California is scrambling to fix a tax credit snafu that could cost the state $750 million in annual film incentives by 2030. The deadline pressure makes this a high-stakes game for Hollywood's bottom line.
businessThursday, August 20, 2026
Hollywood's legislative scramble and OpenAI's power shift
Today's business news is a study in contrasts: Hollywood is fighting over tax credits and merger anxiety while OpenAI quietly reshuffles its leadership. The through-line is adaptation under pressure, whether it's a studio navigating political headwinds or a dating app bowing to market realities.
Hollywood's legislative scramble
California's film industry is in a bind, and the state's legislators are racing to fix it before the session ends.

Paramount's CEO threatening to leave L.A. over merger delays shows how antitrust scrutiny is rattling Hollywood's biggest deal. The AG lawsuit could reshape where studios call home.
Corporate power plays
From OpenAI to Bumble, companies are reshaping leadership and strategy to survive turbulent times.
Greg Brockman has quietly become the central figure at OpenAI, steering it through legal battles and executive exits ahead of its IPO. This is a power consolidation worth watching as the company goes public.
Bumble dropping its women-first messaging is a clear concession to market pressures, but it's already drawing mixed reactions from users. The brand's core identity is now up for grabs.
Also today16
What RAM crisis? B&H Photo has up to $400 off Apple's most powerful MacBook Proswww.creativebloq.com
Jason Reitman's Bruin Theatre Revival Ended in a Legal Battle: Reportwww.indiewire.com
How Teen ‘After-Prom’ Kings in LA Monetized the High School Ragerwww.wired.com
Zara flagship store in Shanghai reflects "the future of physical retail"www.dezeen.com
Studio Ghibli has no plan, isn't anti-AI after all, and doesn't know what Miyazaki is up to other than that he…www.creativebloq.com
The Color You Should Never Use for a Children’s Brandwww.designer-daily.com
Neutrogena apologizes for its treatment of Hayden Panettierewww.avclub.com
Neutrogena has issued an apology regarding its treatment of actress Hayden Panettiere, following her recent death at age 36. The apology comes in the wake of Panettiere's memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," which detailed her struggles and criticized Neutrogena for ending their te
TV Vet Chuck Saftler to Depart Disney and FX After 33 Yearsvariety.com
Chuck Saftler, a veteran television executive who joined Disney in 1993 prior to the launch of FX, is departing the company after nearly 33 years. Saftler held several key roles, including head of acquisitions for Disney networks (ABC, Freeform, FX, Nat Geo), head of business ope
Cinetic Marketing Taps Charlie Olsky and Emilie Spiegel as Co-Headswww.indiewire.com
Cinetic Marketing has appointed Charlie Olsky and Emilie Spiegel as co-heads of the company, following founder Ryan Werner's departure in 2025 to join Neon. The leadership transition occurs under Cinetic Media CEO John Sloss, with Courtney Ott also taking on significant reins in
DIRECTV’s Latest Streaming Promo Makes It Easier to Get Ready for Football Seasonwww.rollingstone.com
DIRECTV is launching a promotional offer to help consumers prepare for the upcoming football season by making its streaming service more affordable. The deal includes dropping the price of the MySports Genre Pack to $49.99 after a five-day free trial, allowing fans to access game
Neutrogena Admits It Made Hayden Panettiere Feel ‘Unsupported,’ Stops Short of Apologizingwww.rollingstone.com
Neutrogena has acknowledged that it failed to support Hayden Panettiere during her 2015 public disclosure of postpartum depression, which led to the termination of their decade-long partnership. While the brand admitted to making her feel unsupported, it stopped short of issuing
Documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy returns with 'Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing,' a follow-up to her 2022 film 'Downfall.' This new documentary focuses on the tragic suicide of former Boeing quality control manager John Barnett, who died during a deposition against his ex-emplo
The only conspiracy in Freefall: A Reckoning For Boeing is corporate rotwww.avclub.com
A review of the documentary "Freefall: A Reckoning For Boeing" argues that the film exposes systemic corporate rot within Boeing rather than a singular conspiracy. The piece highlights how two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people, shattered the perception of Bo
Best Ways to Use Seedance 2.5 for Marketing Video in 2026www.designer-daily.com
Seedance 2.5 is positioned as a multimodal AI tool designed to generate coherent marketing videos up to 30 seconds long, addressing the common difficulty of creating complete marketing beats rather than just short clips. The article outlines ranked use cases for 2026, prioritizin
British banking giants deliver tax rise warning to new chancellornews.sky.com
Britain's biggest banks have fired a renewed warning to the government against hiking taxes on the industry as John Healey, the new chancellor, prepares to deliver his inaugural Budget in October.
PepsiCo bets on healthier versions of legacy brandswww.foodnavigator.com
PepsiCo’s nutrition strategy reflects investment in modernizing legacy brands to meet fragmented consumer demand for health-forward products, according to results from its 2025 ESG report.
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