Netflix drops out of the WBD bidding war, paving the way for David Ellison's Paramount to buy it

Tech Insider
WBD Sarandos
Warner Bros. has been the subject of a monthslong tug-of-war between Paramount and Netflix, which is led by co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Mario Tama/Getty Images; Chris Pizzello/AP

  • Netflix said on Thursday that it won't pay more for Warner Bros.
  • In a statement, the company said that the "deal is no longer financially attractive."
  • The decision was announced shortly after WBD's board said Paramount's latest
Business

Block, the parent of Square and Cash App, is laying off over 4,000 people

Engadget

Block is the latest business to announce layoffs, with the operator of payment platforms Square and Cash App opting to cut jobs in favor of using more AI tools. The financial tech company, helmed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, is slashing its current staff of 10,000 to "just under 6,000." CNBC highlighted a letter Block sent to shareholders announcing the decision to nearly halve its workforce

Business

They were about to shut down their business. Then a raw TikTok changed everything.

Tech Insider
Portrait of ChocboxLA founders Brittany and Kevin.
Brittany Nemandoust, the founder of Chocbox, and her husband, Kevin.

Ethan Noah Roy for BI

  • Brittany Nemandoust started Chocbox, a chocolate kit company, when the pandemic put her out of work.
  • Sales fluctuated, and she nearly shut down the business, but a viral TikTok changed everything.
  • She capitalized on the viral moment and implemented strategies to build a lasting business.

For years, Brittany

Business, Style

A man paid $200.57 for one night at a famous NYC hotel, then lived there rent-free for years. Now he could go to jail.

Tech Insider
The New Yorker Hotel, center, is seen in New York.
The New Yorker Hotel, center, is seen in New York.

Associated Press

  • Mickey Barreto booked a one-night stay at the New Yorker Hotel in 2018 for $200.57.
  • He stayed and paid no rent for five years thanks to a local housing law.
  • Police arrested him in 2024. In February 2026, he pled guilty and will spend six months in jail.

A man who lived in the iconic New Yorker Hotel for half a decade without paying a

Business

Guitar Hero vets RedOctane reveal their new music game

Engadget

RedOctane Games, a relaunched version of one of the studios behind the very first Guitar Hero, has shared a first trailer for its new music game, Stage Tour. The original RedOctane was shut down by Activision in 2010, and only recently reformed under Embracer Freemode to create a new music game franchise in August 2025.

Stage Tour is playable solo or with other players in a band, according to

Style