Welcome to Markets Desk, your end-of-week wrap on the stories moving money and markets.
In the commodity pits, cattle futures closed in the red on Friday, shedding as much as two dollars and sixty-seven cents across contracts, effectively erasing the week's earlier gains. October live cattle finished essentially flat on the week, with cash trade in the North seeing light dressed action in the three forty-eight to three fifty range.
Shifting to media and deal flow, the Paramount Skydance merger with Warner Bros. Discovery cleared its final legal hurdle after a federal judge approved a settlement with twelve state attorneys general, putting the roughly one hundred eleven billion dollar combination days from closing. Actor Mark Ruffalo has been vocal in opposition, arguing the deal will stifle creativity, threaten free speech, and eliminate jobs across the industry.
And in artificial intelligence, OpenAI continues to see turbulence at the top of its safety organization. David Robinson, a leader within the company's Safety Systems team, has resigned, adding to a string of high-profile departures from that division. The exits raise fresh questions about the depth of OpenAI's commitment to safety infrastructure as the company pushes forward commercially.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
