Stop Big Tech From Stifling Competition

The Justice Department has fired a shot across Big Tech’s bow. In a recent speech, Dina Kallay, a deputy assistant attorney general in the department’s antitrust division, criticized Big Tech for using supposedly “free” patent-licensing initiatives to poach smaller competitors’ technologies.

Her remarks come at a pivotal moment. The Alliance for Open Media — a consortium led by Amazon, Meta, Google, and other tech giants — just announced a new video-streaming format called AV2 that could soon be embedded in televisions and tablets. The new format is the successor to its previous video technology, AV1.

The group claims the technology will be “royalty-free.” But such promises often come with strings attached.

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Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Friday that it intends to sell its major assets to Netflix. If the $72 billion cash-and-stocks transaction goes through, Netflix will gain control of Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Max, and more.

It is far from a done deal, however. Paramount Skydance presented a $77.9 billion counteroffer Monday. And many, including the president, have raised antitrust concerns around Netflix. That may represent a significant hurdle for the parties before regulators.

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The United States is one of the few countries that allows prescription drugmakers to speak directly to patients. That simple fact now fuels political calls to “ban the ads.” But restricting direct-to-consumer advertising would do more than change what runs during football games. It would shrink the flow of information to patients and push our system toward the bureaucratic throttling that has turned other countries into innovation laggards.

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Across Idaho, more than 160,000 people earn income — whether as a primary or supplemental source — through self-employment, contract work or small business ownership. They include truckers, delivery drivers, freelance creatives, child care providers and self-employed farmers and tradespeople who remain central to Idaho’s economy.

Together, they generate over $9 billion annually, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. This independent workforce reflects Idaho’s spirit of self-reliance and enterprise — yet labor policies haven’t kept pace with the way people earn a living today.

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Abstract

As the government shutdown ends, so hopefully will the crisis at our airports. Air traffic controllers, deemed “essential” but forced to work without pay, called in sick, and our national aviation system’s fragility was on display.

This predictable chaos is both a political and structural failure. And it has a clear solution: Get the federal government out of the air traffic control business. The airlines — the primary commercial beneficiaries of this essential service — should pay the controllers’ salaries.

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After the longest government shutdown in modern history, the House is finally back in session. Unfortunately, one of its first orders of business appears to be siding with Big Tech over small inventors.

This week, the House Judiciary Committee will mark up the Litigation Transparency Act. The bill is being sold as a measure to promote honesty and transparency in the courts. In reality, it would make it far more difficult for small businesses to hold corporate giants accountable when their technology is deliberately stolen. That’s a direct threat to the innovation that keeps the U.S. economy dynamic.

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West Virginia’s economy is changing. More than 90,000 residents now earn income as freelancers, contractors, or gig workers, contributing nearly $4.5 billion annually to the state’s economy. This independent workforce spans industries from construction and transportation to health care and professional services, providing flexibility and resilience for families and communities.

Yet despite their economic importance, independent workers face outdated legal barriers that tie essential benefits — like health coverage or retirement savings — to a single employer.

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Italian economist Mario Draghi has called for a pause on the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. Draghi’s concern is clear: The EU is moving too fast without grasping the risks of regulatory drawbacks. The instinct to slow down is understandable. But pauses do not solve design flaws, they expose them. Unless the EU builds in mechanisms to adjust the law in light of experience, a pause that merely delays rigid rules is no solution. The AI Act needs built-in adaptations with the capacity to track effects, both good and bad, and to change course as these effects emerge.

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Congress is considering a measure that could harm the very people the US depends on for its next wave of innovation. The Litigation Transparency Act of 2025 would force plaintiffs to reveal details about anyone who helps finance their lawsuits.

Lawmakers present this bill as a harmless attempt to create openness in the courts. In reality, it would give large corporations a fresh weapon to use against small inventors and entrepreneurs who have already been struggling to protect themselves.

Read the full piece here.