Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield had been on a quest to get his hands on some Paramount documents, hoping to delay the company's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by 60 days. But like many New Year's resolutions, his civil investigative demand has been quietly abandoned. Paramount is, of course, thrilled - probably popping champagne and high-fiving in the boardroom. Meanwhile, Rayfield's office is trying to put on a brave face.

Jenny Hansson, the AG's communications director, told Deadline that Paramount made it clear they weren't going to play ball, acting like they're above the law. "We're not going to let them waste Oregonians' resources on these games," she said, which is a diplomatic way of saying, "We lost this round."

Rayfield was particularly interested in documents about Paramount's lobbying efforts, code-named "Project Warrior." Because nothing says transparency like a secret code name. Paramount is run by David and Larry Ellison, who are apparently big fans of Donald Trump and enjoy a cozy White House relationship - so cozy that Trump threatened Netflix (Paramount's rival) with consequences if it didn't boot Susan Rice from its board.

But Oregon's merger-blocking efforts aren't the only ones in the graveyard. California, New York, and even the UK are mulling their own antitrust objections, and Hollywood has joined the chorus of disapproval. So while Oregon may have folded on this hand, the game isn't over yet.