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Stay back: A federal judge in Baton Rouge heard arguments Wednesday from news organizations and the state of Louisiana on whether a new law creating a 25-foot buffer zone around police officers illegally infringes on First Amendment rights. Act 259, which passed the Louisiana State Legislature in the spring and was signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry in May, makes it a criminal offense to knowingly or intentionally come within 25 feet of a working police officer after being ordered or asked to step back. Read more from Louisiana Illuminator.
Lost opportunity: Kroger’s proposed merger with fellow grocery chain Albertsons ended in acrimony this week as a judge granted the Federal Trade Commissions’s request to block the deal on antitrust grounds, leading Albertsons to sue Kroger for allegedly not fulfilling its contractual obligations. The deal’s failure may also impede plans by both companies to accelerate the growth of their advertising businesses, which would have allowed the stores to better compete for ad sales with larger rivals such as Walmart. Read more from The Wall Street Journal.
Taking off: The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Whitaker, said Thursday he will step down Jan. 20, the day President-elect Donald Trump takes office, leaving the key agency that oversees Boeing and the U.S. airline industry again without a leader. Whitaker was just confirmed to serve a five-year term as FAA administrator in October of 2023. Read more from CNBC.
