Washington desk

Filed from the Washington desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Business · 5 October 2026

Skydance: David Ellison’s New Media Giant Faces Five Tough Choices

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Tech heir David Ellison has combined Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount into a single company called Skydance and must now sort out news, movies, streaming, sports rights and a mountain of debt.

Technology · 5 October 2026

Trump Names National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton as White House AI Czar

Rita Knox, Washington desk

President Trump appointed National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton as the White House AI czar, tasking him with leading the new “Super Intelligence Force” after Clayton warned that AI is both a game‑changer and…

Politics · 5 October 2026

B‑1 Bombers Gone: US Pulls All B‑1s from RAF Fairford After ‘No Explosives’ Alert

Clyde Rook, Washington desk

The US Air Force withdrew every B‑1 bomber from RAF Fairford after a security incident triggered evacuations, but police found no explosives. Five London‑based security teams were on standby and have now stood down,…

Entertainment · 5 October 2026

James Gunn's Next Movie in Development as Superman: Man of Tomorrow's Post-Production

Candy Voss, Washington desk

Director James Gunn is hard at work on his next film despite Superman: Man of Tomorrow's post-production. Gunn's statement about being 'already in it' has sparked debate among fans, but the director remains focused on cr…

World · 5 October 2026

Okinawa Arrests U.S. Marine in Murder Case, Tokyo Demands Action

June Harrow, Washington desk

A U.S. Marine was arrested in Okinawa on suspicion of robbery and murder of a woman. Japan lodged a formal protest, urging the U.S. military to take appropriate action. Washington has issued statements and the case is un…

Finance · 5 October 2026

Treasury Secretary Bessent’s ‘House’ Loses the Bond Game, Yields Set to Ease

Helen Pell, Washington desk

In an Axios interview, Treasury Secretary Bessent said he can’t control the Treasury market and expects U.S. bond yields to fall over time.

Business · 5 October 2026

Earnings Season Herds, Fed Holds Breath, Treasury Calls Market Robust Four Times

Helen Pell, Washington desk

In a dry parody of the latest earnings season, the Fed’s cautious stance and a Treasury briefing that repeated "robust" four times paint a picture of a market in a strange, yet oddly calm, pasture.

Entertainment · 5 October 2026

‘Digger’ sinks with an $8 M opening while ‘Verity’ surfs to a $32 M debut

Candy Voss, Washington desk

Warner Bros.’ oil‑tycoon satire ‘Digger’ opened to $8 million, whereas Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s satire ‘Verity’ debuted with $32 million.

Entertainment · 5 October 2026

Avengers: Endgame Reclaims Top Spot with $1.8 Million Encore Boost Over Avatar

Candy Voss, Washington desk

A fresh theatrical re‑release of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame added $1.8 million to its total, pushing it to $2.9255 billion and reclaiming the highest‑grossing title from James Cameron’s Avatar, which sits at…