Dec 29, 2017

YouTube app pulled early from Amazon as Google negotiations continue

YouTube Rego Korosi via Flickr CC

The YouTube app on Amazon's Fire TV product has been pulled ahead of the Jan. 1 cancellation date set by Google earlier this year, Fast Company reports. Google said earlier it would pull YouTube access from Fire TV in response to Amazon's unwillingness to sell Prime Video on Chromecast. YouTube will still be accessible on Amazon through Silk or Firefox browsers.

Why it matters: Amazon just announced two weeks ago that it would resume selling Chromecast, among other Google products, and Apple TVs. Google announced in response that "productive discussions" were taking place between the two companies. An early cancellation could indicate that negotiations between the two tech giants aren't moving as quickly as previously suggested.

The backstory: Per Axios' Ina Fried: "There's a lot of frenemy stuff at play here, with Google, Apple and Amazon all selling their own streaming devices, but also looking to offer their own services on one another's devices. Apple doesn't offer its programing on rival devices, but does move a lot of hardware through Amazon."

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Jacob Knutson

Clyburn: Sanders' "socialist" label will be "extra burden" in House races

Clyburn with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that Sen. Bernie Sanders' identification as a democratic socialist may be an "extra burden" in down-ballot House races if he were to win the Democratic nomination.

Why it matters: Clyburn's comments echo fears from many establishment Democrats, who worry the House majority they won in 2018 by taking moderate seats carried by President Trump could be at risk with Sanders at the top of the ticket.

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Axios

O'Brien rejects intelligence report of Russia effort to re-elect Trump

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien. Photo: Chris Usher/CBS via Getty Images

White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien repeatedly rejected on ABC's "This Week" an assessment from a congressional briefing led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election to help President Trump get re-elected.

Why it matters: The report put the Trump administration under fresh scrutiny in regard to steps it has been taking to combat the kind of interference that the U.S. encountered in 2016.

Go deeperUpdated 31 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Italy becomes site of largest coronavirus outbreak outside of Asia

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus has spread to more nations as South Korea and Italy step up emergency measures in their countries amid rising case numbers on Sunday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed at least 2,462 people and infected almost 79,000 others, mostly in mainland China. South Korea increased the infectious disease alert to red, the highest possible, as its case numbers jumped to 602 and the death toll to five. Italy's government announced emergency measures as it confirmed a spike from three to 132 cases in matter of days, making it the largest outbreak outside of Asia.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health