Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Wednesday, December 11th. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - brought to you by the Cowboy State Daily Morning Show with Jake. From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday through Friday, Cowboy State Daily's Jake Nichols takes you deeper into the stories that matter - and keeps up with the news, weather and sports in your part of Wyoming. Just tune into Cowboy State Daily Dot Com and join the conversation.

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Judges in two states issued injunctions Tuesday to block the proposed $25 billion merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons.

An Oregon judge says the Federal Trade Commission is likely to prevail in its case against the $25 billion merger proposed between Kroger and Albertsons, so he is issuing a preliminary injunction against the merger - meanwhile, in Washington, a state judge has also issued an injunction to block the Albertsons-Kroger merger.

Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that the cases are two of three the companies face that seek to stop their merger.

"So we have a final decision in the Washington case, which is saying this will be anti competitive in the state of Washington… And maybe Colorado's is the same way. Certainly those could be subject to an appeal, but this case in Oregon is the federal case, and so that is the one that FTC has brought, and that Wyoming is a party to… One of the things the judge highlighted in the case is the FTC analysis that shows grocery market sectors are already unlawfully uncompetitive in like 1900 markets across the country."

Representatives of Kroger and Albertsons said the companies are reviewing their legal options.

Read the full story HERE.

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January 2025 could be the month when years of political wrangling over the fate of Wyoming's grizzlies could come to a head, potentially opening the door for bear hunts next fall.

A judge this month gave the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until Jan. 20 to decide on Wyoming's petition to have grizzlies delisted in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that it's just a matter of the agency coming up with a delisting plan that could stand up to any lawsuits filed to reverse it.

"A judge has basically given the US Fish and Wildlife Service a deadline to decide on Wyoming's petition to delist grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem… Most of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is in Wyoming… Idaho and Montana also have separate petitions, which are kind of floating out there. That might also be decided in January. We don't know yet, but Idaho's petition would delist Grizzlies all across the lower 48."

Grizzlies were delisted in 2017, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department had plans in place for a fall 2018 hunting season. But environmental and grizzly conservation groups successfully sued to have the delisting overturned before hunters got the chance to buy grizzly licenses and head into the field.

Read the full story

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