Hill, The

A growing number of groups are urging the Federal Communications Commission to delay its review of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s merger with Tribune Media, while a court weighs a recent agency move that would ease the deal's approval. The organizations joining the effort include the National Hispanic Media Coalition, the conservative outlet Newsmax and the telecom trade group NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association. The groups joined a petition first filed in June by Public Knowledge and Common Cause to the FCC.

President Donald Trump attacked the media once again on July 6, calling them "downright dishonest" and "really bad people" during a campaign-style rally in Montana. "I see the way they write. They're so damn dishonest," President Trump said. "And I don't mean all of them, because some of the finest people I know are journalists really. Hard to believe when I say that. I hate to say it, but I have to say it. But 75 percent of those people are downright dishonest. Downright dishonest. They're fake. They're fake." "They make the sources up. They don't exist in many cases," he continued.

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is fighting back against some of the negative claims that US government officials have been making about the company in recent months. In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, Huawei focused on recent moves by the agency to restrict rural carriers from purchasing telecommunications equipment made by Huawei and other Chinese companies. Huawei, with the help of telecommunications economist Allan Shampine, argued that by imposing new rules, the agency could hurt poor, rural communities.