A fast-moving news cycle across business, security, and policy: Netflix has walked away from Warner Bros. Discovery, the Pentagon is flexing both lasers and leverage in its AI push, U.S. mortgage rates just slid below 6%, and a Cuba high-seas clash is drawing Kremlin cover. Here’s what to know now.
Streaming shake-up
- Netflix has abandoned its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, a move that The New York Times says could clear a path for a takeover by David Ellison’s Skydance-led group. NBC News also confirmed the retreat in a brief update. [3] [4]
Pentagon power plays: lasers and AI
- The Pentagon fired another laser to down a drone, triggering a temporary airspace closure — another signal the department is accelerating directed-energy defenses. [4]
- Separately, ABC News reports the Pentagon has delivered an ultimatum to Anthropic over access and guardrails for its AI technology, underscoring the breakneck merger of commercial AI with national security priorities. [1]
Immigration flashpoint eases
- A Columbia University student has been released from ICE detention following advocacy that included a meeting between state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani and former President Trump, per The New York Times. NBC News also aired the student’s release, while ABC earlier carried Mamdani’s claim that Trump would intervene. [4] [3] [2]
Markets and money
- Mortgage rates dipped below 6% for the first time in nearly four years, offering a measure of relief to would-be homebuyers after a long stretch of elevated borrowing costs. [1]
- In a notable corporate reset tied to automation, Block is cutting roughly 40% of its workforce because of its AI strategy, The Times reports. [4]
Security watch: Cuba and Mexico
- ABC News says the Kremlin publicly backed Cuba following a deadly high-seas gunfight involving a U.S.-registered speedboat, injecting a new geopolitical wrinkle into the incident’s aftermath. [1]
- In Mexico, authorities have stepped up security measures after the killing of a cartel boss — a bid to deter reprisals and stabilize hot zones. [1]
Health and education notes
- A former acting CDC director voiced concerns about former President Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, adding to scrutiny around the administration’s health leadership picks. [1]
- In Los Angeles, law enforcement raided the home of schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho amid an ongoing investigation, ABC reports. [1]
Weather and science
- A pair of winter systems is on the move as video shows two separate ski scares in California; authorities and resorts are urging extra caution. [2]
- Skywatchers, mark your calendars: a rare pairing of a “blood moon” and “worm moon” will align for a March lunar eclipse. [1]
Entertainment sidebar
- With awards season chatter heating up, ABC profiled Wagner Moura’s road to a first Oscars nod — one of several culture headlines breaking through this week. [1]
The bottom line: From Hollywood deal-making to Defense Department deterrence — and a notable dip in mortgage rates — today’s headlines capture a market recalibrating as technology and geopolitics set a faster tempo.
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