Via recode: “Verizon is closing in on a deal to buy Yahoo’s core business for about $5 billion, according to sources familiar with the talks. The telco giant has long been considered the favorite to buy Yahoo’s internet assets, which it wants to combine with AOL, which it bought last year for $4.4 billion. Part of Verizon’s pitch to Yahoo’s board is that it is the logical choice, since it is already operating a similar business. The concept of such a deal is to combine its advertising tech assets and become the third alternative to leaders Facebook and Google. Both companies also have extensive media assets…”