Minnesota settles reporter lawsuit

MINNEAPOLIS – The state of Minnesota has agreed to pay $825,000 and change several policies to settle a lawsuit brought by journalists who said they were hurt or harassed while covering protests over the police killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and the state’s Department of Public Safety announced the settlement Tuesday.

It prohibits the Minnesota State Patrol from attacking journalists, arresting or threatening to arrest them, ordering them to disperse, seizing their equipment and more.

It also calls for an independent review of all complaints alleging mistreatment of the media covering those protests, and issuing body-worn cameras to all troopers by June.

Several journalists reported being struck by less-lethal munitions, herded and detained while covering protests.

No challenge to Warner merger

U.S. antitrust regulators have not challenged the $43 billion combination of Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia during a key review period, according to corporate securities filings, easing the way for the deal to close in the next few months.

In a big retreat for wireless giant AT&T, the company last year decided to separate from WarnerMedia, which it bought in 2018 for $81 billion after a protracted antitrust battle with the Trump-era Justice Department.

WarnerMedia, home to CNN, HBO and HBO Max, would then combine with Discovery, the parent of networks such as HGTV and its own streaming service, Discovery+.

From wire reportsDiscovery Inc. said in a Wednesday filing that it and AT&T Inc. have not gotten objections from the Department of Justice or the Federal Trade Commission during a key review period that has ended.

U.S. antitrust authorities could still decide to file suit, but that is uncommon. European antitrust regulators have already signed off, and the deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Discovery shareholders still have to approve it.