*By Britt Terrell*
Senate Democrats are seeking to make net neutrality a central issue in November's midterm election by putting Republicans on the record against an issue that most Americans support.
If the Democratic strategy works, it could help them win a Congressional majority, said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.
"It's an opportunity for the Democrats to stand up and say 'we're on the side of the consumer,'" Rubin said Thursday in an interview with Cheddar. "Public opinion polls have shown that most Americans favor net neutrality, and this is an opportunity with the midterms coming up to say, 'here's how we voted, and the Republicans did not stand with us.'"
Three Republicans joined all of the Senate's Democrats to [pass a resolution](https://www.cnet.com/news/senate-votes-to-restore-net-neutrality-heres-how-every-senator-voted/) Wednesday to preserve net neutrality rules that ensure internet service providers provide equal access to all content and applications without showing favor to certain products or sites.
It is unlikely the House will pass a similar resolution ahead of the Federal Communication Commission's June 11 deadline for the repeal of net neutrality rules. But President Trump, who in the past has pivoted on resonant issues that could gain him favor with voters, might be convinced to keep net neutrality in place, Rubin said.
It was Trump's chosen FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, who pushed to repeal the net neutrality rules on the grounds that regulation prevents the businesses that build internet's infrastructure from innovating and re-investing.
"He was in support when Chairman Pai first announced the initiative," to get rid of net neutrality, Rubin said of Trump. But if Democrats' strategy to make it a more crucial midterm election issue succeeds, "it might be a chance for a populist appeal," he said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/senate-votes-to-keep-net-neutrality-rules-2).
President Donald Trump on Thursday broke convention when his holiday call to troops took an unusually political turn. On his call with a general stationed in Afghanistan ー and during the questions with reporters that followed ーTrump made controversial comments on the courts, trade, and the caravan of migrants heading toward the border between the U.S. and Mexico. "This is a highly politicized environment, especially with President Trump ー that's his style," Nick Givas, a reporter at the Daily Caller, told Cheddar on Friday.
As Americans hit the road in record numbers this holiday, low gas prices are poised to act as a boon for consumer spending. Drivers are already saving $100 million a day at the pump over just last month, according to GasBuddy.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018.
As Canada battles a nationwide marijuana shortage, Massachusetts dispensaries opened to recreational users on Tuesday. Regulatory bottlenecks and unforeseen demand have caused disruptions in Canada's marijuana supply ー but don't expect the trouble to cease next year. Khurram Malik, CEO of cannabis supplier Biome Grow, said he anticipates disorder in Canadian cannabis well into 2019.
With news that the White House Correspondents' Dinner will break a long-standing tradition by replacing a comedian host with a historian, Jon Levine, media editor at The Wrap, discusses whether the event should even exist anymore.
What role exactly does Facebook play in society? Does it do more good than harm ー or more harm than good? Is it too big to control? Existential questions like these are beginning to circulate as the world's largest social network finds itself embroiled in yet another state of crisis.
Apple talks a big game on customer privacy -- but that hasn't stopped it from making billions through its partnership with ad-based search engine Google. In an interview with Axios on Sunday, Apple ($AAPL) CEO Tim Cook defended his company's relationship with the world's leading search engine, and discussed the potential for regulation in tech, which he considers inevitable.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018.
Tubi Daily News Powered By Cheddar for the Afternoon of 11/19/18
The clamor to impeach President Trump has increased in volume since Democrats won back the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month ー and one member of the chorus is former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, who said the president's term recalls another dark period in American political history.
