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DOJ Approves Another Merger Amid Fears Trump Allies Will Tighten Grip on Media
Free press advocate Craig Aaron explains the stakes of billionaire-owned Paramount potentially acquiring Warner Bros.
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The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
UK Social Media Ban
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Raw Story
Revealed: Trump's DOJ sidelined antitrust lawyers in rush to approve MAGA media deal
President Donald Trump's Justice Department gave the green light last week to a controversial mega-acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes CNN, by Paramount Skydance, a media giant with a Trump-friendly CEO. But reports suggest they may have rushed the process and ignored the opinions of career officials.According to the Wall Street Journal, "A team of career lawyers who had spent months scrutinizing the deal was leaning toward recommending a lawsuit challenging it on the grounds that the combination of the two movie studios would be anticompetitive and violate antitrust law, the people said."However, ultimately the DOJ told this team they were closing the investigation before they had formally made a decision, and announced publicly it was their opinion the merger wouldn't pose a threat to competition.Senior leaders at the DOJ, according to the report, "believed that Paramount Chief Executive Officer David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder and Trump ally Larry Ellison, persuasively addressed many of the staff’s questions," including "how the combined company could meet its commitment to make 30 theatrical releases a year, given its increased debt load."The DOJ denies any aspect of the investigation was rushed, putting out a statement in response to the reporting that said, “The Antitrust Division conducted a thorough investigation to assess whether the proposed transaction would harm competition. The investigatory record indicated that the transaction will increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, benefiting American consumers and workers.”Some strategists have warned that the merger will lead to a "shakeup" of talent at CNN similar to that which reshaped CBS under Paramount, including the possible reassignment or removal of figures like Kaitlan Collins who have heavily scrutinized Trump.
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Washington Examiner
Why the United Kingdom’s social media ban would never work in America
British children may benefit from the United Kingdom’s newly announced ban on social media access for those under 16, but American children and parents should not expect similar legislation here. After months of preparation, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that the United Kingdom would ban children under 16 from using almost all major […]
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Democracy Now!
DOJ Approves Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger Amid Fears Trump Allies Will Tighten Grip on Media
The Trump administration has approved media conglomerate Paramount’s $111 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros., one year after Paramount and Skydance Media signed a similar merger that placed Paramount’s movie studio, streaming service and broadcast network CBS under the control of the multibillionaire Ellison family, founders of Skydance and close allies of Donald Trump. The Warner Bros. merger, if completed, would bring an even larger slice of the industry’s market share into Ellison control. It’s been contested for months as a likely violation of antitrust laws amid a wider trend of corporate consolidation in the media and entertainment industry. “This has been one of the most shallow and corrupt merger review processes we’ve ever seen,” says Craig Aaron, co-CEO of the advocacy organizations Free Press and Free Press Action (not to be confused with Paramount Skydance’s conservative news outlet The Free Press), about the Justice Department’s greenlighting of the merger. The deal will place two of the largest U.S. broadcast news networks — CBS News and CNN — under the control of a single company that “has shown it is willing to warp and manipulate news coverage to please the president,” Aaron says. He warns that the many violations of press freedom committed by CBS News since its acquisition last year could soon be seen at CNN, including “getting rid of independent journalists asking hard questions [and] spiking stories about crimes being committed by the Trump administration.” In a consolidated media landscape, he adds, “we get fewer and fewer choices, and we get more and more of the same kind of cookie-cutter content produced.”
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US news | The Guardian
US and UK central banks expected to keep interest rates on hold amid Iran peace deal
Federal Reserve to make first decision under Kevin Warsh as Middle East hopes ease inflation pressuresBusiness live – latest updatesCentral banks in the US and UK are expected to leave interest rates on hold this week as the peace deal in the Middle East is expected to ease inflationary pressures.The US Federal Reserve is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate at a range of 3.5% to 3.75% on Thursday, in what will be the first policy decision under new Fed chair – and Donald Trump’s pick – Kevin Warsh. Continue reading...
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New York Post
The Federalist
Media Head For Fainting Couch Over White House UFC Fight After Shrugging At Topless Trans Twerker
If the media were truly concerned about the White House, their outrage would've started with a topless trans-identifying activist treating the White House as romper room.
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Washington Examiner
July Social Security direct payment worth $994 goes out in 17 days
The July 2026 Supplemental Security Income payments, worth up to $994, will be sent to recipients in 17 days. SSI payments are typically issued on the first day of each month. The program supports people with limited income who are blind, age 65 and older, or have a qualifying disability. The amount beneficiaries receive varies […]
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