Washington Post

The Federal Election Commission moved a step closer to placing tighter regulations on Internet ads published on major Web platforms, marking a significant shift for an agency beset by partisan dysfunction and another sign that regulators are seeking to thwart foreign meddling in U.S. elections. All five members of the commission voted to start a rulemaking process to require disclaimers for small, character-limited political ads that run online on places such as Facebook, Google and Twitter.

Makan Delrahim, the Justice Department’s new antitrust chief, made clear he doesn’t favor approving mergers based on corporate commitments to refrain from particular conduct, another potentially ominous sign for AT&T-Time Warner. The issue has proved a key one in discussions between the companies and the Justice Department. The AT&T-Time Warner transaction is a vertical merger that combines complementary companies instead of direct competitors.

The photo is clear: Sen Al Franken (D-MN) is touching the chest of journalist Leeann Tweeden while Tweeden slept on the plane ride home from a USO tour in 2006. Nevertheless, many news outlets have cautiously reported the act preserved on camera as an accusation, informing audiences that Tweeden alleges or says Franken groped her. Some women's rights advocates chafe at the media's delicate approach, which has been pretty consistent across a range of editorial perspectives.

A pastor in Alabama said he received a voice mail Nov 14 from a man falsely claiming to be a reporter with The Washington Post and seeking women “willing to make damaging remarks” about Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore in exchange for money.  The call came days after The Post reported on allegations that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl nearly four decades ago, sparking calls by leading Republicans for him to abandon his campaign for the U.S. Senate in a special election to be held Dec. 12.