undefined | Federal judge could halt Nexstar-Tegna TV station merger by Meg James, Katie King
A federal judge in Sacramento signaled Tuesday that he is prepared to issue a preliminary injunction that would stop Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion acquisition of rival broadcaster Tegna. Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley, who had already issued a temporary restraining order, said a written order was expected by Friday. The merger would give Nexstar control of 265 television stations, reaching roughly 80 % of U.S. households—far above the 39 % ownership cap set by Congress for any single broadcaster. State attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia, together with DirecTV, argue that the deal threatens local journalism, reduces competition, could raise consumer TV prices and would lead to newsroom closures nationwide.
During the two‑hour hearing, Nexstar’s lawyer Alexander Okuliar contended that the plaintiffs had not shown an immediate threat to the public, noting that the merger could actually strengthen local broadcasters by providing economies of scale that allow stations to expand news gathering and increase the number of newscasts. He pointed to the numerous journalism awards Nexstar stations have earned and argued there was no evidence that local newsrooms would be shuttered. DirecTV, however, warned that combining the nation’s two largest station groups would give Nexstar leverage to demand higher retransmission fees, potentially resulting in programming blackouts and higher costs for pay‑TV customers.
The case has taken on political overtones, with former President Donald Trump publicly endorsing the merger as a counter‑weight to “the Fake News National TV Networks,” while California Attorney General Rob Bonta and his counterparts maintain that the consolidation would diminish the diversity and quality of local news. If the judge’s injunction is upheld, Nexstar would be forced to keep Tegna operating independently, preserving it as a viable competitor and halting any integration efforts until the antitrust challenges are resolved.
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yahoo news | Bank to pay $72.5 million in Epstein settlement as attorney says bankers “looked...
A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a $72.5 million settlement between Bank of America and women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein. The victims’ lawsuit alleges that the bank let Epstein move millions of dollars through its accounts while turning a blind eye to the red‑flag warnings that surfaced during the years he was operating his sex‑trafficking network. The settlement, which was announced in early April 2026, represents one of the largest payouts tied to Epstein’s financial activities.
Attorney Spencer Kuvin, representing the victims, said that internal emails discovered during litigation show bankers repeatedly raised concerns that were dismissed or brushed aside with comments like “don’t worry about it.” According to the attorney, the funds funneled through Bank of America were used to pay victims, book travel, and finance Epstein’s flights, parties, and other transactions that sustained his trafficking operation. Under federal law, companies can be held liable if they benefit from a trafficking scheme, and other institutions such as JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank have already settled similar Epstein‑related claims.
Bank of America maintains that it did not knowingly facilitate Epstein’s crimes and denies any wrongdoing. The settlement does not constitute an admission of guilt, but the case is expected to continue drawing scrutiny. A congressional “shadow” hearing on the matter is slated for next month in Palm Beach County, where officials will examine how the financial services were misused and who may have helped enable the abuse. Kuvin has been asked to testify and plans to present a full account of the bank’s alleged failures.
#bankofamerica #jeffreyepstein #federaljudge #victims #attorney
A federal judge has agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. The two are media entities that the White House has said are counterproductive to American priorities. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss cited the First Amendment in his decision. The impact was not immediately clear — both because it will likely be appealed and because too much damage to the public-broadcasting system has already been done, both by the president and Congress.
The Daily Beast Latest Articles | Trump’s Bid to Kill Embarrassing Musk Lawsuit Fails Miserably by Janna Brancolini
Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesA federal judge is allowing a lawsuit accusing Elon Musk of illegally exercising executive powers as the head of DOGE to move forward, despite the Trump administration’s attempts to quash it.
More than a dozen state attorneys general sued Musk, the U.S. DOGE Service, and President Donald Trump last year, arguing that the billionaire was exercising power similar to a Senate-confirmed Cabinet official despite not having Senate confirmation.
Read more at The Daily Beast.
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