The government and publishing titan Penguin Random House exchanged opening orders in a federal antitrust trial on Monday, as the US seeks to block the largest US book publisher from absorbing rival Simon & Schuster. The case comes as a key test of the Biden administration’s antitrust policy.
The government’s star witness, best-selling author Stephen King, is expected to testify at Tuesday’s week-long trial in US District Court in Washington, D.C. King’s works are published by Simon & Schuster.
The Justice Department has sued to block the $2.2 billion merger, which would reduce the Big Five US publishers to four
Carnival, Royal Caribbean relaxes COVID test requirements
Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises are changing their policies on their COVID-19 test requirements in the wake of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially ending its guidance program.
Carnival announced it will no longer require pre-cruise testing for those vaccinated on its cruises of five days or less starting Aug. 4. It will still require pre-departure testing for cruises of six nights or longer, but can be completed within three days of departure.
The line will no longer offer any terminal testing for unvaccinated guests on the day of departure, and all guests aged 2 years and older must provide proof of a negative result for a self-administered laboratory or supervised antigen the covid. test, also within three days before departure.
Royal Caribbean is taking a similar approach to Carnival with pre-cruise testing waived for vaccinated guests on cruises five nights or shorter as of August 8.
CDC’s sailing guidance program closed on July 18.
