WASHINGTON—In a twist during closing arguments of a six-week trial, the Justice Department urged the judge in the AT&T Inc. merger case to consider “alternative” remedies if he decides not to block the planned acquisition of Time Warner Inc. outright.
The move Monday came after months of legal maneuvering in the biggest antitrust case of recent years led some observers to believe AT&T and Time Warner had made headway in court with their argument that the merger won’t harm consumers.
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