With big tech under a microscope in Washington, Democrats and Republicans agree that laws need to be modernized in order to promote fair competition, particularly for small businesses that tend to get snuffed out by the giants, Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo. 4th District), told Cheddar.
Members of both parties have released reports that look to establish pathways to breaking up tech giants, which they consider monopolies, and level the playing field in online marketplaces.
According to Buck, who wrote one of those reports, the issue becomes partisan when deciding how to regulate the big tech industry, an issue he said would be uncertain under a Joe Biden- Kamala Harris administration.
“The Trump administration has been fairly aggressive in this area and partly because conservatives believe that Google and Facebook and Twitter are biased against conservative views and have suppressed conservative views...,” Buck said.
Also, Senator Harris comes from the Bay Area, a stone's throw from Silicon Valley and has worked in its sphere dating back to her time as California Attorney General.
“There is a connection between the vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, and big tech. Don’t have any idea whether that would affect the enforcement actions or not from the left.”
For Republicans, Buck said, the more ideal option to deal with the growing big tech issue is to establish a targeted antitrust system through Congress that would allow courts and federal agencies to investigate and fine companies guilty of anticompetitive practices.
“Republicans don’t want to see more government. We want to see more enforcement and less regulation,” he said.
Both parties, according to Buck, also agree that the burden of proving anticompetitive practices should shift from government to the companies involved in large-scale mergers and acquisitions.
While many of the laws big tech companies operate on were established “in the early 1900s, in some cases the late 1800s,” companies that have already completed mergers, like Facebook and Instagram, should be reviewed, Buck noted.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
At the core of the ongoing government shutdown is a fight over the decision to end subsidies that let some 12 million Americans get health coverage.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
