Dozens of states and the federal government sued Facebook on Wednesday in twin antitrust lawsuits, alleging that the social media giant has abused its dominance in the digital marketplace and engaged in anticompetitive behavior.

The Federal Trade Commission, in particular, is seeking a permanent injunction in federal court that could, among other things, require the company to divest assets, including Instagram and WhatsApp, and require Facebook to seek prior notice and approval for future mergers and acquisitions.

"Personal social networking is central to the lives of millions of Americans," said Ian Conner, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, in a statement. "Facebook's actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition. Our aim is to roll back Facebook's anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive."

Publish Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – 7:23 ET

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The House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a sweeping defense bill with a veto-proof majority after a veto threat from President Donald Trump sharply divided Republican lawmakers, forcing them to choose between loyalty to him and legislation that sets defense policy for the country.

The vote, which broke down to 335-78, is a major rebuke to the President.

The National Defense Authorization Act will next head to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass with bipartisan support, though it is not yet clear if it will similarly reach a veto-proof majority in the chamber.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 7:23 ET

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President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, two people familiar with the transition said, a decision that would add another African American woman to the ranks of his Cabinet.

Fudge also had been under consideration for agriculture secretary, but in the last week the Biden transition team turned their focus to HUD. The announcement could come later this week, the people said.

Biden has been reluctant to pick many Democratic members of Congress, given their narrow margin in the House and uncertainty in the Senate. But Fudge, an Ohio Democrat, represents a safe seat and was deemed an exception.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 6:38 ET

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The Supreme Court has denied a request from Pennsylvania Republicans to block certification of the state's election results, delivering a near fatal blow to the GOP's long-shot bid to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 5:22 ET

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The cybersecurity firm FireEye said Tuesday that it had come under cyberattack by "highly sophisticated" actors likely sponsored by a nation-state, in a rare and extremely serious instance of a mainstream security vendor being compromised. The hack could even give the perpetrators the means to launch attacks against other targets.

In an investor disclosure, FireEye said the attack was highly customized to target FireEye's systems and is unlike any the company has responded to in the past.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 5:13 ET

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Judge Emmet Sullivan of the DC District Court has dismissed Michael Flynn's criminal case as moot, ending a tortured three-year-long proceeding.

After lying to the FBI and to members of Trump's administration in early 2017, Flynn lost his job as national security adviser, setting in motion a series of events that led to Trump firing FBI Director James Comey and the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Russian interference in the election and the President obstructing justice.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 3:00 ET

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President-elect Joe Biden has selected retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the former commander of US Central Command, to be his secretary of defense, a source familiar with the decision told CNN on Monday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black man to lead the Department of Defense.

In addition to serving as commander of United States Central Command, Austin previously served as the vice chief of staff of the Army.

Publish Date: Monday, December 7, 2020 – 7:58 ET

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The United Kingdom has become the first Western nation to begin vaccinating its citizens with a Covid-19 shot outside of clinical trials -- a landmark moment in the coronavirus pandemic.

The first Briton to get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine -- 90-year-old Margaret Keenan -- received the first of two doses at University Hospital in Coventry, less than a week after the UK became the first country to approve it.

The logistical challenges of manufacturing and distributing tens of millions of vaccines mean the roll out will be gradual, with the most vulnerable people and health care workers first in line.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 2:45 ET

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US Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, known as "the fastest man alive," has died at the age of 97.

His wife Victoria tweeted from Yeager's verified Twitter account on Monday night that the World War II flying ace died just before 9 p.m. ET.

"An incredible life well lived, America's greatest pilot," she tweeted.

Publish Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – 12:15 ET

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President-elect Joe Biden is poised to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a Biden transition official tells CNN.

Becerra, a former member of Congress, emerged as the leading contender for the critical role after other candidates with more health care expertise were ruled out.

Publish Date: Sunday, December 6, 2020 – 7:18 ET

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