Politico names Ives its deputy tech editor, Bordelon its tech influence reporter

Steve Heuser, global technology editor at Politico, sent out the following to the staff on Friday:

As POLITICO’s new global technology team takes shape on multiple fronts, we’re pleased to announce two exciting moves — the first of several you’ll see in the coming months as we build on our dominant standing in core tech policy coverage while also expanding our global ambitions.

Benton Ives

The first note here is long overdue: Benton Ives has taken on a new role as deputy technology editor. Many of you know Benton from his time as a POLITICO Congress editor from 2015 to 2017, or from his part-time editing stints on the night desk after he returned to the U.S. after a few years traipsing through world capitals. With a deep, under-the-fingernails grasp of Hill dynamics, a truly collegial mindset and a driving intellectual curiosity about the new dynamics of power in

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NPR hires Kerr to cover tech

In a note to newsroom staff, Emily Kopp, acting chief business editor, made the following announcement:

I’m thrilled to introduce NPR’s new tech reporter, Dara Kerr, who starts with us on Jan. 9. Along with our intrepid Bobby Allyn, Dara will examine the choices tech companies make and the influence they wield over our lives.

Dara comes to NPR from The Markup, where she covered labor at tech companies. She produced gripping investigations of the risks that Uber and Lyft drivers take—and the lack of protection the tech companies provide them. Dara also reported on big tech lobbying and the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation on Facebook.

Before The Markup, Dara reported for CNET News. Her daily coverage ranged from Airbnb’s regulatory battles to self-driving cars to the proliferation of lab-grown meat. While at CNET, Dara traveled the length of the Texas-Mexico border to report on how surveillance technology

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Fintech firm to buy financial news site The Fly

A financial technology firm has agreed to acquire financial news site The Fly for an undisclosed amount.

The deal is expected to close by the end of March.

The acquirer, TipRanks Ltd., analyzes financial data to provide market research tools for retail investors. The TipRanks Financial Accountability Engine scans and analyzes financial websites, corporate filings submitted to the SEC, and analyst research, to rank financial experts in real time.

The Fly was founded in 1998. The Fly’s strategy is to publish short-form stories consisting of only market-moving content. It uses sources such as analyst research notes, company press releases, SEC filings, newspapers, blogs, social media and trading desk sources.

“TipRanks is a natural home for The Fly,” said Ron Etergino, The Fly’s president, in a statement. “Both companies strive to level the playing field for investors, and TipRanks’ institutional-grade research tools and data will enhance The Fly’s financial news

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