Paramount settled the 12-state antitrust suit over its Warner Bros. Discovery purchase on September 21, 2026, avoiding cable divestitures and committing to keep studio lots in California, spend $1.5 billion on local production, and pay a $30 million penalty for missing a 30-film guarantee. A federal judge approved the settlement on October 1, clearing the deal to close October 6. The judge has since declined to sign the consent decree and is demanding the parties reply to Senator Cory Booker's letter. The 30-film requirement barely binds, since Paramount already projects about 28 movies this year, and the editorial-independence board's members are appointed by the merged company's own directors. Brendan Carr also approved a foreign-investment exception letting Saudi money finance 49.5%…