Details: Almost every friend of Facebook users could be accessible in Microsoft Bing searches without permission, the NYT reports. Netflix and Spotify had access to users' Facebook messages. Amazon had user contact information and names through their Facebook friends, and even though Facebook said earlier this year that it had stopped sharing friends' posts, Yahoo could see them "as recently as this summer."

Our thought bubble: This undercuts Facebook's claims that it's gotten better at policing privacy over time. Facebook has acknowledged before that it let outside companies access user data for longer than it had previously made clear.

• Where this story goes further, however, is in showing that data-sharing partnerships allowed for user information to flow out of the social network very recently — implicating some of the biggest players in tech.
• Facebook is sloppy in some ways (like leaving data access available even after a partner has shut down a feature) but beyond that, these revelations expose how Facebook views user data and privacy: The company thinks it knows better than the users themselves.

The big picture: This will eventually present a business problem for Facebook.

• The company's PR mantra since the whole Cambridge Analytica scandal erupted in March has been "we don't sell user data." But we're seeing as these scandals unfold that the problem isn't necessarily that the company sells user data, it's that it's sloppy about how it protects and shares it with select partners, which points to a values problem.
• For now, advertisers (its business lifeline) have largely ignored this issue because Facebook's marketing platform is so effective. But as stories like this unfold as Facebook tries to expand its ads business, the risk that will be associated with having weak user privacy values could compound business interests. Case-in-point: Netflix and Spotify likely aren't thrilled they are caught up in this story about bad user data privacy practices."

Statement from Facebook:

The bottom line: This large tech company has gone [0] days without a damaging New York Times story.

What's next: The bill is going back to the House, where it is also expected to pass. The House passed a less expansive version of the bill earlier this year. After that it'll head to the president's desk for signature.

Details: The bill would...

• Send up to 4,000 prisoners home by increasing the amount of time inmates can cut off of their sentences due to good behavior.
• Allow more male and female inmates to serve time in house arrest or halfway homes instead of prison cells, with exceptions for high-risk inmates.
• Require that prisoners be placed within 500 miles of family.
• Outlaw shackling during child birth.
• Mandate the provision of sanitary napkins and tampons to female inmates.
• Reduce the mandatory penalty from life to 25 years for a third conviction of certain drug offenses, and from 25 to 15 years for a second conviction.
• Prohibit the doubling up, or "stacking," of mandatory sentences for certain gun and drug offenses.
• Give judges more discretion in giving less than the mandatory minimum for certain low-level crimes.
• Make the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act retroactive, which changed sentencing guidelines to treat offenses involving crack and powder cocaine equally. This could impact nearly 2,600 federal inmates, according to the Marshall Project.

The big picture: This bill would only impact the 180,789 people incarcerated in federal prisons, but many of the changes reflect reforms already implemented in many states.

Details: Through its subsidiary XTO Energy, Exxon is one of America’s biggest producers of natural gas. It has two reasons to back such a regulation.

1. Exxon is facing pressure from investors and lawsuits over climate change. By calling for regulations, it’s an attempt to show Exxon wants gas to be as clean as possible, even if those regulations never happen. “We believe the correct mix of policies and reasonable regulations help reduce emissions, further supporting the benefits of natural gas in the energy mix,” writes Gantt Walton, vice president in Exxon’s Washington office, in the letter sent as part of the regulatory process.
2. As a massive global company, Exxon is positioned to benefit financially over smaller companies. It can easily afford pollution-control equipment that others have a harder time obtaining.

Between the lines: This is a subtle escalation in Exxon’s positioning on this issue. The company has previously said it backs federal methane regulations, but — until now —had not gone as far as to ask the EPA to do so in writing.

• It’s also significant that Exxon is asking the agency to regulate methane emissions from existing wells, which would affect hundreds of thousands of wells. Under Trump, the EPA is very unlikely to do this. President Obama’s EPA had started the initial groundwork for such a rule, but didn’t get far before Trump took over.

What’s next: This letter is in response to a technical rollback EPA is undertaking. The agency is expected to propose a broader rollback of the rules soon.

• "I'm not hiding my disgust, my disdain for this criminal offense," Sullivan told Flynn.
• “This is a very serious offense — a high-ranking senior official of the government, making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation while on the physical premises of the White House."
• "Arguably, this undermines everything this flag over here stands for. Arguably, you sold your country out," Sullivan said, referencing Flynn's undisclosed lobbying for Turkey.

Between the lines: Sullivan also pressed Flynn on statements made by his defenders and lawyers in recent weeks, which suggested he was a victim of the FBI.

• Flynn statement last week: "General Flynn’s case differs from that of Alexander Van der Zwaan ... a trained attorney who was represented by counsel during the interview; he was interviewed at a time when there was a publicly disclosed, full-bore investigation regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election; and he was given a warning that it is a federal crime to lie during the interview."
• Flynn today: The retired general declined opportunities to withdraw his plea and said he was "aware" lying to the FBI is a crime. His lawyer also told the judge that Flynn was not entrapped by the FBI.

What's next: Flynn's sentencing will now be delayed into 2019 as he wraps up his cooperation with the Mueller investigation.

Go deeper: What Michael Flynn has admitted

• Sanders added that Trump is "disappointed" in Congress for failing to come up with a spending deal to keep the government open. Last week, both House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Trump at the White House to hash out a deal. It went nowhere.

Other highlights:

• Addressing Michael Flynn's sentencing hearing, Sanders doubled down on her claim from earlier in the day that Flynn was "ambushed" by FBI investigators — despite Flynn reaffirming in court that he knew it was illegal to lie to the FBI. She also claimed that actions Flynn engaged in don't "have anything to do with the president directly," and that she was unaware of any actions he took that would indicate treason.
• Sanders said Trump would "take a look" at extraditing Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in Pennsylvania who the Turkish government has accused of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016. Flynn has admitted to failing to register as a foreign agent of Turkey while lobbying to have Gulen extradited, work for which two of his business associates have been indicted.
• Sanders also announced Trump would attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next month.

Go deeper: White House looking at “other ways” to get $5 billion for border wall

Details:

• The dissolution of the foundation comes after The Washington Post reported that its funds were being used to pay off legal settlements for Trump's private businesses, including purchasing art from one of his clubs and making an illegal political donation.
• Underwood said the investigation found “a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation — including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more."
• What's next: The foundation’s remaining $1.75 million will be distributed to other charities approved by Underwood's office and a state judge.

Flashback: Following his 2016 election win, Trump said he would dissolve the foundation to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest. But the attorney general’s office had stated that doing so would require the state's approval, given its investigation.

Go deeper: The 17 know Trump-related investigations

• Media companies are already looking for ways to create content that will satisfy sports gambling fans. CBS launched its first-ever sports gambling show on its streaming platform earlier this year. The Action Network, a subscription service for sports betters, made waves last month when it signed ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell.
• Non-media companies, like DraftKings and FanDuel, are beginning to integrate more live and on-demand media content into their betting experiences.
• "You're also likely to see an increase in esports betting and content," says Jeff Loucks, the executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Technology, Media and Telecommunications.

Leagues are expanding, and getting choosier. Sports leagues that have traditionally distributed their content to pay-TV providers are thinking more strategically about licensing their content to digital streamers where it will eventually get wider mass distribution.

• The New York Post reported Monday that MLB is considering giving individual teams streaming rights. Many teams, as the Post's Josh Kosman points out, already have stakes in their own regional sports networks, which makes this dynamic complicated.
• The NFL has led the charge in licensing its Thursday night games exclusively to Twitter last year and then Amazon this year and again next year. To accommodate the needs of die-hard fantasy sports fans, two new football leagues are expected to debut in the next two years — the Alliance of American Football and the XFL, per the Washington Post.

Regional sports networks are losing value: As it turns out, Fox may not be getting the types of bids it wants for its 22 regional sports networks that it has to divest as a part of its deal with Disney.

• The high cost of RSNs distorts the value of the traditional cable bundle, writes BTIG Media Analyst Rich Greenfield. "If anyone buys the channels beyond a large network owner such as Fox, the RSNs will almost undoubtedly be tiered – great for consumers, but devastating to the new RSN owner," which needs to maintain maximum distribution.

Football is keeping the lights on: Despite weak November ratings for cable and broadcast networks last month, NFL ratings continue to grow, according to research firm MoffettNathanson.

• Ratings are up 5% so far this season as of last week, particularly on Sundays. This may be due in part, according to the firm, because news network ratings have been down in the -10% to -20% range for the better part of this year.

Go deeper: The high-stakes game for sports betting dollars