Politico

Sinclair Finds Backdoor to Push Conservative Message

Sinclair Broadcast Group is selling off nearly two dozen TV stations to comply with federal ownership rules — but that may not stop the company from reaching millions of those stations' viewers with its conservative programming. Four of the sales include provisions that would leave the giant broadcaster with a role in the stations' programming, finances and operations, even when it no longer owns them. Sinclair has made these kinds of arrangements before as it has sold off some of its outlets.

‘Too inconvenient’: President Trump goes rogue on phone security

President Donald Trump uses a White House cellphone that isn’t equipped with sophisticated security features designed to shield his communications, according to two senior administration officials — a departure from the practice of his predecessors that potentially exposes him to hacking or surveillance.

White House eliminates top cyber adviser post

The Trump administration has eliminated the White House’s top cyber policy role, jettisoning a key position created during the Obama presidency to harmonize the government's overall approach to cybersecurity policy and digital warfare. The decision is part of an effort to “streamline authority” for the senior directors who lead most NSC teams.

Commerce Sec Wilbur Ross: We’re exploring ‘alternative remedies’ for ZTE ban

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that the Trump administration is open to changing its ban on US companies buying and selling products from Chinese phone-maker ZTE, a day after President Donald Trump hinted at a surprising reversal. “ZTE did do some inappropriate things. They’ve admitted to that,” Sec Ross said. “The question is: Are there alternative remedies to the one that we had originally put forward? And that’s the area we will be exploring very, very promptly.”

Will Sen Murkowski Support Net Neutrality?

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) isn’t ruling out the possibility of bucking her GOP colleagues and voting for the Democrats’ Congressional Review Act net neutrality measure. “Senator Murkowski has not taken a firm stance on the CRA,” said her spokeswoman. “But CRA or not, she believes a bipartisan, legislative solution would be the best path to ensure certainty within the industry.” This answer would seem to put her in the “undecided” column alongside Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

The Trump official who wants to save net neutrality

Earl Comstock, a high-ranking deputy to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, is quietly pushing for President Donald Trump to support a congressional effort to restore the net neutrality rules, He is advising that President Trump back a resolution that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission repeal, a move that would put President Trump in direct opposition to Ajit Pai, his hand-picked FCC chairman.

How Michael Cohen cashed in

Michael Cohen made more than $2 million working as a Trump whisperer. But he's far from the only one. President Donald Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer is the latest member of the president's inner circle to cash in on connections by selling insight into how Trump operates. The president's 2016 victory rattled corporations enough that clients were eager to pay top dollar to anyone who could help them understand the administration in its first months. Many of those insiders have become lobbyists, joining established Washington firms or starting their own shops.

No Shift on Net Neutrality

Republicans aren’t exactly rushing to support the Congressional Review Act resolution from Senate Democrats to restore the Obama-era net neutrality rules. While net neutrality advocates are trying to secure that elusive 51st vote, prominent GOP members are scoffing. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Boozman (R-AR) plan to vote against the CRA. “That was pretty much a no-brainer for me, it wasn’t even a difficult decision,” said Sen Corker who is retiring, arguing that the internet functioned fine before the Federal Communications Commission regulations.

Keeping Lifeline for the Living

The Federal Communications Commission is already taking steps to nix the dead enrollees in the agency’s low-income subsidy program known as Lifeline following a revelation from Sen Claire McCaskill (D-MO) that 47,942 deceased individuals were signed up between 2014 and October 2017. In July 2017,  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai directed the Universal Service Administrative Company, the nonprofit that manages the subsidies, “to take specific, immediate steps to mitigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Lifeline program, including enrollment and subscribership of the deceased,” a FCC spokesman said.

Sinclair preps to challenge Fox News

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which for months has denied any interest in challenging Fox News while awaiting approval of a merger with Tribune Co., is gearing up to do just that. As part of the $3.9 billion Tribune deal pending before the Federal Communications Commission, would acquire WGN America, a cable network that currently reaches 80 million homes.

Why we need a ‘privacy label’ on the internet

[Commentary] When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before two committees earlier in April, even GOP lawmakers typically opposed to regulations said new rules to restrict the actions of Facebook and other internet companies may be necessary. That’s a bad idea. Restrictions may help establish better metes and bounds around privacy and security practices, but there will still be privacy lapses or security breaches due to, among other things, employee negligence, systems failure and the violations of agreements and those laws. 

Sen Ed Markey: Net Neutrality Vote in May

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), the chief sponsor of a measure to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of the net neutrality rules via the Congressional Review Act (CRA), says he envisions it hitting the floor in May 2018. “We’re going to file it right after the break and then we expect sometime in the middle of May to have it on the Senate floor,” said Sen Markey. He didn’t say whether he had secured the elusive 51st vote to pass the CRA resolution in the upper chamber on a simple majority.

Senate confirms Trump's pick for NSA, Cyber Command

The Senate quietly confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command. US Army Cyber Command chief Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone was unanimously confirmed by voice vote to serve as the "dual-hat" leader of both organizations. The two have shared a leader since the Pentagon established Cyber Command in 2009. He will replace retiring Navy Adm. Mike Rogers after a nearly four-year term.

What Mark Zuckerberg Didn’t Tell Congress

[Commentary] Ranking Digital Rights that has been analyzing and comparing the commitments and policies of internet, mobile and telecommunications companies affecting users’ freedom of expression and privacy since 2015. Our analysis has consistently found that Facebook discloses fewer details about how it handles users’ personal information than most of its peers. Our forthcoming 2018 Corporate Accountability Index evaluates 12 companies that run some of the world’s most powerful internet and mobile platforms headquartered in the U.S., South Korea, China and Russia.

Sinclair CEO says ‘extremists’ trying to bully company

Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO Chris Ripley apologized to employees for having to endure what he called “politically motivated attacks” over the company’s recent promos. In a memo sent to staff, Ripley defended the scripts that anchors at more than 60 Sinclair stations were compelled to read, telling staff that the practice “is not unique to Sinclair, however, the blowback we received for doing so certainly is.” 

President Trump thrives in areas that lack traditional news outlets

President Donald Trump’s attacks on the mainstream media may be rooted in statistical reality: An extensive review of subscription data and election results shows that Trump outperformed the previous Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, in counties with the lowest numbers of news subscribers, but didn't do nearly as well in areas with heavier circulation. There's  a clear correlation between low subscription rates and Trump’s success in the 2016 election, both against Hillary Clinton and when compared to Romney in 2012.