State Loses Round in Lucky Merger: U.S....

State Loses Round in Lucky Merger: U.S. District Court Judge David Kenyon ruled that the California Attorney General’s Office must post a $16-million bond if it wishes to continue to block the merger of American Stores’ Lucky and Alpha Beta supermarket chains. The bond is to cover losses American Stores might suffer while the case is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Chief Assistant Atty. Gen. Andrea Ordin said the state will not post the bond and will appeal the decision. If that appeal is denied, the merger will be completed, she said. The state then “will return to the district court seeking remedies other than divestiture to reduce the injury to consumers caused by the merger.”