Fox got some but not all of what it sought from FCC staff Friday afternoon. The company can keep WWOR-TV Secaucus, New Jersey, and the New York Post under a continued newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule waiver.

Thirty-plus states sued Google Thursday. Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, the Dakotas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia were among them and the District of Columbia also signed on. They allege the company violated Sherman Antitrust Act Section 2.

Newly minted FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington was sworn in Monday morning, officially ending predecessor Mike O’Rielly's term. Simington was confirmed last week. The FCC tweeted that Simington was sworn in “moments ago” at 9:52 a.m. but didn’t immediately respond to requests for additional information about the nature of the ceremony. Former Commissioner Robert McDowell has said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai can administer the oath of office to new commissioners.

FCC commissioners approved an order clarifying that contractors working for federal, state or local governments, as well as local governments themselves, must obtain consumer consent before making robocalls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The FCC also clarified that “federal and state government callers, when acting in an official capacity, are not subject to the prior consent requirements of the TCPA.” Commissioner Mike O’Rielly concurred. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks approved in part and dissented in part.

FCC commissioners approved 5-0 an order rejecting Huawei’s application for review of a June 30 Public Safety Bureau order designating it as a covered company barred from participating in the USF. Commissioners also agreed to move forward on a proceeding revoking China Telecom America's U.S. authorizations for international telecom services following a recommendation by executive branch agencies, led by DOJ. “Network security is national security,” said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks.

Facebook faces antitrust lawsuits from 40-plus states with attorneys general of both parties along with the FTC for allegedly illegal, anticompetitive behavior in the social media market. While the agency's chairman signed onto the litigation, fellow FTC GOP members Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson voted no. Chairman Joseph Simons joined the agency's two Democrats voting yes.

The Senate voted 49-46 Tuesday afternoon to confirm Nathan Simington as an FCC commissioner. The vote was along party lines, as expected. His confirmation followed a largely muted Senate floor debate.

Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said his departure from the FCC “looks to be on track for some point next week,” in a goodbye email with an accompanying video message sent to FCC staff Friday. O’Rielly said his “FCC end date is soon approaching in the days or weeks ahead.” His office said O’Rielly intends to serve the rest of his term. Under the law governing FCC terms of office, a commissioner’s service doesn’t end until the individual's term has expired or a replacement takes the oath of office, an FCC spokesman confirmed.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai plans to leave the commission Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, the Republican announced Monday. Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in as president that day.

SNR Wireless and Northstar Wireless remain under de facto Dish Network control and thus aren't eligible for $3.3 billion in designated entity bidding credits they sought for licenses they won in the AWS-3 auction, the full FCC said in an order Monday. This arose from issues remanded from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2017 after it upheld FCC denial of the auction bidding credits but gave the DEs a chance to negotiate a solution to the Dish control.