Table of Contents

• Paramount

• Starbucks

Top Stories Today

Paramount

Paramount Global is reducing its U.S. workforce by about 3.5%, affecting several hundred roles, as it navigates the shrinking traditional pay-TV market and broader economic challenges. The company’s leadership informed employees of the cuts in a memo, with most notifications sent on Tuesday. This move follows earlier cost-saving measures announced last year and may extend to international staff over time. Paramount’s layoffs coincide with its ongoing effort to secure regulatory approval for a merger with Skydance Media, which has been delayed by legal disputes involving a “60 Minutes” interview.

Starbucks

Starbucks is testing an AI-powered assistant called Green Dot Assist, built on Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI technology, in 35 U.S. cafes this month to help baristas find information and resolve issues more quickly. Demonstrated to over 14,000 store managers at a recent leadership event, the tool, accessible via tablet, can answer questions on drink preparation, equipment troubleshooting, and more through text or voice commands. Starbucks plans a wider rollout across North America in its fiscal 2026 year. The initiative aims to reduce service times and simplify operations, with future enhancements envisioned for automated IT ticketing and staffing solutions. This effort expands Starbucks’ collaboration with Microsoft and mirrors similar AI deployments by other major retailers, although the company is mindful of potential chatbot inaccuracies and has built in safeguards to ensure reliability.

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