41.   In Iowa, Attorney General Thomas J. Miller filed suit against Smithfield in January, trying to block its merger with Murphy.

42.   In July, the E.U. blocked the merger of WorldCom and Sprint, citing its effect on telecommunications.

43.   In the last few decades, the politically acceptable grounds for blocking mergers have narrowed considerably.

44.   Instead of trying to block the merger, antitrust officials could ask Raytheon to structure the deal so that competition remains in some of those product lines.

45.   Insurance agents and small banks have led a vigorous campaign this summer to block mergers of banks and insurance companies.

46.   It can block mergers or attach conditions to them.

47.   It was by the same token that the FTC voted to block the merger of Rite-Aid and Revco.

48.   Last week, Platinum sued to block the merger.

49.   Later, when Diller agreed to merge QVC with CBS Inc., Roberts blocked the merger with a preemptive bid for the home shopping network.