By Jeff Baumgartner; Light Reading ~ Nov 30, 2018
With an eye fixed on profitability, AT&T is placing a massive bet on OTT, streaming and direct-to-consumer products as it looks to “bend the cost curve” of its broadening blend of TV and video products over the next two to three years, top company execs said Thursday in an analyst meeting in New York.
By Gabriella Muñoz & Stephen Dinan; The Washington Times ~ Nov 28, 2018
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Wednesday there are still ways the administration can propose to trim spending on Social Security and Medicare without limiting basic benefits — something President Trump has said he won’t do.
He said the key is to find programs that siphon money from entitlements, but aren’t part of the core programs. He pointed to Medicare money going to pay students’ medical school tuition as the type of target the administration could try to tackle without cutting into Americans’ benefits.
By Annlee Ellingson; L. A. Biz ~ Nov 26, 2018
WarnerMedia is gearing up to launch its direct-to-consumer service next year with the selection of the project’s leader.
Brad Bentley, an 18-year veteran of DirecTV and AT&T (NYSE: T), has been named general manager and executive vice president for direct-to-consumer development at WarnerMedia.
He will report to studio CEO John Stankey, who announced his appointment in a staff memo on Monday.
By Nathaniel Weixel; The Hill ~ Nov 20, 2018
The drug industry is gearing up for a new threat in January when Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) takes over as head of the Senate Finance Committee.
Drugmakers will soon lose a reliable ally in Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the retiring committee chairman who has been viewed by industry lobbyists and drug pricing advocates alike as a major roadblock to reform efforts pushed by Democrats and even the Trump administration.
By Mike Robuck; FierceTelecom ~ Nov 12, 2018
With a growing number of endpoints and a trend toward digital transformations, SD-WAN is not a “one and done” technology, according to AT&T’s Josh Goodell.
Speaking at last month’s MEF18 conference in Los Angeles, Goodell, vice president of edge solutions, said that SD-WAN deployments are complex and that service providers need to help their customers understand and evolve their use of SD-WAN.
By John Manganaro; Planadviser ~ Nov 05, 2018
The United States District Court for the Central District of California has once again ruled in the lawsuit Alas vs. AT&T.
The court has previously ruled in this matter in favor of AT&T’s motion to dismiss the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) challenge, which also includes allegations of wrongdoing against Fidelity and Financial Engines.
By Donna Borak; CNN ~ Nov 02, 2018
(CNN)President Donald Trump and the top Republican tax-writer in Congress, House and Ways Means Chair Kevin Brady of Texas, conceded on Wednesday there was zero chance that middle-class Americans will see their taxes cut this year.
By Emmarie Huetteman & Sydney Lupkin; Kaiser Health News ~ Oct 16, 2018
Before the midterm elections heated up, dozens of drugmakers had already poured about $12 million into the war chests of hundreds of members of Congress.
Pharma Cash To Congress
A new Kaiser Health News database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.
By Matthew Frankel, CFP; The Motley Fool ~ Oct 13, 2018
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services just announced the 2019 Medicare Part B premiums. You might not be surprised to learn that premiums are rising, but you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that they aren’t rising by very much.
With that in mind, here’s a quick guide to 2019 Medicare Part B premiums so you’ll know what you can expect to pay.
By Ashlea Ebeling; Forbes ~ Oct 11, 2018
The Social Security Administration announced today that more than 67 million recipients will get a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2019. That means the average Social Security benefit for a retired worker will rise by $39 a month to $1,461 in 2019, while the average benefit for a retired couple will grow $67 a month to $2,448 .