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A federal judge on Friday extended an emergency order keeping Nexstar Media Group and Tegna operating as separate companies for another week, as he weighs whether to issue a longer preliminary injunction that could halt the $6.2 billion merger while an antitrust lawsuit works its way through the courts. U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley of the Eastern District of California extended the temporary restraining order through April 17, saying he needed additional time to prepare a ruling on the injunction request. Legal observers said the extension itself was a signal of where the judge may be headed. “If he was not going to issue a longer injunction, he could have just let the TRO expire today by its own terms,” said Christopher Beall, a media and copyright law professor at the University of Denver. Along with the extension, Judge Nunley modified several provisions of his earlier order to address operational concerns raised by Nexstar. The revised order allows Nexstar to make routine debt payments and handle ordinary financial obligations tied to the acquisition, including employee salaries. It also puts Tegna in control of its retransmission consent contracts while giving Nexstar authority to manage debt it took on to finance the deal. The judge also clarified that any Tegna officers appointed to run day-to-day operations cannot be current or recent Nexstar employees. Nexstar closed its deal to acquire Tegna on March 26, the day after receiving regulatory approval from both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice. DirecTV and eight state attorneys general, including from California and New York, had filed antitrust lawsuits the previous day. Judge Nunley issued the original 14-day restraining order on March 27, finding that DirecTV had established a likelihood of success on the merits of its antitrust claims. The merger would give Nexstar control of roughly 260 local television stations in 44 states, reaching approximately 80% of U.S. television households — a scale critics argue would give the company outsized leverage to raise retransmission fees charged to pay-TV distributors like DirecTV. Those fees, opponents say, would ultimately be passed on to consumers. Nexstar has argued the combination is necessary to compete with streaming platforms that have steadily eroded local advertising revenue, and that the deal would result in expanded local news coverage. President Trump publicly backed the deal, and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr granted a waiver of the agency’s broadcast ownership cap to allow it to proceed. Nexstar has also sought a $150 million bond from the states and DirecTV to cover losses it says it would incur if the merger is delayed. By: DNU staff

A federal judge on Friday extended an emergency order keeping Nexstar Media Group and Tegna operating as separate companies for another week, as he weighs whether to issue a longer preliminary injunction that could halt the $6.2 billion merger while an antitrust lawsuit works its way through the courts. U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley of Read More…

U.S. LNG exports up again in March on global panic buying

(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu Read More…

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Google Drops EU Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft Amid Regulatory Probe

Google on Friday withdrew its European Union antitrust complaint targeting Microsoft’s cloud computing practices, just a week after EU regulators opened an investigation into whether Microsoft should face scrutiny under rules designed to curb market dominance in the sector. The EU’s move, announced last week, signaled growing concern about Microsoft’s influence in cloud services, including Read More…

Warburg Pincus to Acquire Raptor Technologies in $1.8 Billion Deal

Warburg Pincus has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Raptor Technologies from private equity firm Thoma Bravo, in a transaction valuing the school safety software provider at roughly $1.8 billion, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Sources said the deal could be announced imminently. They requested anonymity because the details are Read More…

Crypto-Hoarding Company Shares Slide as Market Turbulence Damps Risk Appetite

Shares of companies that stockpile bitcoin and other digital tokens are coming under renewed pressure as fresh volatility sweeps through the cryptocurrency market, raising concerns about stress in a niche but rapidly expanding corner of the financial world. The selloff follows months of enthusiasm fueled in part by President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance and the Read More…

Starbucks Workers’ Union Expands Black Friday Strike to Over 120 Stores

Starbucks’ workers’ union significantly widened its ongoing strike on Black Friday, extending the walkout to more than 120 stores nationwide—nearly double the number that began the action earlier this month—amid demands for better pay and improved staffing levels. The strike, which the union says is now the longest in Starbucks’ history, began on Nov. 13 Read More…

Eli Lilly Becomes First Drugmaker to Reach $1 Trillion Valuation

Eli Lilly (LLY.N) hit a historic milestone on Friday, becoming the first pharmaceutical company to reach a $1 trillion market valuation, fueled by soaring demand for its weight-loss treatments. The achievement places Lilly in the rarefied ranks of U.S. companies with trillion-dollar valuations, a group historically dominated by tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. Read More…

Disney and YouTube TV Strike Deal to Restore Channels After Prolonged Blackout

Walt Disney Co. and Google’s YouTube TV have reached a new distribution agreement, ending weeks of disruptions that left millions of viewers without access to Disney-owned channels during major news and sporting events — including coverage surrounding U.S. Election Day. The dispute, which centered on carriage fees, resulted in the temporary removal of popular Disney Read More…

Hedge Funds Trim ‘Magnificent Seven’ Stakes

Some of Wall Street’s largest hedge funds reduced their exposure to high-flying “Magnificent Seven” stocks during the third quarter, according to newly released regulatory filings, while adding positions in application software, e-commerce, and payments companies. The group of tech giants — including Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta — has driven much of the market’s gains Read More…

Walmart CEO McMillon to Retire;

Walmart Inc. (WMT.N) CEO Doug McMillon will retire next year after more than a decade leading the retail giant, capping a period during which he transformed the company into a technology-driven powerhouse. Under McMillon’s tenure, Walmart’s shares have consistently outperformed the broader market, analysts note. McMillon, 59, will be succeeded by John Furner, 51, who Read More…

Chicago downtown office space vacancy rate jumps to record high levels

(The Center Square) – With Chicago’s downtown office vacancy rate now at a record-high 28%, Illinois Policy Institute researcher LyLena Estabine says city policymakers have become their own worse enemy when it comes to addressing the area’s changing demographics. New data shows Loop vacancies ballooned over the recent third quarter as post-pandemic work trends continue Read More…

Stocks Cool After Record Run as Investors Reassess Economic Signals

U.S. markets lost momentum this week as investors stepped back from recent highs, digesting mixed economic signals and growing uncertainty around the outlook for interest rates and growth. After several weeks of gains, the S&P 500 fell roughly 2.4% for the week, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped about 3%, its steepest decline since April. The Read More…

Retailers Scramble as U.S. Penny Phase-Out Forces Price Rounding

Now that the United States has officially stopped making pennies, a nationwide scramble is underway among gas stations, fast-food chains, and major retailers to adjust prices and handle cash transactions — a shift that could quietly erode profits for many high-volume businesses. The transition follows President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this year to halt production Read More…

Bitcoin Heads for First October Loss Since 2018, Snapping Seven-Year Winning Streak

Bitcoin was on track Friday to post its first October loss in seven years, breaking a streak that had given the month a “lucky” reputation among cryptocurrency traders. The world’s largest digital currency is set to fall nearly 5% for the month, trading around $66,800 Friday afternoon, as investors pulled back from risk assets amid Read More…

Fed Cuts Rates Again, But Powell Warns the Easing Cycle May Be Near Its End

The Federal Reserve delivered a widely anticipated quarter-point rate cut this week, lowering its benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%, its second reduction of the year. But despite the move, Chair Jerome Powell sent a clear message to markets: don’t expect a rapid march toward lower borrowing costs. The decision Read More…

Nvidia’s Q3 2025 Earnings Report: Anticipating Continued Growth Amid AI Demand

Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) is preparing to release its third-quarter 2025 earnings report on Wednesday, November 19, after the market closes, with investors and analysts closely watching for insights into the company’s continued growth in artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Analysts are forecasting earnings per share (EPS) of $1.24, up from $0.81 in the same quarter Read More…

Netflix Prepares to Report Q3 Earnings as Investors Focus on Growth and Ad Revenue

Netflix is set to release its third-quarter 2025 earnings report on Tuesday, October 21, a closely watched event for investors looking to gauge the streaming giant’s growth trajectory, profitability, and performance in international markets. The company enters the report after a strong second quarter, when it posted $7.19 per share on revenue of $11.08 billion, modestly Read More…

Wall Street Closes Out Strong Week Despite Bank Jitters and Policy Uncertainty

U.S. stocks finished higher last week, capping the market’s best weekly performance in nearly two months as major indexes rebounded from early volatility and investors found renewed optimism in technology and easing trade tensions. The S&P 500 rose roughly 1.3% for the week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite also advanced, helped Read More…

Warren Buffett Marks 95th Birthday With Reflection on Legacy, Berkshire’s Future

Warren Buffett, the legendary investor known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” celebrated his 95th birthday Tuesday in typically understated fashion, surrounded by close family and friends in his hometown. Buffett, chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, has long avoided lavish celebrations. Instead, those close to him said the billionaire spent the day with a Read More…

Trump Administration Sees Trillions in New U.S. Manufacturing Investments

Since President Donald J. Trump took office, U.S. manufacturing, production, and innovation have seen a surge in domestic investment, with corporations and foreign entities pledging trillions of dollars to expand operations on American soil. Major technology, automotive, pharmaceutical, and industrial companies have announced multi-billion-dollar investments in the United States during President Trump’s second term. Highlights Read More…

Small Business Sentiment Surges as “One Big Beautiful Bill” Takes Effect

Small business owners across the nation are showing renewed confidence in the economy, according to CNBC’s latest Small Business Survey, coinciding with the implementation of President Donald J. Trump’s landmark One Big Beautiful Bill and his broader pro-growth policies. The survey reveals a significant upswing in optimism: Nearly half of small business owners now rate Read More…