Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass supports a settlement in the antitrust lawsuit tied to the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, backing terms that would end the legal dispute. Bass had previously said she opposed the roughly $111 billion deal unless jobs are preserved within the transaction.
The move draws opposition from the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which criticizes Bass for what it describes as presenting a “false choice” in the broader merger fight. WGA’s response comes after Bass joins other Democratic officials—including California Gov. Gavin Newsom—who publicly express support for a settlement of the antitrust case.
While Bass and other officials frame settlement support as a path to resolving the litigation under conditions that protect employment, WGA argues that the settlement approach does not adequately address the union’s concerns within the merger process. The outlets agree the dispute centers on both the antitrust challenge to the deal and the role of jobs and labor impacts in the outcome.
