Overnight Tech: Feds delay rule on entrepreneur visas | News industry wants help against Google, Facebook | Dems question FCC cybersecurity

DHS DELAYS ENTREPRENEUR VISAS: The Trump administration is delaying a rule that would have made it easier for foreign investors and entrepreneurs to enter the U.S.

The International Entrepreneur Rule, which was scheduled to go into effect on July 17, has been delayed until March 14, 2018, according to a notice from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted to Federal Register’s website on Monday.

The notice reads, “This delay will provide DHS with an opportunity to obtain comments from the public regarding a proposal to rescind the rule” in light of President Trump’s executive order from earlier this year on immigration enforcement.

The rule, which was proposed by President Obama’s DHS last year, would have given the agency the authority to grant entrepreneurs “parole” on a case-by-case basis to enter the U.S. for up to 30 months, with the possibility of an extension.

In July, nearly 80 groups urged the White House in a letter to keep the rule, arguing that it would strengthen startup creation.

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), which had organized the letter, called the news “extremely disappointing.”

Read more here.

Please send your tips, comments and net neutrality day of action plans to Ali Breland (abreland@digital-staging.thehill.com) and Harper Neidig (hneidig@digital-staging.thehill.com) and follow us on Twitter: @alibreland, @hneidig and @HilliconValley. We’re also on Signal. Email or DM us for our numbers.

NEWS OUTLETS ASK CONGRESS FOR HELP IN BATTLING GOOGLE, FACEBOOK: A trade association representing hundreds of major media outlets is asking Congress to grant the press collective bargaining power to negotiate with Facebook and Google, two companies that have dominated the online ad revenue market.

The News Media Alliance (NMA) said on Monday that the two internet giants have been siphoning ad revenue away from news organizations around the country and that the industry should be able to have “concrete discussions” in order to secure better conditions.

“Legislation that enables news organizations to negotiate collectively will address pervasive problems that today are diminishing the overall health and quality of the news media industry,” David Chavern, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

Read more here.

DEM SENATORS TELL FCC TO PREP FOR NET NEUTRALITY COMMENTS: Democratic senators criticized the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) handling of a cyberattack that kept individuals from commenting on a net neutrality proposal, urging the commission to make sure that the system would be more secure in advance of an anticipated influx of comments.

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) recalled in a letter that the FCC’s Electronic Communication Filing System (ECFS) was disabled on May 7 and 8 in what the agency said was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The DDoS attack came as John Oliver during a segment of his show, “Last Week Tonight,” urged viewers to comment against FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal to get rid of net neutrality provisions.

The attack kept many individuals trying to access the ECFS from being able to comment.

The agency is expecting a new wave of comments on Wednesday, when net neutrality supporters hold a “Day of Action.”

Read more here.

DEM WARNS DOJ ON AT&T DEAL: A Democratic senator is warning the Justice Department that politics should play no role in their review of AT&T’s proposed merger with Time Warner.

“Any political interference in antitrust enforcement is unacceptable,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) wrote in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday.

Klobuchar said her concern stemmed from a New York Times story on Wednesday that reported White House advisers had discussed the merger as a “point of leverage” over CNN, which is owned by Time Warner.

Read more here.

DEMS WANT TO BLOCK CYBER UNIT: Three Democratic lawmakers in the House have introduced amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act hammering President Trump’s posture toward Russia.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced an amendment blocking funding to any new joint cybersecurity effort with Russia, such as the one the president is said to have agreed to with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Officials from both the United States and Russia in the room when Trump and Putin met Friday both said that leaders agreed to some form of bilateral cybersecurity unit.

Trump later Sunday said that while he discussed the cyber unit, it would not happen.

Read more here.

NEW HIRE: Chris Frates, a former CNN investigative correspondent, is joining the tech focused communications strategy firm, the Glen Echo Group, as a senior counselor. Frates will help the Glen Echo Group’s clients, who include Google, Pandora and Yelp, craft media strategies.

ON TAP:

Microsoft president Brad Smith will speak at a Media Institute event at 12:30 p.m.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

FCC opens docket on Sinclair merger with Tribune

The Verge: Google is now highlighting ‘best torrent sites’

Group asks FCC to delay net neutrality repeal proceeding

Facebook, Google to join net neutrality demonstration

The New York Times: AT&T-Time Warner merger in limbo at Justice Department

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s new study on innovation in the federal government