This week, Sinclair capitalized on the FCC’s new laissez-faire attitude, purchasing Tribune Media for $3.9 billion — and, thereby, claiming ownership of enough local television stations to reach 70 percent of American households. To have its deal finalized, Sinclair will need to secure further cooperation from the FCC. Currently, the regulator bars any one broadcaster from claiming greater than 39 percent market share. To stay under that cap, Sinclair may need to sell off its less desirable holdings. Or, maybe not: The FCC’s Republican chairman Ajit Pai has suggested that the 39 percent-limit could be raised.

Sinclair also secured the Tribune’s crown jewel, WGN America, a cable network that reaches 80 million homes, just 10 million fewer than Fox News. On a conference call with investors Monday, Sinclair executives said they would be shifting WGN away from “high-cost originals” (i.e. scripted dramas) and toward more “cost-effective originals.” That remark has fed speculation that Sinclair may try to refashion WGN into a Fox News competitor — an endeavor that could be launched with the aid of erstwhile Fox News star Bill O’Reilly and a few of red America’s other favorite (alleged) sex criminals.

Seven days before he left office, President Obama changed the order of succession without explanation to remove Boente from the list. Obama's order had listed U.S. attorneys in the District of Columbia, the Northern District of Illinois and the Central District of California.

The top positions remain unchanged: the deputy attorney general, the associate attorney general and — at the discretion of the attorney general — the solicitor general and other assistants. But because those positions are now officially vacant, the order currently skips to the Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys.

Dana Boente's new assignment as Justice's acting attorney general for national security comes fast on the heels of his most recent high-profile task: serving as the acting deputy attorney general. Rod Rosenstein was sworn in as Justice's No. 2 official on Wednesday, freeing Boente of those responsibilities.

Boente had also unexpectedly became the acting attorney general for a time earlier this year after the holdover Obama appointee was fired by President Donald Trump.