diff --git a/src/app/home-page/page.tsx b/src/app/home-page/page.tsx
index cf0d957..adafffe 100644
--- a/src/app/home-page/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/home-page/page.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import type { Metadata } from "next";
 import Header from "@/components/Header";
 import Footer from "@/components/Footer";
 import FeaturedBentoFromDb from '@/components/FeaturedBentoFromDb';
-import FeatureStoryHero from '@/components/FeatureStoryHero';
 import FeaturedCarouselServer from '@/components/FeaturedCarouselServer';
 import TrendsSidebar from '@/components/TrendsSidebar';
 import LiveWireTicker from '@/components/LiveWireTicker';
@@ -157,14 +156,7 @@ export default function HomePage() {
         </Suspense>
       </div>
 
-      {/* Top feature story hero — single prominent card above the bento */}
-      <ScrollRevealSection className="section-enter section-enter-2">
-        <Suspense fallback={<BentoSkeleton />}>
-          <FeatureStoryHero />
-        </Suspense>
-      </ScrollRevealSection>
-
-      {/* Featured articles bento */}
+      {/* Featured: cinematic hero + 4-up rail below (FeaturedBentoFromDb) */}
       <ScrollRevealSection className="section-enter section-enter-3">
         <Suspense fallback={<BentoSkeleton />}>
           <FeaturedBentoFromDb />
diff --git a/src/components/FeatureStoryHero.tsx b/src/components/FeatureStoryHero.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index b5ee249..0000000
--- a/src/components/FeatureStoryHero.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,105 +0,0 @@
-import Link from "next/link";
-import { createClient } from "@supabase/supabase-js";
-import { rewriteLegacyImageUrl } from "@/lib/legacy-image";
-
-export const dynamic = "force-dynamic";
-
-interface Row {
-  wp_slug: string;
-  title: string;
-  excerpt: string | null;
-  category: string | null;
-  featured_image: string | null;
-  featured_image_alt: string | null;
-  author_name: string | null;
-  wp_published_at: string | null;
-}
-
-export default async function FeatureStoryHero() {
-  const sb = createClient(
-    process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL!,
-    process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
-    {
-      db: { schema: (process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_SCHEMA || "bb") as "public" },
-      auth: { persistSession: false },
-    }
-  );
-
-  const { data } = await sb
-    .from("wp_imported_posts")
-    .select(
-      "wp_slug, title, excerpt, category, featured_image, featured_image_alt, author_name, wp_published_at",
-    )
-    .eq("status", "published")
-    .ilike("category", "featured")
-    .order("featured", { ascending: false })
-    .order("wp_published_at", { ascending: false, nullsFirst: false })
-    .limit(1);
-
-  const story = data?.[0] as Row | undefined;
-  if (!story) return null;
-
-  const image = story.featured_image
-    ? rewriteLegacyImageUrl(story.featured_image)
-    : "/assets/images/article-placeholder.svg";
-
-  return (
-    <section
-      className="max-w-container mx-auto px-4 mt-6 mb-2"
-      aria-label="Top feature story"
-    >
-      <Link
-        href={`/news/${story.wp_slug}`}
-        className="group block relative overflow-hidden rounded border border-[#252525] bg-[#0b0f17] hover:border-[#5B7C8D] transition-colors"
-      >
-        <div className="relative aspect-[21/9] md:aspect-[21/8] bg-[#111]">
-          <img
-            src={image}
-            alt={story.featured_image_alt || story.title}
-            className="w-full h-full object-cover"
-          />
-          <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-black via-black/65 to-transparent" />
-
-          <span className="absolute top-4 left-4 inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 bg-[#5B7C8D] text-white px-3 py-1 rounded font-mono text-[11px] uppercase tracking-widest font-bold shadow-md">
-            <svg width="11" height="11" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true">
-              <path d="M12 2l2.6 7.6H22l-6.2 4.5L18.4 22 12 17.3 5.6 22l2.6-7.9L2 9.6h7.4z" />
-            </svg>
-            Feature Story
-          </span>
-
-          <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 p-6 md:p-10">
-            {story.category && (
-              <div className="text-[10px] font-mono uppercase tracking-widest text-[#5B7C8D] mb-2">
-                {story.category}
-              </div>
-            )}
-            <h2 className="font-serif text-2xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl text-white leading-tight max-w-3xl group-hover:text-[#C8D9E6] transition-colors">
-              {story.title}
-            </h2>
-            {story.excerpt && (
-              <p className="font-serif text-base md:text-lg text-[#cbd5e1] mt-3 max-w-2xl line-clamp-2">
-                {story.excerpt}
-              </p>
-            )}
-            <div className="mt-4 flex items-center gap-3 text-[11px] font-mono text-[#9ca3af]">
-              <span>{story.author_name || "Staff Reporter"}</span>
-              {story.wp_published_at && (
-                <>
-                  <span>·</span>
-                  <span>
-                    {new Date(story.wp_published_at).toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
-                      month: "short",
-                      day: "numeric",
-                      year: "numeric",
-                    })}
-                  </span>
-                </>
-              )}
-              <span aria-hidden="true" className="text-[#5B7C8D] ml-2">→ Read full story</span>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-        </div>
-      </Link>
-    </section>
-  );
-}
diff --git a/src/components/FeaturedBentoFromDb.tsx b/src/components/FeaturedBentoFromDb.tsx
index e4fb61c..360d25e 100644
--- a/src/components/FeaturedBentoFromDb.tsx
+++ b/src/components/FeaturedBentoFromDb.tsx
@@ -69,67 +69,78 @@ export default async function FeaturedBento() {
         </Link>
       </div>
 
-      <div className="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-4">
-        <Link
-          href={`/news/${hero.wp_slug}`}
-          className="lg:col-span-2 group block rounded border border-[#252525] bg-[#0b0f17] overflow-hidden hover:border-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] transition-colors"
-        >
-          <div className="relative aspect-[16/9] bg-[#111]">
-            <img
-              src={img(hero)}
-              alt={hero.featured_image_alt || hero.title}
-              className="w-full h-full object-cover"
-            />
-            <div className="absolute top-2 left-2 flex gap-1 text-[10px] font-mono">
-              <span className="bg-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] text-black px-2 py-0.5 rounded uppercase tracking-wider font-semibold">
-                Featured
-              </span>
-              <span className="bg-black/60 text-white px-2 py-0.5 rounded uppercase tracking-wider">
-                {hero.category || "News"}
-              </span>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-          <div className="p-5">
-            <h3 className="font-serif text-2xl md:text-3xl leading-snug text-[#e5e7eb] group-hover:text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)]">
+      {/* Cinematic 21:9 hero — full width, image fills, gradient + overlaid title */}
+      <Link
+        href={`/news/${hero.wp_slug}`}
+        className="group block relative overflow-hidden rounded border border-[#252525] bg-[#0b0f17] hover:border-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] transition-colors"
+      >
+        <div className="relative aspect-[21/9] md:aspect-[21/8] bg-[#111]">
+          <img
+            src={img(hero)}
+            alt={hero.featured_image_alt || hero.title}
+            className="w-full h-full object-cover"
+          />
+          <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-black via-black/65 to-transparent" />
+
+          <span className="absolute top-4 left-4 inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 bg-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] text-black px-3 py-1 rounded font-mono text-[11px] uppercase tracking-widest font-bold shadow-md">
+            <svg width="11" height="11" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true">
+              <path d="M12 2l2.6 7.6H22l-6.2 4.5L18.4 22 12 17.3 5.6 22l2.6-7.9L2 9.6h7.4z" />
+            </svg>
+            Feature Story
+          </span>
+
+          <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 p-6 md:p-10">
+            {hero.category && (
+              <div className="text-[10px] font-mono uppercase tracking-widest text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] mb-2">
+                {hero.category}
+              </div>
+            )}
+            <h3 className="font-serif text-2xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl text-white leading-tight max-w-3xl group-hover:text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] transition-colors">
               {hero.title}
             </h3>
             {hero.excerpt && (
-              <p className="font-serif text-[15px] text-[#b0b0b0] mt-3 line-clamp-3">
+              <p className="font-serif text-base md:text-lg text-[#cbd5e1] mt-3 max-w-2xl line-clamp-2">
                 {hero.excerpt}
               </p>
             )}
-            <div className="mt-4 text-[11px] font-mono text-[#6b7280] flex items-center gap-2">
+            <div className="mt-4 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-3 text-[11px] font-mono text-[#9ca3af]">
               <span>{hero.author_name || "Staff Reporter"}</span>
               <span>·</span>
               <span>{ago(hero.wp_published_at)}</span>
+              <span aria-hidden="true" className="text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] ml-2">→ Read full story</span>
             </div>
           </div>
-        </Link>
-
-        <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-3">
-          {rail.map((r) => (
-            <Link
-              key={r.wp_slug}
-              href={`/news/${r.wp_slug}`}
-              className="group flex gap-3 rounded border border-[#252525] bg-[#0b0f17] overflow-hidden hover:border-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] transition-colors"
-            >
-              <div className="shrink-0 w-[120px] aspect-square bg-[#111] relative">
-                <img src={img(r)} alt={r.featured_image_alt || r.title} className="w-full h-full object-cover" />
-              </div>
-              <div className="flex-1 p-2 pr-3">
-                <div className="text-[9px] font-mono uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] mb-1">
-                  {r.category || "News"}
-                </div>
-                <h4 className="font-serif text-sm leading-tight text-[#e5e7eb] group-hover:text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] line-clamp-3">
-                  {r.title}
-                </h4>
-                <div className="text-[10px] font-mono text-[#6b7280] mt-2">
-                  {ago(r.wp_published_at)}
-                </div>
-              </div>
-            </Link>
-          ))}
         </div>
+      </Link>
+
+      {/* 4-up rail BELOW the hero, vertical cards */}
+      <div className="grid grid-cols-2 md:grid-cols-4 gap-4 mt-4">
+        {rail.map((r) => (
+          <Link
+            key={r.wp_slug}
+            href={`/news/${r.wp_slug}`}
+            className="group block rounded border border-[#252525] bg-[#0b0f17] overflow-hidden hover:border-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] transition-colors"
+          >
+            <div className="aspect-[16/10] bg-[#111] relative">
+              <img
+                src={img(r)}
+                alt={r.featured_image_alt || r.title}
+                className="w-full h-full object-cover"
+              />
+            </div>
+            <div className="p-3">
+              <div className="text-[9px] font-mono uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] mb-1">
+                {r.category || "News"}
+              </div>
+              <h4 className="font-serif text-sm leading-tight text-[#e5e7eb] group-hover:text-[var(--color-text-info,#60a5fa)] line-clamp-3">
+                {r.title}
+              </h4>
+              <div className="text-[10px] font-mono text-[#6b7280] mt-2">
+                {ago(r.wp_published_at)}
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          </Link>
+        ))}
       </div>
     </section>
   );