Ben Brody
LightNews LightNews
benbrodydc.bsky.social
Ben Brody
@benbrodydc.bsky.social
750 followers 190 following 16 posts
Tech policy reporter at Punchbowl News. Formerly MLex, Protocol (RIP), Bloomberg News and lots of others.
Posts Replies Media Videos
benbrodydc.bsky.social
From @punchbowlnews.bsky.social: House GOP leaders urged the White House to hold off on a leaked draft order to push back on states regulating AI

Scalise et al want more time for Hill work. He’s still trying to preempt state AI rules in NDAA

punchbowl.news/article/tech...
House leaders urge Trump to wait on AI order
House GOP leaders are urging the White House to hold off on an executive order targeting state AI laws.
punchbowl.news
November 21, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
TECH: Google is backing three bipartisan bills today designed to combat scams, two of which have advanced on the Hill in recent weeks.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social has the details—
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Google backs three bills on scams
Google is backing three bipartisan bills today designed to combat scams, two of which have advanced on the Hill in recent weeks.
punchbowl.news
November 12, 2025 at 12:49 PM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
We all talk about prestige TV but there are actually only two shows called “Chicago Helicopter Ambulance Pilot who’s Also a Single Dad on CBS” and “A Woman is a Lawyer?!”
November 1, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
TECH: A bipartisan duo are ramping up support for their App Store Freedom Act, taking aim at Apple & Google’s control over smartphone apps.

Three more lawmakers joined this week as momentum builds.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social has the details—
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Smartphone bill backers ramp up
The bipartisan House duo behind a bill that would take on Apple’s and Google’s smartphone app stores is ramping up their push to get support.
punchbowl.news
October 30, 2025 at 11:07 AM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
I wrote about how Democratic leaders in the Senate are moving onto TikTok, as the political megaphone becomes too crucial to ignore and the platform’s future in the U.S. firms up punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Democratic senators embrace TikTok
Top Senate Democrats are learning to stop worrying and love TikTok.
punchbowl.news
October 9, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
The battle over using reconciliation to stop states from regulating artificial intelligence is over. That doesn’t mean key Republicans are giving up on the idea.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with more:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
What’s next on the AI rules freeze
The battle over using reconciliation to stop states from regulating AI is over. That doesn’t mean key Republicans are giving up on the idea.
punchbowl.news
July 6, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi wants the Hill to get ready for machines that can match human cognitive abilities across a variety of domains.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with details:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
What Krishnamoorthi wants on AGI
Krishnamoorthi said during a panel hearing last week, he was looking to make sure such artificial general intelligence, or AGI, would be kept in line with human goals like peace.
punchbowl.news
June 29, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
Digital creators are ready to make their mark in Washington, and platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram shouldn’t expect they’ll always get along with the professional posters when it comes to policy.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with details:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
The coming split between creators and platforms
Digital creators are ready to make their mark in Washington, and platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram shouldn’t expect they’ll always get along with the professional posters when it comes to p...
punchbowl.news
June 30, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
Artificial intelligence systems are “idiot savants,” and maximizing what models do well while minimizing screwups will be crucial to adoption of AI into the U.S. government’s defense functions.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with more from DARPA's Kathleen Fisher:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Dealing with AI’s ‘idiot savants’
AI systems are “idiot savants,” and maximizing what models do well while minimizing screwups will be crucial to adoption of AI into the U.S. government’s defense functions.
punchbowl.news
June 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
Last week, a top policy official at Google’s YouTube testified at a Senate hearing on a bill the company supports to extend voice and likeness rights in the age of artificial intelligence.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with more:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Google is ‘getting to yes’
This past week, a top policy official at Google’s YouTube testified at a Senate hearing on a bill the company supports to extend voice and likeness rights in the age of artificial intelligence.
punchbowl.news
May 25, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
Sen. Elissa Slotkin wants business leaders and tech experts to be working hand in hand with the Pentagon on confronting China.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with details:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Slotkin wants tech in war games
Sen. Elissa Slotkin wants business leaders and tech experts to be working hand in hand with the Pentagon on confronting China.
punchbowl.news
May 11, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
The House’s privacy working group has now received written input from industry and consumer groups. @benbrodydc.bsky.social takes you behind the scenes:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
The latest on the House privacy working group
The House’s privacy working group has now received written input from industry and consumer groups. But the ad hoc collection is going to take its time before producing a bill.
punchbowl.news
April 13, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
Making Google and Apple verify users’ ages on their app stores is an idea supported by an unlikely coalition of child-safety advocates, Meta and other social media services.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with details:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
The odd-couple coalition backing Hill’s app store push
Making Google and Apple verify users’ ages on their app stores is an idea supported by an unlikely coalition of child-safety advocates, Meta and other social media services.
punchbowl.news
April 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
The White House gave the public until last night to weigh in on how the administration should handle artificial intelligence. And weigh in they did.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social details what AI players are telling the administration.
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
What the White House is hearing on AI
The White House gave the public until last night to weigh in on how the administration should handle artificial intelligence.
punchbowl.news
March 16, 2025 at 10:22 PM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
Purim, or as it’s called in my family, the beginning of the Passover RSVP guilt season
March 13, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
From TECH: Lutnick does the rounds as tariffs terrify the tech world, the Republican split on spectrum widens, lawmakers worry about tech billionaires and more.

Diego, @benbrodydc.bsky.social & @andrewdesiderio.bsky.social in the Lookahead:
punchbowl.news/archive/3925...
Subscribe to Punchbowl News Premium
punchbowl.news
March 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Ben Brody
punchbowlnews.bsky.social
The Senate Judiciary Committee made clear that it’s launching back into the tech regulatory debates with bills that modify Section 230. Sen. Ron Wyden is preparing to defend it.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with details:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Wyden prepares to defend Section 230… again
Wyden has been instrumental in saving Section 230 from these efforts with help from the industry and civil liberties advocates.
punchbowl.news
February 23, 2025 at 11:06 PM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
This feels like the most Bluesky story I’ve written in a while
punchbowlnews.bsky.social Punchbowl News @punchbowlnews.bsky.social · Feb 13
3 Senate Dems warn Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr to stop investigations of TV and radio broadcasters that the lawmakers say appear to be impermissible attempts to damage the press over coverage Carr dislikes.

@benbrodydc.bsky.social with more:
punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Senate Democrats urge Carr to stop ‘weaponization of the FCC’
The senators said actions from Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington were taken “at the behest of President Donald Trump.”
punchbowl.news
February 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
NEWS: Cruz reintro'd his bipartisan bill on deep fake nudes. The Take It Down Act came about as close to passing last year as it could without becoming law, but it's in a great position for this year. Rare issue where most everyone agrees

punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Ted Cruz brings back deepfakes bill that almost passed
If it were to pass, the measure known as the Take It Down Act, would represent a rare success among lawmaker efforts to regulate social media.
punchbowl.news
January 17, 2025 at 12:24 AM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
How does Bluesky feel about the TikTok ban? Here’s our wrap on the sudden right turn this took on the Hill today punchbowl.news/article/tech...
Senate Dem leaders push for last-minute TikTok delay
The looming deadline to bar the popular app is getting the attention of Democrats worried about the political fallout with its users.
punchbowl.news
January 17, 2025 at 12:22 AM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
It’s been a crazy week for me, but you can catch up on some of it here!
January 14, 2025 at 12:10 PM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
Ten years ago today, I arrived in DC for a three-month internship. May my plans continue to go wrong in the most wonderful of ways!
January 2, 2025 at 8:57 PM
benbrodydc.bsky.social
INBOX earlier today: incoming Energy and Commerce Chair Rep Brett Guthrie announces Joel Miller, his former deputy CoS, as committee chief counsel. Jessica Donlon will be general counsel, Chris Sarley senior advisor, Matt VanHyfte as comms director
January 2, 2025 at 8:57 PM