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Dan Lin, who had been in talks to take over Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film unit, isn’t taking the job, after all.
He has produced films such as “The Lego Movie” and the two-part big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
Warner Bros. has been looking for someone to steady the ship at the DC film division as it aims to capture the kind of consistent success enjoyed by Disney’s Marvel Studios.

Producer Dan Lin attends the premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The LEGO Batman Movie” at Regency Village Theatre on February 4, 2017 in Westwood, California.
Todd Williamson | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Movie producer Dan Lin, who had been in talks to become head of Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC Comics film and TV unit, won’t take the job, after all, according to people familiar with the matter.
The two sides ended negotiations without reaching a deal.

The news comes during a tumultuous time for the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery. CEO David Zaslav has been attempting to remake WarnerMedia after merging it with Discovery in April, including layoffs and content eliminations from streaming service HBO Max. Shares are down about 50% since the merger closed.
After discussing a potential offer from Warner Bros., Lin has decided to stay at Rideback, the film and television company he founded and runs, the people said, who asked not to be named because the talks were private. He has produced films such as “The Lego Movie” and the two-part big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment. Lin couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The 49-year-old film producer was a favorite to take on the role, with expectations that Lin would report directly to Zaslav and bypass division heads at HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros. TV and Warner Bros. pictures. Contract discussions ran into complications because of Lin’s ownership of Rideback and how Warner Bros. Discovery would compensate him for that, two of the people said.
The two sides exchanged term sheets, and Lin wanted to keep Rideback operational with an equity stake owned by WBD, one of the people said. Both parties decided to move on after negotiations bogged down, one of the people said.

Zaslav has been looking for someone to steady the ship at the DC film division, home to superheroes such as Wonder Woman and Superman, as Warner Bros. Discovery aims to capture the kind of consistent success enjoyed by Disney’s Marvel Studios.
Warner Bros. recently moved its “Aquaman” sequel, which was set for a March 2023 release, to December 2023. “The Flash,” also set for release next year, is under a cloud of controversy due to its star, Ezra Miller, facing several allegations, including child grooming. Zaslav pulled the nearly complete “Batgirl” from its HBO Max release slate, allowing the company to take a tax writeoff.
In April it was reported that Zaslav had approached Emma Watts, a former top film executive at 20th Century Studios and Paramount, to take the mantle, but that Watts did not take the job. Warner Bros. Discovery is speaking to several other candidates for the job, one of the people said. Zaslav personally met with Lin in his attempt to convince him to take the job, another person said.
Zaslav has recently discussed his desire to build a “long-term, much stronger, sustainable growth business out of DC” that focuses on quality. The executive is eyeing a reset of the DC cinematic universe that would set up a 10-year plan for the franchise.
Zaslav tapped Hollywood producer Alan Horn in July to act in a consultant role to help the CEO navigate the film business. Horn, a well-respected executive and Disney veteran, was with the Walt Disney Company when it began shaping its Marvel Cinematic Universe and the relaunch of the Star Wars film franchise.
He also helped bring the “Hobbit” films to the big screen as well as the eight-film Harry Potter film franchise and Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

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TSA airport screenings topped 8.7 million over Labor Day weekend, surpassing 2019 levels.
The weekend capped a rocky summer for airlines and travelers.
Airlines are now focused on fall travel and the usually busy year-end holiday season.

Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C.
Leslie Josephs | CNBC

The rocky summer travel season ended on a high note during Labor Day weekend with a surge in air travelers and relatively smooth operations across the U.S., according to data released on Tuesday.
The Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 8.76 million people from Friday through Monday, surpassing pre-pandemic levels of the same weekend in 2019, when it screened 8.6 million people.

It was the first holiday weekend since the pandemic began that TSA screenings topped 2019 tallies, a milestone in air travel’s bumpy recovery. Airlines had reduced their schedules this summer to help stop spiraling flight delays as they grappled with labor shortages.
Flight disruptions over the popular travel weekend were also below recent trends, helped by decent weather.
U.S. airlines canceled just 0.6% of the more than 90,000 flights they scheduled, while 16% were delayed, according to FlightAware. That compares with 2.1% of U.S. carriers’ flights canceled between May 27, the Friday before Memorial Day, through Labor Day. More than 22% of flights were delayed during that period.
Last Thursday, the Transportation Department launched a new dashboard that lists what passengers are entitled to if their flight is canceled or delayed.
Executives from major U.S. carriers including United and American are expected to provide outlooks for the fall and the usually busy year-end holiday season during an industry conference that begins Wednesday.

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Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a “Morning Meeting” livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s key moments: Oscillator says market still oversold Our trades on DVN and CRM Quick mentions: HON and LLY Watching these bullpen stocks 1. Oscillator says market still oversold Stocks were in the red and the green Tuesday after a trading break on Labor Day. Bond yields rose after August ISM data was stronger than expected. Investors are looking ahead to the Federal Reserve’s meeting later this month and wondering whether its streak of aggressive interest rate increases to fight inflation will continue. While mindful of the market’s back-and-forth trend Tuesday, our trusted S & P 500 Short Range Oscillator is still in very oversold territory, suggesting now is not an optimal time to do much selling. 2. Our trades on DVN and CRM We sold 100 shares of recently rallying Devon Energy (DVN) and bought 50 shares of beaten-up Salesforce (CRM) on Tuesday morning. Following a strong Friday, we trimmed DVN in our continued effort to reduce our exposure to energy on strength. OPEC+ agreed Monday to cut production targets by about 100,000 barrels per day from October. We’re using the cash from that sale to buy shares of CRM ahead of its Dreamforce conference later this month . Since the company’s most recent quarter, which we viewed as solid, the stock has sunk. We like it long-term, so we added on that weakness. 3. Quick mentions: HON and LLY Deutsche Bank named Honeywell (HON) as a top pick for 2023 in a note on Tuesday. The company cited a preference for companies with late-cycle end market exposure, including aerospace and defense, oil and gas and non-residential construction – industries that HON has businesses in. While we have this stock rated with a 2 since we trimmed our position in late March, we are interested in buying back some shares. BMO raised its price target on Club holding Eli Lilly (LLY) to $396 per share from $369, spurred by the firm’s new type-2 diabetes drug being approved to treat obesity, something we’re also incredibly bullish on . It’s also worth noting Biogen (BIIB) is going to announce top-line data on a Phase 3 study in Alzheimer’s soon. If the data is promising, it’ll reflect well on LLY’s pending treatment. If Biogen data isn’t great, LLY stock could get hit. In that case, we’d considering adding to our Lilly position because we think Lilly’s efforts in Alzheimer’s are superior. 4. Watching these bullpen stocks Some of our Bullpen names that we’re keeping tabs on for buying opportunities are Palo Alto Networks (PANW), PepsiCo (PEP) and Estee Lauder (EL). The Bullpen is our watch list. But there’s no guarantee we will add any of them to the portfolio. We don’t have plans, for now, to add to the portfolio any Barrick Gold (GOLD), which is also in the Bullpen. Barrick has dropped 21% year to date. While Jim’s a fan of having gold as a small position in a portfolio as an inflation hedge, we plan to take a closer look to see if Barrick should remain in the Bullpen. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long DVN, HON, CRM. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. More

Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond were down in premarket trading after the struggling retailer’s chief financial officer died over the weekend.
Gustavo Arnal died after falling from a building in downtown Manhattan, police said. The city’s medical examiner’s office later ruled the death a suicide.
The company recently eliminated some executive positions, including chief operating officer, and is operating under an interim CEO.

A pedestrian walks by a Bed Bath and Beyond store in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond were down in premarket trading Tuesday after the struggling retailer’s chief financial officer died over the weekend.
The stock was down more than 15% as investors weighed the company’s leadership crisis after Gustavo Arnal’s death. Arnal died Friday after falling from a building in downtown Manhattan, police said. The city’s medical examiner’s office later ruled the death a suicide.

The loss comes after the company recently eliminated some executive positions, including chief operating officer, as part of its efforts to win back investor confidence and customers. It is also looking for a permanent CEO. Bed Bath & Beyond is operating under an interim chief executive, Sue Gove, after the company’s former leader, Mark Tritton, was ousted by the board in June.
The New Jersey-based company last week announced that it had secured more than $500 million in new financing, including a loan. It also laid out a series of moves aimed at reviving the business, including the closure of about 150 stores, layoffs and an overhaul of its merchandise strategy.
Arnal joined Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020 from London-based cosmetics company Avon after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. He also spent 20 years at Procter & Gamble. 
In a statement Sunday regarding his death, Bed Bath & Beyond said that Arnal “was instrumental in guiding the organization throughout the coronavirus pandemic.”
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
— CNBC’s Melissa Repko and MacKenzie Sigalos contributed to this report.

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As Liz Truss becomes Britain’s new prime minister on Tuesday, questions are being raised over her plans for the U.K.’s historic financial district: the City of London.
A re-merging of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) could be on the cards, but one former insider asks if it’s change for change’s sake.
The “battle” to deregulate the banking sector is like “winding the clock back to pre-2008 global financial crash,” campaign group head Fran Boait said.

People across the U.K.’s financial sector are wondering whether the new prime minister will change the regulatory landscape.
Jeff J Mitchell / Staff / Getty Images

As Liz Truss becomes Britain’s new prime minister on Tuesday, questions are being raised over her plans for the U.K.’s historic financial district — the City of London — as the country faces a worsening cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 
The City’s regulators could face a major shake-up under Truss, according to the Financial Times last month. It cited campaign insiders as saying Truss would seek to review and possibly merge London’s three big regulators – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Payment Services Regulator (PSR).

She has also suggested the Bank of England’s mandate will be up for review during her time as prime minister.
‘Change for change’s sake’
The FCA regulates 50,000 firms in the U.K. to “ensure that our financial markets are honest, competitive and fair,” according to its website. The PRA, meanwhile, oversees the work of around 1,500 financial institutions, to “ensure that the financial services and products that we all rely on can be provided in a safe and sound way.”
Their remits sound similar, but the different organisations were formed when it was decided the Financial Services Authority, which regulated the City between 2001 and 2013, had multiple functions that could be better served through separate organisations.
The main goals of the original authority were good conduct and financial soundness across the sector, according to Matthew Nunan, partner at legal firm Gibson Dunn and former department head at the FCA. He said that dividing it into two was seen as a way to give those aims equal priority.
“The simple question to be answered now is: What would the rejoining of the PRA and the FCA achieve?”, Nunan wrote in an email to CNBC. 

“If the answer is the reformation of the old Financial Services Authority, what was the question? Or is it simply change for change’s sake?”
Governments should always “challenge the status quo,” Nunan said, but argued that it’s a question of whether this would actually better serve the “changing needs of a nation.”
“The issue here is that instead of articulating a problem and seeking evidence, the statements made appear to be proposing answers to questions nobody is asking,” he said. 
Nunan also highlighted the difference between regulators and politicians, saying that regulators would “never be allowed” to make proposals in the way that Truss has.
“Regulators are required by law to make evidence-based decisions on rule changes [and] require cost benefit analysis before they can be implemented … If that is true for the regulators, why isn’t it true for politicians?” he asked.
‘Light touch regulatory regime’
The “battle” to deregulate the banking sector is like “winding the clock back to pre-2008 global financial crash,” Fran Boait, director of the campaign group Positive Money, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” last month.

It risks the country falling into the same situation “or a lot worse,” Boait said. 
“Liz Truss’ proposal to merge the three key city watchdogs would risk recreating that light touch regulatory regime – the regime we had pre-crash,” she said. 
She also highlighted that it has been less than a decade since the organisations were originally founded. 
“It wasn’t that long ago that we set up a much bigger regulatory system because there was a consensus that there is so much risk in the system, [that] complexity in the financial sector needs to be properly regulated,” she said.
‘Lack of clarity’
Discussions of a review or merger of any of London’s regulatory bodies remain speculation, as Truss has yet to make any official statements on the subject. 
That does cause a “lack of clarity” over the future status of the three regulators, according to Hargreaves Lansdown Analyst Susannah Streeter.
She said that improving financial services for customers should be at the forefront of any regulatory discussions.
“Whether they stay as single or merged entities, it’s really important that the U.K. has dynamic regulators which make the most of Brexit freedoms,” Streeter said in an email to CNBC.
Tackling scams, giving investors more opportunity to invest at IPOs and addressing how information is disclosed to potential investors should all be on the agenda for any proposed changes to the current regulation system, she added.

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CVS said it would acquire Signify Health for $30.50 per share in cash.
The deal marks a big push by CVS into the in-home health care space.
Signify announced its decision to explore strategic alternatives in early August.

A CVS logo is displayed at one of their stores near Bloomsburg.
Paul Weaver | Lightrocket | Getty Images

CVS Health has reached a deal to acquire in-home health-care company Signify Health for about $8 billion, the companies said Monday.
CVS said it will pay $30.50 a share in cash for Signify, an acquisition that would build on its growing health-care services. Signify provides technology and analytics to help with in-home patient care.

“This acquisition will enhance our connection to consumers in the home and enables providers to better address patient needs as we execute our vision to redefine the health care experience,” CVS Health President and CEO Karen Lynch said in a news release.
The deal comes as competitors from Amazon to Walgreens are moving further into the health-care sector. In July, Amazon announced it was acquiring primary-care provider One Medical for about $3.9 billion.
Signify Health’s shares have surged nearly 45% over the last month to give it a market value of about $6.7 billion at $28.77 a share as of Friday’s close, according to FactSet. The Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 2 that Signify was exploring strategic alternatives, including a sale.
Shares of Signify, which went public in February 2021, surged in late August after reports that Amazon was among the bidders.
Last month, CVS revealed plans to acquire or take a stake in a primary-care company by year’s end.

The Signify deal follows other acquisitions and shifts into primary health care. CVS previously acquired insurer Aetna and pharmacy benefits manager Caremark, and customers can get vaccines or urgent care at MinuteClinic outposts inside of its stores. It recently introduced therapy for mental health at some stores.
The companies expect the acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, to close in the first half of next year.
Private equity firm New Mountain Capital owns about 60% of Signify’s common stock and agreed to support the deal, the companies said.
CVS Health and Signify Health will hold an analyst and investor call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday to discuss the transaction.

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Life Changes

U.S. credit cards balances totaled $841 billion at the end of the first quarter and could remain high.
If you are struggling to make minimum payments on credit card balances, there are options to help you reduce the amount you owe and/or minimize the amount of interest you pay on the debt.
The only real long-term solution, however, is changing your personal spending habits.

london, uk
Peter Muller | Image Source | Getty Images

Few things cause more financial distress and anxiety than a large slug of high-interest rate credit card debt.
Millions of Americans of all income levels carry large balances on credit cards that charge very high interest rates. According to Federal Reserve data, the average annual percentage rate on cards issued by commercial banks was 16.45% at the end of last year, and rates charged by store credit cards can be well over 20%.

While card balances fell significantly from a peak of $927 billion at the end of 2019, they remain high at $841 billion at the end of the first quarter and could continue to grow.
“Credit card debt is still a big issue,” said Rachel Gittleman, financial services outreach manager at the Consumer Federation of America. “There were some pay-downs at the beginning of the pandemic, but I think balances may start to rise again with the increases in the cost of living.”

More from Life Changes:

Here’s a look at other stories offering a financial angle on important lifetime milestones.

If you are struggling to make minimum payments on credit card balances, there are options to help you reduce the amount you owe and/or minimize the amount of interest you pay on the debt.
There is no silver bullet for high debt, however. The solution begins with changing your own behavior.
“The only long-term solution is to fix your spending habits,” said Summer Red, a financial counselor and senior education manager at the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. “Nothing will be successful unless you stick to a reduced spending plan.

“You must get your spending below your income level.”

A $10,000 credit card balance with a 20% interest rate costs you $167 per month and that only ensures that your balance won’t grow larger. To begin paying down the debt balance, you’ll have to do more.
There are two key aspects to getting control of your spending; not using your credit cards and drafting a sustainable budget that includes paying down card balances.
On the first front, Red suggests people cut up all but one of their credit cards. Don’t cancel the accounts because your credit score will suffer
If you still wrestle with the itch to use your card, put it in the freezer. “It takes about three hours for a credit card to thaw and be ready to use,” said Red. “That gives you time to think about your purchases.” Only use the card for purchases you’re able to pay off at the end of the month.

Working with a certified financial counselor can help you figure out your best options.

Rachel Gittleman
financial services outreach manager at the Consumer Federation of America

On the second front, you will have to make some sacrifices to begin reducing debt balances. It could mean downsizing a house or apartment, selling a car or cooking at home more. It’s essential that you draft a budget itemizing all your expenses and income to determine where you can cut spending and pay down the debt.
Gittleman recommends getting help. “Every consumer’s financial situation is different,” she said. “They have different debts, different spending habits and different things of value to them.
“Working with a certified financial counselor can help you figure out your best options.”
As far as strategies to pay down the debt go, there are two basic repayment models. The first — called the snowball method — pays off the smallest debt balances first to give consumers some momentum. The idea is to pay the minimum amounts on all debt balances to avoid late fees or higher interest charges, then apply the remainder to your smallest debt balance.

When you pay off that balance you shift to the next smallest balance. “The motivation of paying off a debt is very valuable,” said Red. “Being able to see that can be a powerful incentive for people.”
If you don’t need the positive reinforcement, you can focus on the highest interest rate debt first. In the long run, the so-called avalanche method —  from highest rate to lowest — will save you the most on interest charges.
While changing your spending patterns is the only thing that will sustainably get you out of a debt hole, there are other steps you can consider that may reduce the amount you owe or decrease the interest you’re charged. Here are four actions to consider:

Call your credit card company to see if you can reduce the amount that you owe or lower the interest rate on the debt. Don’t lead with the possibility of declaring personal bankruptcy but explain that you’re unable to pay your current balance on the existing terms. Credit card companies want to get paid and they may offer some relief to ensure that they do.
Credit card balance transfers to other cards that offer no interest for a period may make sense, but they aren’t free. They may offer 0% interest for a six- or 12-month period, but they typically charge 3% to 4% of the balance upfront. If you don’t pay the debt off during that grace period, you won’t be much better off at the end of it.
Consolidating your high interest credit card debt and paying it off with a lower rate personal loan can dramatically reduce your interest expenses. Most likely, it would have to be a home equity loan if your credit profile is poor. The downside is that if you don’t get your spending under control, your home could be at risk down the road.
If your debts are simply too great — very often because of medical expenses, which are a key factor in 60% of personal bankruptcies — bankruptcy may be your best option. If most of your debt is unsecured, such as credit card balances and medical bills, bankruptcy can give you a fresh start. Speak to a financial counselor and bankruptcy attorney before taking this step. More

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said Saturday that former President Donald Trump stands a “pretty good chance” of winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Graham — a South Carolina Republican and close ally of Trump — said a Trump reelection had the potential to be one of the “greatest political comebacks in American history.”
“I’m literally telling you what I tell him,” Graham told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick. “If you get four more years, you can do big stuff.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham participates in a panel discussion on the economy during the America First Agenda Summit, at the Marriott Marquis hotel on July 26, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham believes that former President Donald Trump stands a “pretty good chance” of winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election in what he said could be one of the “greatest political comebacks in American history.”
Speaking to CNBC Saturday, Graham — a South Carolina Republican and close ally of Trump — said he had advised the former president that he had “no chance” of winning the election in 2020, but added that 2024 was within his reach.

“I’m literally telling you what I tell him,” Graham told CNBC’s Steve Sedgwick at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy.
“If you lose again, the history about who you are and what you did dramatically changes,” he said. “If you come back, it will be one of the greatest political comebacks in American history. And if you get four more years, you can do big stuff.”

The potential to do ‘big stuff’

Graham, who is currently facing calls to testify in a criminal probe related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, said Trump would now be able to position himself as the president of hope and action as the political and economic climate darkens under President Joe Biden.
Here’s what Trump might say, said Graham.
“Alright, you’ve lived through four years of this. You get a chance to start over,” he said.

“Remember me? I may not be your cup of tea, but when I was president, our border was secure, we had the lowest illegal crossings in 40 years. I did it,” he continued.

“When I was president, I stood up to China and they listened. When I was president, we had the strongest military since Ronald Regan. When I was president, I destroyed the caliphate. When I was president, we had conservative judges, not liberal judges. He has a story to tell,” said Graham.
Ultimately, however, Graham acknowledged that it may take more than policy pledges for Trump to regain favor among American voters.
“His problem is personal,” he said. “His policies have stood the test of time. But has he worn the American people out in terms of his personality? … Time will tell.”

Trump investigation continues

Graham’s comments come as Trump is under investigation for potential violations of laws related to espionage and obstruction of justice, specifically regarding his treatment of classified White House records that he took to his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The senator has been critical of the FBI’s investigation, accusing the intelligence service of double standards in their treatment of Trump versus Hillary Clinton, who was the subject of a separate investigation into her use of a private email server while secretary of state. Trump’s critics argue that the two cases aren’t comparable.
Graham reiterated Saturday that there would be “riots in the streets” if Trump was prosecuted, however he separately condemned the violence seen during the Jan.6 Capitol storm.
Last Thursday, a federal judge on Thursday denied Graham’s latest effort to challenge a subpoena for his testimony before a special grand jury in Georgia, which is investigating possible criminal election interference by Trump and his allies in 2020.
However, the judge limited the scope of the subpoena by ordering that Graham could not be questioned about phone calls he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks after the November 2020 election between Trump and Biden.
It follows continued bids by Graham to avoid testifying on the grounds that his position as a lawmaker grants him immunity under the U.S. Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause. 

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