Sector archive - The Capitol Forum

Publishers Urge EU to Take ‘Immediate’ Measures to Tackle Meta Scam Ads Under Digital Rules

European publishers are urging EU officials to act quickly to force Meta (META) to stop the proliferation of fraudulent advertisements impersonating reporters and media outlets across its platforms in a memorandum to the European Commission seen by The Capitol...

Apr 22, 2026 Read Now >

JD.com/Ceconomy: JD.com Set to File EU Foreign Subsidies Notification Shortly for Ceconomy Takeover, Sources Say

China’s e-commerce group JD.com (9618: HK) plans to file a notification shortly under the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) of its takeover bid for Germany’s electronics retailer Ceconomy (CEC: GY), according to two people familiar with the matter. The move forms part of the...

Apr 20, 2026 Read Now >

European Proposals for Social Media Bans Create Pressure on VPNs

Plans to restrict children’s access to social media have been sprouting around Europe in the last few months, raising questions about whether kids could easily get around such bans. The attention is making virtual private network (VPN) providers...

Apr 16, 2026 Read Now >

IonQ/SkyWater: Quantum Computing Tie-up Draws Industry Questions Over Foundry Access, Information Firewalls, But DOD Support Could Ease Antitrust Path

Quantum computing chipmaker IonQ’s (IONQ) pending $1.8 billion acquisition of specialty foundry SkyWater Technology (SKYT) raises red flags about post-merger access to SkyWater’s R&D-friendly manufacturing platform, industry sources...

Apr 16, 2026 Read Now >

Medline: Company Apparently Did Not Disclose Systemic Problems Identified in Multiple FDA Inspections in Year Prior to IPO

Last December, Medline (MDLN), one of the largest suppliers of medical and surgical products in the country, went public in the biggest IPO of the year, raising over $6 billion. In the 12 months prior to the IPO, Medline received four Form 483 inspection...

Apr 16, 2026 Read Now >

Dismissal of News Publisher Suit Against Google’s AI Summaries Is Setback, Not Death Knell, For Parallel Penske Case; European Regulators Eye Opt-outs

Google’s (GOOG) victory over a lawsuit from two local news publishers accusing the company of leveraging its search monopoly to misappropriate online news content is a clear setback for Penske Media Corporation’s parallel lawsuit before the same judge: U.S. District Judge Amit...

Apr 16, 2026 Read Now >

Google: EFF Asks California, New York to Investigate Google’s Failure to Notify User of ICE Subpoena Despite Company’s Promises

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking the California and New York attorneys general to investigate Google (GOOG) for deceptive trade practices after alleging that the company broke its promise to give users advanced notice before providing their information to law...

Apr 16, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: Booker Schedules Wednesday Hearing on Deal Featuring Labor, Media Witnesses

This article has been updated to include Paramount Skydance’s response to Booker’s invitation for CEO David Ellison to testify. Senator Cory Booker, a critic of Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), has scheduled a hearing today on the $81...

Apr 13, 2026 Read Now >

Next Head of EU Competition Watchdog Faces Souring U.S. Relations, Telecoms’ Consolidation Push

The frontrunner to head the European Commission’s competition watchdog, a nearly three-decade veteran of the EU executive, will have to perform some tricky balancing acts if he ultimately takes the helm – from conflicting views of how the bloc should achieve “competitiveness” to...

Apr 03, 2026 Read Now >

Privacy Policy: California Data Broker Registry Reveals Dozens of Brokers Selling Consumers’ Data to Foreign Actors, Law Enforcement, Federal Government

Last week the California Privacy Protection Agency (CalPrivacy) published its 2026 Data Broker Registry, revealing that dozens of brokers have sold or shared consumers’ personal data to the federal government, law enforcement, and even foreign adversary countries over the past...

Apr 01, 2026 Read Now >

Booking CEO Warns Google’s Gemini, ChatGPT Could Squeeze Out Small Hotels

Booking (BKNG) CEO Glenn Fogel raised fresh concerns about the influence of artificial intelligence tools like Google’s (GOOG) Gemini on how people find hotels online and said he’s happy regulators are scrutinizing the search giant’s AI-generated answers to search queries under...

Mar 25, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery: Democratic AGs Seek Outside Counsel for Anticipated Suit Against Merger

A group of Democratic state attorneys general preparing an antitrust suit to block Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) proposed $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is searching for outside counsel to litigate the case, sources familiar with the matter said. The search is ongoing,...

Mar 20, 2026 Read Now >

Skyworks/Qorvo: SAMR Expresses Bundling Concerns; Overlaps in Key Components Could Also Drive Review

China’s antitrust authority has expressed some initial concerns that Skyworks Solutions’ (SWKS) proposed acquisition of rival electronic components maker Qorvo (QRVO) could lead to illegal bundling practices and unfair disadvantages for home-grown competitors, sources familiar with...

Mar 20, 2026 Read Now >

Live Nation: State AGs Present Settlement Counterproposal, Await Company’s Response

The coalition of 33 states continuing the monopolization lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) delivered today a counterproposal for a settlement to the company earlier this week, their counsel told the judge overseeing the trial. Live Nation confirmed it’s reviewing the offer...

Mar 20, 2026 Read Now >

Federal Reserve Policy: Warsh’s Pursuit of Quantitative Tightening Faces Myriad Political and Market Constraints

Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to chair the Federal Reserve, has said that he wants to reduce the Fed’s “bloated” portfolio of assets and has asserted that quantitative easing (the Fed policy of buying assets like Treasuries and mortgage securities) has led to...

Mar 19, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: California Closely Scrutinizing Deal After Failure of Trump Administration Enforcement, State AG Bonta Says

California Attorney General Rob Bonta today said that his office is conducting a vigorous review of Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY) proposed $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to ensure a vital state industry remains competitive because the Trump administration has...

Mar 13, 2026 Read Now >

Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery: A Closer Look at Potential State AG Theories of Harm, Litigation Risk

Paramount Skydance (PSKY) in the days since inking its $81 billion agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has projected “absolute” confidence in the deal’s closing prospects. But that confidence is in some tension not only with the politics surrounding the transaction,...

Mar 09, 2026 Read Now >

Live Nation: Bipartisan Group of State AGs Vows to Fight on Despite DOJ’s Proposed Settlement with Entertainment Giant

Democratic and Republican state attorneys general said the proposed settlement between DOJ and Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) to resolve the company’s alleged antitrust violations is insufficient and they’ll continue the monopoly...

Mar 09, 2026 Read Now >

EU Preparing First Google Fines Under Digital Rules as Soon as This Month, Sources Say

The European Commission is preparing two fines against Google (GOOG) for alleged breaches of the EU’s digital competition rules as soon as this month, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The long-awaited final decisions mark the first penalties for the technology giant...

Mar 09, 2026 Read Now >

Live Nation: Trial Spotlights Scope of Entertainment Giant’s Influence and Alleged Abuses to Keep Grip on Industry

DOJ’s closely watched antitrust case against Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster, went to trial today in a lawsuit that could reshape competition in the U.S. live entertainment industry for years to...

Mar 02, 2026 Read Now >

Nexstar/Tegna: States Poised to Sue to Block TV Station Merger That Would Create Overlaps in Dozens of Broadcast Markets

A group of state attorneys general are poised to sue to block Nexstar’s (NXST) proposed acquisition of rival television station operator Tegna (TGNA) once the $6.2 billion deal receives its anticipated clearances from DOJ and the Federal Communications Commission, sources familiar with...

Feb 27, 2026 Read Now >

Roblox: Age Checks Requirement Upends Socialization and Chat-Dependent Games Across Platform as Developers Voice Concerns

When Jack first discovered Roblox (RBLX) in 2011 as an eight-year-old, he was hooked. Inspired by roleplaying games, or “experiences,” that let him inhabit the role of soldier, cop, or service worker, he launched his own fast food-themed experience three years later that let users...

Feb 26, 2026 Read Now >

Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly: Profit Boom for Memory Chip Oligopoly Set to Continue in Short Term as Sources in National Security Community Say Policymakers are Unlikely to Soften Stance Toward Chinese Memory Chip Companies

The TMT Weekly is a forward-looking tipsheet that covers tech policy across The Capitol Forum’s U.S. policy coverage universe, from Congress to the Courts. In this edition: National Security Outlook: Profit boom for memory chip oligopoly set to continue in short term: Sources in...

Feb 25, 2026 Read Now >

EU Likely to Publish Industrial Accelerator Act Next Week Despite Internal Divisions, Sources Say

The European Commission is expected to proceed next week with the publication of its Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), despite significant internal resistance, according to three people familiar with the matter. The proposal, drafted by the commission’s industry and internal market...

Feb 20, 2026 Read Now >

EU Advances Visa, Mastercard Probes with New Questions, File Requests, Sources Say

The European Commission has in recent weeks asked parties involved in its investigations of Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) to prepare non-confidential versions of documents detailing complaints about the companies’ conduct, so that the submissions can be added to the official case...

Feb 16, 2026 Read Now >

Kimberly-Clark/Kenvue: Rivals Expected to Raise Portfolio Concerns but Clearance Still Likely, Sources Say

Kimberly-Clark’s (KMB) proposed $48.7 billion acquisition of Kenvue (KVUE) is expected to face pushback from rival suppliers in Europe, who are concerned that the combined group’s broad portfolio in key consumer categories could strengthen its bargaining leverage with retailers and...

Feb 13, 2026 Read Now >

Figure Technology Solutions: Blockchain-Based Home Equity Credit Product May Circumvent Lending Rules

Figure Technology Solutions (FIGR), a nonbank lender that uses blockchain to automate consumer credit lending, derives the bulk of its revenue from a home equity line of credit (HELOC) product that appears to operate much like a traditional home loan, raising questions about whether the...

Feb 12, 2026 Read Now >

Sporttrade: Prediction Platform’s Struggles to Operate Under State Gambling Laws Illustrate Mismatch Between Sportsbook and Exchange Models

Long before Kalshi was offering contracts on NFL game outcomes, a little-known platform called Sporttrade tried to win permission from state gambling regimes to bring exchange wagering to the sports-betting world. The idea was simple: To create a platform through which people could buy...

Feb 03, 2026 Read Now >

CMS Policy: Proposed 0.09% Medicare Rate Appears More Likely to Climb Due to Technical Changes Than CMS Backing Down on Risk Adjustment Policies

Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published an advance notice proposing both technical and policy-related changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D payment methodologies that would, on average, result in a nearly flat rate increase of 0.09%...

Feb 03, 2026 Read Now >

KKR: Life and Annuity Funds Steered into Natural Gas Project Are Latest in Trend of Affiliated Private Credit Deals

The private equity and asset management firms that have taken over much of the life and annuity (L/A) sector are loading the portfolios of policyholders and annuitants with private credit investments, a trend that has drawn growing concern from regulators, policymakers, and industry...

Feb 02, 2026 Read Now >

Kid Rock, Senator Blackburn Say Trump Considering Executive Order to Cap Prices on Ticket Resales

Kid Rock said he’s optimistic President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to cap prices on ticket resales. The musician, who’s a close Trump confidante, spoke to The Capitol Forum after testifying at a Senate Commerce consumer protection subcommittee hearing last week...

Feb 02, 2026 Read Now >

SoftBank/DigitalBridge: Deal Could Test Treasury’s Fast-Track Pilot Program for U.S. Allies

Japan’s SoftBank Group (TSE:9984) has filed its proposed $4 billion acquisition of DigitalBridge Group (DBRG) with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), according to sources familiar with the matter, setting up what could be an early test of a Treasury...

Jan 26, 2026 Read Now >

Major UK Phase 2 Will Push CMA Analysis on Economic Growth Claims and Market Definitions, Sources Say

The UK Competition and Markets Authority’s fast-tracked phase 2 review of Associated British Foods’ (LON: ABF) proposed acquisition of Hovis will likely broaden the enforcer’s willingness to accept economic-growth focused arguments about failing firms, rivalry-enhancing...

Jan 26, 2026 Read Now >

Netflix/Warner Bros.: Senator Mike Lee Raises Concerns About ‘Killer Non-Acquisition,’ Abuse of Review Process

Netflix’s (NFLX) proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) studio and streaming businesses has triggered a powerful senator’s concerns that the $72 billion transaction is a “killer non-acquisition”: a pretense to secure business-sensitive information and weaken a...

Jan 26, 2026 Read Now >

Oral Tirzepatide Ads Could Conflict with Meta’s Ad Policy, Raise Other Legal Questions

In December, the attorneys general of 35 U.S. states and territories wrote a letter calling on Meta to address “the surge of misleading marketing for weight loss products on Meta’s platforms,” particularly for compounded GLP-1 products, which do not have Food and Drug Administration...

Jan 20, 2026 Read Now >

Charter/Cox: Alleged Price Gouging for High-Speed Broadband May Influence California Merger Review

Charter Communications (CHTR) charges higher prices for high-speed broadband in markets without rivals than in places with competition, a California agency said in a study that may prod state regulators to demand pricing caps in exchange for clearing the cable company’s proposed $34.5...

Jan 14, 2026 Read Now >

Vestager Urges Officials to Abandon X, Compares Social Media to Smoking Indoors

Civil servants and public bodies need to stop posting on X as Europe looks to depend less on American tech platforms and develop homegrown competitors, former EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in an interview. As European regulators confront X over its AI tool Grok,...

Jan 14, 2026 Read Now >

Congressional Appropriations Bill Directs FTC to Submit Reports Detailing Competition in Retail, Pharmacy, Grocery, and Fire Trucks

The latest funding package for the FTC directs the agency to submit reports to Congress on retail competition in the food, pharmacy and grocery sectors as well as consolidation in the fire truck market. Those requests come...

Jan 13, 2026 Read Now >

Senate Commerce Committee Plans Hearing on FCC National Ownership Cap Rule

This article has been updated with a statement from Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee is planning to hold a February 10 hearing on lifting the cap prohibiting a company from owning television stations that reach more than 39% of U.S....

Jan 12, 2026 Read Now >

Capitol Forum’s Tech Policy 2026 Predictions: Brinkema Will Break Up Google’s Ad Tech Monopoly, DOJ and/or States Will Appeal Google Search Remedy, Open AI Will Take Feud with Google to Europe, Big Tech Will Push for Trade Policy ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card’

As part of our tech policy coverage, we are launching our annual predictions on some of the most meaningful events expected to take place in 2026, which we will track regularly throughout the year. To discuss these predictions with Executive Editor Teddy Downey, please join us for a...

Jan 08, 2026 Read Now >

AkzoNobel/Axalta: Merger Likely to Face In-Depth EU Antitrust Probe, Sources Say

AkzoNobel’s (AKZA) $25 billion acquisition of rival coatings manufacturer Axalta (AXTA) could well be facing an in-depth European Union antitrust investigation and potential structural remedy demands due to the combined company’s likely dominance in the powder coating market,...

Jan 06, 2026 Read Now >

EU Commission Set to Reject Dumping Complaint Against Chinese Steel Imports

In an unusual move, the European Commission is planning to reject a dumping complaint against Chinese imports of alloy tool steel, according to a note published in its documents register. Trade lawyers working on similar cases, speaking to The Capitol Forum on condition of anonymity, said...

Jan 05, 2026 Read Now >

Inspire Medical Systems: Palmetto Removes Lucrative Billing Code for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation; Decision Means No Remaining Medicare Administrative Contractors Recognize Code

The Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) Palmetto removed the CPT code 64568 from its list of approved billing codes for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS), according to an update posted yesterday to the Medicare Coverage Database. The move follows the recent updates by the MACs...

Jan 02, 2026 Read Now >

Inspire Medical Systems: Following Other MACs, WPS Removes Lucrative Billing Code for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation

The Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) WPS removed the CPT code 64568 from its list of approved billing codes for Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS), according to an update posted today on the MAC’s website. The move follows the recent updates by the MACs Noridian and CGS that...

Dec 29, 2025 Read Now >

Compass/Anywhere: Residential Brokerage Deal Creates Potentially Illegal Overlaps in a Dozen States, Analysis Shows

Compass’ (COMP) proposed $1.6 billion acquisition of rival Anywhere Real Estate (HOUS) could create concentrations in at least a dozen states’ urban real estate brokerage markets that are well above presumptively illegal thresholds, according to a Capitol Forum analysis of RealTrends...

Dec 23, 2025 Read Now >

Health Care Weekly: Zynex Files for Bankruptcy; Most FTC-Challenged Patents Delisted; TX AG Sues Epic; UnitedHealth Contract Dispute; Analysis of FDA Draft Guidance on Animal Testing; Report on Utilization Management in Traditional Medicare

Zynex files for bankruptcy. Yesterday, Zynex Medical (ZYXI) announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of Texas. The announcement comes after a turbulent year for the company during which the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Zynex’s largest source of...

Dec 17, 2025 Read Now >

Roblox: Child Exploitation Lawsuits Consolidated in California Federal Court as Attorney Says Thousands of Similar Cases Still Under Investigation

On Friday the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted a petition to consolidate dozens of private lawsuits that allege gaming platform Roblox facilitates the sexual exploitation and grooming...

Dec 17, 2025 Read Now >

Inspire Medical Systems: Medicare Administrative Contractors Working on ‘Consensus Approach’ to Resolve Billing Issue

At least three Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) are working on a “consensus approach” to resolving a billing dispute that could see some MACs paying much more than other MACs for hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) procedures, The Capitol Forum has learned. The rest of this...

Dec 15, 2025 Read Now >

X to Face Fine Under EU Digital Rules as Soon as Friday, Sources Say

The European Commission is poised to fine X in the coming days and possibly as soon as Friday in what would be the executive’s first-ever sanction under its content moderation and transparency law, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The timing could still...

Dec 04, 2025 Read Now >

Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly: USTR Delivering Big Wins for Big Tech; Experts See Challenges to State AG Effort to Pause HPE/Juniper Integration; Uber, Yardi, RealPage Litigation Updates; Apple vs. App Store Legislation; Massachusetts Privacy Bill Outlook; Nexstar/Tegna Takes Another Hit; Bankers Concerned with AWS Security

We are always innovating here at The Capitol Forum, and we want to introduce our first edition of the new Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly. In this edition: Trade Policymakers Outlook: As trade fight between Trump and Europe over Europe’s digital sovereignty rages, Big Tech has already...

Dec 02, 2025 Read Now >

EDITOR'S PICKS

Read a selection of our subscriber-only news articles

Sector | RECENT ARTICLES | EDITOR'S PICKS

FILTER BY