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Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison confirmed a settlement with a group of Democratic state attorneys general who had sued to block Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery over antitrust concerns, clearing the path to close the roughly $111 billion deal in about two weeks. California AG Rob Bonta defended the deal as 'very strong,' citing independent monitoring and job creation, though it stops short of the 'robust structural remedies' California had sought. The Writers Guild of America also settled its separate antitrust lawsuit against the merger. Ellison confirmed the combined studios will remain in California rather than relocate. Guilds, activists and other stakeholders continue to weigh in on the terms, with Variety detailing the range of reactions from unions and watchdogs to the historic media consolidation.