Press release issued 10. 28.20
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, at a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing with the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the committee, highlighted how unfair and abusive practices employed by Big Tech platforms have had devastating impacts on local news media and contributed to dramatic declines in revenue for local journalism and broadcasting organizations. A report released by Cantwell earlier this week called for Congress and the FTC to take further steps to protect local journalism.
In her opening statement, Senator Cantwell highlighted the significant challenges local journalism is facing and spoke about the importance of protecting local journalism jobs: “I am concerned about the vertical nature of news and information. Today I expect to ask the witnesses about the fact that I believe they create a choke point for local news. The local news media have lost 70% of their revenue over the last decade, and we have lost thousands, thousands of journalistic jobs that are important.” Cantwell continued, “Somehow, we have to come together to show that the diversity of voices that local news represent need to be dealt with fairly when it comes to the advertising market. And that too much control in the advertising market puts a foot on their ability to continue to move forward and grow in the digital age.”
On Tuesday, Cantwell released an extensive report examining the transformation of local news in the information age and impacts to local journalism from the rise of major tech platforms including Facebook and Google. The report found that over the past two decades, the local newspaper industry has lost around 70 percent of its total revenue, and newspapers have been forced to let go of more than 40,000 newsroom employees, a full 60 percent of their journalistic workforce. The report identifies unfair and abusive practices by major tech platforms that have contributed to the drastic revenue declines. The biggest online platforms unfairly use content, take local news consumer data, and divert customers away from local news websites, while providing little in return. Congress and the FTC should act to address these unfair and abusive practices to help sustain the competition that local news provides.
In her questioning with witnesses at today’s hearing, Cantwell asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai, “Do you think that Google is taking ad revenue from these news sources in an unfair way?”
Pichai responded, “I do think journalism, as you rightfully have called attention to it, particularly local journalism, is very important… We send a lot of traffic to news publishers, all the ad technology questions I'm getting asked today, we, in this ad technology, share a majority of revenue back to publishers. We are investing in subscription products. We have committed $2 billion in new licensing over the next three years to news organizations, we have set up local emergency funds through COVID for local journalistic distributions.”
Cantwell pressed him saying, “I don't think that you’ve turned the majority of the revenue to these broadcast entities. I do think it's a problem. Yes, they've had to make it through the transformation which is a rocky transformation, but we need—the message from today's hearing is the free press needs to live and be supported by all of us, and we look forward to discussing how we can make sure that they get fair return on their value.”
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Senators Murray, Cantwell, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Put Politics Aside, End Plans to Hold Critical Public Health Resources Hostage.
Press release issued 10. 28.20
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, joined by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), led their colleagues U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today in pressing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that millions of dollars in federal funding for critical public health programs will not be withheld to inflict political retribution in the middle of a pandemic. President Trump and Attorney General Barr have threatened to withhold the funding as part of a politically-motivated scheme to punish Americans in Democratic-leaning cities, including Seattle, WA, where residents have been protesting for racial justice.
HHS reportedly sent a list of more than 1,500 grants awarded to Portland, Oregon, New York City and Washington, D.C., in addition to Seattle—cities that President Trump and Attorney General Barr have specifically targeted due to local leaders’ support of racial justice protests—to the White House budget office.
“Tying federal funds for local public health efforts to an arbitrary definition of ‘anarchist jurisdictions’ is of questionable legality and an appalling abuse of power—particularly in the midst of a deadly pandemic and economic recession. According to a report, HHS has identified numerous public health programs and funding mechanisms for potential cuts, including those related to HIV treatment, the opioid crisis, addiction and recovery services, lung disease, hearing screenings for newborns, nutrition and mental health for the elderly, hospital preparedness, child support enforcement, care for COVID-19 patients at community and migrant health centers, and more,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar.
“Any arbitrary funding cuts to these programs would have detrimental effects on the vulnerable communities they serve, as well as negatively impact the delivery of crucial health care services during a historic crisis this Administration has utterly failed to mitigate. Additionally, these cuts could further exacerbate the health inequities already made worse by this pandemic,” the lawmakers continued.
To ensure that critical funding for public health essential programs are delivered, the senators requested that HHS respond to the letter within two weeks with a copy of the compiled report of federal grants, funding awards, and health programs from all agencies the Department oversees; an explanation for how the Department plans to implement President Trump’s directives regarding punishing Portland, Seattle, New York, and Washington, D.C.; and an explanation to whether President Trump’s directives will influence the granting or withholding of coronavirus relief funds. This action follows Senators Murray and Cantwell’s previous condemnation of the Administration’s dubious and potentially illegal scheme to withhold federal funding from Seattle following the summer’s racial justice protests, and their recent letter pressing the Environmental Protection Agency on how the agency plans to implement the White House’s directive to withhold federal funding from cities designated as “anarchist jurisdictions.”
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Trump Administration Distributes Incentive Payments to Nursing Homes Curbing COVID-19 Deaths and Infections
Under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is announcing it will distribute approximately $333 million in first round performance payments to over 10,000 nursing homes. These nursing homes are being recognized for demonstrating significant reductions in COVID-19 related infections and deaths between August and September. Protecting vulnerable nursing home residents has been a top priority for the Trump Administration. Today's announcement illustrates how complementing relief payments with outcome-based payments help to yield positive results in improving quality and infection control in nursing homes.--HHS press release.
SAVING LIVES AND OUTPERFORMING OTHER NATIONS: The United States has had a lower mortality rate than Europe during the pandemic and one of the lowest fatality rates.
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