Here’s What Getting Rid of Net Neutrality Will Do to Netflix

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“Netflix acknowledged long ago that these kinds of costs of delivering streaming video are minimal to their bottom line,” William Rinehart, director of technology and innovation policy at the American Action Forum, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Moreover, they announced a month before this new regulation was released that they were going to raise prices to develop more content. Content development is driving cost increases on platforms, not this simple regulatory change.”

The aforementioned regulatory reform is in reference to the rollback of so-called “net neutrality” rules mandated by the FCC during the later years of former President Barack Obama’s administration. Net neutrality is a vague concept generally meaning all internet traffic should be given equal treatment. This often means internet service providers (ISPs) shouldn’t be allowed to partake in unfair practices like throttling video-streaming from content creators or offering faster speeds for higher paying customers . . .

“Netflix uses the Amazon cloud computing platform, AWS. There’s not going to be any change in their operations,” Richard Bennett, founder of High Tech Forum and one of the original creators of the WiFi system, told TheDCNF. “Netflix’s costs are dominated by media license fees and production costs, and they’ve alway said communication costs are insignificant.” . . .

“We’re disappointed in the FCC’s decision to gut the net neutrality protections that ushered in an unprecedented era of innovation, creativity and civic engagement,” a Netflix spokesman says in a statement. “Netflix will stand with innovators, large and small, to oppose this misguided FCC order.” (Read more from “Here’s What Getting Rid of Net Neutrality Will Do to Netflix” HERE)

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People Will Be Talking About the Ending of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ for Years

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“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” didn’t disappoint one bit, and it was an incredible experience . . .

There are a couple main points I want to hit on for you guys. First, the ending of this film is as unpredictable as it can possibly get. I did not see any of it coming, and the final few minutes hit you in the face like a hurricane.

I won’t say exactly what happens, but you have decades of “Star Wars” storylines combining for a few minutes of cinema gold. It might literally make your head explode. You’ll be wanting to jump out of your seat screaming at the screen, and maybe even a few tears will roll down your face . . .

It seems like the path for Episode IX is pretty clear, and you’ll understand once you see the ending. I have no idea how it’ll play out, but it seems like we know the general direction.

My only criticism of the film as I watched it is that it does start out just a shade slow. Ultimately, I think I can chalk that up to my eagerness to see stuff get going right away. In hindsight, I’m glad the plot took some time to develop because it was certainly worth it by the end. (Read more from “People Will Be Talking About the Ending of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ for Years” HERE)

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Georgia Mom Left Child in Car With Meth While Burglarizing House, Authorities Say

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A woman in Northern Georgia has been arrested and charged with leaving her 4-year-old son in the car near meth and drug equipment while burglarizing a house, authorities said.

Theresa Jean Bice, 39, faces four felony counts, including for burglary, and for possession of drug-related objects, methamphetamine and tools for committing a crime, officials told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Authorities said officers found her son asleep near several bags of meth, a digital scale, and glass smoking paraphernalia, the newspaper reported.

The District Attorney’s Office will likely add child neglect charges when the case is fully reviewed, the Forsyth County News reported. (Read more from “Georgia Mom Left Child in Car With Meth While Burglarizing House, Authorities Say” HERE)

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Ex-NBC News Production Assistant Reveals Secret Relationship With Matt Lauer

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A former NBC News production assistant revealed Thursday that she had a month-long sexual relationship with disgraced “Today” anchor Matt Lauer in the summer of 2000 that included a rendezvous in his dressing room.

Addie Collins Zinone’s account was published by Variety. She said the relationship with Lauer was consensual, but added, “I ultimately felt like a victim because of the power dynamic.” . . .

Zinone, then known as Addie Collins, said Lauer first reached out to her in June 2000, when she was about to depart NBC for a job at a station in her home state of West Virginia. In his initial message, Lauer wrote, “i [sic] hope you won’t drag me to personnel for saying this. but you look fantastic.” A month later, on July 12, Lauer wrote to her again, saying “OK…NOW YOU’RE KILLING ME…YOU LOOK GREAT TODAY! A BIT TOUGH TO CONCENTRATE”.

Zinone said she and Lauer went to lunch that same day under the guise that he would offer her professional advice. Instead, she said, Lauer used it as “an opportunity for him to come on to me.”

Zinone also claims Lauer tried to have sex with her in his office at NBC, which featured a now-infamous button that allowed him to lock the door without getting up from his desk. (Read more from “Ex-NBC News Production Assistant Reveals Secret Relationship With Matt Lauer” HERE)

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Widow of Kentucky State Rep. Dan Johnson Says She’ll Pursue His Seat

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The wife of Kentucky State Rep. Dan Johnson, who killed himself on Wednesday amid a bombshell report’s accusations of sexual assault, announced Thursday that she would pursue her husband’s seat, saying “his fight will go on.”

Dan Johnson, a preacher and a Republican, committed suicide Wednesday on a bridge in Mt. Washington, according to Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell. The coroner confirmed that Johnson died of a single gunshot wound to the head, and the weapon was found near the 57-year-old’s body.

The statement from Johnson’s widow, Rebecca, said she was running for the position because “these high-tech lynchings based on lies and half-truths can’t be allowed to win the day.” . . .

His death occurred just days after the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published a detailed set of allegations from a woman who claimed that Johnson sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

The lawmaker denied the accusations on Tuesday, calling them “totally false.” He said they were part of a nationwide strategy for defeating conservative Republicans, referencing claims also made against Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. (Read more from “Widow of Kentucky State Rep. Dan Johnson Says She’ll Pursue His Seat” HERE)

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Judge Rejects Demand That Baker Make ‘Gay’ Wedding Cake

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In a decision described as a “sharp blow” to “escalating persecution,” a judge has rejected a demand that a Christian baker in California provide a wedding cake for a same-sex duo.

The ruling comes in a case brought by the state against Tastries Bakery, which is developing just as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the case of Jack Phillips’ Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado.

Oral arguments in the Colorado case were held earlier this month, although a decision isn’t expected for a number of months.

The Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund confirmed Thursday that a judge in Kern County Superior Court rejected a demand for a temporary restraining order against Cathy Miller, a cake artist at Tastries.

The plan was to forbid her “from selling to anyone any item they are unwilling to sell” to the homosexual duo. (Read more from “Judge Rejects Demand That Baker Make ‘Gay’ Wedding Cake” HERE)

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US Military at Risk of ‘Losing Next War’

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A new Rand Corp. study warns the U.S. military is inadequately structured to combat threats from China, Russia and Islamic terrorism, according to the Washington Times.

The study, titled “U.S. Military Capabilities and Forces for a Dangerous World,” concludes the American military must reform its structure and war-fighting plans to better meet the challenges it faces.

“Put more starkly, assessments in this report will show that U.S. forces could, under plausible assumptions, lose the next war they are called upon to fight, despite the United States outspending China on military forces by a ratio of 2.7 to 1 and Russia by 6 to 1,” the report said. “The nation needs to do better than this.”

The report stated American forces are currently big enough to fight a single major war but have not kept pace with military advances by other global powers. They are “poorly postured to meet key challenges in Europe and East Asia, and insufficiently trained and ready to get the most operational utility from many of its active component units,” according to the report.

Rand suggested that instead of preparing the military to fight two regional wars in overlapping time frames, the military should focus on battling its five main present-day enemies: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Islamic terror organizations. (Read more from “US Military at Risk of ‘Losing Next War'” HERE)

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Senate Intel Committee Grills Trump Jr. For 9 Hours

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Donald Trump Jr. on Wednesday met with the Senate Intelligence Committee for a closed-door interview that lasted just over nine hours.

The committee is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as well as possible collusion between Moscow and Trump campaign officials.

The president’s eldest son became a central figure in the various probes of Russian meddling —including the federal probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller — in part because of his participation in a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer who he believed had incriminating information on then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump Jr.’s evolving explanations for meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya have fueled further scrutiny from panels investigating the matter.

He initially claimed that the two discussed the adoption of Russian babies and nothing campaign-related. It was later revealed through emails that Trump Jr. was meeting the lawyer for dirt on Clinton. (Read more from “Senate Intel Committee Grills Trump Jr. For 9 Hours” HERE)

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Free-Market Advocates Hail ‘Net Neutrality’ Repeal

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The Federal Communications Commission voted to reverse Obama-era “net neutrality” regulations Thursday, causing free-market advocates to celebrate and sparking fierce resistance from opponents who fear customers will be at the mercy of service providers.

The final vote, as expected, came along party lines. Three GOP appointees voted for the change, while the two commissioners appointed by President Obama voted against it.

In recent weeks, critics of the reversal intensified their protests, claiming that reversing net neutrality would allow Internet service providers to gouge consumers and force them into buying more of their products. They also suggest removing government control increases the likelihood of fewer players in the industry.

However, those verbal protests have escalated in ways that draw alarm, going so far as to publicize the names of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s children. Thursday’s proceedings were briefly interrupted by a security scare.

After the vote, the mainstream media posted alarming headlines. “End of the Internet as we know it,” stated the headline at CNN.com. (Read more from “Free-Market Advocates Hail ‘Net Neutrality’ Repeal” HERE)

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‘Insurance Policy’ Puts FBI on Hot Seat

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Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is demanding answers from the Justice Department concerning a cryptic text from one of the FBI’s top Russian counterintelligence experts discussing an “insurance policy” in the event that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump won election to the White House.

As WND reported, after months of bashing then-candidate Trump in texts and stating that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “just has to win,” Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page exchanged a mysterious text concerning a so-called “insurance policy” against a possible Trump win.

On Aug. 15, 2016, Strzok wrote: “I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in [Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe’s] office that there’s no way he gets elected – but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40 …”

It’s unclear what the “insurance policy” against Trump’s election might have involved. However, as WND recently reported, the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election began in late July 2016, just weeks before Strzok’s mysterious text. And only a month before the “insurance policy” comment, the anti-Trump dossier had been given to the FBI “near the start of July,” according to former British spy Christopher Steele.

On Thursday, Sen. Grassley sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein demanding more information about the texts between Strzok and Page, including the one that referenced the “insurance policy.” He is also seeking more information concerning communication the two senior FBI employees had in McCabe’s office. (Read more from “‘Insurance Policy’ Puts FBI on Hot Seat” HERE)

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