California and 11 other states joined the Writers Guild of America in urging a federal judge to reject Paramount Skydance’s request for a $1.88 billion bond related to delays in completing its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Paramount voluntarily agreed to pay Warner Bros shareholders a daily ticking fee for delays and to postpone closing until the antitrust case is resolved or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first. Paramount must pay $7 million a day if the $110 billion merger has not closed by September 30. The company said the states’ legal challenge is scheduled for trial in March and that it will have paid Warner Bros shareholders an unrecoverable $1.3 billion by the time the trial concludes and final briefs are filed in April.