cnbc--2020-02-07--Google antitrust probe expands as bipartisan state AGs beef up staff and resources

A broad bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is dedicating new resources as it widens its antitrust probe of Google beyond the tech giant 's advertising business to focus on its Android and search businesses .
In recent months , the states have divvied up resources and entered talks to bring in new consultants , people familiar with the situation told CNBC .
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms of the investigation are confidential .
The state officials are also cooperating closely with the Justice Department , which is conducting a federal antitrust probe of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , the Republican who is leading the states ' probe , accused Google earlier this week of delaying the case as the company tries to block investigators from bringing in certain outside consultants .
Political winds appear to be in the investigators ' favor , however , particularly in an election year during which big technology companies will be under scrutiny for how they convey political news and opinions to the masses .
Silicon Valley is also under increasing attack from the highest levels of both parties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats such as presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts .
Paxton announced the investigation in September .
Participating attorneys general represent the District of Columbia , Puerto Rico and every state except California and Alabama .
During a news conference at the time , Paxton emphasized Google 's dominance in the ad market and use of consumer data .
He also said the probe could expand .
Google has been accused by rivals of using its technology and power to squeeze out the competition and favor its own products .
The states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Google 's Android and advertising businesses , CNBC reported last fall .
The states have since appointed authorities in Utah and Iowa to lead the Android probe , said people familiar with the matter .
They are still putting together formal leadership for the search portion of the investigation .
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller , a Democrat , is powerful and influential among his peers .
He is in his 10th four-year term and has served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General .
He is deeply experienced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Microsoft in the 1990s .
That investigation resulted in lawsuits from both the states and Justice Department , which Microsoft ultimately settled after a federal judge originally ruled for a breakup .
The Utah attorney general , Republican Sean Reyes , also has taken on companies blamed for the opioid crisis , including a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma .
Reyes later dropped the suit in favor of administrative action through Utah 's Division of Consumer Protection .
The states have also been in talks to bring in Google foe , former Mississippi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisor , the people said .
It could not be determined how much or whether Hood would be paid .
As attorney general , Democrat Hood sued Google twice — over its use of unlawful content and over its treatment of data on children .
Google in 2014 responded with its own suit , and accused Hood of working with the Motion Picture Association of America in his actions against the company .
Google 's accusations were supported by emails leaked in the hacking of Sony by North Korea .
Hood eventually called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight with the internet giant .
Hood 's track record suggests the current probe could expand into consumer protection .
Some Google critics have argued consumer protection could be part of an antitrust argument .
If consumers had more choices , they say , they could argue for more protections .
A Google spokesperson referred CNBC to a 2019 blog post about the DOJ and AG investigations , noting the company has `` always worked constructively with regulators '' and will `` continue to do so . ''
`` Google 's services help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the United States , '' Kent Walker , senior vice president of global affairs , wrote in the post .
Representatives for Miller and Reyes declined to comment .
Hood and representatives for Texas did not respond to a request for comment .
The Justice Department and the state attorneys general are working with each other on all three prongs of the antitrust investigation , the people said .
The two agencies are regularly communicating and sharing information .
On Tuesday , Paxton , Reyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top officials at the Justice Department to discuss dividing and sharing resources for the respective investigations .
That meeting did not end with an official decision to coordinate their investigations , though they may still yet choose to do so .
Also Tuesday , Makan Delrahim , the DOJ 's top antitrust official , announced he was recusing himself from the investigation due to previous lobbying work pertaining to Google 's $ 3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007 .
The deal helped strengthen Google 's foothold in advertising technology .
Delrahim 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suggested to some industry insiders that the DOJ 's investigation is zeroing in on DoubleClick and Google 's advertising technology business .
While the Justice Department 's investigation into ad technology may be more advanced than its inquiry into search and Android , it continues to look at all three businesses , the people said .
The department has said it hopes to wrap up its investigation by the end of the year .
A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on an ongoing investigation .
Lawmakers and critics have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Android and advertising technology businesses to favor its own products .
After a nearly two-year investigation into those business practices , the Federal Trade Commission in 2013 decided unanimously not to bring suit against the internet giant .
In a settlement , Google agreed to changes including providing online advertisers more flexibility on its platforms .
Still , the FTC 's vote stoked controversy when documents inadvertently given to The Wall Street Journal in 2015 suggested the investigation had found evidence that Google skewed search results to favor its own products .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was politically driven , pointing to President Barack Obama 's close ties to then-Google CEO , Eric Schmidt .
The White House said at the time it respected the FTC 's `` independent decision-making . ''
Google critics now argue that politics are on their side .
Big technology companies have become punching bags for Democrats and Republicans who have objected separately to policies around content moderation .
Democrats have battled Google on allegations including not doing enough to protect consumer data or allowing false content on its YouTube platform .
Several Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google search results favor liberal content .
Google has pushed back against claims it censors conservative speech .
`` Algorithms do n't detect political perspectives , much less use them in any way to determine how webpages are ranked , '' Karan Bhatia , vice president of global government affairs and public policy at Google , wrote in an op-ed for Fox News in 2015 .
Despite years of regulatory scrutiny and battles , Google continues to pursue business practices that attract the scrutiny of investigators in the U.S. and abroad .
EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion fine in 2017 for giving favored treatment to its `` Google Shopping '' service and a record $ 5 billion fine on Google over alleged Android antitrust abuses in 2018 .
Google is appealing the decision .
EU regulators are also assessing how Google and Facebook collect and monetize data .
The fines do n't appear to be slowing Google down .
For instance , shares of Google parent Alphabet closed up 1.1 % when the FTC announced in September a record $ 170 million fine for alleged violations of children 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bucket compared with the revenue Alphabet hauls in .
This week , the company reported fourth-quarter revenues of $ 46.08 billion .
The state AGs are pushing back against a motion Google filed in October , arguing that two of the consultants that Texas has hired to help with the investigation pose a conflict of interest due to prior work for competitors and critics of Google .
Google is asking the state to stop sharing confidential business information with those consultants .
`` Texas has requested , and we have provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our business even as we seek assurances that our confidential business information wo n't be shared with competitors or vocal complainants , '' Google spokeswoman Julie Tarallo McAlister told CNBC in a statement .
`` We have a strong track record of constructive cooperation with regulators around the world and we will continue working to show how our products support millions of businesses across America . ''
Texas ' Paxton has dismissed the move as a stalling tactic and vowed to dig in for a protracted battle .
`` They 're pushing us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC recently .
`` We do n't necessarily want one .
But we wo n't back off if they 're not going to cooperate . ''

The silhouettes of attendees are seen at the Google booth during the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A broad bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is dedicating new resources as it widens its antitrust probe of Google beyond the tech giant's advertising business to focus on its Android and search businesses. In recent months, the states have divvied up resources and entered talks to bring in new consultants, people familiar with the situation told CNBC. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms of the investigation are confidential. The state officials are also cooperating closely with the Justice Department, which is conducting a federal antitrust probe of the search giant, the people said. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican who is leading the states' probe, accused Google earlier this week of delaying the case as the company tries to block investigators from bringing in certain outside consultants. Political winds appear to be in the investigators' favor, however, particularly in an election year during which big technology companies will be under scrutiny for how they convey political news and opinions to the masses. Silicon Valley is also under increasing attack from the highest levels of both parties, including from President Donald Trump and leading Democrats such as presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Paxton announced the investigation in September. Participating attorneys general represent the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and every state except California and Alabama. During a news conference at the time, Paxton emphasized Google's dominance in the ad market and use of consumer data. He also said the probe could expand. Google has been accused by rivals of using its technology and power to squeeze out the competition and favor its own products. The states later decided to formally broaden their search to Google's Android and advertising businesses, CNBC reported last fall. The states have since appointed authorities in Utah and Iowa to lead the Android probe, said people familiar with the matter. They are still putting together formal leadership for the search portion of the investigation. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, is powerful and influential among his peers. He is in his 10th four-year term and has served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General. He is deeply experienced in antitrust fights, including states' battle with Microsoft in the 1990s. That investigation resulted in lawsuits from both the states and Justice Department, which Microsoft ultimately settled after a federal judge originally ruled for a breakup.
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The Utah attorney general, Republican Sean Reyes, also has taken on companies blamed for the opioid crisis, including a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma. Reyes later dropped the suit in favor of administrative action through Utah's Division of Consumer Protection. The states have also been in talks to bring in Google foe, former Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, as an advisor, the people said. It could not be determined how much or whether Hood would be paid. As attorney general, Democrat Hood sued Google twice — over its use of unlawful content and over its treatment of data on children. Google in 2014 responded with its own suit, and accused Hood of working with the Motion Picture Association of America in his actions against the company. Google's accusations were supported by emails leaked in the hacking of Sony by North Korea. Hood eventually called a "time out" from his fight with the internet giant. Hood's track record suggests the current probe could expand into consumer protection. Some Google critics have argued consumer protection could be part of an antitrust argument. If consumers had more choices, they say, they could argue for more protections. A Google spokesperson referred CNBC to a 2019 blog post about the DOJ and AG investigations, noting the company has "always worked constructively with regulators" and will "continue to do so." "Google's services help people, create more choice, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the United States," Kent Walker, senior vice president of global affairs, wrote in the post. Representatives for Miller and Reyes declined to comment. Hood and representatives for Texas did not respond to a request for comment.
Close collaboration with DOJ
The Justice Department and the state attorneys general are working with each other on all three prongs of the antitrust investigation, the people said. The two agencies are regularly communicating and sharing information. On Tuesday, Paxton, Reyes and several other attorneys general met with top officials at the Justice Department to discuss dividing and sharing resources for the respective investigations. That meeting did not end with an official decision to coordinate their investigations, though they may still yet choose to do so. Also Tuesday, Makan Delrahim, the DOJ's top antitrust official, announced he was recusing himself from the investigation due to previous lobbying work pertaining to Google's $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007. The deal helped strengthen Google's foothold in advertising technology. Delrahim's announcement, months after the investigation launched, suggested to some industry insiders that the DOJ's investigation is zeroing in on DoubleClick and Google's advertising technology business. While the Justice Department's investigation into ad technology may be more advanced than its inquiry into search and Android, it continues to look at all three businesses, the people said. The department has said it hopes to wrap up its investigation by the end of the year. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.
A bipartisan target
Lawmakers and critics have previously claimed that Google uses its search, Android and advertising technology businesses to favor its own products. After a nearly two-year investigation into those business practices, the Federal Trade Commission in 2013 decided unanimously not to bring suit against the internet giant. In a settlement, Google agreed to changes including providing online advertisers more flexibility on its platforms. Still, the FTC's vote stoked controversy when documents inadvertently given to The Wall Street Journal in 2015 suggested the investigation had found evidence that Google skewed search results to favor its own products.
watch now
Critics argued at the time the decision was politically driven, pointing to President Barack Obama's close ties to then-Google CEO, Eric Schmidt. The White House said at the time it respected the FTC's "independent decision-making." Google critics now argue that politics are on their side. Big technology companies have become punching bags for Democrats and Republicans who have objected separately to policies around content moderation. Democrats have battled Google on allegations including not doing enough to protect consumer data or allowing false content on its YouTube platform. Several Republicans, including Trump, have argued that Google search results favor liberal content. Google has pushed back against claims it censors conservative speech. "Algorithms don't detect political perspectives, much less use them in any way to determine how webpages are ranked," Karan Bhatia, vice president of global government affairs and public policy at Google, wrote in an op-ed for Fox News in 2015.
'We won't back off'
Despite years of regulatory scrutiny and battles, Google continues to pursue business practices that attract the scrutiny of investigators in the U.S. and abroad. EU regulators slapped Google with a $2.7 billion fine in 2017 for giving favored treatment to its "Google Shopping" service and a record $5 billion fine on Google over alleged Android antitrust abuses in 2018. Google is appealing the decision. EU regulators are also assessing how Google and Facebook collect and monetize data. The fines don't appear to be slowing Google down. For instance, shares of Google parent Alphabet closed up 1.1% when the FTC announced in September a record $170 million fine for alleged violations of children's privacy. The sum was a drop in the bucket compared with the revenue Alphabet hauls in. This week, the company reported fourth-quarter revenues of $46.08 billion. The state AGs are pushing back against a motion Google filed in October, arguing that two of the consultants that Texas has hired to help with the investigation pose a conflict of interest due to prior work for competitors and critics of Google. Google is asking the state to stop sharing confidential business information with those consultants. "Texas has requested, and we have provided, over 100,000 pages of information about our business even as we seek assurances that our confidential business information won't be shared with competitors or vocal complainants," Google spokeswoman Julie Tarallo McAlister told CNBC in a statement. "We have a strong track record of constructive cooperation with regulators around the world and we will continue working to show how our products support millions of businesses across America." Texas' Paxton has dismissed the move as a stalling tactic and vowed to dig in for a protracted battle. "They're pushing us towards a fight," he told CNBC recently. "We don't necessarily want one. But we won't back off if they're not going to cooperate." — CNBC's Ylan Mui contributed to this report.


cnbc--2020-02-07--Joe Biden shakes up campaign by elevating veteran Democratic strategist Anita Dunn

Former Vice President Joe Biden is shaking up his presidential campaign as he promotes longtime advisor and Democratic strategist Anita Dunn .
The decision was announced in an email to Biden campaign staff , according to NBC News .
`` Most of you already know Anita or may have seen her hanging around communications – she will be working closely with us on campaign strategy and overall coordination on budget and personnel as we build a bigger campaign for the next phase , '' the email read .
Dunn , a partner at advertising juggernaut SKDKnickerbocker , has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his run for president .
She served key roles in President Barack Obama 's White House and campaigns after spending decades working for top Democratic figures such as former Vice President Al Gore , and Sens .
Tom Daschle and Bill Bradley .
The decision to give Dunn more responsibilities comes as the campaign is at a crossroads .
Biden underperformed rivals Sen. Bernie Sanders , Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Iowa caucus , although that contest 's results were marred by discrepancies in the count .
In New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls show Biden on track for another disappointing finish , according to a RealClearPolitics polling average .
Still , Biden continues to lead in most polls nationally , ahead of Sanders , Warren , former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Buttigieg .
Top Biden advisors said in a call with reporters before a debate in New Hampshire on Friday night that Dunn 's new role should not be seen as a `` dramatic shift '' because she held a senior position prior to her promotion , NBC reported .
Since his disappointing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's orbit have been privately questioning the campaign 's tactics .
There are now serious doubts about whether Biden 's campaign could survive what appears to be a likely loss in New Hampshire and if it were to underperform in the Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary , which are scheduled for Feb. 22 and 29 , respectively .
Biden holds a slight edge in the Nevada polling average , while he holds a double-digit edge in the South Carolina average .
`` The one thing that 's wrong with the Biden organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him with the kinds of things he has to face , '' Bernard Schwartz , a longtime investor and Biden donor , told CNBC .
Biden 's struggles are also linked to his fundraising woes .
His campaign went into 2020 with less cash on hand than many of the other contenders .
In the aftermath of Iowa , he canceled nearly $ 120,000 in South Carolina ads , according to tracking firm Advertising Analytics , and added to his TV bookings in Nevada .
Here 's the text of the email that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to NBC News .
Hi , everyone and welcome to the Thursday evening before the New Hampshire primary .
We wanted to take a moment to check in before the weekend ( I know on campaigns a weekend feels a lot like weekdays ! )
at the end of a long week .
Even though Iowa was disappointing , or , to quote the Vice President , a `` punch in the gut , '' we know Joe Biden .
He 's been knocked down plenty of times , and he always gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw his speech yesterday or watched the CNN town hall , you saw why he should be the next President .
And if you watched President Trump 's State of the Union address , you know two things : 1 ) we have to beat him ; and 2 ) it 's not going to be easy .
And it 's up to us .
So I want to thank you for everything you have done for this campaign and this candidacy , and thank you for everything you will do as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard work but it 's worth it .
This week we said goodbye to some colleagues who moved on after the caucus to do everything from teaching classes to getting married !
And we said hello to new colleagues in the early states and building toward Super Tuesday .
In addition , we wanted to let you know that the Vice President has asked Anita Dunn to play an expanded role in the headquarters as we move forward to New Hampshire and beyond .
Most of you already know Anita or may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be working closely with us on campaign strategy and overall coordination on budget and personnel as we build a bigger campaign for the next phase .
So take a deep breath ( or two or three ) because this roller coaster of a campaign season has plenty of thrills yet to come .
And on to victory !

Former Vice President Joe Biden is shaking up his presidential campaign as he promotes longtime advisor and Democratic strategist Anita Dunn.
The decision was announced in an email to Biden campaign staff, according to NBC News.
"Most of you already know Anita or may have seen her hanging around communications – she will be working closely with us on campaign strategy and overall coordination on budget and personnel as we build a bigger campaign for the next phase," the email read.
Dunn, a partner at advertising juggernaut SKDKnickerbocker, has been a surrogate for Biden since the start of his run for president. She served key roles in President Barack Obama's White House and campaigns after spending decades working for top Democratic figures such as former Vice President Al Gore, and Sens. Tom Daschle and Bill Bradley.
The decision to give Dunn more responsibilities comes as the campaign is at a crossroads. Biden underperformed rivals Sen. Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Iowa caucus, although that contest's results were marred by discrepancies in the count.
In New Hampshire, which holds its primary Tuesday, polls show Biden on track for another disappointing finish, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average.
Still, Biden continues to lead in most polls nationally, ahead of Sanders, Warren, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Buttigieg.
Top Biden advisors said in a call with reporters before a debate in New Hampshire on Friday night that Dunn's new role should not be seen as a "dramatic shift" because she held a senior position prior to her promotion, NBC reported.
Since his disappointing showing in Iowa, people in Biden's orbit have been privately questioning the campaign's tactics. There are now serious doubts about whether Biden's campaign could survive what appears to be a likely loss in New Hampshire and if it were to underperform in the Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary, which are scheduled for Feb. 22 and 29, respectively. Biden holds a slight edge in the Nevada polling average, while he holds a double-digit edge in the South Carolina average.
"The one thing that's wrong with the Biden organization is that the staff is not preparing him with the kinds of things he has to face," Bernard Schwartz, a longtime investor and Biden donor, told CNBC.
Biden's struggles are also linked to his fundraising woes. His campaign went into 2020 with less cash on hand than many of the other contenders. In the aftermath of Iowa, he canceled nearly $120,000 in South Carolina ads, according to tracking firm Advertising Analytics, and added to his TV bookings in Nevada.
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Here's the text of the email that was sent to Biden staff, according to NBC News.


cnbc--2020-02-07--Facebook and Twitter decline Pelosi request to delete Trump video

US Vice President Mike Pence claps as Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi appears to rip a copy of US President Donald Trump speech after he delivers the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington , DC , on February 4 , 2020 .
A fierce behind-the-scenes dispute between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's office and Facebook erupted into public view Friday , as the speaker 's office demanded that Facebook remove a video posted online by President Donald Trump .
The video in question showed Pelosi 's viral State of the Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's speech Tuesday night , but was edited to make it appear that she ripped the speech even as Trump saluted a Tuskegee airman in the audience .
In fact , Pelosi 's speech-ripping gesture came at the end of the president 's speech , and her office said it was in response to the totality of the speech and what Pelosi saw as misinformation in it .
The video , labeled `` Powerful American stories ripped to shreds by Nancy Pelosi , '' was posted on both Facebook and Twitter .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just before 6 p.m. Thursday to his more than 72 million followers .
Within hours , the speaker 's office was demanding both social media companies remove the video , arguing it was unfair to Pelosi , who actually stood and applauded the airman during the speech .
Both Facebook and Twitter decided against removing the Trump video , although the companies cited different reasons for their decisions .
The dispute became public Friday when Pelosi 's deputy chief of staff , Drew Hammill , posted a link to a criticism of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest fake video of Speaker Pelosi is deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people , and every day that these platforms refuse to take it down is another reminder that they care more about their shareholders ' interests than the public 's interests . ''
Andy Stone , a Facebook spokesman , replied to Hammill on Twitter : `` Sorry , are you suggesting the President did n't make those remarks and the Speaker did n't rip the speech ? ''
Hammill fired back : `` What planet are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Take it down . ''
In the end , both Facebook and Twitter declined to remove the Trump campaign post , citing corporate policies .
Facebook 's Stone told CNBC , `` I can confirm for you that the video does n't violate our policies . ''
Stone said the company 's policies against altered video specifically refer to video that has been edited to make it appear a person said something they did n't say or did something they did n't do .
`` I think they have a history here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content that is intentionally false , '' Hammill said .
Twitter , for its part , has a new set of policies around manipulated media that the company announced Tuesday .
The company imposed a new rule on its users : `` You may not deceptively share synthetic or manipulated media that are likely to cause harm .
In addition , we may label Tweets containing synthetic and manipulated media to help people understand the media 's authenticity and to provide additional context . ''
To determine that , Twitter said it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content has been substantially edited in a manner that fundamentally alters its composition , sequence , timing or framing '' as well as looking at `` any visual or auditory information ( such as new video frames , overdubbed audio or modified subtitles ) that has been added or removed . ''
But that policy does n't go into effect until March 5 , and Twitter told Pelosi 's office that it will not remove the Trump video under its current rules .
Asked if the Trump video would violate Twitter 's policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 , Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough wrote in an email : `` I ca n't get into hypotheticals . ''
A Trump campaign spokesman said the president 's reelection effort is unconcerned about Pelosi 's reaction to the video .
`` If Nancy Pelosi fears images of her ripping up the speech , perhaps she should n't have ripped up the speech , '' said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh .
In less than 24 hours , Murtaugh said , the video has received 2.1 million views , has reached almost 5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23,000 times .
It was n't immediately clear who actually produced the video in question .
The Trump campaign referred that question to the White House , and spokespeople there did not respond to a request for comment .
As all of that was happening , Pelosi 's office was fighting to get Facebook to remove a second video of Nancy Pelosi that the speaker 's office also complained about : This one a deceptively edited video of Pelosi appearing on The Colbert Report in a comedy segment .
The altered video made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pods , and Facebook has a policy against that .
Facebook took the Tide Pod video down .
`` When the Tide Pod challenge began we said we would take down any such videos brought to our attention out of concern for people 's safety , which is why we 've removed this video from our platform , '' a Facebook spokesman said .

A fierce behind-the-scenes dispute between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office and Facebook erupted into public view Friday, as the speaker's office demanded that Facebook remove a video posted online by President Donald Trump.
The video in question showed Pelosi's viral State of the Union moment ripping up the text of Trump's speech Tuesday night, but was edited to make it appear that she ripped the speech even as Trump saluted a Tuskegee airman in the audience. In fact, Pelosi's speech-ripping gesture came at the end of the president's speech, and her office said it was in response to the totality of the speech and what Pelosi saw as misinformation in it.
The video, labeled "Powerful American stories ripped to shreds by Nancy Pelosi," was posted on both Facebook and Twitter . Trump tweeted the video from his Twitter account just before 6 p.m. Thursday to his more than 72 million followers.
Trump video.
Within hours, the speaker's office was demanding both social media companies remove the video, arguing it was unfair to Pelosi, who actually stood and applauded the airman during the speech.
Both Facebook and Twitter decided against removing the Trump video, although the companies cited different reasons for their decisions.
The dispute became public Friday when Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, posted a link to a criticism of the video Friday afternoon, writing "The latest fake video of Speaker Pelosi is deliberately designed to mislead and lie to the American people, and every day that these platforms refuse to take it down is another reminder that they care more about their shareholders' interests than the public's interests."
Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesman, replied to Hammill on Twitter: "Sorry, are you suggesting the President didn't make those remarks and the Speaker didn't rip the speech?"
Hammill fired back: "What planet are you living on? This is deceptively altered. Take it down."
In the end, both Facebook and Twitter declined to remove the Trump campaign post, citing corporate policies.
Facebook's Stone told CNBC, "I can confirm for you that the video doesn't violate our policies."
Stone said the company's policies against altered video specifically refer to video that has been edited to make it appear a person said something they didn't say or did something they didn't do.
Facebook's response left Pelosi's Hammill frustrated.
"I think they have a history here of promoting and making money off of content that is intentionally false," Hammill said.
Twitter, for its part, has a new set of policies around manipulated media that the company announced Tuesday. The company imposed a new rule on its users: "You may not deceptively share synthetic or manipulated media that are likely to cause harm. In addition, we may label Tweets containing synthetic and manipulated media to help people understand the media's authenticity and to provide additional context."
To determine that, Twitter said it would examine videos to ascertain "whether the content has been substantially edited in a manner that fundamentally alters its composition, sequence, timing or framing" as well as looking at "any visual or auditory information (such as new video frames, overdubbed audio or modified subtitles) that has been added or removed."
But that policy doesn't go into effect until March 5, and Twitter told Pelosi's office that it will not remove the Trump video under its current rules. Asked if the Trump video would violate Twitter's policies if it is posted again after March 5, Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough wrote in an email: "I can't get into hypotheticals."
A Trump campaign spokesman said the president's reelection effort is unconcerned about Pelosi's reaction to the video.
"If Nancy Pelosi fears images of her ripping up the speech, perhaps she shouldn't have ripped up the speech," said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh. In less than 24 hours, Murtaugh said, the video has received 2.1 million views, has reached almost 5 million people and has been shared more than 23,000 times.
It wasn't immediately clear who actually produced the video in question. The Trump campaign referred that question to the White House, and spokespeople there did not respond to a request for comment.
As all of that was happening, Pelosi's office was fighting to get Facebook to remove a second video of Nancy Pelosi that the speaker's office also complained about: This one a deceptively edited video of Pelosi appearing on The Colbert Report in a comedy segment. The altered video made it appear that Pelosi was eating Tide Pods, and Facebook has a policy against that.
Facebook took the Tide Pod video down.
"When the Tide Pod challenge began we said we would take down any such videos brought to our attention out of concern for people's safety, which is why we've removed this video from our platform," a Facebook spokesman said.


cnbc--2020-02-07--Republican senators tell Twitter it's subject to US sanctions laws unless it bans Iranian leaders

A group of GOP senators wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday that the company would be subject to U.S. sanctions law if it did not end its service for sanctioned Iranian leaders , including Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif .
`` While the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of Americans — and Twitter should not be censoring the political speech of Americans — the Ayatollah enjoys zero protection from the United States Bill of Rights , '' Sens .
Ted Cruz , R-Texas , Tom Cotton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , wrote .
`` And , as the leader of the world 's leading state sponsor of terrorism — directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of U.S. citizens — the Ayatollah and any American companies providing him assistance are entirely subject to U.S. sanctions laws , '' they wrote .
The senators say that an exception for internet-based communications services created by the Obama administration in 2014 would not apply when the person receiving the service has been designated to a special list kept by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Khamenei and Zarif .
Twitter declined to comment on the letter .
The company has generally taken a fairly hands-off approach when it comes to moderating world leaders on its platform .
It recently released a policy about how it would handle abusive tweets by world leaders , which would normally be removed when coming from any other Twitter user .
The company said that in these cases , it would put a notice on tweets from world leaders that says the content violates its standards .
Users will be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decision Twitter said it made because it believes messages from world leaders are still newsworthy and in the public interest .
This feature has not yet been used since the policy was announced in June .
The four senators who signed the letter have been vocal about other tech issues including political bias .
Cruz and Blackburn have been among the most outspoken on political bias , claiming companies like Twitter are biased in the content they allow and take down as well as what their algorithms tend to surface .
Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 where she claimed Planned Parenthood sold `` baby body parts '' but later reversed its decision following blowback .
Cruz and Rubio are members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations , Cotton is on the Senate Intelligence Committee and Blackburn is on the Judiciary Committee , where she leads the Tech Task Force .

A group of GOP senators wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Thursday that the company would be subject to U.S. sanctions law if it did not end its service for sanctioned Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.
"While the First Amendment protects the free speech rights of Americans — and Twitter should not be censoring the political speech of Americans — the Ayatollah enjoys zero protection from the United States Bill of Rights," Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote.
"And, as the leader of the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism — directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of U.S. citizens — the Ayatollah and any American companies providing him assistance are entirely subject to U.S. sanctions laws," they wrote.
The senators say that an exception for internet-based communications services created by the Obama administration in 2014 would not apply when the person receiving the service has been designated to a special list kept by the Treasury Department, as is the case for Khamenei and Zarif.
Twitter declined to comment on the letter.
The company has generally taken a fairly hands-off approach when it comes to moderating world leaders on its platform. It recently released a policy about how it would handle abusive tweets by world leaders, which would normally be removed when coming from any other Twitter user. The company said that in these cases, it would put a notice on tweets from world leaders that says the content violates its standards. Users will be allowed to click through to view the tweet, a decision Twitter said it made because it believes messages from world leaders are still newsworthy and in the public interest. This feature has not yet been used since the policy was announced in June.
The four senators who signed the letter have been vocal about other tech issues including political bias. Cruz and Blackburn have been among the most outspoken on political bias, claiming companies like Twitter are biased in the content they allow and take down as well as what their algorithms tend to surface.
Twitter had removed a Blackburn campaign video in 2017 where she claimed Planned Parenthood sold "baby body parts" but later reversed its decision following blowback.
Cruz and Rubio are members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Cotton is on the Senate Intelligence Committee and Blackburn is on the Judiciary Committee, where she leads the Tech Task Force.
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WATCH: Twitter announces new plan to tackle manipulated content


cnbc--2020-02-07--Iowa caucus: Here's a map of precincts where the data appear to be irregular

The Iowa caucuses did not go as planned .
The first-in-the-nation presidential vote that took place Monday , marred by technical difficulties that forced the Iowa Democratic Party to count votes by hand and delay the release of results , has produced data that in many cases are confounding .
The national party leader , Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez , called Thursday for the state to be immediately recanvassed — similar to an audit of results — but has so far been rebuffed by the state party .
With 100 % of the precincts reporting data , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a winner .
According to the results that have been reported , the race is tight between former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , who have both declared victory .
The closeness of the race has magnified the significance of even minor errors , as they could be enough to determine the winner .
CNBC is referring to the winner as the candidate who receives the most state delegate equivalents , an Electoral College-like measure of support that does not indicate actual votes cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 26.2 % to 26.1 % , while Sanders received more votes , according to Iowa Democratic Party data .
The NBC News Decision Desk identified a number of the apparent problems with the election data in a report published on Thursday .
A common error , according to CNBC 's analysis , is that in many precincts — possibly more than 80 — the number of votes counted in what 's known as the `` final alignment '' was greater than the number in the `` first alignment . ''
That discrepancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which are determined by the state party .
Under those rules , voters gather in the first alignment to express support for their candidates .
Supporters of candidates who do not reach a minimum viability threshold , generally 15 % , must reallocate their support in the `` final alignment . ''
It is possible for the number of voters in the final alignment to decrease from the first alignment .
For instance , there are cases in which a supporter of a nonviable candidate in the first alignment simply did not vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seemingly impossible for there to be an increase in voters for the final alignment .
CNBC provided its findings to the Iowa Democratic Party , which has not responded to a request for comment .
The number of precincts in each county where this problem appeared is indicated in the map accompanying this article .
The IDP said in a statement on Friday that due to `` delays in reporting and some inconsistencies in data '' it issued new guidance to presidential campaigns .
The party said it will allow them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday at 1 p.m .
ET .
It also extended the deadline for campaigns to file a requests for a recanvass or recount from Friday to Monday at 1 p.m .
ET .

The Iowa caucuses did not go as planned.
The first-in-the-nation presidential vote that took place Monday, marred by technical difficulties that forced the Iowa Democratic Party to count votes by hand and delay the release of results, has produced data that in many cases are confounding.
The national party leader, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, called Thursday for the state to be immediately recanvassed — similar to an audit of results — but has so far been rebuffed by the state party.
With 100% of the precincts reporting data, the NBC News Decision Desk has not declared a winner. According to the results that have been reported, the race is tight between former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who have both declared victory.
The closeness of the race has magnified the significance of even minor errors, as they could be enough to determine the winner. CNBC is referring to the winner as the candidate who receives the most state delegate equivalents, an Electoral College-like measure of support that does not indicate actual votes cast.
Buttigieg led Sanders on the measure by 26.2% to 26.1%, while Sanders received more votes, according to Iowa Democratic Party data.
The NBC News Decision Desk identified a number of the apparent problems with the election data in a report published on Thursday.
A common error, according to CNBC's analysis, is that in many precincts — possibly more than 80 — the number of votes counted in what's known as the "final alignment" was greater than the number in the "first alignment."
That discrepancy is theoretically impossible under caucus rules, which are determined by the state party. Under those rules, voters gather in the first alignment to express support for their candidates. Supporters of candidates who do not reach a minimum viability threshold, generally 15%, must reallocate their support in the "final alignment."
It is possible for the number of voters in the final alignment to decrease from the first alignment. For instance, there are cases in which a supporter of a nonviable candidate in the first alignment simply did not vote in the final alignment. But it is seemingly impossible for there to be an increase in voters for the final alignment.
CNBC provided its findings to the Iowa Democratic Party, which has not responded to a request for comment. The number of precincts in each county where this problem appeared is indicated in the map accompanying this article.
The IDP said in a statement on Friday that due to "delays in reporting and some inconsistencies in data" it issued new guidance to presidential campaigns. The party said it will allow them to submit documentary evidence of incorrect data by Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
It also extended the deadline for campaigns to file a requests for a recanvass or recount from Friday to Monday at 1 p.m. ET.


cnbc--2020-02-07--Vice President Pence defends deficit expansion under Trump as necessary for economic growth

Pence 's remarks came less than three hours after the Labor Department released much-better-than-expected monthly payroll figures for January .
`` Deficits and debt are right in line , but it is first about getting this economy moving again and we really do believe the trajectory of this economy , '' Pence said .
`` The president came into office and he said , 'First and foremost , we have to restore growth , ' '' Pence said .
Pence , who spoke to CNBC 's Wilfred Frost at the White House on the heels of President Donald Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate 's impeachment trial , maintained that focusing on growth will solve long-term fiscal challenges .
Vice President Mike Pence defended deficit expansion under the Trump administration during a CNBC interview Friday , saying that debt and deficits are secondary concerns compared to economic growth .
Nonfarm payrolls rose 225,000 for the month , far exceeding the 158,000 expected by a survey of Dow Jones economists .
The unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.6 % , but the labor force participation rate also increased 0.2 percentage point to 63.4 % .
But under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a level not seen since the middle of the Obama administration , when the government was working to pull the country out of the Great Recession .
The fiscal deficit topped $ 1 trillion in 2019 , the highest level in a calendar year seen since 2012 , according to Treasury Department figures released last month .
Asked about the debt-to-GDP ratio — which has grown from Obama 's tenure in the White House to Trump 's — Pence said Friday that `` in a second term , we 'll continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's belief , Pence added , is that `` the real long-term solution to the fiscal challenges in Washington , D.C. , is making sure the budget of every American is growing . ''
`` Once we get this economy rolling , '' he added , `` we 're going to work real hard , not just to get President Donald Trump four more years in the White House , but we 're going to make sure we have a Republican Senate and a Republican House to keep America growing and to deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The economy is already rolling , according to the president 's own assessments .
Trump has often called the economy under his watch the greatest in American history .
`` I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been , '' the president said in his State of the Union address Tuesday night .

Pence's remarks came less than three hours after the Labor Department released much-better-than-expected monthly payroll figures for January .
"Deficits and debt are right in line, but it is first about getting this economy moving again and we really do believe the trajectory of this economy," Pence said.
"The president came into office and he said, 'First and foremost, we have to restore growth,'" Pence said.
Pence, who spoke to CNBC's Wilfred Frost at the White House on the heels of President Donald Trump's victory lap over his acquittal in the Senate's impeachment trial , maintained that focusing on growth will solve long-term fiscal challenges.
Vice President Mike Pence defended deficit expansion under the Trump administration during a CNBC interview Friday, saying that debt and deficits are secondary concerns compared to economic growth.
Nonfarm payrolls rose 225,000 for the month, far exceeding the 158,000 expected by a survey of Dow Jones economists. The unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.6%, but the labor force participation rate also increased 0.2 percentage point to 63.4%.
But under Trump, U.S. budget deficits have grown at a level not seen since the middle of the Obama administration, when the government was working to pull the country out of the Great Recession. The fiscal deficit topped $1 trillion in 2019, the highest level in a calendar year seen since 2012, according to Treasury Department figures released last month.
Asked about the debt-to-GDP ratio — which has grown from Obama's tenure in the White House to Trump's — Pence said Friday that "in a second term, we'll continue to address those issues."
But Trump's belief, Pence added, is that "the real long-term solution to the fiscal challenges in Washington, D.C., is making sure the budget of every American is growing."
"Once we get this economy rolling," he added, "we're going to work real hard, not just to get President Donald Trump four more years in the White House, but we're going to make sure we have a Republican Senate and a Republican House to keep America growing and to deal with those long-term fiscal challenges."
The economy is already rolling, according to the president's own assessments. Trump has often called the economy under his watch the greatest in American history.
"I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been," the president said in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.


cnbc--2020-02-07--Trump wins appeal in case where Democrats sued him for allegedly violating emoluments clause

President Donald Trump smiles during an event at the White House in Washington , D.C. , on Thursday , Feb. 6 , 2020 .
A federal appeals court on Friday ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit by congressional Democrats who claim President Donald Trump has violated the Constitution 's emoluments clause by allowing his businesses to receive money from foreign governments without prior approval of Congress .
Individual members of Congress lack legal standing to sue the president for alleged violations of law , said the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals panel did not decide the question of whether Trump had violated the emoluments clause .
Trump told reporters on the White House lawn that the decision was `` a total win . ''
He called the Democrats ' suit `` another phony case . ''
Democrats who had pressed the case said they were disappointed , but also said that they were reviewing their legal options .
The case is just one of three lawsuits challenging Trump for alleged violations of the emoluments clause in connection with revenue from foreign governments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other businesses .
Friday 's decision does not affect those other two cases , which were filed by a public interest watchdog group in one instance , and by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia in the other .
Ultimately , the U.S. Supreme Court might be asked to decide the question of whether Trump has been violating the emoluments clause during his presidency .
Trump , upon becoming president , gave day-to-day control of his Trump Organization his two adult sons , Donald Jr. and Eric , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resorts and golf clubs .
But Trump still has ownership over the company .
Trump was acquitted by the Senate on Wednesday after his impeachment by the House in connection with claims that he had abused power by asking the newly elected president of Ukraine last summer to announce investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden , while withholding military aid to Ukraine that Congress had appropriated .
In the July 25 phone call that was a key piece of evidence against Trump , Ukraine President Volodymyr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time I traveled to the United States I stayed in New York near Central Park and I stayed at the Trump Tower . ''
Trump has denied any wrongdoing .
The decision by the D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals came two months after the panel appeared deeply skeptical of the claim that members of Congress , as opposed to Congress itself , could sue a president for violating the law .
`` You are not Congress , '' Judge Thomas Griffith told a lawyer for the 215 members during oral arguments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing Congress , '' Griffith said .
In their decision Friday , Griffith and the other two judges on the panel , Karen LeCraft Henderson and David Tatel , underscored that fact .
`` Here ... our conclusion is straightforward because the Members — 29 Senators and 186 Members of the House of Representatives — do not constitute a majority of either body and are , therefore , powerless to approve or deny the President 's acceptance of foreign emoluments , '' the panel said in the ruling .
The judges cited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as Raines v. Byrd .
In that opinion , the high court ruled that individual members of Congress lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to file a suit challenging a law which granted the president power to veto individual tax and spending measures after signing them into law .
Friday 's decision also cited a Supreme Court opinion written last year by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , in an appeal by Virginia 's state House of Representatives involving a racial gerrymandering ruling .
The Supreme Court in that opinion noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress 'lack standing to assert the institutional interests of a legislature ' in the same way ' a single House of a bicameral legislature lacks capacity to assert interests belonging to the legislature as a whole . '
'' The D.C .
Circuit , in its ruling Friday , said the Democratic `` members can , and likely will , continue to use their weighty voices to make their case to the American people , their colleagues in the Congress and the President himself , all of whom are free to engage that @ @ @ @ @ @ @

President Donald Trump smiles during an event at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020.
A federal appeals court on Friday ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit by congressional Democrats who claim President Donald Trump has violated the Constitution's emoluments clause by allowing his businesses to receive money from foreign governments without prior approval of Congress.
Individual members of Congress lack legal standing to sue the president for alleged violations of law, said the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a unanimous ruling Friday.
The appeals panel did not decide the question of whether Trump had violated the emoluments clause.
Trump told reporters on the White House lawn that the decision was "a total win." He called the Democrats' suit "another phony case."
Democrats who had pressed the case said they were disappointed, but also said that they were reviewing their legal options.
The case is just one of three lawsuits challenging Trump for alleged violations of the emoluments clause in connection with revenue from foreign governments and their officials who patronize his hotels and other businesses.
Friday's decision does not affect those other two cases, which were filed by a public interest watchdog group in one instance, and by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia in the other.
Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court might be asked to decide the question of whether Trump has been violating the emoluments clause during his presidency.
Trump, upon becoming president, gave day-to-day control of his Trump Organization his two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, who oversee the firm's portfolio of hotels, resorts and golf clubs.
But Trump still has ownership over the company.
Trump was acquitted by the Senate on Wednesday after his impeachment by the House in connection with claims that he had abused power by asking the newly elected president of Ukraine last summer to announce investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, while withholding military aid to Ukraine that Congress had appropriated.
In the July 25 phone call that was a key piece of evidence against Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Trump that the "last time I traveled to the United States I stayed in New York near Central Park and I stayed at the Trump Tower." Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
Tweet
The decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals came two months after the panel appeared deeply skeptical of the claim that members of Congress, as opposed to Congress itself, could sue a president for violating the law.
"You are not Congress," Judge Thomas Griffith told a lawyer for the 215 members during oral arguments in December.
"You are not here representing Congress," Griffith said.
In their decision Friday, Griffith and the other two judges on the panel, Karen LeCraft Henderson and David Tatel, underscored that fact.
"Here ... our conclusion is straightforward because the Members — 29 Senators and 186 Members of the House of Representatives — do not constitute a majority of either body and are, therefore, powerless to approve or deny the President's acceptance of foreign emoluments," the panel said in the ruling.
The judges cited a 1997 Supreme Court decision in a case known as Raines v. Byrd.
In that opinion, the high court ruled that individual members of Congress lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to file a suit challenging a law which granted the president power to veto individual tax and spending measures after signing them into law.
Friday's decision also cited a Supreme Court opinion written last year by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in an appeal by Virginia's state House of Representatives involving a racial gerrymandering ruling.
The Supreme Court in that opinion noted "that 'individual members' of the Congress 'lack standing to assert the institutional interests of a legislature' in the same way 'a single House of a bicameral legislature lacks capacity to assert interests belonging to the legislature as a whole.'"
The D.C. Circuit, in its ruling Friday, said the Democratic "members can, and likely will, continue to use their weighty voices to make their case to the American people, their colleagues in the Congress and the President himself, all of whom are free to engage that argument as they see fit."


cnbc--2020-02-07--Vice President Pence: 'We'll see' if UK decision on Huawei is a deal breaker for a trade pact

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged Friday that the United Kingdom 's recent decision to grant Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei access to its 5G mobile networks could jeopardize trade talks between the United States and the U.K .
Asked whether the Huawei decision was a deal breaker , Pence told CNBC 's Wilfred Frost : `` We 'll see . ''
`` We are profoundly disappointed because look , when I went at the president 's direction in September I met with Prime Minister Johnson and I told him the moment the U.K. was out of Brexit we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade arrangement with the U.K. , '' Pence said .
`` But we just do n't believe that utilizing the assets and technologies of Huawei is consistent with the security or privacy interests of the U.K. , of the United States and it remains a real issue between our two countries , '' he added .
Pence added : `` We 're anxious to build our economic ties , but we have made it clear to Prime Minister Johnson and to officials in the U.K. , that as we expand opportunities to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to see our companies meet the needs in the United States and U.K. and among all our allies without the compromise of privacy and the compromise of security that necessarily comes with Huawei and control by the Chinese Communist Party . ''
Last month , the Trump administration expressed disappointment after the U.K. announced it would allow Huawei to have limited access to some British 5G mobile networks .
`` The United States is disappointed by the U.K. 's decision , '' a senior Trump administration official wrote in a Jan. 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the Trump administration will work `` with the U.K. on a way forward that results in the exclusion of untrusted vendor components from 5G networks . ''
Trump has said that he would seek a major trade deal with the United Kingdom after the country left the European Union .
`` We 're having very good trade talks between the U.K. and ourselves .
We 're going to do a very big trade deal , bigger than we 've ever had with the U.K. , '' Trump said at the Group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At some point , they wo n't have the obstacle of , they wo n't have the anchor around their ankle , because that 's what they had .
So , we 're going to have some very good trade talks and big numbers , '' he said , without adding anymore details on a potential deal .
The latest development comes as the Trump administration works to isolate Huawei from developing a larger foothold in U.S. partner countries .
The administration has specifically worked to keep members of the `` five eyes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.K. , Canada , Australia and New Zealand — from working with Huawei .
In 2018 , the Pentagon halted sales of Huawei and ZTE mobile phones and modems on military bases around the world due to potential security risks .
`` We continue to urge all of our partners and allies to carefully assess the multifaceted impacts of allowing untrusted vendors access to important 5G network infrastructure , '' Pentagon spokesman U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn wrote in a statement to CNBC .
`` It 's been assessed that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control any part of a 5G network , '' Eastburn added .

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged Friday that the United Kingdom's recent decision to grant Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei access to its 5G mobile networks could jeopardize trade talks between the United States and the U.K.
Asked whether the Huawei decision was a deal breaker, Pence told CNBC's Wilfred Frost: "We'll see."
"We are profoundly disappointed because look, when I went at the president's direction in September I met with Prime Minister Johnson and I told him the moment the U.K. was out of Brexit we were willing to begin to negotiate a free trade arrangement with the U.K.," Pence said.
"But we just don't believe that utilizing the assets and technologies of Huawei is consistent with the security or privacy interests of the U.K., of the United States and it remains a real issue between our two countries," he added.
Pence added: "We're anxious to build our economic ties, but we have made it clear to Prime Minister Johnson and to officials in the U.K., that as we expand opportunities to build out 5G across this country … we want to see our companies meet the needs in the United States and U.K. and among all our allies without the compromise of privacy and the compromise of security that necessarily comes with Huawei and control by the Chinese Communist Party."
Last month, the Trump administration expressed disappointment after the U.K. announced it would allow Huawei to have limited access to some British 5G mobile networks.
"The United States is disappointed by the U.K.'s decision," a senior Trump administration official wrote in a Jan. 28 emailed statement to CNBC. The official added that the Trump administration will work "with the U.K. on a way forward that results in the exclusion of untrusted vendor components from 5G networks."
Trump has said that he would seek a major trade deal with the United Kingdom after the country left the European Union.
"We're having very good trade talks between the U.K. and ourselves. We're going to do a very big trade deal, bigger than we've ever had with the U.K.," Trump said at the Group of Seven summit in August.
"At some point, they won't have the obstacle of, they won't have the anchor around their ankle, because that's what they had. So, we're going to have some very good trade talks and big numbers," he said, without adding anymore details on a potential deal.
The latest development comes as the Trump administration works to isolate Huawei from developing a larger foothold in U.S. partner countries. The administration has specifically worked to keep members of the "five eyes" intelligence-sharing group — the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand — from working with Huawei.
In 2018, the Pentagon halted sales of Huawei and ZTE mobile phones and modems on military bases around the world due to potential security risks.
"We continue to urge all of our partners and allies to carefully assess the multifaceted impacts of allowing untrusted vendors access to important 5G network infrastructure," Pentagon spokesman U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn wrote in a statement to CNBC.
"It's been assessed that there is no safe option for untrusted vendors to control any part of a 5G network," Eastburn added.


cnbc--2020-02-07--NBC News review of Iowa caucus vote finds potential errors, inconsistencies

A caucus volunteer works on paperwork on February 3 , 2020 in Carpenter , Iowa .
Iowa is the first contest in the 2020 presidential nominating process with the candidates then moving on to New Hampshire .
Results from the contest held Monday were delayed by what organizers said was a problem with a smartphone app .
The Iowa Democratic Party said problems with reporting the caucus results were due partly to `` coding issues '' with the app , which was being used by precincts for the first time .
`` When you have a tied result , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequential , '' he said .
`` If there was a lot of spread in this race , these errors would be insignificant .
But when we are talking about a tied race , everyone wants to know that every number is correct . ''
`` There are definitely some inaccuracies in the data , '' said John Lapinski , director of the Elections Unit at NBC News , who leads the Decision Desk .
The NBC News Decision Desk said it has reviewed the reporting data provided by the Iowa Democratic Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems with the count .
The potential errors and inconsistencies take on importance because of the closeness of the contest between the two front-runners — former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt .
In some individual precincts , it may be possible to fix the errors ; in other precincts , it will probably be impossible to determine how voters truly made their choices .
The apparent mistakes — spotted in at least dozens of the state 's 1,711 precincts — call into question the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-in-the-nation caucus , which was held on Monday night .
The Iowa Democratic caucus results are rife with potential errors and inconsistencies that could affect the outcome of the election , according to a review by the NBC News Decision Desk .
The Decision Desk said it identified at least 77 precincts , or 4.5 percent , where the total votes for what is known as `` reallocated candidate preference '' is greater than the total votes for `` initial candidate preference '' — a difference that makes no sense .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is based on the raw tally taken after the process of realignment .
For instance , if a caucusgoer 's initial preferred candidate did not receive enough support to meet the precinct location 's viability threshold ( 15 percent in most cases ) , the caucusgoer is allowed to shift their support — or realign — to another candidate who did attain viability .
Therefore , it does n't make sense that the number of voters would increase during this process .
If anything , it might decline since caucusgoers whose initial preference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply leave , rather than sticking around to support another candidate .
And yet the number of voters appears to have increased in precinct Des Moines-62 in Polk County .
The total of votes recorded for initial preference was 784 — but the total number of votes in the precinct on the reallocated preference vote increased to 841 .
It is unclear how to explain an increase between rounds because the initial preference is supposed to include the votes of everyone who is participating in the caucus .
The initial preference should reflect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Decision Desk said it identified at least 77 precincts , or 4.5 percent , where the total votes for what is known as `` reallocated candidate preference '' is greater than the total votes for `` initial candidate preference '' — a difference that makes no sense .
In the Iowa caucus system , the reallocated preference is based on the raw tally taken after the process of realignment .
For instance , if a caucusgoer 's initial preferred candidate did not receive enough support to meet the precinct location 's viability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , the caucusgoer is allowed to shift their support — or realign — to another candidate who did attain viability .
Therefore , it does n't make sense that the number of voters would increase during this process .
If anything , it might decline since caucusgoers whose initial preference did n't make viability might chose to simply leave , rather than sticking around to support another candidate .
And yet the number of voters appears to have increased in precinct Des Moines-62 in Polk County .
The total of votes recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total number of votes in the precinct on the reallocated preference vote increased to 841 .
It is unclear how to explain an increase between rounds because the initial preference is supposed to include the votes of everyone who is participating in the caucus .
The initial preference should reflect the total turnout in the caucus .
Some of the discrepancies are a result of zero votes being reported for the initial preference .
In the Des Moines-80 precinct , for example , there were zero total reported votes on the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reallocated preference vote .
Because the precinct has no votes recorded for candidates on the initial preference round it is impossible to know whether the reallocation was correctly done in the precinct .
Moreover , because the precinct is not contributing any votes to the total candidate votes on the initial preference ballot the statewide percentages for candidates doing well in this precinct also will be understated .
Some of the discrepancies are a result of zero votes being reported for the initial preference .
In the Des Moines-80 precinct , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes on the initial preference vote and 215 total votes on the reallocated preference vote .
Because the precinct has no votes recorded for candidates on the initial preference round it is impossible to know whether the reallocation was correctly done in the precinct .
Moreover , because the precinct is not contributing any votes to the total candidate votes on the initial preference ballot the statewide percentages for candidates doing well in this precinct also will be understated .
Other precincts , however , have discrepancies that are more irregular than simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial preference vote .
In precinct WDM-312 in Polk County , there were only 61 total votes reported in the initial preference round , but there were 339 total votes reported in the reallocated preference round .
Looking at the pattern of recorded votes suggests that no initial preference votes were recorded for any of the viable candidates , but only for candidates who had not attained viability — which is not how the process is supposed to work .
Because the date was not reported , it is therefore impossible to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viable candidates in this precinct , nor how voters changed between initial preference and reallocated preference .

A caucus volunteer works on paperwork on February 3, 2020 in Carpenter, Iowa. Iowa is the first contest in the 2020 presidential nominating process with the candidates then moving on to New Hampshire. Steve Pope | Getty Images
The Iowa Democratic caucus results are rife with potential errors and inconsistencies that could affect the outcome of the election, according to a review by the NBC News Decision Desk. The apparent mistakes — spotted in at least dozens of the state's 1,711 precincts — call into question the accuracy of the outcome of Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus, which was held on Monday night. More from NBC News Chinese doctor who raised alarm over coronavirus dies from disease, hospital confirms White House says U.S. killed Qassim al-Rimi, leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen On Facebook, anti-vaxxers urged a mom not to give her son Tamiflu. He later died. In some individual precincts, it may be possible to fix the errors; in other precincts, it will probably be impossible to determine how voters truly made their choices. The potential errors and inconsistencies take on importance because of the closeness of the contest between the two front-runners — former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. With all percent of precincts reported, Buttigieg had 26.2 percent support and Sanders had 26.1 percent. The NBC News Decision Desk said it has reviewed the reporting data provided by the Iowa Democratic Party and identified several different types of potential problems with the count. "There are definitely some inaccuracies in the data," said John Lapinski, director of the Elections Unit at NBC News, who leads the Decision Desk. "When you have a tied result, even the smallest sort of inaccuracy could be consequential," he said. "If there was a lot of spread in this race, these errors would be insignificant. But when we are talking about a tied race, everyone wants to know that every number is correct." Lapinski added, "In close races, every number is consequential." Results from the contest held Monday were delayed by what organizers said was a problem with a smartphone app. The Iowa Democratic Party said problems with reporting the caucus results were due partly to "coding issues" with the app, which was being used by precincts for the first time. NBC News has not called a winner in the first-in-the-nation contest. Here are some examples of the potential errors and inconsistencies:
Numbers don't add up
The Decision Desk said it identified at least 77 precincts, or 4.5 percent, where the total votes for what is known as "reallocated candidate preference" is greater than the total votes for "initial candidate preference" — a difference that makes no sense. In the Iowa caucus system, the reallocated preference is based on the raw tally taken after the process of realignment. For instance, if a caucusgoer's initial preferred candidate did not receive enough support to meet the precinct location's viability threshold (15 percent in most cases), the caucusgoer is allowed to shift their support — or realign — to another candidate who did attain viability. Therefore, it doesn't make sense that the number of voters would increase during this process. If anything, it might decline since caucusgoers whose initial preference didn't make viability might chose to simply leave, rather than sticking around to support another candidate. And yet the number of voters appears to have increased in precinct Des Moines-62 in Polk County. The total of votes recorded for initial preference was 784 — but the total number of votes in the precinct on the reallocated preference vote increased to 841. It is unclear how to explain an increase between rounds because the initial preference is supposed to include the votes of everyone who is participating in the caucus. The initial preference should reflect the total turnout in the caucus. The Decision Desk said it identified at least 77 precincts, or 4.5 percent, where the total votes for what is known as "reallocated candidate preference" is greater than the total votes for "initial candidate preference" — a difference that makes no sense. In the Iowa caucus system, the reallocated preference is based on the raw tally taken after the process of realignment. For instance, if a caucusgoer's initial preferred candidate did not receive enough support to meet the precinct location's viability threshold (15 percent in most cases), the caucusgoer is allowed to shift their support — or realign — to another candidate who did attain viability. Therefore, it doesn't make sense that the number of voters would increase during this process. If anything, it might decline since caucusgoers whose initial preference didn't make viability might chose to simply leave, rather than sticking around to support another candidate. And yet the number of voters appears to have increased in precinct Des Moines-62 in Polk County. The total of votes recorded for initial preference was 784 — but the total number of votes in the precinct on the reallocated preference vote increased to 841. It is unclear how to explain an increase between rounds because the initial preference is supposed to include the votes of everyone who is participating in the caucus. The initial preference should reflect the total turnout in the caucus. Some of the discrepancies are a result of zero votes being reported for the initial preference. In the Des Moines-80 precinct, for example, there were zero total reported votes on the initial preference vote and 215 total votes on the reallocated preference vote. Because the precinct has no votes recorded for candidates on the initial preference round it is impossible to know whether the reallocation was correctly done in the precinct. Moreover, because the precinct is not contributing any votes to the total candidate votes on the initial preference ballot the statewide percentages for candidates doing well in this precinct also will be understated. Some of the discrepancies are a result of zero votes being reported for the initial preference. In the Des Moines-80 precinct, for example, there were zero total reported votes on the initial preference vote and 215 total votes on the reallocated preference vote. Because the precinct has no votes recorded for candidates on the initial preference round it is impossible to know whether the reallocation was correctly done in the precinct. Moreover, because the precinct is not contributing any votes to the total candidate votes on the initial preference ballot the statewide percentages for candidates doing well in this precinct also will be understated. Other precincts, however, have discrepancies that are more irregular than simply failing to report any data for the initial preference vote. In precinct WDM-312 in Polk County, there were only 61 total votes reported in the initial preference round, but there were 339 total votes reported in the reallocated preference round. Looking at the pattern of recorded votes suggests that no initial preference votes were recorded for any of the viable candidates, but only for candidates who had not attained viability — which is not how the process is supposed to work. Because the date was not reported, it is therefore impossible to know what the initial preference votes were for viable candidates in this precinct, nor how voters changed between initial preference and reallocated preference.
Issues with state delegate equivalents


cnbc--2020-02-07--'It was hell': Trump celebrates impeachment acquittal, while ripping Democrats and Romney

`` It was all bullshit , '' Trump said .
`` It was hell . ''
`` Had I not fired [ former FBI director ] James Comey , who was a disaster by the way , it 's possible I would n't even be standing here right now , '' he added .
Comey 's firing in the spring of 2017 triggered the Justice Department 's appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller .
`` It was evil , it was corrupt , it was dirty cops , it was leakers and liars , '' Trump said , claiming he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced his candidacy in the summer of 2015 .
Trump , who was given a standing ovation and whooping cheers when he entered the White House East Room filled with Republican supporters , gave a free-form speech that ran more than an hour .
During the largely ad-libbed talk , he also relived some of his well-trodden grievances , including the Russia probe and the 2016 election .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated his impeachment acquittal by excoriating Democrats and Mitt Romney , the only GOP senator to vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Wednesday voted to acquit Trump of both counts in his impeachment trial : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
The vote was the final step in a two-week trial marked by impassioned arguments from House Democrats that Trump was a danger to the nation , and stalwart support from Senate Republicans for a president who maintains a political stranglehold on their party .
Impeachment rules require 67 votes in the Senate to convict a president and remove him from office .
With a 53-47 Republican majority , the odds that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start .
Romney , R-Utah , who delivered a searing condemnation of the president 's actions Wednesday on the floor of the Senate , broke with his party to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power count .
During his remarks Thursday afternoon , Trump told Sen. Mike Lee , who also represents Utah , to tell voters there he 's sorry about Romney .
At one point , Trump held up The Washington Post front page , which proclaimed `` Trump Acquitted . ''
`` We can take that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frame it , '' Trump said .
`` It 's the only good headline I 've ever had in The Washington Post . ''
Earlier Thursday , Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast , where he offered attendees , including Pelosi , a preview of his midday remarks .
`` As everybody knows , my family , our great country and your president have been through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people , '' Trump said .
`` They have done everything possible to destroy us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our nation .
They know what they are doing is wrong , but they put themselves far ahead of our great country . ''
Back at the White House , Trump said , `` I had Pelosi sitting four seats away , and I said things a lot of people probably would n't have said .
but I said them , I meant every word . ''
Trump 's speech , with its long tangents , frequent applause breaks and scathing attacks on his political opponents , resembled a campaign rally as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the White House .
`` This is sort of a day of celebration , because we went through hell , '' Trump said after spending more than 20 minutes heaping praise on his biggest Republican defenders in Congress , including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Rep. Devin Nunes of California and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York .
Before he left the podium , Trump gave members of his supportive audience the opportunity to stand up and make a statement .
Rep. Mark Meadows , R-N.C. , took him up on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've got your back . ''
As a final gesture , the president apologized to his family members for having been embroiled in the impeachment process .
Trump 's daughter Ivanka and first lady Melania Trump then walked up and embraced Trump at the lectern .

"It was all bullshit," Trump said. "It was hell."
"Had I not fired [former FBI director] James Comey, who was a disaster by the way, it's possible I wouldn't even be standing here right now," he added. Comey's firing in the spring of 2017 triggered the Justice Department's appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller.
"It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers and liars," Trump said, claiming he had been targeted since the day he announced his candidacy in the summer of 2015.
Trump, who was given a standing ovation and whooping cheers when he entered the White House East Room filled with Republican supporters, gave a free-form speech that ran more than an hour. During the largely ad-libbed talk, he also relived some of his well-trodden grievances, including the Russia probe and the 2016 election.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated his impeachment acquittal by excoriating Democrats and Mitt Romney, the only GOP senator to vote to remove him from office.
The Senate on Wednesday voted to acquit Trump of both counts in his impeachment trial: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The vote was the final step in a two-week trial marked by impassioned arguments from House Democrats that Trump was a danger to the nation, and stalwart support from Senate Republicans for a president who maintains a political stranglehold on their party.
Impeachment rules require 67 votes in the Senate to convict a president and remove him from office. With a 53-47 Republican majority, the odds that Trump would be convicted were slim from the start.
Romney, R-Utah, who delivered a searing condemnation of the president's actions Wednesday on the floor of the Senate, broke with his party to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power count.
During his remarks Thursday afternoon, Trump told Sen. Mike Lee, who also represents Utah, to tell voters there he's sorry about Romney.
At one point, Trump held up The Washington Post front page, which proclaimed "Trump Acquitted."
"We can take that home, honey, maybe we'll frame it," Trump said. "It's the only good headline I've ever had in The Washington Post."
Earlier Thursday, Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, where he offered attendees, including Pelosi, a preview of his midday remarks.
"As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump said. "They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country."
Back at the White House, Trump said, "I had Pelosi sitting four seats away, and I said things a lot of people probably wouldn't have said. but I said them, I meant every word."
Trump's speech, with its long tangents, frequent applause breaks and scathing attacks on his political opponents, resembled a campaign rally as much as it did an official presidential address from the White House.
"This is sort of a day of celebration, because we went through hell," Trump said after spending more than 20 minutes heaping praise on his biggest Republican defenders in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Rep. Devin Nunes of California and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York.
Before he left the podium, Trump gave members of his supportive audience the opportunity to stand up and make a statement.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., took him up on the offer, declaring, "We've got your back."
As a final gesture, the president apologized to his family members for having been embroiled in the impeachment process. Trump's daughter Ivanka and first lady Melania Trump then walked up and embraced Trump at the lectern.