late april

Paramount Chairman David Ellison believes the tug-of-war over his proposed $111-billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery comes down to a single question: whether he can be trusted to control CNN.

“I believe this fight is not really about market share,” Ellison wrote in a Tuesday op-ed in the New York Times, noting that regulators around the world, including the U.S. Justice Department, have approved the deal that has been temporarily blocked by an antitrust lawsuit brought by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and his coalition of Democrat state attorneys general.

“I believe a plainer worry sits beneath the briefs and the news releases … The issue is whether I can be trusted as a steward of Warner’s CNN,” Ellison wrote.

The rare opinion piece serves as Ellison’s acknowledgment that his family’s close association with President Trump has sullied his standing in Hollywood and beyond.

Shakeups at CBS News, which is part of Paramount, the departure of CBS late night host Stephen Colbert, and a visible presidential lobbying effort — including hosting a dinner for Trump in Washington in late April and attending Trump’s birthday extravaganza in June with UFC fights on the White House lawn — have come with a cost.

More than 5,000 entertainment industry workers, including such high-profile stars as Jane Fonda, Ben Stiller, Bryan Cranston and Mark Ruffalo, signed an open letter early this year, calling on Bonta to try to block the merger.

Bonta and the other state attorneys general sued, saying the merger of two of the major film studios would give Paramount-Warner Bros. more than 25% of the wide-release theatrical film market. Their lawsuit also alleged the combined company would own too many cable TV channels — more than 50, including CNN, TBS, HGTV and Comedy Central.

Many in Hollywood fear that the consolidation of two historic studios will bring thousands of layoffs and contribute to a bleaker employment picture. Ellison’s Skydance Media’s takeover of Paramount a year ago resulted in the loss of 2,000 jobs.

Some have opposed the Warner Bros. deal, saying one family shouldn’t be allowed to control two significant news operations: CBS News and CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

“There has been speculation about my politics, my loyalties, my intentions,” Ellison wrote.

“Unfortunately, I can’t give anyone a view into my heart and mind, but I can share this: I have regularly voted for candidates of both parties; I hold some views that would be called conservative and others that would be called liberal, just like most Americans,” Ellison said. “And when it comes to our news operations, I do not aspire to lead these companies to bend their newsrooms to my views. I believe that news should be based on facts and truth.”

“Great news organizations like CNN and CBS News are here to tell it straight down the middle,” he said. “That requires newsrooms that reflect the whole world, not one side of it. And it requires independence. Our journalists will continue to answer to the facts and to all the people they serve — not to any party or cause.”

“These were founding principles for both CNN and CBS News, for legends like Ted Turner and Edward R. Murrow, and it is exactly that kind of independence that has always fueled the greatness of “60 Minutes,” Ellison wrote.

Fired “60 Minutes” correspondents, including Cecilia Vega, have complained that since Bari Weiss became editor-in-chief of CBS News last fall, journalists have been asked to tilt the presentation of controversial news events, including protests to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions earlier this year in Minnesota, which led to the deaths of two Americans.

Paramount has pushed back saying the plaintiff states have defined markets that fail to factor in the rise of technology companies, including Netflix, Google’s YouTube and Amazon Studios, which also attract significant swaths of viewership.

The Writers Guild of America has separately sued to block the merger, saying the deal would lead to less opportunities and lower pay for writers struggling to stay in the industry.

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, who is overseeing the high-profile case, issued a temporary restraining order to block the merger from finalizing while the two sides hash out the evidence. Late last month, Paramount agreed to delay the merger until after a trial — or until June 1, whichever date comes first.

In court documents filed Friday, Bonta and his coalition of 11 other Democratic attorneys general proposed having a two- to three-week trial in April to weigh the evidence.

Ellison’s Paramount pushed back, saying the media company would like to start the courtroom action on Nov. 4.

Now the judge must schedule the court date.

“The states claim this deal will give one company too much influence over theatrical releases and cable operators, while the W.G.A. argues that our combined market power will hurt writers,” Ellison said in the opinion piece. “Both suits imagine a Hollywood that no longer exists — an industry ruled by a handful of legacy studios.”

Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski, caught in limbo for the last week, didn’t make any plans for the All-Star break.

Good thing because on Saturday morning, manager Dave Roberts called to tell him he was added to the National League All-Star Game roster as a replacement player.

“I was actually playing nine holes this morning, just a normal day,” Wrobleski said. “And Doc called me, and [I] actually missed the first call.”

But when Wrobleski called back later, he thanked Roberts for how much the manager lobbied for him to be an All-Star. Then the left-hander called his mom and picked up a call from his dad.

“Everybody’s excited,” Wrobleski said. “I’m excited too. So everybody had good reactions. The team was excited for me. Had a bunch of friends reach out, a bunch of family reach out. Just great.”

A week after being snubbed from the initial All-Star rosters, Wrobleski will replace Reds right-hander Chase Burns.

“I was not happy that I wasn’t going to be a part of it,” Wrobleski said. “And obviously, getting the news that I’m going to be able to go there and do it, it’s super exciting. Wide range of emotions.”

Wrobleski is the sixth Dodger to be named a 2026 All-Star, joining Shohei Ohtani (who won’t be attending), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (also not playing), Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Andy Pages.

This is Wrobleski’s first All-Star selection, in his first full season in the Dodgers rotation. His 2.69 ERA ranked No. 8 among qualified NL pitchers entering Saturday. And his 10 wins was tied for No. 2.

“I was elated,” Roberts said. “The game honors you and today the game honored Justin.”

Wrobleski began the season in the bullpen, waiting to join the rotation as its sixth pitcher after the first turn. He and Yamamoto have carried the brunt of the workload for the Dodgers’ rotation over the first half of the season, consistently pitching deep into games.

“I haven’t really had the chance to think about everything yet,” Wrobleski said about his season. “But I’m sure this offseason or whenever, it’s going to hit me.

“It’s super cool. I’m super excited. I’m super lucky and blessed to just have the chance that I’ve gotten this year. And thankfully I’ve thrown the ball well.”

Yamamoto not pitching in All-Star Game

With Yamamoto making his last start before the All-Star break on Saturday, it seemed unlikely he would pitch in the All-Star Game. Roberts made that official on Saturday.

“He’ll get a week off,” Roberts said, noting that he believes the two-time All-Star still plans to travel to Philadelphia for the event.

Díaz on rehab assignment

In a promising sign for Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz’s recovery timeline, he is scheduled to make a rehab assignment with single-A Ontario on Saturday. Díaz made just seven appearances for the Dodgers before undergoing an operation to remove loose bodies from his right elbow in late April.

Blake Snell, who also had loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow, progressed to throwing live batting practice on Saturday.

Roster moves

The Dodgers made a series of moves to add a fresh arm to the bullpen before Saturday’s game.

They reinstated pitcher Landon Knack from the injured list (strained oblique). In a pair of corresponding moves, the Dodgers optioned pitcher Kyle Hurt to triple-A Oklahoma City and designated pitcher Charlie Barnes for assignment.

MLB draft

With their first pick of the MLB draft, No. 40 overall, the Dodgers selected infielder Bo Lowrance out of Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, S.C.

“We are ecstatic about landing Bo Lowrance,” Dodgers’ amateur scouting director Zach Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “He was our main target. Bo has the size, the swing, the projection and the drive to be a high-level Major League shortstop.”

The Dodgers only had two picks Saturday. They selected right-handed pitcher Russell Sandefer out of the University of Florida with the 132nd pick.

The draft continues Sunday with rounds five through 20.