Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation
Fired FTC Official Slaughter: Trump Put Big Tech Above the Law
Democrat says FTC lost two Big Tech watchdogs over Meta, X, and Amazon.
Jericho Casper
Reporter Jericho Casper graduated from the University of Virginia studying media policy. She grew up in Newport News in an area impacted by the digital divide and has a passion for universal access.
Congress
Thune: More Congressional Review Act Votes Coming
Wi-Fi hotspots CRA still pending.
NTIA
Rep. Hudson Wants to Rewrite Many BEAD Requirements
Republican lawmaker targets rules on labor, DEI, and price caps in the name of faster rollout.
Digital Inclusion
USDA Scrubs DEI Criteria from Rural Broadband Grant Programs
Removal of DEI scoring may shift broadband funds away from Tribes and disadvantaged areas.
FTC
FTC’s Ferguson Says Tech Censorship Practices May Violate Antitrust Law
Chairman signals agency’s expanding role in countering Big Tech censorship
UK
UK on Track to Reach 96% Fiber Coverage by 2027
Regulator Ofcom unveils new rules to sustain rural broadband buildout.
Digital Inclusion
California Democrat Releases $15 Internet Affordability Bill
New text lays out speed, eligibility, and reporting rules under the proposed California Affordable Home Internet Act.
Benton
Lawyers Backing FCC Cautiously Optimistic Ahead of Supreme Court USF Case Showdown
Telecom companies, public interest groups, and both the Biden and Trump administrations are united in the fight over the FCC’s Universal Service Fund.
BEAD
State-by-State BEAD Bids Reveal Varying Degrees of ISP Participation
Arkansas nearly reached full coverage, Massachusetts barely half.
FCC
Who Might Replace Geoffrey Starks at the FCC?
Trump’s next move could upend agency norms.
Funding
Missouri Wants FCC to Return $177 Million in Defaulted Grants
More than 85,000 locations meant to be served by the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund remain without service.
Democracy
Terminated FTC Democrats Vow to Take Trump to Court
A federal judge reversed a similar attempt by Trump, and an FTC lawsuit might be next.
FCC
FCC Commissioner Starks to Resign ‘This Spring’
With Starks leaving, Carr could have a majority sooner than he expected.
Congress
BEAD Tax Bill Costs $2.5 Billion in First Six Years, Analysis Shows
Joint Committee on Taxation in 2023 Put 11-Year Cost at $578 million
Congress
Blumenthal Probes FCC’s ‘Intrusive Investigations’ Into Media Firms
Senate Democrat wants answers on FCC investigations into Comcast, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, and PBS.
BEAD
Maine Urges Commerce Department to Refine, Not Delay, BEAD Rollout
Maine Urges BEAD to ‘Invest in the Right Technology for the Right Place,’ Not Pure Tech Neutrality
