New York Post

Apparently, Attorney General William Barr has recused himself from weighing in on a planned $26 billion merger of T-Mobile and Sprint due to potential conflicts of interest. That gives Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, head of the Department of Justice’s antitrust division, final word on the controversial proposed merger between the nation’s third- and fourth-largest wireless providers. AG Barr was on Time Warner’s board until it was acquired in 2018 by AT&T and still owns stock in the new company.

The Department of Justice believes three national 5G wireless providers are needed to ensure robust competition, a position that provides a big boost to the proposed $26.5 billion merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. The No. 3 and No. 4 wireless carriers have said they don’t have the finances independently to quickly bankroll an expensive rollout of the next generation in wireless technology — leaving just Verizon and AT&T to offer a 5G network.

The Federal Communication Commission’s surprise move to block Sinclair Broadcast Group’s $6.6 billion acquisition of Tribune Media came after the head of a rival conservative news outlet discussed his opposition to the deal with President Donald Trump. “I have discussed my opposition to the merger a few times with him,” Christopher Ruddy, founder and chief executive of Newsmax, said on July 18, referring to his longtime friend, President Trump.