During a speech at Austin’s Capital Factory Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz explained why he opposes President Barack Obama’s proposal to implement rules to beef up regulations on high-speed Internet providers in order to protect net neutrality. At one point, Cruz produced a telephone to emphasize his argument that using regulations to enforce net neutrality would stifle online innovation and encourage the creation of monopolies.

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Aman Batheja was a political reporter and editor for the Tribune from 2012 to 2019. Previously he worked for eight years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, most of that time covering state and local politics....