Detailed Instructions: Given a text, write a compressed version of it in a single sentence.
Problem:The LAT , NYT , and WP fronts carry the news that the federal government has indeed, as it first hinted over a week ago, decided to try to block the Lockheed-Northrop merger.
Solution:
The LAT , NYT , and WP report that the federal government has, as previously hinted, decided to block the Lockheed-Northrop merger