Laurel

NEW: Sen. @ChrisMurphyCT is introducing the Fair Prices for Local Businesses Act, a bill that would modernize the Robinson-Patman Act and level the playing field for small businesses. Our statement from @CapitolKVD, applauding this legislation👇

Update: Yesterday, we filed a lawsuit to block the biggest TV merger in history (Nexstar + Tegna). That sparked a sprint by Nexstar to try to close the deal before a court could stop them. Less than 24 hours after we filed, USDOJ reportedly dropped its investigation, the FCC waived the rules that would normally block a merger this big, and Nexstar announced the deal was closed. Their CEO thanked the FCC chairman by name. Not so fast. This morning, I joined a group of AGs and filed an emergency motion asking the court to freeze this merger to give it time to hear our case. This merger deserves a full hearing before Nexstar starts raising TV prices on almost half the families in North Carolina and laying off reporters at local news stations across the state. This isn't speculation. Nexstar told its investors it expects to make roughly $135 million a year from charging higher fees to your cable and satellite provider, and another $165 million from "synergies" - their word for laying people off. And the law is on our side. When a merger gives one company this much control over a market, federal antitrust law presumes it's illegal. In every single NC market affected by this deal, the concentration blows past the legal threshold. It's not a close call, and that's probably why they tried to skip the part where a judge weighs in. Our emergency motion was just filed. I'll keep you posted.

wait wait let me guess which circuit no don't tell me

Breaking: Elon Musk defrauded Twitter investors when he disparaged the company in 2022 in an effort to buy the social media platform for a lower price than his original $44 billion bid, a jury concluded bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

This is sad. I know as a politician these companies are going to spend a billion dollars against me for saying it but 🤷🏽‍♀️ Pervasive gambling is not good for society. It turns life into a casino, traps people in addiction & debt, surges domestic violence, and fosters manipulation.

Oh wow cool useless seating charts makes me nostalgic for Biden

Days after the CBS News union held a 24hr walkout over failed contract negotiations, Bari Weiss has announced a 6% staff layoff and the closure of CBS News Radio. This is the second round of layoffs since billionaire David Ellison acquired CBS-parent Paramount.

Advice for PhD Students …

OK - AI Beat - now at Dow Jones v. Perplexity AI, on competing motions to compel. Inner CIty Press on the Artificial Intelligence court beat will live tweet, thread below

FTC and DOJ are now accepting the old HSR merger filing form. Merging parties can keep using the form that a TX federal court struck down as unnecessarily burdensome.

NEXT WEEK: Join the American Economic Liberties Project, alongside lawmakers, enforcers, and experts, for a can't-miss event on how corporate America has embraced corruption in the Trump era. Join us March 25th. For more details, RSVP here: eventbrite.com/e/bending-the-…

Chuck Norris, the martial arts champion who became an iconic action star and led the hit series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died. He was 86. Norris was hospitalized in Hawaii on Thursday, and his family posted a statement saying he had died Friday morning: It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace. To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family. He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives. While our hearts are broken, we are deeply grateful for the life he lived and for the unforgettable moments we were blessed to share with him. The love and support he received from fans around the world meant so much to him, and our family is truly thankful for it. To him, you were not just fans, you were his friends. We know many of you had heard about his recent hospitalization, and we are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way. As we grieve this loss, we kindly ask for privacy for our family during this time. Thank you for loving him with us. variety.com/2026/film/news…

The fix was in at the @FCC & @JusticeATR to approve the massive Nexstar-TEGNA deal. People need to know how abnormal and illegal the process was. I talk about it here: linkedin.com/posts/gigisohn…

FTC's request for a stay of an order striking down its new HSR merger rule is denied by the Fifth Circuit

NEXT WEEK: Economic Liberties is hosting a virtual discussion on how to rein in monopoly utility profits in an age of data center expansion. Join us on March 26 at 2PM EST. For more details, RSVP here: mobilize.us/economiclibert…

Google co-founder Sergey Brin increases his total contribution to $45M for the Building a Better California Super PAC that opposes a proposed 5% billionaire tax (@darakerr / The Guardian) theguardian.com/us-news/2026/m… #a260319p25" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">techmeme.com/260319/p25#a26… 📥 Send tips! techmeme.com/contact

Sources: Google has started consumer beta testing of a dedicated Gemini AI app for the Mac, as it seeks to compete with Mac apps for ChatGPT and Claude (@markgurman / Bloomberg) bloomberg.com/news/articles/… #a260319p46" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">techmeme.com/260319/p46#a26… 📥 Send tips! techmeme.com/contact

Filing: the Pentagon says Anthropic's use of foreign workers, including from China, poses security risks and that its case is "different" from other companies' (@m_ccuri / Axios) axios.com/2026/03/19/pen… #a260319p51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">techmeme.com/260319/p51#a26… 📥 Send tips! techmeme.com/contact

Sen. Marsha Blackburn releases a Senate draft of the TRUMP AMERICA AI Act, a federal framework to replace state AI laws, incorporating KOSA and the NO FAKES Act (@omaseddiq / Bloomberg Law) news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telec… #a260319p3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">techmeme.com/260319/p3#a260… 📥 Send tips! techmeme.com/contact

INBOX: “Blackburn Releases Discussion Draft of National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence.” She had a section-by-section in December but this is full draft text, incorporates some Trump EOs like the data center one and comes at 230 a little differently