Federal judge temporarily blocks Kroger-Albertsons merger

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the merger of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons after a three-week hearing. The Federal Trade Commission sued over the $25 billion deal in February, asking that it be put on hold to allow more time for an FTC administrative judge to examine its potential impacts. The FTC claims that allowing Kroger and Albertsons to merge would lead to less competition in the grocery industry and higher prices.