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Politico
Technology reporter for Politico
PROFILE
Alex Byers
Guest
FROM Alex Byers
To the Point
New Rules for the Internet FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is advocating that Internet providers be required to maintain " net neutrality ." The one-time chief lobbyist for the cable industry has turned on former employers, including Comcast and Time-Warner. That means cable and phone companies could not increase their profits by selling faster access to some websites while denying it to everyone else. Google, Netflix, Amazon, many businesses and consumer groups call that a major victory. But another battle in 10 years of warfare is just beginning. On a video that went viral last summer, comedian John Oliver told his viewers the FCC was asking for their opinions. Oliver may or may not deserve credit, but the agency has received four million public comments. And now, the joke may be on him. Tom Wheeler, the very man Oliver said wanted to "fix" a system that wasn’t broken, has now proposed what Oliver wanted.
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To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?