All articles tagged with #lobbying
Meta is urging California lawmakers to shield it from AB 2 penalties for child harm on its platforms, proposing amendments that would grant safe harbor if social networks implement a set of default safety settings (autoplay off, limited geolocation, restricted DMs, etc.) and parental controls, as lawsuits over youth safety continue.
Meta lobbied Congress to win federal immunity from state-law child-harm lawsuits tied to its social platforms under the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), proposing language that would preempt state laws and set uniform national standards, while noting it would not extinguish existing lawsuits; the measure is under negotiation and has not been enacted.
After heavy lobbying from major firms in tech and AI, the Trump administration softened its green-card plan to require most applicants to apply from abroad, signaling that most work visas would remain unaffected and highlighting the clash between corporate labor needs and immigration policy.
Guardian analysis shows that since October 7, 2023, an AIPAC-affiliated charity, the American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF), funded at least 26 Democratic and 52 Republican lawmakers and dozens of aides to Israel in 15 delegations, spending over $4.2 million—about $26,600 per person—on luxury travel, top-tier dining, and briefings with Israeli officials, military contractors and settlement-adjacent sites. The trips, framed as educational but centered on one-sided Middle East briefings, illustrate the lobby’s long-running strategy of signaling support on Capitol Hill, aided by Aipac infrastructure despite legal separation. Amid waning Democratic public support for Israel, the report emphasizes these trips as a continuity of pro-Israel outreach rather than a new shift, highlighting the enduring influence of AIPAC and allied groups in U.S. politics.
A Floodlight investigation finds Louisiana state Senator Jay Morris used his official position to push Meta’s Hyperion datacenter while he and business partners bought and sold land nearby, including selling parcels to Entergy for a methane-fired power plant. Morris lobbied regulators, cosponsored bills that broadened LED authority and supported tax breaks totaling about $3.3 billion for the project, and did not disclose his land interests. Experts say the pattern raises ethics concerns about conflicts of interest, which Morris denies. The elevated land values around the site and undisclosed deal details add to the controversy as the project proceeds.
Drugmakers and insurers have stepped up campaigns to blame hospitals for high U.S. health-care costs, aiming to curb the 340B drug-discount program and push site-neutral policies as lawmakers consider Medicare pay cuts and tighter regulation. Hospitals counter that mergers, rising drug costs, and administrative burdens drive prices, and are increasing lobbying and messaging to defend their position while policy changes—backed by the Trump administration and Congress—loom, including potential restructuring of 340B and scrutiny of hospital consolidations.
The Iran conflict is driving a windfall for big oil, lifting profits and boosting their political influence while U.S. gasoline prices spike, raising concerns that cash-rich oil majors will push for more production and subsidies and slow the energy transition despite renewables becoming more competitive.
A POLITICO poll finds Americans skeptical of both AI and cryptocurrency even as pro-AI and pro-crypto groups pour tens of millions into competitive 2026 races and lobbying. About 45% say investing in crypto isn’t worth the risk and 44% say AI is developing too quickly; two-thirds want federal AI rules, and nearly half trust traditional banks more than crypto. Leading the Future has raised over $75 million and Fairshake around $28 million to back candidates, signaling a new era of industry-driven spending that could face voter pushback if perceived to overwhelm politics.
A Miami federal jury found former U.S. Representative David Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer guilty of secretly lobbying for Venezuela without registering under FARA and of money-laundering tied to a $50 million contract with PDVSA. They allegedly used coded messages, moved contract proceeds to fund Rivera’s campaign and Nuhfer’s residence, and conspired to obscure the foreign influence. Rivera faces up to 60 years; Nuhfer up to 30, with sentencing to follow.
Former Florida Rep. David Rivera was found guilty in Miami on all counts for secretly lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of Venezuela’s PDVSA to ease sanctions during Nicolás Maduro’s tenure; the trial featured testimony from Rubio and others, and Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were convicted, with Rivera facing a potentially long prison sentence and related charges in D.C.
A former Florida congressman and Rubio ally, David Rivera, was found guilty of participating in a secret $50 million campaign to lobby U.S. officials on behalf of the Venezuelan government; prosecutors alleged the contract aimed to influence the Trump administration, with high-profile witnesses testifying and Rubio saying he was unaware of Rivera's contract.
A former Florida congressman, David Rivera, was convicted in federal court of secretly lobbying for Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela, in a case tied to allegations of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and efforts to influence U.S. policy on behalf of Maduro's government.
California’s Based Act, aimed at curbing platform self-preferencing in app stores and similar markets, was defeated after a massive lobbying blitz by Google, Apple, Amazon and other tech groups backed by the California Chamber of Commerce, underscoring the tech industry’s political clout in the state; the bill stalled in a key committee despite support from startups and consumer groups, with proponents hinting at possible revival.
Apple and Google helped kill a California bill that would have forced big platforms to stop privileging their own products. Backed by startups like Y Combinator, the measure collapsed after a major lobbying push by big tech and business groups, including the Chamber of Progress and California Chamber of Commerce. Opponents argued the bill could worsen search results, slow services, and weaken device security, while supporters say it would level the playing field. A revised version could reappear in the future, as concerns over tech power persist and Europe’s rules provide a precedent.
A New York Times investigation reports Syrian-born Al-Khayyat brothers secured about $12 billion in deals to rebuild Syria and sought permanent repeal of Caesar Act sanctions with help from U.S. lawmakers, leveraging ties to the Trump family and their circle, including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The push culminated in a sanctions repeal tucked into a Pentagon spending bill signed by President Trump in December 2025, even as some lawmakers urged caution over minority protections in Syria. The story also traces related ventures, like Albanian resort plans involving Kushner and potential Syria projects, and notes the White House and the Khayyats deny improper influence. The piece highlights a broader pattern of policy decisions increasingly intertwined with private, sometimes celebrity-linked finance in the Trump era.