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SEATTLE — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Jan. 15 sued to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation’s largest grocery chains.

Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are bracing for a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over their $24.6 billion tie-up as soon as January as opposition builds against the supermarket megadeal.

California is preparing a lawsuit to block Kroger Co.’s $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons Cos. on concerns the deal could hurt consumers and workers, Attorney General Rob Bonta said.

Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. agreed to sell 413 stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers in a divestiture designed to help win antitrust approval for their $24.6 billion merger.

Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are selling some of their stores in an effort to win regulatory approval for their $25 billion merger, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran made a number of pledges to their customers and employees if their proposed grocery merger prevails.

The proposed merger of food retail giants Kroger and Albertsons has elicited criticism from seven secretaries of state.

Northern Kentucky is getting a new $550,000 distribution center from a unit of The Kroger Co. to give the grocery store giant a larger e-commerce foothold in the state and Ohio.

Kroger Co. said it’s committed to hunkering down for a long legal battle if U.S. regulators attempt to block its $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons Cos.

Autonomous technology developer Gatik is partnering with grocery store chain Kroger for deliveries via automated medium-duty trucks in the Dallas area.