Just a few weeks ago, David Ellison and Paramount were staring down the barrel of a $7 million dollar per day fine for every day their merger with Warner Bros was not finalized, with a 12 state class-action antitrust lawsuit standing in the way. The states, led by California attorney general Rob Bonta, seemed to have Ellison backed into a corner. 

But then, at what seemed like the 11th hour, Bonta announced a settlement with Paramount that would allow the merger to go through. The deal closed this week, officially giving Trump allies David and his father Larry Ellison control over vast swaths of the entertainment industry, as well CBS News and CNN.  

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is mad they didn’t fight harder. In an unusually frank interview, he reflects with Brian on what went wrong with their case, and what the new mega-company Skydance will mean for independent news in America.

Also, check out our previous stories on media capture and the Ellison bromance with Trump.

Guests:
William Tong, Attorney General of Connecticut

Just a few weeks ago, David Ellison and Paramount were staring down the barrel of a $7 million dollar per day fine for every day their merger with Warner Bros was not finalized, with a 12 state class-action antitrust lawsuit standing in the way. The states, led by California attorney general Rob Bonta, seemed to have Ellison backed into a corner.&nbsp;
But then, at what seemed like the 11th hour, Bonta announced a settlement with Paramount that would allow the merger to go through. The deal closed this week, officially giving Trump allies David and his father Larry Ellison control over vast swaths of the entertainment industry, as well CBS News and CNN.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is mad they didn&rsquo;t fight harder. In an unusually frank interview, he reflects with Brian on what went wrong with their case, and what the new mega-company Skydance will mean for independent news in America.
Also, check out our previous stories on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-trump-is-capturing-americas-media-without-a-coup/id1765799296?i=1000734180620">media capture</a> and the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-a-billionaire-bromance-capturing-our-media/id1765799296?i=1000779064847">Ellison bromance with Trump</a>.
Guests:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">William Tong, Attorney General of Connecticut</li>
</ul>

Question Everything is a weekly investigation into how the truth gets buried, distorted, and denied -- and the ways people are fighting to make it matter again.

Hosted by Brian Reed, of S-Town and This American Life.

Winner of the Webby Award, Ambie Award, and a Signal Special Achievement Award for pushing "the boundaries of the medium."

Question Everything is a weekly investigation into how the truth gets buried, distorted, and denied -- and the ways people are fighting to make it matter again.
Hosted by Brian Reed, of S-Town and This American Life.
Winner of the Webby Award, Ambie Award, and a Signal Special Achievement Award for pushing "the boundaries of the medium."

Question Everything

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on why he and other democratic AGs failed to stop the Paramount Warner Brothers merger.

The High Stakes Game of Bargaining with the News

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a671dd9d-f755-4a55-b5e6-b4dd00d6aeb4/transcript