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BumRushDaShow

(174,369 posts) Mon Jul 13, 2026, 03:47 AM 14 hrs ago

States Prepare Lawsuit to Block Paramount's Merger With Warner Bros.

Source: New York Times

July 12, 2026, 4:05 p.m. ET

A group of states are preparing to file a lawsuit to block Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery as soon as this week, according to four people briefed on the plans, a legal challenge that would create a major obstacle for one of the biggest media mergers in history.

A draft of the lawsuit currently circulating argues that the $111 billion deal would harm competition in the market for so-called tent pole films, the expensive blockbusters that make up a large portion of studio revenues, among other claims, two of the people said.

California has taken the lead on the lawsuit, and states including New York, Washington and Connecticut have said they will join the effort, according to three of the people, as well as another person familiar with the states’ plans. All of them spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive legal matter before it was public.

Once the lawsuit is finalized, the states could decide to delay filing it or scrap it completely. Reuters earlier reported states could sue as soon as this week. A spokeswoman for Paramount said in a statement that the company was prepared to address “legitimate antitrust issues,” adding that its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery “raises no such concerns.” “We are confident the facts and the law support this transaction, and we will continue to defend it vigorously,” she added.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/business/state-ag-lawsuit-paramount-warner-bros.html

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States Prepare Lawsuit to Block Paramount's Merger With Warner Bros. (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 14 hrs ago OP

MS NOW-FBI analysts fired after refusing to join Georgia 2020 election probe LetMyPeopleVote 6 hrs ago #1

After reading about how much Oracle is Deminpenn 6 hrs ago #2

LetMyPeopleVote

(184,858 posts)

1. MS NOW-FBI analysts fired after refusing to join Georgia 2020 election probe

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Mon Jul 13, 2026, 11:16 AM

6 hrs ago

Justice leaders are blocking the enforcement of laws meant to protect consumers from price gouging, sources say.

MS NOW: Trump's Justice Department is moving to scuttle lawsuits and investigations for a string of proposed corporate mergers.

Trump appointees have overruled several moves by career attorneys.

Experts fear this interference could raise prices for consumers for years to come.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2026-07-10T15:35:29.521Z

https://www.ms.now/news/trump-appointees-are-overruling-doj-lawyers-scrutinizing-corporate-mergers

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is moving to scuttle lawsuits and investigations for a string of proposed corporate mergers, which experts fear could raise prices for consumers for years to come, according to three people briefed on the plans.

Trump administration appointees have overruled moves by career attorneys who had proposed suits or launched reviews to assess how the company mergers and acquisitions might lead to unfair price gouging for both consumers and taxpayers, according to the three people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal DOJ processes.

The veteran DOJ staff attorneys in the antitrust division were considering suing one aerospace parts company and requiring other firms proposing mergers to make standard moves to protect consumers — including selling parts of their businesses, the people said.

The division’s goal, part of its mission since it was formed in the Great Depression, has been to reduce companies’ monopoly hold on their industry sectors before allowing them to finalize their deals.,,,,

Charlie Beller, who works as the deputy assistant attorney general for civil mergers, told line prosecutors last month that the “fifth floor” — the floor of the DOJ where acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and top political leaders are based — does not want any civil antitrust enforcement at all, according to one person with knowledge of Beller’s warning.

According to the source, Beller added that the antitrust lawyers will no longer be allowed to formally demand that corporations turn over in-depth internal records when they are reviewing a merger or acquisition. That step, known as a “second request,” legally blocks companies from combining until they have substantially complied with DOJ requests and the agency has completed its competitive harm analysis.

Criminal prosecutors were left shocked and confused last year when Woodward said he had doubts about the government’s ability to investigate and prosecute corporate crime in several areas beyond antitrust — and remarked that there was no prison large enough to imprison a corporation, according to two other people with knowledge of his comments.

I am mergers and acquisitions attorney. Blanche on trump's behalf has gutted the antitrust section of the DOJ. That is how some of the media mergers are getting through. I was encouraged to see some state attorney generals may challenge the Paramount merger.

Deminpenn

(17,673 posts)

2. After reading about how much Oracle is

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Mon Jul 13, 2026, 11:22 AM

6 hrs ago

spending and losing on data centers/AI, I really wonder if the Ellison's can even afford to buy WB/Discovery without going into even more debt or finding a financial partner

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