Dec 8, 2017

Report: Apple to acquire Shazam

Kia Kokalitcheva, Sara Fischer

Apple is getting close to acquiring song recognition app Shazam, sources tell TechCrunch.

Why it matters: Shazam and Apple already have history together—in 2014, the two inked a deal to let Apple's Siri identify songs playing via Shazam's technology. An acquisition would be a natural deepening of that partnership that could both help iOS strengthen its sound-indentification tech and help drive more song purchases via iTunes (which it already does) and convert more users to the Apple Music subscription service.

Terms of the deal are unclear, though TechCrunch reports it could be valued at about £300 million ($401 million), much lower than the $1 billion-plus valuation Shazam commanded when it last raised funding.

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Jonathan Swan

Exclusive: Trump's "Deep State" hit list

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: WPA Pool/Getty Pool, Drew Angerer/Getty Staff

The Trump White House and its allies, over the past 18 months, assembled detailed lists of disloyal government officials to oust — and trusted pro-Trump people to replace them — according to more than a dozen sources familiar with the effort who spoke to Axios.

Driving the news: By the time President Trump instructed his 29-year-old former body man and new head of presidential personnel to rid his government of anti-Trump officials, he'd gathered reams of material to support his suspicions.

Go deeperArrow31 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Alayna Treene

Exclusive: Anti-Sanders campaign targets black South Carolina voters

Courtesy of The Big Tent Project

The Big Tent Project, a Democratic political group focused on promoting moderate presidential candidates, has sent hundreds of thousands of mailers bashing Bernie Sanders to black voters in South Carolina who voted in the state's 2016 primary.

Why it matters: Sanders' rise to the top of the pack, as dueling moderate candidates split their side of the vote, is worrying many in the Democratic political establishment who fear a socialist can't beat President Trump.

Go deeperArrow32 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Jonathan Swan

Inside the fight over FBI surveillance powers

Carter Page. Photo: Artyom Korotayev\TASS via Getty Images

Over the past year, President Trump has told senior administration officials, including Attorney General Bill Barr, that he wants a major overhaul of national security surveillance powers and the secret court that approves them.

Behind the scenes: In one such discussion last year about the need to reauthorize government authorities to surveil U.S. citizens, Trump went so far as to say he'd rather get rid of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) altogether.

Go deeperArrow32 mins ago - Politics & Policy