UPDATE 1-U.S. attorney general recuses self from T-Mobile, Sprint merger probe

U.S. Attorney General William Barr has recused himself from the Justice Department’s deliberations on whether to allow T-Mobile to proceed with its $26 billion acquisition of Sprint, according to a source familiar with the decision. The department’s Antitrust Division, headed by Makan Delrahim, is reviewing the deal to determine if it will lead to higher prices for consumers or to slower innovation, as critics allege. The Federal Communications Commission also must approve the transaction for it to go forward.