New this morning: Scott Beaudoin is joining Fenton as group president of the social change agency’s newly formed brand and corporate offering, called Actio. The division is launching with American Honda as one of its first clients. Beaudoin previously worked at RF/Binder and MSLGroup.
Kremlin not happy about Twitter ban. The Russian government reacted angrily on Friday morning to Twitter’s decision to ban ads from Kremlin-backed networks Sputnik and RT. A government spokesperson posted on social media that the ban was the "result of pressure from part of the American establishment and special services," according to TechCrunch.
Airline CEO reacts to NAACP advisory. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a memo to employees that he is "eager to meet" with the civil rights group after it issued an advisory to black consumers about the carrier. "We do not and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind," Parker said in the memo, according to Time.
Ad sales drive blowout quarter for Alphabet. Shrugging off concerns about Russian election interference and other controversies, the parent of Google reported a 24% jump in sales last quarter to $27.8 billion. The growth was boosted partly by ad sales on YouTube and smartphones, according to CNN.
More fallout from Halperin accusations. Journalist Mark Halperin has lost his role as a contributor on NBC News programs such as Morning Joe, and the 2016 election edition of "Game Change" has been cancelled after five women accused him of sexual harassment during his time at ABC News. HBO also dropped plans for a miniseries based on the book, according to the Los Angeles Times.
