businessMonday, August 24, 2026
The Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger saga took another turn today, with California AG Rob Bonta canceling a settlement meeting and accusing the company of bad faith. The back-and-forth over leaks and threats to leave California dominated the day, while a few other stories offered a quieter counterpoint on brand strategy and creative work.
The Paramount-WBD deal is now a public relations war, with dueling accusations and a canceled meeting.
Bonta canceled a settlement meeting with Paramount after accusing David Ellison of leaking details from a prior discussion. This halts any near-term resolution of the antitrust suit over the $111 billion merger.
A separate piece notes the meeting was always more show than substance, with leaks suggesting Paramount might leave California if the suit goes to trial in 2027. The PR game is as much about public perception as legal strategy.
Paramount Skydance fired back, denying the leak allegations and calling Bonta's cancellation premature. The denial keeps the story in the news cycle without moving the legal needle.
Mike Schur weighed in from the creative side, arguing the merger would be a bad place for writers and showrunners. It's a reminder that the fight isn't just corporate, it's about who gets to make things.
Elsewhere, the conversation turned to longevity, in mascots, in energy politics, and in indie games.
A motionographer piece argues brand mascots should be kept for life, not retired after a single campaign. It's a strategic point about building equity vs. chasing novelty.
Renewable energy is spending big on elections for the first time, and it's working, a solar-backed PAC helped oust a House incumbent. The sector is learning the old rules of political influence.
CAA launched Frame1Games, an indie game accelerator with multi-million-dollar investments and mentorship. It's a new model for how talent agencies can fund and own a piece of the gaming business.
Anger, Anxiety and Agencylucumr.pocoo.org
Joe Dante tells us how his "anti-Space Jam" became the flop Looney Tunes: Back In Actionwww.avclub.com
The Monster Munch rebrand shows a great brand mascot can last a lifetimewww.creativebloq.com
DC Studios Projects NOT on Hold Over Paramount/Warner Bros Deal: Gunnbleedingcool.com
Paramount Says It Did Not Leak Discussions With California's Attorney General to the Pressvariety.com
How Design Decisions Drive App Development Cost | Handoff Guidecssauthor.comCalifornia AG Rob Bonta Cancels Planned Paramount Merger Meetingwww.indiewire.com
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has cancelled a scheduled meeting with Paramount regarding the studio's planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The cancellation follows accusations that Paramount acted in bad faith by leaking details from a previous settlement discus
Alexander Chee Trusted His Gutdefector.com
The author reflects on the frustrations of traditional publishing, where editors often prioritize metrics, trends, and "vibes" over creative integrity. Sharing a personal anecdote about their own experience with an agent and editor during a difficult period before securing a book
How to say yes to the big job when you're a one-person studiowww.creativeboom.com
The article addresses the common dilemma faced by small studios and freelancers who win large projects but lack the internal capacity to execute them. It provides practical advice on how to accept such opportunities by bringing in temporary help, specifically highlighting the pro
Artis Sense and Artis Frame by Christian Haas for Villeroy & Bochwww.dezeen.com
Industrial designer Christian Haas has launched two new bathroom products for Villeroy & Boch: the Artis Sense washbasin, featuring a textured ceramic surface inspired by pleated textiles, and the Artis Frame, a lightweight bathroom furniture piece with an open metal frame struct
Nomēa Studio Visual Identity and Branding by Schickeria Studioabduzeedo.com
Schickeria Studio developed a Mediterranean-inspired visual identity for Vienna-based creative agency Nomēa Studio. The branding system combines playful warmth with Austrian editorial structure, featuring an oversized grotesque display wordmark, high-contrast serif italic subtitl
Brand Identity: Turkish Towels by Naci Mertabduzeedo.com
Designer Naci Mert created a geometric brand identity for Turkish Towels, a regional initiative supported by DENIB. The visual system utilizes clean vectors and structural line weights to avoid nostalgic tropes, incorporating Anatolian cotton motifs and a natural color palette of
Granola — The AI Notepad for back-to-back meetingswww.granola.ai
Granola is an AI-powered notepad application designed to streamline meeting workflows by automatically capturing and enhancing notes from computer audio without requiring a dedicated meeting bot. It integrates with major platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, emph
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