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By Akash Sriram Dec 22 (Reuters) – Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has stepped in to personally guarantee $40.4 billion in Paramount Skydance's latest effort to pry Warner Bros Discovery away from selling its prized Hollywood assets to streaming giant Netflix. The guarantee, disclosed in a filing on Monday, seeks to allay the Warner Bros board's doubts about Paramount's financing and the lack of full Ellison family backing, which had pushed it toward the competing cash-and-stock offer from Netflix. Warner Bros shares rose nearly 4%, while Paramount added about 3%. Warner Bros and Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount said the amended terms do not change the $30-per-share all-cash offer even as the fight for Hollywood's sought-after assets heats up, with control of Warner Bros' vast library offering a decisive edge in the streaming wars. "Paramount remains in a precarious position and is making a last-ditch effort to avoid being left out in the shadows," said Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight. "The improved offer is a step in the right direction, but it is unlikely to be enough." As part of the revised terms, Ellison also agreed not to revoke the family trust or transfer its assets during the pendency of the transaction, the filing showed.  Paramount said it has raised its regulatory reverse termination fee to $5.8 billion from $5 billion to match the competing transaction and extended the expiration date of its tender offer to January 21, 2026. The bid follows Warner Bros asking its shareholders to reject the $108.4 billion offer from Paramount for the whole company, including cable TV assets, on doubts over its financing and the lack of a full guarantee from the Ellison family.  But Warner Bros investors, including the fifth largest shareholder Harris Associates, have said they would be open to revised offers from Paramount if it presents a superior bid and addresses issues with deal terms.  REGULATORY SCRUTINY For either suitor, winning shareholder support is only the first hurdle, as both deals would face intense antitrust scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe. Lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns about consolidation in the media industry, and U.S. President Donald Trump has said he plans to weigh in on the transactions. A Paramount-Warner Bros combination would create a studio larger than industry leader Disney and combine two major television operators, a move some Democratic senators say would give one company control over "almost everything Americans watch on TV." A Netflix-Warner Bros tie-up would cement Netflix's dominance in streaming, creating a group with a combined 428 million subscribers. Netflix has said it would honor Warner Bros' theatrical commitments and argued the deal would benefit consumers by lowering costs through bundled offerings. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has said he is confident the deal would win regulatory approval, arguing it would avoid job cuts in an industry already struggling with uneven box-office returns. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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By Jaspreet Singh, Juby Babu and Kritika Lamba Dec 22 (Reuters) – Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison will provide a personal guarantee of $40.4 billion in equity financing to back Paramount Skydance's all-cash bid of $108.4 billion for Warner Bros Discovery, a regulatory filing showed on Monday. The move comes shortly after Warner Bros Discovery's board rejected Paramount Skydance's $108.4 billion hostile bid, favoring Netflix in the high-stakes bidding war for the storied media giant. Earlier this month, the streaming pioneer agreed to buy Warner Bros Discovery's iconic studio and streaming assets for $72 billion, a move that could reshape Hollywood by creating a vertically integrated media powerhouse. The deal is expected to invite tough regulatory scrutiny. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would have a say in whether the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros should go forward. The bidding war has erupted when the media and entertainment industry is experiencing profound shifts, marked by intense competition and a transition to streaming amid a declining traditional linear television business. Here is a snapshot of how major media companies are performing: WARNER BROS DISCOVERY The media giant, which owns streaming service HBO Max, has a vast library of feature films, including franchises such as "Wonder Woman," "Harry Potter" and "Batman." Its studios include Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, DC Studios and Warner Bros Television Group. The company's total revenue for fiscal 2024 fell about 5% to $39.32 billion. The studios' revenue declined 5% to $11.61 billion. Warner Bros Pictures Animation began its journey with the iconic "Looney Tunes" in 1930 and has produced classics such as "The Iron Giant," "The Lego Movie" franchise and "Happy Feet." The company's direct-to-consumer unit, now named Streaming, includes the HBO Max and discovery+ streaming platforms and added 2.3 million net subscribers in the third quarter, reaching 128 million global subscribers, up 16% year over year. NETFLIX The streaming company's revenue rose about 16% to $39 billion last year. It had 301.6 million total subscribers in 2024. It primarily derives revenue from subscriptions and has also rolled out ad-supported plans. Major movies and series include "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It added 589 new Netflix Originals in 2024, up nearly 4% from 2023. YOUTUBE Owned by Alphabet, YouTube said in March that it had over 125 million paying subscribers though those figures include users who are signed up for temporary free trials. Ads comprise the majority of YouTube's revenue, accounting for $36 billion of Alphabet's $350 billion in overall 2024 revenue. For the third quarter of 2025, the video streaming service posted advertising revenue of $10.26 billion. YouTube TV has seen rapid growth as a pay-TV platform and is the fourth-largest pay-TV provider in the U.S. with about 10 million subscribers. WALT DISNEY Walt Disney and brother Roy Disney founded "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio" after signing a contract with distributor M.J. Winkler for "Alice Comedies" in October 1923. The studio was renamed Walt Disney Studios in 1926. Its portfolio also includes Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Searchlight Pictures and 20th Century Studios. The company's total revenue rose 3% to $91.36 billion last year. Disney ended the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 with 196 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, an increase of 12.4 million from the year-ago period. Disney is home to popular film franchises such as "Avengers," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Star Wars". It is also home to the ABC network. Cumulatively through September 28, 2024, the company had released about 1,100 full-length live-action films and 100 full-length animated films. Disney closed its $71 billion acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's film and television assets in 2019, expanding its portfolio of some of the world's most popular characters, uniting Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker and Marvel superheroes with Fox's X-Men, "Avatar" and "The Simpsons" franchises.   PARAMOUNT GLOBAL Before its merger with Skydance Media, Paramount's total revenue fell 1% to $29.21 billion last year. Its TV Media segment revenue, which makes up the bulk of its sales, fell 7% to $18.78 billion, hurt by declines in linear advertising and fewer major sporting events on CBS. By contrast, the direct-to-consumer division, which includes Paramount+ and Pluto TV, surged 13% to $7.63 billion, driven by subscriber growth and price increases. Founded in 1912, the studio's library consists of more than 1,200 film titles including "Star Trek," "The Godfather" and "Mission: Impossible," with rights to an additional 2,800. Paramount is the parent of CBS and agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the network over a "60 Minutes" interview. In the third quarter of 2025, Paramount+ added 1.4 million subscribers, bringing its total to 79.1 million worldwide. The company also narrowed its streaming losses, signaling progress toward its goal of achieving domestic profitability in 2025. Paramount Pictures, considered the jewel of Paramount Global, has attracted many suitors over the years.   COMCAST Total revenue for Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, rose 1.8% to $123.73 billion for fiscal 2024. Peacock streaming service generated revenue of $4.9 billion last year and as of the third quarter of 2025, Peacock had 41 million total paid subscribers. Universal Pictures, founded in 1912, has created classics such as "Jurassic Park," "Fast and Furious," "Minions," "Jaws" and "E.T. the Extraterrestrial". Its film library consists of more than 6,500 titles, according to its annual report. Comcast is in the process of spinning off its NBCUniversal cable channels, including USA Network and CNBC, into a new company called Versant early next year. AMAZON Amazon.com, best known for its e-commerce business, has built a significant presence in streaming through Prime Video, a service included with its Prime membership that produces a wide range of original programming, from hit series like "The Boys" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" to big-budget films, and also rents and sells movies and TV shows to both members and non-members.  In 2022, Amazon deepened its entertainment push by acquiring MGM for $8.5 billion, adding thousands of films and TV episodes, including the "James Bond" franchise, to its library. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh, Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru and Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Alan Barona and Anil D'Silva)

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Dec 22 (Reuters) – Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has agreed to personally guarantee $40.4 billion of the equity financing for Paramount Skydance's bid to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. The move marks the latest chapter in the race for assets that include Warner Bros' iconic film and TV studio and its vast library of movies and television shows. Here is a timeline from the founding of Time Inc and Warner Bros to the company's latest breakup and potential sale. Date Event 1922 Time Inc was founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden to house Time magazine, a weekly news publication that made world affairs accessible to the average reader. The first issue of Time magazine was published in March 1923. 1923 Warner Bros was founded by brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner as a film studio in Hollywood. It revolutionized cinema with the introduction of synchronized sound in films. 1969  Kinney National Company, a conglomerate that later transitioned into media, buys Warner Bros-Seven Arts and later spins off its non-media businesses. 1972 HBO is founded by Charles Dolan with backing from Time. It was the first U.S. subscription-based cable network, offering uncut, commercial-free movies and live sports, pioneering premium cable television. 1990 Time Inc merges with Warner Communications in a $14 billion deal, hailed as a "marriage of content and distribution," creating Time Warner, then the largest media company in the world. 1996  Time Warner merges with Turner Broadcasting, gaining Cartoon Network, CNN, TNT and a vast classic film library. 2000  Time Warner merges with AOL, forming AOL Time Warner, the largest merger in history at the time, aiming to merge traditional and digital media. 2002 AOL Time Warner merger begins to unravel as AOL's value collapses with the launch of an SEC investigation, prompted by allegations of accounting irregularities and inflated revenue reports at AOL. 2003 CEO Steve Case resigns from AOL Time Warner. 2004 Time Warner sells Warner Music to a private equity group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. for $2.6 billion. 2009 Time Warner fully spins off Time Warner Cable, which had already been partially separated in 2007, ending its role in cable distribution.  2009  Time Warner spins off AOL.  2013 Time Warner spins off Time, its magazine division, which includes Time, People, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, marking its formal exit from publishing. 2016 AT&T announces acquisition of Time Warner for $85 billion. 2018 AT&T completes its acquisition of Time Warner after regulator's approval, renaming it WarnerMedia. 2021 AT&T announces it would spin off WarnerMedia and merge it with Discovery Inc to create a new standalone media company. 2022 WarnerMedia and Discovery complete their merger in a $43 billion deal. June 2025 Warner Bros Discovery announces it would separate into two companies — one focusing on streaming and studios businesses, while the second will house its cable TV assets. October Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects a 2025 Paramount Skydance offer of nearly $60 billion, or $24 per share, a source familiar with the matter exclusively tells Reuters. The company says it is weighing a potential sale amid interest from several suitors. November Axios reports that Warner Bros Discovery's 2025 board wants Paramount Skydance to sweeten its bid to $30 per share, valuing the company at $74.34 billion. November Warner Bros Discovery receives preliminary 2025 buyout bids from Paramount Skydance, Comcast and Netflix — who were asked to improve their offers.  December Warner Bros Discovery receives a second 2025 round of bids, including a mostly cash offer from Netflix. December Paramount Skydance accuses Warner Bros 2025 Discovery of running an unfair sale process that favors Netflix over other bidders, CNBC reports, citing a letter sent by the newly merged media company. December Netflix is in exclusive talks to 2025 buy Warner Bros Discovery's film and television studios along with its streaming assets after offering $28 per share. December Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros 2025 Discovery's film and TV studios and streaming division for $72 billion, or $27.75 per share. December Paramount Skydance makes a hostile bid for 2025 Warner Bros Discovery in a deal valued at $108.4 billion or $30 per share. December Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects 2025 Paramount Skydance's hostile $108.4 billion bid, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. Paramount Skydance December amends its offer 2025 to buy Warner Bros Discovery to include a $40.4 billion personal guarantee from Larry Ellison. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba, Meghana Khare, Anhata Rooprai, and Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo and Arun Koyyur)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 22 (Reuters) – Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has agreed to personally guarantee $40.4 billion of the equity financing for Paramount Skydance's bid to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. The move marks the latest chapter in the race for assets that include Warner Bros' iconic film and TV studio and its vast library of movies and television shows. Here is a timeline from the founding of Time Inc and Warner Bros to the company's latest breakup and potential sale. Date Event 1922 Time Inc was founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden to house Time magazine, a weekly news publication that made world affairs accessible to the average reader. The first issue of Time magazine was published in March 1923. 1923 Warner Bros was founded by brothers Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner as a film studio in Hollywood. It revolutionized cinema with the introduction of synchronized sound in films. 1969  Kinney National Company, a conglomerate that later transitioned into media, buys Warner Bros-Seven Arts and later spins off its non-media businesses. 1972 HBO is founded by Charles Dolan with backing from Time. It was the first U.S. subscription-based cable network, offering uncut, commercial-free movies and live sports, pioneering premium cable television. 1990 Time Inc merges with Warner Communications in a $14 billion deal, hailed as a "marriage of content and distribution," creating Time Warner, then the largest media company in the world. 1996  Time Warner merges with Turner Broadcasting, gaining Cartoon Network, CNN, TNT and a vast classic film library. 2000  Time Warner merges with AOL, forming AOL Time Warner, the largest merger in history at the time, aiming to merge traditional and digital media. 2002 AOL Time Warner merger begins to unravel as AOL's value collapses with the launch of an SEC investigation, prompted by allegations of accounting irregularities and inflated revenue reports at AOL. 2003 CEO Steve Case resigns from AOL Time Warner. 2004 Time Warner sells Warner Music to a private equity group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. for $2.6 billion. 2009 Time Warner fully spins off Time Warner Cable, which had already been partially separated in 2007, ending its role in cable distribution.  2009  Time Warner spins off AOL.  2013 Time Warner spins off Time, its magazine division, which includes Time, People, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, marking its formal exit from publishing. 2016 AT&T announces acquisition of Time Warner for $85 billion. 2018 AT&T completes its acquisition of Time Warner after regulator's approval, renaming it WarnerMedia. 2021 AT&T announces it would spin off WarnerMedia and merge it with Discovery Inc to create a new standalone media company. 2022 WarnerMedia and Discovery complete their merger in a $43 billion deal. June 2025 Warner Bros Discovery announces it would separate into two companies — one focusing on streaming and studios businesses, while the second will house its cable TV assets. October Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects a 2025 Paramount Skydance offer of nearly $60 billion, or $24 per share, a source familiar with the matter exclusively tells Reuters. The company says it is weighing a potential sale amid interest from several suitors. November Axios reports that Warner Bros Discovery's 2025 board wants Paramount Skydance to sweeten its bid to $30 per share, valuing the company at $74.34 billion. November Warner Bros Discovery receives preliminary 2025 buyout bids from Paramount Skydance, Comcast and Netflix — who were asked to improve their offers.  December Warner Bros Discovery receives a second 2025 round of bids, including a mostly cash offer from Netflix. December Paramount Skydance accuses Warner Bros 2025 Discovery of running an unfair sale process that favors Netflix over other bidders, CNBC reports, citing a letter sent by the newly merged media company. December Netflix is in exclusive talks to 2025 buy Warner Bros Discovery's film and television studios along with its streaming assets after offering $28 per share. December Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros 2025 Discovery's film and TV studios and streaming division for $72 billion, or $27.75 per share. December Paramount Skydance makes a hostile bid for 2025 Warner Bros Discovery in a deal valued at $108.4 billion or $30 per share. December Warner Bros Discovery's board rejects 2025 Paramount Skydance's hostile $108.4 billion bid, saying it failed to provide adequate financing assurances. Paramount Skydance December amends its offer 2025 to buy Warner Bros Discovery to include a $40.4 billion personal guarantee from Larry Ellison. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba, Meghana Khare, Anhata Rooprai, and Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo and Arun Koyyur)

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(This December 19 story has been repeated without any changes to the text.) By Steve Gorman Dec 19 (Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge on Friday overturned the conviction of one of two men found guilty of murdering pioneering rap star Jam Master Jay in 2002 as part of a drug-dealing dispute, ruling that prosecutors had failed to satisfactorily prove their case. U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall granted a rare judgment of acquittal for Karl Jordan, whom a jury had found guilty in the shooting death of Jason Mizell, the legal name of the famed rap DJ, producer and founding member of the hip-hop group Run-DMC. The judge denied a similar request for Jordan's co-defendant, Ronald Washington. Jordan, the godson of Mizell, and Washington, a longtime friend of the rap artist, were found guilty in February 2024 on federal charges of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking. The U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York state, where the case was tried, is reviewing the decision, a spokesperson told The New York Times. Mizell and his Run-DMC bandmates helped usher rap into the pop mainstream in the 1980s with such hits as "It's Tricky" and a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" off the best-selling 1986 album "Raising Hell." The group was known for decidedly anti-drug messages in its lyrics and concerts. But as Mizell's showbiz success waned in the 1990s, he turned to dealing cocaine to help fund his music career, according to evidence presented at trial. Mizell was shot dead the night of October 30, 2002, in his New York City recording studio, in what the prosecutors said was a disagreement with Jordan and Washington stemming from a lucrative deal to distribute cocaine in Baltimore. Prosecutors said the case took many years to solve because witnesses were reluctant to cooperate with investigators for fear of retribution. The government's case, as charged, hinged in part on proving a drug-related motive for the killing, the judge ruled. Prosecutors argued in court that Jordan and Washington conspired to kill Mizell, who operated as a "middleman," after he cut them out of the Baltimore drug deal. However, Judge DeArcy Hall found that prosecutors presented no evidence that Jordan had been cut or felt dissatisfied with his share of drug proceeds – leaving no reason for retaliation – and no evidence that he intended to steal from Mizell's supplies. "To draw the conclusions urged by the government would exceed the bounds of reason and require plainly impermissible speculation" on the part of the jury, the judge wrote in a 29-page opinion. A third defendant, Jay Bryant, also was indicted in the killing and faces a separate trial. Jordan has maintained that Bryant shot Mizell. According to prosecutors' account, Jordan shot Mizell in the head at close range when the DJ stood up to greet his godson. The government said Bryant had entered the studio and let in Jordan and Washington, both armed with handguns, through a locked rear fire exit. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)

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By Lisa Richwine Dec 21 (Reuters) – Director James Cameron's third "Avatar" movie kicked off its box office run with roughly $345 million in global ticket sales through Sunday, meeting pre-weekend forecasts for the epic movie franchise from Walt Disney. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" ranked as the second-highest Hollywood movie debut for 2025, behind only the $556 million for Disney's "Zootopia 2" in November. The movie topped box office charts in the United States and Canada, where it brought in $88 million of its worldwide total, according to Disney estimates. "Fire and Ash" continues the story of the nine-foot-tall blue Na'vi people on a lush planet named Pandora. The domestic total came in 35% lower than 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water," the sequel released 13 years after the first film enchanted audiences with stunning visual effects. With "Fire and Ash," "audiences didn't miss it as much as they did when it came to the sequel," said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co. Still, "it is a great start for the holiday corridor," Bock said, noting the enthusiasm for moviegoing around Christmas and New Year's Day. "There is a huge box office avalanche over the next two or three weekends." Theaters hope "Fire and Ash" sparks a resurgence in moviegoing that extends into next year. Year-to-date ticket sales hovered at 1.3% above 2024 but 22.5% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to Comscore data. Cinema operators believe they have a strong 2026 lineup including "Avengers: Doomsday," "Dune: Part Three," Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" and "Star Wars" movie "The Mandalorian and Grogu." Cameron's blockbusters tend to keep piling up sales for weeks longer than others. "Fire and Ash" was released three days closer to Christmas than "The Way of Water," suggesting holiday commitments may have kept people from theaters over opening weekend. Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington voice the lead "Avatar" characters, portraying two parents forced to fight to protect their family and their planet. Cameron has acknowledged the "Avatar" movies are expensive and need to reap huge returns to keep the series going. Disney has not disclosed the films' budgets.  The first "Avatar" film released in 2009 racked up $2.9 billion in global ticket sales. The "Way of Water" pulled in $2.3 billion. A fourth and fifth "Avatar" film are scheduled for release in 2029 and 2031. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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Dec 21 (Reuters) – Director James Cameron's third "Avatar" movie adventure racked up roughly $345 million in global box office sales over its opening weekend, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday. The estimated sales for "Avatar: Fire and Ash" landed in line with pre-weekend forecasts of at least $340 million. U.S. and Canadian box offices accounted for $88 million of the total, Disney said. Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington voice the lead characters in the "Avatar" series, the story of a clan of 9-foot-tall blue people known as Na'vi who are forced to fight to protect their family and their planet. The first "Avatar" film, released in 2009, leads all-time box office charts with $2.9 billion in global ticket sales. The 2022 sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water" ranks third with $2.3 billion. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 21 (Reuters) – Director James Cameron's third "Avatar" movie adventure racked up roughly $345 million in global box office sales over its opening weekend, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday. The estimated sales for "Avatar: Fire and Ash" landed in line with pre-weekend forecasts.

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 21 (Reuters) – Director James Cameron's third "Avatar" movie adventure racked up roughly $345 million in global box office sales over its opening weekend, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday. The estimated sales for "Avatar: Fire and Ash" landed in line with pre-weekend forecasts.

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Steve Gorman Dec 19 (Reuters) – A U.S. federal judge on Friday overturned the conviction of one of two men found guilty of murdering pioneering rap star Jam Master Jay in 2002 as part of a drug-dealing dispute, ruling that prosecutors had failed to satisfactorily prove their case. U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall granted a rare judgment of acquittal for Karl Jordan, whom a jury had found guilty in the shooting death of Jason Mizell, the legal name of the famed rap DJ, producer and founding member of the hip-hop group Run-DMC. The judge denied a similar request for Jordan's co-defendant, Ronald Washington. Jordan, the godson of Mizell, and Washington, a longtime friend of the rap artist, were found guilty in February 2024 on federal charges of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking. The U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York state, where the case was tried, is reviewing the decision, a spokesperson told The New York Times. Mizell and his Run-DMC bandmates helped usher rap into the pop mainstream in the 1980s with such hits as "It's Tricky" and a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" off the best-selling 1986 album "Raising Hell." The group was known for decidedly anti-drug messages in its lyrics and concerts. But as Mizell's showbiz success waned in the 1990s, he turned to dealing cocaine to help fund his music career, according to evidence presented at trial. Mizell was shot dead the night of October 30, 2002, in his New York City recording studio, in what the prosecutors said was a disagreement with Jordan and Washington stemming from a lucrative deal to distribute cocaine in Baltimore. Prosecutors said the case took many years to solve because witnesses were reluctant to cooperate with investigators for fear of retribution. The government's case, as charged, hinged in part on proving a drug-related motive for the killing, the judge ruled. Prosecutors argued in court that Jordan and Washington conspired to kill Mizell, who operated as a "middleman," after he cut them out of the Baltimore drug deal. However, Judge DeArcy Hall found that prosecutors presented no evidence that Jordan had been cut or felt dissatisfied with his share of drug proceeds – leaving no reason for retaliation – and no evidence that he intended to steal from Mizell's supplies. "To draw the conclusions urged by the government would exceed the bounds of reason and require plainly impermissible speculation" on the part of the jury, the judge wrote in a 29-page opinion. A third defendant, Jay Bryant, also was indicted in the killing and faces a separate trial. Jordan has maintained that Bryant shot Mizell. According to prosecutors' account, Jordan shot Mizell in the head at close range when the DJ stood up to greet his godson. The government said Bryant had entered the studio and let in Jordan and Washington, both armed with handguns, through a locked rear fire exit. (Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)

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