It's possible that no chief executive going before the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has had a more friendly hearing room than Apple CEO Tim Cook. READ MORE >>
Just the Facts for J. Russell George
The "low key" IRS watchdog explains the limits of his job
If you've tried and failed to avoid taxes over the past decade or so, blame J. Russell George. President George W. Bush nominated him as the Treasury inspector general for tax administration in 2004, just six years after President Bill Clinton created the position. Every year, his 800-person agency generates hundreds of audits, saving the Treasury billions of dollars in taxes that might otherwise go uncollected. READ MORE >>
How Republicans Can Raise Millions in Silicon Valley
Chris Christie's template for milking the tech sector
Silicon Valley is raising its voice in Washington these days. The tech industry has been interested in the federal government for decades, but now it’s demanding things more loudly: Google spent $18.2 million lobbying in 2012. Mark Zuckerberg and a pack of executives launched an advocacy group that’s tackling immigration reform. READ MORE >>
After four long years, millions of dollars spent on lobbyists, massive protests in Washington and a dramatic pre-election presidential punt, the campaign to get a pipeline built from the Alberta tar sands to the heart of the Midwest is nearing its end. READ MORE >>
Mark Zuckerberg’s Cynical, Necessary Washington Strategy
FWD.us is playing a familiar game to get immigration reform passed
For championing a cause most techies and liberals agree with—reforming America's immigration system—Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sure has taken a lot of flak. READ MORE >>
Obama's New FCC Head Is a Lobbyist. And That's OK.
Why Tom Wheeler's appointment hasn't sparked outrage
After months of rumors about who’ll be the next leader of the Federal Communications Commission—or even whether the last head, Julius Genachowski, would ever leave—the White House has finally confirmed that Tom Wheeler’s the guy. READ MORE >>
Foursquare's Struggle to Remain Relevant
At TechCrunch conference, CEO Dennis Crowley says his app is about more than mayorships
It's been a rough few months for Foursquare. The four-year-old location-sharing app, best known for making you the "mayor" of a place if you "check in" there more than anyone else, generated only $2 million in revenue in 2012; a research firm pronounced in January it would be dead or purchased by the end of the year. READ MORE >>
On a sunny, freezing cold January at the main entrance to Washington, D.C.'s Union Station, with cabs jostling for position to drop passengers off, Travis Kalanick searched his pockets and black backpack for his iPhone—the same one that he, the CEO of sedan-hailing app Uber, had used to summon the black SUV that just dropped us off. Phone located, we forged past a scrum of people waiting for people to be paired with taxis. READ MORE >>
As a tech reporter, I end up going to a lot of conferences. Illustrious figures from science and business gather for panels, keynotes, luncheons, and “fireside chats.” Mostly, they’re just glorified networking events that allow media outlets and trade organizations to score a few headlines and bolster sagging budgets. READ MORE >>
An Internet Sales Tax Will Not Destroy Your Freedom
The Web is real life, where people pay their fair share. EBay users should, too.
If there's one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on these days, it's that the Internet ought to be free. Both parties included an "internet freedom" plank in their 2012 platforms. READ MORE >>
