21.   Hundt predicted the acquisition would be approved by government regulators because there is little overlap between the two firms.

22.   If its acquisition is approved by the Federal Trade Commission, Valero will have three refineries in the lucrative California market.

23.   If the acquisition is approved, it will create a formidable transportation network, well positioned to take advantage of accelerating trade under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

24.   In announcing the Justice Department agreement, the companies said shareholders are scheduled to meet Tuesday to approve the acquisition.

25.   Last year, he forced the Boeing Co. to drop a prized marketing practice as a condition for approving its acquisition of McDonnell Douglas.

26.   Mannesmann shareholders would have to approve those acquisitions.

27.   Most of the plants that will be sold are in Europe, where government regulators still must approve the acquisition.

28.   Northrop Grumman Corp. was one step closer Friday to purchasing rival defense contractor Litton Industries Inc., after the European Commission approved the acquisition.

29.   New York was the last state to approve the acquisition --the largest combination of two U.S. telecommunications companies.

30.   Officials at the Federal Competition Commission created by that law have said that they probably would not have approved the acquisition.