Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures

• Asserting a Personal Role in Warner Bros. Battle, Trump Seeks to Expand His Powers Again - The move comes as the Supreme Court also appears poised to put antitrust enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission under his control.
• Trump Stands in the Middle as Netflix and Paramount Vie for a Megadeal - The president has shattered norms by pledging to “be involved” in the regulatory fate of a transaction that could reshape the news and entertainment industries.
• Who Is Andrew Ferguson, the FTC Chairman Who Tilted the Agency to Trump? - Andrew Ferguson has used the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer protection mandate to investigate issues important to President Trump and his base.
• Paramount Makes Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery - The offer to shareholders comes days after Warner Bros. agreed to sell its streaming and studio business to Netflix.
• Trump Looms Over Netflix’s Deal for Warner Bros. Discovery - President Trump said the acquisition “could be a problem,” suggesting he will insert himself into the regulatory review of the transaction.
• Bessent Divested From Soybean Farms After Ethics Office Warning - The Treasury Secretary said on Sunday he recently shed his holdings to comply with his federal ethics agreement.
• Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix Said to Be in Exclusive Talks - Netflix would acquire Warner television and film studios as well as HBO Max in a deal that would bulk up the world’s biggest paid streaming service.