McCarthy as Spicer, take three
Actress Melissa McCarthy’s third take as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had a spark when it started—"I can’t go back to the Navy! I can’t swim! — but ended with a thud in a super-awkward kiss between McCarthy and Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump. Highlights: Spicer navigating Manhattan traffic on his lectern-mobile. Lowlight: come on, SNL. Another lazy gay makeout joke? Vanity Fair speculated the skit’s ending could affect Spicer’s job security.
Speaking of…
Spicer’s name is all over the latest Washington rumors about a possible widespread shakeup of the West Wing that could include anyone not named Trump or Kushner. Trump has floated Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle to informal advisers as a possible replacement for Spicer, according to The New York Times. Wondering about Trump’s news diet? Here’s how aides feed the president real and sometimes fake news clips, according to Politico.
Dorsey backs Trump’s Twitter use
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey may not be a fan of Trump’s policies, but he is a supporter of the president using Twitter, even if it is to make controversial statements like his Friday threat to former FBI Director James Comey about "tapes" of their conversations. "I believe it's really important I hear directly from our leadership. And I believe it’s really important to hold them accountable," Dorsey said on Sunday’s edition of Today, according to the Los Angeles Times. Twitter reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings last month in a bump many observers attributed to Trump’s use of the platform. ?
Google refines AdSense
The technology giant is tweaking its AdSense programmatic platform to enable the company to remove ads from just an offensive page, not an entire website. The company will also roll out a policy center in the coming weeks to inform publishers about what it’s doing to help their ads avoid violent, intolerant, or otherwise inappropriate content, according to VentureBeat.
Another challenge for Uber
Alphabet self-driving automobile unit Waymo is teaming up with Uber arch-rival Lyft on product development and pilot projects, according to the Times. The partnership comes amid a court battle between Uber and Alphabet over proprietary self-driving technology and widespread criticism over Uber’s workplace culture.
