U.S. Judge Grants Delay In Challenge to AT&T Deal.

WASHINGTON -- AT&T has one month to tell a Federal District Court judge and the Justice Department whether it will pursue its proposed $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA in its current form, in a modified structure, or if it will drop the deal altogether. Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle, of Federal District Court in Washington, granted a joint motion filed Monday by AT&T and the Justice Department to delay the government's antitrust lawsuit over the merger. Judge Huvelle set a Jan. 12 deadline for AT&T to decide whether it intends to continue to pursue the deal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]