buy WBD’s studios and streaming operations.

The bid is a full-company takeover, not just a slice. Paramount wants the entire Warner Bros Discovery business, including cable networks, sports assets, and the pieces Netflix isn’t buying — meaning it’s directly competing with the breakup plan WBD already put in motion.

Wall Street is confused, Hollywood is panicking, and regulators are warming up. The deal would merge two major studios at a moment when everyone is already nervous about consolidation, and experts say the antitrust review would make the Netflix/WBD deal look like speed dating.

Trump Says Fed Chair Pick Must Support Rate Cuts

Trump just revealed the only interview question for the next Fed chair: “Do you like cutting rates?” He told reporters that a willingness to support lower interest rates will be his top requirement in choosing Jerome Powell’s successor.

His logic is simple: the economy is good, inflation is cooling, and borrowing should be cheaper. Trump has repeatedly pushed for more easing to support growth, housing affordability, and overall market confidence.

The finalists now basically need to campaign on “I promise I’ll cut.” Names floated — like Bowman, Rieder, Hassett, and Waller — will now be judged primarily on their rate-cut enthusiasm, not their academic résumés.

Kushner’s Reported Role in WBD Sale Raises Ethics Flags, ‘Experts’ Say

Only in 2025 do we get a media merger featuring Netflix, Warner Bros, and an ethics subplot. ‘Ethics experts’ raised concerns after reports that Jared Kushner had informal involvement in discussions around the WBD sale.

They say the issue isn’t illegality — it’s optics. Kushner is a private businessman, but because of his former White House role and ongoing political connections, experts argue his influence could appear to blur public and private interests.

The White House says he has no official role whatsoever. Officials insist Kushner isn’t part of any government decision-making, while analysts warn that even informal proximity to major deals can trigger scrutiny in D.C.’s favorite sport: ethics chess.

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REAL ESTATE
This Week’s Real Estate News

Commercial Real Estate Deals Tick Up… But Only Because Prices Got Cheaper

The good news: deal volume finally increased. The bad news: it’s because nobody wants to pay 2022 prices anymore. CRE transaction volume rose 4% year-over-year in October — the first annual gain in two years.

Buyers are back only when sellers finally admit reality. Prices for offices, apartments, and industrial buildings have come down enough that investors are willing to re-enter the market, especially with the prospect of rate cuts in 2026.

It’s not a boom; it’s a clearance sale. Analysts say pricing is still finding its floor, and most buyers are bargain hunters sniffing around distressed assets.

More Home Sellers Are Delisting Their Homes Instead of Cutting Prices

Homeowners have invented a powerful new pricing strategy: take the house off the market and hope the universe fixes it. Delistings jumped nearly 19% year-over-year as high rates and weak demand make selling miserable.

Many sellers refuse to lower prices — even when buyers refuse to show up. With mortgage rates still in the mid-6s, homeowners are pulling listings and waiting for spring, or renting out the property to delay the pain.

The result is a market full of stubborn sellers and exhausted buyers. Agents say pricing standoffs are dragging out the entire market cycle, turning every listing into a hostage negotiation.

What Another Fed Rate Cut Could Mean for Your Borrowing Costs

A December rate cut won’t make your life cheap — just slightly less painful. If the Fed trims rates again, expect small declines in mortgage, credit card, auto loan, and personal loan rates.

Mortgages will move the slowest. Even with Fed cuts, mortgage rates depend on long-term bond markets, meaning they’ll drift down gradually rather than falling off a cliff.

The real winners are borrowers who refinanced nothing in the last four years. Credit card APRs are still painfully high, auto loans are still expensive, and personal loans remain pricier than most people remember — but each Fed cut takes a little pressure off.

FUN
Riddle Me This

A CEO, an AI model, and a middle manager walk into a budget meeting. By the end of Q4, only two of them are still on payroll, and both insist they “created most of the value.”

Who got cut?

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ADVICE
This Week’s Business Advice

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