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AT&T's huge victory over President Trump's Department of Justice and the Trouble Down Under with Australian banks.

These are the topics we'll be discussing on this week's edition of the Views Room,

a weekly conversation among Breaking Views columnist about the ups and downs of the world of finance.

I'm Jennifer Sabah. So first we're going to talk about AT&T and its victory, and on the line with me

is DC columnist Gina Chan. Gina, let's just set this up. Yesterday, the judge came down with his decision, and it was a whopping decision.

Yeah, it was pretty major.

I mean, even if the deal got approved, it was expected it would come with conditions,

such as forcing divestitures of Turner or other assets.

But the judge approved it frame clear, no conditions at all, and it was a huge win for AT&T

and a big slap in the face for the Justice Department.

So AT&T in October 2016, it was almost two years ago, said that they wanted to buy Time Warner for $85

billion. And they've been, you know, kind of trucking along ever since and then it got caught up

in this trial. But something else that really jumped out at me is that the judge basically said to

the DOJ, like, do not, please don't do a stay. That would be like really bad.

Don't put a pause on this deal because they're trying to close this next week,

I mean, which seemed like an added post script, I think, to the whole thing.

Yeah, it just shows how much district court judge Richard Leon thought the DOJ

was wrong in bringing this case. I mean, he's basically telling them to not appeal, which is

obviously their prerogative, but saying if you do, you'll probably lose again. And so you're

better off just, you know, going away and

sort of licking your wounds and trying again on another day with a different deal.

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