Hill, The
AT&T demanded the DOJ hand over documents that could show Trump’s influence over the Time Warner deal. A judge said no.
A federal judge has ruled against AT&T in its effort to force the Justice Department to reveal whether President Donald Trump inappropriately interfered with a regulatory review of the telecommunication company's $85 billion Time Warner merger. The ruling from Judge Richard Leon rejects AT&T's argument that the government has singled out the company for special scrutiny. The move blocks an attempt by AT&T to draw Trump into the legal battle by raising questions as to what, if any, pressure he may have placed on antitrust regulators to stop the acquisition.
DOJ: Trump’s dislike of CNN didn’t bias AT&T-Time Warner merger
The Justice Department (DOJ) acknowledged that while President Donald Trump doesn’t like CNN, his unhappiness with the media outlet did not influence a federal antitrust case. “The president is unhappy with CNN. We don’t dispute that,” Justice Department lawyer Craig Conrath said at a pretrial hearing. “But AT&T wants to turn that into a get-out-jail-free card for their illegal merger.” The DOJ is trying to prevent the political argument from becoming part of the case. He also argued that CNN is not key to the government's opposition of the deal.
Trump budget would devastate America’s public television stations
[Commentary] President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate federal funding for public television rests on the erroneous assumption that public television can rely exclusively on private support. Without the federal investment, this universal service would be impossible.
What We Heard From Four FTC Nominees
The Senate Commerce Committee convened a hearing for the president’s nominees to serve as Federal Trade Commissioners:
Podcast: Hurdles in Trump plan for rural broadband w/Blair Levin (Hill, The)
Submitted by benton on Tue, 02/13/2018 - 08:52The 22 agencies and programs Trump's budget would eliminate
President Donald trump unveiled his budget proposal for the 2019 fiscal year. While lawmakers are unlikely to enact most of Trump's proposal, here’s a look at some of the centers and agencies the White House wants to abolish:
1. The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education, which donates agricultural commodities and financial assistance to carry out school feeding programs in foreign countries.
2. The Rural Business and Cooperative Service, which provides loans, grants and payments intended to increase opportunities in rural communities.