The Justice Department cleared Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. on June 12, 2026, finding the transaction was unlikely to substantially lessen competition in traditional television markets. But the federal green light may be only the beginning. California, New York, and other states are reportedly preparing their own challenge, creating the prospect of a high-stakes showdown over how aggressively state enforcers can police deals the federal government declines to stop.

That split is what makes this story especially significant.

One of the most closely watched healthcare merger disputes is still the Justice Department’s challenge to UnitedHealth Group’s proposed acquisition of Amedisys — and, just as importantly, the government’s willingness to resolve that challenge through a divestiture package rather than insisting on an all-or-nothing court fight.

The proposed settlement, reached with the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of state attorneys general from Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, would require substantial asset sales to address competitive concerns tied to home health and hospice markets.

The Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ’s Antitrust Division have launched a joint public inquiry into the effectiveness of the Premerger Notification and Report Form, a notable step that signals possible changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino merger filing process. Although this is not a challenge to any one transaction, it is the kind of regulatory move that can reshape day-to-day antitrust practice long before the next headline merger fight reaches court.

At a high level, the agencies are asking whether the current form gives them the information they need to evaluate deals efficiently and accurately.